The Gallic League
- Thread starter Tynnin
- Start date
Ah, for the days of the chastity belt – you think bras are hard to undo…
Anyway, to the questions:
As my father used to say, “if it were a snake it wouldve bit you†and by that I mean Abequa is in southern Africa along Ghana’s border. It’s that light colored blob just about where southern Angola/northern Nambia would be in OTL.
Egypt and the League are very close in the sense they are great allies but if your question is do they unite into one nation the answer is no.
Who am I to say what AH is any more plausible than another, given the proper POD at any rate, but a League forming out of post Roman Britain given the invasions that occur – that’s a head scratcher. I’ll have to look that TL up and see how it plays out.
The Kamiharou do have a capital. 950AD: Emperor Yoriie Kekipi of the Kamiharou founds Heiankyo in Hayashiriku (OTL Philippines) - the first permanent capital of the sea going empire.
Well, it sounds like everyone is enjoying the show so I'll try and keep it up as we head into the final 300 years.
Anyway, to the questions:
As my father used to say, “if it were a snake it wouldve bit you†and by that I mean Abequa is in southern Africa along Ghana’s border. It’s that light colored blob just about where southern Angola/northern Nambia would be in OTL.
Egypt and the League are very close in the sense they are great allies but if your question is do they unite into one nation the answer is no.
Who am I to say what AH is any more plausible than another, given the proper POD at any rate, but a League forming out of post Roman Britain given the invasions that occur – that’s a head scratcher. I’ll have to look that TL up and see how it plays out.
The Kamiharou do have a capital. 950AD: Emperor Yoriie Kekipi of the Kamiharou founds Heiankyo in Hayashiriku (OTL Philippines) - the first permanent capital of the sea going empire.
Well, it sounds like everyone is enjoying the show so I'll try and keep it up as we head into the final 300 years.
Oops, forgot a question:
Why did I switch to train? Because it is a familiar term in any TL – baggage train, wagon train, supply train, etc. These terms would have been in use before the invention of the “iron horse†I just figured the term “train†would logically be applied to the “rail wagon†eventually. Though I must say, I do like the ring of Iron Horse or Rail Wagon but I’m not sure the names would stick excepting as a local vernacular or perhaps as a less used mainstream term such as automobile verses car. Automobile is a mainstream word but car is the term most people use.
However, I’m all for a show of hands if people want me to keep using Iron Horse.
Why did I switch to train? Because it is a familiar term in any TL – baggage train, wagon train, supply train, etc. These terms would have been in use before the invention of the “iron horse†I just figured the term “train†would logically be applied to the “rail wagon†eventually. Though I must say, I do like the ring of Iron Horse or Rail Wagon but I’m not sure the names would stick excepting as a local vernacular or perhaps as a less used mainstream term such as automobile verses car. Automobile is a mainstream word but car is the term most people use.
However, I’m all for a show of hands if people want me to keep using Iron Horse.
i say use both, let the vulgar proletariats call it a train, while we sophistiacates drink martinis riding in the iron horse.
...
(nothing against proletariats, i'm one, as i'm sure most of you are...)
...
(nothing against proletariats, i'm one, as i'm sure most of you are...)
OTL Russia is kind of spilt between Dacia and the Novgorod.
Novgorod is a Christian nation, specifically Catholic so are greatly influenced by the Patriarch of Neos Syracuse and the Holy See. Life in the Catholic Nations (the other nation being Khazar) is difficult as the Church demands absolute obedience to the biblical cannon (which dictates social interaction from how to conduct business to what days a husband and wife can have intercourse). All taxes and business profits are paid to the Church – the king than addresses his bishops to be allowed funds to conduct state affairs. The Catholic god is kind and caring and helps those in need – because He is such a benevolent being, to ungratefully disobey the laws (as dictated by the Patriarch and the Holy See – God’s representation on Earth) is to forfeit your rights and in most cases your life.
Dacia is also a Christian nation but followers of church are referred to as belonging to the Dacian Church or more simply as Lucians. Christianity is less adhered to in this nation as it is believed that most offences against the church will be dealt with in the afterlife by god himself. Crimes against the state however are a matter for the state. Though advised and influenced by the House of Bishops and their own Patriarch the King is clearly the head of the country. There is no tithing, no indulgencies, and no detailed set of rules dictating social interaction, man is not born of sin (thanks to Jesus) and may keep from sin by keeping to the scriptures but by no means should be forced to do so. Life for Christians in Dacia tends to be much better as wealth is not sinful as long as it is shared (sumptuary laws are in place to make sure of this). Over the past few centuries Dacia has been approaching a more isolationists view of the world. Years of failed attempts to battle the heathen League they share a border with has led them to a point where they are willing to ignore the pagans and let god sort it out when they die. On the otherside of the fence is Novgorod and yet again years of fighting with the other Christian nations has led to Dacia taking a “let God handle them†approach to the situation.
Other Christian Nations:
Khazar (Catholic)
Egypt Empire (primarily Cult of Aman-Ra in the north and various forms of monophysites in the south)
Mongol Empire (Catholic – though developing more similar to OTL The Anglican Church)
How’s that?
Novgorod is a Christian nation, specifically Catholic so are greatly influenced by the Patriarch of Neos Syracuse and the Holy See. Life in the Catholic Nations (the other nation being Khazar) is difficult as the Church demands absolute obedience to the biblical cannon (which dictates social interaction from how to conduct business to what days a husband and wife can have intercourse). All taxes and business profits are paid to the Church – the king than addresses his bishops to be allowed funds to conduct state affairs. The Catholic god is kind and caring and helps those in need – because He is such a benevolent being, to ungratefully disobey the laws (as dictated by the Patriarch and the Holy See – God’s representation on Earth) is to forfeit your rights and in most cases your life.
Dacia is also a Christian nation but followers of church are referred to as belonging to the Dacian Church or more simply as Lucians. Christianity is less adhered to in this nation as it is believed that most offences against the church will be dealt with in the afterlife by god himself. Crimes against the state however are a matter for the state. Though advised and influenced by the House of Bishops and their own Patriarch the King is clearly the head of the country. There is no tithing, no indulgencies, and no detailed set of rules dictating social interaction, man is not born of sin (thanks to Jesus) and may keep from sin by keeping to the scriptures but by no means should be forced to do so. Life for Christians in Dacia tends to be much better as wealth is not sinful as long as it is shared (sumptuary laws are in place to make sure of this). Over the past few centuries Dacia has been approaching a more isolationists view of the world. Years of failed attempts to battle the heathen League they share a border with has led them to a point where they are willing to ignore the pagans and let god sort it out when they die. On the otherside of the fence is Novgorod and yet again years of fighting with the other Christian nations has led to Dacia taking a “let God handle them†approach to the situation.
Other Christian Nations:
Khazar (Catholic)
Egypt Empire (primarily Cult of Aman-Ra in the north and various forms of monophysites in the south)
Mongol Empire (Catholic – though developing more similar to OTL The Anglican Church)
How’s that?
The 18th century brings into the world a number of new inventions. Rifled artillery and muskets, the gun turret, caterpillar tracks and more change the face of war. Inventions like artificial refrigeration, the airplane, the Moke Wireless, and the Belenus Lamp become welcomed additions to the households of the world. Horseless carriages begin to gain popularity around the world but in the Gallic League where they remain unpopular except for use in the military and later in the century as forms of public transportation. Like the horseless carriage the airplane gains little popularity and although it does find limited use as a bomber and an observational device it is more often used as a commercial and as a privet mode of transportation and communication. World over, though probably not more so than in the Gallic League, does the development of photography and radio have a great impact. By the end of the century Moke wirelesses are in every home and Picture Halls are in every town (slide shows accompanied by music) – a byproduct of this is a change from the typical bardic ballad to music that better represents the emotions of the situations being depicted on the slides.
1700AD: An inventor by the name of Brutus Camilo develops the first camera and film processing procedures (a combination of silver nitrate, mercury, and sodium that not only enables an image to be pulled from a glass or metal plate but also keeps it from fading). Over the next few years it will be further tinkered with as the process of positive/negative imaging is perfected (the process will continue to be refined and make eventual changes such as metal/glass plate to paper film).
Keegan Apnolan invents what he dubs the Belenus Lamp (the first lightbulb).
1703AD: For centuries the idea of flight has perplexed mankind however beyond the simple applications of gliders and balloons there has been little progress. This problem is partly due to the sustainability once flight has been accomplished. In this year, Shing Kong, a Chinese inventor, solves that problem with the world’s first motorized airplane. Though his first flight on the rather flimsy apparatus only lasted a few seconds and carried him 100 feet it was nonetheless the first steps towards the sky.
1710AD: The first bi and monoplanes come off the assembly lines in China and Egypt. Although a novelty, production of these planes remains minimal as a practical use has thus far eluded designers and consumers. The product becomes mostly bought and used in much the same way as early and current H-Carriages – used by the wealthy and well-to-do for pleasure jaunts.
1716AD: Ambrose II succumbs to an illness that had settled in his chest and dies. He is survived by his son Orin who is crowned High King (1716-1727).
1718AD: The Ancient Way (the wide road leading between the palace and the Forum Brennus) is illuminated by Keegan Apnolan’s Belenus Lamps.
Over the last 70 years or so the Lusitanian Triumvirate has been steadily losing their overseas holdings as funds, soldiers, and ships become less abundant. In this year there is a major revolt in New Lusitania led by two army generals (Baior, Demaga) who have gained popular support (they promised to bring the marvels of the modern world to New Lusitania – currently the Triumvirate although building many roads has only limitedly exposed the Amazon region to what has been called the “Mechanical Revolutionâ€).
1720AD: The Lusitanian Triumvirate sells the Maori Islands (as well as their Australian holdings) to the Egyptian Empire. The Triumvirate uses the money to fund their war and continue the construction of the Isthmus Canal (a project that has been floundering for the past century).
China invents the breech loading musket (this becomes very popular wherever flintlocks are employed).
Caddoan is the first on the North Alrikian chiefdoms to develop a modern army (though that term is relative to the period).
Khazar is the first to build a power company for electrical distribution to the populous (the Public Works Power Company). PWPC will also be the first to build the largest steam turbine 10 years later (supplying power to the masses based on the slogan “to each according to their needsâ€).
1722AD: The first cargo and commercial airplanes are built (the historic commercial flight between Memphis and Alexandria was taken by King Memnon VIII and several members of the Civic Council).
1724AD: Due to sabotage along the rail lines the Triumvirate army and supplies are forced to travel by H-Carriages to the front line. During the trip heavy rain and the burden of so many reserve troops and supplies causes several of the metal and wooden wheels to break – stranding the reserve army and causing them to arrive late to the battle. The subsequent rout by New Lusitanian forces was a major turning point in the war.
1725AD: Brondolf Hansel of Scanza invents the compression ignition engine (OTL Diesel engine).
There are several major incidents between Scandinavian settlers and native North Alrikians – many homes on both sides of the borders were burned. The situation threatened to destabilize an already tense peace.
1726AD: The Triumvirate settles on a truce with New Lusitania (although the independent portion will call itself Amazonia – I know this may sound unimaginative but the river was named under more or less the same situation as OTL, just with Lusitanian explorers instead of Portuguese). In the treaty the Amazon region is given a greater level of autonomy, they are allowed to form their own governing body but laws and trade agreements are subject to the Triumvirate Governor. It is also agreed that the loyalists, that had gone a long way to aiding the Triumvirate during the war, would be allowed to settle peaceably outside of the Amazon region.
Dacia invades the Kipchak Khanate (1726-1730).
1727AD: The Chiefdom Wars (1727-1730).
To help reinforce the N.A. Accords High King Orin travels to N.A. to tour several of the Chiefdoms. While in Caddoan Orin and several others in the caravan were killed during a raid by the neighboring chiefdom of Ute. Both Orin’s son and wife (Heuan and Medb) were still in Alesia, since Heuan was only a year old and Medb had no wish to be crowned High Queen the High Council called for a new Regency, the 8th since the Founding (1727-1739).
As has happened whenever a High Monarch or a member of the royal family was killed war was demanded by the people of the League. With a young prince waiting for the throne and a Regency in place the High Council knew they had to comply with the angry will of the people or face rebellion – or worse, civil war (although typically the High Council would seek other forms of retribution before settling on war).
With the permission of Caddoan and the Cherokee Confederation to use their territories as staging areas on the 24th of Deireadh Fomhair (October) the High Council issued a declaration of war on the Ute Chiefdom.
The Byzantine Revolution ends with the brutal murder of the King and his two young sons in their beds. Hasad Eilidh (founder of the victorious school of thought) is elected Chairman of the Byzantine Dominion. Actions are immediately taken to redistribute the tribes and reconstruct the army. Hasad was already in his 70s by the end of the revolution and only lived another year after his appointment. His suggestion as a successor, his second in command – a man by the name of Kemal, is unanimously elected by the Dominion Council.
1728AD: The High Council’s idea was to flood the Chiefdom with 100,000 Gallic soldiers and bring a quick end to the war but Caddoan and the Confederation did not want so many Gallic soldiers making their way through their territories so the League was limited to half that number with no more than 10,000 in any one area. The High Council had agreed to this as long as Caddoan and the Confederation supplemented with their own soldiers.
Right after the first engagement (which thoroughly defeated the Ute army) Ute allies (the Pawnee and Cree) launched their own attacks – striking first at Caddoan and the Cherokee Confederation in the hopes of driving their support from the League.
Like the Ute the Cree and Pawnee learned quickly that the League could not be defeated on open ground so over the next year and half there would be hundreds of small assaults and night raids by native war parties countered by the Leagues own version of the war party (rail lines become a favorite target for both sides).
1729AD: Even after the fatal experiments of Druid Macnair research into a workable undersea ship continued. Development had been slow as a viable means of powering such a device reliably for long periods had yet to be invented. However, with the development of the Hansel Engine that hurdle had been overcome. In Bealtaine (May) the first Gallic Submersible, the Poseidon is launched from the Massallii Arsenal. A few months later the first torpedoes are developed. Full deployment of this new weapon into the Gallic navy is limited however due to the lack of viable undersea detection system.
1730AD: With the Ute and Cree Chiefdom occupied by Gallic forces (and no raids in those territories over the last 5 months) the Pawnee – who had little free territory of their own – call for a truce.
The Christian nations enter into a period of warfare that is generally known as the Dacian Wars. Due to their recent and very successful campaigns against the Kipchak Khanate Dacia had stirred up fear and resentment from its neighbors. Between 1730 and 1752 there will be a series of wars that will exhaust the militaries of the Christian Kingdoms (It is during the Dacian Wars that plans are first used in combat though they are only employed as observational wings – taking photos, which does for the first time in history bring the horrors of war to the dinner tables).
The Lusitanian Triumvirate develops vulcanized rubber and a few years later produce the first pneumatic tires and quickly begins replacing their metal and wooden wheels of their vehicles (over the next 10 years the other nations of the world undergo the same change).
1731AD: Colleen Bavair, a scientist living in Carthage, develops artificial refrigeration which becomes very popular among vendors and a few years later when she invents the Home Cooling Unit her popularity stretches into the general population (over the coming decades her studies of the Cold Sciences will develops the process for extracting liquid oxygen and hydrogen but without any serious practicality to these discoveries they do not become widely known).
Ghana faces a rebellion in Cape Town (more or less OTL). The abolitionists, defeated in the last century and sent underground, have reemerged this time far more organized.
Civil war in Amazonia erupts between the forces of general Baior and general Demaga (though the Triumvirate Governor is able to get the two sides to agree to keep the capital and a two mile radius around the city as neutral territory the rest of the country is ravaged once again by war).
1733AD: The rebellion in Cape Town has grown with popular support to the point where loyal Ghanese militia groups have been forced deep into the jungle.
Airplanes are first used in bombing runs by Dacia. Though in some cases the results were devastating the inaccuracy of the attacks still made cannon barrages the favored means of bombarding the enemy.
1735AD: The High Council begins removing Gallic soldiers from the Ute, Cree, and Pawnee Chiefdoms – ending the 5 year occupation of those lands (a move that brings much opposition in the Oghma).
The Byzantine Empire declares war on both the Farees Sultanate and the Tabibid Caliphate (1735-1737). After two and a half years of trying to regain their territory along the Tigris and Euphrates a truce is called – the war was conducted half heartedly and Byzantine forces were known to attack and then quickly disengage even if the battle was clearly in their favor.
1736AD: The Gallic League pulls out of the Protective Treaty with the Egyptian Empire. Seeing a never ending draw on resources and their attention The Gallic League also pulls out of the North Alrikian Accords (a move strongly opposed by several Chiefdoms and the Oghma).
1737AD: To put it simply, the cork had been removed from the bottle. With the Gallic League now out of the N.A. Accords and the Chiefdoms developing their own modern armies and navies the continent entered into a whole new period of gruesome warfare (warfare that Scanza and Kamiharou eagerly joined).
1738AD: To create a direct land route to the rebellious southern region Ghana marches several war parties into Abequa (eliciting an immediate military response and letters to the Gallic League). The High Council refuses to send aid to Abequa but does order their ambassadors in Ghana to express the Leagues dissatisfaction with Ghana’s continued attempts to conquer the fledgling nation along their southern border.
1739AD: The Oghma confronts the High Council demanding that elections be held for a new High Monarch or that the prince be given his birthright.
Heuan Maonaigh takes his place at the head of the nation (1739-1782). He reverses some of the standings the High Council had taken during their recent Regency and makes several overtures to the Civic Council and King of Egypt to assure them that the Gallic League was still their closest ally. It is strange that only a few months later that statement would be tested.
1740AD: The Great African War (1740-1745).
Ghana’s Cape Town colony declares their independence and renames their new nation the Republic of South Africa (they begin sending ambassadors and letters to other nations asking to be recognized and helped).
Egypt/Gallic forces will meet against Ghanese war parties in a dozen engagements throughout the Fenrir Desert – leading to the eventual annexing of that barren landscape. Though Ghana used breech loading flintlock muskets their devastating rapid fire was not fully felt as Gallic forces often worked in tandem with Egyptian musket units (and Ghana war tactics – which revolved around small war parties – never allowed for a large mass charge situation).
As had been the deciding factor in the many wars the League had fought with Egypt access and deployment of resources were the major influences when it came to our victory.
1743AD: Ghana recognizes the independence of the Republic of South Africa.
1745AD: The diversifying area of petrochemicals leads to the creation of plastics within months of each other in a number of nations.
1749AD: A Chinese inventor by the name of Shen Ho Long develops the helicopter. As the design is perfected the new flying machine gains much use as a rescue craft and finds a lot of service as a fire fighting vehicle.
Kamiharou and the Mongol Empire go to war (1749-1757).
1750AD: A Chinese scientist by the name of Cheng Wei invents the first percussion cap.
Egyptian and Chinese scientists experimenting with electricity and the Belenus lamp leads to the discovery of electron flow and the development of the first vacuum and cathode ray tubes.
The Republic of South Africa annexes the Lusitanian holdings to their north (along the coast).
Dacia is surprised to find that they have an ally in their most recent attack on Khazar. Chairman Kemal declares war on Khazar in the name of Dacia and free trade along the Cheusthie Muir (1750-1752). Though Byzantium does hold the lands they conquer during the war their battle tactics are very similar to those used during their war with the Sultanate and the Caliphate.
1754AD: Scanza logging company invents the Caterpillar Track. The innovation greatly improves their vehicles ability to maneuver in the snow and haul wood.
1755AD: The 2nd Byzantine War (1755-1760).
Here we see what the Byzantine military had been training for over the last few decades.
Mazonn, the new Chairman of the Byzantine Dominion, using the horrors of the continued war in N.A. – a war brought on by the Gallic withdraw – as an excuse declares war on the Gallic League (The Chairman saw the High Monarch as a tyrannical ruler that only mocked the Oghma – what the Dominion saw as a primitive haphazard way to promote universal rule).
The first battle was fought at Shiar Cashtal and although the garrison at Mezek was able to reach the city in time their actions were mainly spent in fighting a rearguard action as the city was evacuated (as much as possible at any rate).
Over the next few years the League will continue to lose ground to the Byzantine advance. Though winning occasional victories – mainly by timely flanking maneuvers by our swift cavalry – the devastating effect of Byzantine rapid firing during massed engagements was taking its toll. Though many of the battles told the same story (just the terrain changed) the battle for Athens would set the mood for the war. During the height of battle, at a point where the Gallic charge was able to take the front lines of the Byzantine army, the Dominion general pulled up all of his reserves and ordered the new line to fire “without regard†into the turmoil of the hand to hand combat.
1756AD: Scientists in the Gallic League develop the first radar and sonar systems.
1757AD: The Gallic League launches the Wyvern, the League’s first official undersea war ship. The ability to strike at Byzantine ships nearly without notice tilted every sea battle in the League’s favor. Cutting off the enemy’s reserves and supplies slowly over the next 3 years was able to grind the Dominions invasion.
1759AD: Egyptian scientists discover x-rays (though the practical use of this discovery is a few years off yet).
1760AD: High King Heuan is able to get the Byzantine Chairman to agree to a truce. The Treaty of Alexandria would leave a sour taste in the League’s mouth – with our armies in taters and the lands of Greekland torn asunder we were in no position to counter the “no fault†conditions of the treaty that merely returned the status quo. What was more distasteful, at least for those that realized it (despite the trouncing we received there were still those who refused to see), the once mighty and formidable Gallic military was no more.
A Kamiharou inventor by the name of Moke Kai, working with sending his voice wirelessly through the air, develops the Radio (though initially used for military purposes like the telegraph and phone this device becomes immensely popular commercially).
Rifled artillery is invented almost simultaneously in Scanza, Egypt, and China. This greatly extends the rage and effectiveness of these weapons, the initial testing of this new model proves so successful that these three nations immediately begin outfitting their artillery unites. Over the next 2 decades armies around the world undergo a major refit from smoothbore to rifled.
1763AD: The Egyptian Empire had been wrestling with building muskets with the same rifling as their artillery however testing in this field has met with explosive results as bullets continue to lodge themselves in barrels. However, in this year Egyptian munitions experts design a bullet that is smaller than the radius of the barrel that expand to grip the lands and grooves. As with the new modeled artillery the new Rifles are a quickly adopted change.
The mechanical tractor – a version of the caterpillar trucks being used by Scandinavian loggers (only this one is for use in farming) reaches the Gallic League.
High King Heuan visits the Egyptian Empire, and in what must have been one of the most difficult things for a Gaul of his stature to do, he asked King Lisimba II for help in modernizing the Gallic military (in exchange for this help Egypt was given our knowledge of the submarine and the track hauler). The Change is hard and there are many reluctant voices in the Oghma but over the next 20 years the Gallic military undergoes a major refit.
1765AD: The Kamiharou develop the gun turret. Engagements against various pirate ships prove very impressive but no current major conflicts keep the advancement from fully being deployed into their navy.
1769AD: Egypt and Kamiharou go to war (1769-1773).
This becomes the first conflict between the Kamiharou turret ships and the Egyptian broadsides. The balance of the sea battles went to the Kamiharou as their guns could more easily be redirected. The war would end in a relative draw however because whereas the Kamiharou had the turret ship Egypt had been importing and improving upon the Scandinavian tractor carts – creating a variety of armored and armed troop transports (the obvious advantage of the turret ship and the track carts are not lost on the rest of the world – nations all over the world begin ordering and constructing their own versions of these two war machines initiating yet another global arms race).
1770AD: Over the last 10 years the Moke Wireless has spread to most of the major nations. In this year it arrives in the Gallic League and over the next years of continued improvement of the device we see a proliferation of Radio Shows (from comedy and drama to news and weather).
1775AD: Inventors working at the Cheng Wei Munitions and Ballistics Factory develop the first hand gun with a revolving chamber.
1777AD: A group of doctors and scientists working out of the Athena Hospital (one of the leading schools for studying medical knowledge and technology) develop the worlds first X-ray machine.
1779AD: Druid Seamus Ward writes his book, Infinitely Small, wherein he outlines his atomic theory describing what he believes to be a potential power source with unlimited possibilities.
1780AD: The Mongol Empire goes to war with the Kamiharou (1780-1790).
1782AD: High King Heuan dies. With no living children the Gallic League passes to his half sister Alanna (1782-1797).
Gallic engineers come up with the idea to mount a turret to the armored track wagons. The track wagon had been armed only with rifle niches – it was in truth just an armored troop transport. With the innovation to place a turret to the track wagon the world has its first mobile artillery carriage (or M.A.C for short).
The Farees Sultanate goes to war with the Egyptian Empire (1782-1783). The war comes to a spectacular end when the Sultanate fails to capture the Egyptian oil fields (though does manage to set a few on fire) which had been the main objective of the war.
1785AD: The Farees Sultanate discovers oil in their own lands.
1786AD: The Farees Sultanate goes to war with the Tabibid Caliphate a few weeks after they announce they have also discovered oil in their lands (1786-1792).
1792AD: The Byzantine Dominion and the Ogedei Khanate jointly declare war on the Tabibid Caliphate and Farees Sultanate (1792-1802).
1797AD: High Queen Alanna dies and passes the League to her son Micheil (1797-1835).
1700AD: An inventor by the name of Brutus Camilo develops the first camera and film processing procedures (a combination of silver nitrate, mercury, and sodium that not only enables an image to be pulled from a glass or metal plate but also keeps it from fading). Over the next few years it will be further tinkered with as the process of positive/negative imaging is perfected (the process will continue to be refined and make eventual changes such as metal/glass plate to paper film).
Keegan Apnolan invents what he dubs the Belenus Lamp (the first lightbulb).
1703AD: For centuries the idea of flight has perplexed mankind however beyond the simple applications of gliders and balloons there has been little progress. This problem is partly due to the sustainability once flight has been accomplished. In this year, Shing Kong, a Chinese inventor, solves that problem with the world’s first motorized airplane. Though his first flight on the rather flimsy apparatus only lasted a few seconds and carried him 100 feet it was nonetheless the first steps towards the sky.
1710AD: The first bi and monoplanes come off the assembly lines in China and Egypt. Although a novelty, production of these planes remains minimal as a practical use has thus far eluded designers and consumers. The product becomes mostly bought and used in much the same way as early and current H-Carriages – used by the wealthy and well-to-do for pleasure jaunts.
1716AD: Ambrose II succumbs to an illness that had settled in his chest and dies. He is survived by his son Orin who is crowned High King (1716-1727).
1718AD: The Ancient Way (the wide road leading between the palace and the Forum Brennus) is illuminated by Keegan Apnolan’s Belenus Lamps.
Over the last 70 years or so the Lusitanian Triumvirate has been steadily losing their overseas holdings as funds, soldiers, and ships become less abundant. In this year there is a major revolt in New Lusitania led by two army generals (Baior, Demaga) who have gained popular support (they promised to bring the marvels of the modern world to New Lusitania – currently the Triumvirate although building many roads has only limitedly exposed the Amazon region to what has been called the “Mechanical Revolutionâ€).
1720AD: The Lusitanian Triumvirate sells the Maori Islands (as well as their Australian holdings) to the Egyptian Empire. The Triumvirate uses the money to fund their war and continue the construction of the Isthmus Canal (a project that has been floundering for the past century).
China invents the breech loading musket (this becomes very popular wherever flintlocks are employed).
Caddoan is the first on the North Alrikian chiefdoms to develop a modern army (though that term is relative to the period).
Khazar is the first to build a power company for electrical distribution to the populous (the Public Works Power Company). PWPC will also be the first to build the largest steam turbine 10 years later (supplying power to the masses based on the slogan “to each according to their needsâ€).
1722AD: The first cargo and commercial airplanes are built (the historic commercial flight between Memphis and Alexandria was taken by King Memnon VIII and several members of the Civic Council).
1724AD: Due to sabotage along the rail lines the Triumvirate army and supplies are forced to travel by H-Carriages to the front line. During the trip heavy rain and the burden of so many reserve troops and supplies causes several of the metal and wooden wheels to break – stranding the reserve army and causing them to arrive late to the battle. The subsequent rout by New Lusitanian forces was a major turning point in the war.
1725AD: Brondolf Hansel of Scanza invents the compression ignition engine (OTL Diesel engine).
There are several major incidents between Scandinavian settlers and native North Alrikians – many homes on both sides of the borders were burned. The situation threatened to destabilize an already tense peace.
1726AD: The Triumvirate settles on a truce with New Lusitania (although the independent portion will call itself Amazonia – I know this may sound unimaginative but the river was named under more or less the same situation as OTL, just with Lusitanian explorers instead of Portuguese). In the treaty the Amazon region is given a greater level of autonomy, they are allowed to form their own governing body but laws and trade agreements are subject to the Triumvirate Governor. It is also agreed that the loyalists, that had gone a long way to aiding the Triumvirate during the war, would be allowed to settle peaceably outside of the Amazon region.
Dacia invades the Kipchak Khanate (1726-1730).
1727AD: The Chiefdom Wars (1727-1730).
To help reinforce the N.A. Accords High King Orin travels to N.A. to tour several of the Chiefdoms. While in Caddoan Orin and several others in the caravan were killed during a raid by the neighboring chiefdom of Ute. Both Orin’s son and wife (Heuan and Medb) were still in Alesia, since Heuan was only a year old and Medb had no wish to be crowned High Queen the High Council called for a new Regency, the 8th since the Founding (1727-1739).
As has happened whenever a High Monarch or a member of the royal family was killed war was demanded by the people of the League. With a young prince waiting for the throne and a Regency in place the High Council knew they had to comply with the angry will of the people or face rebellion – or worse, civil war (although typically the High Council would seek other forms of retribution before settling on war).
With the permission of Caddoan and the Cherokee Confederation to use their territories as staging areas on the 24th of Deireadh Fomhair (October) the High Council issued a declaration of war on the Ute Chiefdom.
The Byzantine Revolution ends with the brutal murder of the King and his two young sons in their beds. Hasad Eilidh (founder of the victorious school of thought) is elected Chairman of the Byzantine Dominion. Actions are immediately taken to redistribute the tribes and reconstruct the army. Hasad was already in his 70s by the end of the revolution and only lived another year after his appointment. His suggestion as a successor, his second in command – a man by the name of Kemal, is unanimously elected by the Dominion Council.
1728AD: The High Council’s idea was to flood the Chiefdom with 100,000 Gallic soldiers and bring a quick end to the war but Caddoan and the Confederation did not want so many Gallic soldiers making their way through their territories so the League was limited to half that number with no more than 10,000 in any one area. The High Council had agreed to this as long as Caddoan and the Confederation supplemented with their own soldiers.
Right after the first engagement (which thoroughly defeated the Ute army) Ute allies (the Pawnee and Cree) launched their own attacks – striking first at Caddoan and the Cherokee Confederation in the hopes of driving their support from the League.
Like the Ute the Cree and Pawnee learned quickly that the League could not be defeated on open ground so over the next year and half there would be hundreds of small assaults and night raids by native war parties countered by the Leagues own version of the war party (rail lines become a favorite target for both sides).
1729AD: Even after the fatal experiments of Druid Macnair research into a workable undersea ship continued. Development had been slow as a viable means of powering such a device reliably for long periods had yet to be invented. However, with the development of the Hansel Engine that hurdle had been overcome. In Bealtaine (May) the first Gallic Submersible, the Poseidon is launched from the Massallii Arsenal. A few months later the first torpedoes are developed. Full deployment of this new weapon into the Gallic navy is limited however due to the lack of viable undersea detection system.
1730AD: With the Ute and Cree Chiefdom occupied by Gallic forces (and no raids in those territories over the last 5 months) the Pawnee – who had little free territory of their own – call for a truce.
The Christian nations enter into a period of warfare that is generally known as the Dacian Wars. Due to their recent and very successful campaigns against the Kipchak Khanate Dacia had stirred up fear and resentment from its neighbors. Between 1730 and 1752 there will be a series of wars that will exhaust the militaries of the Christian Kingdoms (It is during the Dacian Wars that plans are first used in combat though they are only employed as observational wings – taking photos, which does for the first time in history bring the horrors of war to the dinner tables).
The Lusitanian Triumvirate develops vulcanized rubber and a few years later produce the first pneumatic tires and quickly begins replacing their metal and wooden wheels of their vehicles (over the next 10 years the other nations of the world undergo the same change).
1731AD: Colleen Bavair, a scientist living in Carthage, develops artificial refrigeration which becomes very popular among vendors and a few years later when she invents the Home Cooling Unit her popularity stretches into the general population (over the coming decades her studies of the Cold Sciences will develops the process for extracting liquid oxygen and hydrogen but without any serious practicality to these discoveries they do not become widely known).
Ghana faces a rebellion in Cape Town (more or less OTL). The abolitionists, defeated in the last century and sent underground, have reemerged this time far more organized.
Civil war in Amazonia erupts between the forces of general Baior and general Demaga (though the Triumvirate Governor is able to get the two sides to agree to keep the capital and a two mile radius around the city as neutral territory the rest of the country is ravaged once again by war).
1733AD: The rebellion in Cape Town has grown with popular support to the point where loyal Ghanese militia groups have been forced deep into the jungle.
Airplanes are first used in bombing runs by Dacia. Though in some cases the results were devastating the inaccuracy of the attacks still made cannon barrages the favored means of bombarding the enemy.
1735AD: The High Council begins removing Gallic soldiers from the Ute, Cree, and Pawnee Chiefdoms – ending the 5 year occupation of those lands (a move that brings much opposition in the Oghma).
The Byzantine Empire declares war on both the Farees Sultanate and the Tabibid Caliphate (1735-1737). After two and a half years of trying to regain their territory along the Tigris and Euphrates a truce is called – the war was conducted half heartedly and Byzantine forces were known to attack and then quickly disengage even if the battle was clearly in their favor.
1736AD: The Gallic League pulls out of the Protective Treaty with the Egyptian Empire. Seeing a never ending draw on resources and their attention The Gallic League also pulls out of the North Alrikian Accords (a move strongly opposed by several Chiefdoms and the Oghma).
1737AD: To put it simply, the cork had been removed from the bottle. With the Gallic League now out of the N.A. Accords and the Chiefdoms developing their own modern armies and navies the continent entered into a whole new period of gruesome warfare (warfare that Scanza and Kamiharou eagerly joined).
1738AD: To create a direct land route to the rebellious southern region Ghana marches several war parties into Abequa (eliciting an immediate military response and letters to the Gallic League). The High Council refuses to send aid to Abequa but does order their ambassadors in Ghana to express the Leagues dissatisfaction with Ghana’s continued attempts to conquer the fledgling nation along their southern border.
1739AD: The Oghma confronts the High Council demanding that elections be held for a new High Monarch or that the prince be given his birthright.
Heuan Maonaigh takes his place at the head of the nation (1739-1782). He reverses some of the standings the High Council had taken during their recent Regency and makes several overtures to the Civic Council and King of Egypt to assure them that the Gallic League was still their closest ally. It is strange that only a few months later that statement would be tested.
1740AD: The Great African War (1740-1745).
Ghana’s Cape Town colony declares their independence and renames their new nation the Republic of South Africa (they begin sending ambassadors and letters to other nations asking to be recognized and helped).
Egypt/Gallic forces will meet against Ghanese war parties in a dozen engagements throughout the Fenrir Desert – leading to the eventual annexing of that barren landscape. Though Ghana used breech loading flintlock muskets their devastating rapid fire was not fully felt as Gallic forces often worked in tandem with Egyptian musket units (and Ghana war tactics – which revolved around small war parties – never allowed for a large mass charge situation).
As had been the deciding factor in the many wars the League had fought with Egypt access and deployment of resources were the major influences when it came to our victory.
1743AD: Ghana recognizes the independence of the Republic of South Africa.
1745AD: The diversifying area of petrochemicals leads to the creation of plastics within months of each other in a number of nations.
1749AD: A Chinese inventor by the name of Shen Ho Long develops the helicopter. As the design is perfected the new flying machine gains much use as a rescue craft and finds a lot of service as a fire fighting vehicle.
Kamiharou and the Mongol Empire go to war (1749-1757).
1750AD: A Chinese scientist by the name of Cheng Wei invents the first percussion cap.
Egyptian and Chinese scientists experimenting with electricity and the Belenus lamp leads to the discovery of electron flow and the development of the first vacuum and cathode ray tubes.
The Republic of South Africa annexes the Lusitanian holdings to their north (along the coast).
Dacia is surprised to find that they have an ally in their most recent attack on Khazar. Chairman Kemal declares war on Khazar in the name of Dacia and free trade along the Cheusthie Muir (1750-1752). Though Byzantium does hold the lands they conquer during the war their battle tactics are very similar to those used during their war with the Sultanate and the Caliphate.
1754AD: Scanza logging company invents the Caterpillar Track. The innovation greatly improves their vehicles ability to maneuver in the snow and haul wood.
1755AD: The 2nd Byzantine War (1755-1760).
Here we see what the Byzantine military had been training for over the last few decades.
Mazonn, the new Chairman of the Byzantine Dominion, using the horrors of the continued war in N.A. – a war brought on by the Gallic withdraw – as an excuse declares war on the Gallic League (The Chairman saw the High Monarch as a tyrannical ruler that only mocked the Oghma – what the Dominion saw as a primitive haphazard way to promote universal rule).
The first battle was fought at Shiar Cashtal and although the garrison at Mezek was able to reach the city in time their actions were mainly spent in fighting a rearguard action as the city was evacuated (as much as possible at any rate).
Over the next few years the League will continue to lose ground to the Byzantine advance. Though winning occasional victories – mainly by timely flanking maneuvers by our swift cavalry – the devastating effect of Byzantine rapid firing during massed engagements was taking its toll. Though many of the battles told the same story (just the terrain changed) the battle for Athens would set the mood for the war. During the height of battle, at a point where the Gallic charge was able to take the front lines of the Byzantine army, the Dominion general pulled up all of his reserves and ordered the new line to fire “without regard†into the turmoil of the hand to hand combat.
1756AD: Scientists in the Gallic League develop the first radar and sonar systems.
1757AD: The Gallic League launches the Wyvern, the League’s first official undersea war ship. The ability to strike at Byzantine ships nearly without notice tilted every sea battle in the League’s favor. Cutting off the enemy’s reserves and supplies slowly over the next 3 years was able to grind the Dominions invasion.
1759AD: Egyptian scientists discover x-rays (though the practical use of this discovery is a few years off yet).
1760AD: High King Heuan is able to get the Byzantine Chairman to agree to a truce. The Treaty of Alexandria would leave a sour taste in the League’s mouth – with our armies in taters and the lands of Greekland torn asunder we were in no position to counter the “no fault†conditions of the treaty that merely returned the status quo. What was more distasteful, at least for those that realized it (despite the trouncing we received there were still those who refused to see), the once mighty and formidable Gallic military was no more.
A Kamiharou inventor by the name of Moke Kai, working with sending his voice wirelessly through the air, develops the Radio (though initially used for military purposes like the telegraph and phone this device becomes immensely popular commercially).
Rifled artillery is invented almost simultaneously in Scanza, Egypt, and China. This greatly extends the rage and effectiveness of these weapons, the initial testing of this new model proves so successful that these three nations immediately begin outfitting their artillery unites. Over the next 2 decades armies around the world undergo a major refit from smoothbore to rifled.
1763AD: The Egyptian Empire had been wrestling with building muskets with the same rifling as their artillery however testing in this field has met with explosive results as bullets continue to lodge themselves in barrels. However, in this year Egyptian munitions experts design a bullet that is smaller than the radius of the barrel that expand to grip the lands and grooves. As with the new modeled artillery the new Rifles are a quickly adopted change.
The mechanical tractor – a version of the caterpillar trucks being used by Scandinavian loggers (only this one is for use in farming) reaches the Gallic League.
High King Heuan visits the Egyptian Empire, and in what must have been one of the most difficult things for a Gaul of his stature to do, he asked King Lisimba II for help in modernizing the Gallic military (in exchange for this help Egypt was given our knowledge of the submarine and the track hauler). The Change is hard and there are many reluctant voices in the Oghma but over the next 20 years the Gallic military undergoes a major refit.
1765AD: The Kamiharou develop the gun turret. Engagements against various pirate ships prove very impressive but no current major conflicts keep the advancement from fully being deployed into their navy.
1769AD: Egypt and Kamiharou go to war (1769-1773).
This becomes the first conflict between the Kamiharou turret ships and the Egyptian broadsides. The balance of the sea battles went to the Kamiharou as their guns could more easily be redirected. The war would end in a relative draw however because whereas the Kamiharou had the turret ship Egypt had been importing and improving upon the Scandinavian tractor carts – creating a variety of armored and armed troop transports (the obvious advantage of the turret ship and the track carts are not lost on the rest of the world – nations all over the world begin ordering and constructing their own versions of these two war machines initiating yet another global arms race).
1770AD: Over the last 10 years the Moke Wireless has spread to most of the major nations. In this year it arrives in the Gallic League and over the next years of continued improvement of the device we see a proliferation of Radio Shows (from comedy and drama to news and weather).
1775AD: Inventors working at the Cheng Wei Munitions and Ballistics Factory develop the first hand gun with a revolving chamber.
1777AD: A group of doctors and scientists working out of the Athena Hospital (one of the leading schools for studying medical knowledge and technology) develop the worlds first X-ray machine.
1779AD: Druid Seamus Ward writes his book, Infinitely Small, wherein he outlines his atomic theory describing what he believes to be a potential power source with unlimited possibilities.
1780AD: The Mongol Empire goes to war with the Kamiharou (1780-1790).
1782AD: High King Heuan dies. With no living children the Gallic League passes to his half sister Alanna (1782-1797).
Gallic engineers come up with the idea to mount a turret to the armored track wagons. The track wagon had been armed only with rifle niches – it was in truth just an armored troop transport. With the innovation to place a turret to the track wagon the world has its first mobile artillery carriage (or M.A.C for short).
The Farees Sultanate goes to war with the Egyptian Empire (1782-1783). The war comes to a spectacular end when the Sultanate fails to capture the Egyptian oil fields (though does manage to set a few on fire) which had been the main objective of the war.
1785AD: The Farees Sultanate discovers oil in their own lands.
1786AD: The Farees Sultanate goes to war with the Tabibid Caliphate a few weeks after they announce they have also discovered oil in their lands (1786-1792).
1792AD: The Byzantine Dominion and the Ogedei Khanate jointly declare war on the Tabibid Caliphate and Farees Sultanate (1792-1802).
1797AD: High Queen Alanna dies and passes the League to her son Micheil (1797-1835).
arggggggggggggggggggg
I come home for vacation and I do not have time to read this in detail!
I like this bit:
It's getting to our time but not really doing a technological dumpload right before it can be respectable. What I mean is that Robert(....)'s Egyptian TL had the 'net invented in the 1800's and other inventions. Here there's only two and it's totally acceptable that monoplanes and photographs are invented. Well....I'm not too sure about the chemicals to bring forth the photograph but oh well...
I come home for vacation and I do not have time to read this in detail!
I like this bit:
It's getting to our time but not really doing a technological dumpload right before it can be respectable. What I mean is that Robert(....)'s Egyptian TL had the 'net invented in the 1800's and other inventions. Here there's only two and it's totally acceptable that monoplanes and photographs are invented. Well....I'm not too sure about the chemicals to bring forth the photograph but oh well...
I read Robert’s TL, he did have a quick succession of technology in the 1800s as I recall but you have to remember in reality there were many countries that went from the horse to the moon in under a hundred years. I thought for sure I’d hear (read) comments about how I have technology advancing. I mean look at what I have: mono and biplanes with flintlocks and swords, 19th/20th century medical knowledge with slide shows and radio, still using horse and yet the diesel engine has been developed, and probably my favorite mix: the birth of atomic theory and yet not jets or machine guns (I could almost have my players be able to nuke each other before they can shoot each other rapidly).
Anyway, it’s all in how you roll the dice.
Things to look for in the next hundred years:
Geothermal power VS Nuclear power, computers, and the opening of the last great frontier on Earth.
Cheers!
Anyway, it’s all in how you roll the dice.
Things to look for in the next hundred years:
Geothermal power VS Nuclear power, computers, and the opening of the last great frontier on Earth.
Cheers!
TheLoneAmigo
Donor
Let me guess the frontier: the seas? Or somewhere more mundane, like Australia or the Amazon?
I'm sure I've missed this, but what religions do the Chinese and the Kamiharou follow, and does Buddhism exist?
I'm sure I've missed this, but what religions do the Chinese and the Kamiharou follow, and does Buddhism exist?