Conchabira wrote:Full name of state:Swedish Empire
Type of government :Absolute Monarchy
Capital:Stockholm
Head of state:Adolf Frederick the First
Head of government:Adolf Frederick the First
General government description: The government is a centralized absolutist monarchy similar to many others of the time. Governors are appointed by the king to oversee various regions in Europe as well as foreign colonies.
Territory :(I'll include a map as soon as imgur decides to stop being a little bitch)
Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ingrid, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Greenland (really only a glorified whaling station), Pomerania, Bremen-Verden, Lithuania (Protectorate/Vassal)
Colonies:Danish Caribbean, Tobago, Ceylon, Southern Brazil (if not available then Northern Colombia),Uruguay, Seychelles, Palawan, Bioko, São Tomé and Príncipe, Northern Patagonia
Population (metropolitan and colonial separate if required):
Metropolitan-6.6 Million
Caribbean-60,000+ European, 100,000 African, >8,000 native (primarily on Tobago)
Uruguay/Southern Brazil-650,000 European, 75,000 African, 160,000 native
Ceylon-25,000 Europeans, 320,000 native
Palawan-18,000 Europeans, 140,000 native
Swedish Africa-2,500 Europeans, 35,000 native
New Iceland (Patagonia)-85,000 Europeans, 15,000 natives
Economic description:
Sweden's economy is primarily focused on trade, as agricultural output is low compared to the rest of Europe. Sweden has consolidated its trade power in the Baltic, with only Prussia as a slight nuisance. Sweden controls the valuable estuaries of the Oder and Weser rivers in Germany and therefore wields significant trade power in northern Germany. Other important domestic industries include logging, fishing, and the ever growing mining industry. Sweden is one of the worlds largest producers of fish, especially cod. It's ports in Iceland and Greenland also serve as important whaling stations and the main economic driver in both of those regions. Iron mining is becoming a more valuable industry in Sweden as its production has been gradually increasing over the last several decades. It remains difficult and costly to transport the raw iron to the cities of the south however and it dwindles to a occasional trickle during the winter months. In its colonies in the Caribbean, especially on the island of Tobago, plantions producing sugar, tobacco, cotton and indigo provide ample amounts of income. Another source of income is rum production, which is often traded to the natives of the new world and Africa. Slave labor is very important to the economic viability of the plantations and because of this Sweden has invested considerably in controlling the islands of Bioko, São Tomé, and Príncipe. It's other large colonies in the new world rely less on plantations and more on lumber production, ranching, mining, and farming of more temperate crops. To the south in Swedish Brasil the economy is largely based off of ranching and timber production as well as pastoral farming. There are a considerable amount of plantations located in the north of the colony however and extraction of dyes from Brasil woods a growing industry. Trade with the natives remains important and there have recently been mineral discoveries in the region which have served to attract immigrants from Europe. Further to the south is the relatively new settlement of New Iceland. Ranching is currently thriving there as the land is not very suitable to farming. In Ceylon cinnamon production remains the largest industry but trade with the mainland is becoming increasingly important due to increased competition, as is tea production due to increase demand. In Taipei tea production is extremely important, as is trading with the mainland for goods such as silk and porcelain. This trade is expensive however as the Chinese typically only desire silver in exchange for these goods.
Religious description (by class):
The population is overwhelmingly Protestant, though there are small minority populations consisting of Jews and Catholics. Lutheranism is state religion and other religious groups are discriminated against, though there is a degree of tolerance for other Protestant sects. There is a larger degree of tolerance for religious minorities in the colonies however. Sweden continues to view itself as the protector of Protestantism in Northern Europe and Germany.
Popular ideologies and political beliefs (by class):
Among the political and upper class there is a growing ideology being labeled as 'Scandinavianism'. Similar to early forms of nationalism it emphasizes the similarities primarily between the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish ethnicities and more broadly the Finnish, Estonian and Icelandic ethnicities as well. Most of the upper class is conservative and absolutist, supporting the monarchs ability to rule by decree. There is a growing liberal segment among the ruling class that supports reforms such as the adoption of a constitution or bill of rights and increased religious freedom. This group has been gaining influence gradually in the government but still makes up a minority. Most of the remainder of the population is politically uninvolved but continue to support socially conservative policies while favoring liberal economic policy.
Military description:
Home Army-40,000
-30,000 regulars and grenadiers
-5,000 artillery men
-5,000 Calvary
Primarily deployed in the Baltic's, Ingria and Swedish Germany
New Swedish Army-10,000
-2,500 regulars
-5,000 irregulars
-2,500 scouts (primarily made up of allied natives and fur traders)
Swedish Caribbean Army-2,000
-1,000 regulars
-1,000 irregulars
Swedish Brasil Army-4,500
-1,500 regulars
-2,000 irregulars
-500 scouts
-500 irregular calvary
-Swedish African Army-1,250
-1,250 regulars
Swedish Indian Army-2,000
-2,000 regulars
Swedish Asian Army-2,500
-1,500 regulars
-1,000 irregulars
Swedish Navy Baltic Fleet:
-1 1st rate
-3 2nd rates
-17 3rd rates
-17 5th rates
-21 sloops
-32 Baltic galleys
Swedish Navy Atlantic Fleet:
-1 1st rate
-2 2nd rates
-21 3rd rates
-19 5th rates
-22 sloops
-24 schooners
Swedish Navy Indian-Asian Fleet:
- 1 2nd rate
-15 3rd rates
-14 5th rates
-19 sloops
-18 schooners
Strengths and weaknesses of the military:
The army is the pride of the Swedish military. It is fairly large by standards due to a excellent recruitment program. It is among the most organized and disciplined in Europe. Unlike other militaries the Swedish army is well trained at operating in winter and the cold. They have been known to on occasion go on the offensive in the winter, something unheard of in most other European armies. The Swedish navy on the other hand is an inside joke among European states. The navy while large is inexperienced, spread thinly, and led by notoriously incompetent officers. It is proficient at operating in inland seas and shallow waters however due to the fact most naval officers are trained in the shallow Baltic.
General aims (territorial, etc):
1-Consolidate European holdings
2-Counter Prussian influence and expansion
3-Expand colonies, especially in Asia and India
4-Reform the navy
5-Gain more allies
Foreign Policy:
Friends:
France-Sweden and France have a long history of friendship, despite their religious differences. They maintain an informal alliance that the Seedes plan on formalizing.
Dutch-The Dutch and Swedes are Protestant brethren, with the Swedes assisting them greatly in their war for independence.
Bohemia-Another Protestant power that the Swedes maintain good relations with. They find a common enemy in both Poland and Prussia.
Foes:
Prussia-The Prussians have gradually become a significant enemy of the Swedes. They were largely ignored until they stole Pomerania, Bremen-Verde and Holstein. Since then they have been hated vehemently.
Portugal-Due to religious differences and fierce competition over trade and colonies Portugal is considered an enemy.
Fucked Up Polish-Tartar Blob-Enough said.
Neutral:
Britain- Though Britain is Protestant, competition over trade in the North Sea has cooled relations.
Swabia-Largely due to distance and lack of common interests relations remain neutral.
Italy-Again largely due to distance relations remain neutral.
Don't give a shit about:
Ottomans/Persians/Turcomann/Dirty Sand people
Mughals
Weird Pretend African Dutch
Gina (aka China)
Japan
All other uncivilized savages
History:
(Disclaimer-due to the fact that history is pretty screwed up with the Polo-Tartar blob I'm only focusing on the history of Scandinavia and my colonies in this timeline.)
The primary POD begins in 1659 where the Swedes are victorious at the battle of Copenhagen due to better relations with the Dutch and a larger army due to the Deluge never having taken place. After the battle of Copenhagen the rest of Denmark and Norway are incorporated into the Swedish Empire. After the loss of New Sweden the Swedes shift their focus to the south. In 1666 The Swedes take on the ailing Portuguese and successfully take Uruguay, São Tomé, and Ceylon. Sweden continues to expand, taking the island of Palawan as a trading post in a brief war with local chiefdoms. In 1720 disaster strikes however. As a regency council rules a concerted effort by Prussia and Poland to curb Swedish strength results in the loss of most Swedish land on the continent and the loss of half of their colony of New Scania. The war lasts 17 years and ends in 1737 with tens of thousands of Swedish deaths. Since then the Swedes have been gradually regaining their former glory and now after decades of rebuilding, with Adolf Frederick regaining full authority after a successful coup backed by the military. Sweden is prepared to reinforce its claim to being a great power and wreak vengeance upon those who wronged it in the past.
Finished!
Wanna accept... just find it strange how Sweden just annexes Denmark because they won a war. If you could explain that a bit I can accept the app. The Ingrian claim may contradict the Russia app, but I'll double check; the Pomeranian claim may also be dubious die to Brandenburg.
Intermountain States wrote:Full name of state: Kingdom of Joseon (대조선국)
Type of government (absolutist monarchy, republic): Monarchy under a military dictatorship
Capital: Gwangju
Head of state: King Yeongjo of Joseon (personal name: Yeoning)
Head of government: Chancellor Im Yul
General government description: The Mongol invasion brought chaos in the Joseon government that ended with a military coup over the country. While it was still considered an "enlightened bureaucracy based on merits," it was in reality a junta by the Joseon military controlling the majority of the court officials.
Territory (map if needed): Joseon post-Mongol invasion
Colonies: None
Population (metropolitan and colonial separate if required): 5,800,000
Economic description: Joseon was largely an agrarian based country with advanced farming techniques leading to high crop yields. The second Mongol invasion brought reformers clamoring for opening trade with other countries to find other ways to sustain the country, with the opening of ports came a revitalization of old gems of Goryeo restricted under Joseon. The opening of ports also lead to the rise of a new commercial class of merchants clamoring for reforms and starting to be a political force in Joseon.
Religious description (by class): The country is largely irreligious with Neo-confucianism being the state ideology. However, Buddhism makes up the largest religion (if you don't count Neo-confucianism as an ideology) and still being influential in its own rights. Shamanism and Christianity (brought from Ming missionaries before the Mongol Invasion) make up a very small minority in Joseon.
Popular ideologies and political beliefs (by class): The aristocratic yangban class are generally conservative with them being largely pro-agrarian and less supportive of trade and diplomacy with the "barbaric nations". The commercial merchants are more liberal with their support for trade and diplomacy with other countries outside of the so-called Sinosphere. Diplomacy regarding the Yuans is more nonpartisan for both political classes due to them having arguments for both war and peace with the Yuans. The middle class and the lower class are more open to reforms and can be jingoistic but unless certain policies affect them, they generally don't get involved as much.
Military description: The aftermath of the Japanese Invasion and the Mongol Invasion came to the attention of Joseon military leaders of the need for militarization and the strengthening of Joseon's defense. There was now heavy emphasis on military trainings to ensure that a Joseon counterattack will succeed. With that, the Joseon military saw growth in training and weaponry thanks to new diplomatic efforts with the Mughals, who also happen to hate the Yuans.
Strengths and weaknesses of the military:
Strength
- Range: Even though the Joseon military still uses bows and arrows, Joseon has one of the largest usage of muskets in Asia ever since the Imjin War and still makes heavy uses of cannons and hwachas.
- Organization: The Joseon military itself is a formidable army with professionally trained soldiers and dedicated officers under the vast reforms lead for the military.
- Patriotism: While not exactly a military, there are men of all social and economic class willing to pick up what they have to fight the enemy through guerilla warfare as a righteous army to pick up any shortcomings of the military. What they may lack in weapons and training, they make up for it in dedication and knowledge of terrain for a surprise attack.
Weakness
- Obsolete Navy: The Joseon Royal Navy still uses ships from the late Goryeo period and their latest ships are remaining Turtle ships leftover from the Japanese invasion.
- Numbers: Comparing the population size of China and Japan, the Joseon military only has 200,000 fully trained men in active duty for the entire country. Levy forces have less trainings than the regional and the capital forces and are more prone to desert in combat.
General aims (territorial, etc): Reclaim the lost northern lands from the Mongols, continue reforms that will benefit all of Joseon, and open Joseon to other nation's relations.
Foreign Policy:
Allies: Formally none
Friends: Joseon maintains friendly relations with both Japan, the Mughals, and any nations in the Sinosphere that are actively resisting the Mongol rule.
Neutral/Don't care: Joseon is only aware of the European and other non-Sinophere powers such as the Ottomans, the Dutch, Turcomen, etc. Other than the occasional lost Dutch or Portugese explorers at the shores of Joseon, Joseon cares very little about them.
Enemies: Despite a tenseful peace, the country holds little love for the Yuan Dynasty, seeing them as barbarians who took lands from Joseon, including Mt. Baekdu, the mythilogical birthplace of the Joseon people.
History:
The Legacy of Sejong
Since Sejong's death in 1450, there hasn't been a king like him. His successor Munjong died just 2 years after being coronated (most of his achievements came when he was a crown prince) and his son Danjong was overthrown by his uncle who became Sejo of Joseon in 1455. Despite Sejo oversaw numerous opposition killed for power grab, including his nephew Danjong; he was a strong and able ruler, continuing Sejong's expansionist policy and encouraging publication of history, economics, agricultural, and religious books. When Sejo passed away in 1468, his son succeeded him as Yejong of Joseon but died a year later. He was succeeded by his nephew, Yi Hyeol, who became Seongjong of Joseon. Seongjong's reign was marked by growth and prosperity in Joseon and the continuation of anti-Jurchen campaigns at the north. Seonjong passed away at 1494 and was succeeded by his eldest son Yeongsangun. Although Yeongsangun showed promise as an abled ruler, he grew insane and became a tyrant, soon overthrown and replaced by his half-brother who became Jungjong of Joseon. Jungjong's reign was marked by both internal purges and support for reforms and was ultimately a mixed bag ruler. Jungjong was succeeded by his son who became King Injong. Injong was an ambitious king who attempted to continue Jungjong's failed reforms. Injong was succeeded by his brother Myeongjong in 1545.
Conflict with Japan and the Rise of the Mongols
Myeongjong's reign was marked by a power struggle between his mom Queen Munjeong and his uncle Yun Won-hyeong along with rebellions and invasion from Japanese priates and Jurchen raiders. Myeongjong died in 1567 without a male heir and was succeeded by his half-nephew Yi Yeon as Seonjo of Joseon. Seonjo focused on improving the lives of the common people and introduced various political and economic reforms and his early reign was marked by growth and prosperity. However, the Japanese invasion in 1592 that lasted until 1598 heavily devastated the nation and the broken-hearted king retired from politics, leaving his son of a concubine, Gwanghaegun (a controversial decision as sons of concubines never had such opportunity in Joseon) to rule in his stead to deal with the starving populous and political infighting. Gwanghaegun succeeded his father in 1608 and attempted to rebuild the country devastated by the war. With the rise of the Mongols and the decline of the Mings, Gwanghaegun attempted to have a realist foreign policy, trying to be friendly with both the Ming Empire and the resurgent Northern Yuans but was deposed by a coup de'tat by dogmatic Neoconfucian politicians in 1623. Gwanghaegun was exiled and was replaced by his cousin Yi Jong who became Injo of Joseon.
The Yuan-Joseon Wars
King Injo, in contrast to the previous king, kept a hardline stance against the Mongols. Despite the anti-Yuan rhetoric portryaed by both the King and the Royal Court, not much have been made by the Joseon court to expand and reform Joseon's defense, despite at the insistence of military officers and the King himself. When the Mongols invaded Joseon in 1638, Injo saw the loss of three northern provinces (Hamgyeong, Hwanghae, and Pyongan) during the war. Injo had to humiliate himself and recognize Yuan Dynasty as a successor to the Mings. For a while, Joseon was a tributary state to the Yuans with Injo sending the Crown Prince Sohyeon and Grand Prince Bong-rim to Khanbaliq as hostages where both of them saw the need for Joseon to reform. Following Sohyeon's mysterious death on the princes return to Joseon, the new Crown Prince Bong-rim worked with a general by the name of Bak Dal-kyeong to launch a military coup in Hanseong (modern day Seoul), believing Injo to be behind the death of Sohyeon. With the backing of the military and the sudden coup, Dal-kyeong declared himself Overlord, placing military rule of Joseon not seen since the time of Goryeo in 1170. Despite maintaining Injo as the head of state, real power was held by Bak Dal-kyeong. The military regime arrested and executed Kim Ja-jeom (a corrupt official who was behind the coup that overthrew Gwanghaegun) for treason and moved the capital from Hanseong to Gwangju in the Jeolla province. The Mongols protested the sudden military coup and launched another invasion in 1648. The second campaign, however, ended in Joseon's favor as Dal-kyeong's military reforms prevented the Yuans from having any major victories after the invasion of Paju and the Yuans signed an armistice agreement with Joseon.
Unstable Peace
Despite a tenseful relation between the Yuans and Joseon and with militarization, life returned to normal in a way. In 1649, Injo passed away and Bong-rim ascended the throne as Hyojong of Joseon. Hyojong worked with Dal-kyeong to continue the militarization of Joseon. With the help of shipwrecked Dutch sailors, Joseon finally has new updated matchlock muskets for the military. Hyojong continued with rebuilding of the devastated nation of 3 invasions with the advise of Overlord Bak Dal-kyeong. He was succeeded by his son as Hyeonjong of Joseon. Dal-kyeong continued to advise the Joseon king until he chosen his son Bak Kye-sang as the next Chancellor of Joseon to assist the Joseon King, still placing Joseon under military rule. The reigns of the next three kings (Hyeonjong, Sukjong, and Gyeongjong) were marked with continual militerization, economic reforms, opening of foreign relations with nations outside of the Sinosphere (such as the Mughals) and the growth of the military power at the expense of the scholar-class courts. Likewise, Chancellor Bak Kye-sang was succeeded by his son in-law Im Heukchi and later Heukchi's son Im Yul. The passing of Gyeongjong lead to the ascention of his nephew Gyeongjong as Yeongjo of Joseon in 1724. Yeongjo, deeply Confucius man, attempted to grow the power of the King and settle his own diplomatic efforts. He put in place his own reforms and lowered the military service tax, bringing small levels of demilitarization. However, Yeongjo looked into the Mughals to improve the training of the Joseon military. Working with the Mughals lead to Mughal military advisors establishing more trainings into the military and introduction of flintlock muskets to the Joseon military, a much superior weapon compared to old matchlock muskets still in use by the Joseon military. However, Yeongjo is facing some increase tension with the Yuans and his hope for peace and demilitarization may come to an end.
And my app is completed.
Accepted. Welcome aboard!
Sorry about that, I'm fully back now
