Part 72: Victoria: Chapter 7 - Reap What You Sow: 1820 - 1830
1820 - 1830: Reap What You Sow
The Unification Party in the Reichstag of 1820 takes power with a broad majority.
The first item on their agenda is the rather neglected military. 100,000 Swabians from Baden and Württemberg are conscripted into the army in order to field a total of ten new divisions.
On the national front, the Unifiers increase the funding to cultural research and development at the expense of industralization.
The Unifiers' tax abolition for the wealthier segment is ended in order to pay off the debts incurred by the expansion of the army.
By the end of 1820, the hard-working Unifiers have succeeded in reaching an agreement with the eight German minors regarding a partial unification of Germany. In the interests of security and cooperation, Hesse, Trier and Cleves are to join with Thüringia and form a South German Federation, while Saxony forms a North German counterpart with Danzig, Lüneburg and Holstein. All eight countries remain nominal members of the Holy Roman Empire, while the NGF and SGF become fully independent nations.
Mathias puts his support behind the plan, and in January of 1821, a partial unification of Germany is realized. This is an important step towards a full unification, but the German minors are still wary of Swabian overlordship, and a full unification remains distant.
The NGF next approaches the Teutonic Order, offering them membership. When the Teutonic Order rebuffs the request, the NGF decides to take a more direct approach, invading and annexing them. Mathias protests, but is unwilling to intervene.
With German matters settled for the moment, Mathias turns his attention to foreign politics, beginning a diplomatic charm offensive to secure a defense pact with the Netherlands. The move succeeds, and the alliance is signed in February of 1822.
The political mood in Swabia is turning insular. Tired of constant war with France and Iberia, a large crown turns out to a peace demonstration organized by the Modernizers in summer of 1824. The head of the Unification Party also shows up, proclaiming his support for a focus on 'German matters over foreign adventures'.
Unfortunately, this show of solidarity does nothing to prevent Swabia from being dragged into war as Byzantium invades Austria. As head of the Holy Roman Empire, Mathias is forced to intervene to protect a member state, bringing Swabia at war with Byzantium and its ally France.
The army is immediately mobilized along the French border and ordered to begin a wide-front offensive against the sparsely garrisoned french border provinces.
France, still rebuilding from the revolutionary wars, offers little more than token resistance, and after mere weeks, Paris is seized by Swabian troops once more.
. The Unifiers press for a mild peace, part to help rebuild Swabia's tarnished image, part out of a general disinterest in gaining more rebellious border territories. In the peace, France is forced to pay war indemnities for a duration of three years.
Things are going less well on the eastern front, with the expeditionary corps under General Hutier suffering a major defeat at Tuzla.
German public opinion is already against the war, and news of the defeat triggers another wave of demonstrations on the streets of Stuttgart. With the whole Balkan front having turned into a giant, stalemate, Mathias manages to negotiate a white peace with the Byzantine Emperor, ending the war.
With state finances swelling from the French indemnities, the Unifiers begin investing into industrialization, subsidizing the expansion of Swabian factories and investing into the development of efficient steam engines and mining practices.
In February of 1826, news arrive of a revolutionary new Scandinavian invention - a carriage that moves under steam power on steel rails. Dubbed 'railroad', this new invention has already driven a number of carriage companies in Sweden and Denmark out of business.
In May of the same year, a string of colonial revolts erupt in Kongo and the Swabian East Indies.
The revolts escalate to the point where the colonial guard has to be increased from three to six divisions just to keep up.
A string of minor uprisings in Italy serve to further underscore the point that the minorities of Swabia, at home and abroad, are just as war-weary and discontent as the citizens of Stuttgart.
In December the alliance with Dauphine expires, but when the Dauphinese King is approached about a renewal, he refuses.
The French, eager to use the situation to their advantage, immediately declare war. Dauphine is soundly defeated and forced to give up several of its core territories.
Afterwards, a humiliated Dauphine proves more open to a new defense pact.
In February of 1827, rich veins of gold is found near Sumbaya in the Swabian East Indies, significantly helping Swabian state finances. The discovery comes at an opportune time, as the war indemnities treaty with France expires a few weeks later.
On April 23rd, King Werner of Italy passes away. Chancellor Guiseppe, an Italian nationalist from the powerful Tittoni family, is appointed regent.
Swabia's industralization reaches its agriculture in 1839 with the successful spread of several new inventions that greatly increase farming output.
As the year turns to 1830, news reach the court of trouble brewing in Italy. Guiseppe Tittoni has spent the last few months in secret talks with the rulers of Venice, Sardinia and Sicily to further the cause of Italian unification. Mathias' informants tell him that an agreement is close, and unless the Emperor steps in and gets rid of Tittoni, it is very likely that Italy will succeed in a partial unification of its own. While this could be a beneficial thing in the form of a stronger Italian ally, it may also embolden the growing Italian independence movement, or worse yet, make them start looking towards Swabian Italy for their next avenue of unification.
The aging Mathias, unsure of what to do, decides to leave the matter up to a special session of the Reichstag. Should Italy be permitted to unify?
Option A: Dismiss Tittoni
Option B: Allow Italian Unification
