Britannia Triumphant: A GFM Great Britain A.A.R.

[The Big Boy 54]

BRITANNIA TRIUMPHANT
A Great Britain A.A.R. in G.F.M.

​

Hey there! I got into Victoria 2 and other paradox games pretty recently and so far I have been enjoying it. I have enjoyed it so much that I have decided to try to make an A.A.R. for my current game as the United Kingdom. I decided to use the Greater Flavour Mod since it contains a whole lot of flavour so that this playthrough to be more exciting as well as to feel more immersed in the 19th century. I also will be manually transferring provinces if the A.I. starts to create too much border-gore which ruins immersion (In my personal opinion).

I don’t really have much goals for this A.A.R. other than to:

1.) Control as much land as the British Empire held in the year 1921 (plus more if possible).

2.) Stay the number 1 Great Power.

I hope you will enjoy this A.A.R. and as always any tips, recommendations, and criticisms are welcomed.

 

[The Big Boy 54]

It is a warm Friday morning on the 1st of January in the British-held Cape Colony. As soldiers start to wake up from their tents, an announcement can be heard from where the officers are.

“I have been receiving reports of a Xhosa Army not far away from us. We leave in a few hours to try to find and catch them by surprise.”.

These were the words of Sir Edward Blakeney, who was in command of a 15 thousand strong army to fight the Xhosa Kingdom in a war which started some 2 years ago due to one of their chiefs being killed, which had then resulted in a 10 thousand man army to wreak havoc around the various homesteads on the outer frontiers of the Cape Colony. While the army started its march over to Xhosa controlled territory, Prime Minister William Lamb received a letter coming from the Belgian Chief of Government Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt.

“So the Belgians wish to secure an alliance, tell them that their request has been granted.” said William while sipping some tea.

“Do you still have anything else to tell me?”

“No, that is all.”

The Cape Colony Garrison lead by Sir Edward Blakeney marching over to Umtata.

The Belgian alliance proposal, which is accepted by the British.

British Prime Minister William Lamb (Left) and Belgian Chief of Government Barthélémy de Theux de Meylandt (Right).

On the 13th of January, the 10th Royal Regiment finally meet up with the Xhosa army. The result is a victorious win for the British, sending the Xhosa into a hurried retreat.

The Battle of Umtata, a British Victory.

A drawing made depicting the Battle of Umtata.

A few weeks later, another letter arrives to the Prime Minister.

“Another alliance offer, who is it from this time?”.

“The Kingdom of Spain sir.”.

“Well I suppose we should accept it, considering the fact that we need to keep the French in check in case they ever decide to do go on another rampage in Europe.”

The Spanish alliance offer to the British.

“Now that I think about it, I suppose we should secure an alliance in South America.”

“With which country?”

“The Empire of Brazil should fit as a good ally. I do not want Venezuela to push their claims in our colony of Guiana. What do you think about that?”

“It sounds good to me, I will tell the Emperor Pedro II if he wishes to have an alliance with us.”

The alliance offer of the British government to the Empire of Brazil. Brazil happily agrees.

On April 3, after 2 years of fighting, the Treaty of Umtata is signed thereby ending the Sixth Xhosa War. The terms in the treaty included that:

1.) The Xhosa Kingdom will be added to the sphere of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
2.) The province of Bisho will be transferred to the Cape Colony.

The terms of the Treaty of Umtata.

On September 23, the Royal Irish Constabulary (R.I.C.) is formed. It was to be the police force in Ireland.

The Royal Irish Constabulary was the police force in Ireland.

Due to most of the South American and Caribbean Colonies being undefended, an army consisting of 15 thousand men led by General Matthew Whitworth-Alymer will depart from Dublin to the Colony of Guiana. Their departure shall occur on the 29th of September.

The 15 thousand strong army of General Matthew Whitworth-Alymer.

Ever since the Belgian Revolution from 1830-1831, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands did not recognize the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Belgium. In order to placate this issue, on December 21, 1836, the Treaty of London was signed between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Kingdom of Belgium. A follow-up to the 1831 Treaty of the XVIII Articles, the Treaty of London dictated that:

1.) The United Kingdom of the Netherlands will recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Kingdom of Belgium.
2.) The Province of Limburg is to be split between the Kingdom of Belgium and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Dutch Limburg shall be under the control of the Duchy of Limburg, who is to be in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Duchy of Limburg is to also be a member of the German Confederation.
3.) The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is to be divided between the Kingdom of Belgium and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Dutch Luxembourg shall be under the control of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg who is to be in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands; whereas Belgian Luxembourg shall form the new Province of Luxembourg under the Kingdom of Belgium. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is to also be a member of the German Confederation.
4.) The province of Terneuzen is to be given to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.
5.) The Kingdom of Belgium is to remain perpetually neutral, and if the Kingdom of Belgium is to be attacked, then the signatories of this treaty must then protect the Kingdom of Belgium.

It has only been one year, yet more events are about to unfurl. Stay tuned.

 

[guillec87]

subbed

 

[RustyHunter]

Welcome to Paradox games, I am glad you are enjoying yourself and stick around for a long time. I suspect more comments will start coming in since these forums are very helpful and welcoming.

This looks like a good start for an AAR and I'll certainly be following! I don't know British history very well prior to 1900, so I look forward to learning some interesting facts.

I was surprised at the casualties in the battle with the Xhosa. It appears your victory was mainly due to superior numbers. I'm guessing your techs are not much more advanced than the natives yet?

This is a minor complaint, but several of your images have a strange aspect ratio and are distorted. I wouldn't go back and fix them, but it might help make things more legible in the future.

Overall though, I think you conveyed information clearly and used screenshots very well. Keep up the good work and I know readers will follow!

 

[The Big Boy 54]

Welcome to Paradox games, I am glad you are enjoying yourself and stick around for a long time. I suspect more comments will start coming in since these forums are very helpful and welcoming.

This looks like a good start for an AAR and I'll certainly be following! I don't know British history very well prior to 1900, so I look forward to learning some interesting facts.

I was surprised at the casualties in the battle with the Xhosa. It appears your victory was mainly due to superior numbers. I'm guessing your techs are not much more advanced than the natives yet?

This is a minor complaint, but several of your images have a strange aspect ratio and are distorted. I wouldn't go back and fix them, but it might help make things more legible in the future.

Overall though, I think you conveyed information clearly and used screenshots very well. Keep up the good work and I know readers will follow!

Thank you for your kind words.

Regarding the Xhosa, I believe that I only won because of higher numbers since walking head on to the enemy instead of letting them die of attrition wasn't the best idea for me to do. I'll try to think more about moving and placing my armies in favorable spots more. Also, the images for me seem fine except for the one at the end (I don't know why it stretched out so much.) so I'll double check my images too.

 

[The Number 9]

Nice start. Welcome to AARland.

I will follow !

 

[RustyHunter]

Thank you for your kind words.

That's half the fun of this place, finding helpful people with a passion for history and obscure games. Only other thing I can recommend is add your AAR to your signature and leave comments on other people's works you find interesting. It's free advertising, and I know many authors will check out what others are doing too.

Regarding the Xhosa, I believe that I only won because of higher numbers since walking head on to the enemy instead of letting them die of attrition wasn't the best idea for me to do. I'll try to think more about moving and placing my armies in favorable spots more.

Honestly, the Xhosa aren't very dangerous so I would have played it exactly like you did. It's very likely you had some bad dice rolls that caused much higher casualties than expected, Vic 2 is pretty random that way.

Also, the images for me seem fine except for the one at the end (I don't know why it stretched out so much.) so I'll double check my images too.

The only other weird one was the Irish Constabulary. It's not a big deal, really just a minor nitpick.

 

[The Big Boy 54]

A cloaked figure moves silently along the streets in the city of Herat. Going to the governor’s residence, the man requested that he be able to speak with Kamran, the governor himself. He is soon let entry inside, however the man is told that Kamran is busy with other things, and instead he can talk to Yar Mohammed, the vizier of Kamran. He arrives shortly thereafter, and then the hooded figure introduces himself.

“My name is Eldred Pottinger. I work in the service of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and I wish to extend my services over to you also.”

“And why would I even require your services Englishman?”

“There are rumours that the Persians together with the Shah himself are marching over here at this very moment. If the city is not to be protected, it may fall within a month or even less.”

“The Persians!?! Are you serious?!? Then I suppose your services shall be gladfully taken then. Go, get all the men ready, and hope that the city would hold on.”

And the rumours were indeed true, as an army led by the Shah began moving towards Herat. The British upon seeing that their influence over the Persian regions could be contested, demanded that the Shah’s army retreat from Herat, and that the United Kingdom will not attack, an offer which the Persians refused. And thus, on the 1st of January, 1837, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland openly declared war on the Sublime State of Persia, stating that its siege on Herat and its refusals to British peace offers were enough to justify a war.

The Persians at Herat.

Effects of Declaring War on the Qajar Empire.

Territories controlled by the Qajar Empire

As the Indian Garrison Army led by Sir Henry Smith departed from Calcutta, on the other side of the world, our ally the Empire of Brazil was dealing with numerous rebellions. With the Cabanada revolt being the final revolt to quench, the Brazilians requested for help. The British agreed of course, sending a small contingent over to Amapá.

A British army arriving to help assist the Brazilians in the Cabanada Revolt.

A month was to pass before any British army was to land in Persia. Upon blockading the Persian Gulf, General Smith’s army marched over to Bandar-e Kangan, a small strip of coastal land held by the Kagan Sheikdom, a vassal of the Qajars. Despite the army having lost a few hundred men from the voyage to Persia, they still were able to overwhelm the local defenses and successfully occupy the sheikdom. The army, bolstered by this successful move, decided to venture farther into Persian territory. Perhaps even take its capital, Tehran.

British armies being landing on Persian soil.

In the Canadian colonies, uprisings against the government began. Spurred on by revolutions such as the American Revolutionary War and republican ideals, men such as Louis-Joseph Papineau, Robert Nelson and William Lyon Mackenzie began open revolts within Canadian territory. With several short-lived states being established such as the Republic of Lower Canada and the Republic of Canada. These revolts were to be quelled quickly by government forces, as the rebels were squashed decisively within a month. Those 3 men then fled to the United States of America.

The Canadian Rebellion of 1837 happened due to the lack of political reform.

On the 6th of March, the politician Giuseppe Mazzini was granted asylum after having been exiled from the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, the Swiss Confederation, and the Kingdom of France. The United Kingdom considered that the trials given to the members of the Young Italy movement were unjust and unfair. This move had outraged the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, hurting relations with them, with their King Charles Albert remarking;

“The fact that the British are even willing to let these troublemakers in show how much they do not care about other people and states. These men are criminals and they should be punished, not men who should be given asylum.

Giuseppe Mazzini believed in a unified Italy.

This act also had broken the relations with the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, even going as far as breaking the newly made alliance they had with the United Kingdom just the month prior. Upon being asked why they broke off their alliance, the King Ferdinand II said,

“Despite the fact that an alliance with the United Kingdom will be beneficial to our kingdom, it is for certain that we will and shall not support in any way a country who lets insurrectionists and rebels go and be free men in their country without any reprimands given to them.”

A month after the Canadian Rebellions of 1837, John Lambton, 1st Earl Durham gave his report titled the Report on the Affairs of British North America in which he stated among many things that the British colonies in North America should be given more power by having a responsible government. He also recommended two things which are:

1.) The colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada to be united into one province; and
2.) The introduction of responsible government to all British North American colonies.

This report received varied results among the populace of the Canadian colonies. With the Tory elites in Upper Canada rejecting the proposals, whereas the Tory’s in Lower Canada were more supportive of the idea. But regardless of the rejections of some people, on the 16th of March 1837, the Act of Union 1837 was passed by the British Parliament, in which the Colony of Upper Canada and the Colony of Lower Canada were merged into one province that was to be named the Province of Canada. Lambton’s second recommendation was rejected.

The Act of Union 1837 united the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada.

Effects of accepting the Act of Union 1837.

The former colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada, unified into the Province of Canada.

Back in Persia, the war still continued. Unfortunately for some, they would not last that long there anymore. The Portuguese contingent was ambushed by a 30 thousand strong Persian army while they were moving into Dekhord. Despite having fought valiantly, they were just outnumbered and thus succumbed to the larger Persian force. Another army under the E.I.C. found itself surrounded and decisively beaten even as they tried to hastily retreat to the Persian Gulf. Despite these setbacks, the British forces steadfastly moved, having most of the Persian-held coast occupied by October.

Around this time too, a Greek emissary arrived from Athens requesting an alliance offer. Obviously, this was accepted by the British. At the same time, a British diplomat arrived in the Netherlands asking for an alliance too (The Kingdom of the Netherlands is in my sphere) which the Dutch gladfully accepted.

The Greek and Dutch alliance offers.

12 months have passed since Herat was placed under siege by Persian forces. But the people inside Herat knew that the city wouldn’t last that long anymore. Mr. Pottinger also knew this, requesting from Yar Mohammed that he be able to leave the city. Despite not wanting him to leave, he still accepted his request and thus, Eldred Pottinger left disguised from Herat just as he has entered it. Herat fell soon thereafter, leaving the entire region in absolute disarray, which gave more then enough reason for the Persians to declare Herat and its surrounding territory as annexed. And thus Herat was retaken by the Persians once more.

Annexation of Herat.

 

[RustyHunter]

Persia is far from settled but progress looks good! What is your wargoal for them? Do you just want Herat freed, or are you feeling more ambitious?

I think you made the right choice on Canada since I believe creating dominions frees up colonial capacity for other places.

I think your European alliances are shaping up quite nicely. What is your goal on the continent? Do you just want to maintain the balance of power, or are you feeling more ambitious?

 

[The Big Boy 54]

Persia is far from settled but progress looks good! What is your wargoal for them? Do you just want Herat freed, or are you feeling more ambitious?

The wargoals that the game gave were a Cut Down to Size CB. Perhaps I will just settle on having Herat freed as well as using the Cut Down to Size CB and will just use another opportunity to take land from Persia. I believe there are events for some of the Anglo-Persian Wars so I would probably would wait until those events fire.

I think you made the right choice on Canada since I believe creating dominions frees up colonial capacity for other places.

I don't think Canada is a dominion as of now since I believe that the Lord Durham Report event is more of a flavour event than anything else. I probably will release Canada in the 1860's just as it happened historically unless the game gives me an event (if there is any) earlier.

I think your European alliances are shaping up quite nicely. What is your goal on the continent? Do you just want to maintain the balance of power, or are you feeling more ambitious?

My goals are probably just to contain the balance of power there since if I say I try to take too much land in Europe since I don't want to be too powerful and just start to blob everywhere. Also the United Kingdom was not interested in gaining European land outside of the British Isles (save for the Kingdom of Hanover which is under Personal Union).

 

[RustyHunter]

The wargoals that the game gave were a Cut Down to Size CB. Perhaps I will just settle on having Herat freed as well as using the Cut Down to Size CB and will just use another opportunity to take land from Persia. I believe there are events for some of the Anglo-Persian Wars so I would probably would wait until those events fire.

That makes sense to me. The lands not really all that valuable right now anyways, so I think you can afford to wait.

I don't think Canada is a dominion as of now since I believe that the Lord Durham Report event is more of a flavour event than anything else. I probably will release Canada in the 1860's just as it happened historically unless the game gives me an event (if there is any) earlier.

My bad! I've never played GFM, so I didn't realize there were so many events.

My goals are probably just to contain the balance of power there since if I say I try to take too much land in Europe since I don't want to be too powerful and just start to blob everywhere. Also the United Kingdom was not interested in gaining European land outside of the British Isles (save for the Kingdom of Hanover which is under Personal Union).

I think that's a really good idea. I'll be curious which great power you align yourself with, although I suppose that can shift as Prussia becomes more dominant in Europe.

I just wanted to add that I like your use of GFM. I've only played vanilla and HPM, so I'm enjoying seeing the differences between mods!

 

[The Big Boy 54]

My bad! I've never played GFM, so I didn't realize there were so many events.

Yeah that is one of the reasons I wanted to try out GFM for this AAR. Also since this is actually my first time using the mod (I used HFM and TGC before trying out GFM) and just by looking at the mod you could tell it adds a lot of things for a better gameplay experience.

 

[Communitnerd92]

Nice AAR thus far will be following

 

[Surt]

That is a lot of alliances, who AAR you going to fight, except for some 3rd and 4th ranked powers?

 

[The Big Boy 54]

That is a lot of alliances, who AAR you going to fight, except for some 3rd and 4th ranked powers?

In terms of European countries I would be going after France as per usual and maybe some of the larger countries such as the Austrian Empire, Ottoman Empire, and even the Russian Empire if possible. The alliances I have now aren't always going to be kept so I can change alliances to a stronger country.

 

[The Big Boy 54]

And there have not been any posts recently due to me being pretty busy but I will try to post again some time this week.

 

[RustyHunter]

And there have not been any posts recently due to me being pretty busy but I will try to post again some time this week.

There's no rush, people will still be here to read whenever you're ready. I look forward to seeing what happens in Persia though.

 

[The Big Boy 54]

Hello everyone. Sorry for the long delay, I would like to continue the AAR now but unfortunately, the save file to this game got accidentally deleted (including all the autosaves) and I don't think I would be able to continue this AAR anymore. I could perhaps start with a new AAR once I have the time to do it. Thanks for welcoming me to my AAR journey and hopefully I'll see you soon in a different AAR.

 

[RustyHunter]

That's a shame to hear, but it seems to happen to everyone on here at some point. Make sure you post a link to your new AAR in this thread so we can find it, and I wish you luck in your future endeavors.