With Fire and Steel - AH RP (OOC/OPEN)

[Sabara]

Korea + China = good guys
Everyone else = bad guys

Sure thing...

...A knife? No, I'm not holding a knife anywhere near your back, dear Asian comrade, why would you even suggest such a thing?

At this point, Korea could easily defeat a well placed knife~

[Liecthenbourg]

Generic Info
Nation Name: The Dual Kingdom of Sweden-Norway
Symbols: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... en.svg.png
Homeland Population: 3,700,000
Imperial Population: N/A
Location/Claims: http://i.imgur.com/4FxicgN.png
Capital City: Stockholm

Government Info
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Brief Explanation of Government: Sweden and Norway have maintained separate parliaments since the the 1743 Rising in Norway, which compelled King Frederick I to devolve more power to the Norwegians. The separate parliaments of the two member states allow both to advance their interests while a national parliament rules in tandem with the king over the entire Dual Kingdom. The Prime Minister and king share power in this regard, with slightly more power invested in the king. Each of the national parliaments elect a Governor-General to administer the country whose parliament elects them to power. The king personally picks out the Governor-General of Finland.
Ideology: Conservatism, nationalism, Christian government
Leader/s: King Oscar I Hesse, Prime Minister Harald Ostberg

Population Info
Religion: Predominantly Lutheranism
Main/Accepted Culture(s): Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian (to a slightly lesser extent)
Other Cultures:

Military Info
Army: The Swedish Army consists of 60,000 men, divided into three corps of 20K men each. One is based at Stockholm, to defend the capital. One is based in Helsinki to protect Finland from potential Russian aggression, while the third is based just northeast of Christiania in Norway. The Swedes have a highly trained and professional force, one that has seen considerable combat in this century. Where the Dual Kingdom struggles is logistics. While it has no trouble supplying the active portions of it's army with the necessary munitions, foodstuffs and winter clothing necessary to fight a prolonged war, the 70,000 reservists it can call up during wartime often lack proper shoes or uniforms. Oftentimes the armaments the reservists carry is a hodgepodge of hunting pieces and guns actually produced by gunsmiths for the army. This can make logistical coordination among the reserve regiments difficult, and the shortage of proper equipment is sure to be a morale drain, especially in winter. Swedes make up about half of the infantry regiments, while Norwegians make up the other half. The artillery regiments are almost wholly Swedish, while the Finns provide most of the cavalry.

Svenska Armén:
Based in Stockholm
-15,000 infantry
-4,000 cavalry
-1,000 artillerymen (66 guns)

Finska Armén
Based in Helsinki
-12,000 infantry
-7,500 cavalry
-500 artillerymen (33 guns)

Norsk Armén
Based in Christiania

-18,000 infantry
-1,000 cavalry
-1,000 artillery men (66 guns)

Navy: The Navy of the Dual Kingdom is something that the country takes great pride in. Descended from the powerful force that existed under the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, the Navy is not as powerful as it once was and with a greater Russian presence in the Baltic, can no longer enforce the Swedish Mare Nostrum Balticum that existed in the 17th century. Still, it is a formidable force in the Baltic at least, able to match Denmark and Russia, and one that maintains a highly professional officer corps, also benefiting greatly from Scandinavian experience in shipbuilding.

-15 Ships of the line
-35 Frigates
-30 Sloops-of-war

These are divided into two roughly equally sized fleets, one based in Stockholm, the other at Malmo.

Stockholm:
-8 Ships of the line
-18 frigates
-15 sloops-of-war

Malmo:
-7 Ships of the line
-17 frigates
-15 sloops-of-war

Other Info
Brief Description of your Economy: The economy of Sweden-Norway largely hinges on trade in the Baltic and the North Sea. Prime exports include Swedish iron destined for markets in Southern Europe, and Norwegian fish of several varieties that is in great demand across much of Europe. Prominent shipbuilding magnates are happy to take on contracts from the highest bidders.
Goals: Put a halt to any Danish plans for ascendancy in the Baltic, resist Russia, obtain moar monies
History:

The Great Northern War which spelled the end of Sweden's Mare Nostrum Balticum actually began with several resounding successes for the Swedes. A great victory was won over the Russians at the First Battle of Narva, followed by additional successes at Klissow (1702) and Pultulsk (1703) against the Poles. These victories allowed Charles XII to dethrone August II from the Polish throne. When August continued to resist upon his return to Saxony, Charles took the war to Saxony and won another victory at Fraustadt (1706). Poland-Lithuania and Saxony were knocked out of the war, but years of campaigning in Poland had allowed Peter the Great of Russia to build up a new army, replacing the one Charles had shattered at Narva. The Russians invested Ingria, and at this point Peter offered to return Ingria if he could retain St. Petersburg and the line of the Neva, in order to avoid further all-out war. Foolishly, Charles refused and decided to invade Russia.

He intended to literally march on Moscow, but the horrific winter that year (1708) sapped much of his army's strength and he was dealt a shattering defeat at the Battle of Poltava. He was so deep inside Russia that he was compelled to flee to the Ottoman Empire with the remains of his army. Russia then proceeded to occupy Estonia and Livonia. However, Prussia never joined the coalition against Sweden, and so Swedish Pomerania remained in Swedish hands until several decades after the war.

In 1714 Charles XII managed to return to Sweden and regain the throne of his kingdom. He launched an invasion of Norway in 1716 that failed largely because of his lack of preparations for the offensive, including a lack of cannon. He returned again in 1718 after obtaining more guns and this time met with resounding success, managing to capture all the major forts and cities of Norway. The Treaty of Uppsala concluded a peace with Denmark in that same year; the Danes were forced to cede the whole of Norway to Sweden, rekindling the fierce rivalry between the two realms.

At this point Sweden’s only remaining enemy was Russia, which had invaded Finland in the previous year. After concluding a peace with the Danes Charles had to rush his army to Finland in order to counter the Russians. He succeeded in driving them out of Finland but could not force them from Ingria or the Swedish provinces of Estonia and Livonia. With his realm bled white and on the verge of bankruptcy, he was compelled to sue for peace. He ceded Ingria, Estonia and Livonia to Russia in 1719, bringing the Great Northern War to a close.

While hardly the crushing defeat of OTL, the war marked the end of Sweden’s tenure as a major power despite the acquisition of Norway. Charles XII ruled until his death in 1731, a highly regarded general and king. The remaining years of his reign were spent attempting to return Sweden to financial normalcy, a goal which he had largely achieved by his death.

He was succeeded by his brother-in-law Frederick I. It was anticipated that Frederick would be a weak and spineless king, but in fact from the start he took a great interest in the affairs of his realm. He attempted to continue the absolutism of his predecessor, but this caused great discontent in Norway, which rose in rebellion during the 1743 Rising. He deployed troops to the rebellious province and succeeded in defeating the rebels by the end of the year. However, resentment simmered among the Norwegians and it seemed like a second rebellion would take place by the spring of 1749. Danish posturing convinced Frederick that they were waiting for the Norwegians to rebel again so they could declare war. He therefore granted Norway their own parliament in exchange for the disarming of the rebel force, which was agreed to by the rebels. Soon Sweden proper grew discontent over not having a parliament of their own, so in 1752 Frederick reorganized the government by granting both Norway and Sweden their own parliament and placing both bodies underneath the authority of the Parliament of the Dual Kingdom, which was in turn under his own authority. The Kingdom of Sweden then became known as the Dual Kingdom of Sweden-Norway. Frederick died the next year, having achieved a stable and unified realm.
His successor was Charles XIII, who entered the Seven Years War on the side of France, Austria and Russia against Prussia and Britain. The Dual Kingdom did not participate heavily in the war and mostly contributed its navy in actions against the Prussians. However, Frederick II of Prussia invaded Swedish Pomerania and forced Charles to cede the region to Prussia. After the war, Charles aspired to turn the Swedish Navy back into the powerful force that it once was. He immediately commissioned the construction of several ships of the line and the addition of well over a dozen frigates, however in order to do this he had to take some funds from the Army, which consequently suffered. Over the next two decades the Swedish Navy more than doubled in size. Charles attempted to expand it even further, but the construction of so many ships had strained his realm’s finances and he had to enact major tax increases in 1772. This almost immediately caused an uproar among Sweden’s peasantry, who launched a wave of rebellions from 1773-1777. Charles put them all down using exceedingly brutal methods, but eventually got the point and lowered taxes to their 1771 levels. Convinced by his advisers that his navy was now one of the most powerful in the Baltic, he returned financial equilibrium to the army and navy in 1780. At this point Norway had become a highly integrated province of the Dual Kingdom and most Norwegians had grown used to Swedish rule. In the last few years of his reign he enacted a press freedom law and did away with the last vestiges of serfdom, which had already largely died out in Scandinavia by this time.

Charles XIII died in 1786, succeeded by his son Oscar I. Oscar committed himself to rearming the Army with more modern guns and ensuring the Dual Kingdom’s military remained a highly professional force. He continued the policy of wary peace with Denmark but is determined not to let them gain the upper hand over Sweden ever again. Oscar and the Dual Kingdom now watch with great interest the happenings in France, unsure whether to side with this figure of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, or with the nations who are primed to become his adversaries; Great Britain and Russia.

RP Sample: I believe you've seen me before, but I'll link if necessary.
Secret Phrase: Date your posts or feel the wrath of the Dark Lord Sauron, somethin' like that.
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.

Accepted.

Generic Info
Nation Name: Latin Empire
Symbols: Flag
Coat of Arms
Homeland Population: 2.9 million
Imperial Population: N/A
Location/Claims: Anatolia, as per the most recent working map.
Capital City: Ancyra

Government Info
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Brief Explanation of Government: The Latin Emperor is the sovereign and highest authority in the land, and he alone can enshrine something into law. The various nobles within the Empire, along with religious and military figures limit the Monarch's  power through their seats in the Birodalmi Tanács (Imperial Council), which all of those who hold noble rank are entitled to sit in, and is required to improve all imperial actions by a simple majority vote. The Emperor is not allowed to sit in the Tanács, but members of the imperial family are.
Ideology: Monarchism, Conservatism
Leader/s:  
Emperess Anna Hunyadi

Population Info
Religion: A extremely varied mix of religions can be found in the Latin Empire; no religions holds an overall majority, with Orthodox Christianity, Anatolian Latin Christianity (a variant formed during the Reformation under a mix of Protestant and non-Chanceldonian influences) and Islam all roughly numbering 32% of the population, with the remaining 4% being Jews (3%) or Nestorians (1%).
Main/Accepted Culture(s): Anatolian Polish (term used for those of Polish ancestry), Anatolian Hungarian (term used for those of Hungarian ancestry)
Other Cultures: Turkish, Greek

Military Info
Army: The Latin Imperial Army is divided up into several sections: 

Háztartási lovassági (Household cavalry): The elite heavy cavalry of the army, the Háztartási are a regiment of 800 cuirassiers, raised from the third or fourth sons of the nobility and proven veterans. They act as the monarch's personal guard both on and off the battlefield, and only do battle on the monarch's personal command.

Megyei Ezredek (County Regiments): The backbone of the army, as they form the line infantry, the Megyei Ezredek are regiments of two thousand men, with each recruiting from a Megyei and named after the Megyei they recruit from, which is in turn named after the Byzantine name for that area. The Megyei Ezredek are as follows:

1st Boukellarion Gyalogezred
2nd Aigaion Pelagos Gyalogezred
3rd Samos Gyalogezred
4th Kibyrrhaiotai Gyalogezred
5th Opsikion Gyalogezred
6th Optimatoi Gyalogezred
7th Anatolikon Gyalogezred
8th Kappadokia Gyalogezred
9th Paphlagonia Gyalogezred
10th Armeniakon Gyalogezred
11th Charsianon Gyalogezred
12th Seleukeia Gyalogezred
13th Sebasteia Gyalogezred
14th Koloneia-Chaldia Gyalogezred
15th Kilikia Gyalogezred

Hercegi Ezredek (Ducal Regiments): The supporting Elements of the army, mainly the cavalry, artillery and light infantry, are organized into the Hercegi Ezredek, as they recruit from across the Empire. Horse Erezedek number some 800 cavalry each, while artillery and horse artillery Ezredek have 500 men and 50 guns. Light infantry Ezredek also number 500 men each.

16th Tüzérezredből (Artillery)
17th Tüzérezredből (Artillery)
18th Tüzérezredből (Artillery)
19th Ló Tüzérezredből (Horse Artillery)
20th Huszárezredben (Hussars)
21st Huszárezredben (Hussars)
22nd Huszárezredben (Heavy Dragoons)
23rd Huszárezredben (Light Dragoons)
24th Huszárezredben (Cuirassiers)
25th Fény Gyalogezred (Light Infantry)
26th Fény Gyalogezred (Light Infantry)
27th Fény Gyalogezred (Light Infantry)
28th Fény Gyalogezred (Light Infantry)
29th Lövészezred (Riflemen/Light Infantry)

39,300 men total.

Navy: The Imperial Latin Navy is rather pathetic; despite a lengthy coastline, and control over half of the Bosphorus, the Latin Empire's lack of need for a navy has led to it's navy being small, under-funded, and only suitable for coastal patrol and defence.

1 Ship of the Line
11 Frigates
34 Sloops of War/Brigs/Xebecs

Other Info
Brief Description of your Economy: The Latin economy is mostly agricultural, with most peasants growing enough food for themselves and selling the rest locally; however, with control of half of the Bosphorus and sitting at or near one end of the Silk Road, a decent amount trade takes place bringing wealth to the Latin economy.
Goals: Crush the Byz, liberate the Holy Land.
History:

The history of the Second Latin Empire (the first having been created by the Fourth Crusade and then destroyed by a briefly-resurgent Byzantium) begins with the Crusade of Varna in 1444. Launched by John Hunyadi and King Władysław III of Poland and Hungary in response to rumours of Ottoman weakness, the Crusade succeeded beyond all hope. The Ottoman army was destroyed while crossing the Sea of Marmara by a mixed Papal/Venetian fleet which destroyed it's naval escorts and then proceeded to blockade the straits, separating the Ottoman Empire.

The Polish-Hungarian army defeated the Ottoman forces that remained in Europe at the battle of Varna, capturing the Sultan after a massed cavalry charge led by the King broke through the Ottoman Janissaries. The Sultan's capture would lead to the Treaty of Constantinople, where the Ottomans surrendered all land west of the Aegean to the Byzantine Empire while Anatolia was surrendered to the newly-declared Latin Empire, with the Ottomans expelled to a small rump state between Anatolia and the Causcaus.

After King Władysław III returned home and died shortly after, leading to the splitting of Poland and Hungary, while John Hunyadi, in recognition of his part in the Crusade, was named Emperor of the Latin Empire and all lands within in 1445. After seizing and exiling the many Muslim nobles, John granted the vacated fiefs to the Polish and Hungarian nobility that followed him on crusade along the old Byzantine themes. He recognised the need for a more organised military than was present in Europe, and created the predecessor to the Ezred system.

On his death in 1458 his Hungarian lands passed to Ladislaus Hunyadi, his younger son, while Matthias Hunyadi became Emperor. A keen intellectual and Renaissance man, Matthias would formalise the Ezred system to create a modern army and would also preside over a period of theological debate not seen in the Christian world since the splitting of the Roman Empire, as Catholic, Orthodox and non-Chanceldonian churches collided in one place for the first time in a millennia, and it is widely believed that the product of this debate, Oriental Theology, influenced the ideas of Protestantism later on.

Matthias's son Casamir would inherit the Empire after Matthias' death in 1507, and would see the fruits planted in his father's reign sprout. The beginning of the spread of Protestantism struck a chord in the Latin Empire, where isolated from mainstream Catholicism and exposed to much older and more distinct forms of Christianity, the debate became more intense over not simply church conduct, but the nature of the divine as well. Unlike Europe, however, where such debates would spark wars and violence, in the Latin Empire it was settled by lengthy but peaceful theological debate. The end result was the Archbishop of Ancyra renouncing Roman Catholicism and creating Anatolian Latin Christianity, influenced by both the Protestant ideals and the non-Chanceldonian churches.

Casamir was succeeded by John II in 1549, who bound the military themes to the fiefs ruled by the nobility and made the nobles partially responsible for the upkeep of troops from each fief, while also separating the Ezredek into the Hercegi and Megyei, the former of which was funded by the crown directly, the latter of which was funded by both the nobles and crown. He also created the Birodalmi Tanács near the end of his reign to satisfy the nobility.

John II died in 1590, leaving the throne to John III. John III consolidated his father's reforms, laying down a proper code of law for the Empire to follow, while reforming the Tanács so as for it to be able to properly perform it's duty of balancing the power of the emperor and the nobility. This rebalancing would ultimately cripple his predecessor after he died in 1627, Matthias II, who due to a group of rebellious nobles and ascending the throne from a young age would only manage to keep the status quo rather than retracting the balance in his favour as he attempted.

Matthias II died in 1701, passing the throne to Ekaterina I. Unlike her father Ekaterina did not have to deal with a rebellious nobility, and modified the Ezred system into it's modern form. Ekaterina would also found the Imperial Latin Navy, although it would be neglected by her son Paul who ascended the throne in 1746. Alongside the downsizing of the navy, Paul also modernised the military in terms of both tactics and equipment from observation of wars back in Europe. Paul died in 1787, leaving the throne to Charles, who accomplished precious little before his death by disease in 1790 and the throne passing to his daughter Anna, who although she has held her ground against the nobility, has done nothing else, but this is more than likely due to her short time on the throne so far.

RP Sample: Here.
Secret Phrase: Yes, I'll date my posts damnit.
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.

Acceptamundo.

#England. If you could give us the classifications for your ships, that'll be awesome. Look at the Spanish app for help with that if you need to.

[Liecthenbourg]

Sure thing...

...A knife? No, I'm not holding a knife anywhere near your back, dear Asian comrade, why would you even suggest such a thing?

At this point, Korea could easily defeat a well placed knife~

>inb4 Bonaparte invades.

[Caltarania]

Sure thing...

...A knife? No, I'm not holding a knife anywhere near your back, dear Asian comrade, why would you even suggest such a thing?

At this point, Korea could easily defeat a well placed knife~

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

[The New American commonwealth]

At this point, Korea could easily defeat a well placed knife~

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

what happens if they have 2 million guns?

hmmmm?

[Fascist Republic Of Bermuda]

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

what happens if they have 2 million guns?

hmmmm?

What about 2 million sharp sticks?

[Lunas Legion]

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

what happens if they have 2 million guns?

hmmmm?

Ah, but two million guns are useless if one doesn't have two million bullets.

[Sabara]

At this point, Korea could easily defeat a well placed knife~

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

Also katanas and shaolin spades.

But seriously, we need to have some kind of mutual agreement to defend ourselves against western imperialism.

[Caltarania]

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

what happens if they have 2 million guns?

hmmmm?

I doubt the ability of Korea to mobilize a 2 million strong army without literally destroying their nation.

what happens if they have 2 million guns?

hmmmm?

Ah, but two million guns are useless if one doesn't have two million bullets.

And even then that's only one shot per gun, so they're still pretty shit.

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

Also katanas and shaolin spades.

But seriously, we need to have some kind of mutual agreement to defend ourselves against western imperialism.

Manpower > Any form of weaponry.

Sure...

[The New Lowlands]

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

Also katanas and shaolin spades.

But seriously, we need to have some kind of mutual agreement to defend ourselves against western imperialism.

NO.

Manpower > Any form of weaponry.

NO

[Liecthenbourg]

Yes, most definitely.

But not two million knives.

Also katanas and shaolin spades.

But seriously, we need to have some kind of mutual agreement to defend ourselves against western imperialism.

France doesn't have imperialism
We have Republicanism.
We're immune to your efforts.

[Sabara]

what happens if they have 2 million guns?

hmmmm?

I doubt the ability of Korea to mobilize a 2 million strong army without literally destroying their nation.

Korea+Japan.

Also katanas and shaolin spades.

But seriously, we need to have some kind of mutual agreement to defend ourselves against western imperialism.

France doesn't have imperialism
We have Republicanism.
We're immune to your efforts.

Will France join the movement?

[Liecthenbourg]

I doubt the ability of Korea to mobilize a 2 million strong army without literally destroying their nation.

Korea+Japan.

France doesn't have imperialism
We have Republicanism.
We're immune to your efforts.

Will France join the movement?

France doesn't join movements.
Movements join France.

[The New Lowlands]

I doubt the ability of Korea to mobilize a 2 million strong army without literally destroying their nation.

Korea+Japan.

*liberating Japan intensifies*

[Liecthenbourg]

Korea+Japan.

*liberating Japan intensifies*

*Republicanism intensifies*

[Sabara]

Korea+Japan.

*liberating Japan intensifies*

I believe the daimyos are still autonomous..

[The New Lowlands]

*liberating Japan intensifies*

I believe the daimyos are still autonomous..

irrelevant, Seoul is ash

[Sabara]

I believe the daimyos are still autonomous..

irrelevant, Seoul is ash

*Hanseong
Korea > Nederlandse

[Liecthenbourg]

I believe the daimyos are still autonomous..

irrelevant, Seoul is ash

Batavia.
Ferry the French Revolution to Seoul.

[The New Lowlands]

irrelevant, Seoul is ash

*Hanseong
Korea > Nederland

>the dutch navy
norks go home

[Sabara]

irrelevant, Seoul is ash

Batavia.
Ferry the French Revolution to Seoul.

Revolution doesn't mix with Confucianism.

*Hanseong
Korea > Nederland

>the dutch navy
norks go home

>thekoreannavy

like steampunk junks

[The New Lowlands]

Batavia.
Ferry the French Revolution to Seoul.

Revolution doesn't mix with Confucianism.

>the dutch navy
norks go home

>thekoreannavy

like steampunk junks

korea
doesn't
have
élan

[Liecthenbourg]

Batavia.
Ferry the French Revolution to Seoul.

Revolution doesn't mix with Confucianism.

Its simple.
We kill Confucianism.

Or we use an emulsifier.

[The New Lowlands]

confucianism doesn't mix with a modern military

or being relevant : ))))

[Sabara]

confucianism doesn't mix with a modern military

or being relevant : ))))

Have you heard of the Imperial Acquisition Exams? Or the early Ming Dynasty?

lulz