• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
((When I say I have no intention of continuing this beyond Victoria II, I mean it. That will be the final chapter of this iAAR. I barely have it in me to do the Victoria II part let alone keep going on into HOI or Stellaris. I'd burn myself out by then and end up hating both this iAAR and those who refuse to let it die. :p))
((Fair enough. I myself feel like Victoria 2 would probably be the best place to end the story, seeing as both HOI and Stellaris aren't well-suited to iAARs and would not do the story justice.))
 
((Fair enough. I myself feel like Victoria 2 would probably be the best place to end the story, seeing as both HOI and Stellaris aren't well-suited to iAARs and would not do the story justice.))

((Vicky 2 does have the advantage of being better suited for iAARs. I'll probably at least do an epilogue of some sort to wrap things up once we reach that point.))

* * * * *

((May as well provide an update of my progress with writing the rules. Most of them are done. I still need to check things over, since it is tricky having to account for the various government types and reform levels we might end up with. Keeping the monarchy forever clearly is the way to go if you want a happy GM. :D Speaking of government types, the one system that I've had to rewrite twice now is the coup system. I've come to the conclusion that based on how VP is now used to decide a character's influence over their party rather than influence at court as a whole, it doesn't work with a coup system, especially since I've adjusted VP to highly favour those in government and on the Cabinet. Elections going to use a dumbed down version of VP to some extent. Once I figure out what to use for coups, I think I'll have everything done and can get everyone's opinion.

One thing I have realized is that going into Vicky 2, we are likely to see new players wanting to join. It'll be good to see new faces, but that also means they'll need to be caught up on what happened in this portion. It's likely anyone just jumping in having never read the EUIV part will have no idea why the world is the way it is. The name Hispania alone is an oddity. Obviously what is required is an intro of sort, summing up Hispania's history and how it reached this point. Quite frankly, writing that up is a daunting task, especially since my memory isn't all that good at times and even I have forgotten some of the events that transpired. Summarizing nearly four centuries of our iAAR's history will take a long time, and probably require me rereading nearly the entire iAAR. That could easily take a week or more, and with me still working on the rules and then needing to do the conversion, it would extend the time until the Vicky 2 portion starts even more. I'm willing to write something up if I must, but I'd appreciate some help. If anyone wants to help speed this along, I really need someone to go through various periods of the iAAR and write up either a few short paragraphs of what transpired or a point-form list of events. Honestly, when it comes time to write up that summary for the Vicky 2 portion, having a list of events covering the entire iAAR would be a great boon and make my job so much easier. If anyone is up for it, just post that you're interested and suggest a time period you'd be willing to write something up for me. Like I said, all I need is some simple notes listing important events, but if you want to write up an actual description of events, I might just put it into whatever transition update I post. :)))
 
((I'll add on to this later. All dates are YYYY-MM-DD unless only a year is present))

ANNALS OF ARAGONESE-HISPANIAN HISTORY
Notes compiled by [blacked out]

Alfons V "The Magnanimous"
r. 1416-1447
  • Subdued Naples under his rule (1443)
  • Declared war against Castile (1444)
  • Died from wounds inflicted in the Battle of Madrid
  • Allied Portugal (NOTE TO SELF: ADD DATE)
Joan II "el Gran"
r. 1447-1468
  • Arranged a white peace with Castile (1447-08-04)
  • Declared war on Byzantium to aid Venice (1450) ((Dandolo... stahp...))
  • Declared war on the Ottoman Empire, once again due to Venice's call to arms (1451-12-05)
  • From said war, obtained Epirus for the Empire (1455-07-02)
  • Took the port of Maliliyah from Morocco (war from 1455-07-03~1457-12-20)
  • Annexed Nafarroa (1459-01-01)
  • Annexed Athens (war from 1460-03-10~1460-10-17)
  • Subdued the Byzantine Empire (war from 1460-11-06~1464-02-17)
  • Healed the Great Schism (presumably...) (1464-04-??)
  • Annexed Granada (war 1465-04-15~1466-12)
Ruler disputable (Alfons VI or Ferran "the Bastard"
1468-1468

Alfons VI
r. 1468~1482
  • Conquered Fes from Morocco (war 1471-09-05~1474-03-29)
  • Expanded Byzantium at the expense of the Ottomans (war 1471-09-05~1475-09-08)
  • Started a war with England, Hungary, etc. from a call to arms by France (1477-01-04)
  • Stabbed to death (1482-10-15)
Ferran II "the Faithless"
r. 1482~1519
  • War against England, etc. ends (1484-04-14)
  • War against Brittany, Burgundy, etc. (1487-01-15~1492-01-21)
  • Also expanded Byzantium at the expense of the Ottomans, pushing them out of the Balkans (war 1493-03-30~1495-05-02)
  • Conquered all of Andalusia from Castile (war 1496-01-20~1501-01-28) ((Three generals, maybe?))
  • Started Aragon's colonization program with Beafada (or Conakry) and Karou (Monrovia) (1507, 1517)
  • Conquered Siine (or Ziguinchor) from Jolof (1511-08-15~1513-07-18) ((RIP Prince Alfons, this was your Isandlwana))
  • Integrated Naples (1513-01-01)
  • Started the Third Castilian War (1517-08-16)
  • From said war, also obtaine the Portuguese colonies of Cape Verde, Trarza, Sierra Leone, and São Tomé (1519-07-21)
  • Died 1519-08-25
  • Something something Lucrezia? ( :p )
Ferran III
r. 1519~1545
  • Conquered Vasconia, Castille, half of Extremadura, Arguin, and Cayor from Castile (1519-09-04)
  • War with the Pope (who died in the middle of the war, after which an Aragonese Pope was elected) (1523-2-22~1525-05-01)
  • Colonized Alagoas (1529-10-2), Karou (1537-01-02), St. Helena (1538-02-01), and Las Malvinas Giuseppia (1544-11-02)
  • Exploration of the Americas and Africa
  • Conquered the rest of Extremadura and Asturias, along with Castilian Brazil, from Castile (war 1534-10-01~1536-02-01)
  • From the same war, obtained the Azores and Madeira from Portugal (1536-01-25)
  • War with Provence (1536-07-16~1539-06-04)
  • Established Nova Aragó ((and yes, I will use this name instead of Sanchonia throughout)) (1537-09-04)
  • Kantakouzenos Rebellion (1537-10-24~1540-09-25)
  • Died 1545-08-12
Alfons VII
r. 1545~1569
  • Vassalized Galicia (1547-12-09)
  • Colonized Muturu (seized from Castile in 1535, self-sustaining 1549-07-02), Montevideo (1562 (gosh darn that took a long time)), Bahia Santa Ava (1558), Maracaibo (seized from Portugal in 1553, self-sustaining 1554-04-02), Guajira (seized from Portugal 1554, burnt 1554-12-12),
  • Annexed Castile (war 1552-02-16?~1553-09-17)
  • From the same war, annexed Portuguese Colombia, renaming it Nueva Granada (1555-04-17)
  • Unified the crowns of Castile and Aragon under one kingdom, Hispania
  • War with Great Britain at France's behest (1556-08-08~NOTE TO SELF: ADD DATE)
  • Annexed Provence (war 1558-????-??~1559-11-02)
  • Conquered Gabu (Bissau), Kantor, Brakna, Wolof, and Tekrur from Mali (1563-08-24~1565-01-30)
  • Annexed Tupinquim for Nova Aragó (war 1565-05-30~1566-02-02)
  • War with Genoa (started 1568-04-29)
  • Died 1569-01-11
Ferran IV
r. 1569~1598
  • Colonized Cape Town Cabo Ferran (????), Gabon (1582-06-01), Guantanamo (1577-03-20), Fernando Po (1572-05-02), Les Cayes (seized from Portugal 1573, completed 1575-09-01), Tortuga (seized from Portugal 1573, completed 1574-11-01), Tandil (1588-01-01), Camana San Dionisio (????), La Habana (1583-09-02), Menabe (1593-11-02)
  • Obtained Corsica and gave Byzantium a presence in Anatolia from a war with Genoa (ended 1571-05-05)
  • Conquered Santo Domingo, Algarve and Alentejo from Portugal (1573-01-01~1574-01-05)
  • Annexed Galicia (1582-06-01)
  • Established las Nuevas Baleares (1577-05-04)
  • War with Austria and Hungary (and a lot of UGC minors) (1579-09-02~1581-10-19)
  • Annexed Arawak, Carib, and Muisca for Nueva Granada (1584-04-11~1584-10-28, 1584-12-26~1585-12-29)
  • Assisted France in their war against Elsaß and in a Dutch Rebellion (1585-03-19~1588-04-25) (yes, I combined the wars because why not)
  • Hispanian (religious) civil war #1 [defeated] (1589-??-??~1591-08-??)
  • Granted recognition for the Protestant and Reformed faiths (1592-01-01)
  • Hispanian (religious) civil war #2 [defeated] (1592-01-01~1592-07-??)
  • Was excommunicated and almost killed (1592-10-05) (I called it first :p)
  • Assisted France in their war against Savoy, in the process breaking an alliance with Tuscany (1592-10-05~1593-07-13)
  • Passed the Declaration of Indulgence Act (1598-01-01)
  • Started Hispania's relationship with Cusco (1598-01-01)
  • Died 1598-04-02
Pere V
r. 1598~1630
Prime Minister: Juan II Francesco Michael de Soneta --> Pope Francis I (1601-1630)
  • Colonized Rio de Janeiro (1598-08-02), Mahe/Seychelles (1600-02-01), Sergipe (1600-02-01), Boina (1614), Coro (1608-07-01), Nazca (1608-02-02), Mauritius (1614), Colonia (1614), Puerto Rico (1626-11-2), Isla Borbona (1623-06-??), Camaguey (1619-03-??)
  • Exiled Portugal to its colony in Tamaulipas, leaving it vassalized by the Tlapanec (1599-??-??~1601-04-01)
  • Exploration of the distant corners of the world
  • Made Cusco a Hispanian protectorate (1601-06-11)
  • Aided France in their war against Elsaß (1601-06-13~1602-11-12)
  • Persuaded Morocco to give up the Canary Islands, completing the Reconquista (1603-11-02)
  • Crowned emperor of Rome (1613-01-01)
  • Annexed the territories of the Knights of Rhodes (1608-08-02)
  • Made Cusco a Hispanian protectorate (1601-06-11)
  • Added the territories of Chima, Charca, Pacajes, and southern Quito to Cusco (1606-06-01~1610-03-05)
  • Conquered Tupinamba for Nova Aragó (1611-02-24~1611-05-02)
  • Pressured Genoa into handing Hamid to Byzantium (1613-03-04)
  • Circumnavigation of the world (end 1615-03-18)
  • Obtained all of Venice's Greek possessions for Byzantium (1614-04-03~1618-01-17)
    • Battle of the Five Generals (1615-12-10)
  • Changed succession laws to favor male primogeniture (1619-01-01) (somehow...)
  • Convinced Morocco to give up Ceuta (1619-01-18)
  • Allied Persia (1619)
  • Annexed the Mexica Alliance (Tlapanec, Portugal, Colima, Aztec, etc.) and the western half of Itza (1619-08-05~1624-09-03), forming the lands into Nova Hispania (1625-06-03)
  • Allied Austria??? (date unknown, but before 1619)
  • Aided Austria in their war against Ulm (1620-??-??~????)
  • You may want to mention the assassination of Denis de Montsegur (1624-09-16)
  • Pressured Savoy into giving up Albenga (1624-11-13)
  • Crusaded against the Mamluk Sultanate, obtaining western Anatolia and Cyprus for Byzantium (1625-12-??~1629-08-31)
  • From said crusade, obtained Tangier and Gharb from Morocco (1628-10-14)
  • Died 1630-08-29
Francesc I
r. 1630~1651
Prime Minister: Duke Felipé de Alvaro y Sardinia
  • Witnessed the trial of his wife Francesca (no date given)
  • Colonized Arequipa, Carmen (1635-11-02), Kumeyaay San Diego (1634-09-02), Hawaii Ferdinandsinseln (hey, not my idea) (1631-10-02), Diego Garcia (????), Eora (1642-01-01), San Antonio de la Plata (1643-04-02), St. Kitts (1650), Tananarive (1650),
  • Assisted France in their war against Bar (1631-12-04~)
  • Conquered Quito for Nueva Granada (1632-??-??~1633-06-01)
  • Finished the assimilation of the Catalans
  • Secured the Tuscan-Savoyard coastline (1637-??-??~1642-11-29)
  • Established Nuevo León (1643-04-02)
  • First world map 1644-01-01
  • Secured the coast of Zanzibar from Ajuuraan (1646-09-14~1650-01-22)
  • Coerced Oyo into handing over the port of Benin (1651-05-12)
  • "Aided" Austria in its war against Salzburg (1651-05-21~1652-07-05)
  • Died of natural causes 1651-08-25
Ferran V
r. 1651~1661
Prime Minister: Petros Mandromenos
  • Crusaded against the Mamluk Sultanate, obtaining Eastern Anatolia for Byzantium (1653-02-01~1629-08-31)
  • From the same war, obtained Morocco's Mediterranean coast
  • Colonized the Maldives (????), Uruguay (1661), , Pontianak (????), Bangka (???)
  • Binded all Christian faiths into the Church of Jesus Christ (1657-01-01)
  • Hispanian (religious) civil war #3 [defeated] (1687-01-01~1591-08-??)
  • Aided France in war against Savoie (1658-10-04~1659-10-25)
  • Aided Austria in war against Croatia (1659-02-02~1659-12-19)
  • Died 1661-03-01
Alfons VIII
r. 1661~1676
Prime Minister: Petros Mandromenos
  • Made Cusco a viceroy in Hispania (1661-03-01)
  • (Nova Hispania) conquered the western half of Itza (1661-02-01~1662-06-24)
  • Colonized Miwok San Francisco (no date given), Antofagasta (no date), Yuin (no date), Middag/Taizhong Nueva Zaragoza (no date), South Georgia (no date), Swellendam (shiranai)
  • (Nuevo Leon) conquered Guarani (1663-04-26~1664-04-03)
  • Vassalized the Papal States (1665-06-??~1667-05-11)
  • In the same war, obtained Croatian lands for Byzantium (1667-02-09)
  • Try to make a reference to the Council of Rome (and that as-large-as-the-UKA coalition of Poland, Lithuania, multiple Italian states, Bohemia, the Mamluk Sultanate...) (1667-05-11)
  • Annexed the newly independent Ceylon (save for Bahmani Jaffna) (war 1668-05-01~1669-01-07)
  • Obtained Modena from Tuscany for aiding Austria in the war (1669-03-30~1670-02-04)
  • Second League War! (started 1672-11-18)
  • Died 1676-05-04
Joan III
r. 1676~1719
Prime Minister(s): Petros Mandromenos (1676~1684), Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre (1684~1694), Duke Felicien Pierre de Montségur de Trinacria (1694~1716), Crown Prince Jaume de Trastàmara (1716~1719)
  • Ended Second League War, establishing religious peace in the "HRE" (1677-09-03) ((All in favor of calling this Five Years' War?))
  • (Nova Hispania) annexed a portion of the Zapotec Nation (1679-05-03)
  • Colonized Alcantara (shiranai), Inhambane (I still don't know), Trinidad Felipias (shiranai), Chumash Los Angeles (shiranai), Manila (shiranai), Manado (shiranai), Matsolo (shiranai), Bundjalung (shiranai), Grain Coast, Salto (shiranai), Cameroon (shiranai), Turrbal (shiranai), Florida Blanca (shiranai), Salinan Monterey(shiranai), Santiago (shiranai), Ivory Coast, Baiali (shiranai), Wurundjeri, Nicoya, Yareyu (shiranai), Pomo
  • Royal deaths galore! (1680-1684)
  • Reached a concordant with France over the Caribbean (1684-01-01)
  • Allied Sweden, completing the Quadruple Entente (requires date, but 100% before 1684)
  • Annexed Tuscany (1685-??-??~1688-07-23)
  • Started Hispanian imperialism with Tunis, conquering the city and any currounding coastline (1690-04-29~1691-08-04) before coercing it into handing over Kabylia (1705) ((Mike, I noticed a habit of yours in replacing 6s with 8s. We're not in V2 yet xD))
  • Coerced Sunda to hand over Makassar (1694-01-10)
  • ((Remember that power struggle between the Grand Admiral and Grandmaster? :p))
  • Claimed the southern half of the Bahmani Sultanate (1696-04-01~1699-05-14)
  • Coerced Morocco into handing over Dahra (1701-08-22)
  • Annexed the rest of Mutapa's coastline (1701-??-??~1703-12-30)
  • Established Nueva Sicilia (1705-06-02)
  • Annexed Tochtepec from Zapotec for Nova Hispania (peace 1706-04-01)
  • Annexed Guatemala ((THAT'S IT!???!?)), and later the rest of Oaxaca and Chiapas, from Kiche for Nova Hispania (peaces 1706-08-07, 1707-06-11)
  • Obtained Parma and Cremona, angering Austria (slightly) in the process (1707-??-??~1710-02-12)
  • Forced Brunei to hand over western Borneo (1708-??-??~1709-08-14)
  • Integrated Rome (1715-01-01), single-handedly pissing off every Catholic country
  • Reclaimed the Holy Land for Christendom, along with the Libyan coast (1711-??-??~1714-03-31)
  • Sacked Mecca in the process of said war, single-handedly pissing off every Muslim country
  • (Nova Hispania) annexed Zapotec and Itza (1716-03-26, 1716-11-09)
  • Recognized the independence of the Thirteen Colonies (who got crushed flat) (American Independence War 1715-01-01~1717-04-24)
Jaume IV
r. 1719~1752
Prime Minister(s): Bartomeu de Trastàmara (1719), Emperor Jaume de Trastàmara (1719~1725), Alexis Cyril de Saint-Pierre (1725~1752)


Regent Alexis Cyril de Saint Pierre

r. 1752-12-9, 13:12-13:22

Regent Sophia de Trastàmara (neé Mandromenos)
r. 1752-1755


Alfons IX
r. 1755-1821
Prime Minister: Empress Dowager Sophia de Trastàmara (1752-1773), Emperor Alfons IX (1773-1816), Prince Joan de Trastàmara (1816-1821)


Pere VI
r. 1821-1826
Prime Minister: Prince Joan de Trastàmara

Regent Joan
r. 1826-present
 
Last edited:
((I'll add on to this later.))

Alfons V "The Magnanimous"
r. 1416-1447
  • Subdued Naples under his rule (1443)
  • Declared war against Castile (1444)
  • Died from wounds inflicted in the Battle of Madrid
Joan II
r. 1447-????
  • Arranged a white peace with Castile (1447-08-04)
  • Declared war on Byzantium to aid Venice (1450) ((Dandolo... stahp...))
  • Declared war on the Ottoman Empire, once again due to Venice's call to arms (1451-12-05)
  • From said war, obtained Epirus for the Empire (1455-07-02)
  • Took the port of Maliliyah from Morocco (war from 1455-07-03~1457-12-20)
  • Annexed Nafarroa (1459-01-01)
  • Annexed Athens (war from 1460-03-10~1460-10-17)
  • Subdued the Byzantine Empire (war from 1460-11-06~1464-02-17)

((Thanks for starting a post with some notes! I can already see how this will help. Almost forgot we were ever allied with Venice. I know we allied France right at the start and we've been allies the whole game, but forgot about the others. I seem to remember Portugal being an ally, and perhaps the reason for some of our wars in Africa. I definitely remember the war with Athens though since that's the reason Byzantium never had cores there. Surprised to see we vassalized Byzantium so early. Also, RIP Alfons V, the reason I never made our monarchs into generals the entire iAAR. :p))
 
((Thanks for starting a post with some notes! I can already see how this will help. Almost forgot we were ever allied with Venice. I know we allied France right at the start and we've been allies the whole game, but forgot about the others. I seem to remember Portugal being an ally, and perhaps the reason for some of our wars in Africa. I definitely remember the war with Athens though since that's the reason Byzantium never had cores there. Surprised to see we vassalized Byzantium so early. Also, RIP Alfons V, the reason I never made our monarchs into generals the entire iAAR. :p))
((I don't think Portugal's ever been an ally, as I remember that we attacked them multiple times and ended up exiling them to Mexico, where they were vassalized by a random Mesoamerican country before we put both of them out of their misery.))
 
((I don't think Portugal's ever been an ally, as I remember that we attacked them multiple times and ended up exiling them to Mexico, where they were vassalized by a random Mesoamerican country before we put both of them out of their misery.))
((Actually they were allied with Aragon until we realized they had an alliance with Castile.))
 
((I don't think Portugal's ever been an ally, as I remember that we attacked them multiple times and ended up exiling them to Mexico, where they were vassalized by a random Mesoamerican country before we put both of them out of their misery.))

((Actually they were allied with Aragon until we realized they had an alliance with Castile.))

((I just remember several conflicts where they kept choosing Castile over us, so we eventually let them go. Lol, now that you mention it I do recall their embarrassing exile too. See, this is exactly why these notes help. Crazy things like that escape my notice until someone brings them up. :p))
 
((Having missed all prior votes... :rolleyes:))

Transdacian Independence:
1. Grant them independence
2. Deny their request
Transdacian King:
1. Trastámara
2. Duke of Wallachia

Greek Referendum:
1. Allow referendum
2. Deny referendum
Failing Merchants:
1. Do not intervene
2. Bail them out
 
((Also, since I forgot to make one earlier...))

5Gt13f0.png
 
Transdacian Independence:
1. Grant them independence
2. Deny their request
Transdacian King:
1. Trastámara
2. Duke of Wallachia
Greek Referendum:
1. Deny referendum
2. Allow referendum
Failing Merchants:
1. Bail them out
2. Do not intervene
 
((Another vote completed. We're almost done with the gap years.

Transdacian Independence: Grant them independence
Transdacian King: Duke of Wallachia
Greek Referendum: Deny referendum
Failing Merchants: Bail them out

Another vote, another update.))
 
1831-1832 - International Tension

Transdacia was one of the first matters to be dealt with at the start of 1831. Support for independence had grown over the years, especially with Bavaria being granted its freedom only a few years ago. While Transdacia was not nearly as powerful as Bavaria, it was more isolated and Hispanian influence limited. They mostly ruled themselves anyway, something Parliament recognized. It seemed that independence was required, especially now that a precedent was set. The key candidate for the Transdacian crown, the Duke of Wallachia, had far more influence in Transdacia than any Trastámara. Despite rumours that the man's father had been a bastard, he was the foremost noble in the realm. Regent Joan de Trastámara tried to push yet again for his son to receive a throne, but it fell on deaf ears. In the end, he had to be satisfied with his cousin sitting on the Transdacian throne instead. The Duke of Wallachia was crowned Gabriel I Kosovic, King of Transdacia, a few months later. The Transdacians, as with the Bavarians before them, were grateful for their independence, the first act by the new king being to sign an alliance with Hispania. The Transdacian Parliament had tried to initiate the process first, but Gabriel I overruled them and took over instead. Without a constitution to bind him, it seemed likely the new king and the Transdacian Parliament would spend the next while testing the balance of power between them where the monarch had only vague limits on his power.

As for the Greeks, it seemed that many outside Greece had grown tired of the issue. While there had been support before to handle the issue, the constant attempts got on some people's nerves. It seemed the issue would never die until those favouring a union with Byzantium got their way, even if the majority did not support it. This very sentiment led to Parliament to reject allowing another referendum. These dissidents did not need further validation. They had failed the first time and took matters into their own hands before. Parliament had already granted them the much-needed reforms to ensure fair treatment, and that seemed enough to most non-Greeks. The Greek nationalists saw things differently. With their attempt to obtain their freedom through a referendum denied, they rallied to the streets, holding mass protests throughout Hispanian Greece. However, those Greeks who favoured Hispanian rule had had enough, much like their non-Greek counterparts. Many of them heckled the protesters, calling them down for defying the government that granted them a referendum before and reforms. The conflict was only bound to escalate at that point. Soon the two sides, so opposed in viewpoint, clashed in the streets. Riots spread across Hispanian Greece, with the Exercit Athens called to action once more to quell a potential rebellion. Ending the violence was not so easy though, for unlike previous rebellions, the government was not the target. The army got caught between two sides bent on destroying the other, uncertain where to turn. This eventually caught the eye of Byzantium, who had decided to stay out of the previous conflict. Now seeing Greeks turning on each other, the Byzantine government offered an official statement condoning the violence and stated its intention to commence negotiations with Hispania to solve this dilemma once and for all. For the moment, they offered a place for any discontent Hispanian Greek in Byzantium in the hopes that permitting open immigration for them would end the conflict.

Attempts by the army to end the riots in Greece had taken its toll on the Exercit Athens, but they were not alone. Other armies had been ground down in the conflicts that had plagued Hispania over the past decade. Whether it was rebellions in Arabia or India, or the French Succession War, the Hispanian army was finding itself low on manpower. Young men were losing their lives in service and not enough were signing up to replace them. If the Hispanian army wanted to maintain its primacy, it needed to fill up its ranks. The government needed to decide how best to solve this dilemma. A draft could quickly fill up the ranks, although it could also anger those forced into service if only for a short time. Opening up the army to allow colonial subjects to serve could fill the ranks as well, although after recent troubles overseas it was doubtful that they could be considered truly loyal. Some financial incentives might encourage men to join of their own free will, but the costs might not make it worth it. Of course the other option was to downsize the army so less recruits would be needed in total. Some of these seemed more drastic than others, but something needed to be done to ensure the army survived.

The economy, at least, was showing signs of recovery. The choice to bail out the merchants started to show signs of success by the end of the year. Merchants who had been struggling to make a profit earlier were now just scraping by, which while not as good as them being profitable meant they no longer needed to rely on government aid. The trading companies that had been floundering before strengthened their hold on trade with government support, prompting their revival as well. Hispania had just barely avoided slipping back into an economic depression, and recovery was within sight.

Conflict always brewed up somewhere in the world, this time in the colonies. A growing border conflict had been occurring between various Hispanian and French colonies. French La Plata, completely surrounded by Hispanian colonies and with only a tiny corridor to the sea, seemed an inevitable source of such tension. On several occasions, French ships had landed in Nuevo Leon's nearby ports and shipped their goods on to French La Plata, all without paying Hispanian taxes and treating the port as their own. A few French expeditions had even been caught entering the Amazon basin, only accessible if they passed through Sanchonia first. Likewise, tensions between Terre Australe and Nueva Sicilia were growing under similar circumstances. The French controlled the western half and Hispania the east, except for a few islands and the northeast tip. The latter proved a source of conflict as the French constantly travelled between the main colonies and the northeast through Hispanian-claimed land. Nueva Sicilia's control over the disputed region was limited due to the hostile climate and open terrain, allowing the French to easily sneak through. Both these border disputes were bound to escalate as the Hispanian colonies attempted to stamp down on this behaviour.

This whole dilemma didn't reach Hispania's attention until France caught wind of it. Nuevo Leon and Nueva Sicilia, both fairly autonomous, felt it unnecessary to get Hispania involved, while France was more preoccupied with matters at home. The French Succession War had left a deep scar, and the regency was facing problems of its own. When the last regent was caught embezzling funds from the treasury and was summarily replaced, the new regent took interest in the colonial conflict as a way of boosting both his position and establishing French hegemony in the region. He started funnelling funds to the colonies so they'd win out over their Hispanian counterparts. If they could unofficially dominate the disputed regions, eventually the Hispanian colonies would have no choice but to accept French control of the land. With French activity suddenly increasing, the colonies finally decided to put the matter before Hispania at the Colonial Congress. This French interference had to be stopped. They requested that Hispania step in and negotiate a settlement, perhaps an exchange of land that could satisfy both sides. As for the French, when pressed on the matter, they showed a willingness to agree to an exchange of land, although the amounts suggested were enormous and likely lead to the dissolution of one or more colonial nations, the suggestion being that one receives all of Australia and the other all of La Plata. The colonial nations seemed more inclined to see Hispania force the French to hand over their colonies entirely, with all of La Plata and Australia falling under Hispanian control. Of course their French counterparts wanted the exact opposite with the annexation of the Hispania colonies under French control. Everyone wanted something different and were butting heads to get their way, but ultimately Hispania had the strength and influence to bring an end to the entire conflict, that is if they chose to intervene at all.

Negotiations with the French though would have to take a backseat for now, for a matter closer to home had popped up. Byzantium had attempted to end the matter of the call of union by Greeks in Hispania with their country by offering them a home in their own lands, but those Greeks in Hispania who favoured Byzantium seemed unwilling to leave. Despite preferring Byzantine rule, the Hispanian-controlled land was their home, and they could not abandon it. They made it clear that they would continue to fight until their home became part of Byzantium. With that having failed, the Byzantine government felt it was time to directly intervene by opening negotiations with Hispania. Representatives were sent to Hispania requesting that the two powers commence negotiations over the fate of Hispanian Greek lands. The Basileus sent a letter addressed to the Regent and Hispanian Parliament stating that his people could not stand by while their brethren in Hispania continued to struggle for freedom. An offer was made, where Byzantium would waive Hispania's loan to them in exchange for Hispania's Greek lands, along with further payment for the land. Once under Byzantine rule, the problem could finally be brought to an end. It was made clear though that if Hispania did not accept, the Byzantine government would have to get more involved in the matter, for they could not stand by while Greeks requested their help. They begged for Hispania to consider their offer for the good of all or lose the trust of all Greeks by refusing.

Greek nationalism was not the only form of nationalism to plague Hispanian in 1832. Far overseas, another potential uprising was brewing. Hispania's land in China had been vulnerable to such sentiment since its acquisition. The land was far from Valencia, and the ability to defend it somewhat limited. That had already been proven when Canton had been sacked during a war with Malwa. That didn't take into account that neighbouring Ming considered the land theirs. Ming's continuous conflict with Qing kept them from ever taking action, as well as Hispania's might. However, the Chinese people living under Hispanian rule were not always pleased, and Ming took advantage of that. Could Hispania truly control such a large population? That question was soon put to the test as riots erupted in Hispanian China, the focal point being Canton. The rallying call proved to be the return to Ming rule and to expel the Europeans. The Exercit Canton was at least present to crush the rebellion, but perhaps alternate solutions could be found. Perhaps it was time to let these Chinese lands go. On the other hand, perhaps it was better to show Ming that they could not meddle in Hispanian affairs, something an invasion would teach well enough. Either way, something had to be done about China.

With rebellion after rebellion, crisis after crisis, dissent in the capital was growing. The government's response had often been quick and effective, but the constant struggle to keep the Empire intact was taking its toll. The constant target of this dissent proved to be none other than Regent Joan de Trastámara. The Emperor's brother had proven an effective ruler, albeit a controversial one. With each conflict that emerged, he strengthened his hold on power. Parliament's influence was waning as the Cabinet was filled with Joan's cronies and often acted at Joan's command. Parliament was becoming nothing more than a rubber stamp, and even then it was often ignored if it disputed the Regent's decisions. Joan was not foolish enough though to rule unilaterally. He went with Parliament when needed to keep most members complacent, only taking action on his own where it truly mattered, all the while weakening Parliament's power. The rollback in reforms had done an effective job of that. However, there were always those who opposed the Regent, constantly calling for his removal. There were even rumours that the Emperor was actually dead, with Joan keeping it secret to keep himself in power. The fact that Empress Jeanne never validated these rumours perhaps was the only thing keeping such an idea from gaining ground. Indeed, the Empress had gotten over the grief of her husband's ill fate, becoming more vocal and raising opposition to the Regent. It was becoming clear to her and others that the Emperor would never recover. Pere was barely conscious, having to be spoon-fed each day just to stay alive. The only thing that kept Joan in power was the fact that Pere still breathed. Near the end of 1832, Jeanne began to call for Joan's resignation, stating that due to Pere's condition it was time to prepare the heir for succession. It was only logical that Joan step down and hand the regency to Crown Prince Ferran. The fact that Jeanne also favoured parliamentary reform saw her gain growing support from its members. Despite this, Joan's hold on power was still strong and he had many supporters. He showed no inclination of resigning, and it would take a lot of pressure to remove him now.

Even as Jeanne quarrelled with Joan over the regency, there were those in Parliament who were considering another path forward. The Crown under Alfons IX had ruled fairly and with the people's best interests at heart. Joan may have been an effective regent, but he was clearly biased. There was a genuine fear that if things progressed as they were, Parliament would become irrelevant and the Crown would rule alone. Few had had a problem with a strong monarchy under Alfons IX, but the possibility of an inferior successor, or one who felt compelled to rule alone, was a potential threat. With Hispania plagued with troubles and the Regent increasingly grasping at power, this might be the time to act. A limit on the monarch's power might be necessary. Talk of a constitution was raised, with support growing for the implementation of one. Several members of Parliament started drafting up ones, although no one was certain how to implement such a thing. It seemed likely that Joan would never accept a constitution in any form, and attempting to force one would end badly. An alternative existed in the form of Empress Jeanne. While not advocating a constitution, she was calling for reform. She already had significant support, and unlike with others, Joan could not so easily silence her. If given the necessary support, perhaps even Joan would be forced to accept a compromise and implement reforms. It was a faint hope, but much more likely than a constitution. Of course, there were always those who would support the Crown no matter what. Despite Joan's right-leaning tendencies, he had managed to keep Hispanian from falling apart. Weakening such a ruler during times of crisis could hurt Hispania more than help it. Perhaps it was better to trust in the royal prerogative during times like this and pray things would get better once things calmed down. The fate of Hispania had to be put first.


((Voting time! First comes the matter of the border conflicts with the French colonies. We have many options to choose from, including offering up Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata, offering up Nuevo Leon for the Australian part of Terre Australe, demanding France hand over both, giving up both our colonial nations, or letting the colonies quarrel on their own. The Greek vote is more simple, with us choosing whether to accept Byzantium's offer of money and the waiving of our loan in exchange for our Greek lands or to refuse their offer. For the riots in China, we can choose to crush the rebellion, hand the lands over to Ming, or launch an invasion of Ming. Then there is the possibility of parliamentary reform, where you vote on whether to present a constitution, press for reform, or respect the royal prerogative. The last vote is about army recruitment and will take on a different form, similar to that for the bankruptcy one earlier. We have the choice to implement a draft, open up recruitment to colonial subjects, provide financial incentives, or downsize the army. Here you can choose as many or as few of these options as you want. Those that receive majority support will be implemented, and if none achieve that the one with the most support will occur.

French Colonial Conflict: Exchange Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata/Exchange Nuevo Leon for Terre Australe/Demand both French colonies/Give up both Hispanian colonies/Let the colonies handle it
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.​
Byzantium's Offer: Accept offer/Refuse offer
1.
2.​
Chinese Rebellion: Crush rebellion/Hand over land to Ming/Invade Ming
1.
2.
3.​
Parliamentary Reform: Present constitution/Push for reform/Trust in the royal prerogative
1.
2.
3.​

Army Recruitment:
Institute Draft: Yes/No
Recruit Colonial Subjects: Yes/No
Provide Financial Incentives: Yes/No
Downsize Army: Yes/No

The vote will last until Thursday at 12PM PST. Remember to post your votes in order of preference or else I can't count them, although the army recruitment is a simple yes/no vote for each option. If you want to make use of a stability or instability action, provided your haven't already, now is the time.))
 
French Colonial Conflict: ////
1. Exchange Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata
2. Demand both French colonies
3. Exchange Nuevo Leon for Terre Australe
4. Let the colonies handle it
5. Give up both Hispanian colonies
Byzantium's Offer: /
1. Refuse offer
2. Accept offer
Chinese Rebellion: //
1. Invade Ming
2. Crush rebellion
3. Hand over land to Ming
((If this were IC, I'd immediately abstain. If that were an option :p))
Parliamentary Reform: //
1. Present constitution
2. Push for reform
3. Trust in the royal prerogative

Army Recruitment:
Institute Draft: No
Recruit Colonial Subjects: No
Provide Financial Incentives: Yes
Downsize Army: No
 
French Colonial Conflict:
1. Let the colonies handle it
2. Exchange Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata
3. Exchange Nuevo Leon for Terre Australe
4. Demand both French colonies
5. Give up both Hispanian colonies
Byzantium's Offer:
1. Accept offer ((Always take the option that reduces bordergore:p))
2. Refuse offer
Chinese Rebellion:
1. Hand over land to Ming
2. Crush rebellion
3. Invade Ming
Parliamentary Reform:
1. Push for reform ((At least this opens up an opportunity to actually lose some land for once:D))
2. Trust in the royal prerogative
3. Present constitution

Army Recruitment:
Institute Draft: No
Recruit Colonial Subjects: Yes
Provide Financial Incentives: Yes
Downsize Army: Yes
 
French Colonial Conflict:
1. Demand both French colonies
2. Exchange Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata
3. Exchange Nuevo Leon for Terre Australe
4. Let the colonies handle it
5. Give up both Hispanian colonies

Byzantium's Offer:
1. Accept offer
2. Refuse offer

Chinese Rebellion:
1. Crush rebellion
2. Invade Ming
3. Hand over land to Ming

Parliamentary Reform:
1. Push for reform
2. Trust in the royal prerogative
3. Present constitution

Army Recruitment:
Institute Draft: No
Recruit Colonial Subjects: No
Provide Financial Incentives: No
Downsize Army: Yes


((I am disappointed by the lack of imminent structural collapse.))
 
1. Push for reform ((At least this opens up an opportunity to actually lose some land for once:D))

((Not sure what pushing for reforms has to do with losing land. :p))

((I am disappointed by the lack of imminent structural collapse.))

((The RNG just doesn't want Hispania to collapse. If you mean the government, well stability hasn't dropped low enough to cause serious problems, but things can easily change in an instant. :D))
 
((Not sure what pushing for reforms has to do with losing land. :p))



((The RNG just doesn't want Hispania to collapse. If you mean the government, well stability hasn't dropped low enough to cause serious problems, but things can easily change in an instant. :D))
((Well, it could anger Joan, which could cause him to start a coup or something, which could provoke a rebellion from the Parliament/military/public, which could invite various provinces to declare independence or foreign powers to invade. Therefore, land could be lost. Though at this rate we probably won't get there. :p))
 
French Colonial Conflict:
1. Let the colonies handle it
2. Exchange Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata
3. Exchange Nuevo Leon for Terre Australe
4. Demand both French Colonies
5. Give up both Hispanian colonies
Byzantium's Offer:
1. Accept Offer
2. Refuse Offer
Chinese Rebellion:
1. Invade Ming
2. Crush rebellion
3. Hand Over land to Ming
Parliamentary Reform:
1. Trust in the Royal Prerogative
2. Push for reform
3. Present Constitution

Army Recruitment:
Institute Draft: Yes
Recruit Colonial Subjects: Yes
Provide Financial Incentives: Yes
Downsize Army: Yes
 
French Colonial Conflict:
1. Let the colonies handle it
2. Exchange Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata
3. Exchange Nuevo Leon for Terre Australe
4. Demand both French colonies
5. Give up both Hispanian colonies
Byzantium's Offer:
1. Refuse offer
2. Accept offer
Chinese Rebellion:
1. Crush rebellion
2. Invade Ming
3. Hand over land to Ming
Parliamentary Reform:
1. Trust in the royal prerogative
2. Push for reform
3. Present constitution

Army Recruitment:
Institute Draft: Yes
Recruit Colonial Subjects: Yes
Provide Financial Incentives: Yes
Downsize Army: No
 
French Colonial Conflict:
1. Demand both French colonies
2. Exchange Nueva Sicilia for French La Plata
3. Exchange Nuevo Leon for Terre Australe
4. Let the colonies handle it
5. Give up both Hispanian colonies
Byzantium's Offer:
1. Accept offer
2. Refuse offer
Chinese Rebellion:
1. Crush rebellion
2. Invade Ming
3. Hand over land to Ming
Parliamentary Reform:
1. Push for reform
2. Present constitution
3. Trust in the royal prerogative

Army Recruitment:
Institute Draft: No
Recruit Colonial Subjects: Yes
Provide Financial Incentives: Yes
Downsize Army: No