Ruthenian Empire
Імперія русинів, жамойтів, турків та монголів
Імперія русинів
Імперія русинів, жамойтів, турків та монголів
Імперія русинів
Majority/Official Culture: Rusyn/Ruthenian
Territorial Cor : Belarus, Ukraine, Baltics, Russia, Siberia, Turkmenistan, Caucuses, Wallachia, and Moldovia
Territorial Claim: Poland, Finland, Vladivostok, Transylvania.
Capital City: Kyiv (Kiev)
Population: 100,453,244
Government Type: Reactionary absolutist monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies: Promotion of faith, family, order.
Government Focus: Development of the eastern frontier, stabilization of the western frontiers, acquisition of better sea access.
Head of State: Mykhailo II Pavlovych Rurikid
Head of Government : Mykhailo II Pavlovych Rurikid
Government Description:
The Ruthenian Government is a hereditary monarchy with a primogeniture male-preferred succession. The Ruthenian emperor has sovereignty over the entirety of the state- as such the government is considered his (or her) personal domain. The Ruthenian government is composed of different ministries which are headed by the emperors appointees and staffed by the members of the nobility. The state bureaucracy is fairly meritocratic, however there exists a glass ceiling for people who are not nobility, but only noble clans who are in favor with the Emperor can advance through to the highest ranks of the bureaucracy. In regions where centralized governance is difficult, governors are appointed by the Emperor to rule the area in his stead. The governors have a wide range of discretion to deal with these provinces as he sees fit, however all of his appointees must be approved by the emperor.
The countries nobility is divided into several dozen clans, however of these only the 5 most influential clans will be mentioned: The Sheremetevs, Dvoryanyns, Kovlovs, Khrystyyanys, and Vashchenkos. All of the noble clans gather into a congregation known as the Court Council (Судова рада) where the nobility meet with the emperors court and he officially gives his favor to clans based on the emperors own criteria. The Court Council meets only when there is a change in the status quo or when the emperor summons it. If 2/3rds of the noble clans agree to a council, the emperor may also agree to convene one. Clan favor determines which clans will be eligible to receive the highest and most prestigious awards, and generally favor is earned by appeasing the emperors demands and providing excellent service to his state. The council serves to show who is in power within the state bureaucracy.
Similarly, there is a yearly bidding process by private firms and syndicates for "Пільги" (literally: privileges) in certain economic sectors or regions. These can include special mining rights, exclusive tax exemptions, monopolies over certain regions, or access to government contracts to provide a certain service or fill some specific public need. While this process does not occur in any formal council, it is conducted by the ministry of finance and generally starts in November of the year where these things are in question. This process also shows who is in power within the countries economy and which firms have the most influence.
Majority/State Religion: Eastern Catholicism (full communion with Rome)
Religious Description: Autonomous churches which recognize the authority of the Pope and accept his authority on matters of the faith when acting as the leader of the entire church (Speaking Ex-Cathedra).
Economic Ideologies: Capitalistic economy with mercantilist and syndicalist characteristics.
Major Production: Foodstuffs, steel & iron, coal, textiles, and petroleum.
Economic Description:
The major areas of industrialization are in Kyiv, Moscow, Ural mountains, Dnieper and lower don river regions. These areas are also home to some of the richest agricultural regions in the world, with the areas around Kyiv and the Dnieper River areas being the breadbasket of the empire and a major exporter of foodstuffs. In the north, Archangelesk, Сент-Ендрюс (Saint Andrews-St. Petersburg) are major ports of entry and export along with the southern ports of Rostov-on-Don and Novorossyk. Since the Ruthenian Empire is rich in resources, resource extraction remains a major industry- with oil fields in the caucuses and a wide variety of minerals and coal being present in the Urals. The forested regions of the north and in Siberia make Ruthenia a large exporter of lumber as well. While light industry does exist in the north, a disproportionate amount of that industry is centered in and around the Ukraine and the Muscovy region- especially in the Urals. In the western fringes of the empire, agriculture is heavily predominant, like in Moldovia and Wallachia.
While all of Siberia is part of Ruthenian patrimony, the vast expanse of its wilderness means that large sections of it are totally undeveloped and wild. Settlements do exist in Siberia however, but they are unmodern and backwater compared to the western regions of the empire. As railroads bring more people and therefore more capital these regions will see more development, and resource extraction from these regions will improve. In the Pacific section of this Empire there are a few major settlements however this region is relatively isolated. This section of the empire is mostly centered on resource extraction and trade with the oriental nations. Railroads are rapidly being built across the country, especially towards the east which is presently being connected to the west for both political and economic reasons.
The Central Asian region is very undeveloped with geography and climate being the major barriers. At this time the Ruthenian government has prioritized other regions for development and overtime the areas of Kazakhstan and the eastern Caspian sea region are almost primitive. Nomadic lifestyles are the norm and as such there is little in the way of economic activity except for subsistence off the land. The major exceptions being Samarkand and its surrounding settlements which act as major logistical hubs for local military operations and a trade route into the Russian Empire. The lack of roads and development have hindered Russian control of the area, with local tribes loyal to the Russian state paying tribute and often acting as local government.
Development: Modern
Development Description: While there remain large sections of the empire which are undeveloped or underdeveloped, these areas are at the fringes of the Empire or on sections of the country which have almost no population. The European section of the Ruthenian Empire is highly developed with factories and intensive agriculture being the major drivers of the countries economy. Railroads are also being built across the empire connecting all sections of the country.
Army Description:
The Ruthenian Imperial Army (Імператорська армія) is the main land force of the Ruthenian Empire. Having a total force of about 5,971,000 men (1.4 million active)- it is one of if not the largest army in the world. The land army is used both for external and internal security, with army units being stationed in Kyiv and at the frontiers for defense. It traces its history back to the Kyiv Rus, from which the modern Ruthenian state traces its origins. Having its martial tradition rooted in its many wars with the steppe peoples and horsemen of central Asia- the Ruthenian army has a distinguished cavalry corps which is the pride of the Ruthenian Army.
Army Weakness: The Ruthenian army lacks military experience and has to deal with possible wars on large and faraway fronts. Although the situation is aided in part by the railroads and infrastructure being erected, it still has to struggle in order to keep its army supplied. The Ruthenia also lacks some strategic depth, as the countries capital is fairly close to its borders with little to no natural borders to hinder a potential enemy advance.
Naval Description: The Ruthenian Imperial Navy (Руський імператорський флот) is the naval arm of the Ruthenian armed forces. Its main theaters of operation are the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, with some minor forces stationed in the pacific. The Ruthenian Navy is staffed by officers trained at the Imperial Naval Academy at Kyiv and its ships are a hodgepodge of Ironclads, armored cruisers, and some early pre-dreadnaught battleships. They are tasked with protecting Ruthenian naval interests and patrolling against piracy.
Naval Weakness: The Ruthenian Navy has almost no presence in the Pacific and its ports freeze over in the winter- limiting operations to the summer. The sea access it has is easily cutoff by the Eastern Romans through the Black sea and the Scandinavians through the Baltic. Thus, maritime trade is easily cutoff due to these natural limitations. Additionally, the Ruthenian Navy has little experience and is comparatively small compared to the navies of its neighbors.
Further Military Description: (N/A)
National Goals: Promote order and stability, secure its borders, develop access into the Atlantic Ocean.
National Issues : Ruthenia needs to secure its access to maritime trade routes and secure its borders to create a buffer between itself and its neighbors. Additionally the continuing development of the country has to be managed as it is quickly upending traditional social order and causing some instability.
National Figures of Interest: (N/A)
National Ambition/Aspirations: (N/A)
History:
1240-1260: The Kievan Rus', standing mighty for nearly half a millennium falls. Out of the old orders shattered remnants, the Rurikid princedoms establish fractured successor states which all vie for control of the old Empire. Disunited, the Mongols rule over them as vassals, initially attempting to control their new subjects directly- they realize that the juice is not worth the squeeze and they instead erect one of the princes to be favored above all the others and get the right to collect taxes in the Khans name. In time, the princedom of Kyiv gains this favored status and it continues to be the prominent center of east Slavic civilization.
1280-1320: The Golden Horde would continue to dominate the Rus succesor states, however the princes of Kyiv would steadily gain more and more power as time went on. In the west, Galicia-Volhyna sought alliances, however they only managed to gain one diplomatic marriage- the King of Galicia Volhyna married his daughter to the heir of the Kyivan heir. The marriage was apparently successful, and the two were said to be deeply devoted to each other. This would lay the seeds of the the latinization of the Ruthenian state. Although Galicia Volhyna would fall to the Lithuanians, western influence would continue to grow in Kyiv. Eventually the Kyievan heir would inheret the throne, and he would be one of the greatest rulers in Ruthenian history.
1340-1400: As the princedoms of the old Rus lived under the shadow of the Golden horde, the Kyiv principalities called upon their masters for aid as Kyiv came under attack from the Lithuanians. Agreeing to help, an alliance of Rus states and contingents of the Golden Horde defended Kyiv against Polish expansion.
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