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Diamonds and Death (A Victoria 2 HoD Zulu AAR)
The Boers: 1836-1842
The year is 1836, the Zulu Kingdom is the last native nation in South Africa.
To the north, the aging Portuguese Empire. To the south, the expansive British Empire. To the east, the Boer nations of the Oranje Free State and the Republic of Transvaal. A Boer convoy The Boer states were founded on Zulu lands, stolen after the Battle of Blood River.* It is in these states that Zulus and their kin, the Sotho and Nguni, are enslaved.
Seeking to reclaim the lost honour of his people, King Dingane kaSenzangakhona of the Zulu Kingdom began preparing for war.
King Dingane ordering the execution of Boer spies The first preparation for war, was the economy. The horror that is the Zulu check book War with the Boers would be merely a matter of marching, as the two nations together can field at most 6,000 men, where as the standing Zulu army is roughly 27,000. The problem however, is maintaining such a large force, and making sure the larger nations of Portugal and Britain stay out of the conflict.
The King however was optimistic. He sent representatives to the British and Portuguese Colonial governments to better their relations, and with regards to the economy he remarked:
'If we win, the economy will fix itself. If we lose, then the economy will be the least of our concern.”
With that, in late 1836 a declaration of war was issued to Transvaal, the larger, richer, and more populated of the two states, and the Zulu army swarmed across their borders. The Zulu war plan was simple, fight the two nations individually and quickly. To this end the Zulu drive went directly for the Transvaal capital of Pretoria, besieging the city, engaging the partially mobilized army, and after a short but bloody fight, capturing the city and forcing the national assembly to unconditionally surrender at spear point.
combat report The Boer surrender The Celebration was short lived, a Boer revealed under interrogation that the Oranje Army was marching north. After breaking off a 3000 strong force to consolidate control in the north, a 20 thousand strong force of Zulus marched south to intercept the advancing Oranje army. The Oranje forces, expecting to be the ones attacking, were completely caught off guard by the sudden Zulu ambush, and to their credit, fought to the last man. Zulu ambush combat report
After occupying the southern Boer state, the king had the displeasure of learning that the Oranje National Assembly had escaped, and having to spend another year on the front hunting them down before he could claim victory.
To make matters worse, with both the King and the Army away, the officials who had stayed behind where saber rattling in a way that jeopardized our tenuous peace with the British!
Upon return to his Capital, King Dingane kaSenzangakhona had those responsible reprimanded, and their ring leader, the over ambitious Mpande, executed.**
After rebalancing the economy to account for the larger number of subjects for taxation as well as the newly acquired diamond mines of Transvaal, the next 3 years were the most peaceful South Africa had seen since the arrival of the Europeans, with much of the new funds going towards Education. King Dingane had developed a new idea, an African Empire to rival even the régimes of Europe.
Such a concept would require much skill, work, and specialization. From the new emphasis on education, the nation’s literacy rate grew 4.2% in 1836, to 7.4% in 1842. New, European ideas began flooding into the country, leaving a very uncertain future ahead.
*Victoria 2 has its fair share of historical inaccuracies.
**Mpande was the man who IRL usurped the King with help from the Boers in 1840. With the Boers gone it’s likely that he would have eventually been executed.
Before any of you guys say “How is Zulu improbable?” consider that I’m still an uncivilized nation sandwiched between two colonial empires, with nowhere to (easily) expand to.
Now ported over to TDBg Forum
Expansion and Reform 1842-1852
The year is 1842, King Dingane kaSenzangakhona has retaken the land stolen by the boers, and embarked on the path to empire.
Later that year a visitor from the British Empire arrived at the capital.
Sir Suart Sir Stuart was a representative of the British Cape Colony, and claimed to be here to foster cooperation between the two nations. Apparently the British were impressed by the Zulu mission to end slavery in the Boer states, and saw us as an ally (and more importantly, as a counterbalance to France's influence over Madagascar). As a gesture of good faith he provided us with a large stock of new rifles. Armed with standardized Shield, two javelins, and a short spear, the traditional Zulu warrior was essentially the 'Roman Legionary of Sub Saharan Africa' The new Zulu army, now complimented with calvary and rifles.
King Dingane had never quite understood European politics, and gravely misunderstood the offer of weapons and cooperation to counterbalance the French and Malagasies as a suggestion to invade Madagascar.
After inspecting some ports of the Cape Colony, the Zulus began building boats.
A British photograph of the first sea worthy Zulu ship KI (kwamanzi impi) Shaka.
In late 1844 21 thousand Zulus crossed the Mozambique Channel, and landed on Madagascar.
Madagascar Soldiers of Madagascar, not as well organized or equipped as the traditional Zulu Boers, being the ones most experienced with rifles made up Impis of elite sharpshooters, and were amongst the first ashore A Zulu Impi crosses a river
The war was fairly quick, the smaller Malagasy Army was divided into two groups, making the individual 6 thousand man components easy to isolate and crush.
The new year in South Africa was celebrated with the announcement of Madagascar's annexation, and a land reform implemented to make the governing of such a vast kingdom easier.
The year 1845 was largely uneventful, literacy rose to 8% and Sir Stuart made regular appointments with the King. However, in early 1846, in protest of some reform made in main land Portugal, Portuguese East Africa seceded, forming the Kingdom of Lourengo Marques.
The newly established Kingdom had a large Nguni minority and -to ensure the fair treatment of their kin- the Zulus made a punitive expedition north to install a puppet government.
With their northern flank secure, the King once again turned his attention towards ideas of empire. He began working on a concept for enlarging and improving the KI, as to better control the straits of Mozambique, in the meantime, the Marques navy (made up of ex-Portugese ships) served as a stand in, and template to work off of.
A Marques Frigate
in 1849 however, the French declared war on the British Empire. King Dingane was rather insulted when Britian didn't request his assistance. Sir Stuart informed him that, 'An African Kingdom isn't much help in Indian affairs.' While pondering a solution to this, he found out about another war going on.
the two wars that year
Colonies for power projection! the Europeans did it, and he would to.
Brunei was failed state. divided along ethnic and religious lines, the 'nation' was plagued by tribal warfare.
Malaysian warriors
A single Impi and clipper transport was all that was required to gain control of the 'nation' by 1851.
This inadvertently created a new prospect for the Zulus, spreading self sustained progress to other 'uncivilized' nations. By 1852 the march forward looked strong, with 13% literacy, and newly established trade lanes with China.
I think I'll do Deseret tomorrow, then Venice and Quebec later in the week.
The Westernizer 1852-1866
The Year is 1852, the aging King Dingane kaSenzangakhona has taken interest in over seas affairs.
Particularly the crippled Kingdom of Siam, which looks to be an enticing next target after its disastrous war with Burma.
Thia-Burmese war post war Siam, unable to field more then 6000 men, and having no more war elephants the world has already written off Siam. The Zulu army had been optimized for plains, but experience in Madagascar and Brunei had prepared it for jungle.
The Conquest of Siam would have been a great victory, but it was completely over shadowed by new from home. The King was dead, having died of old age the day before the final victory in Bangkok.
His burial site today
On the first of January 1853 a suitable heir was found, Mpande's son, Cetshwayo kaMpande.
Cetshwayo kaMpande, he had a mind for the military, and was eager to realize the potential of western technology.
As with his predecessor, he would often look to Sir Stuart for assistance. The KI and the Marques Navy continued to expand to better compensate for the new over seas territory, and facilitate trade.
In an attempt to diversify trade from just the UK and China, the port of Makran became a hot spot for Zulu trade. This worked well, as it allowed the Kingdom access to Indian markets without having to go through Great Britain. In 1855 however this was disrupted. The Afghan Army, having already successfully conquered Kalat and Sindhi, now stormed the tiny nation on Makran, crushing the nation quickly, disrupting trade, and killing many foreigners caught in the sudden attack, among then, some Zulus. Cetshwayo, unwilling to tolerate such abuse, apear weak, or worse, not exceed his predecessor, declared war immediately.
The Zulu response was immediate.
Afghanistan was no mere tribal state or failed kingdom. Like Zulu, it had sought to establish an empire through conquest. The time for for petty gains was gone, this was a true war.
The Afghan Army, strongest indigenous army in the Middle East (barring -maybe- Persia)
There was one other thing on the King's side. The British had lost some individuals in the Makran Massacre, and had wanted to add Afghanistan to their sphere for some time (as Zulu was already in the British Sphere, assisting the conquest would achieve this goal). The British firmly supported the Zulus, and the Indian Army was dispatched to crush Afghanistan. The Zulu and Marques forces were tasked with occupying southern Balochistan and Sindhi, while the British crushed the north.
Pashtun Soldiers British Cavalry British Indian Army KI Sloop of War Ulundi
The war raged until 1857, when the Afghan government finally surrendered. The war had been the longest and bloodiest in Zulu history. King Cetshwayo had never appreciated the full scale of what had declared war on. The Zulu nation had almost tripled in population with Afghanistan's annexation.
Victoria 2 How To Form Italy QuicklyMaybe now we're relevant in India?
In 1860 the Omanian Sultan, under pressure from the British, abolished slavery, causing their Zanzibari colonies (the Kingpin of the Arab Slave Trade) to secede. As part of the UK's mission to end slavery, Sir Stuart persuaded the King to Conquer Zanzibar. Cetshwayo didn't really want to gain more Muslims to further tip the scales against the traditional animism encouraged by his administration, but he did accept the mission and personally lead the invasion.
Nobody likes a slaver The Sultan's Haram after an Impi used it for post battle celebrations
In november of that year, the King Cetshwayo was present for the opening of a cement factory, and asked to give a speech.
In passing he mentioned that Zulu was a western nation, something the British media took and ran.
In order to further command the spotlight the King Proclaimed the Zulu Kingdom to be henceforth be the Zulu Empire.
Last king, first emperor.
The Zulu Empire's first war was a minor scuffle with the USA.
We're in there, somewhere..
The Zulu navy couldn't contribute much aside from sieging Hawaii.
The Zulu Empire was given 3 primary directives for post westernization development by the King and his advisors.
1) a literate population 2) industry 3) military development This system would see the Zulus with 23% literacy by 1866.
in 1860 the Emperor ordered a new Map, what he saw intrigued him.
screw the 49th parallel There is need to be upset
in 1861 the British found themselves embroiled in a general european war.
>Swiss and Papal GPs wtf?!
The Emperor was concerned, but a large storm would destroy telegraph cables throughout the region, effectively isolating South Africa. Durring this time the Empire built many new factories, and reequipped it's army.
A textile factory in Ulundi
by the time the telegraphs were restored, things were going badly in the war.
Austria MVP is that the Papal States I see? Yes, indeed it is..
The British surrender in 1863 was a colossal upheaval around the world. While it hadn't actually changed much as far as the balance of power was concerned, it did shake the Zulu's belief that their ally Britain was unbeatable.
Industrial, social, and military development continued, with vaccines against the diseased that had previously wreaked havoc on the Zulu population now readily available, and the breech loading rifle replacing the throwing spear of the Zulu.
In 1866 a new nation had westernized, Zulu's neighbour Persia, making it the 4th nation (after Japan, Hawaii, and Zulu) to westernize, and Japan over took Switzerland for the coveted position of 8th GP.
And this King Cetshwayo kaMpande knew what he wanted to do next, claim Great Power Status.
King Cetshwayo kaMpande, the Westernizer
yup, I'm back. Deseret will probably be next.
Victoria 2 Italy Industry
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