das
Regeneration In Process
Thlayli:
Please.
Symphony D. said:
Please.
Alternate History Thread III
- Thread starter Luckymoose
- Start date
Insane_Panda
Deity
Yes. Please. Definately.
Go for it!
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
Insane_Panda said:Yes. Please. Definately.
Go for it!
I like being conquered.
das
Regeneration In Process
Good, well then, Azale, what do you need again? Eco. centers and stats?
Btw, what rules do you intend to use.
Btw, what rules do you intend to use.
Cool beans. Everyone's used to that system anyway.
On another note: as soon as I get to das Wochenende, I am fixated on writing a new althist of classical persuasion, or maybe trying to further the old Middle Ages one. It will happen, though.
This time.
On another note: as soon as I get to das Wochenende, I am fixated on writing a new althist of classical persuasion, or maybe trying to further the old Middle Ages one. It will happen, though.
This time.
das
Regeneration In Process
The 1780s have often been thought of as quiet times; indeed, when compared to the 1790s - and far moreso to 1770s or 1800s - they often seemed peaceful, boring and inconsequential. But these traits, especially the latter, are scarcly appliable to any time; and indeed, much less to the 1780s than to many, many other decades.
According to a more accurate description, if the 1790s were years of the initial moves on the chessboard of the world, while the 1800s were the culminative years of the decisive moves, then the 1780s were a time when the chessboard was being set up, the figures placed and the very first moves made. In the 1770s, the world was shaken and realigned; the changes inflicted to the geopolitical order were completed by the rise of a brand new generation of leaders in the 1780s. This new generation only begun to act then and in the 1790s; and in the 1800s, these new leaders would clash, first in diplomacy and intrigues, and then, through the analogous "young guard" of the European militaries, on the battlefields of a new general European war...
But back then, though the issues that would cause it were already in existance, and the inevitability of the eventual war obvious, it was still far away, while the previous war had already passed away; now was a time between the wars, a time of recovery... and preparation.
Still, it was a comparatively quiet time. It would be best to go over its events in the same manner as we went over the state of the world in the year 1780, beginning with North America.
In North America, colonization and development of the existing colonies went on. In the northwestern extreme, Russian commercial presence grew; a permanent trade outpost was established in 1786, in the Three Saints Bay; several more followed, spurred on by the new Emperor's unhealthy expansionism. To the south, the Spanish continued their far-reaching administrative reforms, creating the Vice-Royalty of Louisiana as colonists settled along the Mississippi. French control over Quebec was consolidated, as was the British control over Prince Rupert's Land; some border clashes insued. Meanwhile, despite some remaining local separatism, the remaining British Maritimes and New England were incorporated into the Commonwealth directly and subdivided into boroughs; the same was eventually repeated in New York, but considerable protest was encountered in Pennsylvania, where separatism only grew, despite the fear of Franco-Spanish encroachment.
That encroachment indeed continued; as Spanish colonists arrived in Louisiana and French - in Quebec, the past problems of underpopulation soon begun threatening to turn into ones of overpopulation; though this did not occur yet, already fur traders, hunters and the more adventerous of the colonists ventured east (or south), into the Ohio Valley; and from the east, British colonists poured in as well. Allying with the Amerinds as usual, the French hindered British expansion in the Great Lakes region; soon a genuine border war commenced, although curiously not spilling out either to the Georgo-British border or to Europe, or even to the seas (well, apart from a few lesser clashes there). Franco-Amerind forces won a key battle at Pittsburgh, and several naval skirmishes in the Lake Erie. After an international crisis, the British had to accept western borders similar to those of the "1763 Proclamation Line", opening vast areas for Franco-Spanish trade and eventually settlement; in Birmingham, hopes were entertained that this frustration and the clarity of French menace would scare Pennsylvania into submission, but this plan backfired as the Pennsylvanians were outraged at this perceived betrayal (although technically they were forced back to the Proclamation Line in any case, militarily), and nearly seceded. It was still kept in line for now, as all the other British North American colonies were also incorporated, thus isolating Pennsylvania politically in case of a rebellion; however, Pennsylvania continued to drift away from Birmingham, both because of the former's separatism, but also because it already became a hotbed of political radicalism, as opposed to the demcoratic conservatism that reigned supreme in the Commonwealth.
Georgia lingered on, despite continued revolts, chiefly in Virginia which was in a state of permanent rebellion, with partisans roaming through the countryside.
Despite occasional slave revolts and naval incidents, all was quiet in the Carribean. In South America, a series of neo-Incan revolts were put down; Spanish relations with the Amerinds were worsened even further, but the Creoles, who also suffered during the revolt, became rather more loyal. Hispanno-Portuguese border clashes, especially in the region of Banda Oriental, resumed after a decade of peace.
In Britain itself, fast-paced industrialization and economic recovery continued; also, ofcourse, Britain rebuilt its fleet - both the commercial one and the military one. Domestically, the Radicals took power under Charles James Fox for 1782-1784, expanding suffrage and controversially abolishing the House of Lords; the latter measure passed through just barely, but after it the Moderates, still led by Edmund Burke, came to power again; not rescinding any previous reforms, they introduced few new ones, apart from some economical liberalization and the integration of New England and Ireland into the British political system. The latter resulted in an Irish revolt, which however was defeated quite quickly. In foreign policies, ties were renewed with Portugal, increasingly fearful of Spanish encroachment, and reaffirmed with Prussia. Mutual Anglo-Prussian intervention defeated a new Patriot revolution in Holland, but then forced the stadholder to introduce some (fairly limited) reforms and sell several colonies (Britain bought Padang - and most of the western Sumatran coast along with it - and the island of Sumba, Prussia bought the Dutch trade posts and factories on the Gold Coast). A tariff war with France occured (this increased the Irish grievances, as the tariff war was caused by the growth of physiocratic France's agricultural exports, particularily to the starving Ireland). As far as colonial and commercial expansion went, as already implied by the Dutch purchases, the British, instead of trying to recover their positions in the mainland India, continued to secure their positions in the East Indies; they also established an increasing trading presence in both Canton and Macao.
Meanwhile, France's domestic problems were resolved after a series of crises and riots, sometimes detiriorating into open armed clashes between the populace and the Privileged; the latter, though better-armed, were outnumbered and defeated in the streets, and finally, cowed by the chasm of revolution opening up before him, Louis XVI once more gave in, this time - to Honore-Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, at the same time a supporter of monarchy and of reform, and, how ever scandalous and shunned (until now, ofcourse), a nobleman, who now became Prime Minister of France; under his lead, the parlement was reformed along British lines, yet the king still retained great power and influence; gradual land reform was introduced, and privileges of the aristocracy and the clergy were generally curtailed, although politely and with compensation. In economy, physiocratic reforms continued, buoyed by the rise of a free farmer class. Meanwhile, France's in the greater world attention was also turned chiefly to extra-European affairs; ties with Egypt were increased, and advisors helped Murad Bey modernize and hold on to power; similar assistance went to the young Tippu Sultan (heir to Hydar Ali). Settlement of New France, expanded to the other side of the Great Lakes, continued; new trade outposts in West Africa, Madagascar (which was by then a patchwork of small French puppet states) and southeastern India; explorers travelled through the Pacific Ocean and in the Terra Australis.
Spain continued its resurgence; administrative reforms and defeat of Amerind rebels strenghthened Spanish positions in the American colonies, the fleet was reformed and took part - along with a large Italian coalition, notably including Tuscany and Naples (and, ofcourse, Malta) - in a series of expeditions against the Barbary Coast pirates, defeating the pirate fleet in several battles and capturing the city of Tlemcen; the Spanish not only retained it by the eventual peace treaty, but also forced the North African rulers to withdraw all support for the Berber pirates; Carlos III's popularity in Spain and in the rest of Europe grew monumentally, and Mediterranean trade begun to pick up again, and along with it - Catalonia's economy. Triumphant in both main directions of its foreign policies, Spain nevertheless remained a loyal French ally, though occasionally tempted by British and Austrian entreaties.
Portugal continued to stagnate quietly, under the increasingly-senile Queen Maria I, who nevertheless was persuaded to reconcile with Britain in order to save her realm from Spanish annexation in the face of the eastern neighbour's resurgence.
As already mentioned, the United Provinces of Holland were still in crisis, the Oranje stadholder's power resting merely on the bayonets of the Anglo-Prussian troops and the cowardice of the defeated burghers, strenghthened by the oft-decried "Orange Terror". Dutch naval and commercial power was never weaker; the colonial empire was, as also already mentioned, being sold away, and Dutch influence eveywhere collapsed; Sudafrika, under the corrupt governor of Kaapstad, Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, attained undeclared, unacknowledged independence; the rest of Dutch East Indies was little better, especially the VOC was paralyzed by bankruptcy and clashes with the stadholder over the selling of its outposts. The Dutch colonial empire was rotten.
The Danish Prince Regent Frederik, and his Prime Minister Andreas Peter Bernstorff, took power after a bloodless coup d'etat against the insane King Kristian VII's reactionary advisors; although this meant that the Reaction was over, Denmark-Norway both maintained - somewhat warily after Pavel I's ascension - its Russophilic orientation in foreign policy and didn't introduce much radical reform at home; nevertheless, mild liberalization took place, as did French-inspired agricultural reforms (Physiocratism was still all the rage in European academic circles, despite some skepticism in Britain, led by an ex-Physiocrat named Adam Smith). Also, a limited rapproachment with Britain took place, even though in the conditions of detiriorating Anglo-Russian relations this was a risky move for a country like Denmark.
Most changes in Sweden were chiefly quantitive ones; the economic boom continued, though it begun to run out of steam, and some more enlightened domestic reforms occured. Gustav III did experiment with parliamentary government again, but was forced to dismiss the uncooperative Diet after a year with surprisingly little furor. Even as the Swedish colonial empire was rising far overseas, however, the Swedish politicans continued to daydream about Baltic supremacy and revanche against the Russians. Thus as Russo-Prussian relations detiriorated, Sweden signed several trade agreements with Prussia, combined with a secret mutual protection protocol...
Not much apparently changed in the internal interrelations of the sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire since 1780. Belgium remained diverse and disparate, its attempts to annex Liege and/or the Cologne Electorate - acts that would have brought the state together geographically - blocked by threats of French intervention. Prussia, under the ageing Friedrich II, continued to undergo various reforms, most notably a renewed effort at universal education, some administrative reforms and less succesful social experiments (that nonetheless allowed the final abolition of serfdom, boosting the manpower pool at the price of instability and weakening of the vital Junker class). Austria's ruler Josef II was an even more ambitious reformer; the Austrian military was reorganized along the Prussian lines, serfdom was abolished (causing a Hungarian revolt that was put down with Prussian help), wide-reaching administrative and educational reforms (including a partial secularization) took place, and bureaucratization was enacted. Other states achieved little of note, apart from some liberal and enlightened reforms done by Brunswick-Hannover.
Despite this deviancy in internal development, and the retention of Austro-Prussian dualism, the Russian threat remained potent enough to safeguard the Kaunitzian system and the Imperial solidarity; with the death of Maria Theresa, the Austrian and Prussian governments grew ever more vociferous in their cries for a Partition of Poland; yet both Catherine II and Pavel I rejected this in no uncertain terms - the former quite politely, the latter - harshly and rudely. In 1788 this nearly led to a war, but the sudden intervention of France on the side of "a sovereign and undivided" - and Russian-guarded - Poland gave the Germans a pause; a war with France AND Russia was a nightmare scenario for both Josef II and Friedrich II.
Josefian reforms continued in the Habsburg-ruled Lombardy and Tuscany - even more sweeping and far-reaching than the reforms in Austria, at first anyway, until some of the Tuscanian nobility launched an active revolt; though it was defeated before achieving anything, Josef decided to be more careful from now on. In Savoy, Vittorio Amadeo III's inept rule (and that of his equally-inept minsters) continued, the country entering stagnation and its once-great army detiriorating. Genoa underwent a slight resurgence of its fortunes by investing in France's prosperity; however, the Genoese plans to take over the French economy had backfired, and instead the city-state itself was overran with French merchants and exports, increasingly turning into a French puppet state. Modena meanwhile became an Austrian puppet due to dynastic marriage and Austrian assistance against republican rebels - the Austro-Modenan alliance increased the tensions in Italy, as it threatened the Bourbon Spanish possessions of Parma and Guastalla. As the various Italian nations took sides, Venice sided with neither the Bourbons nor the Habsburgs - officially it retained neutrality, but it clearly favoured Russia and Byzantium due to trade ties with them. Already, some secret plans for a "hypothetic" partition of Austria were made. The Papal States continued their pro-French allegience after a failed attempt to reconcile with Austria (the relations were complicated by the Josefian secularization); meanwhile, curiously enough, the Kingdom of Naples (more concerned for its geopolitical than dynastic situation due to the Austrophile John Acton's influence), though cooperating closely with Spain in its North African campaigns (briefly capturing Tunis), had improved relations with Austria, introducing some reforms (chiefly military and educational) that were clearly Josefian in inspiration, spoiling Neapolitan relations with the Pope.
Stanislaw II in Poland used the Russian instability after Catherine's death and complications in Russia's relations with Prussia and Austria to try and break free from Russian rule; he had temporary success, introducing a new constitution and negotiating some initial treaties with France; however, the Polish bid for an alliance with France had backfired badly, alienating the Austro-Prussians and forcing Pavel I's hand; also, the liberal, centralizing reforms were highly unpopular amongst the nobility, who launched a pro-Russian rebellion. Stanislaw II tried to fight back against the Russian invasion of 1785, but despite brave resistance of his levies they were inevitably overran by the Russians. Encouraged by the initial defeats of their monarch, the noble pans launched a coup d'etat led by Stanislaw Szcezny Potocki; the coup succeeded, reforms were rolled back,.peasants and patriots beaten into submission with Russian help and alliance with France cancelled - in exchange, the Russians agreed to guarantee Poland's sovereignity in its present borders (precipitating the 1788 crisis). With Potocki as Regent (King Stanislaw II having been exiled to Saxony), Poland's aristocracy became stronger than ever before - as did Poland's ties with Russia.
In the Byzantine Empire, these were the last years of the Regency, as young Constantine - Konstantinos X Romanus - grew up and already moved to Constantinople. There, Alexandros Ypsilantis no doubt did at some point entertain some plans of breaking away and taking the crown for himself, but after the disastrous failure of his 1784 invasion of Egypt the Regent decided to sit quietly at home and concentrate on domestic reform, having to hide behind the Russian bayonets again when several republican and Turkish revolts broke out in the wake of the debacle. The Byzantine Empire thus continued to be at best a junior partner of the Russian Empire, although by now it wasn't really as fragile as it seemed, with a fairly competent bureaucratic network.
The last four years of Catherine the Great's reign in Russia saw continued reforms and colonization of Siberia and New Russia; there were also a few mostly-inconsequential revolts by the native peoples of Siberia. Catherine the Great had intended to pass on the throne to her second grandson Nikolai (the first one having already taken the Byzantine throne, though only in name for now), but in 1784 she suddenly died, probably poisoned by her increasingly-bitter son, Pavel I. The eccentric and militaristic new ruler immediately won the hatred of the enlightened nobility due to his persistant and outrageous efforts to make them actually do something. Disgusted, Pavel soon begun stripping the old nobility of many of its privileges, and at the same time encouraging the elevation of the military aristocracy, which became the fundament for his reign. After defeating several conspiracies, Pavel backed that fundament up by creating a secret police system; at the same time, major administrative overhauls took place, and self-sustaining "military settlements" were set up to help supply Pavel's military build-up (which, at the price of straining the Russian economy and especially agriculture, turned Russia's army into the largest in Europe; this new army, despite later downsizing when the harm to the economy became apparent, didn't show itself too well on the battlefields of Lithuania and Kazakhstan, but its numbers more than made up for any deficiency in quality). Meanwhile, a belated surge of mercantilism and overseas expansion took place, with tariff wars with Prussia and the creation of Russian settlements in Alaska and Sakhalin. The Russian forces, as already implied, had invaded and conquered much of Kazakhstan; Erekle II of Georgia had abdicated in Pavel I's favour as well, further strenghthening the Russians in the Caucasian region (which resulted in a fairly indecisive war with the Zand Persians).
To sum up, Europe's diplomatic situation was quite uncertain, but generally historians tend to outline three key power blocks - the Franco-Spanish alliance (later termed the "Bourbon Powers", or "Western Powers"), the Austro-Prussian alliance (the "Central Powers") and the Russo-Polono-Byzantine alliance (the "Eastern Powers") - some also mention an Anglo-Portuguese "naval league". The other powers, including Britain, either tried to retain neutrality and mobility, either joined one of the three power blocs (sometimes defecting from one to another). This situation was highly-explosive, and already then von Kaunitz had grimly and correctly predicted that "some damn foolish thing in Poland" will put Europe aflame; however, perhaps miracilously, peace was retained for several decades - though it would be more realistic to attribute this to the distractive domestic and/or colonial preoccupations of the great powers.
As was already mentioned, North Africa came under several European attacks in this decade; although at some point in the 1780s almost each of the key cities of North Africa's coast (sans most of Morocco) was held by one European power or another, in the end the Europeans either proved to have insufficient manpower and logistics to hold what they had captured, either had gravely underestimated the power of their enemies. While the Barbary Coast pirates were easily reined in by the Spanish-led raids which took Tlemcen as a trophy, in Egypt the Byzantines were defeated by Murad Bey's French-reformed army in the Battle at Kafr ad Dawwar (just to the southeast from Alexandria). This victory had both ensured Egypt's survival and safety (and allowed it to create a navy of its own) and vindicated Murad Bey's reforming, Francophilic policies, both of which continued. Murad Bey's ambitious counterattack into Anatolia was beaten back with Russian and Venetian help, forcing him to change his plans and instead concentrate on expanding his realms south. In that he was quite succesful, taking over Funj and Yemen and thus establishing control over all the Red Sea ports.
Elsewhere in Africa, a myriad tribal conflicts went unnoticed, as were Segu's and Oyo's military expansions in West Africa and as was Ethiopia's never-ending civil war. As usual, history mostly remembered the deeds of Europeans and those of the Africans who dared interact with them. The most notable development in European Africa in this decade was probably the collapse of Dutch influence, with the sale of Holland's West African colonies with Prussia and the de facto independence of Cornelis Jacob van der Graaff's Sudafrika. Though corrupt, van der Graaff was definitely a fairly competent leader, defeating both the Xhosa invaders and the British expeditionary force, and yet not daring claim official independence to avoid provoking a more serious British or French effort. Fortunately for him, both Britain and France were more busy elsewhere; the British established more colonies in West Africa, most notably Freeland (OTL Sierra Leone) where the freed slaves were settled, and the French defeated various Merina uprisings, gradually taking over Madagascar in a more direct fashion; at the same time, French expansion in the Senegal region took place, chiefly along the river, and more direct trade ties with Segu were established. The Prussians, the Bremeners and the Swedes also established or bought some outposts in southern West Africa, and the Portuguese had also begun to pay more attention to Angola and Mozambique, the former continuing its evolution into a convict colony for the Braganza Dynasty's ever more numerous political enemies (and other criminals).
After the death of Karim Khan Zand in 1782, Persia fell into civil war between the various Zand heirs and other pretenders; although Lotf 'Ali Khan Zand would eventually defeat both the Russian invaders in the north and the Qajar rebels in Persia itself, taking more-or-less secure power in Shiraz in 1787, Zand Persia would by then be so ravaged by this civil war that it would never recover from its effects which devastated the economy and ruined its stability; Lotf 'Ali Khan did defeat the separatist rebels in all of the empire's corners, but though a military genius he wasn't as good at domestic issues and certainly not up to the Herculean task of saving Zand Persia from the doom that he had merely delayed with his actions.
Oman's colonial empire continued to gradually fall apart due to decentralization, coming under French and Portuguese commercial influence.
In India, as both the Afghan and the Maratha empires disintegrated due to feudal and tribal strife, smaller, centralized states with European-trained European-style militaries, such as Maha Singh's Khalistan, rose to greater prominence. Maha Singh, having united the various Sikh tribes into a loose coalition, drove out the Afghans and the Muslim warlords from the key parts of Punjab, creating the kingdom of Khalistan and forging close ties with the Portuguese and the British. Shah Alam II and his minister Najaf Khan presided over a minor Mughal renaissance, retaking Delhi and the surrounding regions, with clandestine French assistance. The Maratha Confederacy fell into disrepair and civil war; in this state it was defeated by the Rajput princes in the north and the energetic new Mysorean ruler the Tippu Sultan in the south; thus contained to northern Deccan, the Maratha Confederacy had failed to rally and regroup, instead breaking up into several states in all but in name. In the wake of Maratha's collapse, a Portuguese-sponsored Sultanate of Gujarat was set up in Gujarat, new Rajput states rose between Rajputana and Narmada, and the British reconquered Bihar; on the southern side, Mysore became larger and stronger than ever before, with the conquest of Travancore and the Nizamate of Hyderabad, plus some Marathan borderlands; however, this empire was increasingly overstretched and difficult to manage. New Swedish and Danish trade outposts appeared in central India and in Ceylon as Dutch authority there collapsed.
In Myanmar and Siam, two visionary new leaders rose to power in 1782 - Bodawpaya in the former, Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) in the latter. Bodawpaya, a religious fanatic who believed himself to be Arimittya (the Buddha destined to conquer the world), introduced far-reaching religious reforms and prohibitions, sponsored vast building projects and conquered Arakan; his campaign against Siam was a failure, however. The far more sane Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok, founder of the Chakkri dynasty, had introduced major reforms in all spheres - patronizing literature, sponsoring a codification of religious and other laws and a general strenghthening of the Buddhist monkhood, reforming the administrative system and modernizing the military with some British assistance; the Siamese army had resisted Chinese incursions, conquered Cambodjia, imposed a vassal ruler in Vientiane and as already mentioned checked Bodawpaya's world conquest plans (for surely had the Siamese failed to do so, Bodawpaya would have become unstoppable and in 1800 the Burmese soldiers would've washed their boots, or whatever they have for footwear, in the Thames; those of you who disagree with this assesment are too weak-willed and caught up in their preconceptions to face teh truth).
In Vietnam, the Tay Sons rebellion and the associated civil wars were finally ended by French intervention, which put Nguyen Phuc Anh, the nephew of the last legitimate claimant (who had by now died), on throne as Emperor Gia Long, an unwilling French puppet that had to allow greater and greater French military and commercial presence in Vietnam under the pretext of defeating the continued peasant revolts in the countryside and defending Vietnam from the Chinese (who invaded in 1787). The British, after failing to prop up the Tay Sons in time, have stepped up their efforts to ally with China; sadly, these efforts bore no fruit yet, and neither did the various British-instigated conspiracies against the French.
To counter the French presence in Vietnam, the British had themselves increased their presence elsewhere in Indochina, allying with Siam and conquering such mainland Malayan states that remained independent until now; also, a presence was established in western Borneo and in western Sumatra after the purchase of Padang. Sweden's influence in Java increased, and trade outposts in southern Sumatra were established.
Qing China was now entering a darker time, with yet-disconnected peasant revolts, growing corruption, and Qianlong's misplaced blind trust in the particularily-corrupt minister Heshen; also, in foreign policies, the Chinese influence in Indochina collapsed due to rise of strong local rulers and a rapid increase in European presence. The economy was in decline, despite the profitable trade with the European nations.
Lastly, Japan under chief minister Matsudaira Sadanobu underwent some moderate Confucian reforms, fostering agriculture and combatting the famines, but crippling the commerce and poisoning relations with Russia after Pavel I's uninvited diplomats were chopped into pieces upon arrival; the Tsar was only barely dissuaded from launching an all-out invasion of Japan by the fact that it was completely unfeasible, Siberian infrastructure being what it is. Still, Japan's opening was now but a matter of time.
According to a more accurate description, if the 1790s were years of the initial moves on the chessboard of the world, while the 1800s were the culminative years of the decisive moves, then the 1780s were a time when the chessboard was being set up, the figures placed and the very first moves made. In the 1770s, the world was shaken and realigned; the changes inflicted to the geopolitical order were completed by the rise of a brand new generation of leaders in the 1780s. This new generation only begun to act then and in the 1790s; and in the 1800s, these new leaders would clash, first in diplomacy and intrigues, and then, through the analogous "young guard" of the European militaries, on the battlefields of a new general European war...
But back then, though the issues that would cause it were already in existance, and the inevitability of the eventual war obvious, it was still far away, while the previous war had already passed away; now was a time between the wars, a time of recovery... and preparation.
Still, it was a comparatively quiet time. It would be best to go over its events in the same manner as we went over the state of the world in the year 1780, beginning with North America.
In North America, colonization and development of the existing colonies went on. In the northwestern extreme, Russian commercial presence grew; a permanent trade outpost was established in 1786, in the Three Saints Bay; several more followed, spurred on by the new Emperor's unhealthy expansionism. To the south, the Spanish continued their far-reaching administrative reforms, creating the Vice-Royalty of Louisiana as colonists settled along the Mississippi. French control over Quebec was consolidated, as was the British control over Prince Rupert's Land; some border clashes insued. Meanwhile, despite some remaining local separatism, the remaining British Maritimes and New England were incorporated into the Commonwealth directly and subdivided into boroughs; the same was eventually repeated in New York, but considerable protest was encountered in Pennsylvania, where separatism only grew, despite the fear of Franco-Spanish encroachment.
That encroachment indeed continued; as Spanish colonists arrived in Louisiana and French - in Quebec, the past problems of underpopulation soon begun threatening to turn into ones of overpopulation; though this did not occur yet, already fur traders, hunters and the more adventerous of the colonists ventured east (or south), into the Ohio Valley; and from the east, British colonists poured in as well. Allying with the Amerinds as usual, the French hindered British expansion in the Great Lakes region; soon a genuine border war commenced, although curiously not spilling out either to the Georgo-British border or to Europe, or even to the seas (well, apart from a few lesser clashes there). Franco-Amerind forces won a key battle at Pittsburgh, and several naval skirmishes in the Lake Erie. After an international crisis, the British had to accept western borders similar to those of the "1763 Proclamation Line", opening vast areas for Franco-Spanish trade and eventually settlement; in Birmingham, hopes were entertained that this frustration and the clarity of French menace would scare Pennsylvania into submission, but this plan backfired as the Pennsylvanians were outraged at this perceived betrayal (although technically they were forced back to the Proclamation Line in any case, militarily), and nearly seceded. It was still kept in line for now, as all the other British North American colonies were also incorporated, thus isolating Pennsylvania politically in case of a rebellion; however, Pennsylvania continued to drift away from Birmingham, both because of the former's separatism, but also because it already became a hotbed of political radicalism, as opposed to the demcoratic conservatism that reigned supreme in the Commonwealth.
Georgia lingered on, despite continued revolts, chiefly in Virginia which was in a state of permanent rebellion, with partisans roaming through the countryside.
Despite occasional slave revolts and naval incidents, all was quiet in the Carribean. In South America, a series of neo-Incan revolts were put down; Spanish relations with the Amerinds were worsened even further, but the Creoles, who also suffered during the revolt, became rather more loyal. Hispanno-Portuguese border clashes, especially in the region of Banda Oriental, resumed after a decade of peace.
In Britain itself, fast-paced industrialization and economic recovery continued; also, ofcourse, Britain rebuilt its fleet - both the commercial one and the military one. Domestically, the Radicals took power under Charles James Fox for 1782-1784, expanding suffrage and controversially abolishing the House of Lords; the latter measure passed through just barely, but after it the Moderates, still led by Edmund Burke, came to power again; not rescinding any previous reforms, they introduced few new ones, apart from some economical liberalization and the integration of New England and Ireland into the British political system. The latter resulted in an Irish revolt, which however was defeated quite quickly. In foreign policies, ties were renewed with Portugal, increasingly fearful of Spanish encroachment, and reaffirmed with Prussia. Mutual Anglo-Prussian intervention defeated a new Patriot revolution in Holland, but then forced the stadholder to introduce some (fairly limited) reforms and sell several colonies (Britain bought Padang - and most of the western Sumatran coast along with it - and the island of Sumba, Prussia bought the Dutch trade posts and factories on the Gold Coast). A tariff war with France occured (this increased the Irish grievances, as the tariff war was caused by the growth of physiocratic France's agricultural exports, particularily to the starving Ireland). As far as colonial and commercial expansion went, as already implied by the Dutch purchases, the British, instead of trying to recover their positions in the mainland India, continued to secure their positions in the East Indies; they also established an increasing trading presence in both Canton and Macao.
Meanwhile, France's domestic problems were resolved after a series of crises and riots, sometimes detiriorating into open armed clashes between the populace and the Privileged; the latter, though better-armed, were outnumbered and defeated in the streets, and finally, cowed by the chasm of revolution opening up before him, Louis XVI once more gave in, this time - to Honore-Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, at the same time a supporter of monarchy and of reform, and, how ever scandalous and shunned (until now, ofcourse), a nobleman, who now became Prime Minister of France; under his lead, the parlement was reformed along British lines, yet the king still retained great power and influence; gradual land reform was introduced, and privileges of the aristocracy and the clergy were generally curtailed, although politely and with compensation. In economy, physiocratic reforms continued, buoyed by the rise of a free farmer class. Meanwhile, France's in the greater world attention was also turned chiefly to extra-European affairs; ties with Egypt were increased, and advisors helped Murad Bey modernize and hold on to power; similar assistance went to the young Tippu Sultan (heir to Hydar Ali). Settlement of New France, expanded to the other side of the Great Lakes, continued; new trade outposts in West Africa, Madagascar (which was by then a patchwork of small French puppet states) and southeastern India; explorers travelled through the Pacific Ocean and in the Terra Australis.
Spain continued its resurgence; administrative reforms and defeat of Amerind rebels strenghthened Spanish positions in the American colonies, the fleet was reformed and took part - along with a large Italian coalition, notably including Tuscany and Naples (and, ofcourse, Malta) - in a series of expeditions against the Barbary Coast pirates, defeating the pirate fleet in several battles and capturing the city of Tlemcen; the Spanish not only retained it by the eventual peace treaty, but also forced the North African rulers to withdraw all support for the Berber pirates; Carlos III's popularity in Spain and in the rest of Europe grew monumentally, and Mediterranean trade begun to pick up again, and along with it - Catalonia's economy. Triumphant in both main directions of its foreign policies, Spain nevertheless remained a loyal French ally, though occasionally tempted by British and Austrian entreaties.
Portugal continued to stagnate quietly, under the increasingly-senile Queen Maria I, who nevertheless was persuaded to reconcile with Britain in order to save her realm from Spanish annexation in the face of the eastern neighbour's resurgence.
As already mentioned, the United Provinces of Holland were still in crisis, the Oranje stadholder's power resting merely on the bayonets of the Anglo-Prussian troops and the cowardice of the defeated burghers, strenghthened by the oft-decried "Orange Terror". Dutch naval and commercial power was never weaker; the colonial empire was, as also already mentioned, being sold away, and Dutch influence eveywhere collapsed; Sudafrika, under the corrupt governor of Kaapstad, Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, attained undeclared, unacknowledged independence; the rest of Dutch East Indies was little better, especially the VOC was paralyzed by bankruptcy and clashes with the stadholder over the selling of its outposts. The Dutch colonial empire was rotten.
The Danish Prince Regent Frederik, and his Prime Minister Andreas Peter Bernstorff, took power after a bloodless coup d'etat against the insane King Kristian VII's reactionary advisors; although this meant that the Reaction was over, Denmark-Norway both maintained - somewhat warily after Pavel I's ascension - its Russophilic orientation in foreign policy and didn't introduce much radical reform at home; nevertheless, mild liberalization took place, as did French-inspired agricultural reforms (Physiocratism was still all the rage in European academic circles, despite some skepticism in Britain, led by an ex-Physiocrat named Adam Smith). Also, a limited rapproachment with Britain took place, even though in the conditions of detiriorating Anglo-Russian relations this was a risky move for a country like Denmark.
Most changes in Sweden were chiefly quantitive ones; the economic boom continued, though it begun to run out of steam, and some more enlightened domestic reforms occured. Gustav III did experiment with parliamentary government again, but was forced to dismiss the uncooperative Diet after a year with surprisingly little furor. Even as the Swedish colonial empire was rising far overseas, however, the Swedish politicans continued to daydream about Baltic supremacy and revanche against the Russians. Thus as Russo-Prussian relations detiriorated, Sweden signed several trade agreements with Prussia, combined with a secret mutual protection protocol...
Not much apparently changed in the internal interrelations of the sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire since 1780. Belgium remained diverse and disparate, its attempts to annex Liege and/or the Cologne Electorate - acts that would have brought the state together geographically - blocked by threats of French intervention. Prussia, under the ageing Friedrich II, continued to undergo various reforms, most notably a renewed effort at universal education, some administrative reforms and less succesful social experiments (that nonetheless allowed the final abolition of serfdom, boosting the manpower pool at the price of instability and weakening of the vital Junker class). Austria's ruler Josef II was an even more ambitious reformer; the Austrian military was reorganized along the Prussian lines, serfdom was abolished (causing a Hungarian revolt that was put down with Prussian help), wide-reaching administrative and educational reforms (including a partial secularization) took place, and bureaucratization was enacted. Other states achieved little of note, apart from some liberal and enlightened reforms done by Brunswick-Hannover.
Despite this deviancy in internal development, and the retention of Austro-Prussian dualism, the Russian threat remained potent enough to safeguard the Kaunitzian system and the Imperial solidarity; with the death of Maria Theresa, the Austrian and Prussian governments grew ever more vociferous in their cries for a Partition of Poland; yet both Catherine II and Pavel I rejected this in no uncertain terms - the former quite politely, the latter - harshly and rudely. In 1788 this nearly led to a war, but the sudden intervention of France on the side of "a sovereign and undivided" - and Russian-guarded - Poland gave the Germans a pause; a war with France AND Russia was a nightmare scenario for both Josef II and Friedrich II.
Josefian reforms continued in the Habsburg-ruled Lombardy and Tuscany - even more sweeping and far-reaching than the reforms in Austria, at first anyway, until some of the Tuscanian nobility launched an active revolt; though it was defeated before achieving anything, Josef decided to be more careful from now on. In Savoy, Vittorio Amadeo III's inept rule (and that of his equally-inept minsters) continued, the country entering stagnation and its once-great army detiriorating. Genoa underwent a slight resurgence of its fortunes by investing in France's prosperity; however, the Genoese plans to take over the French economy had backfired, and instead the city-state itself was overran with French merchants and exports, increasingly turning into a French puppet state. Modena meanwhile became an Austrian puppet due to dynastic marriage and Austrian assistance against republican rebels - the Austro-Modenan alliance increased the tensions in Italy, as it threatened the Bourbon Spanish possessions of Parma and Guastalla. As the various Italian nations took sides, Venice sided with neither the Bourbons nor the Habsburgs - officially it retained neutrality, but it clearly favoured Russia and Byzantium due to trade ties with them. Already, some secret plans for a "hypothetic" partition of Austria were made. The Papal States continued their pro-French allegience after a failed attempt to reconcile with Austria (the relations were complicated by the Josefian secularization); meanwhile, curiously enough, the Kingdom of Naples (more concerned for its geopolitical than dynastic situation due to the Austrophile John Acton's influence), though cooperating closely with Spain in its North African campaigns (briefly capturing Tunis), had improved relations with Austria, introducing some reforms (chiefly military and educational) that were clearly Josefian in inspiration, spoiling Neapolitan relations with the Pope.
Stanislaw II in Poland used the Russian instability after Catherine's death and complications in Russia's relations with Prussia and Austria to try and break free from Russian rule; he had temporary success, introducing a new constitution and negotiating some initial treaties with France; however, the Polish bid for an alliance with France had backfired badly, alienating the Austro-Prussians and forcing Pavel I's hand; also, the liberal, centralizing reforms were highly unpopular amongst the nobility, who launched a pro-Russian rebellion. Stanislaw II tried to fight back against the Russian invasion of 1785, but despite brave resistance of his levies they were inevitably overran by the Russians. Encouraged by the initial defeats of their monarch, the noble pans launched a coup d'etat led by Stanislaw Szcezny Potocki; the coup succeeded, reforms were rolled back,.peasants and patriots beaten into submission with Russian help and alliance with France cancelled - in exchange, the Russians agreed to guarantee Poland's sovereignity in its present borders (precipitating the 1788 crisis). With Potocki as Regent (King Stanislaw II having been exiled to Saxony), Poland's aristocracy became stronger than ever before - as did Poland's ties with Russia.
In the Byzantine Empire, these were the last years of the Regency, as young Constantine - Konstantinos X Romanus - grew up and already moved to Constantinople. There, Alexandros Ypsilantis no doubt did at some point entertain some plans of breaking away and taking the crown for himself, but after the disastrous failure of his 1784 invasion of Egypt the Regent decided to sit quietly at home and concentrate on domestic reform, having to hide behind the Russian bayonets again when several republican and Turkish revolts broke out in the wake of the debacle. The Byzantine Empire thus continued to be at best a junior partner of the Russian Empire, although by now it wasn't really as fragile as it seemed, with a fairly competent bureaucratic network.
The last four years of Catherine the Great's reign in Russia saw continued reforms and colonization of Siberia and New Russia; there were also a few mostly-inconsequential revolts by the native peoples of Siberia. Catherine the Great had intended to pass on the throne to her second grandson Nikolai (the first one having already taken the Byzantine throne, though only in name for now), but in 1784 she suddenly died, probably poisoned by her increasingly-bitter son, Pavel I. The eccentric and militaristic new ruler immediately won the hatred of the enlightened nobility due to his persistant and outrageous efforts to make them actually do something. Disgusted, Pavel soon begun stripping the old nobility of many of its privileges, and at the same time encouraging the elevation of the military aristocracy, which became the fundament for his reign. After defeating several conspiracies, Pavel backed that fundament up by creating a secret police system; at the same time, major administrative overhauls took place, and self-sustaining "military settlements" were set up to help supply Pavel's military build-up (which, at the price of straining the Russian economy and especially agriculture, turned Russia's army into the largest in Europe; this new army, despite later downsizing when the harm to the economy became apparent, didn't show itself too well on the battlefields of Lithuania and Kazakhstan, but its numbers more than made up for any deficiency in quality). Meanwhile, a belated surge of mercantilism and overseas expansion took place, with tariff wars with Prussia and the creation of Russian settlements in Alaska and Sakhalin. The Russian forces, as already implied, had invaded and conquered much of Kazakhstan; Erekle II of Georgia had abdicated in Pavel I's favour as well, further strenghthening the Russians in the Caucasian region (which resulted in a fairly indecisive war with the Zand Persians).
To sum up, Europe's diplomatic situation was quite uncertain, but generally historians tend to outline three key power blocks - the Franco-Spanish alliance (later termed the "Bourbon Powers", or "Western Powers"), the Austro-Prussian alliance (the "Central Powers") and the Russo-Polono-Byzantine alliance (the "Eastern Powers") - some also mention an Anglo-Portuguese "naval league". The other powers, including Britain, either tried to retain neutrality and mobility, either joined one of the three power blocs (sometimes defecting from one to another). This situation was highly-explosive, and already then von Kaunitz had grimly and correctly predicted that "some damn foolish thing in Poland" will put Europe aflame; however, perhaps miracilously, peace was retained for several decades - though it would be more realistic to attribute this to the distractive domestic and/or colonial preoccupations of the great powers.
As was already mentioned, North Africa came under several European attacks in this decade; although at some point in the 1780s almost each of the key cities of North Africa's coast (sans most of Morocco) was held by one European power or another, in the end the Europeans either proved to have insufficient manpower and logistics to hold what they had captured, either had gravely underestimated the power of their enemies. While the Barbary Coast pirates were easily reined in by the Spanish-led raids which took Tlemcen as a trophy, in Egypt the Byzantines were defeated by Murad Bey's French-reformed army in the Battle at Kafr ad Dawwar (just to the southeast from Alexandria). This victory had both ensured Egypt's survival and safety (and allowed it to create a navy of its own) and vindicated Murad Bey's reforming, Francophilic policies, both of which continued. Murad Bey's ambitious counterattack into Anatolia was beaten back with Russian and Venetian help, forcing him to change his plans and instead concentrate on expanding his realms south. In that he was quite succesful, taking over Funj and Yemen and thus establishing control over all the Red Sea ports.
Elsewhere in Africa, a myriad tribal conflicts went unnoticed, as were Segu's and Oyo's military expansions in West Africa and as was Ethiopia's never-ending civil war. As usual, history mostly remembered the deeds of Europeans and those of the Africans who dared interact with them. The most notable development in European Africa in this decade was probably the collapse of Dutch influence, with the sale of Holland's West African colonies with Prussia and the de facto independence of Cornelis Jacob van der Graaff's Sudafrika. Though corrupt, van der Graaff was definitely a fairly competent leader, defeating both the Xhosa invaders and the British expeditionary force, and yet not daring claim official independence to avoid provoking a more serious British or French effort. Fortunately for him, both Britain and France were more busy elsewhere; the British established more colonies in West Africa, most notably Freeland (OTL Sierra Leone) where the freed slaves were settled, and the French defeated various Merina uprisings, gradually taking over Madagascar in a more direct fashion; at the same time, French expansion in the Senegal region took place, chiefly along the river, and more direct trade ties with Segu were established. The Prussians, the Bremeners and the Swedes also established or bought some outposts in southern West Africa, and the Portuguese had also begun to pay more attention to Angola and Mozambique, the former continuing its evolution into a convict colony for the Braganza Dynasty's ever more numerous political enemies (and other criminals).
After the death of Karim Khan Zand in 1782, Persia fell into civil war between the various Zand heirs and other pretenders; although Lotf 'Ali Khan Zand would eventually defeat both the Russian invaders in the north and the Qajar rebels in Persia itself, taking more-or-less secure power in Shiraz in 1787, Zand Persia would by then be so ravaged by this civil war that it would never recover from its effects which devastated the economy and ruined its stability; Lotf 'Ali Khan did defeat the separatist rebels in all of the empire's corners, but though a military genius he wasn't as good at domestic issues and certainly not up to the Herculean task of saving Zand Persia from the doom that he had merely delayed with his actions.
Oman's colonial empire continued to gradually fall apart due to decentralization, coming under French and Portuguese commercial influence.
In India, as both the Afghan and the Maratha empires disintegrated due to feudal and tribal strife, smaller, centralized states with European-trained European-style militaries, such as Maha Singh's Khalistan, rose to greater prominence. Maha Singh, having united the various Sikh tribes into a loose coalition, drove out the Afghans and the Muslim warlords from the key parts of Punjab, creating the kingdom of Khalistan and forging close ties with the Portuguese and the British. Shah Alam II and his minister Najaf Khan presided over a minor Mughal renaissance, retaking Delhi and the surrounding regions, with clandestine French assistance. The Maratha Confederacy fell into disrepair and civil war; in this state it was defeated by the Rajput princes in the north and the energetic new Mysorean ruler the Tippu Sultan in the south; thus contained to northern Deccan, the Maratha Confederacy had failed to rally and regroup, instead breaking up into several states in all but in name. In the wake of Maratha's collapse, a Portuguese-sponsored Sultanate of Gujarat was set up in Gujarat, new Rajput states rose between Rajputana and Narmada, and the British reconquered Bihar; on the southern side, Mysore became larger and stronger than ever before, with the conquest of Travancore and the Nizamate of Hyderabad, plus some Marathan borderlands; however, this empire was increasingly overstretched and difficult to manage. New Swedish and Danish trade outposts appeared in central India and in Ceylon as Dutch authority there collapsed.
In Myanmar and Siam, two visionary new leaders rose to power in 1782 - Bodawpaya in the former, Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I) in the latter. Bodawpaya, a religious fanatic who believed himself to be Arimittya (the Buddha destined to conquer the world), introduced far-reaching religious reforms and prohibitions, sponsored vast building projects and conquered Arakan; his campaign against Siam was a failure, however. The far more sane Phraphutthayotfa Chulalok, founder of the Chakkri dynasty, had introduced major reforms in all spheres - patronizing literature, sponsoring a codification of religious and other laws and a general strenghthening of the Buddhist monkhood, reforming the administrative system and modernizing the military with some British assistance; the Siamese army had resisted Chinese incursions, conquered Cambodjia, imposed a vassal ruler in Vientiane and as already mentioned checked Bodawpaya's world conquest plans (for surely had the Siamese failed to do so, Bodawpaya would have become unstoppable and in 1800 the Burmese soldiers would've washed their boots, or whatever they have for footwear, in the Thames; those of you who disagree with this assesment are too weak-willed and caught up in their preconceptions to face teh truth).
In Vietnam, the Tay Sons rebellion and the associated civil wars were finally ended by French intervention, which put Nguyen Phuc Anh, the nephew of the last legitimate claimant (who had by now died), on throne as Emperor Gia Long, an unwilling French puppet that had to allow greater and greater French military and commercial presence in Vietnam under the pretext of defeating the continued peasant revolts in the countryside and defending Vietnam from the Chinese (who invaded in 1787). The British, after failing to prop up the Tay Sons in time, have stepped up their efforts to ally with China; sadly, these efforts bore no fruit yet, and neither did the various British-instigated conspiracies against the French.
To counter the French presence in Vietnam, the British had themselves increased their presence elsewhere in Indochina, allying with Siam and conquering such mainland Malayan states that remained independent until now; also, a presence was established in western Borneo and in western Sumatra after the purchase of Padang. Sweden's influence in Java increased, and trade outposts in southern Sumatra were established.
Qing China was now entering a darker time, with yet-disconnected peasant revolts, growing corruption, and Qianlong's misplaced blind trust in the particularily-corrupt minister Heshen; also, in foreign policies, the Chinese influence in Indochina collapsed due to rise of strong local rulers and a rapid increase in European presence. The economy was in decline, despite the profitable trade with the European nations.
Lastly, Japan under chief minister Matsudaira Sadanobu underwent some moderate Confucian reforms, fostering agriculture and combatting the famines, but crippling the commerce and poisoning relations with Russia after Pavel I's uninvited diplomats were chopped into pieces upon arrival; the Tsar was only barely dissuaded from launching an all-out invasion of Japan by the fact that it was completely unfeasible, Siberian infrastructure being what it is. Still, Japan's opening was now but a matter of time.
das
Regeneration In Process
Not sure yet, it may be earlier - depends on a lot of things.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Ok, here are the Canute stats, with a few exceptions (Ireland, Inca, Natchez) that I need to pull off the other thread. Sorry that they took so long, as my meddlesome real life kept getting in the way.
Das, I'm sure that there are myriad nitpicks, problems and errors that you might find. If so, please correct them. I'll be gone for a few hours, and then I'll put finishing touches on the map, and the ruleset.
Also, I need help with the leader names (mostly for the Great Powers,) and some of the capitals.
This is going to be a really fun NES! I'm glad that I didn't jump into modding right away, and waited for an althist that I could really do well with. I expect to launch tomorrow or Sunday.
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Natchez Empire
Capital: Nochi
Ruler: /
Government: Theocratic Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Cult of the Sun
Tech. Level: Late Middle Age
Army (Training): 10 thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 5 ships (Semi-Rabble)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Better
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Average
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: The smallpox epidemics that devastated the Mississippi civilization in the 14th century proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Natchez, as through a combination of luck and seclusion they, though still hard-hit, weren't as damaged as most of their neighbours. Led by their Pakachilu Ulatchuhna, the Natchez used the power vacuum to subjugate many of the nearby tribes that previously exacted tribute from them; having led his tribe to great victories, Ulatchuhna overthrew the Great Sun (domestic leader) as well and took full power in the land, reforming it into a highly-militaristic empire and proceeding to lead it to further greatness, conquering - or at least vassalizing - nearly all the tribes of the Mississippi Valley and the whereabouts. His empire was vastly overstretched, however, as were the Natchez themselves; accordingly, after his death in 1297, it all fell apart into chaos and internicine strife. Nonetheless, one of his self-declared successors, Makup Hayuhana, had reunited the core of his empire again in the middle 15th century, just in time to repulse an Iberian invasion. Employing the Iberian weapons, he forged a new, though lesser, empire and, with typical luck, befriended Andalusian merchants. As a result, he managed to modernize his empire and military, and repulse another invasion. His empire is still alive this day, but his successors weren't nearly as great leaders; meanwhile, the subservient tribes in the south and the north are getting rebellious, the leadership is increasingly corrupt and the Iberians are unlikely to repeat any of their past mistakes...
Incan Empire
Capital: Cuzco
Ruler: /
Government: Theocratic Empire
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Sun-Worship
Tech. Level: Middle Middle Age
Army (Training): 60 thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 10 ships (Normal)
Economy: Growing (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Good
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Nation Personified
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Though not yet directly affected by the European intrusions to any reasonable extent, indirectly the Incan Empire was ravaged by smallpox and other diseases in the 14th century, and nearly fell apart in the beginning of the 15th, when the first contact with both Iberia and Andalusia was made. In the end, after a major civil war, it was held together, and begun to rebound from its losses, reclaiming several lost provinces, in the process coming into conflict with Andalusian merchants and missionaries in the north; although they were expelled, the Andalusians failed to do anything about it. The Incan Empire and the Iberians and Andalusians both have some knowledge about each other, mostly based on rumours and only barely reliable, but it seems inevitable that sooner or later, they shall clash - one way or another.
Irish Empire
Capital: Cathair na Gallimhe
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Celtic Rite Christianity
Tech. Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 50 ships (Good)
Economy: Very Rich (+3)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Better
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Perfect
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Brittany
Nation Background: Further isolated from the rest of Europe by the ongoing Viking raids and the final schism with Rome in 1061, Ireland languished in internicine strife until the late 12th century, when Ruaidri mac Aedh Ua Conchabair of Connacht defeated his enemies in a series of campaigns, declared himself the Emperor of Ireland and went on to crush a major invasion by the Norse vassals, reuniting Ireland. His later campaign to free Wales had ultimately failed, however, and so his successors in the 13th century went by a different path; having completely turned their backs towards Europe and cut most of their ties with it (not that they had many left, between the pirates and the Inquisition), they concentrated on internal reform, rebuilding Ireland from the ruination of war and centralizing the monarchy. With new-found strenght and vigour, the Irish expelled Vikings from the seas in a series of campaigns, and conquered Iceland in 1223. As their fishermen - and after them, traders, explorers and missionaries - travelled further and further to the west, the Irish discovered Avalon sometines in the 1240s and soon started the colonial age, by establishing colonies and trade outposts there. Though their monopoly on the trade with the Amerinds was broken in the 14th century, this was Ireland's Golden Age, as it prospered both economically and culturally. The 15th century, however, was a time of decline. Though still prosperous, Ireland was increasingly overtaken by Iberia as the colonial and commercial hegemon of the Atlantic; it had also grown careless over the decades and allowed its military to decrease in size and training, resulting in the rude awakening of 1483, when Ireland's attempt to conquer Iberia's key Atlantic islands resulted in a humiliating defeat. Meanwhile, just across the Irish Sea the Norse Empire was on the rise, and begun to cast greedy looks at Ireland itself... The first few decades of the 16th century will decide Ireland's fate - either it will win its right to exist, either it will be consigned to the list of would-be great powers.
Norse Empire
Capital: Yorvick
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Norse Christianity
Tech. Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 50 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Good)
Economy: Very Rich (+3)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Better
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background:
Kingdom of Brittany:
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech. Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Professional)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Tolerable
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Irish Empire
Nation Background: The single most fiercely independent - because of its unique Celtic identity - part of France, Brittany remained a nearly independent French vassal under Nomenid dukes for much of the Middle Ages. Resisting various French centralization efforts, Brittany was finally incorporated into France in 1387 by force; however, when France collapsed in the Flemish War, the Nomenids quickly returned and with the help of local rebels reclaimed the Duchy, now declared a kingdom. Using its beneficient strategic position and great relations with Ireland, Brittany built a prospering colonial empire of its own. However, now the powerful Norse Empire is looking hungrily both at Brittany and at its patron...
Kingdom of Greater Lothringen
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): None
Economy: Growing (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Better
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Hemmed in between France and the HRE, the Duchy of Upper Lothringen - last fragment of Lothair I's Francia Media - was often the battleground of the two, both in war and diplomacy. The French often invaded Lothringen, the Imperials then counter-invaded and the once-prosperous land was ruined, especially during the wars of the 14th century, after which, for the lack of local heirs, the Imperials assumed absolute control here. The Flemish War changed everything; Marc d'Trieves, a local nobleman of French descendance, used the collapse of both France and the HRE to raise a popular rebellion and claim first the entirety of Upper Lothringen, then the lands around it. His son Richard I maintained the alliance with the Norse, whilst Lothringen rebuilt from its past ravages and rose to dominate the trade in the Rhine; however, attempts at military expansion into chaotic Germany failed. As Bavaria begun to dominate Central Germany, the Lotharingians - ever more Francified culturally - increasingly turned to the west, where the Norse Empire was weakening and the French simply called for liberation... and unification.
Kingdom of Aquitaine
Capital: Toulouse
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Better)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Competent
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: For much of its Mediaeval history, France's Paris-based Capeting dynasty was in struggle with the powerful Angevin nobility of the south; the former sought to break all feudal resistance to centralization efforts, the latter wanted to retain as much freedom and power as possible. That struggle went on with changing fortunes, but no decisive conclusion; Phillippe VIII did manage to considerably trim Angevin power after the 1397 War of French Inheritance, but this came back to sting him during the disastrous Flemish War; as France crumbled, the Angevins acted quickly and cut all ties with Paris, declaring the Kingdom of Aquitaine. Certainly, apart from the Norse, it is now the most powerful realm in former France; in the last few years, it has prospered, expanded into the Avalon and defeated an Aragonese invasion. But many believe that the Angevins are destined for greater things; not ruling a mere regional power, but expelling the Norse invaders and reuniting France - and then, leading it to greatness.
Kingdom of Provence
Capital: Provence
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Very Good)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: After a long and exciting history of Catalonian, Northern French, Angevin, Imperial and local intrigues and wars, Provence, still a great cultural and economic center of Europe, fell to a cadet branch of the French ruling dynasty, retaining close ties with the crown, of course. The devastation in the War of French Inheritance and the general decline of Mediterranean trade ended Provence's Golden Age; however, when after the Flemish War it regained independence under an energetic local ruler Louis III, hopes again arose, as Louis not only defeated an Aquitainian invasion, but also, forming an alliance with Aragon and Austria, greatly gained from the Italian War, seizing Dauphine, Geneve, Savoy and Piedmont by 1452. Though Louis IV and his ambitions were defeated in 1471 at Cremona by an Austro-Italian coalition, since then relations with Austria were restored and now, plentiful opportunities exist for the young kingdom - it could try to reunite France, or it could again try to unite Italy, or perhaps it could press its claims to the Aragonese crown and go for a Mediterranean empire...
Second Leonese Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism (De facto autonomy from Rome)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 60 Ships (Professional)
Economy: Rich (+3)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Brilliant/Better
Infrastructure: Very Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Jingoist
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: In the 10th and 11th centuries, Leon, one of the successor states to Asturia, was the hegemon of Christian Spain, coordinating the resistance to Muslim invaders and reaching its initial zenith under Alfonso VI, who declared himself Emperor of All Spain and captured Toledo. But immediately after came decline and the loss of the Imperial title, as the Almoravids revitalized Andalusia and landed a series of defeats on the Christian army. After that, there was chaos and infighting amongst the Spanish Christians; the Leonese Empire fell apart. But the 14th century was a time of true greatness – the Aragonese were defeated, and Castile was re-annexed. This marked the end of the Reconquista, as Aragon turned to the Mediterranean, whilst Leon signed a formal peace treaty with the new Majardid rulers of Andalusia and turned to the Atlantic Ocean and Avalon. Leon is now a great, ascendant power, with a splendid colonial empire, the Atlantic Ocean's strongest fleet and a golden age culture; and before it lie many opportunities - for colonial expansion, for unification of Spain, perhaps even for complete Atlantic hegemony if Ireland could be crushed; hell, with some luck it may replace the Norse Empire as the West European hegemon in the 16th century.
Kingdom of Aragon
Capital: Saragossa
Ruler: /
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Centralization: Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Better)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Better
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Average
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: A model European parliamentary monarchy, Aragon is in fact a royal federation of Aragon itself, Catalonia, Navarre, Valencia, Sardinia, Sicily and Naples, forged by ties of contract and inheritance and united around Saragossa. This system gave Aragon stability as long as the central and royal authority remained balanced with the regional magnates and urban councils; and this cooperation allowed Aragon to capture Valencia, and later recover from the 1323 defeat at Najera, as it moved into position of predominance in the Western Mediterranean. However, the 15th century ended this renaissance, as plagues ravaged Aragon, Byzantines and their allies checked its expansion in Italy, and the invasions of North Africa were catastrophic failures. With the royal power at its weakest, Aragon seems to be on the brink of collapse. Its various constituent parts are clamoring for more and more autonomy on the verge of total independence, and the heirless King Pedro V foolishly threw his life away at Algiers. The Council of Regency holds power for now, but already several Aragonese noble families, the Garcinids of Leon, the Angevins of Aquitaine and the Albons of Provence put forward claims to Aragon's throne; the situation is about to get very messy indeed...
Majardid Caliphate of Andalusia
Capital: Ixvillia (Seville)
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Sunni Islam
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): 40 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Good
Economy: Rich (+3)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies: Zayanid Sultanate (Vassal)
Nation Background: After centuries of interchanging chaos, Berber tyranny and Christian invasions, Andalusia was reunited after the 13th century Almohad collapse by a native Arab - Majard ibn-Suladi, who proved a military genius, reforming the Andalusian army and leading it to victory on several occasions. Though he halted the Reconquista, Majard died before he could reverse it. His son Ibrahim I was of a more peaceful inclination, and so he concentrated on internal reform and peace treaties with Leon and Aragon. The 14th century proved to be a golden age, as its culture soared to even greater heights than before, commerce flourished, and great lands across the Ocean were discovered. The 15th century was likewise a good time, as the colonial and commercial empires of Andalusia expanded further and its rulers claimed the title of "Caliph" in defiance of Persia. But risks were growing as well, as friendly relations with Leon deteriorated due to colonial competition, and the Aragonese recklessly attacked Andalusia's Zayanid vassals. Andalusia is still a great power, but it soon may have to fight for survival and dominance alike.
Kingdom of Upper Saxony
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 5 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Barely Tolerable/Tolerable)
Economy: Poor (0)
Infrastructure: Barely Tolerable
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Average
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Traditionally a source of trouble for the HRE, Welfish Saxony greatly suffered and lost in power, wealth and influence as the result of Friedrich Barbarossa's unceasing campaigns against it. The Welfs eventually were expelled to France altogether, and all that remained of Saxony was a much shrunken Imperial domain. During the Flemish War, the Welfs - previously loyal allies of the French monarchs, with holdings in former Normandy - defected to the Norse side in exchange for return of their Saxon lands; in the end, they did get Upper Saxony back, but even now it is an impoverished, war-wrecked, severely unstable region, a battleground of Norse and Swedish diplomats and spies.
Westphalian League
Capital: Westphalia
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Aristocracy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 7 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Tolerable
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Average
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Once a part of Greater Saxony, Westphalia since then had become a completely separate political entity - or, rather, entities - under the Holy Roman Empire. A comparatively quiet and backwater region, Westphalia nevertheless gained greatly in religious and judicial influence in all of Germany. In the Flemish War it was one of the most loyal regions, and Friedrich VI managed to briefly recover there before his final defeat; after it, chaos erupted, and rebellious peasants roamed through Germany. Desperate, the local counts and bishops decided to form a league and make a common front against the rebellious peasantry, successfully restoring order. Now Westphalia is a quiet, peaceful region, the peasantry rebellious no more, but should war erupt in Germany, this near-idyll will end, and probably so will the League's independence.
Thuringian Order
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Oligarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 2 Thousands (Professional), 5 Thousands (Semi-Rabble)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Even more backwater than Westphalia, Thuringia remained loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor... until the Battle at Amersfoort, when the strong Thuringian free knighthood rose up with Papal blessing. Defeating both the pro-Imperial nobility and the rebelling peasants, the knights created the Thuringian Order, a military oligarchy infamous for the worst excesses of feudalism. It had managed to expand into some nearby territories, and defeated several more rebellions, but its luck appears to have ran out - they are the next in Bavaria's path.
Kingdom of Bavaria
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Better
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Since the days of Barbarossa a Wittelsbach realm, Bavaria Proper remained quite loyal to the Imperial Crown and the Hohenstauffens almost to the end. Its fortunes were uneven for these two and a half centuries; at first, it greatly expanded and prospered, but in the 14th century it lost ground to neighbors, was divided into three and shaken by struggles between the dukes and the urban population. The 15th century saw a dawn; though the initial post-Imperial chaos was terrible, in 1444 Ruprecht I had successfully reunited Bavaria Proper in a series of campaigns and treaties; having agreed to a partition of the former HRE with Austria, he campaigned against various nearby domains and urban republics, consolidating his hold over the lands gained. His immediate heirs weren't either competent or very committed, but later Ruprecht II came to power; he reformed the army along Norse lines, and defeated a Lotharingian invasion. Now the unification of Germany beckons again, but Austria has grown in power considerably, and already begun eyeing some of the Bavarian borderlands...
Swiss Republic
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Republic
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism (OOC: With OTL Calvinist influences, however.)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Better
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Jingoist
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Threatened by expansion of feudal and Imperial power alike, the Swiss people of the Alps were in a state of near-perpetual rebellion since the late 13th century. Though in the 14th, the rebels were temporarily overwhelmed by superior numbers thrown at them by the Imperials, as soon as the Holy Roman Empire broke down, the Swiss rose up in arms once more, and expelled or slaughtered all the nobility and clergy, creating a "commune of equals" in reaction to past oppression. Though it was immediately declared an abomination by all of its neighbors, they all proved unwilling and unable to do anything about it. Of course, the Swiss Commune collapsed a few years after it was created anyway. Eventually, a far more federation of free cities was set up and some degree of reconciliation with Rome was reached. The Republic still is, however, a safe haven for those unwanted elsewhere; also, though it is a small country with few natural enemies, it had fostered a strong military tradition, and its mercenaries have thrived in the chaos.
Holy Austrian Empire
Capital: Vienna
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Papal States (Puppet)
Nation Background: Though expelled from Switzerland, the Habsburgs gained a new power base in Austria, and soon replaced the Welfs as the leaders of anti-Hohenstauffen opposition, though of course not very vociferous ones until the Flemish War. When that war did come and the HRE fell apart, the Austrians moved quickly, securing Tyrolia and Krain. Under Maximillian II (r. 1440-1480), the Habsburgs managed to procure an alliance with Bavaria, Provence and Aragon, and in concert with them moved to partition Italy. The Austrians got a guarantee of their place in history with a well-planned capture of Venice and the victory over joint Italian forces at Viterbo; after that, the Austrians managed to force the election of a puppet Pope in Rome, and attained hegemony in Central Italy, confirmed by declaration of the Holy Austrian Empire. Since then, however, Austria had stagnated somewhat; most of its former Italian satellites have broken free again, and the Byzantines have checked the Habsburg ambitions for Hungary, while relations with Bavaria deteriorated. The future remains uncertain.
Kingdom of Lombardy
Capital: Milan
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Often a contested region between the various powers struggling for Italy, Lombardy itself was for long divided between Milan and the various other cities. The Hohenstauffens skillfully played the two against each other, but eventually in the 13th century, intervened when the disturbingly democratic Milan first got too strong, virtually subjugating the rest of Lombardy. With the help of local rebels and nobles, the Imperials eventually razed Milan, but later rebuilt it, granting power to the Viscontis. In the wake of the Flemish War, the Viscontis made their grand bid for power in northern Italy, but were first checked by their neighbors, and then, in their second attempt (1440s), despite several initial victories, proved to have only paved the way for the Habsburgs and their allies to invade Italy. Reluctantly, Matteo II made peace with his enemies, but the combined army thus raised was routed at Viterbo and Matteo himself fell in battle; Lombardy collapsed accordingly. Under Ottone IV, however, Lombardy had recovered; Ottone himself became King of Lombardy, though this was only a de jure achievement, and fought back a Provencal invasion with Austrian help. Domestically, he oversaw Lombardy's centralization and reconstruction. As Milan recovered its status as Northern Italy's key city, perhaps the Viscontis could unite Italy yet...
Genoan Republic
Capital: Genoa
Ruler: /
Government: Mercantile Republic
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Good
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Very Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Though the Middle Ages were a tumultuous and uneven time for Genoa, it had worked fruitfully with both France and the HRE; after both collapsed, Genoa temporarily declined, but then, with the capture and sack of its primary opponent city Venice and the decline of secondary opponent Barcelona, suddenly leaped forward into its golden age under the watchful eyes of the Grimaldi Doges; using the economical and political vacuum in the Mediterranean, Genoa soon reached a rewarding agreement with the Byzantine and Leonese Empires, funding their various campaigns in exchange for trading privileges; later in the 15th century, Genoa successfully repulsed a few foreign invasions and with pragmatic consent of the Majardids broke into the Atlantic Ocean, soon establishing a noticeable presence in West Africa and Brazil. However, this gained Genoa envy of its neighbors, and it is unclear how well the merchant republic shall fare in the 16th century.
Das, I'm sure that there are myriad nitpicks, problems and errors that you might find. If so, please correct them. I'll be gone for a few hours, and then I'll put finishing touches on the map, and the ruleset.
Also, I need help with the leader names (mostly for the Great Powers,) and some of the capitals.
This is going to be a really fun NES! I'm glad that I didn't jump into modding right away, and waited for an althist that I could really do well with. I expect to launch tomorrow or Sunday.
---
Natchez Empire
Capital: Nochi
Ruler: /
Government: Theocratic Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Cult of the Sun
Tech. Level: Late Middle Age
Army (Training): 10 thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 5 ships (Semi-Rabble)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Better
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Average
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: The smallpox epidemics that devastated the Mississippi civilization in the 14th century proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Natchez, as through a combination of luck and seclusion they, though still hard-hit, weren't as damaged as most of their neighbours. Led by their Pakachilu Ulatchuhna, the Natchez used the power vacuum to subjugate many of the nearby tribes that previously exacted tribute from them; having led his tribe to great victories, Ulatchuhna overthrew the Great Sun (domestic leader) as well and took full power in the land, reforming it into a highly-militaristic empire and proceeding to lead it to further greatness, conquering - or at least vassalizing - nearly all the tribes of the Mississippi Valley and the whereabouts. His empire was vastly overstretched, however, as were the Natchez themselves; accordingly, after his death in 1297, it all fell apart into chaos and internicine strife. Nonetheless, one of his self-declared successors, Makup Hayuhana, had reunited the core of his empire again in the middle 15th century, just in time to repulse an Iberian invasion. Employing the Iberian weapons, he forged a new, though lesser, empire and, with typical luck, befriended Andalusian merchants. As a result, he managed to modernize his empire and military, and repulse another invasion. His empire is still alive this day, but his successors weren't nearly as great leaders; meanwhile, the subservient tribes in the south and the north are getting rebellious, the leadership is increasingly corrupt and the Iberians are unlikely to repeat any of their past mistakes...
Incan Empire
Capital: Cuzco
Ruler: /
Government: Theocratic Empire
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Sun-Worship
Tech. Level: Middle Middle Age
Army (Training): 60 thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 10 ships (Normal)
Economy: Growing (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Good
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Nation Personified
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Though not yet directly affected by the European intrusions to any reasonable extent, indirectly the Incan Empire was ravaged by smallpox and other diseases in the 14th century, and nearly fell apart in the beginning of the 15th, when the first contact with both Iberia and Andalusia was made. In the end, after a major civil war, it was held together, and begun to rebound from its losses, reclaiming several lost provinces, in the process coming into conflict with Andalusian merchants and missionaries in the north; although they were expelled, the Andalusians failed to do anything about it. The Incan Empire and the Iberians and Andalusians both have some knowledge about each other, mostly based on rumours and only barely reliable, but it seems inevitable that sooner or later, they shall clash - one way or another.
Irish Empire
Capital: Cathair na Gallimhe
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Celtic Rite Christianity
Tech. Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 50 ships (Good)
Economy: Very Rich (+3)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Better
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Perfect
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Brittany
Nation Background: Further isolated from the rest of Europe by the ongoing Viking raids and the final schism with Rome in 1061, Ireland languished in internicine strife until the late 12th century, when Ruaidri mac Aedh Ua Conchabair of Connacht defeated his enemies in a series of campaigns, declared himself the Emperor of Ireland and went on to crush a major invasion by the Norse vassals, reuniting Ireland. His later campaign to free Wales had ultimately failed, however, and so his successors in the 13th century went by a different path; having completely turned their backs towards Europe and cut most of their ties with it (not that they had many left, between the pirates and the Inquisition), they concentrated on internal reform, rebuilding Ireland from the ruination of war and centralizing the monarchy. With new-found strenght and vigour, the Irish expelled Vikings from the seas in a series of campaigns, and conquered Iceland in 1223. As their fishermen - and after them, traders, explorers and missionaries - travelled further and further to the west, the Irish discovered Avalon sometines in the 1240s and soon started the colonial age, by establishing colonies and trade outposts there. Though their monopoly on the trade with the Amerinds was broken in the 14th century, this was Ireland's Golden Age, as it prospered both economically and culturally. The 15th century, however, was a time of decline. Though still prosperous, Ireland was increasingly overtaken by Iberia as the colonial and commercial hegemon of the Atlantic; it had also grown careless over the decades and allowed its military to decrease in size and training, resulting in the rude awakening of 1483, when Ireland's attempt to conquer Iberia's key Atlantic islands resulted in a humiliating defeat. Meanwhile, just across the Irish Sea the Norse Empire was on the rise, and begun to cast greedy looks at Ireland itself... The first few decades of the 16th century will decide Ireland's fate - either it will win its right to exist, either it will be consigned to the list of would-be great powers.
Norse Empire
Capital: Yorvick
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Norse Christianity
Tech. Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 50 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Good)
Economy: Very Rich (+3)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Better
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background:
Kingdom of Brittany:
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech. Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Professional)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Tolerable
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Irish Empire
Nation Background: The single most fiercely independent - because of its unique Celtic identity - part of France, Brittany remained a nearly independent French vassal under Nomenid dukes for much of the Middle Ages. Resisting various French centralization efforts, Brittany was finally incorporated into France in 1387 by force; however, when France collapsed in the Flemish War, the Nomenids quickly returned and with the help of local rebels reclaimed the Duchy, now declared a kingdom. Using its beneficient strategic position and great relations with Ireland, Brittany built a prospering colonial empire of its own. However, now the powerful Norse Empire is looking hungrily both at Brittany and at its patron...
Kingdom of Greater Lothringen
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): None
Economy: Growing (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Better
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Hemmed in between France and the HRE, the Duchy of Upper Lothringen - last fragment of Lothair I's Francia Media - was often the battleground of the two, both in war and diplomacy. The French often invaded Lothringen, the Imperials then counter-invaded and the once-prosperous land was ruined, especially during the wars of the 14th century, after which, for the lack of local heirs, the Imperials assumed absolute control here. The Flemish War changed everything; Marc d'Trieves, a local nobleman of French descendance, used the collapse of both France and the HRE to raise a popular rebellion and claim first the entirety of Upper Lothringen, then the lands around it. His son Richard I maintained the alliance with the Norse, whilst Lothringen rebuilt from its past ravages and rose to dominate the trade in the Rhine; however, attempts at military expansion into chaotic Germany failed. As Bavaria begun to dominate Central Germany, the Lotharingians - ever more Francified culturally - increasingly turned to the west, where the Norse Empire was weakening and the French simply called for liberation... and unification.
Kingdom of Aquitaine
Capital: Toulouse
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Better)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Competent
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: For much of its Mediaeval history, France's Paris-based Capeting dynasty was in struggle with the powerful Angevin nobility of the south; the former sought to break all feudal resistance to centralization efforts, the latter wanted to retain as much freedom and power as possible. That struggle went on with changing fortunes, but no decisive conclusion; Phillippe VIII did manage to considerably trim Angevin power after the 1397 War of French Inheritance, but this came back to sting him during the disastrous Flemish War; as France crumbled, the Angevins acted quickly and cut all ties with Paris, declaring the Kingdom of Aquitaine. Certainly, apart from the Norse, it is now the most powerful realm in former France; in the last few years, it has prospered, expanded into the Avalon and defeated an Aragonese invasion. But many believe that the Angevins are destined for greater things; not ruling a mere regional power, but expelling the Norse invaders and reuniting France - and then, leading it to greatness.
Kingdom of Provence
Capital: Provence
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Very Good)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: After a long and exciting history of Catalonian, Northern French, Angevin, Imperial and local intrigues and wars, Provence, still a great cultural and economic center of Europe, fell to a cadet branch of the French ruling dynasty, retaining close ties with the crown, of course. The devastation in the War of French Inheritance and the general decline of Mediterranean trade ended Provence's Golden Age; however, when after the Flemish War it regained independence under an energetic local ruler Louis III, hopes again arose, as Louis not only defeated an Aquitainian invasion, but also, forming an alliance with Aragon and Austria, greatly gained from the Italian War, seizing Dauphine, Geneve, Savoy and Piedmont by 1452. Though Louis IV and his ambitions were defeated in 1471 at Cremona by an Austro-Italian coalition, since then relations with Austria were restored and now, plentiful opportunities exist for the young kingdom - it could try to reunite France, or it could again try to unite Italy, or perhaps it could press its claims to the Aragonese crown and go for a Mediterranean empire...
Second Leonese Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism (De facto autonomy from Rome)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 60 Ships (Professional)
Economy: Rich (+3)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Brilliant/Better
Infrastructure: Very Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Jingoist
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: In the 10th and 11th centuries, Leon, one of the successor states to Asturia, was the hegemon of Christian Spain, coordinating the resistance to Muslim invaders and reaching its initial zenith under Alfonso VI, who declared himself Emperor of All Spain and captured Toledo. But immediately after came decline and the loss of the Imperial title, as the Almoravids revitalized Andalusia and landed a series of defeats on the Christian army. After that, there was chaos and infighting amongst the Spanish Christians; the Leonese Empire fell apart. But the 14th century was a time of true greatness – the Aragonese were defeated, and Castile was re-annexed. This marked the end of the Reconquista, as Aragon turned to the Mediterranean, whilst Leon signed a formal peace treaty with the new Majardid rulers of Andalusia and turned to the Atlantic Ocean and Avalon. Leon is now a great, ascendant power, with a splendid colonial empire, the Atlantic Ocean's strongest fleet and a golden age culture; and before it lie many opportunities - for colonial expansion, for unification of Spain, perhaps even for complete Atlantic hegemony if Ireland could be crushed; hell, with some luck it may replace the Norse Empire as the West European hegemon in the 16th century.
Kingdom of Aragon
Capital: Saragossa
Ruler: /
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Centralization: Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Better)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Better
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Average
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: A model European parliamentary monarchy, Aragon is in fact a royal federation of Aragon itself, Catalonia, Navarre, Valencia, Sardinia, Sicily and Naples, forged by ties of contract and inheritance and united around Saragossa. This system gave Aragon stability as long as the central and royal authority remained balanced with the regional magnates and urban councils; and this cooperation allowed Aragon to capture Valencia, and later recover from the 1323 defeat at Najera, as it moved into position of predominance in the Western Mediterranean. However, the 15th century ended this renaissance, as plagues ravaged Aragon, Byzantines and their allies checked its expansion in Italy, and the invasions of North Africa were catastrophic failures. With the royal power at its weakest, Aragon seems to be on the brink of collapse. Its various constituent parts are clamoring for more and more autonomy on the verge of total independence, and the heirless King Pedro V foolishly threw his life away at Algiers. The Council of Regency holds power for now, but already several Aragonese noble families, the Garcinids of Leon, the Angevins of Aquitaine and the Albons of Provence put forward claims to Aragon's throne; the situation is about to get very messy indeed...
Majardid Caliphate of Andalusia
Capital: Ixvillia (Seville)
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Sunni Islam
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): 40 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Good
Economy: Rich (+3)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies: Zayanid Sultanate (Vassal)
Nation Background: After centuries of interchanging chaos, Berber tyranny and Christian invasions, Andalusia was reunited after the 13th century Almohad collapse by a native Arab - Majard ibn-Suladi, who proved a military genius, reforming the Andalusian army and leading it to victory on several occasions. Though he halted the Reconquista, Majard died before he could reverse it. His son Ibrahim I was of a more peaceful inclination, and so he concentrated on internal reform and peace treaties with Leon and Aragon. The 14th century proved to be a golden age, as its culture soared to even greater heights than before, commerce flourished, and great lands across the Ocean were discovered. The 15th century was likewise a good time, as the colonial and commercial empires of Andalusia expanded further and its rulers claimed the title of "Caliph" in defiance of Persia. But risks were growing as well, as friendly relations with Leon deteriorated due to colonial competition, and the Aragonese recklessly attacked Andalusia's Zayanid vassals. Andalusia is still a great power, but it soon may have to fight for survival and dominance alike.
Kingdom of Upper Saxony
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 5 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Barely Tolerable/Tolerable)
Economy: Poor (0)
Infrastructure: Barely Tolerable
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Average
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Traditionally a source of trouble for the HRE, Welfish Saxony greatly suffered and lost in power, wealth and influence as the result of Friedrich Barbarossa's unceasing campaigns against it. The Welfs eventually were expelled to France altogether, and all that remained of Saxony was a much shrunken Imperial domain. During the Flemish War, the Welfs - previously loyal allies of the French monarchs, with holdings in former Normandy - defected to the Norse side in exchange for return of their Saxon lands; in the end, they did get Upper Saxony back, but even now it is an impoverished, war-wrecked, severely unstable region, a battleground of Norse and Swedish diplomats and spies.
Westphalian League
Capital: Westphalia
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Aristocracy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 7 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Tolerable
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Average
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Once a part of Greater Saxony, Westphalia since then had become a completely separate political entity - or, rather, entities - under the Holy Roman Empire. A comparatively quiet and backwater region, Westphalia nevertheless gained greatly in religious and judicial influence in all of Germany. In the Flemish War it was one of the most loyal regions, and Friedrich VI managed to briefly recover there before his final defeat; after it, chaos erupted, and rebellious peasants roamed through Germany. Desperate, the local counts and bishops decided to form a league and make a common front against the rebellious peasantry, successfully restoring order. Now Westphalia is a quiet, peaceful region, the peasantry rebellious no more, but should war erupt in Germany, this near-idyll will end, and probably so will the League's independence.
Thuringian Order
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Oligarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 2 Thousands (Professional), 5 Thousands (Semi-Rabble)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Even more backwater than Westphalia, Thuringia remained loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor... until the Battle at Amersfoort, when the strong Thuringian free knighthood rose up with Papal blessing. Defeating both the pro-Imperial nobility and the rebelling peasants, the knights created the Thuringian Order, a military oligarchy infamous for the worst excesses of feudalism. It had managed to expand into some nearby territories, and defeated several more rebellions, but its luck appears to have ran out - they are the next in Bavaria's path.
Kingdom of Bavaria
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Better
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Since the days of Barbarossa a Wittelsbach realm, Bavaria Proper remained quite loyal to the Imperial Crown and the Hohenstauffens almost to the end. Its fortunes were uneven for these two and a half centuries; at first, it greatly expanded and prospered, but in the 14th century it lost ground to neighbors, was divided into three and shaken by struggles between the dukes and the urban population. The 15th century saw a dawn; though the initial post-Imperial chaos was terrible, in 1444 Ruprecht I had successfully reunited Bavaria Proper in a series of campaigns and treaties; having agreed to a partition of the former HRE with Austria, he campaigned against various nearby domains and urban republics, consolidating his hold over the lands gained. His immediate heirs weren't either competent or very committed, but later Ruprecht II came to power; he reformed the army along Norse lines, and defeated a Lotharingian invasion. Now the unification of Germany beckons again, but Austria has grown in power considerably, and already begun eyeing some of the Bavarian borderlands...
Swiss Republic
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Republic
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism (OOC: With OTL Calvinist influences, however.)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Better
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Jingoist
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Threatened by expansion of feudal and Imperial power alike, the Swiss people of the Alps were in a state of near-perpetual rebellion since the late 13th century. Though in the 14th, the rebels were temporarily overwhelmed by superior numbers thrown at them by the Imperials, as soon as the Holy Roman Empire broke down, the Swiss rose up in arms once more, and expelled or slaughtered all the nobility and clergy, creating a "commune of equals" in reaction to past oppression. Though it was immediately declared an abomination by all of its neighbors, they all proved unwilling and unable to do anything about it. Of course, the Swiss Commune collapsed a few years after it was created anyway. Eventually, a far more federation of free cities was set up and some degree of reconciliation with Rome was reached. The Republic still is, however, a safe haven for those unwanted elsewhere; also, though it is a small country with few natural enemies, it had fostered a strong military tradition, and its mercenaries have thrived in the chaos.
Holy Austrian Empire
Capital: Vienna
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Papal States (Puppet)
Nation Background: Though expelled from Switzerland, the Habsburgs gained a new power base in Austria, and soon replaced the Welfs as the leaders of anti-Hohenstauffen opposition, though of course not very vociferous ones until the Flemish War. When that war did come and the HRE fell apart, the Austrians moved quickly, securing Tyrolia and Krain. Under Maximillian II (r. 1440-1480), the Habsburgs managed to procure an alliance with Bavaria, Provence and Aragon, and in concert with them moved to partition Italy. The Austrians got a guarantee of their place in history with a well-planned capture of Venice and the victory over joint Italian forces at Viterbo; after that, the Austrians managed to force the election of a puppet Pope in Rome, and attained hegemony in Central Italy, confirmed by declaration of the Holy Austrian Empire. Since then, however, Austria had stagnated somewhat; most of its former Italian satellites have broken free again, and the Byzantines have checked the Habsburg ambitions for Hungary, while relations with Bavaria deteriorated. The future remains uncertain.
Kingdom of Lombardy
Capital: Milan
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Often a contested region between the various powers struggling for Italy, Lombardy itself was for long divided between Milan and the various other cities. The Hohenstauffens skillfully played the two against each other, but eventually in the 13th century, intervened when the disturbingly democratic Milan first got too strong, virtually subjugating the rest of Lombardy. With the help of local rebels and nobles, the Imperials eventually razed Milan, but later rebuilt it, granting power to the Viscontis. In the wake of the Flemish War, the Viscontis made their grand bid for power in northern Italy, but were first checked by their neighbors, and then, in their second attempt (1440s), despite several initial victories, proved to have only paved the way for the Habsburgs and their allies to invade Italy. Reluctantly, Matteo II made peace with his enemies, but the combined army thus raised was routed at Viterbo and Matteo himself fell in battle; Lombardy collapsed accordingly. Under Ottone IV, however, Lombardy had recovered; Ottone himself became King of Lombardy, though this was only a de jure achievement, and fought back a Provencal invasion with Austrian help. Domestically, he oversaw Lombardy's centralization and reconstruction. As Milan recovered its status as Northern Italy's key city, perhaps the Viscontis could unite Italy yet...
Genoan Republic
Capital: Genoa
Ruler: /
Government: Mercantile Republic
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Good
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Very Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Though the Middle Ages were a tumultuous and uneven time for Genoa, it had worked fruitfully with both France and the HRE; after both collapsed, Genoa temporarily declined, but then, with the capture and sack of its primary opponent city Venice and the decline of secondary opponent Barcelona, suddenly leaped forward into its golden age under the watchful eyes of the Grimaldi Doges; using the economical and political vacuum in the Mediterranean, Genoa soon reached a rewarding agreement with the Byzantine and Leonese Empires, funding their various campaigns in exchange for trading privileges; later in the 15th century, Genoa successfully repulsed a few foreign invasions and with pragmatic consent of the Majardids broke into the Atlantic Ocean, soon establishing a noticeable presence in West Africa and Brazil. However, this gained Genoa envy of its neighbors, and it is unclear how well the merchant republic shall fare in the 16th century.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Kingdom of Tuscany
Capital: Florence
Ruler: /
Government: Oligarchic Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Arguably the cultural center of Italy, Tuscany was first united by the Attoni Dynasty; after it died out with Matilda di Canossa, the region was balkanized and saw a seemingly-endless struggle between various city states. For long, Pisa was the predominant power, but eventually it was eclipsed by Genoa on the sea and Florence on the land; the latter attained a loose hegemony in Tuscany, but it was only after the fall of first the Holy Roman Empire and then the Florentine Republic (to the Medicis, whose contemporary leader eventually had himself crowned as King Chiarissimo I of Tuscany, though this monarchy retained many traits of the fallen Republic) that it had rose to true greatness; having rallied the opposition to the Viscontis, the Medicis briefly rose to dominate Central Italy in the 15th century, but were considerably thrown back by the Italian War. Nevertheless, they recovered from it, and attained fealty of Pisa, Lucca, Parma and Modena, not without foreign help and promises of considerable autonomy. Presently Tuscany is probably the strongest native Italian state, but it isn't too stable; far from all the rifts between the various Central Italian states have been healed, and several foreign rulers are interested in destroying Florentine power.
The Papal States
Capital: Rome
Ruler: /
Government: Papacy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Holy Austrian Empire (Liege Lord)
Nation Background: Since the 11th century, the Papacy remained on uncertain terms with the Holy Roman Empire; depending on who was Pope, who was the Emperor and what was the geopolitical situation, the two either worked together against common threats, and either tried to overthrow each other. However, the two rarely fought each other openly. Still, the threat of Imperial invasion had frustrated many Papal ambitions, and finally, Pius IV struck a deal with the Norse in the early 15th century. The plan succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, as both the HRE and France, the two powers that always threatened Italy, collapsed. However, this disturbance in the stability (and the privileges granted to the Norse Church) weakened the Pope's spiritual authority, while a new round of warfare in Italy had undermined the temporal one; the worst came when a contested Papal election was used as a pretext by the Austrians and their allies to invade; Cardinal Eugenio Fieschi, the challenged candidate, tried to organize a pan-Italian coalition, and with Visconti assistance did just that, but it was broken at Viterbo and the election of an Austrian puppet Pope was assured; as if that wasn't bad enough, the next Pope was an Austrian himself! With the Papacy thus weakened and subjugated, many churches outside of Italy became de facto autonomous, much like the Norse one. A Papal renaissance is not impossible, but is going to be difficult, especially under the watchful Austrian eyes.
Kingdom of Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism (semi-autonomous)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 35 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Professional)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Better
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Great
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Lithuania (Vassal)
Nation Background: While the Norse Empire, France and the HRE rose to power elsewhere, Sweden's ascendance was somewhat quieter at first, and generally was away from public attention until it was too late. Having repulsed Norse attacks in the 12th century, Sweden united under a magnate named Sverker; his heirs infiltrated the Baltic Sea commercially, whilst waging wars with Finnish tribes and Canutian Denmark, from which Skane was conquered. Though the 13th century was a time of internecine strife and more Norse attacks, it was also the time when Sweden truly became an empire, with the Baltic Crusades that allowed Sweden to take over large parts of Finland, Estonia and Lettia (Latvia). Having built up a considerable potential, Sweden unleashed it in 1400 under King Valdemar III. Novgorod, for long a vassal state, was formally annexed, and two years later, the long-defiant Lithuanians were defeated at Mazeikiai and forced to become a vassal state themselves. Mongol invaders were fought to a standstill at Gomy and lastly Sweden intervened in the Flemish War on the Norse side, inciting the Hanseatic League to defect and accept Swedish protection. With complete Baltic control, Sweden is probably the most serious threat to Norse power, but it is yet to come to war. As Swedish influence expands into Germany, however, war seems inevitable... Then again, the Swedes have other concerns too - the Prague Confederacy, Galicia, and the Golden Horde are all potential foes. Sweden may have a bumpy road to victory
Prague Confederacy
Capital: Prague
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Better/Competent)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Average
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Though both Bohemia and Poland were gradually conquered by the HRE and colonized by Germans, the Slavic population there was far from defeated, and peasant risings occured again and again. Much like with other rebellious populaces of France and the HRE, the Western Slavs likewise made good use of the Flemish War; this time, the rebellions were led by local nobles, magnates and reformist priests; eventually, not just Poland and Bohemia, but also Lower Saxony and Lusatia were liberated, and the tide was turned as Germans were massacred (especially in Poland, where they were the least numerous; in Lower Saxony, predictably enough, the Germans held out quite well and even fought back, though eventually Saxony was recaptured). After the initial chaos subsided, the Polish and Bohemian nobility rallied around Siemowit Tarnowski, who had created a Prague-based noble federation - a somewhat belated feudal state, with the king (obviously, Siemowit I) only the first amongst equals. This state, even after reconciliation with the Catholic Church and the German populations, does not seem to be very stable or durable in its present state, but if a strong leader and good allies are found, Poland's immense potential may not go unused after all...
Duchy of Lithuania
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Tolerable
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Kingdom of Sweden (Liege Lord)
Nation Background: Though hard-pressed by the Swedish crusaders, the Lithuanians managed to fight back with some success in the 13th century and formed an independent Duchy of their own in the south, around Vilnius. From there the Lithuanians moved on in an attempt to conquer Russia, but were checked by Mongols and Galicians, despite making some initial gains. In the 14th century, Lithuania once more found itself at war with Swedes; ultimately it surrendered and had to accept vassal status, receiving protection against the Mongols in exchange. As Swedes are increasingly distracted in the west, it may be the time to rise up and perhaps reclaim the ancestral lands; but then again, it may be best to remain Swedish vassals for a while, and under this cover make another attempt to conquer Russia.
Tsardom of Galicia
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Good/Better)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: The only Russian state to escape Swedish or Mongol domination, Galicia-Lodomeria had also avoided falling to either the Hungarians or the Byzantines; nonetheless, the Galicians had come under a certain amount of influence from both - while the Galician culture was very much influenced by the Byzantines, the reformed armies of Daniel III were definitely inspired by the Hungarians. Though to survive the Galicians at first had to pay tribute to the Mongols, after the end of the Golden Horde's heyday and the Mongol defeat at Liegnitz, the Galicians immediately broke with the Mongols and fought back several attacks, both by the Mongols and later by the resurgent Hungarians. Since then, the peaceful, industrious Galicians gradually began to transform into a warrior people, with a formidable military tradition; thus, surrounded by enemies, they survived, and in the 14th century - expanded. But in the late 15th century, the Golden Horde was suddenly revitalized and Nostradat Khan razed Vladimir and Moscow, and was only barely stopped outside of Kiev. Frightened, the Galicians had no choice but to reconcile with the Byzantines, whose assistance proved crucial in saving Galicia and by extent Europe from a new Mongolian invasion. By now Galicia has recovered, while the Golden Horde is shaking again; soon shall be the time to reunite Russia, but it would seem that there shall be strong competition... and also, is it at all safe to trust the wily Byzantines?
Kingdom of Hungary
Capital: Budapest
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy (Semi-Feudal)
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Competent/Tolerable)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Byzantine Empire (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Potentially the hegemon power of Eastern Europe, Hungary was prevented from taking this role again and again - first by its neighbours, then by the Mongols, then by dynastic strife, after that, by its neighbours again, later, by the Black Death... and now, by a new round of dynastic struggles! Plagued by unpopular foreign dynasties and corrupt, manipulative magnates that are in control of the Diet, Hungary's inherently unstable system of electoral monarchy caused dynasties to change every next decade; eventually, in 1466, that led to a civil war and the ruling Angevin king was overthrown by a Hohenstauffen, who was then overthrown by a Hunyadi, who massacred all the magnates he could find, but was killed by a personal enemy soon after. Hungary fell into anarchy; all this was the Time of Troubles, which ended with Austrian and Byzantine intervention in the 1480s; eventually the Byzantines defeated the Austrians who had tried to impose a Habsburg ruler, and put Benedek I Pesti (an important Hungarian nobleman of pro-Byzantine sympathies who was unmarried until now) on the throne, with a Byzantine princess as his consort ofcourse. Order was restored, but Hungary remains in ruins and in the middle of a severe demographic crisis, with rebellious minorities, conspiring noblemen and greedy foreigners - especially the Austrians - seeking to renew the Time of Troubles to put a puppet ruler of their own on the throne.
Byzantine Empire
Capital: Constantinople
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 35 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies: Hungary (Vassal)
Nation Description: Centuries of luck and prosperity alternated with those of decline for Byzantium. In the 11th century, the Byzantines underwent a revival, they fought back a variety of foes on all their borders and reconquered the Balkans; in the 12th, Venetian, Hungarian and Turkish onslaught was only barely slowed down, and the Byzantines declined; in the 13th, things were little better at first, but the restored Ducas Dynasty managed to eventually revive the Byzantine fortunes and retake lost ground in the Aegean and East Anatolia. Also, the Byzantine pact with the Mongols allowed the former to turn the tables on both the Turks and the Hungarians. In the 1380s, under Manuel IX Ducas, the Byzantines ascended to a new zenith; southern Italy and the Levant were reconquered, and later on, so was Egypt. However, the Byzantines severely overstretched themselves, and the general chaos and instability of the early 15th century reached the Eastern Empire as well. Renewed succession problems caused a civil war, which was immediately exploited by Aragon, Galicia and Venice. Also, soon enough a major rebellion in the Islamic provinces begun, and the Muwahhidun Empire was born. Only in 1439 did the Byzantines begin to recover, as the Comnenus Dynasty came to power again. Under Isaac III Comnenus, Calabria and Aleppo were recaptured, and considerable gains were made in the Balkans, with the conquest of Wallachia, Moldavia and Croatia. Demetrius I Comnenus encouraged a cultural renaissance, military reforms and intervened in Hungary to impose the rise of a "friendly" Pesti dynasty. All in all, the Byzantine Empire seems to be safe for now. But then again, these are volatile, dangerous times...
Principality of Kostroma
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Principality
Centralization: Federation
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Tolerable/Barely Tolerable)
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Tolerable
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Average
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Golden Horde (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Forged out of eastern Novgorodian and northern Vladimirian territories after the fall of those two great Russian principalities, and united around the northern trade center of Kostroma, this principality rose in the 15th century with Mongol assistance. Despite its size and strategic position, it is in fact quite weak and backwards, and greatly depends on the assistance of the revived Golden Horde; as said Horde seems to be again reverting into chaos, Kostroma doesn't seem to have a future...
Principality of Tver
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Principality
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Good/Better)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Golden Horde (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Tver was traditionally at daggers drawn with Moscow, and its near-defeat at Muscovite hands in the mid-15th century had caused Knyaz Boris I to plead for Nostradat Khan's assistance. This greatly assisted the renaissance of the Golden Horde; Moscow was burned after a ferocious struggle, and Tver became a Mongol vassal and ally again, its forces participating in the ensuing wars with Galicia. As with Kostroma, appearences are misleading; Tver is fairly prosperous, advanced due to contact with Sweden and has a small, but very well-trained military. Should the Golden Horde fall, Tver will be in the best position to use this; nevertheless, it is not very likely that it could really fight back Galicia or Lithuania on its own at the present moment. With some cunning diplomacy, however, Tver does stand a chance, how ever small, to become a viable regional power...
Khanate of the Golden Horde
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Khanate (Absolute Monarchy)
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (various minorities tolerated)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 50 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Semi-Rabble) (Black Sea)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Competent
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Normal
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Principality of Tver (Vassal), Principality of Kostroma (Vassal)
Nation Description: The European segment of the greater Mongol Empire, it was prevented from expanding beyond Russia by succession problems and staunch Imperial resistance, but itself defeated all the attempts to dislodge it from its holdings. Though remaining a formidable military force, the Golden Horde deteriorated due to the Black Death and internal strife, and in the late 14th/early 15th centuries almost ceased to exist, allowing Galicia and Sweden to expand further into Russia. However, in 1468-1480, a strong ruler finally emerged from the mess left behind by the Golden Horde's near collapse - Nostradat Khan, who renewed the Horde by bringing new blood into it - that of the Kazakhs and Turkmen, with whom he allied after his initial defeat when he was the Khan of Astrakhan. After conquering Central Asia, he returned with a vengeance, crushed all resistance and officially took power as the Khan of the Golden Horde in Sarai Berke (New Sarai). From there he moved on to reconquer eastern Russia and the Caucasus, although his attempts to advance further were fought to a standstill. Sadly, he died in 1489, before he could either go on a new campaign or put into place some proper domestic reforms. Fortunately his son Mamai Khan wasn't completely incompetent, and managed to hold the Horde together for now; yet it is unlikely that it will survive for much longer, at least without some major changes...
Zayanid Sultanate
Capital: Algiers
Ruler: /
Government: Sultanate
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Tolerable/Competent)
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Majardid Caliphate of Andalusia (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Formerly loyal vassals of the Almohads, then, after a brief period of independence, loyal vassals of the Almohad successors - the Majardids. It is a rather weak (due to the shortage of manpower) Berber state, but in recent times it achieved prosperity due to advantageous strategic position of one of its primary cities, Tlemcen, a key segment of the trans-Saharan trade routes. If expansion westwards is unthinkable, northwards - impossible and eastwards - very difficult, then perhaps expansion southwards is the way to go? Though weak, the Zayanids do not entirely lack in potential...
Hafsid Sultanate
Capital: Tunis
Ruler: /
Government: Sultanate
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training):
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: A proud Berber warrior realm, the Hafsid Sultanate is fairly strong, prospering and has a good strategic position, but lacks any allies whatsoever; the Muwahidduns don't really think the Hafsids (or anybody else for that matter, apart from themselves) human, the Zayanids and their Majardid allies have already fought several wars against them, and the Genoese see them as heathens and what's worse - competitors. But not all is lost; the Hafsids are in the same place as ancient Carthage, and thus have similar opportunities; also, in recent times relations between them and the Byzantines have been improving suspiciously...
Mali Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Kingdom
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Animism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Rabble)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Barely Tolerable/Tolerable
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Since the 13th century predominant in West Africa, the great trading empire of the Mali however begun to decline immediately upon reaching its 14th century zenith, and in the 15th century, the trade network brought the empire down with it - or nearly so. That was a century of near collapse; several key cities defected, rebelled or were captured by barbarians, and Mali was generally forced to shift southwestwards, especially as to northeast, the new Songhay Empire replaced its predominance along the Niger River and took over the Saharan trade. However, in the southwest, Mali gained a brief break; it befriended and traded with the Majardids, causing the seaport of Cacheu to become a great trade center. Perhaps not all is lost, and past glory could be reclaimed?
Songhay Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Kingdom
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Animism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Barely Tolerable
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: The successors to the Malinese Empire on the Niger, Songhay people have for long lie inert in Gao; after first its conquest by the Malinese and later its succesful rebellion, the Songhay Empire was born under Sulaiman-Mar, and later, for real, under 'Ali Ber who repulsed Gao's various barbarian neighbors and conquered Timbuktu and Djenne. Despite some strife after his death, Songhay remains strong, and is now preparing for the final clash with the suddenly resurgent Mali.
Kingdom of Bornu
Capital: Bornu
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Chiefdom
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Animism
Tech Level: Early Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Semi-Rabble)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Barely Tolerable/Incompetent
Economy: Poor (0)
Infrastructure: Dirt Paths
Education: Illiterate
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Successor to the earlier Kanem Empire (of which Bornu was a province), Bornu has thus far warded off all of the enemies that tried to conquer its comparatively wealthy and good territories, but its long-term survival is far from assured.
Kingdom of Benin
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (Sizable Animistic minority)
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Barely Tolerable
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Majardid Caliphate of Andalusia
Nation Description: For long a weak, primitive tribal state, Benin under Ewuare the Great underwent great transformation, becoming a hereditary monarchy, conquering several nearby territories and greatly befriending their Majardid trading partners. Benin has undergone some modernization, adapting more advanced technology with Majardid assistance, but it remains a rather weak and backwards state - yet on the other hand it only seems so on the world scale, as none of Benin's present neighbors are even nearly a match for it.
Capital: Florence
Ruler: /
Government: Oligarchic Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Arguably the cultural center of Italy, Tuscany was first united by the Attoni Dynasty; after it died out with Matilda di Canossa, the region was balkanized and saw a seemingly-endless struggle between various city states. For long, Pisa was the predominant power, but eventually it was eclipsed by Genoa on the sea and Florence on the land; the latter attained a loose hegemony in Tuscany, but it was only after the fall of first the Holy Roman Empire and then the Florentine Republic (to the Medicis, whose contemporary leader eventually had himself crowned as King Chiarissimo I of Tuscany, though this monarchy retained many traits of the fallen Republic) that it had rose to true greatness; having rallied the opposition to the Viscontis, the Medicis briefly rose to dominate Central Italy in the 15th century, but were considerably thrown back by the Italian War. Nevertheless, they recovered from it, and attained fealty of Pisa, Lucca, Parma and Modena, not without foreign help and promises of considerable autonomy. Presently Tuscany is probably the strongest native Italian state, but it isn't too stable; far from all the rifts between the various Central Italian states have been healed, and several foreign rulers are interested in destroying Florentine power.
The Papal States
Capital: Rome
Ruler: /
Government: Papacy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Holy Austrian Empire (Liege Lord)
Nation Background: Since the 11th century, the Papacy remained on uncertain terms with the Holy Roman Empire; depending on who was Pope, who was the Emperor and what was the geopolitical situation, the two either worked together against common threats, and either tried to overthrow each other. However, the two rarely fought each other openly. Still, the threat of Imperial invasion had frustrated many Papal ambitions, and finally, Pius IV struck a deal with the Norse in the early 15th century. The plan succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, as both the HRE and France, the two powers that always threatened Italy, collapsed. However, this disturbance in the stability (and the privileges granted to the Norse Church) weakened the Pope's spiritual authority, while a new round of warfare in Italy had undermined the temporal one; the worst came when a contested Papal election was used as a pretext by the Austrians and their allies to invade; Cardinal Eugenio Fieschi, the challenged candidate, tried to organize a pan-Italian coalition, and with Visconti assistance did just that, but it was broken at Viterbo and the election of an Austrian puppet Pope was assured; as if that wasn't bad enough, the next Pope was an Austrian himself! With the Papacy thus weakened and subjugated, many churches outside of Italy became de facto autonomous, much like the Norse one. A Papal renaissance is not impossible, but is going to be difficult, especially under the watchful Austrian eyes.
Kingdom of Sweden
Capital: Stockholm
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Roman Catholicism (semi-autonomous)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 35 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Professional)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Better
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Great
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Lithuania (Vassal)
Nation Background: While the Norse Empire, France and the HRE rose to power elsewhere, Sweden's ascendance was somewhat quieter at first, and generally was away from public attention until it was too late. Having repulsed Norse attacks in the 12th century, Sweden united under a magnate named Sverker; his heirs infiltrated the Baltic Sea commercially, whilst waging wars with Finnish tribes and Canutian Denmark, from which Skane was conquered. Though the 13th century was a time of internecine strife and more Norse attacks, it was also the time when Sweden truly became an empire, with the Baltic Crusades that allowed Sweden to take over large parts of Finland, Estonia and Lettia (Latvia). Having built up a considerable potential, Sweden unleashed it in 1400 under King Valdemar III. Novgorod, for long a vassal state, was formally annexed, and two years later, the long-defiant Lithuanians were defeated at Mazeikiai and forced to become a vassal state themselves. Mongol invaders were fought to a standstill at Gomy and lastly Sweden intervened in the Flemish War on the Norse side, inciting the Hanseatic League to defect and accept Swedish protection. With complete Baltic control, Sweden is probably the most serious threat to Norse power, but it is yet to come to war. As Swedish influence expands into Germany, however, war seems inevitable... Then again, the Swedes have other concerns too - the Prague Confederacy, Galicia, and the Golden Horde are all potential foes. Sweden may have a bumpy road to victory
Prague Confederacy
Capital: Prague
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Better/Competent)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Average
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Background: Though both Bohemia and Poland were gradually conquered by the HRE and colonized by Germans, the Slavic population there was far from defeated, and peasant risings occured again and again. Much like with other rebellious populaces of France and the HRE, the Western Slavs likewise made good use of the Flemish War; this time, the rebellions were led by local nobles, magnates and reformist priests; eventually, not just Poland and Bohemia, but also Lower Saxony and Lusatia were liberated, and the tide was turned as Germans were massacred (especially in Poland, where they were the least numerous; in Lower Saxony, predictably enough, the Germans held out quite well and even fought back, though eventually Saxony was recaptured). After the initial chaos subsided, the Polish and Bohemian nobility rallied around Siemowit Tarnowski, who had created a Prague-based noble federation - a somewhat belated feudal state, with the king (obviously, Siemowit I) only the first amongst equals. This state, even after reconciliation with the Catholic Church and the German populations, does not seem to be very stable or durable in its present state, but if a strong leader and good allies are found, Poland's immense potential may not go unused after all...
Duchy of Lithuania
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): None
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Competent
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Tolerable
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Kingdom of Sweden (Liege Lord)
Nation Background: Though hard-pressed by the Swedish crusaders, the Lithuanians managed to fight back with some success in the 13th century and formed an independent Duchy of their own in the south, around Vilnius. From there the Lithuanians moved on in an attempt to conquer Russia, but were checked by Mongols and Galicians, despite making some initial gains. In the 14th century, Lithuania once more found itself at war with Swedes; ultimately it surrendered and had to accept vassal status, receiving protection against the Mongols in exchange. As Swedes are increasingly distracted in the west, it may be the time to rise up and perhaps reclaim the ancestral lands; but then again, it may be best to remain Swedish vassals for a while, and under this cover make another attempt to conquer Russia.
Tsardom of Galicia
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Good/Better)
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: The only Russian state to escape Swedish or Mongol domination, Galicia-Lodomeria had also avoided falling to either the Hungarians or the Byzantines; nonetheless, the Galicians had come under a certain amount of influence from both - while the Galician culture was very much influenced by the Byzantines, the reformed armies of Daniel III were definitely inspired by the Hungarians. Though to survive the Galicians at first had to pay tribute to the Mongols, after the end of the Golden Horde's heyday and the Mongol defeat at Liegnitz, the Galicians immediately broke with the Mongols and fought back several attacks, both by the Mongols and later by the resurgent Hungarians. Since then, the peaceful, industrious Galicians gradually began to transform into a warrior people, with a formidable military tradition; thus, surrounded by enemies, they survived, and in the 14th century - expanded. But in the late 15th century, the Golden Horde was suddenly revitalized and Nostradat Khan razed Vladimir and Moscow, and was only barely stopped outside of Kiev. Frightened, the Galicians had no choice but to reconcile with the Byzantines, whose assistance proved crucial in saving Galicia and by extent Europe from a new Mongolian invasion. By now Galicia has recovered, while the Golden Horde is shaking again; soon shall be the time to reunite Russia, but it would seem that there shall be strong competition... and also, is it at all safe to trust the wily Byzantines?
Kingdom of Hungary
Capital: Budapest
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy (Semi-Feudal)
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Competent/Tolerable)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Byzantine Empire (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Potentially the hegemon power of Eastern Europe, Hungary was prevented from taking this role again and again - first by its neighbours, then by the Mongols, then by dynastic strife, after that, by its neighbours again, later, by the Black Death... and now, by a new round of dynastic struggles! Plagued by unpopular foreign dynasties and corrupt, manipulative magnates that are in control of the Diet, Hungary's inherently unstable system of electoral monarchy caused dynasties to change every next decade; eventually, in 1466, that led to a civil war and the ruling Angevin king was overthrown by a Hohenstauffen, who was then overthrown by a Hunyadi, who massacred all the magnates he could find, but was killed by a personal enemy soon after. Hungary fell into anarchy; all this was the Time of Troubles, which ended with Austrian and Byzantine intervention in the 1480s; eventually the Byzantines defeated the Austrians who had tried to impose a Habsburg ruler, and put Benedek I Pesti (an important Hungarian nobleman of pro-Byzantine sympathies who was unmarried until now) on the throne, with a Byzantine princess as his consort ofcourse. Order was restored, but Hungary remains in ruins and in the middle of a severe demographic crisis, with rebellious minorities, conspiring noblemen and greedy foreigners - especially the Austrians - seeking to renew the Time of Troubles to put a puppet ruler of their own on the throne.
Byzantine Empire
Capital: Constantinople
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 35 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies: Hungary (Vassal)
Nation Description: Centuries of luck and prosperity alternated with those of decline for Byzantium. In the 11th century, the Byzantines underwent a revival, they fought back a variety of foes on all their borders and reconquered the Balkans; in the 12th, Venetian, Hungarian and Turkish onslaught was only barely slowed down, and the Byzantines declined; in the 13th, things were little better at first, but the restored Ducas Dynasty managed to eventually revive the Byzantine fortunes and retake lost ground in the Aegean and East Anatolia. Also, the Byzantine pact with the Mongols allowed the former to turn the tables on both the Turks and the Hungarians. In the 1380s, under Manuel IX Ducas, the Byzantines ascended to a new zenith; southern Italy and the Levant were reconquered, and later on, so was Egypt. However, the Byzantines severely overstretched themselves, and the general chaos and instability of the early 15th century reached the Eastern Empire as well. Renewed succession problems caused a civil war, which was immediately exploited by Aragon, Galicia and Venice. Also, soon enough a major rebellion in the Islamic provinces begun, and the Muwahhidun Empire was born. Only in 1439 did the Byzantines begin to recover, as the Comnenus Dynasty came to power again. Under Isaac III Comnenus, Calabria and Aleppo were recaptured, and considerable gains were made in the Balkans, with the conquest of Wallachia, Moldavia and Croatia. Demetrius I Comnenus encouraged a cultural renaissance, military reforms and intervened in Hungary to impose the rise of a "friendly" Pesti dynasty. All in all, the Byzantine Empire seems to be safe for now. But then again, these are volatile, dangerous times...
Principality of Kostroma
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Principality
Centralization: Federation
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Tolerable/Barely Tolerable)
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Tolerable
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Average
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Golden Horde (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Forged out of eastern Novgorodian and northern Vladimirian territories after the fall of those two great Russian principalities, and united around the northern trade center of Kostroma, this principality rose in the 15th century with Mongol assistance. Despite its size and strategic position, it is in fact quite weak and backwards, and greatly depends on the assistance of the revived Golden Horde; as said Horde seems to be again reverting into chaos, Kostroma doesn't seem to have a future...
Principality of Tver
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Feudal Principality
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Orthodox Christianity
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Good/Better)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Golden Horde (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Tver was traditionally at daggers drawn with Moscow, and its near-defeat at Muscovite hands in the mid-15th century had caused Knyaz Boris I to plead for Nostradat Khan's assistance. This greatly assisted the renaissance of the Golden Horde; Moscow was burned after a ferocious struggle, and Tver became a Mongol vassal and ally again, its forces participating in the ensuing wars with Galicia. As with Kostroma, appearences are misleading; Tver is fairly prosperous, advanced due to contact with Sweden and has a small, but very well-trained military. Should the Golden Horde fall, Tver will be in the best position to use this; nevertheless, it is not very likely that it could really fight back Galicia or Lithuania on its own at the present moment. With some cunning diplomacy, however, Tver does stand a chance, how ever small, to become a viable regional power...
Khanate of the Golden Horde
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Khanate (Absolute Monarchy)
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (various minorities tolerated)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 50 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Semi-Rabble) (Black Sea)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Good/Competent
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Normal
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Principality of Tver (Vassal), Principality of Kostroma (Vassal)
Nation Description: The European segment of the greater Mongol Empire, it was prevented from expanding beyond Russia by succession problems and staunch Imperial resistance, but itself defeated all the attempts to dislodge it from its holdings. Though remaining a formidable military force, the Golden Horde deteriorated due to the Black Death and internal strife, and in the late 14th/early 15th centuries almost ceased to exist, allowing Galicia and Sweden to expand further into Russia. However, in 1468-1480, a strong ruler finally emerged from the mess left behind by the Golden Horde's near collapse - Nostradat Khan, who renewed the Horde by bringing new blood into it - that of the Kazakhs and Turkmen, with whom he allied after his initial defeat when he was the Khan of Astrakhan. After conquering Central Asia, he returned with a vengeance, crushed all resistance and officially took power as the Khan of the Golden Horde in Sarai Berke (New Sarai). From there he moved on to reconquer eastern Russia and the Caucasus, although his attempts to advance further were fought to a standstill. Sadly, he died in 1489, before he could either go on a new campaign or put into place some proper domestic reforms. Fortunately his son Mamai Khan wasn't completely incompetent, and managed to hold the Horde together for now; yet it is unlikely that it will survive for much longer, at least without some major changes...
Zayanid Sultanate
Capital: Algiers
Ruler: /
Government: Sultanate
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Tolerable/Competent)
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies: Majardid Caliphate of Andalusia (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: Formerly loyal vassals of the Almohads, then, after a brief period of independence, loyal vassals of the Almohad successors - the Majardids. It is a rather weak (due to the shortage of manpower) Berber state, but in recent times it achieved prosperity due to advantageous strategic position of one of its primary cities, Tlemcen, a key segment of the trans-Saharan trade routes. If expansion westwards is unthinkable, northwards - impossible and eastwards - very difficult, then perhaps expansion southwards is the way to go? Though weak, the Zayanids do not entirely lack in potential...
Hafsid Sultanate
Capital: Tunis
Ruler: /
Government: Sultanate
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training):
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: A proud Berber warrior realm, the Hafsid Sultanate is fairly strong, prospering and has a good strategic position, but lacks any allies whatsoever; the Muwahidduns don't really think the Hafsids (or anybody else for that matter, apart from themselves) human, the Zayanids and their Majardid allies have already fought several wars against them, and the Genoese see them as heathens and what's worse - competitors. But not all is lost; the Hafsids are in the same place as ancient Carthage, and thus have similar opportunities; also, in recent times relations between them and the Byzantines have been improving suspiciously...
Mali Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Kingdom
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Animism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 5 Ships (Rabble)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Barely Tolerable/Tolerable
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Since the 13th century predominant in West Africa, the great trading empire of the Mali however begun to decline immediately upon reaching its 14th century zenith, and in the 15th century, the trade network brought the empire down with it - or nearly so. That was a century of near collapse; several key cities defected, rebelled or were captured by barbarians, and Mali was generally forced to shift southwestwards, especially as to northeast, the new Songhay Empire replaced its predominance along the Niger River and took over the Saharan trade. However, in the southwest, Mali gained a brief break; it befriended and traded with the Majardids, causing the seaport of Cacheu to become a great trade center. Perhaps not all is lost, and past glory could be reclaimed?
Songhay Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Kingdom
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim, Animism
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Barely Tolerable
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: The successors to the Malinese Empire on the Niger, Songhay people have for long lie inert in Gao; after first its conquest by the Malinese and later its succesful rebellion, the Songhay Empire was born under Sulaiman-Mar, and later, for real, under 'Ali Ber who repulsed Gao's various barbarian neighbors and conquered Timbuktu and Djenne. Despite some strife after his death, Songhay remains strong, and is now preparing for the final clash with the suddenly resurgent Mali.
Kingdom of Bornu
Capital: Bornu
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Chiefdom
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Animism
Tech Level: Early Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Semi-Rabble)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Barely Tolerable/Incompetent
Economy: Poor (0)
Infrastructure: Dirt Paths
Education: Illiterate
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Successor to the earlier Kanem Empire (of which Bornu was a province), Bornu has thus far warded off all of the enemies that tried to conquer its comparatively wealthy and good territories, but its long-term survival is far from assured.
Kingdom of Benin
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (Sizable Animistic minority)
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Barely Tolerable
Education: Tolerable
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Majardid Caliphate of Andalusia
Nation Description: For long a weak, primitive tribal state, Benin under Ewuare the Great underwent great transformation, becoming a hereditary monarchy, conquering several nearby territories and greatly befriending their Majardid trading partners. Benin has undergone some modernization, adapting more advanced technology with Majardid assistance, but it remains a rather weak and backwards state - yet on the other hand it only seems so on the world scale, as none of Benin's present neighbors are even nearly a match for it.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Kingdom of Kongo
Capital: Bacongo
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism, Sunni Muslim, Animism (About 10-10-80%)
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Semi-Rabble)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Barely Tolerable/Incompetent
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Tolerable
Education: Literate
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Presently the most advanced and coherent of the Bantu states, Kongo, as an empire based on trade, has prospered greatly when the Genoese and the Majardids arrived, trading with both and acting as middlemen between them and the inland tribes. Commercial competition here and elsewhere in Africa has driven something of a wedge in Genoese-Majardid relations; as a result, both sides begun seeking political supporters here, and on the background, a struggle for the souls of the yet-pagan Kongolese is ongoing, as both Muslim and Christian missionaries arrive in ever-greater numbers, much to the dissent of the natives.
Muwahhidun Empire of Egypt
Capital: Cairo
Ruler: /
Government: Totalitarian Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Druze (Significant Sunni Muslim and small Orthodox Christian minorities)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Better/Better)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Ever since the collapse of the degenerated Fatimid Empire in the mid-13th century, Egypt - and the Levant - were in chaos, with short-lived local empires, constant nomad attacks, Mongol invasions and finally, in the later 14th century, a complete Byzantine conquest; no wonder that, no matter how bad the later Fatimid era was, it eventually came to be idolized by the people as something of a golden age. When the Egyptians rose up and drove out the Byzantine conquerors, the ones to take control of the rebel masses called themselves the Muwahhiduns and who were also known as... the Druzes. Led by a man called Korkmaz, who declared himself Imam and al-Hakim's regent, the Druzes established an ultra-theocratic regime in Egypt, and with surprising speed and ruthlessness suppressed the Sunnis and pretty much all other Muslim movements in their lands. With their traditional emphasis on hierarchy, subordination and cohesion, the Druzes managed to build a strong, if highly oppressive, state and a modern, extremely well disciplined military that pushed the Byzantines out of virtually the entire Levant. The elite Muwahhidun forces proceeded to crush all resistance, and conquer, within the rest of the 15th century, Hejjaz, Yemen, the realms of the Lower Nile and Abyssinia. Also, as dissent begun to grow, the Empire transformed into a (somewhat) model totalitarian state, with an efficient suppression apparatus, a dedicated elite and massive public works at the expense of commerce and living standards. With the southern campaigns brought to a logical conclusion, it would seem that the Muwahhidun Empire shall soon either stagnate, decline and eventually collapse as is hoped by most of its neighbors, either continue its thus far successful struggle with all around it, striking into Arabia, Anatolia or the Mediterranean...
Sultanate of Zanzibar
Capital: Zanzibar
Ruler: /
Government: Mercantilist Monarchy
Centralization: Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (Hindu majority in Indian territories)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Professional)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: All the Swahili city-states were melting pots of Islamic cultures - African, Persian and Arabic - but none of them were quite as, uh, meltingpotty and as prosperous as Zanzibar, on the island of the same name. With its far-reaching trade network, powerful (by local standards) navy and excellent strategic position, Zanzibar became the natural capital of East Africa, which was united in the 14th century as a side-effect of the great turmoil caused in the Muslim Indian Ocean by the Byzantine reconquest of the Levant. The general decline of commerce led to fiercer economic competition, whilst social strife resulted in several dynasty changes; eventually, economic and social strife moved to a political level, and from there - to a series of intensified conflicts. Under the new Hadimi Dynasty, founded by Farid Hadimi, Zanzibar came out on top as a result of this struggle; after its mercenaries sacked Mombasa in 1357, the other city-states surrendered as well, in exchange for retaining considerable autonomy and local laws (it would have been quite difficult to establish centralized control over the entire East African coast anyway). United around what some termed "the Carthage of the Indian Ocean" or "the Swahili Srivijaya", East Africa truly entered the world stage for the first time since the fall of Axum; for Zanzibar's commercial empire was, for various reasons, beginning to transform into a colonial one, extending eastwards and securing various islands there; perhaps the greatest sign of Zanzibar's new ascendancy was the recent conquest of Calicut and several other parts of Malabar Coast; but Zanzibar isn't at its zenith yet.
Gilanid Shahdom/Caliphate of Persia
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Sunni Muslim (significant Shiite minority)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure:
Education: Perfect
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: After three centuries of Turkic and Mongol rule, a native Persian dynasty, the Gilanids, picked up what remained after the disastrous, incompetent rule of the il-Khans, or, rather, as nothing really remained from them, simply reunited Persia in a series of well-executed campaigns in the early 15th century, removing the Turkic and Mongol warlords from power. The Gilanids proved enlightened and competent rulers (then again, they had a favorable background), and fostered a new Persian cultural renaissance, in combination with domestic reforms and the creation of a pseudo-meritocracy under their second ruler, Tahmasp I. Having already claimed the title of Shah, Tahmasp I nonetheless also took the title of Caliph with the backing of the Arabian clergy; after the Druze revolution in Egypt, Persia became the strongest Sunni power left in the world, though possibly Andalusia, another Caliphate, was its equal. In any case, taking in Sunni refugees from Egypt, Persia soon prospered indeed, even moreso after its modernized military conquered Oman. Following a pragmatic foreign policy, the Gilanids have recently befriended the Byzantines, as both had mutual enemies in the Golden Horde and in the Muwahhidun Empire.
Sultanate of Delhi
Capital: Delhi
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy (in theory, in practice Feudal Monarchy)
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (large Hindu majority, small Buddhist minority)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Semi-Rabble)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Founded by the Ghurid commander Mu'izz-ud-Din Muhammad ibn Sam, the Sultanate of Delhi - one of the greatest Turkic states thus far - has seen the rule of several dynasties. Its first ascendance was under the slave-sultan Iltutmish; sadly, his successors had failed to defend what he had gained, and instead fought a lengthy, exhausting civil war. Late 13th-early 14th centuries saw the rule of the Khaljis, who had come to control, directly or not, the greater part of the Indian sub-continent; they were followed by Muhammad ibn Tughluq, who lost the southernmost territories to the Bahmanis, but in the north fought back a Mongol invasion and introduced reforms to establish a centralized, benevolent Muslim-dominated monarchy; though his attempts to Islamify India resulted in many rebellions, he achieved partial success with the help of refugees fleeing from the war-torn Middle East. The Tughluqids ruled on into the 15th century, failing to recover Deccan, and eventually losing some other territories, as the empire grew ever more decentralized and stagnant. A brief renaissance was achieved in the middle 15th century under Husayn I Tawfiqi, an usurper general, but in truth, Delhi still only looks strong, despite the best efforts of its rulers, it has again devolved into a feudal confederacy, and the slightest shake of the central authority might cause it to implode.
Bahmani Sultanate
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Aristocratic Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (Large Hindu minority)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Created by local Muslim nobles in defiance of Muhammad ibn Tughluq's centralization efforts, the Bahmani Sultanate soon enough became a centralized state itself; under Muhammad Shah I, it begun its expansionist agenda, conquering several lesser states and assuming control over much of central India with remarkably good use of artillery, but the revival of Delhi, rise of Vijayanagara and internal troubles prevented any further expansion in the 14th century. In the 15th century, despite having to fend off the attack of the aggressive of the southern Delhian "governors" (read warlords), further gains were made as Telingana was completely annexed and Vijayanagara pushed back, while wazir Mahmud Gawan instituted several reforms aimed at centralization and self-strengthening. However, later still into the century, petty intrigues and internecine strife yet again stopped Bahmani expansion. However, the conquest of western coastal areas has recently allowed the Bahmanis to participate in the general Indian Ocean commercial revival, and close ties were established with the Sultanate of Zanzibar; if the process of regional separation is stopped or reversed, the Bahmani Sultanate will have pretty good chances for a general revival and perhaps then Vijayanagara itself could finally be brought to its knees!
Vijayanagaran Empire
Capital: Vijayanagara
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Hindu
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Better)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Better
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Formed to oppose Muslim (first Delhian, later Bahmani) conquest of Deccan, Vijayanagara has become perhaps the first state to unite virtually all of this traditionally balkanized region. A strong, centralized empire of remarkable grandeur, Vijayanagara greatly prospered throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, but militarily, its fortunes were uneven, Goa and the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab becoming perpetually-contested territories between it and the Bahmanis, changing hands time and again. The later 15th century saw a final decisive result, and it was a one that favoured the Bahmanis - they secured all the contested territories, taking advantage of Vijayanagara's increasing decentralization after the rule of emperor Devaraya; all this and the Zanzibari conquest of Malabar crippled Vijayanagara's commerce, and much like Delhi, the formidable empire seems to be on the brink of total collapse; fortunately, the Bahmanis aren't much better off.
Sri Lanka
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Monarchy
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: For much of the Middle Ages, Sri Lanka passed between various weak native and foreign rulers, eventually breaking up into several separate kingdoms/city-states and thus becoming very vulnerable to invasion. It was only after the brief late 15th century Vijayanagaran rule - and the ensuing anarchy - that some semblance of unity was achieved again under Kandy, the one kingdom that remained unconquered for all the time; nevertheless, the island remains highly decentralized, weak and unstable; in its present state, it is ripe for picking, though it is not too late for it to alter that state and perhaps even become a colonial power in and of itself.
Yuan Empire
Capital: Tatu
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Ancestor Worship (none preferred)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 80 Thousands (Rabble), 10 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Better)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Probably the primary successor state to Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire (by the virtue of controlling Mongolia itself, amongst other things), the Yuan Empire is a curious mix of the Mongol tradition with those of the various conquered peoples, most notably the Chinese; in theory a meritocratic melting pot (obviously, this is rather harder to achieve in practice), the Yuan Empire has combined the Chinese bureaucratic tradition with the Mongolian and Jurchen military one, and is thus very formidable indeed, if not for the continued dissent both amongst the various conquered peoples and amongst the conservative Mongol tribes themselves; this and internicine strife greatly weakened the Yuan, especially in the 14th century. However, back in the 13th one, under Kublai Khan, the Yuan have all but conquered both China and Japan; however, the Song used their technological prowess and natural defenses to greatly slow down the Yuan advance, and bad weather had crippled the Yuan fleet, also, Kublai Khan died inconveniently in battle with the Chinese. Though the Song dynasty soon collapsed anyway, the 14th century Mongol civil wars and stagnation allowed a new Chinese dynasty to rise, the Min, who later nearly reconquered all of China Proper. In the early 15th century, however, the increasingly weak, decadent and "Sinified" Ghenghisids were overthrown by the more brutal and barbaric, and also more vigorous Khasarids, led by Galdhan Khan, who had defeated the Min outside of Tatu, and defeated several rebellions. Though his invasions of China mostly failed, he succeeded elsewhere - he had conquered Japan. Sadly, his heirs too weren't terribly competent, and lost Japan, but the Yuan-Min war now stalemated south of the Huang He, and all the Min attempts to expel the Yuan altogether had failed. It remains to be seen whether this "Three Hundred Years War" would ever come to a decisive conclusion or not.
Min Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Divine Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Ancestor Worship
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Semi-Rabble), 15 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Good
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies: Japanese Empire (Vassal)
Nation Description: Successors to the Song Dynasty, the Min have successfully revived and reformed China, mixing Song commercialism and innovation with strong, autocratic rule and a military tradition encouraged by the Mongol presence in the north. Using the time gained by the Mongol civil wars to rebuild southern China and create a strong new army, the Min have in the late 13th century come close to expelling the Mongols from China. Though ultimately, they only reconquered Central China, great gains were made elsewhere; Japan was vassalized, Annam was properly subdued and several islands were conquered by the new Min fleet, built to counter the Yuan one. However, the war with the Yuan remains the main concern for the Min, preventing them from making full use of the opportunities in South-East Asia...
Japanese Empire
Capital: Kyoto
Ruler: /
Government: Divine Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Shinto, Buddhism, Ancestor Worship
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Min Empire (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: For long existing in semi-isolation, Japan was forcefully opened up when, conspiring with some discontent feudal lords, Galdhan Khan successfully invaded Japan in the early 15th century, overthrowing the Shogunate and vassalizing the Emperor through puppet ministers. Since then, Japan became a part of the ongoing Yuan-Min wars for the control of China; fearful that Nagasaki might become a staging ground for a maritime invasion of China, the Min built up a fleet of their own, captured Okinawa and begun conspiring with the discontent Japanese nobles and soon enough incited a destructive civil war in Japan, in which both the Yuan and the Min intervened; in the end, the Min won first the naval war, and then landed a huge expeditionary corps that gradually forced the restoration of the Shogunate; naturally, the Shogun received Min advisors as well... With Min help and urban support, the restored Shogunate had concentrated on centralization; thus, the Yuan are the ones presently backing the various conspiracies of provincial Japanese nobles, but so far, none of them had succeeded. Then again, there are rumors that the Shogun, wary of Min control, is himself secretly corresponding the Yuan Emperor... Could the Japanese play the mainlanders off against each other? Or will the opposite continue?
Kingdom of Ava
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy (In name alone)
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Ava is the continuer of Pagan's great cultural and political tradition; culturally it is in, if not golden, then at least silver age, but sadly it, much like the Indian states, lacks in political cohesiveness and unity, effective control being only exercised in the Irrawaddy Valley itself, and the prosperous southern ports being ever more separatist (and actually autonomous). Its fierce Shan barbarian vassals in the north - the very same that had once ruined Pagan - are now increasingly turning from vassals to masters, having recently begun to demand tribute and force favorable decisions by the Avan kings.
Kingdom of Ayutthaya
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Uberunitary
Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Semi-Rabble)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Having eclipsed, conquered and in a way replaced the Khmers, Ayutthaya has, by contrast to Ava, become a heavily centralized, absolutist bureaucratic state with a king cult. Under the great mid-15th century King Trailok, Ayutthaya not only repulsed a Min Chinese invasion, but also signed an alliance with the Yuan (later disbanded, but friendly relations remained) and conquered Lan Na and Melaka. Though the latter was temporarily lost by his successors, the army, reformed along Yuan lines, had, in combination with some well-managed diplomacy, placed the entire Malay Peninsula under Thai rule in the end of the previous century. Now Ayutthaya stands at the crossroads; Ava, Chinese Annam and Atjeh all beckon to the ascendant imperial power; where shall the legions of the god-kings march next?
Sultanate of Atjeh
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Sultanate
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Poor (0)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: After the Ayutthayan conquest of Malaya and the Malayu civil war, Atjeh, Islam's first outpost in South-East Asia, has become a great trade center and the capital of a middling, but rising sultanate. However, its rise is likely to be cut short by one thing or another; then again, likelihood is not an ineluctable necessity, and a visionary ruler may yet turn Atjeh into a great empire.
Empire of Malayu
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Buddhism, Islam, Animism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: After the slow, painful death of Srivijaya in the late 13th-early 14th centuries, a fortunately brief dark age came to Indonesia; brief, for soon enough the city of Malayu came to predominate Sumatra, while Java was united around Kadiri. The two empires built naturally-clashing colonial empires; in the eventual war, despite the early naval defeats, the Malayuns made good use of the Kadiri Empire's instability, caused by Java's multipolarity (there were several cities there, and Kadiri hegemony was very challengeable); while the Kadiri dealt with the rebellion of Kutaraja, the Malayuns recovered their military fortunes and with the help of Malay mercenaries first secured the Kadiri colonies on Borneo, and later invaded Java, razing Kadiri itself after a furious battle. Though establishing control over Java itself was a long and arduous process, gradually, through treaties, violence and threats of violence, the proud island was subdued - for now. In the 15th century, however, as trade routes shifted away from Malayu, it entered a general decline. Though it had survived the 1460s-1470s civil war, the Empire of Malayu remains very unstable now, even as the economy is picking up; separatism is high even in some parts of Sumatra itself, to say nothing of Java or Borneo.
Capital: Bacongo
Ruler: /
Government: Tribal Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Roman Catholicism, Sunni Muslim, Animism (About 10-10-80%)
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Semi-Rabble)
Navy (Training): N/A
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Barely Tolerable/Incompetent
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Tolerable
Education: Literate
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Presently the most advanced and coherent of the Bantu states, Kongo, as an empire based on trade, has prospered greatly when the Genoese and the Majardids arrived, trading with both and acting as middlemen between them and the inland tribes. Commercial competition here and elsewhere in Africa has driven something of a wedge in Genoese-Majardid relations; as a result, both sides begun seeking political supporters here, and on the background, a struggle for the souls of the yet-pagan Kongolese is ongoing, as both Muslim and Christian missionaries arrive in ever-greater numbers, much to the dissent of the natives.
Muwahhidun Empire of Egypt
Capital: Cairo
Ruler: /
Government: Totalitarian Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Druze (Significant Sunni Muslim and small Orthodox Christian minorities)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): (Better/Better)
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Ever since the collapse of the degenerated Fatimid Empire in the mid-13th century, Egypt - and the Levant - were in chaos, with short-lived local empires, constant nomad attacks, Mongol invasions and finally, in the later 14th century, a complete Byzantine conquest; no wonder that, no matter how bad the later Fatimid era was, it eventually came to be idolized by the people as something of a golden age. When the Egyptians rose up and drove out the Byzantine conquerors, the ones to take control of the rebel masses called themselves the Muwahhiduns and who were also known as... the Druzes. Led by a man called Korkmaz, who declared himself Imam and al-Hakim's regent, the Druzes established an ultra-theocratic regime in Egypt, and with surprising speed and ruthlessness suppressed the Sunnis and pretty much all other Muslim movements in their lands. With their traditional emphasis on hierarchy, subordination and cohesion, the Druzes managed to build a strong, if highly oppressive, state and a modern, extremely well disciplined military that pushed the Byzantines out of virtually the entire Levant. The elite Muwahhidun forces proceeded to crush all resistance, and conquer, within the rest of the 15th century, Hejjaz, Yemen, the realms of the Lower Nile and Abyssinia. Also, as dissent begun to grow, the Empire transformed into a (somewhat) model totalitarian state, with an efficient suppression apparatus, a dedicated elite and massive public works at the expense of commerce and living standards. With the southern campaigns brought to a logical conclusion, it would seem that the Muwahhidun Empire shall soon either stagnate, decline and eventually collapse as is hoped by most of its neighbors, either continue its thus far successful struggle with all around it, striking into Arabia, Anatolia or the Mediterranean...
Sultanate of Zanzibar
Capital: Zanzibar
Ruler: /
Government: Mercantilist Monarchy
Centralization: Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (Hindu majority in Indian territories)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 30 Ships (Professional)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: All the Swahili city-states were melting pots of Islamic cultures - African, Persian and Arabic - but none of them were quite as, uh, meltingpotty and as prosperous as Zanzibar, on the island of the same name. With its far-reaching trade network, powerful (by local standards) navy and excellent strategic position, Zanzibar became the natural capital of East Africa, which was united in the 14th century as a side-effect of the great turmoil caused in the Muslim Indian Ocean by the Byzantine reconquest of the Levant. The general decline of commerce led to fiercer economic competition, whilst social strife resulted in several dynasty changes; eventually, economic and social strife moved to a political level, and from there - to a series of intensified conflicts. Under the new Hadimi Dynasty, founded by Farid Hadimi, Zanzibar came out on top as a result of this struggle; after its mercenaries sacked Mombasa in 1357, the other city-states surrendered as well, in exchange for retaining considerable autonomy and local laws (it would have been quite difficult to establish centralized control over the entire East African coast anyway). United around what some termed "the Carthage of the Indian Ocean" or "the Swahili Srivijaya", East Africa truly entered the world stage for the first time since the fall of Axum; for Zanzibar's commercial empire was, for various reasons, beginning to transform into a colonial one, extending eastwards and securing various islands there; perhaps the greatest sign of Zanzibar's new ascendancy was the recent conquest of Calicut and several other parts of Malabar Coast; but Zanzibar isn't at its zenith yet.
Gilanid Shahdom/Caliphate of Persia
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Sunni Muslim (significant Shiite minority)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 30 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure:
Education: Perfect
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: After three centuries of Turkic and Mongol rule, a native Persian dynasty, the Gilanids, picked up what remained after the disastrous, incompetent rule of the il-Khans, or, rather, as nothing really remained from them, simply reunited Persia in a series of well-executed campaigns in the early 15th century, removing the Turkic and Mongol warlords from power. The Gilanids proved enlightened and competent rulers (then again, they had a favorable background), and fostered a new Persian cultural renaissance, in combination with domestic reforms and the creation of a pseudo-meritocracy under their second ruler, Tahmasp I. Having already claimed the title of Shah, Tahmasp I nonetheless also took the title of Caliph with the backing of the Arabian clergy; after the Druze revolution in Egypt, Persia became the strongest Sunni power left in the world, though possibly Andalusia, another Caliphate, was its equal. In any case, taking in Sunni refugees from Egypt, Persia soon prospered indeed, even moreso after its modernized military conquered Oman. Following a pragmatic foreign policy, the Gilanids have recently befriended the Byzantines, as both had mutual enemies in the Golden Horde and in the Muwahhidun Empire.
Sultanate of Delhi
Capital: Delhi
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy (in theory, in practice Feudal Monarchy)
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (large Hindu majority, small Buddhist minority)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Semi-Rabble)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Patriotic
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Founded by the Ghurid commander Mu'izz-ud-Din Muhammad ibn Sam, the Sultanate of Delhi - one of the greatest Turkic states thus far - has seen the rule of several dynasties. Its first ascendance was under the slave-sultan Iltutmish; sadly, his successors had failed to defend what he had gained, and instead fought a lengthy, exhausting civil war. Late 13th-early 14th centuries saw the rule of the Khaljis, who had come to control, directly or not, the greater part of the Indian sub-continent; they were followed by Muhammad ibn Tughluq, who lost the southernmost territories to the Bahmanis, but in the north fought back a Mongol invasion and introduced reforms to establish a centralized, benevolent Muslim-dominated monarchy; though his attempts to Islamify India resulted in many rebellions, he achieved partial success with the help of refugees fleeing from the war-torn Middle East. The Tughluqids ruled on into the 15th century, failing to recover Deccan, and eventually losing some other territories, as the empire grew ever more decentralized and stagnant. A brief renaissance was achieved in the middle 15th century under Husayn I Tawfiqi, an usurper general, but in truth, Delhi still only looks strong, despite the best efforts of its rulers, it has again devolved into a feudal confederacy, and the slightest shake of the central authority might cause it to implode.
Bahmani Sultanate
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Aristocratic Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Sunni Muslim (Large Hindu minority)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Good)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Created by local Muslim nobles in defiance of Muhammad ibn Tughluq's centralization efforts, the Bahmani Sultanate soon enough became a centralized state itself; under Muhammad Shah I, it begun its expansionist agenda, conquering several lesser states and assuming control over much of central India with remarkably good use of artillery, but the revival of Delhi, rise of Vijayanagara and internal troubles prevented any further expansion in the 14th century. In the 15th century, despite having to fend off the attack of the aggressive of the southern Delhian "governors" (read warlords), further gains were made as Telingana was completely annexed and Vijayanagara pushed back, while wazir Mahmud Gawan instituted several reforms aimed at centralization and self-strengthening. However, later still into the century, petty intrigues and internecine strife yet again stopped Bahmani expansion. However, the conquest of western coastal areas has recently allowed the Bahmanis to participate in the general Indian Ocean commercial revival, and close ties were established with the Sultanate of Zanzibar; if the process of regional separation is stopped or reversed, the Bahmani Sultanate will have pretty good chances for a general revival and perhaps then Vijayanagara itself could finally be brought to its knees!
Vijayanagaran Empire
Capital: Vijayanagara
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Hindu
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Better)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Better
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Formed to oppose Muslim (first Delhian, later Bahmani) conquest of Deccan, Vijayanagara has become perhaps the first state to unite virtually all of this traditionally balkanized region. A strong, centralized empire of remarkable grandeur, Vijayanagara greatly prospered throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, but militarily, its fortunes were uneven, Goa and the Krishna-Tungabhadra doab becoming perpetually-contested territories between it and the Bahmanis, changing hands time and again. The later 15th century saw a final decisive result, and it was a one that favoured the Bahmanis - they secured all the contested territories, taking advantage of Vijayanagara's increasing decentralization after the rule of emperor Devaraya; all this and the Zanzibari conquest of Malabar crippled Vijayanagara's commerce, and much like Delhi, the formidable empire seems to be on the brink of total collapse; fortunately, the Bahmanis aren't much better off.
Sri Lanka
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Monarchy
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: For much of the Middle Ages, Sri Lanka passed between various weak native and foreign rulers, eventually breaking up into several separate kingdoms/city-states and thus becoming very vulnerable to invasion. It was only after the brief late 15th century Vijayanagaran rule - and the ensuing anarchy - that some semblance of unity was achieved again under Kandy, the one kingdom that remained unconquered for all the time; nevertheless, the island remains highly decentralized, weak and unstable; in its present state, it is ripe for picking, though it is not too late for it to alter that state and perhaps even become a colonial power in and of itself.
Yuan Empire
Capital: Tatu
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Ancestor Worship (none preferred)
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 80 Thousands (Rabble), 10 Thousands (Professional)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Better)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Probably the primary successor state to Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire (by the virtue of controlling Mongolia itself, amongst other things), the Yuan Empire is a curious mix of the Mongol tradition with those of the various conquered peoples, most notably the Chinese; in theory a meritocratic melting pot (obviously, this is rather harder to achieve in practice), the Yuan Empire has combined the Chinese bureaucratic tradition with the Mongolian and Jurchen military one, and is thus very formidable indeed, if not for the continued dissent both amongst the various conquered peoples and amongst the conservative Mongol tribes themselves; this and internicine strife greatly weakened the Yuan, especially in the 14th century. However, back in the 13th one, under Kublai Khan, the Yuan have all but conquered both China and Japan; however, the Song used their technological prowess and natural defenses to greatly slow down the Yuan advance, and bad weather had crippled the Yuan fleet, also, Kublai Khan died inconveniently in battle with the Chinese. Though the Song dynasty soon collapsed anyway, the 14th century Mongol civil wars and stagnation allowed a new Chinese dynasty to rise, the Min, who later nearly reconquered all of China Proper. In the early 15th century, however, the increasingly weak, decadent and "Sinified" Ghenghisids were overthrown by the more brutal and barbaric, and also more vigorous Khasarids, led by Galdhan Khan, who had defeated the Min outside of Tatu, and defeated several rebellions. Though his invasions of China mostly failed, he succeeded elsewhere - he had conquered Japan. Sadly, his heirs too weren't terribly competent, and lost Japan, but the Yuan-Min war now stalemated south of the Huang He, and all the Min attempts to expel the Yuan altogether had failed. It remains to be seen whether this "Three Hundred Years War" would ever come to a decisive conclusion or not.
Min Empire
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Divine Monarchy
Centralization: Unitary With Exceptions
Religion: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Ancestor Worship
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 40 Thousands (Semi-Rabble), 15 Thousands (Very Good)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Good
Economy: Growing (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Perfect
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies: Japanese Empire (Vassal)
Nation Description: Successors to the Song Dynasty, the Min have successfully revived and reformed China, mixing Song commercialism and innovation with strong, autocratic rule and a military tradition encouraged by the Mongol presence in the north. Using the time gained by the Mongol civil wars to rebuild southern China and create a strong new army, the Min have in the late 13th century come close to expelling the Mongols from China. Though ultimately, they only reconquered Central China, great gains were made elsewhere; Japan was vassalized, Annam was properly subdued and several islands were conquered by the new Min fleet, built to counter the Yuan one. However, the war with the Yuan remains the main concern for the Min, preventing them from making full use of the opportunities in South-East Asia...
Japanese Empire
Capital: Kyoto
Ruler: /
Government: Divine Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Shinto, Buddhism, Ancestor Worship
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 20 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Competent/Tolerable
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Respecting
Projects:
Public Allies: Min Empire (Liege Lord)
Nation Description: For long existing in semi-isolation, Japan was forcefully opened up when, conspiring with some discontent feudal lords, Galdhan Khan successfully invaded Japan in the early 15th century, overthrowing the Shogunate and vassalizing the Emperor through puppet ministers. Since then, Japan became a part of the ongoing Yuan-Min wars for the control of China; fearful that Nagasaki might become a staging ground for a maritime invasion of China, the Min built up a fleet of their own, captured Okinawa and begun conspiring with the discontent Japanese nobles and soon enough incited a destructive civil war in Japan, in which both the Yuan and the Min intervened; in the end, the Min won first the naval war, and then landed a huge expeditionary corps that gradually forced the restoration of the Shogunate; naturally, the Shogun received Min advisors as well... With Min help and urban support, the restored Shogunate had concentrated on centralization; thus, the Yuan are the ones presently backing the various conspiracies of provincial Japanese nobles, but so far, none of them had succeeded. Then again, there are rumors that the Shogun, wary of Min control, is himself secretly corresponding the Yuan Emperor... Could the Japanese play the mainlanders off against each other? Or will the opposite continue?
Kingdom of Ava
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy (In name alone)
Centralization: Loose Federation
Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 20 Thousands (Normal)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Tolerable)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Not Bad (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Literate
Culture: Devoted
Confidence: Barely Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Ava is the continuer of Pagan's great cultural and political tradition; culturally it is in, if not golden, then at least silver age, but sadly it, much like the Indian states, lacks in political cohesiveness and unity, effective control being only exercised in the Irrawaddy Valley itself, and the prosperous southern ports being ever more separatist (and actually autonomous). Its fierce Shan barbarian vassals in the north - the very same that had once ruined Pagan - are now increasingly turning from vassals to masters, having recently begun to demand tribute and force favorable decisions by the Avan kings.
Kingdom of Ayutthaya
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Uberunitary
Religion: Theravada Buddhism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 25 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 10 Ships (Semi-Rabble)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Better/Competent
Economy: Normal (+1)
Infrastructure: Improving
Education: Educated
Culture: Hyperpatriotic
Confidence: Admiring
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: Having eclipsed, conquered and in a way replaced the Khmers, Ayutthaya has, by contrast to Ava, become a heavily centralized, absolutist bureaucratic state with a king cult. Under the great mid-15th century King Trailok, Ayutthaya not only repulsed a Min Chinese invasion, but also signed an alliance with the Yuan (later disbanded, but friendly relations remained) and conquered Lan Na and Melaka. Though the latter was temporarily lost by his successors, the army, reformed along Yuan lines, had, in combination with some well-managed diplomacy, placed the entire Malay Peninsula under Thai rule in the end of the previous century. Now Ayutthaya stands at the crossroads; Ava, Chinese Annam and Atjeh all beckon to the ascendant imperial power; where shall the legions of the god-kings march next?
Sultanate of Atjeh
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Sultanate
Centralization: Unitary
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Tech Level: Late Middle Ages
Army (Training): 10 Thousands (Tolerable)
Navy (Training): 15 Ships (Normal)
Leadership (Military/Civilian): Tolerable/Barely Tolerable
Economy: Poor (0)
Infrastructure: Good
Education: Literate
Culture: Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: After the Ayutthayan conquest of Malaya and the Malayu civil war, Atjeh, Islam's first outpost in South-East Asia, has become a great trade center and the capital of a middling, but rising sultanate. However, its rise is likely to be cut short by one thing or another; then again, likelihood is not an ineluctable necessity, and a visionary ruler may yet turn Atjeh into a great empire.
Empire of Malayu
Capital:
Ruler: /
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Centralization: Tight Federation
Religion: Buddhism, Islam, Animism
Tech Level: Age of Exploration
Army (Training): 15 Thousands (Better)
Navy (Training): 25 Ships (Good)
Leadership (Military/Civilian):
Economy: Good Enough (+2)
Infrastructure: Efficient
Education: Well Educated
Culture: Strongly Cultured
Confidence: Tolerating
Projects:
Public Allies:
Nation Description: After the slow, painful death of Srivijaya in the late 13th-early 14th centuries, a fortunately brief dark age came to Indonesia; brief, for soon enough the city of Malayu came to predominate Sumatra, while Java was united around Kadiri. The two empires built naturally-clashing colonial empires; in the eventual war, despite the early naval defeats, the Malayuns made good use of the Kadiri Empire's instability, caused by Java's multipolarity (there were several cities there, and Kadiri hegemony was very challengeable); while the Kadiri dealt with the rebellion of Kutaraja, the Malayuns recovered their military fortunes and with the help of Malay mercenaries first secured the Kadiri colonies on Borneo, and later invaded Java, razing Kadiri itself after a furious battle. Though establishing control over Java itself was a long and arduous process, gradually, through treaties, violence and threats of violence, the proud island was subdued - for now. In the 15th century, however, as trade routes shifted away from Malayu, it entered a general decline. Though it had survived the 1460s-1470s civil war, the Empire of Malayu remains very unstable now, even as the economy is picking up; separatism is high even in some parts of Sumatra itself, to say nothing of Java or Borneo.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
If you ask me, the army sizes for the two Chinas are a bit skewed
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
One of them is the Master of Japan, not the other way around azale 
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Azale, I did take reservations a couple weeks ago. But if these people fail to claim their nations within 2 days of the NES starting, they'll be free again. Glad to see you're interested.
Reservations:
North King: Vijayanagara
ThomAnder: Persia
Insane_Panda: Byzantine Empire
LittleBoots: Leon
shortguy: Greater Lothringen
Wubba360: Egypt
The Farow: Bavaria
Swissempire: Andalusia
Reno: Sweden
Silver: Golden Horde
Israelite: Irish Empire
Kal'thzar: Norse Empire (potentially)
Cuivienen: Zanzibar
Drake: Hungary
Disenfrancised: Genoa (potentially)
Alex: Min China
Ruleset: 98% Finished
Map: 95% Finished
Stats: 98% Finished
Good unreserved powers include: Incan Empire, Provence, Tuscany, Tsardom of Galicia, Yuan Empire, Malayu, Sultanate of Delhi, and Ayutthaya. Or you can wait for people to not take their nations.
I'll post an updated, finalized map soon.
@alex: Those stats reflect the fact that both Chinas are probably using huge peasant conscript armies, along with a small(er) corps of professional veteran troops.
Reservations:
North King: Vijayanagara
ThomAnder: Persia
Insane_Panda: Byzantine Empire
LittleBoots: Leon
shortguy: Greater Lothringen
Wubba360: Egypt
The Farow: Bavaria
Swissempire: Andalusia
Reno: Sweden
Silver: Golden Horde
Israelite: Irish Empire
Kal'thzar: Norse Empire (potentially)
Cuivienen: Zanzibar
Drake: Hungary
Disenfrancised: Genoa (potentially)
Alex: Min China
Ruleset: 98% Finished
Map: 95% Finished
Stats: 98% Finished
Good unreserved powers include: Incan Empire, Provence, Tuscany, Tsardom of Galicia, Yuan Empire, Malayu, Sultanate of Delhi, and Ayutthaya. Or you can wait for people to not take their nations.
I'll post an updated, finalized map soon.
@alex: Those stats reflect the fact that both Chinas are probably using huge peasant conscript armies, along with a small(er) corps of professional veteran troops.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Here it is. Might still make some minor changes...I think that I might have placed Samarkand and another city in Africa incorrectly, though.
Thanks to das and Disenfrancised for doing the nation descriptions, and the map.
Thanks to das and Disenfrancised for doing the nation descriptions, and the map.
