March of the Eagle: an interactive Victoria 2 Prussia AAR

[SibCDC]

The Formation of a Government and the 1835 Landtag Session​

Soon after the 1835 elections, the King and the Crown Prince started the process to form a government by inviting all major faction leaders to his palace in Berlin. After hearing them out, they decided it would be best for the country to be ruled by a Liberal-Conservative coalition government. The highest priority for this government would be to approve a budget for 1836 and 1837 to balance the economic damage of the last few years. After appointing Josef Emmanuel Weingart to the position of Minister-President, the Crown Prince and the Minister-President went over the most important decisions that would have to be made to run the country. A foreign policy was outlined to bring Hannover, Saxony and Bavaria into Prussia's sphere of influence, and in addition Prussia would allign itself with the United Kingdom. Diplomatic backchannels between the UK and Prussia soon established a formal military alliance between the two countries. The Minister-President and the Crown Prince also outlined the national focus for Prussia's domestic policy. The local government of Brandenburg would encourage soldiers, while in the Rheinland the construction of basic industry was also encouraged.

Spoiler: The King's Executive Orders (credit to skagerakk)

​

List of Passed Bills:
Railroad Interest Act (Written by Karl Braun, Liberal Faction)
Railroads are becoming a important part of industry around the world and Europe, to get a head start we must invest in its development, to do this we must research it and it’s logistics to start our railroad boom for Prussian cities and industry by subsidizing engineers to look into the logistics and engineering need to install and build railroads around Prussia.
Ingame Effect- Research Experimental Railroad

Scientific Research Act (Written by Lutz von Sommer, Radical Faction)
Science is the future and thus we should spend our time furthering our knowledge of the different sciences especially when it comes to newer fields like Chemistry and Biology where a new breakthrough might help us discover a whole new realm of possibilites.
In-game effect - Research Medicine

Child Protection Act (Written by Karl Braun, Liberal Faction)
While Prussian children should be able to help provide for their families, restrictions are need to safeguard our children from abuse, or getting themselves seriously hurt in the factory, therefore the Child Protection Act shall forbid privately owned and goverment owned factories from employing children younger than the age of 9 and only allow children under the age of 16 to work up to max 10 hours a day.
Ingame Effect - set law to “Child Labour Restricted”

Budget Proposal for 1836 (Written by MP Josef Emmanuel Weingart with oversight from Moderate Coalition membership)
To address the ongoing budget deficit, the Coalition government established with the King's favor presents the following emergency measures for the year of 1836.
1. An increase on various labor and land taxes, resulting in an overall 20% increase to Lower Class taxation.
2. An increase on dues from various Artisan Guilds, resulting in an overall 10% increase to Middle Class taxation.

 

[skagerakk]

It's a mess at the moment.
The radical leader is in exile, the reactionaries are all in prison for treason together with half the conservatives....

 

[Tom D.]

It's a mess at the moment.
The radical leader is in exile, the reactionaries are all in prison for treason together with half the conservatives....

 

[SibCDC]

1836-1838: Gameplay and Roleplay update​

In line with the Railroad Interest Act, Prussia started focussing its research on experimental railroads. Several missions were sent to the United Kingdom to learn of this novelty. Prominent engineers from the Rhineland managed to strike a deal with some British capitalists who were favorable to the Prussian cause. These engineers returned with valuable information on how these railroads could connect various cities and industrial centers across the country. A team of experts was quickly formed to work out the details; how wide should tracks be? How long can trains be before them become impossible to move? How much coal is needed in getting a train running? Etc. etc. Academical circles in Prussia's universities were excited about all the possible experiments they could do with this new technology.

​

In the meantime, the 1836 Budget was implemented, increasing taxes for the Lower Classes to 70% and to 60% for the Middle Classes. The Budget did not however touch the expenses on the national stockpile, causing the large deficit to persist. As a result, the executive branch would eventually be forced to implement an emergency budget in March of 1836. This increased taxes for the Lower Classes to the max and reduced spending on upkeeping the national stockpile to a minimum. A temporary balance was found, but the emergency budget would only remain in place for two years and would need to be either confirmed or adjusted by the Landtag in 1838.

​

In the meantime, Prussia's diplomats had worked hard to establish foreign relations across Europe. In addition to an alliance with Britain, alliances were also made with the Two Sicilies (1836), Sweden (1836) and Sardinia-Piedmont (1837). An alliance was also offered by Denmark, but the King refused because he feared this would upset the Swedish. These alliances resulted in a sort of duality within Prussian foreign policy. On the one hand, Prussia had secured its maritime trade by allying Britain and Sweden, thus protecting the trade fleet in both the North Sea and the Baltic. On the other hand, Prussia's new Italian allies opened up the possibility of forming a front against both the French and the Austrians should the need arise. By the beginning of 1838, Prussia's alliance system looked as following:

​

On November 10th 1836, a major breakthrough was made in the field of experimental railroads. A first successful test with a steam-powered train on a small piece of track just outside of Berlin attracted enough investors to kick off the Great Railway Expansion. Soon, construction of railway tracks would commence across the country to connect towns and industrial centers. In the meantime, Prussia's research focus had already moved on to improving medicinal knowledge. Especially applications on the battlefield were of particular interest to the Prussian government.

​

By December of 1837, the first railroad in Prussia was established between the important harbour city of Stettin and Kolberg. Spectators from around the region, and capitalists from across the country flocked to Kolberg to watch the first passenger train arrive in the city. Many marvelled at the wonder of modern technology, but a small group of agitators accused the train driver of doing the Devil's work.

​

When the year 1838 arrived, optimism about the future of Prussia abruptly ended when King Friedrich Wilhelm III passed away and was succeeded by his son King Wilhelm I. Not long into Wilhelm's reign, a scandal embroiled the conservative and reactionary parties. After a news report arrived from the Holstein-Mecklenburg border, several conservative and reactionary politicians were arrested and charged with High Treason for attempting to stage an international incident that would force the King to go to war. The trials that followed were bitter and saw three of Prussia's military leaders court-martialled, leaving the I. and II. Armies, as well as the Royal Prussian Navy, without an active leader.

Credit to @skagerakk for making this amazing newspaper.​

 

[magnum2016]

Hey Sib!
I am following this one closely

 

[SibCDC]

1838-1840: Landtag Session, Gameplay and Roleplay update​

The 1838 Landtag Session did not see much action. As the Minister-President himself could not attend, his job to guide the debates was temporarily taken over by a lower bureaucrat. Due to the limited amount of bills, there wasn't even that much to debate. The most important bill on the docket was undoubtedly the Emergency Budget Extension, which called for an affirmation of the emergency measures by the executive branch. The bill passed easily and the emergency budget has now been extended until further notice. In addition, three more bills were on the docket, including one which was unconstitutional and one which called for an invasion of West Africa and was thus ignored.

List of passed bills:
Commercial Structure Act (Written by MP Josef Emmanuel Weingart, Liberal Faction)
With railways being built across the nation, now more than ever the Prussian markets require official, national structuring. With proper structuring, our gross production and profit will improve as from the Rhineland to Poznan craftsmen and laborers will have equal footing in their market knowledge.
Effect: Research Market Structure

Emergency Budget Extension (Written by Wilhelm Hoth, Conservative Faction)
The Prussian economy hasn't fully recovered. With economic reforms in sight, the current emergency budget shall be kept until the financial situation of the Kingdom Of Prussia has greatly improved, which will be done by further economic incentives and reforms.
Effect: The Prussian emergency budget shall be upheld until further notice

In July of 1838, a scandal rocked Pomerania as a local politician was involved in somewhat of a scandal. After a newspaper reported about the man's supposed love affaire, the politician become the running gag of the town. The man, infuriated with the slanderous newspaper, has urged the local court to ban the newspaper on grounds of 'breach of morality and public trust'. The local court agreed with the politician that articles like this should not be allowed to influence the public opinion, especially not with elections ahead. The newspaper was banned from publishing in the future, but this action has angered Liberals and Radicals in the region.

​

In July of '38, the government's research program into medicine was completed and in accordance with the Commercial Structure Act Prussian economic scientists soon began looking into Market Structures and their applications in the field. If the economy could be directed from above, output of Prussia's industries could be increased, some thought. Others preferred Laissez Faire economics, which would give the market the chance to grow on its own without government interference.

​

In November of '38, Prussian educator Adolph Diesterweg published his guidelines for teachers. As a teacher at a state-school in Berlin himself, he tried to implement new ways of educating the country's youth. One of those new ways was a non-sectarian view on religious education and his pupils often knew as much about Catholicism and Judaism as they did about their own Protestant denominations. Diesterweg's view regularly got him into trouble with his surperiors or even with the local authorities, but his guidelines for teaching are a great contribution to Prussia's education system nonetheless.

​

Later that month however, West Prussia was the scene of an unlawful public meeting of the Prussian Chartist Club. The Club rallied in the port city of Danzig to demand an extension of voting rights. Before the unlawful rally would get out of hand, the local division of the Landgendarmerie intervened and send the agitators home while arresting the ring leaders. Unrest in the region, however, continues to spread as more and more radicals demand the expansion of voting rights.

​

In November of 1839, Prussia foreign policy finally paid off when Hanover was added to its sphere of influence. It marked a successful first step in the King's effort to expand Prussia's influence within the German Confederation, at the expense of Austria. Once Hanover was firmly within Prussia's control, the focus of Prussia's diplomatic corps shifted towards Schleswig-Holstein, which was at this point still a satellite state of Denmark.

Credit to @skagerakk for making this newspaper.​

 

[SibCDC]

Hey Sib!
I am following this one closely

O wow I was so busy writing the gameplay update that I didn't notice your message!

 

[Tom D.]

5 years have passed since the previous elections, which saw a combined liberal and radical majority, which did not lead to a government though, due to skillful intervention of the King. Although signs of weaknesses in this coalition have already shown itself, it is now up to the voters again to dictate the actions of the factions in the Landtag and what coalition and government will come out of these elections. The options are still the same as during the last elections: radicals, liberals, conservatives and reactionaries all vie for your vote. Shortly before voting stations all across Prussia opened, the state newspaper released its newspaper once again with the speeches of each factions' leader.

​

Who will you grant the possibility to rule? You decide. Voting stations are now open and will remain open until Saturday 18:00 CEST/6PM CEST.

​

 

[stnylan]

Voted. Still for the Liberals.

 

[skagerakk]

Voted. Still for the Liberals.

They did a good job so far

 

[The Number 9]

I missed the start of this, but I will follow and, hopefully, will vote. I probably won't have time to do much more.

 

[skagerakk]

I missed the start of this, but I will follow and, hopefully, will vote. I probably won't have time to do much more.

It's always great to have more voters and people on the Forum! thank you for following!

 

[SibCDC]

1840 Election Results and the formation of a Conservative-Reactionary Government

​

After the election results were made public, the leader of the Conservatives, Wilhelm Hoth, sat together with the leader of the Reactionaries, Alfred von Neidenburg, to talk about the possibility of a coalition. Not long after, Wihelm Hoth was summoned to the Royal Palace to discuss the matter. After a short meeting with the King, Conservative parliamentarian Josef Stanislaus von Heidelberg was proclaimed as the new Minister-President by Royal Decree.

​

In preparation of the 1840 Landtag session, the government looked as following:

​

 

[SibCDC]

1840 Landtag Session and Gameplay 1840-1841​

The 1840 Landtag Session was rather uneventful, despite the many bills on the docket. In the end the following bills were passed:
Tariff Bill of 1840 (Written by Minister-President von Heidelberg, Conservative Faction)
Prussian goods struggle in our very own land against foreign goods. We must raise tariffs in order to support our domestic industry and agriculture.
Effect: Raise tariffs by 5%

Expansion and Intervention Act of 1840 (Written by Minister-President von Heidelberg, Conservative Faction)
Our industry must be supported if Prussia hopes to prosper. Our highly profitable steel operations in the Rhineland must be expanded immediately to make way for greater production. In addition, our struggling artillery factory must be supported until it is profitable on its own for the good of our army’s strength.
Effect: Expand Steel Factory in Rhineland and Subsidize Artillery Factory in Westfalen

Artillery Research Bill (Written by Karl Braun, Liberal Faction)
To help modernize our glorious Prussian military, we should get the help of private industry to research and advance our military's artillery equipment so it's more reliable and hopefully causes some more damage to our enemies' infantry on the battlefield.
Effect: Research Iron Muzzle-Loaded Artillery

Philosophy School Bill (Written by Karl Braun, Liberal Faction)
To promote higher learning in our Prussian univercities we should promote the study of multiple philosophies to help create the next generation of Prussian business owners and politicians and to promote the research of new technolgies to bring prosperity to Prussia.
Effect: Reseach Idealism

The Feldjäger Act (Written by Minister-President von Heidelberg, Conservative Faction)
To further the security of our government, and prevent radical elements from corrupting the root of Prussian society, a newly raised I. Feldjäger Korps will be given investigative jurisdiction, riot control duties, and military police responsibilities in Berlin and Potsdam effective immediately. A permanent detachment of Feldjägers will remain on post in Berlin ready to respond to any threats to the King, Landtag, or other elements of the government. The leader of this detachment will be chosen by the King, and the detachment will function (as before) under the direct command of his Royal Majesty.
During times of war, the Feldjäger will serve as part of the regular army, under the direction and assignment of the King.
Effect: Raise 8 Artillery and 4 Cavalry (2 Dragoon and 2 Cuirassier) in Berlin, during times of war, mobilized infantry will join to make a full army
(This bill was postponed by the King and the Minister-President to prevent an overextension of manpower and resources)

In line with the Tariff Bill of 1840, tariffs were raised to 5%, generating a small income from taxes on the import of foreign goods. Although relatively insignificant, Chamber of Commerces across the land would start to feel the consequences of this small implementation of barriers.

​

In February, the Prussian embassy in Hannover reported a request from the government of Hannover. The country which was recently added to Prussia's sphere of influence offered an alliance with Prussia. King Wilhelm I and his Minister-President were glad to receive the offer and immediately sent a message back, confirming the formal alliance between the two countries.

​

In April of 1840, a festival was held in Frankfurt to celebrate the works of Mozart. Frankfurt, which functioned as the centre for the German Confederation, quickly became a stage for a demonstration in favour of political unification of Germany. The question has become more and more prominent in the streets and many wonder whether it will be Prussia or Austria who will take the lead in this manner.

​

Soon after the Mozart Festival, the Philosophy School Bill kicked into action as research on Market Structure was finished.

​

In October of 1840, however, there were signs that liberal agitation across the country might begin to stir the populace. At the moment it mainly remained limited to the Rhineland, but the King feared for a disastrous repeat of 1830-1831.

​

Not long after, in December of 1840, a liberal newspaper was censored by the King and His government to prevent the spread of agitation.

​

In March of 1841, rumors about a secret society reached the ears of the government. These rumors suggested that a group like the Illuminati could be behind the liberal agitation of the recent months. The King waved it off as simple rumors, and besides, the right to gather peacefully in enclosed spaces was guaranteed by the Constitution so he couldn't do anything anyway.

​

In March, the Prussian King was approached by the city state of Krakow with a formal request for an alliance. The King, fearing that Austria would ignore the statute of Krakow determined in Vienna in 1815, accepted Krakow's offer and extended a guarantee of independence to the small country.

​

In May of 1841, word reached the ears of the King that a local branch of the Chartist Society had been set up in one of Prussia's provinces to campaign for universal male suffrage. The King, fearing a repeat of 1831, ordered his police forces to suppress the society and kill the movement before it even gained traction.

​

In June, a message arrived from Lübeck. It appeared that their government was forced to default when it became clear their treasury was practically empty. The Prussian treasury, which had extended several loans to Lübeck was angered by this fact, lobbying with the government to enforce sanctions in the German Confederation. The government held a cool head and just warned Lübeck to better pay their debts from now on.

​

In August, it became clear that the efforts of the government to contain the Chartist movement in Prussia had failed as the local branch that they had tried to shut down now organized an illegal rally. Without hesitation, the Conservative-Reactionary government ordered the local police forces to deal with the situation as efficient as possible.

​

In September of 1841, the Chamber of Commerce of Cologne lodged an angry protest against the government's economic policies. Primarily the raise in tariffs formed a major point in many of the complaints. Among them, Ruprecht Birnbaum, an importer of luxury goods, threatened to take this issue to the national level, and did so during the 1841 Liberal Convention.

​

In November of 1841, a poetical pamphlet circulated calling out the political backwardness of the Prussian government. The pamphlet has inspired many local branches of the Radical and Liberal Factions to consider taking it to the streets and protest against the government. The government is stern in their defence of the old order and is prepared to do anything to prevent a repeat of 1831. For now, their preparations remain limited to a couple of bill proposals in the Landtag.

​

In December of 1841, the Deutschlandlied written by Hoffmann von Fallersleben gained traction within several movements that called for German unification. As the issue became more and more apparent, tensions between Prussia and Austria were on the rise. Both held ambitious plans for the German Confederation, but neither like the other one's plan.

​

Between 1840 and 1842, there were also some newspapers made by our players, you can check them out below.

Credit to @skagerakk

Credit to @Sjwallace

Credit to torson​

 

[Namethatauserdoesnotuse]

Just looked back at this thread and now I see that the reactionaries are in power? Congrats for doing what I couldn't, FOR PRUSSIA!!

 

[SibCDC]

1842 Landtag Session and 1842-1844 Gameplay​

In the 1842 Landtag Session, several important bills were on the docket. With liberal agitation spreading across the land, the Conservatives proposed a bill that would prepare Prussia's armies for the inevitable confrontation. In the end, the following bills passed:
Administration Development Initiative (Written by Minister-President von Heidelberg, Conservative Faction)
New political thought is growing across Europe. To ensure our enlightened government stays at the forefront of development in administration and government, we must subsidize research and think-tanks on the matter.
Effect: Research Ideological Thought, and then State and Government (After all current queued research has finished)

Military Readiness Act (Written by Minister-President von Heidelberg, Conservative Faction)
Tensions rise in Central Europe. To ensure our grand Army remains poised to act in Prussia’s time of need, we must raise spending on vital military assets.
Effect: Raise Army National Stockpile spending to 35%

Tax reduction for the high class (Written by Wilhelm Hoth, Conservative Faction)
The Prussian industry is struggling and as such the government shall aid as much as possible. One way is to ease the conditions for capitalists and lowering the taxes.
Effect: lowers taxes by 5% on the high class

Royal Prussian Railway Administration Act (Written by Minister-President von Heidelberg, Conservative Faction)
With the ever growing Prussian economy the need to improve the transportation in the industrial areas of the Kingdom also grows. We should promptly establish a national body that would prevent useless railroads and prioritise those areas who are in desperate need of such transportation. A Königlich Preußische Eisenbahn-Verwaltung (K.P.E.V.) will be established effective immediately, under the oversight of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce.
Effect: Any private railroad construction has to be approved according to it's priority by the King. State-run railroad projects will be coordinated by the K.P.E.V.

Silesian Defense Initiative (Written by Afred von Neidenburg, Reactionary Faction)
The Austrian empire is a rising enemy to Prussia and its independence, as well as its influence within the German confederation. In order to protect what our grandfathers and our kings fought for, it is essential that we construct a line of strong fortifications which can repel the enemy until the full might of Prussia can be brought to bear.
Effect: Begin construction on forts in every Prussian province that borders Austria or Saxony.

And so taxes on the Upper Classes were reduced by 5% and spending on the stockpile for the army was increased to 35%

​

On March 31, research on Idealism was finished and the focus shifted to Iron Muzzle-loaded Artillery. Once completed, that new technology would surely deal with any insurgency that decided to poke its ugly head out.

​

As all across Prussia, liberal agitation spread, an event occurred in Hamburg which would see a sign of true German comradery. As a huge fire destroyed most of the city and lots of people were left without a home, the King of Prussia and his government decided to donate money for reconstruction and send all the help that the people of Hamburg would need. The act further established the fact that Prussia would soon lead all of the German states in a union of brotherhood and kinship.

​

Liberal agitation further spread across Prussia, with several student organizations rallying around the topics of Free Press and Universal Suffrage. Illegal rallies were held and dispersed by police forces. But in November of '42, the King received an urgent message from the United Kingdom, Prussia's loyal ally, requesting to them to join the British in their war against Egypt. Even though Prussia had no naval capability and thus no ability to send troops to Egypt, the King accepted in order to keep his alliance with the British. Not much later, the Opium War between the British and the Qing would also break out. Britain was truly overextending itself on multiple fronts.

​

While more and more liberals took it onto the streets, research on improved artillery was finished and work soon began on Ideological Thought within the government. As the confrontation between liberals and conservatives grew bigger by the day, the conservatives needed ideological weapons to fight against this threat.

​

In July of '43, it finally happened. What began as a hot Summer day, ended in utter chaos. All across Prussia, Jacobin rebels had risen to overthrow the government. Their longing for more freedom had reached the boiling point and now they wished to grab those freedoms by force. The King and the Minister-President implemented an emergency budget to fully fund the military. The armies of Prussia fought valiantly and in the end, they were victorious and defeated the rebels. It took until the end of September of that year until the last remnants of the revolution were dealt with.

​

In the meantime, the diplomatic envoys of Prussia had been smooth talking Carlist Spain to draw them into an alliance with Prussia. The wise King of Spain saw that this alliance would counter French influence in Europe and agreed to the proposal. The French were not pleased to say the least. After their alliance with Austria had failed, they were now isolated and surrounded on all sides. Not long after, they announced their official alliance with Russia. Should Prussia declare war on France now, it would have to fight a two-front war, but so would the French.

​

In December of '43, a message arrived from Krakow stating that their alliance with Prussia was no longer needed as they had found the protection of Russia. Should Austria try to end Krakovian souvereignity now, they would find themselves at war with the biggest war machine on the European continent.

​

As chartist rallies continued in Prussia, even after the horrendous revolt of '43, Alsacian nationalists rose up within France's borders. For a brief moment, the streets of Prussia calmed down as everyone held their breath and prayed for the success of these nationals. However, they were quickly dealt with once the French army arrived in the region and put the revolt down.

​

In May of '44, the worst happened, again. Jacobin rebels rose up once again to overthrow the government and install more freedoms. Yet this time, they had directly attacked the garissoned armies of Prussia. In Königsberg and Breslau, they even had the upper hand. An emergency session of the Landtag was immediately called by the King and Minister-President von Heidelberg. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the Liberals and the Conservatives formed a temporary alliances and voted in favour of a press reform. The freedom of the press was added to the Constitution and the revolt quickly lost many of its supporters. Only the largest revolt armies were able to hold together. During the battles that followed, Minister-President von Heidelberg died on the battlefield of Küstrin while leading his army. Nonetheless, by July off '44, the revolution was successfully dealt with.

​

In the meantime, Britain had also ended the Opium War and had now gained control over the port city of Hong Kong. British presence in China would be a lasting one for the next couple of decades.

​

Once the Conservatives had found their Ideological Thought, work soon began on improving the State & Government administrations of the country. If Prussia wanted to become a true uniter of Germany, it would need a sturdy and efficient administration that was able to incorporate the elements of all the minor nations that made up the German Confederation.

​

Newspapers for this period:

​

 

[Dragon50]

If the Carlists were in power there would be a king, not queen of spain!

Lol that doesn't really matter good update.

 

[SibCDC]

If the Carlists were in power there would be a king, not queen of spain!

Lol that doesn't really matter good update.

Thanks for pointing that out! Editted it!

 

[skagerakk]

5 years have passed again and it is once again time for elections.
The Conservative-Reactionary Government managed to hold on during turbulent times. The past 5 years saw civil unrest and strife for more freedoms, how this will translate into the elections only time can tell.
Will the Liberals and Radicals be able to capitalize on the new freedoms or will the bloodshed wkae reactionary and conservative tendencies within the voter, being appalled by all the violenc?
You decide!

Once again the Königlich Preußischer Staats-Anzeiger releaes all the speeches in an election special edition:

Poltical parties release pamphlets to promote their ideals and gain support:
Liberals:

Conservative:

Reactionary:

Radical:

Vote now!
​

 

[SibCDC]

1845 Election Results​

The election results are out, read them in this newspaper made by @skagerakk!