Colonel Kevus Wittlesbucht

### The colonels early life & career

Colonel Kevus Wittlesbucht is a German noble born in the year 1676 to a wealthy aristocratic Hessen family. He grew up an only child and was given an esteemed military education by many great teachers from across Europe. From an early age, he was very interested in the navy, and exploration, and through this passion he managed to get himself a job working as a privateer for the British east India company in the year 1697. He used this position to expand his own influence in the company, sailing around south east Asia and establishing small port colonies between the year 1699 and 1703. In the year 1703 he was called back to England to fight in the war of Spanish Succession. He would use his naval experience to begin harassing French ships in the bay of Biscay and the Gulf of St Lawrence. As the war progressed, his standing in the company and navy as a whole would rise, and soon he would be given permission to return back to SEA.

### Exploration and conquest through SEA

Upon his return to SEA in the year 1713, he landed on the island of Formosa and laid out his plans on exploration and trade through the region. His plan was as follows:

* Sail from Formosa towards the island of Hainan to establish a trade relation with the locals
* Follow the Vietnamese coast south until reaching the straight of Malacca
* Establish a series of fortifications along the straight
* Move throughout the east indies establishing small forts and trading outposts
* Sail north towards the Spanish Philippines to restock on supplies
* Return to Hainan then Formosa

His journey was set take take almost 4 years to complete, with him not expecting to reach the Spanish Philippines until the year 1717. He set sail with 5 ships and 847 men on the 5th of June 1713 for Hainan and arrived on the 29th. There he illegally traded with the Chinese, giving things such as furs from the new world in return for items such as porcelain and tea. He resided on the island for 2 months, before Qing officials discovered him, and sent 100 men to have him arrested or killed. A skirmish took place next which saw 20 Qing soldiers either wounded or killed, and Colonel Wittlesbucht and his men leave Hainan. From Hainan, the expedition moved towards Vietnam in hopes of opening up the nations of the region to trade.

As they landed ashore, they tried to establish a treaty with the Trịnh lords of North Vietnam. The treaty, drafted by Colonel Wittlesbucht himself asked for the following:

* The ability for merchants under direct order of Colonel Wittlesbucht to be allowed to trade freely and without fear of retribution across your domain
* The permission for the East India Company to establish a series of fortifications to protect both the domain in which they are located, and the merchants who operate in the domain
* The freedom of East India Company ships to be able to dock and unload their cargo into ports free of charge

Upon reading the demands, the emperor of Vietnam, Dụ Tông, refused to accept the final demand, which he stated "Will kill the sovereignty of my people and our nation". The colonel, upon hearing the news of the emperors refusal, sent 200 men to force him to sign the treaty. This resulted in the "skirmish of the green mist" which saw the East India Company men kill or capture all 500 of the Vietnamese soldiers sent to kill them. This defeat then provoked the emperor to finally accept the deal, which was signed on the 7th of February 1714. The colonel wrote in his journal later that night:

"The so called emperor of this realm finally submitted. I fear this journey that I have mapped out for me and my crew will not be defined by our great diplomatic initiatives, but by blood and gunpowder."

He would reside in Vietnam, overseeing the construction of fort Hansen from the end of February to the beginning of April, 1714 before finally leaving 100 men at the fort and heading off for the straight of Malacca. As he sailed towards the straight he would contemplate leaving the East India Company, writing:

"In truth, I have no affiliation towards this organization. I am too far from the mainland for them to do any retribution towards me if I was to simply stop serving them, or if I was to simply break off and form my own organization. It is the issue of convincing the other men to join me in my antics that I see being difficult, although as I understand it, many wish to break free from the over bearing East India Company."

As he reached the straight of Malacca, he discussed the possibility of splitting with the company with his cousin and close advisor, Wilhelm Wittlesbucht, who agreed with him, and explained to him that many of his men felt the same way. And as such, Kevus made the announcement to the men on the expedition. It said as follows:

"Men of this expedition. I must ask you all to join me, in advancing our lives past the overreach of the East India Company, and the British crown. We have gone from Formosa, to the east Indies, and yet when we depart again, they will not act on our discoveries. I believe it is in all of our best interests to break away from the organization, and work towards our own prosperity and wealth, with a new venture."

This news, although taken well by most of the crew was seen as betrayal by almost 200 men. They viewed it as an attack against the British crown, that many of them had fought for only 10 years earlier. And one man in particular, a young officer named Karl Vinstrum was ready to end what he saw as traitors. He launched a mutiny on the ships as they attempted to make port in Sumatra, and rallied 187 men to his side. This rebellion would result in the deaths of 87 men, and the other 100 mutineers being left on Sumatra to an unknown fate by Colonel Wittlesbucht. He stated in his journal after the mutiny that

"All of those who fell were not evil men, but men who had loyalty to something they simply could not see was using them"