How to Keep People from Rebelling Under my Oppresive Regime?

[tzarmarko]

Hey guys, I have a problem that Ive been having to deal with for the last couple of games.

My people don't like being ruthlessly oppressed by my dictatorships!? I wonder why. But seriously. In my current game, I am playing as a very expansionist Great Britain and I decided to restore the absolute monarchy. After increasing the reactionary % in the upper house, I slowly rolled back all voting rights and set the parliament to Ruling party only. After winning my first and only election, I became an absolute monarchy. Then came a few months of relative peace and quiet. That was not to last, as suddenly, a Jacobin revolt popped up. I, having expected and prepared for this, crushed the revolution and after a few weeks, another one appeared. This time 3 times the size of the previous. Now I am here. What do I do in such a situation. I don't want my Empire to succumb to the threats of the liberal Jacobin pigs, and instead want my king to remain in power with the people all happy.

This has also happened in my previous game. I was playing as a Germany with historical European borders, when after losing the first Great War, a communist revolution occurred. I role played this very well, and played as a Proletarian Dictatorship for two years. This was not to last. Soon enough, rebels overthrew my capitol and I was made into a democracy. Then, I decided to role play into a Presidential Dictatorship. After increasing my reactionaries, my plan had worked. But soon after, another revolt made me a democracy. It just went downhill from there. In the period from 1893-1903 I went from Prussian Con. -> Proletarian Dict. -> Liberal Democracy -> Presidential Dict. -> Liberal Democracy -> Socialist Democracy -> Liberal Democracy. After the 7th Communist Revolution of 1903, I quit that game.

Now listen, I realize that my people shouldn't like living under an oppressive regime, or any regime that they don't like for that matter. But does that really mean that they must overthrow the government simply for the fact that the ruling party is not one of their liking? I mean, Absolute Monarchies and Dictatorships have lasted for decades or even hundreds of years in some cases. How do I make this happen in my game?

Thanks so much,
Mark

 

[C4po]

Well, they may last, but not in countries where the population is educated and politically conscient. If you actually manage to keep your literacy, plurality and consciouness levels down, the people should be less revolting. Of coyrse, that isalmostimpossible for an european nation, you can't stop progress! If you really want to play an absolutist government, I would suggest playing as an unciv, or as a backwrd country, like Russia.

 

[unmerged(173313)]

Tax the hell out of them, keep their consciousness down, pass social reforms to drop militancy. The less luxury goods they get the less consciousness they get, but your plurality is going to be a permanent stumbling block.

 

[Closet Skeleton]

In my current game, I am playing as a very expansionist Great Britain and I decided to restore the absolute monarchy.

Britain was never an absolute monarchy, so technically you can't restore one there unless you got one earlier in the game.

 

[grommile]

Now listen, I realize that my people shouldn't like living under an oppressive regime, or any regime that they don't like for that matter. But does that really mean that they must overthrow the government simply for the fact that the ruling party is not one of their liking?

Yes. This is the 19th century we're talking about here. The defining feature of 19th century politics is the transfer of (nominal) political power away from its traditional seat - by force, if the government wouldn't do it peaceably.

I mean, Absolute Monarchies and Dictatorships have lasted for decades or even hundreds of years in some cases.

Indeed. And in the 19th century, the ones that tried to cling to power as the political consciousness of the masses increased were faced with sabotage, rioting, and revolt.

How do I make this happen in my game?

Play Russia. (At a push, play Austria.)

 

[Kimberly]

In my experience you can certainly extend your reign for quite a while with a few tricks, but for the most part Jacobin uprisings are going to be a thorn in your side you have to accept.

One thing that's important to do is not to grant reforms when people want them, but only when they're actually willing to rise up. A movement for better press laws that's turned radical will form a rebel group, but the rebels' number will decline again for a while, then go up again, then decline again, etc. It can take over a decade before there is actually any risk of revolt. (Though when there is, it'll be a huge revolt.) At that point, everyone of a slightly rebellious character will be concerned with that single issue, and granting that reform will make your militancy drop to something below 1 and reduce revolt risk for quite a while yet.

If you have a reliable way of getting more reactionaries, you can revoke the reform later and start the cycle over. The point is to keep them occupied; let them cry out for liberty, bow to their demands when rebellion hits fever pitch, and then silently renege on your promise once their backs are turned.

 

[Arilou]

Keep your military strong and loyal: Rebels can smell weakness.

Keep CON down. You can afford to take MIL hits as long as you keep CON down.

Enact social reforms to keep militancy down.

Try to convert as large a portion of the population as possible to the ideology of the ruling party to get that extra happiness. Better yet, make said ruling party conservative since conservative pops get an extra happiness boost.

Try to avoid CON and MIL raising events like the plague.

 

[Stromgarde]

I'm curious - how exactly did you go about getting enough reactionaries into your upper house to roll reforms all the way back to an absolute monarchy? I've never had a lot of luck increasing reactionaries in the UK upper house to a meaningful level.

 

[tzarmarko]

It was quite easy acctually. Throughout the 1840's I got tons of events to increase the reactionary numbers. Then I first rolled back the voting rights followed by upper house reforms. Boom. Absolute Monarchy.

Anyway, thanks guys! I will try to continue my British game, ill see how that goes.

 

[MontanaPrussian]

In my current Prussia>Greman Empire game,I simply build the Maximum number of troops,in the homeland(colonies are not revolting at all) set them to hunt rebels,and just keep going. I'm Absolute Monarchy in 1888,and have had 10+ large rebellions,all easily quashed. Is it annoying? A little,but I refuse reforms that will change my Gov type.