An Economist Plays Victoria 3: Small Nations - My Views and Suggestions More Money, Less Revolution

[@ExpedientFalcon]

I personally think Belgium is the best nation for a new player. I was overwhelmed the first time I tried Great Britain, due to the sheer number of states and colonies and trade routes and etc. to attempt to manage. Belgium, with only two states, but also having advanced starting technology, already on Homesteading, having port access and rich mineral deposits, makes it a great country to learn the game with in my opinion.

[@An_Economist_Plays]

Very much in agreement there. Belgium has fewer moving parts, making it much easier to manage.

[@kloon9699]

Something that would partially remedy the technological and production disadvantages smaller nations have is introducing captains of industry. Just like agitators, they should be able to move to different countries and aid in their host country’s technological and industrial development. People like the British William and John Cockerill spearheaded the Belgian industrialization by using British technology in their Belgian companies (the ‘John Cockerill & Cie.’ steel company and ‘Cockerill yards’ shipyard). The same is true for the Welshman John Hughes, who moved to the Russian Empire, founded the city of Donetsk, and kicked off the modern metallurgy industry in the Donbass. There are also the Nobel Brothers with the ‘Branobel’ oil company in Baku and many other entrepreneurs like them. Victoria III already has the necessary basics (the agitators and companies) to make this work, and I think such characters would make economic and technological development more dynamic (especially for smaller civilized countries, who are otherwise left out). Sidenote regarding Belgium. Modern Belgian industrialization did start in the Sillon industriel in Wallonia, but the ones that led this industrialization were Francophone Flemings, Walloons, and the aforementioned British entrepreneurs (Belgians are Catholic, but these industrialists were politically liberal and were very dissatisfied when the Catholic Party started dominating politics from 1884 onward). Most of the internal capital (not counting FDI) for this industrial expansion came from banks located in Flanders and Brussels (for example, in 1914, 86.06 percent of capital was located in Brussels and Antwerp with banks like Banque de Bruxelles, Crédit Anversois, Société Générale de Belgique, etc.) and were for a large part led by Francophone Flemings. Belgium's economic and social history between 1815 and 1914 is really interesting in that regard.

[@An_Economist_Plays]

Very well put and I agree that captains of industry appearing to boost local factory construction would be an excellent addition to the game. Pass certain laws and attract the personages to your nation's shores and enjoy the benefits. Super idea. Banking is another element needed. Banks are infrastructure for money and help to create - and empower - capitalists.

[@patgarret771]

I love your videos; I’d love for them to include a bibliography!

[@An_Economist_Plays]

I do share a list of my source material in my Discord server, so feel free to drop by for that list.

[@mcazulo]

I just had an incredibly fun run this weekend as Greece. Got lucky enough to join Russian market to grow and eventually(along with Austria and GB) call into my wars against ottomans and formed Byzantium by 1932!

[@cantalope6980]

ay i’ve been excited for this video to drop 🙌

[@commissarkordoshky219]

reccomend the netherlands! they seem to start off pretty good!

[@sasi5841]

4:28 um actually, while britain and france were busy fighting in the american revolution, catherine the great of russia (together with the austrian emperor) declared war on ottoman empire to revive the ERE, because the britain and france wouldn'thave been able to intervene. The goal was to restore the ERE (with all of eastern balkan belinging to them and western balkan going to austria) and place catherines grandson on the roman throne. But the austrian emperor kicked the bucket too early with very lackluster military performance, while russia didnt make sufficient progress (the progress was very slow and steady) by the time american revolution ended. Thus the the war had to be ended early. Had the american revolution continued on for few more years, there was very likely chance of ERE being revived.

[@An_Economist_Plays]

This is something I'm finding out more on... yes, there were several movements to restore the ERE. I find forgiveness for PDX in my heart. 😊

[@christopherflynn350]

Amazing video, great commentary!

[@thoronirgros188]

Yeah there was nothing inevitable about Prussia uniting Germany. Radowitz tried in 1850 and failed. It took exceptionnal leadership from Bismarck and friends to get it done, mostly thanks to Napoleon III.

[@An_Economist_Plays]

In the 1840s and early 1850s, I would agree. The state Germany was in was potentially a jumble that looked like it could muddle forward. But by the mid-1850s, even without Bismarck, voices in Northern Germany were discussing Prussian leadership of an eventual German state. The other candidates were either the smaller nations that were more inwardly-focused or Austria, which had its own load of issues that the Germans didn't want to be saddled with. The turn in mood after the mid-1850s, in my view, points the way towards inevitability of Germany, with Prussia at the head. Another sign of Prussian eventual dominance was the wave of emigration from the Germanies of people that wanted nothing to do with a Prussian-led Germany, as they assumed it would be too reactionary for their tastes.

[@valleyplays]

Interesting video, I feel like you are luring me into the game 👀👀

[@An_Economist_Plays]

Muhuhuhuhuhuhuhahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[@monkeyjackmonkeyjack3779]

very cool, thank you

[@besacciaesteban]

Forming byz is not THAT hard, but it has no content. You just click a button to get a new colour and some claims, that's it.

[@An_Economist_Plays]

Whereas, it should bring down the wrath and ire of the Russian Empire!

[@nm7358]

My take is that smaller countries with mediocre socioeconomic potential should not be able to become a Great Power. At all. Even with optimal play. Whatever Luxemburg or Sweden did, they had no potential to become a Great Power in that age. I hope 1.7 will bring improvements to the AI that brings them into considering Balance of Power into their calculation.

[@andrewsperalta5283]

Well That is a problem that comes even from victory 2 which was summed up in invading China and you were already becoming a great power in a few years

[@masterost1994]

French are germanic, the Franks were a germanic tribe.

[@An_Economist_Plays]

The Franks were a Germanic tribe that mingled heavily with the Roman population of Gaul. In the context of the period of the Barbarian Migrations, they were as Germanic as the Visigoths, Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. Then over 1000 years of history intervened, and they weren't Germanic any more. To be sure, in this context, the argument was that specifically populations with a Germanic-family language with Protestant religious heritage, were the first to industrialize. What we see in Wallonia is a Catholic Francophone early industrialization, giving the lie to linguistic-religious theories for industrialization, pointing instead to peasant conditions, access to mineral resources, and transportation networks as the true forces giving impetus to early industrialization.

[@johnnicholas1657]

All the small nations you gave as examples are major nations. Sardinia Piedmont, Persia are top 20. Greece is a great nation to start as small. A few allies Vs ottomans and you can grab a bunch of homeland provinces with greek pops

[@An_Economist_Plays]

"Small" is a matter of drawing a line, sure. I see overall power and technology as part of my criteria, but, absolutely none would argue that a nation with 1-4 states is small. And, to be fair, even a Greece with its modern borders is still small in the game. But getting those provinces means more population for both industrialization and education, a most welcome boon for Hellas.

[@heavencracker7126]

Not sure anymore but Crete was always a free grab at the start. Out-teching the Ottos was practically guaranteed. Part of the problem I always found was the cultural homeland mechanic. Turks being more numerous than Greeks afterall... Maybe I was just bad at the game, which I accept, but I had a serious gripe that the policies were accept ALL or NONE of the cultures with no ability to choose individual cultures to slowly grow into a multicultural nation.

[@An_Economist_Plays]

Austria would need a similar mechanic, as there were always fights among the cultures as to who would have supremacy. The Hungarians were always mindful that no other culture be granted their status, for example. And the Turks need to be wary because in granting acceptance, they also empower patriotic movements. I totally agree with you, there needs to be much more nuance in how large, multi-ethnic empires are managed in the game, which covers the eras in which they struggled mightily to keep from falling apart. The new DLC will allow more subject interactions, so perhaps that fabric can be stretched to cover the Austrians, Russians, and Turks?

[@johnnicholas1657]

Yeah, I think a better name for the video would be building tall nations. ​@@An_Economist_Plays