Cool Relations Warm Up

[Sir Herbert Fitzalan-Howard]

The Latest in International Affairs

After a silent stalemate on the international arena, tensions between all countries have increased in light of recent military developments. In the last few years of the Napoleonic Wars, since the Treaty of Campo Formio, all nations have been playing a "waiting game" as to who will strike first; as the new year came in, it appears the wait is finally over.

The Blockade Ends, but Invasion Starts
Due to the blockade, all French overseas territories had been left undefended due to the troops being stranded in mainland France. Despite the ending of the blockade, the UK and the Ottoman Empire waded in to claim the strategically important province of Egypt.
The Ottoman Empire - who already holds the western half of the province, as well as bordering it on the east - seeks to reclaim the territory which was lost to the French in 1798 to rejoin the Empire's African and Middle-eastern territories.
The United Kingdom did intend to invade the province of Egypt - an area in which the current government has a great deal of interest - but has, however, been persuaded out of the invasion for the modest sum of 50,000 Livre (£89,100) through the signing of the Treaty of Alexandria.
Reports are scarce at the moment, but as the blockade has finished, it is assumed that the French will defend Egypt as they see it as a strategically important province.

Austrian Declaration of War on Prussia
The most pivotal event in international relations was when Austria declared a state of war with Prussia after Austria's discovery that Prussia had ordered the distribution of pro-Prussian leaflets within the Holy Roman Empire.
Francis - who is simultaneously the Emperor of both Austria and the Holy Roman Empires - also cited the reasons of the Prussian alliance with the French Republic, with whom Austria is also at war with through The Third Coalition, and the Prussian invasion of Mecklenburg. Austria has now instigated a defence of the Duchy of Mecklenburg
In response, King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia declared that Prussia shall cede from the Holy Roman Empire and accused Austria of treachery claiming Francis is a "uniter of peoples who are not his to unite, abuser of his grand position, and betrayer of former friends". Observers have commented that the Austrian Empire is looking for an excuse to expand its already expanding Empire.
The Emperor refutes these claims and says it is Prussia who is being treacherous and that Austria needs to to make Prussia understand it can't attempt to undermine the Holy Roman Empire in such a way. Napoleon has stated France will defend Prussia should Austria attack it.


Ottoman Intervention in Morocco
The Ottoman Empire has initiated a offensive on the Sultanate of Morocco in order to defend the African Tribes from its pyrrhic war.
The Berber tribes, who have raided Moroccan cities and raped and killed it citizens, have called on the Ottoman Empire to intervene in the situation to ensure their independence. This is after the tribes' unsuccessful attempts and upholding their own independence through the means of the aforementioned raids.
In response the Sultan called on members of the Third Coalition to come to the aid of Morocco and said to Sultan Annatar, "what your going to do is come around with your big stamp and stmap over there with a stamp saying Property of the Ottoman Empire." The Ottoman Empire has been defiant and merely stated, "See you on the battlefield, Morocco."
No member of the Third Coalition has come forward to defend Morocco saying that the Coalition is not a mutual defence union but an agreement to stop French republicanism. The UK, Portugal, Persia, Austria and even France were asked to step in to help defend Morocco: world leaders were apparently bemused that they were being offered the Empire of a friendly nation by the relatively weak country of Morocco.

Elsewhere on the International Scene
— Britain continues its push to advance its holdings in India, and gain the territory of The Dutch East Indies, which the Batavian Republic has poorly defended.
— Despite huge military losses, the Chinese are continuing to push on in Japan.
— The Persian government continues to push into the Indian sub-continent regardless of British claims to the territory.
— Austria has managed to persuade the Duchies of Hesse, Oldenburg to join the Empire, now making it the richest and most powerful in Europe.
— The Cisalpine Republic moves to invade its neighbour, the Ligurian Republic, in order to create a militarily stronger nation.