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Colonial Conflict:
1. Let the colonies handle it
2. Mediate
3. Nova Hispania
4. Nueva Granada
Earthquake Response:
1. Help the people
2. Both
3. Rebuild
4. Ignore their plight
Northern Italy: /
1. Grant them independence
2. Ignore their demand
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy (if independent)
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Request Najd hand them over/
2. Go in by force
3. Let them get away
 
Colonial Conflict:
1. Mediate
2. Let the colonies handle it
3. Side with Nova Hispania
4. Side with Nueva Granada
Earthquake Response:
1. Both
2. Help the people
3. Rebuild
4. Ignore their plight
Northern Italy:
1. Ignore their demand
2. Grant them independence
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy (if independent)
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Request Najd hand them over
2. Go in by force
3. Let them get away
 
((Private))

That angel sure wasn't kidding. What was originally a simple succession war was now a war spanning the entire continent, dragging in every single country in Europe. Millions were going to die in the chaos. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the colonies and the Italians were demanding more from Valencia, Najd refused to hand over the terrorists, and an earthquake hit Portugal. A volcano erupting in Indonesia was one thing, but an earthquake in Iberia was another. One wrong move and the heartland itself could descend into anarchy. The independence of the Italians could also cause a domino effect, inspiring other parts of the empire to declare independence. Fernando could not allow that.

"This is getting ridiculous..." he muttered as he issued orders to increase Leon's garrison and started gathering supplies in case the worst happened...

Colonial Conflict:
1. Mediate
2. Let the colonies handle it
3. Side with Nova Hispania
4. Side with Nueva Granada
Earthquake Response:
1. Both
2. Help the people
3. Rebuild
4. Ignore their plight
Northern Italy:
1. Ignore their demand
2. Grant them independence
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy (if independent)
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Request Najd hand them over
2. Go in by force
3. Let them get away
 
Colonial Conflict:
1. Let the colonies handle it
2. Mediate
3. Side with Nova Hispania
4. Side with Nueva Granada

(( With Hispania busy with a world war going on and several natural disasters striking, I see it as a sign of destiny that these colonial countries will eventually gain their independence and deal with their border disputes on their own... ))

Earthquake Response:
1. Both
2. Help the people
3. Rebuild
4. Ignore their plight

(( Ô malheureux mortels ! ô terre déplorable !
Ô de tous les mortels assemblage effroyable !
D’inutiles douleurs, éternel entretien !
Philosophes trompés qui criez : « Tout est bien » ;
Accourez, contemplez ces ruines affreuses,
Ces débris, ces lambeaux, ces cendres malheureuses,
Ces femmes, ces enfants l’un sur l’autre entassés,
Sous ces marbres rompus ces membres dispersés ;
Cent mille infortunés que la terre dévore,
Qui, sanglants, déchirés, et palpitants encore,
Enterrés sous leurs toits, terminent sans secours
Dans l’horreur des tourments leurs lamentables jours !


Voltaire, Poème sur le désastre de Lisbonne, 1756 ))

Northern Italy:
1. Grant them independence
2. Ignore their demand

(( That map of Europe clearly lacks some light green :D... ))

Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy (if independent)

(( ... but seriously, don't handle Rome to these damned Padanians ! ))

Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Request Najd hand them over
2. Go in by force
3. Let them get away

(( Come on Najd, just don't mess with it, you might regret it later on... you don't even have oil - yet. ))
 
Alexander de Alvaro merely shook his head at the situation, not five years after he had taken over as Grand Duke from his father and the world was already going up in flames.
No matter, having italian roots and contacts on the peninsula the least he could do was gather support for the imperials in Italy so to prevent an independent Northern Italy.
He also sent out feelers to his contacts in the Najd government to get them to go along and help Hispania and extradite the terrorists.
The Empire would not crumble on his watch. Long Live the Empire! Long Live the Emperor!


Colonial Conflict:
1. Mediate
2. Let the colonies handle it
3. Side with Nova Hispania
4. Side with Nueva Granada
Earthquake Response:
1. Help the people
2. Both
3. Rebuild
4. Ignore their plight
Northern Italy:
1. Ignore their demand
2. Grant them independence
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Request Najd hand them over
2. Go in by force
3. Let them get away
 
Colonial Conflict:
1. Mediate
2. Let the colonies handle it
3. Side with Nova Hispania
4. Side with Nueva Granada
Earthquake Response:
1. Both
2. Help the people
3. Rebuild
4. Ignore their plight
Northern Italy:
1. Ignore their demand
2. Grant them independence
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy (if independent)
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Request Najd hand them over
2. Go in by force
3. Let them get away
 
(( That map of Europe clearly lacks some light green :D... ))

((It is possible you may be sorely disappointed in the colour of the country that may result. ;) If you want green, there's plenty of it in Central Asia and the Middle East. :D))
 
Colonial Conflict:
1. Let the colonies handle it
2. Mediate
3. Nova Hispania
4. Nueva Granada
Earthquake Response:
1. Both
2. Help the People
3. Rebuild
4. Ignore their plight
Northern Italy:
1. Ignore their demand
2. Grant their Independence ((What is the point of listing our second ranking preference on the two option votes? Isn't it simple majority on these?))
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy (if independent)
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Request Najd hand them over
2. Go in by force
3. Let them get away
 
((What is the point of listing our second ranking preference on the two option votes? Isn't it simple majority on these?))

((Indeed it would be, but I like to keep the format the same for all the votes. It also makes it a bit easier for me when I record votes because I still make note of both options for each player.))
 
Colonial Conflict:
1.Let the Colonies Handle it
2. Mediate
3. Nueva Granada
4. Nova Hispania
Earthquake Response:
1. Help the People
2. Rebuild
3. Both
4. Ignore
Northern Italy:
1. Ignore
2. Independent
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Hand them over
2. Let them get away
3. Force
 
((It is possible you may be sorely disappointed in the colour of the country that may result. ;) If you want green, there's plenty of it in Central Asia and the Middle East. :D))

((Oh, well. Regardless, I'd like to see an independent Italy, that would be so cool and "XIXth century-ish", with freedom anthems by Verdi and so on. Italy will always be one of my favourite countries anyway. They could even steal Naples' purple for their map color ;)))
 
((Oh, well. Regardless, I'd like to see an independent Italy, that would be so cool and "XIXth century-ish", with freedom anthems by Verdi and so on. Italy will always be one of my favourite countries anyway. They could even steal Naples' purple for their map color ;)))

((I'm only going to use the Italy tag if an independent Italian state manages to secure most of Italy, mainly that it needs the southern half. If they fail to pull that off, they will be taking another form. They certainly won't be using Neapolitan purple as their colour seeing as Naples is the one region in Italy that wants nothing to do with an Italian state. :p))
 
((I have a feeling that discussing the color of an independent Italy isn't that relevant. Especially considering that the most ardent of Italian Separatists are about to meet grisly ends....))
 
((Colonial Conflict:
1. Side with Nueva Granada
2. Side with Nova Hispania
3. Let the colonies handle it
4. Mediate
Earthquake Response:
1. Ignore their plight
2. Rebuild
3. Help the people
4. Both
Northern Italy:
1. Grant them independence
2. Ignore their demand
Rome:
1. Keep
2. Give to Northern Italy (if independent)
Suez Canal Terrorists:
1. Go in by force
2. Let them get away
3. Request Najd hand them over))
 
((And now to end the vote

Colonial Conflict: Mediate
Earthquake Response: Both
Northern Italy: Ignore their demand
Rome: Keep
Suez Canal Terrorists: Request Najd hand them over

I'll start on the update right away.))
 
1825-1826 - Domestic Woes

Hispania's focus was greatly divided during these years, yet the government never faltered to respond to the growing crises. The earthquake near Portugal required immediate attention. Aid was sent to those in need as the granaries of Hispania were emptied yet again to prevent mass starvation. The treasury was emptied in kind to fund rebuilding efforts, for the economy would surely fail if the infrastructure of Iberia was not repaired quickly. The costs were enormous, but the response was welcome. The people could well say that both the Crown and Parliament looked out for them in times of need.

The same could not be said for Northern Italy. Their calls for independence were denied yet again, something many had trouble accepting. Squabbles erupted amongst the separatists over various issues, blame flying around as some were accused of poor timing by raising the issue during a war. There were a few riots in major cities in Italy, but it did not escalate further. Separatism was dying amongst the common people, who cared little whether they lived in Hispania or some Italian state. Hispania had treated them well enough. The idea of an independent Italy faded away to the background yet again.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had more than its fair share of problems to deal with. A large team of diplomats was sent to the Americas to aid the Colonial Congress in mediating a settlement between Nueva Granada and Nova Hispania. The neutral colonial nations who had been trying to arrange a settlement were extremely grateful for Hispania's intervention, for their presence seemed to whip the two belligerent colonies into order. It seemed clear to both that with Hispania taking charge of the situation, forcing the issue could only result in universal condemnation from the fellow colonies and their overlord. After months of tireless negotiation, both Nova Hispania and Nueva Granada agreed to permit a neutral committee consisting of members from all the colonial nations and Hispania to assess the region between the two and establish a permanent border agreed upon by both. While neither would receive the border they wanted, at least the peace would be maintained for now.

Najd was proving to be not as compliant as the colonies. A request for Najd to hand over the culprits in the Suez Canal Attack was ignored for months. When pressed on the issue, a response was sent stating that Najd was conducting its own investigation into the matter and would find those responsible. Any attempts to get a Hispanian team involved was denied using half-hearted explanations that the presence of Hispanian troops of any kind would stir up dissent. Even when pressed to reveal any findings of Najd's own investigation, what was revealed seemed common knowledge or poorly researched. Najd was clearly getting nowhere, and it was suspected this was done on purpose. Under normal circumstances, a response could be organized to handle this disobedience, but with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on the colonies and the military engaged thoroughly in the French Succession War, this was not the time for that.

Speaking of the French Succession War, the sudden addition of so many nations expanded the scope of the war and led to the bloodiest conflict in history. Fortunately for both France and Hispania, most of those nations joined their side. Germany's advance into France was suddenly stalled as Poland attacked their eastern border. Completely surrounded, the best Germany could do was hold their ground. France and Hispania were too strong to fight off, so Germany's ambitions of taking Paris had to be abandoned. Poland was more a nuisance than anything, and made little gains at first. In an attempt to get at Poland's flank, Germany launched a surprise assault into Bavaria, catching the nation by surprise. Bavaria had been focusing more to the west where the bulk of Germany's army had been, so an attack in the east had not been expected. Germany's campaign of advancing at lightning speed saw immediate gains into Bavaria and allowed the Germans to strike at the advancing Polish army from the side. The fact that the Scandinavians had seemingly withdrawn from Northern Germany allowed the Germans to focus forces elsewhere. Perhaps given time, Germany could have made gains in the east while managing to hold their own in the west, but that would have required much weaker enemies.

Both Byzantium and Lithuania could field massive armies and were far enough from the front to prevent any major threat of invasion. The participation of both was to prove Hungary's downfall. Hungary had taken the chance to strike at both Poland and Transdacia, but found itself stopped soon after as the larger armies of Byzantium and Lithuania rolled into action. The Greek armies swept into Hungary like a tsunami, washing away all resistance and occupying the small state in a matter of months. The Lithuanians managed to liberate what land was taken from Poland as they pressed towards the German front. With Lithuanian reinforcements, Poland managed to hold its own against Germany and start making gains again. The Greeks focused on aiding Bavaria, allowing them to reclaim their lost land, although it was clear that the German attack had harmed Bavaria before the Greeks arrived. It seemed only a matter of time now before Germany fell.

Even Germany's sole ally was of little help. Scotland's reach could not extend beyond the British Isles. An invasion of the French land in England went well enough, although their primary enemy there proved to be the invading Scandinavian army. Scotland had the advantage, forcing the rival power from the Isles. However, just like Germany, Scotland was isolated. The Scottish navy was not up to the task of defending the Isles, and soon they found themselves cut off from Ireland by the French and Hispanian navy, allowing Tyrone to occupy the rest of the island. Only after the German threat died down did France manage to land an army in the Isles and start reclaiming Southern England.

Scandinavia was facing problems of its own. While farther from the main front, the addition of Lithuania in the war presented a major problem. With their focus on pestering France at sea and attacking Germany from the north, their eastern flank was not properly defended. Lithuanian armies poured into their Baltic provinces, and the Polish made a push for the sea. Scandinavia, deciding that they were a larger threat than Germany, shifted their men to the east to fend off these invasions.

Overseas, Scandinavia's colonies were practically undefended as they focused on matters at home. French and Hispanian colonial troops swept over the poorly defended land, weakening Scandinavia's presence abroad.

Ultimately, numbers would win the day. Germany was simply outmatched and facing far too many enemies. The western front broke first, with French and Hispanian troops sweeping over the border. Germany could not both fight back that invasion and keep both the Greek and Bavarians as well as the Polish and Lithuanians from their borders. They became crushed in the vice between all the powers, and soon French troops marched through Germany's capital. The German king had no choice but to denounce his claims to the French throne and recognize Charles as the true Emperor. As for what would happen to Germany now that they had been defeated, that was something to consider for the future.

With Germany out of the picture, their ally Scotland soon followed. Not wanting to face a full-on invasion from France, they offered their surrender and recognized Charles as Emperor of France. Seeing as they had not been defeated to the same extent as Germany, they were let off with a light punishment.

The fall of Germany had great ramifications for Scandinavia. Their buffer was now gone, and they remained the last enemy to fight. Hungary, their only ally in the conflict, had fallen to Byzantium. French, Hispanian, Bavarian, Greek, Polish, and Lithuanian troops all swarmed north. Scandinavia had the advantage of the sea, allowing them to defend the Scandinavian heartland. Their German provinces did not last long though, and soon Poland reached the sea. Lithuania fought a bitter battle for the Baltics, but with assistance managed to win. Ultimately, Scandinavia was not so willing to fight to the death like Germany. They pleaded for peace, agreeing to recognize Charles as the rightful Emperor of France. With their surrender, peace could be achieved at last.

Peace negotiations with the belligerent powers began at once. The aggressors were to be punished, with borders changed and order re-established. For their part in the war, Lithuania was granted part of the Scandinavian Baltics, while Poland finally received its connection to the sea and the return of its lands stolen by Germany. Tyrone received the remainder of Ireland, while a debate ensued about the fate of France's possessions in England. For Byzantium, France permitted them to decide the fate of Hungary, whether that meant annexation or turning it into a puppet state. As for Hispania, they were to be given all of Scandinavia's colonies in Africa and the Philippines, while Bavaria was to receive land from Germany to smooth out the border. France would take some time to consider what it would claim after being so brutally attacked. It was time for the winners to take their spoils. ((I have purposely kept the peace vague in some places because I'll need to fiddle with the map to see what works best.))

Hispania was at peace at last. The war had cost many Hispanian lives, but the costs had been alleviated due to the participation of France and all the others. Without them, the cost would have been much higher. Despite that, such loss of life inevitably agitated certain segments of the population. The lower classes had become more vocal over the years, wanting a greater say in government. While the franchise had been extended several years ago, there were those who wanted all wealth restrictions removed. All Christian men in Hispanian should be allowed to vote. The movement for the universal franchise had grown in numbers of the years, and now they were pushing for the matter to go before Parliament. At the moment they resorted to peaceful rallies to raise their point. However, there were those who disagreed with the intentions of this movements. The more privileged saw this growing movement as a threat, a slippery slope leading to mob rule if indulged. Ever since the franchise had been expanded, Hispania had faced internal dissent in some form or another. Italy had become more problematic since then. The obvious solution then was to return to the voting franchise that worked best, one where only those with property voted and the more wealthy were favoured. They knew what was best for the nation. There was yet a third group though that favoured a compromise. Universal franchise could be adopted, provided it was weighted towards those with more experience in government, mainly those with wealth and property. The Parliament would need to debate the issue and consider its options. However, the matter was soon to be overshadowed by a disaster.

The eruption of Tambora years ago was still being felt by the world. This time it was India's turn to feel its full effect. Crops failed on a massive level, with droughts drying up the arable land. Food became scarce, and events experienced in Indonesia before were now happening on a much larger scale in India. It seemed that unless the government sent aid, thousands would starve. The Indian people were already in great distress because of the worsening conditions. Something needed to be done and quickly.

It was unfortunate that just as conditions in India reached an all-time low, the Hispanian economy reached a point of near collapse. The constant expenditures on relief efforts and rebuilding had taken their toll. The French Succession War had harmed trade with Europe, and the Suez Canal's damaged condition hampered trade with Asia. A worldwide depression brought on by the worsening conditions caused by Tambora made it impossible for any nation to prosper. With less money coming into the treasury and vast amounts being spent on relief, the treasury soon found itself empty. By mid-1826, Hispania was bankrupt. Action had to be taken or else the Hispanian economy would collapse entirely. There were several options that could be taken. If Hispania cut administrative costs, this would lower the effectiveness of the government, but at least save on funds. Another option was to downsize the military, which was Hispania's greatest expenditure. This would surely save the most money, but with growing dissent in the Empire it could prove a dangerous choice. The other alternative was to seek out a loan from a foreign nation, although who knew if someone willing or even able to do so would accept. Any of these could save Hispania from financial ruin, and choosing multiple ones could well revive the economy.

Even as Hispania faced the prospect of financial ruin, it seemed matters were destined to only get worse. In late September of 1826, three armed gunman managed to sneak into the palace. During a meeting between Emperor Pere VI and Prime Minister Joan de Trastámara, the gunmen barged into the room, yelled something in Italian, and open fired on the Emperor. Joan attempted to defend his brother by jumping in front of him, taking a bullet in the left arm in the process. The Prince managed to shoot two of the gunmen, wounding one and killing the other. As the guards arrived on the scene, the remaining gunman fled the palace, his task a near success. During the gunfight, one of the shooters had managed to hit the Emperor in the head, although the shot had not proved fatal. Despite the shot that normally would have killed a man, Pere slipped into a deep coma. Even though the Emperor lived, he could no longer rule as is. A regent was needed. It seemed, though, that Pere had neglected to designate one during his reign. According to the law, that left no other choice: the Prime Minister would be regent.

The title of Regent had barely been bestowed upon Joan before he started barking out orders. The Exercit Valencia was marched into the city and martial law instated. The remaining gunman was to be found at all costs, and all those aiding him imprisoned and interrogated. The wounded man was hauled to the dungeon to be interrogated, where he revealed nothing before dying from his wounds. However, the fact that the prisoner had only spoken in Italian spoke volumes. An investigation into the gunmen revealed that the two gunmen who had failed to escape were members of a known Italian separatist group. The trail for the remaining gunman also pointed to Italy. It seemed clear to all who had instigated the attack and there were to be consequences. As Regent, Joan extended martial law to Italy, intent on rooting out the last vestiges of separatism that had sparked the heinous attack on his brother, the Emperor. However, he was not foolish enough to launch a crusade against those guilty few while so newly placed in his position of power. He sought out Parliament to legitimize his actions. A harsh response was needed to teach these Italians a lesson. Of course, if Parliament favoured reform, or heaven forbid complete independence for Northern Italy, he might have to seek an alternative.

As chaos reigned at home, there were those farther afield who saw an opportune moment to strike. Muslims in Arabia had been greatly displeased when they fell under Hispanian rule. A heathen nation controlling their most holy cities could not be tolerated. Those Muslims most distraught by this banded together and instigated a rebellion in Mecca and Medina. Muslims throughout the cities rounded up Christians, tossing them into the streets to harm or even murder them. Violence was widespread as blood flowed through the streets. All signs of the Christian faith were destroyed. Even with all this going on, these rebels represented only a small number of Muslims in Hispanian Arabia. As the Exercit Arabia moved on their position, they had no choice but to flee. The Exercit Arabia chased them all the way to Najd's border, where they were turned aside by Najd's army. They passed on a message to be sent directly to Valencia. The Sultan had been overthrown, replaced by a much more pious man. Hispania must respect the Muslim people of Arabia and return the land to its rightful owners. The people of Najd could no longer tolerate the heathen presence in Arabia. Now Hispania had to choose whether it would withdraw from Arabia or defend its place there.


((An eventful update, to be certain. We seem to be lucky when it comes to all the rolls involving revolts and possibly losing land. At this rate we'll be larger than when we ended EUIV. :p Interestingly enough, the assassination roll was incredibly close. If the Italians had revolted and failed, or someone had used an instability action, Pere would be dead instead of in a coma. Of course, if Pere was dead, we'd have another ruling emperor instead of our glorious Regent Joan. I'm sure the left is quaking in fear now. :D

Now for our votes. We'll be voting on what franchise we'll have going into Vicky 2. You can consult this wiki page to see what each option means. We also need to decide how to respond to the famine in India, which is similar to what we had with Indonesia earlier. Then comes how to respond to the assassination attempt against Emperor Pere VI by Italian separatists. Here we can choose to crack down, seek reform, or remove the problem by granting them independence. Then there's how we react to Najd, where we can choose to invade them, seek a compromise, or just hand over the rest of Arabia. I've save the bankruptcy vote for last. It's special in that it will not use the alternative voting system and instead be a simple majority vote. Any option that has majority support will occur, so you can choose multiple ways to fight the problem of bankruptcy. Choosing more than one will be better at removing the problems of bankruptcy and preventing a repeat, with obvious costs though. If none of them pass, I will just choose the one with the most support.

Franchise: Universal/Weighted Universal/Weighted Wealth
1.
2.
3.​
India Famine: Send Relief/Send troops/Both/Send the bare minimum
1.
2.
3.
4.​
Assassination Attempt Response: Crack down/Seek reform/Grant Northern Italy Independence
1.
2.
3.​
Najd Response: Invasion/Compromise/Hand over Arabia
1.
2.
3.​

Bankruptcy:
Cut administrative costs: Yes/No
Downsize the military: Yes/No
Take out a loan: Yes/No

The vote will last until Saturday at 12PM PST. Remember to list all options for each vote, with the exception of the Bankruptcy vote that will follow our old voting system. If you want to perform a stability or instability action, now is the time.))
 
Franchise:
1. Universal
2. Weighted Universal
3. Weighted Wealth
India Famine:
1. Both
2. Send Relief
3. Send troops
4. Send the bare minimum
Assassination Attempt Response:
1. Seek reform
2. Crack down
3. Grant Northern Italy Independence
Najd Response:
1. Compromise
2. Invasion
3. Hand over Arabia

Bankruptcy:
Cut administrative costs: Yes
Downsize the military: No
Take out a loan: Yes

((Also I'd like to increase stability))
 
Franchise:
1. Weighted Universal
2. Weighted Wealth
3. Universal
India Famine:
1. Both
2. Send Relief
3. Send troops
4. Send the bare minimum
Assassination Attempt Response:
1. Seek reform
2. Crack down
3. Grant Northern Italy Independence
Najd Response:
1. Compromise
2. Invasion
3. Hand over Arabia

Bankruptcy:
Cut administrative costs: Yes
Downsize the military: No
Take out a loan: Yes

((Wait, so did I barely save the Emperor with my stability raise?:confused: If so then :cool: ))