Full Nation Name :Royaume de Bourgogne, Kingdom of Burgundy
Majority/Official Culture : Burgundian
Territorial Core : Map of Glorious BurgundyTerritorial Claim : Corsica, Southern Netherlands, South Africa, Java, Sumatra, Borneo
Capital City : Dijon
Population :Burgundy-22.3 Million
Algeirs-3 Million (Of which 300,000 are Colons)
Cameroun-2 Million
Burgundian Guiana-35,000
Sud Afrique-460,000 (Of which 151,800 are Colons, 35,000 Couleurs)
Burgundian Malaya-2.8 Million (Of which 135,000 are Colons)
Nouveau Flandre- 545,000
Government Type : de facto Absolute Monarchy, de jure Constitutional Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : Imperialist-Burgundy seeks to expand its overseas holdings in Africa and Asia.
Revanchist-Burgundy seeks to reclaim the "lost" provinces in the Southern Netherlands.
Government Focus : The government seeks to continue to expand economically by continuing to promote industry and by investing in the colonies. The government is very eager to expand abroad with focus on Asia and South Africa in particular. Though not a primary focus it is considered etiquette to promote the concept of reclaiming the Netherlands, but it isn't really a priority.
Head of State : King Charles V, King of Burgundy and Savoy
Head of Government : Chancellor Henri Vauban
Government Description :The Burgundian government is a monarchy in which the revered King rules for the most part as he wishes. There is a parliament, though it is dominated by loyal royalists and the rich. A constitution does exist which serves as a bill of rights, granting essential rights such as freedom of religion, right to a trial by jury, and non-seditious speech. The populace nominate representatives to the parliament, though only candidates that have been approved by the monarch may be nominated. Recently the progressive chancellor, a supposed descendant of the famous general Vauban, has legalized all non-socialist trade unions. The king serves as a powerful executive, having the power to propose legislation and immediately calling a vote upon it in the unicameral Estates General. The king may also veto legislation.
Majority/State Religion : (I'm not positive of what the current status of Christianity is right now in the timeline) Roman Catholicism
Economic Ideologies : Capitalism
Major Production :Coal, Steel, Wool, Textiles, Glass, Wheat, Wine, Fruit, Cattle, Manganese, Lead, Sugar, Nickel
Economic Description :Burgundy is a highly industrialized economy, with significant contributions from agriculture as well. Due to easy access to iron and coal Burgundy was at the forefront of the industrial revolution and remains one of the worlds largest steel producers. Burgundy's large coal reserves have made it into a coal exporter. The textiles industry also thrives, especially around the capital of Dijon. The industry is supplied with cheap wool from Nouveau Flandre and cheap cotton from Guiana and Algeirs. There is a significant glass making industry in the Belgian region. Cash crops are grown in the colonies.
Army Strength :Due to its precarious situation in Europe Burgundy has been forced to develop a strong military in order to survive. Instead of maintaining a large standing army Burgundy relies upon a well developed mobilization system, with the capability to muster up potentially one million men in as little as a week. The railroad system in Burgundy is one of the most developed in the world, coupled with a spectacular road network and telegraph system garrisons can be formed overnight and troop moved to border forts in a night. All able bodied men between the ages of 17 and 36 are required to register for the draft with their local Gendarmes office. At least twice a month individuals registered for the draft must report to their Gendarmes office for one day of training which largely consists of learning how to shoot and use a weapon as well as basic tactics. Currently there is a standing army of 200,000 in Burgundy, a detachment of 23,000 stationed in Sud Afrique, 3,500 stationed in Cameroun, and 5,500 stationed in Malaya. Guiana and Nouveau Flandre both raise their own militias. The Gendarmes, which are similar to a National Guard, though it is technically not part of the military. They serve as an elite national police force and are organized under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior. 65,000 serve throughout Burgundy. The main deterrent for foreign forces is the large defensive system of forts that has existed since Vauban. These forts stretch along the eastern border and are regularly updated and repaired. The western border however is relatively open and lacks major defenses.
Army Weakness :In times of war the majority of the army is made up of inexperienced conscripts. This results in the army often having a shortage of officers during war time and being forced to call upon officers in training or retired officers in order to fill the ranks. Because of this the troops have less discipline than most other professional European armies.
Naval Strength :The Burgundian navy is among the most powerful and respected in Europe. It has long been at the forefront of innovation in naval warfare. The navy has acquired several ironclads but these are mostly deployed in Europe and have been found to only be applicable in coastal waters. The navy consists of 3 fleets. The Atlantic Fleet, the Mediterranean Fleet and the Pacific Fleet. The Atlantic Fleet docks in Calais, Antwerp, and Douala. The Mediterranean Fleet docks at Marseille and at Algeirs. The Pacific Fleet docks at Singapore and at Vauban (Wellington). The Atlantic Fleet consists of 15 armored frigates, 6 ironclads, 80 sloops of war, and 65 frigates. The Mediterranean fleet consists of 5 armored frigates, 10 ironclads, 65 sloops of war and 45 frigates.
The Pacific Fleet consists of 11 armored frigates, 2 ironclads, 40 sloops of war and 32 frigates.
Naval Weakness :The Burgundian navy is small in comparison to other European navies as it focuses on quality over quantity.
Further Military Description : Standard infantry rifle: Mertens Rifle (Chassepot)
National Goals :1:Reclaim the Southern Netherlands
2:Expand colonies
3:Professionalize and expand the military
National Issues : 1:Reforms in order to deter socialism
2:The army needs to be expanded and further trained
History :I have the history portion completed, I am just working out details with Waz and Ryg.
Comparison Points – Political : 2
Comparison Points – Cultural/Religious : 1
Comparison Points – Economy : 4
Comparison Points – Military : 3
Total Comparison Points used (10 Points MAX) : 10/10
Sorry for taking so long, I had to cover for a friend and so I worked almost 12 hours today.