1850: Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC-OPEN]

[Remnants of Exilvania]

I can't believe how good I was with my population guess. After what feels like an eternity of crunching numbers of individual Kreise in the Prussian Province of Brandenburg which look like they are in my territory, I have a population of 7,143 Million.

[The Transhuman Union]

Reservation

Nation Name: Kingdom of Arabia
Territory: Modern-day territories Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

I will write an app tomorrow, because it's kinda late for me.

[Plzen]

I can't believe how good I was with my population guess. After what feels like an eternity of crunching numbers of individual Kreise in the Prussian Province of Brandenburg which look like they are in my territory, I have a population of 7,143 Million.

A tad smaller than my non-colonial population, then. Hmm... this might actually work.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

I just noticed that the map is wrong. It gives me a lot more Lithuania than I claimed. However, I also just noticed after looking at some RL maps of Latvia, that I made my reservation slightly wrong. I missed one portion of Latvia in the southeast.

How about I and Russia trade some territories? Some Latvia for some Lithuania?

[Remnants of Exilvania]

I can't believe how good I was with my population guess. After what feels like an eternity of crunching numbers of individual Kreise in the Prussian Province of Brandenburg which look like they are in my territory, I have a population of 7,143 Million.

A tad smaller than my non-colonial population, then. Hmm... this might actually work.

Yeah.
OH wait!
I forgot to add Gotland!

Anyway, yeah, a tad smaller. But concentrated on maybe a sixth of your territory

[Plzen]

Yeah.
OH wait!
I forgot to add Gotland!

I checked that one. The population of Gotland in 1850 is a rounding error, on the scale we're talking about.

It actually works to my advantage that your population is concentrated. Easy enough to lock you away from the ocean and force you to do all your trade overland.

I think in the end this war might come down to how many ships I'm comfortable with pulling off my colonies.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Yeah.
OH wait!
I forgot to add Gotland!

I checked that one. The population of Gotland in 1850 is a rounding error, on the scale we're talking about.

It actually works to my advantage that your population is concentrated. Easy enough to lock you away from the ocean and force you to do all your trade overland.

I think in the end this war might come down to how many ships I'm comfortable with pulling off my colonies.

I found 45k people living there in 1850. That's just fine for me to add that.

Well...more concentrated also means higher developed...better industry...so many beautiful advantages.

In the end, it will probably come down to who has the better allies.

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

Full Nation Name : Horde of the Undead
Majority/Official Culture : Ayizo ("Dahomey")
Territorial Core : Stateless; occupation in underground
Territorial Claim : Benin, Haiti, Louisiana
Capital City : Glarthon, City of the Molemen
Population : 120,000,000

Government Type : Khanate
Government Ideology/Policies : Militant communism
Government Focus : Assimilation of the living into an indistinguishable horde
Head of State : Mambo-asogwe Apedomessi Facilier
Head of Government : see above
Government Description : A nomadic and borderless empire led by the High Priestess (Mambo-asogwe), the government is run under the strict rules of the traditional African faith it bases itself on. Most of the population is mindless zombies raised from death, with the priesthood serving as hierarchy. Although organized priesthood is not properly seen, a certain hierarchy does indeed exist, and it is from this that the basis for government is drawn.

Majority/State Religion : Voodoo/vodou/vodun
Religious Description : A traditional West African faith prominent from Benin to Ghana, and in the African diaspora abroad, Voodoo teaches of magic and contact with the spirits and their realm. It is fetishistic in nature, using trinkets and idols for magical benefit. With a complex series of blessings, curses, and priesthoods, it is far from organized- but the dedication its followers possess is near endless to stand in the face of proselytizing religions and hold firm.

Economic Ideologies : Communism
Major Production : Calcium, meat, fetishes
Economic Description : A generous economy where food is shared between the majority of the population, all are expected to do their part for the greater good of the empire. Only the advanced priesthood is given benefit over the mindless horde, eating what would be called by outsiders "actual food", "not cannibalistic" meals. The economy is relatively weak, but due to the large presence of free labor, it is not reliant on the world trade to sustain itself.


Tech Group : N/A

Army Description : Among the most populous armies in the world, the army consists entirely of unarmed light infantry. They rely heavily on the Eastern Swarm tactic popular in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. With the ability to absorb a body count that would cripple most countries, their lack of arms is only a temporary setback in their ability to overrun enemies. Recruitment plans in the Horde are to die for.
Army Weakness : Unarmed and unarmored, and entirely lacking discipline, the Horde relies too much on its sheer numbers to win any given battle.
Naval Description : Corpse-flotilla
Naval Weakness : No boats yo
Further Military Description : A total lack of officers leaves the military constantly lusting for good brains to contribute to the cause.

National Goals : Destruction of all life
National Issues : Greater international outreach is deeply required, and the poor condition of the navy makes both diplomacy and militancy difficult to many regions of the world
National Figures of Interest : N/A
National Ambition/Aspirations : World conquest
Rival: European colonial powers
History : Since time immemorial, the voodoo priests have conducted their sacred rites. Many possessed knowledge of things that the world at large would consider unnatural. The European powers in the past few centuries had been encroaching, fueling wars with their rifles and drive for slaves. Many died in these conflicts, and the Europeans thought they could get away free of all trouble. Many, in fact, attempt now to return to the Dark Continent and the diaspora they've created abroad and reclaim the lands. Then, the zombies arose. Ironic, isn't it? They thought they could kill their way to victory, but they could not stop themselves from facing the dead.
RP Sample: Other AD threads

#AltDiv

[The Traansval]

So, shall there be a Hapsburg Spain or Austria?

Full Nation Name : Horde of the Undead
Majority/Official Culture : Ayizo ("Dahomey")
Territorial Core : Stateless; occupation in underground
Territorial Claim : Benin, Haiti, Louisiana
Capital City : Glarthon, City of the Molemen
Population : 120,000,000

Government Type : Khanate
Government Ideology/Policies : Militant communism
Government Focus : Assimilation of the living into an indistinguishable horde
Head of State : Mambo-asogwe Apedomessi Facilier
Head of Government : see above
Government Description : A nomadic and borderless empire led by the High Priestess (Mambo-asogwe), the government is run under the strict rules of the traditional African faith it bases itself on. Most of the population is mindless zombies raised from death, with the priesthood serving as hierarchy. Although organized priesthood is not properly seen, a certain hierarchy does indeed exist, and it is from this that the basis for government is drawn.

Majority/State Religion : Voodoo/vodou/vodun
Religious Description : A traditional West African faith prominent from Benin to Ghana, and in the African diaspora abroad, Voodoo teaches of magic and contact with the spirits and their realm. It is fetishistic in nature, using trinkets and idols for magical benefit. With a complex series of blessings, curses, and priesthoods, it is far from organized- but the dedication its followers possess is near endless to stand in the face of proselytizing religions and hold firm.

Economic Ideologies : Communism
Major Production : Calcium, meat, fetishes
Economic Description : A generous economy where food is shared between the majority of the population, all are expected to do their part for the greater good of the empire. Only the advanced priesthood is given benefit over the mindless horde, eating what would be called by outsiders "actual food", "not cannibalistic" meals. The economy is relatively weak, but due to the large presence of free labor, it is not reliant on the world trade to sustain itself.


Tech Group : N/A

Army Description : Among the most populous armies in the world, the army consists entirely of unarmed light infantry. They rely heavily on the Eastern Swarm tactic popular in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. With the ability to absorb a body count that would cripple most countries, their lack of arms is only a temporary setback in their ability to overrun enemies. Recruitment plans in the Horde are to die for.
Army Weakness : Unarmed and unarmored, and entirely lacking discipline, the Horde relies too much on its sheer numbers to win any given battle.
Naval Description : Corpse-flotilla
Naval Weakness : No boats yo
Further Military Description : A total lack of officers leaves the military constantly lusting for good brains to contribute to the cause.

National Goals : Destruction of all life
National Issues : Greater international outreach is deeply required, and the poor condition of the navy makes both diplomacy and militancy difficult to many regions of the world
National Figures of Interest : N/A
National Ambition/Aspirations : World conquest
Rival: European colonial powers
History : Since time immemorial, the voodoo priests have conducted their sacred rites. Many possessed knowledge of things that the world at large would consider unnatural. The European powers in the past few centuries had been encroaching, fueling wars with their rifles and drive for slaves. Many died in these conflicts, and the Europeans thought they could get away free of all trouble. Many, in fact, attempt now to return to the Dark Continent and the diaspora they've created abroad and reclaim the lands. Then, the zombies arose. Ironic, isn't it? They thought they could kill their way to victory, but they could not stop themselves from facing the dead.
RP Sample: Other AD threads

#AltDiv

Thats quite creative...

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

So, shall there be a Hapsburg Spain or Austria?

Full Nation Name : Horde of the Undead
Majority/Official Culture : Ayizo ("Dahomey")
Territorial Core : Stateless; occupation in underground
Territorial Claim : Benin, Haiti, Louisiana
Capital City : Glarthon, City of the Molemen
Population : 120,000,000

Government Type : Khanate
Government Ideology/Policies : Militant communism
Government Focus : Assimilation of the living into an indistinguishable horde
Head of State : Mambo-asogwe Apedomessi Facilier
Head of Government : see above
Government Description : A nomadic and borderless empire led by the High Priestess (Mambo-asogwe), the government is run under the strict rules of the traditional African faith it bases itself on. Most of the population is mindless zombies raised from death, with the priesthood serving as hierarchy. Although organized priesthood is not properly seen, a certain hierarchy does indeed exist, and it is from this that the basis for government is drawn.

Majority/State Religion : Voodoo/vodou/vodun
Religious Description : A traditional West African faith prominent from Benin to Ghana, and in the African diaspora abroad, Voodoo teaches of magic and contact with the spirits and their realm. It is fetishistic in nature, using trinkets and idols for magical benefit. With a complex series of blessings, curses, and priesthoods, it is far from organized- but the dedication its followers possess is near endless to stand in the face of proselytizing religions and hold firm.

Economic Ideologies : Communism
Major Production : Calcium, meat, fetishes
Economic Description : A generous economy where food is shared between the majority of the population, all are expected to do their part for the greater good of the empire. Only the advanced priesthood is given benefit over the mindless horde, eating what would be called by outsiders "actual food", "not cannibalistic" meals. The economy is relatively weak, but due to the large presence of free labor, it is not reliant on the world trade to sustain itself.


Tech Group : N/A

Army Description : Among the most populous armies in the world, the army consists entirely of unarmed light infantry. They rely heavily on the Eastern Swarm tactic popular in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. With the ability to absorb a body count that would cripple most countries, their lack of arms is only a temporary setback in their ability to overrun enemies. Recruitment plans in the Horde are to die for.
Army Weakness : Unarmed and unarmored, and entirely lacking discipline, the Horde relies too much on its sheer numbers to win any given battle.
Naval Description : Corpse-flotilla
Naval Weakness : No boats yo
Further Military Description : A total lack of officers leaves the military constantly lusting for good brains to contribute to the cause.

National Goals : Destruction of all life
National Issues : Greater international outreach is deeply required, and the poor condition of the navy makes both diplomacy and militancy difficult to many regions of the world
National Figures of Interest : N/A
National Ambition/Aspirations : World conquest
Rival: European colonial powers
History : Since time immemorial, the voodoo priests have conducted their sacred rites. Many possessed knowledge of things that the world at large would consider unnatural. The European powers in the past few centuries had been encroaching, fueling wars with their rifles and drive for slaves. Many died in these conflicts, and the Europeans thought they could get away free of all trouble. Many, in fact, attempt now to return to the Dark Continent and the diaspora they've created abroad and reclaim the lands. Then, the zombies arose. Ironic, isn't it? They thought they could kill their way to victory, but they could not stop themselves from facing the dead.
RP Sample: Other AD threads

#AltDiv

Thats quite creative...

Yeah, I've played some more major and diplomatically/militarily capable powers in my time with AD, and in general with P2TM, so I figured I'd give something new a shot and have a go at an African minor power. It's not really my comfort zone, but I do think the region's underutilized and I'd love to try my hand at something new!

[Axis Asteroid]

Yeah, I've played some more major and diplomatically/militarily capable powers in my time with AD, and in general with P2TM, so I figured I'd give something new a shot and have a go at an African minor power. It's not really my comfort zone, but I do think the region's underutilized and I'd love to try my hand at something new!

Looks like the Vandals will have an ally in the struggle against the colonial powers.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

So 1850 is still the age of colourful uniforms!

I am interested in how everyone's uniforms look aka what colours they are sporting.

I for myself will totally go with black and white and some pieces of gold. Probably a white jacket with black boots, trousers and a hat. Ornaments probably in gold.

[The Traansval]

So 1850 is still the age of colourful uniforms!

I am interested in how everyone's uniforms look aka what colours they are sporting.

I for myself will totally go with black and white and some pieces of gold. Probably a white jacket with black boots, trousers and a hat. Ornaments probably in gold.

It is... Surprisingly difficult to find information on the Dutch Army in 1850, particularly its Arms and Uniforms. As far as i can tell, the Dutch are still using Napoleonic Uniforms, and so i'll probably be using those. Some nice Blue and Orange uniforms for the men to march into battle with!

[Intermountain States]

Voodoo empire?

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Full Nation Name : The Holy Catholic Union of the Livonian and the Teutonic Knightly Orders
Majority/Official Culture : German
Territorial Core : https://i.imgur.com/jlZTag8.png
Territorial Claim : Finland, Karelia,Lithuania
Capital City : Marienburg
Population : 7.438.000

Government Type : Theocracy
Government Ideology/Policies : Militant, Religious, German Supremacy
Government Focus : The government focus has always been on a weird mix of military and religion that could be traced back all the way to the foundation of the Order States. The church is one with the government and thus much of the chuch's money comes straight from the government. The government ensures that the population is united in one faith, the catholic christian faith. Luckily they do not enforce it that harshly anymore as they did in the medieval era. And the militant focus? Well, the state was founded in a violent way, through conquest and the government structure was that of a military organisation. Besides that, due to their medieval killing spree, the Order state had made many enemies for itself in the east and had to defend itself over many decades against the vengeful enemies striking it from all sides. And after that the Order State had to deal with the territorial ambitions of other powers. They know exactly that they are a relic of the past for many of their neighbours yet they do not wish to die with their state, instead supporting militarism in order to be strong, in order to survive.
Head of State : Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen
Head of Government : Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen
Government Description : Well, let's start this at the top. Who is at the top? Yes, the Hochmeister. The Hochmeister heads the government, he has the legislative initiave as well as a legislative veto. He also holds a juristic veto and is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He alo is the highest religous authority in the Order territory. The Hochmeister is elected for lifetime (unless he resigns voluntarily) by the Generalkapitel from the ranks of the Landmeister and has to be confirmed in his office by the other Landmeister. The titles of Hoch- and Landmeister are not mutually exclusive.

Next we have the legislative arm of the government, the Generalkapitel. The Generalkapitel is made up from the Komture and the Landmeister. Each Landmeister heads a delegation of Komture from his region. These people basically had to vote yes or no about the legislations that the government proposed to them. If the Komturs managed to garner the support of atleast two Landmeister, they could also propose an own legislation. The Generalkapitel also elects the new Hochmeister and its members are to monitor their fellow christian knightly brothers for possible candidates for the position of Hochmeister.

The Government consists of the Großkomtur (Vice of the Hochmeister), the Ordensmarschall (Minister of Defense and commander of the Armed Forces), Großspittler (Minister of Health), Ordenstressler (Minister of Finances), Ordenstrappier (Minister of Welfare), Großschäffer (Minister of Foreign Relations), Ordensmagister (Minister of Education), Großgebietiger (Minister of the Interior) and last and definitely least the Chancellor of the Hochmeister, which is basically the Hochmeister's glorified secretary, as well as the secretary of the Government and the Generalkapitel. These people are chosen by the Hochmeister and there is no way of applying for their posts. They stay in office for as long as the Hochmeister permitts and he can fire them anytime he wants.

*Totally important: The Generalprokurator is a constant representative of the order in the Vatican.

The Landmeister. These are kind of weird. There are three Landmeister: the Deutschmeister, the Landmeister of Prussia and the Landmeister of Livonia. These men elect the Hochmeister and pledge their loyalty to him. They are heading the administrative departments in their respective regions. As you can guess, the Deutschmeister basically heads the administrative arm in the Pomerelia, Neumark, the pieces of Posen I own and Gotland. The Landmeister of Prussia heads his administrative department in in the territories of Western Prussia, Eastern Prussia and the part of the Voivodships Kuyavia-Pommerania and Masovia that I own (EU IV province Kulm/Chelmno). And the Landmeister of Livonia naturally holds Estonia, Latvia and Samogitia. They are elected by the Komture of their region and from their ranks for a lifetime. They manage the Komture of their region, fire them or choose new ones and just generally make sure that the decisions of government and Generalkapitel are enforced.

*The Landmeister of Livonia is also the Hochmeister of the Livonian Order. Although part of the Generalkapitel, the Livonian Order still has its own Großkapitel where they are allowed to make policies of their own so long as these are not about foreign relations, diplomacy or in any way counteracting policies of the Generalkapitel or going against the government.
**The current Landmeister of Livonia is a Landmeisterin aka a woman. Lilija Lācis is the first woman to have ever reached a position higher than that of the boring standard Komturin.
***The current Hochmeister is also the Deutschmeister.


Komture are also part of the administration. They head smaller administrative districts within the Order State called commandries. Their function is to enforce the policies from the Kapitel. The Komture serve for life unless they resign or the Landmeister fire them. Komture choose their own successors, who hold the position of Hauskomtur (basically a vice of the Komtur) untill the Komtur leaves his office. These successors are chosen based on their merit. You basically start as lowly Laienknappe, then rank up to Laienbruder, then finally make it to the position of Vogt and then, if your merit impresses the acting Komtur, he will make you his Hauskomtur. Bear in mind that this ladder only works for those who choose the knightly path. The monks and nuns, so basically the less battle ready forces, will never rank up to Vogt, instead staying forever in the swamp of different offices existing in the Laienbruder region. But there is also a good thing. Unlike the knights, they can join anytime they want and don't have to go through the Laienknappenphase.

Laienbrüder/schwestern (Military) are basically the second lowest rank within the order. That is in a political and administrative sense. They all start as Laienknappen, something you can only be if your parents want you to join the Order's Knights and if you are in good physical condition. If it is like this, then the order will take you from your parents around the age of 4 or 5. Gender does not play a role here. The order takes children of both genders ever since the so called Johanna-Edict from 1454. These poor children then receive the full gist of religious knightly training, which means hard physical training, handling of weapons, literature, theology, riding etc. Those who do not die or drop out then become Laienbrüder and thus officially knights. These knights are then put under the command of the regional Komtur and have to start at the bottom of the administrative apparatus. This is to teach them modesty. At the same time though, these Knights are also part of military organisations, which I will detail later in the military section.

Laienbrüder/schwestern (civil) are the lowest rank within the order in political and administrative sense. And well, they are basically simply monks and nuns tasked additionally with administrative duties. One can join the German Order anytime in your life and become a monk or nun and you will then be schooled in theology as well as other disciplines of the mind before you will be put under the command of your Komtur to work.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Catholic Christianity
Religious Description : The Pope is considered to be the highest religious authority on earth, lest god or another Jesus suddenly decide to descend upon the earth. Within the State, the Hochmeister is th highest religious authority. All members of the government and its administration must be roman catholics. The military accepts people of all christian faiths though. Still, religious unity is enforced in the country although in a very mild manner as in no state support for any non-roman catholic temples, groups and services and blocking of foreign donations to such.

Economic Ideologies : Socialism
Major Production : Agricultural Products, Cattle, Amber, Wood, Ships & Arms
Economic Description : Since the foundation of the Order state, it had been one of the greatest producers and exporters of agricultural products in the region. Much of the territories nowadays held by the Order are still used for agriculture, keeping the Order state competitive on the international food market and well capable of feeding its own population.

Where it is too cold, turning agriculture unprofitable, the resident people have taken to cattle breeding instead. Be it chicken, pigs, sheep or cows, but in many of the Orders more northern territory cattle is being bred and that in large numbers.

Amber is pretty self explanatory. A lot of amber can be found in Palmnicken and a lot of businesses earn their living with processing the ambers, refining them into art. That is of course a pretty nice thing to export and is well liked as luxury abroad.

Wood. Especcially the Order's northern territories are covered in large forests, perfect for some nice woodcutting industry to pop up there, right? Anyway, yeah, there is substantial woodchipping and wood processing indsutry in the Order.

The Order used to be a major exporter of wood but that focus soon changed to shipbuilding instead as the order started vying for control over the Baltic Sea as well as to extend its trade influence. Many ressources go into the building of ships and docks like those in Talinn, Riga, Königsberg, Elbing, Danzig, Kolberg & Stettin are among the most modern to be found in the world.

Arms. The Order is a highly militant state and thus has always subsidised arms production and invention. There is a plethora of different arms producers who all seek to get contracts with the German Order and its military and the Order makes sure that only the best designs get contracts, rewarding those who make these greatly.

Apart from the agricultural production, industry is largely centered around the cities, where industrialisation is slowly taking place. Still, there exist many smaller businesses in cities and there is a high amount of skilled workforce living there.

Transportationwise, the Teutonic Order has started laying railway tracks, having laid its first track from Stettin to Kolberg. However, due to a plethora of rivers and swamps, transportation over land is difficult. Though it also has the advantage of making transportation along the rivers possible.

Tech Group : European

Army Description : The German Order, due to it's highly militant nature, has a fairly large standing army of about 150.000 troops. These are called Kriegsknechte and are a highly disciplined force, equipped with modern rifles, artillery and other equipment. Kriegsknechte are recruited from all ranks of the population and have to serve for 4 years, after this time continued service is voluntary and if they quit then they are automatically assigned to the reserves untill they reach the age of 40. Recruits may also come from abroad if they are catholics. Promotions for Kriegsknechte are rather limited, they may not reach a rank above that of Hauptmann (Captain), as the Knights of the Order make sure that command of their standing army lies within the hands of skilled military commanders aka the knights themselves.

The next piece is the Landwehr. Conscription is in effect within the Order state and everyone is conscripted at the age of 17, with service being optional for women (the Johanna-Edict at work once again). Now, people may either choose to take the long and hard route and join the Kriegsknechte or they may join the Landsknechte. The Landsknechte is the second part of the army. It is a more civilian branch, more of reserves or a militia to be fair. Their equipment consists of what has been phased out by the Kriegsknechte and their training is worse. They serve for a few months annually for 10 years, free to do whatever they want in the time they do not serve and after the 10 years are over. Interestingly, the Landsknechte offer much better chances at a high place in their ranks than the Kriegsknechte, mainly because the knights do not lead the Landsknechte directly and thus the upper ranks are free for the common Landsknechte to advance to them. The Landsknechte have no field artillery of their own but they man the forts and fortresses of the Order and thus also the artillery emplacements there.

The third and most important part of the army are the knights of the Teutonic and the Livonian Order. They all are highly trained in both direct combat as well as tactics and strategies. They often serve as officers of the Kriegsknechte branch of their armed forces. However, the Knights are still an own branch of the military, approximately 9.000 strong. These knights make up entire regiments of their own and are a strong unit to encounter on the battlefield. They fill a weird role as they seem to be a mix between Cuirassiers and Dragoons. They are heavy cavalry but also more than capable of dismounting and engaging enemy forces on foot. They are the elite core of the army and their sole presence motivates their troops to give their best...be it out of fear or idolization. And their morale is probably one of the best in world. They are highly fanatical christian crusaders afterall. Knights are, as I mentioned before, recruited at the age of 4-5 and then raised by the Order to be strong in both their mastery of combat as well as their mastery of the mind. Without a doubt they are the elite.

Army Weakness :
-Multi-ethnic Army: All of the forces of the Order are made up from many different ethnicities, be it Poles, Germans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Russians or Gutes. And despite german being required learning in the school, communication problems arise everytime. But that is not yet the only problem. Ethnic tensions exist between the german majority and the minorities, who are yearning to return to their people living in nations outside of the Order. Morale of the Army, mainly the Landwehr and more reserved forces is thus pretty low.
-An Army with a State: The military is the defining trait of the Order state and as such it is very large. As it is currently, it is already pushing the boundaries of what the state can support without other sectors suffering. Should casualties and loss of equipment start to rise to more than 10% of the standing forces, of both Kriegsknechte and Landsknechte then these will be difficult to replace and any more losses will highly impact the Order state as it cannot support large losses.
-Slow Mobilization: Many areas of the Order state are rather thinly populated, making the notification and mobilisation of reservists a daunting task for the Komture in their Commandries. Reservist reinforcements or the Landsknechte take a long time to raise and organise, save for already active Landsknecht units.
-A Knight's Training: Losses to the army core of the Teutonic Knights are very hard to replace and large losses will have a negative impact in state affairs.
Naval Description : The German Order Navy is a behemoth in the Baltic Sea. Fairly large and modern, it has great influence in the Baltic Sea. Only natural, considering the long coastline of the Order state. Still, this does not necessarily justify a navy this large, right? Well, actually, in order to trade with other parts of the world without going through other continental powers, the Order Navy had to be of great strength in order secure Order shipping through the Öresund and the Storebelt. With important naval bases such as Visby, Riga, Königsberg and Danzig to back it up, the Order Navy is well supported in the Baltic Sea. This navy too, has it's upper command occupied with Knights of the Order.
Naval Weakness :
-Multi-ethnic Navy: All of the forces of the Order are made up from many different ethnicities, be it Poles, Germans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Russians or Gutes. And despite german being required learning in the school, communication problems arise everytime. But that is not yet the only problem. Ethnic tensions exist between the german majority and the minorities, who are yearning to return to their people living in nations outside of the Order. Morale of the Navy forces is thus pretty low.
-An Army with a State: The military is the defining trait of the Order state and as such it is very large. As it is currently, it is already pushing the boundaries of what the state can support without other sectors suffering. Should casualties and loss of equipment start to rise to more than 10% of the standing forces, then these will be difficult to replace and any more losses will highly impact the Order state as it cannot support large losses.
-A Knight's Training: Losses to the army core of the Teutonic Knights are very hard to replace and large losses will have a negative impact in state affairs.
-A Knight on the Sea: The upper command of the Navy is manned with Knights as usual, however, it is not part of the Order Training Regiment to prepare their Knights for the sea or the commanding of naval vessels or forces. As such, the leadership of the Navy can be considered green on all accounts, even on account of seasickness.
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals : Spreading Roman Catholicism, Regaining Lost Territory (Finland), Easing Ethnic Tensions
National Issues : Ethnic Tensions, relatively high income and development disparity between city and country, Ancient theocratic structures, Ambitions of the Middle Class
National Figures of Interest : Livonian Hoch- and Landmeisterin Lilija Lācis, Laienbruder Ralf Torstenson (Naval Commander), Landsmarshall Erich Schröter-Senkel (Commander of the Landsknechte), Deutsch- and Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen, Prussian Landmeister Carl Hermann, Kriegsknecht Hauptmann Dietrich Ekerhart Haegler
National Ambition/Aspirations : Surviving and Thriving as a Relic of the Past
Rival: Republic of Scandinavia

History :
-1236: The Livonian Order suffers heavy losses but manages to defeat the Samogitians in the battle of Saule. The heavy losses spark rebellions in Livonian Territory.
-1237: In its weakened state incapable of dealing with the rebellions, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword ask for the aid of the Teutonic Order, which helps under the condition that the Brothers of the Sword will turn into the Livonian Order and come under Teutonic authority. Together and well coordinated, Teutonic and Livonian Forces manage to crush Samogitian and Lithuanian resistance and annex large swaths of modern day Lithuania in a decade long war.
-1240: Begin of the Campaign against Novgorod. The Orders reap early victories such as the taking of Pskov but a counteroffensive by Prince Alexander Nevsky forces them back into their own territory.
-1242: Battle at Lake Peipus, Teutonic forces secure a pyrrhic victory against Novgorod but are too exhausted to press on.
-1259: The Lithuanian Duke Mindaugas rebels.
-1260: Battle of Durbe, the dispatched Livonian army is on the brink of victory when the Curonian footsoldiers betray them and the army gets annihilated. This further weakens the Livonian Order, spawning new rebellions in Samogitia, Semigallian, Courland and Oesel. In order to not get annihilated, the Livonian Order asks for Teutonic assistance, which it receives in return for further Teutonic control over the Livonian Order.
-1266: Konrad(in) von Staufen escapes Charles of Anjou and seeks refuge with the Teutonic Order. Realising that he has no chance at regaining his crown and knowing that death is just waiting for him, he joins the Teutonic Order. His sister Margaretha von Staufen follows him into the Teutonic Order state although she does not join.
-1268: Battle of Rakvere, Livonian Victory, Peace with Novgorod. No territorial changes, all stays as it was pre-war but Novgord has to pay a large sum of silver and gold to to the Livonian order
-1290: The Livonian Territories of Courland, Semigallia and Livonia are finally fully secured.
-1291: With expansion to the east sealed off by Novogord, Livonian forces make for Karelia and Finland in aid of Novgorod. Wyborg Castle is built and much of Karelia is taken over by Livonian forces although not officially part of their territory and merely garrisoned with their troops.
-1305: Poland calls the Teutonic Order into a war against Brandenburg and Pommerania.
-1308: Brandenburg bribes the Teutonic Order with Danzig and Pomerelia to turn against the Kingdom of Poland. Poland, not wanting to fight the Teutonic Order as well, the myth of Teutonic invincibility being still very strong in the Eastern Europe, quickly signs a peace. Anti-teuton sentiments grow to new heights.
-1326: The fragmented Kingdom of Poland goes to war against the Teutonic Order over Pomerelia. The war lasts for more than half a decade and the Teutonic Order is supported by Bohemia, putting them into a rather favourable position.
-1343: Treaty of Kalisz, end of the Polish-Teutonic war. Poland recognizes Danzig and Pomerelia as Teutonic territory.
-1346: The German Order purchases the Duchy of Estonia from Denmark.
-1349: Large scale invasion of Swedish held Finland in order to further cement Teutonic rule of the Baltic Sea.
-1368: Treaty of Helsinki, the Teutonic Order takes over Finland from Sweden
-1361-1370: Participation in the Hanseatic-Danish War
-1369: Another Lithuanian Crusade to further cement Teutonic rule in modern day Lithuania.
-1370: Battle of Rudau, crushing Teutonic victory over the Lithuanians.
-1395: The pirate infested island of Gotland is gifted to the Teutonic Order.
-1398: The Teutonic Order conquers the island of Gotland fromt he Victual Brothers.
-1400: The Baltic Sea has been thoroughly cleansed of pirate raiders by Hanseatic Forces, of which the Teutonic Order is a part of.
-1402: Brandenburg sells the New March to the Teutonic Order
-1407: Hochmeister Konrad von Jungingen dies. He is succeeded by Adalbert von Staufen who overhauls the economic system in order to earn more money for the order and support its militant nature.
-1409: War breaks out between Poland-Lithuania and the Crusaders.
-1410: Close but complete defeat of the Teutonic Order forces in the Battle of Grunwald. However, Livonian Order forces have pushed deeply into Lithuanian territory.
-1411: First Treaty of Thorn. The Teutonic Order can negotiate under much more favourable conditions and thus it is a white peace.
-1440: Livonian Ausgleich. Due to the heavy losses inflict upon the Teutonic Order while the Livonian Order still stands strong, the Livonians are not content anymore with being the under the control of the Teutonic Order. Being in no state to refuse their demands, the Teutonic Order releases the Livonian Order once again.
-1444: As a protest and to put pressure on Charles VII, the Generalkapitel introduces the Johanna-Edikt. It is in honour of Jeanne d'Arc and allowed women to enter the knightly branch of the Teutonic and Livonian Orders.
-1454: Begin of the Three Years War. Due to the much better economical and innerpolitical situation, the Prussian revolt is much smaller and the Teutonic Order Military much stronger. Additionally, the Teutonic Order still has the support of the Livonian Order.
-1457: Second Peace of Thorn. The Teutonic Order is forced to cede eastern modern day Lithuania to Poland-Lithuania.
-1518: Beginning of the Reformation, the Teutonic Order stays with the Catholic Christian faith and supresses Lutheranism violently.
-1536: With the reformation finding many followers in Pommerania, the Teutonic Order declares war on Pommerania and within a swift military operation the Order crushes the much weaker Pommeranians. The outcry of Lutherans against this pure act of catholic hatred and brutality is not heard by the Emperor who supports the destruction of the reformist movement.
-1537: All of Pommerania is officially annexed by the Teutonic Order, with best wishes from both the Emperor and the Pope.
-1618: Beginning of the 30 years war. The Teutonic Order supports the Imperial forces.
-1630: Swedish forces land along the german coast and also in Pommerania. War between Sweden and the Teutonic and Livonian Order is officially declared.
-1648: Separate Peace Treaty of Usedom, Sweden retakes Finland and Karelia as well as all Pommeranian territories west of the Oder river.
-1654: The Teutonic Order, hoping restore its power joins in on the Muscovite War against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Although greatly weakened through the long war with the Swedes, the Teutonic Forces were a constant danger forcing the Polish to divert forces.
-1660: Third Treaty of Thorn, for large sums of money, the Teutonic Order agrees to a peace, thus having achieved its objective.
-1715: The Livonian Order participates in the Great Northern War on the side of the Russians in hopes of regaining some of its former finnish territories.
-1720: Due to high losses, crushing defeats and Swedish invasions the Livonian is forced to pull out of the war and make a separate peace.
-1721: Due to the results of the Great Northern War, the Livonian Order was highly weakened and had to pay large sums to Sweden which needed them to continue the war. Taxes had to be raised in Livonian territory which resulted in revolts in many Livonian Provinces.
1722: Teutonic-Livonian Union, due to the revolts and so on, the Livonian Order is forced to finally become a part of the Teutonic Order if it wanted to have any chance of survival. It retains however a relative autonomy when compared to other Pronvinces of the Order.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=32487768#p32487768

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[Plzen]

So 1850 is still the age of colourful uniforms!

I am interested in how everyone's uniforms look aka what colours they are sporting.

Yellow on red, for a certainty!

Ornaments in gold and boots and hat in black seems reasonable to Scandinavia as well.

[Tracian Empire]

So, shall there be a Hapsburg Spain or Austria?

That really depends on whether we'll get players for those areas or not.

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

Reservation

Nation Name: Western Roman Empire
Territory: Italy
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

less do dis

[Tracian Empire]

So 1850 is still the age of colourful uniforms!

I am interested in how everyone's uniforms look aka what colours they are sporting.

I for myself will totally go with black and white and some pieces of gold. Probably a white jacket with black boots, trousers and a hat. Ornaments probably in gold.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

So 1850 is still the age of colourful uniforms!

I am interested in how everyone's uniforms look aka what colours they are sporting.

I for myself will totally go with black and white and some pieces of gold. Probably a white jacket with black boots, trousers and a hat. Ornaments probably in gold.

Is that your Elite unit?
Because otherwise...well it's 1850 and not 1650.

[Tracian Empire]

Is that your Elite unit?
Because otherwise...well it's 1850 and not 1650.

It's just an image of (modern) legionnaires. They clearly don't have armors anymore, but the red-black color scheme is something that I might keep.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Is that your Elite unit?
Because otherwise...well it's 1850 and not 1650.

It's just an image of (modern) legionnaires. They clearly don't have armors anymore, but the red-black color scheme is something that I might keep.

Ah okay. Much better.

Oh? Lol, I thought this was an image of polish forces in the 17th century.

[New Papan]

Reservation

Nation Name: Kingdom of Poland
Territory:

#AltDiv

[Plzen]

Reservation

Nation Name: Kingdom of Poland[/spoiler]
#AltDiv

Greetings, natural ally!

How would you like to have a coastline?

[New Papan]

Full Nation Name : Polish Commonwealth // Rzeczpospolita Królestwa Polskiego
Majority/Official Culture : Polish and Lithuanian
Territorial Core :

Territorial Claim :

Capital City : Warsaw
Population : ~9,350,000

Government Type : Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : The current government is set upon maintaining stability between rivaling factions within Poland, such as the modernists and the Catholic church, absolutists and restorists, liberals and conservatives. Infrastructure improvement is an active policy apart from internal peacekeeping.
Government Focus : The government is vying to improve infrastructure and support Polish export industry, in addition to seeking legitimacy among the people and the political factions. Should another government come into power, these priorities could come to change.
Head of State : Michał III Puzyna, by the grace of God and the will of the people, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Duke of Ruthenia, Masovia, Volhynia and Podlasie
Head of Government : HM's Regent Michał Czajkowski, Prime Minister Korneliusz Krasovsky
Government Description : The King holds some executive powers, however his age keeps those powers in the hand of the Regent. The Military answers to that very Regent in this obvious case of a young Monarch, although funding is approved by the parliament. Most executive power, such as managing the many departments of government, lies within HM's cabinet and the Legislative power is largely determined by the representatives in the Sejm, with elected members from constituencies determined by historically feudal divisions. The electorate is composed of nearly 10% of all Adult men, most of whom are Polish and Lithuanian but with certain exceptions promoted by the constitution of 1798. The King (or Regent in this case) can has a veto which can be revoked should either HM's Prime Minister approve of the Sejm's bill or should 2/3 of the Sejm vote for it on a second vote. Legislative initiative is left to the representatives and HM's government. The Sejm is in session February-November, ceremonially opened by the King. The Judiciary is largely independent, appointments being made by the King adviced by the Sejm and HM's government.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Catholicism
Religious Description : The Roman Catholic Church is a powerful and popular institution not only religiously in Poland, but politically. Many representatives in the Sejm are closely tied to the Church and Bishops hold extensive local power in Cities like Kraków. Religious minorities such as various Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Jews exist and compose about 1/10 of the population, but have more local institutions and communities.

Economic Ideologies : State Capitalism
Major Production : Steel, Grain, Cattle, Lumber, Glass, Clothes and other textiles
Economic Description :
Since formally abolishing serfdom in 1798, the waning agricultural industry has experienced rapid growth and traditional trade routes have recovered. While the old breadbasket status of feeding most of Eastern and Northern Europe of the Commonwealth days won't return anytime near where it is now, Poland still remains a center of agricultural importance and the extension of land ownership from exclusively nobility to a fair portion of the population has paid off in both efficiency and competition. Farmers grow wheat, rye, barley, and oats more prominently, but newcomers to a more experimental industry include potatoes, sugar beet and fodder crops. Improved roads and a growing food processing industry additionally support growth in cultivation, and generally this seems to be the more secure of markets in regards to demand domestically and regionally export-wise.

The Małopolska Upland hosts various locations for mining industry and steel mills. Rapid development through government-funds there has supported growth not only in the extraction and processing of ore, but of glass and resources for domestic weapon production in Lublin. Coal mines have been established in Lower Silesia and are a vital part of the growth of industries, but does not have much international importance and is therefore more of a domestic asset. The Eastern areas of Poland host a significant lumber industry as well. The larger cities have textile industries which not only produces clothes of linen, flax and whool but imported luxuries such as cotton and silk. Apart from a smaller group of factories, industrialization has not picked up that well in Poland. No railways exist, but the government is seeking foreign loans to fund such a project to connect major cities and industrial centers. Lithuania, or the Eastern regions in general, remain less developed than the western ones. Greater Poland, Lodz and Silesia are to a higher standard in infrastructural aspects.

Tech Group : European

Army Description : The Commonwealth Army is not THE pride of the nation, but many dream of the victories once brought by the Winged Hussars. In general, it is a competent force with good leaders, modern equipment and enough of it, both strong infantry and cavalry forces as well as up to date tactics. Soldiers wear white and red to battle and the army numbers 80,000 men when mobilized. Permanently active forces number just less than 10,000 but the mobilization of the entire army could be done relatively fast as such has been a priority, soldier families often receiving land in areas with better infrastructure and coordination with officers, all in accordance with the dystrybucja system.

The Army is centralized in all aspects but conscription. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania has a separate quota of soldiers to recruit for the central command, as does the Kingdom of Poland. 62% of soldiers come from the Kingdom of Poland, which is proportionally less than required of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, purely population-wise.
Army Weakness : Divided leadership with internal political struggles and too little mobile artillery (most of such being concentrated at forts).
Naval Description : Although quite a few prominent nobles, army officials and members of the Modernist faction are navy enthusiasts and aren't afraid to express that, Poland lacks a coast and therefore any navy. Apart from tiny patrol boats to be deployed by the Gendarmie in the Vistula or Narew rivers, no ships belong to any Polish armed force. The strength of the navy is that it cannot be defeated (!).
Naval Weakness : It doesn't exist.
Further Military Description : There are three clear factions that have emerged within the Polish Army. The one currently in power is the moderate and government-loyal Obrona Narodowa faction which most high-ranking officers belong to. Their aim is to maintain order and discipline within the military, obey HM's government in any case at all and reserve any major positions within Military and Civilian government for the nobility. The Przywrócenie Narodowe faction is closely tied to the nobility as well, but more so to the catholic church. Its members are not represented at the highest posts in military, but has a stronger political presence in HM's cabinet and the Sejm. It advocates the Catholic supremacy over 'pagans', expansionist wars in the East and closer cooperation with the Teutonic knights. The most extreme members even want an outright constitution of Absolute Monarchy and a return of the Teutonic Knights as vassals, should the Papacy be inclined to agree. On the other side of the spectrum, the modernizing Futuryści are Slavic nationalists, seeking expansionist wars to the North instead for purpose of gaining access to the Baltic sea. It proposes radical reforms within the military and domestically in Poland, seeking a military republic and an end to the influence of the church. Its civilian wing has a political plurality in the Sejm but tends to be far more moderate and liberal.

National Goals : Continued Polish independence, economic development, internal stability and war of expansion.
National Issues : One political faction will have to take control, either through the young monarch's approval or through force.
National Figures of Interest : Ignacy Prądzyński (de-facto leader of the Futuryści faction) and Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (political leader of the Przywrócenie Narodowe faction and Marshal of the Sejm)
National Ambition/Aspirations : Overwhelming and rapid change of the current political order in Poland.
Rival: No "one" clear rival as of now, but there are strained relations with both the Teutonic-Livonian Catholic Union and the Tsaardom of Rusemaa because of internal factions interest in the two.

History : The 14th century started in catastrophe for Poland. The political fallout with the collapse of the Přemyslid dynasty and failed raids into Brandenburg following Teutonic betrayal left the Feudal Nation in chaos for more than a decade, only with Władysław I's coronation cementing an the end of the two-century long infighting that had started with the death of Boleslaw III. Poland's external borders seemed to stabilize as Casimir III the Great's confirmed Poland's role as a medieval power in Europe. Wars against Bohemia and the Teutonic order all ended unsuccessfully however, the latter still withholding its military prowess which had shaken fear in both pagans and Catholics. The Union of Krewo in 1385 linked Poland and Lithuania together for ages to come, christianizing the last Pagan state of Europe as well as introducing the Jagiellonian dynasty
as rulers of Poland. Initial conquests by Polish-Lithuanian forces in the Dnieper basin following the Kievan Rus's near destruction by the Mongols signalled the power of the state, but internal feuds between Polish and Lithuanian nobility hardened the unity in the Dual Monarchy. Nobility tightened their control over manufacturing, trade and other economic activities and the Folwark system effectively forced many peasants into serfdom.

The Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War of 1409-11 was largely a stalemate, although the victory at Grunwald recognized Polish military power despite defeats in Lithuania as a result of Livonian expertise and failed war coordination between the nobility of the Union parters. Polish involvement in the Hussite crusades proved successful and despite King Wladyslaw II's turning down of the Crown of Bohemia, influence within the Holy Roman Empire remained. Civil War in Lithuania 1431-1435 nearly divided the Union partners for good but a victory for Władysław III kept it together. Casimir IV's reign was long and successful, with victory over the Teutons in the Three Years War bringing Central Lithuania back to the Realm, as well as a strengthening of the Sejm and Monarch's rule at the expense of the nobility. A great economic development in mining and trade routes through Poland-Lithuania benifited the country greatly. Alexander I's reign saw two unsuccessful wars against the nascent Russia. Ingrian forces first defeated the Polish-Lithuanians in the war 1493-95, despite the latter's larger forces, and later in 1498, then an even weaker Poland-Lithuania following infighting over the succession of the crown of Poland. Most holdings formerly conquered by the Kievan Rus were lost and Lithuania nearly halved in size.

The first half of the 16th century was marked by economic recovery, cultural prestige and political stability. King Sigismund I reigned for nearly four decades, supervising the integration of the duchies of Mazovia and Lower Silesia, inviting Renaissance artists to his court in Kraków, extending royal powers, introducing fiscal and monetary reforms as well as waging a successful war against the Russians in 1535-36, extending Lithuania's borders to the Dnieper river basin. It would take another century for the Russians to seize Kiev again. Initially, Sigismund opposed lutheranism fervently and met yearly in the late 1520s to discuss the threat it posed to the catholic church with representatives from the Teutonic order, Hungary, the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire among others. In his later reign however, seeing how harsh crackdown had failed to contain the spread of lutheranism and that nobles critized him for royal privileges previously granted the Jewish minorites, the persecution was limited. His only son, Sigismund II Augustus inherited a Poland where the nobility had grown intent upon seizing further powers recently taken from them. The second half of the 16th century became much more violent than previously expected. The Union of Lublin in 1569 tied Poland and Lithuania closer than before, now a Commonwealth. Sigismund II Augustus did not leave any children to inherit the 'Noble Democracy' established, instead a notable magnate and former advisor of the King Jan Zamoyski was crowned as the second of his name. This iniated the bleeding years from 1578-1602, seeing no less than five kings on the throne and religious wars. The longest-reigning of these, Wladyslaw IV Małachowski (crowned 1585, deceased 1596) supervised a rule of terror, declaring all lutherans outlaws, fought a civil war against the self-proclaimed Grand Duke of Lithuania Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł and invited a Teuton knight to serve as Royal "inkwizytor" in command of hundreds of soldiers running rampant through Poland in search of heathens. Pogroms and persecution against Orthodox Christians was also frequent, but not as brutal as that against the Lutherans.

Poland had stabilized by the end of the first decade of the 17th century. Unity within the Sejm and the election of Janusz Ostrogski as King the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1608 saw a return of the Kingdom's previous status. Construction of Royal palaces, roads but more importantly, the expansion of the new capital Warsaw (as of 1604) was started. Great lengths were taken to placate the nobility in control of the Sejm for these construction projects to take place, Poland-Lithuania taking on a large debt to fund these projects. Architects from Constantinople, Paris and Italy were invited to build Warsaw, soon to be recognized as a centre for arts and culture. Religious freedom was also guaranteed with Ostrogoski's leadership, in an aim to put the recent history of religious war behind Poland-Lithuania. At the outbreak of the Thirty Years war, the King was determined to keep Poland-Lithuania out of it, a planned war with Russia being one of the reasons. His death in 1620 led to heated discussion upon the election of the next King however, a fate which fell upon the Lithuanian noble Krzysztof I Chodkiewicz, set upon preserving peace. Despite pressure from Catholic neighbors, he formally never entered the Thirty Years War although loans, mercenaries and supplies were granted to the Teutonic Order in particular. His austerity measures saw cuts in the military, confiscation of the property of some nobles and a full payment of the large debt Poland had amassed. His reign saw an expansion in modern diplomacy, opening embassies in many European capitals. He personally toured Europe in this time of war, seeking bonds with other nations and Christian cooperation for the sake of devotion and humanism alone. Krzysztof I was succeeded by his son, Jan II Kazimierz Chodkiewicz in 1652. Only two years later, Poland-Lithuania would be attacked by Russia and the Teutonic Order simultaneously, in what came to be the lengthy Third Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian War 1654-1663. The first three years of the war saw two important Polish victories, and one important Russian. The first of those three, the 1st Battle of Baranivka (fought on the 3rd of June 1654 in modern day western Ukraine) was a decisive victory for the Polish giving legendary status to the elite cavalry known as "The Winged Hussars". The Russian army invading the Duchy of Kiev was larger however and regrouped quicker than expected, leading to a defeat in the 2nd battle of Baranivka in October that same year. Casualties were large on both sides but the Polish could not afford them. A skirmish fought south of Kulm led to Teutons to retreat, but only until the larger German Army could march on the attackers. Kiev was besieged by the Russians by winter, and after spring's arrival, a year of few Polish victories in White Ruthenia arrived, but only at the expense of defending Ukraine. By March 1659, Kiev and Smolensk were firmly in the hands of the Russians and a Teutonic force of unexpected size was threatening Byalstok. Another year of fighting saw an exit of the Teutonic knights out of the war, but only as the result of a costly victory in battle for the Polish-Lithuanian army and a large war indemnity to be paid. For the next 5 years, King Jan II Kazimierz exhausted the resources and manpower of Lithuania and Poland despite having only a handful victories to show for it. The captures of Vilna and Minsk forced surrender upon the Polish-Lithuanians, who ceded nearly a third of their Eastern lands to Russia. The King died only a year later as the last of the Chodkiewicz dynasty and flung Poland into a 10-year long interregnum. Only in 1674, a Catholic German nobleman, Leopold Waldburg was elected. His reign lasted well into the 18th century, and was characterized by a decline in autocracy, decentralization, agricultural development and the emergency of a Polish-Lithuanian national identity even Ruthenians, Silesians, Hungarians and Jews could sense some sort of belonging to, regardless of religion. Leopold I never learnt Polish, but turned to have a thorough understanding of its culture, history and political issues by the time of his death. He spent most of his winters in Ciechocinek, South-east of Thorn in the German Order, where he built his Weichselschloss, a Baroque-styled Thermal bath. This is said to have had improved relations with the Teutons at the time.

When Leopold I died on the 8th of December 1711 at his Weichselschloss he was immensely popular and Poland had been at peace for nearly 40 years, disregarding a minor campaign into Bohemia in 1688. He was succeeded by his son, Leopold II Waldburg who vowed to continue his father's style of rule. He was what modern historians would label a 'playboy king', known to throw lavish parties, refurbishing and building new palaces, having multiple affairs outside of marriage and travelling around the Mediterranean on a privately owned luxury galley on "diplomatic missions". Day to day business was left to the Sejm, the Royal Marshal and other advisors who struggled to balance income and expense. Most loans came from the Jewish minority in Poland, giving them a lesser degree of influence on national banking and government. He waged one war against a seemingly weakened Russia 1724-25 (4th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war) as a calculated move to gain domestic support and win back land from Russia for Lithuania. Polish-Lithuanian inability to win any decisive victories and similar inability for the Russians do so led to a stalemate with no border changes, but it was propaganda victory enough for Leopold II to increase his authority. Even after the Sejm voted for new authorites in legislative power for the King, he orchestrated a coup seizing full power of the government apparatus in 1732, becoming sole autocrat of Poland-Lithuania and revoking many of the nobility's rights. A skillful chancellor who had advised him for years, Stanisław Leszczyński, launched economic reforms which came to have positive effects for decades to come. Leopold II died after a period of illness in 1737, having made sure Leszczyński would see his only child, Kornelia, take the throne as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. An enlightened ruler who had travelled the courts of Europe and had the best of tutors as a child, the young Kornelia I Waldburg became the first female ruler since Hedwig in the 14th century. She expanded the military to a modern, pre-professional force and sold of some of the many Royal palaces. Marrying a Polish nobleman in 1740, she gave up the throne for King Sigismund III Puzyna, solidifying her de-facto rule. A 5th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war was fought in the years 1752-1755, showing yet another over-ambitious attempt at retaking land in the east. Vilna was besieged by early 1755, and Queen Kornelia, busy with fighting another conflict over Upper Silesia, was effectively removed from power in a military coup. The Sejm accepted paying a large war indemnity to Russia and relinquished all control of the military from King Sigismund III. The Royal family was kept in house arrest in the Royal Palace of Warsaw for two years, during which Chancellor Stanisław Leszczyński held firm control over government. An attempt to seize back power by Queen Kornelia failed miserably, having organized a small portion of the royal guard to storm the Chancellor's offices but who were put down by a stronger Polish army garrison in Warsaw. The King was forced to abdicate under a threat to his life, and the family went to exile in Constantinople for the rest of their lives. Stanisław Leszczyński was subsequently elected king by the Sejm and portrayed himself as "savior of the nation", reigning from 1757-66. His rule was competent but much of the autocratic power of Kornelia remained to the dismay of nobles. Uprisings in Lithuania and Ruthenia as well as the fallout from the Silesian war started in 1754 kept most of his time preoccupied, despite his plans for economic reforms and reformed constitution for the commonwealth. He was succeeded by yet another 'playboy king', Polish-Ruthenian noble Maurycy Zavadovsky as Jan III Maurycy. The luxury spending of the court skyrocketed, and a new-found liking for King Leopold I's palace in Ciechocinek kept him out of the country for the majority of his 11 years as king. Jan III Maurycy was succeeded by his younger brother Eugeniusz in 1777, crowned Henryk I Eugeniusz the following year. The new king took lavish spending to new heights, building a new royal palace five miles west of Warsaw to host both the executive government and Sejm. The magnificent palace was finished in 1784 and nearly bankrupted Poland. The weakness of the Polish economy had not been noticed too well yet, but waning agricultural industry was starting to take its toll. Grain imports from Russia became more and more frequent, and so did the gaps in wealth between the poorest and richest. The Sejm tried to adress this through numerous reforms, many which affected the King's right to spend privately and executively which he vetoed. Following outright food shortages in 1797, riots in major cities erupted as the rural population sought a place in the cities. The Sejm convened and issued emergency powers to the Marshal, who happened to be the liberal nationalist Count Stanisław Małachowski. He in turn negotiated new loans for the sake of providing food for the people temporarily, importing grain reserves for the winter. He also issued the responsibility of creating a new constitution to the Sejm, which presented one eight months later. This constitution included demands for majority rule in parliament, separation of powers, enfranchisement of the middle classes and abolishment of serfdom and was accepted by an overwhelming majority of 195-64. Poland-Lithuania, or the Polish Commonwealth as it was known now, entered the 19th century as one of Europe's most democratic nations.

RP Sample: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=387361&p=29672086#p29672086

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