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Thank you profusely for the replies!

NapoleonComple - I would love to give the Ottomans a bloody nose but I fear they are too strong at present, especially since I would have to land troops amphibiously to attack them. They have actually already finished their war with Egypt, Egypt quickly ceded the province they were after.

Vaya con Queso - I am indeed planning on gobbling up the rest of the Arab peninsula soon. Too true regarding Ethiopia as well! Imagine daring to give Sokoto a helping hand! The cheek! They shall definetly be punished...

Tanzhang (譚張) - I'm planning on making a full overview in 1850 with world maps and so forth but there are a few screenshots of Europe in this update (notably of Italy's formation already) and the last screenshot shows Sokoto's burgeoning empire!

I did indeed grab Dumyat so that I can build the Suez canal at some point. Ethiopia shall indeed by the next target and I cannot agree more regarding the Ottomans. I'll be keeping well away from them for the time being!

loki100 - Zamnagawa has been stripped of command once more, I can only hope he doesn't get close to the battlefield once again, he proves ridiculously competent all too often. Kabe is a skilled poet, his latested offering is truly inspired!

thekinguter - Sorry regarding the maps, as I said to Tanzhang I'll definetly have some for 1850, I'm just wishing to make such overviews fall at the end of each decade from then on! You are completely right regarding Egypt, I thought I was finished too and I would have been but for the AI being nearly as useless as I am. If Egypt had attacked with all of her forces massed together, rather than in those two attacks, I don't doubt I would have been crushed!

theconfusedone - Great to have you following! A very weird empire indeed, I'm just nabbing land wherever I can!

Juan_de_Marco - Once again apologies, I shall have full maps with the 1850 overview, I promise! The last screenshot does show Sokoto's holdings at present though.

A very belated merry christmas to everyone, I hope everyone had a hugely enjoyable christmas as I did. I have just about recovered from christmas, this a waste of time though since I am sure to need far more recovery after hogmanay!
 
Chapter Six - Poetic Injustice​

With the war against Egypt finally over General Kabe still finds himself much in demand. Not that is for his military abilities but instead for his poetry.

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Kabe's award winning reply to these hymns of;

There was a young poet from Sokoto,
Who must have got horribly blotto,
For there is no other way,
He would otherwise say,
That his country need break away from the glorious Sokot empire as Sokoto is clearly the best nation in the world and if this poet continues with this nonsense the army will soon sort him out...-oto

Quickly defusing the situation.

Sokoto's long suffering diplomats are finally sent on a mission which will likely not cause them to suffer for once.

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As Italy host a reception for diplomats of all nations, she herself having recently formed. Alas the hapless diplomats are mistaken for waiters and kitchen hands and thus sent to work, the Italian government failing to believe that any diplomat would be made to wear pink and green.

[I am not greatly experienced with V2 but this does seem very early for Italy to form. Unfortunately I am not sure who was the driving force behind this formation, I was too busy mismanaging Sokoto's wars to keep an eye on Europe!]

Whilst Sokoto's diplomats slave away in an Italian kitchen the Sokot government is left delighted as they are given a report into Sokoto's world standing.

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Sokoto is already ranked amongst the secondary powers and it merely took corruption, horrifically high taxes, non-stop warfare, shockingly inept leadership from both the militarily and government and adoption of the colour pink for this to be achieved. Clearly this is worth it.

Sokoto knows she has a good friend in Ethiopia, the war against Egypt proving this as Ethiopia rushed to her aid only when it became abundantly clear that Sokoto was going emerge victorious. As such Sokoto wishes to reward her faithful ally and thus she decides that the only adequate 'reward' would be to welcome Ethiopia into the Sokoto's great empire.

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War is declared. Sokoto's diplomats having returned from Italy a few days ago all too happy to be subjected to the horror of delivering a declaration of war. This much preferred to washing even more dishes.

The Sokot army has become experienced and battle hardened over the last decade, having emerged victorious from battlefield after battlefield. The strategies her men now employ are sophisticated, they have learned the complex manoeuvres required to bewilder an opponent and bring about an easy victory. One such Sokot general having proven a master at formulating brilliant new tactics of this type, the innovative tactician Rumfa, he is chosen to lead the attack on Ethiopia. He does not disappoint, employing a brilliant tactic as Sokoto mounts her offence.

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That of throwing forward his horribly outnumbered men against an entrenched opponent for whom the battlefield heavily favours.

Thankfully Ethiopia appear to lack skilled generals as much as Sokoto does, Kasa not quite the right man for a defensive battle, but still far more competent than anyone Sokoto could possibly field. Weight of numbers and use of infantry rather than irregulars soon favouring Sokoto.

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Sokoto secure victory days later, Rumfa celebrated throughout the land for his ability to lose far more men than the enemy.

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Although there is considerable displeasure at his having proven competent enough to order the surrounding of Ethiopia's broken forces.

With Ethiopia's army crushed and Sokoto's soldiers courageously surviving through horrific siege conditions, many suffering horrendous wounds such as having their hairstyles upset, the Sokot government turns towards matters of state.

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Recruitment of officers ends in Ampanihy, several rousing poems from the great Kabe having spurred on said recruitment considerably. Recruitmnt begins in Khartoum.

With the war against Ethiopia progressing suprisingly well Sokoto's worried diplomats are sent off on a new mission.

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War is declared. The diplomats return several months later looking gaunt, troubled and with their clothes hanging off them.

Rumfa romps to an easy victory over the hugely outnumbered ibm Kamil mere weeks later.

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The rest of Hedjaz's forces are soon caught and defeated.

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The Sokot army is hugely impressed by the calibre of Hedjaz's generals, quickly offering both ibm Kamil and ibn Khalid, an incompetent toady and bootlicker respectivelly, positions within Sokoto's army.

Sokoto enjoys yet more good news in July 1846 as Private Banks is finally researched. This technology very useful as the increased tax effiency means the government can further lower taxes for the rich whilst gaining yet more from the poor.

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Sokoto's ever growing band of academics is next told to research The Rights of Man. The Sokot government keen to make sure that everyone within Sokoto knows their rights. The poor having the right to pay shockingly high taxes, supply the men for the army and never have a say in government. Whilst the rich have the right to collect and set taxes, supply the officers for the army and always form the government. Truly Sokoto is land of the free.

It now well over a year since the last of Ethiopia's forces were defeated, the war against the now defenceless nation is finally brought to an end.

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With this victory Sokoto celebrates in the accustomed manner of all budding empires, ordering her cartographers to break out the larger font.

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Larger font always a clear sign of a nation on the rise. And the map itself a clear sign that the cartographers are as incompetent as the average Sokot general. As they seem to think Sokoto's new Egyptian and Ethiopian holdings the best location to place the actual word 'Sokoto' rather than over Sokoto itself.

Clearly Sokoto need conquer yet more land to right this mistake.
 
aye, tend to agree, the only point of drinking over christmas is as training for the main event.

re - Italy, I think in 1.4 that happens quite a lot (it has in my games in any case).

Very impressed with your further poetic victories (& the conquest of Ethiopia but that was sort of less wondrous), your poetry would give the Crovan's a run for their money though
 
I'm still working out how you won that battle in the Ethiopian mountains. You are either a genius or a very very lucky man.
 
It appears that those damned Swedish cartographers have used a larger font for Nejd then they have for Sokoto! Madness!

BTW why didn't you mention the Ottoman intervention?
 
Thank you profusely for the replies! No update as of yet, I'm just leaving a quick reply because Tanzhang is far more perceptive and a far, far better player than I as he is completely right about the Ottomans. I didn't mention that they had intervened against me in my war against Najd because I didn't notice that they had until Tanzhang pointed it out! Having checked I have notification for such messages set to 'background', which is stupid. Needless to say this has left me ever so slightly worried.

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From this screenshot you'll also notice I am currently at war with Abu Dhabi, I attacked them since the war with Najd was basically over and I still hadn't noticed the Ottomans were also at war with me. To say I am a poor when it comes to playing V2 would be a massive understatement. As it is, this war against the Ottomans is going to prove very difficult. The only thing keeping me from complete despair is the fact that they have few transport ships and no way of reaching me via land. I may just survive this.

Anyway, on to actual comments!

loki100 - Quite so, the training for hogmanay is the important part about christmas! It makes sense if Italy forming early is usual for 1.4, I've only played a handful of games on 1.4, I like the change! Kabe truly has a way with words, he puts Burns to shame!

NapoleonComple - It certainly isn't genius so it has to be luck! In all honesty I was ready to retreat, as you can see from the battle report I lost over 20,000 men compared to their 11,000. It simply came down to my having a far better general (jokes about him being a terrible tactician aside!) and Ethiopia only being able to field irregulars. It was very lucky though!

Tanzhang (譚張) - Said Swedish cartoraphers need be punished! I think giving them a stint in the Sokot diplomatic corps could prove punishment enough.

Caezaire - I agree! Rest assured more of Egypt shall be gobbled up as soon as possible! Well, provided the Ottomans don't gobble Sokoto up...
 
Good work Morningsider, in trampling much smaller, weaker nations then yours. Hopefully the vile Ottomen don't ruin this fun and annex our heroes!

Actually, you might want to watch what you post on other threads. I have seen the future, and it is pink.
 
You can probably wait until they land in small pockets and wrap them up as they land, a' la the Portuguese. As long as you don't get your entire army trapped on the Arab Peninsula and then the Ottomans land swarms of men in Africa.
 
Thank you profusely for the replies!

tamius23 - I think that may be something of an insult to the Vogons!

Rae - Thankfully the Ottomans were just about dealt with!

I know what you are talking about and sadly the future is not guaranteed to be pink. This AAR is based upon a completely new game, on a higher difficulty and there is a good chance (a very good chance considering it is me playing) that I may be annexed at any moment.

NapoleonComple - The last bit you typed proved very perceptive! I did get a large chunk of my army stuck on the Arabian Peninsula and the Ottomans did land a large chunk of men in Africa but thankfully I muddled through. Minus some shocking casualties.

ncm - Indeed it should be quite a sight! Although Sokoto surviving until the 1900s is still looking distinctly unlikely!
 
Chapter Seven - Otterly Terrifying​

With war against Ethiopia finally at an end, and the war against Najd progressing well, Sokoto's unhappy diplomats are sent on a new diplomatic mission.

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Several weeks later the drenched diplomats return, wet from having to swim back from Abu Dhabi, the Sokot ship they had been assigned sinking on the way back.

As with the diplomats the main danger for the Sokot army in this war against Abu Dhabi is the Sokot nay, Sokot shipbuilding still leaving a lot to be desired. Thankfully the Sokot vessels manage to limp into sight of the Abu Dhabi coast, green faced Sokot troops hurriedly charging forth from the glorified rafts straight into battle, delighted to be amongst the enemy.

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A battle far more preferable than likely shipwreck.

Abu Dhabi's army is soon crushed, the Sokot soldiers fighting with a hitherto unseen ferocity, desperate to avoid having to return to the ships any time soon.

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A few weeks later and Sokoto's diplomats squelch into their offices. Checking through the messages they have missed whilst swimming for home, one of them suddenly turns green. This time it is not due to sea sickness.

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The Ottomans are at war with Sokoto.

Indeed the Ottomans have been at war with Sokoto for the last few months, having for some reason intervened in Sokoto's war against Hedjaz. Unfortunately, as the Sokot diplomats were swimming for their lives over the last few weeks, they missed the declaration of war from the Ottomans. [Yes, it was due to that...not due to me proving horribly incompetent!] The Sokot government is both baffled and terrified by this intervention. Baffled as to why anyone would declare war upon the peace loving, friendly and neighbourly Sokoto and terrified for obvious reasons.

Surprisingly despite the Ottomans now having entered the war on their side, the fully occupied Hedjaz still offers Sokoto annexation of her nation. Clearly being part of the glorious Sokot empire truly is better than independence.

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The Sokot government happily accept, before realising that doing so has likely vexed the Ottomans considerably.

With no true navy of her own, Sokoto can merely sit and wait for the Ottomans to make the first move. Whilst sitting and waiting a surprising discovery is made.

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Sokoto appears to be funding the war against herself, the Ottomans having taken out the largest sum from the Sokoto National Bank. The Sokot finance minister is hurriedly sought out and praised for this wonderful showing of incompetence, he is likely to become Prime Minister within the year.

Yet more bad news is delivered to the despairing nation as the blithering idiot, Abasama, passes away.

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Victor, somehow, over Yemen's forces many years before, his ability will be missed in this war against the Ottomans. Few have blithered nearly as well as him. And, rather more importantly, Sokoto can ill-afford to lose any generals whilst she strives for westernisation.

Realising that her rapidly expanding ramshackle navy may prove important in this war, Sokoto recruits her first admiral.

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Admiral Rumfa is a former diplomat chosen for this presitigous role as his return from Abu Dhabi, with the rest of Sokoto's diplomats, proved he has the skills required for any joining Sokoto's navy. He can swim.

With the war against the Ottomans continuing at the same frenetic pace, that is nothing continues to happen, war against Abu Dhabi is brought to an end.

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The Sokot government happily accept Abu Dhabi's annexation before realising that this will likely not only further vex the Ottomans, who are making a rather poor show of taming the infamous Sokoto, it also opens up yet more coast for the Ottomans to land upon.

Days later and the Sokot government is left very surprised.

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Not surprised by news of mismanagement in Ilorin, but surprised by the fact that Ilorin seems to think mismanagement by the Sokot government is anything but the norm.

Nearly a year after intervening in Sokoto's war against the now annexed Hedjaz the Ottomans finally make their first aggressive move. Sailing past the easy to reinforce and conquer Sokot holdings in the Arabian Peninsula, ignoring choice targets such as Dumyat and Abu Dhabi which are entirely unconnected by land with Sokoto's other holdings, the Ottomans land their troops on Sokoto's poor east African holdings.

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The Ottomans may just be as inept as Sokoto.

The only slight problem for Sokoto is that apart from a 15,000 strong force in the vicinity of this landing, the bulk of her troops are far to the north.

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This leaving travel through inhospitable terrain or likely defeat at sea the only routes to this Ottoman landing.

Whilst pondering exactly how to move the bulk of her forces to meet the Ottoman incursion the Sokot government is given some interesting news.

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Apparently some Spanish troops blundered into Sokot territory. This impressing the government, as the nearest Spanish land is the island of Fernando Po. Quite how the Spaniards managed to blunder into Sokot territory from there is difficult to understand. Nonetheless although 'Operation Sokot Fury' is appealling, for once the majority of the cabinet act with sense, realising that any aggression against Spain would all too quickly likely become 'Operation Sokoto Given A Kicking'.

Left with little choice the Sokot army begins marching through the wilderness.

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The unhappy soldiers dreading attrition at the hands of vicious animals, incompetent leadership, disease, incompetent leadership, inhospitable terrain and incompetent leadership of which both the wilderness and the Sokot army respectively are filled.

It has taken several months but the first Sokot brigades are finally arriving in the theatre. Unfortunately too the first Sokot province, that of Tanga, has fallen. This prompting the worryingly large Ottoman army, which has been reinforced over the last few months, to attack.

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Things are looking bad for Sokoto. Not only do the Ottomans have more men, far greater training, a good general and even some cannon but worst of all Sokoto has an impressively competent general in command, Usman Rumfa a brilliantly talented general.

These is only one outcome in such a situation.

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Competent officers should never be given command.

Thankfully having slaughtered so many of Sokoto's troops the Ottoman army is too tired to give chase. Instead hunkering down in Dar Es Salaam, besieging the province.

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Having spent the last few months watching nervously towards the north, enough of Sokoto's troops have trudged through the wilderness joining up with her battered forces in Kilwa. Throughout this time the Ottomans have been surprisingly content to simply continue their siege of Dar Es Salaam. Finally with enough men, and Usman Rumfa nowhere to be seen, Abdullah Rumfa is given command once again and employs another of his ingenious tactics.

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He modestly describes this complex attack as the 'Throw Everyone Forward And Hope For The Best' strategy, which worked with such good effect against Ethiopia.

Surprisingly it seems to be working. Something the Ottomans seem to have realised as they hurriedly offer a white peace whilst the battle is still in full swing.

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Sokoto's bewildered diplomats nearly accept this deal before being warned not to on pain of extra swimming lessons. The Sokot government is intent on waiting until the battle ends.

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A stunning victory. Indeed too good a victory as many quickly point out, this leading to criticism of Abdullah Rumfa regarding the lack of casualties Sokoto suffered. The Sokot government quickly accept the white peace deal from the Ottomans as soon as the battle ends, apologising that they were unable to accept this deal when first offered it a week ago as they had all been too busy then. Busy, uhm, washing their hair and, uh, walking their dogs. They had certainly not been avoiding the Ottoman ambassador until the battle finished due to a wish to allow for the Ottoman's force to be crushed before accepting peace. Suggestions to the contrary clearly scurrilous lies.
 
Suprising! I thought the Sokot generals were not incompetent enough to expel the Ottoman invaders, but I was wrong. And how the hell did you win that battle in Ethiopia where the enemy was dug in, in clear majority and in mountains?

And hey, you should take Tripoli off the turks!
 
Nice job holding them off in Africa; you obviously gave them just enough of a bloody nose to make them think "Screw this; I've got the Russians to worry about."