Hi everyone!
If Ye Do Not Feel The Chain is back with its biggest update yet! This one took forever to write, not just because of its size, but because I had a really hard time figuring out how to write the events in this section in a plausible way. I hope I've succeeded (and added a little more personality to the story while I'm at it), but if not, remember that history takes some weird turns sometimes, even IOTL.
Enjoy!
(Oh, and the map for this one might take a little bit longer than usual...)
1751
The Spanish assault on northern Florida is blunted, but additional reinforcements allow them to occupy much of the west of the peninsula.
The Mozambique invasion results in disaster for England, with the marine force being cut off and forced to surrender.
Maguindanao and the Netherlands make significant progress in their campaign against the Portuguese Philippines, but Portuguese and Malaccan forces are able to hold Sumatra.
Zanzibar initially fails to make significant progress against Imerina.
The Khanate Wars end, resulting in large territorial gains for both Persia and Russia.
1752
The various fronts of the Iberian War begin to stabilize, with few gains made by either side.
New Guineans begin to assimilate into Aboriginal tribal societies, resulting in a great deal of cultural syncretism.
Attempting to take advantage of Zanzibar’s distraction to gain land on the Swahili coast, several minor Somali states join Imerina in its war against the Zanzibaris.
Native Americans of the Seminole tribe migrate north out of Florida to avoid living in the border region between two warring powers, eventually joining up with the Cherokee-Tuscarora confederation.
England’s North American colonies have begun to develop regional identities based on their differing experiences. The strongest is in Quebec, where separatist feelings still run strong despite attempts to assimilate the population. New England is unified by its experiences in the 1689 revolts and the various wars against the French, and by its relative economic prosperity compared to its fellow colonies (1). Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland share an open and forward-thinking political stance, marked by religious tolerance and individual rights, and they have been relatively untouched by the rebellions and wars of the past decades. Carolina, Georgia, and Florida have been unified by their common Spanish enemy in much the same way that New England was by the French; their economies are still heavily plantation-based despite the abolition of slavery; and they have much closer relations with the Native Americans than other colonies (2).
Romanian dissidents gain in strength and influence thanks to Austrian support.
1753
A series of large naval battles in the western Caribbean end in pyrrhic English victories, as the Spanish are prevented from seizing the English West Indies at the cost of much of the Royal Navy’s New World fleet.
Stalemates in Flanders, Buenos Aires, and Florida remain unbroken, causing large numbers of casualties on both sides. The two alliances begin to become weary of fighting, and peace negotiations begin.
Russia’s resources are stretched thin following the War of the Polish Succession and the Khanate Wars, limiting its territorial expansion into Siberia.
A few Portuguese slaves follow the example of the New Guineans, fleeing their masters to settle in Australia.
Ottoman Sultan Mehmet V (3) realizes the danger of an Austrian-backed Romanian rebellion; he wishes to solidify his French alliance and, if possible, curtail the Janissaries before becoming drawn into any more wars. In order to prevent such a conflict, he negotiates with the Romanians, agreeing to unite the Danubian principalities as a near-independent autonomous vassal on the condition that they remain loyal to the Empire for the foreseeable future. Some of the rebels (especially those with close ties to Austria) are enraged by what they perceive as a submission to the Sultan, but others are satisfied with the concessions, seeing them as a first step to a status as equals instead of subordinates.
Zanzibari forces inflict several major reversals on their enemies, advancing into Madagascar and Somalia.
1754
England, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain sign the Treaty of Madrid, settling boundaries after the Iberian War. Spain gains the western Floridian peninsula, Dutch Guyana, and Dutch Ceylon, but loses Buenos Aires and the Brabant to the Dutch, as well as part of Central America to Caledonia. Portugal trades its losses in the Philippines for its gains in Sumatra, an outcome acceptable to both sides--Portugal’s interests lie more in the East Indies, while the Dutch intend to pursue trade in East Asia. Spain and Portugal also extract a promise from their enemies not to encroach on their colonial lands. Patagonia is divided between the Spanish and Dutch. (4)
George I of England and Scotland dies. His son, Richard IV, succeeds him to both thrones.
The Somalis petition for Ottoman aid in defeating the Zanzibaris, but are refused. (5) Meanwhile, Zanzibar uses the war as a testing ground for new naval and shipbuilding techniques.
Portugal begins to show interest in finding quinine to use in Brazil and New Guinea.
1755
Enlightenment ideals are finding an audience in English North America, especially in and near the Mid-Atlantic colonies. Contacts between the English in Georgia and the Spanish in Florida are also serving to introduce southern colonial women to the feminist ideas pioneered in New Granada and Mexico.
The natives of Siberia, granted a temporary reprieve from Russian pressure, begin to organize themselves so as to better resist colonization.
Zanzibar emerges victorious from its wars against the Imerina and the Somalis, expanding its territories in East Africa.
English colonists, having mostly settled east of the Appalachians up until this point, begin to make expeditions further to the west.
Danish-Norwegian colonists settle in Greenland.
1756
Prussia asserts land claims over Mecklenburg and Danish Pomerania. (6)
Philip of Naples dies, leaving the throne of Naples and the leadership of the Second Italic League to his son Henry, who is crowned Henry I of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia.
Richard IV, in an attempt to assert control over the colonies (which he feels have been granted an unreasonable degree of autonomy), replaces many administrative officials with candidates he has selected. This is met with some discontentment in the colonies, but is generally accepted to be one of Richard’s prerogatives as King.
Due to the damage dealt to the navies of both England and Spain, piracy begins to become common in the West Indies and, to a lesser extent, off the Atlantic coast.
1757
Syncretic societies of Aboriginals, New Guineans, and escaped slaves begin to coalesce in Australia.
Henry I makes a peculiar overture to the Pope: he requests that the Papal State joins the Italic League, and offers to make the Pope the co-head of the League along with the King of Naples if he agrees.
As Russia attempts to resume its push to the Pacific, it is unpleasantly surprised to discover that the eastern Siberian natives are unusually well-organized. Some are even equipped with armaments traded or stolen from the Qing remnant in Manchuria.
Poland and Saxony support Prussia in its claims as per their agreement, creating a crisis with Denmark-Norway and Mecklenburg.
1758
The Empire of Dai Viet sends envoys to the Qing holdout on Hainan, demanding their submission and vassalization. Ordinarily they would never take such a risk, but with the Qing all but destroyed and the Chun occupied rebuilding and stabilizing their state, they see an opportunity to increase their influence.
Kongo’s partially modernized army proves its worth in several successful campaigns against its smaller neighbors.
The Pope, after months of deliberation, agrees to Henry I’s request. Most Catholics are pleased to see their leader taking up such an important role, but many fundamentalists and traditionalists are enraged. They see the Italic League’s offer as both an attempt to deprive the Pope of his temporal power, and an insult, as it implies that the King of Naples is the Pope’s equal. A small schismatic faction forms. Its adherents, called Sedevacantists (7) refuse to recognize the current Pope and see the papal office as empty until either he or one of his successors leaves or asserts supremacy over the Italic League.
Tokugawa Isamu begins the second phase of his rollback of the Sakoku law with another series of pro-trade edicts.
Prussia invades Danish Pomerania with Saxon and Commonwealth support.
1759
Denmark-Norway’s army in Pomerania puts up strong resistance, but is eventually overwhelmed by superior numbers. A second army is mobilized in Jutland in order to repel the invaders, and the Danish-Norwegian navy (far superior to that of both Prussia and Poland-Lithuania, as both are primarily land powers) blockades the area.
Upon receiving the refusal of Hainan to accept their suzerainty, Dai Viet invades the island.
Portugal negotiates a trade deal with the Netherlands to buy small quantities of cinchona bark, which they put to use as a treatment for malaria in Brazil.
A fungal blight causes severe damage to North American crops. (8)
The Mughal Empire establishes diplomatic and trade relations with the newly-expanded Sultanate of Zanzibar.
1760
Some of King Richard’s administrators prove able to handle the task of relieving the famine, but many are too inexperienced to adequately manage the relief efforts. A few, especially in Quebec and the Mid-Atlantic colonies, attempt to use the threat of withholding needed food supplies in order to bring perceived dissidents in line, a policy that backfires spectacularly. Making matters worse, the damage done to the English navy during the Iberian War and the resultant rise of piracy are hindering food shipments. Discontent and unrest begin to rise. (9)
The Danish army arrives in Pomerania, fighting a rapid but indecisive series of engagements with the Prussians.
An uprising occurs against the Qing in Taiwan, spearheaded by Taiwanese natives who hope to restore the Kingdom of Middag.
The Dai Vietians advance quickly upon the underequipped and undersupplied Hainan army.
1761
To the delight of the Dutch, the Kingdom of Joseon proves to be more open to European influence than Japan or the Chun. A new market is opened for Eastern merchants.
King Richard orders his new colonial administration to crack down on any uprisings in the colonies, but stops short of giving them carte blanche to act as they see fit. Nevertheless, many of the more zealous officials interpret this directive extremely loosely. Several trading ports are closed and a few colonial legislatures are dissolved (though the best-established ones, such as Virginia’s House of Burgesses, remain intact). Meanwhile, the pace of western migration increases as settlers flee over the Appalachians to escape the famine.
Thanks in part to the large amounts of naval support they receive, the Danes are able to begin pushing the Prussians out of Pomerania.
Hainan is brought under Dai Vietian occupation, but it still has yet to be integrated into the Empire’s civil structures.
The Middag uprising spreads quickly, overwhelming the few remaining Qing troops.
1762
Riots begin to break out in several cities in English America. In the quarter-century since the introduction of the first semi-professional police forces to the continent, urban centers have become more and more dependent on them to reduce crime and keep order--which now comes back to haunt them, as many of the watchmen are sympathetic to the rioters’ cause.
The Chun Dynasty is angered by the Dai Vietian and Middag incursions on what it sees as its rightful territory, and resolves to take it back at the earliest opportunity. However, due to the instability of the country and the still-present threat of the Qing in North China, this is easier said than done.
Polish reinforcements reach Pomerania, stalling the Danish advance.
The Mughals establish trade outposts in the Andaman Islands.
Ashanti, realizing the deleterious effect of the Atlantic slave trade on its population and resources, sets about reducing the number of slaves it sells to Europeans.
1763
Maria Teresa grants the Basque country and Catalonia official equal status as a constituent kingdom of Spain under her rule, adding Queen of Catalonia and the Basques to her list of titles. This is seen as an unnecessary concession by many Castilians and Aragonese, but is celebrated by minorities in the Spanish Empire. (10)
Neapolitan agents are deployed to Genoa to foment pro-Italic sentiment. (11)
The Qing begin actively arming the Siberians, believing that having a small but friendly native state as a northern neighbor is far preferable to having the Russian juggernaut breathing down their throats, especially in their weakened state.
The rioting in England’s American colonies spreads to other regions (12):
- The Hudson Bay area has been affected even more severely by the famine, because its harsh climate makes farming difficult, forcing it to depend on fishing and food shipments. However, the few shipments that escape piracy are largely being directed to other colonies. The beleaguered Canadians turn to fishing and trading furs with the nearby Iroquois for food; in this they are partially, but not completely, successful.
- The West Indies, meanwhile, have not been as affected by the famine, but are still suffering from an economic depression: the principal sources for their slaves are shrinking, as are many of the main New World markets for their sugarcane exports. Furthermore, they are by far the worst affected by the increase in piracy; some pirates have become brazen enough to conduct raids on towns and forts, a rarity before the Iberian War.
The Poles, Prussians, and Saxons, acting in concert, begin to turn the tide of the war against the Danish.
1764
A pro-Italic uprising in Genoa is met with a counter-rising spearheaded by Sedevacantists and pro-Spanish citizens.
Caledonia buys large amounts of quinine from the Dutch and Portuguese, as malaria has been one of their most significant obstacles to population growth.
Crackdowns against colonial rioters only serve to galvanize more opposition, which in turn breeds harsher peacekeeping measures, creating a vicious cycle. The situation in the colonies escalates, and the unrest breaks out into rebellion. English North America is in open revolt for the second time in under a century.
Despite censorship efforts, feminist pamphlets and writings begin to make their way from Spanish America back to the metropole.
The Alaouite King of Morocco begins to organize tribal authorities in the Sultanate, but unlike his predecessors, makes no attempt to strip or decrease their powers.
An aging James Stuart takes advantage of the chaos in North America to proclaim himself the “King of Caledonia” with the support of many of the local landholders. However, he scrupulously avoids openly declaring any claim to the English or Scottish thrones, hoping that he will be perceived as less of a threat and thus have time to build up defenses before the English attempt to retake the colony.
Denmark is pushed out of Pomerania once again, and decides to cut its losses. It agrees to surrender the territory to Prussia.
Tokugawa Isamu has pushed Japan a great deal closer to openness. More trading ports have been opened, and diplomatic missions are being sent to a few select nations.
1765
English troops are hastily dispatched to the colonies to quell the uprisings. The character of the revolts varies heavily by region:
- In the Hudson Bay, the revolts evolved almost entirely from bread riots, with the objective of simply removing the current (mostly ineffective) administration in order to better organize relief efforts. However, though the colonists who hope to see the area go it alone are in the minority, they are far from nonexistent.
- In Quebec, government officials have handled the famine better, but the already existing separatist movement has fanned the flames of rebellion. However, it has been decades since the French ruled the region, and the Quebecois have no desire to return to their former masters--instead, they hope to become independent.
- In New England, the uprisings are seen as direct successors to the legacy of 1689, though there is far less of a religious component this time.
- In the Mid-Atlantic, the anger is focused on the dismantling of their legislatures and the seizure of power by the new governors. The feeling is especially pronounced because of the withholding of food aid in some locations as a means of suppressing rebellion--though extremely uncommon, the incidents serve as a rallying cry for many. (13)
- In the Southern colonies, the uprising takes on a distinct class-war tinge--most of the elite planter class is still well-fed, especially those who focused on growing cash crops. Women also participate to a greater extent here than elsewhere due to the influence of Latin American feminism.
- In the West Indies, results vary from island to island. Some locations suffer slave revolts; in others, free blacks and poor whites join forces, and in the places worst affected by the crisis, the rebellions cut across racial and class lines. Some rebel groups act as makeshift local defense forces against piracy.
- In Caledonia, James Stuart has a wide base of popular support and a great deal of money, as many of the Caledonian immigrants are Scottish and Irish nobility who brought at least part of their wealth with them. (14)
Italic League troops based in Tuscany begin to march into Genoese territory to “restore order and peace”. Savoy, Spain and Austria are alarmed by this aggressive gesture, and move into position to oppose them.
1766
The crop blight finally begins to slow down, but the famine will still take some time to end.
Hudson Bay is the first colony to succeed in its uprisings, as the English military presence there was relatively small. Though they do not break ties with the Crown, they become de facto independent and self-governing.
The English army finds little success in attempting to crush the revolts. Though the rebels are poorly equipped and obviously underfed, they have a broad base of support, and the army cannot yet supply itself on North American soil. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy has been redeployed to the West Indies, but many of the islands are self-sufficient, making blockades relatively ineffective. France also begins to covertly supply the rebels, especially in Quebec and the Caribbean, and sells arms to the Caledonians. (15)
The c confrontation over Genoa intensifies as the pro-Italic faction gains the upper hand. However, Spain, Austria and Savoy have their hands tied--with the Pope lending his support to the Italic League, taking action to oppose it will effectively place them in opposition to the Papacy--a non-starter for these fervently Catholic nations.
Morocco’s centralization efforts lead to the creation of a “tribal council” of local chieftains and leaders which will advise the Sultan.
1767
New, unblighted harvests grow in North America for the first time in several years, partly alleviating the famine. Though a few of the rebels stand down, many are now committed to their cause, having dedicated too much to it to back down now. This also has little effect on the West Indies, whose economic crisis was unrelated to the famine, or Caledonia, which is politically motivated.
The Dutch begin secretly subsidizing the Australian syncretic tribes in order to create a potential buffer against the Portuguese in Australia.
The Siberian tribes repel a second attempt at a Russian invasion, though not without suffering large numbers of casualties.
Zanzibar begins supporting warlords in southern Ethiopia in the hopes of creating one or more client states there. (16)
Help comes to the anti-Italic faction from an unusual source: the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans have watched the rise of Naples and the Italic League with alarm, and have no wish to see a strong Italian alliance form just across the Adriatic from them, especially not one containing its old enemy Venice. (17)
1768
It is quickly becoming apparent to King Richard, his cabinet, and the Parliament that England simply does not have enough troops to restore order to its colonies, especially as they begin to feel the effects of the end of the famine. Many in Parliament are loath to withdraw, but though Richard agrees with their position, he also has no wish to see England become bogged down in a long-term colonial proxy war with France. He gives the order to begin a retreat from North America.
Morocco, having gained a measure of unity and stability, turns outward once again. A plan is hatched to facilitate the creation of a Fulo client or vassal in order to project power in West Africa and improve trade with Ashanti.
Zanzibar’s clients make quick progress in Ethiopia, but are not stable enough yet to form a true state.
Thanks to Ottoman aid to the Sedevacantists, the Genoese Crisis becomes a stalemate.
1769
As the English withdraw, several new states begin to coalesce from the chaos in North America:
- Though most of the Hudson Bay colonists still profess loyalty to the Crown, “Borealia” and “Hudsonia” come into use among some pro-independence thinkers.
- Quebec achieves its aim of independence, taking over its eponymous region as well as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
- The New England colonies, eastern New Jersey, and New York (18) stick together, though debate persists about whether to call the resulting entity “New England” or to choose another name (with “Columbia” being the most popular alternative).
- Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and western New Jersey unite to form the Federation of Atlantia.
- The Southern colonies of Carolina and Georgia become the Union of Hesperia.
- The Kingdom of Caledonia under James Stuart is able to assert its own independence as well.
- Like their uprisings, the fate of the Caribbean islands varies. Those that fell to slave revolts largely join the Antilles. The Bahamas, along with the Turks and Caicos, join Hesperia. Jamaica becomes independent, taking control of the Cayman Islands as well.
The Mughals are well established on the Andaman Islands, building on their existent trade connections with the Portuguese outposts in India to increase their revenues.
The Chun, having partially stabilized their economy, resume their offensive against the Qing, attempting to take North China for themselves.
Various parts of Genoese territory have been locked down by specific factions. Sedevacantists and the pro-Habsburg faction hold the mainland in a loose alliance, with the former controlling Albenga and its surroundings and the latter holding the actual city of Genoa. Meanwhile, Corsica has become a stronghold for the Italic faction.
1770
The new North American nations try to find their footing. Most are lucky enough to have preexisting legislatures to rally around, but confusion arises over the jurisdiction of each. They are also recovering from the famine and rebuilding from the destruction caused by the rebellions.
The Kingdom of Caledonia begins to adopt inoculation as a solution for various tropical diseases present in the Central American jungle. (19)
The Chun Dynasty’s forces advance north in a lightning strike against the Qing.
After a great deal of hasty and tense diplomacy, the powers involved in the Genoese Crisis decide to negotiate a compromise. The solution that is produced is a partition of Genoa: the city will remain a free republic (now Sedevacantist-controlled); pro-Habsburg Albenga will be added to the Duchy of Milan; and Corsica will become part of the Kingdom of Naples. Like the Congress of Nice before it, it pleases almost no one, but it avoids a war and maintains a semblance of a balance of power.
The Zanzibaris begin to see results in southern Ethiopia, as the warlords secure their fiefdoms and establish actual governments.
1771
Morocco’s intervention in the Fulo states gets underway, in a mirror of Zanzibar’s actions on the other side of the continent.
Caledonia begins to exploit the trade goods it possesses, such as tropical wood and exotic fruit (20). Its position in Central America makes it uniquely able to serve as a link between the East and West Indies trade networks, without the expense of shipping goods overland through Mexico or South America.
Representatives from the post-colonial nations come together to arbitrate land claims and border disputes. Delegates from the Twin Confederations (as some are beginning to call them) are also present.
The Chun march triumphantly into Beijing, pushing the Qing back into Manchuria. However, there is disagreement about their course of action--some believe they should attempt to conquer Manchuria entirely, while others support a halt to establish their control over North China.
Spain attempts to use its holdings in Ceylon to bring the petty Tamil kings of southern India into its orbit.
1772
Morocco adopts a “soft-power” approach to the Fulo, using diplomatic influence and gifts of resources and technology to sway local chiefs to their side.
After a great deal of debate, the Chun army halts, allowing the Qing to retreat. Many have begun referring to the Qing simply as “Manchus”.
The Mughals are angered by Spain’s actions, but do not wish to provoke a war, since Spain has done little other than send diplomats and bribes to the Tamil kings. In order to prevent Spain from gaining too much influence, they launch a diplomatic initiative of their own to tempt them toward the Mughals.
Maguindanao and Middag form an informal alliance, in order to protect against European and Chinese aggression. (21)
New England officially changes its name to “Columbia”.
1773
The few remaining Frenchmen in Upper Louisiana are overwhelmed by a steady stream of settlers from Atlantia, Columbia, and the Northern (Iroquois-led) Tribal Confederation.
Lower Louisiana, however, is still going strong, having received a great deal of investment as one of France’s two remaining functional colonies in North America. It expands further up the Mississippi.
Several of the Australian syncretic tribes, with support from the Dutch, begin to coalesce into a single entity.
The Anglo-American nations’ governments take shape. Quebec, Atlantia, and Jamaica opt for parliamentary systems. Hesperia is led by a President and a unicameral legislature. Columbia is similar to Hesperia, but bicameral. Hudsonia has not yet adopted a form of government because it is still technically a colony, but pro-independence sentiment is rising there as well.
1774
The Chun take the time to absorb North China, ensuring a smooth transfer of power. The civil structure of the conquered area is left largely intact--most officials are even allowed to keep their positions provided that they swear an oath of loyalty to the new dynasty. (22)
Despite their resistance to the Russians, the Siberians know they cannot stave off defeat forever. They hope to negotiate with Russia in order to ensure that their way of life remains relatively intact.
Ashanti expands east into Yoruba lands.
Persia, knowing that the Ottomans have restored their alliance with France, revives its old efforts to align itself with the Habsburgs, the natural enemy of both. (23)
Kongo completes its conquest of its neighbors, securing the Congo Basin for itself. However, anti-Westernization factions complicate its quest to modernize.
1775
Siberian tribal leaders offer to submit to Russia on the condition that they become autonomous vassal states instead of being absorbed into the Empire directly. Russia agrees, realizing that even if it can defeat the Siberians, their new armed and organized status means that such a victory will come at great cost.
Savoy eyes the weakened Genoese Republic, hoping for a future opportunity to annex it and add the wealthy city to its domains.
The Kingdom of Caledonia makes plans for a grand engineering project, made possible by the new treatments for tropical diseases: a canal cut directly through Central America, bisecting Lake Nicaragua. (24)
Hainan has been effectively absorbed into Dai Viet, and many ethnically Vietnamese settlers are moving to the island.
- Its population is much higher because of the lack of Indian wars, which has also given it the chance to make some extra money by trading with them.
- The Tuscarora have fought side-by-side with the Carolinians and Georgians even more than the Iroquois have with the New Englanders.
- Again, the butterfly effect creates different royalty.
- I know I’m doing the “pendulum effect” thing where loss of territory in one place is offset with gains in another, but this kind of horse trading happened all the time in colonial wars--it’s not as egregious as, say, a USA that’s lost the Civil War going on to conquer Canada.
- Mostly because a strong anti-Persian state with claims to Oman is in the Ottomans’ best interest.
- I did not forget about this.
- IOTL, the Sedevacantists split off after the Second Vatican Council and were nowhere near as militant.
- Specifically, this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_leaf_rust
- They’re rebuilding it quickly, but I haven’t seen any sources that suggest that the shipyards in New England were up to the task of building ships of the line, and they don’t have the ones in Bombay anymore because they sold it to Portugal.
- Maria Teresa crowning herself “Queen of the Basques” is a very pointed statement in the direction of the King of France, but not nearly as much as if she’d claimed the crown of Navarre for herself (which she is not nearly stupid enough to try).
- They’re so fond of this tactic that “Neapolitan” actually becomes slang for “undercover agent” in some places by ITTL 2017.
- I understand that I’m straining plausibility somewhat with this, but I hope it’s not totally ASB.
- So much so that they become an important part of the Atlantian perception of their revolt for years into the future.
- Imagine literally every single Jacobite rising from OTL, all happening in the same place at the same time.
- In some places they also have Native American support, having treated them far better than they did IOTL.
- Ethiopia was in the middle of its Zemene Mesafint period during this time, similar to Japan’s Sengoku Jidai.
- “B-but it’s not like I like you or anything!”
- Which identifies much more with New England ITTL.
- It’s been around 70 years since it was first introduced, so they’re actually a little behind the curve.
- I may or may not have been playing too much Victoria 2.
- They can’t really take any colonizers on their own, but they have amiable relations anyway.
- China’s civil structure doesn’t seem to change a lot from dynasty to dynasty, but I’m not an expert in Chinese history, so I’m not sure how accurate this assessment is.
- They tried it in the 1500s without much success. Here, since the Persians are stronger than OTL but still threatened, they’re giving it another shot.
- And you thought that thread tag was a joke!