Europe

With the King’s health deteriorating rapidly, Prime Minister Pitt is quick to seize the opportunity and puts forth the old regency bill of 1789 to a vote in parliament, with the intention of making the Crown-Prince George regent until his father recovers mentally from the “daily pressures of rulership”. Most of parliament concludes that for the stability of the nation, such action must be taken, and the vote is passed through with ease.

The British Government, now supported by the Prince-Regent, moves on to focus in passing effective reform in regards to Ireland, wishing to appease the local populace. The Prime Minister and his cabinet takes significant executive action in granting more rights to the irish subjects of Great Britain, these actions range from ending the discrimination against catholics in the royal army and eliminating large amounts of career limitation on catholics. Such measures are successfully carried out and greatly increase the popularity of Pitt’s government in Ireland, which are in their part supported by a large propaganda campaign made by the government to increase the government’s standing with the local catholic populace, yet, the wish for full emancipation still lingers in the hearts of most irishmen…

The units of the British Army garrisoned in Ireland are put on high alert status, with the local government fearing a possible uprising or revolt originated from french influence. While no revolt or uprising takes place the army is able to localize several small pockets of Pro-French & Pro-Republican troublemakers and neutralize them.

After defeating the local french garrison, the British government dispatches Sir Alexander Ball to negotiate with the local maltese resistance. In the end, it is announced that the people of Malta, weary of possible french aggression in the future, had accepted to become a protectorate of Great Britain, while retaining significant powers over the matters of home rule and local administration.

Following several months of occupation, the King of Prussia orders a general withdrawal of all Prussian troops from Hannover, effectively ending the occupation.

However, the Hanoverians are quick to discover that their perils were far from over, as 3 French units march in and begin a new occupation of the territory.

The last unit of the Hanoverian army, that until then had remained holded up in Stade, is quietly evacuated to the English mainland, where it is reformed into the King’s german Legion.

The Kingdom of Sweden makes a large investment into the long theorised agricultural reform, an action that mostly succeeds and yields a good amount of economic growth in the Kingdom. However, the gross of the change is expected to come with time.
The king of Sweden attempts to find a way to increase the speed of the construction of the Swedish navy. He then resorts to expand the royal shipyards, an action that, whilst increasing the speed of construction, is still not enough to make any significant change.

The Swedish Government also initiates a new policy, offering money to family in exchange of asking them to have more offsprings. The action has very varied results, with the population increasing in certain areas, but with several areas still not showing any significant growth despite the government aid.

The king of Denmark once again orders for an expansion of his navy, commissioning for the construction of 5 new fleets for its powerful navy.

The Danish government, weary of the rapid militarisation of the Swedish army and fearing the possibility of an invasion in Norway, recruits and dispatches 3 new land units to safeguard its northern possessions.

In another Anti-Swedish measure, the Danish government builds several fortifications in the Norwegian-Swedish border. The defences are built in a way to mirror the defences built previously in the old Danevirke line.

The Danish Finance Ministry announces that it will payoff the entirety of its debt, as a way to help the local economy grow.

The Ministry also makes a significant investment into the Norwegian iron mines, with the objective of improving its efficiency. The action is a success and Denmark now enjoys a larger income from its mining operations in Norway.

The King of Denmark starts a commission composed of several Danish and Norwegian scholars to unite the both languages and form one single dialect. The commission already begins to work and starts to show good signs of progress.

The Danish government establishes a claim stating that all the isles in the arctic are property of the Danish crown. If the claim will be respected by the international community however is another story…

Following a similar style as before, the Dutch dispatch a total of 3 new expeditions to explore their newly claimed lands. One is sent to the recently claimed arctic islands, another is sent to the claimed territories in north america and the last one is sent to the coast of West africa.

The elector of Saxony makes a large investment into Saxony’s Industry and trade. The action succeeds in boosting economic activity within the electorate, increasing by a good amount the duchy’s income.

The internal situation continues to worsen in Austria, where Emperor Francis takes drastic measures to maintain his stature. Beforehand, despite the humiliating victories at the hands of the French in southern Germany and Italy, most of the populace still remained loyal to Francis and the Habsburg monarchy in general. Most feared that an alternative to Francis would politically destabilize central europe and bring forth a state as violent and as radical as Jacobin France had been during the first half of the 1790’s, thus most still remained somewhat loyal to the Habsburg court in Vienna. However, all of that was about to change…

Following weeks of uncertainty, Habsburg officials make a public declaration announcing that Austrian police officials had recently uncovered a plot perpetrated by French agents and local radicals to depose the Monarchy and install a pro-french government in Austria. The announcement is shortly followed by the trials of said agents, who are all charged with treason and shortly thereafter put to death by public hanging. The newly arrived French ambassador to Vienna denies any french involvement in the plot.

Following the execution of the plotters, the Emperor announces new and drastic measures to counter the effects of possible revolutionary sentiment within his empire, by deploying 4 land units to curb any radical movement, effectively putting most of the Habsburg territory under martial law.

Francis’ popularity hits an all time low, for not only the people see him as a tyrant, but his own government’s opinion seems to shift. Rumours have started to circulate around the Habsburg territories that a plot is brewing among the Austrian ministers of state and other members of the nobility to dethrone Francis and install one of his close family members on the throne, either one of his brothers or one of his small children. The future of Austria remains uncertain, and some feel only a miracle can save Francis now…

The Austrian Government also attempts to continue its bureaucratic reforms within the empire, however due to the general political instability, nothing gets done. As a matter of fact, Austria’s economy takes a turn for the worse, as combination of the existing political strife and the enactment of martial law damage the nation’s economic cycle.

In Bavaria, Minister of State Von Montgelas enacts - with the king’s consent - drastic reforms to the nation’s tax code. The Minister announces that from now on, both the clergy and the nobility will also be forced to pay taxes to the crown. The reforms increase the income of the state, and make both the king and Montgelas extremely popular with the common men of the kingdom, yet significantly lowers the standing of the government with the church and the nobility of Bavaria, who understandably stand against the reforms.

In the Imperial Diet of Regensburg, Bavarian envoys make a radical call to the imperial electorate, calling them to severe ties with the Habsburgs and attempt an alliance with Bonaparte. Most see such a proposal as an absurdity, for most consider Napoleon a threat to stability in Central europe, however, most delegates recognise the fact that Habsburg authority over the empire is waning fast.

Shortly after the surrender and abdication of King Ferdinand in Rome, a Royal Navy frigate quietly escorts Francis, the heir to Naples, and the rest of his court to the island of Sicily, where the Prince quickly regains control of the island as the mostly pro-monarchist and catholic population of the isle assist in ousting the local weak republican administration. Shortly thereafter, Sicily is declared to be a new Kingdom with Francis being crowned as its king.

With the help and influence of the British Colonel William Bentinck, the Liberal Francis and his new government issue a new constitution, establishing a constitutional monarchy in Sicily and emancipating all the peasants in the island, effectively abolishing serfdom.

The establishment of a new government in Sicily causes great upheaval in southern continental Italy, where several peasant revolts take place throwing the countryside into anarchy, with the new republican administration in Napoli being too weak to properly handle the situation. Fortunately however, possibly foreseeing something of the sort, Bonaparte dispatches a unit of the French army to the southern provinces with the objective of pacifying it after its integration into the new Italian republic. The army is able to put the rebellions down with ease, but not at an easy cost, as the army carries out several atrocities such as mass executions, beheadings and mass drownings to put the populace in place, which don't help the popularity of the local government.

The French government once again increases the size of its army, recruiting 3 new land units into its force.

In Portugal, disaster ensues. The Portuguese Regent, Crown Prince John, had taken several decisions that angered the Portuguese Nobility, with the most prominent of those being the breaking of the Anglo-Portuguese alliance, that had been in place for hundreds of years, and a rapid approximation to France. Not long after, the Crown Prince unveiled to his court a new treaty signed with the French. The treaty had several clauses that were met with disapproval by the Portuguese government, such as the political alignment with France and the ending of trade with Great Britain.

The most damaging clause however, proved to be the one in relation to Portugal’s navy, for it transferred the Portuguese navy from Portuguese command to direct rule from the French Government. Not only that, but the treaty also stated that any sailor that would be unwilling to cooperate with the French would be replaced by a French sailor. The Government pleaded for the treaty to be refuted, or at least called for better terms, but John did not listen, and signed it anyway.

The consequences were huge and unimagined. For the first time in the history of Portugal, the government stood against its king. In an act of extreme boldness, Luis de Sousa Coutinho, the Prime Minister of Portugal, launches a coup d’etat alongside several high ranking members of the Portuguese Army and Navy, seeking to depose and replace King John as both the Regent and the Crown Prince of Portugal.

The Army quickly seizes Lisbon and the Navy rallies to its support, taking control of the city and most of its surrounding districts. The Crown prince is however able to escape to the north of the country, where he rallies the local populace and sets up a new government in the city of Porto. The Southernmost region of Algarve also remains staunchly pro-John.

Prime Minister Coutinho now leads a Junta in Lisbon alongside other nobles and notable military commanders from both branches of the armed forces. He also commands the enraged Portuguese navy, and the majority of the land army.

The Russian Czar orders an immense military buildup, effectively mobilizing large amounts of the peasantry with the final objective of recruiting 10 new military units into the russian army. This leaves many farms and villages deserted, which starts to harm the Russian economy & its vital agricultural sector. The sudden mobilization leaves many worried that the Czar might be plotting to engage in some military campaign in the near future.

The Czar also orders for the construction of 3 naval units in the Black sea, which scares many officials in the Ottoman Government, who fear possible conflict with the Russians.

The Russian finance ministry organizes a large payoff of the nation’s debt, eliminating it completely.

The then orders for a total of 8 land units led by general Alexander Suvorov to march on Circasia to once and for all end the conflict in the region. The large army is severely delayed by the rains and bad weather, that turn most of the few Russian roads into pure streams of mud, which gives the circassians time to prepare. The army then arrives at the northernmost border of Circassian territory, where it prepares for its campaign against the enemy.

The Russian government also funnels more money into the timber industry, expanding it and reaping more economic benefits from it.

Following the victory at Malta, the British Admiralty dispatches three naval units, one from the mediterranean, one from the bay of Biscay and one from the English home isles, to relief Gibraltar from the Franco-Spanish siege. They bring in new troops and more supplies for the besieged garrison of the fortress.

The French once again attempt to breach the fortress, attacking and bombarding the rock mercilessly. Then, they attempt it, to take it by storm. Many believed that this time the rock would fall, that the British would be defeated, the garrison slaughtered and that the tricolour would wave proudly over the bottleneck of the mediterranean. Even Napoleon was certain of victory, constantly bragging about it in government meetings. His assumption couldn't have been wronger. As the French and Spanish forces advanced, the british, though broken and battered, remained disciplined, and fought at every step of the way. The heavily barricaded garrison gave the besiegers hell, and even though they made significant advances while marching in direction of the rock, the invaders were frequently set back by rains and constant artillery pounding by the large batteries of the garrison. For every meter advanced, hundreds of Frenchmen and Spaniards lost their lives, while several others simply ran away, fearing certain death before the brave british defenders. In the end, advances were made, but not enough, and the Union Jack still flew proudly over the rock. Two units, one french and one spanish are massacred in the botched attempt to seize the rock.

The fleets bring in a total of two new British units to Gibraltar, who join the now expanded garrison.

Shortly after, the first british fleet arrived, escorting a long chain of supply ships, that easily broke through the barges set up by the french and spanish to siege it by sea. The fleets then go on to shell the besiegers without remorse, through night and day, as revenge for the siege, causing immense amounts of damage to the Franco-Spanish force and causing large setbacks in the siege effort. Following that, the fleet delivered fresh supplies to the garrison and new reinforcements to replace the dead and the wounded, establishing a supply line linking Gibraltar to both the island of Minorca (still under British occupation) and Malta. The civilian population and the wounded soldiers from the garrison are also slowly evacuated.

Following the arrival of the Navy, the Fleets devise a strategy to seize the Spanish African port of Ceuta by landing Marines and armed sailors in the proximities and attacking the city at night via its weaker eastern walls. The brave britons do so, and under the heavy fog of the night, scale the walls with ropes and are unleashed upon the city. They catch the Spanish garrison by surprise, and quickly take control of many areas of the city. The garrison however, quickly reorganizes itself to fend off the invading British, and manage to stop their advance. What ensues is days of urban warfare, as the tight streets are covered in blood from both sides, yet in the end, the British marines are able to take the city, with the support of both the blockading navy and one of the units of soldiers sent to Gibraltar, who are brought in as reinforcements.

The new British fleets effectively lock down the straits of Gibraltar, now preventing the Spanish fleets anchored in Cadiz and Barcelona from being able to leave the mediterranean. There were rumours that the fleets would move out at some point over the course of the next months, but due to the arrival of the Royal Navy in the area, no such thing takes place.


Americas

Its election time in the United States, as the Federalist Party and the Republican Party will fight head on for the Presidency of the young Republic. While there are many candidates on the ballot, most expect for the thick of the fight to be between John Adams, current President, Founding father and leader of the Federalist Party, and Thomas Jefferson, leader of the Republican Party and author of the American Declaration of Independence. Another prominent candidate is Aaron Burr, hero of the revolutionary war and ex senator for New York. Whilst most don't expect him to win, his presence in the ballots is expected to ‘steal’ electoral college votes from both of the main candidates, which proves to be a concerning fact. Other candidates in the election are Charles Pinckney, veteran of the Revolutionary War and previous ambassador to France, and John Jay, the governor of New York. The results of the election are expected to be made public in the first days of December.

In a sudden turn of events, it is announced by both the American and French governments that the previous commercial hostilities between the two nations are now over, effectively ending the Quasi-War. The action proves to be very beneficial to the Adams administration, increasing the president’s popularity in the polls.

First Consul Bonaparte makes a public proclamation where he reaffirms that slavery will never be re-established in the French colonies, calling himself a ‘Liberator, not an oppressor’.

In Haiti, the Guards of Saint-Domingue manage to track down a cell of Pro-British agents, headed by several English emigrés and many anti-french freedmen, and destroy it. The men behind it are trialled in Revolutionary courts and then publicly executed by hanging in the Port of Port-au-Prince.

Despite being weakened, the anti-french cells within Saint-Domingue continue their activities, and a new surge of propaganda papers, ones which iconically refer to the Guards as ‘rabid dogs’, find themselves spread across the colony.

The French government in Saint-Domingue carries out, under the strict guidance of Napoleon, an ambitious land reform program to redistribute the land previously owned by the rich aristocracy to the lower classes, mostly composed of freed slaves. The measure is a great success for the local government, for it restarts the economic cycle in the island and increases the popularity of Napoleon among the freedmen.

In a Foreign Office conference, the British government makes a radical proclamation alongside the Haitian revolutionary André Rigaud, calling for an ousting of french presence from Saint-Domingue and for the establishment of an independent and sovereign nation in its place. Despite this, the proclamation seldom has any effect in Saint-Domingue, mainly due to the hardships of smuggling such information in. However, some do get word of such occurrence, and it is unknown what they shall do about it...

Following their disastrous defeats in the middle of the year, Napoleon calls for a general withdrawal of the french navy in the caribbean, ordering them to retreat to the safe ports of Saint-Domingue. The Navy executes the order and retreats to the Island, but are unable to fend off the attacking british fleets that harass them and pursue them at all opportunities. In the end, the French fleets manage to find port in saint-Domingue, with the exception of one fleet which is sunk by the British off the coast of Puerto Rico.

The Royal Navy successfully carries out an operation to seize the island of Guadaloupe from France by blockading the port and landing large amounts of Marines in the island to take it over. The operation is a success and the British take over the island with ease.
The Russians continue to invest in expanding their Alaskan territories, focusing in the expansion of the fur trade in the region. The action is mostly successful, and the Russians see a small growth in their colonial income and in the populational levels of the Alaskan colony.



Middle East & Africa

The Ottoman Sultan orders for the construction of new fortifications in the Caucasus, and issues a decree commanding the officer class of the Ottoman Army to focus in drilling the ranks of the armed forces in mountain warfare. Such actions lead to suspicion that the Sultan may be planning - or at least, preparing his nation - to take action against the Russians.

Such beliefs are further strengthened by a general expansion of the Ottoman armed forces, with the sultan calling for the recruitment of 2 new land units and for the construction of two new fleets for the navy.

The Ottoman government also issues a public statement, publicly supporting the Kingdom of Iran in their struggle against the Russians, an action that further intensifies the rising tensions between the Turks and the Northern Empire.

Rumours start to run through the Ottoman Court, as word of a possible conspiracy to depose the Ottoman Sultan comes to the attention of the government. It is not known who exactly is behind such plot, and if such plot is even real at all or just some sensationalist rumour, but most say that such thoughts originated among the ranks of the ottoman officer corps.

Despite criticism, the French presence in Egypt under Kleber remains as strong as ever. The French now open new hospitals and schools to the local populace, and portray Kleber as the greatest ally & friend of the local Wali.

The Shah of Iran orders for the construction of several new fortifications in Balochistan, fearing the possibility of possible Sikh expansion in the region.

The Iranian Government also continues a large expansion of its armed forces, recruiting 2 new land units and continuing the sprawling modernisation efforts that have been slowly put in place since the beginning of the year.

The Iranian navy is also expanded, as the Shah commissions the construction of another fleet.

An immense amount of fund from the Royal treasury are also funneled into improving the road system of the Empire, another successful action that slowly increases the trade within the region.

After long diplomatic discussions, and many concessions, the Khartli-Kartaveli once again swear allegiance to the Persian throne, after being neglected by the Russians and offered significant autonomy under the Sun throne.

The expedition sent by the Holy See arrives in the old base at Arguin, and finds the area to be completely abandoned, with only a few native tribes living in its proximities. However, the actual fortress remains mostly intact.

The Papal Envoys continue to discuss matters of state with king Henrique of the Kongo. The King seems to be willing to open up to European trade, but is however afraid of possible european expansion into the area.

Asia

Following the breaking of the Anglo-Portuguese alliance, the British fleet originally dispatched to assist the Portuguese against the Omanis in the east coast of Africa is diverted to India.

Following the defeat of the Sindh’s and the Anglo-Sikh treaties, Company troops march into the old Sindh territory and enforce the British rule over the area, taking control of all lands south of the Indus river. The company officials also expel the Talpur tribes and restore their lands to the Sindhi Princes, which greatly boosts the popularity of Company Rule in the area.

The Maratha Empire carries out a large amount of military reforms, hiring foreign experts to better drill their armed forces in both artillery and musket doctrine. They successfully increase the skill of the Marathan army.

The Empire also invests more money in both the textile and arms industry within its territory, boosting the local economic cycle.

The Empire also upgrades the walls of its capital city, Pune, better fortifying the city walls and building more forts in its proximities.

There is also a general buildup of the nation’s military, with 5 land units being recruited and 2 naval fleets being commissioned, an act that brings alarm to Company officials in the surrounding territories.