That shits based especially because we helped Russia did we did we helprd
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by Kargintina the Third » Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:41 pm
by Tracian Empire » Fri Sep 18, 2020 1:42 pm
by Lan Khao Xang Hom Krung Tai » Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:53 pm
by Greater Redosia » Fri Sep 18, 2020 4:11 pm
Lan Khao Xang Hom Krung Tai wrote:-snip-
by Democratic East-Asia » Fri Sep 18, 2020 7:23 pm
Pan Asia Broadcasting Channel: "We will achieve communism in 20 years." - Chairman Wei Yenwu, Central Government | Automation of industries threatens millions of jobs, says economic advisorsby Fossia » Sat Sep 19, 2020 12:52 am
by Tracian Empire » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:25 am
by Fossia » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:29 am
Tracian Empire wrote:Fossia wrote:Howabout Austerlitz tho?
At this time of the year I still like Aspern a little more
by Tracian Empire » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:36 am
by Latvijas Otra Republika » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:45 am
by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:15 pm
Generic Info
Nation Name: Great Zhang (State of Shu)
Symbols:
Location: 68
Population: 40.000.000
Capital City: Chengdu
Civilization Status: Great Power
Government Info
Government Type: Absolute bureaucratic empire
Brief Explanation of Government: The Shu government, being the ancient institution carried over from over a thousand years, is a blend of extremely rigid conservatism and desperate attempts at modernization, creating a system that is as arcane and old as it is complex. The sole power rests with the Emperor, which means the ‘constitution’ of Shu can change on a dime. Generally, however, the Empire follows the structure that it has had for over a thousand years. The Empire is run by six Boards, each tasked with particular duties. All these Boards, apart from the Board of War, are run by two presidents, with four secretaries under them. The Board of War, following the Reforms of 1752, has one Grand Marshal at its head, able to make his own decisions and acting as commander in chief in the Emperor’s stead.
In order to become part of the large civil service, one has to complete one of the four levels of the Confucian examinations. The first three levels correspond to the levels of government: local, national, and courtly, with the latter being required in order to hold the highest offices. The fourth examination, implemented in 1813, is separate from the earlier three, and is meant solely for the officer class. It barely goes into the Confucian classics and deals almost exclusively with Sun Tzu and Chinese military history, as well as a simplified writing exam.
Ideology: Reactionary Conservatism, authoritarianism, ever-increasing militarism, isolationism
Leader/s: Huangdi, Son of Heaven, Zhang Bai Mu Lǐ Shì Mín
Relations Shu maintains good diplomatic relations with al neighboring states, only viewing Chu with added suspicion. Over the last 60 years, Shu has attempted to become more of a mediating presence in the region. It has promised on multiple occasions that its militaristic past is over, and that is now seeks amiable diplomatic relations with all Chinese states, as a central figure in an ever-changing web of alliances. The Three Rivers Palace in Chongqing is often visited by foreign dignitaries seeking amicable solutions to their disputes. However, Shu has shown increasing hostility to the Viet, a bordering country which is not viewed as Chinese, and which could provide Shu with a road to the sea it desires.
Population Info
Brief Description of your people: The demographic makeup of Shu is problematic, to say the least. Traditionally, most of the country was made up of an illiterate peasant class. However, over the years, and especially since the rise of the Shu Peace after 1749, an increasingly rich merchant class has begun to gain importance. These merchants gain information from other Chinese states as well as the West, and are often read in both the Confucian classics as well as western works. Being able to pay for preparations for the examinations, these merchant families have increasingly come to dominate the imperial bureaucracy, to the detriment of the ancient landed aristocracy and the lucky peasant here and there who managed to get an imperial grant.
However, both the landed aristocracy and the unlanded peasant class have gained other ways to rise to prominence. Following the reforms of 1752 and 1813, the military has become increasingly meritocratic. No longer is one required to be able to write poetry in order to become an administrator. Rather, simple writing skills, which can be obtained at the new imperial war academy, are enough to pass a simplified test. The officer class, as opposed to the merchant class, is more conservative generally, and while merchants are familiar with western philosophy, the war academy teaches modern techniques and tactics after the French Napoleonic style.
Of course, the landed gentry, still being the richest class, have their own way of exerting their power. While the military and the merchants seek to centralise, the landed aristocracy seeks to decentralize. Some have begun building factories in order to exert their own economic power, only to use that new economic power to build power bases for themselves in their own provinces. This increased wealth has also gained them the ear of multiple Presidents and Court officials, as well as foreign businessmen and even some ambassadors. The international reach of these landed aristocrats goes furthest, and their economic power is set to increase similarly to the merchant class.
Religion: While the are large Christian and (even larger) Muslim presences in the empire, Confucian beliefs still hold overwhelming majorities, and especially Christians are confined to their own separate quarters, where they engage mostly in banking. The Islamic community has had more luck, their sons forming some of the most elite units of the imperial army, including a contingent of the imperial guard.
Main/Accepted Culture(s): Han and Hui, Tibeto-Burman
Other Cultures: Miao-Yao, Tai
Military Info
Army:
Imperial Guard: the Imperial Guard was formed as a compromise following the 1752 Reforms. The two Presidents of the War Board were replaced by a single Marshal, gaining almost total control of all aspects of the military. However, in order to retain political power, the Emperor insisted on maintaining his own personal force, independent of the War Board. These officers would still have to pass the Confucian exams, even after the creation of a separate military exam in 1813. As a result, the Imperial Guard has officers personally loyal to the Emperor, and arch-conservative in their outlook (even less socially progressive than the army). The elite of this guard are formed by the 2.000 man Hui Regiment, a Muslim contingent, and the Household Cavalry, which is almost completely staffed by sons of aristocratic families. The soldiers of these regiments are the best of the best, although their officers fail to have the expertise of their war academy colleagues in the army.
Imperial Army: Confusingly to many foreigners, independent from the Imperial Guard, and largely independent from the Emperor as well. Following the 1952 Reforms, the Imperial Army was placed under the command of the Grand Marshal, who held the Emperor’s authority in matters, making for easier command. Successive Grand Marshals have since then implemented their own reforms. Professionalizing uniforms and command structures, instituting artillery training and the Imperial Topographic Bureau, in charge of strategic decisions. Further, the Imperial Army was made self-sufficient, theoretically able to live off the land they conquer and being highly mobile, in order to prevent another Yellow River disaster. In 1813, reforms by the emperor Napoleon were partially copied, introducing the imperial war academy and the more military-oriented exams, as well as the division structure which made Napoleonic armies mobile. The officers are of very high quality, but the soldiers themselves are still conscript levies, and there is only a small standing army which is tasked with border defense. However, efforts to enlarge the army are thwarted by other factions, especially the Board of Revenue and the Imperial Chancery, which manages international affairs.
Note: the artillery corps is well-trained, but lacks the production of large amounts of modern cannon. Most of their training pieces are ancient.
Quality:
Officers: 8
Soldiers: 6, but lower as more conscripts are raised
Navy: The Shu navy is a branch of the army, and consists of a few river patrol boats and fireships meant to block off the Yangtze. The river is guarded by multiple forts, which is where the true power of the defense lies. The non-existence of a Shu river navy, which could be used offensively, is seen as a prerequisite for the position of Shu as peaceful mediator, and the building of a river fleet would certainly draw international ire.
Other Info
Economic Strength: 10
The Shu Peace has made Shu lands profitable and its commerce flourish. However, it has one of the least industrialized of the Chinese States, and its reactionary policy and opaque bureaucracy only serves to exacerbate these problems. There exists an extremely wealthy upper class, a small merchant middle class and a very large, illiterate peasant class, who are called upon to do most of the labor and serve in the army. Increasingly, they are also made to work in factories, and imported food from more technologically advanced neighbors increasingly makes Shu farming uncompetitive. This, in turn, leads to unrest, as small, luddite militias have begun to spring up, especially among the Miao-Yao minority in the more distant, rural areas. The merchant class, hoping that a wealthy lower class will turn more peasants into consumers, has lobbied for conditions to be improved, especially through the adoption of the modern scientific method in Confucian exams, but the imperial court has eschewed any alteration to the Confucian canon.
Development: 12
The infrastructure of Shu is better than many European states, but it has begun to lag behind. It has not yet shown interest in the adoption of railway, and while the public works system has ensured a stable network of roads, this network is yet insufficient to provide for an industrialized society. Large canals would have to be dug in order to create the necessary infrastructure to fuel the country through the Yangtze river, for instance, and many rural areas are still only connected by dirt roads and dangerous mountain paths. The story goes that some outlying villages have not yet been notified about the collapse of the Ming (although this is hard to believe, most likely an exaggeration).
Public Order: 18
The situation in Shu is outwardly incredible stable. For all its flaws, the reactionary government and its militaristic reforms have contributed to overall order, defeating banditry and creating a unified state. Factionalism is neatly channeled through the person of the Emperor, who seems very capable in managing conflicting interests both abroad and at home, a gift from his departed father. Extremely conservative, the government does its best to stop any rebellious ideas and ideologies from spreading, and is able to root them our firmly wherever they come to the surface. However, more and more, the factionalism is growing beyond the control of the emperor. While still mostly kept to debates in tea houses outside of the capital, the ideas of the French revolution have not failed to cross over to the East, and these whispers lead to even more extreme reactions from the conservatives. The military, meanwhile, seeks to modernize the country without losing its values, and the merchant class seeks to modernize in all aspects as soon as possible. These values cannot coexist for long without strife, and factional disputes and infighting are expected in the near future.
Goals: Various. The Emperor seeks to maintain the Shu Peace, keeping his country neutral and safe. The merchants share the penchant for pacifism, but want to modernize the country rapidly, drawing examples from other Chinese States. The military, however, wants to act more strongly, and secretly many officers want to do away with the Shu Peace entirely in favor of a more expansionist policy, especially at the expense of the Viet.
History:
The first origin of the State of Shu, or the Shu Empire, is laid down in the Romance of the Prince. The story is a classic of literature and known to most in Shu, as it is popularly displayed in theatres and puppet shows alike. It takes place in the mid-15th century and tells the story of prince Tao Shuren, who was out hunting when he came upon a group of bandits. These bandits had captured a maiden, dressed in peasant’s clothes but extremely pretty and fair. With his cunning, using a hollow tree to sound more imposing than the young prince was, Tao Shuren put the bandits to flight. With a single arrow, he killed their leader, and he rescued the girl. Prince Tao quickly learned that the girl was one of the daughters of the emperor, who had recently fled across the sea never to return. Out of gratitude, and having no-one else to go, the princess married Tao, conferring upon him the right to rule All under the Heaven, and gifting him with a simple circlet she had hidden on her person. Thus, the royal family of Shu claims descendance from both the Ming Emperors and Tao Shuren, who would become the national hero of Shu in the coming civil war.
Reality, as always, is more sobering. The princess indeed married Tao Shuren, but the question is whether it was what she wanted. A contingent of soldiers of Tao Shuren overtook her carriage and slayed her guard before she could get to loyal harbours in the south, preventing her escape. In return for her life, she married general Tao Shuren, who was by then already in his thirties. Tao Shuren would play a big role in the civil war to come, eventually carving out for himself a kingdom in the south and calling it Shu. However, with an imperial princess as bride, he indeed claimed the Mandate of Heaven, and much of the coming civil war he spent trying to usurp that throne. He died while his army was besieging Beijing, some say poisoned by his soldiers, others say by the hand of his wife. Anyway, these are the legendary and historical beginnings of the State of Shu, and what would become the Tao Dynasty.
The infant son of Tao Shuren and princess Feng Yaling came to the throne, with his mother reigning in his stead as queen-regent. This was the beginning of the Regents Period, when the position of the emperor was factually split between three people: The emperor himself, who performed most ceremonial duties; the regent, who managed civil affairs, and the Grand Marshal, who had been given control over the army by the late Tao Shuren. This would start internal strife between the army and the civilian government which, in all fairness, would never really subside. The Regents Period lasted between 1480 and 1538, after multiple emperors, regents and marshals had passed. In 1538, the regent, being the emperor’s younger brother, came to the throne suddenly after the emperor died of disease. Instead of retaining the position of regent or promoting a new one, Tao Wen took on the powers of both. In 1540, he stripped the Grand Marshal of his rank and adopted its powers, too, again reinstating the powers of the emperor of old. Tao Wen, who claimed emperorship over all of China, then set about preparing for the unification of China. It was an ambition he would not see through to its end; in 1573, Tao Wen died, leaving grandson Tao Feng to finish his preparations. The young prince, unlike his father (who was skipped over for succession) had been trained as a master administrator and politician, but he wisely left the conduct of war to his able marshals.
The Wars of the Coalition were extremely complex period, stretching over 33 years. There was always some war somewhere going on, but the parties to the different sides, sometimes more than two, shifted dynamically to account for new politics and old rivalries. The era can be roughly defined as ‘a period of war meant to unify China under one banner’, but it often branched off into different conflicts with different goals depending on the leadership. Whatever the case, the war began in 1594 with the Shu invasion of Guang, and the Pearl River Campaign. In the wake of the army, which caught Guang off-guard, came a second army of Confucian bureaucrats, especially to wrest control over the new territories in the name of the Emperor. In this, the very first year of the campaign, the cracks in the strategy were already beginning to show, with whole bureaucracies being overturned in order to bring new provinces in line with regular imperial rule. This meant that conquered territories were extremely inefficiently taxed, and very little troops could be drawn. Already, language differences between the various provinces made it impossible to properly govern the conquered provinces.
From Guang, the armies marched north through Chu towards the old capital at Beijing, with a smaller contingent being ferried over to Taiwan in order to capture what remained of the Ming dynasty, pretenders to the imperial throne. The Min had by then already successfully wrest control over Taiwan, however, and the Ming had fled to Australia. So, this invasion not only drew Min into the war, far before this was acceptable, it also trapped the most elite troops of Shu on the island, unable to pierce the blockade. This also led to Min allying with Chu, laying the groundwork for the First Coalition against Shu. Their combined army was defeated soundly in July 1596 at the Battle of the Grand Lakes and again at the Battle of Red Yangtze, but with large casualties inflicted against the Shu army. This stalled the Grand Imperial Army, which requested that the Emperor give them time to restock and resupply, and give them time to consolidate. However, the Grand Army was too much of an expense not to be used, and could only be realistically equipped through the spoils of war, so there was no way but further. Only the sacking of Beijing could realistically pay all the debts the Emperor had incurred with foreign and domestic investors.
This led to the creation of the Chancery, which was tasked with complex imperial diplomacy. Their task was to create a coalition of friendly states which would help Shu ascend to control the whole of China, in return for vast sums of money and at least nominal independence. A hard sell for the Imperial Faction, which had agreed on a policy of unification without compromise, but the fact remained that without support Shu could not expect to defeat states like Wu and Zhou. Allying finally with North Zhou, Shu defeated a coalition of South Zhou, Wu, the Min fleet and what remained of the Guang forces, which were rallying northwards every time they were defeated. With every victory, Shu was treated more and more like an outcast, and more and more rulers were willing to support the governments-in-exile of the fallen states. North Zhou technically became a tributary state, but inflicted the first major defeat against Shu forces in 1604, when they switched sides on the eve of battle against an Islamic rebellion in Wu.
The war dragged on, with losses and gains, victories and defeats, conquests and rebellions and betrayals and even marriages, until 1626. Finally, in what seemed like the final victory, Shu forces under the command of young commander Zhang Xianzhong, with their South Zhou and Min allies (who had been given back Taiwan and additional Chinese holdings as compensation) finally bested the walls of Beijing. They sacked the city wholesale, with the old capital descending into chaos. The Min, who had parked their fleet nearby, were able to get most of the treasure, while Shu and Zhou soldiers began slaughtering one another. It was a complete disaster, and the already famished besiegers found that all food in the city had been eaten or burned. They killed the civilians, slew the horses, and put whatever treasure they could find on hand carts to be transported back to Shu. The Min broke their alliance on the way back, taking the treasure for themselves, and the Zhou scattered into the countryside to pick off Shu units on their long march home. While marching back, the rest of China joined the Last Coalition, which meant the army of Zhang had to make a fighting retreat. Most soldiers never even saw battle, deserting and buying up farmland with their personal treasure, never to be heard from again. Some wealth landowners all through China descend from these deserters, although no noble wears it proudly.
Zhang finally returned to Shu with not a tenth of his army, and only enough treasure to pay them for their troubles. When the Coalition armies closed in on Shu, the Emperor denounced his claims on the Imperial Throne unconditionally. Only some clever manoeuvring on the part of Zhang, making his army seem larger than it actually was, saved the country from invasion and destruction. The treaty, the Peace of the Three Rivers, signed at the secondary imperial palace, would form the basis for diplomacy in China for the next century. The Emperor had to pay a huge sum, and give up the imperial regalia, for safekeeping abroad. The regalia were scattered, and would never be brought together again in a single collection. Meanwhile, the Emperor had his own trouble. Deeply in debt, he had to sell imperial lands to landowners in order to keep at least some liquidity, although the imperial finances forced him to sell the lands at large discounts, especially to veterans. More and more, the imperial bureaucracy could simply not be maintained, with local warlords taking over these affairs. Banditry by veterans made these warlords even more important, their military experience required to keep the peace. The power of the Emperor slipped to the capital, and even there he could not extend his grasp fully. Eventually, the creditors got to him, and placed the imperial household under observation.
While the warlords could abide by some decentralised power, it was a step too far to see bankers and merchants control the Emperor. Powerless was fine, but a puppet Emperor they could not accept. Some warlords followed Weng, the Warlord of the East, who represented one of the most ancient families of Shu. They traced back their ancestry to the entourage of Prince Shuren and the Tao, giving them some imperial legitimacy. However, Weng was old, and some others supported Zhang Xianzhong, the Warlord of the West. Civil strife followed, and according to the Ballad of Zhang Xianzhong, Zhang eventually killed Weng in single combat. This would not have been difficult, as Weng Xiu was 75 at the time the civil war ended with his death. The Imperial Family fell into the hands of Zhang, who first styled himself as the Imperial Protector and Grand Marshal, reviving that old title from over a century before. However, the merchant faction could not be placated, and machinations to get to the Emperor continued. Therefore, Zhang finally had them killed along with the leaders of the merchant faction, taking a distant cousin as a concubine and taking the imperial title for himself. Had this happened at any other time, this would be cause for civil war, but the country was depleted, his enemies were already defeated, and the country was ready for a competent, peaceful ruler.
Zhang proved himself in the years following. His reputation as a sacker of cities kept the capital at rest while he reformed the government and introduced much-needed modernisations. He reduced the size of the bureaucracy, which had until then been adequate to rule the whole of China, and gave some limited legal powers to his warlord-allies, while appointing military governors to the more unruly provinces. Eventually, however, these positions became one, and Zhang slowly destroyed the power of the landed nobility by appointing military governors in their stead. Zhang also introduced coinage and unified measurements that were more useful to the governing of Shu. Most importantly, he began hosting international conferences at the Three Rivers Palace, thereby recognising the sovereignty of the other nations. These were all to happy to accept his rule over Shu if it entailed their own recognition, while Zhang strengthened his foreign trade relations and secured a steady revenue stream. The Chancery became focused on diplomacy again, and supported many conferences held in the palace, as well as keeping track of the many treaties signed there.
Zhang also hosted the Conference of the Coalition, a sort of proto-league of nations. While the idea never really got off the ground, it did create an idea of the Chinese nations having at least some unity beyond sharing a former government, and it would herald a century in which cultural collaboration was more important than conquest in Chinese politics.
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Sat Sep 19, 2020 6:06 pm
by Kargintina the Third » Sun Sep 20, 2020 8:07 am
Fossia wrote:Is there going to be a timescale for this RP?
by Intermountain States » Sun Sep 20, 2020 10:17 am
by Atrilan » Sun Sep 20, 2020 4:39 pm
National Information
Leader - Antrinoxa Program
Capital - Avlose
Population - 73,892,891
Currency - Credit (₡)
Roleplay Information
2024: The Long Peace - People's Republic of China
by Greater Redosia » Sun Sep 20, 2020 4:56 pm
Intermountain States wrote:-snip-
Military Lands of the Scottish People wrote:-snip-
The Palmetto wrote:-snip-
The Pearl River wrote:-snip-
Latvijas Otra Republika wrote:-snip-
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Mon Sep 21, 2020 2:24 pm
by Greater Liverpool » Tue Sep 22, 2020 8:58 am
by Kargintina the Third » Tue Sep 22, 2020 9:02 am
Greater Liverpool wrote:Quick question would it be possible to reform the USA in this game
by Greater Redosia » Tue Sep 22, 2020 2:36 pm
by The Industrial States of Columbia » Tue Sep 22, 2020 3:08 pm
Greater Liverpool wrote:Quick question would it be possible to reform the USA in this game
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