Victoria II - The United Provinces of Central America - COMPLETE!

[Abe Sargent]

Hello and welcome to my newest dynasty! I just downloaded Victoria II from Steam for $20 as part of their holiday special. I’ve never played Victoria or the sequel. I just spent some time in the tutorials, and now I’m ready to hit the road. Normally my CK or EU: Rome or EU dynasties see me pick some small, overpowered one province nation and try to lead it to greatness. Today, I’m going to do something a little different. By the time the maps are being drawn in 1836, there really aren’t a lot of one provinces left. I also have a chance to play one of the more interesting nations from history at this time. It’s too bad Vicky II doesn’t start at 1030, or else I would get to play one of my favorite historical nations of all time, Simon Bolivar’s Gran Colombia.

However, I can play a similar state just north and west. The United Provinces of Central America (in the game, they are improperly called the United States of Central America, but that term is more properly applied to a union later in the century).

The UPCA began in the early 1820s. A plan came about to add the Spanish Central American holdings to Mexico after it won independence. This was the Plan of Iguala. The plan had three principles – establishing Catholicism as the state religion, independence for Mexico, and liberty for all people, regardless of race or ethnicity. Slavery was outlawed. The region joined Mexico in 1821.

However, the region of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala objected to several parts of the Plan and did not want to join Mexico. The more liberal leaning elite wanted their new state to be a modern federal republic, not the constitutional monarchy that Mexico had become. Several provinces began to claim their independence from Mexico, and she allowed them to leave and become their own state.

The UPCA would exist for a short timeframe. From 1823 to 1840, the state existed. In 1838 Guatemala would declare independence from it, and begin the end. The country lacked a sense of unity. It was created when Mexico won the War of Independence, and was handed freedom first by Spain, and then by Mexico. Unlike other ex-colonies, it had never fought a war of revolution which unified its people. The conservative backlash against the liberal elites in control created severe internal squabbles, until all of the constituent parts left to form their own countries. Once they were in smaller pieces, they could be more easily influenced by military coups, dictators, foreign intervention, international companies, and even private mercenaries attacking and trying to install their own state in Central America (see William Walker, for example)

Without the economic and military might of the combined UPCA, the region failed to exploit its riches in fruit, coffee, rare timbers, and iron abroad.

What if someone new was elected to office in 1835? What if, on the first day of their office on January 1, 1836, they saw the dissolution of their state on the horizon and took steps to stave it off? What would history look like today, if this region of the world remained unified, built up its infrastructure, and established itself as a player in world politics?

[Abe Sargent]

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Abe Sargent

It’s too bad Vicky II doesn’t start at 1030, or else I would get to play one of my favorite historical nations of all time, Simon Bolivar’s Gran Colombia.

4th or 5th generation Lasombra, maybe?

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Izulde

4th or 5th generation Lasombra, maybe?

Yes thanks you. Obviously I meant 1830.

[Abe Sargent]

Here is the map of the area as of Jan 1, 1836:

[Abe Sargent]

We are the light blue lob in Central America. Belize belongs to the British Empire. The red in the Caribbean is also British. The yellow is Spanish. The tiny amount of dark blue is French. You can see Mexico, Texas, USA, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and more.

We have no industrialization as of yet. We are ranked 40th in the world out of 125 nations.

We have 9,000 infantry. We are devoid of any navy at all.

We have 17 provinces. Of them, 8 are fruit, 4 make coffee, 2 timber, 1 is iron, 1 is cattle, and 1 is the very valuable tropical wood. We have a very agrarian economy, as do many in this age. We need to industrialize.

I decide to start working on the research of Experimental Railroad.

Our Upper House can veto our reforms of an economic or political nature. They are 44% Reactionary, 31% Conservative, and 25% Liberal.

However, the Partido Liberal is currently in control. As a result, our people are pro-military, free trade, limited citizenship, laizzez faire, and secularized in respect to religion.

Our voters are 58% liberal, 26% conservative, and 16% reactionary. It’s just our Upper House that looks a bit wonky.

Unfortunately, I am not allowed to build factories in this government. My people must build them. I must do what I can to encourage them to do so.

My middle class is having difficulty meeting their needs, so I drop their taxes a bit. I also drop the elites taxes a bit too. I jack up defense spending and administrative and religious spending. I also give us some tariffs. Not too much, but a bit to work with.

The next day arrives and with it a courier from Venezuela. They are offering us a military alliance, and I accept. I order my 9000 troops to move to our border with Colombia.

I decide to encourage basic industry in the four provinces of Guatemala. I’m gaining a lot of gold daily.

[Abe Sargent]

January 4 – Ecuador is in a military alliance with Bolivia.

Jan 11 – Peru joins Argentina in an alliance.

Jan 19 – Brazil joins the Netherlands in an odd alliance.

Feb 10, 1836 – Our 9000 troops under the leadership of Francisco Morazin arrive in the province of Limon, adjacent to the Colombian province of David. With our ally in Venezuela, and Colombia’s distinct lack of an ally, I think it’s time to give our people something to rally behind.



I have this strategy in EU, CK and Rome, and we'll try it here. I like to find the weakest target, and strike as quickly as I can. There are several reasons for this - I have no infamy/badboy at the time, so there is no sense in waiting until later. Plus, if I fail, I can just restart the game - I haven;t invested a lot of time. Whether it was taking Timbuktu from Male as Songhai or increasing my land in the Netherlands or grabbing Kasogs as Yegorlyk - I should be looking to expand as quickly as possible.

So let's do it

[Abe Sargent]

I send a declaration of war to Colombia. I choose the conquest of Panama as my war goal. This gives me significant infamy (aka badboy). If we win, we will gain 4 prestige. If we lose, we lose 10 prestige, some of our people get upset. No matter how the war goes, we can only take Panama, and that’s it. Our goal is to take the five provinces of Panama from Colombia.

Our ally joins us and our troops are ordered to liberate David from the slave state of Colombia.

Mar 2 – Paraguay and Chile are now in an alliance

Mar 29 – Colombia is trying to capture a province in Venezuela, while our allies are assembling an army of some size.

June 6 – The Venezuelan province of Barinas was captured by Colombia

June 29 – We grab David and move to Penonome

July 1 – Paraguay and Uruguay are now allies

Aug 1 – The US is granting military access to Mexico.

Aug 2 – Venezuela won a major land battle in a province they were capturing.

Aug 12 – Cucuta is captured by Venezuela. Mexico wants military access. I have really good relations with Mexico, but I expect someday, Mexico will be a target of expansion. On the other hand, I don’t want to be a target of theirs right now. I agree.

Aug 23 -0 The USA has intervened on the side of Texas in their war with Mexico.

Sept 8 – A follow up victory by Venezuela in Bogota.

Nov 7 – After grabbing Penonome I order my forces to Balboa

Dec 20 – Cucuta is recaptured by Colombia

Jan 1, 1837 – Our Upper House has been rearranged. It is now 57% liberal, 26% conservative and 15% reactionary. I use my political will to enact us moving from State Press to Censored Press. This removes the negative penalty to literacy in our nation.

Jan 10 – Barinas is recaptured by Venezuela

Mar 1, I spend some more political will to move us to free press. It’s nice to have a majority of the type you want in the Upper House.

Mar 25 – Balboa falls and I send a missive to Colombia.

Mar 27 – The five provinces of Panama join the United Provinces of Central America.

David is growing the coffee. The other four (Panama City, Penonome, Balboa and Yaviza) are all fruit provinces.

[Abe Sargent]

Apr 28 – I accept an alliance with Ecuador.

June 10 – The Dutch and the British are now at war. I order my troops next to Belize. IF I see an opportunity, I’ll strike.

Nov 15, 1837 – Mexico won the war with Texas and annexed it back to their territory.

Jan 1, 1838 – Upper House - 51% Liberal, 32 Conservative, 16 Reactionary

May 14 – We now have experimental railroad! I order us to work on Mechanized Mining.

Aug 2 – Mexico and the USA are now at peace – no land was exchanged.

Jan 1, 1839 – Liberals now have 48%, Cons 34, and 17 React


We are currently undergoing a massive population spike. I have lowered taxes and increased salaries and now this is the result.

June 5 – Brazil DOWs Paraguay.

By Sept 1, all of the nationalist rebels I had in each of the countries is gone. I have very little rebellion problem.

Nov 10 – Local clergy in the province of Bluefields are causing problems speaking out against the government. I can choose to legislate against it, in which case the clergy all across Nicaragua gain 3 consciousness (which is the mechanic through which they demand social change) or I can incarcerate the troublemakers, which reduces our clergy in this provinces, and thereby reduces things like literacy, which hurts our investment in technology. I chose the first.

[Abe Sargent]

January 1, 1840 – Elections are held, and results are pending in 6 months. The new Upper House has 45, 37, 17 % people.

Jan 7 – Good news. Our two allies – Venezuela and Ecuador, are now allies themselves, so we have a nice little three way alliance going.

I check and Colombia is allied with Peru and Bolivia. If not, I would have felt ready to strike at Colombia from three flanks (Ecuador, Venezuela, and me)

I actually want the Conservatives in power for a bit, because they have Interventionism economic policy, and not laissez faire, so I can spend some cash to make a few improvements here and there.

We are currently ranked 18th now.

Jan 29 – Citizenship Policy is debated in Guatemala. I am able to make one of three choices – Grant Residency, Grant Citizenship, and Limit their Citizenship. Each pushes the populace ten percent towards the related issue. I go full citizenship. We need immigrants in droves to help us measure up. For example, the five provinces in Panama have a combined population of…37k. Nicaragua’s provinces have 78k. Costa Rica’s provinces have 24k. We need to increase our population. Total population for UPCA is 476k.

By comparison, Mexico has 2.35 million, Colombia 450k, Venezuela 244k, Ecuador 221k, USA 4.36 Million. If I want to play with the big boys (Mexico, USA), then I need to have a population in excess of similarly sized nations like Colombia.

Mar 3 – Let’s look at the newest events. We get, aback to back, three debates. (Election time). I choose to go with immigration emphasis, a small nod to atheism, and a full nod to pluralism. A week later, I give a tiny nod to free trade.

May 17 – I give a minor nod to residency in a debate about it.

May 22 – We have discovered Mechanized Mining! I order us to work on Freedom of Trade, which will massively increase farm and mine outputs.

June 1 – We discover Explosive!

June 10 – I move us towards Pro Military with another debate over an election issue.


I order 3000 infantry built

June 25 – Brazil grabbed some land from its wars.

July 1 – The Liberals won and are the ruling party.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1841 Our Upper House is 42%, 40% con, and 17 react

After five years, we now have 502k population,

Since encouraging growth with my national focus has gotten us nothing, I decide to slide to encouraging railroads in Guatemala.

In retrospect, I wish I had manipulated the voters earlier when I had the ability to do so with a majority liberal. I could have gone to an increased amount of voters, sealed ballots and more. The liberals will vote for that stuff at 100%. The cons won’t vote for it at all, even though it would likely get them in power, since my general populace is conservative but my elite voters are not.

Feb 10 – Is Colombia primed for another war loss? Venezuela can run around in the north. We come to the mainland and start taking their 5 provinces in Antioquia. Ideally, Ecuador keeps Colombia’s allies off us while they comp on Ecuador. Meanwhile, we take down Colombia between us.

We are still in a truce until them for now.

The other option is to go hardcore after unallied Mexico. We could get the initial push, but I’m not sure I could win the war. Normally, when I pick on a nation in a situation like this, I hit quick, grab a couple of provinces, and then take one. However, in Vicky II, you have to war over regions, not provinces. I would have to do well enough to take the 6 province Yucatan. I’d have to take a lot, and win battles with Mexico while also sieging. I only have one army.

Mar 22 – I gain an event in my iron province. I choose to relax our policies on educating just the minority Central American population. We gain research, consciousness, and a bit of militancy there.

Apr 4 – As a major end to future expansion, Colombia and Mexico have entered an alliance. Ouch.

I end all taxes on the rich.

Nov 25 – I order another 3000 troops assembled

Jan 1, 1842 – Conservatives now have 42% of the Upper House, Libs 40, and react 17

Mar 18 – We now have Freedom of Trade. I order us to work on Early Classical Theory and Technique (economics). It allows stuff like lumber mills and helps our timber interests.

Our tariff $$ just increased massively, from 2 daily to 20 daily. I have low taxes with everybody getting luxury goods, and I have maxed spending, and we still are rolling in dough from 25% tariffs.

I check and our massive population increases are largely British and Irish and Afro-Caribbean.

We are rolling in dough. I wish I could buy province improvements or invest in technology. I can’t do either. 3% of our population is now Irish.

I order another 3000 infantry

Sept 10 – 6000 troops are next to Mexico, and 12k next to Colombia.

I order 3000 artillery built.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1843 – Cons have 43 %, Libs 38, React 18

Feb 2 – We discover Ammunition Production

Apr 15 - I add the artillery to my forces by Mexico.

May 1 – As of today, we now have 600k people in our nation. 3.7% is Irish, 3.6&% is English and 2.8% is French.

Our literacy is now over 15%. It began much lower.

We have been loaning money with our bank to Oman, Denmark and Portugal.

Belize is now longer a colony, but a full province of the British, which means it will be much harder to take later.

June 23 – We get a Cholera outbreak in Rivas, and I order the province quarantined.

Oct 22 – Brazil DOWs Bolivia

After a quick review, Colombia’s other allies have gone elsewhere. We DOW Colombia. It gets crushed by fighting on three fronts. I try to keep Mexico off my back in the north with my army. Sounds like a plan.

I DOW with a war plan of taking Antioquia. We take 10 infamy.

Everybody’s allies refuse to join the war. Ours and Mexico. I order the Mexican army to the border and our army in.

Nov 2 – We discover Small Arms Production.

Nov 8 – 12000 troops arrive in Quibdo and begin to take it over.

Dec 31 – Our Mexican army arrives in the province next t Quibdo. I’m not sure if attrition would set in with the extra 9k in the province. Let’s find out. I order them in.

Jan 1, 1844 – 45% Con, 36% Lib, 17 React

Jan 5 – We discover Early Classic Theory and Technique. I move to military and order Military Staff System investigated. This will be the only military one I will look at for a while. Why? When I get it, I can build cavalry.

Jan 15 – There is attrition so I order them on.

Jan 31 – Our troops from Mexico arrive in Cartagena de Indias and began a siege. I see 6k troops moving towards us finally from Colombia.

Feb 2 – They arrive in Cartagena de I. and we begin a battle.

Feb 19 – They were all cavalry, and we kicked their hind quarters in the mountains.

Mar 7 – We capture Quibdo and I order my 12k troops inward.

Mar 16 – We begin the capture of Manizales.

Apr 25 – They snuck a few thousand men behind our lines at Quibdo. I dispatched 5000 troops and just annihilated them. They are heading back to Manizales to rejoin the capturing there.

May 2 – We discover Paper Mills and Paper making process.

June 15 – We capture Cartagena de I. I order my forces there to Barranquilla

July 1 - New elections have started.

July 7 – We capture Manizales. I order that force to Bogota.

July 29 – I move us slightly towards Moralism in a debate.

Aug 5 – I move us the minimum amount towards Jingoism. These issue debates basically work where I can move us 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 towards that issue. If I choose 20 and 25 it comes with dissent on the opposite issue. I have zero desire to be Jingoistic, so I chose the minimum

Sept 2 – We discover artillery production.

Oct 15 – I move us strongly towards state capitalism

Oct 22 – Baranquilla fell and I send a peace missive to Colombia.

Oct 24 – We have taken our prize.

Our new provinces are:

Quibdo – coffee
Cartegena de Indias – coffee
Baranquilla – coffee
Medellin – coffee
Cucuta – coffee

Total population of the area we just absorbed – 225k

Population of UPCA – 907k

I order the Mexican army back to the north border. I order the forces from Bogota to Medellin.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1845 – Despite the fact that it is a minority of the voting population, the Liberal Party again won in a landslide. The House is 47% Con and 35% liberal.



Would you like to see a new map?

[Abe Sargent]

You can see both our gains in Panama and the mainland of South America. Based on our gains, there are several targets I am eyeing for our next expansion:

Colombia – Cali Region – four provinces are to our south along the coast. They are two grain, one fish, and one cattle – whoa ho. It would be a natural geographic fit, and it would get us next to Ecuador in case we wanted to continue south. Not that wealthy though.

Venezuelan Zuila, five provinces of coffee to our east. After Venezuela left us, it leaves us a chance to steal some land from them. It’s an obvious expansion area.

Mexico – Yucatan – it would be tough to war against the big gorilla of the area. If we won, we would get 6 provinces, including 2 lumber, 2 cotton, wheat and coffee. It would take a strong victory to grab a large territory like this

Outside the box - Haiti. Four provinces of tobacco, with no allies. It would take a navy to get my army there, and I don’t want to buy ships right now.


Of the group, I feel taking the five coffee provinces from Venezuela is the best choice next. Colombia is down though, and there’s nothing wrong with continuing to hammer them, but the economics aren’t there right now.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 20 – Bolivia gave Brazil land for peace

Jan 24 – In unfortunate news, Mexico had been added to the US sphere of influence.

Mar 18 – USA and Mexico are now allies

Nov 11 – We now have our military advancement. I can build a few more troops, and make cavalry. I order 6000 cavalry assembled. I order us to work on Basic Chemistry, which will help us get fertilizer and know how to use it.

Jan 1, 1846 – Cons are 48%, libs 34, reacts 18

Jan 7 – Venezuela and Brazil are now allies. It’s like all of my targets are getting friends.

Mar 2 – We get a flu pandemic in the UPCA for a few months and our population will drop a bit from it.

Apr 10 – Argh. The USA has added Haiti to its sphere of influence.

I am sending 3k each of cavalry to my two armies. I order another 6k made and I will do likewise to them.


May 3 – I choose to enact the Trustee System of prison and jail labor. It will help us develop.

June 13 – An Afro-Caribbean boy was beat by a Central American officer and it has caused some racial tension in the country with the Afro-Caribbean populace

Nov 21 – I order 3000 artillery built.

Nov 29 – We discover the ability to make luxury furniture.

Jan 1, 1847 – Upper House is Con 49.5%, 33% Lib, and React down to 17%

[Abe Sargent]

I decide to hold elections early.


Mar 10 – I have to shut down a public bank that was actually fighting against our government.

Mar 28 – We officially have 1 million people in our nation!!!

Okay, apparently I have been misrepresenting our population. I have been misreading it. Our adult male population is 1 mill. Our actual population is 4 million.

Our 18% literacy is better than Russia, Germany, Mexico, Argentina and Portugal.

We have a larger military than Mexico, Spain and Belgium. We have the same amount as the Ottoman Empire. Once our 3k artillery is built, we will have more.

Only six nations in the world have free press. Only four nations have equality as their state unifying belief.

June 13 – I push hard when we get to a debate on the economy. I push to the max for state capitalism.

June 21 – Argentina dow’s Bolivia

[Abe Sargent]

July 1 – Good news and bad news. We have a new party. But it’s not the conservatives but the nationalists that win. Yuck. I disdain their anti-immigration position.

Nationalists:

Protectionist trade policies, State Capitalism, Moralistic religion, jingoism, and residency for non-citizens

I take the money I have been building up and go shopping.

I order a Steel Factory in Guatemala provinces, Winery in Honduras ones, Canned Food Factory in Nicaragua, Luxury Furniture Factory in Honduras and Lumber Mill in Guatemala.

I order railroads in every province in these three areas.



Oct 2 – It’s time. I start sending out diplomats to reduce our relations with Venezuela

Oct 17 – We discover Chemistry. I order our scientists to begin working on Steam Engine.

Oct 31 – I choose not to kill a Afro-Caribbean poet.

Dec 18 – I accept an alliance offer from Haiti.

Jan 1, 1848 – Our Upper House is now 53% Con, 29% Lib, and 16% React

[Abe Sargent]

I DOW Venezuela. Haiti and Ecuador refuse their allies, and Brazil agrees to join. I order the Mexico army down, and two armies into Maracaibo and Barinas

Feb 2 – Colombia grants Brazil military access

Apr 4 – Our Mexican army arrives in another Venezuelan province and also begins a siege

May 10 – Maracaibo falls

May 22 – Barinas falls. I order this army to their capital of Caracas

June 22 – We defeat some of their troops in Caracas

Aug 11 – Our first factory, the Steel Mill is complete.

Aug 16 – We capture Valera

Aug 26 – Hawaii is now in the Sphere of USA

Sept 22 – I capture Coro

Sept 30 – I annihilate their troops in San Felipe

Oct 4 – Caracas falls.

A private individual is building a cement factory in Costa Rica. I order railroads to extend down.

Dec 22 – I leverage yellow journalists in our country into increasing our prestige, and we gain 11 prestige.

Dec 23 – Guanare falls.

Jan 1, 1849 – UH 54, 28, 17

Jan 3 – I accept a white peace offer from just Brazil.

With their ally done, Venezuela accepts peace.

I have taken:

Valera
San Felipe
Maracaibo
Coro
Barquisimeto

All are coffee provinces.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 10 – I choose to conduct a real investigation of sabotage rather than assume it was the usual suspects.

Mar 22 – I spend some money and send an expedition to follow the British into Tennant Creek for scientific research. We gain some prestige.

Apr 2 – I choose to fight against a reactionary speaker in the Upper House and instead of moving towards Jingoism we don’t.

Apr 26 – A private investor is trying to build railroads in our new territory.

July 9 – Brazil and Colombia are now in an alliance

July 22 – Our first railroads are being finished

Aug 9 – We now have a cement factory in Costa Rica.

I order railroads I the five Panama provinces.

Nov 14 – The Lumber Mill is built. There is an attempt by a private investor to build a artillery factory in our newest lands.

I order the construction of a Paper Mill in Guatemala

Jan 1, 1850 – UH 55, 27, 16

Jan 5 – Brazil dows Bolivia.

Feb 1 – I order 3000 artillery, 6000 cavalry, and 9000 infantry built to make a new army.

May 30 – I choose not to listen when Aristocrats try to incite the peasants against us in our newer lands.

Nov 13 – In the past month, a ton of railroads are ready, and today the Winery is built.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1851 - 55, 29, 16

Jan 3 – Canned Good and Luxury Furniture factories are done.

I order a Fertilizer Factory in Honduras, Glass Factory in Panama.

We are now a Secondary Power, since we are ranked 16th.

The top 8 powers are the Great Powers, and they have extra abilities. They are – USA, UK, Germany, France, Austria, Russia and Denmark and Ottomans.

The next 8 are the secondary powers. They are, in order from 9 to 16, Sweden, Two Sicilies, Wurttemberg, Mexico, Netherlands, Sardinia-Piedmont, Baden, and then us. In real life, Two Sicilies and Sardinia-Piedmont are about to join with a few minors to create the super state of Italy. Of course, in real life, we aren’t even a country anymore.


As of right now, we have a larger military than:

USA
Two Sicilies
Ottomans
Sardinia-Piedmont
Netherlands


I order 6 transport vessels built.


Feb 1 – I order railroads in all mainland provinces that were not already building them.

Feb 10 – Brazil chomps more land from Bolivia

Mar 6 – We now have a Steam Engine. This massively increases farming output and a bit in mining too. Next up is…Malthusian Thought, which will help our education speed when gained.

July 1 – Elections have started

Without knowing where things are headed, I suspect I may spend a bit before we move on.

Aug 13 – I use a debate to move us 15% towards free trade.

Sept 24 – 15% move towards interventionism

Jan 1, 1852 – The Nationalist Party won again. Ick-ish. It’s good for now with the ability to invest in my own infrastructure, but it has a time limit to my mind.

Upper House is 55, 30, 15

Jan 22 – That Paper Mill is built. I order our Steel Mill, which is making a ton of money, expanded.

Sept 4 – We have developed Malthusian Thought. The next goal is Mechanical Production

Sept 10 – I order four Man-o’-War built

Sept 23 – The CSA has formed from the USA

All of our factories are done but two artillery ones and the steel factory expansion. I order the Nicaragua canned food factory expanded.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1852 – The Nationalist Party won again. Ick-ish. It’s good for now with the ability to invest in my own infrastructure, but it has a time limit to my mind.

Upper House is 55, 30, 15

Jan 22 – That Paper Mill is built. I order our Steel Mill, which is making a ton of money, expanded.

Sept 4 – We have developed Malthusian Thought. The next goal is Mechanical Production

Sept 10 – I order four Man-o’-War built

Sept 23 – The CSA has formed from the USA

All of our factories are done but two artillery ones and the steel factory expansion. I order the Nicaragua canned food factory expanded.

Jan 1, 1853 – 53, 31, 15

Feb 3 – Steel Factory expansion completed

Feb 10 – Artillery Factory in Antioquia.

Apr 14 – I was moving my armies towards getting ready for war against a surprise target, when I suddenly got a border dispute with Colombia. I order my forces back.

May 12 – I Declare War upon Colombia for the Cali Region. I have no infamy gained since I had a casus belli. I order two armies into the nation to start taking provinces. Brazil left their ally hanging.

June 17 – I order the steel mill expanded again

Sept 18 – We capture Buenaventura

Sept 24 – Their capital of Bogota falls

Dec 16 – Cali falls to us.

Dec 18 – We take the four provinces of Cali Region:

Cali – grain
Buenaventura – fish
Popayan – grain
Pasto – cattle

I order railroads and a liquor distiller here.

I also order three more Man-o’-Wars built.

[Abe Sargent]

New map?

[Abe Sargent]

Remember this is a land grab. I wasn;t sure I’d take these four provinces for badboy, but for free? Sure, I’ll take them with my temporary casus belli. I still have my outside the box expansion project in the mail soon.

You’ll note my huge amount of gold. You’ll note my construction info on the right side of the frame. You’ll note that Florida is USA and not CSA, but has been captured.

Currently in the civil war, the CSA has captured the three Florida provinces and the two West Virginia provinces from the USA and they USA hasn’t captured anybody.


Jan 1, 1853 – UH 52,31, 16

Jan 3 – The CSA agree to be my ally.

The CSA have added Marietta, Hagerstown to their list of captured provinces and they have more than 30k troops capturing DC as we speak. I think they are going to win this one. With Texas heading back to Mexico, Mexico never losing its lands to the USA, and now the CSA likely winning, I think the USA will be hammered back from where it should be in an interesting way.

Feb 23 – Artillery Factory built in ex-Venezuelan lands.

I have loaded my ships again.

March 3 – On my way to send troops to Cuba to attack Spain and wrest the island from her control, she allies with France. Grrr. Ah well.

Mar 19 – Flu Pandemic again

The CSA has added DC and Cincinnati to its captured territories and is now finishing up Maryland and attacking in Pennsylvania and Ohio now.

Apr 7 – The CSA and USA come to a white peace.

[Abe Sargent]

I wanted to take Cuba, but I can’t. Where else could I go? Venezuela? Ecuador? Haiti?

I think there is an obvious target. Now that I am allies with the CSA, I don’t fear a USA ally of Mexico as much. They would have farther to go to get to me, and the CSA can keep them off my back.

A war for Yucatan looks much more doable.

I start lowering our relations with Mexico.


I do it. I declare war on Yucatan. I order 9k troops into two Yucatan provinces, I order the fleet with the Cuban offensive army to swing by and drop off those 15k troops, and I order one of my armies from the south up to the north.


Apr 12 – I order the Honduras Winery to expand

May 2 -I just realized that the CSA’s peace is with Mexico too, so they cannot join me in a quick war with them. Argh!


There’s just nowhere good to expand next. I looked at Dutch Zuila, and such. If I attack Ecuador, I have to take these three lousy provinces that have 10k people total across them all – yuck. If I attack Venezuela, I have to go after crappy mainland provinces. I can’t attack Colombia right now, but when I do, I have to skip the rich lands by me and take lands farther into the continent, of lower quality. The CSA can’t help me right now vs Mexico. Spain is allied with France, so no Cuba. Basically, Haiti is the only shot, and they are in the sphere of the USA, so there’s a chance they’ll come stomping after me there too.

I got an idea.

May 8, 1854 – We are proud to announce that we have formed an alliance with the USA.

If we DOW Mexico, who will the USA side with?

If we DOW Haiti, will the USA let us gobble them up?

June 22 – Our steel factory has expanded. Our fleet has arrived in the Jamaica Channel.

Hold up, it costs a LOT of infamy to do a conquest. Twice as much as a regular war. I don’t want to do that. I go back to Mexico and try them.

I order the expansion of the Guatemala Paper Mill

[Abe Sargent]

Aug 4 – I DOW Mexico and begin moving in all of my armies. The USA joins neither of us, and the CSA can’t join me.

I’m on my own. As are they.

Sept 1 – We encounter the main Mexican army and begin to fight.

Sept 24 – We lost 2500 troops, and they lost half of their army.

Oct 13 – I destroy another 2500 of their troops and lost 1000. I pursued with just my cavalry.

Oct 28 – They lost 1000 to our 500.

Nov 11 – 1600 to our 300. They have 1200 troops remaining. I keep chasing them.

Nov 23 – We have finished off their army

I order 4 more Man-o’-Wars built

Dec 10 – The Nicaraguan expansion of their Canned Food Factory is completed. I order another expansion

Dec 18 – We capture Tapachula and Bacalar. We capture Campeche a few days later.

Another Mexican army is moving towards us

Jan 1, 1855 – 52, 33, 15 in the Upper House

Jan 8 – Tuxtla falls

Jan 23 – Battle is enjoined with their 12k troops, fresh. I combined two armies for this attack.

Feb 2 – I lose 1200 troops to 4000 of theirs.

Feb 14 – They lose 3800 and us 1200. I keep the pursuit up

Mar 13 – 1000 of theirs 500 of mine

Mar 15 – We capture Villamosa

Mar 27 – We destroy the rest of their army

May 3 – We capture Merida and Collataro.

June 6 – We capture Oacaxa

June 14 – We grab Veracruz. I order this army to Mexico City

July 4 – We capture Minatitlan. They have landed 6k troops in Veracruz to retake it, and I order the suddenly free troops next door to swing by and dislodge them.

July 24 – We drive them out and defeat roughly half of their forces at just a small loss to our own.

We have research mechanized stuff and I order us to work on Idealism, which will increase our research points by 50%

Aug 12 – We crush them again

Sept 1 – We destroy their army and capture Acapulco

Sept 3 – They accept peace for Yucatan. We captured 6 provinces:

Merida – grain, naval base, railroad
Bacalar – lumber, nb, and rr
Campeche – lumber, nb and rr
Villahermosa – coffee, nb and rr
Tuxtla – cotton, rr
Tapachula – cotton, rr, nb

The Yucatan also has a cement factory

I order a Fabric Factory here. It should help us out a lot.

We are now:

9th ranked industry
12th ranked prestige
31st ranked military

[Abe Sargent]

Sept 15 – We discover a Pits Threshing Machine. Get used to seeing these things get discovered for a while from our last technology.

Nov 4 – We discover the Mechanical Saw

Dec 2 – Jacquard Power Loom discovered

These discoveries increase output in their fields

I order two transports and three Man-o’-wars built

Jan 1, 1856 – 50, 35, 14 in the UH. Election time is here again.

Jan 12 – A privately built Cloth Factory was built in Cali Region. Maybe now they will finally start work on that distillery I wanted here

Mar 15 – Honduras winery expanded. I order another expansion immediately

June 15 – Just in case we have a government change, I order some factories and expansions and put them in the queue. I order:

Expansions of Steel and Lumber Mill in Guatemala
Ammunition Factory in Central American Zuila
Cement Factory Expansion in Costa Rica
Explosive Factory in Antioquia
Regular Clothes Factory in Yucatan
Glass Factory Expansion in Panama

That should be enough for a bit.

June 25 – We discover the Northrup Power Loom

July 1 – The liberals are back in government. Now if I can get them back in the Upper House I’ll be happy, I want to enact some reforms. I cannot build any more factories, railroads, or factory expansions. I have railroads in all of my provinces (up to level one) and a ton of factory expansions and buildings in the works.

[Abe Sargent]

July 25 - Paper Mill Expansion done

Sept 5 – Fabric Factory built in Yucatan

Jan 1, 1857 – 50, 33, 16 in the UH –still conservative.

Aug 1 – We discover the Mechanized Slaughtering Block

BTW, our literacy is now 20%

Aug 27 – We discover the Hussey & McCormacks Reaping Machine

Nov 5 – Our real population is now 6 million. 1.5 of that is adult males

We have the 8th most factories in the world.

We are tied with Spain for 7th largest navy in the world

95% of our people are Catholic. Just 42% of our people are Central American. Our majority is no longer such. Other ethnicities:

North Andean – 18%
Mayan – 10%
Mexican – 7%
Afro Caribbean – 5%

Jan 1, 1858 – Con 49, Lib 35 React 15

Mar 17 – We have our newest tech - Idealism. We will next work on…Medicine

May 19 – We are dropping significantly in the industrialism race. I order an election held early. I need to get the libs out.

Nov 19 – After several attempts to influence the vote with debates and such, the Libs are in power again.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1859 - 48, 37, 14

I hold another election.

Mar 2 – Our scientists discover Proto-Existentialism – we gain a prestige

Mar 16 – The USA have DOWd the CSA, but it looks like our alliance has worn out and we are not called to aid them.

July 1 – The Libs won again, ick

July 4 – Brazil and Argentina go to war

Sept 4 – Peru and Colombia are allied now

Jan 1, 1860 Upper House 47, 39, 13 and we have a new faction – anarcho-liberal at 0.7

Feb 11 – We discover Medicine. I order our techs to look into Clipper Design

Mar 10 – We get a prestige after discovering Neokantism

Apr 10 – Bavaria has upseated the Ottomans as a Great Power.

May 1 – We discover three things – Chemotherapy, Pressure Chambers for Thorax Surgery, and Antibiotics. These do things like help our soldiers, increase our prestige and so forth

Aug 24 – Mexico grants the CSA military access

Nov 12 – I choose to do a crackdown in a S. American province against organized crime. The population decreases, but it leaves.

Nov 29 – France has now included Spain in their Sphere of Influence

Dec 16 – Brazil and Argentina back to peace

Jan 1, 1861 – UH 47, 41, 12, 1

[Abe Sargent]

25 Year Review

I normally do a 50 year one, but since this era covered is not that big, let’s do one every 25 years.

In 25 years, we’ve gained Panama, Zuila, Yucatan, Cali Region, Antioquia


The United Provinces of Central America are:

10th in Prestige
12th in Industrialization
37th in Military


6.06 M population
21% literate
18 factories – 8th most
24 ships – 7th most
18 brigades – tied for 11th most with Afghanistan

Actually, there are not as many metrics out there to measure your nation in the ledger. I can’t even sort by population, just population of various groups. I could tell you if I had more artisans than another, if that’s helpful.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 9 – We develop Clippers. I order our people to work on Early Railroads

Mar 12 – I decide to hold early elections again

Apr 2 – We discover Vaccination

Sept 12 – Our new party is the Conservatives. This is the first time they’ve been in power so let’s take a look:

Free Trade, State Capitalism, Partial Citizenship, Pro-Military and Moralist.

What does that mean for capitalism? I cannot build a new factory. The first thing I do is reopen the 8 factories closed due to a lack of profit. I subsidize those that do not make money.

The next thing I do is expand several factories –

Yucatan Fabric
Panama Glass
Honduras Winery
Guatemala Paper Mill
Cali Fabric


Sept 16 – Argentina DOWs Chile and their ally Brazil does not aid them.

Nov 2 – A major treatise on Economics is published in our nation. I choose to push it with the middle class. They move more towards being liberal. Ideally, I want a Conservative Party and Liberal Upper House. That would be amazing.

Jan 1, 1862 - Upper House46, 42, 12, 1

June 22 – I spend some money to continue to fund our expedition abroad

Aug 2 – We discover combat medicine

Sept 2 – I gain a badboy after choosing not to sign the Geneva Convention.

Oct 14 – We have developed early railroad and start working on Muzzle-Loaded Rifles

I literally order a railroad in every single province in Central America, but not the mainland ones. Buying all of the stuff to build them will take some time and cash, but the result will be a ton of railroads.

Dec 12 – The Glass Factory and both Textile ones have expanded.

I order expansions of:

Artillery in Antioquia, Cement in Costa Rica, Fabric/Textile in Yucatan

Jan 1, 1863 - 45, 44, 9, 2 – Cons remain barely in front

Feb 5, 1863 – The USA adds Egypt to their Sphere of Influence, and the USA and CSA are at peace again – no land exchanged

Mar 24 – Argentina took some land from Chile

Private investors are building railroads in Antioquia, and investors are working on getting the materials and money together for Zuila and Cali Region as well. I won’t even have to touch S America and they’ll have RRs.

July 19 – A major war breaks out. The UK dow’s China. China is in Russia’s Sphere and they jump to her aid. Here are the battle lines:

The British
Belgium
About 7 Indian Powers

Vs

China
Japan
Russia

[Abe Sargent]

Aug 1 – JOY OF JOYS. Today there was a border incident with Mexico. Police from Mexico crossed the border, arrested one of our citizens, and then charged with spying on them. In our own territory! We gain a Casus Belli against Mexico! I order some troops to move to the north.


Nov 26 - Expansion of Fabric, Winery, Cement and Paper factories

Nov 28 – I let Costa Rica have rallies about more freedoms and they become 10% more liberal

I decide to do a few more expansions – Guatemala Steel, Panama Glass – that’s it for now

Jan 1, 1864 – Libs are now at 46, Cons at 43, React at 9 and ALs at 2

Jan 5 - I DOW Mexico. Here are my plans. I sent out two armies to immediately start sieges. I send out large army to hit theirs. I drop another army from my fleet in their back door. Here we go.

Jan 31 – We lose more troops but win in Oaxaca.

Feb 21 – This time we crush the fleeing Mexican troops in Acapulco.

Mar 16 – We rout the remaining army

Apr 28 – We capture Collataro

May 1 – I move us to Weighted Wealth elections. This allows the middle class to vote, but the rich count twice.

May 2 – A huge 21k strong Mexican army comes to protest my presence in Veracruz. I saw them coming from my fleet, and ordered armies from nearby occupancy forces to split off and support our troops here. I have 23k there. Let’s see what happens.

May 25 – We win the Campaign of Verzcruz. We lost 7.5k and them 10k

May 28 – We capture Oaxaca

May 30 – We capture Minatitlan

June 10 – We massively hammer their troops again.

June 15 – We develop Muzzle-Loaded Rifles. Our next target is Military Plans ,which will allow us to build Dragoons.

June 27 - We win again

July 10 – We crush the army to pieces.

Aug 2 – We capture Los Albailes

Aug 3 – Veracruz falls

Aug 12 – The Chinese-UK war ends in a white peace

Oct 22 – Puebla falls

Oct 26 – The first of my railroads is constructed.

Oct 30 – We destroy a quick 3000 army they were building in Mexico City

Dec 1 – We capture Acapulco

Dec 13 – We also capture Tulancingo

Dec 29 – Mexico City falls too. Also, Artillery, Glass and Steel factories expand

Jan 1, 1865 – The Upper House is Lib 46, 43, 9 and 3

Jan 10 -Chilpancingo falls

We take Morelia in peace with Mexico. That’s badboy free provinces!

Here’s our take from Mexico:

Collataro – wheat, naval, 3 rr
Acapulco – precious metals, same as above for rest
Los Albaniles – wheat, as above
Chilpancingo – cattle, 2 rr
Morelia – wool, 2rr
Toluca – wheat, 2 rr

Morelia also has a level one glass factory. If I could, I’d build a distillery here.

I order a fort in Toluca and Chilpancingo, which are adjacent to Mexico City


I can still expand quickly.

[Abe Sargent]

Aug 1 – JOY OF JOYS. Today there was a border incident with Mexico. Police from Mexico crossed the border, arrested one of our citizens, and then charged with spying on them. In our own territory! We gain a Casus Belli against Mexico! I order some troops to move to the north.


Nov 26 - Expansion of Fabric, Winery, Cement and Paper factories

Nov 28 – I let Costa Rica have rallies about more freedoms and they become 10% more liberal

I decide to do a few more expansions – Guatemala Steel, Panama Glass – that’s it for now

Jan 1, 1864 – Libs are now at 46, Cons at 43, React at 9 and ALs at 2

Jan 5 - I DOW Mexico. Here are my plans. I sent out two armies to immediately start sieges. I send out large army to hit theirs. I drop another army from my fleet in their back door. Here we go.

Jan 31 – We lose more troops but win in Oaxaca.

Feb 21 – This time we crush the fleeing Mexican troops in Acapulco.

Mar 16 – We rout the remaining army

Apr 28 – We capture Collataro

May 1 – I move us to Weighted Wealth elections. This allows the middle class to vote, but the rich count twice.

May 2 – A huge 21k strong Mexican army comes to protest my presence in Veracruz. I saw them coming from my fleet, and ordered armies from nearby occupancy forces to split off and support our troops here. I have 23k there. Let’s see what happens.

May 25 – We win the Campaign of Verzcruz. We lost 7.5k and them 10k

May 28 – We capture Oaxaca

May 30 – We capture Minatitlan

June 10 – We massively hammer their troops again.

June 15 – We develop Muzzle-Loaded Rifles. Our next target is Military Plans ,which will allow us to build Dragoons.

June 27 - We win again

July 10 – We crush the army to pieces.

Aug 2 – We capture Los Albailes

Aug 3 – Veracruz falls

Aug 12 – The Chinese-UK war ends in a white peace

Oct 22 – Puebla falls

Oct 26 – The first of my railroads is constructed.

Oct 30 – We destroy a quick 3000 army they were building in Mexico City

Dec 1 – We capture Acapulco

Dec 13 – We also capture Tulancingo

Dec 29 – Mexico City falls too. Also, Artillery, Glass and Steel factories expand

Jan 1, 1865 – The Upper House is Lib 46, 43, 9 and 3

Jan 10 -Chilpancingo falls

We take Morelia in peace with Mexico. That’s badboy free provinces!

Here’s our take from Mexico:

Collataro – wheat, naval, 3 rr
Acapulco – precious metals, same as above for rest
Los Albaniles – wheat, as above
Chilpancingo – cattle, 2 rr
Morelia – wool, 2rr
Toluca – wheat, 2 rr

Morelia also has a level one glass factory. If I could, I’d build a distillery here.

I order a fort in Toluca and Chilpancingo, which are adjacent to Mexico City


I can still expand quickly.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 20 – I order my big factories – steel mill, paper, winery, and textile in Yucatan to expand.

July 6 – Despite losing two wars to me, Mexico has displaced Denmark as a major power.

Aug 26 – The expedition we sent out long ago is fruitless as the USA announces it finds a rare flower. It comes home and we lose 5 prestige.

Sept 25 – Election season is underway

Nov 27 – All of our major railroads are built.

Dec 1 – We get Military Plan. I order a Dragoons built. In the meantime, I order our techs to work on Army Professionalism

Dec 23 – We discover Clipper Building Shipyards

Dec 26 – Brazil dows Argentina

Jan 1, 1866 – 43/43/10/3

Jan 24 – Spain DOWs Egypt and the USA jumps in on Egypt’s side.

Feb 25 – Steel and Fabric expand. I order another round for each

Mar 25 – The Conservative Party retains office

July 9 – Our final mainland railroad is finished We now have at least two RRs in every province

Aug 4 – We discover Mobilization Time Tables. I can build more units and I build two more dragoons.

Jan 1, 1867 0- Con 44, Lib 41, 11, 3

Targets for my next strike –

Cuba – now a full province rather than a colony. This will make taking it harder. Spain is in the sphere of France. Ick. There’s only one other Spanish province in the area (Puerto Rico), so I’m not sure if I take all 5, if I could even force them to give me Cuba.

Dutch Zuila – Curacao and Aruba are right next door. However, they only have one other province in the Caribbean at St Martin, and again, I’m not sure this would be enough to push them to give it to me.

Haiti – Allied with USA and in her sphere and would take a lot of badboy to take out. Not an obvious choice.

Colombia – The only option here would be to take Guaviere region from them, which would be five inland provinces with a total population in the area of 25k. It would leave just Colombia’s main province and one isolated province by itself on the Brazil border, very tempting for them.

Ecuador – The only option here would be to grab Ecuadoran Pastaza, a region with three provinces with a population around 10k total. They wouldn’t even be adjacent to me. It would leave just Ecuador for later, but there’s not too much there either.

Venezuela – The only region here is Bolivar. Its two real provinces of value and three chump ones. They are not contiguous with us. It would leave just Miranda, which is acceptable level of value, but way too much to take right now.

Mexico – There are several choices, but the best is 5 province Jalisco. It’s got low value crops but a ton of people. Iron, lumber ,and fishx3. Another possibility would be four province Zacatecas with more than 1 million people in it. Fruit and three wheat.


I still have a solid amount of badboy to work off, so I don’t have to attack right now. It seems like Mexico is the easy answer to attack though.

[Abe Sargent]

Mar 6 – All factory expansions are complete.

I order another round of expansions plus Costa Rica cement and explosives down in Antioquia

Mar 7 – Brazil DOWs Argentina

Aug 17 – We develop Army Professionalism. Our next target is High and Low Pressure Steam Engines

Nov 11 – White peace between Brazil and Argentina

Nov 18 – Spain and USA are at peace

Jan 1, 1868 - 44,40,13,4

Jan 15 – The forts in Toluca and Chilpango have been completed.

Mar 7, 1868 – The USA again dows the CSA and tries to annex them.

Jul 2, 1868 – The USA annexed Hawaii

Sept 26 – A flu pandemic sweeps through

I order expansions of textile in Yucatan, steel and lumber in Guatemala, glass in Panama, and luxury furniture in Honduras

Oct 19 – After papers show squalid living conditions and health care in Zulia, I push for more laws to help them, and the citizens there are demanding more from parliament.

Nov 30 – Argentina is attacking Chile again.

If I were a great power, I’d use it to protect Ecuador, Peru and Chile from Brazil and Argentina, while I went east into Colombia and Venezuela.

Jan 1, 1869 - 45, 38, 13, 4

I want to get my election schedule back on track, so I hold an election.

Mar 24 – Several expansions of factories were done today. I order more in Glass in Morelia, Cement in Yucatan, distillery in Cali, Winery and Paper mills too

July 1 – The Conservative party won again

Oct 23 – The last round of expansions occurred. Steel and fabric in Yucatan are expanded further

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1870 - 45, 37, 14, 4

Soon I can DOW Mexico again.

I get my troops ready

Feb 9 – We finished that Steam Engine upgrade. We start work in Interchangeable Parts


May 10 – I get ready to DOW Mexico.

I have six armies to launch into Mexico. One is 21000 troops with 9000 dragoons. It will head to Mexico City, where 18k defenders sit. My best general is at the helm. They also have 6k troops in Guanajuato, which I am sending 15k into. I am launching 6 armies all of 15k or more. I intend to cut the heart out of Mexico with this war.

Warring for Jelico makes sense on a map. Its right next to us, right by the ocean, yadda yadda. But I want to cut the heart out, so I am going to Zacatecas. The four provinces here will severely decrease Mexico’s population, and increase ours. This will be felt in a way the Yucatan and Morelia were not. It’s time.

I gain 10 badboy and here we go.


May 27 – We drive the Mexicans out of their capital, and we each lost almost 5k troops. We make chase instead of staying here.

June 6, We win in Guanajuato and make chase with our cavalry and dragoons, leaving behind artillery and infantry to capture the province.

June 12 – We win in Puebla against their main force, but ours has taken bad morale, so I dispatch most of my forces from one of my siege sto chase and order these men back to Mexico City to begin to capture it.

June 22 – We defeat the smaller army again

June 28 – A small skirmish with the large army and we win and force them back again.

July 16 – We win again in both places

July 29 – We capture Colima

Aug 5 – A huge 24k Mexican army arrives at Queretaro and I order my forces in.

Sept 17 - 50k of my troops destroy them, and then we capture it a few days later. I order the entire force to Tampico where both the defeated elements of the first major army and this one are fleeing

Sept 20 – We capture Minatitlan

Oct 21 – We capture Guanajuato; I order the troops here to shore up our defenses. I’m chasing a lot of their armies.

I’m fighting for a decisive victory. I’m winning sorties, but not the war.

Nov 15 – We capture Oaxaca

Dec 29 – We are now considered a Great Power

I was paying attention to the war, but Argentina took land from Chile and the CSA and USA are still at war

Dec 30 – Mexico City falls.

Jan 1, 1871 - 46, 35, 14, 4 in my UH

Mar 10 – After a lot of battles, Puebla falls

Apr 2 –Veracruz falls

Apr 10 – Guadalajara falls to us as well.

They accept peace.

Zacatecas –

Querataro – Fruit, RRx3, and a ton of people here
Guanajuato – wheat, RRx3, a solid ### of people
San Luis Patosi – wheat, RRx3
Zacatecas – Wheat, RRx3


Four factories – luxury cloths, regular cloths, cement and distillery

[Abe Sargent]

Map time




As you can see from the upper left corner, I am the 7th ranked nation in the world after hammering Mexico. With my newfound provinces, our population is now at 13.96 M overall and 3.49 M adult males

[Abe Sargent]

I offer War Subsidies to the CSA

May 16 – We have 15000 Jacobin Rebels in San Felipe.

Sept 21 – We defeat the rebels

Oct 1 – Mexico is officially no longer a Great Power.


Nov 14 – Since the CSA is having rebel problems during their war, I request and get military access. I’ll swing by and take out the rebels and recapture a province or two for them.

Jan 1, 1872 - 48, 33, 15, 3


Feb 12 – Tapachula cotton is becoming one of the highest quality ones in the world. We gain some prestige

May 13 – I do another round of factory expansions of various places

Sept 2 – We outfit an expedition to find the source of the Nile

Sept 11 – Interchangeable parts are now ours. We begins research on Naval Design Bureaus

Nov 2 – We discover small arms standardized

Nov 13 – Brazil DOWs Argentina and her ally France joins in.

Jan 1, 1873 - 48, 34, 14, 3

May 1 – We discover machine tools

May 18 – We just finished a ton of expansions. I order a bunch more.

June 2 – We increase relations with Ecuador

July 1 – Elections have started

July 5 – I do it again and we are now friendly with Ecuador

Aug 6 – We develop Naval Design Bureaus – next up is Clean Coal

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1874 – Conservatives once again are in power. New house is 48, 34, 13, 3

We also discovered food packing systems

Feb 22 0 Our mines now have mechanized mining

June 1 – More expansions ordered

June 17 – We have added Ecuador to our Sphere of Influence

June 25 – Chile and Peru have their opinions of us increased to cordial for each of them.

July 9 – I accept an alliance offer from Ecuador

July 12 – The UK has declared Venezuela as their sphere. Yuck.

July 13 – Argentina and France/Brazil are back to white peace

Jan 1, 1875 - 49, 35, 13, 3

Mar 2 – The USA reabsorbs the CSA. No more south.

[Abe Sargent]

Apr 16 - Get another border incident with Mexico, and again I can push for free.

I order my troops to get ready.

May 13 – We discover Clean Coal, and our next research is heading to strategic mobility in the army.

June 9 – Another factory expansion is finished and another round of a bunch are ordered.

July 13 – Peru and Chile are now friendly relations

Aug 3 – This time I combined two armies to have a group of 33k invading the 15k in Mexico City. I DOW Mexico.

I have a truce with Mexico until April 14, and my CB runs out on April 16. Hmm. I wonder what I’ll be doing on April 15 next year?

Aug 11 – I accept an alliance from Peru

Dec 15 – We outlay the money to host a World’s Fair

Jan 1, 1876 - 49, 34, 14, 4

Feb 16 – The Fair opens and we gain 21 prestige

Apr 15 – Guess What?

Apr 22 – The USA offers us military access, which we accept

May 1 – We win in Mexico City and I order some of my forces to pursue while others siege

May 17 – We win again

June 2 – And again

June 16 – And it is completely destroyed

June 19 – I see an army of 21k coming in for us. It is moving to attack a province of 15k attackers. I order my army that just killed the other one in there.

June 27 – We caught them and my 29k troops are establishing dominance

July 10 – We win the campaign.

July 26 – We defeat them again as they run away.

Aug 8 – We defeat them again

Aug 10 – Minatitlan falls to us

Aug 22 – We crush their army

Aug 24 -Both Aguascalientes and Tepic fall to us

Aug 29 – Oaxaca falls

Sept 2 – Mexico City falls

Sept 9 – Colima falls

Sept 11 – They accept peace.


Jalisco –

Colima – iron, 3xrr, naval base
Puerto Vallara – fish, 3xRR, nb
Tepic – identical to above
Guadalajara – fish, 3xRR
Aguascalientes – lumber, 3xRR

It has a distillery and cement factory

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1877 - 49, 33, 13, 3

Jan 27 – We discover strategic mobility. Time to work on Inorganic Chemistry – I want to beeline for Panama Canal decision.

Feb 1 – We discover Jiggs

I declare that Peru is in our Sphere of Influence

Feb 14 - I use a threshing incident to force through token pension reform. Conservatives are more militant as a result.

Mar 13 – Chile is now is our sphere

Targets for the future include Argentina and perhaps pulling Haiti from the USA

Guess what? Spain is no longer in France’s sphere or her ally.

Mar 17 – The UK is discrediting us in Argentina

Mar 26 – I accept an alliance offer from Chile

May 1 – We discover Precision Work

[illinifan999]

What's the learning curve for a game like this? I always love reading these type of dynasties, and this game seems more of my "time period" than the other ones. I love seeing how the alternate histories play out.

[Abe Sargent]

I am looking at Cuba – defenseless

I DOW Spain for Cuba

I order 15000 troops to disembark at Havana

Their ally Algeria joins them

May 15 – Our army arrives and I order my fleet back to pick up another so I can sail to Puerto Rico and take it. I split some troops to move east and take Jagua

June 29 – A bunch of factories finished expanding in the last week. I order a ton more to expand.

July 8 – I increase Haiti’s view of us to Cordial

Sept 1 – We defeat a Spanish fleet moving towards Cuba with a bunch of transports. I begin chasing them and dispatch our transports from our fleet to remain here and allow our army to disembark at Puerto Rico

Spet 15 – PR is being sieged

Sept 22 – They land 12k troops in San Felipe. I order nearby defensive troops dispatched to the scene.

Oct 1 – We discover Pit Coal, Signal Detachments, and the Integral Distillery Process

Oct 6 – We crush the Spanish troops in San Felipe.

The Spanish fleet has begun to turn tail and leave the Caribbean.

Oct 19 – We annihilate the Spanish troops

Nov 4 – Havana falls

Oct 12 – Jagua falls


Jan 1, 1878 – Election time. UH is 49, 33, 14, 3

Jan 10 _ Puerto Rico falls

Apr 16 -Santiago de Cuba fell

Apr 19 – Camaguey Fell

Is it enough? Let’s see.

Since Puerto Rico is no longer a colony, but a province, yes, it is.

Cuba –

All four provinces are tobacco, 3xRR and with a naval base. Cuba has a paper mill and canned food factory. Both at level 2.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by illinifan999

What's the learning curve for a game like this? I always love reading these type of dynasties, and this game seems more of my "time period" than the other ones. I love seeing how the alternate histories play out.

The tutorial took about a good 45 minutes to wade through, and I had ot look some stuff up again after I hadn;t used it for a while and needed it it suddenly 0 such as when I became a great power.

As someone who has played CK and EU and Rome, it's definitely a different game, but not too shabby. If you've played those, this is an easy slide. It's more polished than EU: Rome, but no EU3 or CK. It's not polished enough. For example, there is no way I can tell if someone else is trying to influence someone in my Sphere of Influence. Unless I look at them in the diplomatic screen - it's just unknowable.

It's a fun game, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it, and I'll certainly come back to it, but it won;t hold me like the big two.

[Abe Sargent]

May 3 – I sign the Geneva Convention to lower my badboy. I also enact the Corporate Industrialism focus. This will speed my commerce and industry development techs.

There are no wars in the world right now.

July 1 – Bad timing. The Liberals win again, but I am just, like a week, away from getting a bunch of my factories expanded, so I can’t do it again, and I’ll just have to sit here for a while.

Aug 2 – We discover Railroad Transport Troops

Aug 7 – We become Cordial with Argentina

Oct 8 – Why have the British landed 39k troops in Belize? That doesn’t look good.

Jan 1, 1879 - 48, 36, 14, 3

Feb 20 – We are now friendly with Argentina

May 29 – Inorganic Chemistry is developed. Our next project will be Steamers

June 1 – We discover Coke

July 8 – I accept an alliance offer from Argentina

July 14 – Our final expansion of a factory is completed. I can’t do any more – liberals.

Aug 8 – Brazil DOWs Argentina, and I join my ally.

Sept 20 – I’m marching an army across Ecuador, Peru, and then into Brazil.

Nov 1 – We discover Nitroglycerin

Dec 11 – We add Argentina to our Sphere of Influence

Dec 25 – The UK DOWs the USA. It’s a major brawl:

The UK

Vs

USA and pals

For New England

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1880 - 47, 37, 13, 3

Jan 6 – The UK asks for, and I grant them, military access.

Jan 14 – The siege of Tabatinga begins.

Feb 1 – We discover artificial fertilizers

Feb 22 – We have secular strife in Nicaragua. I choose to end some church married to state polices, and I get some militancy there with clergy.

June 18 – We capture Tabatinga

Oct 1 – After consideration, I decide to grant the USA access.

Private investors are building a furniture factory in Zuila

Dec 2 – We capture Tarauaca from Brazil

Dec 19 – Brazil offers a white peace, which we take.

Jan 1, 1881 – We have a new party – the Upper House is 46 Con, 37 Lib, 13 React, 3 Anarcho-Libs, 1 Socialist

I hold early elections (by 6 months or a year or something) – I want to get the libs out and invest in infrastructure again.

Jan 5 – I choose not to shut down an anti-government newspaper.

Feb 13 – The USA and I am fighting over influence for Uruguay and Haiti.

Mar 14 – We have developed steamers. Next is Iron Steamers. That will enable us to build the Panama Canal.

June 27 – Paraguay is now cordial with us

July 1 – Sigh, the libs won.

Aug 1 – We discover Steam Transports

Sept 23 – After our merchants are harassed by pirates abroad, I gain a CB on Yemen for a year. No thanks.

Nov 18 - Paraguay is now friendly with us

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1882 – UH is now – 45, 36, 12, 2, 3 (Socialists with the big gain)

Apr 4 – Someone is building a Paper Mill in Zulia

May 1 – Mexico is a great power again

July 1 – We discover rubber vulcanization and mechanized fishing vessels

Oct 27 – We are now cordial with Uruguay

Dec 17 – We remove Haiti from the USA’s sphere of influence

Jan 1, 1883 – 45 {C}, 36 (L), 11, 6 (S), 1

Feb 20 – The USA is trying to defend Egypt in their sphere from Mexico and France, who probably want to build the Suez Canal. Meanwhile, I am gaining lots in Haiti.

Mar 26 – We get another Tapachula Cotton event

July 17 – Haiti is now in our Sphere of Influence

July 27 – I accept an alliance offer from Haiti

Sept 1 – We discover Commercial Raiders. Man-o’-wars are more powerful, but have less hull.

Oct 27 – Our scientists have discovered Iron Steamers. I order them work on Organized Factories

Nov 1 – We build the Panama Canal in Balboa. We gain Prestige. Frankly, we should also soon gain a ton of money, but I don’t know if the same sims that.

[Abe Sargent]

Jan 1, 1884 – 44, 36, 10, 9 (S), 1

I actually really like the Socialist Party for everything but military. Protectionism is fine, planned economy is okay since I have so much money to contribute, full citizenship is great, and I’m okay with secularism. The only thing I don’t like is the anti-military take, but even that’s not bad. Right now, I have a maximum army size of 73 brigades, but I only have 49 assembled.

Feb 1 – We develop monitors. This steam ship has the same attack as a commerce raider but four times the hull at 20. A Man-o’-War is a hull of 3, and an attack of 8. The monitor is rocking 5 attack. I order a quartet built.

Apr 4 – A glass factory is being built in Jalisco

Apr 8 – We announce that Paraguay is now in our Sphere of Influence

May 31 – I accept an alliance offer from Paraguay

Aug 12 – It’s time. I DOW Mexico for Durango region

Aug 14 – All of my allies join me.

Sept 4 – We crush a small force of 3000 troops that had just been built.

Sept 13 – We win a major battle in Mexico City

Oct 1 – We discovered ironclads.

Oct 12 – They win a battle against me in Veracruz after they bring together remnants from three armies.

Troops from Ecuador are arriving. I’ll let them play with the Mexican army remnants.

Oct 13 – I had to give up one siege to help defend another by an attack by 24k Mexicans that came from the north. Meanwhile, I have Jacobin rebellions spring up in 5 provinces.

Oct 22 – I win the huge campaign of Torreon.

We are now friendly with Uruguay

Nov 20 – I defeat a Mexican flotilla

Dec 1 – Due to several morale losses while beating their army, I trade off to another army attacking the enemy – the one from Cuba was sailed over.

Dec 9 – We capture Veracruz

Peru and Ecuador have been taking out my rebels for me – thanks allies!

Dec 17 - We lose in Torrean an dthe siege is lifted after they gather forces and take us out.

Jan 1, 1885 – UH is 43, 36, 11 (s), 9, 1

Jan 15 – We win in Torreon – That is a massive crucible in this war

They capture Tepic

Jan 20 – We capture Mazatlan

Feb 3 – We win a major campaign in Mexico City from their Tepic group. I added the Veracruz siege army to the grinder and managed to beat them.

Feb 6 – We win a minor war in Tepic and begin to siege them back

Feb 22 – We capture Mexico City

Mar 4 – We win a major battle

Mar 18 – We discover Organized Factories. Next up is iron railroad

Mar 24 – We recapture Tepic

Apr 21 – After more battles, I annihilate a Mexican army in Puebla.

May 1 – We discover work classification

May 5 – Saltillo falls to us

May 19 – I lost a major campaign in the hills of Parral. It took two months and I kept throwing 3k troops into the grinder just to keep my foe occupied while I captured troops. Now that I am moving my armies north from sieges in places like Mexico City, this should become very one sided soon, I just need to blast this army.

June 2 – I manage to win against the army that just beat us, since we retreated to a province where we were besieging, and had 6000 fresh troops – it was also a plains instead o fhills – better for my large cavalry.

June 5 – Monclova falls to us; Ecuador captured Oaxaca

June 23 – I capture Culiacan

July 1 – Elections, won a campaign, and discovered work control and hierarchy

July 3 – We capture Ciudad Victoria

July 8 -We announce the addition of Uruguay to our Sphere

July 12 – I win a naval battle

July 22 – I accept an alliance offer from Uruguay

Aug 21 – I win another major battle. We also capture Tampico.

Aug 24 – We capture Tulancingo.

Aug 29 – Peru captures Minatitlan

Sept 6 – We grab Torreon

Mexico accepts peace

Durango:

Saltillo – dyes, fort, RRx3
Torreon – cattle, fort, RRx3
Santa Maria del Oro – wheat, RRx3
Durango – precious metal, fort, RRx3
Mazatlan – cattle, fort, naval base, RRx3
Culiacan – precious metal, naval base, RRx3


They have a closed cement factory.



That was a long war

.

[Abe Sargent]

Wanna map?





As you can see, during the war, private enterprisers are building a Clipper Shipyard in Zulia and a distillery in Zacatecas.

I order 7 Ironclads built.

[Abe Sargent]

50 YEAR REVIEW


We are ranked 7th in the world. Our industrialization is 7th, military 10th and prestige 9th. Here are the great powers:

1 – UK
2 – France
3 – Germany
4 – Russia
5 – USA
6 – Austria
7 – UPCA
8 – Mexico


We have a ton of points above all of the other contenders, so we aren’t losing great power status any time soon. However, we are very distant from Austria, so I doubt we are rising anytime soon. Right now, Austria is winning a war for land against Germany.

27% of our population is literate.
Our nation is 23.20 million big, with 5.8 million adult males

Our ethnic break up:

Mexican – 26%
Central American – 23.5%
Nahua – 19%
North Andean – 6%

Everything else is below 5%

96% of our people are Catholic

The United Provinces of Central America Sphere of Influence:

Haiti
Peru
Ecuador
Argentina
Uruguay
Paraguay


We’ve had a lot of Central American ethnicity emigration to Cuba. – It’s about 8% right now.

The USA built the Suez, btw

We have 32 factories – 7th most
57 brigades gives us 12th largest army
33 ships gives us 12th

It’s obvious that other nations are building up, and we need to as well.


Jan 1, 1881 – Annoyingly, the libs are still in power. Upper House – 42, 36, 13, 8, 1

[Abe Sargent]

Mar 1 – We learn the chemical wood dying process

May 23 – Brazil DOWs Argentina and I join my ally

June 1 – A bunch of Anarcho-Liberals have risen across the country.

Jul 6 – Bad news! We have a full fledged rebellion on our hands. Anarcho-Libs are attacking everywhere.

Here, take a look:



19 provinces are undergoing rebellion and that’s in addition to the armies made a month ago.

Some of these are easy to defeat, but in S America, I have provinces being besieged by 20 or 30k rebels each.

July 12 – I have killed several groups, and have some armies dispatched to head south. I am sending an army to my fleet, and then sending it down.

Aug 1 – We develop work specialization

Aug 12 – I manage to barely win down south with the army I was getting ready to send to help Argentina. They have combined some forces and have more than 50000 troops in one provinces besieging me.

Sept 5 – Cali has fallen to the rebels

Sept 10 – Cuba is scoured of rebels. They were defeated in Mexico a while ago. That leaves just those in my S American provinces

Oct 9 – An army of 60k of our troops moves to Quibdo to relieve the occupancy there of more than 50k rebels

Oct 12 - They capture Popayan

Oct 15 – Maracaibo falls

Oct 21 – Our troops land in San Felipe and attack the rebels here

Nov 1 – San Felipe is free

Nov 5 – Medellin falls

Nov 6 – Cucuta falls

Nov 7 – We annihilate the forces in Quibdo

Nov 14 – We defeat two more armies

Nov 21 – After learning about iron railroads, we move to Breech Loaded Rifles

Jan 1, 1887 – UH is – 40, 37, 15, 7, 1

We are now cordial with Bolivia

Jan 8 – We retake Medellin

Jan 17 – One of my armies arrives in Brazil and starts laying claim to some property

Jan 28 – Bolivia is now a friend

Feb 4 - In the last four days, we retook Maracaibo, Cucuta and Popayan – only Cali is still in rebel hands and it will fall in a day or two