Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Yes it remains a secret
Legacy of The Tenth Crusade - A Divergences of Darkness Nation Quest [Finished]
- Thread starter Fission Battery
- Start date
- Alt. History
- Pronouns
- Erd
[X] Yes it remains a secret
That's great! I wasn't sure how it'd feel, so I'm very glad it came across well. Though maybe I shouldn't have included a vote. I was hoping for a few more comments about the results..
You guys picked some very conservative options, letting you win without causing major unrest, and got blackmail material on Drakos so he wouldn't contest it. If you hadn't then things might not have gone as smoothly. There would have been expected concessions involved to appease the CAP. Had all the options been picked it would have triggered the Egyptian Intifada, which despite the name wouldn't have resulted independence. It would have been a very messy outcome, but very interesting to say the least.
If the CAP had been picked this whole thing would have been skipped. They'd have automatically won. Their big struggle would be Mina Psoy attempting to avoid Drakos taking control of the party and country entirely, though even then it still would have been a colony of Macedonia in all but name. It would have been deliberately throwing the rest of the country under the bus to maintain Copt rule, possibly even banning the use of Arabic in education. All backed by Macedonian guns to help keep control. It took some inspiration from the Unionist Welsh path from TNO. You're selling the country out to ensure your minority rule.
Iskandar's path would have been Hellenic Pharaoshism. It wouldn't just be him dominating the administration, but diving head first into his dumb, esoteric takes on archaeology, surprisingly way less racist than you'd expect but still weird leaps of logic. That would have led to the option to push for Egyptian-Greek gods to be canonized as saints, under the belief that they were actually real people who got turned into myths over time. Therefore they were good people worthy of praise.
Last edited:
I'm also closing the vote. I see people decided not to Wiki Leak the poor guy, how very kind and considerate.
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
Considered it, but it's not all that helpful to us at this point and could possibly come back to bite us. I'd rather keep it in our pocket for now (though the longer we don't use it, the less likely it is to have power if unleashed).
Glad I read the room correctly at least. Was worried I'd mess up my plan and ruin my credibility.
I do wonder how difficult it would be to pass reforms through during this mess, the whole balancing the technically foreign elite and the rather disenfranchised majority of the population, and the whole not being a foreign puppet thing.
Thankfully the entire affair didn't devolve into a violent one and remained remarkable sane, despite how interesting the alternate paths are.
Thankfully the entire affair didn't devolve into a violent one and remained remarkable sane, despite how interesting the alternate paths are.
Regency
PFP by vanathema (previously yubishines)
- Location
- Morioh Town, Mt. Ebbot
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Aw, that woulda speedrun national liberation groups' *independent* relevance from the current collaborationist "enemy of my enemy" situation
Oh well, next; try to get AENC to coup the still remaining imperial rulers
It was pretty solid. Almost near the minimum needed to cross the 50% threshold. Not giving landowners the right to vote was an interesting choice too. That would have easily given the AENC control over all rural ridings and a lot of support from nobles who'd otherwise been excluded from politics.
The Egyptian Intifada would have been a very mixed bag. The only way it could be more disruptive is if every aggressive action was picked but nothing given to voter support, losing the election but also generating the most unrest while arming the AENC. It would have been an interesting and amusing outcome. I don't want to say too, too much, but Levant definitely would have been invited to restore order and taken the Sinai.
The power dynamic should be fun to see play out. Neither side is exactly strong enough to remove the other, living the country in a liminal state until one side ends up on top and stabilizes things. Egypt is after all still a colony, simply with limited self government and a weakened distracted home country still taking its share of profit from it.
Last edited:
- Location
- Singapore
Landowners are always a political timebomb once granted power in politics. They will always seek to exploit their tenants as much as possible and expand/protect their privileges to do so.
You want to sow the seeds of civil unrest from increased cost of living in economic/political uncertainty? Grant landowners political power, fastest way to set yourself on fire.
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
Two main things with that, if I didn't explain that well. Firstly, I felt the CAP would be immediately threatened if the nobility and aristocrats (whom I knew would be most of the landowners, given Egypt's population density around the Nile and Delta) were empowered since they are the traditional elite and the kind that would've already been butting heads with the Coptic elite before the Macedonian takeover. Meanwhile, government workers are more defensible as a voting expansion and burghers would be a greatly diverse voting bloc that can be anyone from the smallest family fez maker to those in charge of the largest Arab-Venetian trading company so it's got less direct targeting.
Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, our opening moves will also define our coalition later on. I'd rather not empower the traditional elite because they are going to be supporting the wing of the party that we'd need to push back against to support the pan-Arab cause. Empowering the workers by letting them vote was another such coalition-building move. It's not big for now since these are just openers, but it does set the tone as it were.
Last edited:
It's very sound logic. I appreciate the forethought that went into how it'd affect party dynamics. It's great to see it.
- Location
- New York
The AENC has gotten a relatively decent hand from the election result. The election process was peaceful, and the Christian Alliance Party conceded the election without a fight. However, there are a bunch of challenges ahead and it would be easy for the AENC to overplay its hand if it is not careful.
The first issue is keeping the various party wings together as the AENC only narrowly controls the government. The AENC also has to come out of the shadows and prove that it can govern openly. It needs to take effective control of the Egyptian bureaucracy and military without opening the door to massive corruption or spooking the AENC's enemies.
The Christian Alliance Party might have peacefully conceded the election, but the CAP is still a powerful political force and striking at them immediately would be a bad idea. The AENC needs to find a way to marginalize the CAP without provoking the CAP into action against them too soon or alienating the Coptic community if possible.
The AENC wishes to remove European influence from Egypt, but the threat of European intervention still looms overhead even with Iskandar Drakos and his supporters leaving Egypt. Macedonia is still the master of Egypt for now. If the AENC plans to do anything big about European influence, it might be a good idea to wait until Macedonia is busy elsewhere before doing so.
What should the AENC do about Governor Francesco Marcato and his strange dream of being Doge of Egypt? The Governor plans to ally with conservatives and court foreign powers to become the head of an independent Egypt. The AENC has no love for Governor Marcato and Jabari Nadir wants to get rid of the governor as soon as possible for understandable reasons. The AENC leadership must not allow Marcato to successfully court away the conservative wing of party. Perhaps Marcato's desire to be Doge of Egypt could be used against him? All of Doges of Venice after 1268 (which predates the earliest point of divergence) were placed under strict surveillance and many restrictions which largely reduced them to figureheads. The Doges had to wait for other officials to be present before opening dispatches from foreign powers, and could not leave the palace without permission, could not accept gifts or favors, could not personally correspond with the Pope or other rulers, could not attend theater, was not allowed to possess any property in a foreign land, and their family experienced an automatic audit of their assets after the death of the Doge which were seized if irregularities were found. I suppose the AENC could technically fulfill Marcato's dream by keeping Marcato as a figurehead Doge under similar or even greater restrictions than the Venetian Doges to maintain a fig leaf of European rule over Egypt. On the other hand, some post-1268 Doges still managed to have some real influence on politics even with the heavy restrictions placed on them so perhaps the AENC should simply get rid of Marcato in the first chance?
The first issue is keeping the various party wings together as the AENC only narrowly controls the government. The AENC also has to come out of the shadows and prove that it can govern openly. It needs to take effective control of the Egyptian bureaucracy and military without opening the door to massive corruption or spooking the AENC's enemies.
The Christian Alliance Party might have peacefully conceded the election, but the CAP is still a powerful political force and striking at them immediately would be a bad idea. The AENC needs to find a way to marginalize the CAP without provoking the CAP into action against them too soon or alienating the Coptic community if possible.
The AENC wishes to remove European influence from Egypt, but the threat of European intervention still looms overhead even with Iskandar Drakos and his supporters leaving Egypt. Macedonia is still the master of Egypt for now. If the AENC plans to do anything big about European influence, it might be a good idea to wait until Macedonia is busy elsewhere before doing so.
What should the AENC do about Governor Francesco Marcato and his strange dream of being Doge of Egypt? The Governor plans to ally with conservatives and court foreign powers to become the head of an independent Egypt. The AENC has no love for Governor Marcato and Jabari Nadir wants to get rid of the governor as soon as possible for understandable reasons. The AENC leadership must not allow Marcato to successfully court away the conservative wing of party. Perhaps Marcato's desire to be Doge of Egypt could be used against him? All of Doges of Venice after 1268 (which predates the earliest point of divergence) were placed under strict surveillance and many restrictions which largely reduced them to figureheads. The Doges had to wait for other officials to be present before opening dispatches from foreign powers, and could not leave the palace without permission, could not accept gifts or favors, could not personally correspond with the Pope or other rulers, could not attend theater, was not allowed to possess any property in a foreign land, and their family experienced an automatic audit of their assets after the death of the Doge which were seized if irregularities were found. I suppose the AENC could technically fulfill Marcato's dream by keeping Marcato as a figurehead Doge under similar or even greater restrictions than the Venetian Doges to maintain a fig leaf of European rule over Egypt. On the other hand, some post-1268 Doges still managed to have some real influence on politics even with the heavy restrictions placed on them so perhaps the AENC should simply get rid of Marcato in the first chance?
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
Eh, the AENC having narrow control is better, not worse. While counter-intuitive to think about, having 50+1% makes for better coalitions (in electoral systems) by mainstream political theory. Fewer compromises, better discipline, and overall a "leader" for an agenda is easier to arise than under a large coalition. Thus, our branches, while still existing in the greater party apparatus, won't be as big in the legislature specifically and can be more easily corralled in such a small coalition compared to a vast one where each branch has massive amounts of independent power. Said theory exists to explain why RL electoral coalitions prefer to "thin the fat" and operate only on the bare minimum rather than creating the biggest coalition to dominate the legislature as possible.
Not to mention, while what I said above demonstrates I think it makes a better difference as to how effectively we can control the legislature, having narrow control also has the side-effect of being far less threatening in appearance to our Macedonian overlords and to the CAP alike. There'd likely be far greater outrage and fear had the AENC won by a landslide rather than 54% as it did.
The idea has always been to undercut Mercato, use his dream as a manner of legitimizing the Egyptian state for eventual independence under a "European" ruler, and then either soft or hard couping him, whichever is necessary. We've already taken the first step in excluding the landowners from the greater electoral coalition, thus disbalancing the branches away from the most conservative branch that Mercato would have to rely on to maintain power as Doge.
Last edited:
I absolutely love that people really are thinking over the options. It is my first time running a quest, so trying to strike a balance with presenting options was a bit daunting when planning this. I feel pretty confident though that it's working out so far. It's definitely been fun to write it more like a series of snippets. It feels less demanding than writing a fic, strangely enough.
Also the position of Doge has evolved in Venice since the 12th century. It's since struck a fairly solid balance of moderately strong executive checked by stronger legislature. It had to accept some radical reforms, for the mid 19th century, to open up the political system in order to get Greece to stay within Venice. So voting rights were expanded, electoral systems reformed, and some limited autonomy to various places. The term itself still carries a great deal of gravitas behind it that titles like president or prime minister doesn't. It evokes a sense of splendor and power, when the Doge did rule for life and controlled vast portions of the Mediterranean.
There's a sense of pride attached to it too. Venice has managed to stand as a republic for nearly a thousand years, in one form or another. Marcato certainly embodies that. Though how much power a hypothetical Doge of Egypt would hold is up in the air. That'd be decided as things progress. Picking the option alone has raised Marcato's ambition and desire. If it's tempered or indulged will be decided as it goes along, but it will be there regardless.
Also the position of Doge has evolved in Venice since the 12th century. It's since struck a fairly solid balance of moderately strong executive checked by stronger legislature. It had to accept some radical reforms, for the mid 19th century, to open up the political system in order to get Greece to stay within Venice. So voting rights were expanded, electoral systems reformed, and some limited autonomy to various places. The term itself still carries a great deal of gravitas behind it that titles like president or prime minister doesn't. It evokes a sense of splendor and power, when the Doge did rule for life and controlled vast portions of the Mediterranean.
There's a sense of pride attached to it too. Venice has managed to stand as a republic for nearly a thousand years, in one form or another. Marcato certainly embodies that. Though how much power a hypothetical Doge of Egypt would hold is up in the air. That'd be decided as things progress. Picking the option alone has raised Marcato's ambition and desire. If it's tempered or indulged will be decided as it goes along, but it will be there regardless.
- Location
- France
- Pronouns
- She/They
Very glad for that. Basically all those people have to go for the country to rise.
Countries of the World - Europe
===
Countries of the World - Europe
===
This isn't an update, but I did finally get around to writing an info post about Europe. I thought I could fit every country in the world into it, then I realized how big it was getting. So it made sense to focus on one continent at a time, starting with Europe, especially because it is the most relevant to the quest. This isn't in-character or anything like that. It's giving everyone a brief understanding of the history and politics of each country. I also recommend referring back to the map post for reference.
The dividing line between Europe and Asia is much less accepted than in real life. There's a lot of debate on where the line should be drawn, with most begrudgingly agreeing on the Dnieper River being the dividing line. That means for quite a few people Moscow sits on the border between continents, if not in Asia itself. This is done to exclude Tatarstan from being considered European. There's a fair bit of prejudice against Muscovy too. It's viewed as a hinterland backwater.
Thus Poland's expansion into Crimea is seen by many as literally expanding the boundaries of Europe. The Don River is a less accepted alternative, but well liked within Pan-Slavic circles. That's because they view Tatarstan as a remnant of the khans occupying rightful Slavic lands, so by calling it European they feel it gives them more claim to it. The Volga River, much less the Urals, is too far for anyone to consider a dividing line.
===
Albania - Albania broke free from the Ottoman Empire during a civil war in the 1830s with much of the territory seen on the map. It managed to hold onto Kosovo when Serbia attacked it in the 1840s, and has spent much of its existence vibing in Aragon's sphere. However it was strong armed into handing over Northern Epirus/Southern Albania to Macedonia in 1912 because it had a notable amount of Greek people living in it. It's gained land it lost in real life and lost land it held, perfectly balanced, as all things should be. It isn't openly seeking revenge, but would probably take a stab at reclaiming that slice of land if given an opportunity.
Aragon - Aragon was once the great power of the Mediterranean but isn't anymore. It had conquered the coastline of Algeria and Tunisia by 1836, then spent much of the 19th century expanding its influence through North Africa and the Middle East. The latter in an informal empire arrangement much like Britain and France did in real life. During WW1, Maghreb would launch a massive revolution across the region, securing the hinterlands and managing to survive. Aragon had to hold a lot of forces on its continental borders out of concern for the revolution spreading into the kingdom. They would later be pushed back to the coastline following their defeat post 1912.
Aragon held Rome and had established nearly full control over the pope. Nearly every archbishop was Catalan or Southern Italian. So when they called a crusade, they literally went to the Pope to call a crusade. The pope said no, he was forced to retire, and a really reactionary pope was elected to the position who did call a crusade. He threatened to excommunicate any Catholic nation that didn't answer his call, then did so when nobody outside of Aragon's alliance answered the call. It didn't help that the leading Catholic powers of Dual Monarchy, Spain, and Gran Colombia were all communists, and Germany was secular. Post Italian Unification the pope would flee to Barcelona. Provence and its allies pushed to have the previous pope reappointed, so now there's a pope and antipope. One fairly lukewarm conservative and the other descending into apocalyptic fascism.
Internally Aragon is rapidly sliding into clerical fascism mixed with monarchism. The state and society are defined by adherence to hardline Christian doctrine. Under it, Aragon is defined as a crusader state ruled by a divinely blessed king. There are no political parties officially, though in practice it is an informal one party state headed by the head, clergy, and military. It has corporatist elements where workers are organized into state and church run unions in order to prevent them from becoming communists. It's justified with a mixture of pragmatism and buzzwords about 'guiding flocks from temptations.' Aragon knows it's been weakened and is surrounded on all sides, but is determined to hold onto what it still has left.
Bohemia - Bohemia is currently licking its wounds from WW1 and nursing a stun pride. Much of the populace has moved on from the war for the most part since Bohemia did hold onto as much land as they could reasonably justify. Saxony is 40% Bohemian while Silesia is 65% Bohemian. That hasn't stopped the ruling class from pushing narratives of revenge and reclaiming their place at the center of Europe. It's a constitutional monarchy similar to Imperial Germany. The king has limits on his power, but in practice has a great deal of influence over parliament and much of the government. Since the war the king has exercised that authority more often.
The current king believes that he can rebuild the HRE by backing Poland against Tatarstan, giving him a large resource rich ally since he doesn't believe Bohemia could win against Germany if it tried to fight it again. The industrial class has been brought on board to this approach through Poland offering them good deals on developing in recently conquered land. The prospect of looting the Russian Steppe is very tempting to a lot of them, as is using Polish and Russian manpower to fight Germany for them.
Whether Poland would follow through on such a scheme is up in the air. The king believes so, though if that's delusion or not remains to be seen. It is predicated on fighting an industrial war comparable to WW1 in scale, spending decades subduing and looting Tatarstan, and then coming back at Germany a second time, utterly dependent on Poland throwing away yet more lives, all so Bohemia can rebuild the HRE. Nonetheless, for now that makes it a threat to the Black Sea Pact by providing arms and industrial supplies to the Christian League.
Burgundy - There could be an entire post dedicated to Burgundy. It's got a lot of stuff going on.
It is the largest empire in the world, even before snatching up the Dual Monarchy and Spain's colonies. It occupies a position similar to Britain did in real life, seeing itself as the center of liberalism, capitalism, and progressivism. Amsterdam is the center for world finance and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) is perhaps the largest company in the world. It has a world premier navy and one of the largest armies to boot. It's absolutely terrified because it's sandwiched between the United Socialist Republics and Germany. Both powers are ambivalent to its existence. It would be the leading power in the world if not for its unfortunate situation at home.
Burgundy used to be a monarchy, but the estates-general had long since held authority in the country. When the last queen died without a direct heir, and the rest of the family was unpopular, the throne was quietly dissolved in the 1870s. The royal family would move to Lotharingia in Ameriga (South America), whereupon a distant relative to the queen would run for president of the country, win, eventually seize power like Napoleon the Third, and declare an empire. Lotharingia avoided an invasion and sanctions by promising to renounce any claims on Burgundy. It's focused on building a pan-Amerigan empire.
Related to that is the former Duchy of the Cape. South Africa was split between the Cape Colony along Kaapstad (Cape Town), and many Boer states further north and inland. Burgundy would eventually subdue and annex the Boer states into the Cape Colony during the 1860s, turning it into the Duchy of the Cape. The queen's nephew was put in charge of the colony, away from power at home. When the monarchy was dissolved, the duke was forced to give up his position as ruler of the colony, and soon joined his relatives in Lotharingia. His son now makes up a faction that wishes to reclaim the South African throne, since the family never technically gave it up.
Anyway, since WW1 Burgundy spent the last twenty years building up a shit ton of industry in South Africa. It's nearly on par with industrial centers in Europe in terms of scope. A significant portion of the Ruhr's output has been dedicated towards this task. In order to support that growth it's done a few things. First is encouraging immigration from itself and other countries, and resetting a lot of refugees into South Africa. Second it's granted limited rights to the large 'Bastaard' population, who are mixed Boer-native people who speak a Dutch dialect. They serve the bulk of lower rank clerical and semi-skilled industrial work. Third, they've imported vast amounts of Indians from Hyderabad. They're labourers building railways, doing construction, working in mines, farmers etc. Concessions have been given to Boers to appease them, handing over a significant portion of the administration to them.
It's fully prepared to fight to the last man in Europe, but expects geography to work against it. The USR and Iberia Union can easily block ships from reaching Burgundy, and Scandinavia too. The English Channel, Irish Sea, Bay of Biscay, and North Atlantic all border the Comintern. The only somewhat safe passage would be going along Greenland and Iceland into the North Sea, but even then that'd be heavily contested. Burgundy's fleet is large, but trying to force the Channel to remain open would be costly. Coastal guns and speedboats would be harassing them the entire time.
Therefore it has set up South Africa as the fallback point to function as the nerve center of its empire. In order to prevent too many native rebellions from breaking out in that event it set up various collaboration regimes under its authority. They have absolutely no degree of independence whatsoever. Hyderabad is the exception because it's a client state. It's fully prepared to cut some colonies loose if it needs to in order to maintain control over its core states. It also exerts a great deal of influence over China, extracting a lot of wealth from its informal empire through Hong Kong.
Burgundy is open to diplomacy with the USR and Germany to avoid war, but expects that to fail. They expect war because of unresolved tensions after the last one. It is rather difficult ruling over the largest empire in the world when sandwiched between two anti-imperialist powers that it's previously pissed off.
The populace has a sort of grim siege mentality about the whole situation. A lot of people expect a wave of red terror and reprisal killings to be inflicted upon them, so those that can afford to do so have started moving to the colonies. Worker organizations are harshly cracked down on, especially in the Ruhr where the government is worried about a potential German uprising taking place. They've spent decades trying to mold Rhenish culture to align more with Burgundian. Which itself is a French language with major Dutch influences, somewhat similar to Wallonian and Lorrainian.
So if it loses control of its European territory, then the war would continue to be waged from South Africa until the homeland is reclaimed or it accepts peace. The price would be paid in African, Indian, and Indonesian blood regardless. It has prepared to continue to function if that does happen. Every government body and major company has spent years backing up their records in Kaapstad. Lines of credit have been negotiated with major banks in other countries to ensure a somewhat stable transition. Assets have been moved abroad to be relocated at a later date. Everyone that can, has prepared a golden parachute to continue running the empire.
Burgundy's attempted to convince its former colonies of Arcadia and Lotharingia to join together with it in an alliance, but has had little success. They'll do business with it, but neither is prepared to bleed and die for a potential war that it started by fucking with Germany in WW1. It's only continental allies are Scandinavia and Italy. A few railways through Geneva to the later is about its only lifeline to the Mediterranean, enough to evacuate should Burgundy fall.
Geneva - Geneva is a small duchy turned republic comprising the real life French speaking part of Switzerland. Switzerland itself doesn't hold that much of a special place in Europe. It existed as a primarily German state that joined the Danubian Confederation when it formed in 1848. Geneva thus fills the role as a neutral alpine nation. It was formed by Burgundy reorganizing the territory into a friendly state that quickly declared its neutrality regarding wars.
It really doesn't want to get dragged into a war.
Germany - Much of its history was covered in the WW1 info dump. It's politics are dominated by socialists and a very revolutionary sort of liberalism. It defines itself by fighting against reactionaries, foreign domination, and working together in a united front alongside socialists and communists. It is somewhat lacking in understanding material analysis, leaning towards a more utopian understanding of politics. Nonetheless it is a steadfast ally of the left. A significant portion of the economy is under control of worker co-ops and state run industries, with smaller businesses filling in the gaps with the private sector.
The current mood in the country is very divided on how to proceed. Is unification done? Is there one more war that needs to be fought? Can we afford it? Will Burgundy attack again? By entering into WW1 as an aggressor, Burgundy essentially turned what could have been a neutral Germany into an enemy. It's proven itself completely untrustworthy, still trying to unwind the clock before 1848. It is also generally anti-colonial given its own history of foreign domination. Given that it is lacking the Rhineland, Saxony, and Silesia its industry is smaller than it was in real life. Much of its industry is more spread out over the south and center of the country, but it's still a powerhouse in terms of population and other resources.
Slovenia is also there. It's Catholic, previously under Austrian rule, and fairly happy to have avoided the Balkan Thunderdome between Venice, Hungary, and Illyra.
Greece - Greece used to be part of Venice, dubbed the San Marco Republic at the time, and had gained equal membership within the republic. It was quite happy being part of the small but thriving Venetian empire. That lasted until post 1912, when Macedonian forced it to declare itself independent of Venice and become a protectorate of Macedonia. It was kept as a 'brotherly nation' because the Macedonian King didn't want to risk an uprising among the populace by stripping them of their rights, but mostly because the ideal of having a 'pet' Greece amused him. It's been reduced down to the peninsula, economically crippled, and cut off from taxing former territories.
It's a rump state that lives because Macedonia allows it and will die when it demands it.
Hungary - Hungary spent much of the 19th century in Bohemia's shadow with its crown held in Prague. It was a national humiliation for a king not to own his own crown, more so when he requested it the Bohemian king ordered him to kneel and kiss his ring as a sign of submission. He did, got the crown, and then began waging war against Serbia and the Ottomans to rebuild national pride. It clashed with Venice in minor skirmishes over Illyria (Croatia) that didn't escalate into a full blown war. Unlike real life, Slovaks aren't oppressed. They're an integral part of the empire, given its very different dynasty history compared to real life. It did lose most of Transylvania to Romania when it was strong armed by several powers into giving up the land and was forced to accept that bitter defeat.
Other than that, it's doing great. It mollified its stung pride after its victories over Venice, giving it control over the Adriatic Coast. That did result in Illyria, Serbia, and Montenegro forming a rump Yugoslavia for mutual defense. The king still holds a great deal of authority, the usual monarchy and military alliance for national defense thing you see in real life.
Iberian Union - Formerly Spain it failed to keep Gran Colombia under its thumb, only succeeding in crushing the revolution in Granada. Granada comprised the territories of real life Ecuador, Northern Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyannas. In the wake of the revolts in the Americas it would begrudgingly undergo lukewarm token reforms, giving limited rights and a weak constitution to check the powers of the monarchy. It was enough to mollify the landed elites who'd felt slighted, giving a sense of stability across its empire.
Unlike Spain in real life, here it did not suffer constant, neverending civil wars, so its economy, industry, and population wasn't gutted every other decade. It participated in the Scramble for Africa, grabbing Kenya and Cameroon. Elsewhere it held Yemen, Myanmar, Macao, and Eastern India around Goa. Said colonies broke free or were conquered by other powers after WW1. After its communist revolution, Morocco voted to remain in the newly renamed Iberian Union. The logic went that it was safer in a large socialist state than trying to break away into an independent one. Many of its Maghrebi and Berber soldiers did cross the borders to aid in the revolutions against Aragon. In an ironic twist of fate, Iberia is now a champion of Arab liberation.
It's political system has a great deal of inspiration from anarchists, though as it is more industrially developed than in real life, there are a great deal of traditional Marxists in power too. Overseas territories now have equal representation within the government, which is partially why Cuba also decided to remain part of Iberia. As for the name change, many felt that the change was needed to break with the past and represent a new nation that wasn't dominated by an imperial core.
It is currently in talks with the United Socialist Republics about possibly merging with it. The two countries are already very close with free movement of people and goods along with broad economic coordination. Which if done would add roughly twenty three million people to the already massive USR population of roughly one hundred million people.
Italy - Italy was formed by an alliance of northern Italian petty kingdoms and city states led by Provence, under the Valois monarchy. The French one that won the Hundred Years War in real life, but lost it in Divergences of Darkness. It's a federation with those minor states retaining a great deal of local authority over their own affairs. The flag is similar to the real life Italian naval flag, except with the fleur-de-lis in place of the Venetian lion. That shows how close French and Italian identity has become.
Provence managed to subdue the Etruscan Republic (Tuscany) in the 1840s, and force Lucca to bend a knee. Both were republics formed during the First German Revolution in the 1790s. The French king returning to the peninsula normally would have caused an uproar among the Italian states, but French aid proved vital in preventing Etruscan from spreading the liberal revolution abroad. Begrudgingly they accepted Provence back, which then built up a network of close ties to each state. It used Genoa's ports in Equatorial Africa to launch its own expeditions to establish trading posts along the Niger Delta. That foothold would expand during the Scramble for Africa, providing resources and manpower to help fuel growth at home.
The Dual Monarchy would attempt to force the Valois to cede their throne and put a Savoy noble allied to the DM in charge of Provence. Burgundy and Scandinavia however checked the Dual Monarchy, threatening war and eventually forcing them to back down. Neither power wished to see the Plantagenets dominate Italy. Provence would take some land from the Dual Monarchy when it was distracted with its revolutions after WW1, though not nearly as much as it had hoped. Only enough to shore up its northern border.
Eventually when Aragon attempted to conquer the north, it was Provence that led the charge against them. The northern states were far more industrialized than the southern regions, giving them a material and manpower advantage. Hungary's surprise entry into the war helped draw Venice's own armies away, securing the northern flank, allowing the northern alliance to push south. Italy would be proclaimed once the war concluded, with Toulon remaining the capital. Genoa reclaimed Corsica, putting it under its direct control. Provence claimed Central Italy around Rome, declared Sardinia a duchy, and reorganized the rest into the grand duchy of Two Sicilies. Both states had Valois members installed as their rulers.
Venice holds an odd position. Many consider it Italian, but it is very distinct and until recently had its own empire. It lacked the strong historic connections to France that other states had. It was also an enemy, but there are those in Italy that are open to Venice joining if it wished to, believing it'd only strengthen the country further.
The lands of Southern Italy however would be open to exploitation to all. Industrialists from the north would seize communal land and noble estates to turn them into massive privately held farmers. The destruction of barriers between lands removed windbreaks and overfarming reduced topsoil quality, causing massive dust bowls similar to real life. Hundreds of thousands to millions would eventually leave Italy, many moving to Aragon North Africa, Levant, or Arcadia. Incidentally this has caused a massive surge in the presence of the mafia, who have stepped in to take advantage of the chaos and lack of local authority. The only good thing that Provence did was free the Jews of Italy from all ghettos and give them equal citizenship, something Aragon had staunchly refused to do. Ironically it also has solid relations with Maghreb. There's a few who'd wish to claim North Africa for Italy, but the government decided backing revolutionaries against Aragon would be more productive.
Southern Italians don't consider themselves culturally Italian. If they use the word it's only in a geographic sense to denote a collective group of identities. They much rather refer to themselves by their own nationality: Sicilian, Neapolitan, Corscan, Sardinian, and Maltese. Provencal is more linguistically similar to Savoyard or Milanese than the latter are to Sicivlian, given the latter's Catalan influences. How Southern Italians feel about Aragon falls down to individual perspective. Some view it as a historic ally that held South Italy as a heartland of its empire. Others view it as another overlord that took from them. The mafia is also one of the few organizations left that's seen as fighting against northern tyranny, alongside an influx of demobilized soldiers that fought against Maghrebi insurgents returning home to put their counter-insurgency knowledge to test as insurgents.
Italy is defined by a cultural trend pushed by the monarchy called Transalpinism. The premise is that France and Italy are linked by a common history, culture, and even language. Valois are a living representation of that link, given their unique circumstances, and that for Italy to truly be whole it must reclaim the throne of France. It was a passing fad outside of certain circles, most seeing it for the blatant power play that it was, until WW1 when the Dual Monarchy fell to revolution. That gave it a new dimension as many began to view it as a mission to liberate France from the clutches of godless, cosmopolitan communists, as well as bitterness over failing to seize more territory post war.
Whether the population as a whole supports the position or not is less important than the fact that the ruling class certainly does.
Macedonia - Macedonia managed to survive revolting against the Ottoman Empire with international aid. As Venice had snatched Greece proper from the Ottomans in the 1820s, Macedonia would instead become the focus for Hellenophilics obsessed with Ancient Greece. That laid the foundations for its future national identity. Over the 19th century it would eventually claim more territory from the Ottomans, eventually all of Bulgaria and Thrace.
Unlike real life, its identity developed very differently. As it had a large population of Bulgarians, at least those who identified as such, it had a friendlier relationship with them than Greece did in real life. They weren't rival powers fighting like dogs over scraps, but a 'border region' turned into its own country. Macedonia wasn't fought over by competing ruling classes. Their interests actually aligned, giving them an edge in defining national identities. It thus developed as a bridge between Greek and Bulgarian aspirations, a view encouraged by the king. The king of course was some noble ruling over the fiefdom and collecting taxes until he saw an opportunity to break away from the Ottomans. The power play worked. The obsession with Ancient Greece would grow each generation. The borderland became a great power, with a right to rule over all peoples of the region.
It had a very well developed military much like Bulgaria did in real life, except larger. It's the Prussia of the Balkans, though nobody would use the term here given the perceived backwardness of Prussia. It's current goal is the eventual conquest of Anatolia, fully intending on finishing on what it started. It pushed for the creation of Greater Armenia to act as an ally in the Caucasus, and more importantly a speedbump to die for it if need be. It also gained a treaty port in Sevastopol, with intentions to conquer the rest of the Crimean Peninsula.
Macedonia is determined to be hegemon of the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.
Muscovy - It's considered a backwater nation that spent most of the 19th century picking fights it couldn't win. It'd be reduced to a rump state still ruled by an absolutist monarchy. If there was a loser of the 19th century, it would be in the running. It's politicians are divided between aligning with Poland to grab land off Tatarstan or joining Novgorod into a rump Russia. A fringe few Pan-Slavs suggest joining Poland as another member of the Commonwealth.
Novgorod - It fared much better than Muscovy through its alliance with Scandinavia and begrudgingly working with Crimea on dividing the east. Previously it didn't control the coastline and was forced to import everything through Scandinavia. It would eventually gain control over the Baltic Coast during WW1, moving in once Poland had defeated Scandinavia. That soured relationships, but the latter swallowed the bitter pill and accepted it. The fees for crossing the straits didn't do much as Novgorod would ship exclusively through the Kiel Canal to bypass Scandinavia's attempt to cripple its economy.
Otherwise fairly content to remain on the sidelines to see how wins in any future wars in the region.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - If there was a winner of the 19th century then perhaps it would be the Commonwealth. It managed to avoid being beaten down by Scandinavia and Moscovy, reforming the Sejm, strengthening the union between states, centralizing the government, and preceding to fucking power slam everyone that came at. It did have backing from Bohemia, which proved essential in surviving and stabilizing.
It's current government is dominated by a single party headed by the president Witold Aleksy Ludomir. It's a large center-left coalition party that's managed to bring together nationalists, liberals, and quite a few social democrats, running a populist platform with a strong welfare state mixed with aggressive posturing and favours granted to backers. As Poland was not partitioned here like it was in real life, Catholicism isn't an integral part of Polish identity. It is a secular state and home to the largest Jewish population in the world. Many even see it as a Jewish homeland of sorts, with Zionism never getting off the ground outside of fringe circles.
Within the Commonwealth is Prussia. While Prussians are acknowledged as German speaking, they aren't seen as Germans. Prussia is viewed as a regressive, reactionary holdout of a bygone era, an underdeveloped dictatorship ruled over by petty backwater aristocrats. They're considered separate from Baltic Germans, since the latter are mostly found in cities and are seen as modern. There were no tears shed for the Junkers when Ludomir nationalized their estates and gave the land away to Polish farmers. Some concessions were given to the urban population of Prussia, the petite bourgeoisie thankful that he broke up monopolies in the process.
Since conquering a slice of Tatarstan, he's used the same tactic, giving land away for free while selling resource rights and industrial machinery off to the highest bidders. Ruthenians (Ukrainians/Belarussians) benefited greatly from seizing the rich farmland of Crimea. His goal is to conquer most of what is in real life European Russia in order to turn Poland into the strongest power in Europe using the resources of the steppes. He fully intends to break up, dismantle, and dissolve Tatarstan in its entirety, and feed its remains into his country and part.
Ludomir isn't genocidal in aspirations. There's no General Plan Ost equivalent. That said, if victorious he would turn Tatars into second class citizens in their own country, give land away to Russians to integrate them into the country, putting them to positions of power, and promoting aggressive assimilation. He has begun to use more Islamophobic rhetoric to encourage that attitude, gaining the following of the otherwise fringe far right. They'd like to turn the Commonwealth into a Catholic Slavic nation, and are super anti-Semitic, which isn't a mainstream view.
Regardless, if successful he'd transform the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth into the Eurasian Commonwealth.
Romania - It formed out of Moldova and Wallachia much like real life, and managed to get backing to force Hungary to cede most of Transylvannia to it. It's mostly the gas station for Macedonia and Poland.
Scandinavia - Scandinavia is definitely the weakest of the great powers. It's former strength faded as other countries caught up then outcompeted with it demographically and industrially. Its kings petty attempts to conquer the whole Baltic Sea would only lead to the kingdom's ruin by dragging it into wars against Poland, Bohemia, and the Danubian Confederation. The monarchy would be dissolved after WW1.
While its European empire floundered, it found greater success overseas, even before Spain and the Dual Monarchy's empires collapsed. It's greatest success though is in India, where it conquered Spanish India and pushed its influence further inland. It cut the Mughal Empire off from the outside world, forcing it to trade through Scandinavia in order to import and export anything. That alongside the seizure of Macao and opening up of China has helped to make Scandinavia very wealthy, in spite of its setbacks.
Wealthy enough to reconsider its position on Germany and possibly try to strong arm it into giving them territorial concessions. What it lacks in manpower at home, Indian conscripts can more than make up for. Unlike Burgundy it's made no plans to bug out, believing that its geography would do enough to defend it from invasion.
Yugoslavia - Illyria and Serbia competed to liberate Slavic lands in the Balkans, only for it to be undone as Hungary and Venice would dismantle them both, then each other. The most they could accomplish would be coming together into a union for mutual aid, which Montenegro would later join out of concern for its own safety.
United Socialist Republics - Formerly Dual Monarchy of England and France. The monarchy pushed for an inclusive Anglois identity, managing to avoid triggering a nationalist uprising in either France and England. The regime stabilized and enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity, paid for partially by its colonies as more of the world fell under its grip. The royals would come to regret their decision to invade Burgundy, as their entry into the war would eventually end in them being overthrown and killed.
Afterwards the revolutionaries debated on how to govern the country. There were attempts to draw up regional boundaries based on linguistic and ethnic divides, which resulted in experimenting with various socialist republics making up the union. Hence the 's' in the name. However that was short lived as people were too intermingled to effectively do that and nobody wanted to lay the foundations for possible ethnic conflicts down the road. Also because none of the SRs would really be able to properly function as their own mini-state within a state. It broke apart the SRs, centralizing power into a unitary state while devolving many responsibilities to local councils. It's a fully democratic socialist state controlled by worker councils, the ideal for many SV Questers. It even uses labour vouchers for internal purposes and issues francs for external trade, backed by its massive gold reserves held over from the empire.
It is the largest country in Europe in terms of population, easily a hundred million people spread across it. It is the leader of the Comintern, and many other organizations under that umbrella. Many in power would like to spread the revolution and break up its neighbours' empires, but it also got a first hand view on what industrial warfare entails. No one's exactly eager to feed an entire generation of men and women into a meat grinder. On the flip side, nobody likes what Burgundy is clearly doing.
Also interesting to note is that Ireland's population is much higher here than in real life. It never suffered the genocidal campaigns of Cromwell and later rulers, nor any famines, so its population has been able to grow mostly untroubled. There's something like sixteen million people in Ireland. The country was also majority Catholic, save for Southern France, where Huguenots weren't entirely murdered. Otherwise Protestantism never caught on for the most part. Those that did convert fled the country over the centuries. USR is also notable for being one of two countries in the world with an English speaking leader, the other being Beornia. The current Chairman is a former coalminer union leader turned revolutionary from Northern England.
Venice - Its time in the sun has passed. Its history has been covered elsewhere in other entries. It's main drive is holding onto what it has left and becoming neutral in any future European war. It'd set its sights on Egypt and Northeastern Africa, but that didn't happen.
Countries of the World - Europe
===
This isn't an update, but I did finally get around to writing an info post about Europe. I thought I could fit every country in the world into it, then I realized how big it was getting. So it made sense to focus on one continent at a time, starting with Europe, especially because it is the most relevant to the quest. This isn't in-character or anything like that. It's giving everyone a brief understanding of the history and politics of each country. I also recommend referring back to the map post for reference.
The dividing line between Europe and Asia is much less accepted than in real life. There's a lot of debate on where the line should be drawn, with most begrudgingly agreeing on the Dnieper River being the dividing line. That means for quite a few people Moscow sits on the border between continents, if not in Asia itself. This is done to exclude Tatarstan from being considered European. There's a fair bit of prejudice against Muscovy too. It's viewed as a hinterland backwater.
Thus Poland's expansion into Crimea is seen by many as literally expanding the boundaries of Europe. The Don River is a less accepted alternative, but well liked within Pan-Slavic circles. That's because they view Tatarstan as a remnant of the khans occupying rightful Slavic lands, so by calling it European they feel it gives them more claim to it. The Volga River, much less the Urals, is too far for anyone to consider a dividing line.
===
Albania - Albania broke free from the Ottoman Empire during a civil war in the 1830s with much of the territory seen on the map. It managed to hold onto Kosovo when Serbia attacked it in the 1840s, and has spent much of its existence vibing in Aragon's sphere. However it was strong armed into handing over Northern Epirus/Southern Albania to Macedonia in 1912 because it had a notable amount of Greek people living in it. It's gained land it lost in real life and lost land it held, perfectly balanced, as all things should be. It isn't openly seeking revenge, but would probably take a stab at reclaiming that slice of land if given an opportunity.
Aragon - Aragon was once the great power of the Mediterranean but isn't anymore. It had conquered the coastline of Algeria and Tunisia by 1836, then spent much of the 19th century expanding its influence through North Africa and the Middle East. The latter in an informal empire arrangement much like Britain and France did in real life. During WW1, Maghreb would launch a massive revolution across the region, securing the hinterlands and managing to survive. Aragon had to hold a lot of forces on its continental borders out of concern for the revolution spreading into the kingdom. They would later be pushed back to the coastline following their defeat post 1912.
Aragon held Rome and had established nearly full control over the pope. Nearly every archbishop was Catalan or Southern Italian. So when they called a crusade, they literally went to the Pope to call a crusade. The pope said no, he was forced to retire, and a really reactionary pope was elected to the position who did call a crusade. He threatened to excommunicate any Catholic nation that didn't answer his call, then did so when nobody outside of Aragon's alliance answered the call. It didn't help that the leading Catholic powers of Dual Monarchy, Spain, and Gran Colombia were all communists, and Germany was secular. Post Italian Unification the pope would flee to Barcelona. Provence and its allies pushed to have the previous pope reappointed, so now there's a pope and antipope. One fairly lukewarm conservative and the other descending into apocalyptic fascism.
Internally Aragon is rapidly sliding into clerical fascism mixed with monarchism. The state and society are defined by adherence to hardline Christian doctrine. Under it, Aragon is defined as a crusader state ruled by a divinely blessed king. There are no political parties officially, though in practice it is an informal one party state headed by the head, clergy, and military. It has corporatist elements where workers are organized into state and church run unions in order to prevent them from becoming communists. It's justified with a mixture of pragmatism and buzzwords about 'guiding flocks from temptations.' Aragon knows it's been weakened and is surrounded on all sides, but is determined to hold onto what it still has left.
Bohemia - Bohemia is currently licking its wounds from WW1 and nursing a stun pride. Much of the populace has moved on from the war for the most part since Bohemia did hold onto as much land as they could reasonably justify. Saxony is 40% Bohemian while Silesia is 65% Bohemian. That hasn't stopped the ruling class from pushing narratives of revenge and reclaiming their place at the center of Europe. It's a constitutional monarchy similar to Imperial Germany. The king has limits on his power, but in practice has a great deal of influence over parliament and much of the government. Since the war the king has exercised that authority more often.
The current king believes that he can rebuild the HRE by backing Poland against Tatarstan, giving him a large resource rich ally since he doesn't believe Bohemia could win against Germany if it tried to fight it again. The industrial class has been brought on board to this approach through Poland offering them good deals on developing in recently conquered land. The prospect of looting the Russian Steppe is very tempting to a lot of them, as is using Polish and Russian manpower to fight Germany for them.
Whether Poland would follow through on such a scheme is up in the air. The king believes so, though if that's delusion or not remains to be seen. It is predicated on fighting an industrial war comparable to WW1 in scale, spending decades subduing and looting Tatarstan, and then coming back at Germany a second time, utterly dependent on Poland throwing away yet more lives, all so Bohemia can rebuild the HRE. Nonetheless, for now that makes it a threat to the Black Sea Pact by providing arms and industrial supplies to the Christian League.
Burgundy - There could be an entire post dedicated to Burgundy. It's got a lot of stuff going on.
It is the largest empire in the world, even before snatching up the Dual Monarchy and Spain's colonies. It occupies a position similar to Britain did in real life, seeing itself as the center of liberalism, capitalism, and progressivism. Amsterdam is the center for world finance and the Dutch East India Company (VOC) is perhaps the largest company in the world. It has a world premier navy and one of the largest armies to boot. It's absolutely terrified because it's sandwiched between the United Socialist Republics and Germany. Both powers are ambivalent to its existence. It would be the leading power in the world if not for its unfortunate situation at home.
Burgundy used to be a monarchy, but the estates-general had long since held authority in the country. When the last queen died without a direct heir, and the rest of the family was unpopular, the throne was quietly dissolved in the 1870s. The royal family would move to Lotharingia in Ameriga (South America), whereupon a distant relative to the queen would run for president of the country, win, eventually seize power like Napoleon the Third, and declare an empire. Lotharingia avoided an invasion and sanctions by promising to renounce any claims on Burgundy. It's focused on building a pan-Amerigan empire.
Related to that is the former Duchy of the Cape. South Africa was split between the Cape Colony along Kaapstad (Cape Town), and many Boer states further north and inland. Burgundy would eventually subdue and annex the Boer states into the Cape Colony during the 1860s, turning it into the Duchy of the Cape. The queen's nephew was put in charge of the colony, away from power at home. When the monarchy was dissolved, the duke was forced to give up his position as ruler of the colony, and soon joined his relatives in Lotharingia. His son now makes up a faction that wishes to reclaim the South African throne, since the family never technically gave it up.
Anyway, since WW1 Burgundy spent the last twenty years building up a shit ton of industry in South Africa. It's nearly on par with industrial centers in Europe in terms of scope. A significant portion of the Ruhr's output has been dedicated towards this task. In order to support that growth it's done a few things. First is encouraging immigration from itself and other countries, and resetting a lot of refugees into South Africa. Second it's granted limited rights to the large 'Bastaard' population, who are mixed Boer-native people who speak a Dutch dialect. They serve the bulk of lower rank clerical and semi-skilled industrial work. Third, they've imported vast amounts of Indians from Hyderabad. They're labourers building railways, doing construction, working in mines, farmers etc. Concessions have been given to Boers to appease them, handing over a significant portion of the administration to them.
It's fully prepared to fight to the last man in Europe, but expects geography to work against it. The USR and Iberia Union can easily block ships from reaching Burgundy, and Scandinavia too. The English Channel, Irish Sea, Bay of Biscay, and North Atlantic all border the Comintern. The only somewhat safe passage would be going along Greenland and Iceland into the North Sea, but even then that'd be heavily contested. Burgundy's fleet is large, but trying to force the Channel to remain open would be costly. Coastal guns and speedboats would be harassing them the entire time.
Therefore it has set up South Africa as the fallback point to function as the nerve center of its empire. In order to prevent too many native rebellions from breaking out in that event it set up various collaboration regimes under its authority. They have absolutely no degree of independence whatsoever. Hyderabad is the exception because it's a client state. It's fully prepared to cut some colonies loose if it needs to in order to maintain control over its core states. It also exerts a great deal of influence over China, extracting a lot of wealth from its informal empire through Hong Kong.
Burgundy is open to diplomacy with the USR and Germany to avoid war, but expects that to fail. They expect war because of unresolved tensions after the last one. It is rather difficult ruling over the largest empire in the world when sandwiched between two anti-imperialist powers that it's previously pissed off.
The populace has a sort of grim siege mentality about the whole situation. A lot of people expect a wave of red terror and reprisal killings to be inflicted upon them, so those that can afford to do so have started moving to the colonies. Worker organizations are harshly cracked down on, especially in the Ruhr where the government is worried about a potential German uprising taking place. They've spent decades trying to mold Rhenish culture to align more with Burgundian. Which itself is a French language with major Dutch influences, somewhat similar to Wallonian and Lorrainian.
So if it loses control of its European territory, then the war would continue to be waged from South Africa until the homeland is reclaimed or it accepts peace. The price would be paid in African, Indian, and Indonesian blood regardless. It has prepared to continue to function if that does happen. Every government body and major company has spent years backing up their records in Kaapstad. Lines of credit have been negotiated with major banks in other countries to ensure a somewhat stable transition. Assets have been moved abroad to be relocated at a later date. Everyone that can, has prepared a golden parachute to continue running the empire.
Burgundy's attempted to convince its former colonies of Arcadia and Lotharingia to join together with it in an alliance, but has had little success. They'll do business with it, but neither is prepared to bleed and die for a potential war that it started by fucking with Germany in WW1. It's only continental allies are Scandinavia and Italy. A few railways through Geneva to the later is about its only lifeline to the Mediterranean, enough to evacuate should Burgundy fall.
Geneva - Geneva is a small duchy turned republic comprising the real life French speaking part of Switzerland. Switzerland itself doesn't hold that much of a special place in Europe. It existed as a primarily German state that joined the Danubian Confederation when it formed in 1848. Geneva thus fills the role as a neutral alpine nation. It was formed by Burgundy reorganizing the territory into a friendly state that quickly declared its neutrality regarding wars.
It really doesn't want to get dragged into a war.
Germany - Much of its history was covered in the WW1 info dump. It's politics are dominated by socialists and a very revolutionary sort of liberalism. It defines itself by fighting against reactionaries, foreign domination, and working together in a united front alongside socialists and communists. It is somewhat lacking in understanding material analysis, leaning towards a more utopian understanding of politics. Nonetheless it is a steadfast ally of the left. A significant portion of the economy is under control of worker co-ops and state run industries, with smaller businesses filling in the gaps with the private sector.
The current mood in the country is very divided on how to proceed. Is unification done? Is there one more war that needs to be fought? Can we afford it? Will Burgundy attack again? By entering into WW1 as an aggressor, Burgundy essentially turned what could have been a neutral Germany into an enemy. It's proven itself completely untrustworthy, still trying to unwind the clock before 1848. It is also generally anti-colonial given its own history of foreign domination. Given that it is lacking the Rhineland, Saxony, and Silesia its industry is smaller than it was in real life. Much of its industry is more spread out over the south and center of the country, but it's still a powerhouse in terms of population and other resources.
Slovenia is also there. It's Catholic, previously under Austrian rule, and fairly happy to have avoided the Balkan Thunderdome between Venice, Hungary, and Illyra.
Greece - Greece used to be part of Venice, dubbed the San Marco Republic at the time, and had gained equal membership within the republic. It was quite happy being part of the small but thriving Venetian empire. That lasted until post 1912, when Macedonian forced it to declare itself independent of Venice and become a protectorate of Macedonia. It was kept as a 'brotherly nation' because the Macedonian King didn't want to risk an uprising among the populace by stripping them of their rights, but mostly because the ideal of having a 'pet' Greece amused him. It's been reduced down to the peninsula, economically crippled, and cut off from taxing former territories.
It's a rump state that lives because Macedonia allows it and will die when it demands it.
Hungary - Hungary spent much of the 19th century in Bohemia's shadow with its crown held in Prague. It was a national humiliation for a king not to own his own crown, more so when he requested it the Bohemian king ordered him to kneel and kiss his ring as a sign of submission. He did, got the crown, and then began waging war against Serbia and the Ottomans to rebuild national pride. It clashed with Venice in minor skirmishes over Illyria (Croatia) that didn't escalate into a full blown war. Unlike real life, Slovaks aren't oppressed. They're an integral part of the empire, given its very different dynasty history compared to real life. It did lose most of Transylvania to Romania when it was strong armed by several powers into giving up the land and was forced to accept that bitter defeat.
Other than that, it's doing great. It mollified its stung pride after its victories over Venice, giving it control over the Adriatic Coast. That did result in Illyria, Serbia, and Montenegro forming a rump Yugoslavia for mutual defense. The king still holds a great deal of authority, the usual monarchy and military alliance for national defense thing you see in real life.
Iberian Union - Formerly Spain it failed to keep Gran Colombia under its thumb, only succeeding in crushing the revolution in Granada. Granada comprised the territories of real life Ecuador, Northern Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyannas. In the wake of the revolts in the Americas it would begrudgingly undergo lukewarm token reforms, giving limited rights and a weak constitution to check the powers of the monarchy. It was enough to mollify the landed elites who'd felt slighted, giving a sense of stability across its empire.
Unlike Spain in real life, here it did not suffer constant, neverending civil wars, so its economy, industry, and population wasn't gutted every other decade. It participated in the Scramble for Africa, grabbing Kenya and Cameroon. Elsewhere it held Yemen, Myanmar, Macao, and Eastern India around Goa. Said colonies broke free or were conquered by other powers after WW1. After its communist revolution, Morocco voted to remain in the newly renamed Iberian Union. The logic went that it was safer in a large socialist state than trying to break away into an independent one. Many of its Maghrebi and Berber soldiers did cross the borders to aid in the revolutions against Aragon. In an ironic twist of fate, Iberia is now a champion of Arab liberation.
It's political system has a great deal of inspiration from anarchists, though as it is more industrially developed than in real life, there are a great deal of traditional Marxists in power too. Overseas territories now have equal representation within the government, which is partially why Cuba also decided to remain part of Iberia. As for the name change, many felt that the change was needed to break with the past and represent a new nation that wasn't dominated by an imperial core.
It is currently in talks with the United Socialist Republics about possibly merging with it. The two countries are already very close with free movement of people and goods along with broad economic coordination. Which if done would add roughly twenty three million people to the already massive USR population of roughly one hundred million people.
Italy - Italy was formed by an alliance of northern Italian petty kingdoms and city states led by Provence, under the Valois monarchy. The French one that won the Hundred Years War in real life, but lost it in Divergences of Darkness. It's a federation with those minor states retaining a great deal of local authority over their own affairs. The flag is similar to the real life Italian naval flag, except with the fleur-de-lis in place of the Venetian lion. That shows how close French and Italian identity has become.
Yes I did edit an actual flag to make this. No lion because no Venice and the bottom left corner has been replaced with the cross from Savoy.
Provence managed to subdue the Etruscan Republic (Tuscany) in the 1840s, and force Lucca to bend a knee. Both were republics formed during the First German Revolution in the 1790s. The French king returning to the peninsula normally would have caused an uproar among the Italian states, but French aid proved vital in preventing Etruscan from spreading the liberal revolution abroad. Begrudgingly they accepted Provence back, which then built up a network of close ties to each state. It used Genoa's ports in Equatorial Africa to launch its own expeditions to establish trading posts along the Niger Delta. That foothold would expand during the Scramble for Africa, providing resources and manpower to help fuel growth at home.
The Dual Monarchy would attempt to force the Valois to cede their throne and put a Savoy noble allied to the DM in charge of Provence. Burgundy and Scandinavia however checked the Dual Monarchy, threatening war and eventually forcing them to back down. Neither power wished to see the Plantagenets dominate Italy. Provence would take some land from the Dual Monarchy when it was distracted with its revolutions after WW1, though not nearly as much as it had hoped. Only enough to shore up its northern border.
Eventually when Aragon attempted to conquer the north, it was Provence that led the charge against them. The northern states were far more industrialized than the southern regions, giving them a material and manpower advantage. Hungary's surprise entry into the war helped draw Venice's own armies away, securing the northern flank, allowing the northern alliance to push south. Italy would be proclaimed once the war concluded, with Toulon remaining the capital. Genoa reclaimed Corsica, putting it under its direct control. Provence claimed Central Italy around Rome, declared Sardinia a duchy, and reorganized the rest into the grand duchy of Two Sicilies. Both states had Valois members installed as their rulers.
Italy is similar to Imperial Germany in that it's a federation of variations kingdoms, duchies, and city states that have come together under the leadership of a major power. Provence is dark teal. Savoy is grey blue. Milan is pale purple. Genoa is bright yellow. Parma is pale green. Modern is pale yellow. Ferrara is green. Sardinia is dark olive green. Two Sicilies is pale teal. It's easy to see who gained the most from conquering the south.
Venice holds an odd position. Many consider it Italian, but it is very distinct and until recently had its own empire. It lacked the strong historic connections to France that other states had. It was also an enemy, but there are those in Italy that are open to Venice joining if it wished to, believing it'd only strengthen the country further.
The lands of Southern Italy however would be open to exploitation to all. Industrialists from the north would seize communal land and noble estates to turn them into massive privately held farmers. The destruction of barriers between lands removed windbreaks and overfarming reduced topsoil quality, causing massive dust bowls similar to real life. Hundreds of thousands to millions would eventually leave Italy, many moving to Aragon North Africa, Levant, or Arcadia. Incidentally this has caused a massive surge in the presence of the mafia, who have stepped in to take advantage of the chaos and lack of local authority. The only good thing that Provence did was free the Jews of Italy from all ghettos and give them equal citizenship, something Aragon had staunchly refused to do. Ironically it also has solid relations with Maghreb. There's a few who'd wish to claim North Africa for Italy, but the government decided backing revolutionaries against Aragon would be more productive.
Southern Italians don't consider themselves culturally Italian. If they use the word it's only in a geographic sense to denote a collective group of identities. They much rather refer to themselves by their own nationality: Sicilian, Neapolitan, Corscan, Sardinian, and Maltese. Provencal is more linguistically similar to Savoyard or Milanese than the latter are to Sicivlian, given the latter's Catalan influences. How Southern Italians feel about Aragon falls down to individual perspective. Some view it as a historic ally that held South Italy as a heartland of its empire. Others view it as another overlord that took from them. The mafia is also one of the few organizations left that's seen as fighting against northern tyranny, alongside an influx of demobilized soldiers that fought against Maghrebi insurgents returning home to put their counter-insurgency knowledge to test as insurgents.
Italy is defined by a cultural trend pushed by the monarchy called Transalpinism. The premise is that France and Italy are linked by a common history, culture, and even language. Valois are a living representation of that link, given their unique circumstances, and that for Italy to truly be whole it must reclaim the throne of France. It was a passing fad outside of certain circles, most seeing it for the blatant power play that it was, until WW1 when the Dual Monarchy fell to revolution. That gave it a new dimension as many began to view it as a mission to liberate France from the clutches of godless, cosmopolitan communists, as well as bitterness over failing to seize more territory post war.
Whether the population as a whole supports the position or not is less important than the fact that the ruling class certainly does.
Macedonia - Macedonia managed to survive revolting against the Ottoman Empire with international aid. As Venice had snatched Greece proper from the Ottomans in the 1820s, Macedonia would instead become the focus for Hellenophilics obsessed with Ancient Greece. That laid the foundations for its future national identity. Over the 19th century it would eventually claim more territory from the Ottomans, eventually all of Bulgaria and Thrace.
Unlike real life, its identity developed very differently. As it had a large population of Bulgarians, at least those who identified as such, it had a friendlier relationship with them than Greece did in real life. They weren't rival powers fighting like dogs over scraps, but a 'border region' turned into its own country. Macedonia wasn't fought over by competing ruling classes. Their interests actually aligned, giving them an edge in defining national identities. It thus developed as a bridge between Greek and Bulgarian aspirations, a view encouraged by the king. The king of course was some noble ruling over the fiefdom and collecting taxes until he saw an opportunity to break away from the Ottomans. The power play worked. The obsession with Ancient Greece would grow each generation. The borderland became a great power, with a right to rule over all peoples of the region.
It had a very well developed military much like Bulgaria did in real life, except larger. It's the Prussia of the Balkans, though nobody would use the term here given the perceived backwardness of Prussia. It's current goal is the eventual conquest of Anatolia, fully intending on finishing on what it started. It pushed for the creation of Greater Armenia to act as an ally in the Caucasus, and more importantly a speedbump to die for it if need be. It also gained a treaty port in Sevastopol, with intentions to conquer the rest of the Crimean Peninsula.
Macedonia is determined to be hegemon of the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.
Muscovy - It's considered a backwater nation that spent most of the 19th century picking fights it couldn't win. It'd be reduced to a rump state still ruled by an absolutist monarchy. If there was a loser of the 19th century, it would be in the running. It's politicians are divided between aligning with Poland to grab land off Tatarstan or joining Novgorod into a rump Russia. A fringe few Pan-Slavs suggest joining Poland as another member of the Commonwealth.
Novgorod - It fared much better than Muscovy through its alliance with Scandinavia and begrudgingly working with Crimea on dividing the east. Previously it didn't control the coastline and was forced to import everything through Scandinavia. It would eventually gain control over the Baltic Coast during WW1, moving in once Poland had defeated Scandinavia. That soured relationships, but the latter swallowed the bitter pill and accepted it. The fees for crossing the straits didn't do much as Novgorod would ship exclusively through the Kiel Canal to bypass Scandinavia's attempt to cripple its economy.
Otherwise fairly content to remain on the sidelines to see how wins in any future wars in the region.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - If there was a winner of the 19th century then perhaps it would be the Commonwealth. It managed to avoid being beaten down by Scandinavia and Moscovy, reforming the Sejm, strengthening the union between states, centralizing the government, and preceding to fucking power slam everyone that came at. It did have backing from Bohemia, which proved essential in surviving and stabilizing.
It's current government is dominated by a single party headed by the president Witold Aleksy Ludomir. It's a large center-left coalition party that's managed to bring together nationalists, liberals, and quite a few social democrats, running a populist platform with a strong welfare state mixed with aggressive posturing and favours granted to backers. As Poland was not partitioned here like it was in real life, Catholicism isn't an integral part of Polish identity. It is a secular state and home to the largest Jewish population in the world. Many even see it as a Jewish homeland of sorts, with Zionism never getting off the ground outside of fringe circles.
Within the Commonwealth is Prussia. While Prussians are acknowledged as German speaking, they aren't seen as Germans. Prussia is viewed as a regressive, reactionary holdout of a bygone era, an underdeveloped dictatorship ruled over by petty backwater aristocrats. They're considered separate from Baltic Germans, since the latter are mostly found in cities and are seen as modern. There were no tears shed for the Junkers when Ludomir nationalized their estates and gave the land away to Polish farmers. Some concessions were given to the urban population of Prussia, the petite bourgeoisie thankful that he broke up monopolies in the process.
Since conquering a slice of Tatarstan, he's used the same tactic, giving land away for free while selling resource rights and industrial machinery off to the highest bidders. Ruthenians (Ukrainians/Belarussians) benefited greatly from seizing the rich farmland of Crimea. His goal is to conquer most of what is in real life European Russia in order to turn Poland into the strongest power in Europe using the resources of the steppes. He fully intends to break up, dismantle, and dissolve Tatarstan in its entirety, and feed its remains into his country and part.
Ludomir isn't genocidal in aspirations. There's no General Plan Ost equivalent. That said, if victorious he would turn Tatars into second class citizens in their own country, give land away to Russians to integrate them into the country, putting them to positions of power, and promoting aggressive assimilation. He has begun to use more Islamophobic rhetoric to encourage that attitude, gaining the following of the otherwise fringe far right. They'd like to turn the Commonwealth into a Catholic Slavic nation, and are super anti-Semitic, which isn't a mainstream view.
Regardless, if successful he'd transform the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth into the Eurasian Commonwealth.
Romania - It formed out of Moldova and Wallachia much like real life, and managed to get backing to force Hungary to cede most of Transylvannia to it. It's mostly the gas station for Macedonia and Poland.
Scandinavia - Scandinavia is definitely the weakest of the great powers. It's former strength faded as other countries caught up then outcompeted with it demographically and industrially. Its kings petty attempts to conquer the whole Baltic Sea would only lead to the kingdom's ruin by dragging it into wars against Poland, Bohemia, and the Danubian Confederation. The monarchy would be dissolved after WW1.
While its European empire floundered, it found greater success overseas, even before Spain and the Dual Monarchy's empires collapsed. It's greatest success though is in India, where it conquered Spanish India and pushed its influence further inland. It cut the Mughal Empire off from the outside world, forcing it to trade through Scandinavia in order to import and export anything. That alongside the seizure of Macao and opening up of China has helped to make Scandinavia very wealthy, in spite of its setbacks.
Wealthy enough to reconsider its position on Germany and possibly try to strong arm it into giving them territorial concessions. What it lacks in manpower at home, Indian conscripts can more than make up for. Unlike Burgundy it's made no plans to bug out, believing that its geography would do enough to defend it from invasion.
Yugoslavia - Illyria and Serbia competed to liberate Slavic lands in the Balkans, only for it to be undone as Hungary and Venice would dismantle them both, then each other. The most they could accomplish would be coming together into a union for mutual aid, which Montenegro would later join out of concern for its own safety.
United Socialist Republics - Formerly Dual Monarchy of England and France. The monarchy pushed for an inclusive Anglois identity, managing to avoid triggering a nationalist uprising in either France and England. The regime stabilized and enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity, paid for partially by its colonies as more of the world fell under its grip. The royals would come to regret their decision to invade Burgundy, as their entry into the war would eventually end in them being overthrown and killed.
Afterwards the revolutionaries debated on how to govern the country. There were attempts to draw up regional boundaries based on linguistic and ethnic divides, which resulted in experimenting with various socialist republics making up the union. Hence the 's' in the name. However that was short lived as people were too intermingled to effectively do that and nobody wanted to lay the foundations for possible ethnic conflicts down the road. Also because none of the SRs would really be able to properly function as their own mini-state within a state. It broke apart the SRs, centralizing power into a unitary state while devolving many responsibilities to local councils. It's a fully democratic socialist state controlled by worker councils, the ideal for many SV Questers. It even uses labour vouchers for internal purposes and issues francs for external trade, backed by its massive gold reserves held over from the empire.
It should be fairly straight forward who's who, besides a couple. Purple is Anglois, who are Francized Anglophones. It resulted from merging the merger of English and French in core Norman held territory. Olive is Provencal, which is a southern dialect of French. It's still thriving because it was never forcibly assimilated into Parisian French like in real life. Yellow is Basque, as the Dual Monarchy inherited Basque through a personal union. Orange is Burgundian, which is again a French dialect. Each area is of course filled with numerous speakers from bordering languages, so it is in no way as clear cut as the map might imply.
It is the largest country in Europe in terms of population, easily a hundred million people spread across it. It is the leader of the Comintern, and many other organizations under that umbrella. Many in power would like to spread the revolution and break up its neighbours' empires, but it also got a first hand view on what industrial warfare entails. No one's exactly eager to feed an entire generation of men and women into a meat grinder. On the flip side, nobody likes what Burgundy is clearly doing.
Also interesting to note is that Ireland's population is much higher here than in real life. It never suffered the genocidal campaigns of Cromwell and later rulers, nor any famines, so its population has been able to grow mostly untroubled. There's something like sixteen million people in Ireland. The country was also majority Catholic, save for Southern France, where Huguenots weren't entirely murdered. Otherwise Protestantism never caught on for the most part. Those that did convert fled the country over the centuries. USR is also notable for being one of two countries in the world with an English speaking leader, the other being Beornia. The current Chairman is a former coalminer union leader turned revolutionary from Northern England.
Venice - Its time in the sun has passed. Its history has been covered elsewhere in other entries. It's main drive is holding onto what it has left and becoming neutral in any future European war. It'd set its sights on Egypt and Northeastern Africa, but that didn't happen.
Last edited:
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
Assuming we are successful at both establishing an independent Republic of Egypt under Doge Marcato and couping him to put the pan-Arabs in power without provoking an invasion, I wonder how our actions will affect the balance of power. It is unlikely we will be able to directly harm them (barring late-quest where a successful and stable UAR could become a Great Power), but our humiliation of various powers or acting indirectly against or for their interests will still have rippling effects.
- Location
- France
- Pronouns
- She/They
We probably need connections to the communist block if we want allies.
Which will of course spook the other powers. But sucks to be them.
Also, uh, is there a canal TTL? What's its status?
The Suez Canal does indeed exist. It was bankrolled by Spain, Aragon, the Dual Monarchy, and Venice who owned the land it was dug on. All of them wanted access to Asia without having to go around South Africa, which was controlled by Burgundy. It was finished some time in the 60s under the Suez Canal Company. Shares split roughly twenty percent each of them and the last twenty percent sold to private investors. After their communist revolutions, Spain and the Dual Monarchy's shares were seized by Aragon and Venice. Macedonia would use the opportunity to purchase a bunch of shares, essentially bribing its allies to let them in on getting a cut from it.
When Aragon failed to conquer Italy they needed cash fast to pay off reparations forced onto them, so they begrudgingly sold off a lot of shares to Macedonia. Venice was strong armed into giving Macedonia control over the canal itself, who now garrisons it with a token force and a few ships. Venice has also since sold off a portion of shares off to private investors. So Macedonia owns over half of the shares of the SCC, with Venice clinging to what they have left, and the rest in the hands of private investors.
Macedonia is very eager to rake in the cash from that. The Suez Canal is considered a vital waterway by nearly every nation, but those that had vested interest in controlling it as part of their empire's in the Middle East and Indian Ocean collapsed or were severely weakened. Italy is focused on West and Central Africa. Aragon is focused on Algeria. Macedonia is the last power left standing in the region, for the time being.
Basically, everyone with a bigger stick isn't looking. Issue is Macedonia's stick is bigger than Egypt's and they have one eye on you.
always_confused
Perpetually unwanted
- Location
- SEA
By the by, what is this setting based on? I heard it was a a Hearts of Iron Mod? Or am I confusing it with another.
And if it *is* inspired a HoI4 mod...got a link? :M
And if it *is* inspired a HoI4 mod...got a link? :M
Astra Myst
Do you want a wish?
- Location
- Milky Way Galaxy
Victoria 2 mod
Divergences of Darkness mod
A mod for Victoria II Heart of Darkness that continues the legacy of the Divergences : An Alter Vicky mod created by Kinniken. HPM version by Capitanloco6/MajorMajor. In the Divergences mod there are PODs that are not bound to each other. The Duke of...
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Yes it remains a secret
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
Yeah, I said as much that I hope on the "Doge Marcato" stage of the plan, that we can use the lifted blockades/lack of Macedonian ships to smuggle in support from the Internationale in preparation for couping him as well as having the pan-Arab wings win out. Definitely an essential.
In addition to what's been given to you, I also wrote two info posts on what the mod starts off as. Fission threadmarked them under "informational" as "Americas mod lore" and "Europe mod lore."
Egypt, Summer 1916 - Preparing the Cabinet
===
Egypt, Summer 1916 - Preparing the Cabinet
===
Iskandar looked out over the water from the deck of his private yacht. It would be the last time he saw Alexandria and he wanted to take in the sight of it. The image of a bustling port would be etched into his mind, with the glorious lighthouse rising high up into the skyline. If nothing else he'd left a mark. It was the only project that he'd gotten off the ground, before being forced to leave the country he'd hoped to call home. The dreams he once had for the revival of a once great kingdom would never come to pass, nor would he have a chance to design and build an eight wonder of the world.
'Perhaps Marcato was right,' Iskandar bitterly thought to himself. He rested his hands on the railing of the deck as the boat slowly pulled away. 'All my plans were all just flights of fancy.'
The governor had kept Iskandar's secret. He didn't know how long that would last, but at least Marcato had the decency not to twist the knife. The uncertainty of being outed at any time had eaten away at him, causing him to lose sleep. He felt that perhaps it was best for him to leave Egypt and never look back.
Iskandar's heart ached thinking about it. Christos, Spiro, and Garvriil had all taken a chance on coming to Egypt at his request, and they left with nothing to show for it save a few months wasted. His former allies would also be leaving the country, returning to careers they'd put on hold for him or quietly retiring to avoid public scrutiny in case their secret got out. It was not how he had hoped things would go.
If nothing else, he still had his friend and lover by his side.
"So where to?" Jason asked from the wheelhouse.
Iskandar pushed off from the railing and walked inside, resting an arm across the other man's shoulder. It was the question he'd been wondering for some time. If not Egypt then where? There were numerous islands across the Mediterranean where they could live comfortably but not openly. Only the reds were that accepting. The French Riviera came to mind, but he didn't want to risk being on the front lines of the next world war.
"How about Iberia?" Iskandar finally answered. "We can buy a place on the coast."
Jason leaned against the larger man, wrapping an arm around his waist while keeping the other hand on the wheel. "That sounds lovely."
The Argo continued on, leaving Egypt behind.
===
In a sleeper car on a train heading from Cairo to Alexandria, David Hakim celebrated. He was joined by his fellow party heads Jabari Nadir, Ari Khouri, and Hanif Issa. The men were up late into the night, unwilling to turn in just yet as the train sped along the track. There was much cause for their good spirits. The pact with the devil had borne fruit and it tasted sweet, though only time would tell if it was indeed poisoned and rotten at its very roots.
The All Egyptian Nation Congress had won the election with a clean majority. It was enough seats to rule without causing a major upset among the Christian Alliance Party, who had reluctantly accepted the outcome without contesting it. None knew quite how Marcato had gotten Iskandar to concede so quickly, though all suspected blackmail was involved.
Soon they would be going to Alexandria to begin their rule over the country. Such stresses were put out of mind, mostly.
"Khouri," David said, "I trust you to handle creating our own spy network. The last thing we need is Marcato's attack dog undermining us beneath our noses."
"If we can expand the duties of military intelligence then that'd be a good starting point," Khouri replied, resting a hand on his clean shaven chin. "Shuffle the police around so they're under our control too."
"You can never stop can you?" Jabari good-naturedly asked his friend. "Your mind is always turning."
"It'll stop when there's nothing else that needs our attention," David replied. "The revolution requires ceaseless energy."
"Energy which has carried us to the ballot box and beyond," Jabari remarked, his smile faded a moment later. The corners of his lips turned downwards, concern evident on his face.
The look was shared by the others in the room. They'd won a victory, there was no doubt, but it had come through compromise and cooperation with their oppressor. While they'd won a majority it was within an imperialist framework. The question of how far they could go was on all of their minds. Each one of them knew that if they were not careful their ambitions may be checked by the governor. Only time would tell if they could outmaneuver the man and fulfill their promises, that of an independent Egypt, free from foreign control.
The celebration quickly winded down as they parted ways, going to their own cabins in the car. Silence reigned as they turned in, the only noise was the faint rumbling of the train as it carried on towards to their destination.
===
David and Jabari found themselves guided through the governor's palace, where they were led to a lounge room meant for greeting dignitaries and guests of honour. The opulence struck them both as they entered, every corner of the room marvelously hand carved and decorated with gold lining pressed into rich dark hardwoods imported from the tropics. Neither man could hide their distaste for it. They knew the cost for such things was paid for by the people of Egypt. It was wealth extracted from them at gunpoint used on pointless extravagance.
Standing across from the doorway was Marcato, admiring a piece of art. He turned, looked them over. It was the first time that they'd met face to face. Marcato motioned for the servant to leave them, then walked over with a hand turned upwards. He inclined his head in greeting. "Gentlemen, welcome to the capital. Please forgive me if I'm a bit slow, my Arabic has been lacking as of late."
"It's quite alright," David began in a dry tone, "our Venetian has gotten rusty. We haven't had much of it in recent years. Our Greek, though, has never been better."
Jabari chimed in, smiling at the governor. "We could switch to that if it's easier for you to keep up."
Annoyance flashed across Marcato's face. "No that's quite alright, I'll make do," he firmly replied. They moved over to the seats and sat down across from each other, governor on one side and the two on the other. There was a sense of unease shared by all men in the room. Their alliance was one born of convenience and with their enemy sidelined for the time being, how to move forward was left undecided. "I understand that neither of us are thrilled with our current circumstances, however I believe that further cooperation would benefit both of us."
"You must forgive any skepticism on our part then, governor," David replied, staring hard at Marcato. "Your country played as much a part in our current situation as Macedonia did. If given the chance, Venice's fleets, what's left of them, would return."
Marcato shifted in his chair, leaning forward and bringing his hands together. "I know that Venice would prefer a return to friendlier relations with Egypt. What that may be however is up to my discretion." He turned his palms upwards. "Our alliance need not be a temporary one. While I can't promise to support your full platform, I'm sure we can enact many necessary policy changes that benefit us both."
"That benefit being we don't vote to cut your annual salary?" David sarcastically replied. "Or would you veto that?"
"I'd accept a pay decrease if it was deemed necessary," Marcato said. "I have skills that you may find valuable in running your administration, beyond the powers of the office. I do have a doctorate in law from Bologna."
"And I've got one in history from Oxford," David retorted. "If you wish to continue this alliance then I have a proposal: stand aside, sign everything we put in front of you, and keep taking our money."
"Hakim, Mister Prime Minister," Marcato tersely replied, "there's no need for that tone. We can come to an understanding that benefits all of us. Despite your victory, our power isn't as secure as it may seem. Together we can navigate any issues that may arise."
Jabari scoffed, chucking as he shook his head. "And I had heard you had a gift for bluntness. It seems that I had heard wrong then. We are all well aware of the situation, so spit it out already. What are you after? If all you intend to do is waste our time with meaningless babble than "
Marcato's frown deepened. "Very well," he spread his arms. "I'd rather see Egypt become independent than fall under Macedonian thumb. Call it spite if you wish, but I can see the writing on the wall. A return to the previous status quo is not possible. Therefore preventing Macedonia from winning is merely enough." He leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on his lap.
The two men shared a look of mild disbelief. Jabari spoke first. "Payback for your country's betrayal then?"
"I suppose you could put it like that."
"Then let's draft up a declaration right now, since you've become a committed believer in national liberation," David sarcastically remarked, scoffing. "You want an Egypt that's friendly to you. It'd be free in name only."
"It's called patience, you don't even have a government yet," Marcato retorted, glaring daggers at David. "You don't think Macedonia won't intervene to restore order? Being a mandate works in your favour. We work together, you can build up your base, and when the time is right I will sign off on it, so that everything is official."
David quietly fumed at the proposal, not because it was outrageous but because he knew it was coming. They had all expected a deal like that to be presented to them. It was the governor's way or nothing. The idea of turning it down crossed his mind, but he rejected it. It pained him to consider it, running the country would open the door to more opportunities. It'd be their men put in charge of offices; their men commanding soldiers for the first time ever; their men writing laws and enforcing them. All for once.
The two friends shared a brief look, a sideways glance, knowing they'd long since come to a decision before ever arriving in the capital.
"Well Marcato, it's good to know that you don't mince words," Jabari said, nodding in approval. "We'll continue this alliance. I know that I speak for the party when I say that we expect you to deal in good faith." David nodded and hummed in agreement.
"You have my word. I'm here to facilitate your rule, not impede it," Marcato inclined his face, expression relaxing into a subdued smile.
The topic shifted as the three men continued speaking for a short time about the practical matters that they had to deal with, eventually parting ways after a short while. Each side understood clearly where they stood with the other: neither truly trusted the other beyond the mutual desire to survive against a shared enemy. One somewhat more distant than before, but nonetheless loomed over the country like a Sword of Damocles. One which made its presence known soon after the All Egyptian National Congress had assumed office.
===
In the understaffed foreign ministry, Hanif Issa had set about rebuilding the institute. Egypt had little use for it previously, foreign policy dictated by its colonial masters. The ministry mainly served to coordinate with ambassadors and influential persons visiting the capital, serving more as a state sponsored tour guide than a legitimate wing of the government. That would change in the coming years if Issa had his way, which he would.
A party member serving as a secretary knocked on the door, drawing his attention away from the paperwork sorted on his desk. Grand plans were put to pen for the first time, laying the skeleton framework of far greater projects that were slowly taking form before his very eyes. It would be put on hold though. The secretary opened the door to announce that Issa had a visitor.
"Well who is? I didn't have anything scheduled," Issa sternly inquired, annoyed at the unexpected interruption.
"It's Pavlotis, the Macedonian ambassador sir. He's here to see you," he promptly answered.
Issa was stunned for a moment, before beginning to pack away the numerous documents on his desk. They were stuffed back inside folders and stuffed into his desk, clearing off the top. "Send him in."
The secretary nodded. He'd return several minutes later with Pavlotis, ushering him inside. Issa stood to greet him, extending a hand which was readily accepted, sharing brief pleasantries as part of their jobs, and sat down. The secretary left them, closing the door.
The door closed after the ambassador entered, leaving the two of them alone.
"My government wanted to extend congratulations on your recent electoral victory," Pavlotis began, smiling congenitally at the foreign minister. "I want you to know that we hold no ill will towards your party. Drakos's campaign was his own and does not reflect the position held by my government."
Issa returned the smile, nodding his head. "Of course, ambassador, we had assumed no such thing."
"I hope that your government doesn't hold Drakos' relation to my sovereign against us. I assure you we want nothing more than a peaceful and prosperous relation with the people of Egypt." Pavlotis's eyes subtly narrowed, yet he held his smile. "Which is why some of your party's proposals have raised some concern back in Salonika." He pulled a pamphlet out of his breast pocket, unfolding it and placing it on the desk. It was from the AENC listing the party's programs.
"Now I told my superiors that there was no reason to assume the worst and that I'd get it sorted out quickly," Pavlotis continued, looking up from the desk to Issa.
Issa's expression never faltered even as he internally winced. He turned the sheet of paper and made a show of humming and hawing as he pretended to look it over. He knew what it said. He was on the committee that wrote it up after all, including the policy of "nationalizing vital infrastructure." Vague enough to imply anything, but everyone knew what it meant.
"I see the cause for concern, however I assure you that these are things said on the campaign trail. We have many other far more pressing issues to focus on," Issa reassured the ambassador, putting the paper down and sliding it over.
"I'm thrilled to hear that, though," Pavlotis raised a hand and leaned to the side, "I know my government would feel much more confident about your administration if we could get a guarantee. Nothing that serious. Just a few promises in writing, contracts to make it official."
Issa rested a hand on chin, hand brushing aside the well trimmed beard. "We might be able to do so, though it would depend on the nature of these requests."
"It's fortunate that I have them written up then. It always pays to be prepared." Pavlotis pulled out another sheet of paper and pushed it across the desk.
===
Macedonia is concerned about the socialist and anti-colonialist nature of your government. Concessions made are not set in stone. They can be broken later, though the consequences of doing so may be worse than making no concessions at all. If no concessions are given they will be cold towards you, but not hostile.
Please use plan voting.
[ ] Continue granting Macedonia naval docking rights
Macedonia has a cruiser parked in Alexandria, along with other ships in the Red Sea. If not taken, then that'd be rescinded, and their ships will relocate to the Canal Zone.
[ ] Continue providing Macedonia cheap grain
Macedonia receives a significant portion of Egypt's wheat exports at below market values, practically for free in fact. If not taken, then they'll be charged market rates for the exports, granting the government additional money.
[ ] Promise not to touch Macedonian cotton plantations
Macedonian landlords own most of Egypt's cotton plantations. They know land reform is a major platform for your party. Taking this puts them at ease, so that even if farmlands are redistributed, their plantations won't be.
[ ] Promise not to take land from Macedonian landlords without compensation
As above, but instead promises not to seize land without adequate compensation. What's considered adequate compensation is of course determined by Macedonian banks, who will charge you a lot for land they own.
[ ] Nothing
If taken, then no other option can be taken. Only time will tell if you leave their investments alone or not. The uncertainty will make them very concerned.
===
In the following days, the Christian Alliance Party had approached David about the possibility of an alliance between the two parties. It wouldn't quite be a coalition government, rather favours given to them in exchange for votes should the AENC call upon the CAP. Mina Psoy argued that although the AENC had a majority, it was a slim one. If one wing of the party ever broke ranks then the government risked a vote of no confidence. It would leave the government adrift, unable to properly govern, therefore Psoy suggested an informal alliance to ensure that doesn't happen.
Of course doing so may in fact weaken the government, especially if concessions given to the CAP end up angering or empowering one wing over another. Like above, promises may be made and rescinded at a later date, though also like above making then breaking a promise might be worse than making no promises at all.
Please use plan voting.
[ ] Hire CAP members civil servants
CAP draws on a significant portion of the country's educated populace as its supporters. You need to fill in the ranks of your bureaucracy one way or another, but this ensures CAP personnel will have a role in running your government. Copts will likely be hired either way if not taken, but that doesn't mean they're CAP members.
[ ] Promise not to demote Copt officers
Under Venice and Macedonia, many Copts were fast tracked into positions of power within the military. A lot of them are of questionable skill as they were undertrained, meant to fill in ranks quickly as European officers were drawn out of the country.
[ ] Give the CAP a ministry
-[ ] Health & Social Affairs
OR
-[ ] Agriculture & Rural Development
They'd be subordinate to your government, follow dictates from above, and can be removed if due cause is found. Or at any time if you feel like it. That said it'd still be ceding a section of the government to the CAP, giving them leeway as to how to carry out your orders. Can only pick one.
[ ] Allow Copts to continue operating private religious schools
-[ ] Outside of the ministry's control
OR
-[ ] Must teach mandated material
Churches run a significant portion of schools in the country. They've enjoyed decades of independence under the Venetians and Macedonians, allowing them to admit who they want and teach what they want with little to no oversight. Many hope that the status quo will continue. Can only pick one.
[ ] Allow Copt majority areas local self government
This would create new municipal governments carved out of Coptic neighbourhoods, separate from the local government. It'd give them a great degree of local autonomy, however it also means urban centers will lose access to wealthy Copts as a tax base. These new areas would also be allowed to form their own police force and quite a few Arabs would inevitably end up in these new areas too.
[ ] Nothing
If taken, then no other option may be taken. They remain the opposition party.
===
I am currently working under a HoI4/TNO inspired set up for the cabinet. It's easier for me and players to keep track of five people, instead of having to manage eight to ten people. The current set up is Francesco Marcato as Head of State, David Hakim as Head of Government, Jabari Nadir as Economic Minister, Ari Khouri Security Minister, and Hanif Issa as Foreign Minister.
It is meant to be abstracted and broad in responsibilities too, so the Economic Minister controls more than one ministry. Stuff like education, healthcare, and agriculture would fall under Nadir's purview in this system. If the CAP is given a ministry they'd be subordinate to the AENC and take orders from them, but still have resources to further their own ends as well.
Once this is dealt with, the actual government budget and priorities can be decided upon.
Each vote is separate.
Egypt, Summer 1916 - Preparing the Cabinet
===
Iskandar looked out over the water from the deck of his private yacht. It would be the last time he saw Alexandria and he wanted to take in the sight of it. The image of a bustling port would be etched into his mind, with the glorious lighthouse rising high up into the skyline. If nothing else he'd left a mark. It was the only project that he'd gotten off the ground, before being forced to leave the country he'd hoped to call home. The dreams he once had for the revival of a once great kingdom would never come to pass, nor would he have a chance to design and build an eight wonder of the world.
'Perhaps Marcato was right,' Iskandar bitterly thought to himself. He rested his hands on the railing of the deck as the boat slowly pulled away. 'All my plans were all just flights of fancy.'
The governor had kept Iskandar's secret. He didn't know how long that would last, but at least Marcato had the decency not to twist the knife. The uncertainty of being outed at any time had eaten away at him, causing him to lose sleep. He felt that perhaps it was best for him to leave Egypt and never look back.
Iskandar's heart ached thinking about it. Christos, Spiro, and Garvriil had all taken a chance on coming to Egypt at his request, and they left with nothing to show for it save a few months wasted. His former allies would also be leaving the country, returning to careers they'd put on hold for him or quietly retiring to avoid public scrutiny in case their secret got out. It was not how he had hoped things would go.
If nothing else, he still had his friend and lover by his side.
"So where to?" Jason asked from the wheelhouse.
Iskandar pushed off from the railing and walked inside, resting an arm across the other man's shoulder. It was the question he'd been wondering for some time. If not Egypt then where? There were numerous islands across the Mediterranean where they could live comfortably but not openly. Only the reds were that accepting. The French Riviera came to mind, but he didn't want to risk being on the front lines of the next world war.
"How about Iberia?" Iskandar finally answered. "We can buy a place on the coast."
Jason leaned against the larger man, wrapping an arm around his waist while keeping the other hand on the wheel. "That sounds lovely."
The Argo continued on, leaving Egypt behind.
===
In a sleeper car on a train heading from Cairo to Alexandria, David Hakim celebrated. He was joined by his fellow party heads Jabari Nadir, Ari Khouri, and Hanif Issa. The men were up late into the night, unwilling to turn in just yet as the train sped along the track. There was much cause for their good spirits. The pact with the devil had borne fruit and it tasted sweet, though only time would tell if it was indeed poisoned and rotten at its very roots.
The All Egyptian Nation Congress had won the election with a clean majority. It was enough seats to rule without causing a major upset among the Christian Alliance Party, who had reluctantly accepted the outcome without contesting it. None knew quite how Marcato had gotten Iskandar to concede so quickly, though all suspected blackmail was involved.
Soon they would be going to Alexandria to begin their rule over the country. Such stresses were put out of mind, mostly.
"Khouri," David said, "I trust you to handle creating our own spy network. The last thing we need is Marcato's attack dog undermining us beneath our noses."
"If we can expand the duties of military intelligence then that'd be a good starting point," Khouri replied, resting a hand on his clean shaven chin. "Shuffle the police around so they're under our control too."
"You can never stop can you?" Jabari good-naturedly asked his friend. "Your mind is always turning."
"It'll stop when there's nothing else that needs our attention," David replied. "The revolution requires ceaseless energy."
"Energy which has carried us to the ballot box and beyond," Jabari remarked, his smile faded a moment later. The corners of his lips turned downwards, concern evident on his face.
The look was shared by the others in the room. They'd won a victory, there was no doubt, but it had come through compromise and cooperation with their oppressor. While they'd won a majority it was within an imperialist framework. The question of how far they could go was on all of their minds. Each one of them knew that if they were not careful their ambitions may be checked by the governor. Only time would tell if they could outmaneuver the man and fulfill their promises, that of an independent Egypt, free from foreign control.
The celebration quickly winded down as they parted ways, going to their own cabins in the car. Silence reigned as they turned in, the only noise was the faint rumbling of the train as it carried on towards to their destination.
===
David and Jabari found themselves guided through the governor's palace, where they were led to a lounge room meant for greeting dignitaries and guests of honour. The opulence struck them both as they entered, every corner of the room marvelously hand carved and decorated with gold lining pressed into rich dark hardwoods imported from the tropics. Neither man could hide their distaste for it. They knew the cost for such things was paid for by the people of Egypt. It was wealth extracted from them at gunpoint used on pointless extravagance.
Standing across from the doorway was Marcato, admiring a piece of art. He turned, looked them over. It was the first time that they'd met face to face. Marcato motioned for the servant to leave them, then walked over with a hand turned upwards. He inclined his head in greeting. "Gentlemen, welcome to the capital. Please forgive me if I'm a bit slow, my Arabic has been lacking as of late."
"It's quite alright," David began in a dry tone, "our Venetian has gotten rusty. We haven't had much of it in recent years. Our Greek, though, has never been better."
Jabari chimed in, smiling at the governor. "We could switch to that if it's easier for you to keep up."
Annoyance flashed across Marcato's face. "No that's quite alright, I'll make do," he firmly replied. They moved over to the seats and sat down across from each other, governor on one side and the two on the other. There was a sense of unease shared by all men in the room. Their alliance was one born of convenience and with their enemy sidelined for the time being, how to move forward was left undecided. "I understand that neither of us are thrilled with our current circumstances, however I believe that further cooperation would benefit both of us."
"You must forgive any skepticism on our part then, governor," David replied, staring hard at Marcato. "Your country played as much a part in our current situation as Macedonia did. If given the chance, Venice's fleets, what's left of them, would return."
Marcato shifted in his chair, leaning forward and bringing his hands together. "I know that Venice would prefer a return to friendlier relations with Egypt. What that may be however is up to my discretion." He turned his palms upwards. "Our alliance need not be a temporary one. While I can't promise to support your full platform, I'm sure we can enact many necessary policy changes that benefit us both."
"That benefit being we don't vote to cut your annual salary?" David sarcastically replied. "Or would you veto that?"
"I'd accept a pay decrease if it was deemed necessary," Marcato said. "I have skills that you may find valuable in running your administration, beyond the powers of the office. I do have a doctorate in law from Bologna."
"And I've got one in history from Oxford," David retorted. "If you wish to continue this alliance then I have a proposal: stand aside, sign everything we put in front of you, and keep taking our money."
"Hakim, Mister Prime Minister," Marcato tersely replied, "there's no need for that tone. We can come to an understanding that benefits all of us. Despite your victory, our power isn't as secure as it may seem. Together we can navigate any issues that may arise."
Jabari scoffed, chucking as he shook his head. "And I had heard you had a gift for bluntness. It seems that I had heard wrong then. We are all well aware of the situation, so spit it out already. What are you after? If all you intend to do is waste our time with meaningless babble than "
Marcato's frown deepened. "Very well," he spread his arms. "I'd rather see Egypt become independent than fall under Macedonian thumb. Call it spite if you wish, but I can see the writing on the wall. A return to the previous status quo is not possible. Therefore preventing Macedonia from winning is merely enough." He leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on his lap.
The two men shared a look of mild disbelief. Jabari spoke first. "Payback for your country's betrayal then?"
"I suppose you could put it like that."
"Then let's draft up a declaration right now, since you've become a committed believer in national liberation," David sarcastically remarked, scoffing. "You want an Egypt that's friendly to you. It'd be free in name only."
"It's called patience, you don't even have a government yet," Marcato retorted, glaring daggers at David. "You don't think Macedonia won't intervene to restore order? Being a mandate works in your favour. We work together, you can build up your base, and when the time is right I will sign off on it, so that everything is official."
David quietly fumed at the proposal, not because it was outrageous but because he knew it was coming. They had all expected a deal like that to be presented to them. It was the governor's way or nothing. The idea of turning it down crossed his mind, but he rejected it. It pained him to consider it, running the country would open the door to more opportunities. It'd be their men put in charge of offices; their men commanding soldiers for the first time ever; their men writing laws and enforcing them. All for once.
The two friends shared a brief look, a sideways glance, knowing they'd long since come to a decision before ever arriving in the capital.
"Well Marcato, it's good to know that you don't mince words," Jabari said, nodding in approval. "We'll continue this alliance. I know that I speak for the party when I say that we expect you to deal in good faith." David nodded and hummed in agreement.
"You have my word. I'm here to facilitate your rule, not impede it," Marcato inclined his face, expression relaxing into a subdued smile.
The topic shifted as the three men continued speaking for a short time about the practical matters that they had to deal with, eventually parting ways after a short while. Each side understood clearly where they stood with the other: neither truly trusted the other beyond the mutual desire to survive against a shared enemy. One somewhat more distant than before, but nonetheless loomed over the country like a Sword of Damocles. One which made its presence known soon after the All Egyptian National Congress had assumed office.
===
In the understaffed foreign ministry, Hanif Issa had set about rebuilding the institute. Egypt had little use for it previously, foreign policy dictated by its colonial masters. The ministry mainly served to coordinate with ambassadors and influential persons visiting the capital, serving more as a state sponsored tour guide than a legitimate wing of the government. That would change in the coming years if Issa had his way, which he would.
A party member serving as a secretary knocked on the door, drawing his attention away from the paperwork sorted on his desk. Grand plans were put to pen for the first time, laying the skeleton framework of far greater projects that were slowly taking form before his very eyes. It would be put on hold though. The secretary opened the door to announce that Issa had a visitor.
"Well who is? I didn't have anything scheduled," Issa sternly inquired, annoyed at the unexpected interruption.
"It's Pavlotis, the Macedonian ambassador sir. He's here to see you," he promptly answered.
Issa was stunned for a moment, before beginning to pack away the numerous documents on his desk. They were stuffed back inside folders and stuffed into his desk, clearing off the top. "Send him in."
The secretary nodded. He'd return several minutes later with Pavlotis, ushering him inside. Issa stood to greet him, extending a hand which was readily accepted, sharing brief pleasantries as part of their jobs, and sat down. The secretary left them, closing the door.
The door closed after the ambassador entered, leaving the two of them alone.
"My government wanted to extend congratulations on your recent electoral victory," Pavlotis began, smiling congenitally at the foreign minister. "I want you to know that we hold no ill will towards your party. Drakos's campaign was his own and does not reflect the position held by my government."
Issa returned the smile, nodding his head. "Of course, ambassador, we had assumed no such thing."
"I hope that your government doesn't hold Drakos' relation to my sovereign against us. I assure you we want nothing more than a peaceful and prosperous relation with the people of Egypt." Pavlotis's eyes subtly narrowed, yet he held his smile. "Which is why some of your party's proposals have raised some concern back in Salonika." He pulled a pamphlet out of his breast pocket, unfolding it and placing it on the desk. It was from the AENC listing the party's programs.
"Now I told my superiors that there was no reason to assume the worst and that I'd get it sorted out quickly," Pavlotis continued, looking up from the desk to Issa.
Issa's expression never faltered even as he internally winced. He turned the sheet of paper and made a show of humming and hawing as he pretended to look it over. He knew what it said. He was on the committee that wrote it up after all, including the policy of "nationalizing vital infrastructure." Vague enough to imply anything, but everyone knew what it meant.
"I see the cause for concern, however I assure you that these are things said on the campaign trail. We have many other far more pressing issues to focus on," Issa reassured the ambassador, putting the paper down and sliding it over.
"I'm thrilled to hear that, though," Pavlotis raised a hand and leaned to the side, "I know my government would feel much more confident about your administration if we could get a guarantee. Nothing that serious. Just a few promises in writing, contracts to make it official."
Issa rested a hand on chin, hand brushing aside the well trimmed beard. "We might be able to do so, though it would depend on the nature of these requests."
"It's fortunate that I have them written up then. It always pays to be prepared." Pavlotis pulled out another sheet of paper and pushed it across the desk.
===
Macedonia is concerned about the socialist and anti-colonialist nature of your government. Concessions made are not set in stone. They can be broken later, though the consequences of doing so may be worse than making no concessions at all. If no concessions are given they will be cold towards you, but not hostile.
Please use plan voting.
[ ] Continue granting Macedonia naval docking rights
Macedonia has a cruiser parked in Alexandria, along with other ships in the Red Sea. If not taken, then that'd be rescinded, and their ships will relocate to the Canal Zone.
[ ] Continue providing Macedonia cheap grain
Macedonia receives a significant portion of Egypt's wheat exports at below market values, practically for free in fact. If not taken, then they'll be charged market rates for the exports, granting the government additional money.
[ ] Promise not to touch Macedonian cotton plantations
Macedonian landlords own most of Egypt's cotton plantations. They know land reform is a major platform for your party. Taking this puts them at ease, so that even if farmlands are redistributed, their plantations won't be.
[ ] Promise not to take land from Macedonian landlords without compensation
As above, but instead promises not to seize land without adequate compensation. What's considered adequate compensation is of course determined by Macedonian banks, who will charge you a lot for land they own.
[ ] Nothing
If taken, then no other option can be taken. Only time will tell if you leave their investments alone or not. The uncertainty will make them very concerned.
===
In the following days, the Christian Alliance Party had approached David about the possibility of an alliance between the two parties. It wouldn't quite be a coalition government, rather favours given to them in exchange for votes should the AENC call upon the CAP. Mina Psoy argued that although the AENC had a majority, it was a slim one. If one wing of the party ever broke ranks then the government risked a vote of no confidence. It would leave the government adrift, unable to properly govern, therefore Psoy suggested an informal alliance to ensure that doesn't happen.
Of course doing so may in fact weaken the government, especially if concessions given to the CAP end up angering or empowering one wing over another. Like above, promises may be made and rescinded at a later date, though also like above making then breaking a promise might be worse than making no promises at all.
Please use plan voting.
[ ] Hire CAP members civil servants
CAP draws on a significant portion of the country's educated populace as its supporters. You need to fill in the ranks of your bureaucracy one way or another, but this ensures CAP personnel will have a role in running your government. Copts will likely be hired either way if not taken, but that doesn't mean they're CAP members.
[ ] Promise not to demote Copt officers
Under Venice and Macedonia, many Copts were fast tracked into positions of power within the military. A lot of them are of questionable skill as they were undertrained, meant to fill in ranks quickly as European officers were drawn out of the country.
[ ] Give the CAP a ministry
-[ ] Health & Social Affairs
OR
-[ ] Agriculture & Rural Development
They'd be subordinate to your government, follow dictates from above, and can be removed if due cause is found. Or at any time if you feel like it. That said it'd still be ceding a section of the government to the CAP, giving them leeway as to how to carry out your orders. Can only pick one.
[ ] Allow Copts to continue operating private religious schools
-[ ] Outside of the ministry's control
OR
-[ ] Must teach mandated material
Churches run a significant portion of schools in the country. They've enjoyed decades of independence under the Venetians and Macedonians, allowing them to admit who they want and teach what they want with little to no oversight. Many hope that the status quo will continue. Can only pick one.
[ ] Allow Copt majority areas local self government
This would create new municipal governments carved out of Coptic neighbourhoods, separate from the local government. It'd give them a great degree of local autonomy, however it also means urban centers will lose access to wealthy Copts as a tax base. These new areas would also be allowed to form their own police force and quite a few Arabs would inevitably end up in these new areas too.
[ ] Nothing
If taken, then no other option may be taken. They remain the opposition party.
===
I am currently working under a HoI4/TNO inspired set up for the cabinet. It's easier for me and players to keep track of five people, instead of having to manage eight to ten people. The current set up is Francesco Marcato as Head of State, David Hakim as Head of Government, Jabari Nadir as Economic Minister, Ari Khouri Security Minister, and Hanif Issa as Foreign Minister.
It is meant to be abstracted and broad in responsibilities too, so the Economic Minister controls more than one ministry. Stuff like education, healthcare, and agriculture would fall under Nadir's purview in this system. If the CAP is given a ministry they'd be subordinate to the AENC and take orders from them, but still have resources to further their own ends as well.
Once this is dealt with, the actual government budget and priorities can be decided upon.
Each vote is separate.
[ ] Macedonia
-[ ] Plan Example
-[ ] Example
[ ] CAP
-[ ] Plan Example
-[ ] Example
-[ ] Plan Example
-[ ] Example
[ ] CAP
-[ ] Plan Example
-[ ] Example
Last edited: