United Kingdom

United Kingdom
Government type	HM's Government
Ruling party	Whig Party (liberal)
Capital	London (ID 300)
Population	31.96 million
Primary culture	British
Accepted cultures	Anglo Canadian
Religion	protestant
Literacy	43.3%
National value	Order
Tech school	Sea power & The Merchant Marine
Status	Great power

We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; they do not exist. Queen Victoria (1837-1901)

The United Kingdom, in 1836, begins in a position of utmost envy. It is the foremost industrial, commercial and military power in the world. It is unrivaled at sea, and can easily maintain this position throughout the game.

At the beginning of the game, the UK has a myriad of objectives, which, for any other power, would be daunting.

The sprawling British Empire provides it with ample amounts of resources and manpower. The first objective should be to secure and expand these colonial borders.

Unique decisions and events

Decisions

• Repeal the Corn Laws
• The Empress of India
• Found the BBC
• Scotland Yard
• British South Africa Company
• Treaty of London (1864)
• Webster-Ashburton Treaty

Events

• Coronation of Queen Victoria
• First FA Cup Played
• The Doctrine of Lapse
• Queen Victoria marries
• Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
• The Name of the Royal House
• The Reform Club
• Dickens publishes 'Oliver Twist'
• Package Tours
• Punch!
• The YMCA
• Vanity Fair
• Wiring the Continent
• Realism Comes to the British Stage
• The Rose
• Gerard Manley Hopkins
• America's Cup
• The Great Britain (event)
• Mountaineer's Unite!
• A True Man's Sport
• Florence Nightingale
• The Taff Vale Decision
• The Ashes
• Charles Darwin
• The Wimbledon Championships
• Jack the Ripper and the Plight of the Poor in London
• Shakespeare at Sadler's Wells
• Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
• The Thermopylae
• Collapse of the Tay Bridge
• The Great Tea Race
• The Enigma Variations
• First Athletic Championships
• Durgeshnandini is Published
• Dalhousie's Reforms
• The Treaty of Waitangi
• The Flagstaff War
• The Sepoy Rebellion
• Burke and Wills - shared with Australia
• Charles Sturt's Fourth Expedition - shared with Australia

Diplomacy

The UK has an enormous capability to fight military conflicts with both its large starting army and navy. The empire is slowed by one major diplomatic concern, that of foreign wars of containment. These wars will be provoked if the UK fights too many wars too quickly. Thus the UK should utilize its Spheres of influence to secure land for future conquests and avoid provoking European intervention. By placing influence points into key nations, like Japan, the UK can intervene and aid these nations should another power attack them.

Controlling other nations in this manner also reserves the ability for the UK to seize them at a later date when it feels secure in doing so. Another way to secure a low Infamy, other than slow expansion or sphere use, is to exploit the UK's unique decisions. The UK can make several unique decisions, such as the "Treaty of London (1864)", which enables the UK to reduce its infamy. The London Treaty for example, will give Greece the small unimportant Ionian Isles in return for four less points of infamy. This is half the infamy cost of a colonial concession war that could be used to gain a huge state in Japan, for example.

Another option the UK player can use is to exploit the development of Germany and Italy for the benefit of the UK. Especially in a multiplayer game assisting the formation of Italy and Germany by using the UK's influence points to discredit or ban France or Austria from the minors in these regions can benefit the UK. If Italy is allowed to form in will gain core on Austria and can be used by the UK to provide a land enemy to Austria and give Austria something to worry about on their western border. This case is the same with Germany for both Russia and France who will need to keep large land forces near Germany should it form. As the UK anything that keeps European nations focused on Europe and not on gaining foreign colonies makes the UK's game easier.

Colonial Policy

India, the jewel in the crown

The British Raj in 1836

For the British Empire the benefits of securing India for the empire are huge. The large RGOs and populous provinces of India provide three major benefits for Britain. Firstly the huge amount of cotton and dye that is produced in India enables the UK to build a huge textile industry back in the home isles, and at a low cost because the UK can provide all of the raw materials for itself. Secondly India can provide the UK with abundant soldiers as the population of India is driven out of their RGOs by improved technology and into the British army, which allows for more industrial workers in the home isles. Thirdly the population of India is so great that they can provide a large base of migrants for other colonies such as South Africa and Canada as unemployed POPs move out of India.

At the start of the game the Indian minors have two major flaws that the UK can exploit. One is that the Indian nations have far weaker technology than the UK. If the UK attacks in force it can overwhelm the native Indian armies.

At the start of the game the only major opposing native power is Panjab, which if the UK attacks quickly and in force while the Panjab has weak tech it can be quickly broken. Additionally, the decision The Empress of India is available, once Great Britain annexed the Capital of Panjab. The second problem facing the Indian minors is that they are almost all within the Sphere of the UK at the start. This allows the UK to intervene should a foreign power attack the minors and allow the UK to slowly remove them from its sphere and annex them.

United Kingdom will slowly annex its Indian vassals with the event The Doctrine of Lapse, which is however stopped once the decision The Empress of India is taken.

Eventually United Kingdom will have to deal with the event The Sepoy Rebellion. The event gives all poor strata POPs 6 militancy, which all but guarantees that they will rise up. Unfortunately, the event has so few requirements, that it is completely impossible to prevent. Instead UK should prepare by placing soldiers of non-Indian Pops in India so that they are ready.

Malaysia

Malaysia and Indonesia in 1836

At the start of the game the country of Johore in Malaysia is uncivilized and owns the Singapore state. This state contains several gold provinces and if acquired early will greatly bolster the spending abilities of the UK. If a UK player does not possess the current ability to attack Johore for whatever reason it can be very useful to begin influencing them and adding them to your sphere to prevent foreign gains here. Otherwise Atjeh and Dutch colonies Java and Sumatra is valuable provinces, that one might consider.

South Africa

British South Africa in 1836

There are a series of scripted events that trigger the Boer War, but since they are around 1900, you'll probably get impatient. The uncivilized Zulu does unlike Transvaal and Oranje not cost a lot of infamy to annex. They are all worth it though, with these areas full of gold and diamonds. United Kingdom has several smaller colonies in Africa and a large navy, so one can easily colonize all of Congo and Southern Rhodesia and large parts of central Africa

Americas

Venezuela is a good target for expansion. It becomes one of the largest producers of oil in the world. Economics 101: Oil = Money. Venezuela lacks protection from any major power, and has a land border with British Guyana. The island of Haiti is quite expensive in infamy (22), but it is certainly worth a lot in production. Cuba can also be taken from an often isolated Spain.

A daring United Kingdom can even attempt to take New York from the USA. An excedenly valuable state, and it would cribble the United States for good.

The Royal Navy

It is vital for the UK to maintain a much larger and more advanced navy than its competitors. The fleet will allow the player to dominate the seas and makes fighting all other countries, even the other Great Powers, much easier. The UK already starts out with many naval technologies unlocked, and with the UK's strong economy, it allows the player to build up a technologically advanced but also large navy. Initially, the greatest rival for the UK will most likely be France, but they are still behind at the beginning of the game.

Securing the Empire

Now is the time to make some major decisions for how to play the game from here on. When Queen Victoria is crowned (Half of 1837), Hannover breaks free. This removes the main foothold on the continent. You should decide whether expansion from here on will be focused on Europe or colonial acquisitions.

Taking colonies and destroying uncivilized nations is easier, and the more historical option, but taking European territories will give you more prestige and a higher industrial ranking.

If you decide to go colonial, the best option would be to try and keep the balance of power in Europe as equal as possible. If you go for Europe, you will incur lots of infamy, and even the UK can't beat a coalition of France, Prussia, Austria, Russia, the Ottomans and America.

If one plans to take on USA, it is a good idea to take them on early. The further along in the game, the stronger America gets. within 30 years its population goes up by millions. They are very weak during the American Civil War (ACW).

Countries