Separated at Birth: America and Drakia

[Drizzt]

I think the Drakia would work on Biological and Chemical weapons. Especially weapons that could be used to disrupt crops, kill off livestock to combat guerrillas and create invasive species as a form of sabotage.

That's the kind of stuff, that ends up poisoning the land you consider yours already. Chemical weapons with high lethality that also quickly becomes inert after use? Yes, no remorse on their part regarding collatoral damage. But any biological weapons and invasive species that de-value the spoils? They would rather throw more Serf Conscripts at the problem.

 

[pattontank12]

I think the Drakia would work on Biological and Chemical weapons. Especially weapons that could be used to disrupt crops, kill off livestock to combat guerrillas and create invasive species as a form of sabotage.

That's the kind of stuff, that ends up poisoning the land you consider yours already. Chemical weapons with high lethality that also quickly becomes inert after use? Yes, no remorse on their part regarding collatoral damage. But any biological weapons and invasive species that de-value the spoils? They would rather throw more Serf Conscripts at the problem.

Well it's not like they can't conduct their experiments deep within the Sahara or underground far away from any major ecosystems or farmlands.

What if the Chinese announce they have the bomb by nuking the moon? Ideally the day before the Drakians attempt their moon landing.

Perhaps the first nuclear reactor is actually built by a kid in his dads garage.

Nice, I was hoping we'd get to see more about Rhomania at some point! How Hellenized ("Rhomanized?") would their northern territories in the Balkans be after decades of Rhomanian control? The update states that minorities are expected to assimilate into the national culture, so I'm curious how that would play out in the Slavic regions of Bulgaria, Bosnia, and Serbia. (I'm assuming Albania and Dalmatia are less of an issue, due to their color on the map and closer cultural proximity to Greece IOTL.) Would this expectation of conformity result in some form of syncretism between the cultures of the Romios and their Slavic subjects that incorporates aspects of both? Orthodox Christianity has clearly played a major role in unifying the people, although that wouldn't be of much help in Bosnia unless the Bosniaks were forced to convert on threat of deportation or something along those lines. Perhaps the exceedingly poor fortune of Russia has hampered pan-Slavic nationalism and made the South Slavs more amenable to Romanitas as a path of advancement. Also, despite the clearly homogeneous nature of Rhomanian culture, Rome was historically quite open to people from diverse cultural backgrounds, which could translate to the modern Rhomanian identity being more flexible than that of a "Greek" or "Hellene." Very interesting update, good job!

Also, bit of a side question here, but what's happened to all the non-black Bonded people from Russia? I seem to recall there was a significant influx of Ukrainians, Central Asians, etc. who were victims of Rodinist and Societist Russian efforts to get Drakian economic support and ethnically cleanse the country. However, I'm uncertain whether these imported workers, or at least their descendants, were said to eventually be able to escape the BLS and possibly even assimilate into Drakian culture as White Citizens, or at least Nationals. It would make sense for the Empire to take advantage of the situation to increase its loyal white (and "honorary white") population, but it might not be feasible in all cases, and the Bonded workers' experiences would probably have a dampening effect on their love for the state, to put it lightly.

I imagine any Slavic citizen or nationals originally brought into Drakia as bondsman would be like the boers. In that they refuse to assimilate into wider citizen culture and stubbornly stick to their heritage. Makes you wonder what the Orthodox church in Drakia is like...

The Romanitas is roman-themed mythology around the state, and the status quo, of the kingdoms. They're no more going to diverge from their cultural supremist line in favor of ancient Roman mores any then they're going to bring back gladiatorial games and state-sponsored sibyls. The Albanians, Montenegrins, Serbians, Macedonians, Bulgarians, Romanians, Bosniaks, Aromanians, Croats, etc... are going to be trapped as second class citizens where any public (and increasingly, private) display of non-Hellenic non-Orthodox cultural practices are stamped out, but are certainly not left as free to advance in rank and social power as "pure" Greeks.

I do wonder how many of the non-Greeks end up being exported to Drakia as Bondsman, along those from Russia.

 

[traveller76]

That's the kind of stuff, that ends up poisoning the land you consider yours already. Chemical weapons with high lethality that also quickly becomes inert after use? Yes, no remorse on their part regarding collateral damage. But any biological weapons and invasive species that de-value the spoils? They would rather throw more Serf Conscripts at the problem.

They could use this as a form of 'scorched Earth' or a form of long range weaponry.

 

[pattontank12]

One thought is with the Drakian's being more open towards the idea of women serving in the military they'd have all female units in their home guard. Of course consider their parallels with third world dictatorships the dress variants of their uniforms would be a bit more skimpy... fitting considering they'd be bodyguards for older political officers. Being a more ceremonial role than anything expected for Frontline combat, though that doesn't mean they wouldn't be capable of a fight. Then there's the normal female members of the armed forces...

Spoiler

 

[Master Xion]

One thought is with the Drakian's being more open towards the idea of women serving in the military they'd have all female units in their home guard. Of course consider their parallels with third world dictatorships the dress variants of their uniforms would be a bit more skimpy... fitting considering they'd be bodyguards for older political officers. Being a more ceremonial role than anything expected for Frontline combat, though that doesn't mean they wouldn't be capable of a fight. Then there's the normal female members of the armed forces...

Spoiler

Well considering how socially conservative Drakia seems to be, I don’t think female Drakian soldiers would wear anything like that, either as battlefield or dress uniforms.

 

[Simeon]

One thought is with the Drakian's being more open towards the idea of women serving in the military they'd have all female units in their home guard. Of course consider their parallels with third world dictatorships the dress variants of their uniforms would be a bit more skimpy... fitting considering they'd be bodyguards for older political officers. Being a more ceremonial role than anything expected for Frontline combat, though that doesn't mean they wouldn't be capable of a fight. Then there's the normal female members of the armed forces...

Spoiler

So, this is how Stirling's lesbian troopers would make sense...

Well considering how socially conservative Drakia seems to be, I don’t think female Drakian soldiers would wear anything like that, either as battlefield or dress uniforms.

Yeah. If anything, it would be closer to how the Soviet female soldiers dressed themselves in WW2. Why bother to differentiate the dress uniforms of people who are not even supposed to be included in military? And even if they do get those distinct uniforms, it would more likely reflect on their potential for their "guiding motherhood" than their kinky voluptuousness, especially considering that for all their backwards view of women, the former is their definition of feminine respectability

Besides, they would be preferred to be used as creche custodians (heh) and police, saving themselves the manpower that could have otherwise gone to the military.

However, the same couldn't be said for the gangs in red-light and outlaw districts.

 

[viper23]

One thought is with the Drakian's being more open towards the idea of women serving in the military they'd have all female units in their home guard. Of course consider their parallels with third world dictatorships the dress variants of their uniforms would be a bit more skimpy... fitting considering they'd be bodyguards for older political officers. Being a more ceremonial role than anything expected for Frontline combat, though that doesn't mean they wouldn't be capable of a fight. Then there's the normal female members of the armed forces...

Put your dick back in your pants, Patton.

 

[Not Plato]

Put your dick back in your pants, Patton.

 

[CalBear]

Put your dick back in your pants, Patton.

Nope to the power of nope.

Kicked for a week

 

[Bojack_Batman]

I imagine military uniforms would probably be utilitarian and unisex, the only difference being for things like height and weight.

 

[Spimi Remun]

I imagine military uniforms would probably be uniform, utilitarian and unisex, the only difference being for things like height and weight.

I think you're probably right, and in general EBR has done a much more realistic take on this material, which is an excellent idea. But on the other hand, this is SM Stirling material we're talking about. I mean, he's one of my favorite authors; I've read almost everything he's ever written, and he helped create two of my old favorite characters and one of my favorite nostalgia alt-history-future settings in the Fifth Millennium series. But let's face it; his books tend to have a wee bit of the horny, (along with a surprisingly progressive take on LGBT rights) so the sexy uniforms, if they exist here, wouldn't surprise anyone who's familiar with the source material.

 

[Born in the USSA]

I think you're probably right, and in general EBR has done a much more realistic take on this material, which is an excellent idea. But on the other hand, this is SM Stirling material we're talking about. I mean, he's one of my favorite authors; I've read almost everything he's ever written, and he helped create two of my old favorite characters and one of my favorite nostalgia alt-history-future settings in the Fifth Millennium series. But let's face it; his books tend to have a wee bit of the horny, (along with a surprisingly progressive take on LGBT rights) so the sexy uniforms, if they exist here, wouldn't surprise anyone who's familiar with the source material.

Maybe just strategically placed zippers if they need to lie back and think of Drakia (to keep up the population of Citizens, of course). Of course that won't be the "regulation" purpose, but it would be excused as a noble cause to further the Noble Race.

 

[CalBear]

One thought is with the Drakian's being more open towards the idea of women serving in the military they'd have all female units in their home guard. Of course consider their parallels with third world dictatorships the dress variants of their uniforms would be a bit more skimpy... fitting considering they'd be bodyguards for older political officers. Being a more ceremonial role than anything expected for Frontline combat, though that doesn't mean they wouldn't be capable of a fight. Then there's the normal female members of the armed forces...

Spoiler

While I would normally say that the drawing were pushing it, the simple reality is that we are talking about a Stirling 'Verse, which puts things into a very different scenario.

There is also, of course, OTL's DPRK

or the Ukrainian (including 3" pumps)

Which, along with other examples, are well on the road to perdition.

Tyrant Kim's mini-skirted robot army: The tightly-drilled ranks of female soldiers who serve on North Korea's front line

Their feet rising and falling in perfect unity, hundreds of women soldiers of the North Korean People’s Army march across Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang to mark 60 years since the end of the Korean War.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Ukrainian Army Women and Their Shoes | Manolo's Shoe Blog

Manolo says, many people in the blogosphere have been linking to this photo of the Ukrainian Army hotties. As one may see, for feetwear, anything goes, from the

shoeblogs.com

 

[pattontank12]

Considering just how bloodied Russia was from the wars and the decades leading up to it I can definitely see them having a similar recruitment policy to North Korea. With them having a large number of women in their armed forces just so they properly fill their ranks. Considering the size of their borders with enemy nations.

Drakia probably does the same thing if not to the same extreme...

 

[Scrivener]

After the fall of Drakia, would the new Homo Drakensis population be large enough to be considered a brand new ethnic group? Where would the Drakensis go? How would they live?

 

[Glory2Cabinda]

After the fall of Drakia, would the new Homo Drakensis population be large enough to be considered a brand new ethnic group? Where would the Drakensis go? How would they live?

Probably a rump state in the cape.

 

[Frame]

I wonder how far the Drakian empire will expand before collapsing in on its own mass

 

[pattontank12]

So I've been thinking of what a Medieval Drakia would look like.

• One thought is that the traditionally Christian lands of Southern Africa are faced increasing incursions by Muslim forces from the Northern regions. Helped in no small part by the surviving roads and raillines leftover over the days of the Old Dominion.
• At this point most of Africa has become an ethnic creole of native Africans, central Asians, Arabs, turks, Eastern Europeans and Anglo-Saxons after a thousand years of intermixing.
• South Africa and the Congo regions are the largest respective white and black enclaves left in Africa.
• The Boers have turned largely into a nomadic horse culture on the Savanah and a menace to the more sedentary agricultural groups.
• The local Martial Class is somewhere between European knights and Islamic Mamluk's. With the armor being closer to Asia and the Middle East.

Actually I can see the Drakia equivalent to the annual County fair being closer to Medieval tourneys. With a focus on physical challenges like sword fighter, archery and running mixed in with more modern stuff like sharpshooting and martial arts.

 

[the Imperium of Canada]

So would it be correct to say that the inevitable collapse of the Drakian Empire, either if it's caused by losing the Final War against the Alliance for Democracy or just it's internal issues coming to a head, is probably going to resemble some hellish hybrid of the Haitian Revolution and Yugoslav Wars as an entire continent goes up in flames?

I'd also note that the Silent War (I think that's what it's called, right?) could probably be considered a lot more morally black and white then the OTL Cold War given that the ATL United States, though far from being perfect, is arguably a lot better off than the OTL United States in a lot of ways. Meanwhile Drakia is far worse than the Soviet Union.

 

[Frame]

I wonder if central America could become a societist dictatorship and occupy a position like otl cuba