A Union of Republics sounds a bit too idealistic, in terms of the Dutch going along with it. I remember you noting how support was mainly in England, while the Dutch were baffled at the very idea of it coming to pass, ironically matching the English attitude towards a union with Scotland. That said, desperate times can call for desperate measures, but I get the feeling that Lilburne heard an alliance of republics, and assumed it would be a Union. Either that, or the Admiral is making decisions that aren't his to make, which will make for fun times, whichever one is the case. With Naples in an uproar, the Scottish going through their own moral crisis, and now the Hollanders contemplating the impossible, I can see an alliance between the states emerge.
Not a bloc, that suggests too much interlinking bonds and would likely scare too many neighbours (although what could France and Spain really do at this point?), however fun the idea of Britain being the Revolutionary France or Soviet Union of the 1600s might be, even if efforts in France will likely backfire. There could be agreements to open trade with one another and cooperate on certain matters, such as trade, colonies, naval bases, and so on. The Remonstrants, whether they make a deal with the Resolutioneers or not, could form an alliance with the Commonwealth over the internal rebellion and allow for supply lines to actually develop, or at least make a deal to strike at Ireland in the name of taking down Popery and the chances of the King taking revenge on them. The Resolutioneers don't have a King to compromise with, and the spiritual crisis would make things difficult for the Remonstrants, so we may see a deal, but just as likely have the two sides bicker and ineffectually try to destroy the other.
Ireland is another big issue. Lorraine may not want to look that desperate for the Crown, potentially joining the ranks of many who had power in their grasp and let it slip out of fear of looking like they took it without a second thought, but there's always the Cardinal to think about. James is a fifteen year old boy marred in trauma and bitterness, which would make any surrendering of power impossible, but the appeal of being granted the divorce he wanted may shift Lorraine, and the Cardinal may just force a war anyway by his diplomacy via excommunication if that doesn't work. Either way, there's a bloody fight ahead, and that's not even counting England and Scotland's reaction.
In the future, there is the question of Henry, IOTL his time spent in England as a prisoner did lead to him taking in a lot of Parliament's arguments, which led to a vicious break with Henrietta-Maria and got him kicked out of Paris where he joined up with Spain and became pals with the Prince of Conde, an agnostic backer of the Huguenots. Hell, his death of smallpox made him into the idealised 'King England Needed' for opponents of James II, and even for people unhappy with Monmouth. I remember reading that he's in Paris right now, or somewhere with his mother, which suggests that he may be a Catholic counterpart to OTL, down to the military skill, if something happens to James and a new King for the Royalists is needed.
Anyway, by some cosmic coincidence, I had just finished re-reading this TL when you posted this update, and it was good to remind myself on who all the factions were and what exactly was happening all over the area. I had even forgotten about Naples until I read it. The atrocities and chaos of the time, especially with the rise of massacres, factions, and religious sects, does make me understand why Hobbes was all for an absolutist sovereign, when compared to the slaughter, even if it was the fault of Charles and the Covenanters (great band name, BTW) which their determination to ignore reality when it didn't suit them.
It's a bit of a shame that the whole conflict just gets summed up as 'Charles Vs. Parliament, Charles lost and got executed, Cromwell rises', when there's a whole plethora of factions, arguments, and conflicts within the Civil War that make it far more interesting. If you mentioned transvestite monkeys and Prophets who burnt their own faces, you'd probably get a lot more eagerness for the topic than 'okay, pretend you're doing a news article on Charles getting executed/Cromwell banning Christmas'. I imagine the Glorious Revolution, when it is taught, is likely a story that everyone prefers, even if it was technically a successful Dutch invasion, compared to the Civil War and all of its inconvenient events.
Far better to have the crap Catholic tyrant kicked down by Parliament, and replaced by a King invited in so the myth of no invasion since 1066 survives, than to try and go through the mess that is the English Civil War. Everyone with an interest comes out better, that way.
The Bond reference with Blood getting tagged was as great as the 'Spring-Heeled Jack is Batman' snippet from FaBR, it'll certainly make it hard for Blood to drop his membership in the proto-MI6 if things go south, now that the ink won't come off that easily. His goal will probably either be to destabilise the Old English faction, eliminate James or Lorraine, or to try and collect some information on what exactly is happening in Ireland's inner workings, which would rank just under Sisyphus' boulder-pushing in tasks that require a bit of effort.
I'll just add my voice to the choir in saying that this was a great update, and that I can't wait to see what happens next.
Not a bloc, that suggests too much interlinking bonds and would likely scare too many neighbours (although what could France and Spain really do at this point?), however fun the idea of Britain being the Revolutionary France or Soviet Union of the 1600s might be, even if efforts in France will likely backfire. There could be agreements to open trade with one another and cooperate on certain matters, such as trade, colonies, naval bases, and so on. The Remonstrants, whether they make a deal with the Resolutioneers or not, could form an alliance with the Commonwealth over the internal rebellion and allow for supply lines to actually develop, or at least make a deal to strike at Ireland in the name of taking down Popery and the chances of the King taking revenge on them. The Resolutioneers don't have a King to compromise with, and the spiritual crisis would make things difficult for the Remonstrants, so we may see a deal, but just as likely have the two sides bicker and ineffectually try to destroy the other.
Ireland is another big issue. Lorraine may not want to look that desperate for the Crown, potentially joining the ranks of many who had power in their grasp and let it slip out of fear of looking like they took it without a second thought, but there's always the Cardinal to think about. James is a fifteen year old boy marred in trauma and bitterness, which would make any surrendering of power impossible, but the appeal of being granted the divorce he wanted may shift Lorraine, and the Cardinal may just force a war anyway by his diplomacy via excommunication if that doesn't work. Either way, there's a bloody fight ahead, and that's not even counting England and Scotland's reaction.
In the future, there is the question of Henry, IOTL his time spent in England as a prisoner did lead to him taking in a lot of Parliament's arguments, which led to a vicious break with Henrietta-Maria and got him kicked out of Paris where he joined up with Spain and became pals with the Prince of Conde, an agnostic backer of the Huguenots. Hell, his death of smallpox made him into the idealised 'King England Needed' for opponents of James II, and even for people unhappy with Monmouth. I remember reading that he's in Paris right now, or somewhere with his mother, which suggests that he may be a Catholic counterpart to OTL, down to the military skill, if something happens to James and a new King for the Royalists is needed.
Anyway, by some cosmic coincidence, I had just finished re-reading this TL when you posted this update, and it was good to remind myself on who all the factions were and what exactly was happening all over the area. I had even forgotten about Naples until I read it. The atrocities and chaos of the time, especially with the rise of massacres, factions, and religious sects, does make me understand why Hobbes was all for an absolutist sovereign, when compared to the slaughter, even if it was the fault of Charles and the Covenanters (great band name, BTW) which their determination to ignore reality when it didn't suit them.
It's a bit of a shame that the whole conflict just gets summed up as 'Charles Vs. Parliament, Charles lost and got executed, Cromwell rises', when there's a whole plethora of factions, arguments, and conflicts within the Civil War that make it far more interesting. If you mentioned transvestite monkeys and Prophets who burnt their own faces, you'd probably get a lot more eagerness for the topic than 'okay, pretend you're doing a news article on Charles getting executed/Cromwell banning Christmas'. I imagine the Glorious Revolution, when it is taught, is likely a story that everyone prefers, even if it was technically a successful Dutch invasion, compared to the Civil War and all of its inconvenient events.
Far better to have the crap Catholic tyrant kicked down by Parliament, and replaced by a King invited in so the myth of no invasion since 1066 survives, than to try and go through the mess that is the English Civil War. Everyone with an interest comes out better, that way.
The Bond reference with Blood getting tagged was as great as the 'Spring-Heeled Jack is Batman' snippet from FaBR, it'll certainly make it hard for Blood to drop his membership in the proto-MI6 if things go south, now that the ink won't come off that easily. His goal will probably either be to destabilise the Old English faction, eliminate James or Lorraine, or to try and collect some information on what exactly is happening in Ireland's inner workings, which would rank just under Sisyphus' boulder-pushing in tasks that require a bit of effort.
I'll just add my voice to the choir in saying that this was a great update, and that I can't wait to see what happens next.
