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Ah...
Mm...
We have a problem. We're at the mercy of France or Germany, and are in the way/a threat to both. Fortunately, for the moment, we've got Spain on side and the British also (because the med faction is the weakest faction in Europe, and bonus points for being opposed to German and French aggression).
Italy is going to be in a mess come a great war...especially if Germany and France go to war with each other. Then they'll have to choose between potebtially reclaiming the last bits of Italy...or fighting with the allies they've managed to gather, who will all be backing the French (probably).
Difficult choices ahead...
Well, the least we can do is try. At worst they will go on a genocidal rampage across Europe.
Italy definitely needs to find a way to balance itself between all the European powers. France is a natural rival for both Italy and Germany but getting the two to cooperate will take quite some work. The smart idea would be to humor Germany but the smart idea has never stopped us before!
Also, today marks the 1 year anniversary of this AAR!
I would like to thank everyone who has been reading this story! Be it from the very beginning or from the last chapter, I appreciate all your comments and engagement since it really is what fuels me to go forward. Here's hoping for a satisfying conclusion and many more papal shenanigans in the next year!
I would like to thank everyone who has been reading this story! Be it from the very beginning or from the last chapter, I appreciate all your comments and engagement since it really is what fuels me to go forward. Here's hoping for a satisfying conclusion and many more papal shenanigans in the next year!
- 3
Felicetti describing the Caroline Islands as 'god-forsaken' does amuse me for some reason. Clearly letting earthly frustrations get in the way of good Catholic evangelism…
Congratulations on reaching the year anniversary!
Congratulations on reaching the year anniversary!
- 1
Being entirely godforsaken simplifies things of course. We can burn it to the ground and don't even need to say the Lord will know his own, since we all know he doesn't have any there...
“What godforsaken island you have! All the better to [redacted]”
It is reassuring that some things remain constant - Bismark's cunning, Kaiser Bill being an idiot and the Papal States forgetting it is supposed to be religious.
There is an air of hubris around Cardinal Felicetti, noticeable even above his usual preening arrogance. To believe that Italy is in a position to "teach Germany a lesson" and that (a) Kaiser Wilhelm is capable of learning a lesson and (b) there will not be consequences when he seeks revenge is, even by the Curia's abysmally low standards, really quite special.
I have decided to emulate Cato the Elder and end all my replies in this thread with a call to action. It may fail now, it may fail a thousand times, but it is a cause worthy of the effort
Ceterum censeo ut liberam Graecia esse
There is an air of hubris around Cardinal Felicetti, noticeable even above his usual preening arrogance. To believe that Italy is in a position to "teach Germany a lesson" and that (a) Kaiser Wilhelm is capable of learning a lesson and (b) there will not be consequences when he seeks revenge is, even by the Curia's abysmally low standards, really quite special.
I have decided to emulate Cato the Elder and end all my replies in this thread with a call to action. It may fail now, it may fail a thousand times, but it is a cause worthy of the effort
Ceterum censeo ut liberam Graecia esse
- 2
- 2
I apologize for the long absence but summer is a weirdly work-intensive period so there might be longer breaks in between chapters but I hope it'll be worth it!
Unfortunately, just like Cato, I fear that the plea will go unanswered for quite a while.
Thank you all very much! I hope the next chapters will keep up the popery we all love!
Thanks! Yes, evangelism goes after frustration with the Germans. Honestly, they should have invoked the Treaty of Tordesillas and been done with it. Why complicate things when good old Alexander VI solved them already.
That's clearly the best solution. We can pre-absolve all your sins so you don't have to worry about any pesky morality while colonizing your pristine island paradise.
The relationship with Germany has gone south quite fast and Kaiser Bill won't take kindly to being pushed into a less confrontational foreign policy.
Unfortunately, just like Cato, I fear that the plea will go unanswered for quite a while.
Chapter XLI: Some Damned Foolish Thing in the Alps
From the personal diaries of Cardinal Vincenzo Fatta
Tuesday 3rd of January 1888
I had hoped that my war against France would be swift and easy, especially with German help, but now Austria has chosen to invade Dalmatia and we must answer. The Krauts thought that they had achieved complacency with the forceful installation of their own archbishop in the diocese, but they failed to account for his loyalty to the Church and he has called for our aid. Our honor is now saved but a two-front war will be more time-consuming than I had first hoped.
Though the Austrians might be able to occupy Dalmatia in the short term, they have an exceedingly long border with Germany, and I have sent messages to von Schellendorff to concentrate their attention on Bohemia and place Vienna under threat as soon as possible. On our side, I have sent orders to march against Gorizia and Trieste to hold the line while we gather enough conscripts to head for Trent; this will allow us to direct most of our attention towards Nice and Savoy to occupy the territories before a response can be organized and prepare them for annexation.
It is fortunate that the dull French elected a cabinet of businessmen who do not believe in the powers of government, this is likely the explanation for the absence of any resistance, but we will have to see how long they will choose to cling to their bourgeois ideals; as soon as we threaten their pockets, I suppose. So far, we have advanced on Nice, Annecy, and Corsica with only hints of a Belgian contingent making its way along the Mediterranean coast. The noble guards who so distinguished themselves in the storming of Malta during the French colonial war of '85-'86 are the spearhead of this new advance and have behaved impeccably. My main worry is the behavior of Spain along the Pyrenees which could force an early peace; the Turks, on the other hand, are likely to find little resistance in Tunisia and Algeria as they take the colonizers' plunder.
I have decided to maintain my headquarters in Milan for the time being and I will move them to Nice if it seems prudent, God forbid that I have to deal with the Piedmontese.
Wednesday 18th of April 1888
The Lord has blessed this day with a bounty of good news for our country as our enemies fall one after the other in their stubborn opposition to us. The Austrian eagle lost its feathers at the slightest breeze, and I struggle to understand how they thought this conflict would favor them. They must have thought that we would never aid the Dalmatians or that their archbishop would have welcomed them with open arms, but they soon realized the folly of their ways. With the German armies firmly in control of Bohemia and our brave men stationed in Istria and past the Alps, Franz Josef was forced to capitulate and abandon his dreams of expansion. I am told that Cardinal Felicetti handled the peace negotiations together with Bismarck and they settled on mere reparations for the Austrians which I judge to be too cheap a price for their brand of treachery; their expansionary aims should be countered with a loss of their own land, especially where Italians are known to live.
In any case, this leads me to my remaining task and the second piece of good news I have received. Our assault on French positions had proceeded with little significant resistance from our enemies but at last, a few weeks ago we sighted a force of over sixty thousand French and Belgian soldiers descending on Savoy. I ordered the nearest army of fewer than thirty thousand men to rush to the defense of Annecy and they have pushed back the invaders with heroic resolve ever since. Though I feared the worst, my prayers have been answered and God filled our men's hearts with resolve enough to send the enemy back whence they came. The reports are still temporary, but it seems like the enemy has lost almost fifty thousand men while we only sacrificed five thousand of our own.
All this promises a quick victory and liberation for our long-lost brethren, I will make sure to travel to Nice because I wish to be there when at last our victory will be announced.
Wednesday 20th of June 1888
I can now say with a chest full of pride that I am stationed in an Italian city at last. The treaty has finally been signed every person in Nice is ecstatic to join the embrace of the Catholic Italian nation. Church bells have been ringing for the whole day and cries of "Long live the pope" and "Long live Italy" can be heard even at this late hour. Despite the Austrians' opportunism, we have managed to obtain everything that we wanted and even something more with which to reward our faithful allies. I admit that I did not fully trust Germany's commitment to our pact, but they behaved impeccably against Austria-Hungary and managed to put pressure on France after we won the second battle of Annecy and began to push North. I have received reports that the Bavarian contingents distinguished themselves for bravery and audacity in battle, something for which I have requested that the pope commend them. All things considered, they fully deserved the Congo and Gabon they had claimed back in 1880. As for our other allies, Spain proved to be the weak link since they could not properly use the Pyrenees in their defensive effort but limited themselves to an invasion of Algeria together with the Turks which helped in small part but far from the main theater of the war.
There will be not much rest for me this night since I wish to write to Cardinal Felicetti and exhort him to enquire further into the Spaniards' deficiencies and how we can protect against them in the future. But I am leaving the best for last and, as my last duty tonight, I will congratulate Chambery for its long-awaited return to Italy.
Monday 10th of July 1893
Pope Innocent has once again called me to lead his armies against the French menace and I am on the fastest available train to Nice. The Austrians, in their eternal mediocrity, cannot accept that Dalmatia is lost to them and have chosen to attack them again, this time without even taking the time to appoint a puppet bishop. What separates this conflict from the last is that France has finally lost any presumption of justice and they have joined the Austro-Hungarians in a fully-fledged alliance. Such an unholy union will cause untold damage to our people and the world at large, and this is why it must be crushed swiftly. Unfortunate news has filtered from Germany as it seems that their new Emperor only wishes for a victory without effort and has indicated that he will deal with the Austrians while we will be forced to contend with France.
But Germany's reticence will not break my spirit, I have humbled France once before and I will do so once again. I have this voyage to think up my opening moves and strike a decisive blow before they can push this conflict onto Italian soil. I have already sent orders to march towards Digne and Frejus to secure Nice as a forward base of operations. I am currently wondering what should be done with Lyons since a French force of nearly seventy thousand is on its way to the city at this very moment. I could get around thirty thousand of our own men to the city but the only way in which they will survive is if they manage to fortify the position beforehand. However, I think that this risk would be justified, if the French successfully gain that position, then they will be spoiled for choice on which Italian city to attack next. I will ensure that a message is telegraphed as soon as it is possible to give us whatever small advantage we can gain. I pray to God that He may save his people and show his favor one more time through the vessel of his humble servant.
Sunday 10th of September 1893
Once more we have defended Lyons and once more, we are left to face only tens of thousands of French corpses while the living flee in disarray. The second battle of Lyons has ended this embarrassing war and the enemy is ready to surrender. It is thus all the more infuriating that the suggested peace is so toothless in its outlook. Surely the sacrifice of nearly ten thousand of our men and the constant meddling of Austria-Hungary in the business of Italian-aligned countries, not to mention France's betrayal, should be met with severe repercussions to ensure that these villains never again dare to step out of line. But no, I don't know if this is the Germans' doing or if the pope is misguided enough to choose this course of action, but the only thing that we have managed to gain is Cattaro for the Dalmatians and a quarter of France's yearly revenue for five years in reparation for our own troubles.
Despite the Germans' operation in the easiest front of the war, I am still surprised that they did not make any requests of the Austrians but limited themselves to shifting their weight in our direction without apparent gain. This is the main factor that makes me suspect that Pope Innocent is behind this diplomatic blunder, and he is trying to appear magnanimous and satisfied with our current lands. I do not understand how he could believe this to be a long-term solution, surely the French and Austrians will keep coming for the lands they wrongly claim and will not be sated by magnanimity but only by blood and steel.
I am especially surprised that Cardinal Felicetti did nothing to prevent this travesty and has accepted this humiliation without making too much of a fuss. I believed that he would be first in line among the protestors, but he has remained quiet, perhaps a sign that the man is getting too old for the hard business of politics. I must remember to lean on my own skills from now on as the old guard begins to falter. I must double my efforts to build a base among the newer cardinals in the Curia, especially young Cardinal Trinca whose character I still need to judge properly. Now that I have humbled Paris, Rome itself will have to contend with me.
Tuesday 3rd of January 1888
I had hoped that my war against France would be swift and easy, especially with German help, but now Austria has chosen to invade Dalmatia and we must answer. The Krauts thought that they had achieved complacency with the forceful installation of their own archbishop in the diocese, but they failed to account for his loyalty to the Church and he has called for our aid. Our honor is now saved but a two-front war will be more time-consuming than I had first hoped.
Though the Austrians might be able to occupy Dalmatia in the short term, they have an exceedingly long border with Germany, and I have sent messages to von Schellendorff to concentrate their attention on Bohemia and place Vienna under threat as soon as possible. On our side, I have sent orders to march against Gorizia and Trieste to hold the line while we gather enough conscripts to head for Trent; this will allow us to direct most of our attention towards Nice and Savoy to occupy the territories before a response can be organized and prepare them for annexation.
It is fortunate that the dull French elected a cabinet of businessmen who do not believe in the powers of government, this is likely the explanation for the absence of any resistance, but we will have to see how long they will choose to cling to their bourgeois ideals; as soon as we threaten their pockets, I suppose. So far, we have advanced on Nice, Annecy, and Corsica with only hints of a Belgian contingent making its way along the Mediterranean coast. The noble guards who so distinguished themselves in the storming of Malta during the French colonial war of '85-'86 are the spearhead of this new advance and have behaved impeccably. My main worry is the behavior of Spain along the Pyrenees which could force an early peace; the Turks, on the other hand, are likely to find little resistance in Tunisia and Algeria as they take the colonizers' plunder.
I have decided to maintain my headquarters in Milan for the time being and I will move them to Nice if it seems prudent, God forbid that I have to deal with the Piedmontese.
Wednesday 18th of April 1888
The Lord has blessed this day with a bounty of good news for our country as our enemies fall one after the other in their stubborn opposition to us. The Austrian eagle lost its feathers at the slightest breeze, and I struggle to understand how they thought this conflict would favor them. They must have thought that we would never aid the Dalmatians or that their archbishop would have welcomed them with open arms, but they soon realized the folly of their ways. With the German armies firmly in control of Bohemia and our brave men stationed in Istria and past the Alps, Franz Josef was forced to capitulate and abandon his dreams of expansion. I am told that Cardinal Felicetti handled the peace negotiations together with Bismarck and they settled on mere reparations for the Austrians which I judge to be too cheap a price for their brand of treachery; their expansionary aims should be countered with a loss of their own land, especially where Italians are known to live.
In any case, this leads me to my remaining task and the second piece of good news I have received. Our assault on French positions had proceeded with little significant resistance from our enemies but at last, a few weeks ago we sighted a force of over sixty thousand French and Belgian soldiers descending on Savoy. I ordered the nearest army of fewer than thirty thousand men to rush to the defense of Annecy and they have pushed back the invaders with heroic resolve ever since. Though I feared the worst, my prayers have been answered and God filled our men's hearts with resolve enough to send the enemy back whence they came. The reports are still temporary, but it seems like the enemy has lost almost fifty thousand men while we only sacrificed five thousand of our own.
All this promises a quick victory and liberation for our long-lost brethren, I will make sure to travel to Nice because I wish to be there when at last our victory will be announced.
Wednesday 20th of June 1888
I can now say with a chest full of pride that I am stationed in an Italian city at last. The treaty has finally been signed every person in Nice is ecstatic to join the embrace of the Catholic Italian nation. Church bells have been ringing for the whole day and cries of "Long live the pope" and "Long live Italy" can be heard even at this late hour. Despite the Austrians' opportunism, we have managed to obtain everything that we wanted and even something more with which to reward our faithful allies. I admit that I did not fully trust Germany's commitment to our pact, but they behaved impeccably against Austria-Hungary and managed to put pressure on France after we won the second battle of Annecy and began to push North. I have received reports that the Bavarian contingents distinguished themselves for bravery and audacity in battle, something for which I have requested that the pope commend them. All things considered, they fully deserved the Congo and Gabon they had claimed back in 1880. As for our other allies, Spain proved to be the weak link since they could not properly use the Pyrenees in their defensive effort but limited themselves to an invasion of Algeria together with the Turks which helped in small part but far from the main theater of the war.
There will be not much rest for me this night since I wish to write to Cardinal Felicetti and exhort him to enquire further into the Spaniards' deficiencies and how we can protect against them in the future. But I am leaving the best for last and, as my last duty tonight, I will congratulate Chambery for its long-awaited return to Italy.
Monday 10th of July 1893
Pope Innocent has once again called me to lead his armies against the French menace and I am on the fastest available train to Nice. The Austrians, in their eternal mediocrity, cannot accept that Dalmatia is lost to them and have chosen to attack them again, this time without even taking the time to appoint a puppet bishop. What separates this conflict from the last is that France has finally lost any presumption of justice and they have joined the Austro-Hungarians in a fully-fledged alliance. Such an unholy union will cause untold damage to our people and the world at large, and this is why it must be crushed swiftly. Unfortunate news has filtered from Germany as it seems that their new Emperor only wishes for a victory without effort and has indicated that he will deal with the Austrians while we will be forced to contend with France.
But Germany's reticence will not break my spirit, I have humbled France once before and I will do so once again. I have this voyage to think up my opening moves and strike a decisive blow before they can push this conflict onto Italian soil. I have already sent orders to march towards Digne and Frejus to secure Nice as a forward base of operations. I am currently wondering what should be done with Lyons since a French force of nearly seventy thousand is on its way to the city at this very moment. I could get around thirty thousand of our own men to the city but the only way in which they will survive is if they manage to fortify the position beforehand. However, I think that this risk would be justified, if the French successfully gain that position, then they will be spoiled for choice on which Italian city to attack next. I will ensure that a message is telegraphed as soon as it is possible to give us whatever small advantage we can gain. I pray to God that He may save his people and show his favor one more time through the vessel of his humble servant.
Sunday 10th of September 1893
Once more we have defended Lyons and once more, we are left to face only tens of thousands of French corpses while the living flee in disarray. The second battle of Lyons has ended this embarrassing war and the enemy is ready to surrender. It is thus all the more infuriating that the suggested peace is so toothless in its outlook. Surely the sacrifice of nearly ten thousand of our men and the constant meddling of Austria-Hungary in the business of Italian-aligned countries, not to mention France's betrayal, should be met with severe repercussions to ensure that these villains never again dare to step out of line. But no, I don't know if this is the Germans' doing or if the pope is misguided enough to choose this course of action, but the only thing that we have managed to gain is Cattaro for the Dalmatians and a quarter of France's yearly revenue for five years in reparation for our own troubles.
Despite the Germans' operation in the easiest front of the war, I am still surprised that they did not make any requests of the Austrians but limited themselves to shifting their weight in our direction without apparent gain. This is the main factor that makes me suspect that Pope Innocent is behind this diplomatic blunder, and he is trying to appear magnanimous and satisfied with our current lands. I do not understand how he could believe this to be a long-term solution, surely the French and Austrians will keep coming for the lands they wrongly claim and will not be sated by magnanimity but only by blood and steel.
I am especially surprised that Cardinal Felicetti did nothing to prevent this travesty and has accepted this humiliation without making too much of a fuss. I believed that he would be first in line among the protestors, but he has remained quiet, perhaps a sign that the man is getting too old for the hard business of politics. I must remember to lean on my own skills from now on as the old guard begins to falter. I must double my efforts to build a base among the newer cardinals in the Curia, especially young Cardinal Trinca whose character I still need to judge properly. Now that I have humbled Paris, Rome itself will have to contend with me.
- 1
It seems that Italy and Germany together can hold their own. However, for how long, and will the vile Frogs and the Kaurts ever give it up? God Bless the Pope, and lead him ever victoriously against his foes and the foes of god.
Yes, I'm not entirely sure what the Austrians think will happen here...
We've got a pretty good alliance specifically for taking on France. Good news now. May be problematic later on...
You said it.
Germany is still moderately sensible then. They know a somewhat stable if crap Austrian empire to their South is better than...Well, the balkans.
Keeping very close to the party and papal line. Good show. This surely places Italy firmly in the Great powers and gave France an embarising bloody nose, to be defeated handily by some place so backwards as the papal states...
Yes, the germans are excellent allies. Right up until they become enemies. But right now, they seem to be ideal bedfellows for us, as there is little to no overhang between our desires other than keeping France and Austria humble.
Germany has a proper colonial empire.
Battle stations!
Inform the Queen!
what?
umm...okay, this might actually destabilise austria and France being taken down so easily and twice in one year.
The British will not be amused by that. Nor will Bismark.
Sensible men.
Ah yes, facism decrying good sense as treachery. Only good things can come of this man entering politics...
Disappointed in Kaiser Wilhelm, far too sensible and nowhere near petty enough. It might even be Bismarkian (spit). This is not the sort of Germany anyone wants to see.
Ceterum censeo ut liberam Graecia esse
At least Cardinal Fatta is keeping an eye on Italy's oldest and most fearsome enemy - other Italians.
Ceterum censeo ut liberam Graecia esse
- 1
Paradox players love Germany though. So most readers presumably will be fine with this...
Um...
Italy is definitely one of the big boys now. The German alliance is proving very useful, even if the idea that the Italo–German bloc is the less deranged of the two main continental pacts is wild. One can sympathise easily enough with the British not wanting to get involved – although now that things are getting even crazier they may well be compelled to step down from their lofty isolation…
Honestly, it's not a bad position for the british to be in. Two continental power blocs, both allegedly balancing each other out. Problem is that whilst France and Austria could be powerful, they're very backwards and weak compared to the germans, and increasingly, the papal states.
That being said, the stronger faction has no way of defending their empire abroad, and Italy is still the weak point, heavily reliant upon the sea and yet never going to catch up to the Royal navy.
If I were the british, I'd be quite happy with a smart Germany keeping the balance in europe, and Italy being strong but easily defeatable. If France or Austria get torn up however, then we start to have some problems.
This will be a very long-standing rivalry and the wobbliness of Germany won't help much
Yes, Fatta is a problematic individual but we're about to enter a new century, I'm sure fascism won't have a part to play in the 20th century, just peace and prosperity all around.
Don't worry, Kaiser Bill will get worse, granny Victoria is still around to tell him off.
Britain is in a very good position right now since Europe seems to have balanced out. They will have to step in if the balance breaks but the continent is still stable enough not to bother old Blighty.