So Gallia is the bad guy because Bretonia is stubborn it won't surrender...wait what?

[VincentX]

Taking a whole system with a pretty industrial planet and holding it against the game's largest navy for over two decades now while marching through the Gallic Borderworlds and opening up two minefields on the two ends of it are not things I'd say "some guys huddled together" could accomplish at all. The GRN does just what you described, as they couldn't do much more so far, except they can't prevent supplies reaching Champagne, else the resistance would have "starved to death" in mere months already.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying they're 'weak' in absolute terms, I'm saying they're weak in comparison. Yes, it takes a certain amount of strength to keep a system and a planet. Doesn't mean they're up to the task of doing anything more against an empire that's succesfully putting down a rebellion AND taking on an entire House. ... In comparison, huddled together in a corner is exactly what they are right now. Doesn't mean it can't turn around.

It is planned, except that it won't be an external factor, but a fresh propaganda campaign* started by The Council itself. Add to this that GRN is pouring more forces into Sirius (there's your power vacuum), with that the stalemate around Champagne is likely to turn to favor The Council.

Call me a cynic because I don't believe in 'propaganda campaigns'. But whatever, I don't really care thát much about the reasons, as long as something happens to get things moving there.

[Thyrzul]

In my book "successfully putting down a rebellion" means finishing off all those rebels and discouraging all those who might have wanted to. By that definition, the rebellion (or revolution, we all know it's just a matter of perspective) is not put down, the civil war is not over yet. Gallia's royalists has been in a stalemate with The Council on the frontiers around Champagne even before the Sirian campaign started, diverting more attention and military assets to Sirius may lead to a good few flaws and gaps in royalist defenses in Lorraine, Burgundy, Lyonnais... and eventually in Picardy too. The balance is slowly falling over favoring the Champagne Battlegroup of The Council.

In comparison to the whole GRN they are weak yet, but it is continuously (but slowly) changing in favor of The Council. And not just at military strenght, changes are happening at popularity too. You know, propaganda campaigns are quite handy for that, catalysing said "popular revolt" you've been talking about earlier, and once you fueled the anger of the people up enough against the noblemen all they need is some confidence pumped into them so that they'll believe they can make a change if they act en masse. And then you'll have those fleets switching sides you mentioned earlier. But of course you are free to believe in what you want.

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