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To be perfectly honest, I didn't do anything special to account for the loss of the USA from the world stage, balance wise. While I can't do anything short of entering new code to account for it, I will keep historical facts in mind and try to reshape them to my ends. For the lack of a better explanation, the actual Victoria game is just a means of expanding upon the narrative, as well as adding to it in the case of the "Mediterranean War" which was not something I intended on having as such. And as far as immigration/emigration goes, as far as I keep the Empire the shining beacon of civilization, so to speak, that should convince some people to come over and prevent others from leaving.
Chapter Three:
A Change In Direction
The Aftermath
On 13 November 1846, Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel resigned following the public uproar over the outcome of the Mediterranean War. Although the British Empire had gained territorially, the end cost of the conflict did not justify the comparatively meager land the Empire had acquired. As the Conservative Party scrambled to appoint a replacement, a disturbing fact would come to light much closer to home.
Phytophthora infestans, more commonly known as potato blight, had begun to take root in Ireland in September of 1845. The blight spread throughout the country, adversely affecting the potato crop which affected the Irish especially given that a third of their population relied on potatoes for food. Over the next few years, famine would ravish the Irish countryside, leaving hundreds of thousands dead. Up to a million addition Irish immigrated to the colonies in British North America or elsewhere. This entire tragedy was seemingly obscured by the Mediterranean War.
An Irish Family Affected by the Famine (1847)
County Galway, Ireland
When the Irish Famine became public knowledge, blame was placed solely on the Conservative Party and the inaction of Prime Minister Peel. With the Conservatives disgraced, it seemed as though the Whigs would assume premiership of the United Kingdom following the impending election. In response, the Conservative leadership worked fast to come up with a solution which they found in a young writer and junior statesman from London.
Benjamin Disraeli was born on 21 December 1804 and had grown up groomed for a career in law. From the late 1820’s until the early 1840’s, he wrote a series of novels, more so motivated out of a need for money than a true desire to be a writer. In 1837, Disraeli was first elected to Parliament as a Tory, the precursor to the Conservative Party, for the constituency of Maidstone. Even though he was a Conservative, Disraeli was sympathetic to the cries of the common man and was among the group of MPs responsible for the passing of some of the Chartists requests shortly before the Mediterranean War. But more importantly, Disraeli had become a sharp critical of Prime Minister Peel.
With their candidate found, the Conservatives went into the election with a newfound sense of optimism. Their plan for success was simple. Place the blame for the losses in the Mediterranean War and the Irish Famine solely on Peel and push Disraeli forward as a member of a “new” Conservative party that would strive to correct the mistakes of the past.
Election Day came and the nation held its breath. The next day it was announced that the Conservative Party had emerged victorious, claiming 68.5% of the vote compared to the Whigs’ 31.5%. Their gambit had worked, the Conservatives would remain in power, and Benjamin Disraeli became the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Benjamin Disraeli (1852)
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Bear Flag Revolt
As the political turmoil in the United Kingdom cooled down, British North America was suddenly presented with an opportunity to wrestle more land away from Mexico. British Army Major John Charles Frémont had been dispatched to the Mexican-controlled land along the west coast. Once there, he was instructed to stir up discontent amongst the predominantly non-Mexican settlers. A group of thirty three men would storm the town center in Sonoma and proclaim the California Republic independent of Mexico. Additional forces were sent to reinforce Frémont who was ordered to seize control of the Republic from President William Ide. Unable to stop his troops, the Republic fell under British administration and Frémont marched his troops south to confront the advancing Mexicans. Against orders, Frémont would continue over the Mexican border and also capture the Lower California Peninsula. Seeing additional land in their hands, military leaders saw no reason to discipline him as such.
Major John Charles Frémont
British Forces North America (BFNA)
Simulation of the Formation of the California Republic (1847)
The Italian Revolution
Much closer to home, open rebellion had begun to spread across the Italian Peninsula as the states there began to strike out against the Austrians that had suppressed the region for so long. Not wanted to be embroiled in another Mediterranean War, the Empire simply increased its garrisons in Lucca and Sicily and decided to wait the affair out rather than intervene.
Simulation of the Outbreak of the Italian Revolution (1847)
Lombardy and Veneita Breakaway from Austria
A Change In Direction
The Aftermath
On 13 November 1846, Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel resigned following the public uproar over the outcome of the Mediterranean War. Although the British Empire had gained territorially, the end cost of the conflict did not justify the comparatively meager land the Empire had acquired. As the Conservative Party scrambled to appoint a replacement, a disturbing fact would come to light much closer to home.
Phytophthora infestans, more commonly known as potato blight, had begun to take root in Ireland in September of 1845. The blight spread throughout the country, adversely affecting the potato crop which affected the Irish especially given that a third of their population relied on potatoes for food. Over the next few years, famine would ravish the Irish countryside, leaving hundreds of thousands dead. Up to a million addition Irish immigrated to the colonies in British North America or elsewhere. This entire tragedy was seemingly obscured by the Mediterranean War.
An Irish Family Affected by the Famine (1847)
County Galway, Ireland
When the Irish Famine became public knowledge, blame was placed solely on the Conservative Party and the inaction of Prime Minister Peel. With the Conservatives disgraced, it seemed as though the Whigs would assume premiership of the United Kingdom following the impending election. In response, the Conservative leadership worked fast to come up with a solution which they found in a young writer and junior statesman from London.
Benjamin Disraeli was born on 21 December 1804 and had grown up groomed for a career in law. From the late 1820’s until the early 1840’s, he wrote a series of novels, more so motivated out of a need for money than a true desire to be a writer. In 1837, Disraeli was first elected to Parliament as a Tory, the precursor to the Conservative Party, for the constituency of Maidstone. Even though he was a Conservative, Disraeli was sympathetic to the cries of the common man and was among the group of MPs responsible for the passing of some of the Chartists requests shortly before the Mediterranean War. But more importantly, Disraeli had become a sharp critical of Prime Minister Peel.
With their candidate found, the Conservatives went into the election with a newfound sense of optimism. Their plan for success was simple. Place the blame for the losses in the Mediterranean War and the Irish Famine solely on Peel and push Disraeli forward as a member of a “new” Conservative party that would strive to correct the mistakes of the past.
Election Day came and the nation held its breath. The next day it was announced that the Conservative Party had emerged victorious, claiming 68.5% of the vote compared to the Whigs’ 31.5%. Their gambit had worked, the Conservatives would remain in power, and Benjamin Disraeli became the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Benjamin Disraeli (1852)
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Bear Flag Revolt
As the political turmoil in the United Kingdom cooled down, British North America was suddenly presented with an opportunity to wrestle more land away from Mexico. British Army Major John Charles Frémont had been dispatched to the Mexican-controlled land along the west coast. Once there, he was instructed to stir up discontent amongst the predominantly non-Mexican settlers. A group of thirty three men would storm the town center in Sonoma and proclaim the California Republic independent of Mexico. Additional forces were sent to reinforce Frémont who was ordered to seize control of the Republic from President William Ide. Unable to stop his troops, the Republic fell under British administration and Frémont marched his troops south to confront the advancing Mexicans. Against orders, Frémont would continue over the Mexican border and also capture the Lower California Peninsula. Seeing additional land in their hands, military leaders saw no reason to discipline him as such.
Major John Charles Frémont
British Forces North America (BFNA)
Simulation of the Formation of the California Republic (1847)
The Italian Revolution
Much closer to home, open rebellion had begun to spread across the Italian Peninsula as the states there began to strike out against the Austrians that had suppressed the region for so long. Not wanted to be embroiled in another Mediterranean War, the Empire simply increased its garrisons in Lucca and Sicily and decided to wait the affair out rather than intervene.
Simulation of the Outbreak of the Italian Revolution (1847)
Lombardy and Veneita Breakaway from Austria
can the British acctually profit from anything that has just happened? The Italian revolution will be over soon, and the Mexicans won't linger long before acting...
Well, it's sort of a combination between "conquer as much as I can" and "keeping the Empire a unified singular unit". VIP:R is essentially a narrative tool in this case, covering plot developments and such I wouldn't have come up with otherwise in addition to keeping me in line with revolts and such.
I think in part Britain is not so much seeking to profit, but to prevent others from profiting where she cannot.
Chapter Three:
A Change In Direction
The Anglo-Mexican War
With the liberation of California, the Mexicans began staging retaliatory strikes along the border with British North America. Many throughout the Empire viewed the prospect of a major conflict with Mexico as foolish and potentially deleterious to public opinion so soon after the Mediterranean War debacle. However, the leaders of the British Army in North America had a different perspective on the matter and presented two very important points. The first was that the military of British North America had emerged practically unaffected from the Mediterranean War, unlike their comrades in the United Kingdom. And secondly, and most importantly in their opinion, was that their opponents were not European. The Mexicans were considerably weaker and less advanced than the French or any of the other powers in Europe. Their country had been wracked with turmoil and their army was ill equipped. Little did they know that their one argument, that they “weren’t European”, would become the guiding principle in British Imperial expansion for the next century. And so, the armies of British North American began marching south, intent on showing the Mexicans the might of the Empire.
The overall war, including the campaigns in California and North Mexico, lasted under a year. British casualties were minimal, with the Empire capturing a large swath of land from the Gulf of California to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mexicans had lost more than a third of their previously held lands and were in no position to put up a prolonged fight. The war would end with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on 2 February 1848 in a cathedral just north of Mexico City, only miles away from the advancing regiments of British troops. The Anglo-Mexican War is seen as the first successful implementation of the Empire’s presiding ideology of direct intervention against “non-European” nations. The British Empire’s second opportunity would come unexpectedly from the Far East in the form of a Christian convert.
Simulation of the Aftermath of the Anglo-Mexican War (1849)
The Taiping Rebellion
Hóng Xiùquán was born in Canton Province, China on 1 January 1814. Over the next five decades, he would become disenfranchised with the local Confucian doctrine and embrace his own interpretation of Christianity. Historians believe this can be traced back to a nervous breakdown Hóng Xiùquán suffered in 1837 after failing the Chinese Civil Service Examination. He amassed tens of thousands of followers and on 20 February 1850 declared himself Heavenly King of the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping and vowed to purge China of Confucianism, Buddhism, and various other folk religions.
The great powers of Europe watched with unease at the events unfolding in China. Many had favorable trade deals with China and did not wish to see them lost, despite the appeal that a Christian China presented. That allure however was too great for the British Empire to resist. They envisioned a new China with the Empire leading it forward and the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping offered them that chance. Military leaders order the British Army and BEIC forces in Hong Kong to mobilize and cross the Chinese borders with orders to offer all due assistance to the Taiping.
Hóng Xiùquán (1860)
Heavenly King of the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping
Simulation of the Status of the Taiping Rebellion (1852)
British and Taiping Forces Contained to South and Central China
A Change In Direction
The Anglo-Mexican War
With the liberation of California, the Mexicans began staging retaliatory strikes along the border with British North America. Many throughout the Empire viewed the prospect of a major conflict with Mexico as foolish and potentially deleterious to public opinion so soon after the Mediterranean War debacle. However, the leaders of the British Army in North America had a different perspective on the matter and presented two very important points. The first was that the military of British North America had emerged practically unaffected from the Mediterranean War, unlike their comrades in the United Kingdom. And secondly, and most importantly in their opinion, was that their opponents were not European. The Mexicans were considerably weaker and less advanced than the French or any of the other powers in Europe. Their country had been wracked with turmoil and their army was ill equipped. Little did they know that their one argument, that they “weren’t European”, would become the guiding principle in British Imperial expansion for the next century. And so, the armies of British North American began marching south, intent on showing the Mexicans the might of the Empire.
The overall war, including the campaigns in California and North Mexico, lasted under a year. British casualties were minimal, with the Empire capturing a large swath of land from the Gulf of California to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mexicans had lost more than a third of their previously held lands and were in no position to put up a prolonged fight. The war would end with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on 2 February 1848 in a cathedral just north of Mexico City, only miles away from the advancing regiments of British troops. The Anglo-Mexican War is seen as the first successful implementation of the Empire’s presiding ideology of direct intervention against “non-European” nations. The British Empire’s second opportunity would come unexpectedly from the Far East in the form of a Christian convert.
Simulation of the Aftermath of the Anglo-Mexican War (1849)
The Taiping Rebellion
Hóng Xiùquán was born in Canton Province, China on 1 January 1814. Over the next five decades, he would become disenfranchised with the local Confucian doctrine and embrace his own interpretation of Christianity. Historians believe this can be traced back to a nervous breakdown Hóng Xiùquán suffered in 1837 after failing the Chinese Civil Service Examination. He amassed tens of thousands of followers and on 20 February 1850 declared himself Heavenly King of the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping and vowed to purge China of Confucianism, Buddhism, and various other folk religions.
The great powers of Europe watched with unease at the events unfolding in China. Many had favorable trade deals with China and did not wish to see them lost, despite the appeal that a Christian China presented. That allure however was too great for the British Empire to resist. They envisioned a new China with the Empire leading it forward and the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping offered them that chance. Military leaders order the British Army and BEIC forces in Hong Kong to mobilize and cross the Chinese borders with orders to offer all due assistance to the Taiping.
Hóng Xiùquán (1860)
Heavenly King of the Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping
Simulation of the Status of the Taiping Rebellion (1852)
British and Taiping Forces Contained to South and Central China
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Good show against Mexico, I hope you can pull off something with China, that continent can prove a real pain..
You, my friend, are one of the best new writers in the forum.
Another great update!
asd
Another great update!
asd
A British-backed Taiping hey? Interesting stuff indeed, a friendly, modernising China will do wonders in later decades I'd imagine, particularly against Russia and Japan
Chapter Three:
A Change In Direction
The Crimean War
Attempts by the Russian Empire to exert control over what was considered the Holy Land erupted into open warfare on 30 July 1853. In opposition to the Russians and their Persian allies were the Ottoman Empire, the French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The British Empire entered into the conflict on a limited basis, providing logistically support and monetary loans to the Ottomans. The Royal Navy, in an effort to let the Empire play more of a roll in the war, devised a daring plan to blockade the Russian Imperial Capital of Saint Petersburg. Known as the Napier Plan, after Admiral Charles Napier, it involved sailing a large portion of the Channel Fleet, which Napier commanded, north into the Baltic Sea before establishing the blockade in the Gulf of Finland. The Channel Fleet encountered fierce resistance from the Russian North Fleet but succeeded in reaching their objective. However, after a few weeks the truth became apparent. The blockade was doing little to support the main theatre of operations in the Black Sea and on the Crimean Peninsula. The Crimean War would peter out over the next few months with neither side achieving any true victory.
Simulation of the Napier Plan (1853)
Blockade of the Imperial Russian Capital of Saint Petersburg
The Termination of the Taiping Intervention
British Imperial and BEIC forces had provided immense military support to Hóng Xiùquán and his Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping. It soon became apparent though that the Taiping were simply too inadequately trained and that no amount of additional outside support would help their cause. Plans were drawn up to seize the currently held Taiping territories and make them a protectorate in South China but that was withdrawn after considerations were made to the reaction of the local population. The British Empire may have had technological supremacy over the Chinese but they were not willing to wage a potentially endless guerrilla war against a hostile population. On 14 March 1856, the Taiping Assistance Force was ordered to return to Hong Kong and all aid shipments to the Heavenly Kingdom were terminated. With the dreams of a Christian China under the dominion of the British rapidly fading, the Empire turned its attention to one of China’s neighbors.
Simulation of the Withdraw of the Taiping Assistance Force (1856)
Withdrawal Along the Canton Corridor south to Hong Kong
The Opening of Japan
The island of Japan had isolated itself from the rest of the world for over two centuries, since it first enacted its policy of Sakoku, or literally “Country in Chains”, policy in 1633. The policies were enacted by the reigning Tokugawa Shogunate and mandated that no one, Japanese or foreigner, could enter or depart the island of Japan under penalty of death. Although the nation had allowed limited trade with foreign powers such as the Dutch and British over the past few decades, transactions with the island nation were still severely hampered. Throughout the 1840’s and early 1850’s, the British North American Continental Congress ordered a series of expeditions to Japan in an effort to open the nation to the world.
The first to arrive in Japan was Commander James Glynn whose mission was to seek the release of eighteen British sailors that had been imprisoned by the Japanese after their ship, the HMS Lagoda, ran aground on the island of Yezo. Glynn and the HMS Preble entered Nagasaki Bay on 17 April 1848 and demanded the release of the sailors under the threat of intervention by the British Empire. With the assistance of the local Dutch forces, the British sailors were released where it was found that they had suffered severely in captivity. After escape attempts they had been confined to cages, where several had died of exposure and one by hanging himself. Upon his return to British North America, Glynn recommended that the Continental Congress open relations with Japan diplomatically, albeit with a significant show of force.
Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry would be in charge of the official expedition to open Japan to British trade. Departing the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, Perry and the HMS Mississippi, HMS Plymouth, HMS Susquehanna, and the HMS Hudson were under orders to establish a trade treaty with the Japanese. On 8 July 1853, his squadron entered Uraga Harbour near the city of Edo, the seat of power for the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Japanese requested that they sail to Nagasaki, the one port that offered limited trade. Perry refused and threatened a naval bombardment if he was not allowed to come ashore to present a letter from the Continental Congress. He delivered the letter to the delegates and departed, promising he would return for a reply. He did so in February 1854 and signed the Treaty of Kanagawa on 31 March 1854 that opened the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to British trade, guaranteed the safety of British sailors, and established a permanent British consul.
By late 1856, most of the British Empire’s concerns in the Far East became centered on Japan. The British had the unique opportunity to shape an entire nation and control its interactions with the outside world. Unlike the Chinese who had been the constant target of abuse from other Great Powers, Japan was unspoiled and ripe for conquest. The perfect target for further expansion
Japanese Print of the Kurofune (Black Ships) representing British Warships (1853)
Named as such fro, the Black Smoke produced by their onboard Coal Power Plants
Japanese Woodblock Print of Commodore Perry (Center) and Other British Sailors(1854)
A Change In Direction
The Crimean War
Attempts by the Russian Empire to exert control over what was considered the Holy Land erupted into open warfare on 30 July 1853. In opposition to the Russians and their Persian allies were the Ottoman Empire, the French Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The British Empire entered into the conflict on a limited basis, providing logistically support and monetary loans to the Ottomans. The Royal Navy, in an effort to let the Empire play more of a roll in the war, devised a daring plan to blockade the Russian Imperial Capital of Saint Petersburg. Known as the Napier Plan, after Admiral Charles Napier, it involved sailing a large portion of the Channel Fleet, which Napier commanded, north into the Baltic Sea before establishing the blockade in the Gulf of Finland. The Channel Fleet encountered fierce resistance from the Russian North Fleet but succeeded in reaching their objective. However, after a few weeks the truth became apparent. The blockade was doing little to support the main theatre of operations in the Black Sea and on the Crimean Peninsula. The Crimean War would peter out over the next few months with neither side achieving any true victory.
Simulation of the Napier Plan (1853)
Blockade of the Imperial Russian Capital of Saint Petersburg
The Termination of the Taiping Intervention
British Imperial and BEIC forces had provided immense military support to Hóng Xiùquán and his Heavenly Kingdom of Taiping. It soon became apparent though that the Taiping were simply too inadequately trained and that no amount of additional outside support would help their cause. Plans were drawn up to seize the currently held Taiping territories and make them a protectorate in South China but that was withdrawn after considerations were made to the reaction of the local population. The British Empire may have had technological supremacy over the Chinese but they were not willing to wage a potentially endless guerrilla war against a hostile population. On 14 March 1856, the Taiping Assistance Force was ordered to return to Hong Kong and all aid shipments to the Heavenly Kingdom were terminated. With the dreams of a Christian China under the dominion of the British rapidly fading, the Empire turned its attention to one of China’s neighbors.
Simulation of the Withdraw of the Taiping Assistance Force (1856)
Withdrawal Along the Canton Corridor south to Hong Kong
The Opening of Japan
The island of Japan had isolated itself from the rest of the world for over two centuries, since it first enacted its policy of Sakoku, or literally “Country in Chains”, policy in 1633. The policies were enacted by the reigning Tokugawa Shogunate and mandated that no one, Japanese or foreigner, could enter or depart the island of Japan under penalty of death. Although the nation had allowed limited trade with foreign powers such as the Dutch and British over the past few decades, transactions with the island nation were still severely hampered. Throughout the 1840’s and early 1850’s, the British North American Continental Congress ordered a series of expeditions to Japan in an effort to open the nation to the world.
The first to arrive in Japan was Commander James Glynn whose mission was to seek the release of eighteen British sailors that had been imprisoned by the Japanese after their ship, the HMS Lagoda, ran aground on the island of Yezo. Glynn and the HMS Preble entered Nagasaki Bay on 17 April 1848 and demanded the release of the sailors under the threat of intervention by the British Empire. With the assistance of the local Dutch forces, the British sailors were released where it was found that they had suffered severely in captivity. After escape attempts they had been confined to cages, where several had died of exposure and one by hanging himself. Upon his return to British North America, Glynn recommended that the Continental Congress open relations with Japan diplomatically, albeit with a significant show of force.
Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry would be in charge of the official expedition to open Japan to British trade. Departing the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, Perry and the HMS Mississippi, HMS Plymouth, HMS Susquehanna, and the HMS Hudson were under orders to establish a trade treaty with the Japanese. On 8 July 1853, his squadron entered Uraga Harbour near the city of Edo, the seat of power for the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Japanese requested that they sail to Nagasaki, the one port that offered limited trade. Perry refused and threatened a naval bombardment if he was not allowed to come ashore to present a letter from the Continental Congress. He delivered the letter to the delegates and departed, promising he would return for a reply. He did so in February 1854 and signed the Treaty of Kanagawa on 31 March 1854 that opened the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to British trade, guaranteed the safety of British sailors, and established a permanent British consul.
By late 1856, most of the British Empire’s concerns in the Far East became centered on Japan. The British had the unique opportunity to shape an entire nation and control its interactions with the outside world. Unlike the Chinese who had been the constant target of abuse from other Great Powers, Japan was unspoiled and ripe for conquest. The perfect target for further expansion
Japanese Print of the Kurofune (Black Ships) representing British Warships (1853)
Named as such fro, the Black Smoke produced by their onboard Coal Power Plants
Japanese Woodblock Print of Commodore Perry (Center) and Other British Sailors(1854)
Last edited:
Aw, I would have loved to see a successful Heavenly Kingdom. Oh well, defeats in AARs make things interesting.
Good luck in Japan!
asd
Good luck in Japan!
asd