Part 77: Victoria: Chapter 11 - State of Emergency: 1850 - 1854

1850 - 1854: State of Emergency

1850 begins with news from Isolationist Japan - a Mazulan fleet squadron has arrived with Mazulan Admiral Amalu, whose mission is to secure a trade agreement with Japan. Despite a colorful array of veiled Mazulan threats and promises, the Japanese rebuff the demand, increasing tensions between Japan and Mazula.


The liberal revolution ebbs out in March, having achieved little more than a brutally surpressed riots.


The reform of Swabia's finances continues with the establishment of a silver-backed paper mark and the reorganization of the corporate market into one that favors large state-backed companies.



In May, alliances are signed between Iberia and Byzantium and Austria and France.



The Russian Revolution comes to an end in June with a victory for Russian independence. Russia takes a couple of border provinces in the peace, along with all of Lithuania's siberian territories.



Research grants are focused towards bringing the army up to modern standards with new Austrian-make rifles and artillery.





Back at home, Swabia prospers. Industrialization further increases the producivity of the resource industries, with the invention of a new mechanical saw and an improved power loom.



The cultural bounty from the Unifier years also continues unabated with rapid spread of philosophy and art in Swabia's cities.



In April of 1851, Russia decides to expand its siberian holdings by invading Yuan China. After a few months of fighting, Yuan Change signs a peace where it hands over large tracts of Siberia.



Byzantium also continues to expand its territory by annexing Delhi in India.


in September, the revolution spreads to Byzantium as Georgia, inspired by Russia's victory and the still-ongoing war in Ukraine, rises against the Byzantine Emperor.



With Mazula's military and industrial power in ascension, Vinland and the CCA decide to form the North American Alliance for mutual protection.


In February of 1852, Emperor Mathias II passes away quietly in his sleep. His successor, Frederick I, is a sickly and frail man, like so many Emperors of recent centurier. Nonetheless he possesses a formidable mind and a strong desire to see Germany united under Swabian leadership.


In October of 1852, after months of deadlocked fighting in the hills of Georgia, Iberia brokers peace between Byzantium and the revolutionaries, recognizing the independence of the latter. Swabian spies inform Frederick that the reason for Ibeiran intervention appears to be some form of joint operation between the two nations that would have suffered from continued fighting in the east. It is not clear what this joint operation is, but it must be extremely important for Byzantium to accept the loss its Georgian territories.


The answer to that question presents itself in April of 1853, as France, Iberia, Austria and Byzantium all declare war on Swabia.


The situation is dire - Iberia alone has a larger military than Swabia, and between all four enemy great powers, she is outnumbered at least three to one - only on the high seas can Swabia claim an equal chance thanks to the Unifiers' fleet building program. Swabia's allies, Italy and the SGF; only have around 15 divisions between them.


An envoy is sent to the NGF requesting its support against this act of naked aggression, but the NGF, always diplomatically closer to Austria than Swabia, declares its neutrality. After some negotiation, Frederick does manage to secure a deal for NGF naval and army technology however.




The reserves are mobilized and troops are scrambled to the front. In Dauphine, a well-prepared Iberian force advances across the border in an ironic parallell to the Zuhriman wars.



In another historical parallell, the overconfident French,, have undermanned their border, and Frederick seizes on the chance, hoping to knock the French out of the war with a quick offensive towards Paris.


The French line wavers and collapses in face of the ferocious Swabian offensive, leaving the way open into France.


Five divisions are sent from Swabian Italy to Grenoble to defend the Dauphinese capital and keep Dauphine in the war.


Austrian troops enter Swabian Pommern unopposed, looting and burning. The Baltic Fleet is pulled out of Mecklenburg and sent to safer bases at Iceland. Among those on the ships fleeing Pommern is its Governor, Otto von Bismarck.



Another blow to Swabian prestige comes in May, as Pope Leo XV declares Otto V von Ortenburg of Austria to be rightful Holy Roman Emperor and the Papal State joins the war on Austria's side.


In July, the Swabian offensive reaches Paris, but fail to take the Paris bastion before a large force of Iberian and French reinforcements arrive, forcing General Scharnhost to turn around and face them on the field of battle.



In August, a Byzantine expedition makes landfall in South Italy, opening up yet another front for the already hard-pressed Italians.


The Iberian offensive in Dauphine has almost reached Grenoble. With the Dauphines army in tatters, all that stands between them and the capital is five Swabian divisions.


In September, the Swabian reserve has finally been mobilized, deployed, and readied. Twenty divisions are sent to reinforce the Dauphinese front, while the rest are sent into France to join the titanic Battle of Paris.



The Imperial Fleet is sent out of harbor, intercepting a Byzantine squadron escorting troop transport ships and sending tens of thousands of Greeks to a watery grave.


Iberian attacks on Grenoble and Torino are repulsed, and the Dauphinese front temporarily stabilized with the help of the newly arrived reserves.


Outside Paris, the last few thousand troops left of the French-Iberian army meets with the Swabian forces in a final battle. Just as their enemies are about to give way, a breathless messenger rushes up to Scharnhost with a dire message - the French reserve has arrived. 30 full-strength French divisions are advancing on the Swabian positions. Left with little choice, Scharnhost signals retreat, pulling the remnants of his 17 divisions out of Paris.



Paris remains in French hands, and the Swabian advance has been stalled. Even worse, the 30 Swabian and SGF divisions are all understrength, and Swabia's manpower reserves are depleted. With hundreds of thousands of French closing for the kill, the order is given to pull back all the way across the border. The attempt to knock France out of the war has failed.


In Dauphine, the situation is stalled, with Swabia lacking the manpower to advance but holding - for the moment.


On the Eastern front, the Austrians have broken through the Italian lines and are advancing through Venice into Swabia itself.


In the rest of Italy, the Papal State has fought Italy to a standstill, and the Byzantines are advancing almost unopposed through Naples.


The overall war as of December of 1853. Swabia has the lead in territory, but without more manpower, all that is going to count for nothing. The anti-military policies of the Modernizers has put a stop to all recruitment of new soldiers, effectively cutting off any source of new manpower for Swabia.


In desperation, Frederick I calls an emergency session of the Reichstag to oust the Modernizers and place the Militarists in power. He needs a majority of the Reischtag on his side. Will the representatives of the NGF and SGF come together with Swabia to save the Imperial crown, or will the dominance of Germany fall to Austria and the Pope?


Voting - Should the Modernizers be ousted?
Option A: Yes
Option B: No