My hopes were to finish my USA GC, but due to my clumsiness I lost the saved game; then I would start an AAR with Ottoman Empire. Well, I still want more experience, so I have been toying with the idea of starting a French GC which will allow me to better understand colonization, military endeavors and of course the chain of events from start to finish.
Since I am not going to go into files and start reading them, I figured I'd ask about the chain of events for France. I searched, but could not find any list. I am most concerned about the first 10 years of the GC. To my knowledge, the big events are: 1) Napoleon III declares the Second French Empire, 2) French intervention in the Crimean War and 3) the Franco-Austrian war of 1859 for Italian Independence. I will add a fourth (and most important one) - the later Franco-Prussian War.
My concerns are, do I need to do particular things to set off these events or will they occur on their own? And am I missing any other important events?
As for Napoleon, I assume it will happen within a timeframe. I also assume that my participation in the Crimean War will depend on a defensive alliance with Russia (or will a crisis develop that may allow for intervention?) Playing 17 years as the USA precluded me from entering and crises, so I am not to sure how that has changed from version 1.01. From what I've seen, the Italian War for Independence won't occur without heavy intervention by a human player as Austria is so strong, so I assume I need to have a defensive alliance with S-P (or can a crisis start the war?) Finally, do I need to do something in particular to start the Franco-Prussian war (or not do something?
Any advise on these issues and others would greatly help me to plot my strategies and enjoy the game by triggering events.