1900: Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC-OPEN]

[Tracian Empire]

Well, on the one hand, I really like ideas using the Kingdom of Soissons.

But we already have two Roman states

continue the trend ; ' )

if we use the tone of 1800s americans, there is three roman states, as the iroquois are the romans of the western world

Well, the WRE and the ERE are different in nearly everything except for their names

And the Iroquois are going to be interesting to see!

[Tracian Empire]

Reservation

Nation Name : The Socialist Federation of Indochina.
Territory : Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos (whatever left of it) and the rest of Vietnam, with some Myanmese provinces (Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Tanintharyi, Yangon, Bago, Irawadi).
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 72 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

The Philippines, Singapore, a bit of Malaysia and a bit of Thailand are taken.

The rest is alright. Socialism exists, so that's cool, but you should try to explain in your app how you've avoided the powers of the area trying to destroy you

[Grand Indochina]

Reservation

Nation Name : The Socialist Federation of Indochina.
Territory : Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos (whatever left of it) and the rest of Vietnam, with some Myanmese provinces (Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Tanintharyi, Yangon, Bago, Irawadi).
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 72 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

The Philippines, Singapore, a bit of Malaysia and a bit of Thailand are taken.

The rest is alright. Socialism exists, so that's cool, but you should try to explain in your app how you've avoided the powers of the area trying to destroy you

Oh right !

[Liecthenbourg]

Reservation

Nation Name: The Grand Republic of the All Russias | Velikaya Respublika Vserossiyskaya
Territory: Behold the Glorious Mother of All Republics, and her sisters, the Rightful Mongolia and Sinkiang!
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 72 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

[Tracian Empire]

Reservation

Nation Name: The Grand Republic of the All Russias | Velikaya Respublika Vserossiyskaya
Territory: Behold the Glorious Mother of All Republics, and her sisters, the Rightful Mongolia and Sinkiang!
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 72 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

Accepted!

[The Imperial Warglorian Empire]

Tag, does our alternate nation’s history have to correspond with another nation’s history?

[Tracian Empire]

Tag, does our alternate nation’s history have to correspond with another nation’s history?

Well, that's a really good question.

Ideally, yes.

Practically, it kinda depends. We had instances in the past of bigger or smaller paradoxes, but it would be best to avoid them as much as possible.

And you can't change the history of an already existing nation on your own, without the agreement of that nation's player.

[Caltarania]

Onondaga: "We recognise your position as a member of this confederacy, but do not grant you a seat on the council."
Tuscarora: "This is outrageous, it's unfair, how can we be a member of this confederacy but not have a seat on the council?"

[The V O I D]

Population : Approx. 55 million, give or take.

Germany was around 56,3 million in 1900. You're bigger than Germany.

Then again, I assume you may have lost a few millions due to some ethnic cleansing.ism?

Pfff - what? No, we don't engage in so-called “ethnic cleansing.” It's not our fault that the minorities have higher criminality rates or lower lifespans on average - honest!

[Tracian Empire]

Onondaga: "We recognise your position as a member of this confederacy, but do not grant you a seat on the council."
Tuscarora: "This is outrageous, it's unfair, how can we be a member of this confederacy but not have a seat on the council?"

Nice reference there xD

[Tracian Empire]

Germany was around 56,3 million in 1900. You're bigger than Germany.

Then again, I assume you may have lost a few millions due to some ethnic cleansing.ism?

Pfff - what? No, we don't engage in so-called “ethnic cleansing.” It's not our fault that the minorities have higher criminality rates or lower lifespans on average - honest!

Who needs ehnic cleansing when you can have Romanisation?

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Pfff - what? No, we don't engage in so-called “ethnic cleansing.” It's not our fault that the minorities have higher criminality rates or lower lifespans on average - honest!

Who needs ehnic cleansing when you can have Romanisation?

AH Romanians in Romania in 1900 are as rare as IRL Bulgarians in Transylvania in 1900.

[Tracian Empire]

Who needs ehnic cleansing when you can have Romanisation?

AH Romanians in Romania in 1900 are as rare as IRL Bulgarians in Transylvania in 1900.

While on the other hand, Bulgarians south of the Danube are as rare as the Bulgarians in Tokyo

Bless good old Basil.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

AH Romanians in Romania in 1900 are as rare as IRL Bulgarians in Transylvania in 1900.

While on the other hand, Bulgarians south of the Danube are as rare as the Bulgarians in Tokyo

Bless good old Basil.

And the Hungarian people and their entire cultural identity and history never even existed

[The V O I D]

Pfff - what? No, we don't engage in so-called “ethnic cleansing.” It's not our fault that the minorities have higher criminality rates or lower lifespans on average - honest!

Who needs ehnic cleansing when you can have Romanisation?

But, in all honesty, the Prussians aren't really doing any ethnic cleansing - I only brought the number down a bit because I wasn't sure about territory stuff. Still, I figure it can be explained somehow... I'll try to think of something.

Of course, because of the idea of “ethnic purity” and ethnocratic structures being built into the Kingdom of Prussia - well, let's just say that the Prussians are biasing a great majority of the population under their control (read: all the Prussians and “noble” races) against non-Prussians in general, and non-Germans at large. Even if there is a WWI this time around, and even if Prussia is on the losing side... suffice it to say that the Prussians will be fairly easily swayed by nationalists and fascists.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Who needs ehnic cleansing when you can have Romanisation?

But, in all honesty, the Prussians aren't really doing any ethnic cleansing - I only brought the number down a bit because I wasn't sure about territory stuff. Still, I figure it can be explained somehow... I'll try to think of something.

Of course, because of the idea of “ethnic purity” and ethnocratic structures being built into the Kingdom of Prussia - well, let's just say that the Prussians are biasing a great majority of the population under their control (read: all the Prussians and “noble” races) against non-Prussians in general, and non-Germans at large. Even if there is a WWI this time around, and even if Prussia is on the losing side... suffice it to say that the Prussians will be fairly easily swayed by nationalists and fascists.

You are aware though that actual "Prussians" constitute only about 5 or so million people?

[Caltarania]

Union vs Confederacy, obviously.

[Liecthenbourg]

Full Nation Name : The Grand Republic of the All Russias | Velikaya Respublika Vserossiyskaya
Majority/Official Culture : Russian
Territorial Core : The Great, Green Giant. Destroyer of Tyrants, Protector of the Meek, Guardian of the Flames of Liberty. 'Mongolia' and Sinkiang are 'Sister Republics', puppet governments controlled from Novgorod.
Territorial Claim : The remnants of Ukraine and the German areas of Poland and the Baltics, Finland, Manchuria and the rest of Mongolia. (Only the first is actually openly espoused.)
Capital City : Novgorod
Population : Approximately 130,000,000 ~

Government Type : Presidential/Parliamentary Federal Republic, self declared "Radical Republic"
Government Ideology/Policies : Extremely Militant, Expansionist, with a competing control of liberal values and socialist thought in the economic sector.
Government Focus : The expansion of the Russian Republic to the Oder, a final defeat for the anti-progress Greek-Rite of Christianity in political affairs (but NOT its elimination, people are still religious), the slow annexation of its Sister Republics into states within the Russian Republic and continuing economic reforms to promote capitalism and innovation.
Head of State : Novgorod the Great
Head of Government : Grand Prince and Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak , Field Marshall of the Army of the Volga, Knight of the Order of the Republican Movement, First Sword of Novgorod, First Shield of Novgorod, Great and Magnanimous Mayor of the Respublikanskiy Gorod (St. Petersburg), First Citizen of Novgorod, First Citizen of Tannu Tuva, Khan of Mongolia, Grand Uyghur of Sinkiang and Grand Admiral of the Fleet that Sails the Caspian.
Government Description : The Republic of Novgorod is an odd institution. Universal male and female suffrage of proportional representation see the 'Novgorod the Great' elected, a large, 700 member multi-party parliament located in the city of Novgorod. This is, in traditions with the old Republic of Novgorod, the head of state. It appoints an executive of government, the Grand Prince and Supreme Chancellor, who triples as Commander in Chief of the Army. Novgorod the Great votes on the laws proposed by the Grand Prince, and he serves at their discretion. The Republic also holds immense sway over its Sister Republics, 'Mongolia' and Sinkiang. The current Novgorod the Great is held by a coalition of Russia's left; the radical centrist 'Young Kadets' - an extension of the military in political life, the 'Republican Socialist Party, also called Dostoyevskians and the middle-man between the two the Christian Agrarian and Distributionist Party -- who hold an accordance with both the Socialists and the Young Kadets in certain fields. Despite their differences, their now four year long coalition under Kolchak seems to be holding steady.

Majority/State Religion : The Greek Rite is the main religion of the state, with minorities of Latin Rite, Protestantism, Judaism and Tengriism. However, the state abolished a "State Church."
Religious Description : Nearly everyone in the Republic is a believer of some kind; be it of the Christianisties, old shamanistic religions, animistic beliefs in the Siberian hinterlands, or other major religions such as Islam and Buddhism, to fleeting faiths such as Tengriism.

Economic Ideologies : Largely capitalist, but the Kolchak Coalition has seen it begin to enroad into territories of immense state capitalism.
Major Production : Mining, forestry, industrial products of all calibres, weaponry manufacturing, etc.
Economic Description : A largely self-made economic power that has broken from the shackles of serfdom and slavery to form a land of immense industrial opportunity. Whilst it took decades for Russia to chug to the tune of Western European industrial practice, it has done so. Indeed, it still has vast hinterlands of untouched land and acre upon acre of farmland, for this will always be true in Russia, but the ever present chug of machinery, the towers of smoke, dominate Russia now, too. Her warm water ports are on par with any, giving to the mercantalistic and trade oriented ambitions of the Republic of Novgorod. In a true testament of the industrial might, the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed but not 2 years ago. The summation of Russian industrial prowess, Atlantic and Pacific are connected across the largest land mass in the world. Heavy industry churns in Russia's western cities under the expansionist capitalistic views of tycoons and industrialists. But perhaps this is not to last.

Tech Group : Well, all the important bits are in Europe

Army Description : 'The Grand Army of the Republic', 'The Army of a Million Men' is the Republic's standing army that sits at exactly one million personnel. It is gargantuan, probably the largest standing army on the planet, and is backed by a further potential 2 million reserves. It is well drilled and well motivated, led not by pompous aristocrats but by men arriving in their position through merit - graduates of the Republic's officer schools. Both men and women can serve in the armed forces. Its most defining feature is perhaps the willingness of the command to detach themselves from convention and explore greater avenues of combat. Russia's military has always benefited from its Republican leadership, as the Young Kadets are often military men themselves. Unlike those who favour the war of mobility, the Republic army enjoys a doctrine of 'superior firepower' and prides its artillery corp as the first punch for its infantry. The Republic's ties to the military are so predominant, Minister of Justice Sergei Mosin even developed its current standard issue rifle.
Army Weakness : The Grand Army of the Republic has to defend the largest and most expansive land border in the world, with divisions in the far flung corners of the empire such as in Mongolia and Outer Manchuria (but not Vladivostok!) likely under equipped and under trained, so its level of quality is not uniform across its position. Furthermore, the Republican Army has an in-house competition between elements of the infantry and the flamboyantly paraded artillery; they compete for influence within the Young Kadets that has led to the politicisation of the Armed Forces.
Naval Description : "The Grand Republican Fleets of the All Russias Republic", also known as the Spirit of Liberty, is split into four fleets; Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific and North Sea (importance in that order, with home bases being Respublikanskiy Gorod, Rostov, Vladivostok and Archangelesk, respectively) ) It consists of 9 pre-dreadnoughts, 3 semi-dreadnoughts, 25 armoured cruisers, 24 protected cruisers, 44 light cruisers, 71 destroyers and 104 torpedo boats. Submarines are being experimented with, with currently 8 serving trial runs in the Baltic and Pacific.
Naval Weakness : Its split into four separate theatres and can't get to itself during war time. It is often seen as competing with itself, with the Admirals of the Four Theatres subject to ridicule of the head of state proclaiming himself an admiral of a fleet that doesn't exist. Furthermore, as mentioned, it is incredibly unlikely that the fleet can bring its full might to bear in a single place.
Further Military Description : My military is being described :^)

National Goals : Expand the All Russias to the Oder! Secure tasty parcels of colonial beauty in the decaying Xi, keep the Japanese and Koreans in check -- ideally against each other! Make sure there is no implosion. Diplomatically annex the sister republics as federal regions within Russia and continue to help the Mongolian people rebel against the Xi.
National Issues : "The Question of Industry"; Russia is currently facing an internal battle between its desire to implement state capitalism and the vast effects of the capitalism it espoused for the latter part of the past century. Furthermore, the Republic has ostracised nearly all of its Asian neighbours, especially the Xi, with the proclamations of the Mongolian and Sinkiang Republics in the late 1890s. Exactly how much does the military have a grip on this country...? Oh, and socialism. A lot of socialism.
National Figures of Interest : Alexander Kolchak, Grand Prince and Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Anna Filosofova, First Voice of Novgorod the Great, Aleksei Brusilov, Field Marshal and Commander of the Orient, Da Lam Tserenchimed, President of Mongolia, Yang Zengxin, President of Sinkiang and Viktor Chernov, Leader of the Russian Socialist Party.
National Ambition/Aspirations : See the Old Order eliminated, bring peace, freedom, justice and security to the lands around the Republic.
Rival: The Kingdom of Prussia, Persia and whatever that green thing on my border is.

History :

The History of Russia begins with the history of Novgorod. Originally a staging post for trade between the Baltic and the Byzantine Empires, Novgorod functioned as the original capital of the Rus' people until 882 when Oleg transferred his administration to Kiev. From that time until 1019-1020 Novgorod was a part of Kievan Rus'. Novgorod Princes were appointed by the Grand Prince of Kiev (usually one of the elder sons). Novgorod was sort of a spiritual center as by legend it was the first city of Rus'.

However, Novgorod began to assert its independence further on in history. Granted freedoms and privileges by Yaroslav the Wise of Kiev for their support in his war for conquest, Novgorod's Republic was laid before it. Whilst officially still a part of the 'Rus, its regional power allowed it to be practically independent of the affairs of the 'Rus' hegemonic power in Kiev.

In the 12th–15th centuries, the Novgorodian Republic expanded east and northeast. The Novgorodians explored the areas around Lake Onega, along the Northern Dvina, and coastlines of the White Sea. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Novgorodians explored the Arctic Ocean, the Barents Sea, the Kara Sea, and the West-Siberian river Ob. The Ugric tribes that inhabited the Northern Urals had to pay tribute to Novgorod the Great. The lands to the north of the city, rich with furs, sea fauna, salt, etc., were of great economic importance to the Novgorodians, who fought a protracted series of wars with Moscow beginning in the late 14th century in order to keep these lands.

Novgorod's truly finest hour came at the Battle of Shelon River, where despite having overwhelming odds on the Duchy of Moscow the army was feared to be complacent and unorganised. The Novgorodian Commander, Daniel Kholmsky, inspired the day by calling for the ideals of the Novgorodian Republic to be defended that day. Taking the reigns of the cavalry from the Archbishop of Novgorod, the Republican Army was able to best Muscow's far superior army in terms of quality.

Taking the initiative, Kholmsky laid pursuit to Moscow, before capturing the city in 1478. Moscow and its territory was annexed directly into Novgorod's republic. She began to expand further, still, now encompassing lands to the south as far as Kiev. Novgorod began what has now been called "The Gathering of the Russian Lands", hence the terms "All Russias."

With much of what is now Western Russia solidified under control, Novgorod began a friendly discourse with the Byzantine Empire. However, at this time, it also began to reform its own inner workings. Novgorod the Great was slowly taken from the hands of its aristocrats, with the mercantile middle classes of the city slowly given more power over it.

Novgorod began to expand eastward as well, towards the Urals, during the 16th century. Novgorod defeated the Khanates beyond the Urals in this time as well, and began to expand towards the Arctic Sea coast. The Novgorodian Merchant Family, hungry for continued fur trade, pushed Novgorod's expansion into Siberia and its war with the people there. Novgorod declared itself the "Grand Republic of All Russias" upon the appointment of Grand Prince Pyotr Potemkin.

From such bases as Mangazeya, merchants, traders, and explorers pushed eastward from the Ob River to the Yenisei River, then on to the Lena River and the coast of the Pacific Ocean. In 1648 Cossack Semyon Dezhnyov opened the passage between America and Asia. By the middle of the 17th century, Russians had reached the Amur River and the outskirts of the Chinese Empire.

After a period of conflict with the Chinese, Russia made peace with China in 1689. By the Treaty of Nerchinsk, Russia ceded its claims to the Amur Valley, but it gained access to the region east of Lake Baikal and the trade route to Beijing. Peace with China strengthened the initial breakthrough to the Pacific that had been made in the middle of the century.

Blah blah blah expansion and shit.

Novgorod found inspiration on republicanism on resurgent texts on the Roman Republic and the Venetian Repbulic. It found many interesting ideas, adopted its own constitution in 1790, and outlined the political work of art outlined above. The emergence of a strong mercantile middle class spurred revolutionary thought within Novgorod and on July 31st, 1801, a small but decisive civil conflict occurred within the 'All Russias'. The dominant political thinkers we see now, The Young Kadets, were revolutionary in their terms of emancipating all men -- and upper class women, eventually -- to truly turn Russia into a 'republic of all russians'..

The Young Kadets appointed the Novgorodian man-of-action, Mikhail Kutusov as 'Grand Prince', the appointed executive of Novgorod the Great, in 1815. He exercised constitutional expansion into central Asia, the Caucauses and Tannu Tuva, giving birth to the Tuvan 'Sister Republic'. Bessarabia and Bucovina were conquered and declared independent in later wars in Europe.

The next rising star of the Young Kadets came to be with Chernyayev, who secured much of Central Asia for the All Republic in a series of personally led campaigns. His tenure as Grand Prince, from the late 1830s to the middle of 1870, saw a large implementation of fiscally liberal reforms that opened up Russia to the venues of capitalism, investment and industrial expansion. State led campaigns saw land reform and the establishment of an increasingly literate population.

The writings of Karl Marx saw the establishment of the Russian Socialist Party, now branded as the Republican Socialist Party, in 1879 by Minister of Agriculture and Literacy, Dostoyevsky. It has since swelled to the largest single party behind the Young Kadets in the Novgorod the Great, and has been in coalition with them since the mid 1890s.

Minor engagements with the Xi have seen the establishment of Mongolian and Sinkiang republics, which have fuelled their respective independence movements in Chinese territory. If Sweden and the ERE are willing, Russia would definitely have signed non-aggression pacts with both, and especially tried to secure the guarantee of passage through the Bosphorus -- even going so far as guaranteeing the ERE's independence to facilitate such a request.

And now we're here.

RP Sample: Here

#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

[Caltarania]

Full Nation Name : Haudenosaunee or Haudenosaunee Confederacy, also known as the Nine Nations or Nine Tribes, and archaically by Europeans as the Iroquoian Empire.
Majority/Official Culture : Haudenosaunee, translated literally to "People of the Longhouse", but often referred to in English as "Iroquois".
Territorial Core : Land of the Nine Nations and the Territory of the Nine Nations themselves.
Territorial Claim : Great Plains and Mississippi River are areas of interest, along with the remainder of the American interior.
Capital City : Onondaga
Population : 38,106,100

Government Type : Confederal consensus democracy
Government Ideology/Policies : Great Law of Peace
Government Focus : Due to the highly decentralised nature of the Haudenosaunee, most decisions are handled at the local level. The Grand Council usually only ever discusses far-reaching policy such as the military, foreign affairs and nationwide economic matters. Cultural and religious matters are also sometimes included, but these are largely ceremonial.
Head of State : No central authority figure; the Council of Clan Mothers forms the closest alternative.
Head of Government : Again, no single central authority figure. The Grand Council of the Nine Nations fulfills most of these roles.
Government Description : Described here in excruciating detail. A key difference is that, now, there are Nine Tribes; the Council has changed to reflect that, and the Moieties have been rearranged as follows, with the Senior Moiety containing the Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, Susquehannock and Cherokee, with the Junior Moiety containing the Oneida, Cayuga, Tuscarora and Nottoway. The Grand Council of the Six Nations is an assembly of 78 Hoyenah (chiefs) or sachems. All members are appointed by their clan mothers, and the nations each send a number of representatives to the council, as follows; 14 Onondaga, 10 Cayuga, 9 Oneida, 9 Mohawk, 8 Seneca, 8 Cherokee, 8 Susquehannock, 6 Tuscarora and 6 Nottoway.

Majority/State Religion : Haudenosaunee spiritualism
Religious Description : Although it is by no means official in any meaningful way, the largest religious orientation in the Confederacy is traditional Haudenosaunee spiritualism. Since the arrival of Europeans, however, the numerous strands of Christianity have become incredibly influential within the Confederacy, with a number of individuals converting en masse to the religion. As of current, close to a third of the Haudenosaunee population ascribes to one kind of Christian thought, while the remainder largely confess belief in traditional Haudenosaunee spiritualism. Due to the highly unstructured nature of such spiritualism, however, it is hard to gauge such numbers accurately.

Economic Ideologies : Communalism, gift economy and primitive communism are a few of the terms used to describe the Haudenosaunee economy.
Major Production : Corn, tobacco and fur pelts are among the most prominent of Haudenosaunee goods desired abroad.
Economic Description : Fur pelts have seen a significant decline as a result of the Beaver Wars. Only recently, thanks to conservation efforts, has the population of beavers begun to recover. Industrial goods tend to be purchased from the neighbouring Christian Republic in exchange for corn, and due to this and as a result to Haudenosaunee aversion to such pollutant industry, the Confederacy itself has scarcely industrialised. Guns and ammunition are among the few products which the Haudenosaunee are proud to produce entirely on their own, within their own factorial longhouses dedicated to manufacturing.

Development: Straddling the line between semi-industrialised and primitive.
Development Description : Though the Confederacy remains strongly devoted to it's tradition, it has taken the first steps on the long road to industrialisation. The smog and waste will have to be endured to build a strong homeland capable of resisting any outside threat; after all, so snaps the pine tree which does not bend to changing winds.

Army Description : There exists a relatively small standing army of 150,000, although according to ancient custom every male Haudenosaunee is expected to also be a proficient warrior, and to answer the call to arms if war is declared. In modern times, of course, this would be such a self-destructive action that it is never considered. Small-scale mobilisation, however, is often touted as the nation's best response to a foreign invasion. According to that ancient tradition, every male receives combat training in firearms and melee as part of his coming of age celebrations. The standing army receives far more training, as is to be expected, and is actually considered among the better trained and disciplined of the American armies. Every Haudenosaunee infantryman is equipped with a standard-issue Model 1884 Great Peace rifle and a melee weapon, generally a tomahawk ax, of his choosing. The army is led by war chiefs appointed by clan mothers.
Army Weakness : The professional army is far smaller than that of the Confederacy's neighbours; this is due to genuine belief in the ancient tradition of mass mobilisation, though most modern strategists understand that this would essentially be economic suicide in the modern world. This leaves the Haudenosaunee armed forces in an undeniably unenviable position.
Naval Description : The Haudenosaunee navy, if one can even call it that, is a far-cry from the advanced fleets of the Imperial powers. Comprised of a small number of sloops and riverboats, it's primary objective is to protect the Great Lakes from foreign pirates and the St Lawrence from invaders; and it shows. There is not a single ocean-capable craft in the fleet.
Naval Weakness : The Haudenosaunee navy is quite literally a joke to all who know about it; it is practically useless in modern times.
Further Military Description : The Haudenosaunee armed forces are a perfect display of the Confederacy's struggle to combine their ancient traditions with the struggle of modernity; and as such, it suffers from the worst of both.

National Goals : Maintain independence and sovereignty, prevent further outside influence in America, achieve industrial self-sufficiency.
National Issues : Industrial reliance on the Christian Republic, attachment to ancient traditions, weakness of the central government, threat of outside influence.
National Figures of Interest : Tiorahkwathe, a middle-aged peace chief of the Mohawk, adopted from a white family who has quickly risen as a prominent figure. Tecumseh, an aging Brothers' War veteran and former war chief of the Seneca, taken during one the final mourning wars, who is past his prime. Karontase, an influential sachem of the Cherokee, who has proven an outspoken member of the Great Council and favourite of his clan mother.
National Ambition/Aspirations : A New Haudenosaunee Century.

History :

• 1019 - A strange 'ghost-skinned' individual washes up on the American coast, a survivor from Leif Erikson's expedition. He is almost captured by the Powhatan tribe, but is incidentally saved by a Mohawk raiding party. The man, sickly from months at sea, was healed by the Mohawk medicine-men, and was soon adopted into their tribe. This man, the Lost Wanderer, would give the Mohawk, and their sister peoples, an invaluable gift.
• 1400 - The Great Peacemaker institutes the Great Law of Peace, establishing the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
• 1590 - Haudenosaunee scouts note the arrival of strange, 'ghost-skinned' people on the coasts, reminiscent of that of the Lost Wanderer. Further investigation revealed that these are people from a far-off land known as Roma, and were looking for new lands to settle. The Haudenosaunee offered gifts to the foreigners - mostly food and medicine - and left them be, for the coast was not their domain.
• 1600 - Further European colonists arrive; although many reports came of other natives falling to foreign diseases, the Haudenosaunee themselves seemed oddly immune; this would bring allegations of divine intervention.
• 1629 - Beginning of the Beaver Wars, as the Confederacy expands outwards to gain access to profitable Beaver hunting grounds.
• 1701 - Beaver Wars come to a conclusion; the Confederacy is greatly expanded.
• 1722 - Tuscarora Nation joins the Haudenosaunee Confederacy as the sixth nation, following their defeat in a war with European colonists.
• 1724 - The Nottoway, following the Tuscarora and wary of Christian encroachment, join the Confederacy as the seventh nation after great pressure is applied to them.
• 1726 - Traditionally considered the start of the Appalachian Wars, a series of conflicts between the Christian colonists and the Haudenosaunee tribes, with other native tribes assisting both. While the first conflicts involved merely Christian landowners and Haudenosaunee border clans, they soon escalated into grander conflicts, between larger parties.
• 1759 - Following their defeat in a conflict with the Europeans, a beleaguered Susquehannock diplomat pleads that the Iroquois take pity on their former enemies, and grant them refuge. After a long council session, the Haudenosaunee reluctantly agree; the Susquehannock become the eighth nation of the growing Confederacy.
• 1798 - Appalachian Wars erupt into a full-scale state conflict, as the Great Eastern War begins. Despite the name, the conflict remains low-level and largely localised to problem regions.
• 1811 - Defeated in battle by Christian militia and almost pushed out of their homeland, the Cherokee petition nominal allies the Haudenosaunee for aid. The Haudenosaunee agree, on the condition that the Cherokee accept the Great Law of Peace. With no other option, the Cherokee reluctantly agree, and are eventually pushed into becoming the ninth nation of the Confederacy.
• 1821 - The Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Eternal Brotherhood is signed between the Haudenosaunee and the Christian Republic; the treaty formally ends the century-long prior conflict, and sets the border between the two nations (roughly) along the Appalachian range. It further forbids further conflict between the two parties, and commits the two to everlasting friendship, further, the Republic of Alebamon was established as a buffer state to the growing Nahuan Empire. Additionally, it forebode both states from acting with bad faith towards those sharing the religion of the other.
• 1831 - Following ten years of Christian migration to the region and the growth of the refugee crisis within the Confederacy, the two parties partition the widely-unrecognised Republic of Alebamon.
• 1848 - Rumblings from the newer nations reach the Council. Under pressure from their Susquehannock neighbours, the Cayuga sachems raise the issue of the newer nation's lack of influence to the Great Council. Despite a lengthy debate, the Junior Moiety cannot come to a consensus and the issue is dropped. The new nations are angered by this, having hoped to gain what they saw as rightful seats on the council.
• 1851 - A Cherokee war-band execute Christian missionaries operating in their territory. A clear violation of the Treaty, the action is met with uproar from the Great Council, who order the members of the war-band arrested. The Cherokee counter that only a Cherokee sachem on the Great Council could follow through with such an act; a clear attack on the 1848 decision to refuse the Cherokee seats on the Council.
• 1852 (May) - A Tuscarora war party supplemented by Cherokee warriors is seen on the warpath, headed towards St Mary's, a Christian Cayuga settlement along the Cayuga-Tuscarora border. The Great Council demand that this army stand down, but no response is received. The Haudenosaunee Brothers' War begins as armies clash in St Mary's village. After a brief battle, the Tuscarora are successful, and the entirety of the village is put to the sword.
• 1852 (June) - News of the St Mary's massacre has spread across the region. Under pressure from both their own citizens, the Christian Republic and much of the Western world, the Great Council passes an emergency resolution; denouncing every member of the war party, declaring them criminals, and ordering that the Tuscarora and Cherokee nations hand over the individuals. The council made it abundantly clear that anything less meant outright war.
• 1852 (July) - Response from the Cherokee and Tuscarora; in lead and steel. Declaring the council corrupt, decadent, unjust and a puppet to Christian masters, they declared their own Union of the Haudenosaunee, offering seats on it's own council to any Haudenosaunee nation which felt the same. As was expected, the Susquehannock took up the cause; the Nottoway, however, were persuaded by the old council to remain, with offers of reform on the table. Unexpectedly, close to half of the Seneca abandoned their seats in the council, at their clan mothers' behest. The Spiritualist Seneca joined with the Union, to cleanse the land of Christian influence. The stage was set.
• 1853 - The Haudenosaunee Brothers' War would drag on for a bloody ten years, consuming all in it's path. The Confederacy would receive secret aid from it's American Christian ally, in addition to a large number of Christian volunteers.
• 1861 - The lengthy siege of the Cherokee capital of Ustanali was brought to an unceremonious end. With the fall of Ustanali, the Confederacy had become the undisputed victor. Union forces surrendered, and their leaders were forced to sign the Treaty of Unending Peace, which formally brought an end to the conflict. The Nottoway, who had remained loyal to the Great Council on the condition of reform, were granted six seats on the council as part of the Junior Moiety, after it came to a consensus. The Brothers' War had changed attitudes in the Confederacy; no-one wanted a conflict such as that to erupt again, so reform of the system was deemed necessary. While the Spiritual Seneca were granted amnesty by their brothers in the loyalist Seneca and were given free reign to rejoin their nation, it would take longer for such amnesty to extend.
• 1872 - The Tuscarora, believed to have redeemed themselves via the reestablishment of St Mary's village, were granted six seats on the council, again part of the Junior Moiety.
• 1888 - The Cherokee and Susquehannock, believed to have redeemed themselves also by this point, were granted eight seats on the council, this time as part of the Senior Moiety.
• 1899 - A (largely) reunited Confederacy looks out to the future, hopeful of what it might bring.

RP Sample: Here

#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

Complete.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Full Nation Name : The Grand Republic of the All Russias | Velikaya Respublika Vserossiyskaya
Population : Approximately 130,000,000 ~

She began to expand further, still, now encompassing lands to the south as far as Kiev.

Two things I'd like to point out even though I am not a Co-OP.

Firstly, the Russian Empire, with the inclusion of Poland as well as Finland had a population of approximately 136,3 million people. You lack Finland, Western Poland as well as huge chunks of Ukraine. This would potentually lead to a loss of more than just 6 million people. Russia in 1900 without Finland and the entirety of Poland was at 119,5 million people. You should try to find a number between that.

As for Kiev, if I see the border correctly, Kiev is still my territory which means it was ruled and settled by Bulgars since the times of Old Great Bulgaria so sometime in the 7th century.

Btw, why the fuck do I always make these weird and shitty nations which always require me to try and find data for specific small provinces?

[Senkaku]

Reservation

Nation Name: Haida Empire
Territory: coastal BC and Alaska, Puget Sound/Salish Sea region west of the Cascades, Vancouver Island and Olympic Peninsula, WA coast down to the Columbia and then the area along the Columbia up to about Spokane, plus some of the OR coast
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 72 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

[Old Tyrannia]

大日本海国
Dai Nippon Kaikoku
Great Japanese Maritime Nation

Full Nation Name : Maritime Empire of Japan (大日本海国, Dai Nippon Kaikoku)
Majority/Official Culture : Japanese
Territorial Core : Japanese home islands, the Ryukyu Islands, Sakhalin, the Philippines, Hawaii, Micronesia, Guam, the Mariana Islands, the Nanpō Islands, Minamitori Island, New Guinea, the Bismarck Islands, Queensland and Northern Territory.
Territorial Claim : Eastern Indonesian islands and East Timor, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and the Solomon Islands.
Capital City : Kyoto
Population : 62.9 million (38.1 million for the home islands; 24.8 million in colonies).

Government Type : Ceremonial diarchy under traditionalist hereditary dictatorship
Government Ideology/Policies : Imperialism, mercantilism, traditionalism, Confucianism
Government Focus : Economic growth, maintaining dominant position in the Pacific, colonial expansion.
Head of State : Their Imperial Majesties, the Emperors of the Northern and Southern Courts.
Head of Government : Her Highness the Imperial Regent, Lady Toyotomi Hinami.
Government Description : The ultimate fount of all authority is considered to be the two co-emperors of Japan, who rule by virtue of their descent from the sun deity, Amaterasu-Omikami. Each of the two emperors "reigns" for one half of the year, before the imperial regalia- the "Three Sacred Treasures of Japan," the sword Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (草薙劍), the mirror Yata-no-Kagami (八咫鏡), and the jewel Yasakani-no-Magatama (八尺瓊勾玉)- are transferred from one court to the other amongst much ceremony to mark the transfer of authority to the emperor of the other court. In practice, however, the imperial courts' role is primarily symbolic and authority is exercised by the Toyotomi clan as imperial regents or kampaku. There are two parallel governments within the Japanese Empire- one for the home islands of the Japanese people, referred to as Yamatokoku (大和国), and one for the overseas empire, known as the state of the sea or Kaikoku (海国), often translated as thalassocracy. Since all relations with tributary and barbarian states is dealt with by the Kaikoku-seifu (海国政府), the thalassocratic government, the latter is generally recognised as the relevant sovereign entity by foreign powers who refer to Japan in formal terms as 大日本海国, Dai Nippon Kaikoku. The supreme head of both governments is the kampaku (関白), meaning civil dictator or regent. The government of Yamatokoku consists of the Council of State, the Daijō-kan (太政官), and the Eight Ministries. In practice the imperial regent generally deals mostly with the affairs of the Kaikoku, whilst the Chancellor of the Realm (Daijō-daijin, 太政大臣), an official appointed by the regent, heads the administration of the Yamatokoku. The Kaikoku-seifu is formed of three secretariats, the Secretariat of Martial Affairs, the Secretariat of External Relations and the Secretariat of Civil Administration. The first oversees the defence of the Japanese empire; the second deals with foreign affairs, and the last is responsible for appointing colonial officials, collecting revenue and overseeing the implementation of justice outside the home islands. Each is headed by a secretary appointed by the regent.

Majority/State Religion : Most Japanese practise a combination of Shinto, Buddhism and Confucianism. Confucianism is the state ideology and is strongly promoted by the Imperial Government. Shinto remains a largely disorganised folk religion, although it is central to the Japanese understanding of themselves and their nation; the Japanese Emperors serve as the dual religious heads of the Shinto religion. Buddhism has been suppressed in the past but is currently tolerated officially. Because Shinto regards death as unclean, funerary rites have traditionally been the domain of the Buddhist clergy.

Economic Ideologies : The economic system of the Japanese Empire may be best described as a sort of aristocratic corporatism. The Kaikoku-seifu generally pursues a mercantilist and protectionist economic policy, maintaining high tariffs on imports and imposing a system of "imperial preference" on its colonies that requires them to trade principally with the home islands rather than with outside powers.
Major Production : Coal, steel, foodstuffs (especially rice), and luxury goods such as tea, silk and furniture.
Economic Description : Japan has one of the strongest economies in the world, and dominates maritime commerce in the Pacific as it has done for centuries. The Imperial Government pursues protectionist and mercantilist policies in order to encourage production within the empire and reduce the outflow of wealth from importing foreign goods. Under a system of imperial preference, Japan restricts its colonies from trading with other states in order encourage trade within the empire. Within the Yamatokoku, most economic power and capital is still focused in the hands of the traditional aristocracy, whereas in the Kaikoku a less rigid social hierarchy prevailed, with successful middle-class merchants from the homeland achieving great wealth and forming a new colonial ruling class. As the empire expanded, raw materials from the colonies flowed back to Japan to fuel a burgeoning industrial economy, with Japan following Korea to become East Asia's second industrial power. Amidst Japan's rapid industrialisation, many merchants founded successful companies which would eventual grow into powerful family-owned conglomerates, or zaibatsu (財閥), that continue to dominate the Japanese economy.

The Imperial Government generally maintains an interventionist stance towards the economy and a close relationship with the zaibatsu. Faced with unrest due to the poor working conditions in Japan's new factories and the precarious status of regular workers, and inspired by Confucian ideals of reciprocal loyalty between lords (employers) and servants (employees), Japan has begun to develop the basics of a welfare state with employers being required to provide for the medical care and pensions of their workers. Despite the modernisation of its infrastructure Japan remains somewhat conservative in many ways; in particular, land ownership in the Yamatokoku is still largely feudal in nature and, as mentioned above, social mobility is virtually non-existent. By contrast the Kaikoku or colonial part of the Japanese Empire is more modern in both regards, although its culture and society remain deeply hierarchical. The Yamatokoku is more industrialised than the Kaikoku, which mainly serves as a source of raw materials. Japan's main trading partners are Korea and China, although more trade with the American powers is beginning to take place. Most trade takes place through the colonies, which are more accessible to foreigners and foreign trade than the home islands. Japan is fairly self-sufficient economically but does import industrial materials (e.g. coal and steel) from Korea and food as well as many luxury manufactured items from China. American and European nations are a source of luxury manufactured goods, technology and exotic foods- for example, chocolate from the Azteks.

Development: Modern/Semi-industrialized.
Development Description: Japan is one of East Asia's most technologically advanced societies, but development is highly uneven across the Empire; the Yamatokoku is heavily industrialised whilst large parts of the Kaikoku remain economically underdeveloped.

Army Strength : 822,560 troops strong, divided between the 160,200 troops of the Imperial Japanese Army and 662,360 Imperial Marines. Japan's ground forces are efficiently organised, highly motivated and loyal. Japanese culture promotes courage and honour in battle, and most Japanese troops would rather die than surrender to the enemy.
Army Weakness : The officer class, largely drawn from old samurai families, remain highly conservative in outlook and are yet to fully accept modern military doctrine and reconcile it with the samurai warrior code, whilst the rank-and-file are largely made up of conscripts who are less well-equipped and trained than their Western counterparts. Japan's ground forces also suffer from a lack of cavalry and artillery.
Naval Strength : The Imperial Japanese Navy (日本海軍, Nippon Kaigun) is one of the largest and best funded naval forces in East Asia. Its newest ships are among the world's most technologically advanced, and the Japanese have a strong naval tradition with a well established, tried and tested naval doctrine.
Naval Weakness : Decades of complacency have eroded the technological edge of Japan's fleets, with many ships being somewhat outdated, and it will take time to fully replace them with newer classes. Additionally many of the navy's officers achieved their position by birth rather than through merit, and are untested in a real battle scenario.
Further Military Description : There are two main branches of the Japanese military- the Imperial Japanese Army (日本皇軍), Nippon Kōgun) and the Imperial Japanese Navy (日本海軍, Nippon Kaigun). The Imperial Army is under the authority of the Yamatokoku-seifu and the Ministry of Defence, and dedicated to the defence of the home islands; in practice, it is relatively small and fulfils a largely ceremonial role due to the fact that Japan itself has not been under direct threat of invasion for centuries. The Imperial Navy is under the jurisdiction of the Secretariat of Martial Affairs, part of the Kaikoku-seifu. As the Imperial Army's role is officially restricted to the defence of the home islands, the role of the main ground force of the Japanese military is fulfilled by the greatly swollen Imperial Marine Corps, 日本海兵隊 (Nippon Kaiheitai). The Imperial Marines are responsible for the defence of the Japanese colonial empire and serve as its main offensive ground force. Many are drawn from the colonial population and are experts at ship-to-ship combat and boarding manoeuvres, island-hopping and fighting in tropical environments, making them highly well suited to defending Japan's vast maritime empire.

National Goals : To consolidate Japan's position as the main naval power in the Pacific, expand Japanese territory in southern Polynesia, Indonesia and Australasia, and keep rival colonial powers out of its sphere of influence.
National Issues : Japan faces the challenge of fully modernising its large but increasingly outdated naval forces, ending its diplomatic isolation by securing new alliances, and strengthening the army in order to defend and expand its continental possessions. Additionally, the Empire faces factionalism amongst the ruling elites at home and the threat of insurgency from its colonies.
National Figures of Interest :

• Emperor of the Southern Court (南朝天皇, Nanchō Tennō): Personal name Yutanari (寛成). 58 years old. The older of Japan's co-sovereigns, Yutanari was known in his youth for his profligacy and inattention to study, preferring to spend time gambling, hunting and pursuing women. However his attitudes have changed with age, and he has become increasingly conservative, adopting an ascetic lifestyle and performing his obligations as emperor with dutiful devotion. Maintains a strictly Confucian court with close attention to protocol, but also a deeply devoted Zen Buddhist. His era name is Shōzū (正崇), meaning "upright and honourable."
• Emperor of the Northern Court (北朝天皇, Hokuchō Tennō): Personal name Kenshō (賢章). 19 years old. The younger of Japan's co-sovereigns, only a year into his reign following the abdication of his grandfather. Bright, idealistic and open-minded, the Northern Emperor is known to be pro-reform whilst remaining a devoted Confucian. Although dutiful he is more inclined to question the established way of doing things than his southern counterpart. His era name is Shōkyō (昌慶), meaning "prosperous and jubilant."
• Toyotomi Hinami (豊臣日南): 31 years old. The first woman to hold the title of kampaku, Lady Hinami is the daughter of previous imperial regent Toyotomi Hatsuo. She succeeded him as regent due to the lack of male heirs, with her father asking for and being granted a special edict approved by both emperors allowing the position to be filled by a woman in order to secure her legitimacy. Her husband, Toyotomi Motozane, is the head of a junior branch of the Toyotomi clan, although said branch broke off from the main line some 200 years ago, meaning the couple are not closely related. Their marriage was arranged to secure the Toyotomi clan's control of the office of regent. Charming and cultured, Hinami has proven a capable leader, embodying the ideal of the Yamato-Nadeshiko; a proper lady with a streak of iron. Her rule has been characterised by cautious reform and an increasingly ambitious and assertive foreign policy.

National Ambition/Aspirations : To become the leader of a politically and economically dominant coalition of countries under East Asian cultural influence, pursuing a civilising mission amongst the barbarians of the world. Hakkō ichiu.

History : Japan is a nation with an ancient history. According to traditional accounts its sovereigns have reigned in an unbroken line for over two thousand years, the Imperial House of Yamato- Japan's ruling dynasty- having been founded by Emperor Jimmu (神武天皇, Jinmu-tennō) in 660 BC. Through him, the imperial lineage may trace its ancestry back to the Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu-Omikami (天照大神). Although the early origins of the Japanese nation are shrouded in myth and mystery, Chinese sources dating from the 3rd century AD confirm the existence of a powerful kingdom known as Yamataikoku in the Japanese archipelago. Buddhism was introduced to Japan by the 6th century, in the Asuka Period. In the following Nara Period, so-named for the city of Nara which is built upon the site of the then-capital of Japan, the country became more centralised and began to adopt Chinese Confucian ideas on governance. Literature and the arts began to flourish. The Nara Period ended with the shift of Japan's capital from Nara to Nagaoka and then finally to Heian, modern day Kyoto, marking the beginning of the Heian Period. This period of Japanese history witnessed the decline of imperial authority as Japan's emperors became figureheads for the powerful Fujiwara clan, who monopolised the powerful position of kampaku (関白), meaning chief advisor to the emperor. The loss of power by Japan's emperors did not halt the cultural flourishing that had begun in the Nara Period, however. Japan at this time began to develop the distinctive culture it is known for today, and a strong sense of Japanese identity and nationhood emerged. The ethos of the Japanese nation in this period was expressed by a phrase from The Tale of Genji, one of the greatest works of Japanese and world literature, written at the Heian court by a female courtier named Murasaki Shikibu; "it is when there is a fund of Chinese learning (才, zae) that the Japanese spirit (大和魂, Yamato-damashii) is respected in the world."

The trend of declining imperial authority continued into the second millennium, and by the 12th century the court nobility had also began to lose its power in favour of the newly ascendant warrior class, the samurai. The passage of power from the Fujiwara court clan to the Minamoto samurai clan under the leadership of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first military ruler or shogun (将軍) of Japan, heralded the dawn of Japan's feudal era and the beginning of the Kamakura Period. By the end of the Kamakura shogunate, even the shogun had become a figurehead to the powerful Hōjō clan, who wielded the title of Regent to the Shogunate or shikken (執権). Thus the emperor, kampaku and shogun were all reduced to figureheads in a situation that could only arise as a result of Japan's strong Confucian culture, which made openly deposing and replacing one's superior or liege lord an unthinkable offence. Under the Hōjō clan the Japanese successfully defeated Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281, but they ultimately lost power in the 14th century as a result of an attempt by the Emperor Go-Daigo to topple the shogunate and restore the imperial house to true power in the so-called Kenmu Restoration. The Emperor was successful in toppling the Hōjō, but not in curbing the ambitions of the samurai class. By 1336 the Restoration government had collapsed and the imperial capital of Kyoto fell into the hands of a rebel samurai named Ashikaga Takauji, a descendant of the Minamoto clan, who proclaimed himself shogun and installed a rival claimant to the imperial throne as Emperor Kōgon. Emperor Go-Daigo and his supporters fled south to Yoshino, where they established a rival court known as the Southern Court whilst the court in Kyoto became known as the Northern Court. The conflict between the Ashikaga shoguns and the Southern Court lasted until 1392, when the third Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, offered the beleaguered Southern Court a compromise; the role of emperor would be shared between the northern and southern lines, who would each hold nominal authority over the northern and southern parts of the country, with Kyoto demarking the dividing line. In practice, authority over the entire country would remain with the shogun, but the Southern Court could save face and retain their prestige. The three imperial treasures, the regalia of the Japanese Emperor, would be shared between the two emperors, spending half the year with the Northern Court Emperor and half the year with the Southern Court Emperor. Furthermore, as the senior imperial line the Southern Court Emperors would hold seniority to the Northern Court. This agreement led to the establishment of Japan's unique diarchic system that has endured to the modern day.

The rule of the Ashikaga clan saw Japan experience an era of relative peace and prosperity, but the in-looking tendencies of the Japanese elite continued. Whilst neighbouring Korea emerged as a colonial power in south-east Asia, Japan remained insular and unconcerned with foreign affairs. This state of affairs was not to last indefinitely, however. Growing rivalries between Japan's powerful feudal lords, the daimyō (大名), began to undermine the central authority of the shogunate. In 1467, the Ōnin War broke out as a consequence of a dispute between two powerful lords, Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen. The war rapidly escalated out of control, and signalled the end of the Ashikaga shogunate's centralised rule over Japan. This began Japan's Warring States or Sengoku Period. The Imperial Courts lacked any authority to impose order on the country. Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the 14th Ashikaga shogun, was assassinated in 1565 and the ambitious and powerful daimyō Oda Nobunaga seized power and installed Yoshiteru's brother Yoshiaki as puppet shogun. Nobunaga was a skilled military leader and a capable political reformer, but also known to be brutal in his efforts to unify Japan under his rule. By 1582 most of Japan was under Nobunaga's control, but in that year he was assassinated along with his eldest son in a coup by a former subordinate, Akechi Mitsuhide. It fell to Nobunaga's vassal Hashiba Hideyoshi, a peasant's son raised high by his talents as a negotiator and commander and by Nobunaga's largesse, to avenge his liege lord. Mitsuhide was defeated by Hideyoshi's forces at the Battle of Yamazaki, and Mitsuhide himself died shortly afterwards, supposedly killed by a bandit named Nakamura Chōbei with a bamboo spear- a dishonourable end for the powerful samurai. Hideyoshi now took for himself his former master's place as ruler of Japan. Like Nobunaga, he was not descended from the Minamoto clan and therefore ineligible to claim the title of shogun, but instead had himself adopted by the Konoe branch of the powerful Fujiwara clan and adopted a new surname, Toyotomi. He was thus able to take the title of kampaku, civil dictator or regent to the Emperors.

Hideyoshi was not content with completing the unification of Japan that Nobunaga had began. After securing the country, he looked to expand his power by invading China. His hopes were to construct a vast Japanese empire spanning all of Asia, rivalling that of the Mongols who had tried to invade Japan centuries earlier. Hideyoshi had hoped to gain the collaboration of Korea in his ambitions, but the Koreans, who were a tributary to the Chinese Ming dynasty at the time, refused to allow Japanese forces to pass through Korea. Hideyoshi thus resolved to invade Korea. From 1592 to 1598, Japan waged two campaigns against Korea. The Korean kingdom was at the time feeble militarily and Hideyoshi's troops, far better trained and equipped than their Korean counterparts and experienced from Japan's long civil wars, quickly overran most of the peninsula. However, Japanese ambitions were ultimately foiled by the intervention of the powerful and virtually independent Korean Viceroyalty of Chuk-jae-do in south-east Asia. The Viceroyalty's forces inflicted devastating losses on the Japanese navy, cutting off Japan's armies in Korea from reinforcements, and fresh Korean troops from the colonies began to wear down the resolve of Japan's forces. On the 18th September 1598, Hideyoshi died of natural causes, and the new ruling Council of Five Elders decided to withdraw Japan's armies from Korea. The ill-feeling towards Korea in Japan was somewhat moderated by the Koreans' agreement to allow the peaceful withdrawal of Japanese soldiers and the release of all prisoners of war. With Hideyoshi gone, his son Toyotomi Hideyori was declared kampaku and ruler of Japan, but actual power was exercised by a council of regents. Hideyoshi's dreams of expansion were temporarily forgotten by Japan's new rulers, but not by his heirs.

By 1600, relations between the members of the council had deteriorated. Civil war broke out between Hideyoshi's former retainer Tokugawa Ieyasu and the other four members of the council. Toyotomi Hidetsugu, Hideyoshi's nephew, adopted son and former heir who had been exiled upon the birth of Toyotomi Hideyori to prevent a succession crisis, returned from his exile and began gathering an army of his own to fight the Tokugawa forces and protect Toyotomi rule. Hideyoshi had considered forcing Hidetsugu to commit suicide, but had relented after being advised against it; it was now Hidetsugu who would save the Toyotomi clan's legacy. Hidetsugu met and defeated Ieyasu at the Battle of Sekigahara, after which Ieyasu committed ritual suicide, seppuku, leaving Hidetsugu in control of Japan. Hideyori remained the nominal ruler of Japan, but his older cousin and adoptive brother held real power, marrying his daughter to Hideyori in order to increase his authority over him as his father-in-law, since under Confucian precepts sons-in-law owed filial piety to their bride's parents. Both Hidetsugu and Hideyori shared Hideyoshi's dreams of expanding Japanese power, but it was clear that another invasion of Korea was out of the question. Instead, Hidetsugu opened Japan up to trade with Korean and European merchants, and began building up Japan's naval strength, nurturing ambitions of building a Japanese colonial empire that would eclipse that of Korea. Under him, the Japanese gradually expanded north, charting and colonising the unexplored islands of Hokkaido and Karafuto (Sakhalin). At the same time, Japanese merchants with state sponsorship began to establish outposts in the Philippines and the Spice Islands, resulting in clashes with Korea. A series of colonial wars with Korea through the 17th and 18th centuries saw Japan's defeat in the Philippines, but by then Japan had already established a presence further south, shifting its colonial aspirations to the south and east and away from Korea.

Hidetsugu died 1632. He had intended that his son Senchiyomaru would succeed him as Japan's ruler, but an effort to displace Hideyori as kampaku backfired when Hideyori, as Hideyoshi's rightful heir, was able to claim the support of most of the daimyō and defeated Senchiyomaru in a brief succession struggle. Senchiyomaru performed seppuku and Hideyori reigned for more than twenty years, overseeing the conquest of Taiwan and defeat of rival colonial ventures on the island by the Koreans, Dutch and Spanish. It was Hideyori who initiated the division of Japan's government between the Yamatokoku-seifu, responsible for administrating the home islands, and the Kaikoku-seifu, which oversaw Japan's colonies and dealt with foreign affairs. At the same time, Japan began to improve its naval forces by incorporating elements of European design into its ships. Naval innovation in this period led to the creation of ships that were better suited than their Korean and Chinese counterparts for long voyages in deeper waters, and Japanese explorers set out to reach the west coast of America, the regent's court being inspired by tales of Europeans circumnavigating the globe. In the process the Japanese charted and annexed much of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.

In the 19th century, Japan was one of the two great colonial powers of East Asia. At this time, concerns over European expansion into what the Oriental powers regarded as their natural sphere of influence prompted a détente between Korea and Japan, and an agreement was established that Japan would restrict its territorial ambitions to the east whilst Korea focused on expansion in the west. Japan was the second East Asian country to industrialise, following Korea in the mid-19th century. Although power remains in the hands of the Toyotomi clan as imperial regents, some reforms have been implemented as the nation progresses both technologically and socially; discrimination against the burakumin (部落民) outcast class is now officially prohibited, although still widespread unofficially. The samurai class have been converted into a class of hereditary officer families, filling high-ranking positions within both the military and civil service, which remain closely intertwined. Powerful merchant clans have developed into the family-owned zaibatsu business conglomerates which control much of Japan's economy. The Empire has developed a basic welfare state based on Confucian precepts. Despite this, Japan remains a deeply traditional society, more distrustful of outside influence than other East Asian nations; Japanese have come to regard their nation as the modern centre of East Asian and Confucian culture, replacing China- until relatively recently a fractured and weakened empire- as the "Middle Kingdom" (中国, Chūkoku). Other cultures are dismissed as barbarians and their presence in Japan itself is generally restricted to a few ports, except for those who gain special permission from the Yamatokoku-seifu to travel more widely.

#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Full Nation Name : Трета българска държава / Treta bŭlgarska dŭrzhava /Third Bulgarian Empire
Majority/Official Culture : Bulgarians
Territorial Core : From the Danube in the West to the Dnieper and the Sea of Azov in the East. From the Carpathians in the North to the Danube in the South. In short, it's on the map.
Territorial Claim : [[OPTIONAL]] Great Old Bulgaria aka huge chunks of Ukraine all the way down to the Caucasus. Maybe also Bulgaria and Macedonia if I decide that 250 years of Bulgarian rule are enough to say that these are true Bulgarian lands despite what these filthy Byzantines did to them.
Capital City : Яш / Yash / Iasi
Population : 31.993.000

Government Type : Constitutional Hereditary Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : Anti-Hellenism/Byzantinism, Nationalism, Conservatism
Government Focus : The return of Old Great Bulgaria, the Elimination of the Russian Threat & The Elimination of the long ter rival, the Eastern Roman Empire
Head of State : Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria von Sachsen-Coburg and Gotha)
Head of Government : Minister President Todor Iwantschow
Government Description : Well, well, well, no pressure. We're going to keep things easy and basically copy the Tarnovo Constitution from 1879. What does that mean? Well, firstly, we've got a hereditary monarchy so Boris is next in line for Tsar and there will be no fancy schmancy elections for who gets to be Tsar except if the line dies out. The Tsar must also be male and be a catholic. The Tsar is the head of the state and the supreme commander of the armed forces. Ministers and bills must be accepted by him. The Tsar has legislative initiative and may coordinate the efforts of the cabinet and the ministers. Lastly, the Tsar can declare martial law and suspend the constitution and all legislative bodies for one year, one year to rule as an absolute monarch.

Next is the Narodno Sabranie, or the People's National Assembly. Every male above the age of 21 may vote or be voted in there. Bulgarian voters vote for their parties, which in turn vote internally for who gets the delegate seats they received from the people's votes and then these fine fellows stay delegates for 4 years. The National Assembly is made up from 240 delegates and there is no vote treshold necessary to enter the Narodno Sabranie. The Narodno Sabranie acts as primary legislative body of the Bulgarian Empire. They may also initiate legislative campaigns, refine bills proposed by the Tsar, must approve bills, select ministers, approve the budget etc.

The Grand National Assembly on the other hand comes together only during exceptional times of crisis or on demand of the Tsar. The Grand National Assembly consists of 480 members, the additional 240 members are chosen in a lightning fast voting process. The Grand National Assembly selects regents, can craft new constitutions, selects new heads of state if the position is vacant, can suspend parts of the constitution.

Majority/State Religion : Catholicism
Religious Description : Really not much to be said. Interestingly, there is a semi-autonomous region in Transylvania called Burzenland. It is a small theocracy managed by the Teutonic Order but absolute loyalty to the Empire is demanded of them.

Economic Ideologies : Liberalism but the state exerts control over critical industries such as the oil production or the railway.
Major Production : Agricultural Products...many agricultural products...I have half the fertile Pannonian Plains, Most of the fertile Romanian Plains and hold half the Ukraine, the Wheat Chamber of the Soviet Union, of course I was going to produce that. Then oil, lots of oil. Apart from that, a lot of minerals, metals, coal. A thriving arms industry based on the ancient animosity against the Byzantines. Apart from that though, there is a distinct lack of production of actual products and not just ressources.
Economic Description : The Bulgarian economy is overall rather backwards. Despite modernization attempts, much of the country remains an agricultural and backwards territory. However it must be noted that the north west is generally better developed than the South and East, mainly due to the proximity to the germans as well as the the better influx of foreign capital, considering that those borders got no rivalling nations around. Sadly, that wealth travels badly, the Carpathians being a big infrastructural blockade i nthe Empire. Apart from that Bulgaria stays an agricultural nation for the most part, relying on agricultural products and mineral extraction to make money.

With the new Tsar Ferdinand I though, things are looking up once again. Coming from a german house and hoping to make something out of the Empire he has been given, Tsar Ferdinand seeks to modernize the nation and put it onto an equal footing with its neighbours and other european powers.

Development: I wouldn't really call it semi-industrialised but at the same time primitve seems like a bit of a stretch. But I guess I'll go semi-industrialised.
Development Description : The nation is situated in Europe and can thus benefit from close proximity to other, more modern and innovative nations...and uh...well, despite its often agrarian nature, this country has all the necessary ressources to industrialize and with industrialisation spreading through europe, it would be moronic to not atleast attempt to industrialize on greater scale.

Army Description : A standing army, about 320.000 soldiers strong but with a reservist force of nearly 700.000 men ready to walk straight into the fray. The Imperial Bulgarian Army is well trained and in great spirits, ready and willing to fight till the last breath. With the abolition of the promotion of noble titles in the 1879 consitution, the officer corps is based on either merit, or gleamy, shiny coin. Considering the relatively sad state of the economy, coin can get you anywhere. Well, nearly anywhere. Apart from that, the army features a large cavalry force or mounted infantry force, perfect for the many plains of the Empire. Due to certain weaknesses of the army, this mounted infantry is supposed to concentrate on points in the enemy lines and break through and then attempt to strike adjacent enemy forces in the back so basically Blitzkrieg without aircraft and tanks but with horses. Meanwhile, the main body of the army is mostly focused on holding the Bulgarian territory, making use of partly ancient fortifications along natural defenses like the Danube river, Crimea, the Dniepr and the Carpathians.
Army Weakness : As was referenced, corruption is rampant in the officer cadre. At the same time, while the arms industry thrives, it does not thrive enough to fully supply the army once it exceeds its trained reserves and ventures forth into a longer war. And besides, the equipment they do actually have, is not often the most practical or most modern.
Naval Description : The Imperial Bulgarian Navy has three naval bases which are Odessa, Mykolajiw and Mariupol. And it's pretty small. Several light cruisers make up the bulk of the navy which consists mostly of a small force of destroyers and torpedo boats. The sailors and captains are quite well trained despite their small size.
Naval Weakness : The navy lacks shipyards to produce larger, stronger ships and is overall pretty underfunded due to the Tsar as well as the government not seeing any greater value in contesting the Byzantines' control of the Black Sea on the waves.
Further Military Description : Of note are the elite formations of the Bulgarian Army. These are the Teuton Corps and the Bulgarian Black Guard.

The Teuton Corps is a highly elite force comrpised of germans hailing from the Burzenland. Ever since the Tsar allowed the Order to exist as a semi-autonomous theocracy in the Empire, they have repaid him with military aid whenever he demands it. Teutonic Troops are highly trained, fanatical, well led and very well equipped. The same goes for the Bulgarian Black Guard, a unit that has existed for over a millennium by now. The Bulgarian Black Guards are handpicked by the Tsar upon recommendations from army commanders. The Black Guard undergo heavy drill to become fanatical weapons for their Tsar and nothing else.

National Goals : Liberation of eastern lands, Sack Constantinople
National Issues : Lacking Industrialisation, Big bad neighbours, Low Literacy rates, Low Acceptance of the Tsar, Tsar's conservative ideals vs Parliament's liberal ideals
National Figures of Interest : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Are there any Mother Teresas or Moses that we need to know about?]]
National Ambition/Aspirations : Return of Old Great Bulgaria

History : Let's see. We'll start with Great Old Bulgaria. You remember how it disintegrated after Khan Kubrat's death due to strong Khazar pressure from the east? Well, it did here as well but Kubrat's sons stayed a tad bit more united and managed to hold the Khazars at the banks of the Dniepr river. However, due to the looming threat of the Khazaks, many still parted. Kuber led his people into Pannonia where he slaved away as a vassal of the Avars only to later rebel and come down to Macedonia. Asparukh on the other hand moved with his people through Romania and into Bulgaria, defeating the Byzantines and founding the First Bulgarian Empire. After that it was really for the most part consolidation. The different Bulgar people left on their journey through Pannonia, Romania and Ukraine kept together and local Slavs were subjugated due to their superior organisation adn skill. Still, the Bulgarians left their slavic helpers a lot of leeway and employed them as auxiliary forces in their wars against the Byzantines, against the Avar Khaganate and against the continued aggression from the Khazars, which eventually led to Khan Asparukh's death in battle.

Despite this rather colourful bunch of people, the Bulgarians persisted. Internal turmoil at the beginning of the 8th century kept them at bay and not invading the Byzantine Empire. The constant watch against the Avars in the west and keeping the local slavs in check eventually paid off when Khan Krum came to power. Krum was one of the greatest leaders among the Bulgarians, greatly expanding the Empire and tightening its grip in the Pannonian Basin which had previously been disputed between them and the Avars. Krum also defeated the Byzantines and prepared to lay siege to Constantinople itself but his sudden death stopped the Bulgarians dead in their tracks. But he is not only remembered for his deeds of war but also for introducing the first written law code in as well as promote the equality between all the people of his realm. His successors were also highly successful continuosly enlarging the Empire and delving further into Byzantine lands but never again did they come close to Constantinople. Among them Boris I of Bulgaria is certainly the most intersting figure. The realm was plagued by catastrophe after catastrophe under his reign but his skill kept it intact. He also saw the value in christianity and used the opportunity created by the temporary schism between Rome and Constantinople, to declare his own, bulgarian church, since he found it more useful than the old pagan beliefs when finding allies in Europe. Boris is well known for putting the Empire above everything, brutally putting down pagan rebellions and even blinding and imprisoning his own firstborn son Vladimir to preserve the religious change.

Then came the time of Knyaz Simeon I, the Golden Age of the First Bulgarian Empire. Under Simeon's rule the Bulgarians pushed back the vile Byzantines who had set up alliances with other Easterners. The Magyars came, attempting to annihilate Simeon while Byzantine troops returned in force, penetrating into Bulgaria. Yet with outstanding military courage the Byzantines were beaten back and Simeon I eventually earned the title of Emperor, getting recognised as such by Constantinople. In a showcase of diplomatic skill he allied with the Pechenegs and their united forces managed to crush the Magyars at the Bug river. The Pechenegs then blocked the Magyars returning from their homeland, leading to them attempting to penetrate further into Bulgarian lands and find a home in the west. Many songs were sung about the heroic defenders of the Carpathian passes which denied the Hungarians passage and the later Expeditions by Simeon I's son Petar, wiping out every trace of the Magyar's existence. Preparations were then made to become recognised as Tsar and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church recognised as well by Rome itself. It kinda failed when Simeon I died.

But Bulgaria remained threatened. The Magyars had been dealt with, yes, but many other enemies still remained. In the south hostilities and skirmishes continued with the Byzantine Empire, although they had become more cautious after Simeon I's highly successful military campaigns. In the North the emerging Kievan Rus greatly threatened the Bulgarians. With Byzantine incitement, the Kievan Rus eventually marched against the Bulgarians and shattered their defenses. Their military prowess was one the Bulgarians had not been used to after fighting mostly the Byzantines for such a long time. Petar I abdicated, leaving the crown to Boris II who in turn offered the crown to Svyatoslav I who now, having been so successful against the Bulgarians, went after the Byzantines where he met his match and was defeated, enabling the Bulgarians to rise up and reclaim their empire. Boris' brother Roman was offered the crown by the leader of the Bulgarian Army, Samuel, and he accepted it. Together, they managed to hold the Empire together against the Serbian and Byzantine intrusions. But Roman died early and despite Samuel taking up the crown, he could not keep things together and was driven out of Moesia by Basil II's victorious armies. His strain of military defeats against Basil II as well as the utter humiliation of losing the entiretiy of Moesia to this upstart Basileus lost him the support of the people and he eventually died of a heart attack.

It was only in 1185 that the Empire should reunite again. Two aristocratic brothers, Theodore and Asen, attempted to restore the Bulgarian Empire, with Theodore crowning himself as Tsar Petar IV. However, Petar was not a great man and had many bad habits, making him rather disliked among the nobility, clergy and common people and making it rather difficult to reunite the Empire. 1190 then his younger brother, more energetic and much more liked by literally everyone convinced his brother to resign and hand the crown to him, who would then call himself Ivan Asen I. However, his luck ran out, his energetic campaigns drew the ire of the Byzantines who feared for their reconquered Moesian lands and thus designed a plot to kill him, spurring his brother Ivanko to murder him and awarding him with a governor title in turn. Ivan Asen I's brother Petar IV was killed not even a year later by an unknown assassin. Bulgaria then entered a time of unease and conflict with its neighbours under Tsar Kaloyan I, who despite everything thrown at him, managed to gain recognition of his imperial title from Rome. However, his successor Boril I was much less lucky, having to deal with the results of his predecessor's wars and internal unrest, he employed the Teutonic Order to help him keep the peace. They did but they asked for land in return, land that Boril I with his weak power base was forced to give them and so the Teutonic Knights made their state in the Burzenland and filled it with german immigrants. They were initially neutral in Bulgaria but when Ivan Asen II overthrew Boril I, he quickly marched upon the Burzenland and won a costly victory against them. Recognizing their strength in battle, Tsar Ivan Asen II made them his vassals.

And with many of the usual enemies of the Second Bulgarian Empire gone, it stayed for the most part alife. No Magyars to threaten it from the north, no Serbs to threaten from the west. In fact, the greatest threats stayed both the Byzantine Empire and the later Mongol Invasions. But the Byzantines' Campaigns were often launched in coordination with Western Roman Campaigns, making them a lot more threatening and the Mongols absolutely ravaged the Second Bulgarian Empire. At the same time Feudalism went out of control and the Empire eventually broke apart in 1371 into three smaller kingdoms. It took considerable time and strong outside pressure by the rising threat of Novgorod for the Empire to reunite again into the Third Bulgarian Empire, which proved strong enough to deter outside powers from further incursions.

Following a bloody civil war against the oppressive Tsar Vanko II, the country received a new constitution in the form of the Yash Constitution from 1879. The Grand National Assembly then convened to choose and elect a new Tsar, since Vanko II's line had died out during the civil war. It took them nearly eight years but in the end a foreigner was chosen. But atleast his family had some traces of Bulgarian blood. The product of a marriage between the Bulgarian noble Koharyiski family and the secondary line of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha family, the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfelds. So yeah, Tsar Ferdinand I became a thing. And I think that should suffice.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=33248643#p33248643

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[Kisinger]

Reservation

Nation Name: Empire of Austria
Territory: Whatever is left of the Austrian Empire (Excluding Galicia)
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*Note: Reservations will last for 72 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

[Kisinger]

Full Nation Name : Kaisertum Österreich (Austrian Empire)
Majority/Official Culture : Austrian
Territorial Core : Core
Territorial Claim : The remainder of Hungary and Slovakia, Slovenia, and North-Eastern Croatia or as seen here
Capital City : Vienna
Population : ~30 Million

Government Type : Unitary Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : Conservatism
Government Focus : Strengthening of the Austrian State through the process of Industrialization and the reform of the Austrian Army
Head of State : Emperor Franz Ferdinand
Head of Government : Ministers-President Ernest von Koerber
Government Description :

Majority/State Religion : Predominantly Latin Rite Christianity
Religious Description : The religious makeup within Austria is almost entirely Christianity mostly Latin Rite, however there is a notable minority of Jews within the Empire.

Economic Ideologies : Capitalism
Major Production : Industrial products(such as automobiles, machinery, and locomotives), coal, iron, and agricultural products
Economic Description : The Austrian economy is almost entirely centered on Industry with the industrial powerhouses being mostly within the Kingdom of Austria and the Kingdom of Bohemia who have predominantly focused and actively encourage the further expansion of their respective heavy and light industry. While the further Eastern portions of the Empire (Avaria) focus mostly on resource extraction and agricultural products with Avaria becoming the predominant area where Agricultural products for the Empire come from.

Development: Modern
Development Description : The Austrian Empire is a Modern nation by the standards of the time with exceptional urbanization and industrialization coupled with modern infrastructure and the expansion of railroads throughout the country.

Army Description : [[Describe your nation's army in as much detail as you can]]
Army Weakness :
Naval Description : [[Describe your nation's navy in as much detail as you can]]
Naval Weakness :
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals : Secure the Sovereignty of the Austrian Empire and secure a stronger foothold on the continent
National Issues : Ethnic agitation(Mostly of Avars and Slovaks), Outdated military, uncertain foreign policy
National Figures of Interest :
National Ambition/Aspirations : 'Weg zum Meer' or Path to the Sea, a aspiration mostly held by the Emperor who wishes to see Austria secure a footing along the Adriatic coast to allow for greater economic growth and to cut down the Western Roman Empire.

History : [[Can be in paragraph or bulletpoint timeline.]]
RP Sample: [[Either a link to a past post, or an example written right here.]]

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