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Oh my no rebels - what bliss! :D

So time for another foreign adventure, to rile up the folks back at home, right? :D
 
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Victoria II - Japan
Chapter Seventeen - Hawaii

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With the Civil War won it was time to focus on the upcoming war with the Kingdom of Hawaii.

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The Army of Daimyo Mori was sent to wait in the Province of Kochi wile the government worked on a reason for the invasion of the Hawaii islands.

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Within a few days news of the Japanese working on a justification to attack Hawaii leaked out. While many nations made a lot of noise none of them seemed to be willing to do anything about it.

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It was reported that a British Fleet was off the Coast of Brunei. They seemed to just sit there. The Liberals were a little worried in private but in public pointed how what a strong relationship Japan had with the UK.

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It was also decided that the Province of Kochi needed a Fort. So one was ordered to be constructed.

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The Budget was adjusted again in the areas of Defence Spending, Naval Units, and Land Units.

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It was also decided to disband the Army of the Tokugawa. The twenty six thousand, or so, soldiers and cavalry would be released back into the citizen lifestyle.

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By the end of November the Budget was looking good enough to increase the Navy’s spending.

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Somehow Japanese soldiers, dressed up in the uniforms of the Hawaii military, slipped across the “border” to Hawaii and were captured.

This made no sense and the Japanese government said that this report was totally false.

And so the end of 1843 brought undue attention to Japan and its future conflict.
 
What are you talking about is quite right.

Hope amercia stays very busy for a long time on their own continent. Get established across the whole of the Pacific and they can damn well stay there!
 
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That last sounds like a bit of unapproved shore leave if you ask me.

Shore leave could very well be akin to an invasion I suppose, when looked at from a certain angle.
 
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Not sure why (besides game mechanics) the Japanese are going through all the trouble to carefully and stealthily plan an invasion when at this time, we literally had a rogue British captain conquer the kingdom by himself before American pressure and an embarrassed London made him give it back.

 
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Not sure why (besides game mechanics) the Japanese are going through all the trouble to carefully and stealthily plan an invasion when at this time, we literally had a rogue British captain conquer the kingdom by himself before American pressure and an embarrassed London made him give it back.


An interesting what if. Especially because both sides could have conceivably won, and it would have greatly changed US policy in the Pacific, and dealings with the UK...
 
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Going by the date on the "Mission to Hawaii" message, you missed the most auspicious day for attacking Hawaii by 1 year and 363 days. The next truly auspicious day will not be for 98 years and 2 days.
 
Victoria II - Japan
Chapter Eighteen - An Island Too Far

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The new year started out as it always did - with the Upper House having the parties losing or gaining seats.

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Once again the Conservatives lost seats while the Reactionaries and Liberals gained seats. The Liberals gained the most but it still worried them that the Reactionaries, who had lost the Civil War, were still gaining followers.

Surely nobody wanted to be part of the ‘Loser’ Party?

In general the populace were overjoyed with the end of the Civil War and the victory against Brunei.

They didn’t seem to sense the trouble brewing under the surface. Nor did they understand the problems that a future war with Hawaii may cause.

But the Liberals understood that a war with Hawaii would not be as easy as a war with Brunei. Not only was there the distance between Hawaii and Japan, which might make transportation of troops a issue, there was also the United States.

If the US joined in on the side of Hawaii the war was doomed to be a failure.

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A stronger Navy was needed and so a list of new ships were ordered to be built in dry docks.

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And the Army was ordered to train more Cavalry Brigades.

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The international news had some important events in it. Russia was now occupied in a war with Kokand. Which meant it would be busy for most of the year.

On the other hand the Americans had won their war with Mexico. Which means they were no longer occupied.

Maybe the invasion of Hawaii would have to be shelved?

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Yet the populace seemed to be eager for a war Hawaii. Maybe the taste of warfare, and the history of Japan’s military culture, was making the people a little hot headed?

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By April the government finally finished creating a reasonable Casus Belli for going to war with the Kingdom of Hawaii. But when should they use it?

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And the relationship with the UK was, once again, strengthened. If Hawaii wasn’t the next target one of the smaller Asian nations would be. So making sure the UK would not get involved was important.

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The Defense Spending was increased, much to the annoyance of the Department of the Treasury, to make sure that the military was ready no matter what conflict was in the future.

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The newest cavalry brigade was ready about a week later and was sent to join the nearest Army.

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In the international news Russia had won its war and Brazil had started another one. The Japanese were worried about Russia. Russian Fleets were seen in the coastal waters of Japan.

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By December another cavalry brigade was assembled and sent to the other Imperial Army.

By the end of 1844 the Liberals were pondering trying to create a reason for invading Johore or even Siam. Hawaii was starting to look like a island too far.

Or maybe they should develop the nation a tad up to help support a bigger and move advanced military?
 
And yet, Korea fears Japan's might. That is surely a good thing, right?
 
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Korea definitely should, tbh...
 
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Victoria II - Japan
Chapter Nineteen - Who WILL Japan Go To War With?

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When the year 1845 started there was some changes within the Upper House. Once again the Conservative Party lost some seats. Though, to be honest, not a lot of seats.

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The Liberals gained most of the seats that the Conservatives lost while the Reactionaries gained the rest.

And behind the scenes the Liberals had realized that Hawaii was really not an option at the moment. Maybe when they had modernized the military and their industry? Or maybe when they had the UK as allies?

So who would be the next target?

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At first they looked at Siam. Large land mass with a weak military.

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But there was a problem. The English were friendly with them AND had business with them. So the Japanese decided, for now, to keep away from Siam.

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There was Johore who the English were not friendly with and had no business with.

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In fact they seemed to be very hostile towards Johore. They had started eating away at the coast by grabbing provinces here and there. They might get upset if Japan invaded that region but they won’t join the Johore in fighting off the Japanese.

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So the Japanese government decided to start working on a reason to invade Johore and absorb them into the Empire.

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At this point it was realized that the British Empire were just as bad as keeping secrets as the Japanese Empire. Since it was found out, by agents within Europe, that the UK was also working on a reason for a war with Johore. So of course the Japanese dropped the whole idea.

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So it was decided to go to war with Siam. After all the UK had links with Brunei but did nothing to safe it? So why would they do anything to stop Japan from taking over parts of Siam?

A few days later the Defence Spending and Construction Spending was adjusted AGAIN to try to keep the Treasury from going into the ‘Red’ while at the same time TRYING to keep the military from falling apart.

Of course the attempt to create a justification for the invasion of Siam was leaked just a few days later much to the annoyance of the Japanese government and the Emperor.

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Near the end of January the Navy announced it would using European designs and European ship building methods from now on.

There was some alarm within the Liberal Party when British Fleets started moving about in Japanese waters. But they just announced to the public that there was no dangers. After all the British were likely just moving troops to Asia for their future war.

In February another cavalry brigade was formed in Toyama and was told to join the military forces in Edo.

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And the populace was becoming alarmed at the ‘news’ that Siam was plotting against Japan.

In Okinawa, in May, the Liberals ordered the building of a Naval Base. They also ordered the one to be expanded in Kochi.

As the Liberals waited for the perfect time to go to war with Siam they also examined the idea of trying to take Korea.

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And quickly dropped the idea as Korea was an ally of the massive, and very powerful, Chinese Empire.

They also examined the idea of trying to absorb Dai Nam and also dropped the idea as they were also allied with China.

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In July the Casus Belli was finally finished which gave Japan the right to claim some of, if not all, the territories of Siam.

So now it was just a question of waiting for the proper time and for the military to be ready.
 
Here's hoping Japan has judged the British correctly.
 
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Japan sure does look stuck. The British over there, the Chinese over here...at some point the russians will become a factor, and the US is probably coming too.

Not good news
 
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Victoria II - Japan
Chapter Twenty - Friendship Is Magic

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By August another Cavalry unit was assembled. This time right in the Province of Edo.​

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Which allowed it to join up with the Army sitting in the capital without even having to march anywhere.​

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The international newspapers had the news that the UK had gone to war with Johore while the Americas kept expanding.

The Liberals debated about the idea that the United States might start getting on the British nerves in North America. Becoming a Ally of the UK might prove useful.

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In November the Japanese Diplomats did their best to increase the nation’s relationship with the English.

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And it worked. Japan and the UK were friendly with each other. Japan, in other words, had the same level of relationship with the UK as Siam had.

Therefore, in theory, the UK might not get involved in a war between the two nations. As it would not be able to take a sides.

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Also near the end of the year the British were still engaged in their war with Johore.

The Liberals decided that invading Siam was on the table for 1846.
 
Hopefully the start of a long and prosperous relationship :)
 
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Hopefully the start of a long and prosperous relationship :)

Does make a kind of sense to sell yourself to the british. You'll get a lot of the Pacific and south east Asia, in exchange for helping them navally, fighting every war against Amercia, and probably giving up the best turf to the British (Singapore, the choicest Chinese ports, any Pacific island they want, and staying far away from the settler colonies).
 
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Victoria II - Japan
Chapter Twenty-One - The Debate About Siam

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While the Upper House’s makeup, once again, charged in favor of the Liberals and the Reactionaries other more important events were happening.

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The tea harvest was unusually large at the start of the year and it was decided that Japan could profit from such an abundance.

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There was also news from the United States. Seems the Americans were embracing slavery. Even making it legal in the States where it was not legal. A interesting turn of events to say the least.

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Outside of that the international news was pretty much same old same old. Wars, a revolution, and some science news.

And it was rumored that the Netherlands were working on a excuse to start a war with Bali.

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Then in May the Reactionaries rose up again. A another revolt in the Province of Matsuyama. A small force of about three thousand.

The fools had assembled right next to the Army of Mori who quickly marched onto them.

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Within a few days the Battle of Matsuyama when the rebels were attacked by twenty-one thousand government ground troops and cavalry. The Reactionaries were swiftly dealt with and totally wiped out by the 2nd of June.

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That month the Diplomats, once again, did their best to wine and dine the Queen of England. And this helped increase the relationship between the two nations.

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The military industry announced they had made advancements in Japanese made rifles. A nice step forward but not enough to really help Japan became a military super power.

By now the Liberals were of two minds. One small part of the party wanted to start the war with Siam.

But a majority had issues with the idea. Some of them felt the military wasn’t big enough or modern enough. Others felt that the UK might join Siam’s side in such a conflict. The Europeans seemed to have a soft spot for ‘the victims’. It was feared that if Japan declared war on Siam the UK would see the Siamese as the underdog and join in on their side of the war.

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Once again the international news showed nothing but reports on wars and science articles. And it seemed Siam was doing its best to bait Japan into declaring war on them. Did they know something the Japanese leadership did not?

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In November the Fort in Kochi was finished and the public media rejoiced at this visible sign of Japan’s military might.

By the end of the year the war with Siam had not started and it looked like the Liberal Party was frozen in fear. At least that was what some of the Reactionaries were saying.

In reality the Liberal were frozen in their actions. But not in fear. No, they were frozen because they knew that anything they did could be easily countered by one of the many Great Powers that had interests in Asia or the Pacific Ocean.

Either Japan would need to become an ally of the UK. Or become a Great Power itself. Until then it was basically forced to sit on the sidelines and do nothing.
 
Time for the liberals to gamble.
 
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Time for the liberals to gamble.
OOC : I have started two wars to take Hawaii and the US always joined. So I had to go back to a earlier save. And, yes, tried to invade Siam. And the UK joined in on their side.
Also, turns out Siam had a bigger army than Japan. So....I am trying to play the game without being too gamey. But I have to keep going back to the earlier saves because the Great Powers keep stomping on me. So....this AAR will be a tad slow and boring until I can make Japan powerful enough to expand.
 
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Ahh that all comes sense.
 
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