September 18th, 1769
We have spent the last two years in constant rebuilding, creating new armies and fortifications across the Empire's Italian provinces. This has, however, had an adverse affect on inflation, which has risen by 25%.
January 1st, 1770
A troop of Spanish knights attacked a party of French nobility in Toulouse, and the inevitable war has begun. Spain and the Knights of Rhodes face France, Bavaria, Baden, Cologne and Savoy.
April 12th, 1770
I am beginning to get a little tired of the Swedes, who are pursuing an aggressive scheme of colonial expansion - and constantly dragging us into wars. As soon as one war starts, hordes of little alliances try their luck and declare war themselves, hoping for a payout. This little rant has been provoked by Sweden's declaration of war against the French alliance. We have joined the war, but delivered a stern lecture to our vassal in Sweden of the Empire's mission for peace.
June 6th, 1770
Our forces are on the move, with the intention of liberating our old friends in Saxony from French rule.
July 30th, 1770
Before we can get anywhere, the Swedes have made peace with the French, in return for the colony of Nipigon. Our armies begin the trek back to the border.
December 2nd, 1771
An otherwise dull year is given a bit of interest as plucky Hess declares its independence, once again. It's a pity that there's nothing we can do to help them. We offer some money, but since we can see a large French army on the way, we don't think they'll be able to make much use of it.
July 17th, 1772
Hess has fallen under the French yoke once more.
October 14th, 1772
The English and the Turks (a strange alliance if ever there was one) have declared war on the French alliance, which remains the same as listed above.
October 18th, 1772
For heaven's sake! Sweden may be powerful, but they are still our vassals - and I've had just about enough of their ridiculous warmongering. Now they have tried to bring us into a war with Russia, Austria, Denmark, Scotland, and the Mughal empire. That would mean not only an attack by the infinite armies of Russia, but also two rear attacks by Austria and Denmark. The Seym, still busy digesting the conquests in Italy, refuses point blank to participate in such a war. We tell the Swedes that, and then gain readmission to the alliance they now lead.
October 20th, 1772
The two remaining Uzbek provinces are convulsed with martial spirit, and declare war on the Russian bear. This may be their last mistake.
October 4th, 1774
Spain has taken Bogota from France to conclude their long-running war.
February 9th, 1775
The normally peaceable Portugal has declared war on Spain, the Knights and Venice. Portugal's allies are Algeria, Tunisia, and Aden, who might be able to give the Spanish some trouble along their south coast.
April 10th, 1775
The Uzbeks, presumably through skilful diplomacy, or perhaps abject grovelling, have retained their independence, although the Russians have taken Turgan from them.
September 9th, 1775
Portugal and Spain have reached a white peace agreement.
May 23rd, 1776
France cedes Mecklenburg to England.
June 16th, 1776
The Portugese have a taste for war. They have now declared war against the French alliance, but their allies have refused to support them.
December 30th, 1776
A large revolt breaks out in Genoa over Christmas, and the Praetorian Guard are dispatched from Rome to deal.
April 8th, 1777
Saxony - you can't say they're not fighters. The Democratic Republic of Saxony is re-established, and we begin pumping money into it, to try and ensure its survival.
November 16th, 1777
Another generation of Saxon leaders are to be commemorated as glorious, but unsuccessful, rebels.
THE BOOK OF KAZIMIERZ RATOCZYNSKI (1778-1792)
January 30th, 1779
After years of exhausting war, the Swedes lose Kalmyk to the Russians. Hopefully this will check their martial ambitions.
February 7th, 1779
I don't know what the French do in their conquered territories, but whatever it is, it's unpopular. Hesse has declared independence once again, and we wait for the inevitable backlash from Francezilla.
July 8th, 1779
Hesse remains miraculously independent, after winning a battle against French troops. However, in worse news, the Swedes have decided to declare war on England, the Turk, Nubia and the Uzbeks. We feel compelled to join them on this occasion.
September 23rd, 1779
The Spanish have declared war on us, and the Swedes and Bohemians join in. We do not intend to prosecute the war against Spain with any vigour - our colonial fortresses are strong, and we have no desire to recover Imperial territory in the far West - yet. However, the Venetians are right on our doorstep, so we send a large army to pay a visit to Mantua.
October 21st, 1779
After a brief campaign, England offers us Mecklenburg for peace, which we graciously accept.
November 3rd, 1779
Holding a weak estimation of our worth - as the poet says - the Austrians (alone) have declared war on us. We quickly make peace with Spain for a small number of ducats, and march towards Austria, from two sides.
April 26th, 1780
Austria was, it seems, a paper tiger. While their armies were slogging up through the so-called Holy Roman Empire, we sent four strike forces into their heartland, sacked Vienna and received Moravia as compensation for our trouble. When it came down to King-Emperor vs. Holy Roman Emperor, there could only be one winner.
August 8th, 1780
Spain has been struck by a severe civil war, with most of continental Spain in rebel hands, and many isolated colonies in America (including the Canaries with a level 6 fort and 60,000 troops) fallen to rebels.
August 9th, 1780
The French, with their deserved reputation for honourable conduct, have decided to kick the Spanish while they're down, and have declared war. Austria has joined in on the Spanish side.
August 29th, 1780
The French have a little more to deal with now, as England, Turkey and Nubia declare war on them.
September 8th, 1780
In a war-reduction strategy, the French have ceded Leinster to the Scots.
December 19th, 1780
Everyone round to Tyrol! As winter strikes, there are 140,000 French-led troops in that mountainous region. I suspect there will be fewer by the time the spring thaws come.
February 2nd, 1783
Sweden have decided to beat their ploughshares into swords, and have declared war - bizarrely - against Portugal (Algiers, Tunisia and Aden). The Seym is ready now for a little conquest, so we have decided to play an active part in North Africa. All this land is really Imperial territory, of course, so we feel fully justified.
19th May, 1783
Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a very able Hetman, has been sent to Tunisia with 30,000 picked infantry and 400 cannon.
8th June, 1783
Tunisia is, it seems garrisoned by 56,000 troops. Or should I say, was. We lost some 200 men in the battle, but the Tunisians have been completely annihilated.
14th June, 1783
We cannot annex the Tunisians completely, but we have sent a small expeditionary force round to their small colony near the Cape of Good Hope. Meanwhile, Kosciuszko has boarded ship, and - joined by 20,000 men and 200 cannon from Hellas, is on his way to remonstrate with Algeria.
9th January, 1784
Tunisia has ceded Namaqua (Southern Africa) to us, along with the pitiful amount in their treasury. Our army in Namaqua has been sent to the neighbouring Algerian trading station at Table.
19th May, 1784
After several naval battles off the Barbary Coast, we have finally landed our troops in Algeria. An army of 60,000 awaits us, and Kosciuszko puts them to the sword. Once more there are no survivors.
2nd July, 1784
After the massacre of another 10,000 Algerian troops, we storm the citadel of their capital, and capture it. Kosciuszko raises the Imperial Banner and heads on to Oran.
21st August, 1784
Kosciuszo slays 50,000 more Algerians (taking few losses, his army is down to about 20,000 infantry and 360 guns now). He then tops it by storming Oran. The army is reorganised, with small siege forces heading off to the Atlas mountains, while the main force moves towards Morocco.
1st December, 1784
How many troops are there in Algeria? Kosciuszko has to kill another 70,000 before he gets to Morocco's walls, where he has decided to remain for Christmas.
9th January, 1784
Morocco is ours, and it's time to talk terms. We offer peace to Algeria in return for Oran, Table and Morocco.
11th January, 1784
The Algerians reject our offer, pointing to help certain to be forthcoming from the Portugese, and counter-offer Table. We laugh in their faces, and send 80,000 men from Constantinople to lay siege to Lisbon.
9th September, 1785
As our armies rampage through Algeria, we return to the negotiating table. We point out that the Algerians have no armies, all their provinces are at our mercy, and the Portugese are not going to be coming to help them. The Algerians offer us just Table again, so we burn it and send a colonising party there.
19th July, 1786
Only one Algerian province remains in their hands, but they are still hoping for support from the Portugese, whose capital is about to fall to our victorious armies. We decide that enough is enough, and that Algeria will be annexed. We tell their envoy this, and he leaves muttering about the support that's bound to be on its way from Aden.
24th March, 1787
Algeria is annexed, and the Empire reasserts its control over North Africa. Only Portugal and Aden remain.
27th May, 1787
Portugal cedes Tassaret to us, making a pleasant addition to our Algerian provinces. This ends our war.
22nd February, 1788
The Russians (with the English, the Turks and the Nubians - to think how scared we would once have been by that alliance!) have declared war on Denmark and Portugal.
7th April, 1792
We have spent the last four years in peace (with the exception of a small rebellion in Zacatecas). After the conquest of Algeria, we have a foothold in South Africa, and a large extent of territory in the Maghreb. The conquest led to an assessment of our strategic goals for the future. The rapid advances in technology that the Commonwealth and Empire have seen in the past hundred years seem to be accelerating, if anything. It seems certain that the Commonwealth will need to focus on goals other than the romantic ambition of reuniting the Roman Empire. We need raw materials, and we need lots of them, to fuel the manufacturing industries that are growing up. Our control of Mexico and most of Mid-West and Western America will be important in this. Our stranglehold over eastern trade is also important to our future prosperity. Key threats include divisions appearing within the wide extent of imperial territory, and the power of Russia, who have conquered and colonised the entire spread of the Asian continent as far as the Pacific Ocean. We suspect that a showdown between Russia and Europe is inevitable, and we should start extending our small alliance to be ready for that.
3rd May, 1792
On the old feast day called Novgorod Day, the Commonwealth and Empire has passed a new constitution, ending the monopoly of the gentry over places in the Seym. This should help bind in the newly recovered territories that do not have an indigenous gentry class. It also allows for rapid expansion in the future.
19th July, 1792
As part of the constitutional changes following what is now called the Constitution of Novgorod Day, the old Castellanate of Kalisz is being abolished, and merged into a Theme centred around Poznan. The office of chief political advisor to the King-Emperor is also being abolished, and replaced with the office of First Minister of the Empire, elected from the membership of the Seym. I have been selected to be the senior posel for the Poznan Theme, so have hopes of my translation to First Minister on 1 January.
20th September, 1792
I was clearing out my office in the Palace today, and stopped to read the other entries in this book. I must say it shows very clearly the strong rise of the Commonwealth, and I took particular pleasure in reading of our conquest of Constantinople, and the refounding of the Roman Empire all these years ago. We are on the verge of a new century, a new era of technological innovation, as they say. The Commonwealth is ready to face it, with a new political system and strong armies standing ready across the Empire. Let us pray that we are equal to the challenge.
29th December, 1792
Under the provisions of the Act on Government 1792, section 2(4) [Abolition of Castellanates] the Castellanate of Kalisz is hereby abolished with effect from 31 December 1792. Under the provisions of ibid. section 7(1) [Themes], the territory comprised by the former Castellanate will be part of the Theme of Poznan. The transitional measures in Schedule 1 will have effect.
By order, Pan Kazimierz Ratocyznski, First Minister-elect
HERE ENDS THE BOOK OF THE CASTELLANS OF KALISZ
