Part 55: Europa Universalis III: Chapter 24 - Quiet Years: 1720 - 1740
1720 - 1740: Quiet Years
Nationalism is on the rise across Europe. On Ireland, Munster has risen against Great Britain, seeking to unite the island under a free banner.
The situation in France has calmed somewhat, with Nevers defeated and Aquitaine and Brittany given independence... for now.
After a number of bitter wars, the Qin Empire has established itself as the uncontested ruler of China, the old Ming dynasty retaining only a few holdings in Southeast Asia.
In India, Gondwana is being torn apart by invasion and revolt, and the previously largely unified region is returning to a mess of small conflicting states.
Back in Germany, the Electors continue to pressure Augustin to do something about Scandinavia's possession of Lüneberg, but he does little other than offer excuses and vague promises, unwilling to get embroiled in a war with a fellow ally to the Byzantines.
The Irish rebellion succeeds in 1723, as Great Britain is forced to relent Ulster and Connaught to the Duke of Munster, who crowns himself King of Ireland.
Export of slaves to America and the East Indies is reaping record profits, interrupted only by sporadic slave risings that are brutally surpressed by Swabian colonial troops.
Swabia has been building good relations with the Qin, and two colonial armies are sent to assist them against a widespread peasant revolt plaguing the country.
Augustin II passes away in 1725, and is succeeded by Konrad IV. A brilliant diplomat, he continues his predecessor's policies of maintaining the balance of power and building up good relations with various foreign powers.
When the island of Ceylon once again rises in revolt and frees itself of foreign rule, however, Konrad decides that it is time to intervene to show these rebellious Indians that they can't behave any way they like against civilized europeans.
Troops are landed on Ceylon, and with the assistance of a small help troop from Holstein, its army is wiped out.
In the ensuing peace, Ceylon is forced to cede the north half of the island to Swabia, which stations a full colonial army there to discourage any further risings.
Relations between Swabia and Qin aren't always picture perfect, and in 1732, the new Qin Emperor signs a decree banning foreign merchants from Jiangsu. Swabia sends a diplomat to the Emperor's court, and after a few generous gifts and bribes, the matter is cleared out.
The Reichstag convenes in 1740. The last forty years have been unusually uneventful in Swabia. With Europe essentially divided into two armed camps, and neither camp willing to risk war against the other, only revolutions and the occasional colonial adventure disturb the peace.
Three propositions are up for debate:
The Establishment of the Imperial Colonial Company returns for the third and last time. Colonization of the East Indies has slowed to a crawl, and without more pioneers, the islands risk falling largely under French and Scandinavian rule.
The Imperial Free Trade Act is an attempt to implement many of the reforms previously suggested in trade bills, though from a different perspective, and in a more comprehensive package. Toll freedom, fixed taxation, and significant legal overhauls are all meant to increase the productivity of guilds and businesses, resulting in less corruption and more income for the state.
The Imperial School Act aims to require a minimum of five years' education for all children, and to establish grants for gifted individuals to attend university. The overall effect of the proposal will be a better educated population resulting in greater innovation and technological advancement.
