Prologue: World War 1 and its aftermath
The First World War is said to be the war fought against Iroquai expansionism and its allies, lasting from 1009 BC to 969 BC, a war that eventually grew to involve the nations of Celtonia, France, the United States, Germany, and to a lesser extent, the Hittite Empire and the Viking lands, all on one side - and the (former) Iroquai Empire and the Byzantine Empire on the other side.
This First World War may never have reached such a level of violence had it not been for the attack upon the United States made by the Iroquai, after their joint defeat of Germany. Up until that point, the USA and the Iroquai made a formidable alliance that could easily have dominated their continent.
If this alliance had survived, the two nations had the potential to overtake Celtonia in technology and industry, with the gains in land and resources they had made. The alliance would have been in a good position to attack the French, and it is doubtful whether France would have been able to survive. It is difficult to see how Celtonia could have done much about the situation even if it later came to war.
However, as events turned out, the Iroquai Empire, the slightly stronger partner of the alliance, turned on their former ally shortly after the war with Germany ended. The Iroquai also abandoned a balanced industrial and scientific development, and embraced militaristic fascist ideology. This was a major turning point of history, that lead to the short lived Iroquai Empire, the liberation of Germany, and sowed the seeds for the Second World War with the rise of Frances own Fascist Empire.
Nations at the end of the First World War:
Iroquai Their shortlived Empire was gone at the end of WW1, but the Iroquai homelands had been virtually untouched, apart from the diamond producing area of Cattaraugus, now in Celtic hands, and their only overseas colony of Akwesane, now a Celtic naval base. They remained a fascist state, perhaps military stronger than the USA individually, but their reserves of troops were exhausted. Atrocities committed against home populations under fascist rule reduced their population and their economy.
Germany All traditionally German lands were returned to German rule in the years after WW1. However, these lands had been devastated by war and fascist atrocities and were virtually depopulated. Due to continuing tensions, the German government decided to remain in exile in Vilacamba on the east coast of the Celtic Home Continent, half a world away. This further slowed the recovery of this nation. As a result, Germany could still not be considered an effective nation at this time.
USA Because the Iroquai quickly took over all of the land the USA had originally conquered from the Germans, in the early days of WW1, the Iroquai had been seen as the sole enemy to the liberation of Germany. The role the USA in the original attack on that country was largely forgotten. The reputation of the USA and relations with Celtonia recovered as they were now seen as brave fighters for freedom against fascism. The USA remained strong at the end of the war with a communist government. Lost territory was liberated and returned to the USA by the Celts at the end of the war, but much of this land was in ruins.
France they had gained only moderately from the recent war, which had cost them dear in terms of casualties. They were still stronger than any other nation on the Other Continent, with the old Viking lands on their continent and now parts of ancient Aztec lands under their control. The war seemed to lead to disillusionment in France, and Fascist ideology began to grow in popularity there. The new French government planned to conquer more territory.
Spain almost all of the ethnic Spanish lands were declared independent in the closing days of WW1. Some modernisation (the building of railroads etc) had begun under Celtic occupation but the country was still under-developed.
Byzantium The aggressive stance and actions of their imperial government had resulted in on/off Celtic occupation and military raids in northern and eastern Byzantium for decades. This inevitably weakened their economy, and lead to the defeat of their land and naval forces on several occasions. They still longed to settle the score with the other old enemy, the Hittites, but they would have to go against Celtic home forces to achieve this.
Hittites The last nation to seriously threaten the Celts at home, they had never recovered from their defeat in the great cavalry battles, hundreds of years ago, a war that had also began the great feud between the Hittites and the Byzantines (the Celts handed over captured Hittite land to the Byzantines, leading to war between the two nations for centuries). They were fairly weak in industry and resources, and continually troubled by the more prosperous and numerous Byzantines in the north. The Dutch also threatened their borders to the east.
Inca and Maya Despite Celtic efforts to improve relations, these nations remained uncooperative and bitterly hostile to the Celtic dominance of the Home Continent. Militarily, they were both fairly weak nations, and economically undeveloped by the standards of the leading powers. Both nations had stayed out of recent wars. The Inca had once maintained a great ancient empire that wiped the Portuguese from history, and threatened the early Celtic and Mayan nations with a similar fate, but their empire was destroyed in the famous battles of ancient times. Ironically they survived as a nation to this day only with help from the Celts. The Mayans had been treated perhaps too harshly in the past, loosing a great deal territory to the Celts and Dutch.
Vikings Years of aggressive, arrogant, and unwise military actions had led to serious defeats at the hands of the USA, France, and Celtonia. The once globe-spanning Scandinavian Kingdom was now reduced to just part of the island of Gotland, and only three major cities. Beserker troops continued to defend this land aggressively to ensure Viking survival, but they had no power outside of their own borders. Their ancient homelands, on the nearby continent, were now firmly in the middle of the French Empire.
Holland The Dutch, at one stage in history almost conquered by the Mayas, had grown in strength over the centuries, staying out of WW1. Previously seen as a peaceful and rational country, the Celts had aided them, handing over territory captured from the warlike Maya and Inca. The Celts also gave technology and strategic resources to their only friend at home. However, the Celts now grew increasingly suspicious of even the Dutch intentions as it looked like they planned the conquest of more territory.
Celtonia The nation remained strong after the end of WW1, although Spain was no longer occupied, a foothold had gained in the old Aztec lands. Under Communism, Celtic territory was well controlled and corruption was low, but economic growth was slowed. The northern Celtic homeland was untouched by war and was still one of the most industrious and prosperous areas of the world, this was sharp contrast to far-flung outposts with minimal development that made up half the territory.
Celtonia was a nation taking on many roles for itself global peacekeeper, leading technological and industrial nation, leading military power - it seemed impossible for the communist government to achieve them all. Pro-Democracy, anti-occupation and anti-war sentiments were growing all the time, especially amongst the non-Celtic citizens.
Technology of the inter-war years:
Virtually all nations used the same tried-and-tested tactics of massed cavalry attacks to make gains, which would be backed up by infantry carrying breech-loading rifles. The sailing frigate remained the standard warship at sea. Cannon batteries were occasionally used in defence or for attacking tough targets. The same tactics had now been used for over a century or more.
Celtic technology was becoming slightly more advanced, with new troop tactics being designed (such as trench warfare) and new infantry weapons. Modern Celtic infantry divisions were superior, especially in defence, but upgrading the extensive infantry force to the new standards was to take many years. New Celtic artillery had twice the range of older guns used throughout the world, and the Celts now had more artillery than any other nation, although older cannons still made up the majority of this force.
At sea, the Celts had used Ironclads throughout WW1 to good effect, and no other nation had yet produced their own ironclads. Nonetheless, the Celts were already working on new, faster and better-armed ship designs, which would forever outclass the old frigates.
It was hoped technological advances would balance out the shortage of troops needed for any new global war, but this was yet to be proven.
Inter-War Years: The Road to World War 2
There was no real end to the violence that began in WW1. A complex set of alliances and military pacts now criss-crossed the world. Battles continued with a number of small wars and skirmishes almost everywhere outside of Celtic occupied lands. Only from the Celtic perspective was there a break in the fighting. WW2 can really be seen as a second major part in the same era of global conflict.
The growing expansionism of the Dutch at home was worrying, and they would capture Hittite and Mayan territory and threaten the Inca in the coming years. But the main threat was the French. They had been a crucial ally against the Iroquai, but relations had already begun to grow tense.
Back in 972 BC, while WW1 was still reaching its end, France had officially declared a new Fascist government, with a considerable industry, economy and military under its command. Shortly afterward, before peace was even signed with the Iroquai, it seems there was a conspiracy to trick the newly independent Spain into declaring war against France, which then overran the country. Spain had no time to raise an army since independence, and superior French numbers and tactics quickly overran its few soldiers. Celtic hopes for the re-emergence of Spain as a rational, modern nation were destroyed as the country was further ravaged and virtually depopulated by the French invasion. A home for the exiled Spanish government was provided by Celtonia, which ceded the ex-Viking island colony of Molde. The French took no interest.
It is a sad note in history that the Celts did nothing to stop the fall of Spain, which was left to the mercy of the new fascists. Appeasement, however, seemed like a good choice of action, as the Celts were still exhausted from WW1, many forces had been sent home, and production had switched from weapons to economic development. Remaining Celtic forces in the Other Continent were badly positioned to fight the French forces, who were blatantly marching all over their occupation zone in the ancient Aztec lands and beyond. Also, there was still bitterness between the Spanish and the Celts from their long war over a century previously. France had recently been a friend and ally. Surely, it was hoped, the French would at last settle down to rebuild and develop their new lands in peace?
It is during these years that Celtonia created its own Wonders of the World for the first time. Universal suffrage was granted in one of Celtonias biggest cities, where the voting rights of all citizens of age were guaranteed for the first time (even though there was little voting under the communist rule). Ground-breaking new theories were also being discussed in the universities of the capitol, concerning evolution and biology, changing the way people looked at the world. These events would later be called Wonders of the World in recognition of the effect they had on social and scientific thinking. Celtonia was proud to become one of the worlds most enlightened nations.
These intellectual achievements would soon be forgotten, as all attentions would soon be on war once again.
The final blow to hopes of lasting peace came when the French forces somehow took control of Oil Springs, an Iroquai city deep inside Iroquai territory, along with a large area of Iroquai territory. Details were sketchy, somehow it seemed French forces had sneaked into the Iroquai lands or had somehow subverted the city. Cleary, the French planned to break the Iroquai simultaneously from within and from without. Other French forces began to attack the Iroquai, striking out from the shared border with occupied Spain.
For the Celtic high command, this was all too much. For years, French forces had been marching all over the Celtic held territory of the Other Continent. They used it as a staging ground for their military outrages against Spain, and now more troops where marching through on their way to the Iroquai. This insult, and the display by the French of the clear intention to overrun the Iroquai nation was all too much to accept.
A last attempt at diplomacy was made, asking for the French to give up their against the Iroquai, but the offer was flatly refused.
The French forces had hardly stopped attacking other countries since WW1 and it seemed they where now determined to conquer the whole of their continent. Would the USA or Germany, which the Celts had fought so hard to liberate, also soon be threatened? The high council decided that the rest of that continent would be spared Spains fate as outrage and defiance replaced appeasement.
There had been barely 15 years of peace. In late 954 BC, although not fully prepared, Celtonia finally demanded that the French Empire withdraw all of their interloping troops from the Celtic Territory or face the consequences. Everyone knew, this was equivalent to a declaration of war. And so, World War 2 had begun
