Chapter 40: Internal issues.
For those of you who were wondering, this is the HRE in 1764. It is fractured but still embodies a lot of Europe.
But we start today’s tale two years earlier, in 1762. Nobles demand their old rights back. The king gives in and France loses 10% taxes for 10 years, in exchange for a reduction in Revolt Risk.
At practically the same time, I get +10% Trade efficiency, which does compensate somewhat for the lost taxes.
With the war over, I upgrade my cavalry to the Latin Lancers. If they were good enough for Napoleon, who am I to disagree?
Portugese Brazil declares war on Cosmopolitaine Brazil over the provinces lost in our last war and The Russians hammer out a peace deal with the Ottoman Empire.
In December, the last colony in the world becomes a French city. The colonisation age is now officially over.
Our Brazilian governor hands all of the provinces that they gained back to Portugese Brazil, except Bahia, which will defect on its own eventually.
Bugger!
I should be glad that I was already at -1 Stability to begin with, but the cost in Administration Points will be costly nonetheless. What’s more, I don’t even have an army in India right now, so those 27 revolutionaries in Kochin have a free reign for the moment.
Ok. Don’t panic. Maybe this is a good thing. Is this the French revolution, or is it “just” a massive uprising? Would Revolutionary France be a stronger nation, maybe? I don’t like Metagame thinking in EU 4 all that much, because it kind of breaks the immersion factor for me.
But in this instance, I have to give it some thought what I want to do.
After letting time pas, I check the forum, and am advised that Royalist France is more powerful than Republican France. Of course, by that time, Île De France is fully occupied. The revolutionaries haven’t moved. I had hoped to engage them somewhere that doesn’t involve the Seine. Or any other rivers. Oh well, so be it.
I send my entire army to crush them.
The fight is still going on, when this happens. The alternative would have been to see 21 rebels pop up in Ivory Coast, where I have the massive army of 6 regiments. Time to take out a loan.
Even so, 4 days later 22 regiments of rebels pop up a couple of provinces away from Ivory Coast. At least it is just 1 stack now. That could have been worse.
The Battle of Île De France ends after 7 days of bloodshed. I am somewhat weary of leaving France itself weakly defended, so I send my transport fleet to South America to pick up the 41 regiments stationed there.
As soon as the ships arrive in Africa, I realise I forgot to actually load the troops in the first place. So the ships have to make the round trip to Brazil and back for nothing. Nice to know I am at the top of my game.
o
While all that is going on, I lose the claim on Corsica. Lüneburg loses a war against Bohemia and is forced to release Wurzburg and Mecklenburg.
May, 3rd, 1765. Milan is finally properly integrated into the kingdom. My Force Limits rises to 215 regiments and over 200 ships.
Throughout all this time, my economy feels like a yoyo, with lots of ups and downs. So I am more than a little happy when a random event drops my Land Maintenance Modifier by 25% for 5 years. That should help tremendously.
Scandinavia, at war with Naples, has bitten off more than it can chew, when Austria shows up to help its Italian ally. They call in Russia, but remain warleader. This means they can’t call me in to war, which suits me just fine at the moment. I am not in a very warlike frame of mind at the moment. The presence of Russia on the battlefields, sends Naples into a bit of a panic, and they call in Spain.
I finally manage to drop off my troops in Africa, but I can’t help but wonder what the heck that single Russian ship is doing off the Ivory Coast.
Here is a look at the war from the perspective of Scandinavia. That might get tricky in the long run.
And then Portugal joins the fun as well.
I am still fighting the rebels in Wyndah, when Lithuania somehow decides it would be a good idea to help Scandinavia.
After the battle in Wyndah, I send the troops to India (this time I do make sure they are actually onboard before they ship out).
I give Cayenne to Cosmopolitaine Brazil, but they refuse to take Suriname as well.
With the last rebels wiped out, I begin a massive program to bring my naval and land forces up to the Force Limits: 36 Light Ships are ordered throughout the Empire, and 30 regiments begin training to fill up the former Milanese army.
I send an army to Africa, while keeping the forces in India to quell any forther riots.
Utrecht is still linked to France by RM, and since they don’t feel like becoming independent from Austria, I divorce them.
19 Februari, 1767. The event gives me a +1 Stability bonus, so I take the opportunity to bump my stability to 2, before accepting the event. With a +3 total, I make about 55 ducats per month. Of course, inevitably, a comet cuts my profits almost in half.
Selling a beautiful statue gives me over 600 ducats, which is used to repay my debt.
In september, 1768, I finish the last Quality Idea (+10% artillery combat ability), leaving me with just Trade Ideas to fill out.
By January of the next year, Charles IX finally kicks it, making room for his much-anticipated (and much better) heir, François II. Now those are pretty good stats.
In Februari, Scandinavia cedes Hinterpommern to Austria and Russia cedes Dorpat to the Livonian Order.
Austria is feeling really good about themselves, right now, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise. But the following still gives me a bit of a shock: