Part 57: Europa Universalis III: Chapter 26 - Terra Cognita

Intermission: Terra Cognita

By 1760, the entire world asides from the most inhospitable parts of Australia, America, Jadakal, Africa and Tibet has been explored.


Konrad IV's diplomatic rule has led to Swabia's prestige standing unparalled amongst the Great Powers. Its court is dominated by competent administrators who do their best to keep the money flowing into its coffers.


Technological knowledge has been leaping quickly forward in the last few years, and both the Swabian Army and Navy have been completely reformed.


Government remains more or less the same, with a few policy adjustment here and there.


Swabia is fairly well centralized, though it does not do as well in that aspect as the Absolute Monarchies like France and Asmunakal.


The Aristocracy continue to hold on to power, though they have largely developed into a class of by-birth bureaucrats and officers rather than landholders.


Serfdom is in the process of being abolished, but some of the old rights of landowners are proving difficult to reform.


While not the most liberal of countries, Swabia is relatively open to new ideas, and the power of the clergy is on the decline.


Swabia also takes a balanced view on the matter of mercantilism, preferring a few protectionist measures over completely free competition.


Its armies slightly favor a careful and defensive approach, letting the enemy charge headlong into their guns.


Quality of its troops is slightly disfavored in exchange for greater manpower and the ability to faster reinforce armies.


With its new colonies producing such diverse resources as tea, coffee, spices and chinaware, Swabia has a broad resource base that covers every essential area and a few more.


Its many new colonies is a constant drain on income, but nothing the wealthy country cannot handle.


In terms of the size of its economy, Byzantium has passed Swabia as a result of its new Middle Eastern and Indian territories, turning Constantinople into the center of the world's spice and tea trade. Mazula is a newcomer in the Great Power arena, having emerged as the dominant colonial country and protector of its smaller kin in Jadakal. Iberia, meanwhile, has seen a considerable upswing in its economy now that its fleet is no longer strained impossibly thin defending its oversized empire, and its Tahirid ruler is wisely using its remaining colonial wealth to invest in businesses and industries on the mainland.


Technological learning is starting to plateau, as greater spread of new ideas has temporarily evened the playing field between the modern world nations (NOTE: The entire game was lagging behind massively in tech, so I advanced everyone up to a certain level so we wouldn't end EU3 with 18th century tech, that's where the temporary homogeny is coming from)


With Lithuania and Byzantium both growing rapidly, Swabia no longer dominates in army size, though its fleet remains the largest in the world. Unfortunately, most of that fleet is old Galleons, Caravels and Early Frigates that will need costly replacements in the near future.



With the help of Byzantine conquests, Constantinople is once again the trade center of the world, closely followed by Magdalena, Gloucestershire and Antwerpen, all of which have grown rich on their countries' colonial trade.


Prices on luxuries are rising quickly with demand, though the essential Salt trade remains among the most profitable in the world.


The Reichstag of 1760

Three Proposals and one special proposition are up for vote. The Proposals are all returning from earlier Reichstags and need no further introductions:

The Imperial Bill of Rights


The Imperial Free Trade Act


The Imperial School Act


Finally, the matter of a potential ban on slave trade within the Empire is up for debate. With Imperial Colonial Centers being established in far-flung places, many of the more liberal Reichstag members feel that it is unseemly to hold what is essentially Imperial citizens in bondage. The loser of this bill is of course Swabia, which makes substantial profits from trade with slaves in Kongo. Asides from the lost profits, banning the slave trade would do much to agitate the local elites in Kongo which have built their fortunes on it, and may fan the secessionist flames already burning there.



Vote Yes or No on the Abolition of Slavery Act, and vote for the proposal of your choice.