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

[Krugmar]

Yeah, it's pretty much like Novacom says. Islam will probably be in a worse situation than it ever was in real life, with Arabia under foreign control, but historically, we are leaving the opportunity open for it to have spread to other regions. At the very least, we know for sure that they pushed through the Levant and North Africa, and further changes can be discussed and made depending on who needs Islam and where. So if you want some Islamic presence in India, it wouldn't be impossible to explain.

Then it'll likely be a minority presence on the Malabar Coast, with small communities elsewhere throughout India. Whoever owns parts of South-East Asia should probably note that without a large merchant and sufi network it's extremely unlikely to have spread there, so that area would likely still be Buddhist, Hindu, and other traditional religions.

[The Felan Federation]

I think I'll bow out of this RP too.

Busy with other stuff, plus I got the flu or that other virus and overall too occupied to be playing here.

Still, good luck with everything else.

[Tracian Empire]

Yeah, it's pretty much like Novacom says. Islam will probably be in a worse situation than it ever was in real life, with Arabia under foreign control, but historically, we are leaving the opportunity open for it to have spread to other regions. At the very least, we know for sure that they pushed through the Levant and North Africa, and further changes can be discussed and made depending on who needs Islam and where. So if you want some Islamic presence in India, it wouldn't be impossible to explain.

Then it'll likely be a minority presence on the Malabar Coast, with small communities elsewhere throughout India. Whoever owns parts of South-East Asia should probably note that without a large merchant and sufi network it's extremely unlikely to have spread there, so that area would likely still be Buddhist, Hindu, and other traditional religions.

Yeah, that makes sense, I'm sure that Oscal will take that into account

And I'm looking forward to seeing what concept you'll come up with xD

[Tracian Empire]

I think I'll bow out of this RP too.

Busy with other stuff, plus I got the flu or that other virus and overall too occupied to be playing here.

Still, good luck with everything else.

Don't worry about it, we understand!

Do get yourself treated even if it's just the flu, and I hope that you'll be feeling better

[The Hobbesian Metaphysician]

Full Nation Name : The Revolutionary Compact of Columbia

(Image)

Majority/Official Culture : Columbians [English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish]. Afro-Columbians [cultures of the former slaves of Columbia], and Indigenous Columbians [cultures made off the native tribes, and societies of Columbia]

Territorial Core : New England, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia

Territorial Claim : To contain the revolution is to save it.

Capital City : Liberation, Workers Communal Capital (Formerly city of Hartford).

Population : Total Population: 33,648,909

Population Census-Gathered in 1905
A) New England: 7,400,909
B) Virginia: 2.347 million
C) New York: 10.28 million
D) Pennsylvania: 8.74 million
E) New Jersey: 3.198 million
F) Delaware: 219,000
G) Maryland: 1.464 million

---

---

Government Type : Revolutionary Compact: A utopian, and accelerationist system are driven by the ideas of sovereign citizens, autonomous communes, and participatory governance. The revolution doesn't end when the fighting ends but must be evergoing to ensure that all people are represented, all people are equal, and mankind must worship in solidarity, practice egalitarianism in daily life, and focus on themselves rather than greedy material pursuits. This is a state of mind rather than just a state of governance.

The four influences at the core of the revolutionary compact are utopian socialist ideals, libertarian socialist governance, religious backed direct democracy, nationalism backed by a mystic, and religious character as well as anarchist principles.


A) Utopian Socialism- Influenced primarily by the thoughts of assassinated philanthropist Robert Owens, utopian socialism acknowledges the right of humanity to organize in any state or society it wishes to be. The absolutist truths of the old order don't hold water in an ever-changing, and progressive world.
*Other contributors include French Philosopher who promoted the concept of phalanstère (units of people organized by their passions).
* Étienne Cabet contributed the political thought process regarding the organization of loosely knit communities into a federative style agreement (communalism).
* Edward Bellamy advocated a commons system of property, and finances to be held under a system of equal credit for all. This credit system valid for a year, and non-transferable between individuals was tracked via credit cards. Bellamy advocated for the organization of labor via departments with a retirement age system. Crime is a symptom of broken people (mental illness).
* Leo Tolstoy's Christian Anarchist works, and philosophy

B) Libertarian Socialism
C) Religious Democracy
D) Mystic, and Religious Based Anarchism, and Nationalism.

Government Ideology/Policies : Revolutionary Compact

Official Policy: Neutrality of Revolution: Content to work on its own society, the compact while supportive of revolutionaries abroad sees no logical benefits toward actively expanding to support an international revolution. To do so would violate the principles of autonomy since it must be the people in those areas themselves rather than an outside force that ferments a revolution.

Government Focus : Stability- traditional socialist factions, and more extreme authoritarian ones vie for a chance to return to their old days of glory, but in a greater sense, the government wants stability enshrined as a virtue for the benefit of its citizenry.

Head of State : Assembly of the Governed


Head of Government : The Directory
Government Description :

---

---

Majority/State Religion : The Universalist Temple of Brotherhood
Religious Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

Economic Ideologies : Socialism with a focus on innovation, compassion, fair trade, unionism, anti-Marxian thoughts, and a nationalist system based on religious charity, and a heavy focus on social uplifting, and welfare.

Major Production : Varying by area, but the industrial revolution has tied industry and all its facets together as a major focus of the economy.

Economic Description : Due to the sheer economic diversity present within these areas I will link to Wikipedia articles. For the sake of the roleplay just focus on the aspects that would really be plausible for 1906. I have spent quite a lot of time on this application, and don't want to spend hours summing up the sheer economic diversity of these areas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_New_England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_o ... ork_(state)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania#Economy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey#Economy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland#Economy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Delaware
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Virginia





Development: Modernized, but restrained in order to avoid damage to the mental, and physical health of citizenry. A policy put in place following the rampant industrialization conducted by the Socialist Government under the charge of the Red Guard.

Development Description : The Industrial Revolution brought a rapid societal, and cultural upheaval to the imagined conservative farmer-republic that was espoused before the 1820s. With New England historically being the first region to experiment with the techniques brought from Britain (or France depending on who started it this time) it makes sense that some familiarity is encouraged. Despite this, the Socialist government sought to further ramp up industrialization at the cost of lives, and willpower in order to compete with the nations of Europe and Asia. The Revolutionary Compact is proud to serve as an industrial power, but not merely for the sake of economic competition or exploitation, but to provide a good standard of living for the citizenry of the compact.

---

---

Army Description : The Revolutionary Defense Council is built off the legacy of the minuteman, and former provincial militias, but compared to the old days it has been significantly defanged. The military's primary land objective is solely defense with systematic checkmarks to ensure that plans involving offensive measures are not allowed except in the most desperate of times.

Army Weakness : With the abolishment of the rigid command structure of the Red Guard Militia, and Red Guard Army the military is highly decentralized, and localized which does have a set of advantages, but makes it difficult to coordinate a cross-provincial offensive into other areas outside the compact. This structural weakness is built into the system, a holdover of fear from the days the army, and militias were used to commit red terror, and other genocidal actions. In an ironic twist, this also plays into the government's pacifism so some could say the government's plan is working as intended.
Naval Description : The Revolutionary Navy is born from the former Red Guard Naval Command, the Red Navy for short as some people call it is the strongest military institution in the compact. Inheritors a legacy dating from the enlightened revolution to the three years war, and beyond the naval experience of the people of Columbia is both in conflict and trade.

Naval Weakness : Due to the pacifistic nature of the compact the naval forces these days spent their time defending the shores and protecting trade, but it isn't so much the capability of the navy that poses a risk as much as the decentralization of it. While loyal to the counterrevolutionary government that would become the Revolutionary Compact the navy went from an efficiently centralized fighting force to a decentralized one that often bickers with the army over funding and manpower. It also has issues with cliques forming from the officer corp with only the admirals able to effectively corral them together.

Further Military Description : The military of Columbia is undergoing transformation continuously with the decentralization having the noted benefits of allowing the more eccentric members of command staff being able to engage in innovative doctrinal changes. Some militias have embraced the tools of total war preferring not to have highly defended borders, but allow invaders in, and simply sap them of their strength via attrition. While their naval equivalent focuses on the legacy they once held versus the roles they hold as the true defenders of the Columbian sovereignty, and economy.

---

---

National Goals : Cultural Revolution in One Society
1] Protection of the Revolution
2] Extreme Autonomization
3] Racial, Economic, and Social Justice for All
4] Anti-imperialism, and colonialism.
5] the Republic of the Everyman- A republican style government forever in the truest sense of democracy. Unlike the inspiration from Rome taken by the government during the enlightened revolution and the post grand duchy governments, this takes inspiration from communal inspirations, and Athenian government minus the sexism, and slavery of course.
National Issues :
1] The Red Guard of Vermont-Practitioners of wartime socialism, and believers of modeling the revolution by an army with a state they are a remnant of an old government. They are content to sit in Fortress Vermont, but many people suspect they may hold ambitions for the rest of the compact just as their wider branch cousin groups once held power..they may seek it back. Many people wonder why both sides haven't made any moves, but for now, things are stable.
2] The Office of Strategic Information-Formerly secret police turned insurgents once they found themselves out of a job, and purged from the government after massive reforms by the compact structure.
3] The Rightists- Practitioners of socialist orthodoxy that now have found themselves out of a job following the collapse of the Peoples Republican government.

Each of these issues alone poses a threat, but together they could reassemble a formidable opposition government and in the rarest of chances overthrown the revolutionary compact to reinstall a more rigid Marxian socialist government.

National Figures of Interest : Director Leo Tolstoy, an exile from Russia the former count turned peoples revolutionary made his appearance as a well-known author, and espouser of communes based off Christian anarchism. The aged Tolstoy was brought into the directory by popular vote and is seen as a fatherly figure by many. Though many expect him to want to retire within a few years as his health is worsening. Secretly negotiations with Russia are taking place to allow the father of the nation to visit his family one last time before his health worsens further.

National Ambition/Aspirations : To preserve the anti-Marxist counter-revolution, and spread their beliefs peacefully. The revolution of society envisioned by many thinkers, and political groups doesn't have to be born out of violent class conflict, but simply class secessionism, and readjustment.

---

---

History :

The Enlightened Revolution
1776-1783: The Enlightened Revolution occurs within the colonies that would one day become Columbia but despite the defeat of the Independent Coalition of Provinces the Kingdom of Angeland is utterly exhausted by the war effort. Due to the economic recession it is suffering, and the low morale of the home islands the government on behalf of the king signs a moderate treaty and forms a dominion arrangement with the rebellious provinces.

A) The government of the Independent Coalition of Provinces dissolves.
B) The leading government figures are granted pardons in exchange for lifelong oaths barring them from politics.
C) The provinces will renew their governments, and be allowed to resume normal economic business with the home islands.
D) The Acts of Religious Toleration would finally end-state the persecution of fellow Christians from different sects.
E) The soldiers involved in the Provincial army are granted amnesty and allowed to return home as a sign of goodwill.
F) The "Albany Plan of Union" proposed by the assassinated peace delegate Benjamin Franklin is put into place.
G) In a moment of extreme irony the Scottish house of Stuart (former anti-Rome kings of Angeland until their deposition by roman loyalist forces in 1688) is chosen to fill the position of Grand Duke. The current head of the house had fought for the loyalists not out of loyalty for the king so much as a planned restoration of order in the colonial provinces. Charles Edward Stuart had matched the provincial army commander George Washington in the third, and final battle of Jamestown, Virginia (named for the celibate princess Elizabeth exiled here following her renunciation of the "roman faith").

Early Period of the Grand Duchy of Columbia (1783-1788)

Charles Edward Stuart [Charles the 1st]: His reign as Grand Duke is both a mixture of irony and frustration. Irony as despite his allegiance to the king of Angeland he disavows the romanized faith of Britain for the homegrown Protestantism in Columbia. The very issue of taxes that started the war become a non-issue while Charles the 1st short, but important reign sees the institution of a moderate version of the "enlightened principles articles" the provincial rebels advocated. The provincial legislatures and governments acted pretty much as they had before the war with little interference from the Grand Duke. Other than the annual collection of war reparations that were sent to aid the economic recovery of the homeland things continued normally.

Middle to Late Period of the Grand Duchy of Columbia (1788-1807)

Henry Benedict Stuart [Henry the 1st]: The odd son out, an extremely religious man he focused on integrating much of the principles from the articles of the independent coalition of provinces. He began to distance Columbia further, and further from the home islands while also working on several key social reforms the country needed. The last generation of slaves was born at the start of Henry's reign as he would work to convince legislatures one by one to ban the practice. Seeing himself as an "enlightened sovereign" he worked constantly to improve the lives of the citizens of Columbia, and in the process began to ferment a national identity separate from the "Anglish". Henry promoted the myth of the resilient Romano-Briton, the forbearer of the true civilizations of the Christians on the home islands...not the uncivilized Danes. As a result, the term English began to appear in journals written on the Grand Duke's opinions on the matter.

In the final year of the Grand Duke's reign, he withdrew all obligations remaining to the Anglish masters. Years in the making the war reparations payments got smaller as did the garrisons of Anglish troops, and the government attaches grew to a nominal skeleton crew. By 1800 the Grand Duke officially stopped talking with the king using a freedman to deliver messages on his behalf. By 1807 a final letter was sent titled "the Union is separated, Columbia is free", by this point the 82-year-old grand duke decided to abdicate, and abolish the position of Grand Duke entirely. To a surprised crowd in Williamsburg, Virginia he announced the proclamation from his palace and then left for the nearby woods on a religious retreat.

The Early Republic (1807-1823)

Prime Minister George Washington Parke Custis (1807-1814)
Known as the Conservative Republic, the period was tumultuous internationally more than politically. The newly created parliament reborn from the political assembly of Columbia that existed under the Grand Duchy set out to cement their rule. The famed Virginian author George Washington Parke Custis relative of the famous defeated general Washington at the young age of 26 was elected as the first prime minister.
*Set the first official session of Parliament in Philadelphia as the capital of the nation.
* Commissioned a vote to connect the young nation together with a system of roads, and canals.
* Held a state funeral for the Grand Duke upon his passing at the age of 82.
* Held a vote for the creation of a pension system for the veterans of the enlightened revolution.
* Reformed the model army of Columbia
* Turned away the ambassador from Angeland citing "irreconcilable differences".
* Designated the countries official name as "The English Republic of Columbia", and tried to establish diplomatic relations with the Adamites.
* Opened formal relations with the French as a part of the "Anti-Anglish" strategy.
* Held a funeral for the retrieved remains of the beloved Benjamin Franklin (interred in France since his assassination).
* Stepped down at the end of his seven-year term, and retired to Mount Vernon.

Prime Minister James Madison (1814-1821)
*Ramped up the escalation of trade tensions between Columbia, and Angeland in response to forced impressment of Columbian sailors on their way to French ports.
* Began to increase the funding of the Columbian Transoceanic Navy to guard their ships, and in one route a firefight occurred (1815).
* Worked with Parliament to acquire funding to pay for increased wages for new militias, fortifications, and other defensive measures.
* The Three Years War (1816-1819) started following the sinking of a civilian ship with the deaths of nearly the entire crew. The Atlantic turned into a warzone with fleets on both sides fighting everywhere. In 1818 the war reached a fevered pitch as Anglish troops commenced the "central campaign", the invasion force burned Mount Vernon while also laying siege to Baltimore, New York, and Boston. The troops engaged in house to house fighting on the streets of the capital before the prime minister ordered the city bombarded to stop the Anglish offensive. While the city was saved a massive fire killing thousands erupted as a result of the bombardment.

The British would remain in parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware until being pushed out in the "Road to Dover" liberation counteroffensive. At sea Commodore Isaac Hull lead a fleet of several ships of a new design for a revenge mission towards Angeland (the ships were fitted with live oak helping them bounce off cannons). Isaac's flagship the CSS Article launched the first volley of bombardments on Cardiff itself, and one bombardment round even ended up killing the king himself during all of this. The campaign ended with several land raids across Southern Angeland before the flotilla returned back home to avoid the larger bulk of the royal navy catching up with them. The war ended on a dreary note in 1819 with no official victor as the sides were drawn into a stalemate at sea with both having hundreds of thousands of prisoners of war waiting to return home.

*Following the peace treaty of Paris (1819) the war ended, and both sides returned home bitter, this would be the last interaction Angeland, and Columbia would officially ever have. Any diplomatic interaction did under the neutral arbitration of a myriad web of intermediaries through Paris. James Madison spent the rest of his term fixing the war-torn country before resigning in 1821.

Prime Minister Daniel D. Tompkins (1821-1823)

* Remembered as the final prime minister of the early republic the country entered into a recession, and despite Tompkin's best efforts to relieve the economy, they weren't working due in part to low treasury funds.
*In 1823 the citizens of several provinces formed "Tax Break" leagues to request an end to the high taxation that was being forced on them. In some communities, these tax break leagues seceded from the government out of protest and formed their own governments which caused particular alarm in the province of Pennsylvania. Welsh-Columbian philanthropist Robert Owen now the leader of a local community in Pennsylvania was shot, and killed by a provincial militia during a dispute causing nationwide outrage.
* The tax breaker communities in Pennsylvania assembled a militia lead by veterans of the three years war who marched on Philadelphia, and rather than face having the government overthrown Tompkin's resigned, and an election commission worked out terms with the strikers.

Middle Republic (1823-1848)- Known collectively as the Liberal Republic

Prime Minister James Monroe (1823-1830)

*Appointed in an emergency session the Virginian delegate found himself in a new era of the republic. He resolved to amend the high taxation, and in a moment of political weakness moved the capital to New York citing security reasons following the near overwhelming of Philadelphia by mobs. With parliament, he worked tirelessly to create a more liberal version of the enlightened principles articles known today as the "New York Articles". This enshrined universal male suffrage and established a pension system for veterans of the war. He began to work with several business interests to industrialize and alleviate the economic depression causing issues all over the country.

Prime Minister Martin Van Buren (1830-1837)
*Began a conflict with the military over the issue of the removal of Indigenous Columbian tribes, and is responsible for establishing treaties with several tribes to keep their lands despite the complaints of several provinces wanting additional land for their people.
* The case of HMS Fortitude, a ship carrying prisoners across the Atlantic crashed, and was rescued by Columbians. The prisoners were political reformers, and granted asylum within Columbia. This caused outrage across the Atlantic, and the Prime Minister had lawyers defend the political prisoners against those who wanted to deport them back to Britain.
* The appointment of judges that extended universal male suffrage to the descendants of former slaves.

Prime Minister Daniel Webster (1837-1844)
*Coming into power during a recession he had to deal with many economic issues, but is notable primarily for Columbian educational reforms.
* Had to deal with secessionist elements posing a threat to Columbian sovereignty in the debate crisis (started over the issue of parliamentary reform via proportion). Ultimately the compromise of 1840 delayed the talk of populational representation via ten years and bought the Columbians some time to adjust.
* Sought to expand trade relations to the eastern ports of Asia.
* Gathered funding for the expansion of railroads, and canals across the country.
* In his last year, the governor of New York Province (Joseph Smith) was assassinated while giving a tour of reformed provincial jails. He was a noted leftist who believed in an extreme form of egalitarian Christianity, and his death sparked the "Smith Controversy".


Prime Minister George M. Dallas (1844-1848).
* Becoming prime minister during the smith controversy Dallas was forced to deal with revolts in New York as well as unrest from political elements aligned with the assassinated provincial governor. Smith's church the Universalist Temple of Brotherhood began protesting across several provinces and even demanded entrance to a closed session of parliament.
* The Brotherhood revolt saw thousands of congregants simply withdraw from society, and in turn, this sparked several societal issues chief of which belonged to class divides.
* The class strikes of early 1848 eventually exploded into the scene with the movements backed by a reinvigorated national consciousness.

Late Republic also the Springtime Republic (1848-1873)

Head Councilmember Millard Fillmore (1848-1855)
* Representative Millard Fillmore of New York assembled an emergency session in Boston while New York was collapsing under the weight of rioters during the springtime revolt. During this session, the articles of enlightened principles were expanded to give women the right to vote alongside indigenous Columbians amongst many other social reforms. The office of Prime Minister would be abolished with a governing council put in its place to be elected directly by the populace rather than indirectly via parliament.
* The military needing directions, and stability swore allegiance to the new leader of Columbia and the proper governance in Boston. What would have been a civil war was put down quickly as the loyal military elements swooped into a chaotic New York putting order back into place, and demanding the surrender of the now ex-prime minister Dallas.
* Councilmember Fillmore spent the duration of his term focusing on further developing the industrializing Columbia in order to compete with France, and Britain through its own way. He also engaged in several political tours promoting the ideal of the autonomous "sovereignty" movement which provinces wanted to dictate their affairs with as little to no interference from Parliament as possible.

Head Councilmember Franklin Pierce (1855-1862)
* The first properly elected councilmember he worked to fight the political machines which had gathered in Philadelphia, and New York as a message to those who expected the corrupt system of patronage to continue into Boston. This lead to the first major civil service reforms seen within Columbia for some time.
*Gathered funding for the first transnational railroad system.
* Directly handled the subjugation of the militias fighting one another over class antagonism in the "Bloody Vermont" affair.
* Toured the country advocating for provincial legislature reform noting the difference between the national, and provincial systems especially in regards to the suffrage movement.

Head Councilmember James Buchanan(1862-1869)
* Launched a series of campaigns to demonstrate the might of Columbian factories.
* Visited Vermont in a goodwill tour to ease the tensions between resentful militias in order to prevent conflict starting up again.
* Ended government persecution of the Universalist Temple of Brotherhood noting that while they were still citizens who were ignoring the government they were doing no real harm.
* Set up an expansive provincial college system to complement the changes conducted by former prime minister Daniel Webster.

Head Councilmember Hannibal Hamlin(1869-1873)
* Inheriting the office during a time of great strife he promised a campaign of national reconstruction when it came to the rights of laborers, gatherings, and others. During the last days of Buchanan's administration, a bomb had exploded in a union meeting killing everyone there with the relatives believing it was a pro-business plot. This lead to regular strikes, and other problems for the country.
* He nationalized the militias in order to keep the peace but caused issues with sovereignty advocates as well. This caused him to be in a bind as the governing council supported him in name only often backstabbing many of his goals for a return to peace in the hopes they would gain power. All this would ultimately result in a series of speeches by him calling for reconciliation. In 1873 he held a meeting with several major union groups, and socialist leaders planning for a cooperation government to form the following year, but instead, a bomb went off eliminating him, his governmental heads, and many others.

The Socialist Republic of Columbia (1873-1890)

The Socialist Republic of Columbia while officially born in 1873 was born practically in 1874 following a half year of chaos over governmental succession protocols. The death of the springtime republic was caused not so much by Hamlin's assassination as it was by the lack of a unity government. Three different contenders for leading councilmember divided the military, and bureaucracy over who to recognize causing abject chaos, and granting socialist groups the opportunity to organize, and lead. In late 1873 in Hartford, the Socialist National Congress organized and proclaimed the Socialist Republic of Columbia bringing in defectors from the military and international volunteers to their side as well as sympathizers. The province of Massachusetts fell within a week, and by the beginning of the new year the contenders of the old republic would be dead, and their forces scattered.

The revolution was a violent one in its formation, but revolutions never end with formations of new governments or countries. The country chose to focus predominantly on marxist principles over its past of utopian socialist thought much to the dismay of those within that school of thought. Various conferences were held on how best to achieve the ideals Marx wanted, but by 1876 the more practical concerns took over. The revolutionary fervor replaced with realist politicians such as Daniel De Leon who realized action needed to be taken before the current republic became another stagnant piece of history. From 1876-1880 the unions brought together by Daniel De Leon during his time as chairmen came the closest to some of Marx's core principles, but his pace wasn't fast enough.

In his overthrow by the Socialist National Congress the military action committee using blackmail, and other methods established a socialist military dictatorship under the guidance of the Red Guard (c. 1880). From 1880 until 1886 they held effective control of the country encouraged purges, relocations, mass collectivization, and even further societal changes as a means of "revolution by rampancy". This process started to erode in 1886 with a meeting by utopian, religious, and soft socialists as well as nationalists, and anarchists who formed an emergency convention in opposition to the expansive red terror. Following the failure of the Socialist National Congress to address their concerns, and curb the influence of the Red Guard the opposition leaders seceded from the Congress. This coalition of unlikely allies reconvened in Maine, and began to draw sympathy from various influential groups who tired of "wartime level rampant socialism".

In 1887 the "Maine Anti-Tyranny Proclamation" was delivered, and the socialist governing council of Maine agreeing with the principles advocated for the nullification of the Socialist Republic model, and reformation of the revolution under a new model focused on quality rather than quantity. In 1887 the revolutionary compact was officially born with Maine being the first province, and soon others joining. The counter-revolution began as small towns were developed, and then some smaller cities while defections from military units tired of the terror began to occur. The biggest change being the defection of the navy to the compact citing ideological concerns as well as the treasonous activity of the Red Guard. By 1888 with the navy blockading the coasts of socialist republic loyalist areas the war turned in favor of the compact.

The war's end came in February 1890 with the conquest of Hartford by militias loyal to the compact, and in the process, the capital was moved back to Hartford which was renamed in honor of the worker's sacrifices that occurred there. The population of Hartford was down 3/4ths by the time the city officially surrendered.



Revolutionary Compact (1890-Present)
RP Sample: [[Either a link to a past post, or an example written right here.]]

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

[Kargintina the Third]

I don’t think I have the time for this rp tbh, so I’m gonna drop so I don’t hold up France.

[Pasong Tirad]

Full Nation Name: The Empire of Ethiopia (የኢትዮጵያ ንጉሠ ነገሥት መንግሥተ / Ye’ītiyop’iya Niguše Negešiti Menigišite), popularly known by much of the west as Abyssinia (አቢሲኒያ / Ābīsīnīya), and referred to colloquially by its own inhabitants as The Horn (ቀንድ / K’enidi).

Majority/Official Culture: A majority of the country continues to refer to themselves primarily by their ethnic and tribal heritages - which includes Amharic, Oromo, Somali, Tigrinya, Afar, Beta Israeli and many others. However, the monarchy in Addis Ababa continues to emphasize that Ethiopian should be their "national identity." This Ethiopian identity has only begun being enforced through the educational institutions in Shewa. With the Empire's multi-ethnic mass only beginning to centralize and rise out of its feudal past, it will take at least another generation before a majority of people in The Horn consider themselves Ethiopian first.

Territorial Core and Claim:

One of the titles of the emperor of Ethiopia is King or Queen of Aksum. As such, the Empire technically has an ancient claim on most of Yemen due to their lineage as the supposed successor state to the Kingdom of Aksum. However, this claim is very weak and is not enforced, but the Empire is unable to get rid of these traditional claims.

Following the reorganization of the empire and the redistribution of noble land under Menelik II, the Empire was divided up into 15 autonomous regions, where local nobility can continue to rule as they please, provided that they stick to their feudal contract and follow the Emperor's directives. These 15 regions are:

• The Kingdoms of Shewa, Wollo, Gojjam (previously known as Gonder), Tigray, Awsa and Sidamo, ruled by the Negus (king)
• The Sultanates of the Geledi and the Warsangali, ruled by the Ughaz (king)
• The Princely State of Kaffa ruled by the Ras (duke)
• The Emirates of Harar, Hararghe, Socotra, the Hobyo and the Majerteen ruled by the Emir (prince)
• The County of Semien, ruled jointly by the Liqa Kahenat (high priest) and the Bitwoded (earl or count)

The Neguses and the Ughaz' control more than one province of the Empire. This means that they have at least one Ras or Emir serving as their direct vassal.

Constituent Kingdoms and Princely States of Ethiopia

Provinces of the Empire

Capital City: Addis Ababa is located at the heart of the Kingdom of Shewa, the Emperor's private kingdom. It was established in 1886 by Itege (Empress-Consort) Taytu Betul due to a need to create a permanent capital for the Empire. Before then, the imperial court would simply follow wherever the emperor decided to stay for the year. Since then, it has grown to be the bustling commercial and political heart of the empire, boasting many firsts in the Horn, such as the first university, the first railroad and the first telegraph line, among others.

This concentration of technological advancement in one area has led to a disadvantage for the Empress, however, as “radicals” within Ethiopia were able to take all of the new firearms and ammunition within Addis Ababa and use it to take control of the city and its surrounding areas for themselves.

Population: Approximately 20 million people live within the Empire's borders. 6 million Oromos, 5 million Amharas, 3 million Tigrayans, 2 million Somalis, a million Afars, half a million Beta Israeli and 2.5 million people from other ethnic groups. The capital of Addis Ababa alone is home to over 500,000 permanent residents, with Amhara peoples holding a plurality.

Ethnic majority in each province of the Empire

---

Government Type: Semi-constitutional monarchy de jure. War-time absolute monarchy de facto.While there are two houses of legislature, their powers are greatly limited both by regional noble rulers and by the emperor. All of this, however, is being complicated due to the ongoing civil war.
Government Ideology/Policies : Other than the usual ideology of Ethiopian identity and nationalism, there are four factions within the Horn currently vying for power:

• The Nominalists - Believers in Menelik's Contract (ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ውል / Dagmawi Miniliki Wili). This is the social contract established by Menelik II in exchange for the reorganization and redistribution of noble lands. Under this contract, the emperor has some constitutionally-mandated powers over provinces, such as the ability to veto royal decisions if they are deemed as "overreaching" or if they contradict existing laws, and that the semi-autonomy of the Constituent Kingdoms and States is upheld. The current contract also states that the emperor maintains the traditional feudal relationship between emperor and his vassals, where the emperor's powers are limited to calling the chitet, the traditional mustering of provincial levies, being the supreme arbiter over interregional disputes, as well as other religious and ceremonial powers.
  
• The Traditionalists - Believers in the Rule of Nobles (የአለቆች ደንብ / Ye'alek'ochi Denibi). Traditionalists maintain that Menelik's Contract was well meaning but illegal because its results were catastrophic to noble landowners. They want a return to the emperor having absolutely no power over regional lands and in the direct administration of provinces by the local nobility. They further believe that the emperor's role should be returned to that of a first among equals, whose power is limited to ceremonial and religious powers, such as the crowning and ennobling of new lords, and nothing more.
  
• The Absolutists - Believers in the Rule of the Emperor (የንጉሶች ንጉስ ሕግ / Yenigusochi Nigusi Higi). Absolutists believe in turning Ethiopia into an absolute monarchy, where the emperor has supreme authority over all aspects of governance including executive, religious, legislative and judicial powers. They also believe that all autonomy that the Constituent Kingdoms and States have needs to be withdrawn, with the nobles only retaining ceremonial powers.
  
• The Constitutionalists - Believers in the Rule of the Governors (መኮንኖች ደንብ / Mekoninochi Denibi). Constitutionalists believe in turning Ethiopia into a nation that more closely resembles that of Western constitutional monarchies. They believe that the powers of both the emperor and the regional nobility need to be curtailed. Instead, they believe that mekonnen (governors) should be elected by both the regional nobility and aristocracy (wealthy landowners). The Constitutionalists are the smallest faction within the imperial government. Considered as too radical by most of the nobility and aristocracy alike.

Areas controlled by each faction in the ongoing civil war

Government Focus: It has been less than a generation since the reorganization of the Empure under Menelik II, Empress Zewditu's late father. Since then, the country has been ripped apart in a civil war that has been going on since mid-1905. Her current goal is to either win the war or come to a proper settlement with all factions. Afterwards, she can continue her father's goals of modernization.

Head of State: Atse (Empress) Zewditu

Full Title: Moa Ambassa ze imnegede Yehuda, Girmawit, Nigiste Negestatt of Ethiopia, Nigiste of Shewa, Nigiste Tsion, Nigiste of Ancient Aksum and Nigiste of All Ethiopians, Zewditu of the House of Solomon, Meridazmach of the Mehal Sefari and the Imperial Army of Ethiopia, Siyimta Igzi'abher, and Defender of the One True Orthodox Tewahedo Faith.

In English: The Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Her Imperial Majesty, Queen of Kings of Ethiopia, Queen of Shewa, Queen of Zion, Queen of Ancient Aksum and Queen of All Ethiopians, Zewditu of the House of Solomon, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Army of Ethiopia, Elect of God and Defender of the One True Orthodox Tewahedo Faith
The 29-year old Queen of Kings is the first regnant empress the Horn has ever crowned. Following the death of her father in 1902, she has had little time to properly adjust to her new role. All political, economic and cultural reforms will have to step aside for the time being.

Head of Government: While all factions currently fighting in the civil war believe have pledged their loyalty to Zewditu as Empress of Ethiopia, none are in agreement as to who should lead Her Imperial Majesty's government. This is why four different men have crowned themselves as the head of government, using different titles here and there to do so. These men are:

• Reise Mesafint Ras Habte Giyorgis Dinagde - As Reise Mesafint (Head of the Princes), Habte is the de jure legal head of the government. He has served as the country's Chief Minister since shortly before the death of Menelik II. A commander in the Imperial Army, Ras Habte has served as lord of the province of Asella since the coronation of Empress Zewditu.
• Enderase Ughaz Cusmaan Ahmed, king of the Geledi - Ughaz Cusmaan (or Osman in Latin) appointed himself as the Empress' Enderase, through a tradition that began with Emperor Tewodros II, wherein the emperors of Ethiopia would appoint a Muslim Somali in a high position of power in exchange for their loyalty to the emperor. As a provision in Menelik's Contract, this tradition was abolished in favor of appointing an Enderase only if the emperor or empress was a child, with the Enderase's old powers being transfered to the Reise Mesafint. Cusmaan and the other nobility that follow him believe that the Empress has been misled by Ras Habte Giyorgis and his faction of Nominalists, and that she is being manipulated into thinking that the new social order is good for the country.
• Dejazmach Negus Tekle Haymanot Tessemma - Negus Tekle is the 59-year old king of Gojjam, and has served several emperors in this position since his father died when he was young. He is a devoted believer in the Rule of the Emperor and as such wants the whole nobility of the Horn to be directly controlled by the Queen of Kings, Zewditu. A talented military commander, Negus Tekle is also Dejazmach, which translates to "Commander of the Gate," and is de facto the highest-ranking person in the Imperial Army.
• Tekilayi Ministiri Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael - Ras Makonnen, using his strong connections within the bourgeoise, artisans and working class sectors in Addis Ababa, quickly took control of the capital of the Horn at the outbreak of the civil war in mid-1905 and has ruled it as its elected Tekilayi Ministiri ever since. Ras Makonnen is a veteran of many wars, having served as a commander in the armies of Emperor Yohannes IV. He also briefly served as Shum (governor) of Harar, appointed by the emir himself, before he was called back to Addis Ababa to serve in the governments of both Menelik II and Zewditu. A proper Ethiopian constitutionalist, Ras Makonnen truly believes that, for Ethiopia to prosper in the 20th century, the country's nobles need to surrender some of their powers to learned technocrats and businessmen who know how to govern through education and experience, not through bloodlines. Ras Makonnen is the first cousin of Emperor Menelik II, and thus has a claim to the throne.

Government Description: Only two sides in the civil war currently have a functioning government: the Nominalists, based in Shewa, and the Constitutionalists, who have set up a Western-style constitutional monarchy with a parliament in Addis Ababa.

• The Nominalists have a governmental body known as the Mesafint. Translated literally, Mesafint means "prince." When used in this context, Mesafint means the body of hereditary nobles - lords of provinces, vassals, bishops, imams and high priests and the adult sons of the hereditary nobles. While the Mesafint theoretically acts as a check against the powers of both the regional lords and the empress, their powers are very limited. Realistically they can only enforce policy matters relating to taxation and the raising and training of provincial levies. For any other matters, they can only advise.
• The Constitutionalists, in lieu of simply appointing the nobility to positions of power, held elections to its Shengo. Translated literally, Shengo means "legislature" or "assembly." The creation of the Shengo was announced shortly after Addis Ababa and most of Ankober was taken over by the Constitutionalists. Elections would be held during winter of 1905, and any male was allowed to run for office - whether they were noble or not was made irrelevant. However, only men of either wealth or land (or both) were allowed to vote, which restricted the number of ballots cast to the tens of thousands (out of a population of over 500,000). However, the Constitutionalists still regarded the election as a resounding success. Many coalitions began forming shortly after the election was announced, and the Coalition for a Constitution - Yehige Mengisiti T'imireti (የሕገ መንግሥት ጥምረት) or simply the YMT) gained a resounding majority of seats. The Shengo acts as the highest political organ of the Constitutionalists, and committees of elected officials deliberate on proposed bills and policies, before they are sent to the Shengo, where they are debated upon. However, Tekilayi Ministiri Ras Makonnen has the power to veto bills that do not receive the support of two-thirds of the Shengo. Theoretically, Empress Zewditu has the ability to veto any legislation and to dissolve the Shengo.
• Both the Absolutists and the Traditionalists work using ad-hoc councils and committees. Dejazmach Negus Tekle has a small council of high-ranking military commanders and nobles that advise him, but he has the final say in almost every decision. On the other hand, Enderase Ughaz Cusmaan prefers delegating decision-making to whichever noble lord he feels is worthy and capable of leading a policy committee, however he also has a final say on most matters.

Majority/State Religion: Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, under the Tewahedo Church, which is ruled directly by the Coptic Pope in Alexandria.

Religious Description: The religion of the empire is mandated to be the Tewahedo Church, with the emperor being crowned as the Elect of God and serving as Defender of the Faith. However, the two other Abrahamic faiths of the empire are not just tolerated but their believers are legally allowed to practice. The province of Semien is an autonomous region, ruled jointly by a high priest, the Liqa Kahenat, and a Bitwoded or count. Much of the country's Somali and Afar populations in the east and north of the Horn are adherents of Islam. Both Judaism and Islam are allowed to flourish in their respective regions, however they aren't allowed to proselytize - not even to Christians living within their borders. On the other hand, efforts were being done (before the civil war) to slowly and peacefully convert everyone in the empire to the Tewahedo Church. Royal schools teach Christian doctrine and promises of lower (or abolished) taxes and other bribes are legally given to converts.

However, in an effort to make sure religious tensions between Christians, Muslims and Jews no longer flare up like they did for centuries, Emperor Tewodros II, during his campaigns to end the Ethiopian warring states period known as the Zemene Mesafint (Era of the Princes), regularly consulted with religious leaders from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities, to make sure that his decisions were always in harmony with the religious principles and traditions of his subjects. This tradition was solidified under Menelik's Contract and continues (at least theoretically) to this day. But instead of a whole array of religious leaders advising the emperor, instead only three individuals do so: the abuna (archbishop) of Ethiopia, a sheik (prominent cleric of noble heritage) and a liqa kahenat (high priest) of the Beta Israeli. The abuna is chosen by the Coptic Pope in Alexandria (sometimes under the advice of the emperor, but not usually), the sheikh is elected by all the prominent sheikh in Ethiopia and approved by the leading nobles (usually the Ughaz'), which means it usually goes to a Somali and the Beta Israeli liqa kahenat is chosen among all the priests.

Currently, this three-person committee includes:

• Matewos X, Abuna of Ethiopia
• Baruch Ahdnan, Liqa Kahenat of Beta Israel
• Sheikh Abdallah al-Qutbi

However, because of the ongoing civil war, the Empress currently has no religious council to advise her, as they have either elected to not join her imperial court or are unable to do so.

Majority religion in each province of the Empire

---

Economic Ideologies: The empire is currently heavily mercantilist, with various protectionist policies, however it is slowly opening itself up to be more laissez-faire in order to stimulate the growth and modernization that the empire truly needs. Many of the rural pats of the Horn that are far from the direct control of the emperor in Shewa also continue to live by feudal economic principles.

Major Production: Coffee, cotton, pulses, oilseeds, cattle, some gold production. Factories have begun opening up in Shewa, mostly military in nature, but many other factories have also begun popping up in the western parts of the empire.

Economic Description: At least 80% of the population is employed in agriculture, with many others being employed in the few urban settlements in different trades. Much of the revenue of the government comes from taxing the regional lords of the provinces. A small but growing source of revenue comes from trading with the empire's neighbors, expanded fishing interests in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, newer mining ventures in the western, southern and northern parts of the empire and a growing manufacturing hub in Addis Ababa. While the wealth of Shewa has been growing, most of the other provinces, however, are still lagging behind and have a long way to go.

Development: Semi-industrialized / Primitive

Development Description : Much of the empire's regions are largely undeveloped, save of course for the nobles, their personal estates, and the settlements that spring up around the estates in search of prosperity. The recent prosperity that stability has afforded the empire (before the outbreak of the civil war) was contained in the kingdom of Shewa. Development has also begun in many other regions, with plans for expanding railways and telegraph lines to all corners of the empire, but progress has been slow. Factories have begun popping up in the other provinces, which has brought with it a slow trickle of growth, and the crown has increased its support for its agricultural workers.

---

Army Description : The Empire of Ethiopia has no proper army to speak of. Instead, in times of war the emperor or empress has to call a chitet, or the traditional mustering of provincial levies, provided by the various constituent kingdoms and states of the Empire. Theoretically, the emperor can call upon every able bodies teenage and adult male to serve in armies. However, realistically the number of men called upon to serve depends on a number of factors, such as the loyalty of a king to the emperor, the time of the year, and the wealth of the emperor's vassals.

The heavily feudal and decentralized nature of the Imperial Army of Ethiopia means that the emperor can only truly rely on the Kingdom of Shewa, the emperor's secondary title, for men. In its greatest extent, the emperor should be able to field anywhere between two to four million men to fight in a short campaign. However, the actual numbers are, of course, radically smaller than this number. Estimates from the emperor's commanders put a more realistic number of 50,000, mostly made up of the Imperial Guard and levies from Shewa. If all the regional lords cooperate in a timely manner, this number can increase to around 300,000 - or around 1.5 percent of the total population of Ethiopia.

Plans to further centralize the army and do away with the feudal levy system are underway, but there has been some pushback from the regions, who fear losing their position should their provincial armies be taken away from them.

The only truly modern arm of the Ethiopian army is the 5,000-man strong Imperial Guard, or the Mehal Sefari. This unit is considered the elite of the Imperial Army, as they are considered regular soldiers. They are paid very well and are the only military unit within Ethiopia equipped with the new Menelik rifle, a domestically-produce six-round bolt-action rifle copied from a European design.

Army Weakness: Only the Imperial Guard and the Army of Shewa can be considered as "modern" in any sense of the word. While the Mehal Sefari have proper bolt-action rifles, the Army of Shewa is armed with domestically-produced Western single-shot rifles. The provincial levies, however, are still very primitive compared to much of the West. Although, it can be argued that, save for its imperial neighbor to the north, it is perhaps the best army composed of Africans in Africa, though that's a low bar. Only the royal guards of the provincial levies (each unit of which is composed of no more than 1,000 soldiers) are armed with modern rifles, and it's estimated that anywhere between a third to half of the provincial levies are still armed with swords and spears and primitive firearms, like percussion cap and flintlock muzzleloading muskets. The rest are armed with a patchwork of single-shot breechloading rifles and the odd Menelik rifle here and there.

While the provincial levies can draw upon large contingents of cavalry units, the primary weapon of these units is still the primitive lance and shield combination, and many of the tactics used by the Imperial Army still involve using the power of mass infantry and cavalry assaults and charges.

To add to this, much of the command positions from the rank of Shambel (Captain) and above are held by nobles who have little to no military experience. Efforts are being made to fix this by sending possible officers abroad for training in foreign military academies, but a majority of the commanders of the Imperial Army are still incapable, save for the cadre of officers who currently serve in the Imperial Guard or have some proven command experience from the initial low-intensity fighting that broke out at the beginning of the civil war.

Naval Description : The Empire has only two proper war vessels to speak of: the steam-powered gunboats Le'ul Alemayehu and Le'ul Araya. They were commissioned by Emperor Yohannes IV shortly after his coronation in January, 1872. A European company was contracted to build them and, after some financial difficulties, construction began in 1877. They were completed in mid-1880 and quickly entered into the Emperor's service.

Le'ul Alemayehu and Le'ul Araya are small five-gun gunboats. They have one bow gun, a 7-inch rifled muzzle loader, and two guns on each side of the ship, 40-pounder rifled muzzle loaders. Each ship has a complement of 120 men and, following the reorganization of the Empire under Menelik II, both gunboats were transferred to the service of the Emirate of Socotra to protect merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden against pirates from Arabia.

Naval Weakness: The Empire has never seen the need to expand its naval capabilities, and so it has no proper "modern" navy to speak of. Any attempt to modernize the navy or to buy new vessels has been halted by the outbreak of the civil war, and the mutiny of the Empire's only vessels to the Traditionalist faction, who are in control of most of the coastline of the Horn and have commissioned merchant vessels to act as supplementary war ships.

Further Military Description : The current service rifle of the Empire is a locally-produced variant of a Western single-shot rifle. This is very slowly being replaced with the more modern, six-round bolt-action rifle known as the Menelik Rifle. However, only the Mehal Sefari and the Army of Shewa are equipped with this firearm in significant amounts. The Menelik Rifle is also being used extensively by the Constitutionalists because the country's arms factories are all clustered around Addis Ababa and the province of Ankober, which they control. Officers all over the country from Metoaleqa (lieutenant) upwards are equipped with a firearm, usually a revolver but many can also have rifles if they can afford it. However, what sets them apart on the battlefield are their long Shotel swords.

Ranks of the Imperial Army:

• Meridazmach - Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army (Commander-in-Chief)
• Dejazmach - Supreme Commander of a Provincial Levy, or of an army of no more than two to five divisions (20,000 - 50,000) (Field Marshal, General of the Army)
• Fitawrari - Traditionally the commander of the vanguard of a Provincial Levy, but is more commonly associated with being the Commander of Ten Thousand, or of a division of no more than two to three brigades (8,000 - 10,000) (General)
• Grazmach - Traditionally the commander of the left wing of the Provincial Levy, but is more commonly associated with being the second in command of the Fitawrari's regiment. (Lieutenant General)
• Qegnazmach - Traditionally the commander of the right wing of the Provincial Levy, but is more commonly associated with being the third in command of the Fitawrari's regiment. (Major General)
• Asmach - Traditionally the commander of the rearguard of the Provincial Levy, but is more commonly associated with being the fourth in command of the Fitawrari's regiment and the lowest-ranking commander (Brigadier General)
• Degiac - Commander of Two Thousand, or of at least one brigade of no more than two to four battalions (2,000 - 4,000) (Colonel)
• Shaleqa - Commander of a Thousand, or of one battalion of no more than a thousand (800 - 1,000) (Major)
• Shambel - Commander of Two Hundred and Fifty, or of a company of no more than two hundred and fifty (200 - 250) (Captain)
• Metoaleqa - Commander of One Hundred, or of a platoon of no more than a hundred (80 - 100) (Lieutenant)
• Asiraleqa - Commander of Ten, or of a squad of no more than ten (8 - 10) (Sergeant or Corporal)

---

National Goals: The main goal of Empress Zewditu is the survival of her empire. Afterwards, her hope is to turn Ethiopia into a strong fortress nation that can withstand any pressure that may come from European powers looking to step further into the Horn and its surrounding regions. While she would never admit it publicly, she also does hope to expand Ethiopia's borders - south to include more Somali and Oromo peoples, and across the Red Sea to reclaim the ancient boundaries of the Kingdom of Aksum. But before she can do that, Ethiopia has to modernize - its army needs to be equipped with new firearms and cannon, it needs to have a strong navy that can defend its coasts, it needs the industrial capacity to support a growing economy.

National Issues: The main issue gripping Ethiopia now is the civil war. Absolutists to the west, Traditionalists to the east and radical Constitutionalists in Addis Ababa. Empress Zewditu needs to muster her forces and figure out a way for all of this to end quickly - before Europeans begin taking sides at an attempt to chip away Ethiopia's territorial and political integrity.
National Figures of Interest :

Figures of Interest in the Nominalist Faction

• Itege Taytu Betul, widow of Emperor Menelik II, not Empress Zewditu's mother
• Reise Mesafint Ras Habte Giyorgis Dinagde, head of Her Imperial Majesty's government

Figures of Interest in the Absolutist Faction

• Dejazmach Negus Tekle Haymanot Tessemma, king of Gojjam, top commander of the Ethiopian Army and leader of the Absolutist Faction
• [i]Lij (honorific for noble children) Iyasu, nine-year old nephew of Empress Zewditu. Being used by his mother, the empress' sister, to claim the throne.
• Woizero (Lady) Shoaregga Menelik, older sister of Empress Zewditu and is currently using her son, Lij Iyasu, to claim the throne.
• Liqa Kahenat Baruch Ahdnan, religious leader of the county of Semien, highest ranking Rabbi of Beta Israel

Figures of Interest in the Traditionalist Faction

• Enderase Ughaz Cusmaan Ahmed, king of the Sultanate of the Geledi and leader of the Traditionalist Faction, self-proclaimed regent of the Empress
• Ras Gugsa Welle, emperor-consort and husband of Empress Zewditu
• Sheikh Abdallah al-Qutbi, chosen representative of Ethiopia's Muslim societies

Figures of Interest in the Constitutionalist Faction[/i]

• Tekilayi Ministiri Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael, elected "prime minister" of Ethiopia and leader of the Constitutionalist Faction
• Kantiba (Lord-Mayor) Bitwoded Wolde Tsadik Goshu, appointed mayor of Addis Ababa
• Negadras (Leader of the Merchants) Haile Giyorgis Woldemikael, appointed leader of a network of merchants throughout the empire, one of the main financiers of the Constitutionalists
• Abuna Matewos X, Tewahedo Orthodox Archbishop of Ethiopia, reluctant supporter of the Constitutionalists and currently barricaded within makeshift fortifications surrounding St. Giyorgis' Cathedral in the Arada neighborhood of Addis Ababa

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

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

[Elerian]

I don’t think I have the time for this rp tbh, so I’m gonna drop so I don’t hold up France.

I'm sad to see you go, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

-snip-

I must say I'm a fan of those maps you've made.

[The Palmetto]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is the map up to date?

[Akkaga]

I would like to cancel my reservation on not!Mexico, sorry!!

[Axis Asteroid]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is the map up to date?

Not quite. Why? Which nation did you have in mind?

[Oscalantine]

Full Nation Name : Empire of Tsuyoi Nihon (Empire of Mighty Japan)
Majority/State Religion : Namura-Christianity
Religious Description : The large majority of the population is Christian but this form is slightly different. This form places the Emperor as having been granted his right to rule from heaven. The Shogun is the prophet of god and gives his wisdom to the people, and the Emperor and the people give him the right to rule.

Okay... since I was delegated to approve this app by Trace... I have ungodly amount of questions about this app.

First and foremost of problems: Korea and China were not Christians in any way shape or form in the 1600s. Axis's application states that he was created as a result of successful Taiping Rebellion and establishment of the Heavenly Kingdom short after. That happened in the 1850s, not 1600s. I can also attest that Korea's Cheondoism only sprang as an official movement in the 1820s and even THEN the mainland Korea was pretty skeptical of this religion. Further adding on... Cheondoism was more of an offshoot of Sunni Islam during that time as Islamic faith helped Koreans to trade better. It only became offshoot heresy of Orthodox faith upon the Viceroy's acceptance of the faith in the 1850s in an attempt to tie trade relations between Chuk-Jae-Do and the Romans in faith as well as in form. And EVEN THEN the mainland Korea doesn't like Cheondoism. It was barely recognized as an acceptable faith in the mainland as religious tolerance became a thing in the globe and the "cult" became just too big to ignore.

So I can say with CONFIDENCE that Namura Clan would have not received any help from China or Korea. If anything, the two may have seen this as an affront by the Western powers and sought to intervene against the so-called crusade... which probably would not have happened because 1600s Japanese isolation didn't help with foreign relations at all.

Speaking of Clans: why is Yamato ... I can only assume that it is Yamato no Fuhito clan... in Hokkaido instead of Kyushu, where its founder originated? If ANYTHING, it would be the Yamato clan that would obtain help from the Koreans in their final battle against the Namura clan, since they had lineage ties to old Korean kingdom of Baekje. If Yamato clan isn't the same... then I stand corrected. That was the only Yamato Clan that I could find.

And before ANY OF THAT becoming a problem: let's talk about this Christianity. What is the difference and why did the divergence happen? Divergence happening is usually explained in great details for most apps, but your app discusses the ramifications in detail but not the cause. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I have yet to be convinced as to why one of Japanese Daimyos whose interest in Christianity was ONLY so that they can obtain better trade deals for saltpeter (main ingredient for gunpowder production) somehow became an evangelizing crusader as if he has become a Japanese version of Muhammad but Christian. Altogether, the details as to why this happened does not exist, and details as to how they were able to fight off EVERYONE... since the 1600s Japan was extremely anti-Christian... and still managed to storm their way into the Emperor's palace and defeat whichever clan that was in charge.

I am thinking that there are several potential points that I could guess that you have skimmed over: the distribution of Japanese Daimyos during the late Sengoku period were completely different from what was normally explained... because somehow Portuguese and or Spanish missionaries successfully converted large lump sum of Japanese populous in some region of Japan. Maybe Christianity as a whole became a more acceptable religion... or maybe the region was altogether less xenophobic. Either way, you need to give me more details as to what made Namura's style of Christianity different from IRL Christianity in what buildup and form that allowed this to happen in the first place: both the buildup and the details entailing its difference. Because for now, I really cannot find any explanations in your app that has convinced me that this app is little more than "Japan but with Christianity."

[The Palmetto]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is the map up to date?

Not quite. Why? Which nation did you have in mind?

I'm not quite sure, I wanna know what's available before I dedicate myself to anything. Is there any unclaimed territory that y'all think would make for a fun/interesting country?

[Elerian]

Not quite. Why? Which nation did you have in mind?

I'm not quite sure, I wanna know what's available before I dedicate myself to anything. Is there any unclaimed territory that y'all think would make for a fun/interesting country?

Spain, France, or Mexico/Central America are all good choices that are open.

[Axis Asteroid]

Full Nation Name : Empire of Tsuyoi Nihon (Empire of Mighty Japan)
Majority/State Religion : Namura-Christianity
Religious Description : The large majority of the population is Christian but this form is slightly different. This form places the Emperor as having been granted his right to rule from heaven. The Shogun is the prophet of god and gives his wisdom to the people, and the Emperor and the people give him the right to rule.

-Very cogent points by Oscal-

I also want to refer Banzai to Kai's post regarding the premise of AltDiv in case he missed it, since I'm not sure he understands divergence part of the RP, especially when he just keeps making Japan more and more radically different from its irl counterpart rather than actually choosing a starting point from history which to diverge from.

@TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON - Because having a Shinto Japanese Empire was not the problem of your original app. For example, I'll also include a link to Ty's app for the Japanese Empire in the old 1900 iteration, in which Japan was not only Shinto with all its trappings of being the home of gods, or the kami-no-kuni, where the Yamato race resided, BUT also an Empire where the Emperor was divine etc. So again, the problem with your original app was not that Japan was an empire, or Shinto, or militaristic, or included the divinity of the emperor etc.

Maritime Empire of Japan (Old Tyrannia)

I say this also in case you feel like you're being forced to RP a Christian Japan when that shouldn't be the case at all, especially since you seem to be more familiar and comfortable writing a traditional Shinto, Japanese Empire based on the stuff I've seen searching through your IC posts in other RPs. Again, Shintoism isn't the problem, so don't feel pressured to write about something you're completely unfamiliar with, esp when that might hamper the quality of your writing.

-snip-

Hi, I play the Western Roman Empire. I haven't read your stuff too closely, so maybe you really are following all of it, but I'll try to explain what our nice OP here is probably trying to say:

Alternative Divergence is a series about exploring the possibilities and the butterfly effects of a what-if scenario. It's not just about making things different, but rather, taking one key point in a region's history and flipping it, and then following the series of events that unfold because of that change.

My example is the existence of the Western Roman Empire into the present day. It's not just Italy under a different name, it's not even that similar to Italy on the whole. It has quite a lot of similarities, but one might be hard pressed to declare it's the same Italy of irl 1906 with a few changes made. My point of divergence lies with Belisarius, a Byzantine general sent to reclaim the West in the 6th century CE. In this timeline, he is not recalled, is not forced to retire, but succeeds entirely. He does not merely feign the offer given to him as in real life, but accepts it, which allows him to essentially consolidate the whole of Italy under his power including Gothic garrisons left unconquered, before pledging his allegiance to Justinian once more. Belisarius, well-respected among the Goths irl and forced to retire before his Italian campaigns were complete, in this timeline had a degree of control over Italy and the Goths therein that he simply did not have irl, which would've severely complicated the matter of trying to replace him. Justinian's paranoia could not take full effect, lest he face serious unrest, and any unrest of course he would need Belisarius to temper.

So, as it happens, in this timeline Belisarius is allowed to keep his tentative throne under Justinian, for the emperor is left with little other choice. Belisarius, often being considered to be of more temperate and thoughtful character than Justinian, and certainly more gentle, sympathetic, and benevolent. Beliarius, seeing the need to unite the people in his domain, and in line with his benevolent nature, would refuse to follow through on persecutions mandated by Justinian. This allowed the Arian Goths, as well as sizable populations of pagans that still existed and even openly rebelled around this time, to live in relative peace, and to stabilize his control over the area and provide a secure frontier for the empire. The northern valleys were, after all, guarded by Gothic garrisons at the time of the Siege of Ravenna, and they were quite loyal to him irl until they learned that he had betrayed them. With no actual betrayal taking place, but instead accepting the crown and accepting it as subject to the East, and through his tolerance, their loyalty is maintained.

This means the Lombard invasions fail, and they are resettled among the Goths to form an Imperial Germanic Guard similar to the later Byzantine Varangians and earlier models of Barbarian Bodyguard units. If the Lombards never take Italy, and the Western Roman Empire has a viable claimant, then the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne is rendered moot - he can be recognized as imperial to the chagrin of the proper Romans, but he has no real claim over Italy, and the things that gave him cause to conquer Italy IRL are not present. Not least of which since his invasion was predicated on the Lombard king returning land to the Byzantines, but in this reality there is no Lombard king and the whole of Italy is subject to the Byzantines. There is no Holy Roman Empire to speak of in the north, only the Central European Empire to fill its gap.

With no Holy Roman Empire, the politics of Italy are quite drastically changed. The Guelphs and Ghibellines are nonexistent, and the later Italian Wars never happen. The city-state model doesn't quite form the way it did irl, but autonomous republics do form all the same. In many ways, the renaissance kicks off early, at least in Italy, as the patronage system and wide accessibility of the classics under Byzantine influence would have kickstarted things a bit early. Although the Fourth Crusade still happens, the Western government is able to contain it slightly and can act quickly to restore order, which in turn helps the Eastern government, the Byzantines, to restore their own order and survive. The Western participation in the Crusades, mixed with its ties to the East, means that they are more properly what they were meant to be originally - returning of land to the Byzantines, with only maybe German and French leaders holding out. One solid thing to close out the Middle Ages is the fact that the Great Schism, which split Orthodoxy and Catholicism, never happened.

The Roman-ness and the mixture of the tolerance of Italian republics, as well as the tolerance of Belisarius and his progeny, means that Italy gets quite a good taste of its own classical history. Pagan Renaissance things are not banned or scorned, and paganism even becomes a fad among the elite for a while - just like in later centuries among the Swedes or the English. The self-reinforcing cycle of republicanism within Italy means the Senate plays a much larger part than in the Byzantines, although it has been this way since Belisarius since his military government would not be necessarily absolute either. Although Italy is unified, regional identities are preserved to some extent - as can be said about irl, but it's less about being "Italian" and more about "having Romanity", so regional identities and languages can stay particularly strong despite being under a united government. The notion of all Latins being essentially equal, instead of trying to promote a common regional identity, also means the Dalmatians get to thrive too and are included within the regional mosaic that makes up Western Roman culture. They are, in fact, viewed as being not substantially different in nature from the Italians, and even get some favoritism since the current imperial line is from there.

Through the Early Modern period and into the Industrial, Italy is much more united. The presence of the Western Emperor has allowed the country to play an important regional role for many centuries, instead of being feuding vassal-princes of the HRE. The Italian shipbuilding and mercenary traditions translated well to the Roman army and navy respectively, which they would view as a continuation of regional legions from ancient times.

This unity across the land meant that several important decisions could be found in a much broader scope. The Roman revolt in the Middle Ages granted widespread availability of voting rights, and put an early end to the Papal States. Between this and the failure of the schism, the Pope is much less influential than irl, although still quite an important figure. The theory of female suffrage from the Republic of Corsica is applied on a universal scale across the empire, which would make it a century or more ahead of its time in most irl countries.

And all of this is just talking about Italy. North Africa has been drastically changed as well. Belisarian tolerance meant that the Jewish community of the land, which was historically quite strong in the Late Roman era, would not suffer as it did historically when the Vandals were ousted. In fact, it led to a resurgence of the Punic language, as more resettled Jews and Samaritans from more recent revolts were propped up to develop the African coastline where dwindling speakers of Punic still remained, and the Punic was quite close to the native Hebrew and Aramaic that they would speak. It was essentially gifted to them as a new place of refuge free of persecution under the Belisarids, under the condition of strict loyalty and the development of the land. This also means incidents of Barbary Pirates are greatly reduced, and the wealth of the area did not quite fade in later history as it did irl. The land is now mostly split between African Latins and Carthaginian Jews, as well as some Berbers, but it is quite a radically different landscape indeed.

So, through a mixture of trying to antagonize the East, and trying to secure the West, a lot has gone down. The natural developments of irl history carry through, such as the birth of the Italian merchant republic, as these were factors that are totally unchanged by my alternate history and instead attributed to the unique environment that existed in Italy at the time. Although they do not form in exactly the same way and definitely don't have a lot of the conflicts they had irl, the relative urbanization, preexisting mercantile connections, and the mindset of the time, all make it almost inevitable that it will happen. The developments of shipbuilding and condottieri are also natural follow-ups since they would not have strong standing armies of their own citizens, being generally too small even if they are very wealthy. Moreover, they have influenced the fact that the West is much more republican than the East. As I have guided history to create my alternate history, so too has real-life history guided my alternate history. I have been influenced by irl developments that some would argue are simply inevitable due to the conditions that created them being essentially innate, but I have also made radical changes to the world around me based on what was originally only a small change.

More or less the entire history of Europe has changed in quite fundamental ways, all because Belisarius got to keep his crown. One change leads to another, leads to another, leads to another, each historical event that relies on some specific set of circumstances needs to be reevaluated to see if it still makes sense. My Italian republics still happen, because the conditions of being highly urban and featuring a mercantile aristocracy are still present in my altered timeline - in fact, the Roman traditions mean that they actually are more primed for this than they were historically, there are less outright monarchical states than in irl. However, the Holy Roman Empire does not exist beyond the Western Empire, and so Charlemagne cannot claim to be it, and so everything that relies on fights between the German emperor and the Pope such as the Investiture Controversy, the installation of Antipopes, and a few other things, are all rendered invalid. This, in turn, blossoms into even more changes down the line, and so it goes.

If you read all that, congratulations. I hope the idea is a bit clearer now. This isn't just about having a country that's different from history, but from establishing a whole other timeline. Don't think of what you want your country to be now, but think instead of a crucial moment in history that could've gone differently. Make it go differently, and see how the effects spiral from there. For example, what if Oda Nobunaga never united Japan? Well, then his council of very important people would never have allowed Tokugawa Ieyasu to rise to power quite like he did. In fact, the Ashikaga might still be ruling today, and they might not have put forth all the bans on weapons that the Tokugawa shogunate did, they might not have closed the country, etc. What if the Ikko-ikki won? Japan's religious landscape and philosophy would be very different! Would these monks have led a monastic state in the far east? Would they have made some sort of Confucian Republic? What if the Genpei War went differently? What if the Taira won, would Japan have even had feudalism at all?

These are just examples of key points in Japanese history you could take. You could go even further, really. There's not that much of a limit on this. You could have the Ainu be dominant, if you really wanted to. If you can find something that might impact Korea and China more broadly, without necessarily blocking players from existing in these areas, that'd be pretty great to follow as well. These are the sorts of things we're looking for here.

[TENNOHEIKA BANZAI NIHON]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I am going to work on this throughout to rest of today and tomorrow and try to explore the concept I had tried on my second and third attempts at an app, asking "What if the Tokugawa Shogunate was never overthrown?" Which follows with everyone else assuming the West never came to Asia. The Shogunate had been overthrown when it was seen as weak in its response to the Perry Expedition, which in this universe never happened.

I didn't explain this when I had the app up, but Thrace had told me about the above concept "If you want your nation to be a surviving Shogunate, find the divergence that would explain it and work from there."

Maybe he didn't see it, but I am going to start back from scratch. With the surviving Shogunate concept and work from there.

I think I am going to start off my history from the 1800s onward since I think mt starting from 660 BC was confusing people and in general making it hard for me.

[The Palmetto]

I wanna do something not too relevant where I can do my own thing but still interact with others, maybe South Africa or something in East Africa? (would have to talk to that Australia player though about lore) Wanna know if there's any lore regarding those regions, and if I maybe go with East Africa, how lenient y'all would be with it being relatively more developed than irl without being a current colony.

[Axis Asteroid]

I wanna do something not too relevant where I can do my own thing but still interact with others, maybe South Africa or something in East Africa? (would have to talk to that Australia player though about lore) Wanna know if there's any lore regarding those regions, and if I maybe go with East Africa, how lenient y'all would be with it being relatively more developed than irl without being a current colony.

It works as long as you can justify the technological development. In which case, I would try to work something out with Pasong Tirad, who's currently roleplaying Ethiopia. There could some technological diffusion on their end towards East Africa to make your idea work.

[Kazarogkai]

Full Nation Name : The Adamite Iron Order

Majority/Official Culture : Adamites(Welsh, with small elements of English, Breton, Manx, and Scottish.
Territorial Core : (Image)
Territorial Claim : (Image)
Capital City : Atlantis(IRL Atlanta,Georgia)
Population : The population is roughly about twice that of what the region had during the same period in IRL but I considered that reasonable considering the vastly different circumstances both politically and economically. Namely the area is a lot more industrialized. I gave the nation a population doubling rate, about every 25 years, on par with the United States of the period. Though unlike the USA, post first quarter of the 19th, said population growth was maintained via natural growth(native born) rather than via large scale immigration. The predominant cultural attitudes that caused European Fertility Rates to steadily decline during this period unlike in the USA never transplanted over into Adamia hence the Maintenance of the aforementioned natural population growth.
1775 750,
1800 750,
1825 1500,
1850 3000,
1875 6000,
1900 12000,
1906 14880, (Current)
1925 24000, (In theory)
Government Type : Stratocratic Republic
Government Ideology/Policies : Expansionist(The Revolution will not be contained),Militant, Siege mentality
Government Focus : Maintaining independence, the liberation of the america's from old world colonialism, the destruction of monarchism, spreading the Revolutionary society and it's ideals from sea to shining sea, and finally but certainly not least fighting the good fight in the name of heaven and are father god almighty.
Head of State : The Grand Committee
Head of Government : Speaker Moses Hall
Government Description :
The Government of the Iron Order is an odd one similar in many regards to but also diametrically opposed in many regards to it's republican brethren drawing in characteristics that would in some ways be more familiar to the Autocratic States of the Romans while fusing elements of both into a strange amalgamation that at first glances seems to contradict and at second leaves one bewildered with the byzantine nature of the whole thing. Born from the fires and chaos that characterized the birth screams of the Adamite's National Crusade what came about after victory was something of a weird compromise from the varied and in some ways conflicting interests of the myriad of factions that had been bought together in war and sought and needed to keep the peace when it was all over.

The best way to look at the Government of Adamia is as the pillars of a house. The strongest and most premiere of these by far is the National Parliament, the lawmaking body. Composed of 1728 members divided into 3 subdivisions known as Colleges representing Economic, Religious, and Local communities respectively this body holds the sole power to as mentioned before to make law but also confirm treaties drafted by diplomats, declare war, draft amendments to the constitution(s), appoint the Consuls of the Committees and in general hold the balance of power. Members are not elected but instead appointed by the devolved bodies below them in a sort of tiered democracy system. In the case of the College representing Economic Communities they are appointed from the Guilds, In the case of the College representing Religious Communities they are appointed from the top leadership of each individual confession(Baptist, Pure Saints, etc), and finally In the case of the College representing Local Communities they are appointed from the highest administrative bodies below the national level the Polises(urban) and Shires(Rural). Members of the Parliament serve for a term of 6 years, though they can serve as many terms as they please they cannot serve them consecutively. Minus the Consuls who are appointed among themselves the most highest ranking member of the Parliament is without a doubt the speaker who helps set down the legislative agenda, has the power to censure/discipline members, serves as the head judge in impeachment trials, and is regarded as the leader of the body as a whole. His position while powerful is unsteady bound by the wills and personalities of his fellow MPs who annually(specifically the 10th month of every year) must levy a vote of confidence on the speaker and with it agree on a budget for the next year. If he loses the confidence of Parliament via a proper majority(2/3) his government falls and a new Speaker must be chosen. Concurrently if a budget is unable to be passed within the allotted time, before the year is up, the government as a whole "collapses" and snap elections must take place with all members of the Parliament being term limited unable to serve until a later election.

Going to the proverbial top the executive is comprised of and appointed from members of the National Parliament and consists of small bodies that are known as Committees. These serve as the arms of the Legislative and handle the enforcement of laws and play an important part in the making of said laws too with the initial drafting and debating of laws beginning in the very Committees charged with that area of policy. Trade laws in the Committee of Diplomacy, education in the Committee of Culture, etc. All the various Permanent Committee heads known as Consuls are organized into what is known as the Grand Committee whose membership consists of the aforementioned but also includes the Speaker of the National Parliament and a few officers of the government who have been empowered by the National Assembly notably the Supreme Legates of the various branches within the military. Operating in a Parliamentary manner members of the executive, namely the Consuls and the Speakers, are appointed by and consist of members of the National Assembly as mentioned before and serve at the pleasure of said body. Though technically they do have a official term length consisting of a single year at which they are individually required to face a mandatory confidence vote and by extension pass a budget, if either fails then a new Grand Committee must be appointed and by extension a budget. If either is unable to occur then as mentioned before the government "collapses" and snap elections occur.

The Judiciary is an odd ball of sorts in part inspired by the various principles of the European Enlightenment mixed in with local customs and religious dogma added in The basic structural component of the Judiciary is the Tribunes who are organized into 4 types: Constitutional, General, Tribal, and finally Religious Tribunes. Each one pertains to a specific area of law and has a varied composition based on that but regardless consist of 3 types of members. Jurist, Archons, and Elders. Archons are those of the public who have been recognized and declared themselves as law speakers and are considered experts of secular law in all it's forms. In order to become one one must achieve a doctorate equivalent degree in law in a Guyanese University and declare themselves as an Archon and be vouched on by other Archons upon doing so becoming a member of a local district judicial pool. Jurists are similar to Archons but instead members of the public chosen by them to represent them in judicial affairs and are by extension meant to represent the spirit of the law in contrast to Archons who represent the word of the law. To become a Jurist one must have a university degree in humanities and upon doing so gain followers who are willing to be represented by you on court. Finally their is the Elders chosen from the various Clergymen who form the leadership of the myriad religious groups dwelling within Adamia and represent the religious aspect of law within Adamia. Tribunes are temporary bodies formed via lot on a case by case basis when needed from the various Archons, Jurists, and Elders living within a given area based on the complaint levied by the prosecution upon a defendant. The exception to this rule are High Tribunes who while chosen via lot from eligible members of the citizenry(the aforementioned) have a statutory term of 8 years and serve in permanent bodies as a sort of high court of last appeal. Unlike the previous Tribunes who only consist of about 12-24 members max these bodies are composed of 144 members.

The last and final pillar is the Citizenry themselves who consist of the voting members of society. Voter status unlike other more libertine societies is not universal consisting only of men who have completed their military service, reached the age of atleast 24 and finally but not least pay taxes. Upon achieving this at the local level they have a direct say on government due to said government level being run via direct democracy like that of the Athenian Assembly. In addition all citizens can elect the level immediately above that of the sub-municipal level, serve as members of the government without hindrance barring disfranchisement(temporary for convicts, permanent for exiles), and participate in referendums which are necessary for the creation of constitutional amendments. This is not counting the various other rights and privileges laid fourth in the constitution for said citizens of course.

Though the Constitution stresses the importance of the separation between the two premier pillars(the National Assembly and the Judiciary) a certain degree of checks and balances does exist. Specifically the Parliament, both national and local, has the power to Impeach members of the Judiciary for misconduct and not only that set their budget(including pay). Similar the Judiciary also retains the power to impeach members of the National but also Local Parliament and while they lack they power of the purse they do in the form of the constitutional courts have the ability to judicially review and if they see necessary veto laws drawn by the Parliament.

Majority/State Religion : The Brotherhood of Pure Saints(Majority 40%)
Significant Minorities:
Reformed Anglicans(25%)
Baptist(13%)
Methodist(8%)
Mormons(5%)
Unitarian Quakers(5%)
Evangelical Denominations(2%)
Others(3%)
Religious Description :
One of the more surprising aspects of the Iron Order is it's rather jarring religious pluralism. Though The Brotherhood of Pure Saints, known simply as the Pure Saints, are without a doubt the strongest religious grouping forming a solid plurality of the population they do not and have not been able to form a true majority. This explains a good amount of things. When independence was achieved the Pure Saints, the strongest supporters of the National Crusade, as per their religious ideals sought to create a theocratic state in part modeled after their old independent society Lebanon Hill. This was Hindered due to the large presence of other religious groups, namely Reformed Anglicans and Baptist, which had become common within the lands that comprised the Southern Colonial holdings of the British and which incorporated the former territory of Lebanon Hill. Hence they had to settle for a Confessionalist society one in which the various religious groupings had political and institutional power distributed among them in a explicitly religious pluralist fashion. The representation of religious communities in the Parliament's of the nation alongside the establishment of the Religious Courts are the most explicit examples of this. Never the less the Pure Saints are consistently the largest and most political dominant since independence and it's worth mentioning from the time of Lebanon Hill they have consistently been the primary core pushing the nation in the direction that it has gone in and by all indications will continue to do so.

Economic Ideologies : State Capitalist, Georgist, National-Syndicalist
Major Production : small arms, artillery, steel, ship building textiles, glass, concrete, fish, tropical fruit, timber, livestock, agricultural implements, mining equipment
Economic Description : The overall system is a rather strange breed quite unique for the world they live in. The majority of the factors of production in terms of both the tertiary, secondary, and the primary sector are run along syndicalist/communal lines with all business organizations above the family being in effect required to be run on cooperative lines with all members benefiting more or less equally and running it as such along democratic lines. Said cooperatives range in size from a single factory all the way up to large nationally run federations known as guilds run via a council based delegate system in a manner along the lines of the aforementioned faction's political system. With delegates from below electing those from above. Said guilds receive direct representation and are technically incorporated into the national government to help create overall policy.

On the otherhand elements of state socialism do persist with certain strategic resources like precious metals and even whole industries like arms manufacturing being a state interest and being the principle element. These are meant to be used to help the nation as a whole but are also found quite significant sources of revenue especially the aforementioned arms manufacturing with said weaponry produced being typically sold to various government approved armed revolutionary groups that prove a menace to many nations present in the new world. This has earned them quite a bit of hate despite efforts to keep it on the down low. The socialist element also comes into play to some degree due to despite the fact that Adamia is technically a market based economy the government does provide a tremendous role serving as the main regulator of the whole chaotic morass and safe guarder of consumers and workers health. This is rather heavily exemplified by the incorporation of the various Guilds, national cooperative federations and major industries, into the government to represent their interests and providing the government a way to help influence and direct the overall flow of the economy.

One important factor to consider is natural resources namely Land, Water, and Air. These three are regarded as the providence of all members of the community and hence are organized and considered to be under community ownership though individuals and their families have the right to manage said resources so to speak. In effect this means that local governments, namely municipalities, are given the duty of administering said resources with said duty being their principle job and the rent derived from the use of these resources being forming the majority of their revenue.

Elements of protectionism are at play primarily serving to protect from foreign competition who might flood the local market with cheap goods and thereby destroy the still rather fragile industries that comprise Adamia. Despite this the country is rather reliant on exports, most notably decent quality steel and alongside that weapons due to the rather small population and hence small market that is Adamia being insufficient to properly sustain the continuing industrialization of Adamia alone in spite of talk of and a desire for autarky by the government. This is kinda the dirty secret of the whole thing and hence the sever effect their isolation has had on their economy resulting in it being known as a rather poor country both in raw size and in per capita manners.

Development: Semi-Industrialized
Development Description : Though the elements of Industrialization came into play sometime in the post war period is didn't really hit off properly until the latter part of the 1820s. Compared to most nations it was largely a state based initiative due to the rather weak capitalist class present. The initial focus was a two fold mix of the need for arms to equip the armed forces but also a need to feed and connect the growing population. The end result has been a rather excessively specialized system whose primary focus is centered on supporting the other 2 sectors of the economy the service and agriculture rather than being an independent and principle body of the economy in it's own right. One of the principle manufactured goods for example is agricultural and mining equipment to better allow for greater resource extraction(primary sector), another example is the arms manufacturing used to equip the military(service sector). Hence most of it's industry is categorized as being light rather than of the heavy variety and overall exports principally derive from the agricultural sector with only surplus production from the secondary sector being exported in rather sparing amounts. Still for a what is regarded as a rather small and poor new world nation it's still pretty good in areas where it does focus on namely being one of the premier arms manufacturers and producers of steel in the world with Adamite guns and steel being found all over the place ranging from the bummest parts of non-colonial Africa to equipping the armies of other new world nations too poor to have their own significant development in that regard.

Army Description :
Derived from the various militant bands forming the military confederation that ultimately helped wage the Nations over 2 decade long struggle for independence. Coming out of that formative forged in fire moment what came out was a battle hardened and disciplined fighting force that had a reputation for tenacity and absolute bullheadedness. Since Independence all the way into the present era that reputation in many ways was preserved during the course of the past century by the force that forms the Iron Legion of the Adamite Holy Phalanx. Abroad they helped spread the revolution far and wide; at home they defended the nation in it's darkest hours in the face of numerous invasions. Over the past century or so of it's existence Adamia has seen little peace. Whether it was engaging in small to medium scale expeditionary conflicts all way to the numerous attempted invasions on Adamite soil both by their former colonial master but also via their neighbors and other powers seeking to curb the rabid dog of the West. This has led to a nation and by extension military fueled by paranoia and an almost palpable hatred for all who dare oppose them.

In the eyes of many they come off as an unsophisticated and brutish lot only slightly above the quasi-bandit force that birthed it. But one mustn't make the mistake of taking the Iron Legion lightly. This is an army that has since it's earliest years been bloodied and battered but never truly bowed by any nation seeking to restrain them, atleast when fighting on their own lands. Despite on numerous occasions being forced to face against forces greater in both power and technology and in all conventional manners the Iron Legion have always persevered with a dogged determination bordering on outright fanaticism that has both appalled but also awed those who have been force to face it. From a strategic standpoint overall the central theme has been best summed up as "Nation at Arms". Men from the time they are boys are immersed in a martial culture that starts at home and continues unto death supported by and actively encouraged by the State. In many ways they view themselves as the successors of Sparta more so than Athens. Civilian Gun ownership is not only encouraged but viewed in many ways as a collective duty with all households being required to maintain atleast one firearm within their mist to aid in the quick mobilization of forces. All this and more combined creates for the enemies of this nation what by all indications is a tough hard fighting force very much capable of throwing above it's weight. The reputation of Adamite troops in many ways proceeds themselves creating in many ways an aura of fear as some of if not the best troops this side of the Atlantic.heir absolute brilliance on the defense, their long military traditions despite their young age, tremendous amounts of experience fighting in conflicts abroad, almost fanatic morale and fervor and brutality displayed by their regular enlisted, and near constant state of conflict with their neighbors since independence has allowed them to earn this reputation the hard way. Their forces have earned respect but also a tremendous amount of fear due to their rather infamous history of brutality actively encouraged and cultivated by Adamite commanders since time immoral. Their have been cases throughout the history of this world when faced up against Adamite troops over the horizon bearing down upon them with the heads of dead enemy soldiers proudly displayed as trophies on their belts, war paint slathered across their skin, white uniforms glistening in the sun, the black and white banners they fly proudly, and the war howls of the Legionaries sensing blood in the water lesser forces have been made to rout rather than facing them in the open. On the battlefield the focus is on powerful but rigid mass troop formations centered around aggressive maneuvers and attritioning their opponents into submission. While brutality and fanaticism by the rank and file have always been encouraged strict command and control is still exercised, enforced in part via a mixture of fear but also brutal discipline on the part of both Officers and NCOs. Infantry are the main foundation with a sorta belief that hard determination and elan are enough to bring victory, which can lead to mass casualties, but Artillery is also well regarded and considered an essential component. Cavalry on the otherhand in many is kinda the ugly stepchild. Due in part to the nature of the formation of the Iron Legion Cavalry were never a particularly major part of the whole thing. Unlike the powerful Cavalry formations of their many enemies the Adamite's have never really regarded nor treated their Cavalry as little more than highly mobile skirmishers leading to a significant and arguably excessive focus on the former two.

Forming the very backbone of this whole thing is their system of Universal Conscription. Though not full implemented until the 1825 army reforms elements of it were present throughout much of the history of the lands of Adamia notably during the initial Settlement of Lebanon Hill in which as per law all men of age were legally members of the Militia required to in times of need to defend the Settlement as a whole from attack. All men upon completing of Secondary School at around 20 years of age are unless a university deferment has been granted required to present themselves for inspection at the nearest Military Barracks to begin their service of 2 years as Velites(Conscripts). Upon completing said service all men are given the choice to either become Crusaders(Professionals) or join the Militia as Hoplites(Allotment Troops) at which point they will over the years till reaching the age of 60 be required to intermediately serve for short periods of time in peacetime and be compelled to serve in times of war when need be. While economically costly and difficult to administer it has led to what can only be described as a national force bringing together the men of the nation from all walks of life into a single institution regardless of class or position and helping and molding these men into brothers in arms. Serving an important role similar to Public Education as an organization that engages in the all important task of social engineering.
Army Weakness :
Though they do the best with what they have with the Adamite state spending on the level of a quarter to a third of the governments total budget, equaling somewhere in the ballpark of about 10% of the total GDP in peacetime, but even then the Iron Order isn't the most wealthy state with their very isolation being a crippling affliction in it's own right and hence even at their best they can only in terms of money reach a level that is best classified as subpar by the most wealthy and powerful. The bulk of what weaponry they do have is aging and in some cases is outright obsolete. In this time of tremendous change the best they can usually do is match but never exceed the great powers of this world. While in core areas(like infantry weapons and artillery) they have shown the capability to match or atleast keep up with the powers that be in other more new arenas they aren't even trying. Notably they lack any sort of aircraft or armored fighting vehicles, chemical/biological weapons and protection is nonexistent. And if that was not bad enough automobiles have yet to make any sort of impact forcing Adamite troops to have to rely on older oxen pulled wagon trains and animal power in general when away from their railways to supply their armies on the field. In terms of infrastructure Adamia has shown itself to be a reasonably solid nation building an extensive network of roads, canals, and rail to cover much of the populated regions of the Iron Order. This has allowed them them to supply and maintain their forces throughout the entirety of their lands, whenever they leave such is not always the case though resulting in them having difficulty in terms of sustainment outside their territory. This in part has a lot to do with the overall experiences of the Adamites. Throughout their history large scale conventional military operations have mostly been defensive in nature; in contrast the majority of offensive operations have been comparatively small scale involving small units of Legionaries supporting forces composed of local auxiliaries. Great when defending their nation but lacking in power projection so to speak. Probably the biggest problem in general though has to do with the military being so political. In order to keep control and in general prevent a coup certain precautions have been made especially towards the officer corps that could be argued have resulted in a severe issue in terms of efficiency and competence. Things like Political Commissars and the use of civilian courts to try military personnel in peace time and in some circumstances wartime and the tremendous emphasis placed on civilian control of the armed forces leads to much of the officers being barely above that of political cronies who are more interested in keeping their necks than being the best that they can be and hence are lacking in terms of things like personal initiative, lest they be seen as a nail that needs to be hammered down, and are rigidly procedural leading to a force largely devoid of much in the way of innovation outside weapons procurement to some degree. In terms of equipment though regarded in many areas as being brilliant by foreign observers from the Regimental level downward most of their weapons tend to be previous generation and they have a tendency to fall behind other nations while only barely keeping up at the best of times. Troops though well trained and disciplined the cult of elan that pervades the thinking of much of the military is sometimes emphasized to a detriment. Soldiers in battle are known for and expected to hold their ground and refuse to retreat or surrender even when it would be best to do so, and their commanders tend to place a too great emphasis on mass infantry tactics which can lead to heavy losses which honestly they can't really afford too much considering their opponents. Tactically their forces are a heavy footed lot never quite having mastered the more subtle aspects of warfare lacking in areas like small unit tactics and the like. Mix that in with a reputation for brutality leading to a force with issues related towards hearts and mind in the eyes of those living outside Adamia. Overall a heavy unwieldy, and in many ways a limited force but with a well earned reputation of punching above it's weight.

Naval Description :
Always the one playing second fiddle to the Iron Legion the Adamite Navy has throughout it's history never amounted to much more than a supporting member of the overall military complex. Primarily a green water force centered around securing it's vast coast line and maintaining control and influence along major river ways and to a degree exerting influence on the nearby Caribbean sea. In terms of Blue Water operations it's been almost entirely limited to a mix of defending what few trade routes the Adamites maintain and by extension ferrying and supporting the Iron Legion over the course of many foreign expeditions.
Naval Weakness :
Lacking in both Battleships and heavier craft that have become the staple of powers within this era the Navy is fundamentally a limited force that has never really shown any substantial capabilities outside of limited circumstances. At the end of the day they always ends up at the bottom of the bucket in terms of funding and get only the scraps of whatever the Iron Legion has taken in terms of the conscription pool. Hence it tends to be were the rejects and loosers of society end up and has a reputation that is accordingly as such. Compared to the Iron Legion the reputation of the Navy has never even come close to even equaling that of their peers barely having the ability to even project power within the Caribbean let alone the Atlantic.

Distribution of Forces
446,400 active personnel: 148,800 Velites(conscripts),148,800 Hoplites(allotment troops),148,800 Crusaders(professionals)
1,041,600 2nd line(Organized Reserve)
1,488,000 3rd line(Unorganized Reserve)

A The Iron Legion 360,000
a Western Front

- 2 Artillery Chapters
- 4 Infantry Chapters
- Total Per. 180,000 men + 1200 guns

b Eastern Front

- 1 Cavalry Chapter
- 3 Infantry Chapters
- Total Per. 120,000 men + 480 guns

c Southern Front

- 1 Cavalry Chapter
- 1 Infantry Chapter
- Total Per. 60,000 men + 240 guns

B The Adamite Navy 60,000
- 16 Coastal Defense Columns = 384 Guns
a Warships = 120

- 1 Heavy Cruiser
- 1 Light Cruisers
- 08 Destroyers
- 10 Frigates
- 12 Monitors
- 60 Light Vessels(Gun Boats,Torpedo Boats)
- 30 Other vessels(Mine layers, Tug boats, etc)

C Capital Guard 15,000

- Outer Guard 7500 men+ 60 Guns
- Inner Guard 7500 men + 60 Guns

D War Department Staff 11,400

a Division of Logistics
b Division of Personnel Affairs
c Division of Planning
d Division of Operations

National Goals :
- The Destruction of old world colonial presence, most especially that of the Romans who lie nearby
- The expansion of the Iron Orders Revolutionary ideals and philosophy to surrounding lands
- Gaining military strength relative to their neighbors to secure the revolution at home
- Establishing a hegemonic authority over surrounding lands if possible.
National Issues : Being a rather isolated land of rabid protestant exiles that remains largely unrecognized by much of the civilized world is a rather huge one. The economy is also rather poor and struggling to keep up with their neighbors hence their is a need to fix that.
National Figures of Interest :
- Amos Dawnhall, Founder of Lebanon Hill, Prophet, Statesmen, Educator, Deceased
- Michael Clay Founding Father, Soldier, Politician, Deceased
- Lawrence White, Founding Father, Soldier, Politician, Deceased
- Red Hand, Founding Father, Maroon Chief, Deceased
- Jacob Dawn hall, Founding Father, Reformer, Former Convict, Soldier, Deceased
National Ambition/Aspirations : The general hope is to bring an end to old world dominance of the new world and see to it the independence of the entirety of the continent and with that the expulsion of the false church known as the Chaldenions from these virgin and pure shores and ultimately the spreading of the Revolutionary Iron Order's ideals far and wide even at the expense of their neighbors.

History :

Early Settlement Period 1600-1660

Formed from Protestant Dissidents born in the British isles escaping persecution and warfare on the isles and seeking to establish what they desired to be a true Christian City on the hill in a virgin and and in their eyes purer land untainted by the corruption of the old. Led by the legendary Amos Dawnhall, their prophet, the first few hundred settlers landed in late winter near the mouth of the Altamaha River and making their way upriver and deep into the interior they eventually found a place they could call home that they named Lebanon Hill due to it being in the foothills of the southern tail of the Appalachian Mountains. Though the land was rough desiring the safety that came with isolation and mixed in with the defensiveness of the region all encouraged it's choice as the site of the settlement. Due to the time and various disruptive events(namely war) leading to poor and in many cases nonexistent record this has lead to this period having to be remembered primarily via national stories and mythology rather than hard fact and evidence. With that in mind the general narrative paints a picture of a seemingly Utopian society, the people while not great in material wealth bore great moral wealth instead and who lived in peace among themselves and their neighbors. If one man was hungry his neighbors would feed him from there surplus knowing he would do the same, widows and orphans were cared for and the people lived in harmony with the land. Such is the general recounting of this period. Of course like many things it all has to come to an end.

Age of Fear 1660-1683

Around this time greater information can be gleaned about the free settlement of Lebanon Hill due in part as a result of increasing foreign contact. Around this time the very existence of Lebanon Hill was threatened in part due to a drought which lead to a near famine mixed in with a possible pandemic, probably yellow fever, forcing the Settlers to end their self imposed isolation just to survive. This was also compounded by the souring of relations with local native groups due in part from Lebanon Hill's unwillingness to pick a side in ongoing warfare namely between the Upper Creek and the Cherokee leading to both seeing them as enemies. This hostile situation led to the Settlers seeking outside aid mostly in the form of food and gunpowder the later of which had become hopelessly low due in part to the long stretch of peace and which was the only thing keeping them alive at this point in face of encroaching enemies. The settlement at this point was in a sad state of affairs indeed. Though the people remained proud and committed to the ideals that they had founded the settlement on they knew full well that their self imposed isolation had become untenable.

Though trade with outsiders in the short term allowed the settlement to survive long term it would have ramifications that would soon become quite evident. Around this time the British hoping to grow their colonial domain had been aggressively expanding within the region, mainly the coast, and due to the aforementioned now had their attention drawn to Lebanon Hill which in their eyes potentially threatened their holdings within the region. They set fourth a number of explorers seeking to map out the region and gain intelligence that would be aid them in what was to come.

Anglo Conquest 1683-1688
The war was an eventful one filled with as much drama and blood and horror as one could expect in such nasty business. The opening shots came in the form of a group of Briitsh Pioneers attempting to establish a small camp nearby to Lebanon Hill antagonizing the settlers and leading to brief clash in which said pioneers were routed from their camp. This served as the primary Casus belli of sorts leading to the First Expedition to Lebanon hill. Landing in the British settlement of Charles Town(IRL Charleston, South Carolina) a column of British regulars numbering about 1,000 men set out to launch an overland invasion of Lebanon Hill. Led by a General Thomas Mattis they set fourth on a march in the early spring hoping to use the good weather to full effect. Their stated objective was the delivering of an ultimatum that demanded the total disarnment of Lebanon Hill and it's acceptance of a British overseer.

Royal Colony Period 1688-1760
Period of Unrest 1760-1775
National Crusade 1775-1800
First Constitution 1800-1820
Second Constitution 1820-1860
Third Constitution 1860-1900
Fourth Constitution 1900-Present

RP Sample: [[Either a link to a past post, or an example written right here.]]
https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=463498
https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=348283&p=25335065&hilit=Cornelius+%22Cannibal%22+Willow#p25335065
https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=326874&p=23421024&hilit=Cornelius+White#p23421024
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

Working on the history now, should be done by Tomorrow night or Thursday at the latest thanks for the patience. Any questions or concerns just TG me

[Tracian Empire]

I don’t think I have the time for this rp tbh, so I’m gonna drop so I don’t hold up France.

Well, if you do think that you'll ever have the time for this, you'll be more than welcome to return!

[Tracian Empire]

I wanna do something not too relevant where I can do my own thing but still interact with others, maybe South Africa or something in East Africa? (would have to talk to that Australia player though about lore) Wanna know if there's any lore regarding those regions, and if I maybe go with East Africa, how lenient y'all would be with it being relatively more developed than irl without being a current colony.

Not sure if the Australian player is still here, but Axis is right, you could talk with Ethiopia, and depending on where exactly in East Africa maybe with me or with Asian colonial powers - there are ways to explain it being more developed irl without it being an actual colony for sure.

[The Baton Rouge Free State]

Wondering where I should go, I want to have a nation which uses the Swiss style direct democracy model.

[Tracian Empire]

Wondering where I should go, I want to have a nation which uses the Swiss style direct democracy model.

Hmm, I'm not quite sure what to tell you. I'm not quite sure how the Swiss system developed, but I'm sure that something similar could be explained in other areas of the world.

So do you have preferences in terms of the size of your country and culture?

[The Baton Rouge Free State]

Wondering where I should go, I want to have a nation which uses the Swiss style direct democracy model.

Hmm, I'm not quite sure what to tell you. I'm not quite sure how the Swiss system developed, but I'm sure that something similar could be explained in other areas of the world.

So do you have preferences in terms of the size of your country and culture?

well in switzerland there are kind of multiple subcultures which is why it never fully became a republic its still a confederacy style system, where the cantons hold more power than the central government. But I would be looking for a smaller area where there are several subcultures/closely related cultures that could work together in a confederal system

[Tracian Empire]

Hmm, I'm not quite sure what to tell you. I'm not quite sure how the Swiss system developed, but I'm sure that something similar could be explained in other areas of the world.

So do you have preferences in terms of the size of your country and culture?

well in switzerland there are kind of multiple subcultures which is why it never fully became a republic its still a confederacy style system, where the cantons hold more power than the central government. But I would be looking for a smaller area where there are several subcultures/closely related cultures that could work together in a confederal system

Hmm. The area in Central/Eastern Europe that is still blank does have a lot of cultures, but they're not all closely related. You'd have Hungarians, Romanians, Ruthenians, Slovenians, Serbs, and Poles. Other than that I'm not really sure.

Mexico could potentially have natives, Spanish, and immigrants. Alternatively the Midwest might have natives and a lot of immigrants and it would be smaller, but it would be in a near impossible position, between the much larger Busang and the revolutionary states of Eastern America.