Part 52: 1836-1839 - Well Wishers everywhere!

Ghana, ladies and gentlemen – Ghana!



The centre of the world! Covering most of the holy continent of Africa! Her population is 50,860,000 strong and growing by nearly three thousand each month! While most of the population associates itself with the Sosso culture of eastern Africa, we have a large population of Berbers, Amharas and many other cultures.



Okay, I'm not the worlds greatest modder, and there are a few problems with the mod, the main one being that I cannot get the Argonese settlers in SA to take any population data, so they are still noculture.

The vast majority of the population has converted to worship the Sahalien religion, the call of the Snake in the Well being to strong for many. This leaves Ghana a happy place, with people not worried about the catholic obsession with the sanctity of marriage. Although the Muslim, orthodox and animist populations are not oppressed in any way.

Over 97% of the Aristocrats of the nation can trace their line back to Dongu Ogoonu, and even the small populations of newly conquered lands quickly marry into the great family.



The Grognard party, made up of Ogoonu conservatives is in power, and they support the Emperor in all things. The upper house is made of Ogoonu's as well, appointed to their postions, and slavery is legal.



38% of our population are literate, and we are currently pushing ourselves into the research of medicine.



Across the world, a new way of thinking is coming into being, people are moving away from massive armies and beginning to think in terms of short term mobilization. This new way of thinking needs a radical restructuring, and the whole army is scrapped to be rebuilt in a modern manner.

okay, okay, for some reason whenever I try and create an army for Ghana, it gives me a load of regiments assigend to random countries. So this is how I'm fixing it.



There are two factories in the Empire, one of which produces furniture in the capital, and a small arms factory in the military capital in Eastern Mali.



Otherwise, we produce a sixth of the grain used by the world each day, with cattle and fruit also being major exports.



With all the changes, and the army construction project, it will take some time for the economy to sort itself out, so I shall leave that for a later date. I shall end this review with a look at the great powers. Portugal, for some reason, does not show here, but they will be here soon I have no doubt. Ghana is fifth in the world.



As the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed is that Ghana is not the only world undergoing change, and Denmark has decided to call herself Scandinavia. Likewise, Croatia has decided that the name Yugoslavia better fits their Empire.



The newspaper reports on this, along with the fact that Funj fears that we will invade. As a proper part of Ghana, they are right of course!







Diamonds are discovered in Mossel bay at the southern tip of the country. People begin to flock there to claim their section of the riches. This is then followed by similar discoveries in Figuig,



With the intricate network of alliances means that outward expansion will be difficult. So Ghana begins to look inwards. The entire centre of the continent has not been properly explored or conquered. This was due to it being easier in past times to rule those areas of Africa that could be reached from the sea.

Now however, several new colonial areas have been identified.



We send expeditions in to see if we can bring the people there into the fold. With only 0.1% of our population being bureaucrats, we begin to encourage people to move into this walk of life, to better manage the huge empire.







War erupts as Portugal attacks Aragon.



This brings Scandinavia and Brittany into the war, but the Portuguese mobilise their huge empire and alliance network, and have the major advantage.



Brittany cannot sustain the cost of this war for long, as as they borrow huge amounts from the gold (and now diamond) rich Ghanan banks, they have to default on us, angering our people. They have nothing we want however, so we shall let this pass.



Of course, the fact that we find yet more gold soon distracts the people.







The Balkans celebrate their long peaceful Empire, while the Russian nations begin to war amongst themselves. In the colonies Breton Columbia soon fears invasion.







We assimilate the two provinces we explored, adding two million people to the Empire. We convert them to colonies and begin to explore the last area we believe our people can comfortably live in.



The winds of change continue to blow, and people become more and more liberal in their speech, beginning to match their liberal attitudes to sex.



Some take this more to heart than others!



Others are more discrete.



These scenes repeat across the country, but in some places, the Snake Charmers of the church fight back against these so-called “Well Wishers”.



Another new force is appearing – the capitalist. These are self made men, with money to back large projects. There are only six hundred men who identify as this type at this moment, but there were none a few years ago. While some of these new men are Ogoonu, the majority are Sosso, men otherwise excluded from the nobility.







Other countries begin to finish their research projects.



Meanwhile, Aragon is reduced to a rump state by Portugal.







The Well-Wishers go from strength to strength, the Grognards make moves against them, but who knows how well they are working.



it seems like every state has a banquet campaign, and where as they were at first ignored, now the government begins to crack down on them.



Meanwhile Mozambique is brought into the country as a colony.



The government prepares for war with Funj, unfortunately, they are less than subtle about it.







The Army masses, and we discover better medicine. We then begin work on high an low pressure steam engines, to help us bring more of the precious minerals of Africa up from beneath the ground.



We also see the government making small changes to appease some of the richer Well-Wishers.







Famine strikes Tanganykia, the government has enough money to easily pay for relief, but they also use this to whip people into a frenzy. It seems hard to believe that people would think that a uncivilized nation like Funj could challenge a superpower like Ghana, but that is the story that is spun.



The world continues as it always has.



The discovery of Prophylaxis to combat malaria will save tens of thousands a year across Ghana, more importantly for the government, it opens up Dongola and Darfur for colonization. Men are sent to explore Dongola immediately.







With the public whipped up into a frenzy, the time has come to annex Funj.



A massed cavalry force charges the enemy.



They take some losses, but the battle is never in doubt.



Everyone seems to want to eat! Every month the Government has to crack down on five or six of these campaigns. At least now with Antiseptic techniques people will be getting less food poisoning at their constant banquets.







The war lasts only two months before the people of Funj are brought into the nation.



Norway fears our designs on their colonies.



Scandinavia goes to war with Brittany over a bot of land at the coast, and the Golden horde break their alliance with them.



More importantly, we are called into the war ourselves! Ghana plans to send no troops, but agrees to go to war.







The Capitalists combine their money and start to construct a regular clothes factory in Tunis.



Dongola is created as a colony and then we move on the Darfur.



Norway joins the war against us! Now is the time to take their lands in Africa!



Men march in, and a new theory of Heredity does the rounds. The Ogoonu instantly cease on this – they are all descended from a great man, therefore they are great. They also owe it to the world to further spread these genes around!







Brittany ends the war before we can get any land.



The tide of liberalism continues to sweep the nation. In only four years the population has gone from 20.3% Liberal to 33.6% identifying as Well-wishers. At this rate, they will be the majority soon, and the Emperor will have to change the government.



It is also interesting to note that in four years we have added nearly four million people to the population! The growth rate has increased from 3,000 a month to nearly 8,000! Ghana is in a boom time it seems!



Things continue to move towards violence, as a public demonstration in Tunis shows the Grognards just how many people are supporting the new ideas.



Come the end of the year, violence is beginning to come to the fore....



….And those in the government who can see which way the wind is blowing are making their moves.





I'm back! And yeah. “I'll just run four years, it'll get us back into the running.”

Dear lord. This is going to be interesting.