Taking out the Barbary States - good idea?

[Batavian]

I'm new to ETW, just starting my first campaign. Playing as England, and reading some of the strategies, I'm avoiding getting involved in European wars and focusing on North America and India. Before I start declaring war, I thought it might be easy pickings to take out the pirates, whom I'm already at war with. In addition, I'll be wanting to maximize trade and pirates would run counter to that. The pirate islands in the Caribbean seem to be a no-brainer. But what about the Barbary pirates? Are they worth taking? Or are they going to be weak provinces requiring constant garrisons to keep rebellions down?

[Greyblades]

Just post a few ships at gibralter to blockade the mouth of the Mediterranean and kill off all the ones outside it, that way you can just ignore them completely for the rest of the game.

[A Very Super Market]

Your only trade partner where the Barbaries will threaten in the Ottomans, and the Barbary states are allied with them. So, no real risk there. I wouldn't go after them, because it will bring you into an annoying sideshow (The Med)

[joe4iz]

They are pretty weak. I would take a different tact. After you capture the provinces, give them to one of your allies. Let them be drawn into the Med. I would even consider using them to trade.

[Polemists]

You have 3 approaches as others have stated.


1.You can go to war with them, but Morocco will most likely join them so you will be bogged down for 5-10 years and you try to go about gathering a army and attacking both Barbary and Morocco. If you conquer and Morocco you own a very wealth strip of trade from Morocco to Barbary, also you don't have to worry about Morrocan pirates blocking trade routes. The downside if there is one is that yes you are in the med now.

2. You can trade them. Spain will give you islands in the Carribean or just about anything (Even New Mexico and Sarinda for Morocco. France will probably give you lower louisana and a island for the holdings. The dutch will give you Ceylon if you have any interest in India.

3. If you just leave them be nothing will happen really. It's rare they sail outside the Med. Despite the large navies they have. It's far more likely you and Sweden will be going at it.

[Gaiseric]

Better bring a missionary and some good garrison troops. These regions will probably have to be exempted from taxes for a few turns untill the occupation revolt risk dies down and untill you gain some converts.

I was going to try this idea myself as Sweden. Take over Morocco and The Barbary States, and then gain a base to attack all the other nations in this area. 4+ regions for easy taking$$$.