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When Charles Theodore, the Elector of Bavaria, gave up the entirety of Bavaria to the Austrian crown in exchange for a Kingdom of his own in what used to be the Austrian Netherlands, he would be put on the throne of a front-line Kingdom. The radical French, absorbed by Jacobin zeal and Republican fever, were right on Burgundy's doorstep. As the King moved into his new residence in Antwerp, the fires of war began, fortunately, dying down. Yet, for as much good as European peace was to the new Kingdom, it still faced a plethora of issues in regards to its position on both the map and its position internally and externally in the wide affairs of Europe. While Charles Theodore left Bavaria in a rather precarious situation, his reputation and Kingdom's position would possibly expose the land to revolutionary encroachment.
(The new King)
Charles Theodore was a very unpopular Elector in Bavaria. His numerous attempts to give Bavaria up to the Austrians in exchange for a crown of his own made him a target of criticism by his fellow Bavarian countrymen. When he fell into a dispute with the Munich city council, he moved out of Munich for a full year in protest. He did not care for politics, and was more focused on culture, philosophy, and the arts. He was quoted as naturally intelligent, but was indolent, leaving most of the decision making to his ministers, his wife, and his father-confessor. Even though he was politically passive (much to the annoyance of many nobles), his admiration for Enlightenment philosophy earned him praise by Voltaire himself (who reportedly visited the Elector a few times) and allowed him to acquire Cosimo Alessandro Collini into his court. Collini was Voltaire's secretary, and soon, Charles became his patron, allowing Collini to settle down in the Palatine and work for the Elector and eventually the new King.
(Collini)
Charles Theodore also had the services of the Count von Rumford, a Count of the Holy Roman Empire, in the service of the Bavarian, and eventually Burgundian, army. Rumford was once the American loyalist Benjamin Thompson, a former colonial lieutenant-colonel and a former British colonel. Thompson had been assisting in reorganizing the Bavarian army when Charles Theodore was crowned King of Burgundy, and thus moved with Charles from Munich to Antwerp to assist the new King in revitalizing the Burgundian Army just like he did with the Bavarian Army. The Burgundian Army was going to be needed indeed, for even though the current war is over, new wars still loom over the horizon.
(von Rumford)
Burgundy's position as the Republic of France's immediate neighbor puts it on the front-line of not only future military conflicts, but political ones as well. Burgundy serves as the bulwark against the radical republican plague that had consumed all of France, and serves as a shelter for fleeing French Nobles removed from their home. Indeed, many in Charles's court, and many in Europe, see Burgundy as a possible first-victim of conflict in the event that war with France was to begin anew. At the same time, there was a question of Burgundy's legitimacy as a Kingdom. Only Austria sees Burgundy as a proper Kingdom, and its position as the Holy Roman Emperor would lead to many other German states seeing Burgundy as such, but Prussia has yet to give a proper statement on Burgundy. At the same time, the Bourbons (both French and Spanish) have claims to the ancient Duchy of Burgundy, lands that the current Kingdom of Burgundy occupy. While a Bourbon claim from France was unlikely, a Spanish claim is a possible threat.
(Philip V of Spain, who claimed the Duchy of Burgundy)
In all, Burgundy was a nation born out of political dealings and forced into being the first-respondents to a French invasion. Charles I was unpopular back in Bavaria, but perhaps now that he has received what he wanted he would take care to repair his image. Burgundy's legitimacy is still in question, and the possibility of a Jacobin ideological invasion with the reality of French incursions remains a large threat to the new Kingdom. Will Burgundy survive these perils and stand strong against the Jacobin hydra?
The Pitt government is concerned about the rising debt level in Great Britain, but not enough to take any serious action towards alleviating the situation. A symbolic measure requires a quarter of the budget to go to debt payments, although the actual percentage going to interest payments is already significantly higher. An additional two million pounds is allocated towards debt, but with a debt of one and half billion pounds, the sum is not even a drop in the bucket. And while a reduction in tariffs on the commonly smuggled goods does lead to more merchants openly declaring them, the overall revenue from tariffs declines, since smuggling affected only a small fraction of the overall trade.
The Earl Cornwallis returns to Europe, although the war with France is over, and he is transferred to a new position – the Surveyor-General of the Ordinance. His job is to ensure that the military infrastructure of the British Army is in good condition and to oversee storage and supply depots. A particular focus is the design, refurbishment, and construction of costal fortifications, in anticipation of future conflicts with Republican France. Progress is steady, especially in ensuring that the supply network is adequately set up, although further improvements and expansion of the coastal fortifications will require additional dedicated work.
The British end the blockade of France and withdraw their forces from Calais following the announcement of the peace between France and Austria. For the moment, Republican France is at peace with other European powers. Some maritime trade returns to the country, but it remains well below pre-war levels. Shortages of food remain common across the country, and are especially acute in Paris. The government, currently run primarily by Jacques Pierre Brissot and his associates, stages celebrations across the country to commemorate the Republican victory. At many of the celebrations the crowds jeer at the officials about the lack of food and the high prices, with mobs turning violent on some occasions.
In Paris the public is distracted from the food shortages, to some degree, by the trial of Marie Antoinette, the former wife of King Louis XVI. She is charged with orchestrating orgies in Versailles, sending millions of livres of treasury money to Austria, planning the massacre of the members of the National Guards, declaring her son to be the new king of France, and incest. She is the first of the Bourbons to go on trial, with the remaining trials scheduled to follow. The proceedings are excruciatingly slow, with the public following every development, every witness statement, and every piece of evidence. The lawyers representing the former Queen bring forward witnesses and evidence to refute charges, only for new ones to be levied against her. By the end of the year the saga has dragged on for nine months, with absolutely no end in sight, and public interest that is growing by the day.
Despite retaking Roussillon after Spanish troops withdraw, the French army makes no move to re-take the remaining royalist stronghold in Provence. Emboldened by the republican hesitation, the royalists organize a semblance of a professional army, and their moderate success attracts significant numbers of emigres, former nobles and officers, and those who are simply disaffected by the new republican government. With moderate amounts of foreign help flowing to the Provence, the royalist resistance there is beginning to look more defiant and less disorganized.
The dissolution of the Dutch Republic in the prior year is too much for many of the remaining patriots in the country. Having spent the later part of 1791 and the early part of 1792 in preparation, the Amsterdam Revolutionary Committee launches a coup in the city. A “Free Corps”, organized by the Committee, arrests the city government, and announces that Amsterdam will not stand for the usurpation of power by William V. The Orangist response to the threat is delayed by the negotiations with the Prussians, who have an army stationed in the Netherlands, and in the meantime “revolutionary committees” organize in many other cities in the country, demanding a re-instatement of the republic and free elections. Orangist militias clash with some of the Free Corps, but for now the violence has remained sporadic and isolated.
Part of the reason for the slow response of the Orangists to the new threat is the administrative reform underway in the government of William V. The reform seeks to codify administrative laws and move the government and army to a meritocratic system that will ignore one’s social status. It is accompanied by an anti-corruption campaign that targets many of the government servants that have, over the years, improperly used their positions to enrich themselves. Although undoubtedly beneficial to the country and the government in the long run, the reform leaves the government with many vacancies and a lack of experienced officials just when the revolutionary threat becomes a problem.
Although the Prussian army only briefly participated in the war against France, its record in the conflict is less than spectacular. Some of the lessons that the Prussian commanders take away include the need for officers to exercise direct control over the troops at all times, the importance of superior officer instincts in battle, and the need for maneuverability over heavy artillery. Some of these ideas are put into practice immediately, while others are now being taught to the new officers coming into the army, and so the results of these lessons are likely to remain with the Prussian army for years to come.
Given the emphasis on superior training, and the already large size of the Prussian army, the Prussians find it difficult to expand it further. A few additional units are organized, but at the same time the army is beginning to have problems with replacing soldiers and officers who leave the army, and so many of the existing units are becoming partially understaffed. On paper the Prussian army is more than one hundred thousand strong, but in reality the number of men under arms is five to ten thousand smaller.
With the war with France over, the Austrian government can finally implement some of the land reforms that have been planned for years. Bohemia is chosen as the initial location for the reforms, in part because of the recent rollback of serfdom there. Peasant tenants will receive additional protections on the land that they lease from the landlords, and the landowners will be required to pay a tax on the value of the land. The major goal of the reform is to discourage large landowners from keeping their estates empty and unproductive and to deal with the oversupply of poor labor in some parts of the country. Some of the larger landholders who are adversely impacted by the reforms are mollified by the offer of military ranks or positions in the government, but in general there is widespread support for the reforms, as the Emperor remains popular and his actions are seen as a bulwark against radicalism. Many of the benefits of the land reform are likely to take years and decades to play out, but the positive experience in Bohemia makes it more likely that similar measures will succeed elsewhere in the country.
The Austrian Censorship Commission has been without leadership since Gottfried van Swieten left that position a year ago. Quietly, Leopold II has made it clear that he does not intend to appoint anyone to take over, and the Commission will effectively cease to function, its responsibilities transferred to the police and other similar institutions. Although ostensibly the Commission was responsible for censorship of art, the greatest effect by far is on the press, which has seen a blossoming of publications since the end of effective censorship. Pamphlets and other publications that talk about social and political issues proliferate in Vienna and Prague, and the open discussion of these issues leads to greater social engagement and a better understanding of the complexities and nuances of difficult questions on the part of the public.
Just as elsewhere, the Neapolitan government is looking for ways to restore the trust between the government and the people to ensure a French-style revolution cannot happen here. To this end, the “Holy Faith” movement is a collection of pro-Bourbon policies among the people to create a new compact between the Bourbon rulers and their subjects. In reality, instead of a new compact the movement is a mask for closer and more centralized administrative control, targeting those who encroach on crown lands and restricting what little self-rule exists in the country. The centralization is beneficial to the government’s ability to govern, but those who expected some kind of changes in the relationship between the King and his subjects feel betrayed.
Venice is the one place outside of France where democracy appears to have taken root on the continent, helped by the long tradition of nominally democratic institutions. The democratic experiment has attracted many liberals to Venice, including artists, political thinkers, and writers. In the run-up to the election the government publicizes the process, organizes celebrations, and otherwise goes out of its way to encourage participation. On the day of the election Venice itself feels like a city in the middle of a festival, with dancing in the streets and fireworks after dark. Once the votes are counted, it is clear that the liberals and reforms have prevailed, with Pietro Verri emerging as the likely leader of the group. Elsewhere in Italy, the spectacle of democracy is observed with either fascination or dread, as these ideas could possibly prove popular far beyond Venice.
In Spain the earlier efforts of the government to reform the country’s economy have resulted in the emergence of similar private efforts. A number of Sociedades Económicas de Amigos del País are established across the country, with royal permission. These societies bring together businessmen and other prominent local citizens to discuss and plan local economic development. In some places these societies pool money and approve loans for local projects that are likely to be beneficial to business, while in others they serve as a sort-of dispute resolution forum for businessmen who have disagreements. As with many economic developments, the immediate changes are small, but there is a sort of vitality and activity around these societies that is entirely new to the deeply conservative and traditional Spanish business class.
In part as a response to the suggestions of the societies, and in part to improve tax collection, the Spanish government begins to phase-out tax farming that is somewhat prominent in Spain and the Americas. The amount of taxes that is collected rises, although not exorbitantly. More importantly, the gradual elimination of tax farming means that taxation is directly controlled by the government, and can be carried out by trained officials rather than by local bigwigs who often take advantage of their position to promote their own interests or to abuse a disadvantaged segment of the population. Full abolition of tax farming will take some years, but the end result is likely to be a significantly improved system, even if it doesn’t bring in vastly more revenue.
The Danish government is keen to improve the unwieldy Danish administration. The plan is to raise the salaries of public workers to attract better qualified employees and to centralize the administration by creating a new organization to oversee customs and tax collection. Unfortunately, the thoroughly corrupt Danish administrators see this as a wonderful opportunity for more patronage. The higher wages go to the very same administrators, and the centralization makes it easy for people high up in the bureaucracy to hand out favors and jobs in return for bribes or personal gain. In the end the extra money is wasted, the corrupt bureaucracy is more entrenched, and the situation looks set to get worse before it gets better.
In response to the anti-Swedish measures implemented by Denmark the Swedish government raises tariffs on Danish goods, although in practice the Swedish officials make it essentially impossible for Danish goods to enter the country, regardless of tariff. In addition, Swedish warships begin a campaign of harassment against any ships flying the Danish flag in the Baltic, stopping the ships and intimidating them, although so far there have been no actual violent incidents. Danish merchants complain to their government, asking for protection, but such a move is likely to escalate tensions between the two neighboring countries even further.
Following the Russian occupation of Poland at the request of the Targowica Confederation the Sejm convenes to accept the resignation of King Stanisław August Poniatowski and to offer the crown of Poland to Empress Catherine of Russia. The fact that the Sejm is clearly held under duress and is presided over by a Russian general costs the Russians a lot of their hard-won good will in Poland. While initially seen as an intervention to restore traditional rule, the Russian occupation is being seen more and more as a foreign attempt to rule over Poland, which it largely is.
Although the Polish state continues to exist de-jure, the Polish army is reduced to a largely nominal force and the Polish administration remains only in the core areas of Poland, and even there it is overseen by Russian representatives. In the eastern parts of Poland the administration is taken over almost completely by Russia, and a resettlement program is put in place to move Poles living in these areas back to Poland while allowing Russians to move in. Although its effects are not great so far, over time there is a good possibility that the cultural balance in these areas will begin to change.
Among the Polish nobility the reaction is mixed, at best. Many feel fooled by the Russian promises of restoring traditional rule to Poland. On the other hand, there is the threat of invasion from Austria and Prussia and the partition of Poland between the three states. The fact that Prussia has amassed a large army on the Polish border makes this danger a very real possibility, and at least under Russian rule a Polish state continues to exist, in some form. Meanwhile the Polish officers corps and much f the Polish army is incorporated into the Russian army, and these forces take up defensive positions across the country in preparation for a possible war with Austria and Prussia.
The Sultan, Selim III, recognizes the need for a better-educated administration and turns his attention to the imperial school of Enderun. In addition to the traditional administrative school he opens a translation and a diplomatic school, to educate the next generation of Ottoman bureaucrats and diplomats. In order to support this effort, he orders re-opened the great printing press of Constantinople that has fallen into disuse earlier in the century. With significant royal support the printing industry begins translating and printing texts on natural sciences, economics, and philosophy, to be used at Enderun and elsewhere in educating the upper echelons of the Ottoman society.
Americas
The British force on Saint-Domingue responds to the slaughter of white settlers with a brutal crackdown on the slave revolt. Fourteen thousand additional soldiers are sent to the island, and orders are given to summarily execute any and all rebels. To help with the strategy, Philip Affleck begins a blockade of the island, terminating essentially all commerce in sugar and food. The hope is that, without access to food the rebels may simply starve to death, and to this end the British army raids the countryside, seizing stocks of food across the island, whether they are held by rebels or not.
It is not possible to understate the disaster that results from the British campaign on the island. The brutality of the tactics and the lack of food drive essentially every slave into revolt. The former slaves, in an effort to get food, attack any and all settlements, although in many cases these settlements have already been raided by the British and the food seized. As the situation grows more dire the fighting becomes more vicious. In defiance of the well-known rule that it is only possible to campaign in the West Indies from September to November, the British try to advance through the entire island, seeking concentrations of slave rebels. By the end of the year more than two thousand British soldiers have died, and more than half of the remainder are down with either malaria of yellow fever, and the casualties among the rebels and the white settlers are impossible to count.
Following the defeat of the Minas Gerais uprising, the Portuguese embark on a program of development in Brazil, in order to alleviate some of the causes of the uprising. Cotton and iron production receive government support, while immigration to Brazil from Portugal is made easier. To some degree the process of economic development is likely to alleviate some of the economic pressures in the country, but the gold tax that sparked the uprising remains in effect, and the Portuguese show no sign of making any political concessions to the colonists.
Middle East and Africa
The Danish Mediterranean squadron disengages from Tripoli and returns to its regular patrols of the Mediterranean from Malta. Although disparaged by some European observers, the presence of a significant Danish fleet does discourage pirate attacks on European shipping, and ears the Danes a good reputation among European traders.
With the Danes leaving Tripolitania the Ottomans re-enforce the Pasha there by providing him with a number of muskets and cannons and by stationing a small Ottoman squadron in Tripoli. Under the watchful eye of the Porte’s emissaries the Pasha appears to be more discrete about supporting piracy, although the real pirate threat has always been further west. For now the Ottoman presence in Tripolitania is enhanced, although the Pasha knows that given enough time the Sultan’s attention is likely to turn elsewhere and he will once again be free to rule his fiefdom as he wants.
Asia and Oceania
The Durrani civil war that follows the death of Timur is brutal, but relatively short. Zaman Shah Durrani is able to consolidate the better-trained “royal” forces of Timur and march back to Afghanistan to confront his brothers who are only able to put together small tribal coalitions. After decisive victories Zaman executes his brothers and their supporters, as a warning to anyone who would challenge his rule. For the moment he seems to have the situation under control, but there is an undercurrent of tribal politics and discontent in Afghanistan that makes the stability of the Durrani dynasty appear doubtful.
Following their success in Rajputana, the Maratha turn their attention to the Nizam of Hyderabad, who has been at odds with them for decades. Hoping for a quick and easy victory, the Maratha army under de Boigne marches into the Nizam’s lands, only to be confronted by a well-organized and disciplined force. It is the first time de Boigne has faced serious opposition in India, and he does not perform particularly well, with the Maratha defeated in two initial battles. According to de Boigne the bad results are just luck, and he will be able to turn the war around and crush the Nizam, but at the very least he no longer appears invincible. The Nizam, for his part, appeals to the British government for help, which he is supposedly guaranteed under his treaty with the British. If they become involved, the quick war the Maratha had hoped for could quickly turn into a major conflict.
Other Events
The popular King Gustav III of Sweden is shot in the back by Jacob Johan Anckarström at a midnight masquerade at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. The King lives until March 29, and is then succeeded by his son Gustav IV Adolf.
La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, is composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle.
The Buttonwood Agreement is signed, beginning the New York Stock Exchange.
An old lava dome collapses in Kyūshū, Japan when Mount Unzen volcano erupts; the resulting avalanche and tsunami kills about 14,300 people.
Washington, D.C. is founded: the cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion, later known as the White House, is laid.
George Washington is re-elected President of the United States.
Great Britain Great Power (score: 46) Maxwell500 France Great Power (score: 45) Shynka Russia Great Power (score: 26) Sneakyflaps Austria Great Power (score: 19) Frymonmon Spain Great Power (score: 20) Harpsichord
Ottomans Secondary Power (score: 15) XVG USA Secondary Power (score: 11) Stormbringer Prussia Secondary Power (score: 10) etranger01 Netherlands Secondary Power (score: 8) DutchGuy Naples Secondary Power (score: 7) Cloud Strife
Sardinia Minor Power (score: 6) Sweden Minor Power (score: 6) Korona Portugal Minor Power (score: 6) Terraferma Venice Minor Power (score: 5) Spitfire5793 Denmark Minor Power (score: 4) baboushreturns Poland Minor Power (score: 4) Burgundy Minor Power (score: 4) naxhi24 Saxony Minor Power (score: 3)
Maratha Minor Power (score: 13) Dadarian Afghanistan Minor Power (score: 4) Ranger900 Persia Minor Power (score: 3)
Great Britain
Tier : Great Power (score: 46)
Government : Limited Constitutional Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 17.207 m.
Economy : £ 2,388 m.
Industry : £ 79 m.
Trade : £ 241 m.
Infrastructure : Good (0/5)
Administration : Good (0/5)
Education : Adequate (2/5)
Plurality : 7.5%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy* (3), Commerce (2), Culture (0), Industry (2)
Player : Maxwell500
Income : £ 185 m.
Expenses : £ 338 m.
Treasury : £ -1,685 m.
Army quality : Adequate (3/5) [+1 in 1793] [coastal defenses 1]
35 infantry and 16 cavalry regiments, 32 artillery batteries
5 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Good (1/5)
105 ships of the line
142 frigates and 70 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.042 m.
British North America
Population : 0.599 m.
Economy : £ 52 m.
Income : £ 1 m.
Military Garrison :
0 colonial and 1 local regiments
Naval Squadron :
0 ships of the line
6 frigates and 4 smaller ships
British Caribbean
Population : 0.732 m.
Economy : £ 46 m.
Income : £ 3 m.
Military Garrison :
16 colonial and 2 local regiments
Naval Squadron :
0 ships of the line
7 frigates and 19 smaller ships
British West Africa
Population : 0.159 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 6 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison :
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron :
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 2 smaller ships
British East India Company
Population : 48.318 m.
Economy : £ 2,618 m.
Income : £ 81 m. [total BEIC income]
Military Garrison :
4 colonial and 12 local regiments
Naval Squadron :
0 ships of the line
2 frigates and 7 smaller ships
British Australia
Population : 0.008 m.
Economy : £ 1 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison :
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron :
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 1 smaller ships
France
Tier : Great Power (score: 45)
Government : Limited Constitutional Monarchy
Ideology : Liberal
Population : 26.956 m.
Economy : £ 2,813 m.
Industry : £ 52 m.
Trade : £ 115 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (3/5)
Administration : Poor (0/5)
Education : Adequate (2/5)
Plurality : 11.8%
Militancy : 18.1%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (2), Navy (1), Commerce (1), Culture* (2), Industry (1)
Player : Shynka
Income : £ 130 m.
Expenses : £ 350 m.
Treasury : £ -88 m. [default on £2,551 m.]
Army quality : Adequate (4/5)
275 infantry and 43 cavalry regiments, 58 artillery batteries
15 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Adequate (2/5)
45 ships of the line
40 frigates and 32 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.225 m.
French Caribbean
Population : 0.692 m.
Economy : £ 31 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 2 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
1 frigates and 3 smaller ships
French Africa
Population : 0.431 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 30 m.
Income : £ 1 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 4 smaller ships
French India
Population : 2.318 m.
Economy : £ 129 m.
Income : £ 3 m.
Military Garrison
3 colonial and 2 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 5 smaller ships
Netherlands
Tier : Secondary Power (score: 8)
Government : Constitutional Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 2.147 m.
Economy : £ 331 m.
Industry : £ 7 m.
Trade : £ 42 m.
Infrastructure : Good (0/5)
Administration : Poor (1/5) [+1 in 1794, 1796]
Education : Adequate (2/5)
Plurality : 21.7%
Militancy : 25.4%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy (1), Commerce* (5), Culture (2), Industry (1)
Player : DutchGuy
Income : £ 38 m.
Expenses : £ 19 m.
Treasury : £ -34 m.
Army quality : Poor (2/5)
4 infantry and 2 cavalry regiments, 2 artillery batteries
1 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Poor (2/5)
3 ships of the line
18 frigates and 10 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.007 m.
Dutch Caribbean
Population : 0.146 m.
Economy : £ 9 m.
Income : £ 1 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
1 frigates and 2 smaller ships
Dutch West Africa
Population : 0.138 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 5 m.
Income : £ 1 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 1 smaller ships
Dutch South Africa
Population : 0.323 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 15 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 1 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 2 smaller ships
Dutch East India Company
Population : 5.377 m.
Economy : £ 316 m.
Income : £ 20 m. [total VOC income]
Military Garrison
1 colonial and 4 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
2 frigates and 3 smaller ships
Burgundy
Tier : Minor Power (score: 4)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 3.902 m.
Economy : £ 443 m.
Industry : £ 5 m.
Trade : £ 15 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (0/5)
Administration : Poor (0/5)
Education : Poor (2/5)
Plurality : 7.5%
Militancy : 10.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce (0), Culture* (0), Industry (0)
Player : naxhi24
Income : £ 21 m.
Expenses : £ 18 m.
Treasury : £ -119 m.
Army quality : Poor (1/5)
4 infantry and 1 cavalry regiments, 2 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Failing (2/5)
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 1 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.042 m.
Prussia
Tier : Secondary Power (score: 10)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 6.920 m.
Economy : £ 589 m.
Industry : £ 6 m.
Trade : £ 20 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (2/5)
Administration : Poor (4/5)
Education : Adequate (0/5)
Plurality : 7.5%
Militancy : 2.3%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy (0), Commerce* (2), Culture (0), Industry (1)
Player : etranger01
Income : £ 33 m.
Expenses : £ 50 m.
Treasury : £ -161 m.
Army quality : Adequate (0/5) [-1 in 1795, 1800]
62 infantry and 23 cavalry regiments, 25 artillery batteries [emphasis on horse-drawn artillery]
8 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Failing (4/5)
0 ships of the line
2 frigates and 4 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.000 m.
Saxony
Tier : Minor Power (score: 3)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 1.575 m.
Economy : £ 176 m.
Industry : £ 3 m.
Trade : £ 6 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (2/5)
Administration : Poor (3/5)
Education : Poor (2/5)
Plurality : 6.3%
Militancy : 0.1%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy (0), Commerce* (0), Culture (0), Industry (0)
Player :
Income : £ 8 m.
Expenses : £ 5 m.
Treasury : £ -12 m.
Army quality : Poor (3/5)
3 infantry and 1 cavalry regiments, 1 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : N/A
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 0 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.015 m.
Austria
Tier : Great Power (score: 19)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 23.479 m.
Economy : £ 1,936 m.
Industry : £ 18 m.
Trade : £ 63 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (1/5)
Administration : Poor (1/5)
Education : Poor (3/5)
Plurality : 12.3%
Militancy : 0.9%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy (0), Commerce (0), Culture* (2), Industry (0)
Player : Frymonmon
Income : £ 111 m.
Expenses : £ 132 m.
Treasury : £ -564 m.
Army quality : Adequate (0/5)
85 infantry and 34 cavalry regiments, 30 artillery batteries
10 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Poor (0/5)
0 ships of the line
3 frigates and 5 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.136 m.
Sardinia
Tier : Minor Power (score: 6)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 2.717 m.
Economy : £ 310 m.
Industry : £ 4 m.
Trade : £ 11 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (0/5)
Administration : Adequate (0/5)
Education : Poor (3/5)
Plurality : 7.1%
Militancy : 0.2%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce* (1), Culture (2), Industry (0)
Player :
Income : £ 16 m.
Expenses : £ 15 m.
Treasury : £ -41 m.
Army quality : Adequate (0/5)
12 infantry and 4 cavalry regiments, 5 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Poor (0/5)
0 ships of the line
1 frigates and 4 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.014 m.
Naples
Tier : Secondary Power (score: 7)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 5.088 m.
Economy : £ 584 m.
Industry : £ 6 m.
Trade : £ 17 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (2/5)
Administration : Adequate (0/5)
Education : Poor (0/5)
Plurality : 7.9%
Militancy : 1.1%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce* (0), Culture (2), Industry (0)
Player : Cloud Strife
Income : £ 27 m.
Expenses : £ 21 m.
Treasury : £ -124 m.
Army quality : Poor (2/5)
5 infantry and 1 cavalry regiments, 2 artillery batteries
1 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Poor (0/5)
4 ships of the line
5 frigates and 3 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.051 m.
Venice
Tier : Minor Power (score: 5)
Government : Democracy [elections in 1797]
Ideology : Liberal
Population : 2.805 m.
Economy : £ 297 m.
Industry : £ 3 m.
Trade : £ 13 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (3/5)
Administration : Adequate (0/5)
Education : Poor (2/5)
Plurality : 23.0%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce* (1), Culture (1), Industry (0)
Player : Spitfire5793
Income : £ 13 m.
Expenses : £ 13 m.
Treasury : £ -72 m.
Army quality : Poor (0/5)
2 infantry and 0 cavalry regiments, 1 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Poor (2/5)
8 ships of the line
5 frigates and 7 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.025 m.
Spain
Tier : Great Power (score: 20)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Liberal
Population : 11.749 m.
Economy : £ 1,312 m.
Industry : £ 20 m.
Trade : £ 76 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (3/5)
Administration : Good (0/5)
Education : Poor (3/5)
Plurality : 6.1%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy* (2), Commerce (2), Culture (0), Industry (1)
Player : Harpsichord
Income : £ 115 m. [tithe goes to the state]
Expenses : £ 99 m.
Treasury : £ -400 m.
Army quality : Adequate (2/5)
20 infantry and 8 cavalry regiments, 10 artillery batteries
3 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Adequate (4/5)
37 ships of the line
35 frigates and 25 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.064 m.
Spanish Caribbean
Population : 0.962 m.
Economy : £ 64 m.
Income : £ 2 m.
Military Garrison
3 colonial and 2 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
7 frigates and 9 smaller ships
New Spain
Population : 7.123 m.
Economy : £ 483 m.
Income : £ 4 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 5 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
1 frigates and 3 smaller ships
Spanish South America
Population : 5.712 m.
Economy : £ 349 m.
Income : £ 3 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 4 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 4 smaller ships
Spanish Philippines
Population : 1.733 m.
Economy : £ 101 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 2 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 5 smaller ships
Portugal
Tier : Minor Power (score: 6)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 2.937 m.
Economy : £ 300 m.
Industry : £ 3 m.
Trade : £ 14 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (0/5)
Administration : Poor (2/5)
Education : Poor (3/5)
Plurality : 6.7%
Militancy : 0.1%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce* (1), Culture (1), Industry (0)
Player : Terraferma
Income : £ 23 m.
Expenses : £ 20 m.
Treasury : £ -69 m.
Army quality : Poor (3/5)
2 infantry and 1 cavalry regiments, 1 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Adequate (0/5)
10 ships of the line
8 frigates and 12 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.016 m.
Brazil
Population : 3.351 m.
Economy : £ 214 m.
Income : £ 1 m.
Military Garrison
3 colonial and 4 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
1 frigates and 3 smaller ships
Portuguese Africa
Population : 1.395 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 64 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 2 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 2 smaller ships
Portuguese East Indies
Population : 4.542 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 261 m.
Income : £ 6 m.
Military Garrison
1 colonial and 2 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 4 smaller ships
Denmark
Tier : Minor Power (score: 4)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Liberal
Population : 1.798 m.
Economy : £ 136 m.
Industry : £ 1 m.
Trade : £ 6 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (0/5)
Administration : Failing (4/5) [-1 in 1794]
Education : Poor (4/5)
Plurality : 7.4%
Militancy : 2.1%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce (0), Culture* (1), Industry (1)
Player : baboushreturns
Income : £ 10 m.
Expenses : £ 20 m.
Treasury : £ -56 m.
Army quality : Poor (3/5)
2 infantry and 0 cavalry regiments, 1 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 0 Cossack units
Navy quality : Adequate (3/5)
15 ships of the line
10 frigates and 18 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.006 m.
Danish Caribbean
Population : 0.029 m.
Economy : £ 2 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 1 smaller ships
Danish Africa
Population : 0.138 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 5 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 1 smaller ships
Danish India
Population : 0.579 m.
Economy : £ 32 m.
Income : £ 1 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 2 smaller ships
Sweden
Tier : Minor Power (score: 6)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 3.296 m.
Economy : £ 319 m.
Industry : £ 2 m.
Trade : £ 10 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (2/5)
Administration : Adequate (4/5)
Education : Adequate (0/5)
Plurality : 4.2%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (1), Commerce (1), Culture* (0), Industry (0)
Player : Korona
Income : £ 16 m.
Expenses : £ 18 m.
Treasury : £ -41 m.
Army quality : Adequate (2/5)
7 infantry and 2 cavalry regiments, 3 artillery batteries
1 engineer and 0 Cossack units
Navy quality : Poor (4/5)
7 ships of the line
12 frigates and 8 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.020 m.
Swedish Caribbean
Population : 0.015 m.
Economy : £ 1 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 1 smaller ships
Poland
Tier : Minor Power (score: 4)
Government : Absolute Monarchy [personal union with Russia]
Ideology : Reactionary
Population : 9.798 m.
Economy : £ 641 m.
Industry : £ 4 m.
Trade : £ 12 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (0/5)
Administration : Poor (2/5)
Education : Poor (3/5)
Plurality : 6.2%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy (0), Commerce (0), Culture* (2), Industry (1)
Player :
Income : £ 24 m.
Expenses : £ 27 m.
Treasury : £ -172 m.
Army quality : Failing (3/5)
5 infantry and 2 cavalry regiments, 3 artillery batteries
1 engineer and 0 Cossack units
Navy quality : Failing (2/5)
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 2 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.109 m.
Russia
Tier : Great Power (score: 26)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Reactionary
Population : 31.158 m.
Economy : £ 2,127 m.
Industry : £ 14 m.
Trade : £ 42 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (2/5)
Administration : Adequate (2/5)
Education : Poor (2/5)
Plurality : 4.5%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (2), Navy (1), Commerce (1), Culture* (2), Industry (0)
Player : Sneakyflaps
Income : £ 141 m.
Expenses : £ 274 m.
Treasury : £ -694 m.
Army quality : Good (0/5)
163 infantry and 27 cavalry regiments, 105 artillery batteries
12 engineer and 83 Cossack units
Navy quality : Adequate (3/5)
45 ships of the line
25 frigates and 27 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.274 m.
Russian North America
Population : 0.176 m. [including natives]
Economy : £ 12 m.
Income : £ 0 m.
Military Garrison
0 colonial and 0 local regiments
Naval Squadron
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 0 smaller ships
Ottomans
Tier : Secondary Power (score: 15)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 28.372 m.
Economy : £ 1,881 m.
Industry : £ 11 m.
Trade : £ 38 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (2/5)
Administration : Adequate (1/5)
Education : Poor (1/5) [+1 in 1795, 1800]
Plurality : 3.9%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce (0), Culture* (1), Industry (0)
Player : XVG
Income : £ 90 m.
Expenses : £ 88 m.
Treasury : £ -130 m.
Army quality : Poor (3/5)
60 infantry and 20 cavalry regiments, 24 artillery batteries
5 engineer and 53 sekban units
Navy quality : Adequate (0/5)
20 ships of the line
32 frigates and 16 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.180 m.
Persia
Tier : Minor Power (score: 3)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 6.165 m.
Economy : £ 379 m.
Industry : £ 1 m.
Trade : £ 5 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (1/5)
Administration : Poor (3/5)
Education : Failing (3/5)
Plurality : 3.7%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce* (1), Culture (0), Industry (0)
Player :
Income : £ 7 m.
Expenses : £ 5 m.
Treasury : £ 15 m.
Army quality : Failing (4/5)
5 infantry and 4 cavalry regiments, 1 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 6 irregular units
Navy quality : Failing (3/5)
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 2 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.061 m.
Afghanistan
Tier : Minor Power (score: 4)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 13.951 m.
Economy : £ 778 m.
Industry : £ 2 m.
Trade : £ 8 m.
Infrastructure : Failing (3/5)
Administration : Poor (1/5)
Education : Failing (2/5)
Plurality : 3.7%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy (0), Commerce* (0), Culture (0), Industry (0)
Player : Ranger900
Income : £ 13 m.
Expenses : £ 10 m.
Treasury : £ 27 m.
Army quality : Poor (2/5)
8 infantry and 7 cavalry regiments, 0 artillery batteries
0 engineer and 10 irregular units
Navy quality : N/A
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 0 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.151 m.
Maratha
Tier : Minor Power (score: 13)
Government : Absolute Monarchy
Ideology : Conservative
Population : 71.852 m.
Economy : £ 4,004 m.
Industry : £ 14 m.
Trade : £ 49 m.
Infrastructure : Poor (0/5)
Administration : Poor (1/5)
Education : Failing (3/5)
Plurality : 3.7%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (0), Navy (0), Commerce* (1), Culture (0), Industry (0)
Player : Dadarian
Income : £ 70 m.
Expenses : £ 44 m.
Treasury : £ 213 m.
Army quality : Poor (2/5)
25 infantry and 8 cavalry regiments, 3 artillery batteries [one de Boigne brigade]
0 engineer and 45 irregular units
Navy quality : Failing (2/5)
0 ships of the line
0 frigates and 3 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.139 m.
USA
Tier : Secondary Power (score: 11)
Government : Democracy [next election 1796]
Ideology : Liberal
Population : 5.914 m.
Economy : £ 593 m.
Industry : £ 10 m.
Trade : £ 32 m.
Infrastructure : Adequate (0/5)
Administration : Good (0/5)
Education : Adequate (2/5)
Plurality : 17.8%
Militancy : 0.0%
Social reforms : None
Technology : Army (1), Navy (1), Commerce* (2), Culture (1), Industry (1)
Player : Stormbringer
Income : £ 28 m.
Expenses : £ 28 m.
Treasury : £ 8 m.
Army quality : Adequate (2/5)
10 infantry and 2 cavalry regiments, 4 artillery batteries
1 engineer and 0 irregular units
Navy quality : Adequate (3/5)
0 ships of the line
12 frigates and 7 smaller ships
Manpower : 0.064 m.
The Nizam of Hyderabad, surprisingly, had turned away the General de Brognie, hitherto invincible and unbreakable. Sadly, the adventurer was just that, an adventurer, and his stock in the Marathan court fell as a result. However, following a desperate plea in which to regain his force of arms and his honour, another host was assembled in which to overthrow the Nizam and bring about victory in the name of the Peshwa. The East India Company, long a source of discontent and ire, would be ignored. A policy of mutual ignorance, whereas actions by the EIC would be ignored in non-Marathan territory as a bribe in which to not respond to the pleas of the Nizam was quietly offered to the EIC. The Nizam was afterall a monotheist, cow eating dog.
With the worrying news coming out of Amsterdam alarming the Emperor, himself having take the mantle of progumulating reforms aimed to strengthen the state and to stymie the potential revolutionary zeal of the populace, he quickly reached out to the King of Prussia to see if a solution could be found.
After consultation with the King, and working closely with King Charles of Burgundy, the Emperor announced the Munich Declaration, which stipulated that the Habsburgs, along with the Kingdoms of Prussia and Burgundy, would intervene in the Netherlands to ensure the stability of the state and to ensure competent leadership was installed to prevent a revolutionary uprising that had occurred elsewhere in Europe.
The Emperor allocated a sizeable force to march with Burgundians, aimed at restoring order to the region. The Emperor had no strong prejudice to either side in the conflict, he himself was far more preoccupied with the resumption of peace,
and a government which would not see significant unrest. Many believed the Emperor's intent was to seek the restoration of the Republic, which had presided peacefully over the country before William V has usurped it.
In the interests of general peace and the promotion of security and fair trade across Europe the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Denmark have come to the following agreement.
I. The Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Denmark agree to enter into a full military alliance together.
II. The Kingdom of Denmark agrees to exempt Austrian merchants from the Sound Toll and both parties agree to mutually lower tariffs.
III. The Austrian Empire agrees to dispatch a corp of officers and military experts to Denmark in order to assist in the training of the Danish army in the field of modern warfare.
[X]-Emperor Leopold II
[X]-King Christian VII of Denmark
[X] Leopold II, By the Grace of God, Holy Roman Emperor; King of Germany, Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia and Lodomeria, Rama, Serbia, Cumania and Bulgaria; Archduke of Austria; Duke of Lorraine, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Grand Duke of Etruria; Grand Prince of Transylvania; Margrave of Moravia, Prince of Brabant, Limburg, Luxembourg, Geldern, Württemberg, Upper and Lower Silesia, Milan, Mantua, Parma, Piacenza, Guastalla, Auschwitz and Zatoria, Calabria, Bar, Ferrete and Teschen; Lord of Svevia and Charleville; Count of Habsburg, Flanders, Hannonia, Kyburg, Gorizia, Gradisca; Margrave of Burgau, Upper and Lower Lusatia, Pont-a-Mousson and Nomenum, Count of Provinces of Namur, Valdemons, Albimons, Count of Zütphen, Sarverda, Salma and Falkenstein, Lord of the Wend Margravate and Mechelen, etc.
I. The Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire agree to promoting and working in a friendly and cordial relationship.
II. Both signatories shall lower tariffs on goods and promote friendly business practices and interactions between the two powers.
III. The Russian Empire shall send a delegation of Russian Officers, Instructors, Engineers, and all other pertinent military officers to the Kingdom of Sweden as to achieve the goal of modernizing and building up the Royal Swedish Army.
IV. The Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Sweden agree to enter a defensive alliance, wherein either signatory shall come to the aid of the other when defending against a hostile army.
[X] Charles, Duke of Södermanland and Regent of the Kingdom of Sweden for His Majesty Gustav IV Adolf, King of Sweden
[X] Count Ivan Andreyevich Osterman, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of her Imperial Majesty, Empress Catherine of Russia
I am making the new map, but it is not finished yet. If I finish it before the next update I will put it up. If not, we will just have a new map starting next week. In the meantime, if you are unsure of something map-related go ahead and ask me.
Orders are due on Thursday so I can write the update on Friday. Please get them in early if you can.
I. The Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire agree to promoting and working in a friendly and cordial relationship.
II. Both signatories shall lower tariffs on goods and promote friendly business practices and interactions between the two powers.
III. The Russian Empire shall send a delegation of Russian Officers, Instructors, Engineers, and all other pertinent military officers to the Kingdom of Sweden as to achieve the goal of modernizing and building up the Royal Swedish Army.
IV. The Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Sweden agree to enter a defensive alliance, wherein either signatory shall come to the aid of the other when defending against a hostile army.
[X] Charles, Duke of Södermanland and Regent of the Kingdom of Sweden for His Majesty Gustav IV Adolf, King of Sweden
[] Representative for Empress Catherine of Russia
I pray that this correspondence finds you in good health, and that my messenger is spared the barbarities usually inflicted upon my men at your hands. AsGeneral of the Armies, and chief representative of the citizens of Saint-Domingue, it is my wish to remind you that your presence in this colony, the lawful territory of the French Republic, is in violation of the 1792 Treaty of Calais. The attempted occupation of this colony by the British Crown is in violation of international law and, by its barbarous actions, of Christian decency. I ask that you desist in this belligerence and allow the citizens of Saint-Domingue to live as free and equal citizens. Liberty and Equality are our aims - though these terms come to us through France, they are not alien to your country, the land of the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Though we are citizens of the French Republic, we are before that free citizens of the world. We are prepared, if you are interested in such an accommodation, to pay allegiance to His Majesty King George III, on several conditions, the foremost being the complete and total abolition of slavery on this island. This is our supreme objective and the only that shall not be compromised upon. We have endured the shackles and the whip for centuries - not a moment more. If such an accommodation is to your interest, I would be pleased to negotiate the terms of such in person.
If such an accommodation cannot be made, then I at least ask that this war be waged by more decent methods. I will restrain my men from further massacres of the White Man if you cease your blockade of the island and allow food and trade to freely flow, as it once did. By these means we may fight as Scipio and Hannibal, rather than as two famished dogs over a piece of bone.
In either or neither insistence, I pray that peace will return to this land, and to our peoples, by the Providence of the Almighty and intercession of the Angels.
Soldiers of the bombardier and mortar corps of the Ottoman military, the humbaracılar.
Mühendishâne-i Berrî-i Hümâyun
After the reopening of printing presses in the capital and establishment of new schools under the Enderûn to provide the Empire with reformists intelligible with the European languages, Selim III could finally turn to properly initiating desperately needed military reforms. The modernization of the navy had already been initiated with the naval school Mühendishâne-i Bahrî-i Hümâyun and other reforms of Gazi Hasan Pasha, but the situation with the land army was far more complicated due to the presence of monolithic corps with huge political influence that were effectively blocking meaningful reforms in fears of losing ancient privileges. Thus the start had to be slow and discreet, and reform initiated in the smallest units of the army, hopefully utilizing the few remnants and legacy of various military-technical schools of limited past reforms. The greatest advocators for the creation of the first Ottoman army school were two modest and relatively unknown reformers who nevertheless had been in great contact with Europe; Ebubekir Ratip Efendi, ambassador to the Austrian court and Mouradgea d’Ohsson, an interpreter working for the Swedish ambassador in Constantinople. The plan for the establishment of the Imperial military school was filed to the Sultan and his divan in early 1793, and following changes turned into an official degree. The two advocates had asked for the establishment of a highly academic military school for all military branches with the help of foreign experts, a quite ambitious and gigantic plan. D’Ohsson, of Armenian origins, additionally asked for the inclusion of non-Muslim students.
However, the initial draft was quite obviously considered far too radical and potentially risky and thus had to be tuned down, Selim III after further advise and councelling limiting the plan to simply the technical corps of the kapikulu, the humbaracıs and lağımcıs or bombardiers and miners, these two engineering units among the smallest in the Ottoman army yet also greatly in need of modernization after European example and creation of a more academic training regimen. The bombardiers even had their own school already, no matter how primitive, one established in 1729 by Humbaracı Ahmet Pasha, a French convert to Islam who had served under Ahmed III and Mahmud I, having been instrumental in allowing the Ottoman military to regain its strength and gain a victory over Austria at the Treaty of Belgrade of 1739. Selim III was however wary of protests if he were to follow this example and staff his school with foreigners, further decreeing that the teachers of the institution had to be Ottoman citizens. The first staff of the Imperial School of Military Engineering comprised of five scholars; Hüseyin Rıfkı Tamani, İbrâhim Kâmi, Hâfız Seyyid İbrâhim Edhem and Elhac Hâfız Abdullah under Abdurrahman Efendi, a professor experienced in geometry and algebra. Furthermore, despite of the school’s nature as an academic institution to professionalize and modernize the mortar and miner corps, Selim III decreed that civilians could also enroll, in order to provide the Empire with more skilled civil engineers for various important construction tasks aimed at restoring vital infrastructure and revitalize trade. The school was to be constructed attached to the barracks of the technical corps in Hasköy on the northern bank of the Golden Horn, away from the sight of potentially jealous elements in the janissary, topçu and cebeci units. The curriculum was to include French, advanced mathematics and ballistics amongst many other subjects for students to specialize in.
After fruitful talks with the King of Prussia and the King of Burgundy, aided by our allies in Denmark, the Hapsburg Monarchy declares that there is a state of war now existing between the previously mentioned parties and the soldiers and men under William V. We undertake this action as a means to preserve the delicate balance of peace in Europe, and to ensure the pleas of the people are heard, and the terror of France is not repeated on the soil of another European county.
The recent proclamation by the Holy Roman Emperor comes as most shocking and appalling. To attack a fellow monarch facing unrest in similar fashion to that of the late French King who was so recently executed is inexcusable. To support the overthrow of a monarchy is too far. The proclamation of Austria that it acts to preserve the balance of power in Europe goes against all actions committed by the Holy Roman Emperor. Recognizing the false French state, leaving the Emperor’s own family members in the hands of revolutionaries. The establishment of the Duchy of Burgundy in such a state that it poses a risk revolutionary tendencies, along with the trade of Bavaria destabilizing the entirety of central Europe, breaking up century old traditions in the process. The act of declaring war upon a fellow monarch and sovereign, in the supposed aim of “and to ensure the pleas of the people are heard” is the final straw. We ask that Burgundy, Prussia, Denmark-Norway and the rest of Europe joins us in this condemnation of Austrian aggression and that the Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, stands down at once to stop more carnage.
The declaration made by our Austrian counterpart is most appaling and against all customs of diplomacy and respect to national sovereignity. Not only is our Austrian counterpart completely oblivious to centuries of history and hard won independence from his (not so distant) relatives, but also tentatively supports their recognition of the revolution in France and the butchering of their own kin, further instability in the Empire with the Burgundian/Bavarian annexations, but now also the overthrowal of a government formed in direct support of the very old order the Holy Roman Emperor apparently now opposes. These very revolutionaries rose five years prior, with the very intent of establishing what has now been established in France. One could even say that the true danger to the European old order now lies in Vienna, not Paris.
Furthermore, we sincerely hope that the rumors of a stinging betrayal of the Kingdom of Prussia to their staunch Dutch allies, bound by treaty and marriage, for the Prins is brother-in-law to the Prussian King himself, is nothing more then vile slander, for a violation of such holy bounds and recognized international treaties would surely reflect poor upon the reputation of the Prussian King(dom). We urge his Majesty to rally to his family against Habsburg imperialism and their attempt to curtail the freedom and sovereignity of the empire and its neighbours.
Finally, we thank the Russian Empire for standing up against this injustice and for the continued stability of Europe in the face of dangerous revolutionary movements. We similarily urge all other European nations to take a stand against this injustice and blatant war of aggression meant to ensure complete Austrian dominance over Central Europe.
The letter addressed to Admiral Philip Affleck, Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station was received by the Foreign Office at the behest of the aforementioned; having viewed the contents of said letter myself it was then forwarded to the Lord Grenville, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and from there was received by the cabinet at his behest. Following consultations - both within cabinet and with His Majesty - I am pleased to inform you that we are open to negotiating Saint-Domingue's absorption into the Kingdom of Great Britain as a slave-free colony.
Naturally, we have a number of conditions that would need to be met to ensure our acceptance of such a state of affairs: namely the stationing of military units to ensure order, and with that the absorption or disbanding of your own forces, as well as the structure of the colonial government. Envoys will be dispatched posthaste to begin said negotiations and we can consider ourselves in a state of ceasefire for the time being - provided of course that both sides refrain from harming civilians. Our blockade shall not cease for the time being, however shipments of food will be permitted so as to ensure that starvation does not occur.
Sincerely,
Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Due to our alliance with the Austria and our own concerns about the safety and stability of Europe in this trying times, the Danish crown will answer the Emperor's call to war and will devote itself to the war effort with its full might. We pray to God for glorious and speedy victory.
His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Council of Regents is most upset at Denmark's most recent aggressive movements. The Principality of the Netherlands stands free, and the declaration of war upon the Prince of the Netherlands is an egregious violation of the unstable balance of power that has persisted upon Europe since the Revolution that saw the death of His Majesty the King of France. Additionally, the Kingdom of Denmark seems to be capitalizing upon a fellow monarch, akin to a vulture picking at carrions. Thus, His Majesty the King of Sweden and His Council of Regents will not and shall not tolerate any more rampant warmongering by the Kingdom of Denmark, and is most displeased to announce that a state of war now exists between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Kingdom of Denmark.
Issued by Charles, Duke of Södermanland Regent of the Kingdom of Sweden on behalf of King Gustav IV Adolf
Upset by the painfully and wilfully ignorant lack of mental facilities, the Habsburg Monarchy finds that, beholden to its obligations with the Kingdom of Denmark, finds itself at war with Sweden.
