In the Shadow of the Ancients - An Assyrian AAR, Part Three

[Nikolai]

As Clinton's campaign once said (a century from TTL), it's the economy, stupid! War is costly, but with a great industrial might, a powerful army and navy can be utilized against enemies, foreign as well as internal!

 

[Bullfilter]

In a society that remained a predominantly agricultural and subsistence based, a succession of relatively poor harvests in these years had devastating impacts

Gotta shift more away from that pre-industrial economy or it will be Scotland and Germany call the shots for the next 80 years.

Industries that had enjoyed strong growth in the 1830s, during which time they had been the motors of the first stages of Assyria's industrialisation, were badly hit

A worry.

After a low point earlier in the decade, the mid-1840s saw the beginning of a dramatic upswing in Assyrian economic fortunes.

Elsewhere, the steel and iron production that was the cornerstone of the other major centre of Assyrian industry in Armenia and northern Assyria-Superior witnessed even more imposing growth as steel production rose two and a half fold in the same period between 1845 and 1847.

This is better. Grog and clothing are all very well as money spinners, but it’s the heavy industries that are needed to bolster future strategic and military strength. I’m minded a little here of Japan in the 19th century and the similar realisation they came to. Though by the 1930s it had led them down a very dark and self-destructive path.

the Liberal Republican Party restored its parliamentary majority with an exceptional performance that saw its Majlis vote soar to an absolute majority for the first time

Naimy now had a mandate to transform the static landscape of Assyrian politics for good

This should be interesting! I wonder whether it may eventually lead to proletarian development and Marxist/Syndicalist philosophy growth. 1848 and all that!

And the whirlwind proved to be a whimper after all.

And that was a relief.

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, that civil war wasn't as bad as expected.

Byzantium is doing poorly, so Assyria should be the preeminent power in the Middle East... as much as that position is worth. Let's hope that the powers of Europe don't suddenly become interested in the Middle East.

 

[Ix:Risor]

As noted, we've weathered the anticipated backlash extremely well, even managing to support an ongoing Lib-Rep majority in the Majlis. An unusual situation and deserving of some celebration! I have to wonder what the new political settlement will be with adjustment around abolition and its repercussions.

 

[CaptainAlvious]

Look at that, the liberals managed to hold onto power and made abolitionism stick. Here’s to hoping that Assyria’s democracy and aspirations to become a truly great power thrive with a more modernized political and economic system than its neighbors.