Just an idea
Chieftain
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2016
- Messages
- 92
There has been some discussion on this forum about leaders' favorite civics. I thought it would be fun to try to assign civics to case examples from civilizations.
I try to have case examples according to civs leaderheads so this might be also helpful for favorite civic discussion. Feel free to comment how mistaken I am or to make similar analysis of your own. I'll be starting with the Vikings.
Ragnar Lodbrok (legendary, 700s-800s?), Viking Age Sweden
GOVERNMENT
During the time period Sweden was made up of multiple petty kingdoms. Exact information about their customs of succession is scarce. Ancient Norse had gatherings called Things. Apparently Things were at least occasionally used for electing a new king. Elective
LEGITIMACY
Ancient Norse didn't really use vassalage in a sense that king would give someone landholdings in exchange for military service. Kings weren't considered above the law and Things, in which every free man could participate, were used for creating and enforcing laws. As weird as it sounds, Citizenship
SOCIETY
Norse had a thrall class that made up of about 25% of their society. Thralls were slaves that were usually acquired from raids. Slavery
ECONOMY
In addition to raiders, Vikings were also merchants. Trade routes they established, like one from Baltic Sea through Russia to Black Sea and Constantinople, continued existing even after Viking age. Merchant Trade
RELIGION
Norse paganism didn't have any full time religious leaders. Animism
TERRITORY
Viking Age got its name from Norse raids and conquests. While Tributaries could make sense since Danegeld was actually tribute paid to Vikings to avoid raids, I'm still leaning towards Conquest
Gustav II Adolph (1611-1632), Swedish Empire
GOVERNMENT
During the time of Gustavus Adolphus Sweden was a hereditary Monarchy
LEGITIMACY
During his reign, he reorganized Sweden's administration so central government had more influence. Centralism
SOCIETY
Gustavus Adolphus forced nobility to grant peasants more autonomy and improved education. Individualism
ECONOMY
Even during its Great Power phase Swedish economy relied heavily on foreign trade. Merchant Trade
RELIGION
During early 1600s Catholics were still persecuted in Sweden in wake of Reformation so Tolerance doesn't fit. Reformation made King of Sweden official leader of Swedish Church, so Theocracy
TERRITORY
Sweden's organizational changes were largely so that it could field an army able to compete with great powers. Conquest
Einar Gerhardsen (1945-1965, not continuously) Post- WW2 Norway
GOVERNMENT
Norway is constitutional monarchy so, Monarchy
LEGITIMACY
Constitution
SOCIETY
Gerhardsen played major role in turning Norway to Social Democratic welfare state. Egalitarianism
ECONOMY
Public Welfare
RELIGION
Before I did research for this I would have guessed that Norway would be secular state, but it was only in 2017 that Church of Norway became separate organization from Kingdom of Norway. King of Norway is also legally required to be a member of Church of Norway. Gerhardsen himself actually resigned his membership with Church in 1918 for his Socialist sympathies. Tolerance
TERRITORY
Norway is one of the founding members of NATO. Multilateralism
Sorry last one is a bit shorter, but I thought these were fairly self-explanatory.
I try to have case examples according to civs leaderheads so this might be also helpful for favorite civic discussion. Feel free to comment how mistaken I am or to make similar analysis of your own. I'll be starting with the Vikings.
Ragnar Lodbrok (legendary, 700s-800s?), Viking Age Sweden
GOVERNMENT
During the time period Sweden was made up of multiple petty kingdoms. Exact information about their customs of succession is scarce. Ancient Norse had gatherings called Things. Apparently Things were at least occasionally used for electing a new king. Elective
LEGITIMACY
Ancient Norse didn't really use vassalage in a sense that king would give someone landholdings in exchange for military service. Kings weren't considered above the law and Things, in which every free man could participate, were used for creating and enforcing laws. As weird as it sounds, Citizenship
SOCIETY
Norse had a thrall class that made up of about 25% of their society. Thralls were slaves that were usually acquired from raids. Slavery
ECONOMY
In addition to raiders, Vikings were also merchants. Trade routes they established, like one from Baltic Sea through Russia to Black Sea and Constantinople, continued existing even after Viking age. Merchant Trade
RELIGION
Norse paganism didn't have any full time religious leaders. Animism
TERRITORY
Viking Age got its name from Norse raids and conquests. While Tributaries could make sense since Danegeld was actually tribute paid to Vikings to avoid raids, I'm still leaning towards Conquest
Gustav II Adolph (1611-1632), Swedish Empire
GOVERNMENT
During the time of Gustavus Adolphus Sweden was a hereditary Monarchy
LEGITIMACY
During his reign, he reorganized Sweden's administration so central government had more influence. Centralism
SOCIETY
Gustavus Adolphus forced nobility to grant peasants more autonomy and improved education. Individualism
ECONOMY
Even during its Great Power phase Swedish economy relied heavily on foreign trade. Merchant Trade
RELIGION
During early 1600s Catholics were still persecuted in Sweden in wake of Reformation so Tolerance doesn't fit. Reformation made King of Sweden official leader of Swedish Church, so Theocracy
TERRITORY
Sweden's organizational changes were largely so that it could field an army able to compete with great powers. Conquest
Einar Gerhardsen (1945-1965, not continuously) Post- WW2 Norway
GOVERNMENT
Norway is constitutional monarchy so, Monarchy
LEGITIMACY
Constitution
SOCIETY
Gerhardsen played major role in turning Norway to Social Democratic welfare state. Egalitarianism
ECONOMY
Public Welfare
RELIGION
Before I did research for this I would have guessed that Norway would be secular state, but it was only in 2017 that Church of Norway became separate organization from Kingdom of Norway. King of Norway is also legally required to be a member of Church of Norway. Gerhardsen himself actually resigned his membership with Church in 1918 for his Socialist sympathies. Tolerance
TERRITORY
Norway is one of the founding members of NATO. Multilateralism
Sorry last one is a bit shorter, but I thought these were fairly self-explanatory.