Positively England (Chapter 11 - Franco-phobia)

Season Covered: Spring 1904

I try to convince France to let me into Kiel before he takes Holland. France wants Holland before I take Kiel. I am starting to get upset at France for four reasons.

France moved to Belgium with a fleet instead of an army. That’s troubling news for me, and the more I think about France’s move, the more I become upset about it, and it colors my perspective in working with him.
Holland, which we “seemed” to arrange would go to me—although never actually “agreed” if you read the press closely—did not end up in my possession and would not end up in my possession.
I’m annoyed with France always negotiating a 60/40 deal—and winning, to boot! France wants Holland first and NOW. It’s not good enough for him to have Holland at some point. He HAS to have it first. I have to settle for just Kiel later.
Fourth, France simply sounds more logical than I do, and that’s troublesome, as I argue for a living. He has good strategic reasons for Holland first (he always does; another trick I have to learn). I want Kiel first for, in my mind, equally good reasons, but they just do not measure up to France’s logic.

France starts the press off with a post entitled “800 Pound Gorilla,” and he attempts to put me on the defensive:

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I meant every word. I was upset, but I wanted to work with France. I just didn’t want to be his plus one. He writes back:

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WHOA. Stop right there, buddy. I read these lines over and over again: “I probably should be forthcoming about one other thing that’s been haunting the back of my mind, and that’s a previous AAR, ‘I played Italy as a complete jackal and go for every short term gain possible.’” Dear reader, please go back and read Chapter 1. I foretold this very moment. My pre-tournament posts on Discord are now being used against me by France—for the second time no less—and with justification. I gave away too much information. France is a legit genius for mining all of that information, but there’s no way he should have revealed this to me. It did not put me off balance. It made me, right then and there, realize precisely how superior he was to me, and it forced me to think about ending our relationship before he brutally stabbed me. I learned the mistake I made, and now I had to change up my game because of it. I responded:

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Meanwhile, I have to deal with Russia, who does not trust me after the last season. He proposes an elaborate bounce scheme:

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Okay, I put out that fire. I hinted for him to go to Berlin, which he would not do for some reason. I suspected it would be open.

Now, adjudication is coming and France won’t let me into Kiel first. France won’t budge. He’s insisting Holland first, which could screw me over. Why am I such a gullible guy that I give but don’t take (my how humans are incapable of really seeing themselves; what a martyr I am!). Here’s what he does: He says he is moving the way he wants to move.

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I lied about Norway. I realize before adjudication that I can have it move to Ska. At this point, disillusion set in, so, with an hour to go, I gave in, and I allow France to take Holland.

Evil wins. Why do I keep making the same mistakes over and over? Giving in—again—however, cemented deep resentment of France.

Adjudication occurs:

As I “agreed,” France gets Holland. And, France captured it before I took Kiel. Man, I’m upset. I am in okay position for Kiel, but it’s bothering me big time. Russia has backed off. Germany is near death. I try to feel optimistic, but I’m still smarting about France’s play.

I send press to everyone assigning Goodfellas characters: