The World Spins Madly On - An Alternate History Timeline

pieman97405 · Aug 8, 2014

A war between Britain and the ASU, Spain, and Freedonia. That sounds like it has a lot of potential to go vary wrong.

Anywho just caught up, and I have to say I enjoyed doing so. Keep up the good work guys.

Xanthoc · Aug 8, 2014

pieman97405 said:
A war between Britain and the ASU, Spain, and Freedonia. That sounds like it has a lot of potential to go vary wrong.

Anywho just caught up, and I have to say I enjoyed doing so. Keep up the good work guys.

Your support is much appreciated

And yes, it will certainly be fun. Especially with the ASU. AKA, the "SNAKES OF THE SOUTH".

Xanthoc · Aug 8, 2014

The Expansion War
A Brief Explanation of the Southron Campaigns and Theatre by Dietrich Streiter
© Aryan Free Press Institute, 1999-2005. All rights reserved.

The Corsican Emperor and His Golden Legion

The Battle of the Floridian Coast

The Battle of Fort Milagro

In the late 1790's, the territory of Louisiana was flooded from all sides by settlers from the Empire of Spain, the American Southron Union, the Republic of Freedonia, and the Incorporated Kingdoms of Greater Britain. But as the years passed, plans and meetings for dividing the land always devolved into each representative drawing random lines on a map to ensure their country got the majority. And so, in 1812, the twelfth year of Pax España, and the tenth year of Emperor Napoleón José's rule after he married Empress Sophia I, and the eighth year since he had ruled Spain alone after his wife died at childbirth, a war began, and the Pax ended.

The first attack was, unsurprisingly, by the Freedonian Legion. Attacking a Spanish encampment, they easily slaughtered the Imperial forces. The few remaining soldiers retreated, eventually finding an old French fort, and hastily set up defenses for the oncoming Freedonian forces. Almost by divine will, the Freedonians lost the battle, as the fort, located in the Quapaw Forest [1], was surrounded by underground caves. As the Freedonians fired their cannons, the ground gave way as the caves collapsed and sinkholes formed. And so the Battle of Fort Milagro (Spanish for Miracle) was won by the Spanish Empire, and would become a key source of propaganda for the war.

Small skirmishes would continue for another year, before the Spanish, still riding high on their overall victories, decided to perform an ambitious move in the Expansion War; instead of keeping the fighting in Louisiana, they decided to invade the ASU, and take out what they believed to be their weakest enemy. Marching into Georgia from Florida, the Spanish only sent a regular military force, figuring it would a simple stroll to the capital of Savannah, perhaps less than three days to siege it, and then it would be a simple matter to force the ASU to surrender. To quote the diarary of a Spanish commander, "We should be sipping wine and lounging with beautiful women in Havana by the end of the month." This would certainly not be the case.

The Union had one very powerful advantage to the Spanish; a huge slave population. Thanks to the Slave Samaritan Act, a slave could enlist in the military in exchange for the freedom of another slave. Male slaves, in exchange for the freedom of a child or wife or even a friend, joined in mass, many promised that if they survived, they would be allowed to live with their newly freed family, or given the opportunity to free another slave after the war. These SSA Brigades would become the stuff of legend once the Spanish began invading the ASU itself.

Many then wonder, how is it that the ASU survived Freedonian invasion? For years it was claimed to be because of a sense of honor the Freedonians had, refusing to act as the Spanish did. And yet the Freedonians did indeed invade British colonies along the coast of the Hudson Bay. The truth, as we now know, is that the ASU had arranged a deal; they would prevent the British from invading them from the South (a bluff, as the British didn't have the man power in the area to use that tactic), in exchange for the southern half of Louisiana the British had promised them. Thanks to this, all Southron troops were diverted to fighting the Spanish. They easily repelled the initial Spanish invasion. The Empir eowuld then send a true invasion force from Florida, attacking the state of Mississippi, and even southern Coosa, as well as the majority of Georgia. This is where the SSA Brigades shined. Unites were organized to all be from the same area, and then deployed to defend the plantations they themselves had come from. Defending their families, friends, and even what they considered home, the black soldiers proved ferocious and determined, always fighting to the last man. Indeed, the saying "You'll never see the back of a black," is still used today in the New World, creating the stereotype of black soldiers being the bravest of men.

But the ASU knew it couldn't last much longer. So, in order to pull themselves out of the war, they launched their own counter-invasion of Florida, sending both white and black units to fight side by side in one massive army. Carving their path South, they Spanish Army would finally recover at the coast, spreading out along the majority of the large peninsula's edge. And so the Battle of the Floridian Coast proved to be one of the widest spread single battles, though it was technically several battles occuring at once. Forces were clashing on the coastline from Tampa Bay all the way around to the Treasure Coast. And in the end, the Southron tricolour flew high above the land.

Afterwards, Southron Premier James Jackson sent a message to Emperor Napoleón José; it was a request for Peace. Claiming that the force sent to Florida was only half of their ready military, Jackson was able to negotiate that, in order to end all hostilities between the ASU and Spain, Spain would cede Florida and all of Louisiana south of the 36'30 North, and the ASU would expel all British forces in their land, bar the British from using the Mississippi River or any Southron ports, and would allow the Spanish trade rights in those ports. The deal was agreed upon, and the Union officially left the war. However, they themselves wouldn't last long in their peace, as Premier Jackson and the Southron Parliament refused to give up the emergency powers given to them during the four years of the war. Only two years after the end of the ASU's role in the Expansion War, the Southron Civil War would begin.

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[1] The Ozarks

RoyalTwinFangs · Aug 8, 2014

It has been some time but this still have some promise to it.

pieman97405 · Aug 8, 2014

A Southern Civil War. I can only see Freedonia taking advantage of this if they aren't still fighting Spain and Britain in two years.

Xanthoc · Aug 9, 2014

Fallen Gods: An Encyclopedia of Civilizations from Rise to Fall

Chapter 53: The Spanish Empire's Fall

The Assassination of Emperor Napoleón José

The Expansion War was more than the end of Pax España, It was the truly the end of the Spanish Empire. While the American Southron Union was able to bluff its way out of the war in 1816, the Expansion War would continue until 1819, when the Freedonian Armada and Legions executed an impressive strategy; they coordinated a strike against several major cities in Spanish America by seeing the average time of travel to each the location, and sending their fleets and men in waves so that the attacks all occurred in a span of three days. The Spanish themselves had been gathering their own fleet in Cuba, preparing to raid along the Freedonian coast. Many ports south of there were only lightly guarded, and the Freedonians were able to cripple the Spanish supply line, as well as blockading most of their major ports.

After another few weeks of conflict, the Spanish decided to return the battle to its original battleground; Louisiana [1]. They also pulled another surprising move; they sent a letter, specifying the date and location of the attack, calling for the Freedonians to send their entire army as the Spanish sent theirs for one final battle. Winner take all.

Of course, that would have been an utterly idiotic tactic, and both sides knew it [2]. However, both sides did send the majority of their armies; but, of course, half of the men sent on either side were hiding in the forests in order for a 'surprise attack' that both sides knew would be coming. The Freedonians did do one thing different; many of the men in the forests were German mercenaries [3], and the real remnants of their army was marching unhindered to Mexico City. The Rape of Mexico would be to come next. In where, the Freedonians easily dispatched the garrisoned forces, and began burning half of the city, looting the other, and, actually under orders, literally raped Spanish women and executed Spanish men [4]. To this day, many of the people in the area have Freedonian ancestry.

Stories of this brutality traveled like wildfire throughout Spanish America, especially once the Spanish Army lost their battle with the Freedonians and Germans in Louisiana. Many people already saw the defeat by the ASU to be a mark of the Spanish government's inadequacy, making this but a Prince and Banner for them. As the story morphed, many people came to the conclusion that the Spanish government was utterly incompetent, and had abandoned their people, allowed their defilement, all for not. This sentiment was especially felt in rural areas, where the tales of horror became even worse, and the idiocy of the Spanish government made to sound that of legend [5]. And so were harvested the last straws to break the Empire's back, for angry farmers and revolution are like fist to nose.

Discontent was everywhere as the Spanish were forced to end the war, not only losing what was left of Louisiana to the Freedonians [6], but even ceding some of their colonial land east of the Nova Occident Mountains [7] and north of the 36'30. While the Emperor [8] had done so to try and calm people, as well as gaining the ability to focus resources on keeping the peace, it only enraged the commoners more, who wanted revenge. "Remember Mexico" became a popular rally cry by rebels, angry that the Empire had caved to the Freedonians, just as the French had years before.

Luckily, however, the people of the Spanish Empire were not only disconnected, but vehemently against omni-plebeianism, or we would have a much different world today. Even on the Iberian Peninsula, people felt the monarchy was failing. Indeed, it was the ASU and Freedonia, the world's only two democratic [9] nations, had been the ones two gain in the Expansion War, while the two supposed superpowers of Britain and Spain had lost. Talk of Republican Revolution became common place, especially when Freedonian weaponry came trickling into Spanish America, where some were then shipped to Europe itself. The Netherlands was trying to become independent once more, Corsica and the Italian provinces were discussing breaking away, and revolutionaries were drawing out their own state in the New World. Every part of the Empire was a powder keg. And then came the flame of the "Scream Heard 'Round the World".

The year was 1822. The location was the island of Cuba. Emperor Napoleón José was sitting outside his tent with one of his personal guard on top of the largest hill of the Alturas de San Juan, looking at the sunset, having spent the day in Santiago to make a public speech, ensuring citizens of the Empire's love for them. Napoleón himself was not hated. In fact many knew him to be of rather liberal leanings in his personal thoughts, but his position as Emperor, especially being a non-native Spaniard, made him a symbol of the increasingly hated Empire. And so a man snuck up the hill and jumping at Napoleón from behind, stabbing him repeatedly in the skull and face before his guard could even draw his sword. Partly due to the lack of hatred for the man himself [10], a purple cloth, like that of Roman Emperors, is usually shown covering the Emperor's face in depictions of his assassination.

The death of the Spanish sovereign spread through the colonies quickly, and once the word reached Europe, all hell broke loose.

--------------------------------

The Five Successor States to the Spanish Empire

The Federation of Colombian Nations

The United Republic of the Caribbean

The Andes Confederation

The Democracy of Patagonia

The Iberian Republic of Hispania

------------------------------------

[1] The majority of the war had moved to sea battles, and invasions and counter-invasions that merely went through Louisiana.

[2]Unlike some medieval kings... And they also left enough men to keep strategic locations.

[3]You know the ones

[4]The Freedonians were starting to run out of canon fodder themselves, so when the soldiers begin to dwindle, it's time to introduce some total war.

[5]Some actually thought they had sent their entire army, literally leaving the colonies defenseless.

[6]The British weren't able to use Southron ports, so once the Freedonians took the Hudson territory, now renamed 'Hudsünia', they lost any chance of staying anywhere in the New World but the Caribbean

[7]The Rockies

[8]This is indeed our Napoleon, with the middle name of Joseph after his late brother, who died of food poisoning.

[9]Sans the Noble Republics, but they're a grey area. And yes, Freedonia is a democratic power; anyone can be Augustus and they are voted in by popular vote.

[10]That and the fact that most depictions were done by artists in other monarchist countries.

On the flags...
•The FCN is Bolivar's wet dream, stretching from California to Ecuador, with a capital city built in Panama.
•The three stars stand for Cuba, Dominica, and Puerto Rico, the three main islands of the URC.
•Inca culture has made a large comeback with them, as its the half of their heritage that was oppressed by the Spanish.
•Uber Argentia that is essentially the Freedonia of the Spanish speaking world.
•Think OTL France, but with more firing squad instead of guillotine

Xanthoc · Aug 9, 2014

RoyalTwinFangs said:
It has been some time but this still have some promise to it.

I hope that promise comes through

pieman97405 said:
A Southern Civil War. I can only see Freedonia taking advantage of this if they aren't still fighting Spain and Britain in two years.

Sorry, no Civil War yet.

I hope the collapse of Spain will hold you over until that gets done!

Xanthoc · Aug 25, 2014

A TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO AVOIDING OFFENSE AND POSSIBLE DEATH: VESPUCCIA EDITION

CHAPTER III: GOVERNMENTAL FOUNDATION

The previous chapter in this edition discussed the founding of Vespuccia as a country in general during its time as the American Southron Union (ASU). This chapter will go over an equally important aspect of any countries history; the founding of its current government. (NOTE: Any nation in our books who have a government that is disliked by the populace will have a red torch icon at the top of its entry)

In order to prevent potential societal faux pas, we believe a traveler ought to have a rudimentary understanding of a nation's current governmental founding, including the events leading up to it. Vespuccia's government was founded after the end of its well known Civil War. A traveler in Vespuccia ought to know the events that caused this war:

Following the exit of the ASU from the Expansion War in 1816, Premier James Jackson and his bribed and bought Parliament kept their war-time emergency powers over the confederation to aid with the rebuilding of infrastructure, relocation of newly freed slaves, and general stabilization. Most at this time felt this was perfectly acceptable.
The first year of reconstruction proved to be the only necessary one; the comradery built up between blacks and whites had led to many freed slaves gaining homes and land on many plantations that had been then converted into smaller farms managed by blacks and owned by their former masters[1]. Further, many of these new free men took employment in rebuilding infrastructure, with most major projects being completed by the beginning of 1818.
After Premier Jackson claimed much more work was needed and postponed the Parliamentary Elections of 1817, protests for him to surrender his new power became common place.
Jackson had also lost much of his following when he took the power of dealing with diplomats directly, and soured the already tense relationship with Greater Britain to the point of British sea-dogs targeting ASU merchants. Many in the ASU had wanted the relationship mended after the Expansion War.
In the Fall of 1818, a protest in Charleston grew violent and guards fired on the mob. This led to more riots throughout the nation in coming weeks.
By Winter, militias had formed that began raiding armories, and the Civil War had begun.

The war initially a simple one with two rather evenly matched sides; Loyalists and Liberals. The Liberals had made their own Southron Democratic People's Coalition (SDPC)[2] to replace the ASU government. However, after a few years of rule under the SDPC, people in the areas they controlled grew angry with them, for their lack of ANY government intervention had created a near total anarchic state. In the ASU controlled areas, the government had become one of absolute authoritarianism, with the Parliament voting itself disbanded and Jackson made High Leader of the ASU (despite his inital protests). Former Parliament members then fled to foreign nations. Soon both sides fractured, and Liberals, Conservatives, Anarchists, and even Omni-plebeianists had factions of their own fighting.

By 1827, the war was still raging. The area had become so hostile and the factions so viscous that foreign nations were afraid of giving them all one common enemy by invading. The chaos and lack of trade made it possibly the worst place to live in the New World. This is where the term Vespuccia had gained popularity; it was a play on words as the area was the "ass-end of America", with America the continent's name coming from explorer Amerigo Vespucci. However, many people in the former ASU began to use it with a sense of pride, distinguishing themselves from the rest of their neighbors, creating a new national identity, despite the poor conditions.

In fact, by this point, those who had been young before the separation from Britain in the late 1760's bemoaned the loss of monarchy, claiming they had been foolish to think order and peace could be had without a unifying sovereign. And so rose a new monarchist faction that would change the course of the war with its radical notions and seemingly unbeatable army, lead by their mighty war-maiden; Victoria Oglethorpe.

Queen Victoria the Conqueress (NOTE: Travelers must remember to say 'Her Radiance' before speaking her name and looking downward as they do so to avoid offending Vespuccians) was born to her father Gregory a proud descendant of the famed founder of Georgia. He had wanted a son, but his wife died in the Winter following Victoria's birth. A man of Liberal thought, he decided to teach his daughter to shoot, hunt, read, write, and the mannerisms of both a lady and a lord of a court alike, figuring she could at least be able to make something of herself in some fashion, even if she was the daughter of a disgraced noble. She would indeed need these skills, as her father died of disease when she was fifteen.

No one is sure how she raised her army, or how she was able to be respected as their leader, and Vespuccians claim that she performed miracles and had received visions from God, and it is advised that travelers do not try and dispute these claims. Victoria also had a very radical notion; she claimed that women would do better in positions of politics and commerce, as woman's natural rationality and calm would be more efficient than the brutishness of men. She often cited the despised French Syndicate, who had become surprisingly economically powerful with their inclusion of women to their workforce. While she was at first greatly opposed, her strategic genius and serious of victories upon victories made her a force to be reckoned with.

By the Summer of 1833, the last stronghold of opposition was crushed, and Victoria proclaimed the Southron Queendom of Vespuccia, with her as Queen Victoria of House Oglethorpe. Several changes she brought upon in society that are of note include the following:

The abolishment of slavery, and the instution of a new feudal system based on the 'Greater Plantation' models used during slave relocation.
Women became involved in politics, trade, and management, while men become focused on production, manufacturing, and physical labor. This then causes the emergence of Vespuccian Chivalry, where men are to do all hard labor and jobs of courage and physical skill for women and women to repay them by doing work of equal importance but requiring less risk. Travelers of respective genders are advised to conform to this code to prevent offending their hosts.
Rich British citizens became nobles, as well as a multitude of mullattos that Victoria had promised titles and land to in exchange for service.
The formation of the Congress of Citizens, which can draft laws, serve as a Supreme Court of the Land, and can revoke or reinstate laws made or removed by the Queen with a 3/5 majority.
The positon of the Queen to have absolute authority including creation, ratification, and removal of laws, but being constrained (alongside all other nobles) by 'Expectations of Responsibility' and 'Legal Limits of Luxury'.
The Congress of Overseers, that is in charge of ensuring the following of previously mentioned Expectations of Responsibility and Legal Limits of Luxury
The Southron Queendom of Vespuccia allies itself to Greater Britain, proclaiming itself to be a 'Spiritual Dominion' of the Empire, though sovereign in its own right. Queen Victoria marries the son of the Duke of Wales[3], who becomes King Bedwyr I, officially called King-Consort Bedwyr.

NOTABLE VESPUCCIAN HOLIDAYS CONCERNING GOVERNMENTAL FOUNDATION

November 15th: Remembrance Day (Beginning of Civil War)
August 24th: Hardship Ceremony (Beginning of Monarchist Campaign)
June 30th - July 6th: Festival of the Queen (Foundation of the Queendom, ending upon coronation day of Queen Victoria)
July 15th: Justice Day (Trial and Execution-by-pyre[4] of James Jackson)

------------------------------------------------

Her Radiance Queen Victoria the Conqueress of House Oglethorpe

The Vespuccian flag, with the original Coat of Arms of the IKGB with the design of Victoria's personal banner (a gold wyvern on black) defacing the center.

[1] The 'Greater Plantation' system of neo-feudalism
[2] Because acronyms are fun!
[3] The Vespuccian ties to Wales will certainly come into play later on...
[4] The trial was more Queen Vicky mocking him in front of a crowd before having him burned at the stake in the square. In fact he was already tied to the stake during the trial.

pieman97405 · Aug 26, 2014

Xanthoc said:
NOTE: Travelers must remember to say 'Her Radiance' before speaking her name and looking downward as they do so to avoid offending Vespuccians

Hmm, I think I'll be striking Vespuccia from my end of summer vacation list as I do not think I'd be able to successfully follow all their little social norms.

Interesting update, but if I might ask what became of Jackson following the war?

Xanthoc · Aug 26, 2014

pieman97405 said:
Hmm, I think I'll be striking Vespuccia from my end of summer vacation list as I do not think I'd be able to successfully follow all their little social norms.

Interesting update, but if I might ask what became of Jackson following the war?

Added something to the previous post to answer that question! Look under the Holidays

NoobofNubia · Aug 27, 2014

Entries from the Journal of Natan Nyukrepost

Published by Beringia National Archives

August 23rd, 1816
My father got me this journal to keep and send home from time to time. I do not know how to start. I am leaving for the Imperial Training Academy outside of Moskva in two days to learn how to fight, how to lead, and how to think like a true soldier. My parents tell me how lucky I am, to not only go where only boyars’ sons go, but to be one of the first non-Russians to do this as well. This point needs some explaining. My father is a Finn from Karelia. It is from him that I get my gifts of war. We have a history of serving with the Russians, the Svenska (Swedes), and as far back as the Novgorod princes. My father works in St. Petersburg, inventing cannons and guns for the tsar as he has a brilliant mind for building and problem solving. It was his position of Royal Armourer that allowed me to go to the Academy. My mother is Irish and was one of many seeking new opportunity. The Habsburgs have a stranglehold on most of the continent yet they can not control Russia. We became prosperous and got many immigrants; enough to make Alyaska a viable colony and not just a few hundred trappers. My father was walking along the pier when he saw my mother just getting off of the boat from Ireland. He courted and then married her in 1796, two years before I was born. Though my mother was of the Catholic faith, she converted to Orthodoxy upon marriage and I was raised in the Orthodox faith. I am so anxious as to where I will be stationed, I hope it is in Finland or Poland maybe as I will miss my family, especially my dear little sister Liliana who is 14, four years my junior, and I have always looked out for her.

Iskrenne (Sincerely), Natan

March 11th, 1817
The Academy everything like I expected it, hours of drill practice followed by hours of study of philosophy, math, and histories. I am often praised for my hard work, Especially this past winter, when all the new boyars’ sons refused to do drill in the snow but I, having spent countless hours in the gardens with friends playing war in the winter, was willing to go outside while the others wanted to stay inside. I studied hard while the boyars' sons wanted to play, as they expected command, rank, and prestige to fall into their lap. I have noticed one thing wrong though with the Tsar’s fighting style. He wants to fight like the rest of Europe; in long, straight, drawn out lines standing face to face hoping the enemy does not hit you. This is inefficient. I have enjoyed reading exploits of the Indians in Alyaska and beyond and their use of small tactical teams to achieve a larger goal. In the wargames they hold every week, I have realized that this tactical teamwork works in Europe and this creates havoc among the line as we can appear to be everywhere and no where. Also, I have bartered with a local militia man for me to have his beige regulars for use in the winter as the color is a better match with the snow. Camouflage is essential to tactical movement, and pompous uniforms destroy any chance of hiding a tactical advantage. I am getting skilled in hand to hand combat and there are few who can best me with a bayonet. I am hearing of more soldiers being sent to Alyaska to make sure immigrants there still obey the Tsar. I hope I am not stationed there, it is so far away.

Iskrenne, Natan

June 6th, 1820
These past weeks have been both a disheartening and jubilant at the same time. I have finally completed my training at the Academy with the highest marks, which has allowed me to immediately begin as a prefect of a district within our great empire. This comes with a handsome pay, a good house, and about 500-1,000 opoliche (garrison militia) under my command even though I have little combat experience. However, I have been named prefect of Sitka, the oldest and largest town in Alyaska and about as far from my family as possible. My commanding officers said I could move my family with me but the tsar vetoed my father’s move needing him in Russia proper. My mother wanted to stay with him as well, but Liliana decided to come with me which makes me feel better. I will try to write my family often. I also feel I have been given this post because I am not a Russian or even a Slav. I often hear the boyars' sons talking about how great Slavs are and how the Russians are the greatest of the Slavs. As a Finn, I am neither Slavic nor Germanic so I do not fit. As an Irishman, I am a Celt and do not fit in as neither a German or a Slav as well using that part of my lineage. It is due to my background that I feel I am not given a closer post and I am therefore eliminated as a threat to the peace or a symbol for the minorities in the empire. Maybe in Alyaska, breed does not matter as all are trying to survive and thrive. I leave by carriage with my sister in September so that the Siberian roads are hard all the way to Kamtchatka. From there, I will take a boat to Sitka and begin my station.

Iskrenne, Natan

Natan Nyukrepost fresh from the Moskva Academy, age 22

September 5th, 1821
Alyaska is a frozen paradise. Though we often have 10 foot drifts in the winter; my men never complain to uncover someone’s door or to clear the road into town. The natives are becoming less and less hostile. They have opened up to trade with us and have made their pledges to submit to the Tsar. A creole culture has sprung up as Native, Russian, minorities, and immigrants from the Continent come together. I often hear fiddles mixed with accordions. See dancers mixing Irish step with Russian stomp dances. In Sitka, we have 2 Orthodox churches, a Catholic church, a synagogue, and a Protestant congregation that meets in someone's home. This is what the world should be. It does not matter what ethnicity or religion you are but what you can contribute is what matters. Even the men I command are diverse. We have about 200 ethnic Russians, 120 Ukrainians, 60 Finns, 20 Cossacks, 15 Kazaks, 10 Jews, 15 Irishmen, 20 Germans, 20 Habsburgers, 19 mixed other Europeans, and a Quebecois sniper/hunter whose family fled from Freedonian invasion. When there is a decision that affects the entire town, I call a council of a male representative from each house to vote and debate on the issue, then my men see that this is done. I have heard of many colonists going farther down the coast to the recently purchased rights from Spain in the “Kalifornya Purchase” to colonize to the south as far as the 36’30 parralel. This land runs from the coast all the way to the Nova Occident Mountains. There is much opportunity there but there is far less snow. Maybe I should visit someday?

Iskrenne, Natan

July 14th, 1829
This is a great time for me. I have received word that the colonies of Alyaska and Kalifornya have been joined together to form the grand colony of Beringia, meaning land of Bering, after the first Russian to see the new world. Also, I was named the Governor of this colony by the grace of the Tsar. My first test as governor was provide and lead troops in the Tsar’s war against Japan. This Russo-Japanese war is the attempt by the Tsar trying to expand into commerce in the Pacific, which is largely dominated by the British and the Dutch. Many Russian troops were sent from Siberia and shipped out from Vladivostok. They bombarded and then landed in Sapporo. Nearly 20,000 Russians were sent in this initial wave. We were much slower to mobilize given our low population and spread out nature. The Russians began marching inland to siege the other towns on Hokkaido. This turned out badly for the Russians. When Russians reached the extremely high walled castles of the local daimyos they begin sieging them like standard European battle tactics claimed. However, the walls were part of the hill so it would take all the ammunition in Russia’s arsenal just to bring one of them down. When our 5,000 troops finally arrived in spring 1827, Russian numbers had dwindled to 15,000 without fighting a “proper” battle. Seeing this abject failure I suggested a different tactic to the general in charge, Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky. I suggested using my men to scale the walls and make a surprise attack at night. Nikolay agreed, but insisted that he accompany me in the attack, lest a “Finn-Celt ruling over Eskimoland get more glory than the General of the Slavic Emperor”. I instructed my troops to put on their grey winters coats to hide in the dark and not to use lanterns. We were successful in infiltrating the large castle without being discovered even though the General hit his toe and cursed very loudly. Once we were inside I gave the signal to charge. My troops drew various swords, spears, axes, a few large hammers, and even a shovel and charged the troops resting in the courtyard. The tremendous roar awakened the Japanese troops and furious hand to hand combat ensued. The daimyo in charge of the defending forces charged out and personally challenged the general, assuming correctly he was of similar rank due to the decoration on his uniform. The general accepted thinking it the best way to show Russian superiority over the Japanese. Though the general was trained in swordplay, he was no match for the noble who had devoted his entire life to the art of swordplay. I was attacked by a knight they called a samurai, and did not see most of the duel. But after I finally slayed the knight, I saw the general on the ground bleeding through his chest with the noble standing over him. Though the general was an annoyance, I would not let this affect my men. I chucked a native ax called a tomahawk and hit the noble square in the forehead. Soon the entire Japanese force saw their commander cleaved in the head and they began running. They were cut down by my men and by the surrounding army who were awakened by the sound of battle in the castle. I lost only 200 men compared to 5,000 Japanese in the castle. After the battle, Nikolay was replaced by the Admiral of the nearby fleet, Yevfimey Putyatin, who was less stubborn and more compliant to new ideas, to continue the land campaign. It still took two years to subdue the Northern Island they called Hokkaido, and after that the Shogun offered a peace that handed over control of the island of Hokkaido, which the Tsar accepted as it gave him a more viable gateway to the Pacific and Asia. During this period, I saw one of my men, a Frenchman who left France during the unrest, hand a pamphlet titled “The Plebeian’s Destiny” to a Japanese man, I thought it strange but did nothing at the time. I can’t wait to see Liliana as I left her in Sitka against her protests.

Iskrenne, Natan

Beringian soldiers of Russo-Japanese War. (Clockwise from top)Berinigian cavalryman, Beringian in summer uniform, Beringian officer, Beringian in winter uniform

October 7th, 1831
I now realize the burden that comes with administering such a large colony. Since our southern border is more sparsely populated than than in Alyaska, there is little to hold back Columbian or Freedonian attempts to settle the land north of the 36’30. The Freedonians have settled at the base of the Nova Occident mountains well north of the line and have commenced raids against our new allies, the Utes. The Colombians have a major settlement called Monterrey just 30 miles south of the commercial hub of Kalifornya, Svyatoy Frantsisk. I appealed to the Tsar to let us declare war to drive these foreigners out of our sovereign soil. He accepted and promised to send troops to secure the borders against both the Freedonians and the Colombians. In the military newspaper of the Tsar, it was coined “The Russo-American War of Consolidation”. I do not expect Russian help until next spring. My first targets are to take out the settlements closest to ours and then push further into our neighbors to make sure they never violate our borders again. I have sent 2,000 men from the Svyatoy Frantsisk garrison to occupy Monterey as the first act of war followed by the elimination of Santa Fe and other Nueva Mexica settlements. After that, the Svyatoy Frantsisk garrison shall head to the east to raid Freedonian Louisiana with the Utes and some of the small garrison forces of the logging and trapping towns in the mountains. Troops from Alyaska will sail down to attack Colombian settlements along the coast all the way down to Mexicali. When Imperial reinforcements arrive, then we shall drive deeper into Colombia, attacking Ciudad de Mexica and Puerta Vallarta. Hopefully this will force Colombia and Freedonia to back down and accept our legitimacy to those regions.

Iskrenne, Natan

New Beringian uniforms, Beringian Infantry, Beringian Militia, Beringian officer

November 26th, 1836
I truly wish this war would be over but I see no end as the Colombians are as slippery to catch as we are. It has boiled down to a series of raids and counter raids with maybe only a few large battles. The first was the Battle of Monterrey in November of 1831, where a large Colombian force was trying to enforce a false legitimacy there. Their forces came into combat with the soldiers of Svyatoy Frantsisk. Though the fighting degenerated into a building my building melee, the superior strength and experience of our forces led to our eventual victory but we lost 300 men but routed the army of 2,000. The only other major battle was the battle of Ciudad de Mexica. 5,000 of our troops had come up the western shore from Puerto Vallarta. The Colombians had deployed 10,000 men, mostly conscripts, to defend the city. Though we were out numbered, we camped at the outside of the valley and in the hills. The only major action was the artillery barrage we had set up with new Russian guns and a futile attempt by Colombian cavalry to charge our guns, which was repulsed by our cavalry and valiant infantry. This would be called “The Charge of the Valiant Brigade” and the hill has been nicknamed "La Colina de Muerte" (Hill of Death) by Colombia. The Freedonians have been repulsed toward the Mississippi river by the Utes and another tribe that despises them, the Sioux. I think that shall officially end the conflict with Freedonia. I have pulled out of Mexica, it was only to send a message and have sent most of my troops home. Reinforcements have finally arrived from Russia but they are no longer needed. I have begun negociacions with Colombia for their recognition of our claims and Freedonia has not resent colonists toward our borders.

Iskrenne, Natan

"Charge of the Valiant Brigade" on Colina de Muerte

March 29th, 1839.
My greatest test as a governor has been completed as the Colombians have pulled back from the 36’30 in 1838. The Freedonians have officially recognized our claims to the Nova Occidents. And the newly christened Vespuccia has also recognized our claims after being too busy fighting themselves to do anything in foreign policy. However, I see much of the autonomy I was able to have slowly slip away. The Tsar has passed the Home Barracks Act, where the Russian reinforcements that were sent but did little in the war must be housed in the colonists houses as all our soldiers lived at home so there were no barracks. Also, he passed the Monopoly Trade Act, prohibiting our trade with other countries and forcing our ships to go sail to Sapporo or Vladivostok to sell any goods they have, then they can sail elsewhere to trade with surplus goods from those ports. This act has also prohibited overland trade except with other Beringian cities and the natives within our land. The worst are the Wool and Vodka Acts, often called the Unstandable Acts. The Wool Acts forced us to buy wool from Russia but only if had the official stitching that was very expensive. The Vodka Act prohibited the production of vodka in Beringia and it had to imported from Russia. However, Beringian illicit trade has sprung up of this “snowshine” that the people refer to it as. This is taking away much of the autonomy that I used to operate under as I now have to truly bend down to the Tsar. Many of these Acts have incited riots at the ports, including one where they poured an entire cargo of vodka into the bay of Dzuhno. I might say I would agree with them but that would be treason.

Iskrenne, Natan

July 17th, 1842
Everyday there are more and more immigrants into Alyaska. There are even immigrants from independent states in the Americas further to the south. I believe what draws them is the rumors of endless gold and furs in the woods and even more fish in the sea. As Colonial governor, I have made Sitka prosperous and the I did the same with all of Alyaska. I have sent many colonists further south toward the Freedonian and Colombian borders of Kalifornya and have reestablished trade relations with the distant tropical kingdom of Guvayi. There is one recent immigrant who has intrigued me greatly. His name is Gabriel Zapad-Brodyachy, an immigrant from Colombia whose real name I can’t pronounce. He speaks very often of the rights of people and how by living under a tsar we are being oppressed and that we do not need him. I should arrest him for treason, but his thoughts intrigue me. We are so far from St. Petersburg that we do not need him. I have in four short years done more than anything the tsar has done in the past 40. He has violated our autonomy that we had enjoyed for almost 200 years. He has also been throwing around the ideas of setting up a republic, which I realize that I have been doing for as long as I have held this post. Back to pressing matters, I have been training the new colonial troops into small tactical teams and delivering uniforms that would be best suited to their station, beige/brown for those in Kalifornya and the small mining and trapping settlements of the tundra beyond the mountains, called Nuvo Sibir, as well as green to troops in Alyaska and the trading post in Guvayi. Alyaska is prospering father, and I do so wish to see you again. Liliana is the envy of all young men in Sitka, but prefers to join me in full uniform during training and tours of Alyaska.

Iskrenne, Natan

January 16th, 1844
I have made up my mind, no more answering to that dawdling despot of the tsar. On the first of March, I shall declare independence of the Beringian colonies from the Russian Empire to form a republic across the Bering strait from Mother Russia. There is time for every child to leave his parents home, and our nation has reached that maturity. After consulting heavily with Gabriel Zapad, my personal advisor, and local representatives from the various cities and towns of Beringia, we have achieved a framework for our new nation. We shall have two governmental bodies. The first is in charge of the military as well as enforcing laws and prosecuting those who break them. This shall be called the Military Tribunal and shall be based much of the system I implemented as a prefect of Sitka. The head of this branch shall be call the Tribune of the Republic. They will serve terms of 10 years, can only serve once in their lifetime, and are elected from all the military governors of each province. The second shall be in charge of making the laws of the nation, and will be called the Duma. Representation shall be based on population, with representation from the soon to be created states of Alyaska, Nuvo Sibir, and Kalifornya. The head of the Duma will be the Prime Minister and his term will be 5 years but can hold office thrice, but no more. The Tribune and Prime Minister will work together to form foreign, economic, and social policy, and any treaties must be ratified by both. I feared this would put my father and mother at risk, but a childhood friend of mine who is the General of the St. Petersburg garrison has ensured his protection from the tsar and safe passage to Beringia if the tsar would try to harm them. Liliana has gotten married to the captain of the Governor’s guard, a young German named Konnor Lutherman. They can often be seen on guard duty together and barking orders at the men in synchronization, it is beautiful.

Na Sever (To the North), Natan

October 19th, 1847
Since the Declaration, I have had hardly any time to relax. The first elections saw me nearly unanimously elected as the 1st Tribune of the Republic and to my great pleasure Gabriel Zapad-Brodyachy was elected as Prime Minister. I allowed Gabriel to run most of the economic and domestic policy as I immediately had to prepare for invasion. Many of the Russian troops in Siberia were sent to eliminate us but we were prepared. The largest landing occurred near Sitka, in Dzheymstaun Bay on June 6th, 1825. We were waiting in the treeline 50 yards from the beach and as soon as the Russians landed, we opened up with withering accurate fire and many were cut down where they stood. Others tried to charge up the beach only to be shot or fall on the traps we had covered with pine branches. Also, a small cannon battery had been set up on an island in the bay which began to shell many of the larger ships that were off the coast a distance. God must have been on their side, as they sank two ships and damaged a third. This island was nicknamed “Cannon Island”. However, one thing that we did not realize is that some Russian militia had landed on the other side of the city near the native encampment. The local Tlingits saw this and rushed out of their fort to save Sitka, their primary source of income. Donning frightening war masks and yelling, which was louder due to the masks, they terrified and then routed the militia and saved Sitka. Both earlier that year and into the next there were smaller landings to the north at Ankoridzh, Dzhuno, Viktoriya, Olimpiada, and as far south as Svyatoy Frantsisk. These battles went far differently. When the Russians landed, the towns were abandoned. They stayed in the town during the day but at night small raids began by Beringian troops. These continued for days and even weeks before the Russian troops began to march out into the countryside. When this occurred, large ambushes were set and many of the troops died in the ambushes as chaos ensued and the line regiments were cut off from one another. Any remaining troops would then flee and head back to their ships never to be seen again. Though we are vastly outnumbered, about 30,000 Russian troops in Siberia to our 10,000 stationed along our extensive coast, the war game tactics I perfected as a boy are now being employed to a large continental campaign. Nearly every nation in the world has at least recognized us. The IKGB (I like that acronym), France, the Spanish Habsburg Empire, and even states closer like Freedonia and Vespuccia have recognized our independence and are working to get Russia to back down. Whether this is out of spite to Russia or they see an opportunity to get rich off our natural resources, I do not care. I have heard rumors of a Russian invitation to peace as the tsar is making plans to take land in the Orient. I hope they are true. My father and mother have both recently arrived in Alyaska and I hope my father will be willing to work with me in the future. Liliana is still involved in the military but has been less active as she has a child on the way. I wish her and our nation the best of luck.

Na Sever, Natan

The charge of the Tlingits that saved Sitka, Russian Battleships can be seen on the background.

May 22nd, 1854
As my tenure as Military Tribune draws to an end, I truly hope I did the best I could for our nation. I led us through developing and expanding the Alyaskan colonies. I led us through the long and brutal struggle for independence that ended on Christmas Day, 1848. I led us in building industry to support our massive export market and now factories spring up across Sitka and many other major cities. I oversaw construction of a large navy to protect our extensive coastline. And after celebrating our 9th year of declaring independence on March 1st, 1853. I looked to help us once more. Our only expansion besides what we already had, was reclaiming the fort in Guvayi that we conducted trade through. Recently, however, the local king, Kamehameha III, has been extremely militant and has even raided the fort that was constructed there. Given that that is his people’s version of a declaration of war, I shall respond accordingly. My plan is to take the islands of Kauai and Maui using 15 corps of a 100 each, while Oahu and “Bolshoy Ostrov” are taken using 25 corps. The landings shall be at night and each corps will be assigned a certain village to capture. However, Honolulu will be assigned to 10 corps and the villages of Kona, Hilo, Kahului, and Lihu’e are assigned 5 corps each. These villages are of key importance and are the largest villages in the islands. I expect it to be a quick war, maybe two weeks as the most gunpowder the Gavaytsy have is old muskets that are for more inaccurate than our newer rifled hunting muskets that are now standard issue. It shall fully be incorporated as the state of Guvayi, with the king as Military Governor Kamehameha. If he refuses, I shall go to one of his lieutenants with this offer. This shall bring us great trade and existing companies in the islands shall be able to keep their holdings but they must pay their laborers. This shall be the beginning of a new bear, a Kodiak, not the corrupt and lazy Russian brown bear who is too busy eating honey.

Na Sever, Natan

December 25th, 1860
I look back and remember all that I have done. My term as Tribune ended peacefully and now an Irishman named Padraig MacNeil is Tribune. Gabriel Zapad-Brodyachy is also stepping down as Prime Minister after his third term. I have chosen to remain a military governor but of Ankoridzh, further north of Sitka. Gabriel joined me there as we have become close friends, and he shall start an industrial company to cut lumber and fashion furniture for export. I have also learned that he is of mixed origin. His mother was from Colombia but his father was Irish like my mother. I previously had no idea that we shared this partial ancestry. Guvayi has expanded as we have colonized other minimally inhabited islands as we look at southern expansion. Liliana is doing well and is living with her son Nicholai, age 13, and daughter Katrine, age 9, in Sitka with my parents. My father has started an arms manufacturing company and is living comfortably on an estate on Japonski Island. I myself have married a German girl named Eshli Ratten since I have had enough time to slow down. My greatest fear for the nation is the abuse of the Tribunal office as a vessel for assuming dictatorship but the rest of the military governors will stop them. I have heard rumors of gold in the mountains of Kalifornya but many who go have failed to find it.

S Rozhdestvom Khristovym! (Merry Christmas), Natan

The Flag of Beringia. The star is the North Star, symbol of exploration and the Northern nature of the state. The blue and gold bands represent the ocean and the mineral wealth of Beringia respectively.The script is Na Sever (To the North) in Cyrillic which is the motto of the republic.

Afterword by Nyukrepost Estate and Historical Society
Natan Nyukrepost is easily the most important figure in our nation’s history with a close second being his close friend Gabriel Zapad-Brodyachy. He set up many of our democratic systems and laid the foundations of our security. He was tactically brilliant and ushered a new era of military tactics, though this wouldn’t catch on until later in most nations. He also began the Pacific expansion to where we now own the Phillipenes and New Guinea. He retired to a quiet life and died in 1875 at the ripe old age of 79. The old governor’s palaces of Sitka and Ankoridzh as well as his final estate on the Bering Strait to where he can see Russia on a clear day have been converted into historical places and museums.

Sara Peylin, CEO Nyukrepost Estate and Historical society

*To note, Natan Nyukrepost, Gabriel Zapad-Brodiachy, and their families are fictional characters due to the slightly ASB independent Russian colony never existing to this extent. Beringia is the OTL states of Alaska, Yukon Terrotory, British Colombia, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Northern California ending where the line of the northern border of Arizona would be if it was extended to the coast.*

Enjoy, please comment, as this is my first major alternate history work, on anything I did well or need to improve

NoobofNubia · Aug 27, 2014

C'Mon guys give us something

MarshalBraginsky · Aug 30, 2014

What happens in Asia?

Xanthoc · Aug 30, 2014

MarshalBraginsky said:
What happens in Asia?

The next post will be a short one covering the rise of Spain, and the one following will be discussing Asia. China and Japan to be specific.

Xanthoc · Sep 4, 2014

Spain chapter still in the works. However I figured I'd give you guys this to show off some of the things that'll be discussed in the future.

Feel free to take some guess and ask for points of clarification. We'll answer the best we can unless we're sure it'll be discussed in great detail soon.

MAP OF THE WORLD - END OF THE BERIGIAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

Xanthoc · Sep 13, 2014

Fallen Gods: An Encyclopedia of Civilizations from Rise to Fall

Chapter 52: The Spanish Empire's Rise

Color Rendition of a Spanish propaganda poster showing the Empire's apex. Note that their claim on Louisiana was never fulfilled and that their claim on the Netherlands is seen as de facto, not de jure.

The Spanish Empire is known today as being the largest Empire in Human history. But how did it rise to such prominence? Was it Chance? A matter of Skill? The Will of God? While such reasoning is beyond mortals, this chapter will describe various events during the Rise of Spain that secured its place as the world's superpower until the Expansion War. This section will divide its information into three areas; the Old World, the New World, and Internal Politics.

The Old World
Following their victory in the War of Spanish Succession, the Empire was quick to consolidate holdings, bringing the Dutch under heel, and keeping the Holy Roman Empire complacent. The Spanish were not so foolish as to think they could simply throw their weight around on everyone and avoid another war. In fact, they began trying to increase diplomatic relations with the enemies of Austria, gaining enough influence to keep the Danubian Eagle at bay. This near total hegemony of Spain over Europe is what led to the Strengthening Times in the Austrian Empire, the period of isolationism and self-sufficiency would become a model for various nations even in the modern world today.

But the Spanish did not always act as a lone wolf. In fact it had gained a powerful friend and constant rival; the Incorporated Kingdoms of Greater Britain. They were like fist to nose, always bickering, always arguing over trade rights, naval routes, colonial borders, and even trivial matters such as the culture of the food to be served at feast where sovereigns of both nations would attend. But when push came to shove, the world knew the two would stand together. When the First Iberian War flared up between Spain and Portugal, the British were quick to join the fray, clashing with the Danish forces that had allied with the Portuguese. The cooperation between Denmark-Norway and Portugal in the war was an alliance of common enemy most scholars believe, as the Nordic kingdom had begun trying to expand its influence in the Caribbean, and were harshly halted by Spain and Britain. Although, it should be known that the war would foster good will between the two nations for several years. Actually it is from these strange allies that the term 'Cod Sandwich' as name for an odd couple derives (as Danish Soldiers bunking with the Portuguese infamously combined Bacalhau with Smørrebrød).

The Spanish won the war, and in fact can be considered to have won all subsequent Iberian Wars (if one considers Hispanic victory as an equivalent to a Spanish one). This first merely altered northern borders in Spanish South America, and the Second Iberian War (fought only by Spain and Portugal), would greatly alter the southern borders. We now come to the most crucial of the first few Iberian Wars, that being the last fought by the Spanish Empire itself; the Third Iberian War. Dreams of Iberian Unity were being pushed in the Empire, and direct conquest of Portugal was the only way. The fighting would prove brutal, but it would show the strength of nations; the Spanish-subjugated Dutch, and the joint forces of the Scandinavian Crown Confederation Union (a loose alliance of Denmark-Norway and Sweden that was not one singular nation as the Kalmar Union had been). In the end, while the Spanish could never perform a 'Great Siege of Lisbon' as general after general had planned, they were able to take most of northern Portugal, thanks in part to the genius of General Napoleon José.

The Legendary General Napoleon at age 24 in his Spanish Military dress

The rather notable Corsican referenced above was able to become so after the annexation of Corsica by Spain after its brief stint of independence that ended with the Spanish takeover of both it and its former parent nation of Genoa in 1766.

The New World
As discussed in the previous section, Spain gained land in South America by the various defeats of Portugal in the first three Iberian Wars. However, they did expand in several other areas. To the North, the Spanish began laying claim to more of North America, although settlement never passed much beyond what is today western Vespuccia. In the Caribbean, the Spanish began island hopping, claiming more and more unconquered islands until the vast majority of the the isles were theirs. Looking into the Pacific, the Empire not only expanded by colonizing islands, but also strong armed several colonies from their puppet, the Dutch. With these various trade port and resource cornucopias, the Spanish Empire was not just the largest, but the wealthiest country in the world.

Internal Politics
While the Empire's military and conquests were strong and powerful, its bureaucracy was not. This is perhaps the greatest weakness of the Spanish Empire; governmental corruption. Colonial governors and viceroys were known for their scams, brutality, and constant abuse of power. While race was usually of little issue amongst the Spanish colonies, the European governors would often treat ethnic minorities poorly, and would enforce laws pertaining to specific groups such as Africans and Natives. Often times this would lead to the large portions of the population that was mixed race to grow angry and riot until the law was repealed. Later, rinse, and repeat.

In the capital, the monarch was kept in the dark of colonial tensions, their advisers often being bribed generously by officials. In fact when Emperor Napoleon José was assassinated, he had thought that Cuba was a peaceful and loyal colony, and as such had only brought two guards with him on his fateful trip. The Emperor himself is another mark of the quagmire that was the Spanish government; he was not of any true royal blood, but his work as a soldier and general had led to him gaining various titles of nobility, and when the Queen began her affair with him, it was tolerated. But as a man of common blood (even with titles), their marriage should not have been, and it was through bribery by Napoleons friends and allies, that the marriage was considered valid. This history of corruption would continue on into the reign of Napoleon's sons; Emperor Carlo of the Spanish government-in-exile, and his brother, usurper, and alleged killer, King Lucien I of the Kingdom of Italia.

However, this corruption was indeed key to the Spanish's rise to glory. Their monarch's ignorance of colonial politics would, by the grace of God, allow them to enact policies and laws without bias for or against colonials. Many of these were laws dealing with taxation and military policy, and the seemingly firm but fair hand of the government raised efficiency in production, as well as maintaining a good deal of safety for the citizens of the Empire. The bureaucracy's incompetence also appeased most rebellious thought; many felt that, while some policies were harsh, tyranny could never truly be enforced by a government that did not know its tail from its head.

A TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO AVOIDING OFFENSE AND POSSIBLE DEATH: IBERIA EDITION

PREFACE: AN INTRODUCTION TO IBERIA

Greetings Traveler! Our esteemed company is happy to see you chose Hermes Joint-Stock Co.'s A Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Offense and Possible Death series for your travels! This edition is for travel to the Iberian Union, and a fine choice of travel it is!

The Iberian Union was first formed not as one nation as we know it today, but a confederation of five of the now six Republics on the Iberian peninsula. (Note: Lusitania was originally formed from both the formerly Portuguese provinces of the Iberian Republic of Hispania and the northern most regions that broke off from the Imperial State of Portugal. DO NOT claim it to be an original member of the Union for fear of offending members from the founding Republics). Now the purpose of this union was to aid in defense and economics of the five nations, for they were the first true mercantilist democracies in Europe, putting them at odds with both the monarchist powers and the French Syndicate. While the supremacy of Hispania in the Union is not denied, travelers should avoid mentioning it when in any of the other Republics.

Color rendition of a poster used during the IU's founding

Lastly, travelers need to be sure never to refer to the Iberian Union as the 'Iberian Republic', singular. Iberian Republics, plural, is acceptable and even encouraged in some areas, but implying them to be one continuous state is a triggering issue. While national unity is on the rise, reactionary sentiment of transforming the Union back to a loose confederation from a centralized federation is still very much common. If you are in an area where federalist sentiment is prominent (see Chapter 6: Common Factional Symbols for help in deciphering graffiti, murals, and signs) then one may start with the plural, and should your host believe in the singular, you should be politely corrected.

Xanthoc · Oct 7, 2014

Heads up! NoobofNubia will be doing some fantastic culture posts for the TL! Stay tuned for that, and for my next contribution of....

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Xanthoc · Nov 4, 2014

Exerts from...

Following the groundbreaking release of Charles Darwin's The Creation of Race, or the Supremacy of Specific Species, the natural philosophical world, particularly (and obviously) the field of bestial philosophy, began to rethink itself in its entirety.

This is, however, common knowledge. And obviously, none of you are reading this to hear a textbook, simple explanation of history. Now, the Darwinian School of Thought is not one containing a uniform set of beliefs. But, while the two Inner Schools differ, they do hold certain constants in their texts. Chief among these cores beliefs is that 'nature's will' is performed in the wild, only allowing the best suited creatures to survive, ensuring only the strongest genes possible in a species as it evolves. The second belief shared in both schools is the idea that any human being born with a genetic disease or deformation that causes them harm in their environment should not merely be left unaided, but should be actively culled and prevented from reproducing. The last shred belief is that each Race of Humanity is innately its own sub-species of mankind, and the various ethnicities within being breeds of that sub-species.

Now we move into the differences between the two inner schools...This essay concerns, as the title might have possibly hinted, the Evolutionist school, which is in the modern day the base ideology of multiple states upon the Earth...Evolutionism has a simple summary; a single breed of mankind is the most supreme and perfect, meant to one day outlive, outlast, and outdo all the others upon the planet...Those of the same sub-species or Race of that ethnicity are held in second regard and are tolerated and those of other Races are often treated poorly, although some states still place an order to their treatment of other races (For example, in the European Evolutionist states, Asians often receive far better treatment than Africans, but are still far beneath other types of Europeans)

...While few occasions of mass regional ethnic purification have occurred historically, their few occasions have all been under Evolutionist governments...Most Evolutionists are proponents of the 'separate, but equal' belief, that each ethnicity is Supreme for its own specific environment and/or should be given an area they can become Supreme over. Most cases of discrimination described previously occurs to the few members of other ethnicities and Races that refuse to relocate but are willing to comply to their government's ethnic laws.

NoobofNubia · Nov 14, 2014

Alternate History Culutre

Eras of Great Literature:
The Late 18th and 19th Centuries

Author: Rubius Thomson
Publisher: Kite and Key Publishing House, Philadelphia, Transylvania
10th Edition

The late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries were an exciting time for literature as it saw the rise of many a prolific author and even two separate literary movements. From the works of Samuel Tyr Cribglo in the 1780’s to the enlightening work of Aunt Debbie’s Hut in the 1850’s, we will explore this golden age of literature and culture throughout Europe and the Americas.

The Melancholic Movement:

The Melancholic movement was the first major movement away from the traditional, elitist forms of verse and prose and making it more understandable to the common man. This movement focused largely on feelings of sadness, depression, loss, and most notably death and oppression. It appealed largely to the common people across most of Europe as they lived through these feelings. The people then saw it as an immediate call to them and ate up this kind of literature and poetry. It was also the first movement to nature and frequent scenes of rain, snow, or cold can be found frequently in these works. The use of emotion was new and unique as most prose and verse before was told objectively, but the writers of the Melancholic movement tried to inspire emotion, even it is was one of despair.

The first major author of the Melancholic movement was Samuel Tyr Cribglo, a Welsh nationalist, who wrote almost exclusively about the oppression of the Welsh within the Incorporated Kingdoms of Greater Britain. His epic poem “Mae Rhigwm y Cymro Hynafol” “The Rhyme of the Ancient Welshman” is written entirely in Welsh. It is narrated by a present day Welsh farmer who thinks upon the Ancient Britons and the independent Welsh princedom before English conquest. It has many references to Welsh rainy weather and the lifting will mean Welsh independence “rain and fog have drifted over Cymru/ ne’er to be lifted till the Dragon flies free”. Many of the verses have been turned into songs and are commonly sung across Welsh pubs to this day. His poem always comes to the public eye whenever the Welsh think about uprising against British rule.

Another great author of the Melancholic movement was Perseus Bryce, a Freedonian who wrote possibly the greatest Melancholic work of all, Franzgruber, or, How a Human Got the Keys of Pluto. Franzgruber is about a young Prussian who goes to Switzerland to study in science and, enthralled by the pursuit of biology, reanimates a body made from cadaver parts. However, he is soon disgusted by the creature and flees across Europe and to the New World trying to escape the monster hell bent on destroying everything that Franzgruber loves. The book comes to the climax as a ragged and emaciated Frazgruber is pursued to Nuvo Sibir, Beringia, and is rescued by a trapping party where he retells his story in German to the one German in the group. It focuses largely on the effects of the deaths of his family members on Franzgruber as well as the morality of reanimating dead bodies. The book is also well known for its use of weather in the background as a symbol for the emotions of both Franzgruber and his monster. However, this book was released with some controversy as Englishwoman Mary Wollstonecraft and her husband Lord Byron claimed the story was taken from them as they told scary stories together with Perseus on one of their many visits to Freedonia. The courts of Freedonia ruled however that verbal stories held no copyright protection and the book gained even more attention because of it.

There are many other prominent authors of the Melancholic movement, such as William Wordsworth, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Aleksandr Pushkin. However, a new movement was to arise from all this doom and gloom, but they would be like fist to nose, no matter how one camp disliked the other they would collaborate and create individual styles.

The Authentic Movement:

Unlike the Melancholic movement, the Authentic movement focused on the lighter aspects of life, especially focusing on the bright lives of the growing middle and upper classes. The Authentic movement claimed this title as the artists said that they were portraying “authentic life” and the Melancholics tended to over dramatize everything. The focuses of the Authentic movement were on success, friendship, individuality, and most notably love and freedom.

The first major Authentic writer was a Freedonian from Baltimore, Virginia named Egnatius Alania Poe. Poe was famous for both his short stories and poems. His greatest short story, The Tell-Tale Heart, is a romantic story between a newcomer to town and the daughter of his landlord, who has the most encapturing eyes. His love gets so intense that when he is invited to have dinner with the landlord’s family, his heart beats and beats until he breaks and confesses his love for the daughter. The use of light in this work is one of the hallmarks of the Authentics yet the emphasis on nature was lessened from the Melancholics and instead focused on the great things in man.

Another influential Authentic was Sir Samuel Clemens, a Brit who wrote a multitude of great works, including that of The Travels of Thomas Pennysworth, a steam ferry captain who goes up and down the Thames with his friend and burgeoning capitalist James Hamptonshire. This book extolls the virtues of a capitalistic society and even coined the popular phrase “The Gilded Age” in reference to the bright new world that lie ahead of all mankind.

However, the most politically influential of all the Authentic works was Aunt Debbie’s Hut by Vespuccian Harriet Beecher Stowe. Aunt Debbie’s Hut describes the life of the newly freed slaves living on the “Greater Plantation” system in Vespuccia. It is told from the eyes of a veteran of the SSA brigades that fought in the Battle of the Floridian Coast and a soldier in Queen Victoria’s army during the Southron Civil war who is finally able to go back home and enjoy his freedom. This book furthered pre-Evolutionist thought in Vespuccia and eventually gave rise to the concrete political system we see today.

Other important writers were Leo Tolstoy, George Eliot, and Gustave Flaubert. Authenticism never did fully die out until after PCWI, where Psychedelicism formed from the many disillusioned artists that served in the war.

I hope you guys enjoy. I'm going to largely be posting from now on about culture, technology, sports, etc. while Xanthoc is going to be handling geopolitics.

P.S. I threw in some literature references, any one who can name all of them receives intellectual glory.

Xanthoc · Nov 15, 2014

Exerts from...

Charles Darwin's The Creation of Race, or the Supremacy of Specific Species utterly reshaped the thinking of bestial philosophy. It gave a solid, rational procedure from which to study not only the origins of a species, but how and why it had achieved its play in the food chain.

Of course what is the 'Food Chain?' Is it based upon the law of the jungle? The law of kill or be killed? The law of to the strongest go the spoils? If this is so, some wondered, how does that apply to humans? Our society is not based upon meat and fullness of belly and simple survival. It is based upon economics and intellect, they rationalized, factors that then must be affected by Race and blood.

And so was formed the Hierarchical School of Darwinian Thought...First finalized in Vespuccia, the theorum propsed that, unlike the Evolutionist theory of each breed of every Race having its own specialized environment over which to be supreme, it was instead felt that all Races and breeds fit a strong hierarchy...Along side this thought was the idea that cross-breeding could prove positive if between proper breeds...In the manner of dogs, a stronger breed could cross with a lesser breed to create a third breed of middle ground that possessed some of the stronger breed's strengths and none of the lesser breed's weaknesses. Eventually, this would create a new breed that could possibly mix with the progenitor stronger breed again to create and even stronger breed and so on...Of course this original 'stronger breed' would always remain on top, unless a great weakness was discovered in them that was not within one of their hybrid offspring.

Within Vespuccia, after the theory became the obsession of their Queen, the 'Anglo-Celtic' Caste (formally known as British Mix Breed in the official lexicon used by most bestial philosophers today) was at the top of society. Beneath them were the Mulatto Caste (formally known today as Tellusic Half-Breed), those who were a hybrid of African, Anglo-Celtic, and/or Occidental* blood. While they would be recognized until much later, the third tier would be the Eurasian Caste (formally known as Terran Half-Breed), or those of Asian and White descent. The former third and now fourth tier of society was simply known as the Europan Caste (Referring to all of the White Race's breeds not originating from the British isles), and lastly beneath them was the Inferus (all non-Half-Breeds, Tellusic or Terran, not of White descent).

While this system bore differences with the Evolutionist School...similarities between the two still remained. This common ground was chiefly that 'nature's will' is performed in the wild, only allowing the best suited creatures to survive, ensuring only the strongest genes possible in a species as it evolves. The second belief shared in both schools is the idea that any human being born with a genetic disease or deformation that causes them harm in their environment should not merely be left unaided, but should be actively culled and prevented from reproducing. The last shared belief is, of course, that each Race of Humanity is innately its own sub-species of mankind, and the various ethnicities within being breeds of that sub-species.