| 兩西西里 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 政府類型 | Absolute monarchy |
| 執政黨 | Restaurazionisti (reactionary) |
| 首都 | Naples (ID 754) |
| 人口 | 1.89 million |
| 主體民族 | South Italian |
| 被接受民族 | |
| 識字率 | 35% |
| 國家價值觀 | Order |
| 科研學派 | Traditional academia |
| 地位 | Civilized |
Two Sicilies is the most southern of the Italian states. It starts as a Secondary power with the largest army, largest population, and huge industrial potential. Together with 
Sardinia-Piedmont, it's one of the only Italian minors that's isn't in a sphere.
All in all Two Sicilies makes a decent candidate to form 
Italy.
Background History
During the Napoleonic Wars, Naples was captured by the French. After the capture of Naples, the Neapolitan kingdom became the Parthenopaean Republic, a French client state. After Napoleon's downfall, King Ferdinand was put back on the throne by the Congress of Vienna. The Congress of Vienna also created Two Sicilies, a unification between Naples and Sicily.
Initial position
Initial military situation
Two Sicilies have the biggest fleet as well as one of the best militaries of the peninsula, but it is still hard to attack any surrounding nations as they are all in different great powers spheres.
Two Sicilies has a single unique decision The Royal Order of Francis I, which gives free research points. It is available as long as Two Sicilies is an Absolute Monarchy and have 25 prestige.
Initial Economy
At the start of the game, the treasury is in deficit. Two Sicilies has a relatively large army and navy however, this will burden the finances in early years. Don't be tempted to disband it just yet, as it'll come in handy when one begins to unify Italy.
To help with the finances, naval spending can be cut. One can consider manually stopping the import of 
clippers and 
steamers. This will reduce organization of the fleet however and make it impossible to build any ships.
The surrounding great powers
Diplomatically, build French relations to the maximum, 200. Once Italy forms it'll share borders with 
France, and the last thing Italy wants is French aggression. Austria is the other GP one will eventually border as Italy, but Italy will have to fight them at least twice to get all their cores back, so high relations would actively hurt Italian ambitions.
Once relations with France are high one should improve relations into Sardinia-Piedmont and the 
Papal States. This will help keep France out of Sicilies' business by eventually removing them from the French sphere. This investment will also help when one tries to influence these Italian states later on during the quest to unite Italy.
War and Infamy
Since part of the charm of Two Sicilies is forming Italy, it can be tempting to expand on the peninsula itself. There are two problems with this idea. Firstly, Two Scilicies doesn't have a Casus Belli on other Italian nations, so it will cost 10 infamy per state, meaning only two states at a time. Also, it's an inefficient use of infamy as, if one follows the diplomatic route to annexation, Italy will get everything infamy free. The other complication is that, many of the Italian nations start out allied or sphered by Austria or France, and these two states can easily put a stop to early Silician ambitions.
However, infamy is there to be used and Two Sicilies is positioned just off the African coast. Some possible areas to expand:
Tunis can be annexed for eight infamy, and good for soldiers and grain and offers a border on the Ottoman Empire for future conquest
Morocco's Taza region - which has a precious metal RGO - can be picked up for just four. Watch out for Spain as they want the same region.- Morocco's Atlantic Coast regions can be picked up for 4 infamy and offers ports closer to potential colonial sites
Algeria can cost up to 22 infamy but has several iron RGOs, provides a port closer to future potential colonization, and helps stem French expansion- If one is prepared to look further afield (and don't mind getting the fleet damaged due to attrition) then there are several good targets in India and the rest of Asia. Choose targets that will provide with resources, taxes, soldiers and better positioning for the colonial expansion.
Becoming a Great Power
The main problems with the Two Sicilies are that it is a mostly agrarian country with no industrial base, low literacy, low-end Secondary Power status and an absolute monarchy.
Technology and research
Romanticism will help the prestige score, which is an easy way to secure Great Power status.
The tier two culture techs all benefit greatly; better clergymen (higher literacy faster), greater plurality (boosts research rate), faster reinforcements, more national focus, and higher prestige. Army technologies is however also important, as one have to fight many wars against technologically strong nations.
It is advised to keep a government that favors state capitalism, as Two Sicilies will not have any capitalists for a long time. Distilleries producing 
Liquor will be a good choice for much of the game. Distilleries generate a lot of profit, they are cheap to build and they match with what the Two Sicilies has (
fruit and 
grain). One can encourage 
craftsmen and manually enlarge factories.
One will face many events regarding the oppressiveness. Generally, one will want to choose the option which makes the people more liberal, as this will help liberalise the government. One will face rebel pressure from the Revolution of 1848 event. One does have two 21,000 armies to crush any rebel army which may arise.
Becoming Italy
There are two conditions one must meet in order to take the decision Avanti Italia! and form Italy. The first of these is frustrating and time-consuming, while the second could risk annexation of Two Sicilies. Firstly, one must get all the other Italian nations into the sphere of influence. At the beginning of the game these are the Papal States, 
Lucca, 
Tuscany, 
Parma, Sardinia-Piedmont and 
Modena. To make the task harder a few of them are already sphere'd by Austria and France, so one has to remove Austrian/French influences. Researching Market Structure will help greatly, as it will give +0.2 diplomatic influence. This is a long game of bait and switch and avoiding discredits.
The second condition involves war with another great power: 
Austria. At the beginning of the game Austria holds Lombardia, which is Italian-cored, and these cores are needed to form Italy. Partnering with 
Prussia/NGF/
Germany will help tremendously as Austria will have a hard time fighting a two front war. Just be sure to quickly get those provinces, as the AI like to limp out of wars quickly.
These two conditions can be met in any order, so one may find it useful to get Italy's cores from Austria before spherering everyone. This gives Two Siciles a land border with Sardinia-Piedmont and Modena, making it easier to gain influence on them. However, it's recommended that one have at least sphered the Papal State by this point, because military access is needed to reach Austria. If one chooses not to call the Papal States to war immediately one can dodge in and out of "safe" territory if a larger Austrian army arrives.
If all this sounds too daunting, one may receive a "Crown from the Gutter" event because one of the other Italian states as fallen to Garabaldis rebels. It allows Two Sicilies to unite Italy. However, this event will does have a tedency to choose Sardinia-Piedmont instead of Two Sicilies, so it might be the end of the game, if one is unlucky.
Italia Irredenta!
Once Italy is formed one can enact the Italia Irredenta decision that gives cores on three more Austrian states including 
Venice. Assuming Austria is already beaten once it should not be a problem to do it again.
After a few wars, Italy now is its proper size! The world lies ahead!