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anonymous4401 said:
No kidding! I was surprised that they accepted that peace offer, actually. I mean, I did have their capitol and quite a few national provinces, but still.
I wish I could figure out what I did with the screenies of the Crimean War. It was amazing how much territory Great Britain had captured. If I remember correctly, they were closing in on Moscow when I got my peace settlement. Then, after I left the provinces I'd captured, they opened another front on the Kola Peninsula.
Thanks for the kind words. It's good to know that people are actually reading after the work I've put in.
Edit: By the way, I enjoy your Abyssynia AAR too. Talk about a hard nation to play.
Chapter 7
September 6, 1853 - March 1, 1854
September 6, 1853:
"Your Majesty?"
"Yes Charles?"
The emperor was finally posing for a royal portrait. It was something that he had wanted to do for a while, but had never quite gotten around to it. I suppose, Charles thought, the unification of all of the lands of the north finally gave him the spark he needed.
"I have just received an envoy from France. They request an alliance."
"Really?"
Maybe it was just a hangover from last night and Charles was being too sensitive, but the emperor seemed more smug today than normal. Surely the conquest of Viipuri and Mariehamn can't have already gone to his head. After all, if it weren't for Charles, Joshua wouldn't have gained a square inch of territory from the Russians. If anyone should be smug about their leadership abilities, it's me --
Charles snapped out of his daze. "Yes, your majesty. And I believe that we should send word back immediately that we accept."
"Do you now?" The emperor looked at Charles out of the corner of his eye smugly.
Why you arrogant son-of-a-bitch, Charles thought, you wouldn't be anything without me. And if it weren't for your generals, the Tsar's troops would have had you under house arrest. And if it weren't for me, you'd still be sitting Indian-style in your chair, staring into the fire like a madman. How dare you talk down to me? -- Of course, Charles would never say any of this to the emperor's face.
"Yes, your majesty. Combined with our alliances with the United Kingdom and Spain, this will neutralize all of Western Europe. And because of your kind treatment of the Tsar, I have the utmost confidence that, if the king so desires, I can even regain an alliance with him."
"Really? With the Tsar?" Joshua's interest was piqued now.
"I believe so, yes. And with the neutralization of all of Europe's Great Powers, you'll be able to invest time and money in the nation's infrastructure, education, technology, and begin to take a deeper interest in crime fighting instead of the military. After all, there are parts of Sweden in which the mafia has a free hand."
"The mafia . . ." Joshua was uninterested and this greatly annoyed Charles. What had happened to his love of the people? Was it gone? Was there something else on the emperor's mind?
"They don't respect your authority. They become more emboldened every day. I am merely an advisor and it's not my place to tell your majesty how to run the country, but I believe that an increase in the crime fighting budget would send a clear message not only to these ruffians, but to the entire country -- especially the newly acquired territories -- about who in really in charge of Sweden."
"Yes, I suppose you're right."
The emperor allowed his mind to wander. Perhaps when the rails are expanded, he should take a train ride to survey his empire. Yes. That's what he would do, and he would make a vacation out of it. Imagine it. A new Hadrian, inspecting the borders of his empire, protecting his people from possible inva--
"Your majesty? What would you have me tell the French?"
"Tell them we accept their offer. And let it be known to the press that they came to us for an alliance, not the other way around."
"Certainly your majesty. Your people will take great pride in that, I am sure."
Charles turned to leave, but was stopped by the emperor once more.
"And Charles? I have an idea. Increase the crime fighting budget. I can't have these mafia idiots thinking they run this country."
Did he really just do that, Charles wondered to himself.
"Certainly, your majesty."
March 1, 1854:
Charles had been watching the emperor all night. There was something different about him. He seemed . . . happy. He was laughing and joking with his guests. Maybe he was just putting on a good show. Maybe he was actually having a good time. Or maybe this was how he always acted at state affairs. Charles wouldn't know. After all, this was the first official dinner to which he had actually been invited. Why is that, he wondered. Either way, it didn't matter. He was here now and he was having fun.
He had never seen Joshua spend so much money on one dinner before, and especially not for so few guests. Aside from the emperor, Charles, Bennear, a few admirals, and some minor Swedish royalty, the only other dignitaries in attendance were the emperor of Austria -- why he was here Charles didn't know. After all, there were plenty of problems to be solved in Austria. -- the emperor's daughter Sara, and a few minor Ottoman officials.
As Joshua rose, the room fell silent. "As you all know, my fellow emperor and I have been in negotiations most of the day. And after some intense negotiations," Joshua looked at the emperor, giving him a joking smile that the emperor returned, "I am proud to tell you all that we have come to an agreement. Tomorrow I will announce to the world my engagement to the princess, Sar--"
The doors opened and a messenger boy entered the room. Though interrupted, Joshua did not seem at all upset. Certainly he realized that it must be urgent for such an intrusion on his celebrations. The emperor and his guests remained quiet as the boy approached Charles, whispered an unintelligible message in his ear, and quickly turned to leave the room. As Charles read the message, he brought one hand up to cover his mouth, which he then raised to scratch his furrowed brow. Though many would simply dismiss this as habit, Joshua, after all of his years with the diplomat, knew that Charles had received some distressing news.
"Well?"
"Sire, you may want to discuss this in private," Charles responded.
"Nonsense. You already know, I will know, and then the military after me. As for everyone else, the Ottomans are our allies, and the Austrian emperor is soon to be my father-in-law. Any problem of mine is a problem of his."
The look on the Germans face showed that he didn't necessarily share this sentiment.
"Fine, sir. The message reads as follows:
'The Black Warrior, a merchant ship from the United States, stopped in Havannah while on its way to New York City from Mobile, Alabama. While docked, Spanish authorities seized the ship, announcing fines in excess of $6,000 for customs violations. When news reached the United States Congress, Southern Congressmen cried for a declaration of war in an attempt to seize Cuba, a possible new slave state. The Northerners, while not anxious to see another slave state enter the Union, agreed to the passage of a bill, after a plea from the president, authorizing force to seize Cuba in an attempt to ease rising tensions in the United States. Many believe that this is also an attempt to broker good will from the Southerners, should the United States attempt the annexation of Quebec from Great Britain. When word reached Madrid, the Spaniards quickly sent a plea for help to Paris. As gentlemen, we have honored our agreement with our Spanish allies. The French people now ask the great Swedish nation to honor our alliance as well.'"
Charles set the letter on the table.
"They're asking us to declare war on Washington, your majesty."
"General?" Joshua turned to face Bennear, the proud new owner of thousands of acres of Finnish farms. "What do you think?"
"Well, your majesty, I believe that, should you declare war, Swedish troops and Swedish ships will never encounter an American soldier if you choose not to place them in harm's way. As per our alliance with the British, we can ask them for a declaration of war as well. And, as you know, they are easily the most powerful nation on Earth. Though their soldiers have lost both battles with America in the past, their ships will prove mighty enough to stop any attempted invasion of Europe, should the Americans be so foolish. My personal belief, though, is that the Americans will not attack anyone but Spain unless they are forced to do so."
"So, basically, you're saying that we can declare war without any great risks to ourselves, correct?"
"I believe so, your majesty. And even if we don't ask Great Britain for their help, the combined French and Spanish navies should be enough to keep the Americans in their own hemisphere. Basically, it will be the same situation we faced in Switzerland."
"Right." The emperor turned to the Ottomans. "If we declare war, will you honor our alliance?"
"Well, sir," the diplomat began, "I will, of course, have to travel back to Istanbul for final approval, but upon hearing the general's assessment of the situation, I am fairly confident that the Ottoman Empire will declare war on the United States as well, should you ask us."
"Wonderful." The emperor turned to Charles, who had sat quietly during all of this, once more. "Charles, I want you to send a message to the French and the Spaniards. Tell them we will honor our alliance and declare war on the Americans. Additionally, ask the United Kingdom and Ottoman Empire," Joshua turned to the Ottomans and smiled, "for a declaration of war."
"Of course, your majesty" Charles replied as he rose to leave.
"Where are you going" the emperor inquired, a look of surprise on his face.
"Sire, I'm going to write our declaration of war, draft a plea for help from the British and the Ottomans, and send our letters of intent to the Spaniards and the French."
"Nonsense, Charles. War can wait until the morning. Tonight I am celebrating my engagement and I want my friends to be in attendance."
Charles sat back down. Did the emperor really just call him a friend? Strange, Charles thought, he doesn't treat me like a friend. He treats me like a servant. Which, of course, I am. Oh well, if the emperor considers me a friend, I will be a friend. As he said, war can wait until tomorrow.
And with that, Charles grabbed his beer and rose for a toast to the emperor and his future wife. . .
Swedish allies in the war against the United States:
The surprise isn't who won the war. The surprise is how it ended. I did a doubletake.
anonymous4401 said:USA! USA! USA!
Sorry, JoshWeber, but I'll be rooting for the USA this time.
Updates in the morning for those who care.
And don't apologize anonymous, I always root for the US in every game I play.
JoshWeber said:Updates in the morning for those who care.
And don't apologize anonymous, I always root for the US in every game I play.
When is this morning? I'm in Korea and it's 1643 hours right now.
anonymous4401 said:
I'm in Texas and it's 2:33 AM right now. I'm not yet tired enough to go to sleep, but I'm not awake enough to write a decent update.
weychun said:
Thanks.
Give me a few minutes and I'll have this next update finished. I have my notes, I have my screenies, and I have a C2 (better than I thought it'd be, actually), so I'm ready to go.
Chapter 8
November 27, 1855
Stockholm Daily Telegram
November 27, 1855After over a year and a half of war, the mighty alliance of Sweden, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Belgium, the Ottoman Empire, and the Two Sicilies has declared that a peace deal has been reached with the United States. Though the emperor wisely kept Swedish soldiers and ships out of harm's way, preferring instead to spend the money on infrastructure and education, Sweden's entry into the war was certainly vital to the war effort. After all, had it not been for Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ottoman Empire would have remained neutral as well. Had this happened, the United States would have almost certainly conquered Cuba and Puerto Rico at the very least. Pessimists envisioned a Spain stripped of all that remains of her once mighty empire.
With the entry of Sweden and her allies into the war, the outcome was never in doubt. Great Britain maintains a strong military presence in North America and has often been called the ruler of the seas. And without the French keeping the British army busy on the continent this time, the United States couldn't rely on the reduced military presence that they saw in the War of 1812.
The United Kingdom swept into the United States en masse, quickly securing the entire Northwestern United States and the area known as New England. Their Spanish counterparts, meanwhile, recaptured Florida, ceeded to the United States in 1819, and part of southern Georgia. Had the battle continued, Spanish foreign ministers assure this writer that they would have soon advanced on Washington DC. The British, though, were less loquacious. They issued a statement that merely said: "This horrible conflict is over. We pray that God finds mercy for the souls that died needlessly. Now, hopefully, we can return to normalcy."
The map included below shows the furthest advance of British and Spanish troops into the United States:
Though the outcome of this conflict was never in any doubt, the real surprise came with the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon. The following map was graciously provided to this newspaper by our emperor, showing the United States' boundaries after the conflict.:
For those readers who are less geographically inclined, allow me to summarize. The United States did not lose one square meter of territory. Provided that the United States was clearly the aggressor in this conflict, this is astounding. However, our emperor, Joshua I, cannot be blamed for the actions taken in Lisbon. After all, he concluded peace with the US on January 30. By doing so he ensured that Sweden upheld its alliance and did not make the average Swede suffer under unnecessary rationing. What more could one wish from a ruler? Not much, I say.
More on this story as it develops.
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Why is the first map spray-painted?
Well, it's doing great so far. But when do we see the Swedes take more action?
Well, it's doing great so far. But when do we see the Swedes take more action?
anonymous4401 said:Why is the first map spray-painted?
Well, it's doing great so far. But when do we see the Swedes take more action?
I thought I had taken a picture of the war, but I couldn't find it. I had to improvise.
Don't worry, I'm still expanding. I start getting pretty dang aggressive within 30 years.
That should be coming pretty soon in this AAR because there are a couple of unproductive periods between now and then that I'll skip. (Well, not unproductive. Just not exciting to read about. "Your majesty, we've expanded the coal mines! ) I just didn't want to risk expanding too much too quickly. And as you can see from the previous posts, I was really worried about Russia deciding that they wanted their land back. Keeping them happy was my primary focus for a while.
Chapter 9
December 8, 1857
December 8, 1857:
Charles strode slowly into the emperor's throne room, fingering the piece of parchment rolled up in his hand. Obviously, Joshua was about to receive some very important news. Once more, though, the emperor could not read the expression on his face. This was different, though. It wasn't the poker face that Charles usually has. It was as if he was staring into outter space. It was as if he wasn't even in the same room as the king. What in the world could cause him to act so stran--
"Charles?" the emperor asked, hoping to knock him out of his dream-like state.
Charles literally jumped when he heard his named. For the first time he looked at the emperor. For the first time he seemed to realized where he was.
"Is there something you need to tell me? Perhaps what's written on that little piece of paper in your hand?"
"Umm, yes, your majesty." Charles cleared his throat. "On July 20 French and Sardini -- *ahem* -- the French and Sardinians met in Plombieres. Louis Napoleon and Cavour discussed their shared vision the future of Italy, with the negotiations lasting a mere four hours. Though the conversations were private, it is known that an increasing program of French intervention on behalf of and outright support of Sardinia-Piedmont was the final outcome. As payment for their support, the French will receive, at a later time, Nice and Savoy while the French recognize Sardinian claims on Lombardy and Venetia."
With that, Charles slowly rolled up the parchment, nervously playing with it once more.
"AND?" The emperor was becoming visibly annoyed and the empress, Sara, former princess of Austria, was becoming increasingly disinterested.
"Umm -- your majesty. We have defensive a pact with Sardinia-Piedmont."
"Wonderful, we have one with France as well! We also have a pact with Prussia and the United Kingdom. I know who our allies are Charles."
"Sire, Lombardy and Venetia are in Austria." That caught Sara's attention. "The Sardinians are laying claim to Austrian land. The Austrians have declared war."
"Oh, bloody hell." The emperor bowed his head forward, resting it in the palm of his hands. In that moment, the only thing that could be heard was his crown falling to the floor, rolling in a circle before finally stopping.
"So, what," Sara began, "these damned Italians want us to declare war on Austria? Not a chance! That is AUSTRIAN land!"
Charles stood there, looking up sheepishly at the empress. This is exactly why he didn't want to deliver the news to the emperor. He faced either the wrath of the Sardinians and the disollution of the alliance he worked so hard to build, or the wrath of his empress, the only one that could supply him with an heir. In this moment, he didn't envy the emperor.
"I can't --"
"You're damned right you can't!" Sara was yelling now, her voice echoing in the throne room. As Charles looked around, he noticed servants poking their heads around corners, listening to their new empress yell at their emperor. Damn, Charles thought, if he backs down, word will spread. People will believe that an Austrian holds the power behind the Swedish throne.
Joshua turned and glared at Sara. "Get me my crown."
Sara snorted. Surely the emperor was joking.
"I am not joking. You get me my crown now."
A show of power! The emperor must have seen the servants as well. Charles was relieved. Now, about the alliance, though . . .
Sara's face turned beet red. She glared at the emperor as, after what seemed like an eternity, she stepped down from her throne, kneeling to retrieve the emperor's wayward crown.
While Sara knelt, the emperor instructed Charles. "We will honor our commitment to the French and the Sardinians." Sara spun towards Joshua, eyes wide with amazement and anger. "HOWEVER! You will instruct the military that we will ONLY perform defensive operations. I do not want any Austrians dying for some silly Sardinian's dream of unifying Italy. That won't ever happen. At least, not in my lifetime."
"Yes your maj--"
Sara rose from the ground. Slowly, she returned the crown to her emperor with a sarcastic bow. When she rose, she slapped the emperor in his face, turning to storm out of the room. To Charles's amazement, Joshua let her go. Though he had to assert his authority, the emperor did love Sara and didn't want her to hurt in any way.
They wouldn't talk again for three weeks. Now, though, it was time for another pseudo-war.
Great update! But how will Sweden conquer the world with pseudo and defensive wars?
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