Sweden: 1597-1624
The Age of Industrialization
Peasants: Simply Revolting!
This era began with the construction of three new refineries to add to Sweden's burgeoning whisky trade. Shortly after the completion of these manufactories, a series of events began that would end with Sweden posessing the world's largest number of manufactories of every category except the arts. This says as much about the practical character of the Swedish people as it does about their stability costs - the Swedish government has never felt it practical to invest in art when every 5 years some new idea or policy destabilizes the realm. Once the common people learn to accept the orders of the government with complete faith and serenity, we can give them fine art galleries, museums, zoos, and every entertainment, but until then, it would be money down the proverbial toilet
o
During this period, Sweden engaged in two wars; first, with the Mughal Empire - the famous 30 days war. Rather than the 30 years some pundits anticipated Gustavus Adolphus would spend in the east fighting the Mughal hordes, the remarkable general invaded, assaulted, and conquered Ganges in only a month. Following this quick victory, Gustavus Adolphus turned East and sailed to Nippon, where he planned to bring civilization and enlightenment to a quant culture ignorant of the progress of the West. However, the inadequate preparation of Swedish mapmakers, and Adolphus' relative isolation from European communications, lead to a grave misunderstanding that threatened European peace and harmony. Japan was already being civilized, by the noble Dutch traders, who had settled in a northern province unknown to Vasa's expedition. When this was discovered, Adolphus worried that the Dutch might be so offended as to make war on the Swedish fatherland, but the reasonable Dutch offered a white peace which was quickly signed.
Looking for opportunities, Adolphus turned to China, a once powerful state recently humbled by the Spanish and Portugese legions. With Wrangel, his faithful co-commander, Adolphus routed the Chinese forces and captured a second Eastern CoT. His eastern adventures complete, Adolphus left a significant garrison in each of the capture CoT's, and headed for home.
There, he found a country in total disarray, the effect of the recent industrialization. As workers moved from countryside to city to work in the manufactories, considerable discontent emerged from the inadequate conditions in the cities. The government had become so unpopular that citizens were leaving in boats for Argentina, without even the permission of the Spanish government, as Adolphus discovered when the Spanish ambassador issued a formal protest. Reacting quickly, G2A made a formal agreement to purchase colonization rights to those lands from Spain, and gave the departing settlers his blessing. There remains, however, considerable work for the great leader to do in improving the conditions of life for the workers and stabilizing his country to avoid the threat of civil war from dislocated peasants.
