God Wills It - A HPM Roman AAR - Part 9

Author: ElvenAshwin
Published: 2017-02-06, edited: 1970-01-01

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God Wills It - A HPM Roman AAR

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Game: Victoria 2

God Wills It - A HPM Roman AAR - Part 8

Images: 56, author: ElvenAshwin, published: 2017-02-06, edited: 1970-01-01

The Red Flag Rises
In the morning of November 1884, news of the great victory of Senator Primo and his Socialist Party spreads like wildfire across the South. In Naples, a grand parade is held as the youth spring forth in jubilation.

Consul Cesare Grifeo resigns his post, though in a final act of bad faith warns of the consequences of "dirty tactics" espoused by Primo and the Socialists. The establishment of the Moderates and the Liberals now meet in an attempt to coordinate a united front against a rapidly rising Socialist Party.

Primo's promises of welfare, state-run industrialism and more power to the South win over many voters, but his staunchly pro-war rhetoric prompts several, more extreme, socialists to vote for a different candidate at the convention, forming the Radical Socialist Party.

This now separates Primo's Christian Socialism, with heavy moralistic ties, from the communism espoused by the Radicals.
A wave of political capital
The Socialist slaughter at the Roman Convention is followed by an immediate convening of the Roman Senate, where Consul Primo now puts forth a prepared bill that aims to extend subsidies and job training programs to the unemployed.

Primo, with a strong ground campaign, momentum, and only two months to go until the elections for the Roman Senate, makes it extremely clear to all Senators from the south that a vote against him would mark the end of their political careers.

This aggressive rhetoric is combined with harassment of the offices of the detractors, combine with Socialist Party-funded slander against critics of the party.

Through sheer force, the Consul forces through the bill in the first week of his tenure, thus winning over the Roman public.

The Moderates now consider a total withdrawal from the South, leaving it as a Socialist stronghold whilst consolidating the North and Sicily under them.
Industrialization, Ho!
For the first time since the Revolution, the Roman Republic opens up its first state-run factory. Primo plans on using his first term to consolidate Socialist Party support, and hence plans to focus extensively on domestic growth, though he also looks north to the Great Enemy.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Savoy and the Kingdom of France issue a joint denunciation of the election of a "warmonger" to the Roman Consulship.
A strong military base
As the next Roman Senate convenes, the Socialists see minimal gains. While Primo may have built a strong cult of personality around himself, he is unable to repeat his successes on local elections. Nonetheless, much of the Southern non-Socialist Senators continue to fear for their political lives.

Primo now begins opening up numerous military product-producing factories, hoping to make Rome somewhat self-sufficient should a war and another blockade break out.
The Spanish West African Protectorate
Spain begins a series of large scale expansions in Africa. Primo is confronted in the Senate about his policy in Africa, but is unable to give a coherent response: his foreign policy focus was always on Italy.

Meanwhile, the French enforce a blockade on Corsica, cutting off all Roman supplies to the island. Primo chooses to drop Grifeo's policy of support of the Corsican revolution, and arranges for Roman dignatories and citizens to be freed from the island-wide prison.
An Industrial Revolution
Massive government investment into the industry sees foreign experts paid to give advice on how our factories ought to be structured. The assembly line is pioneered in Rome, giving great boosts to our productivity.
Corsica falls!
After four months of a blockade, the Corsicans continue to resist French reconquest attempts. In late March, the French storm the Corsican beaches, slaughtering the opposition and quickly taking over the island. Corsica is annexed back into the French Kingdom.

The annexation is quickly condemned by Primo and Austria-Hungary, who now demand a French withdrawal from the island. Such words are merely empty rhetoric aimed at instigating conflict, given Primo's withdrawal from Corsica several months ago.
Homogenization
Despite campaign promises focused on promoting "Southern independence" and "Southern cultural values", Primo begins to slowly integrate Campania with the rest of the Republic. He orders the removal of numerous Kingdom of Naples-era artefacts, statues and literature from the region, and floods the area with pro-Socialist propaganda.

He hopes to unify the South with the Socialist Party, thus removing any secessionist threats, except if the Socialists lose power.
Beat the drums of war
As the year proceeds, Consul Primo sees an urgent need to act upon his promises to destroy the Enemy to the North. Of course, such an act would be dangerous on the global political stage without proper justification, and slowly he begins to pull some strings in an effort to instigate violence.
Roman Foreign Policy, circa 1884
The Republic is now firmly aligned with Austria-Hungary, the Balkan states, Spain and Sweden. It finds itself in conflict with the Turks over its support for the free states in the Balkans, in conflict with France over Savoy and in conflict with the British over colonial ambitions.
Holy Monroe doctrine
Primo pays a visit to the South American states, where he notices that all their leaders appear to be accompanied by strange American men in black suits, bearing the badge of one "Central Intelligence Agency".
See No Evil
Primo attempts to begin to push forth a healthcare bill, promising Free healthcare to all lower income individuals. Realizing he has exhausted his political capital elsewhere, he once again returns to what is familiar to him. The Supreme Council of the Socialist Party undertakes a massive program of slander, character assassination and violent intimidation of opponents of the bill.

The Senate organizes itself into two segments, a coalition supporting the bill consisting of a few easily frightened Southern Moderates and the Socialist Party, and a coalition against it, led by the Moderates under Grifeo and the Liberals. This is the first major event of Moderate-Liberal cooperation against the Socialist surge.

Of course, Primo would not stand for that, and sinks to lower tactics. This culminates in late August, when Dominus Grifeo is found dead in his home, a victim of an apparent suicide.

An investigation into the event confirms that Grifeo was suffering from undisclosed depression, based on the evidence presented by precisely zero psychiatrists.

The message is well-understood, and the Anti-Socialist coalition falls apart with huge quantities of the Senate defecting over to the Socialist side.

Accusations against Primo are quickly silenced by an overwhelmingly pro-Socialist population, who believe that their great Savior can do no wrong.
Death to the Foreigners!
Primo now also begins aggressively promoting a "Christian Republic", arguing for the removal of all non-Christians from the state. Whilst technically within the party line, the Socialists had been careful about such rhetoric whilst campaigning.

This meets harsh Savoyard and French criticism. Fire is briefly exchanged over the Savoyard-Roman border as Roman troops taunt the "savages to the North".
No Questions Asked
The Socialists along with large swathes of the Moderate and Liberal Senators approve the Low-Income Healthcare Act of 1885, boosting Socialist support across the country.

This now puts the opposing voices in the Senate at risk: they can't publicly oppose Socialist policies, lest they lose their political careers, but every policy passed results in a greater Socialist stranglehold.

Meanwhile, France officially condemns the investigation of Grifeo's suicide. Primo now paints all allegations of Socialist involvement in Grifeo's death as "siding with the Enemy".
The Primo Tax Cuts
In October, Primo continues his triumph of a year, culminating in the massive Primo Tax Cuts, drastically cutting taxes on the poorest half of the Roman Republic, and moving away from the flat tax that had been espoused before.

This, however, proves to occur at an inopportune time.
The Final Solution to the Italian Question
As Roman approaches Revolution Day and the typical fanfare it brings, tensions between the AH-axis and the French-axis heat up over Fiume. The Austro-Hungarians break the terms of their previous peace, moving military units near the tiny city state, prompting the Savoyards to increase military build up on the border with Rome.

Primo, sensing opportunity, organizes a covert operation within Fiume, where several agents trigger a pro-Austrian rule protest. The city-state orders the protest to be put down, allowing for the Austro-Hungarians to begin their invasion on October 27.

France and Savoy immediately issue declarations of war. On October 28, Revolution Day, Rome declares war.
I take that back
Primo passes the War Taxes act with unanimous Senatorial approval - opposing a war with Savoy is not good optics. This effectively reverses his tax cuts a month before, but thankfully the poor are a bit too occupied in jingoistic fervor to notice.

Whilst this is nominally a war over Fiume, Primo makes it clear in his first military debrief that he expects a conquest of Savoy entirely.
The First Wave
The four legions march directly into Savoyard territory. The Savoyard unit stationed to the north of Viterbo is engaged by one of our legions, whilst Nicola Filangieri, in what might be the final war of his career, leads his troops into Florence.

Unlike the many wars before, this one starts with momentum firmly on our side, as we head for the kill.
The counter-attack
Savoyard reinforcements rapidly arrive to the border. Whilst we are victorious in our push north from Viterbo, Filangieri is attacked in Florence whilst another army faces an overwhelming force in Modena.

The army in Siena heads north to relieve Filangieri, who is not particularly skilled at leading defensive operations.
Austria-Hungary arrives
Austro-Hungarian troops save the 3rd Legion from destruction in Modena, but then proceed to get overconfident and march deeper into Savoyard territory, where they are ambushed by a large French army.

Despite the 3rd Legion being exhausted from its pyrrhic victory in Modena, it is ordered to follow the Austro-Hungarians in an effort to stall the battle until reinforcements arrive.

In Florence, the arrival of Austro-Hungarian troops allow us to surround the Savoyard army.
Fiume Falls
The city falls and is once more annexed into Austria-Hungary. Roman agents instigate violence between Austrian supporters and those who wish to be independence, triggering clashes and a mass slaughter of French supporters. The Austro-Hungarian army, though close to the site of the killings, chooses not to move.
Victory is ours!
The first round of major confrontations with France end firmly in our favor. The French withdraw from Parma, and Filangieri reports a massive victory in Florence.

Austro-Hungarian troops arrive in Tuscany where they begin the occupation of the region. The largely broken Savoyard army is forced to retreat west entirely, leaving its eastern half to the mercy of the foreign occupants.
Stockholm is great this time of year
Primo continues improving ties with Sweden, subverting its independence and bringing it strongly within the Roman sphere of influence, thus creating a powerful ally to the north.
Sweden is no joke
Our foray into the north now brings us into conflict with Germany and Russia, two states which had largely stayed neutral on our existence. The Swedes represent a decent industry and a decent military which could assist in future conflicts in that region.
Savoy burns
As the Savoyard state utterly collapses from its early defeats, and the French struggle to respond, Primo now openly calls for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Savoy.

Primo is stuck in a difficult situation - he does not have the international political capital necessary to justify an annexation of the entirety of Savoy, but he also faces pressure to bring to an end the Italian Question and finally unite the peninsula.

He decides upon a compromise, to establish a liberal democracy in Savoy and integrate it as an "Autonomous Republic" of the Roman Republic.
Towards Turin
The French call for a complete withdrawal from Savoy as we plow through the Italian pensinula. Jingoistic fervor within the Roman Republic reaches an all time high, as cries of the "Final Victory" fill newspapers across the nation. Every single victory in battle, town captured and Savoyard official burned at the stake is reported with glee throughout the Republic.

By January of 1886, as Primo begins his second year, our armies are on the verge of entering the Savoyard capital.
This was unnecessary
Interestingly, puppeting something already makes it part of your SoI, so this would have been pointless if I did it (i decided it against it).
Savoy Falls!
In early February, Nicola Filangieri arrives outside the walls of Turin, where he has been tasked to lead the final assault on the Savoyard capital. As a walking symbol of the Roman Army, High Command so it fit for him to lead the final destruction of the Savoyard state.

Filangieri cuts off the path for King Umberto of Savoy from fleeing, and leads a weeklong assault on the city, culminating in the storming of the Royal residence in the morning of February 7. Umberto is dragged out of his residence onto the streets, where he insists that, by the law of the land, he should be granted immunity and taken to Rome. Filangieri, initially planning to have him shot, now sees a greater opportunity, and instead shoots his family and other important nobles seized in the conquest of the city.

Savoy's monarchy is formally dissolved, and replaced by the Republic of Savoy, which was to serve as a subsidary to the Roman Republic. The Savoyard-Roman Pact is signed, obliging Savoy's army to respond to Roman calls to arms. Furthermore, the Roman consul is given near dictatorial powers of Savoy, allowing him to replace elected officials and veto policy proposals, eroding any sense of sovereignty and establishing a puppet to the north. As a compromise, Savoy is awarded "Representative Senators", who can speak and argue in the Roman Senate but cannot vote.

All of Rome smiles as the map of Europe finally looks a tad bit nicer.
The Riformisti
The Reformist Party is formed in Savoy, as a representative of Savoy's liberals, who are largely supportive of the moves by the Roman Republic. They are headed by former underground revolutionaries, who can now finally come out of the shadows.
Austria-Hungary marches on
The Roman Army is formally recalled to Rome, despite Austro-Hungarian protests. For all effects and purposes, the war is over in Rome. The Great Enemy is finally dead, its head at the feet of Consul Primo.
The Spirit of the Revolution
The fall of Savoy and the rise of a new liberal democracy re-ignites the spirit of Revolution within the Roman Republic and across Europe. More radical elements begin to organize, with the communists empowered by the successes of Christian Socialists within the Roman Republic.
VIVA LA REVOLUCION
A bunch of guys of horses get drunk and begin sieging Aquila. They are put down.

Meanwhile the Roman Army, worried about French gains in the war, stop their march home and instead station themselves in a position where they can react to any major developments.

Eventually, we send one legion back west to put the final nail in the French coffin.
The French Disarmament
With the arrival of Roman troops, the French now lose confidence in the war, and agree to surrender. The French army is decimated in the Treaty of Turin, forcing them to demilitarize their border with Savoy, Spain and much of the south, and limiting their military capacity for several years.
A Nation Dishonoured
The defeat of the Kingdom of France by a far smaller Republic and an Empire that has effectively been reduced to a shadow of its former self sends shockwaves through the nation. Furthermore, the disbanding of large sections of its army for five years now puts it at risk of of invasion by its chief rival in Germany, where one Otto von Bismarck is salivating over possibilities.

Meanwhile, Filangieri returns to Rome with Umberto, and now requests from Primo a Triumph. Already a holder of the Grass Crown, the Golden Crown and a Hero of Rome, Primo approves this request and now considers that he's been giving out medals too liberally.

The Triumph occupied much of Rome's attention on May 15, and concludes with the execution of Umberto. Filangieri meanwhile meets Primo in private to discuss his retirement.
Oh right, we have colonies
With the Italian Question and European foreign policy now effectively wrapped up, Primo turns back to the Dark Continent. Whilst not a fan of colonial adventurism, Primo understands the importance of securing a eastern stronghold as the Britain threatens to carve up huge swathes of the continent.
The White Man's Burden
Swayed personally by the suffering of the Egyptians, and believing that it is his God-given duty to save those who have been forsaken, Primo decides to invest resources into improving conditions in Cairo and the Egyptian Protectorate.

This faces some opposition from racists - I mean, "people reasonably concerned with the welfare of their own state and people over other people", but Primo maintains that he's helping the poor people over in Cairo, and will still bar them from entering Italy.
A massive military expansion
Even with the war long over, Primo has yet to undo the War Taxes Act, thus effectively negating his tax cuts without having to sacrifice political support to repeal the original act.

Primo uses this incredible amount of wealth, which have already pushed state reserves into new heights, to finance the construction of the First Colonial Legion, to be stationed in Cairo, as well as the expansion of the Roman Navy to better support our colonial interests.
Sudanese Communists
Meanwhile, violent supporters of a communist revolution, funded by the Radical Socialists, move into Roman Africa, where they begin to convince Muslims and pagans disenfranchised with Christian Socialism and its harsh restrictions to support communism. The Radicals hope to build a powerbase outside of Italy, where the Romans will not notice, to eventually enact a communist revolution within Rome itself.
The Affordable Care Act
The Socialist Party expands their healthcare reforms, establishing the Roman Healthcare Service, a public health service with large subsidies for the majority of the poor in the Republic, compensated by large charges levied on the rich.

The proposal sees some opposition from magistrates, who complain of insufficient funding and burden placed on the Provinces. These magistrates are shortly removed from office for unrelated cases of bribery or affairs that happened to surface at such an opportune time, as per the powers of the Consul established in the Constitution of 1871.
Philosophy is complicated, man
The continuing expansion of access to education to all members of society has resulted in a greater interest in philosophy and education in the Republic.

(I tried searching the definition of these words, I now feel considerably more stupid as I could barely parse the sentences correctly)
Women think they have rights?
The Christian Socialist movement is strongly against women's rights, since it is clear in the Bible that women should be subservient to men:

"Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."

Now there's supposedly a verse that comes after this, but who needs context when pushing agendas?
Why is this a state?
Apparently this random province is a state (HPM guy/dude who writes the Sudan events pls).
What could go wrong?
Swedish delegates approach us once more asking for us to formally support the return of Finland to Sweden. Consul Primo decides to look at the data
What could go wrong?
He is informed that Russia has the second largest army in the world, thrice as large as ours.
What could go wrong?
He hence logically concludes to support the Swedish initiative.
Nationalism vs Romanism
With the fall of Savoy, almost all of Italy is now under our control. Throughout the Republic, people are calling for the Italian Union, for a united Italian Nation to finally be born, and for the struggle of the last century to come to an end.

Accepting such a proposition and proclaiming ourselves as the Italian Nation, however, would put us in direct conflict with our Austro-Hungarian allies and would risk upsetting the balance of power.

Furthermore, it would involve the a federal republic, and the elevation of all provinces to equal status, an idea unacceptable in the eyes of Consul Primo.

Primo puts an end to discussions of unification with the Roman Proclamation of 1888, guaranteeing that the Republic will forever be Roman, not Italian.
The Red Wind!
As we approach the 1888 elections, the Socialists continue their legislatively productive term, extending unemployment subsidies to such an extent that they run into problems of people preferring not to work at all even when jobs are available.

Primo disregards criticism by economists: this is socialism, damnit, we reject your logical reasoning!
This is inconsistent behaviour
A bunch of women gather together in Rome, clamouring for the right for women to rise, for barriers to be broken down and for true equality to finally be achieved across the world!

Consul Primo is amused, and allows the convention to proceed, talking about how cute women are when they're angry.
The Scramble is incoming
Scientific advances throughout the 80s mean that European explorers are penetrating deeper into the heart of the Dark Continent. Resources, such as rubber, are found in large quantities, prompting the Romans to begin developing means to process these resources.
The 1889 Roman Elections Begin
Whilst previous Consul terms have ended prematurely with carefully chosen dates chosen for maximum electoral success, Consul Primo lets his term elapse, calling on 1 November 1888 for the campaign season to begin.

The Socialists enter with a commanding lead, with massive successes over their term contributing to high approval ratings for Senator Primo. The Radicals choose not to field a Consul candidate.

The Moderate Party is unsure of how to proceed into what will certainly be a losing election. Their failure to stand up to the Socialists due to intimidating has wrecked their support base, and the Restorationist Party has yet to recover from the scandal that emasculated it the previous elections. They field a young, first-term Senator from Sicily, Francesco Ponte, in the hope of capturing that "youthful zeal" that Primo has on their side. Ponte was a former magistrate in Sicily, and a former pastor when he was in his 30s, and hence they hope to win over the religious voters. They also hope that the Sicilian can drag Sicily, a region heavily contested between the Moderates and Socialists, into Moderate hands.

The liberals attempt to convince Molinelli to run again. Whilst Molinelli is concerned about the state of democracy under the Socialists, and is a prominent critic of Primo, he is also afraid of Liberal politics being dominated by a few "big names". The Liberals field veteran, twelve-term Ravenna Senator Ruperto Colosi, planning on seizing and consolidating the North.
Violence in Aquila
The election cycle sees an uptick in violence in Aquila, where sharp divisions between all three major parties lead to increased polarization of local politics. On this basis, Aquila's liberal-sympathizing magistrate is removed, and a Socialist-sympathizing one wins the by-election. Primo denies interfering with the neutrality of the magistrates that the founders of the Revolution found so holy.
Pluralities and majorities
The Roman Convention of 1889 sees the biggest landslide in Roman electoral history at that point, with the Socialist Party winning just one delegate short of a majority. Liberal and Moderate voters largely stayed at home, disenfranchised by their party's failures in the Senate, whereas Socialist voters turned out in record numbers, happy with the defeat of the Great Enemy.

The moderates face their biggest defeat, sliding below the 20% mark, whereas the liberals see a brief resurgence. Moderate failure is largely ascribed to frequent defections of moderate senators to the Socialist side due to Socialist bullying tactics.

Following this defeat, the Liberal Party decides to reorganize and change tactics. Understanding that they can no longer be competitive in Consul elections, they plan on focusing their campaigning efforts on local elections, to oust the Moderates, and stage a comeback in a decade or more.
The New Mandate
Electricity and electric light bulbs begin appearing throughout the Republic. The winds are changing, and European explorers have begun attempting to establish protectorates deeper in Africa.

With this new age dawning upon the world, Primo hopes to spend his second term focused on the Dark Continent.
I guess we won't be allies
Continuing Grifeo's policy of "surrounding" the French, Primo attempts to court the Dutch into his camp, but ends up failing.

Primo largely gives up on pursuing an aggressive European foreign policy, believing his present position to be easily defensible, especially with the crafting of a powerful Savoyard puppet-state.
The Loango War
In July 1889, France and Britain go to war over conflicts in Loango, with France attempting to prevent British expansionism. The conflict draws European interest, but sees no fighting within Europe itself. Consul Primo, bound by a treaty, is unable to attack the French to capitalize on the situation.

However, with the British in Africa now distracted, he hopes to finish off an enemy that Grifeo couldn't.
The sick, opportunistic man of Europe
Primo considers an attack on the fairly isolated Ottoman Empire, hoping to seize Hedjaz as part of his "Arabian Plan", but ultimately decides against it when he learns that the Spaniards would disapprove.
Take that, Abyssinians!
Primo begins campaigning within Rome for a "hyper-aggressive" African policy in order to emasculate the British Empire. He justifies his annexation of Ethiopia to Austria-Hungary and Germany as necessary to curb British influence.
They bought it somewhat
While fears of the British Empire growing too powerful in Africa are rampant among European states, the largely unopposed rise of the Roman Republic alarms many of them.
Keep going, Spain!
Just as we prepare for our invasion of Ethiopia, the Spanish also push deeper in West Africa, assisting us in defending territories from the clutches of the British Empire.

If only the negroes we're enslaving could properly understand the geopolitical importance of the destruction of their livelihood, maybe they'd stop resisting.
No more Italian Republics for me!
The San Marco massacre occurs, when liberal demonstrators are slaughtered by the Austro-Hungarian Army. This triggers an uprising among Italians in Austria-Hungary, straining Austro-Roman relations when the Consul condemns the attacks.

Russia attempts to intervene, hoping to dismantle the western half of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but sees little international support, even from Rome herself. This eventually forces Russia to stand down.
The Scramble Begins!
As Rome prepares for war with Ethiopia, the Swedes push into the interior of the Horn of Africa. European settlements around now beginning to appear in locations that were inhospitable before, thanks to modern medicine, and the second wave of neo-imperialism begins.
The March to Oblivion
As our weapons become bigger and better, and as our devotion to our state begins stronger than ever, we are now all soldiers. As sons of our Republic it is expected for all of us, and for all the children of the enemy as well, to fight to death for the lifeblood of the nation above all. No sacrifice is too great if it sustains the Republic: the Republic exists above all.

The price of saving our nation, and of defeating our enemy, will be paid in the lives of young men. And no price will be too high.
Who needs work, anyway?
The Socialists, now with the nation consolidated behind them, easily push for more populist policies. A young 27 year old first-term Senator from Rome, Claudio Alescio, wins his election to the Roman Senate on the basis of protecting the purity of Socialism. A staunch believer in the notion that all other viewpoints opposing socialism ought to be silenced, Senator Alescio is the youngest person ever elected to the Roman Senate. His idealism and drive makes him a poster boy for the Socialists.

Senator Alescio takes action right away, introducing the Basic Necessities Act, supplying all unemployed individuals with sufficient resources to live, as well as giving them the opportunity to enter vocational training of any kind. The bill, which is fairly extreme even among socialist measures, is supported by Consul Primo who wishes to encourage the young Senator, and passed with some alterations by more experienced Senators in January.
Hey guys, I found the source of the nile!
Primo begins to establish colonies deeper into Central Africa, into Uganda and the Congo basin reaching Lake Victoria.
Italy can into Ethiopia
Roman legions, including the First Colonial Legion, arrive near Ethiopia, as the nation prepares for a quick and decisive war effort to prevent the levels of British fuckery observed in the previous altercation.
Deficits are fun!
The expansion of the Roman army in the wake of the fall of Savoy has increased the burden the military places on the state, thus plunging us into a large deficit as we attempt to secure the resources needed for a war with Ethiopia.
No Britain to save you now!
We begin our incursion into Ethiopia in late February.
Damnit, Britain
Even when they're tied up with something else, Britain finds a way to waste your time.

Their dominance of West Africa allows them to influence Spanish colonial policy, moving them further away from Roman influence. We immediately rectify this.
Welcome back!
We expel the British embassy from Spain, force Spain to cut ties with Britain and send troops to reinforce Spanish positions in West Africa, thus ending any brushing of shoulders between the two.
Defensive ideology
We continue to improve out use of forts and defensive maneouvres, testing out several ideas while fighting in Ethiopia.
Here Lies the Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopians refuse to give up hope, and send forth an army to Massawa, where they are routed and utterly crushed by our armed forces. News of the victory reaches Rome, and allows for the Socialists to contrast their victories to the questionable military success of the Moderates.
The Loango War ends
The British secure a front in the Congo region, successfully routing France and her allies to take Loango. This now puts pressure on the Romans to end the war in Ethiopia.
MY EYES
The Ottomans make the horrifying decisions of colonizing large stretches of sand, just to ensure the map looks as ugly as possible.
The natives are restless!
Who cares!

Meanwhile, the Ethiopian defense has shifted to guerilla warfare, with questionable success as we penetrate deeper into Ethiopia, disregarding casualties.
End the suffering
The Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II, only a year into his reign, flees the Ethiopian heartland to the Somalian coast, where he is captured by the Roman Army, and forced to abdicate. This results in the annexation of Ethiopia into the Roman Republic as the Abyssinian Protectorate.
The Borders of Africa, just before the final scramble
With the fall of Ethiopia, none of sub-saharan Africa is safe from the reach of the White Man. Consul Primo begins planning for his push deep into the Congo Basin, as Germany and Britain jockey over West Africa.

And as the Socialist strangehold over the Republic appears to be insurmountable, the Consul starts to get confident. How can a party with such great successes, and such favorable demographics, ever fall?

Meanwhile, a young Senator Alescio begins to question party practices.

Next chapter:

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God Wills It - A HPM Roman AAR - Part 10

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