Generic Info
Nation Name: Hanseatic League
Symbols:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Hamburg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Bremen
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Flagge_der_Hansestadt_L%C3%BCbeck.svg
Location: 9
Population: 500,000 in Europe, 200,000 in Langsamland (Puerto Rico), 60,000 in Guinea, 125,000 in New Hamburg, 20,000 in Walvis Bay
Capital City: Lubeck
Government Info
Government Type: Confederation of republican city states
Brief Explanation of Government: The three members of the League are mostly free to do whatever they wish so long as it does not violate the constitution of the central government, which, for the most part, means they can do almost whatever they want internally. The central government, a group of ministers elected by popular vote of the elite in the three cities, handles military, colonial, and foreign affairs for the Hanseatic League, and acts as the face of the cities in the international community. The city themselves have more or less similar governments, being republics controlled by an elite oligarchy.
Ideology: Republican oligarchism, colonialism, moderate liberalism
Leader/s: Chancellor Adolf Hetfield
Relations The Hansa is a member of the German Confederation,
Population Info
Brief Description of your people: There is no strong “Hanseatic” identity, of course, but ask them what they are, and they’ll say that they’re Lubeckers, Hamburgers, or Bremenians. Despite this, they’re proud of their achievements together, and they hold their small colonial empire dear to them. The Langsamlanders and Bauers share a cultural bond with them, too, but some have become more independent minded due to a lack of representation. Pan-Germanism is beginning to rise, however, and how they deal with the events of the 1848 revolutions will decide the fate of these people’s identities.
Religion: Mostly Protestant, but with a large Catholic minority in Langsamland, and some muslims and believers in native religion in Africa.
Ethnicity: German, Creole, native African
Main/Accepted Culture(s): German, Langsamlander (culture of “Puerto Rico”)
Other Cultures: Native and Caribbean Africans
Military Info
Army:
24,000 in Europe, 8,000 per city
5,000 soldiers in Langsamland
2,000 soldiers in Guinea
2,000 soldiers in New Hamburg
500 soldiers in Walvis Bay
20,000 militamen in Langsamland
2,000 militiamen in Walvis Bay
Navy:
8 Paddle Sloops
1 Screw Sloop
2 First Rates
5 Second Rates
17 Other Ships-of-the-Line
32 Sloops-of-War
35 Brigs-of-War
20 Frigates
Other Info
Brief Description of your Economy: The Hansa cities enjoy quality banking and success as port cities, and have a respectable, but average, amount of industry within their European lands. Their colonial empire enjoys its fair shares of diverse riches, and their control of Guinea and New Hamburg grants them favorable access to Arab and native African trade routes.
Goals: Survive as an either fully independent state or as an autonomous self-governing entity, build up the colonial empire economically, expand into Sudwest-Afrika, maintain a respectable navy, and remain neutral but friendly to the other powers.
History:
In the 15th century, the Hansa found themselves in a tough spot, to say the least. Their dominance of the Baltic Sea had all but fallen apart, the Dutch were challenging their ship-building industry, and new discoveries in the New World were granting larger powers like Spain and the U.K. the ability to dominate trade overseas. As their members were absorbed by larger powers, or left simply to pursue their own interests, the league was threatened with becoming no more than a nominal titles. However, a meeting in the mid-16th century would save the cities from fading into irrelevance.
The remaining members decided that they were simply not a reckonable force alone, and agreed to form a central government to carry out foreign affairs, military affairs both on land and at sea, and colonial affairs while the cities could manage their own internal affairs as they pleased. Most of the league agreed to these terms, however, many of the more independent minded members simply left, and cities dominated by foreign powers were forcibly integrated. In the end, only Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburg were left, but they stuck to the league regardless.
The Hansa managed to successfully establish control of Langsamland, which would grow into a successful sugar industry and attract thousands of German settlers, quickly becoming the crown jewel of their colonial empire. Their colony in Guinea would host important trading posts to trade with Arabs, especially in regards to slavery. Their colony between the Ivory and Gold coasts would provide just that, along with slaves and trade with the interior. Walvis Bay would prove a successful colony, with a good port along with rich amounts of whales and fish. Like Langsamland, it would attract a large amount of German settlers, and to this day there remains a desire among them to expand into Sudwest-Afrika.
The Hansa would establish this small, but proud colonial empire and remain in peace until the 30’s Year War, where they sided with the protestants and used their navy to help until the end of the war in the Peace of Westphalia. As a result of their fragile position in the European mainland, they would opt to stay neutral whenever possible. This would not be possible during the Napoleonic Wars, in which they were annexed by France and forced off of the European continent, though their entire navy and a large chunk of the population had been evacuated. The government-in-exile, now operating in Langsamland, would use their navy to assist the U.K. in gaining naval dominance against France. As a result of this, they would be restored in the Congress of Vienna.
As of the present day, the Hansa has continued their neutrality, and for the most part, nothing too remarkable has happened since the Napoleonic War. The Langsamlanders and the Sudwest-Afrikans desire more representation, as they are currently governed by the Colonial Branch of the government rather than themselves, and the latter wish to expand more to raise cattle and settle new lands. Other than this, the Hansa have had a quiet existence as of late, and it’s not like anything will happen in 1848, right?
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