Short Nation Name : Europan Empire (or simply "The Empire")
Flag / National Symbols: Flag of the Empire
Government Type : Absolute monarchy (with some parliamentary elements)
Official Political Ideology : Protectionist capitalism (with heavy state intervention)
Head of State : Emperor Charles von Stroheim
Head of Government : Prime Minister Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm
Government Description :
The Empire is unsurprisingly an autocratic state, albeit one with some trappings of a democratic government (nominally). Led (nominally) by an elected prime minister, the Pan-Europan lower house is composed of regularly elected public officials from all of the Empire's various kingdoms/duchies/states. On the surface this is democratic, though there are many catches to who can actually vote and how powerful the lower house really is. Voting rights within the Empire are relatively restrictive, limited only to men and women who fit the following:
- Own property (in terms of land, housing/buildings, and other assets)
- Have an annual income of over 80,000 Euros
- Pass a state-mandated literacy test
- Come from a preferred racial background OR have been recognized as an "Honorary Europan"
Naturally, there are a number of exceptions: citizens who've contributed heavily to the advancement of Europan society through military, scientific, and government service are also granted voting rights (as are Honorary Europans) while people with criminal records of any sort are denied the vote. Colonial subject populations (numbers) are quite obviously denied any form of political representation (unless they opt to become "honorary europans"), as are most "societal inferiors" given how strict Europan voting laws are. That said, provided that a citizen DOES have the ability to vote, he can rest easy knowing that his voice may have been heard by those in charge. Reality of course, is often dissapointing. While the Lower House does have the ability to vote on and propose legislation, it is the Upper House that holds precedent when it comes to decision making.
The House of Lords (what the Britannians call it anyways) is composed of the Empire's very large and surprisingly diverse aristocracy. It's largely a formality nowadays (Nobles have better things to do) but does hold yearly meetings and votes on legislation now and then. The real power lays with the Imperial family, more specifically the Emperor himself. Charles von Stroheim is undeniably the Pan Europan Empire's absolute ruler, and it goes without saying that his word is the law...
You're still reading this? Well, I guess its time to briefly look at the Europan system of colonial governance. It's pretty obvious, but yes the Empire has colonies, and a lot of them in fact. Similar to the Britannians from the anime, colonies are divided into numbered districts, with each assigned a military (or appointed) governor and large garrison force. Colonial subject peoples are on a whole treated horribly by the highly racist and darwinist Imperial Government, which plays off different ethnicities against one another. For example, the Igbo people might be nominally favored (given prefered positions in colonial jobs, better living conditions, more "honorary citizens") compared to say, the Yoruba. It's an old system that's worked for IRL colonial empires in the past, and the Europeans here keep it so long as its' necessary. That said, "prefered treatment" might as well mean getting stabbed in the foot vs getting shot in the back. Practices such as forced labor (basically just slavery), starvation-level wages, suppression of civil and social groups, and genocide are regular in Imperial Africa.
Territory : Most of continental Europe and a large part of Africa (as seen on this map)
Territorial Ambitions : The Imperial Monarchy openly declares its intent to enlighten the world.
Capital City : "New Europa", a planned city approximately 40 km south of "Germania" / Berlin. To those familiar with the series it somewhat resembles Pendragon from Code Geass in both size and majesty. The current population sits at ~10,000,000.
Population : Upwards of 550 or so million in the European core (all ISOTed territories at least). Colonial population is approximately 350 million (a poor estimate).
Majority/Official Culture : The government of Pan Europa has long advocated for a "Unified European Identity"... which has seen some success in the Empire's older kingdoms and states. This united culture is rather Germano-centric, though incorporates elements from North French, Italian, and other "approved cultures" within the Empire as a whole. That said, a majority of the Empire is rather diverse in its own right, given that Europe is a very large place indeed. Some cultures, however (including the Dutch and various German identities along the Rhine), have been largely absorbed/destroyed.
Majority/State Religion : The Empire has no state religion, though a significant minority are Protestant and Catholic. That said, the Emperor himself is an atheist (as is a large percentage of the upper class). The ruling Pope at the moment is all but an Imperial puppet figure.
Major Industries / Economic sectors: Consumer goods production (various), heavy machinery, mechs / robotics, materials (various), shipbuilding, etc (The Empire's economy covers most categories due to its utter size)
Amount of Industrialization : Given the general aesthetic / vibe of Code Geass, it should be sufficient to say that major powers (including the Empire in this case) were all heavily developed, more so than their IRL counterparts in fact. The Pan European Empire here maintains a very large industrial base throughout the Rhineland (and parts of France), Northern Italy, Danube regions, and parts of Poland and Eastern Ukraine. This industry has proven quite capable in running both the Empire's war machine and civilian economy, churning out vehicles and weapons just as quickly as it churns out consumer goods. Of course, extremely heavy military spending has been straining the civilian market for the last few years.
Economic Description : The Imperial economy is an utter colossus in terms of size, sucking in resources from across the world to feed its massive consumer and industrial base. Functioning under a largely capitalist, but heavily regulated (the Imperial government itself operates numerous companies) system, the Empire's economy is nonetheless dominated by conglomerates of large corporations, each of which manages its own economic sector. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say the Empire runs under a sort of "fascist corporatism".
Workers' rights within the Empire are quite poor, though pressure from the Empire's traditional enemies has forced Europa to make some concessions (A 10-hour workday limit, set minimum wage, vacation days, etc). Of course, many of these benefits are poorly enforced and often deliberately overlooked to maximize profit (and output in the colonies), with nastier things such as "unpaid overtime" quite common within the Imperial workforce. Wages in Europa proper remain tolerable (if far from ideal), though are likely to fall if the economy crashes. Colonial subject workers receive notably worse treatment compared to their European counterparts.
Technological Level : For the most part while some aspects of Imperial technology are reminiscent of those of the modern-day (early 21st century), there are many exceptions. Imperial weapons technology is notably more advanced, with the Empire in possession of infantry coilguns, railguns, various forms of mechs, and even some energy weapons and experimental shield systems. Rocketry has followed more or less modern developments. Imperial materials science and industrial practices are top-notch, with the empire capable of manufacturing enough high-strength alloys (and other composites) to build entire artificial islands and arcology-like cities. Some fields such as nuclear science are underdeveloped / new, though medical technology is evidently quite advanced.
Magic and other shenanigans? (If any exists) : Due to the nature of the world the Empire came from, Geass exists as a very real power that certain individuals possess. At the moment some members of both the Empire's elite inner circle and its secret police are known to possess Geass related powers.
Military Description
Overfunded, bloated, and increasingly corrupt, the Imperial Military stands as a giant on paper but has spent the past few decades in a state of relative peace. Military service is heavily encouraged throughout the Empire (and mandatory in some states), as soldiering is considered "one of the highest professions" by the Imperial aristocracy and leadership. The military is oddly enough one of the few organizations that doesn't totally discriminate, hence it is possible to see colonial conscripts serving alongside Europeans (though this is very very rare given how division composition is generally organized).
Army: The Imperial Army is arguably the pride of the Empire's armed forces and receives a majority of the Empire's overall military budget. It fields very large formations of armored and mechanized divisions (the two primary division types of the Imperial Army), each equipped with a bountiful supply of both heavy vehicles and Knightmare Frames. Heavier combatants in the form of mobile command centers and land battleships can also be seen. Discipline is high within divisions recruited from the core states while training is adequate. The typical Imperial trooper can expect to be issued a standard bullpup coil-rifle, standard carbon-composite body armor, and various other tools / gadgets a modern industrial age soldier would have.
A standard Imperial armored division is composed of approximately 12,000 soldiers (eyeballed), 250 MBTs, 270 knightmare frames, various artillery pieces, and any necessary support vehicles. A mechanized division is somewhat larger at 15,000 personnel in size, and focusses more on IFV/APCs and support vehicles (artillery) than heavy armor. Other divisions (mountain divisions, desert operation divisions) won't be detailed for the sake of brevity. Combat units fielded by the Empire's numerous knightly/military orders are notably different and generally much smaller (if more elite).
A more detailed analysis of a proper Panzer Division: (~12,000 total personnel)
(2) Panzer regiments (A total of 250-280 modern MBTs)
(1) Knightmare Frame regiment / combat wing (270 KMFs)
(1) Motor infantry brigade
Reconnaissance battalion (motorized)
(1) Motorized artillery regiment (SPGs, MLRS)
Various logistical battalions (medical, supplies, communications)
It is estimated that the Empire has approximately 10,100,000 soldiers in its army split between ~740 fully operational divisions, not counting any knightly/military orders. Even then this large force is stretched thin defending the frontier.
Navy: It goes without saying that similar to the army, the Europan Combined Fleet is an absolute beast in terms of size and funding. Due to the ongoing (prior to the ISOT) arms race with the Atlantic Federation (and its allies), the Empire was forced to build a fleet that could match (or at least contest) the North American Republic's incredibly powerful navy. As a result, the past few decades have seen to massive buildups in the Empire's navy. Currently, the European Combined Fleet possesses at least:
- 35 CVN equivalent carriers (including super heavy battle-carrier variants)
- 32 heavy battleships (modern)
- 26 helicopter / light carriers
- 74 cruisers and heavy cruisers
- 450 frigates / destroyers
- 370 corvettes (or so)
- Over 250 submarines (various)
- 60 mine warfare vessels
- 300 or so smaller patrol boats
Air Force: Largely glossed over (in the anime too), it can be assumed that the Europan Imperial Airforce is more or less modern in regards to most of its equipment, with the exception of fielding a number of heavy airships and flight-capable Knightmare frames (blaze luminous hover systems). VTOL transports and gunships also exist. The most common Europan jet fighter closely resembles an IRL Eurofighter typhoon in both appearance and capability, with the exception of longer flight range (sakuradite reactors are highly efficient). Likewise, there exist F-22 look-alikes and other planes an IRL individual might recognize.
Unsurprisingly, the Europan Imperial Airforce is incredibly large, fielding tens of thousands of planes across two continents. Of course, not all of these planes are modern.
National Goals : First and foremost is to weather the impending economic collapse (due to the ISOT) and anything that might arise from such a situation. After that, we'll see.
History :