Historical facts and the faction of Great Briton

[gardibolt]

It all leads to questions, questions, and more questions

Hanover may not be a playable faction, or will it become a British possession?

I was just reading The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine, and he talks about this a fair amount; from the perspective at the time, there was a notion that the Hanoverians considered Hanover to be their real home and were overtaxing the British subjects to support their lifestyle back home. In essence, that Britain was just a Hanoverian possession. Of course, that has completely been overwritten by subsequent history, but it's interesting that it was looked at that way. Since CA is a British company, I assume there will be no trace of that in the game.

[Freedom Onanist]

I was just reading The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine, and he talks about this a fair amount; from the perspective at the time, there was a notion that the Hanoverians considered Hanover to be their real home and were overtaxing the British subjects to support their lifestyle back home. In essence, that Britain was just a Hanoverian possession. Of course, that has completely been overwritten by subsequent history, but it's interesting that it was looked at that way. Since CA is a British company, I assume there will be no trace of that in the game.

An interesting counterpoint (from Wiki but there you go), I think it captures the slightly more complex situation than that portayed by the likes of T Paine.

Despite some unpopularity, the Protestant George I was seen by most of his subjects as a better alternative to the Roman Catholic Pretender James. William Makepeace Thackeray indicates such ambivalent feelings when he writes, "His heart was in Hanover. He was more than fifty-four years of age when he came amongst us: we took him because we wanted him, because he served our turn; we laughed at his uncouth German ways, and sneered at him ... I, for one, would have been on his side in those days. Cynical, and selfish, as he was, he was better than a King out of St Germains [James the Pretender] with a French King's orders in his pocket, and a swarm of Jesuits in his train."

Writers of the nineteenth century, such as Thackeray, Sir Walter Scott and Lord Mahon were reliant on biased first-hand accounts published in the previous century, such as Lord Hervey's memoirs, and looked back on the Jacobite cause with romantic, even sympathetic, eyes. They, in turn, influenced British authors of the first half of the twentieth century, such as G. K. Chesterton, who introduced further anti-German and anti-Protestant bias into the interpretation of George's reign. However, in the wake of World War II, continental European archives were opened to historians of the later twentieth century, and nationalistic anti-German feeling subsided. George's life and reign were re-explored by scholars, such as Beattie and Hatton, and his character, abilities and motives re-assessed in a more generous light.[83] As John H. Plumb noted, "Some historians have exaggerated the king's indifference to English affairs and made his ignorance of the English language seem more important than it was. He had little difficulty in communicating with his ministers in French, and his interest in all matters affecting both foreign policy and the court was profound."[84] Yet the character of George I remains elusive—he was in turn genial and affectionate in private letters to his daughter, and then dull and awkward in public. Perhaps his own mother summed him up when "explaining to those who regarded him as cold and overserious that he could be jolly, that he took things to heart, that he felt deeply and sincerely and was more sensitive than he cared to show."

The monarchy seen as distant German inbreds is a useful foil for the British establishment (the real one that had the power to offer a crown) and allowed it to establish the modern constitutional monarchy. A royal figurehead with little real power but all the trappings of state - much cheaper, safer and more accountability than a president...

[Rhyfelwyr]

Judging from the use of the Union Flag, Scotland will be part of Britain at the start of the game.

I really doubt CA would start making seperate family trees for Scotland and England when they were joined only seven years after the start date. There may be a message when it happens, maybe even a video, but I doubt it will be implemented into the gameplay in any way.

For this reason, I think many historical accuracy mods will start either in 1707, or perhaps 1688 if more time is needed, and depending on how suitable these dates are for the rest of Europe.

[Lord Winter]

Well William III is only alive for a little more then a year. So they'll probably just ignore that personal union and just keep the grand alliance. I'm curious how they'll handle the wars of succesion though. So many wars were fought to put a favorable canidate on your neighbors throne.