1788-1793 – The Opium Wars
The Elementary Education Act was amended during a session of Parliament, fixing most of the issues towards minorities. Most Hispanians were quite pleased with the changes, and the initial outrage faded away. The costs did rise as the government had to fund housing complexes for the poorer students. The Improvement of Quality of Life Act started the lengthy process of constructing hospitals all across the Empire. Hispanians could now receive basic healthcare, although the costs were quite extensive.
The Minister of Trade, with the implicit support of the Minister of the Navy, began construction of ships to defend the trade fleets. Galleys were constructed for the Mediterranean trade fleets, while heavy ships were built for the ocean fleets.
Austria was truly pushing limits by demanding Treviso next to be returned as part of the HRE.
Kaffa declared war on Alodia to decide who would dominate East Africa.
Wealth from India was flowing in, keeping the Hispanian economy strong.
The colony in Barito became self-sufficient, allowing for resources to be freed up to colonize Gorontalo as Parliament desired.
The navy continued to suffer, the shipyards not as active as always, as the army received extra attention for the upcoming wars.
As money became available, the Minister of the Interior ordered the expansion of forts in Canton and India after requests from various members of Parliament to defend the vulnerable regions better.
Although the capital had not been threatened for decades, memory of the Civil War never went away. Some expansion of the fortifications around Valencia were made in the meantime.
As troops were moved east to the Levant and more to Romania in case Lithuania backed up Persia, a declaration of war was sent to Persia. Scandinavia was the only one willing to assist, for France and the UKA felt the conflict was too far away to get involved. While Yemen had been the initial target, a declaration was extended to Persia as well, since they had also closed their borders to Hispania.
As troops swarmed over into Lithuania, fate showed some favour for Hispania. Rebels broke out all across Lithuania, separatists attempting to obtain freedom.
At sea, Persia’s fleet made an attack on the Hispanian trade fleet operating out of Ceylon. The Flota Colonial was still stationed in India and headed over, but Persia caught wind of their arrival. They fled to port after sinking three light ships. Replacements were placed under construction immediately.
The armies stationed in the Levant had yet to take action, and that was for good reason. They were waiting for the second war declaration. Yemen was targeted next, with the intention of opening up their borders to trade as well. They had Malwa on their side, but they were still weak from the previous war with Hispania. After the declaration was sent, the two armies in India swarmed over the border into Malwa. Two armies in the Levant went south into Yemen, which was poorly defended, while the one remaining one met up with a new arrival to move on to Persia.
Ethiopia was the latest victim of the chaos of East Africa, annexed by Kaffa.
Malwa moved down the west coast of India, but the two armies marched over after taking Berar. The first of the armies, a tiny one, was swept over by Lieutenant General Dias’s army. The two armies then converged on the main force in Surat. In a repeat of battles from the previous war against Malwa, the entire enemy army surrendered, and Malwa stopped being a threat.
Over in Lithuania, Byzantium’s army had arrived and launched an attack on a Lithuanian army that had been lingering near the border. A single Hispanian army went to reinforce, assisting them in their efforts to push the Lithuanians back. With the Scandinavians already rampaging through northern Lithuania and Bavaria even making an appearance, Lithuania shouldn’t be much more of a problem. When their fort in Rowne fell shortly afterwards, that only reinforced that thought.
Captain General Saint-Pierre marched straight on Yemen’s capital in San’a, where he found the Yemeni army. A quick assault overwhelmed the puny defence and swept them aside, leaving the capital open to siege.
Admiral Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre took a tour of the Persian Gulf, picking off Persian fleets foolish enough to stay out in open waters. His fleet took out over a dozen ships, not allowing them to venture back to port.
With the front extending all the way from Romania down to Arabia, there was a lot of ground to cover and not enough armies for every theatre. With Persia being the one nation that didn’t share a border with Hispania, it was deemed the least important during the early stages of the war. There had also been the assumption that Byzantium would pick up most of the slack there. These both proved to be oversights. Byzantium sent its larger army to Lithuania and smaller one to Persia, while it soon became apparent that Persia could mass an army larger than some of the other combatants. As a Hispanian army marched away from the other, Persia struck at the siege force in Mosul. Byzantium’s army force marched over and the other Hispanian army turned around to assist, but they were too late. In two weeks, the entire Exercit Granada was wiped out.
At least the other fronts were still going well. Yemen had yet to raise a new army and Malwa was doing little to prevent the sieges in its lands. In Lithuania, another fort fell, opening up the interior as Field Marshal Leon led the charge east.
In Scandinavia, King Gustav VI de Valois finally came of age. While not the most inspiring person, he was married to Emperor Alfons’s daughter Clara.
Malwa had been gathering regiments together in the east, but much too close to the border. A quick sweep of the province saw them lose seven regiments.
By April of 1789, Saint-Pierre had taken Yemen’s capital, with the other army already taking most of the coast along the Red Sea.
Persia proved a pest again, unwilling to let anyone take Mosul. They marched on the new siege army, who did not have another Hispanian army nearby. The Hispanians struggled to hold out, but were losing great numbers. Fortunately, the Greeks were faster this time, arriving just in time to save the day. The Persians were repelled, but only after great loss.
During the siege process in Malwa, their navy was forced from port. The Greeks had sent a token fleet to blockade, but their galleys weren’t suited for the ocean. The Flota Colonial had to assist to ensure victory, and even then the enemy fleet just fled to port anyway.
The Persians used the opportunity to get their fleet out into open waters, but neglected to sail away. The Flota Colonial caught it before it decided where to go. They lost several ships in the process before having to flee.
Byzantium decided the best way to defeat Lithuania was to attack their rebels. Perhaps they should focus on Persia instead.
It seemed that Byzantium chose to ignore many things, including its own people. While Hispania and the rest of Europe progressed greatly in the ways of government, developing new institutions and adopting constitutions, Byzantium remained stuck in the past. The only remaining feudal monarchy in Europe, Byzantium was still dominated by the Basileus and the ever-powerful nobility, with commoners given little say. Now they had had enough. Demands were sent to the Basileus, somewhat tame compared to the rest of Europe. The people wanted a reformed administration, one that allowed for those other than nobles to participate. While a constitution was not mentioned and the Basileus would retain his powers, its mere acceptance suggested a slide towards it. When confronted with the issue, Basileus Ioannes XI and his cabal of loyal nobles refused to relinquish any power. The government would remain unchanged. The people had no choice but to seek their demands by force. ((I thought it strange that Byzantium has remained a feudal monarchy for so long, so I felt it was best to give them the option to reform or face the consequences. Obviously the AI didn’t want change.
))
As the Lithuanian front quieted down, seeing as Scandinavia and Bavaria were doing their part and Lithuania had retreated inwards, Leon marched away from the front to assist the Greeks in quelling their rebellion. It would not do to have rebels threatening the route back home.
With Persia presenting more problems than first suspected and the people of Byzantium now in open rebellion, Hispania had to consolidate its forces or risk becoming overextended. Yemen was all but done and fully willing to come to the peace table. While a truly crushing peace could not be pursued at the time, both Hispania and Yemen were eager for peace. Yemen ceded the valuable province of Adan, as well as Suqutra as a naval base and an African colony neighbouring Hispania’s in East Africa. A single province on Malwa’s eastern coastline was demanded too, with more not much of an option without continuing the war, something that risked allowing Persia to make gains. Yemen was also to pay war reparations, but most importantly open its borders back up. Trade would return to normal, although the Yemeni people now despised Hispania for their interference.
With the war with Yemen over, the two armies in their lands were able to march into Persian Arabia, and an army from India was on its way to assist.
Time had favoured Hispania on the issue of the new Italian lands. Hispania’s new Austrian subjects at first were quite rebellious, stirred up by their home country, but things mellowed down as they realized they would not be excluded from government. Now if only the Occitan, Lombard, and Ruthenians felt the same.
Kaffa truly upset the balance of power in East Africa, conquering most of Alodia and becoming the clear dominant nation in the region. They also forced Alodia to grant Egypt its independence, bringing back to life a former enemy of Hispania’s.
Armies were starting to shift towards Persia. The new Exercit Granda had arrived in the Middle East, with the Exercit Valencia soon on its way. The timing was off though, for Persia decided to make its move by attacking the army in Mosul again. This time the besieging army had no help and was forced to retreat after losing most of its infantry and cavalry. Another Persian army was moving into Byzantium. Hispania would have to go on the defensive until more troops arrived.
Leon targeted a rebel force in Tarnovo, and with Byzantium’s help quashed the rebellion. He and the Greeks aimed to remove the rebel threat from the Balkans before moving towards Persia.
Despite a shift south, progress was still being made against Lithuania. Another fort fell, this time near the Persian border.
Persia overestimated its enemies when it came to the Greeks. Byzantium sent a much larger army to Mosul to expel the army that had done so much harm to Hispania. The Hispanians were more than willing to help. The Persian force was finally overwhelmed, thousands of men throwing down their arms in surrender.
Leon continued to make progress against the rebels, this time in Slavonia. The Scandinavians, for some odd reason, had decided to send down a large army to help. Perhaps the absolute monarch wished to ensure the old order remained.
The Lithuanian rebels could not distinguish friend from foe and attacked a Hispanian army in Bahmut. They paid dearly for that mistake.
In the Far East, Bukhara and Qing decided to settle a white peace.
As armies filtered down to Persia, Lithuania tried to make a comeback. They attacked the siege army in Bahmut, who for now was all alone. They underestimated Hispania’s strength though, and although Hispania suffered many losses, they won the day. A week later, as though to rub it in, Hispania captured the fort at Bahmut. This crushed Lithuania’s will to continue the fight, and Hispania had no reason to fight on further with them. Lithuania agreed to pay war reparations and break ties with both Persia and Austria.
Times of war could still be times of progress. New scientific theories and feats of engineering were devised that proved both practical and productive. When applied properly, these ideas could be used to bolster production and produce more money for Hispania. One revolutionary idea was the creation of insurance companies. By offsetting the potential risk that came with trading ventures through the payment of a fee to protect one’s business, merchants were more willing to expand and pursue new markets. Of course, the army received the greatest innovation, as per usual. Skirmishers were to be used to harass the enemy before the main attack, proving more manoeuvrable and damaging enemy morale.
Leon continued his march towards Persia, taking out another rebel army on the way over. The Leon name was being whispered on the lips of Greeks all over yet again.
An attempt to liberate Van turned into a mild disaster as the Persians intercepted the Hispanian army. The other Hispanian armies were still approaching the theatre, with armies marching south from Lithuania and others arriving from the coast. Dealt another defeat, the Hispanian army had to retreat.
In religious news, His Holiness bestowed the rank of cardinal upon Justinian Lagos. ((There’s your expected promotion,
@hirahammad.))
Sometimes protecting Hispanian merchants had a price. Some were becoming quite lazy as they felt they didn’t have to compete with other nations when they had the might of Hispania had their backs.
France turned its gaze overseas, declaring war on Ottawa. French Louisiana had expanded greatly over the years and it seemed France wanted it to be even bigger. Perhaps France was noticing the expansion of the UKA nearby and wanted to get the land first.
Chinook, a native tribe on the West Coast, managed to copy western ways after being wedge between Nuevos Valencia and Oregon for so long.
By the middle of 1790, most of Persian Arabia had fallen and armies were moving up towards Baghdad. The Persians did not want this to occur and sent an army to intervene. The attacked the siege army in Samawah, but unlike with previous times there were reinforcements nearby. General Dias had been preparing to sail around to Suez when he received the call. He raced north, arriving just in time. The Hispanian army was ready to rout, but his arrival turned things around. The Persians had no choice but to pull back. By then, Scandinavia and Byzantium had arrived in force on the Persian border. It seemed likely that Persia would not be fending off this invasion any further.
France took little time in annexing Ottawa, expanding their New World presence.
As armies gather in Persia, a plan of attack was devised. Two armies were to focus on the Caucuses Mountains. Two more were to finally take Mosul and the surrounding land. As for the south, those in Arabia would focus on securing the Gulf. Saint-Pierre, who was in the area, sailed for Suez with orders for a new venture in the works. Now that Persia was on the run and Hispania’s allies swarmed the region, armies started shifting towards Morocco, who had little ability to fend off an invasion.
In early 1791, the Crown Prince Pere sired a son named Ferran, securing succession for the future.
To encourage merchants to seek new markets far and wide, the Crown offered incentives to those willing to take great risk. Embellishing the glory of such ventures surely helped too.
France wasn’t quite done with its conquests in North America. War was declared on Illiniwek next.
Speaking of war, with three armies having made their way to Morocco’s border, war was declared on the weak North African power. Saint-Pierre led the charge on the capital, with two other armies securing the countryside.
Three years after the passing of the new Elementary Education Act, the effects were truly starting to be felt. Non-Iberians across the Empire were rejoicing in this new education that valued their language and culture. For the first time in perhaps forever, even the Occitan, Lombard, and Ruthenian people of Hispania felt accepted. A mysterious figure known only as the Prophet credited this change to the massive influx of silk from China.
The colony in Gorontalo was coming along nicely, showing just how well Hispania’s colonies could grow.
Saint-Pierre reached the capital of Morocco, encountering their army and making such short work of them that some wondered if there had been a battle at all.
In August, Emperor Charles VIII de Valois of France passed away after almost half a century on the throne, his brother Louis claiming the crown. Despite his age, Louis had yet to sire a son, only having daughters so far, including the wife of Crown Prince Pere. His wife was pregnant though, and several months later gave birth to the much-desired heir.
Speaking of heirs, the year before Emperor Alfons’s daughter Clara, now queen of Scandinavia, had given birth to a son.
The war against Persia was progressing smoothly for once. All of Arabia had fallen and the western border was all but secured. The Caucuses were well on their way to becoming occupied as well. Mosul had even fallen after all the hardship it had caused. As for Morocco, with their army gone, victory was a forgone conclusion. Their navy had been forced from port at one point, but the Greeks had been patrolling the coastline and dealt with that threat.
As the armies pushed further into Persia, it seemed a favourable peace could finally be achieved. While the goal was to reopen trade, other options had to be considered. Yemen could be pushed around easily and forced to trade as Hispania pleased, but Persia had proven that they were less pliable. While opening their borders was still desired, the possibility of having to pursue another war if a similar situation arose was not preferred. A more amiable power needed to replace Persia in Arabia. Najd just barely clung on to existence, but they were weak and conveniently had claims on Persia’s lands in Arabia. A demand was thus sent that all of Arabia held by Persia be handed back to Najd, with the exception of a single province that only the dead nation of Oman could call its own. Seeing as Persia was still a threat, their coastline on the Black Sea was also taken for Byzantium to ensure they did not interfere in Hispanian-dominated waters. Persia was now forced to trade with Hispania again, but their influence in Arabia was gone. Now there was a friendly power, Najd, more than willing to trade with their new friend.
Scotland seemed to be plopping down colonies all over the place, this time in Guaycura near Nova Hispania.
The Moroccans had mustered together a small army and tried to push north, only to be thwarted and destroyed. When the fort at Tafilalt fell a few days later, their ability to resist was weakening.
Empress Camelia shocked many when she gave birth to her fourth son, Miquel, even though she was approaching fifty. The Emperor now had six children, four sons and two daughters.
The capital of Morocco fell at the end of March, the last line of defence. With this war coming to an end, it was also time to take a close look at the army high command. The leading generals were ancient, both near or over a hundred years old. General Leon, who had been Minister of War for decades and served as the highest ranking general since the Hispanian Civil War, was granted the highest military honours and silently shuffled into retirement, although many expected he would soon to pass from this world. Saint-Pierre was expected to follow shortly after, once someone was found who could replace him. ((Everyone in the army is so old!
))
France greatly increased the size of its colonial holdings by annexing Comache, who they had convinced to serve as their subject at some point.
The Inclusion Act presented years ago had brought up the issue of the nobility in North Africa. While few in number and low in rank, they still existed but were merely subservient to the Crown as with any other Crown province. Perhaps as a way to appease them after they failed to receive seats on the Cortz, the Emperor granted them exclusive privileges to collect revenue within the African provinces, specifically in regards to trade in the African interior. While the Emperor did not consult Parliament on the matter, he was technically within his right to do so, although perhaps some members of the merchant class weren’t too pleased about it.
By August, Morocco was completely occupied. The entire nation was annexed, securing one of the last holdouts in North Africa. With Hispania at peace, Emperor Alfons decided to send a message to the young Holy Roman Emperor. Denouncing the Austrian Archduke as an imposter and no true successor of Rome, Alfons officially declared that Venezia, Treviso, Verona, Mantua, and Ferrara would no longer be considered part of the Holy Roman Empire. The Austrians were furious, but there was little they could do.
Merchants in India were dealing with some unruly pirates and required funds to build up proper defences.
As October approached, the Lombard and Ruthenian peoples became discontent once more, feeling unaccepted in Hispania. Perhaps they felt outnumbered or isolated. The Prophet though denounced these claims, stating instead it was the declining amount of silk being imported into Hispania that was the root cause.
Mali, perhaps feeling closed in now that Morocco was gone, declared war on Zazzau, their only remaining neighbour other than Hispania or France.
While Hispanians in Europe had schools, the colonies had the encomienda system. Natives were taken in by the locals and tutored in exchange for free labour. It created cooperation with the native peoples, as well as made them more productive members of society.
The colony in Maguindanao became self-sustaining, allowing Colonist Joaquin Villanova to head to Great Karoo on behalf of the Saint-Pierre family.
France annexed yet another native nation, this time Illiniwek, after forcing war reparations out of Shoshone first.
Lithuania attempted to bounce back after the invasion of their lands and rebel problem by attacking Nogai.
Presenting His Imperial Highness, Alfons IX de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, Duke of Bavaria, and Protector of the Greeks.
Our recent campaigns were perhaps more hard-fought than expected, but we have triumphed regardless. No one can be permitted to disrupt our trade, the lifeblood of the Empire. I expect Arabia to be more open to our presence from now on. As for Morocco, it is good to see North Africa secure, although Egypt has returned once more. I doubt they will pose a problem any time soon though.
The Austrians prove to be a nuisance with their ever action. While I understand their resentment as the loss of their land, they wield the Holy Roman Empire like a divine weapon, as though its desires are the will of God. They fail to see that their Empire is a mockery, a failed mechanism once used to keep foreign invaders and internal threats at bay. Yet it has failed even at that. It merely exists because we allowed it as a means to keep Germany from swallowing up more of its neighbours. Now that Bavaria looks to us for guidance, it serves no purpose other than to fuel the Archduke’s vanity. Perhaps it is time to reassess whether we should indulge the Austrians any further.
I have been contemplating new ideas for Hispania and this Parliament. Our government and nation is one that is ever evolving, improving with each passing year as we seek a better future for ourselves and our children. And yet those very same children can prove such a handful that you rarely find time to perform such duties. If I seem distracted these days, it is merely my young ones requiring my attention. There is nothing quite like having a bunch of young children running around the palace to remind me what we fight for, or what will be left behind. I received word yesterday that my cousin Carles passed away from various health complications. His three daughters now no longer have a father, and the youngest at three will never know her father. Fate can be cruel at times. While perhaps not the best time to announce this, I shall be bestowing Carles’s titles, which passed on to me through succession, to my second son Joan.
Now we look to the future yet again. Do we seek expand through colonization or conquest? Our colonies in Southeast Asia are proving quite fruitful, but perhaps expanding into the African interior, into lands filled with gold, might be a better option.
((Well there’s that update. Ministers should post their plans before
Wednesday at 12PM PST. Players may propose laws before that deadline, and any challenges to the position of Speaker or Minister of Education should be made now. Seeing as Leon is over one hundred years old, we may as well start nominations for a new Chamberlain, so any member of the Cortz may put their name forward. Also, since the current Minister of Education will not be able to run in 1796 when his term ends, the Assembly can propose new candidates if they want, otherwise a neutral independent NPC will get the position. Might also be good to get some people making some general characters soon or we’ll run out.
One thing to keep in mind is that with the passing of the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Act, people can’t propose legislation affecting the other house without the permission of that house’s representative. If it just affects that house you could get around it by proposing it through an NPC member of your party in the other house, although that won’t work if it affects both houses. The Crown can override the decision of a house’s representative or make the decision instead of them when it comes to permitting legislation, so don’t feel pressed to not present legislation because of that barrier.
Now to get working on the 1792 election....
Dying:
@zenphoenix
))