Most esteemed Beräter,
I appreciated the commentary about the naval combat rules.
– Alexander, Tsar of All Russia and Proud Owner of Many Dancing Bears
Turkey and Prussia have their Declarations of War in. Still waiting on Russia (@MiquelRamirez), Austria (@Matt_W), Spain (@Mark_Weston), Great Britain (@Kolbex) and France (@Juan_Raigada)
Gratias Tibi,
Et Historicus, Moderator est DIsceptator
To succeed in the world, it is much more necessary to possess the penetration to discern who is a fool, than to discover who is a clever man.
— Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
Lets us examine this Political Phase in some detail and apply some critical thinking.
The first thing we must examine is this. This is the Political Point Chart. It represents the Political Status and Power of each Major Power; a combination of international prestige and domestic stability. Every Economic Phase (after March, June, September and December Each year) it generates Victory Points for each Major Power (that little number at the top). As well the Chart is adjusted at the end of the Economic Phase by the value of the big number in each box to account for Political “inertia”; the tendency for States to settle toward the middle of this chart. This number may be positive (for those towards the bottom), negative (for those toward the top), or naught (for those in the middle). Sic Transit Gloria!
Each Major Power is attempting to reach a target of Victory points by the end of 1815, modified by their bids for the Major Powers they are playing; seen here.
Note, that if no nation meets it’s target then Great Britain wins. Note also that each time Victory points are accrued in the Economic Phase, Great Britain has the option of spending up to one third of the victory points he gained this step to subtract that same number of victory points from the total victory points of any ONE major power with which Great Britain is currently at war. This is done instead of Great Britain gaining those victory points.
Having said all that, let’s now look at the Political phase and discuss what happens in each step, and discuss some of the permutations in each:
A. The Diplomacy Step.
This is self-explanatory. Nations conduct diplomacy. This is much less of a “step” in a play-by-forum format as powers are always conducting diplomacy. Here is serves as a notification that anything being discussed that must occur this month should be decided upon, if it is to occur.
B. The Declarations of War Step.
Each Major Power may declare War on another Major Power for the cost of three Political Points (expended on the track noted earlier…all future references to Political Point expenditure or gain will be implemented immediately on that chart, we shall make no more reference to this fact as we move on). All Declarations of War are secretly determined and resolved (by the Moderator) simultaneously.
Each Major Power may declare War on any neutral Minor Country at a cost of one Political Point per district of that Minor Country (so, for example, The Papacy would cost one, Sweden, which consists of Sweden and Finland, would cost 2). A Major Power may not declare war on a Minor if she cannot reach that minor with her forces that month. If a Major declares war on the Minor but does not enter the minor’s territory with land forces, the Declaration lapses (goes away) and the Major still loses the Political Point expenditure for the Declaration.
If more than one Major Power (at Peace) Declares war on a Minor Country, we may have a diplomatic problem. Both countries or one, may attempt to back down. If no one backs down, they are at War, and each loses three Political Points. If they were Allied, the Alliance is broken and they each lose an additional two Political Points for Breaking the Alliance. No allies may be called if a War breaks out because of this Causus Belli .
C. The Call to Allies Step. The order of calling is determined by competitive die rolls.
Any Major Power which has war declared upon her by another Major Power may call any allies she has. Not friends or chums, but countries with which she is formally Allied. This call may be refused, at the cost of two Political Points to the Refuser for the breaking of the alliance. If the Defender Calls allies (and only if) the Aggressor may call Allies. This may also be refused, but at the cost of two Political Points to the Refuser and the Aggressor for the breaking of the alliance. If any ally cannot declare war because of peace-time restrictions (we’ll discuss this later), that ally may not be called upon.
D. The Peace Step. Peace term selection order is determined by the order the major powers went to war.
Any Major Power way offer Surrender to any Major Power (or some or all) she is at war with. Each country offered a Surrender must respond with the counteroffer of either a Conditional (the easier surrender) or Unconditional Surrender. All Major Powers to whom the Surrendering Power offered a Surrender to must select one or the other in secret. They are revealed simultaneously. The Surrendering Major Power must accept a Conditional Surrender but may refuse an Unconditional Surrender. Powers surrendering Conditionally lose five Political Points, while any other powers accepting this Conditional Surrender ach gain three Political Points. Powers surrendering Unconditionally lose eight Political Points, while any other powers accepting this Conditional Surrender each gain five Political Points. There are other practical costs and gains for the powers in a surrender (loss/gain of territory, money, etc.), but we’ll deal with those later.
E. The Creating Alliances Step.
Any two Unallied Major Powers not at War declare they wish to Ally. Voila ! They are Allied. Each gains a Political Point.
F. The Minor Country Control Step. Setup in the order: France, Russia, Turkey, Austria, Prussia, Great Britain, Spain.
Any Minor Countries who have had War declared upon them must be controlled by another Major Power. Any Major Power may (or may not) attempt to do so, excepting the one at war with that Minor Country. Each Country desirous to do so rolls one die in the order listed above. This is modified by:
The “Status Modifier” is given to the right of each line or "zone” in which the rolling Major Power sits on the Political Status Chart. For example, if a major power’s political status marker is in a box of the Dominant Zone, the modifier is + 1.
The below Chart. Find the national modifiers on the next to the name of each minor country in the "National Modifiers" column, is the national modifier located under an abbreviation of each major power.
If already at war with any of the major powers who have declared war on that minor neutral, a +2 modifier applies.
In the event of a tie, there will be a competitive roll-off.
At this time, any Major Power which ends up controlling a Minor Country may support that Minor by declaring war on the Major Power that is the Aggressor against it and expends three Political Points. If the two Major Powers were Allied, the Alliance is broken and they each lose an additional two Political Points for Breaking the Alliance. No allies may be called if a War breaks out because of this Causus Belli .
If, during any Peace Step prior to the conquest of a minor country, any invading major power has no corps within that minor country, then that major power is considered to be no longer at war with the minor country and must be at war with the major power controlling it before he can attack it again. Any garrisons, cossacks and/or freikorps are repatriated. For multi-district minor countries, this applies if a secondary district has been conquered and there are no invading major power corps within the rest of that minor country.
G. The Breaking Alliances Step.
Any Allied Major Power Announces she wishes to Break an Alliance. Voila! It is broken. The breaker loses two Political Points. Major Powers that broke an earlier alliance may not re-ally until at least twelve months after the date of breaking the earlier alliance (so keep written records of when alliances are broken!).
H. The Free State Declaration Step.
Major powers can declare that any of their conquered minor countries that can have Corps (theoretically, they don’t at this point) are now minor Free States. Replace the conquered control flag with a Free State control flag in that country. Its fleet if any, is set up at its current strength and its corps, fleets, land, and naval factors may be purchased beginning in the next Economic Phase. Once a major power has declared a minor country to be a Free State, it may not be later "undeclared" (ie., turned back into a conquered minor country by that Major Power).
I. The Declaration of Combined Movement Step.
Allies may declare that their Naval and Land Phases (not one but both) will be combined for the remainder of the Turn, with movement of all their forces being conducted in the order of the ally moving last in each phase. This enables allies to move and attack together. Any such decisions are secretly determined (all Allies must agree) and simultaneously revealed (by the moderator).
That’s enough for now. I encourage, no urge, that if anyone, a Head of Government or one of the Vox Populi have a query, that they please come forth and ask it.
Salutations,
L’ambassadeur de l’exposition
The clocks, they move; the bells, they toll.
2359 January 21, 2019, EST Declarations of War on Major and Minor Countries are due
Turkey, Prussia, France and Austria have their Declarations of War in. Still waiting on Russia (@MiquelRamirez), Spain (@Mark_Weston), & Great Britain (@Kolbex).
Gratias Tibi,
Et Historicus, Moderator est DIsceptator
B. The Declarations of War Step.
The Sublime Porte (@Panzeh) Declares War on Egypt and loses one Political Point.
“No doubt the Grand Vizier, in his wisdom, realizes that this ungodly disorder in Misr cannot be allowed to continue.”
— Ismail Cenaze, Kolağası (Senior Captain) in the Nizam-ı Cedid Artillery, Letter to His Father in Anapa, January 2, 1805.
Austria (@Matt_W) Declares War on Bavaria and loses one Political Point.
“The Elector of Bavaria, according to a merchant from Salzburg, has been meeting with French officials in secret.”
— Monsignor Father Manfred Kreuger , Letter to the Bishop of the Palatinate, January 4, 1805.
Spain (@Mark_Weston) Declares War on Morocco and loses one Political Point.
“My dear, Uncle Joaquin has secured me a position as a Cantinero with his Army on the Portuguese border but do not worry; the depredations of the infidel Barbary Pirates looks to be left to the Army of Andalusia.”
— Kevin Blake: Merchant and Wine Import/Exporter, Sutler to the Army of Extremadura , Letter to his Wife, January 7, 1805.
No Other Declarations of War.
C. The Call to Allies Step.
This Step does not occur this Month.
D. The Peace Step.
Prussia (@Cuthbert), Austria (@Matt_W), Great Britain (@Kolbex ), L’Empereur (@Juan_Raigada ); Do any of you offer Surrender to any or all Major Powers you are at War with? Answer Yes or No here in-thread
Salutations,
L’ambassadeur de l’exposition
No
NO!
Austria will not sue for peace at this time.
I’ll just go with my Ambassadorial Instincts here and say I can state, with certainty, that L’Empereur will not offer surrender this month.
E. The Creating Alliances Step.
All Major Powers (@MiquelRamirez, @Matt_W, @Mark_Weston, @Kolbex, @Juan_Raigada, @Panzeh, @Cuthbert) do you wish to Ally with any others this month? Please state who you wish to Ally with in-thread. If none, say none.
Salutations,
L’ambassadeur de l’exposition
The Holy Roman Empire offers aid and succor to our Germanic brothers in Prussia and to the honorable British nation.
His Highness the King in and of Prussia accepts the offer and also offers an alliance to the United Kingdom.
Austria and Prussia are Allies. Each Gains a Political Point.
Great Britain (@Kolbex)? You have two Alliance offers.
Salutations,
L’ambassadeur de l’exposition
No Alliances.
No alliances
His Majesty wishes to share his pleasure in bagging three stags of the highest quality this last week, and is looking forward to shooting some nice fat pheasants and partridges next week. This has been a truly fortunate winter.
Oh yes, and no alliances.
(Should probably have a look at that box of correspondence at some point.)
No alliances
Great Britain accepts the Prussian and Austrian alliances.
Austria and Great Britain are Allies. Each Gains a Political Point.
Prussia and Great Britain are Allies. Each Gains a Political Point.
We now move on to:
F. The Minor Country Control Step.
I shall adjourn for a bit and return having determined who controls: Egypt, Bavaria, Morocco.
Salutations,
L’ambassadeur de l’exposition
So what do we do if we win control of a minor? Do I have to try my hardest to defend Egypt or Morocco?
EDIT: I know I can, but don’t have to, declare war on the major power attacking them. But if not, does sportsmanship dictate that I try my hardest with the minor’s armies or can I step aside and let the other power conquer them?