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@Enewald: Plans are in store for all 3, so don't worry.
@Yrkidding: Aye, and the Emperor gets what the Emperor wants.
@naggy: I think we'd need a pipe first, but hey it's a party.
@dinofs: Sorry. Blame the Japanese.
@Yrkidding: Aye, and the Emperor gets what the Emperor wants.
@naggy: I think we'd need a pipe first, but hey it's a party.
@dinofs: Sorry. Blame the Japanese.
A History of the Empire: Vol. 3
Chapter 7: India, Southland, and Japan
The 2nd Great Persian War and the acquisition of the Honda map helped fuel a new spirit of conquest in the Empire not seen since British soldiers were fighting fierce battles in North Africa. Unlike the older times when targets were close and within landing distance, campaigns of the 17th century would require vast communication and transportation in order to be successful. In 1650, the Imperial Navy Reorganization Act was passed and the Imperial Navy was restricted, allowing better control of naval matters. This reorganization cut monthly expenditures within the Empire by nearly half, due to the vast decrease in the cost to maintain the hundreds of warships across the globe.
In the 1650’s the AIC was working with extreme efficiency in India. The organization was not only providing information, but was also providing much needed jobs. By 1658, 1 out of every 4 British men living in India was working for the AIC. Due to the vast resources and manpower at their disposal, the AIC was able to spy on, negotiate with, and exploit the nations of India. By the end of the decade, the organization had created seemingly legitimate border disputes all over the subcontinent.
As the Empire’s focus shifted east, new diplomatic and strategic necessities were becoming important over old precedents. Imperial law dictated that the number of soldiers and ships dedicated to a Control would be determined by size, native aggressors, and the extent of piracy. These laws were being bent for the first time. The Southland Control, home of an elderly Clive, was gifted with 8,000 fresh soldiers, 50 warships, and enough transports to move 10,000 men. Another important goal was the exploration by Mathew Essex which helped to map Southland during this time. Immigrants, mostly from African and India, were following and helped to populate the newly discovered east coast of Southland. When considering that the Southland continent held only about 3,000 immigrants up until this point, this amount of military support was seen as incredibly unusual. The Emperor was not with a motive though.
In 1652, the Kingdom of Aragon began to expand its influence in the islands of Southeast Asia. Henry is believed to have been responding to this move. By 1650, the only major colonizing powers in Europe were Aragon, Portugal, Castille, Sicily, and Sweden. Henry was well aware of the ambitions of these powers and sought throughout much of his reign to counter them in every way possible. In 1654, the Kingdom of Sicily under Maria the II, a queen who openly admitted to not being fond of her brother-in-law Henry, asked the Empire for military support against several weak nations in the Far East. Henry declined the request, not wanting to create more European influence in the area. Maria the II declared the lack of support a violation of the alliance between the two nations and quite quickly the relationship soured. Sicilian relations would become better over time, but for the moment, they were at their worst.
With other nations quickly converging on the east, Henry was well aware of the need to make good on the claims in India. Henry had orders sent to the Greater Indian Control and Frobisher to secure as much of the claimed territory as possible, giving special attention to coastal regions. General Frobisher would first move in and attack the small kingdom of the Rajputs.
The Rajputs had little means of defense. Drake attacked and captured most of the kingdom within 2 months of the war’s start. Some attention was made to prevent attacks by the Rajputs’ allies, but when the war ended 3 months later, fighting ended and the defense was not needed.
The real target during this era was Bihar though. The Bihar kingdom owned a large section of territory on the northeastern coasts of India. Frobisher, under the Emperor’s authority, moved in to attack the area in 1655.
Bihar’s allies did not support the endangered kingdom and the war commenced. The forces of the Indian nation could not match the British soldiers in combat. Drake personally oversaw 4 separate battles that ended with more than ten times as many Indian soldiers dead at the conclusion. The war lasted 2 years and was finished with relative ease. The only major loss was that of Alexander Drake, who died of natural causes on November 7th of 1656, only a few months before the war ended.
While Great Britain was waging its war in India, the rest of the world was not without its own conflicts. In early 1567, Japan attempted an invasion of Korea, a long time nation subjected to Japanese influence. Japanese advances were quick in the early stages of the war, but quickly slowed down as they reached Hanyang and were pushed back. In response to the Japanese invasion, the emperor of Wu China attacked the Koreans, hoping to deny the Japanese of lands to conquer. Japan was unable to win the war though, and ended it in 1658 amidst revolts in their mainland possessions. Wu, knowing that complete withdrawal might encourage a Ming incursion, took the northernmost areas from the Koreans, essentially splitting North Korea into a Wu dominated area, with the south being controlled by the native Korean rulers. With such drastic power changes in the Far East taking place, the Emperor watched carefully and in 1659, orders went out from London ordering the troops of the Southland Control to board the transports and the Southland navy moved north for a new war that would signal a new direction of expansion.
Chapter 7: India, Southland, and Japan
The 2nd Great Persian War and the acquisition of the Honda map helped fuel a new spirit of conquest in the Empire not seen since British soldiers were fighting fierce battles in North Africa. Unlike the older times when targets were close and within landing distance, campaigns of the 17th century would require vast communication and transportation in order to be successful. In 1650, the Imperial Navy Reorganization Act was passed and the Imperial Navy was restricted, allowing better control of naval matters. This reorganization cut monthly expenditures within the Empire by nearly half, due to the vast decrease in the cost to maintain the hundreds of warships across the globe.
In the 1650’s the AIC was working with extreme efficiency in India. The organization was not only providing information, but was also providing much needed jobs. By 1658, 1 out of every 4 British men living in India was working for the AIC. Due to the vast resources and manpower at their disposal, the AIC was able to spy on, negotiate with, and exploit the nations of India. By the end of the decade, the organization had created seemingly legitimate border disputes all over the subcontinent.
As the Empire’s focus shifted east, new diplomatic and strategic necessities were becoming important over old precedents. Imperial law dictated that the number of soldiers and ships dedicated to a Control would be determined by size, native aggressors, and the extent of piracy. These laws were being bent for the first time. The Southland Control, home of an elderly Clive, was gifted with 8,000 fresh soldiers, 50 warships, and enough transports to move 10,000 men. Another important goal was the exploration by Mathew Essex which helped to map Southland during this time. Immigrants, mostly from African and India, were following and helped to populate the newly discovered east coast of Southland. When considering that the Southland continent held only about 3,000 immigrants up until this point, this amount of military support was seen as incredibly unusual. The Emperor was not with a motive though.
In 1652, the Kingdom of Aragon began to expand its influence in the islands of Southeast Asia. Henry is believed to have been responding to this move. By 1650, the only major colonizing powers in Europe were Aragon, Portugal, Castille, Sicily, and Sweden. Henry was well aware of the ambitions of these powers and sought throughout much of his reign to counter them in every way possible. In 1654, the Kingdom of Sicily under Maria the II, a queen who openly admitted to not being fond of her brother-in-law Henry, asked the Empire for military support against several weak nations in the Far East. Henry declined the request, not wanting to create more European influence in the area. Maria the II declared the lack of support a violation of the alliance between the two nations and quite quickly the relationship soured. Sicilian relations would become better over time, but for the moment, they were at their worst.
With other nations quickly converging on the east, Henry was well aware of the need to make good on the claims in India. Henry had orders sent to the Greater Indian Control and Frobisher to secure as much of the claimed territory as possible, giving special attention to coastal regions. General Frobisher would first move in and attack the small kingdom of the Rajputs.
The Rajputs had little means of defense. Drake attacked and captured most of the kingdom within 2 months of the war’s start. Some attention was made to prevent attacks by the Rajputs’ allies, but when the war ended 3 months later, fighting ended and the defense was not needed.
The real target during this era was Bihar though. The Bihar kingdom owned a large section of territory on the northeastern coasts of India. Frobisher, under the Emperor’s authority, moved in to attack the area in 1655.
Bihar’s allies did not support the endangered kingdom and the war commenced. The forces of the Indian nation could not match the British soldiers in combat. Drake personally oversaw 4 separate battles that ended with more than ten times as many Indian soldiers dead at the conclusion. The war lasted 2 years and was finished with relative ease. The only major loss was that of Alexander Drake, who died of natural causes on November 7th of 1656, only a few months before the war ended.
While Great Britain was waging its war in India, the rest of the world was not without its own conflicts. In early 1567, Japan attempted an invasion of Korea, a long time nation subjected to Japanese influence. Japanese advances were quick in the early stages of the war, but quickly slowed down as they reached Hanyang and were pushed back. In response to the Japanese invasion, the emperor of Wu China attacked the Koreans, hoping to deny the Japanese of lands to conquer. Japan was unable to win the war though, and ended it in 1658 amidst revolts in their mainland possessions. Wu, knowing that complete withdrawal might encourage a Ming incursion, took the northernmost areas from the Koreans, essentially splitting North Korea into a Wu dominated area, with the south being controlled by the native Korean rulers. With such drastic power changes in the Far East taking place, the Emperor watched carefully and in 1659, orders went out from London ordering the troops of the Southland Control to board the transports and the Southland navy moved north for a new war that would signal a new direction of expansion.
At this point if you sat still for 50 years to gain all those as core is there anyone left that can actually challenge you?
@Enewald, blsteen, Vesimir, & dinofs: I like my islands bigger. Continent sized to be more exact.
@dinofs: We'll find out, won't we.
@Caligo: No one nation could really hurt me meaningfully, but any combination of Sicily, Russia, Aragon, Bavaria, or Avignon could potentially put up a good fight since my actual army is not very impressive (About 60,000 men) and my navy is mostly in the Caribbean and Pacific.
@dinofs: We'll find out, won't we.
@Caligo: No one nation could really hurt me meaningfully, but any combination of Sicily, Russia, Aragon, Bavaria, or Avignon could potentially put up a good fight since my actual army is not very impressive (About 60,000 men) and my navy is mostly in the Caribbean and Pacific.
A History of the Empire: Vol. 3
Chapter 8: Cershire and the Pashtuns
The original battle plans for the war against Japan were focused on a long campaign in mainland Asia with blockades and raid on the Japanese homeland later. Fighting in Southeast Asia was expected to be brutal and have high attrition rates. Thomas Cook, a young General recently brought to Australia to help coordinate the invasion, would need to reorganize much of the war’s planning due to unforeseen circumstances. When British forces docked unopposed in a Japanese harbor of Southeast Asia, Cook was informed by the commanding forces in the area that it was temporarily under control by the Wu. The Wu were fighting in the area and had seized all coastal areas to deter Japanese reinforcements. Cook and his soldiers would be forced to head to mainland Japan to fight the war.
In Early 1660, British naval forces cleared the seas around south Kyushu, the southernmost Island of the Japanese Empire at the time. Soldiers of the Empire under Cook’s command seized most of the island. They were met in the northern part of the area by Japanese General Takeda Seimu. Takeda is contemporarily viewed as a terrible general and his attack on British forces in May of 1660 is condemned as sacrificing the mainland force of Japan to a suicide attack. Takeda, not realizing the effectiveness of British firearm tactics, sent many Japanese soldiers and cavalry into a march against the British forces. The battle resulted in a major victory for the British, who lost only around 1,000 men, while the Japanese suffered major casualties and many surrendered.
Takeda, instead of brokering for peace, decided to flee the battle and regroup. British forces pursued the Japanese soldiers and when the British navy cut off all escape routes and Cook's soldiers surrounded Takeda’s forces, the general admitted defeat to the British.
Following the battles in Kyushu, the British Empire became aware that the Wu were retreating from Japan’s mainland holdings in Asia. Under orders from the Emperor, Cook and his forces were to give up mainland Japan and move immediately to Japanese Siam. By mid 1661, British forces were fighting a brutal war against both Japanese soldiers and local rebels. Both posed a constant threat to Cook and his men. In August of 1662, the last Japanese soldiers had surrendered and local rebellious leaders were under British control. The Imperial Navy would begin the second invasion of Japan. In November of 1663, Cook and the British soldiers landed once more in Kyushu and retook much of the area. When British soldiers managed to move onto the main Japanese island of Honshu, their government began to collapse and peace was achieved with the distressed Japanese emperor. Great Britain would receive Kyushu along with the guarantee of Japanese retreat from some areas of Southeast Asia. The area of Kyushu would not be put into a Control upon its integration into the Empire. The aging Emperor Henry decided it would be better to handle the territory directly. The island would quickly be known as Cershire, as the Emperor was unable to properly pronounce the name and refused to be corrected. The name remained and continues to be an English equivalent to this day.
While the British were fighting in far off lands, Europe continued its cycling of Great Powers. In 1664 the nation of Russia went through a succession crisis which resulted in not only pretenders fighting, but also many nationalists in the Ukraine and the Tatar lands. By the end of the year, Russia had lost much of the eastern edges of its empire, along with much of the western border regions. In 1667, the 2nd Bohemian Empire was attacked by Brandenburg and Bavaria, resulting in a breaking off of Poland from the Bohemians. Bohemia would also lose its border provinces to Bavaria and Brandenburg, resulting in a large drop in Bohemian power.
The Empire was certainly spreading its focus during this period, but India would remain by far the most important area of the era. A Persian invasion was of constant threat to the area and many considered it imminent. The Persians had been pushing north and east for the past few decades and many felt the declining Mughal Empire might be the next target for the Persian Empire. When leaders within the Greater Indian Control were attempting to remedy the situation, General Frobisher, now quite elderly at 61 and suffering from a disease of the lungs, suggested an invasion of what is now called Afghanistan, which was held entirely by the Mughals. He believed control of the mountainous area along with large fortifications would prevent any major Persian advances in the case the war. The idea was generally supported and in 1666, the war began.
The Mughal Empire had declined greatly over the years and at the time was of no great threat to the British. Persia entered the war, along with the Sokoto tribe, and both presented a more really challenge. The Sokoto tribe was once again invaded by a small force of British soldiers and a peace was forced for only small monetary concessions. Persia would not be bought off despite the Control’s best efforts. It was decided that it would be best for the soldiers to avoid the Persians who were fighting several wars just north of the area of interest. Afghanistan fell relatively quickly, being in British hands by early 1667. Small incursions into Persia were attempted, but only with the utmost caution as to avoid any disastrous battles.
In December of 1666, a strange turn of events would lead to a short and relatively calm conflict known as Mad King John’s War. The King of Brabant, then at war with Bavaria, Brandenburg, Avignonese France, and several neighboring Dutch kingdoms, declared war upon Great Britain. The King was assumed to be mad and is reported to have planned an invasion and move the British Isles as a way of escaping the continental conflicts. Emperor Henry quite famously laughed at the message and ordered a full blockade of the Dutch nation.
In July 1667 the Mughals, having been beaten in Delhi, agreed to give up Afghanistan, reducing their nation to only a small area in Northern India.
In November of 1667, the Persian ruler agreed to an ending of hostilities due to his preoccupation with other wars in Central Asia. Mad King John of Brabant would be assassinated in January of 1668 and his successor, a distant cousin of Henry and also a Lancaster, would offer peace with the British, which was accepted by the Emperor.
In February of 1668, General Hugh Frobisher would die in India at the age of 64. His death would be a shock in India, but his tactics and ideas would last long after his death. The now 62 year old Henry was quite upset to find that his old comrade was dead, and ordered a monument to be planned in honor of the general. Despite the loss, India was quickly becoming the playground of the British and within the next 50 years, most of it would be incorporated into the Empire, which will be elaborated on in the coming chapters.
Chapter 8: Cershire and the Pashtuns
The original battle plans for the war against Japan were focused on a long campaign in mainland Asia with blockades and raid on the Japanese homeland later. Fighting in Southeast Asia was expected to be brutal and have high attrition rates. Thomas Cook, a young General recently brought to Australia to help coordinate the invasion, would need to reorganize much of the war’s planning due to unforeseen circumstances. When British forces docked unopposed in a Japanese harbor of Southeast Asia, Cook was informed by the commanding forces in the area that it was temporarily under control by the Wu. The Wu were fighting in the area and had seized all coastal areas to deter Japanese reinforcements. Cook and his soldiers would be forced to head to mainland Japan to fight the war.
In Early 1660, British naval forces cleared the seas around south Kyushu, the southernmost Island of the Japanese Empire at the time. Soldiers of the Empire under Cook’s command seized most of the island. They were met in the northern part of the area by Japanese General Takeda Seimu. Takeda is contemporarily viewed as a terrible general and his attack on British forces in May of 1660 is condemned as sacrificing the mainland force of Japan to a suicide attack. Takeda, not realizing the effectiveness of British firearm tactics, sent many Japanese soldiers and cavalry into a march against the British forces. The battle resulted in a major victory for the British, who lost only around 1,000 men, while the Japanese suffered major casualties and many surrendered.
Takeda, instead of brokering for peace, decided to flee the battle and regroup. British forces pursued the Japanese soldiers and when the British navy cut off all escape routes and Cook's soldiers surrounded Takeda’s forces, the general admitted defeat to the British.
Following the battles in Kyushu, the British Empire became aware that the Wu were retreating from Japan’s mainland holdings in Asia. Under orders from the Emperor, Cook and his forces were to give up mainland Japan and move immediately to Japanese Siam. By mid 1661, British forces were fighting a brutal war against both Japanese soldiers and local rebels. Both posed a constant threat to Cook and his men. In August of 1662, the last Japanese soldiers had surrendered and local rebellious leaders were under British control. The Imperial Navy would begin the second invasion of Japan. In November of 1663, Cook and the British soldiers landed once more in Kyushu and retook much of the area. When British soldiers managed to move onto the main Japanese island of Honshu, their government began to collapse and peace was achieved with the distressed Japanese emperor. Great Britain would receive Kyushu along with the guarantee of Japanese retreat from some areas of Southeast Asia. The area of Kyushu would not be put into a Control upon its integration into the Empire. The aging Emperor Henry decided it would be better to handle the territory directly. The island would quickly be known as Cershire, as the Emperor was unable to properly pronounce the name and refused to be corrected. The name remained and continues to be an English equivalent to this day.
While the British were fighting in far off lands, Europe continued its cycling of Great Powers. In 1664 the nation of Russia went through a succession crisis which resulted in not only pretenders fighting, but also many nationalists in the Ukraine and the Tatar lands. By the end of the year, Russia had lost much of the eastern edges of its empire, along with much of the western border regions. In 1667, the 2nd Bohemian Empire was attacked by Brandenburg and Bavaria, resulting in a breaking off of Poland from the Bohemians. Bohemia would also lose its border provinces to Bavaria and Brandenburg, resulting in a large drop in Bohemian power.
The Empire was certainly spreading its focus during this period, but India would remain by far the most important area of the era. A Persian invasion was of constant threat to the area and many considered it imminent. The Persians had been pushing north and east for the past few decades and many felt the declining Mughal Empire might be the next target for the Persian Empire. When leaders within the Greater Indian Control were attempting to remedy the situation, General Frobisher, now quite elderly at 61 and suffering from a disease of the lungs, suggested an invasion of what is now called Afghanistan, which was held entirely by the Mughals. He believed control of the mountainous area along with large fortifications would prevent any major Persian advances in the case the war. The idea was generally supported and in 1666, the war began.
The Mughal Empire had declined greatly over the years and at the time was of no great threat to the British. Persia entered the war, along with the Sokoto tribe, and both presented a more really challenge. The Sokoto tribe was once again invaded by a small force of British soldiers and a peace was forced for only small monetary concessions. Persia would not be bought off despite the Control’s best efforts. It was decided that it would be best for the soldiers to avoid the Persians who were fighting several wars just north of the area of interest. Afghanistan fell relatively quickly, being in British hands by early 1667. Small incursions into Persia were attempted, but only with the utmost caution as to avoid any disastrous battles.
In December of 1666, a strange turn of events would lead to a short and relatively calm conflict known as Mad King John’s War. The King of Brabant, then at war with Bavaria, Brandenburg, Avignonese France, and several neighboring Dutch kingdoms, declared war upon Great Britain. The King was assumed to be mad and is reported to have planned an invasion and move the British Isles as a way of escaping the continental conflicts. Emperor Henry quite famously laughed at the message and ordered a full blockade of the Dutch nation.
In July 1667 the Mughals, having been beaten in Delhi, agreed to give up Afghanistan, reducing their nation to only a small area in Northern India.
In November of 1667, the Persian ruler agreed to an ending of hostilities due to his preoccupation with other wars in Central Asia. Mad King John of Brabant would be assassinated in January of 1668 and his successor, a distant cousin of Henry and also a Lancaster, would offer peace with the British, which was accepted by the Emperor.
In February of 1668, General Hugh Frobisher would die in India at the age of 64. His death would be a shock in India, but his tactics and ideas would last long after his death. The now 62 year old Henry was quite upset to find that his old comrade was dead, and ordered a monument to be planned in honor of the general. Despite the loss, India was quickly becoming the playground of the British and within the next 50 years, most of it would be incorporated into the Empire, which will be elaborated on in the coming chapters.
You should take Arabia and join up Africa and India.
EDIT: Both NA and Africa are fully colonised now, from the looks of things. Any plans for SA or the Caribbean?
EDIT: Both NA and Africa are fully colonised now, from the looks of things. Any plans for SA or the Caribbean?
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@Enewald: Now I wouldn't want to overexpand would I?
@Rockingluke: I'm not looking too hard at Arabia. There's still plenty of colonization to do in North America and both South America and the Caribbean are pretty well full at this point, plus there are bigger plans in store.
@dinofs: Is it suicidal if they already have one foot in the grave?
@Rockingluke: I'm not looking too hard at Arabia. There's still plenty of colonization to do in North America and both South America and the Caribbean are pretty well full at this point, plus there are bigger plans in store.
@dinofs: Is it suicidal if they already have one foot in the grave?