Chapter 41: All the Tea in China
(Naval Battle between Wu and Colonial Cordoba on the Onset of the Yue Rebellion)
The Three Years between 1883 and 1886 would be defined by Two major wars, Not in Europe but in America and in Asia. In Europe the collapse of the Celtic Empire was the main headline as the new Imperial aligned government left Spain out in the cold. In response to the Fall of the Celtic Empire the Spanish Government and economy was now free'd from it's overbearing ally in Paris and could finally strike out on its own. What the Spanish did not except however was events on the other side of the world were about to make the Iberian Peninsula and the loyalty of the new Spanish regime the focus of half the world.
Cordoban China had been a longstanding point of Tension between the Wu and European powers. Cordoba had managed to remain unalligned in Europe by virtue of garrunteeing it's vast chinese markets to both the Holy Roman, Celtic and Eastern Roman Empires. With the Holy Roman and Eastern Roman Empires expanding thiere own spheres in Africa and India and the Fall of the Celtic Empire trade with Cordoban China had fallen, severely and in an effort to keep the colony profitably the local Cordoban government had pushed severe formerly Yue territories to the breaking point.
It wouldn't take long for the Wu to respond to native chinese revolts, weapons were sent within weeks. Wu army personnel supplying arms to Yue rebels eventually would be arrested, and executed providing Emperor Wu Shen enough leverage to declare war and overrun the colony before the Holy Roman or Russian Empires could threaten to Interfere.
The War would be swift, ruthless and bloody and mere months after the official fighting began Chinese and Rebel forces had absolute control over Cordoban China with only a few Colonial holdouts existing along the coastline, still alive due to Cordoba's slim advantage at sea. Meanwhile the Kingdoms of Portugal and Spain had begun to mobilize soldiers and out of fear King Gotzelo VI Anniona-Cortez agreed to surrender his Chinese Territories so long as his armies be allowed to safely evacuate China and return to North Africa. The Chinese Agreed and the hasty treaty of Singapore was signed, formally ending the Colonization of China for good.
The Wu, as 'Rightful' overlords of China took the Lion's share of lands for themselves, allocating a small area Near Macau to an autonomous Yue republic . The Yue was independent however only in name, and the small republic quickly became no more than a glorified Internment camp for those that the Wu administration found to be in the way of a proper reconquest of China.
In America the Unopposed United States Army had taken control nearly 60% of the the Mexican Republic. What little resistance there was came from Rebel forces rather than the Mexican military. Things had become so bad that the Western Half of the country, the half the United States had left relatively alone had now become no better than a lawless, devoid hellhole dominated not only by Mexican Rebels and rogue soldiers but ambitious Californian Mercenaries looking to lay claim to the region for themselves. The United States of course had no interest in subjugating so much territory as to double it's size and reinforced it's position in Eastern Mexico though a formal peace treaty was never drawn up.
Mexico had now effectively become a failed state. With American troops now leaving the reigning Republican party had proven that it was the United States alone that could bring the torch of Freedom to America. President Rodrigo Atlanta would late give a fiery speech to the military and press in the now American City San Antonio proclaiming America's destiny to unite the continent, strike down the Templar to the North and bring American law and democracy from Sea to Shining Sea.
With a Population Rivaling Westphalia from Immigration and having tripled in Size since that start of the Century the United States was now preparing to Join the Ranks of the true powers of the World. The Upstart in America had beaten all comers, and worse still She was a Democracy just not in name but form as well.
With Cordoba humiliated the Spanish and Portuguese had begun a long planned reconquest of their own territories in North Africa. The Great Powers had other plans however and Kaiser Ferdinand II insisted in a Post War meeting in Iberia to re-evaluate the Byzantine-Celtic Treaty. The Spanish fearing Imperial intervention dared not refuse.
(1886 Council of Burgos, With representatives throughout the world including the United States and Wu in attendance)
The Future of the Celtic Empire and her allies was of course the purpose of the meeting but now with America and Wu prepared to push their own influence at the Council things had escalated in a sense and of course Russia and the Eastern Roman Empire were eager to reverse the damage caused by Kaiser Ferdinand in Paris. What was to be a simple revision of a Treaty had become a meeting to determine the fate of the world.
The Major points of the conference would ultimately be the Future of India, America, Iberia and the Celtic Empire. Though the most Powerful Kaiser Ferdinand and his staff would find himself fighting a hard battle on almost all fronts on all of these points.
The Ultimate Results from the 1886 Council would be as follows.
- The Wu 'Liberation' of European China would be recognized, In exchange Wu would stop all efforts to hinder Indian Unification.
-Iberia, meaning Cordoba, Spain and Portugal would fall under Imperial Control, In exchange the Imperial Celtic Administration would be removed immediately by an Elected Parliament alongside the now of age Arthur IV.
-America's conquest of Mexico would be recognized and the young Democracy would be allowed to enforce it's laws in the Mexican Territory until a Council appointed government could rebuild the country.
-South America would be opened up to trade with the Caribbean, China and Europe, though the Holy Roman Empire would be allowed to keep it's competitive advantages.
-Formal Borders between Russia and the Eastern Roman Empire, Mongolia and Wu.
-Formal Border recognition in Africa between Mali, Cordoba, the Holy Roman Empire and Eastern Roman Empire.
Among other minor disputes being settled. The Powder keg of Scotland and Scandinavia of course would end up being completly ignored in hopes that whatever rebel sentiment would now die off due the Liberalization of Denmark and the Celtic Empire.
Imperial Policy regarding spain of course was to be the same as Imperial policy regarding South America before it. Entry into the Empire's economic treaties in exchange for military protection. For Spain overall this would be an improvement but of course so long as Iberia was now laid under the Empire's Iron Curtain it would be forced to be remain at peace despite growing pan-Iberian unrest.
Of course as had been common during the last century one invention was about to change the game, forever forcing Nations to redraw their borders and interests not on natural borders, cultural history or prestige but on the resources they would so desperately crave.
