How to prevent bankruptcy?

[AGaming]

Playing as Great Britain in my first proper Napoleon campaign and my economy is a mess. The Duke of Wellington's army consists of himself, 4 dragoons, 3 artillery pieces, and the rest of the Army being Line Infantry. I have Horatio Nelson currently stationed in Gibraltar awaiting repairs on his fleet after the victories over the French Navy, and nowhere else do I have any military units, simply because I disbanded them all due to my economy. Disbanding any more units would be like saying to the French, come and get me, and if I raise taxes, I shall have a rebellion on my hands.

All trade routes are secure, and I really cannot see any way I can get out of this.

Wasn't Britain suppose to be some Economical Superpower back then?

[eXistenZ]

you got a lot of trade nodes that you can easily occupy before anyone else

[Steph]

Improve roads, farms, mines, markets, trading ports, etc.
Improve administrative center.
Built trading ships and send them to trade nodes (it's not sufficient to hold them, you need trade ship).

[AGaming]

Thanks for the help. Was too late to save the campaign however, as I was defeated in a rebellion. However, in my new campaign, things are going pretty smoothly.

[Lord Mov]

Improve roads, improve ports, make sure to have as many trade agreements as possible, don't keep large standing armies in provinces that are well insulated, in times of peace reduce your standing army size

[Adreno]

Also save up cash in case trade gets blocked

[Coleus]

The key for GB is in the first turn. You won't be needing an army for the time being as your immediate concern is to sink the main battlefleets of the UP, France and Spain. My policy is to disband all troops that I can recruit and keep those that I can't (so you'll be keeping the generals, KOGL infantry, the 9lb cannons and the light infantry). Immediately upgrade your uni and your dock at Portsmouth and start selling tech and trade rights to anybody who will buy. I also give Gibraltar to the Portuguese (in exchange for money and military access) as it stops it falling into Spanish hands and you can buy/trade it back later.

You should also be building a trade port in Glasgow and a dock in Ireland; start spamming out trade ships to occupy those nodes. Once you've sunk the enemy fleets, you can park Nelson at the straits of Gibraltar and watch your trade surplus grow. Once you're making about 7-8k a turn you should start recruiting your armies to invade Spain, if you're playing historically.

If you follow these instructions you won't go bankrupt and you'll be able to gift money to Austria and Prussia, who will desperately need it by turn 20.

Good luck.

[Steph]

The golden rule to avoid bankrupcy

"Have income superior to expenses"

"Why didn't I think about that earlier ?"

[ComradeH]

As people above said, internal development is pretty easy for England since you're an island. You have enough time to get your economy sorted.

[money]

Do better in tactics, that way you won't need so many units. I suggest investing in artillery which will allow you to destroy the enemy before they get to you and do too much damage.

[codeydbw]

As Britain, do not rush to invade at all. It says it in the faction description, that Britain needs to prepare before it can help, that is very true. As Britain, the best way to raise your economy is simple. First, send Nelson's Fleet down to destroy the Dutch Navy, then you can either fight the French Navy or return to a port in England for repairs, it's your choice.

The main objective here, is to destroy the Dutch, Spanish and French navy, as well as destroying the Spanish Navy near the Trade Node by Ireland. Then guard the small choke point between the bottom of the map and Gibraltar. Also, blockade the Northern French, Dutch and Spanish ports with a sloop. Without these ports, they will have no ability to combat your navy or even invade you. Defend the choke point with Nelson and build up Gibraltar to prevent the Spanish from taking it.

So at this point, all of your ports are safe, build as many Trade Ports as possible and build Merchantmen. You will have free access to the 4 Trade Nodes north of Britain, the 1 west of Ireland and all the Trade Nodes down the side of the straits of Gibraltar.