1906: Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC-DEAD]

[Finland SSR]

Since we've confirmed that Chalcedonic is still a thing, I edited Spain's app to set their state religion as Chalcedonic Catholicism.

[Reverend Norv]

I've been trying to convince myself that it is Reformed orange.

If you want a different color just give us the code and I'll see what I can do

That's most generous. White, navy blue, or dark orange would be my preference; I leave it up to you which fits best on the map. It's not a priority, so don't worry if it doesn't happen, but I appreciate the offer!

[Pasong Tirad]

Feels nice to be non-Chalcedonian. A lot of the divergent history can be waved off as having little effect on your people.

[Tracian Empire]

Feels nice to be non-Chalcedonian. A lot of the divergent history can be waved off as having little effect on your people.

I'll have to talk with you a bit about that territory and the East Roman involvement in your civil war, because I'm changing a few things compared to last time. You seem to have seriously taken it chronologically, meanwhile I'm keeping the characters from the same time but just moving the chronology.

So in this Iteration, by the time of your civil war, my current Emperor's father would have been on the throne, which would explain why they took a bit of territory - the previous emperor was a lot more aggressive.

My current, barely crowned emperor(who was my emperor in the last iteration) would be a lot more open to the idea of trying to befriend Ethiopia.

[Pasong Tirad]

Feels nice to be non-Chalcedonian. A lot of the divergent history can be waved off as having little effect on your people.

I'll have to talk with you a bit about that territory and the East Roman involvement in your civil war, because I'm changing a few things compared to last time. You seem to have seriously taken it chronologically, meanwhile I'm keeping the characters from the same time but just moving the chronology.

So in this Iteration, by the time of your civil war, my current Emperor's father would have been on the throne, which would explain why they took a bit of territory.

My current, barely crowned emperor would be a lot more open to the idea of trying to befriend Ethiopia.

Alright. I'll make necessary edits. Ethiopia losing a war with the ERE sounds fine.

[Reverend Norv]

Feels nice to be non-Chalcedonian. A lot of the divergent history can be waved off as having little effect on your people.

I see opportunities for strategic cooperation between France and Ethiopia. Ethiopia can threaten the ERE's exposed southern flank in a way that France cannot. Meanwhile, if Breton colonialists cause any problems, France can likely roll over their homeland in a month. Ethiopia also needs military modernization, and France probably has the most modern army in the world; meanwhile, France needs export markets for its manufactured goods, since a lot of Europe is presumably very cautious about trading with the Commonwealth, and Ethiopia has millions of people ready to buy sewing machines and cast-iron kitchen stoves and whatnot.

[Tracian Empire]

I'll have to talk with you a bit about that territory and the East Roman involvement in your civil war, because I'm changing a few things compared to last time. You seem to have seriously taken it chronologically, meanwhile I'm keeping the characters from the same time but just moving the chronology.

So in this Iteration, by the time of your civil war, my current Emperor's father would have been on the throne, which would explain why they took a bit of territory.

My current, barely crowned emperor would be a lot more open to the idea of trying to befriend Ethiopia.

Alright. I'll make necessary edits. Ethiopia losing a war with the ERE sounds fine.

Not that it has to lose the war, it's just that in the previous iteration, I had no plan to take any territory from you.

So we could make it so that the ERE requested or took over that territory while during the war, which would create some tensions that we can play with

[Kamchakta]

Full Nation Name: The Portuguese Empire
Majority/Official Culture: Portuguese (85.6%) is the official culture although many other tribes reside within the African Colonies such as the Ovimbundu, Mbundu and Bakongo in Angola. Some were recognised for their outstanding bravery in fighting and resisting Portuguese occupation and have military units of their own. While the cultures of the natives are slowly assimilated into the larger Portuguese family as they retain their ability to practice local customs and enjoy their local cuisine, they have to abide the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Official Languages: Portuguese (96.7%) and Latin
Territorial Core: Portugal and Azore Islands
Territorial Claim: Galicia (Spain) has been eyed by Portuguese Nationalist since time and memorial. Especially now with the revolutionary spirit burning among many Portuguese, some fear or wonder whether the dream of a Greater Portugal will ever be realised.
Capital City: Lisboa (658,930)
Population: 7.26 Million (Core) 2.1 Million (Colonies) 9.36 Million (Total)

Lisboa (658,930)
Porto (411,214)
Sinitra (398,226)

Mozambique: 846,320
Angola: 758,291
South Tanzania: 321,872
Zambia and Zimbabwe: 299,310

Government Type: Absolute Hereditary Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies: Imperialist, Conservative

Government Focus: King Dom Carlos I, Monarch of Portugal is focused and consolidating his power on the mainland. With the populace getting agitated and rowdier as the demand a Republic, Carlos I finds himself having no choice to slowly reform the system and grant more powers to the people which angers the people who support the Monarchy who mostly consist of the rich merchants. His advisors and ministers are fractured on whether they should remain loyal to the King or grab power for themselves by flowing along with the tides of revolutionary change. Only time will tell if a revolution can be averted. Economically, Portugal is also not as strong as it used to which is fueling even more anger among Portuguese Nationalist.

Head of State: King Dom Carlos I
Head of Government: Council of Advisors (Conselho de Assessores) - Teófilo Braga - Minister of Trade and Commerce, Alfonso Claudio - Defence, Miguel Brasil - Foreign Affairs. They assist and advise the King regarding decisions and affairs.
Government Description: Since time and memorial, Portugal has been ruled through a succession of Kings and their heirs. Carlos I's heir is Dom Manuel II. The Council of Advisors/Ministers is in charge of helping the King make decisions while the majority of the populace is given little say in the external and internal dealings of the Empire. The Church also plays a major role as they have the power of anointing and the coronation the new King. Should the disapprove, the Church has levied and in the past fought wars against Portugal itself. That is why the lineage of Carlos I was not always the royal family of Portugal. This court culture results in frequent corruptions, especially with the materialistic and mercantilist thinking of the people in power. The Conselho de Assessores consists of 12 advisors to the King and are experts in their own fields pertaining to different matters.

Majority/State Religion: Roman Catholicism (91.8%) [Under the Greater Chalcedonian Church]
Religious Description: The Church of Portugal is a powerful institution. The 3 provinces of Portugal are the Ecclesiastical Province of Lisboa, Braga and Evora. The highest of these is the Cardinal of the Latin Patriarchate of Lisboa, led by Cardinal José (III) Sebastião de Almeida Neto. Under him are the many individual Archdiocese and Archbishops of the many small churches in the 3 main Ecclesiastical Provinces. Education is also influenced by the church with there being more than 560 religious schools in Portugal and 20 abroad in the colonies. the Mission Church of Angola and Mozambique are led by the Jesuit Religious Order while the Redemptorist lead the Mission Church of Zimbabwe. Military religious orders such as the Knights of St John's also reside in Lisboa.

Economic Ideologies: Mercantilism, Protectionism of Trade (Gold Standard) and Capitalism
Major Production: Portugal (Core) - Textiles, Machine-Parts, Steel, Tungsten, Clothes, Footwear, Tomatoes, Pears, Oranges, Fish, Wine, Rum, Wine Corks, Cheese, Ships (Military and Commercial), Early Cars, Petroleum, Bolt-Action Rifles and Artillery (For Local Armed Forces)

Cotton, Sugar, Fish, Citrus, Timber, Coffee, Diamonds, Gold, Silver, Coal, Iron, Oil

Economic Description: Due to being a Mercantilist nation with our Portuguese Escudo (Currency) tied to the Gold Standard, Portugal continues to maintain protectionist policies to ensure wealth stays within the borders of the realm. Many raw and precious goods come from the colonies while Portugal has slowly been shifting to work in the factories and industrialising. In the colonies, slightly below half are farmers while the other half work in mines or excavation related jobs. In Portugal, 35% Work on agriculture while 10% are employed in crafts such as fine wines, cheese and corks. Shipbuilding is the mainstay of Portugal's industrialisation with the shipyards of Lisboa and Porto upgraded in 1871 to house and build Ironclads. Much of the industry being developed is in Ironworks and metallurgy. Machine Part factories in Lisboa churn out the products at rates faster than ever seen since the factories first opened in 1892. Steelworks are beginning to take off especially in Braga Province. Much of it (66%) of it is government owned by the Monarchy while the remaining is private but driven by 1% of the richest in Portugal.

Development: Modern (Mainland Portugal) Semi-Industrialised (Empire)
Development Description: Portugal had begun industrialisation in the 1880s when the railway was becoming popular. Furthermore, the Naval tradition of Portugal spurred further development due to many of the shipbuilding industries pertaining to industrial activity. Hence, while the literacy rates in Portugal were at 12% in 1830, by the 1870s, they had reached 42% and in 1906 today a stunning 85% (Which is partially why revolutionary sentiment of spreading). Large clothes and textile factories were present as early as 1890 and in the 1890s, Portugal began to make Machine Parts and Ships of tonnage excess of 14,000 tons. Railway in Portugal is dominated by a Private Company (Partially Govt. owned) called Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses - Portuguese Railways finished the constructing a Lisboa to Porto railway in 1883 allowing for goods to be shipped quickly between the 2 major cities. The mainland is extremely dense in railway infrastructure and telegraph lines crisscross the entirety of Mainland Portugal allowing for quick communication between major Portuguese cities by 1904. This quick development of the mainland was needed due to the massive population of our European Competitors like Spain and France. Therefore, many of the farms use early tractors which improved the efficiency of ploughing the land and reducing the workers needed giving the unemployment needed to open factories. The colonies have extensive railways to send resources towards ports like Luanda for shipment. However, mainly focused on the extraction of resources, few factories have been built in the colonies with the exception of certain private ventures. Iron from Angola keeps the Machine Parts and steelworks in Portugal running while gold, silver and diamond from Zimbabwe and Zambia allow for a constant flow of revenue to Portugal. Oil from Angola is also starting to fuel the refineries in Portugal for the cars it is beginning to produce at a slow pace.


Portuguese Army Flag

Army Description: Exército Português (The Portuguese Army) is responsible for the defence of mainland Portugal and her colonies. Comprising of 148,200 regular soldiers, the Portuguese Army is small in comparison to its European counterparts. The regular army is divided into 4 Corps (I, II, III, IV) which consist of 12 Infantry Divisions, each consisting of 14,000 soldiers which are further split into 3 Brigades. These divisions are trained regularly and are based in the Brigade level at different locations in Portugal. At any time, these are the 12 divisions that will respond to an invasion. These 12 regular divisions are some of the best in Europe as the need to favour quality over quantity was amplified due to the small population of the Empire. Following France, Portugal went through massive Military reforms in the 1890s with the introduction of early machineguns. Portugal was eager to test these new weapons and develop strategies for their implementation of the battlefield. At a Platoon level, a few units were equipped with the machineguns and within a Company, there can be as many as 4. To maximise individual firepower, the bolt-action rifles of the Portuguese army is the Mauser–Vergueiro which with single shots can hit a target at great distances.

Furthermore, there is a Royal Guard of the Archers (Guarda Real dos Archeiros) Brigade of 3,000 soldiers who are rigorously vetted for their proficiency and skill before being admitted into the elite unit that is based in Lisboa Barracks, outside the King's residence. In essence, the Royal Guard of the Archers has been around since 1572 under King John II of Portugal and are known for their organisation and skill at fighting having fought in times where Portugal was threatened such as when Spain seized Lisboa in 1588.

Moreover, Portugal has a conscription system requiring men aged 18 to serve 3 years in the Armed Forces, this brings the number of conscripted men to 435,600 soldiers serving in 10 Corps (V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV) and into a further 30 Divisions. They are equipped with similar equipment to the regular divisions and are led by Regular Army Officers at the top and NCOs down to the Brigade level. An enlisted soldier who displays himself to command admirably is able to serve as an NCO at a Brigade level and must join the regular armed forces to go further.

Military tradition is deeply entrenched with the religious history of the nations and there are several religious orders that run their own military units. One such unit is the Most Reveranable Knights of the Order of St John's. Their Brigade of 4,000 men is run on their own funding and equipped with various different types of rifles and machineguns. They are decentralised from the main force but have proven effective when coordinating with Portuguese forces in previous conflicts such as the Animist Zealot Rebellion in Zimbabwe in 1866. Their unit dates back to the times of the early middle ages in 958 BC.

Meanwhile, there are 105,000 soldiers from the conscription in the colonies that form 3 Corps. The Moçambique Colonial Corp (1864), Companhia Colonial de Angola (1870) and the Sociedade colonial de Zâmbia (1874). These Corps consist of conscripts and regular soldiers. Furthermore, there are 2 Brigades of Native soldiers. The Brigada Mbundu of 5,000 elite natives and Brigada Bakongo of 6,000.

This brings the total size of the armed forces to 706,800 soldiers (Regular and Conscripted)

Army Weakness : One of the main weaknesses of the Exército Português (The Portuguese Army) is the Officer Corp. While there were periods of reforms in implementing the machinegun and reforming the doctrine of the Portuguese Army, it was met with fierce resistance from the Old Guard that supported the King. With some of the Old Guard still residing in their positions as generals and in the command staff, their doctrines may be severely outdated in this new kind of warfare. New, fresh minds are needed within the High Command but the new Staff Officers from Military schools in Lisboa are frequently ignored and their promotions stopped for the Old Guard to keep their own positions and precious titles creating an environment hostile to new ideas.


Portuguese Naval Ensign

Naval Description : The Marinha Portuguesa, also known as Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa or as Armada Portuguesa (Portuguese Navy) is the pride of Portugal. The Army was always something that was born out of necessity being on Mainland Europe but the joining Navy was the dream of every Portuguese. The Armada Portuguesa has had a long history and maritime tradition dating back to 1317 when it was founded by King Denis I Of Portugal. Winning in battles such as the Battle of Lisboa Coast in which the Navy fended up the Naval Blockade by Spain and it was said body after body of Spanish Sailors had washed ashore after the battle. It was also responsible for discovering trade routes to India in 1498 by Vasco Da Gama.

The Portuguese Navy comprises of 2 Fleets, the Armada de Casa (Homefleet) and Armada das Colônias (Colonial Fleet) and in total 86,250 professional sailors with 46,340 in reserve. The Homefleet is the pride of Portugal and the total fleet has 64 ships.
Armada de Casa
- 4 Principe Class Battleships - (Rainha de Portugal, Infante Dom Pedro, Príncipe Real, São Sebastião)
13,150 tons, 4 - 12-inch guns (2 twin turrets), 18 Knots
- 14 Armoured/Protected Cruisers
6 Gabriel Armoured Cruiser Class
9,800 tons, 12 6-inch guns (2 twin turrets, 8 single guns), 2 18-inch torpedo tubes, 23 knots, belt 2-6 inches, turrets 6.5 inches, conning tower 10 inches
8 Rafael Protected Cruiser Class
9,150 tons, 2 9-inch guns (2 single turrets), 10 6-inch guns (10 single guns), 4 14-inch torpedo tubes, 20 knots, belt 3 inches, turrets 5 inches, conning tower 7 inches
- 16 Bernardo Class Destroyers
550 tons, 4 5-inch guns (4 single guns), 6 14-inch torpedo tubes, 25.5 knots, belt 1 inch, conning tower 3 inches

Armada das Colônias
- 2 Principe Class Battleships - (Santo Alberto, Lisboa)
- 6 Gabriel Class Armoured Cruisers
14 Colonias Class Destroyers
600 tons, 6 5-inch guns (6 single guns), 2 18-inch torpedo tubes, 26 knots, belt 1 inch, conning tower, 5 inches

The government frequently updates and expands the Navy and its long history has seen many victories. While many might think there would be complacency in the Navy, it is surprisingly the least corrupt institution in Portugal as too many respect the Navy tradition of honour. The Navy constantly updates its tactics and conducts simulated exercises and sea trials to test the abilities of its sailors. The navy is an all regular force. However, conscripts who serve well and show the characteristics of a good sailor are offered to take it up as a job and it is usually a great honour. Naval schools in Porto and Lisboa produce find graduates who immediately take of positions in the Navy. This promotion by merit and not affiliation ensures the Navy does not suffer the pitfalls the army does. There is even a limit to how long one can serve actively with the Old Guard upon reaching 60 having to step down for the younger generation of leaders. the Navy is one of the few jobs were pensions are provided for life after service and is hence a very attractive service.

Naval Weakness : Despite the Armada Portuguesa's long history, due to the small size and economy of Portugal, it can no longer sustain the hundreds of wooden ships it once could and had to opt for a smaller and more capability driven navy. This was to the dismay of many Navy hawks who reminisced the time when the Portuguese were hundreds of ships strong. Therefore, if faced with a larger conflict with France, no matter the strength of the navy, France would be able to outproduce Portugal in terms of number of ships and this numerical disadvantage has forced Portugal to not maintain its powerful place as the world's policeman but instead forge alliances and friendships to maintain its precarious situation. Hence, the Navy's job has become more diplomatic in nature than war.

National Goals: To keep the Nation's Naval Dominance in the region, maintain the borders of the realm, forge new alliances with European Powers to ensure Portugal's security in the region and if possible expand her colonial possessions elsewhere. However, Portugal is not in a position to have grand ideas of taking back Galicia or going to war with Spain so Portugal's aim is to remain peaceful unless the opportunity arises. Potential allies such as the Western Roman Empire must be secured for Portugal's safety. Diplomacy will be the national focus.

National Issues: To maintain the delicate balance and prevent a possible revolution. Internal turmoil is growing as the literate populace wants to establish a Republic and rid the monarchy. A slowdown in industrialisation is occurring and unemployment is rising, privatisation may be the answer and mercantilism may have to stop in favour of open free market trading. Portugal is at the crossroads on if it should reform it's old ways or continue down its Absolutist path. Either way, there is bound to be great uncertainty.

National Figures of Interest: Cadu De Souza (1st Rate Admiral of Homefleet), Aloisio Lima (1st Rate Admiral of Colonial Fleet), Fausto Ramires (Chief Staff Officer of Army), Claudio Sousa (General of Regular Corps 1-4), Christiano Trinidad (General of Conscript Corp 5-14), Dom Carlos I (King), Dom Manuel II (Crown Prince), Teófilo Braga (Minister of Trade and Commerce), Alfonso Claudio (Minister of Defence), Miguel Brasil (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Luciano Xavier (Chairman of the Labour Union of Portuguese Workers)

History : The start of Portugal for many was when its navy was founded in 1317. During those times, the Western Roman Empire was still powerful and Spain was a serious threat. King Denis the Great would fight a long war from 1305-1324 for the conquest of Evora (Southern Portugal) against neighbouring princes. He was successful at first but great power intervention forced King Denis to withdraw and nothing was gained from the conflict. It was during this time that the Navy was formed due to the fact Portugal found itself woefully unprepared against other powers of that time.

By the year 1458, Portugal under a King Emmanuel II fought a brutal war for the claims on Evora once again. It was in 1460 that the battle of the coast of Lisboa took place. The Spanish armies marched into Lisboa where the Royal Guards of Archers defended valiantly, at the same time, the blockade of Lisboa was starving the men. On May 3rd, the Armada of 87 ships of Portugal and her allies set sail from Porto and met the Coalition fleet of 156 ships. The battle lasted 2 days but under the brilliant tactician Rameriez Diego who was just aged 28 then, the entire coalition armada was crushed and the attack on Lisboa was lifted. By 1472, Portugal claimed Evora and is the mainland Portugal we see today.

The occurring in the Western and Eastern Roman Empires greatly affected the state of religion in Portugal. Before, the Cardinals and Archbishops all were loyal to the traditional Roman Catholic Church of the Western Roman Empire. However, it was between in the late 1400s to lates 1500s did the church start to become more Chalcedonic in nature due to their closeness. There was never major tension between the sects of Orthodox and Catholic and in order to ensure religious unity in the face of some tyrant Kings, Portugal's religious institutes fell under the Greater Chalcedonic Church.

In 1498, Vasco Da Gama discovered a trade route to India and thus began the Age of Discovery. Many other Portuguese sailors and navigators would try their luck and die in the deep depths of the Ocean they set sail to conquer. In 1532, the war was declared against Spain to claim Galicia. After a humiliating defeat at A Coruna, Portugal entered a period of peace and isolationism for the next 50 years under King Ferdinand De Souza the Coward. After a failed succession and the Portuguese Chalcedonic Church declaring war against the King, killing him and his family, the new King, Vittorio Vento I reopened the nation to trade.

After long periods of constant war with Spain to Portugal's modern borders, relations began to cool to 1906 levels a century after the failed invasion of Galicia. Trade between the Spanish and Portuguese naturally increased due to the close proximity and road connections between the 2 nations. It was to be a start of an era of prosperity for Portugal without having to worry over the defence of the mainland, funds could be directed toward state projects and it was from 1540-1567 that the Lisboa Chalcedonic Cathedral finished construction. It was truly a sight to behold and it still stands today, the home church of the Latin Patriarchate of Lisboa.

It was in 1582 did King Christiano Vento III founded the 1st colony in Angola. This created great exuberance and excitement within mainland Portugal. Imperialism was all the rage and respectively, the colonies of Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia were founded in 1598, 1636, 1768 and 1787. The inner parts of Africa were colonised later due to the impression that there was nothing of value there. Upon striking gold in Angola, there was a gold rush between the years of 1612-1678 and many European Portuguese settled there. The first of many Colonial conflicts occurred in 1658 when the Angolan tribes rose up to attack Portuguese settlements. In harsh retaliation, many natives were murdered and killed. At the same time, spreading the religion to Africa. However, in the 1825 colonial conflict, certain tribes impressed the Portuguese for fighting so valiantly and Army Corps was created comprising of these men and they were paid handsomely.

In the 1870s, as the rate of industrialisation increased rapidly, literacy rates went up along with it and several labour unions were formed to complain of the tough lives of the people and the undemocratic system of governance. Anti-Monarchy sentiment grew across the country and King Carlos I is in a precarious situation. That being said, the GDP and economy of Portugal boomed during the years of 1870-1904. Massive textile factories were built and products were being churned out at a rapid pace. Communication has never been faster without the telegram. However, things began to slow down and protest were common on the streets of Lisboa over the poor quality of living. Portugal has reached a tipping point.

RP Sample: The pattern above is pretty much my RP style (Paragraphs for Stories) Telegrammes and Messages if writing to another nation.

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

[Kamchakta]

Well, don't worry. I am making Portugal a Roman Catholic Nation. So they still exist in this time period
BTW, Is the Western Roman Empire Catholic or Orthodox? Or do they still worship the Roman/Greek Gods?

There is still a very small pagan minority in the ERE a few thousands, not sure about the WRE.

But the WRE is clearly Catholic, just as the ERE is clearly Orthodox, with both churches in communion in the Greater Chalcedonian Church.

BTW, I would love my Map Colour to be a White or Dark Green.

[The Felan Federation]

Feels nice to be non-Chalcedonian. A lot of the divergent history can be waved off as having little effect on your people.

I'll have to talk with you a bit about that territory and the East Roman involvement in your civil war, because I'm changing a few things compared to last time. You seem to have seriously taken it chronologically, meanwhile I'm keeping the characters from the same time but just moving the chronology.

So in this Iteration, by the time of your civil war, my current Emperor's father would have been on the throne, which would explain why they took a bit of territory - the previous emperor was a lot more aggressive.

My current, barely crowned emperor(who was my emperor in the last iteration) would be a lot more open to the idea of trying to befriend Ethiopia.

Was my reservation for the Swedish Empire accepted?

I noticed my reservation on the list yet not posted by the GM. So are things good or do I need to edit something?

[Tracian Empire]

I'll have to talk with you a bit about that territory and the East Roman involvement in your civil war, because I'm changing a few things compared to last time. You seem to have seriously taken it chronologically, meanwhile I'm keeping the characters from the same time but just moving the chronology.

So in this Iteration, by the time of your civil war, my current Emperor's father would have been on the throne, which would explain why they took a bit of territory - the previous emperor was a lot more aggressive.

My current, barely crowned emperor(who was my emperor in the last iteration) would be a lot more open to the idea of trying to befriend Ethiopia.

Was my reservation for the Swedish Empire accepted?

I noticed my reservation on the list yet not posted by the GM. So are things good or do I need to edit something?

No idea, I am on my phone with a very dodgy internet connection

[Tracian Empire]

Reservation

Nation Name: Swedish Empire
Territory: Sweden, Norway. Ghana, Togo, Venezuela ( colonies).
#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.

Edited. But I still want to claim Finland perhaps from Rus.

I can accept Sweden and Norway - I'm not sure what the situation regarding colonies is, South America especially seems to be a mess. Someone will take a proper look at and clear all the reservations, if you somehow lose any of the colonies here you will be compensated with others.

As for Finland, it belongs to the Rus, it's totally up to Benuty. If he wishes to give it to you, then yes, but I could understand very well why he wouldn't.

[Finland SSR]

Feels nice to be non-Chalcedonian. A lot of the divergent history can be waved off as having little effect on your people.

I see opportunities for strategic cooperation between France and Ethiopia. Ethiopia can threaten the ERE's exposed southern flank in a way that France cannot. Meanwhile, if Breton colonialists cause any problems, France can likely roll over their homeland in a month. Ethiopia also needs military modernization, and France probably has the most modern army in the world; meanwhile, France needs export markets for its manufactured goods, since a lot of Europe is presumably very cautious about trading with the Commonwealth, and Ethiopia has millions of people ready to buy sewing machines and cast-iron kitchen stoves and whatnot.

France would need a month to roll over a small peninsula with the population of a Paris suburb? If they've gotten so weak, then there is no better time to strike than now!

[Reverend Norv]

I see opportunities for strategic cooperation between France and Ethiopia. Ethiopia can threaten the ERE's exposed southern flank in a way that France cannot. Meanwhile, if Breton colonialists cause any problems, France can likely roll over their homeland in a month. Ethiopia also needs military modernization, and France probably has the most modern army in the world; meanwhile, France needs export markets for its manufactured goods, since a lot of Europe is presumably very cautious about trading with the Commonwealth, and Ethiopia has millions of people ready to buy sewing machines and cast-iron kitchen stoves and whatnot.

France would need a month to roll over a small peninsula with the population of a Paris suburb? If they've gotten so weak, then there is no better time to strike than now!

I mean, Brittany has been living in the shadow of the Commonwealth for centuries and somehow stayed independent. I figure they are probably better prepared for invasion than anybody in Europe. It doesn’t due to underestimate a cornered rat - no offense intended.

[Finland SSR]

France would need a month to roll over a small peninsula with the population of a Paris suburb? If they've gotten so weak, then there is no better time to strike than now!

I mean, Brittany has been living in the shadow of the Commonwealth for centuries and somehow stayed independent. I figure they are probably better prepared for invasion than anybody in Europe. It doesn’t due to underestimate a cornered rat - no offense intended.

I can see that. But then again, it is still a peninsula with little natural defenses (some hills, but nothing on the level of, say, Switzerland), which also has to keep a majority of its army offshore to maintain an empire twenty times larger than their homeland population. Meanwhile, France boasts one of the most modern and largest militaries in Europe and, presumably, keeps most of it in their homeland instead of the Indies - ultimately, I feel like that would be the deciding factor in any Breton-French war, unless Brittany had prep time to move the army it's spread across the world back home, which would, presumably, not be good for the stability of their colonies.

[Reverend Norv]

I mean, Brittany has been living in the shadow of the Commonwealth for centuries and somehow stayed independent. I figure they are probably better prepared for invasion than anybody in Europe. It doesn’t due to underestimate a cornered rat - no offense intended.

I can see that. But then again, it is still a peninsula with little natural defenses (some hills, but nothing on the level of, say, Switzerland), which also has to keep a majority of its army offshore to maintain an empire twenty times larger than their homeland population. Meanwhile, France boasts one of the most modern and largest militaries in Europe and, presumably, keeps most of it in their homeland instead of the Indies - ultimately, I feel like that would be the deciding factor in any Breton-French war, unless Brittany had prep time to move the army it's spread across the world back home, which would, presumably, not be good for the stability of their colonies.

Oh, sure. Like I said, I’m sure France could roll over Brittany in a month. I just suspect it would be an unexpectedly stiff, painful fight given the relative size of the participants.

[Tracian Empire]

I can see that. But then again, it is still a peninsula with little natural defenses (some hills, but nothing on the level of, say, Switzerland), which also has to keep a majority of its army offshore to maintain an empire twenty times larger than their homeland population. Meanwhile, France boasts one of the most modern and largest militaries in Europe and, presumably, keeps most of it in their homeland instead of the Indies - ultimately, I feel like that would be the deciding factor in any Breton-French war, unless Brittany had prep time to move the army it's spread across the world back home, which would, presumably, not be good for the stability of their colonies.

Oh, sure. Like I said, I’m sure France could roll over Brittany in a month. I just suspect it would be an unexpectedly stiff, painful fight given the relative size of the participants.

Case in which Brittany could potentially have alliances with most of France's neighbors, ensuring that any Breton-French War could have bigger repercussions for France

[SCP Institution]

[ERASED]

[Tracian Empire]

Feels nice to be non-Chalcedonian. A lot of the divergent history can be waved off as having little effect on your people.

I see opportunities for strategic cooperation between France and Ethiopia. Ethiopia can threaten the ERE's exposed southern flank in a way that France cannot. Meanwhile, if Breton colonialists cause any problems, France can likely roll over their homeland in a month. Ethiopia also needs military modernization, and France probably has the most modern army in the world; meanwhile, France needs export markets for its manufactured goods, since a lot of Europe is presumably very cautious about trading with the Commonwealth, and Ethiopia has millions of people ready to buy sewing machines and cast-iron kitchen stoves and whatnot.

Well, it certainly is exposed, but it also acts like a pretty good buffer. An army that would advance along the coast or along the Nile would be slow and difficult enough for the other two Roman Exarchates in Africa to react. The Akritai could also slow down advancing enemy forces long enough for the proper Roman soldiers to intervene, and while they might not be at the forefront of modernity like France, the East Roman soldiers are among the best disciplined and well trained around

But the ERE doesn't particularly want to be hostile with Ethiopia - it's sole purpose is to guarantee that the Bab-el-Mandeb remain open. Playing around with tensions could be very interesting though, the previous Emperor, Alexios, was known for his stubbornness, rashness, and aggressiveness. The new Emperor, Michael, will start doing his best to try to improve the ERE's relations with its neighbors.

[Finland SSR]

Oh, sure. Like I said, I’m sure France could roll over Brittany in a month. I just suspect it would be an unexpectedly stiff, painful fight given the relative size of the participants.

Case in which Brittany could potentially have alliances with most of France's neighbors, ensuring that any Breton-French War could have bigger repercussions for France

I would like to officially found the "screw France" alliance. Who's in?

Reservation

Nation Name : The Dutch Consortium.
Territory : Entire Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, with the rest of Australia and New Zealand.
#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.

Make profits not war !

That sounds like...

:thinking:

[Tracian Empire]

Reservation

Nation Name : The Dutch Consortium.
Territory : Entire Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, with the rest of Australia and New Zealand.
#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.

Make profits not war !

I'm fairly certain that an Islamic India would have been far easier to justify.

You'll have to wait for Oscal to take a look at it

[Reverend Norv]

Oh, sure. Like I said, I’m sure France could roll over Brittany in a month. I just suspect it would be an unexpectedly stiff, painful fight given the relative size of the participants.

Case in which Brittany could potentially have alliances with most of France's neighbors, ensuring that any Breton-French War could have bigger repercussions for France

Which would be exceedingly wise of them, and would also help to explain how they’ve stayed independent for so long. Skillful diplomacy goes a long way. But French pressure could still block Breton incursion into Ethiopia, which was the original point.

[The Felan Federation]

Reservation

Nation Name: Swedish Empire
Territory: Sweden, Norway. Ghana, Togo, Venezuela ( colonies).
#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.

Edited. But I still want to claim Finland perhaps from Rus.

I can accept Sweden and Norway - I'm not sure what the situation regarding colonies is, South America especially seems to be a mess. Someone will take a proper look at and clear all the reservations, if you somehow lose any of the colonies here you will be compensated with others.

As for Finland, it belongs to the Rus, it's totally up to Benuty. If he wishes to give it to you, then yes, but I could understand very well why he wouldn't.

I am more glad to get confirmed by a GM. Since I saw my reservation on the list on page one yet not confirmed by the GM or Co-GMs. So I wanted to check out things.

[Tracian Empire]

Case in which Brittany could potentially have alliances with most of France's neighbors, ensuring that any Breton-French War could have bigger repercussions for France

I would like to officially found the "screw France" alliance. Who's in?

The ERE would like to enter the "keep France away from attacking random islands in the Mediterranean"

Also, in terms of nomenclature, the proper short name for the ERE would be Romania, but I feel weird using it, for obvious reasons

[Reverend Norv]

I would like to officially found the "screw France" alliance. Who's in?

The ERE would like to enter the "keep France away from attacking random islands in the Mediterranean"

Also, in terms of nomenclature, the proper short name for the ERE would be Romania, but I feel weird using it, for obvious reasons

I would be surprised if Spain, Zentraleuropa, and the WRE didn’t have some sort of loose association aimed at containing France. But I’d also be surprised if Brittany were a member - since it’s still conceivable that France might beat all three, which would definitely be the end of Brittany. Better for a small country to play it safe and try to play both sides off against each other.