G7 - The War of the English Succession & the breaking of the Pirate Brotherhood

J Flower wrote:Was surprised to read that a single Frenchman waving a silly white flag was able to capture Glasgow all on his own, obviously he chose a good time tomake his enterance. Had it been on a Saturday night just after the pubs ahd closed then I suspect the flagpole would have been used in a way that would have ensired the poor Frenchman would have trouble sitting down ever again.

Obviously New UDP government has been sold a position by a dodgey salesman, country is half overrun by Frenchmen, army is eating Haggis & deep fried chocolate in Scotland, will they actually be fit to fight even if the escape from entrapment in the city of Ayr? Colonial possessions are slowly being put under new management. Plus they have been given a head of government who is viewed as a traitor by their main opponents & has a death sentence for treason hanging over them if they ever set foot in England. apparently he was once or still is head of the HWIC, a company that backed William against James for the throne of England & now has according to intellegence reports from King James, more Spanish shareholders than English ones. Will that count as a breaking of the Treaty of Scotland I wonder. It appears the treaty of Scotland has as much chance of surviving to full term as a Russian ship has of completing a trip circumnavigation of the globe.

Looks like the gloves are off between Ultra- Catholic Hapsburgs( one time backers of Protestant UDP?) in Madrid & neo-Conservative(current backers of Catholic Hungarian Rebel Prince?) elements in Constantinople, who can write the most insulting letter to the other without actually pushing the big red"War" button. Will the Ottomans continue backing the Hungarian rebellion in the hope of splitting Hapsburg power in the East as a precursor to reclaiming Granada for the Muslim faith.Will the Dons look to get their monies worth from the UDP & keep the French & English at war until the treaty of Scotland runs out?

Russia has so far handed over 21 goats & 17 chickens to the Swedish government to secure the return of St. Petersburg, the Tsars estates have been virtually emptied of livestock in meeting this high price. It is hoped that the widespread introduction of the new  "Kiev " Chicken breed will enable the price for the rest of the Baltic states to be more easily met.

Interesting that Elector of Saxony feels some sympathy for Dutch, wonder if he realises that UDP had at least two chances to sign the treaty of Scotland & both times used the deadline to execute an attack on the people he was supposed to be making a peace with, so is it any wonder that France & England were a little miffed with him. Maybe sending a box of tulip bulbs to help Louis get his new flower beds all planted up ready for the spring will help improve relations between UDP & France.

Not sure that the new Lord Protector of the UDP was ever head or even liked to the HWIC but was he the same chap who was King Williams Governor of New York and defended it against Jacobites, French & Russians before returning to Europe with thousands of Orange Order types to fight the good fight against King James? Probably a perfect character if you wish to fight for FREEDOM and chanel your inner William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and William the Silent but clearly something of a liability if all you just want a quite life growing Tulips.

The HWIC was originally based in Jamacia so it may now be considered as a French Company. Its mostly English shareholders are now mostly in exile in the Russian America's or Spanish Territory or keeping very very silent in England. With its current head also holding the Post of Spains Viceroy of Africa. Martel who claims to be half English half Flanders (Parents being Charles II of England in exile and a Catholic Lady in Flanders) was also head of the Spanish Post Office Company until it went bust and a Director of the Royal Bank of Africa which also went bust. But had more success with the Portobello Company.

This is a Spanish registered Company set up originally as a subsidary of the HWIC which now seems to be a much larger and more important Trade Company than the HWIC ever was. If anyone wants a nice trade company or to play a Swashbuckler character the Portobello Company is a really nice little outfit. With the slight problem that your character had to leave England in a bit of a hurry and has a price on his head for High Treason etc. I am sure if you drop King James III a letter and ask for full details of your charge sheet he will happy to oblige.

For other Swashbuckler Characters in G7 Richard seems to use the HWIC/Portobello company as handy opponents. Think Slavers and ex Smugglers & Brotherhood of the Coast types who have gone "respectable" and are hand in glove with the Spanish Authorities.

Ref the mud slinging the Grand Vizier seems to have started off with calling a Spanish Cardinal an infidel, the Shah of Persia a heretic and the Russians drunken Spanish lackies. In reply he seems to have been called a fat, drunken eunuch and harem hero who gets his religion from an uneducated Anatolian goat herder turned mystic.

By the G7 stands of Jocobites v Whigs and the great Blackbeard v HWIC feud this all seems rather tame but with the Ottoman threat to put the Russian Envoy to death things may liven up.

Looking at Mr Martels CV there seems to be a certai pattern to his actions, Traitor to his own King & Country, Chairman of the HWIC, which has it assets seized by Jacobite British government & Shareholders left with worthlessless pieces of paper, Ran the Spanish post office which he left bankrupt & investors left with worthless pieces of paper, Director of the Royal African Bank, which went bust leaving investors with worthless pieces of paper.

Maybe, jus tmaybe it is time for Mr Martel to leave the hectic world of high finance & take up a job more in line with his talents, problem may be defining just what those talents are.

Dying some where in the WI ?

J Flower wrote:Looking at Mr Martels CV there seems to be a certai pattern to his actions, Traitor to his own King & Country, Chairman of the HWIC, which has it assets seized by Jacobite British  government & Shareholders left with worthlessless pieces of paper, Ran the Spanish post office which he left bankrupt & investors left with worthless pieces of paper, Director of the Royal African Bank, which went bust leaving investors with worthless pieces of paper.

Maybe, jus tmaybe it is time for Mr Martel to leave the hectic world of high finance & take up a job more in line with his talents,  problem may be defining just what those talents are.

To be fair to Martel he was loyal to King William & never accepted the restoration of King James so its not as if he actually betrayed anyone (but he clearly did think about it being a Catholic and a Stuart by blood.....think the problem was that King James III would not pay his price to make the switch). Think the real turncoats are people like Godolpin who betrayed King James II, betrayed King William, betrayed King James II again, then turned on Churchill. Not the people who have always been Jacobites or Whigs and have never changed

However on the subject of Martel business ethics I think the you have missed out a Arms Manufacturing Company in Bristol & a Fishing Company in the North East of England which also went bust. Shortly after he hollowed out the HWIC and transferred most of its assets to the Portobello Company. Think the commercial term is "Asset Stripper".

Doubts also raised over the end of the Royal Bank of Africa........does anyone know who it made all these unpaid loans too?

What is fairly clear is that while Martel may have left a trail of financial havoic behind him is that he has been loyal to place of his birth (Flanders), has fought for and helped the Duke of Flanders (AKA the King of Spain) with East Indiamen, Dredgers, etc and by charming the Spanish Court with gifts of Parrots etc & has to date had enough political protection to save himself from being dragged up before the Grand Finance Council on fraud charges.

Basically the Royal Princesses think the Viceroy of Africa is charming, the King & Queen think he is a charming rogue, and the Spanish Treasury who have had to clean up behind him think he is a rogue!

Would also add that Martel is a very good and ethical Slaver.........If you stitch up the King of Asante and his other business links in this field they tend to cut bits off you! Think if Martel just stays with honest trades like the Slave Trade, Opium, Privateering & Gun Running he will be fine. Its the really dodgy stuff like financial services he should keep away from.

As for dying somewhere in the West Indies surely you mean dying sword in hand as a Christain Hero as the Viceroy of Africa and the Spanish Foreign Legion are cut down in the Ottoman Storm of Oran? Perhaps they would even tie his body to a horse and he can lead the charge of the Spanish Cavalry along the beach at Oran?

Nov 1712 Gloire du Roi has shown up and for non G7 players here are the highlights:

1) Thinking that peace is now at hand the Duke of Richmond has founded a cricket club and the Tories are pushing the King James to cut war time taxe rates on Church & Nobles as a "Peace Dividend" and as a way of helping a bad economic situation.

- King James rather crushed Tory hopes of peace and tax cuts in the near future by pointing out that he was still at war with the UDP, Rebel Scots and the HWIC. Plus as a added reason for keeping a high level of defensive spending he has refused all pleas/demands/etc for him to free the 9000 plus Spanish/Flanders sailors who had the bad luck to be "freed" by the Dutch Victory at Dumbarton before they were freed by the English under the Treaty of Scotland Treaty. Not only has James re-classified these men as Dutch POWs but he has also thrown the Spanish Commissioner for POWs and his hired English Legal Team into Newgate Prision just for trying to do their job!

2) Oddly James has asked for Spain to send a new Ambassador to London. Since he has cut the head off one Hapsburg Envoy and another much lower rank Hapsburg diplomat is now rotting in Newgate its probably safe to say that if a Spanish Noble is ever sent to King James III court they must have really upset the King of Spain and his Government.

If any for God King and Country players want the job..........it comes with a nice coat and a house but you can expect to be insulted, humiliated and stand a chance of being beheaded or thrown into a Jacobite Goal. So about normal plus a nice coat!

3) Like the English Tories King Louis also seemed to think the war is over and spent the money re-potting his Orange Plants and listening to music. Unfortunately no one seems to have told the Persian Navy which continues to pick of French Merchant ships or the Dutch Army which in a couple of daring attacks re-captured the ports of Flushing & Middleburg. In Middleburg the Regiment de Conde was able to fight clear of its English (in Dutch Service) attackers and board French ships which then sailed away. In Flushing the Regiment Le Dauphin was overwhelmed and forced to surrender.

4) In Scotland very little happened.....the English and the French invaders had a nice dinner in Glasgow with many nice things said about the other. While Admiral Graves blocked Ayr Harbour by sinking 15 Merchant Ships in it.

5) Off Tobago any thoughts the French Navy may have had about attacking again were ruined by a storm which sunk three French Line Ships, two Cruisers and a transport. This same storm also sunk a Spanish merchantman and two Spanish Flagged Cruisers. While a Spanish merchant ship visiting a Sugar Island is fairly normal why would ten Spanish Cruisers be risking storms to visit a Island which does not even have a harbour?!

- As has been said before all Spanish Warships & Merchant ships fly the Spanish flag......but are all ships which fly this flag actually Spanish Registered?

In other news:

6) While the Czar inspected his troops, Russia cut taxes on Spanish trade & Spain offered Russia the same promises of mutual defence against the Grand Vizier as the Russians offered Spain and the Catholic States last month. In making these promises the Constable stressed the willingness of Spain to have good relations and trade with reasonable Ottomans like the Czars in-laws in Moldavia and with cultured and civil muslims like the Shah of Persia and the Sultan of Morocco.

- It seems fairly clear to all that the El Escorial does not consider a Grand Vizier as reasonable, cultured, civil or a very nice man at all!

7) Faced with the rapidly warming relations between Moscow and the Hapsburgs the Grand Vizier showed further evidence of his famous diplomatic skills by throwing out the Russian ambassador to the Porte while calling the Czar an Infidel and a liar. He also managed to insult the Persians knowledge of the Koran and call all Christains inc 60% of the population of Rumelia and most of the population of Moldavia and Wallachia "Kafara" (Infidels). This type of thing may go down really well in Anatolia and with the Jannissary Corp but many Ottoman leaders and not only Christain Ottomans are very concerned.

In Spain the King is visiting the charming city of Valencia while his shipyards launch hundreds of new mechant ships.....mostly Schooner rigged.....to replace the tonnage lost in the war and his diets enjoy 14 course dinners each course with a different vintage.

9) Meanwhile in the Northlands the envoys of Charles of Sweden seem hard at work with Denmark and Russia. Their one failure.....England were the Kings man failed totally in his effort to speak with Robert Harley. But at least he still has his head and has not yet been thrown into Newgate, though King James may want to know why the Swedes are so keen on a private meeting with the anti Catholic Tory leader.

Dec 1712 Glori du Roi has shown up and by G7 standards it all seems very calm and civilized. Indeed if this was a Western this would be the point someone says its too quite and then gets hit by an arrow:

- Sweden & Russia seem to have almost finished a total re-negotiation of the Treaty of Warsaw without a shot fired - Boring!

- Was expecting the Russian Czar to blow up about the mistreatment of this envoy by the Grand Vizier but the Czar was in a more sarrow than anger mood - shame!

- Morroco & the Bay of Algiers seem to be heading towards a diplomatic agreement with the Spanish Hapsburgs which will deny the Grand Vizier bases in the West. The question now if will Rumelia follow the Bay of Algiers or is a Danube Campaign still on?

- Meanwhile the Holy Roman Emperor's men have re-united the Elector of Bavaria with his kids and is even being nice about the Ottomans....well said they do not want to go to war with them which is "very nice" by usual Hapsburg-Ottoman standards.

- France and Spain seem to have abandoned the contest on the Battlefield for one based on who can sponsor the most balls & works of Art. With the French being very focused on the Court at Versailles while the Spanish Enlightenment tends to be multi centred and spread across a wider social spectrum.

Fortuately we still have James Edward Stuart to save the Glori du Roi from turning into a cross between tatler and the arts review:

- In a move which would normally have triggered a war James Stuart's men kidnapped a man called Luis Pedro Figuerio who they believed to be the Spanish Envoy to Scotland and tortured him to sign a confession which from the speed of publication must have been already written and with the printers prior to the kidnap. The only problem is that Luis Pedro Figuerio seems to have a Portugese name and the Spanish Foreign Office do not have a clue who the man is! So are not sure if they should declare war or not over what seems to have been an intention to harm a Spanish Ambassador?

- According to the "Confession" Spain has provided financial support for the Scots, Lord Galloway who lead the resistance to the English Jacobite Invasion was a Spanish Spy and Spain plotted with the Jusuit Order to take over Scotland. Stunning news this confession was not since financial support provided by Spain for its allies in the last war is commom knowledge and at least part of it was included in the 1709 Treaty of Edinburgh. Spanish plotting with the Jesuits to take over Scotland was in the 1580's and if the Dutch General Lord Galloway who was given his Scots title by William of Orange is a Spanish Agent rather than a Agent of the Scots or Dutch Republic because he accepted Spanish financial & military support then the Jacobites are equally the the Agents of France & Russia.

- The Pope has come out has asked James Edward Stuart to free the 9650 captured Spanish & Flanders sailors he still holds as per the Treaty of Scotland. No one expects James Stuart & the English Protestant State he leads to pay attention to the Pope. But it is hoped that the French may do something since in theory they declared war on Spain, Austria & the UDP to enforce Papal wishes. It remains to be seen if Louis XIV will apply pressure to his Protestant allies to free these men or is happy to be viewed by most of Catholic Europe as a two faced.

- James Stuarts man in Constantinople continues to toady to the Grand Vizier.

- Finally the Dutch Govt have declined to set free Jacobite POWs unless it forms part of a treaty between the Franco-Jacobite forces & the Dutch Republic. Dutch forces have probed Newcastle and their Crusiers continue to take a toll of English-Jacobite shipping so its not yet G7 - A Story of Sweetness & Light. But its probably only a matter of time:D

I did notice King James has issued a reward of 5,000 Guineas for the arrest of Lord Galloway too. Why do I think the said Lord would soon find himself a good head shorter than he used to be if captured?

Jason wrote:I did notice King James has issued a reward of 5,000 Guineas for the arrest of Lord Galloway too.  Why do I think the said Lord would soon find himself a good head shorter than he used to be if captured?

In a normal game since Lord Galloway is a Dutch General given a Scots title by William of Orange & by the normal standards of the period you would expect him to be exchanged for the Duke of Norfolk or one of the many Jacobite Generals captured by the Dutch.

But in G7 and in the hands of Mad Bad Jamie Stuart if he only losses his head - like King & Stadtholder William of Orange, The Ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperoe Prince Eugine of Savoy & Lord George Murray First Minister of Scotland - and not lots of other bits as well I think Lord Galloway will be doing well.

Fairly sure the Jacobites have got rather worse than a simple beheading in mind for people like Martel, Lord Rivers, Admiral Robbins, Lambert and the others.

Going forward guess the interesting questions are 1) What have they got planned for Lord Coote and 2) If the Dutch protection for these men ends were do they go?

I suspect that like most trouble makers and men on the run they will probably end up somewhere in the Russian Empire as is traditional in G7.

You've got to love G7...any time anyone in any other game ever suggests a Stuart restoration, all you need to do is point at G7 and say "really?" This is why in G10 the Stuarts are now stuck in some pitiful Italian backwater, forced to eat undercooked pasta and not a decent whisky in sight.

As to the pool of sanity that is the Russian Empire in the maelstrom of G7, we recognise that just because everyone else may hate you and claims you've double-crossed them, that doesn't make you a bad person...

Jason wrote: I suspect that like most trouble makers and men on the run they will probably end up somewhere in the Russian Empire as is traditional in G7.

Sir, are you referring to me, if so take care Sir, I am not to be triffled with.....

I should point out that despite how it appears in Kingmaker's post, it wasn't actually me who said that about Russia...

Jason wrote:I should point out that despite how it appears in Kingmaker's post, it wasn't actually me who said that about Russia...

To be exact is was me who said it and I was thinking about the "Sons of Liberty"/ "The Orange Order"/Ex Shipmates of Blackbeard from the Brotherhood/ Scots Whig rebels as well as Hungarian Rebels all of whom seemed to have ended up in the Russian Empire inc the leasehold bits. Rather than a Mercenary German Swordsman.

But on subject of Mercenary German Swordsman why exactly was the King in Prussia so keen to send him to the wild's of Africa followed by the wastes of Russia???????

My own theory on the Jacobite restoration in G7 is that after the then English Government tried to get rid of the French by betraying King William and their allies and then decided to try and double cross the French by murdering James II just after they restored him......Richard was so upset by the players total repudiation of honourable conduct and the spirit of the age that he cursed the English to have to play with the disadvantage of a minority Catholic King for the rest of the game. (Even the new English player who wants to play a proper hardline Jacobite takes view that if a third of the country think you are an agent of the French and the anti-Christ this may cap your honour score in some way).

For players thinking of trying to use 1980 Gangster movie plots in Glori this is what happened to the leading plotters against various Royals:

John Churchill - Assassinated by Jacobite Agent in Newcastle

The Duke of Norfolk - Made his Peace with James III but when captured by the Dutch (who are not happy about original coup against William of Orange) James left him too rot. Perhaps over a dodgy and fixed daul with Churchill.

Lord Godolphin - exiled to France

Lord Harley - Originally exiled to Spain, but Spain sent him back, now on way to exile in Sweden

As the latest turn has just hit my in-box, just to say anyone who is waiting for a response from the Russian Far East to their latest letter, I haven't dropped out or gone off you...just that for the last two turns, at the time I had put aside to prepare my turn I got hit by massive work related crisis and so letters didn't get written (and other things, like sleep and weekends, didn't happen).

However the time of crisis has passed, at least in the real world, so will catch up on letters this turn

Is this work related crisis something to do with being exiled from the fair courts of Scotland to the wilds of darkest Somerset? Now to be forever twinned with Siberia in the the minds of Glori du Roi?

Think of it as the fair maiden of the west country facing great distress and crisis and her only hope was a tall, rugged mysterious stranger from Alba...

...and if that image doesn't give you nightmares...

Jason wrote:Think of it as the fair maiden of the west country facing great distress and crisis and her only hope was a tall, rugged mysterious stranger from Alba...

...and if that image doesn't give you nightmares...

If the fair maiden is a Nun and the tall, rugged mysterious stranger is a Vampire think we have already had this plot line in Scabble. Think it also involved steam engines.

Jan 1713 Gloire du Roi has shown up and for non G7 players here are the highlights:

- Not a lot going on in Military terms, probably because the weather is Wintery, Stormy, Wintery, Stormy & Wet but quite nice in the Med.
About the only news was that the Jacobite garrison of Newcastle (circa 15,000 strong a couple of years ago) left the gates open and invited the Scots-Dutch Dragoons to step into the parlour.  But no one accepted the invite.

- The fact that various agents seem to be active or getting hung would however seem to indicate that both sides are getting ready for 1713 in case peace is not agreed before troops can move again with picking up large numbers of sickness levels.  

- In warmer climes Dutch & Persian cruisers continue to pick off English & Frence merchant ships.  Seems what we are seeing here is two styles of commercial warfare............to "Cruise" or to "Blockade" that is the question?

In non military news:

- Under some gentle from pressure from his merchants the Lord Protector of the UDP has proposed peace terms to France and the Jacobites.  Think they would be acceptable to most reasonable people in England & Scotland & probably France as well.  Which means that they do not have a hope in hell of being acceptable to King James III.

- Spain still upset about James III failure to set free Spanish POWs who were set free by the Dutch before King James freed them.  But were then re-taken by the Jacobites who are now claiming the sailors in question are now Dutch POWs rather than Spanish and will continue to be held untill peace is agreed with the Dutch.  Common view is that these unfortunates may have a long time to wait!

- Spain has signed treaties with Morocco and Algiers and reduced tax on trade with the neighbours.  At same time Spain has restated claim that straits beteen Spain and Spanish Ceuta is part of its territorial waters and reserves right to charge tarrifs on ships in transit through its territorial waters.  Common view is that this is a not very subtle hint to King James and the Grand Vizier that holding POWs under a legal fig leaf and punitive tax levels on Spanish Tobacco may have costs.

- Grand Vizier & Imam Salim Iqbal responded to the Czar's recent attempt at "diplomatic speach" as a sign that the Czar has gone soft and gave the Czar and the Russians a proper public mocking.  According to the Ottoman chiefs the Czar and the Russians are: Infidels, liars, seed of the serpent, their bible is corrupt and they are ancient enemies.  It is believed that the Czar will probably being having a few words with the Russian foreign office about their "be nice to Ottomans" policy being on a par with the Treaty of Warsaw and Scots intervention policy in the list of great Russian foreign office screw ups.

- As well as an insulted and humiliated Czar the Russian foreign office also has to deal with a load of complaints about their recruiting parties breaking local laws and getting locked up in the UDP, Bavaria, Denmark etc  Interestingly Russian recruiters seem to be trying to sale Russia as a land of total religious freedom which is no doubt news to the Russian Orthodox Church and to Old Believers etc.  They also seemed to believe that they could avoid local UDP laws by trying to getting non Dutch troops and Civilians to desert the service of the UDP for Russia.  Clearly Russian recruiters did not understand concepts like breach of contract or the possible problems thay may cause when the UDP tries to return hired troops to the Emperor or return POWs to England and finds they have been lured away to Russia.

- The Czar is currently having the Troitskaya-Sergeeva Monastery renovated.  Not sure if its as a bolt hole for the Czar to lock himself away from annoyed Nobles, Clergy etc or as somewhere to lock up annoying members of the foreign office and clergy.

- The King of Sweden is going to visit Copenhagen in 1713.  Not 100% sure if handing over about 30% of Swedens most productive territory to the Czar without a shot fired to protect it and then leaving the country is that wise.

- The French court spent month looking for one of the King of France lost rings.

- Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland has been buried in the Lutheran Cathedral of Vor Frue Kirke.  Prince George leaves a widow Princess Anne who is the Protestant heir to the Crowns of England, Scotland & Ireland plus an unknown number of children (has being brought up breathing the healthy air of the Baltic rather than London Smog improved the survival rates of Prince George and Princess Anne children?).

It's terrible to see Stuart such lies

Those were not illegal recruiting parties, they were simply groups of Russian tourists going to see the local churches.

Seems the Tsar needs to get a little tougher with the whole Ottoman thing. Try to be diplomatic & understanding in LGDR & thats what you get.

Time to milk the goats of war, dust off the comfy chair & shake out the soft cushions.

Interesting to note that the Ottomans consider themselves in a permenant Jihad situation, can we take it to mean they think they are automtically at war with Chirstendum? if so they are signing a lot of trade deals with Christians at the moment.

Could be Russia needs to threaten to send its fleet to block the strait, either above or under the water, the result would be the same.

Maybe the Ottomans are just two faced sons of mothers who deserve to have their bottoms spanked by Russian Nuns!

Jason wrote:It's terrible to see Stuart such lies

Those were not illegal recruiting parties, they were simply groups of Russian tourists going to see the local churches.

Gosh thats a relief..........for a while I had visions of the Austrian Troops of the KGL and the Duc of Gerona and Spanish 4th Army not heading home when the war ends but being conned by honey tongued Russian salesmen into buying a time share on the Costa Del Siberia or taking a Cruise with Czar Lines shipping to North America.

No, no, its true those Russians are just on a Mountaineering holiday in the Netherlands & decided to look at the local Churches & places of interest before returning home.......

I am sure once they are released and back in Moscow, the Czar will host a press conference with the detained men where they will explain the real reason why they were in those various cities, to visit the churches obviously.

So very true, Russians take collecting "oil paintings " of churches seriously in LGDR.

Who would be daft enough to think they were trying to entice people away from their legally binding contracts, to a life of plenty full of goats & melons

yes, no doubt stories about the russian recruiters poisoning people are just wild fabrications of diseased minds...

They are just visiting the Cathedrals as tourists, whilst seeing iny one fancies a job abroad.....