KING CHARLES’ PEACE
Narrative resumes in March 1668, with the closure of Portugal’s Centre of Trade to English merchants.
This placed King Charles in a dilemma. The merchants clamored for a war against either Spain or Portugal, to re-open one or other Centre of Trade. A war - any war - risked re-opening the religious divisions of the last thirty years. War with Spain would leave the English islands in the Caribbean vulnerable, while war with Portugal would lead to conflict with her main ally France. And the King had secretly pledged never to go to war with France (though nothing had been said about the allies of France).
No. A major war was not an option. But as a sop to the war party, the King let it be known all English bases in the Caribbean would be fully fortified. The merchants were encouraged to seek trade in Constantinople. There was just as much profit there as in Iberia, and no religious objections at home to making a profit out of the Turks.
As if to confirm the peace policy, when England’s alliance with Hessen, Hannover and the Netherlands expired in early April, it was only renewed with the Dutch. This would allow scope to expand England’s sphere of influence in the future, a campaign with began with State Gifts to the Palatenat (-105 to +37) and to Burgundy (+118 to +200).
Colonists flowed out from England’s shores. New colonies was founded in Cuttack, on the east coast of India, in July and in Bayou in August, in which month colonists also arrived in Corrientes. In October, colonists arrived in Curaco, Barbados and Jamaica, the latter two with a City Charter (a slight which the good people of Curaco feel deeply to this day). Orders were given to begin work on fortifying the new cities.
Crimea became bankrupt in July and Bohemia in December.
Year end taxes for 1668 were #1298.
1669 was another year of colonial expansion. Colonists arrived in Corrientes in January, July and December. A new colony was founded in Biloxi (immediately to the west of the Spanish in Mobile) in April. Radisson moved east to there, and sublimated his yearning to explore the unknown into the challenge of bringing the native tribes to accept what passed for civilization. More colonists arrived to join him in August.
In June, the Home Fleet were equipped with new optics [Naval Tech 29 - optics].
September saw yet another revolt in Normandie, which took two weeks to suppress.
Diplomatic wooing of the Palatenat continued with a State Gift in July (+29 to +200) a the marriage of the King’s second cousin to the Elector’s niece in October.
Governors were appointed in Barbados and Jamaica.
Year end taxes for 1669 were #1294.
1670 saw Rear Admiral York take command of the Western Squadron, based in Jamaica and dedicated to sweeping pirates from the Caribbean.
Orders were given to expand the fortifications in Barbados and Jamaica (to level 2) and to build a shipyard in Massachusetts. But the focus of economic expansion was in India, where refineries were commissioned in Bangalore, Kerala, Pondicherry, Madras and Santal.
Two military heroes of an earlier generation died within a month - Lord Admiral Monck in January and General Monck in February.
Colonists arrived in Biloxi in January, June and October, in Corrientes (with a City Charter and a tax collector in tow) in May and in Bayou in September.
By August, English merchants had acquired a monopoly in Constantionople.
Year end taxes for 1670 were #1324.
1671 began with orders further to strengthen the fortifications in Barbados and Jamaica (to level 3).
Colonists arrived in Bayou in February and June. Colonists arrived in Biloxi with a City Charter (+2,500 natives; city of 3,115) in March, and work began at once on fortifying the new city.
There was news in April that the mighty Polish realm had been struck by bankruptcy.
Radisson moved north-west from Biloxi to the realm’s Trading Post in Tuscaloosa. New colonies were founded in September both there and in Tallahassee (respectively north and east of the Spanish in Mobile).
For no apparent reason, serious riots broke out in London and Bristol in October [random event - unhappiness amongst the artisans - half investments in infrastructure lost].
In 1672, tax collectors were appointed in Barbados and Jamaica and Governors in Corrientes and Normandie. Orders were given to strengthen the fortifications in Biloxi (to level 2).
Colonists arrived in Tuscaloosa in January and October and in Tallahassee in June and December.
Colonists arrived in Bayou in August with a City Charter (+1,000 natives; city of 1,622). Fortification work began.
Year end taxes for 1672 were #1355.
During 1673 orders were given to strengthen the fortresses (to level 3) in Biloxi, Catawba, Powhahan and Massachusetts (to protect the shipyard). Chief Justices were appointed in Barbados and Jamacia.
February saw public celebrations for the Royal Wedding of the King’s niece Anne to Prince George, third son of the King of Sweden. George was an amiable nonentity, who preferred the warmth of the English winter to the chill of the Swedish summer and the taste of English beer to both. A noted diarist of the time recorded King Charles' remark "I have tried him drunk, and I have tried him sober, and there is nothing in him".
Colonists arrived in Tuscaloosa in February, July and September, the last with a City Charter (+2500 natives; city of 3116). Fortifications were ordered.
Guadeloupe was awarded a City Charter in August and fortification works began.
Colonists arrived in Tallahassee in April and August.
On 29 July came news that Persia had declared war on Iraq, a war that was to end in May 1674 with the extraction of #250 reparations from unfortunate Iraq.
At the end of the year, the alliance between the realm and the Netherlands was expanded by the admission of Cologne (+183 to +200), the Palatinat (+198 to +200) and Burgundy (+198 to +200).
INTERLUDE: GAME STATUS END 1673
Points:
England 4172
Poland 1150
China 1115
Portugal 964
Austria 916
Spain 911
Turkey 854
Badboyz:
England +3
France -3
Austria -8
Holland -2
Portugal -17
Russia -13
Spain -5
Sweden -9
Turkey +6
Poland +10
HISTORICAL AND GAME NOTES:
1. The historical England was in a much weaker position than in the game. Charles II was paid a subsidy (for which read a bribe) by Louis XIV to align English foreign policy with France. The subsidy replaced the taxes which Parliament would not have voted for such a policy. The policy led to a series of humiliating defeats in naval wars with the Dutch, culminating when Admiral van Tromp sailed a fleet up the Medway and bombarded the Royal Dockyard at Chatham.
2. The historical Anne did indeed marry a Prince George, but from Denmark, not Sweden. The quote about his lack of capacities is a real quote. In the game Anglo-Swedish relations are consistently at +200, but Anglo-Danish relations are at zero and getting worse, probably because of Denmark’s regular wars with the realm’s vassal Brandenburg.
Narrative resumes in March 1668, with the closure of Portugal’s Centre of Trade to English merchants.
This placed King Charles in a dilemma. The merchants clamored for a war against either Spain or Portugal, to re-open one or other Centre of Trade. A war - any war - risked re-opening the religious divisions of the last thirty years. War with Spain would leave the English islands in the Caribbean vulnerable, while war with Portugal would lead to conflict with her main ally France. And the King had secretly pledged never to go to war with France (though nothing had been said about the allies of France).
No. A major war was not an option. But as a sop to the war party, the King let it be known all English bases in the Caribbean would be fully fortified. The merchants were encouraged to seek trade in Constantinople. There was just as much profit there as in Iberia, and no religious objections at home to making a profit out of the Turks.
As if to confirm the peace policy, when England’s alliance with Hessen, Hannover and the Netherlands expired in early April, it was only renewed with the Dutch. This would allow scope to expand England’s sphere of influence in the future, a campaign with began with State Gifts to the Palatenat (-105 to +37) and to Burgundy (+118 to +200).
Colonists flowed out from England’s shores. New colonies was founded in Cuttack, on the east coast of India, in July and in Bayou in August, in which month colonists also arrived in Corrientes. In October, colonists arrived in Curaco, Barbados and Jamaica, the latter two with a City Charter (a slight which the good people of Curaco feel deeply to this day). Orders were given to begin work on fortifying the new cities.
Crimea became bankrupt in July and Bohemia in December.
Year end taxes for 1668 were #1298.
1669 was another year of colonial expansion. Colonists arrived in Corrientes in January, July and December. A new colony was founded in Biloxi (immediately to the west of the Spanish in Mobile) in April. Radisson moved east to there, and sublimated his yearning to explore the unknown into the challenge of bringing the native tribes to accept what passed for civilization. More colonists arrived to join him in August.
In June, the Home Fleet were equipped with new optics [Naval Tech 29 - optics].
September saw yet another revolt in Normandie, which took two weeks to suppress.
Diplomatic wooing of the Palatenat continued with a State Gift in July (+29 to +200) a the marriage of the King’s second cousin to the Elector’s niece in October.
Governors were appointed in Barbados and Jamaica.
Year end taxes for 1669 were #1294.
1670 saw Rear Admiral York take command of the Western Squadron, based in Jamaica and dedicated to sweeping pirates from the Caribbean.
Orders were given to expand the fortifications in Barbados and Jamaica (to level 2) and to build a shipyard in Massachusetts. But the focus of economic expansion was in India, where refineries were commissioned in Bangalore, Kerala, Pondicherry, Madras and Santal.
Two military heroes of an earlier generation died within a month - Lord Admiral Monck in January and General Monck in February.
Colonists arrived in Biloxi in January, June and October, in Corrientes (with a City Charter and a tax collector in tow) in May and in Bayou in September.
By August, English merchants had acquired a monopoly in Constantionople.
Year end taxes for 1670 were #1324.
1671 began with orders further to strengthen the fortifications in Barbados and Jamaica (to level 3).
Colonists arrived in Bayou in February and June. Colonists arrived in Biloxi with a City Charter (+2,500 natives; city of 3,115) in March, and work began at once on fortifying the new city.
There was news in April that the mighty Polish realm had been struck by bankruptcy.
Radisson moved north-west from Biloxi to the realm’s Trading Post in Tuscaloosa. New colonies were founded in September both there and in Tallahassee (respectively north and east of the Spanish in Mobile).
For no apparent reason, serious riots broke out in London and Bristol in October [random event - unhappiness amongst the artisans - half investments in infrastructure lost].
In 1672, tax collectors were appointed in Barbados and Jamaica and Governors in Corrientes and Normandie. Orders were given to strengthen the fortifications in Biloxi (to level 2).
Colonists arrived in Tuscaloosa in January and October and in Tallahassee in June and December.
Colonists arrived in Bayou in August with a City Charter (+1,000 natives; city of 1,622). Fortification work began.
Year end taxes for 1672 were #1355.
During 1673 orders were given to strengthen the fortresses (to level 3) in Biloxi, Catawba, Powhahan and Massachusetts (to protect the shipyard). Chief Justices were appointed in Barbados and Jamacia.
February saw public celebrations for the Royal Wedding of the King’s niece Anne to Prince George, third son of the King of Sweden. George was an amiable nonentity, who preferred the warmth of the English winter to the chill of the Swedish summer and the taste of English beer to both. A noted diarist of the time recorded King Charles' remark "I have tried him drunk, and I have tried him sober, and there is nothing in him".
Colonists arrived in Tuscaloosa in February, July and September, the last with a City Charter (+2500 natives; city of 3116). Fortifications were ordered.
Guadeloupe was awarded a City Charter in August and fortification works began.
Colonists arrived in Tallahassee in April and August.
On 29 July came news that Persia had declared war on Iraq, a war that was to end in May 1674 with the extraction of #250 reparations from unfortunate Iraq.
At the end of the year, the alliance between the realm and the Netherlands was expanded by the admission of Cologne (+183 to +200), the Palatinat (+198 to +200) and Burgundy (+198 to +200).
INTERLUDE: GAME STATUS END 1673
Points:
England 4172
Poland 1150
China 1115
Portugal 964
Austria 916
Spain 911
Turkey 854
Badboyz:
England +3
France -3
Austria -8
Holland -2
Portugal -17
Russia -13
Spain -5
Sweden -9
Turkey +6
Poland +10
HISTORICAL AND GAME NOTES:
1. The historical England was in a much weaker position than in the game. Charles II was paid a subsidy (for which read a bribe) by Louis XIV to align English foreign policy with France. The subsidy replaced the taxes which Parliament would not have voted for such a policy. The policy led to a series of humiliating defeats in naval wars with the Dutch, culminating when Admiral van Tromp sailed a fleet up the Medway and bombarded the Royal Dockyard at Chatham.
2. The historical Anne did indeed marry a Prince George, but from Denmark, not Sweden. The quote about his lack of capacities is a real quote. In the game Anglo-Swedish relations are consistently at +200, but Anglo-Danish relations are at zero and getting worse, probably because of Denmark’s regular wars with the realm’s vassal Brandenburg.
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