Belgium (Albert I)

**Belgium** led by Albert I is a custom civilization by JFD and Janboruta, with contributions from bernie14 and Andreas Waldeloft.

This mod requires Brave New World. It replaces the City-State of Brussels with Andorra La Vella and Antwerp with Vaduz.

## Overview

### Belgium

The name 'Belgium' is derived from Gallia Belgica, a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul that before Roman invasion in 100 BC, was inhabited by the Belgae, a mix of Celtic and Germanic peoples. gradual immigration by Germanic Frankish tribes during the 5th century brought the area under the rule of the Merovingian kings. A gradual shift of power during the 8th century led the kingdom of the Franks to evolve into the Carolingian Empire.

The Treaty of Verdun in 843 divided the region into Middle and West Francia and therefore into a set of more or less independent fiefdoms which, during the Middle Ages, were vassals either of the King of France or of the Holy Roman Emperor. Many of these fiefdoms were united in the Burgundian Netherlands of the 14th and 15th centuries.Emperor Charles V extended the personal union of the Seventeen Provinces in the 1540s, making it far more than a personal union by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 and increased his influence over the Prince-Bishopric of Liège.

### Albert I

Albert I (April 8, 1875 – February 17, 1934) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934. This was an eventful period in the History of Belgium since it included the period of World War I (1914 - 1918), when 90 percent of Belgium was overrun, occupied, and ruled by the German Empire. Other crucial issues included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of the Kingdom of Belgium along with the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi, the reconstruction of Belgium following the war, and the first five years of the Great Depression (1929 - 1934). King Albert was killed in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934, at the age of 58, and he was succeeded by his son Leopold.

#### Dawn of Man

Noble Albert, King of the Belgians, we are graced by your leadership. At the onset of your reign you would inherit a burgeoning kingdom; a herald of industrialisation and a model for modernity. Born of revolution against the Dutch kingdom of the Netherlands, Belgium would rise in competition as an economic and industrial power within Europe. Inheriting a dilapidated colonial empire constructed by your predecessor, you would endeavour to become a symbol of a united Belgium, forging a government that would unite the dissidents that threatened the kingdom, and bestowing upon your people the universal suffrage for which they yearned. When war fell upon Belgium in 1914, you and your family would set aside the gowns of royalty and you would share in the bloody defiance of your soldiers against the German invaders, igniting the will of your people to remain united as one and as independent, and forever emboldening your name as King of the Belgians.

Heroic King, your government beckons for the return of your determinate rule in leading the Belgian people toward a future composed of unity and peace. Can you remain diligent and safeguard the integrity of your people's Kingdom against the villains that would seek to tear it apart? Can you secure for yourself a place amongst the powers of this world, forging alliances to ensure the perseverance of your country? Can you build a civilization that can stand the test of time?

**Introduction**: Pleased to meet you. I am Albert, King of the Belgians. I hope that our two countries will one day become good allies and that, until then, we can pursue a harmonious acquaintanceship.

**Introduction**: Welcome to Belgium, I am Albert, King of the Belgians. I look forward to meeting you in the future, when trade between our two countries will be most fruitful.

**Defeat**: You have brought grave humiliation upon my Household, and disaster upon my people. I pray that God forgives you, for I cannot.

## Strategy

   Belgium encourages a peaceful game based on trading plenty of Resources. You can claim any neutral Plantation Resource in the world - but make sure you bring a Unit as well as a Worker so isn't captured nor its Plantation pillaged. Going Liberty and building Pyramids may seem like a good idea, but it can be difficult to protect all of your holdings, and possibly harder for you to secure Declarations of Friendship. On Continents-type maps, be sure to be one of the first to explore the world to see any unclaimed plantation material. The Chocolaterie gives you even more Resources for trading, though the lack of base Happiness makes wide play a little more difficult. Belgium's other focus revolves around Friendship. You receive a free Melee Unit per Friend when pushed into a defensive War - nice, but inconsequential without a significant number of Friends. Also, joint war efforts will cause the light-troop Chasseur to gain March, adding a little more bulk to a good mid-game Unit.

## Unique Attributes

     **Chasseur** (Gatling Gun)
* +1  Movement
* Gains the March promotion when fighting in a war involving a friend
     **Chocolaterie** (Zoo)
* Grants 1 copy of the Praline luxury resource
* No base  Happiness

## Music

### Events and Decisions

#### Create the Force Publique

Maintaining foreign colonies often involves ensuring that the native population knows who's in charge. Incompetency and non-productivity should not be tolerated. Creating a military force to enforce our economic quotas would make Belgium very prosperous indeed.

Requirements/Restrictions:

* Player must be Belgium
* May only be enacted from the beginning of the Industrial Era
* May only be enacted once per game

Costs:

* 750  Gold
* 1  Magistrate

Rewards:

* +1  Production on Plantations.

#### Convene the Brussels Geographic Conference

It is important that Belgium not fall behind its rivals in imperial power. Calling together the world's leading experts on exploratory science would put us leagues ahead of other empires in the race to further our imperial reach.

Requirements/Restrictions:

* Player must be Belgium
* May only be enacted from the beginning of the Renaissance Era
* May only be enacted once per game

Costs:

* 1100  Gold
* 1  Magistrate

Rewards:

* Settlers and Workers gain +1 Sight and ignore terrain costs when moving.

#### Linguistic Tensions

Recently, a group of Picard/French/Walloon-speaking Belgians have caused a stir by demanding equal representation of their language in the courts. They see the lack of use for their language to convey Belgian laws as an affront to their protection beneath those laws. We must act to resolve this issue before it gets out of hand.

**Option 1:** Very well. There shall be equal use of the languages within the courts.

* The  Capital undergoes 1 turn of Resistance
* Gain 50  Culture

**Option 2:** Absolutely not. Dutch is the language of our laws and so it shall stay.

* Lose 20% of your  Golden Age points

#### Profitable Year

It has been a profitable year for our plantation industry, and we have reaped a hefty surplus. Things are doing well in our colonies.

**Option 1:** Excellent!

* Gain [Plantations x5]  Gold

### Exploration Continued Expanded

1. Leopoldville
2. Banningville
3. Bomba
4. Elizabethville
5. Stanleyville
6. Coquilhatville
7. Albertville
8. Luluabourg
9. Thysville
10. Jadotville
11. Tshikapa
12. Costermansville
13. Bakwanga
14. Kindu
15. Banana

### Unique Cultural Influence

"Our people are now eating your chocolate and reading your comic books. I worry the rest of the world will also succumb to the influence of your culture."

## List of Cities

1. Brussels
2. Antwerp
3. Ghent
4. Charleroi
5. Liege
6. Bruges
7. Namur
8. Leuven
9. Mons
10. Aalst
11. Mechelen
12. La Louviere
13. Kortrijk
14. Hasselt
15. Ostend
16. Ixelles

## Full Credits List

 Last Updated:

* *JFD*: Author
* *Janboruta*: Artwork
* *bernie14*: Graphics (Chasseur model)
* *Andreas Waldeloft*: Music

## Notes and References

1. ↑ Kingdom of Belgium
2. ↑ JFD's Civilisations