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Can we please do more with the foreign policy plan? Over the last 8 yalears the foreign policy record of Hispania has been more or less terrible and I don't really see that changing much here. We previously discussed bringing Dai Viet and Japan into our sphere for reaources in the cabinet and the existing plan doesn't include that. It also doesn't include pivoting a away from influencing a transdacia, which would be directly ignoring the advice of the Crown Prince inregarda to staying out of Byzantium's spehre, advice that'd be prudent to take. Maybe the plan could look something like this:
Influence use:
1. 100% of influence spheres get Dai Viet
2. If Discredited/Banned, start 100% influencing Japan until discredit/ban finished.
3. If Discredit/banned from Japan and Dai Viet 100% influence Malacca until one of other two are open.
4. Once Dai Viet is sphered, focus 100% on Japan.
5. Once Japan is finished, focus 100% on Malacca
Relation points use:
1. Increase relations with Dai Viet to 200
2. Increase relations with Japan to 200
3. Increase Relations with Malacca to 200
4. Increase relations with UKA to 200
5. Increase relations with France to 200
Agreement accepting:
Only accept alliances from Dai Viet, Japan and Malacca.
Accept military access from Dai Viet, Japan, Malacca and nations at war with rivals.
((You must have missed my replies then. I posted them about two pages back. Probably should have tagged you, since I wasn't sure if indirect quoting counts as a mention. I'll go with Bioiron's plan then so I can get the update going.))
If we must concede influence over Transdacia to Byzantium, then so be it. I would rather diminish our influence in the east to maintain our alliance with our last ally of significant power. As for the suggested marriage, that would be up to the King of Transdacia to decide, not I. I am unaware if he has any daughters left. It may be considered a conflict of interest though to have an ambassador so closely married into the royal family of another nation, for some may start to wonder whom they are truly serving. Regardless, the matter of Transdacia should be dealt with as soon as possible.
- His Imperial Highness, Ferran VI de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
I have indeed conducted diplomacy of my own, and taken note of the various opinions at Byzantine court. Keep in mind that the Basileus's influence is not as strong over his own people as our Emperor's is to ours. Nevertheless, most Greeks share a common mind on the topic of Transdacia. It is a vital buffer between them and Lithuania. While they recognize Hispania's connections to Transdacia, they are driven out of a deep sense of self-preservation to seek a greater position in the region. We must remember that it was not so long ago that the Lithuanians rampaged through the Byzantine lands near the Caucuses during their war with Scandinavia. This makes Transdacia all that more vital, for it is all that stands before them and Lithuania in Europe. They cannot afford to have it fall into the wrong hands. Transdacia is a valuable market and friend to us, but is a defensive border to them. Their military interests trump our economic and political ones. Perhaps the one segment of Byzantine society not entirely interested in Transdacia are the Turks, for they are more preoccupied in the east, where Persia is the key buffer and Lithuania is not so far away. My suggestion would be to concede Transdacia to Byzantium. If we had pursued a stronger policy years ago, we could have cemented our position there, but we have lost far too much ground now and forcing our way back in would damage relations further with Byzantium. We should cut our losses and preserve our alliance with Byzantium above all else.
- His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Alfons de Trastámara, Duke of Roma
((You'd be correct. The only time I might select a reform during an event is if a party that supports it easily controls both houses, and then I'd probably have to play it off as the Emperor pushing it through to explain why there wasn't a vote. The likelihood of the Emperor doing that is slim to none.))
Parliament was a hotbed of debate and controversy going into 1844. The election had given the liberals the numbers this time around, but the conservatives still remained dominant in the Cortz. With the reactionaries unwilling to work with the Unionists and dissension within the Unionist ranks, as well as the general inactivity of the previous Cabinet, the Emperor decided to give the liberals a chance to form the government. The Fraternidad and Fénix parties managed to come to an arrangement, giving them the number necessary to pass legislation in the Assembly. Yet not everyone was happy with this arrangement. The former Prime Minister, Pedro Manuel Falcone, invoked the Parliamentary Principles Act, using the Fénix’s earlier proposal to confiscate monasteries as an example of radical social change and thus barring their members from Parliament. Despite this blow, all those in Parliament who had voted for the proposal gave the required oath and the Emperor was content to let them keep their seats. This was followed by Chamberlain Altair Spoleto stepping forward to call for a vote of no confidence in the Minister of the Interior, demand the budget be voted on, and request that the appointed members of the Assembly be reassessed. The Emperor, understandably, was not pleased by the direct attack on the royal prerogative, sending out his legal team to make clear that no such things would happen without his permission. He remained noticeably absent from parliamentary proceedings for the following month, visibly upset by the whole affair. When the act proposing the removal of the weighting system for voting passed in both houses, it became clear that the conservatives would not be given a chance to govern this time. Without the Emperor willing to intercede directly on the conservatives’ behalf, the liberals were given a mandate to govern for the next few years.
With a new government in power came new policies and plans. The Ministry of Finance, not content to let regular Hispanians suffer under a heavy tax burden, dropped taxes on the lower and middle classes. To make up for the loss of income, spending was cut all across the board, with military, education, and administrative funding all gutted. Only the navy was spared, receiving tremendous funding after its neglect under previous governments. The Ministry of Trade removed all tariffs to help spur on economic growth and allow a free exchange of goods.
This plan did not meet with immediate success. By February, taxes had to be raised by 10-15% as the treasury experienced an estimated deficit of 2k a day. Fortunately, this proved just a temporary measure, for it seemed the change in power had caused a short economic decline, one that disappeared by June and allowed a return to the original tax rates. After that, the Ministry of Finance gradually lowered taxes on the lower and middle classes. By the middle of the following year, taxes on the lower class were lowered from 40% to 30%, with taxes on the middle class lowered to a more modest 45% from 50%. Hispania was experiencing healthy financial growth, and the cuts in spending allowed for a much lower tax rate.
Industry grew steadily without government intervention, with many businesses booming and capitalists opening up factories across Hispania. However, the giant investment spree of the past decade was starting to show its downsides as several enterprises went belly-up. The state had managed to maintain a few canned food factories, placing them strategically close to where the goods necessary to supply them were located. The capitalists were not so wise, with two separate factories in Egypt forced to close down and another in Castilla la Nueva. A fabric factory in Languedoc found itself unable to compete with other businesses in more populated provinces. It seemed that not every capitalist had a good sense for business.
The Ministry of Education focused its attention on industrial and business pursuits. Improvements were made to the refining process of coal to allow for easier production of pit coal, while enrichment processes were encouraged to produce the more refined coke for cleaner iron and metals. Designs for railroads we devised that could be constructed in less flat environments. When it came to factories, various minor regulations and recommendations were put forward to make the management of factories more organized to boost production output.
Due to the unique nature of injuries and disease during war and in the military, a separate branch of medical studies was devised for combat medicine to better prepare doctors for working with combatants.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs, in combination with the Ministry of Justice, took a more relaxed approach to religion, attempting to be more civil towards heathens when necessary. When colonial police disturbed a shrine, the government took efforts to alleviate tensions and show proper respect for the local customs. While their religion still was not accepted, winning them over with honeyed words might work better than by force.
The Ministry of the Interior attempted to undo much of what the previous government had implemented. While attempts to encourage men to work in factories to bolster industrialization continued, more sweeping changes were put into effect as well. Fortifications were built near key cities, mostly in Northern Italy where the population was high and borders less secure. The liberal government attempted to wipe away the blatant abuse of power committed by the Imperial government over half a decade ago. The Imperials at the time had used state resources to encourage support for their own party. The liberals, finding it difficult to remove that stain, had no choice but to bolster support for their own parties to even things out. While viewed as an abuse of power by the conservatives, it seemed the only way to keep both parties on even grounds in Aragon.
Perhaps the greatest and most bold of plans proposed by the Ministry of the Interior was the decision to construct naval shipyards across the entire Empire. Previous governments had sorely neglected Hispania’s naval infrastructure, and with the navy continuously increasing in size, an upgrade was needed. Over the course of two years, the Ministry started construction on shipyards in every State and Territory across the Empire, starting with North and East Africa, moving on to India and East Asia, and finishing with South and West Africa and the Atlantic islands. It was estimated that the first of these shipyards would be completed some time in 1847, a date that seemed more distant than it should be.
While these construction efforts were ongoing, the Ministry of the Navy called for a massive increase in the navy, adding roughly 13 ships to every single fleet. While the previous government had built enough frigates to provide for this expansion, and there was almost enough man-o-wars sitting in Gibraltar to meet the needs of this plan, dozens of steam transports had to be placed under construction. This caused immediate concern, for it was estimated that without the completion of the naval shipyards, Hispania would have up to 150 ships it could not support. As the months went by and more and more ships were built, the resources of the Empire were stretched thin. By March of 1845, Hispania had more ships than it could support. By the end of that year, as the last of the ships were being built, it was estimated that Hispania could only supply each ship with 90% of the supplies it needed. It was expected that this problem would be alleviated or removed when the naval shipyards were completed, but that was not expected to happen for another year or two. In that time, the navy would only be an oversized burden that Hispania could not fully support.
This greatly contrasted with the army. The Ministry of War opted to pursue a policy of maintaining a smaller standing army with more men in reserve. Supplies were stockpiled to allow for easier recruitment when the time came for war. The number of soldiers on duty dropped to levels not seen since the reign of Alfons IX. The Exercits were replaced with Corps half their size, while three extra armies were deployed to Morocco, Sumatra, and Borneo. While still ensuring Hispania was adequately protected, the reduction in size of the army made it a less formidable force. By 1846, it was estimated that Ming’s army had surpassed Hispania’s in strength and size. Hispania’s military was no longer the best in the world.
Riots and insurrections continued to plague Hispania in the early part of 1844. Most riots seemed to occur in the distant colonies, while several rebellions against the Crown occurred in parts of Italy and Leon. The liberal government took the same approach as their predecessor. While they were more than willing to work with disgruntled citizens, the moment they started calling for the death of the Emperor, their fate was sealed. Those who put down their weapons were imprisoned, while violent resistors usually ended up dead as they fought soldiers head-on.
Despite the occasional riot, when men turned to less violent means, the liberal government fully supported them. A Chartist Society in Qusayr was permitted to operate freely. When colonial regiments clashed with their Hispanian commanders as a result of difficulty adapting to strict military discipline and abusive behaviour from their superiors, the government investigated each complaint and ensured that the men were treated fairly, even if it meant that a Hispanian commander had to be punished in the process. As the months went by, less incidents occurred, and the riots that had plagued Hispania for the past decade all but vanished.
Hispania was not without its own turmoil in some form though. During the middle of 1844, the old ideals of the Byzantine Revolution reared their ugly head across Europe. Liberal groups across the continent called for reforms, and in some cases plotted the formation of a republic. Petty riots no longer seemed like enough. Calls for an full-on revolution were made in various places. In some places, such as Transdacia, reactionary elements violently reacted to this threat and attempted to claim power. Austrian separatists were spotted across the French border. As for Hispania, separatist movements of their own started to gain ground. Most only had a few thousand members, but they were all growing. Tensions were building and an eruption seemed likely, yet it was never meant to be. The liberal government continued its policy of treating its citizens fairly and encouraged reform. Most dissidents, not wanting to risk violence, integrated back into society and sought peaceful methods of reform, such as joining the growing movements for voters’ rights and greater suffrage. By the end of 1845, the so-called Springtime of Nations had already fizzled out and died within Hispania.
When it came to foreign affairs, the liberal government took a very different approach from their predecessor. The Unionist government had been satisfied with resting on its laurels, allowing the world to pass Hispanian on by. This had caused some controversy when Byzantium started competing with Hispania over influence in Transdacia and Persia while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did nothing to solve the matter. The new government immediately changed its stance. Eastern Europe was no longer a priority for Hispania. While Transdacia was kept as a valued ally, attempts were no longer made to exert influence over them. Byzantium was given free reign on the matter. This was put to the test when a conflict occurred over the relationship between Hispania and Transdacia. In the past, Hispania had received a privileged position in Transdacia. When it came to criminal investigations, Hispania was allowed free reign to conduct proceedings as they pleased. However, with Transdacia’s independence, this position was put into doubt. When other nations started bringing attention to Hispania’s violation of Transdacia’s sovereignty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs chose to give up the old privileges. It was now clear to all that Hispania had no interest in forcing its dominance over its old subject.
Before pursing interests elsewhere, Zazzau was firmly placed in Hispania’s sphere of influence, showing continued interest in Africa. This also served as a possible deterrent for the future as France established an alliance with Mali and started buttering up Kaffa. However, things did not go so smoothly after that. A minor dispute at Zazzau’s court nearly led to the expulsion of the Hispanian ambassador. The king of Zazzau seemed a fickle man and threatened to expel the ambassador on multiple occasions. He never got around to it, but it would not be surprising if one day he actually went through with his threats. Hispania had to be prepared to lose its position in the African interior or maintain it by force. ((It appears that I cannot save and close my game with these events to consult the players, for then the event vanishes. It popped up 3-4 times, but there was nothing I could really do about it since it certainly required player input. It seems likely it will pop up again, so the government should formulate a response for if it happens again. The choices involve declaring war to force them back in the sphere, declaring war to cut them down to size, or losing massive influence and prestige to leave them be.))
With Eastern Europe less of an interest for Hispania, it started looking east towards the important new markets that lay in East Asia. Dai Nam, Japan, and Malacca were considered viable trading partners and even potential allies if the circumstance arose, for they could provide a possible deterrent to attacking Hispania’s distant colonies. Trading deals were first set up with Dai Nam, who seemed quite willing to agree to talk on such matters. In August, Dai Nam requested an official military alliance, which was promptly accepted. Not only would this improve Hispania’s position in the region, but it would serve as a damper on Ming aggression on their southern border. It did not take much longer to make it clear to the rest of the world that Dai Nam was under Hispanian influence. Japan was the next country of interest. Friendly offers of trade were made and the Japanese seemed responsive. Relations improved from there, reaching a friendly level by December of 1845. It seemed likely that without outside influence, Japan would be firmly in Hispania’s sphere.
Over across the ocean, the UKA continued its debate over slavery. A potential compromise was drafted to allow popular sovereignty to determine whether slavery would be kept or abolished within each state. While a sensible solution, there was a bit of confusion when the UKA announced the Kansas-Nebraska Act, aimed at allowing popular sovereignty to determine whether slavery would be kept or abolished in Louisiana. The Act in question, many suspected, was meant to be a diplomatic insult aimed at the French after they had broken their alliance with the UKA multiple times, seeing as all the land covered by the act was French land. Either that or the American politicians were truly inept and had no grasp of geography. Despite this, it seemed relatively clear that the UKA intended to extend its influence westward. After Scandinavia succumbed to internal revolt and lost its hold over Oregon, the UKA moved in and positioned itself as Oregon’s new protector.
Over in Asia, Ming’s constant wars to reclaim its long-lost territory continued. Qing and Delhi had been grappling with each other for years now trying to best the other, and now Ming decided to take advantage of the situation. Ming declared war on Delhi, calling upon their ally Malwa to help encircle their enemy. Persia came to Delhi’s defence. It seemed obvious who would win the conflict though, especially as Ming started demanding more territory, including some for their ally Malwa. By the summer of 1845, Delhi was all but defeated. They had been too focused on fending off Qing, and thus fell to the greater enemy. Ming thus reclaimed the last of its lands held by Delhi. Now only Qing held territory Ming rightfully claimed as its own, as well as Hispania’s small enclaves of Macau and Hong Kong.
Events across the sea would take a backseat to ones much closer to home. It seemed almost comedic that shortly after Hispania decided to withdraw its attention from Eastern Europe that things would heat up there. For the past decade, Bavaria and Lithuania had been fighting a bitter feud over who would exert influence over Poland. Bavaria wanted Poland as a counterweight to German might, while Lithuania favoured Poland as a buffer with the rest of Europe. Bavaria over the years had resorted to all kinds of dirty tricks to sabotage Lithuania’s relations with Poland. However, the relationship between Poland and Lithuania was a strong one, built upon centuries of shared history. It was not so long ago that the two stood as allies, and centuries ago they were even ruled by the same king. That cultural tie proved stronger. In September of 1844, Lithuania won out over Bavaria, establishing themselves as Poland’s true protector.
At first this seemed an innocuous event, for Lithuania had maintained strong ties with Poland often in the past. However, a change in opinion in Poland had set the stage for a dramatic turn in international politics. Poland, short and simple, was falling on rough times. Several German invasions, both to steal land and plunder their treasury, had demoralized the Polish people. Not to mention that their brief time amongst the Great Powers of the world had come to an abrupt end when Bavaria’s industrialization efforts took off. Poland could no longer compete with their neighbours, and the constant threat of another German invasion constantly played on their minds. As the Lithuanians moved in, the Polish politicians contemplated a momentous decision. A proposal was presented for the revival of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was believed that if the two kingdoms unified, their combined might could fend off any threat and Lithuanian prosperity could be shared with Poland. A vote was conducted, with over 80% of all votes in favour of the proposal. King Stanislaw I von Wettin of Poland, in recognition of the vote, abdicated in favour of his only child and daughter Jadwiga, his sole heir after the death of his brother Jan the previous year, who was married to King Jogaila V Giedraiciai of Lithuania. With his abdication, the crown all but passed into Lithuania hands, formally binding the two kingdoms together. The Commonwealth was reborn.
The formation of Poland-Lithuania raised immediate concerns across Europe. Byzantium’s primary rival now was much bigger, and thus the alliance with Hispania became all the more important. Scandinavia had sought out an alliance with France after the last war with Lithuania and likely had similar concerns about their massive neighbour. Perhaps of greatest concern to Hispania was that the Commonwealth laid claim to all of Poland’s old lands, including the ones held by other nations. The eastern half of Transdacia, once Polish land, was now contested by the Eastern European behemoth. Hispania’s alliance with Transdacia became vital to ensuring that that state continued survival, while Byzantium’s interest in their northern neighbour only grew as they desperately fought to maintain their influence there against other European powers.
However, it was another power that had much more to fear. Germany had been an ally with Lithuania before they merged with Poland. However, several months afterwards, Polish sentiment towards the Germans influence their dominant Lithuania counterparts to seek a change in relations. The alliance with Germany was broken. This was no surprise seeing as Germany held Polish lands. Thus it also came as no surprise when Poland-Lithuania formally declared war on Germany to liberate the land they had stolen from Poland all those years ago. Germany was left to fend off the might of Poland-Lithuania with only the help of the insignificant Bohemians. If the full might of the Commonwealth came against them, they were in serious trouble.
Yet as war broke out to the north, Hispania was in a state of peace. They had made it through the Springtime of Nations relatively untouched, with support for reform growing with each passing day. The liberal cause gained another victory when Crown Prince Alfons formally announced that he was to marry Princess Khadija of Najd. The fact that his bride-to-be was a former heathen greatly angered the more right-leaning members of society, but with the passing of the Sanctity of Royal Marriages Act, the marriage was all but legitimized. The ceremony was set to occur at the start of 1846, with all prominent members of Parliament invited to attend. For a time, Hispania could focus on a happy event and forget the dreadfulness going on elsewhere.
05060403 - 17WP
Campania - Glass Factory - 1
Catalonia - Liquor Factory - Joint Factory with alscon - Expanding to 2
Puglia - Fabric Factory - 2
Puglia – Regular Clothes Factory - 2
Railroads
Eureka (Nuevos Valencia) - 1 - Next profit roll in 1847
Monterey (Nuevos Valencia) - 1 - Next profit roll in 1847
San Diego (Nuevos Valencia) - 1 - Next profit roll in 1847
San Francisco (Nuevos Valencia) - 1 - Next profit roll in 1847
alscon - 19WP
Alentejo - Steel - 1
Catalonia - Liquor Factory - Joint factory with 05060403 - Expanding to 2
Estremadura - Luxury Clothes - 1
Galicia - Luxury Clothes - Under Construction
Granada - Steel Factory - 2
Sicily - Winery - Expanding to 2
BelisariustheGreat - 34WP
Galicia - Steel Factory - 3
Bioiron - 14WP
Campania - Cement Factory - 1
Granada - Glass Factory - 4
Railroads
Caceres - 1 - Next profit roll in 1847
Jaen - 1 - Next profit roll in 1848
Lisbon - 1 - No profit earned this year. Next profit roll in 1850
Oviedo - 1 - Next profit roll in 1848
Sevilla - 1 - Next profit roll in 1848
LostPatriot - 30WP
Piemonte - Cement Factory - 2
Piemonte – Lumber Mill - 1
Piemonte - Furniture - 1
Piemonte - Luxury Furniture - 1
Piemonte - Steel - 1
Sancronis - 21WP
Estremadura - Liquor Distillery - 1
Granada – Steamer Shipyard - Expanding to 2
Leon-Castilla - Machine Parts Factory - 3
Sicily - Ammunition - 1
Sicily - Explosives - 1
Venetia - Luxury Clothes - Under Construction
Sithlent - 26WP
Leon-Castilla - Cement Factory - Expanding to 3
((It was nice to have an update where I wasn’t spammed with liberal agitation events. Anyway, if anyone is wondering, there was an event in the conversion mod to allow countries in the same culture group to unify if one sphered the other. I just modified it so that Lithuania could only integrate Poland if Poland also lost land to Germany or Scandinavia, which of course the Germans were more than willing to do. Now we have Poland-Lithuania to contend with.
On the matter of Zazzau, I’d appreciate it if the government would prepare an official response just in case that event fires again. As a reminder, the choices involve declaring war to sphere them again, declaring war to cut them down to size, or losing a bunch of influence and prestige but remaining at peace.
As for our usual business, ministers have until Wednesday at 12PM PST to post their plans. Seeing as no one put a time period on their plan, or at least not one over two years, all minister need to post new ones or confirm existing ones. Players may propose laws or reforms in that time period too. Also, to give us an event of sorts, consider the Crown Prince’s wedding to be going on around now. I’ll probably post something about it later.))
((Three Cement Factories in the next 3 most populous industrialized regions without a ement factory, please. Also this Plan is a bit different from the last.))
Poor Taxes: 30%
Middle Taxes: 45%
Rich Taxes: 75%
Army Stockpile: 10%
Naval Stockpile: 100%
Construction Stockpile: 100%
Education: 10%
Administration: 10%
Social: 100%
Military: 20%
Surplus Conditionals:
Alternate between lowering Poor Taxes and Middle Taxes by 5% intervals with Poor taxes leading.
Deficit Conditionals:
Alternate between raising Poor Taxes and Middle Taxes, with Middle taxes leading, by 5% intervals with Middle taxes leading.
Note: Rate between middle and poor taxes should never be less than 10% or more than 15%
Rebellion:
Army Stockpile goes to 100%, until end of hostilities, then returns to 10%.
War:
Army Stockpile goes to 100%, until end of hostilities, then returns to 10%, if by the Minister of War, a deficit is to be allowed to pay for this without tax increases.
I worry about the growing strength of Ming and the threat they pose to our economic interests in Asia. We can and should, temper their ambitions. I'm of the opinion that we should depoly 10-15 Corps across the border with Malwa and place enough ships in the region to blockade the entire Ming Coastline. We'd declare war and form a moving front line in India, where we'd move into in unoccupied provinces along a front line, wait to be attacked the Malwa forces and reinforce those forces to fight decisive defensive battles. Combined with a full blockade it'd be enough to squeeze Ming into returning our old land in China plus a buffer zone in less than a year if conflict.Also we wouldn't bring any allies into it to limit the scale of conflict and even though we'd mostly fight Malwa we'd declare war on Ming.
Also, to satisfy movements, we should try the Hispania Electoral Commission act again. As for the call for Weighted Universal Suffrage, that's any interesting one. I will say any franchise expansion to the poor has to be linked to be bound to, for electoral reasons permanent enshrinement of the right of the same cultures our citizenship policy expands the right to vote to ((i.e. make Full Citizenship mandatory for the ruling party))
As the people received a bite of freedom, their hunger truly awoken. It seemed that a small concession wouldn't be enough to satisfy them again.
"Fellow members of Parliament, it seems that we once again face a just request.
Four million of our people voting reform in some fashion, be it a end to Gerrymandering or expanded Franchise. I say we enact these reforms immediately."
The Voting Reform Act of 1846
I. The Practice of Gerrymandering is to be outlawed immediately. All new voting districts shall be approved by royal commission established by the Crown.
II. Franchise is to be extended to all Christan men of age, but shall once again be weighed by wealth
III. The voting method shall be modified to one proposed by Jefferson.
As long as the Navy is funded and can perform it's role, the only threat the Ming pose is to an island just off their coast and a peninsula that we only recently conquered unjustly from a third party.
Neither of these are major players in our economy and we only risk lives for a useless war if we choose to place undo importance in them.
China isn't important enough to wage war for. India may be, but I am skeptical it can justify reactivating the Corps needed to wage it. Which is what would be required to fight Malwa, by the way.
In fact, I would like to expand on the trend I started two years ago.
- Increase all stockpiles by 50%
- Canned food isn't important, as it can be acquired easily
- After it is done, deactivate another 10 Corps.
- Recommended Settings
Army Supply: 5%
Military Spending: 10%
((Private, as this post takes place entirely within Félix's mind as he takes his place as Chamberlain.)) Félix was absolutely furious with the Liberal government. They allowed the Navy to become heavily bloated and nothing more than an expense. And then we have the damned Fenix, Villahermosa completely gutting the pride of Hispania! Even going as far as calling rightfully Hispanian lands in Asia as unimportant and unjust! It does not matter how important the land is when Hispanians have lived, grown old, and died there!
((This part of the post is public, who knows what he's thinking.)) Félix gripped his cane hard, cracking slightly and cutting himself on splinters, causing him to head off to get it looked at. As he left, he began to cough rather seriously.
I agree that it is not necessary to wage war against the Ming in the current situation, but to avoid a conflict with them in the future we must put an end to the downfall of our army. Unless we make changes in the military spending in a way that favours the army's strength and competence, we'll find that Ming's advantage will only grow bigger. Then we might have to worry that in the future the aggressor will be them, not us, something I advocate that we should avoid. I know that the Ministry of War is not my role in this cabinet, but I want to advice that we at least do not drop the salaries of soldiers and officers any further, as doing so will encourage people to leave the armed forces. I may be biased by my position in the military, but I'm also biased by my obligation to do the best for Hispania, so that is what I will strive for.
Instead of a conflict with the Ming, I propose that instead we focus on the events in Zazzau. It is likely that their king will try to expel our diplomats and embassy. In the case of such an action we must act with firm strength. In the case of Zazzau, strong enough is actually a fairly minor investment, one which I believe would be well worth its cost. Our diplomats tell us that this small country has no organised defence force, so opposition from them is possible to put down by merely a few regiments detached from the XI corps in Tunisia. I am willing myself to command such an operation, if you have nothing against that. The question is in my opinion rather what the goal of the war should be. If you are supportive of the war, I would also like you all to state your answer to that question; Do we want to do this only as a show of force and that we are not to be insulted, before we leave Zazzau and its difficult nobility, or should we attempt to bring them back into our sphere?
Remember that this discussion is entirely hypothetical and I do not suggest an invasion of Zazzau should they stop acting in this hostile way.
Gentlemen of the cabinet and the party, I'd like to bring forward three suggestions that I believe would be beneficial not only for the economy and for the people of Hispania, but also for the people of the world.
Firstly, and of less note, I would very strongly suggest the expansion of the franchise to African provinces, or at least those in West Africa that have very considerable Aragonese populations. Not only will this expand the franchise to more of the empire, but it will also make industrialisation of these regions possible (to make it viable to the conservatives, we could advertise the expansion of franchise as being to the Christian settlers in the regions). There are many examples of profitable ventures here, but I would draw attention to the Niger Delta where we own one of the most productive tropical wood plantations in the world; this would be an excellent location for the establishment of a luxury furniture factory that could even entice the conservatives to being in favour as they would most likely enjoy the availability of luxuries.
Secondly, I would venture to suggest that we should attempt to integrate South Bengal into our empire. It seeems like a strange move, yet I would explain it thus: The most imported product into Hispania, currently, is clothing. We import a massive amount of it every day to make up for our lack of domestic production. To make clothing, we unsurprisingly need fabric. And to produce fabric, we need cotton and dye. Whilst cotton might need to be acquired elsewhere in large quantities, a massive amount of dye is produced in South Bengal. Not only this, but literally millions of people languish under the oppressive reign of a despotic, absolute monarchy. We could both make a step towards reducing our imports and towards liberating people from oppression of an evil government by moving into this region.
As a sidenote for the future (but not one of my immediate proposals), I would recommend that we attempt to push further into Korea. The Beijing region is extremely rich but would be shameful to seize as it is the capital region of Qing, but we could weaken the nation enough to make seizing the region reasonable in the eyes of civilised nations in the future.
Finally, I would suggest that, on the matter of the prince's marriage, we attempt to introduce a law worded that would create the most tolerant one. Perhaps worded in a way that makes religion irrelevant in succession.
Not being a Christian, I do not sit in the assembly and am unable to make the legal proposals myself, and I am not on the cabinet and could not organise the second, but I would hope that those with the power to do so consider it.
Even if you disagree with my proposals, thank you for your consideration,
Humble regards,
Takawira Mwenemutapa.
((Please can I build a luxury clothing factory in Venetia. Thanks))
((@Michaelangelo Sorry to be a bother but did you miss this? It seems you accidentally gave it to LostPatriot, although they'd only mentioned a luxury furniture factory. Not sure who the money was taken from though.))
((Sorry to be a bother but did you miss this? It seems you accidentally gave it to LostPatriot, although they'd only mentioned a luxury furniture factory. Not sure who the money was taken from though.))
Sorry for the lack of response from anyone. Firstly, we'd definitely like to expand the franchise to some African provinces. We even had a census of candidates conducted. The problem is that all this needs to pass the Cortz and it's not exactly under our control at the moment. We'd rather put political capital on the line expanding the franchise at home and making elections fair. Once that's complete, we can probably focus on expanding the franchise to colonies.
As for integrating south Bengal, meeting the demands of industry and consumers at home went into signing trade deals with Dai Nam and the improving the relationship with Japan.
As for pushing to places with military force for resources, I can not tell you specifically, but we may.
((Private)) Antonio bursted in anger in his room trowing his coffee on the floor.
"That bastard ! How Cloud he do this to me ?!"
In the floor there was an ediction of an Fenix article, the actor was explicit.
-Carlos de la Cuesta e Silva
"He is going to ruin me and my name ! I only have one choice... call Juaréz."
A men arrived in the room, he was in his fourties and was using a purple uniform.
"What do you wish sir ?"
"Call the Reales ((a militia of anonymous militant sympatizers of reaccionarism)) and silence all Phoenix newspapers on Valencia that publishes this article and provoke them into a fight, cause as much chaos as you can so it makes the liberal government look inept to quell the riots, and bring fire weapons to kill people in the chaos. But remember to not bring any attention or blame on the Realistas"
"As you wish sir."
((Public))
El Nacional Special Ediction War ! Phoenixes start violence on the streets of Valencia !
It Happened ! Revolts and riots on the Main Street as Fenix sympathizers attack citizens ! The inability of the government to respond this cause a massacre as some citizens opened fire on the anarchists to defend themselves. There are 38 confirmed deaths with 16 being innocent citizens that tried to fight back the aggressors, and at least 80 injuried.
It all began as a fire started on the Le Bélvèdere's center on Valencia, probably caused by a cigar. The anarchists decided to attack innocent citizens in the middle of the street to try to provoke as much chaos as they Cloud. The citizens decided to fight back and some used weapons, most of the anarchists had knifes and daggers while a group of men decided to opened fire in a desesperate attempt to flee. The soliders tried to interfere but they attacked the citizens that were just trying to defend themselves causing even more chaos.
This event ended after the anarchists retreated with dozens of deaths and several injuried. The event just showed the incompetence of the liberal government that just showed how the Fenix leadership will always support their side in any situation blaming poor citizens that they claim to represent.
May all innocents that died in this civil war be resting in the arms of the Lord.
-Juarez de Saint Juan
((Activate the event Fight on the streets))((let's see how the government will react))
((I won't react to that before a GM ruling concerning this one. Looks to me like it might need a roll to determine success. Or the reactionaries have to kill each other.))
The Ministry of Education wishes to support Business Regulations and Scientific Management after Interchangeable Parts have found their use in our industry. There is no need to change the plans for the Ministry of Trade, so they will stay the same for as long as I am heading this ministry.
I never understood why the government took any interest in Zazzau. Hispania has suffered enough loss of face since agreeing to an obviously useless alliance, even more so as this backwater now mocks Hispanian diplomats - only doing what we should have done long ago. Just leaving them be is our best option, for what is there to gain for a grown-up to beat up a newborn?
And why should we wage war in China, against an extremely populous empire which is modernizing? The cost of such a conflict far outweighs any use, especially as any gains would just be the source of future conflict. Our two islands are good bases for trade, and this is the path we should take instead.
With the resignation of the old and election of a new Chamberlain, I don't know your opinions on acts concerning the election of the Assembly, Duke Villanova. Would you elaborate your stance? As Speaker, I am certain that acts concerning the method of the election only concern our house - the franchise might be debatable, though I also believe it does.
((I'll also build a luxury furniture factory in Douro, steel in Castilla Nueva, liquor in Andalucia, and a winery in Estremadura.))
First, the process of making a vote Assembly only begins with you, so I would like for you to state your intentions to have my proposed law made as such.
Also, how do you feel about the current state of the Army?
I worry about the growing strength of Ming and the threat they pose to our economic interests in Asia. We can and should, temper their ambitions. I'm of the opinion that we should depoly 10-15 Corps across the border with Malwa and place enough ships in the region to blockade the entire Ming Coastline. We'd declare war and form a moving front line in India, where we'd move into in unoccupied provinces along a front line, wait to be attacked the Malwa forces and reinforce those forces to fight decisive defensive battles. Combined with a full blockade it'd be enough to squeeze Ming into returning our old land in China plus a buffer zone in less than a year if conflict.Also we wouldn't bring any allies into it to limit the scale of conflict and even though we'd mostly fight Malwa we'd declare war on Ming.
Also, to satisfy movements, we should try the Hispania Electoral Commission act again. As for the call for Weighted Universal Suffrage, that's any interesting one. I will say any franchise expansion to the poor has to be linked to be bound to, for electoral reasons permanent enshrinement of the right of the same cultures our citizenship policy expands the right to vote to ((i.e. make Full Citizenship mandatory for the ruling party))
Regarding the Ming, I strongly advise against waging a war with them. They may not have much of a naval presence, but they can easily mobilize tens of millions of conscripts to overwhelm what few colonies we have there. Instead, I recommend a diplomatic solution. Maintain friendly or at least cordial ((relations above 90; the AI can't DOW if relations are above that level)) ties with them, while we build up our army to match theirs.
As the people received a bite of freedom, their hunger truly awoken. It seemed that a small concession wouldn't be enough to satisfy them again.
"Fellow members of Parliament, it seems that we once again face a just request.
Four million of our people voting reform in some fashion, be it a end to Gerrymandering or expanded Franchise. I say we enact these reforms immediately."
As long as the Navy is funded and can perform it's role, the only threat the Ming pose is to an island just off their coast and a peninsula that we only recently conquered unjustly from a third party.
Neither of these are major players in our economy and we only risk lives for a useless war if we choose to place undo importance in them.
China isn't important enough to wage war for. India may be, but I am skeptical it can justify reactivating the Corps needed to wage it. Which is what would be required to fight Malwa, by the way.
In fact, I would like to expand on the trend I started two years ago.
- Increase all stockpiles by 50%
- Canned food isn't important, as it can be acquired easily
- After it is done, deactivate another 10 Corps.
- Recommended Settings
Army Supply: 5%
Military Spending: 10%
I am skeptical about further cutbacks to our army. The current cutbacks have already reduced it to a size where we are second to the Ming. If anything we should rebuild the army to a size roughly equal to the Ming, but no further.
I'm also not sure about your proposed act. It lumps an expansion of the franchise in with the abolition of gerrymandering and a reform of the voting system. If anything, this bill has a higher chance to fail than if we proposed each clause independently.
I agree that it is not necessary to wage war against the Ming in the current situation, but to avoid a conflict with them in the future we must put an end to the downfall of our army. Unless we make changes in the military spending in a way that favours the army's strength and competence, we'll find that Ming's advantage will only grow bigger. Then we might have to worry that in the future the aggressor will be them, not us, something I advocate that we should avoid. I know that the Ministry of War is not my role in this cabinet, but I want to advice that we at least do not drop the salaries of soldiers and officers any further, as doing so will encourage people to leave the armed forces. I may be biased by my position in the military, but I'm also biased by my obligation to do the best for Hispania, so that is what I will strive for.
Instead of a conflict with the Ming, I propose that instead we focus on the events in Zazzau. It is likely that their king will try to expel our diplomats and embassy. In the case of such an action we must act with firm strength. In the case of Zazzau, strong enough is actually a fairly minor investment, one which I believe would be well worth its cost. Our diplomats tell us that this small country has no organised defence force, so opposition from them is possible to put down by merely a few regiments detached from the XI corps in Tunisia. I am willing myself to command such an operation, if you have nothing against that. The question is in my opinion rather what the goal of the war should be. If you are supportive of the war, I would also like you all to state your answer to that question; Do we want to do this only as a show of force and that we are not to be insulted, before we leave Zazzau and its difficult nobility, or should we attempt to bring them back into our sphere?
Remember that this discussion is entirely hypothetical and I do not suggest an invasion of Zazzau should they stop acting in this hostile way.
I fully agree with expanding the army, for reasons I have explained above. We must have a military strength equal or greater to the Ming's, but we should not expand the army too much, as that would strain our economy.
As for Zazzau, I agree it is quite likely their government would try to expel our ambassadors. What we need to do is move an army near them as a show of strength, threatening them with punitive actions if they expel our ambassadors. If they do that, we should send in the army and force them back into our sphere. It should be an easy war; their military is small and equipped with outdated weapons and thus would be no match for our troops. We can't afford to show weakness to the rest of Hispania, let alone the other Europeans.
I never understood why the government took any interest in Zazzau. Hispania has suffered enough loss of face since agreeing to an obviously useless alliance, even more so as this backwater now mocks Hispanian diplomats - only doing w.hat we should have done long ago. Just leaving them be is our best option, for what is there to gain for a grown-up to beat up a newborn?
And why should we wage war in China, against an extremely populous empire which is modernizing? The cost of such a conflict far outweighs any use, especially as any gains would just be the source of future conflict. Our two islands are good bases for trade, and this is the path we should take instead.
With the resignation of the old and election of a new Chamberlain, I don't know your opinions on acts concerning the election of the Assembly, Duke Villanova. Would you elaborate your stance? As Speaker, I am certain that acts concerning the method of the election only concern our house - the franchise might be debatable, though I also believe it does.
If we let Zazzau expel our diplomats, it could cause a chain reaction in the other members of our sphere of influence. If they see how an insignificant backwater can successfully break free of Hispania's orbit without consequences, they might think they can do the same thing. We must show them otherwise.
((Public))
The Prime Minister submits the following bills for debating by the Parliament:
The franchise will be extended to all male Christian citizens of Hispania, although the weights in favor of those with certain amounts of property and wealth shall remain.
"Four million Hispanians total want an end to gerrymandering and an expansion of the franchise. It is my intention to grant their wishes. The purpose of the Parliament is to represent the people of Hispania and present their wishes and concerns to the Emperor. Ending gerrymandering and expanding the franchise will ensure that the Parliament is more representative of the people and that the Emperor will hear the concerns of all of his citizens equally."
((As Minister of Justice, it fells on my jurisdiction to react on the revolt, but as Alscon said, I will not say an statement until Mike says if what you did was legal, as I understand that any crime needs to have a roll))
- Seeing the succes of the last plan and that taking a more peaceful approach is being benefitial to our cause the plan remmains the same as on the past two years, peaceful approach remmains the way of solving conflicts unless treason is the reason of the protests, and arrests remain the priority, even if they are traitors they still have their right to have a trail, and allowing them to defend themselves show that we put justice over all things.
Nationalists movements are to remain the only ones planned to be suppresed.
- I agree that war with Ming is completely wrong, if there shall be war in Asia I could only recomend waging war to take the rest of the Korean peninsula.
In my opinion also an approach shall be made to integrate Japan in our Sphere of Influence since it shall grant more naval dominance over Asia.
I strongly advice that we raise funds on education and bureaucracy, mostly the former, since we pushed reforms in our educational system for something, so we shall keep it the best we can.
As we are planning on expanding the Franchise and ending Gerrymandering I agree with Fernando that we should post our reforms as individual acts, that will give each of them more opportunity to pass.
As a former military I can only but advice that we should not have such a weakened army, I advice that we train more units until at least we are equal to the biggest army in the world.
As I mentioned the Franchise, I advixe that we shall show our colonial integration plan, as we already have everything ready to start its implementation.
Lastly, I want to point out that maybe returning to a more interventionist economical model shall be benefitial seeing the quantity of factories that A) Are being built in a non-sensical way and end up being close, or B) Being unfunded even if they have potential and that with government support could prosper.
I worry about the growing strength of Ming and the threat they pose to our economic interests in Asia. We can and should, temper their ambitions. I'm of the opinion that we should depoly 10-15 Corps across the border with Malwa and place enough ships in the region to blockade the entire Ming Coastline. We'd declare war and form a moving front line in India, where we'd move into in unoccupied provinces along a front line, wait to be attacked the Malwa forces and reinforce those forces to fight decisive defensive battles. Combined with a full blockade it'd be enough to squeeze Ming into returning our old land in China plus a buffer zone in less than a year if conflict.Also we wouldn't bring any allies into it to limit the scale of conflict and even though we'd mostly fight Malwa we'd declare war on Ming.
Also, to satisfy movements, we should try the Hispania Electoral Commission act again. As for the call for Weighted Universal Suffrage, that's any interesting one. I will say any franchise expansion to the poor has to be linked to be bound to, for electoral reasons permanent enshrinement of the right of the same cultures our citizenship policy expands the right to vote to ((i.e. make Full Citizenship mandatory for the ruling party))
((I've been thinking about it the last time this issue came up, but I would prefer if players refrain from creating laws that enforce a certain party policy. Not only does it restrict players from forming the parties they want if they want to get anywhere, it is quite likely that parties would just revoke these laws the moment they came to power and start a war where parties just force their policies on everyone else. Think of party policies more as general guidelines followed by members rather than as legally binding. A party with residency in power doesn't disenfranchise certain cultures, they just use their position to disadvantage those cultures instead.))
As the people received a bite of freedom, their hunger truly awoken. It seemed that a small concession wouldn't be enough to satisfy them again.
"Fellow members of Parliament, it seems that we once again face a just request.
Four million of our people voting reform in some fashion, be it a end to Gerrymandering or expanded Franchise. I say we enact these reforms immediately."
As long as the Navy is funded and can perform it's role, the only threat the Ming pose is to an island just off their coast and a peninsula that we only recently conquered unjustly from a third party.
Neither of these are major players in our economy and we only risk lives for a useless war if we choose to place undo importance in them.
China isn't important enough to wage war for. India may be, but I am skeptical it can justify reactivating the Corps needed to wage it. Which is what would be required to fight Malwa, by the way.
In fact, I would like to expand on the trend I started two years ago.
- Increase all stockpiles by 50%
- Canned food isn't important, as it can be acquired easily
- After it is done, deactivate another 10 Corps.
- Recommended Settings
Army Supply: 5%
Military Spending: 10%
A hastily scrawled letter is delivered to Cabinet, sealed in wax with the imperial seal.
With the current policy of aggressive expansion practised by Ming and supported by their superior army, as well as the sudden appearance of the large threat of Poland-Lithuania in Eastern Europe and the potential for a diplomatic incident in Zazzau, the Crown advises against the further downsizing of the Imperial Army. A government that favours such a policy of a smaller army will not receive the Crown's support.
- His Imperial Highness, Ferran VI de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
((@Michaelangelo Sorry to be a bother but did you miss this? It seems you accidentally gave it to LostPatriot, although they'd only mentioned a luxury furniture factory. Not sure who the money was taken from though.))
((That was a typo of sorts. I do have you listed as the owner in my spreadsheet, I just put it under the wrong person for the post. Everyone was charged for their own factories. This is what happens when I have to transfer my spreadsheet info to the thread every update. ))
((Private)) Antonio bursted in anger in his room trowing his coffee on the floor.
"That bastard ! How Cloud he do this to me ?!"
In the floor there was an ediction of an Fenix article, the actor was explicit.
-Carlos de la Cuesta e Silva
"He is going to ruin me and my name ! I only have one choice... call Juaréz."
A men arrived in the room, he was in his fourties and was using a purple uniform.
"What do you wish sir ?"
"Call the Reales ((a militia of anonymous militant sympatizers of reaccionarism)) and silence all Phoenix newspapers on Valencia that publishes this article and provoke them into a fight, cause as much chaos as you can so it makes the liberal government look inept to quell the riots, and bring fire weapons to kill people in the chaos. But remember to not bring any attention or blame on the Realistas"
"As you wish sir."
((Public))
El Nacional Special Ediction War ! Phoenixes start violence on the streets of Valencia !
It Happened ! Revolts and riots on the Main Street as Fenix sympathizers attack citizens ! The inability of the government to respond this cause a massacre as some citizens opened fire on the anarchists to defend themselves. There are 38 confirmed deaths with 16 being innocent citizens that tried to fight back the aggressors, and at least 80 injuried.
It all began as a fire started on the Le Bélvèdere's center on Valencia, probably caused by a cigar. The anarchists decided to attack innocent citizens in the middle of the street to try to provoke as much chaos as they Cloud. The citizens decided to fight back and some used weapons, most of the anarchists had knifes and daggers while a group of men decided to opened fire in a desesperate attempt to flee. The soliders tried to interfere but they attacked the citizens that were just trying to defend themselves causing even more chaos.
This event ended after the anarchists retreated with dozens of deaths and several injuried. The event just showed the incompetence of the liberal government that just showed how the Fenix leadership will always support their side in any situation blaming poor citizens that they claim to represent.
May all innocents that died in this civil war be resting in the arms of the Lord.
-Juarez de Saint Juan
((Activate the event Fight on the streets))((let's see how the government will react))
((alscon is indeed correct that this would require a roll. I'm not sure what this "Fight on the streets" event is, but I can do a roll to see if this succeeds or has an impact. I've decided to make it two separate rolls: one to see how much damage it causes and another to see who gets blamed for it.))
La Correspondencia de Hispania Fénix Presses Raided! Violence in the Streets!
Yesterday, peace and quiet in Valencia was disturbed when several groups of armed men launched a raid on the Partido Fénix's printing presses within the capital. Violence soon erupted when the Fénix members attempted to defend their printing presses from being destroyed. The fighting took to the streets, and eye witness accounts note that the unknown assailants began shooting civilians. Police forces were unable to reach the scene before the attackers managed to flee the scene. Government sources put the total number of dead at 12, with at least twice as many injured, most of them innocent bystanders. Many of the Fénix printing presses were damaged in the fighting. Two of the dead are believed to have been members of the mob that organized the attack, with one identified as Alfonso López, a known reactionary advocate, although it is uncertain at this time if this attack was politically motivated. Potential ties to El Moviment Realista are being investigated. The Government has yet to make a response on the matter.
((To sum it all up, the attack succeeded, ruining several Phoenix printing presses, but it is obvious to all that they were the victims of the attack rather than the instigator. It is kind of hard to rile a group into rioting and then proceed to start shooting up random civilians without looking like the aggressors. The amount of damage caused was noticeable although not horrifically high, with all blame placed on the attackers, although some might not be pleased that they got away before the police could intervene. At the present, it is unknown who coordinated the attacks, although it is loosely linked to the reactionaries. I took the liberty of suggesting they might be tied to the reactionary rebel group we have, since they'd be the most logical culprit.))
Anyway, if anyone is wondering, there was an event in the conversion mod to allow countries in the same culture group to unify if one sphered the other. I just modified it so that Lithuania could only integrate Poland if Poland also lost land to Germany or Scandinavia, which of course the Germans were more than willing to do. Now we have Poland-Lithuania to contend with. 
