Henry the Great.

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by Jammy

If England have a big empire now do they run the risk of what happened to Spain in OTL

There is certainly a risk, it's only a paper empire so far, no actual people on the ground.

[Quiet_Man]

British Naval Flag.

[Quiet_Man]

European map circa 1600.

You can tell by the colour chart just what the Spanish have lost in Northern Europe. The exceptions are the Dutch have expanded south, to take over much of The Spanish Netherlands, the French have the rest of the Spanish holdings.

[arctic warrior]

Originally Posted by Quiet_Man

(1641) Christian 4th of Denmark was alerted to talks between members of the French court and the HRE, though the matters under discussion were not known.

The Emperor of the HRE continued to maintain his army under Wallenstein at Breisach and started to recruit a new one under Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly.

Richelieu on returning to Paris expecting great thanks from the King found Louis XIII ill and near death, with his son under the influence of men opposed to the rising power of Richelieu.

So the Emperor is getting ready - for what? No doubt Christian is alerted.

Richelieu going out 2 years early? No cardinal Mazarin?

[Jammy]

Are the green bits on the boarder of france where the scots and irish have settled?

[stevep]

Originally Posted by Jammy

Are the green bits on the boarder of france where the scots and irish have settled?

Jammy

I think that's the historical map with Naravre and Andorra.

Steve

[Jammy]

Originally Posted by stevep

Jammy

I think that's the historical map with Naravre and Andorra.

Steve

Oh ok, thanks steve

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by Quiet_Man

Here are the battle flags/colours as carried by the British army.

As carried by an English recruited regiment. For a Scottish, Welsh or Irish regiment the countries flag is rotated to the top quadrant.

Ingenious Quiet Man

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by fortyseven

Ingenious Quiet Man

The British flag will only be carried by British forces, you'll never see it flown from public buildings only military barracks.



As carried by a Scottish regiment.

[Quiet_Man]

(1642) Britain’s negotiations with Spain were successfully concluded, a Small British fleet, left London for Cadiz, carrying the Spanish delegation and £5 million in British gold. Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel felt hope for Spain, peace and reform would soon see her take her place as a leader in Europe again, though he planned to advise King Philip to stay well out of Henry or Britain’s way in the future.
Upon hearing of famine in Japan, Henry despatched several merchantmen with authority to buy grain and sell it to the Japanese. With them travelled a British delegation whose purpose was to seek out ways and means of increasing trade and understanding between two great island kingdoms.
At this time Henry ordered the building of a new class of warship, one designed for long distance travel and exploration. These ships were to be well armed yet self sufficient in onboard supplies with the purpose of protecting Britain’s growing merchant fleet in distant waters.
The main debating houses of British Parliament building were finally complete, though work continued on the various offices of state that surrounded the site. Looking from above like a giant figure of eight, the two chambers were large enough to seat both houses and room to spare. Outside the entrances were situated the flags of the Realm all at equal height and a tradition started of rotating each flag to signify no country was above another. Three flags were currently flying Scotland, England and Wales, it was noted at the time there was room for a lot more.
Henry taking note of warnings from his own network of spies as well as those of Christian of Denmark and Frederick of Holland requests Parliament to increase the size of the British army, this means Britain can now field a professional army of 60,000 men plus an equivalent logistical field force to operate anywhere on mainland Europe, though with commitments in Ireland and Northern Scotland this would be unlikely. Parliament also agrees to supply the means necessary to train up a colonial militia to British army standards.
The British East India Company continued to strengthen its position in India by setting up trading post strongholds in Surat, Madras, and Bombay. The aim being to eclipse the Portuguese Estado da India, which had established bases in Goa and Chittagong with an eye to becoming the dominant trader on the Indian mainland.
Henry again encouraged British expansion in the New World and Caribbean, treaties were signed with local natives to expand the colonial areas and many friendly tribes found the British all too willing to exterminate their enemies for them to gain their assistance. Intermarriage which had at first been frowned upon was now encouraged as many natives adopted Christianity and became colonial citizens. Henry was also quick to remove any Governor who caused problems for the expansion of the realm. It was at this time Henry started to appoint Governors born in the Americas to run “his” colonies.
A new British colony was started on the narrow South American isthmus (Panama) Its purpose was to build and maintain two Freeport’s on each ocean (Port Henry on the Atlantic and Port Robert on the Pacific) and a Kings Highway between them. As part of the deal with Spain, Spanish Ships were to be allowed access to the ports and facilities. The colony soon became known as a hard duty posting as the death due to the environment amongst those building the road were very heavy. The solution eventually found was to buy slaves from Africa to clear the way and to build the road.
The Glasgow to Edinburgh canal was making headway to Falkirk from Edinburgh. Vermuyden having decided against using locks had now started building the first aqueducts of 3 across the River Avon near Linlithgow.

The mercury barometer was invented by the Italian physicist Evangelista Torricelli, a pupil of Galileo he left Italy during the arrest of his former master and settled in Britain with many other learned men of Europe. This indeed was the cause of the renaissance of science that flowered in Britain at this time.

Widespread famine hits Japan, this is allayed somewhat by food shipments brought by British ships from as far away as India and Southern China.

The Dutch received an embassy from France with the demand that as the Spanish had ceded the Netherlands as part of the Treaty of Milan they were now subject to the French King and would hand over control of Holland to their new ruler the Duc De Flanders the former General Longueville. The Dutch sent them away and prepared for war.

In Denmark King Christian now knew about a possible alliance between France and the HRE, he too prepared for War.

Sweden continued its colonial efforts, though its King Gustav Adolphus in contact with Britain, Denmark and Holland knew war was brewing.

In France, Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis de Cinq-Mars was a "favourite" of King Louis XIII of France who led the last and most successful of the many conspiracies against the king's powerful first minister, the Cardinal Richelieu.
Cinq-Mars was the son of Marshal Antoine Coiffier-Ruzé, marquis d'Effiat, a close friend of Richelieu, who took the boy under his protection on his father's death in 1632.
In 1642, Louis had no "favourite" (a close friend, usually a lover at court, who usually had a major influence on the King's decisions). Richelieu had introduced the young Cinq-Mars to Louis, hoping Louis would take Cinq-Mars as a lover. The cardinal believed Cinq-Mars was easy to control. Instead, the marquis tried to convince the king to have Richelieu executed something Louis was not averse to as relationships with Richelieu and his meddling had deteriorated over the years. Cinq-Mars brought some French nobility into the plot convincing them that Richelieu was betraying French interests to the Spanish. Richelieu was imprisoned but died of ill health before a trial, which many later historians felt would have exonerated him. It was Cinq-Mars who instigated talks with the HRE about dealing with the “Protestant” problems Ferdinand III was having, whilst Cinq-Mars planned to take what the Spanish could not, all the Netherlands, as he knew they had been ceded to France in “Richelieu’s Peace.” (Something Richelieu who had military experience would never attempt, he merely planned to sell the lands back to the Dutch in return for some future favour)

Spain, it’s coffers if not full, was at least comfortable, negotiated a peace with Holland and settled down to a period of stability and reform, though many of the old nobility were seething at the military humiliation she’d just undergone. With the ability to pay his armies though King Philip felt secure and looked for internal reform to bring prosperity and stability to a fractured realm. In this he was helped by his advisors Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel, Count-Duke of Olivares and Juan de Palafox y Mendoza who had been about to go to New Spain, but was requested by Philip to re-order his realm. This at first meant stopping the revolt in Portugal in which he was successful, then bringing his frequently independent nobles to heel, a task which would take years.

Irish settlers in Brittany as with native Bretons now became under pressure to integrate fully into French ways. Scots Highlanders were allowed to settle the newly acquired Rosselon area north of the Pyrenees, intermarrying with the locals.

[Quiet_Man]

British East India Flag.

[DAv]

Cardinal Richelieu is dead? This is not good for France... another interesting update with just one question. It's probable that you've covered this but are the officers of the British Army still made up of the nobility or has Henry agreed with Cromwell's "I'd rather have a man who knows what he does loves what he knows." Philosophy?

[Jammy]

Still very good, agree about the loss of Richelieu is not a good thing for France.

Nice idea to send Grain to Japan

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by DAv

Cardinal Richelieu is dead? This is not good for France... another interesting update with just one question. It's probable that you've covered this but are the officers of the British Army still made up of the nobility or has Henry agreed with Cromwell's "I'd rather have a man who knows what he does loves what he knows." Philosophy?

The British army was reorganised after the almost calamity of the Battle of Braintree during the Devereaux uprising. Promotion is now strictly on merit, though most officers are nobility of some kind, a growing minority aren't. The only qualification for officers is that they must know their letters (literacy). many officers have been to military academies on the continent though and Parliament is currently setting up a British military training academy.

[Iñaki]

Good update

Olivares is could be one of the figures most despised popularly, in fact he had not lack of intellingence and sagacity, he wa a clever man, but he believed too much in the capacity of Spain to perform a war with multiple fronts, it was a total overestimation of the capacity of Spain, too many fronts, too many years of war, the end was the bankrupt and decadence of Spain, but with other circumstances Olivares had been considered a great statesman.

[Quiet_Man]

(1643) January, Britain prepares for a continental war having been informed that Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis de Cinq-Mars had been named regent of the ailing French King and his son Louis, ousting Queen Anne as well as any supporters of the deceased Richelieu from the French court.
Though the British Army was in winter barracks there was much fine detail to sort out for Henry and his advisors mostly involving logistics and liaising with the Dutch with whom Henry expected to fight alongside.
The British Parliament finally approved the funding of a military academy for the professional training of officers to be based in Edinburgh, though open to anyone with the means to pay, the academy’s primary purpose was to train Britain’s young men in the art and science of war including logistics, castramentation, history of warfare, field tactics etc.

British dragoons at this time had their armour changed to just a front plate, their arms were also changed to two pistols, sword and a 10 foot lance. Their primary purpose had now been changed to pursuit troops.

The ability of smiths in Sheffield to produced far better refined iron had given British artillery a new generation of guns, lighter and more manoeuvrable for the same value of shot fired, though these were still in short supply as the Navy were in competition to be supplied as well.

Hong Taiji, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty of the Manchu dies and is succeeded by his five year-old son, the later Shunzhi Emperor of China.

The Dutch also prepared their defences, though they knew that they’d have a hard task against seasoned French veteran troops.
The Dutch captain Abel Tasman discovers the island of Tonga.

Denmark also prepared for war, though they did not as yet know where or when the HRE would strike.

Sweden also prepared her armies and had arranged for transport across the Baltic with the aid of Danish ships when needed.

In France there was some turmoil as the Marquis de Cinq-Mars seized the reins of power, many of Richelieu’s men met with “accidents” including Jules, Cardinal Mazarin a favourite of Queen Anne and Richelieu who was apparently a victim of highwaymen as he travelled from Rome to Paris from where he had been in service to Cardinal Antonio, nephew of the pope. Cinq-Mars was then declared regent by the dying Loius.

In Italy Pope Urban VIII announced a Papal Bull requiring all Roman Catholics to aid in the restoration and reformation of those Christian nations dwelling in error from the true faith.

In Spain, reform continued, though greatly hampered by institutional conservatism within the Spanish nobility and interference in the affairs of state by the Jesuit order. When the Papal Bull was announced, Philip declined to bring Spain officially to war against Protestantism, though he did allow many young hotheads to be recruited as mercenaries within the armies of the HRE.

In the HRE plans were finalised to counter reform the Protestant states of the north, by the sword if necessary.

[Jammy]

Sounds like a big War is going to take place soon, i love it keep it up

[Alratan]

Sounds like an anti-Protestant crusade

[stevep]

Originally Posted by Alratan

Sounds like an anti-Protestant crusade

But interestingly enough an anti-Protestant crusade without Spain.

Not sure how the various Protestant states in Germany would react to such events. Also are the allies talking to the Ottomans at all? That would be a logical thing to try if the Hapsburgs are going to be attacking them.

Steve

[Quiet_Man]

Originally Posted by stevep

But interestingly enough an anti-Protestant crusade without Spain.

Not sure how the various Protestant states in Germany would react to such events. Also are the allies talking to the Ottomans at all? That would be a logical thing to try if the Hapsburgs are going to be attacking them.

Steve

Contacting the Ottomans in any meaningful way is tricky for the Northern alliance, the Mediterranean is more or less a closed off to them by France and Spain in retaliation to privateering in the Caribbean. They can talk by land route but risk interception by their enemies.