An Era of Revolutions (1780 Geopolitical RP) - OOC

[Pasong Tirad]

I am super duper very sorry for the wishy-washiness of my application but I've finally 100,000% decided on who to play. I'll be dropping my reservation for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Researching the Iroquois and thinking of what to do with in in RP proved a bit too difficult.

Reservation

Nation Name: United Republics of Genoa
Territory: Genoa, Corsica, Nice and Massa-Carrara.
#AER

So, I will instead be playing an expanded Genoese-dominated republican confederation that includes the territory belonging to the County of Nice, the Duchy of Massa and Carrara and the island of Corsica. I've already started writing the application (could take a little longer because of work but I am working on it regularly).

This Genoa is dealing with an internal crisis - a revolt in Corsica, the rise of discontent in the capital due to declining economic opportunities and the growing wealth of traditional elites - all the while handling external issues, such as the flight of many young men overseas who are signing up to work for these increasingly wealthy elites and banking families that control Genoa, either as some kind of laborer or, increasingly, as mercenaries working to fulfill the contracts of the bankers in this war or that. Plenty of room for my desire to do some internal RP while, at the same time, opening the possibility of me RPing with other folks here.

I should lyk that France already has Corsica in its app, and dealing with a Corsican revolt is supposed to be one of their issues at the start. Unless you asked them for it, ofc.

Thanks for the heads up, I was basing my claim off the updated map which didn't include Corsica. Guess this was a mistake. I won't claim Corsica then. I'll amend my claim to include the province of Frejus which Rodez's application didn't include but Sao Nova Europa did. If this is a mistake I'll gladly retract it and just stick with Nice.

[Reverend Norv]

I should lyk that France already has Corsica in its app, and dealing with a Corsican revolt is supposed to be one of their issues at the start. Unless you asked them for it, ofc.

Thanks for the heads up, I was basing my claim off the updated map which didn't include Corsica. Guess this was a mistake. I won't claim Corsica then.

It could provide a conflict of a different sort: maybe France recently took Corsica from Genoa, and revanchism rather than rebellion is what's roiling the Republics.

It would also be fascinating to see if the Genoese become the equivalent of the Hessians when (and it probably is when, not if) America revolts - if the Genoese are Europe's main source of mercenaries, the British crown might well rely on them to keep actual British casualties low.

[Greater Cornwallis]

Hoping to make my first post by Friday, covering two issues facing Greater Turkey - Armenia and The Young Turk Movement.

[Of the Quendi]

Nation Name: "the Mamluk Realm" is a collectivity of nominally Ottoman eyelets which has recently been united in a loose confederation. As such their entity has no real name but is usually referred to as Egypt (the Eyalet of Egypt officially) after its most important state or simply as "the Mamluks" in reference to the governing authority.
Culture(s): To some extent the Mamluk empire can be considered the nation state of the Arabs with Arabs forming the vast majority of the population (with Egyptians in particularly prominent) the Mamlukes themselves are however a caste of non-Arabs.
What is the dominant culture/ethnicity of your nation? If it's a multinational empire, what are the major ethnic groups?
Territory: Already established.
Capital City: None. Cairo is the principal center of power but Damascus and Aleppo are almost equal with Baghdad doing its own thing.
Population: five million in Egypt (plus Cyrenaica), three in Syria, one in Mesopotamia, a half in the rest of Arabia and a couple of millions in Sudan and the rest of Africa.

Government Type : Confederal Mamluk autocracy
Head of State: Ali Bey al-Kabir, Beylerbey of Egypt
Head of Government: Abu al-Dhahab, Beylerbey of Damascus and Aleppo
Government Description: I expect at least a (1) paragraph. You do not have to describe all ministries, departments and provinces of your country but I want to know A) how your country is administered, B) how local governments function.

Majority/State Religion : (Sunni) Islam

Economic Description: Most of the Mamluk realm is a fairly economically backward region dominated however by strong agricultural and commercial sector. The Nile basin is a major producer of grain in the mediterranean economy and cash crops such as cotton, silk, olive oil and tobacco is produced as well. The state takes an active but not always effective role in economic development and extraction of the country seeking to maximize state revenue with comparatively little regard for the general populace and the private sector. There is some industry in major cities like Cairo and Damascus and the commercially important harbors of Alexandria and Acre.

Development: Pre-industrialized

Army Description: The Mamluk armies are, perhaps not surprisingly, comprised chiefly of the Mamluk warrior caste. These cavalry troops are famous for their bravery and their skill but not necessarily for their discipline. These forces are supplemented by the peasant levies of the fellahin which are raised as needed and are usually poorly armed, always poorly trained and never particularly enthusiastic in battle. Other forms of units exists, including a small jannisary corps inherited from the Ottomans, which is however having trouble recruiting and training its forces, bashi-bazouk units and various other mercenaries. A more professional army is being toyed with by Abu al-Dhahab.
Army Weakness: Lack of discipline, artillery and equipment plagues the armies.
Naval Description: The Mamluks maintain some frigates and a number of briggs and corvettes but otherwise make do with an assortment of canon boats that does not merit the description "navy".
Naval Weakness: Should be fairly obvious.

National Goals: Asserting autonomy from the Ottomans.
National Issues: The lack of a single central authority governing the "realm" is its principal issue and the source of most others. The lack of effective state institutions, including a proper army and any sort of navy is the result.

History : In 1517 AD the Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan Selim I conquered the Mamluk Sultanate based in Cairo. Despite the resounding victory the Mamluks as a caste or class continued to exist in most of their former territories serving the Ottomans as soldiers and bureaucrats and maintaining some autonomy for themselves. Though it waxed and waned throughout a quarter of a millennia there was always a Mamluk presence in Egypt and the rest of the former Mamluk sultanate that had to be dealt with by the Ottomans.

During a period of war (in OTL with Catherine the Great) in the 1760s and 70s the leader of the Mamluks in Egypt Ali Bey al-Kabir of Georgia rebelled with foreign assistance against the Turks. Ali Bey al-Kabir declared the independence of Egypt and sent his general Abu al-Dhahab to invade Syria. Abu al-Dhahab did this with great success and though having misgivings about the leadership of Ali Bey al-Kabir he successfully conquered Damascus and Aleppo driving the Turks from Syria. Concurrently Ismail Bey invaded Hejaz, deposing the pro-Ottoman government and installing a Sharrif and Emir of Mecca friendly to the Mamluks.

From then on the conflict with the Ottomans turned into something of a stalemate. Abu al-Dhahab occupied Cilicia but made little effort to advance further into Anatolia while Ismail Bey invaded the Eyalet of Tripolitania. The Ottomans soon made peace with their foreign enemies leaving the Mamluks alone to fight them, but an Ottoman offensive succeeded only in securing small gains in Cilicia at a high cost. In the meantime the Mamluks in Egypt was trading enthusiastically with France and Britain and eventually, through the intercession of these two powers and Ruthenia Ali Bey al-Kabir abandoned his claim to independence, settling for autonomy and the title of governor (Beylerbey) of Egypt and de facto control over all his conquests except for Cilicia. The Mamluk Sultanate had been restored, or so Ali Bey al-Kabir claimed.

Peace however proved elusive in the new autonomous entity. Already the pro-Mamluk ruler in Hejaz was facing opposition from his pro-Ottoman predecessor and the alliance between Ali Bey al-Kabir and Abu al-Dhahab was turning increasing frosty with their respective factions, Ali Bey al-Kabir's Alawiyya and Abu al-Dhahab's Muhammadiyya openly feuding for power and control. An uneasy truce was negotiated by Zahir al-Umar with Abu al-Dhahab in control of Syria and Ali Bey al-Kabir in control of Egypt.

In 1776 the Ottomans, unhappy with the rule of Omar Pasha in Baghdad and Basra opted to replace him with a Turk. Ali Bey al-Kabir wanted to support Omar Pasha against the Turks. Abu al-Dhahab was more reluctant but realizing that Baghdad and Basra might prove a useful ally against Ali Bey al-Kabir he sent an army under Murad Bey into Iraq in support of Omar Pasha. The invasion was successful and once again the Ottomans had to accept a peace mediated by the great powers in which its authority over its own realm was diminished.

Omar Pasha thus joined Ali Bey al-Kabir and Abu al-Dhahab as a third ruler (though decidedly the junior) in a triumvirate of the major Beylerbeys.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=39699568#p39699568
#AER (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

[New Luciannova]

San Marino being independent is a pretty important part of my application - would you mind not making it as your client state? It's going to be fairly big in my whole revolution thing.

Then waived.

[New Luciannova]

I have edited my application to remove any claim to San Marino above. Am I approved?

[New Luciannova]

Nation Name: Republic of Sicily
Culture(s): On the Italian peninsula it is mostly Italians with some Germanic and Greek residents mostly in the north and eastern portions respectively. On Sicily, there is a unique identity in itself with Italian, African, Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, and Norman roots. Although Italian influences through language and dialect are prominent.
Territory: We control the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, and the Southern Half of Italy, we also would like to control the nation of Malta.
Capital City: Palermo (Naples serves as a co-capital).
Population: 3,500,000

Government Type : Republic with Oligarchal and Monarchal Structures
Head of State: King Luciano Galiano
Head of Government: Luciano Galiano
Government Description: There is significant devolution, but all devolved regions recognize the central authority in Palermo. There is a central constitution that sets core rules but the provinces are allowed to generally govern themselves within the boundaries established. They are allowed to raise armies, administer public works, comission fleets, and appoint magistrates and local authorities as they see fit. During wartime, devolved powers are considerably lower.
Malta, however, has some exceptions in that the devolved powers tend to be much greater and less limted, as Malta is ruled by the Knights of St. John, a religious military order that sets its own policies. They act as more of a client state than a true Sicilian territory.

Majority/State Religion : Sicily has religious tolerance as it always has, although it's current leader is much more pronounced as a Roman Catholic than is typical, but he has a close circle of advisors that includes Protestants, Muslims, Jews, and even Pagans.

Economic Description: Sicily has always been commercial, however, under its current leadership capitalism has been aggressively embraced. Attempts to move toward lack of regulation of business, assembly lines, and some proto-industrialization has become increasingly popular. Sicily, however, does have an issue of corruption and organized crime often interfering in business, although the government has been recruiting them to act as spies to learn more about industrial advancements in other countries, especially the United Kingdom.
Sicily makes a great deal of its income from commercial fishing. Agriculture dominates the inland parts of the island, with nuts, olives, grapes, and grain being major staples. Peninsular Italy, especially Naples, is a bigger hub and produces fewer fish, but greater abundance in other markets, including timber and shipbuilding than Sicily. Sardinia is not unlike Sicily in general. Malta's financial activities are largely unknown, but they seem to enjoy the higheset standards of living of any of the major zones.

Development: The Southern Italian economy under Luciano Galiano has been pursuing industrialization to a greater extent by relying on organized crime to bring industrial designs and ideas into the peninsula. The economy is primarily late agriculture, but the first few industrial sites have been built and more are being projected. Spies have managed to smuggle industrial designs from the United Kingdom.

Army Description: The Sicilian army mostly relies on rifles and muskets common in this time. The hills and mountains are not suitably for cavalry, limiting them. The Italian army has been importing camels to build a camel corps to greater develop the economy. The Sicilian Army however is relatively small army and is mostly invested in naval assets and besides small more elite forces, peasant levies fill most defensive operations on land.
Sicily relies heavily, however, on espionage and sabotage through our government's alliance with organized crime.
The Knights of St. John, who principally defend Malta serve as an elite force as well.
Army Weakness: The Sicilian navy is quite large and advanced, it's land forces, desptie the camel corps and some elite infantry and coastal batteries is made up of peasant levies.
Naval Description: The Sicilian navy is advanced and developed and properly trained. It's quite large and development is expected to increase further with industrialization.
Naval Weakness: The Sicilian navy isn't as large as those of major powers and generally is either escorting merchant vessels or patroling the coastline.

National Goals: Sicily is looking to grow its industrial capacity and develop its economy to be among the more modern in Europe. Sicily is also seeking to enter the colonial race and wants a larger army and fleet. Sicily has been using the Mafia as spies and saboteurs, but would prefer a more professional and formal force and thus reduce corruption.
National Issues: Corruption, due to organized crime, is a serious issue. Many people living inland in Sicily, Sardinia, and Southern Italy are still quite poor, while their lot has improved under Galiano, they still remain unhappy and frustrated.

History : Overthrowing the bourbons, Luciano Galiano, an attorney, philosopher, and son of a merchant prince, marched on Palermo and Naples with a group of followers. They demanded a Republic, self-rule, and the right to create a true "Italian State." Similar nationalist movements under allies sprung up in Sardinia and Southern Italy leading to a large scale movement, and with Malta joined, the New Republic of Sicily was born.

RP Sample:
Galiano looked out at the Thyrrenian Sea from the top of the palace and sighed. He loved his country, but had failed to deliver on a republic and had given in to the corruption he promised to root out. He promised that the people would dine off golden plates and be fat, but only he and some around him had become rotund, and in many ways he was uncomfortably so.
He knew things would improve, but the patience he promised the people lead to papers labeling him "the tortoise" or worse, "the snail." He wanted a free society, democracy and capitalism were the ways forward, education must flourish, but he had a hard time not only selling these ideas, but even after doing so, delivering on them. Sicily's location enabled it to become a large hub of commerce, but also a popular target for French, British, Spanish, Hapsburg, or worse, Turkish forces to attempt to occupy. Right now, he had secured his country, and knew his people would fight for their land. However, his defense forces were mostly mercenaries and peasant conscripts and he needed more professional forces to change things. Horses were not suitable for the hilly landscape, but camels were and he had recruited 5,000 soldiers as a camel corps and hoped to expand them. He even stocked his personal stable with camels, trying to make owning one a fashion trend among the wealthy. Most aristocrats still preferred the horse, but he liked his camel, he named his best Saladin and adored the dromedary.
The press despised this camel fetish as well.
Galiano decided to set up goals for the next three months. First, he was going to increase the camelry byy 50%, he was going to build at least 10 new warships, even small ones. He also wanted to comission the creation of five new large factories.
He was hoping to have at least 50 factories by the year's end and a large fleet and more professional army. The next year he wanted a colony, south Asia and Africa were still open and as far as he was concerned he time had arisen for Sicily to take its place on the world stage.

#AER (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

[Mifan]

I'm dropping my reservation of Japan, sorry guys.

[Pasong Tirad]

Just an update, doing steady progress on the application. I'm hoping to finish everything within the seven-day deadline.

[Nitrana]

Just wanna ask, but how would Britain economically support its colonies? Considering The 13 Colonies and the Canadian colonies are split by New France and the French would (most probably) not allow the British to legally March through their colony. I am not considering the illegal crossing of New France, since that’s not really controlled by the British.

[Of the Quendi]

-snip-

Done.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Just wanna ask, but how would Britain economically support its colonies? Considering The 13 Colonies and the Canadian colonies are split by New France and the French would (most probably) not allow the British to legally March through their colony. I am not considering the illegal crossing of New France, since that’s not really controlled by the British.

As it did historically, by ship. That's the fastest mode of transport anyway, and it will be until the invention of sufficiently powerful steam trains in about 100 years.

[Union Princes]

I think the hardest thing to imagine in this world is how the musicians we know of is changed in this world. I cant imagine what sort of music Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin. Vivaldi, Bach, etc would make

[Arvenia]

Reservation

Nation Name: Kingdom of Scandinavia
Territory: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Svalbard, Western India, Saint-Barthelémy, Guadeloupe, Laccadives, Timor-Leste, East Nusa Tenggara, Danish Virgin Islands, Walvis Bay and the rest of the Arctic Archipelago
#AER (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

I want this to be on the reserved rooster.

[Burgenreich]

Reservation

Nation Name: Kingdom of Scandinavia
Territory: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Svalbard, Western India, Saint-Barthelémy, Guadeloupe, Laccadives, Timor-Leste, East Nusa Tenggara, Danish Virgin Islands, Walvis Bay and the rest of the Arctic Archipelago
#AER (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)

I want this to be on the reserved rooster.

Don't worry. Sao just takes a while to edit things. I'm keeping track of the thread and will make sure he doesn't miss your reservations/drops/adjustments.

[Burgenreich]

I think the hardest thing to imagine in this world is how the musicians we know of is changed in this world. I cant imagine what sort of music Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin. Vivaldi, Bach, etc would make

I like to imagine that famous musicians go on tours to Ming China and I want to include that in at least one of my posts.

[Reverend Norv]

I am still working on my app; I've been completely slammed with work this week, so the best I can do is get a few paragraphs done each evening. If I were less excited, I might have bowed out - but I refuse to abandon the chance to play in the North American sandbox with writers as talented as GCCS and Khas. So I'm still plugging away, and I expect to be done - suitably enough - right around July 4.

[Reverend Norv]

I think the hardest thing to imagine in this world is how the musicians we know of is changed in this world. I cant imagine what sort of music Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin. Vivaldi, Bach, etc would make

I like to imagine that famous musicians go on tours to Ming China and I want to include that in at least one of my posts.

For my part, I have found a suitable - if unofficial - national anthem for the colonies.

[Nitrana]

Just wanna ask, but how would Britain economically support its colonies? Considering The 13 Colonies and the Canadian colonies are split by New France and the French would (most probably) not allow the British to legally March through their colony. I am not considering the illegal crossing of New France, since that’s not really controlled by the British.

As it did historically, by ship. That's the fastest mode of transport anyway, and it will be until the invention of sufficiently powerful steam trains in about 100 years.

Yeah, but my point is that the only sea that they can efficiently ship the goods from Britain directly to Canada (which doesn’t involve dialing through the whole world) is through the North Sea. Which is extremely cold. Wouldn’t that make the colony hard to supply?

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

As it did historically, by ship. That's the fastest mode of transport anyway, and it will be until the invention of sufficiently powerful steam trains in about 100 years.

Yeah, but my point is that the only sea that they can efficiently ship the goods from Britain directly to Canada (which doesn’t involve dialing through the whole world) is through the North Sea. Which is extremely cold. Wouldn’t that make the colony hard to supply?

Well, not really. The Hudson Bay is pretty navigable. And of course, that colony existed isolated IRL (only earlier) so it was possible. But the Hudson Bay colony will never be a really big colony of course.

[Nitrana]

Yeah, but my point is that the only sea that they can efficiently ship the goods from Britain directly to Canada (which doesn’t involve dialing through the whole world) is through the North Sea. Which is extremely cold. Wouldn’t that make the colony hard to supply?

Well, not really. The Hudson Bay is pretty navigable. And of course, that colony existed isolated IRL (only earlier) so it was possible. But the Hudson Bay colony will never be a really big colony of course.

Aight I just wanted to know how the colony could possibly work.

[Burgenreich]

Yeah, but my point is that the only sea that they can efficiently ship the goods from Britain directly to Canada (which doesn’t involve dialing through the whole world) is through the North Sea. Which is extremely cold. Wouldn’t that make the colony hard to supply?

Well, not really. The Hudson Bay is pretty navigable. And of course, that colony existed isolated IRL (only earlier) so it was possible. But the Hudson Bay colony will never be a really big colony of course.

Just wanted to say, the intrigue from your prologue post was awesome. I can't wait to see more of Britain's story.

[Rodez]

I’m still here, just been very busy lately. France will be finished tonight with or early tomorrow.

[Nitrana]

Just wanna ask, is the IC up?

[Sao Nova Europa]

Just wanna ask, is the IC up?

Yes