6. Spain
Spain’s decline has historically started in XVII century, but some will say that the downfall had happened before even. Spanish Armada was severely decimated in 1588, and that was a crippling blow for a country looking to maintain its overseas colonies. In 1700, at the beginning of the grand campaign, Spain still held vast territories under its rule. You start the game with 9 regions under your control and established foothold in North American theater of war. However, the country is trailing behind its technologically advanced opponents due to both heavy religious influence over the centuries and the lack of a capable leader. Furthermore, regions like Flanders, Sardinia, North and South Italy are cut off from the Iberian peninsula and might soon fall into enemy hands. This makes Spain hard to play with initially, but a capable commander could turn the tides of fate into his own hands.
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