1850: Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC-OPEN]

[Plzen]

Currently the only option I see to break a costly war of attrition would be an alliance with Germany or Russia. That would end the war quickly for either of us. You ally with Russia and I get killed. I ally with Russia and you get killed. You ally with Germany and I get killed. I ally with Germany and you lose Denmark and the blockade ends.

Russia hates both of us and wants our territory. I don't know what this Russia will do, but if I was playing Russia, I'd make vague promises of help to both sides and patiently wait until we're both exhausted, before invading both of us in our weakened state.

I'll pursue an alliance with Poland, for a certainty (although how I can pursue that alliance is an open question) and Germany... is an interesting idea. Depends on what ends up being applied for in the German States.

---

The Baltic-White Sea Canal existing in 1850 would have much further-reaching implications than just relieving the blockade. It would be... very interesting, if Russia pursues it.

[New Papan]

Full Nation Name : Polish Commonwealth // Rzeczpospolita Królestwa Polskiego
Majority/Official Culture : Polish and Lithuanian
Territorial Core :

Territorial Claim :

Capital City : Warsaw
Population : ~9,350,000

Government Type : Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : The current government is set upon maintaining stability between rivaling factions within Poland, such as the modernists and the Catholic church, absolutists and restorists, liberals and conservatives. Infrastructure improvement is an active policy apart from internal peacekeeping.
Government Focus : The government is vying to improve infrastructure and support Polish export industry, in addition to seeking legitimacy among the people and the political factions. Should another government come into power, these priorities could come to change.
Head of State : Michał III Puzyna, by the grace of God and the will of the people, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Duke of Ruthenia, Masovia, Volhynia and Podlasie
Head of Government : HM's Regent Prince Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł, Prime Minister Korneliusz Krasovsky
Government Description : The King holds some executive powers, however his age keeps those powers in the hand of the Regent. The Military answers to that very Regent in this obvious case of a young Monarch, although funding is approved by the parliament. Most executive power, such as managing the many departments of government, lies within HM's cabinet and the Legislative power is largely determined by the representatives in the Sejm, with elected members from constituencies determined by historically feudal divisions. The electorate is composed of nearly 10% of all Adult men, most of whom are Polish and Lithuanian but with certain exceptions promoted by the constitution of 1798. The King (or Regent in this case) can has a veto which can be revoked should either HM's Prime Minister approve of the Sejm's bill or should 2/3 of the Sejm vote for it on a second vote. Legislative initiative is left to the representatives and HM's government. The Sejm is in session February-November, ceremonially opened by the King. The Judiciary is largely independent, appointments being made by the King adviced by the Sejm and HM's government.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Catholicism
Religious Description : The Roman Catholic Church is a powerful and popular institution not only religiously in Poland, but politically. Many representatives in the Sejm are closely tied to the Church and Bishops hold extensive local power in Cities like Kraków. Religious minorities such as various Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Jews exist and compose about 1/10 of the population, but have more local institutions and communities.

Economic Ideologies : State Capitalism
Major Production : Steel, Grain, Cattle, Lumber, Glass, Clothes and other textiles
Economic Description :
Since formally abolishing serfdom in 1798, the waning agricultural industry has experienced rapid growth and traditional trade routes have recovered. While the old breadbasket status of feeding most of Eastern and Northern Europe of the Commonwealth days won't return anytime near where it is now, Poland still remains a center of agricultural importance and the extension of land ownership from exclusively nobility to a fair portion of the population has paid off in both efficiency and competition. Farmers grow wheat, rye, barley, and oats more prominently, but newcomers to a more experimental industry include potatoes, sugar beet and fodder crops. Improved roads and a growing food processing industry additionally support growth in cultivation, and generally this seems to be the more secure of markets in regards to demand domestically and regionally export-wise.

The Małopolska Upland hosts various locations for mining industry and steel mills. Rapid development through government-funds there has supported growth not only in the extraction and processing of ore, but of glass and resources for domestic weapon production in Lublin. Coal mines have been established in Lower Silesia and are a vital part of the growth of industries, but does not have much international importance and is therefore more of a domestic asset. The Eastern areas of Poland host a significant lumber industry as well. The larger cities have textile industries which not only produces clothes of linen, flax and whool but imported luxuries such as cotton and silk. Apart from a smaller group of factories, industrialization has not picked up that well in Poland. No railways exist, but the government is seeking foreign loans to fund such a project to connect major cities and industrial centers. Lithuania, or the Eastern regions in general, remain less developed than the western ones. Greater Poland, Lodz and Silesia are to a higher standard in infrastructural aspects.

Tech Group : European

Army Description : The Commonwealth Army is not THE pride of the nation, but many dream of the victories once brought by the Winged Hussars. In general, it is a competent force with good leaders, modern equipment and enough of it, both strong infantry and cavalry forces as well as up to date tactics. Soldiers wear white and red to battle and the army numbers 80,000 men when mobilized. Permanently active forces number just less than 10,000 but the mobilization of the entire army could be done relatively fast as such has been a priority, soldier families often receiving land in areas with better infrastructure and coordination with officers, all in accordance with the dystrybucja system.

The Army is centralized in all aspects but conscription. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania has a separate quota of soldiers to recruit for the central command, as does the Kingdom of Poland. 62% of soldiers come from the Kingdom of Poland, which is proportionally less than required of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, purely population-wise.
Army Weakness : Divided leadership with internal political struggles and too little mobile artillery (most of such being concentrated at forts).
Naval Description : Although quite a few prominent nobles, army officials and members of the Modernist faction are navy enthusiasts and aren't afraid to express that, Poland lacks a coast and therefore any navy. Apart from tiny patrol boats to be deployed by the Gendarmie in the Vistula or Narew rivers, no ships belong to any Polish armed force. The strength of the navy is that it cannot be defeated (!).
Naval Weakness : It doesn't exist.
Further Military Description : There are three clear factions that have emerged within the Polish Army. The one currently in power is the moderate and government-loyal Obrona Narodowa faction which most high-ranking officers belong to. Their aim is to maintain order and discipline within the military, obey HM's government in any case at all and reserve any major positions within Military and Civilian government for the nobility. The Przywrócenie Narodowe faction is closely tied to the nobility as well, but more so to the catholic church. Its members are not represented at the highest posts in military, but has a stronger political presence in HM's cabinet and the Sejm. It advocates the Catholic supremacy over 'pagans', expansionist wars in the East and closer cooperation with the Teutonic knights. The most extreme members even want an outright constitution of Absolute Monarchy and a return of the Teutonic Knights as vassals, should the Papacy be inclined to agree. On the other side of the spectrum, the modernizing Futuryści are Slavic nationalists, seeking expansionist wars to the North instead for purpose of gaining access to the Baltic sea. It proposes radical reforms within the military and domestically in Poland, seeking a military republic and an end to the influence of the church. Its civilian wing has a political plurality in the Sejm but tends to be far more moderate and liberal.

National Goals : Continued Polish independence, economic development, internal stability and war of expansion.
National Issues : One political faction will have to take control, either through the young monarch's approval or through force.
National Figures of Interest : Ignacy Prądzyński (de-facto leader of the Futuryści faction) and Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (political leader of the Przywrócenie Narodowe faction and Marshal of the Sejm)
National Ambition/Aspirations : Overwhelming and rapid change of the current political order in Poland.
Rival: No "one" clear rival as of now, but there are strained relations with both the Teutonic-Livonian Catholic Union and the Tsaardom of Rusemaa because of internal factions interest in the two.

History : The 14th century started in catastrophe for Poland. The political fallout with the collapse of the Přemyslid dynasty and failed raids into Brandenburg following Teutonic betrayal left the Feudal Nation in chaos for more than a decade, only with Władysław I's coronation cementing an the end of the two-century long infighting that had started with the death of Boleslaw III. Poland's external borders seemed to stabilize as Casimir III the Great's confirmed Poland's role as a medieval power in Europe. Wars against Bohemia and the Teutonic order all ended unsuccessfully however, the latter still withholding its military prowess which had shaken fear in both pagans and Catholics. The Union of Krewo in 1385 linked Poland and Lithuania together for ages to come, christianizing the last Pagan state of Europe as well as introducing the Jagiellonian dynasty
as rulers of Poland. Initial conquests by Polish-Lithuanian forces in the Dnieper basin following the Kievan Rus's near destruction by the Mongols signalled the power of the state, but internal feuds between Polish and Lithuanian nobility hardened the unity in the Dual Monarchy. Nobility tightened their control over manufacturing, trade and other economic activities and the Folwark system effectively forced many peasants into serfdom.

The Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War of 1409-11 was largely a stalemate, although the victory at Grunwald recognized Polish military power despite defeats in Lithuania as a result of Livonian expertise and failed war coordination between the nobility of the Union parters. Polish involvement in the Hussite crusades proved successful and despite King Wladyslaw II's turning down of the Crown of Bohemia, influence within the Holy Roman Empire remained. Civil War in Lithuania 1431-1435 nearly divided the Union partners for good but a victory for Władysław III kept it together. Casimir IV's reign was long and successful, with victory over the Teutons in the Three Years War bringing Central Lithuania back to the Realm, as well as a strengthening of the Sejm and Monarch's rule at the expense of the nobility. A great economic development in mining and trade routes through Poland-Lithuania benifited the country greatly. Alexander I's reign saw two unsuccessful wars against the nascent Russia. Ingrian forces first defeated the Polish-Lithuanians in the war 1493-95, despite the latter's larger forces, and later in 1498, then an even weaker Poland-Lithuania following infighting over the succession of the crown of Poland. Most holdings formerly conquered by the Kievan Rus were lost and Lithuania nearly halved in size.

The first half of the 16th century was marked by economic recovery, cultural prestige and political stability. King Sigismund I reigned for nearly four decades, supervising the integration of the duchies of Mazovia and Lower Silesia, inviting Renaissance artists to his court in Kraków, extending royal powers, introducing fiscal and monetary reforms as well as waging a successful war against the Russians in 1535-36, extending Lithuania's borders to the Dnieper river basin. It would take another century for the Russians to seize Kiev again. Initially, Sigismund opposed lutheranism fervently and met yearly in the late 1520s to discuss the threat it posed to the catholic church with representatives from the Teutonic order, Hungary, the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire among others. In his later reign however, seeing how harsh crackdown had failed to contain the spread of lutheranism and that nobles critized him for royal privileges previously granted the Jewish minorites, the persecution was limited. His only son, Sigismund II Augustus inherited a Poland where the nobility had grown intent upon seizing further powers recently taken from them. The second half of the 16th century became much more violent than previously expected. The Union of Lublin in 1569 tied Poland and Lithuania closer than before, now a Commonwealth. Sigismund II Augustus did not leave any children to inherit the 'Noble Democracy' established, instead a notable magnate and former advisor of the King Jan Zamoyski was crowned as the second of his name. This iniated the bleeding years from 1578-1602, seeing no less than five kings on the throne and religious wars. The longest-reigning of these, Wladyslaw IV Małachowski (crowned 1585, deceased 1596) supervised a rule of terror, declaring all lutherans outlaws, fought a civil war against the self-proclaimed Grand Duke of Lithuania Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł and invited a Teuton knight to serve as Royal "inkwizytor" in command of hundreds of soldiers running rampant through Poland in search of heathens. Pogroms and persecution against Orthodox Christians was also frequent, but not as brutal as that against the Lutherans.

Poland had stabilized by the end of the first decade of the 17th century. Unity within the Sejm and the election of Janusz Ostrogski as King the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1608 saw a return of the Kingdom's previous status. Construction of Royal palaces, roads but more importantly, the expansion of the new capital Warsaw (as of 1604) was started. Great lengths were taken to placate the nobility in control of the Sejm for these construction projects to take place, Poland-Lithuania taking on a large debt to fund these projects. Architects from Constantinople, Paris and Italy were invited to build Warsaw, soon to be recognized as a centre for arts and culture. Religious freedom was also guaranteed with Ostrogoski's leadership, in an aim to put the recent history of religious war behind Poland-Lithuania. At the outbreak of the Thirty Years war, the King was determined to keep Poland-Lithuania out of it, a planned war with Russia being one of the reasons. His death in 1620 led to heated discussion upon the election of the next King however, a fate which fell upon the Lithuanian noble Krzysztof I Chodkiewicz, set upon preserving peace. Despite pressure from Catholic neighbors, he formally never entered the Thirty Years War although loans, mercenaries and supplies were granted to the Teutonic Order in particular. His austerity measures saw cuts in the military, confiscation of the property of some nobles and a full payment of the large debt Poland had amassed. His reign saw an expansion in modern diplomacy, opening embassies in many European capitals. He personally toured Europe in this time of war, seeking bonds with other nations and Christian cooperation for the sake of devotion and humanism alone. Krzysztof I was succeeded by his son, Jan II Kazimierz Chodkiewicz in 1652. Only two years later, Poland-Lithuania would be attacked by Russia and the Teutonic Order simultaneously, in what came to be the lengthy Third Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian War 1654-1663. The first three years of the war saw two important Polish victories, and one important Russian. The first of those three, the 1st Battle of Baranivka (fought on the 3rd of June 1654 in modern day western Ukraine) was a decisive victory for the Polish giving legendary status to the elite cavalry known as "The Winged Hussars". The Russian army invading the Duchy of Kiev was larger however and regrouped quicker than expected, leading to a defeat in the 2nd battle of Baranivka in October that same year. Casualties were large on both sides but the Polish could not afford them. A skirmish fought south of Kulm led to Teutons to retreat, but only until the larger German Army could march on the attackers. Kiev was besieged by the Russians by winter, and after spring's arrival, a year of few Polish victories in White Ruthenia arrived, but only at the expense of defending Ukraine. By March 1659, Kiev and Smolensk were firmly in the hands of the Russians and a Teutonic force of unexpected size was threatening Byalstok. Another year of fighting saw an exit of the Teutonic knights out of the war, but only as the result of a costly victory in battle for the Polish-Lithuanian army and a large war indemnity to be paid. For the next 5 years, King Jan II Kazimierz exhausted the resources and manpower of Lithuania and Poland despite having only a handful victories to show for it. The captures of Vilna and Minsk forced surrender upon the Polish-Lithuanians, who ceded nearly a third of their Eastern lands to Russia. The King died only a year later as the last of the Chodkiewicz dynasty and flung Poland into a 10-year long interregnum. Only in 1674, a Catholic German nobleman, Leopold Waldburg was elected. His reign lasted well into the 18th century, and was characterized by a decline in autocracy, decentralization, agricultural development and the emergency of a Polish-Lithuanian national identity even Ruthenians, Silesians, Hungarians and Jews could sense some sort of belonging to, regardless of religion. Leopold I never learnt Polish, but turned to have a thorough understanding of its culture, history and political issues by the time of his death. He spent most of his winters in Ciechocinek, South-east of Thorn in the German Order, where he built his Weichselschloss, a Baroque-styled Thermal bath. This is said to have had improved relations with the Teutons at the time.

When Leopold I died on the 8th of December 1711 at his Weichselschloss he was immensely popular and Poland had been at peace for nearly 40 years, disregarding a minor campaign into Bohemia in 1688. He was succeeded by his son, Leopold II Waldburg who vowed to continue his father's style of rule. He was what modern historians would label a 'playboy king', known to throw lavish parties, refurbishing and building new palaces, having multiple affairs outside of marriage and travelling around the Mediterranean on a privately owned luxury galley on "diplomatic missions". Day to day business was left to the Sejm, the Royal Marshal and other advisors who struggled to balance income and expense. Most loans came from the Jewish minority in Poland, giving them a lesser degree of influence on national banking and government. He waged one war against a seemingly weakened Russia 1724-25 (4th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war) as a calculated move to gain domestic support and win back land from Russia for Lithuania. Polish-Lithuanian inability to win any decisive victories and similar inability for the Russians do so led to a stalemate with no border changes, but it was propaganda victory enough for Leopold II to increase his authority. Even after the Sejm voted for new authorites in legislative power for the King, he orchestrated a coup seizing full power of the government apparatus in 1732, becoming sole autocrat of Poland-Lithuania and revoking many of the nobility's rights. A skillful chancellor who had advised him for years, Stanisław Leszczyński, launched economic reforms which came to have positive effects for decades to come. Leopold II died after a period of illness in 1737, having made sure Leszczyński would see his only child, Kornelia, take the throne as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. An enlightened ruler who had travelled the courts of Europe and had the best of tutors as a child, the young Kornelia I Waldburg became the first female ruler since Hedwig in the 14th century. She expanded the military to a modern, pre-professional force and sold of some of the many Royal palaces. Marrying a Polish nobleman in 1740, she gave up the throne for King Sigismund III Puzyna, solidifying her de-facto rule. A 5th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war was fought in the years 1752-1755, showing yet another over-ambitious attempt at retaking land in the east. Vilna was besieged by early 1755, and Queen Kornelia, busy with fighting another conflict over Upper Silesia, was effectively removed from power in a military coup. The Sejm accepted paying a large war indemnity to Russia, ceded Podolskie and Braklawskie and relinquished all control of the military from King Sigismund III. The Royal family was kept in house arrest in the Royal Palace of Warsaw for two years, during which Chancellor Stanisław Leszczyński held firm control over government. An attempt to seize back power by Queen Kornelia failed miserably, having organized a small portion of the royal guard to storm the Chancellor's offices but who were put down by a stronger Polish army garrison in Warsaw. The King was forced to abdicate under a threat to his life, and the family went to exile in Constantinople for the rest of their lives. Stanisław Leszczyński was subsequently elected king by the Sejm and portrayed himself as "savior of the nation", reigning from 1757-66. His rule was competent but much of the autocratic power of Kornelia remained to the dismay of nobles. Uprisings in Lithuania and Ruthenia as well as the fallout from the Silesian war started in 1754 kept most of his time preoccupied, despite his plans for economic reforms and reformed constitution for the commonwealth. He was succeeded by yet another 'playboy king', Polish-Ruthenian noble Maurycy Zavadovsky as Jan III Maurycy. The luxury spending of the court skyrocketed, and a new-found liking for King Leopold I's palace in Ciechocinek kept him out of the country for the majority of his 11 years as king. Jan III Maurycy was succeeded by his younger brother Eugeniusz in 1777, crowned Henryk I Eugeniusz the following year. The new king took lavish spending to new heights, building a new royal palace five miles west of Warsaw to host both the executive government and Sejm. The magnificent palace was finished in 1784 and nearly bankrupted Poland. The weakness of the Polish economy had not been noticed too well yet, but waning agricultural industry was starting to take its toll. Grain imports from Russia became more and more frequent, and so did the gaps in wealth between the poorest and richest. The Sejm tried to adress this through numerous reforms, many which affected the King's right to spend privately and executively which he vetoed. Following outright food shortages in 1797, riots in major cities erupted as the rural population sought a place in the cities. The Sejm convened and issued emergency powers to the Marshal, who happened to be the liberal nationalist Count Stanisław Małachowski. He in turn negotiated new loans for the sake of providing food for the people temporarily, importing grain reserves for the winter. He also issued the responsibility of creating a new constitution to the Sejm, which presented one eight months later. This constitution included demands for majority rule in parliament, separation of powers, enfranchisement of the middle classes and abolishment of serfdom and was accepted by an overwhelming majority of 195-64. Poland-Lithuania, or the Polish Commonwealth as it was known now, entered the 19th century as one of Europe's most democratic nations.

RP Sample: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=387361&p=29672086#p29672086

#AltDiv

Additionally, I added Lower Silesia to Poland. Lack of any medieval opponents as of now anyways so I snatched it.

[Tracian Empire]

Exil, you know that the Great Schism never happened, right?

The difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy continues to exist, like their use of different rites and so on, and the Latin Church is still there. But the political breakthrough never happened, and as such, the Catholic Church is still in full communion with the Orthodox Patriarchates.

[Tracian Empire]

(Image)

Full Nation Name : The Holy Catholic Union of the Livonian and the Teutonic Knightly Orders
Majority/Official Culture : German
Territorial Core : https://i.imgur.com/jlZTag8.png
Territorial Claim : Finland, Karelia,Lithuania
Capital City : Marienburg
Population : 7.438.000

Government Type : Theocracy
Government Ideology/Policies : Militant, Religious, German Supremacy
Government Focus : The government focus has always been on a weird mix of military and religion that could be traced back all the way to the foundation of the Order States. The church is one with the government and thus much of the chuch's money comes straight from the government. The government ensures that the population is united in one faith, the catholic christian faith. Luckily they do not enforce it that harshly anymore as they did in the medieval era. And the militant focus? Well, the state was founded in a violent way, through conquest and the government structure was that of a military organisation. Besides that, due to their medieval killing spree, the Order state had made many enemies for itself in the east and had to defend itself over many decades against the vengeful enemies striking it from all sides. And after that the Order State had to deal with the territorial ambitions of other powers. They know exactly that they are a relic of the past for many of their neighbours yet they do not wish to die with their state, instead supporting militarism in order to be strong, in order to survive.
Head of State : Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen
Head of Government : Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen
Government Description : Well, let's start this at the top. Who is at the top? Yes, the Hochmeister. The Hochmeister heads the government, he has the legislative initiave as well as a legislative veto. He also holds a juristic veto and is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He alo is the highest religous authority in the Order territory. The Hochmeister is elected for lifetime (unless he resigns voluntarily) by the Generalkapitel from the ranks of the Landmeister and has to be confirmed in his office by the other Landmeister. The titles of Hoch- and Landmeister are not mutually exclusive.

Next we have the legislative arm of the government, the Generalkapitel. The Generalkapitel is made up from the Komture and the Landmeister. Each Landmeister heads a delegation of Komture from his region. These people basically had to vote yes or no about the legislations that the government proposed to them. If the Komturs managed to garner the support of atleast two Landmeister, they could also propose an own legislation. The Generalkapitel also elects the new Hochmeister and its members are to monitor their fellow christian knightly brothers for possible candidates for the position of Hochmeister.

The Government consists of the Großkomtur (Vice of the Hochmeister), the Ordensmarschall (Minister of Defense and commander of the Armed Forces), Großspittler (Minister of Health), Ordenstressler (Minister of Finances), Ordenstrappier (Minister of Welfare), Großschäffer (Minister of Foreign Relations), Ordensmagister (Minister of Education), Großgebietiger (Minister of the Interior) and last and definitely least the Chancellor of the Hochmeister, which is basically the Hochmeister's glorified secretary, as well as the secretary of the Government and the Generalkapitel. These people are chosen by the Hochmeister and there is no way of applying for their posts. They stay in office for as long as the Hochmeister permitts and he can fire them anytime he wants.

*Totally important: The Generalprokurator is a constant representative of the order in the Vatican.

The Landmeister. These are kind of weird. There are three Landmeister: the Deutschmeister, the Landmeister of Prussia and the Landmeister of Livonia. These men elect the Hochmeister and pledge their loyalty to him. They are heading the administrative departments in their respective regions. As you can guess, the Deutschmeister basically heads the administrative arm in the Pomerelia, Neumark, the pieces of Posen I own and Gotland. The Landmeister of Prussia heads his administrative department in in the territories of Western Prussia, Eastern Prussia and the part of the Voivodships Kuyavia-Pommerania and Masovia that I own (EU IV province Kulm/Chelmno). And the Landmeister of Livonia naturally holds Estonia, Latvia and Samogitia. They are elected by the Komture of their region and from their ranks for a lifetime. They manage the Komture of their region, fire them or choose new ones and just generally make sure that the decisions of government and Generalkapitel are enforced.

*The Landmeister of Livonia is also the Hochmeister of the Livonian Order. Although part of the Generalkapitel, the Livonian Order still has its own Großkapitel where they are allowed to make policies of their own so long as these are not about foreign relations, diplomacy or in any way counteracting policies of the Generalkapitel or going against the government.
**The current Landmeister of Livonia is a Landmeisterin aka a woman. Lilija Lācis is the first woman to have ever reached a position higher than that of the boring standard Komturin.
***The current Hochmeister is also the Deutschmeister.


Komture are also part of the administration. They head smaller administrative districts within the Order State called commandries. Their function is to enforce the policies from the Kapitel. The Komture serve for life unless they resign or the Landmeister fire them. Komture choose their own successors, who hold the position of Hauskomtur (basically a vice of the Komtur) untill the Komtur leaves his office. These successors are chosen based on their merit. You basically start as lowly Laienknappe, then rank up to Laienbruder, then finally make it to the position of Vogt and then, if your merit impresses the acting Komtur, he will make you his Hauskomtur. Bear in mind that this ladder only works for those who choose the knightly path. The monks and nuns, so basically the less battle ready forces, will never rank up to Vogt, instead staying forever in the swamp of different offices existing in the Laienbruder region. But there is also a good thing. Unlike the knights, they can join anytime they want and don't have to go through the Laienknappenphase.

Laienbrüder/schwestern (Military) are basically the second lowest rank within the order. That is in a political and administrative sense. They all start as Laienknappen, something you can only be if your parents want you to join the Order's Knights and if you are in good physical condition. If it is like this, then the order will take you from your parents around the age of 4 or 5. Gender does not play a role here. The order takes children of both genders ever since the so called Johanna-Edict from 1454. These poor children then receive the full gist of religious knightly training, which means hard physical training, handling of weapons, literature, theology, riding etc. Those who do not die or drop out then become Laienbrüder and thus officially knights. These knights are then put under the command of the regional Komtur and have to start at the bottom of the administrative apparatus. This is to teach them modesty. At the same time though, these Knights are also part of military organisations, which I will detail later in the military section.

Laienbrüder/schwestern (civil) are the lowest rank within the order in political and administrative sense. And well, they are basically simply monks and nuns tasked additionally with administrative duties. One can join the German Order anytime in your life and become a monk or nun and you will then be schooled in theology as well as other disciplines of the mind before you will be put under the command of your Komtur to work.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Catholic Christianity
Religious Description : The Pope is considered to be the highest religious authority on earth, lest god or another Jesus suddenly decide to descend upon the earth. Within the State, the Hochmeister is th highest religious authority. All members of the government and its administration must be roman catholics. The military accepts people of all christian faiths though. Still, religious unity is enforced in the country although in a very mild manner as in no state support for any non-roman catholic temples, groups and services and blocking of foreign donations to such.

Economic Ideologies : Socialism
Major Production : Agricultural Products, Cattle, Amber, Wood, Ships & Arms
Economic Description : Since the foundation of the Order state, it had been one of the greatest producers and exporters of agricultural products in the region. Much of the territories nowadays held by the Order are still used for agriculture, keeping the Order state competitive on the international food market and well capable of feeding its own population.

Where it is too cold, turning agriculture unprofitable, the resident people have taken to cattle breeding instead. Be it chicken, pigs, sheep or cows, but in many of the Orders more northern territory cattle is being bred and that in large numbers.

Amber is pretty self explanatory. A lot of amber can be found in Palmnicken and a lot of businesses earn their living with processing the ambers, refining them into art. That is of course a pretty nice thing to export and is well liked as luxury abroad.

Wood. Especcially the Order's northern territories are covered in large forests, perfect for some nice woodcutting industry to pop up there, right? Anyway, yeah, there is substantial woodchipping and wood processing indsutry in the Order.

The Order used to be a major exporter of wood but that focus soon changed to shipbuilding instead as the order started vying for control over the Baltic Sea as well as to extend its trade influence. Many ressources go into the building of ships and docks like those in Talinn, Riga, Königsberg, Elbing, Danzig, Kolberg & Stettin are among the most modern to be found in the world.

Arms. The Order is a highly militant state and thus has always subsidised arms production and invention. There is a plethora of different arms producers who all seek to get contracts with the German Order and its military and the Order makes sure that only the best designs get contracts, rewarding those who make these greatly.

Apart from the agricultural production, industry is largely centered around the cities, where industrialisation is slowly taking place. Still, there exist many smaller businesses in cities and there is a high amount of skilled workforce living there.

Transportationwise, the Teutonic Order has started laying railway tracks, having laid its first track from Stettin to Kolberg. However, due to a plethora of rivers and swamps, transportation over land is difficult. Though it also has the advantage of making transportation along the rivers possible.

Tech Group : European

Army Description : The German Order, due to it's highly militant nature, has a fairly large standing army of about 150.000 troops. These are called Kriegsknechte and are a highly disciplined force, equipped with modern rifles, artillery and other equipment. Kriegsknechte are recruited from all ranks of the population and have to serve for 4 years, after this time continued service is voluntary and if they quit then they are automatically assigned to the reserves untill they reach the age of 40. Recruits may also come from abroad if they are catholics. Promotions for Kriegsknechte are rather limited, they may not reach a rank above that of Hauptmann (Captain), as the Knights of the Order make sure that command of their standing army lies within the hands of skilled military commanders aka the knights themselves.

The next piece is the Landwehr. Conscription is in effect within the Order state and everyone is conscripted at the age of 17, with service being optional for women (the Johanna-Edict at work once again). Now, people may either choose to take the long and hard route and join the Kriegsknechte or they may join the Landsknechte. The Landsknechte is the second part of the army. It is a more civilian branch, more of reserves or a militia to be fair. Their equipment consists of what has been phased out by the Kriegsknechte and their training is worse. They serve for a few months annually for 10 years, free to do whatever they want in the time they do not serve and after the 10 years are over. Interestingly, the Landsknechte offer much better chances at a high place in their ranks than the Kriegsknechte, mainly because the knights do not lead the Landsknechte directly and thus the upper ranks are free for the common Landsknechte to advance to them. The Landsknechte have no field artillery of their own but they man the forts and fortresses of the Order and thus also the artillery emplacements there.

The third and most important part of the army are the knights of the Teutonic and the Livonian Order. They all are highly trained in both direct combat as well as tactics and strategies. They often serve as officers of the Kriegsknechte branch of their armed forces. However, the Knights are still an own branch of the military, approximately 9.000 strong. These knights make up entire regiments of their own and are a strong unit to encounter on the battlefield. They fill a weird role as they seem to be a mix between Cuirassiers and Dragoons. They are heavy cavalry but also more than capable of dismounting and engaging enemy forces on foot. They are the elite core of the army and their sole presence motivates their troops to give their best...be it out of fear or idolization. And their morale is probably one of the best in world. They are highly fanatical christian crusaders afterall. Knights are, as I mentioned before, recruited at the age of 4-5 and then raised by the Order to be strong in both their mastery of combat as well as their mastery of the mind. Without a doubt they are the elite.

Army Weakness :
-Multi-ethnic Army: All of the forces of the Order are made up from many different ethnicities, be it Poles, Germans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Russians or Gutes. And despite german being required learning in the school, communication problems arise everytime. But that is not yet the only problem. Ethnic tensions exist between the german majority and the minorities, who are yearning to return to their people living in nations outside of the Order. Morale of the Army, mainly the Landwehr and more reserved forces is thus pretty low.
-An Army with a State: The military is the defining trait of the Order state and as such it is very large. As it is currently, it is already pushing the boundaries of what the state can support without other sectors suffering. Should casualties and loss of equipment start to rise to more than 10% of the standing forces, of both Kriegsknechte and Landsknechte then these will be difficult to replace and any more losses will highly impact the Order state as it cannot support large losses.
-Slow Mobilization: Many areas of the Order state are rather thinly populated, making the notification and mobilisation of reservists a daunting task for the Komture in their Commandries. Reservist reinforcements or the Landsknechte take a long time to raise and organise, save for already active Landsknecht units.
-A Knight's Training: Losses to the army core of the Teutonic Knights are very hard to replace and large losses will have a negative impact in state affairs.
Naval Description : The German Order Navy is a behemoth in the Baltic Sea. Fairly large and modern, it has great influence in the Baltic Sea. Only natural, considering the long coastline of the Order state. Still, this does not necessarily justify a navy this large, right? Well, actually, in order to trade with other parts of the world without going through other continental powers, the Order Navy had to be of great strength in order secure Order shipping through the Öresund and the Storebelt. With important naval bases such as Visby, Riga, Königsberg and Danzig to back it up, the Order Navy is well supported in the Baltic Sea. This navy too, has it's upper command occupied with Knights of the Order.
Naval Weakness :
-Multi-ethnic Navy: All of the forces of the Order are made up from many different ethnicities, be it Poles, Germans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Russians or Gutes. And despite german being required learning in the school, communication problems arise everytime. But that is not yet the only problem. Ethnic tensions exist between the german majority and the minorities, who are yearning to return to their people living in nations outside of the Order. Morale of the Navy forces is thus pretty low.
-An Army with a State: The military is the defining trait of the Order state and as such it is very large. As it is currently, it is already pushing the boundaries of what the state can support without other sectors suffering. Should casualties and loss of equipment start to rise to more than 10% of the standing forces, then these will be difficult to replace and any more losses will highly impact the Order state as it cannot support large losses.
-A Knight's Training: Losses to the army core of the Teutonic Knights are very hard to replace and large losses will have a negative impact in state affairs.
-A Knight on the Sea: The upper command of the Navy is manned with Knights as usual, however, it is not part of the Order Training Regiment to prepare their Knights for the sea or the commanding of naval vessels or forces. As such, the leadership of the Navy can be considered green on all accounts, even on account of seasickness.
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals : Spreading Roman Catholicism, Regaining Lost Territory (Finland), Easing Ethnic Tensions
National Issues : Ethnic Tensions, relatively high income and development disparity between city and country, Ancient theocratic structures, Ambitions of the Middle Class
National Figures of Interest : Livonian Hoch- and Landmeisterin Lilija Lācis, Laienbruder Ralf Torstenson (Naval Commander), Landsmarshall Erich Schröter-Senkel (Commander of the Landsknechte), Deutsch- and Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen, Prussian Landmeister Carl Hermann, Kriegsknecht Hauptmann Dietrich Ekerhart Haegler
National Ambition/Aspirations : Surviving and Thriving as a Relic of the Past
Rival: Republic of Scandinavia

History :
-1236: The Livonian Order suffers heavy losses but manages to defeat the Samogitians in the battle of Saule. The heavy losses spark rebellions in Livonian Territory.
-1237: In its weakened state incapable of dealing with the rebellions, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword ask for the aid of the Teutonic Order, which helps under the condition that the Brothers of the Sword will turn into the Livonian Order and come under Teutonic authority. Together and well coordinated, Teutonic and Livonian Forces manage to crush Samogitian and Lithuanian resistance and annex large swaths of modern day Lithuania in a decade long war.
-1240: Begin of the Campaign against Novgorod. The Orders reap early victories such as the taking of Pskov but a counteroffensive by Prince Alexander Nevsky forces them back into their own territory.
-1242: Battle at Lake Peipus, Teutonic forces secure a pyrrhic victory against Novgorod but are too exhausted to press on.
-1259: The Lithuanian Duke Mindaugas rebels.
-1260: Battle of Durbe, the dispatched Livonian army is on the brink of victory when the Curonian footsoldiers betray them and the army gets annihilated. This further weakens the Livonian Order, spawning new rebellions in Samogitia, Semigallian, Courland and Oesel. In order to not get annihilated, the Livonian Order asks for Teutonic assistance, which it receives in return for further Teutonic control over the Livonian Order.
-1266: Konrad(in) von Staufen escapes Charles of Anjou and seeks refuge with the Teutonic Order. Realising that he has no chance at regaining his crown and knowing that death is just waiting for him, he joins the Teutonic Order. His sister Margaretha von Staufen follows him into the Teutonic Order state although she does not join.
-1268: Battle of Rakvere, Livonian Victory, Peace with Novgorod. No territorial changes, all stays as it was pre-war but Novgord has to pay a large sum of silver and gold to to the Livonian order
-1290: The Livonian Territories of Courland, Semigallia and Livonia are finally fully secured.
-1291: With expansion to the east sealed off by Novogord, Livonian forces make for Karelia and Finland in aid of Novgorod. Wyborg Castle is built and much of Karelia is taken over by Livonian forces although not officially part of their territory and merely garrisoned with their troops.
-1305: Poland calls the Teutonic Order into a war against Brandenburg and Pommerania.
-1308: Brandenburg bribes the Teutonic Order with Danzig and Pomerelia to turn against the Kingdom of Poland. Poland, not wanting to fight the Teutonic Order as well, the myth of Teutonic invincibility being still very strong in the Eastern Europe, quickly signs a peace. Anti-teuton sentiments grow to new heights.
-1326: The fragmented Kingdom of Poland goes to war against the Teutonic Order over Pomerelia. The war lasts for more than half a decade and the Teutonic Order is supported by Bohemia, putting them into a rather favourable position.
-1343: Treaty of Kalisz, end of the Polish-Teutonic war. Poland recognizes Danzig and Pomerelia as Teutonic territory.
-1346: The German Order purchases the Duchy of Estonia from Denmark.
-1349: Large scale invasion of Swedish held Finland in order to further cement Teutonic rule of the Baltic Sea.
-1368: Treaty of Helsinki, the Teutonic Order takes over Finland from Sweden
-1361-1370: Participation in the Hanseatic-Danish War
-1369: Another Lithuanian Crusade to further cement Teutonic rule in modern day Lithuania.
-1370: Battle of Rudau, crushing Teutonic victory over the Lithuanians.
-1395: The pirate infested island of Gotland is gifted to the Teutonic Order.
-1398: The Teutonic Order conquers the island of Gotland fromt he Victual Brothers.
-1400: The Baltic Sea has been thoroughly cleansed of pirate raiders by Hanseatic Forces, of which the Teutonic Order is a part of.
-1402: Brandenburg sells the New March to the Teutonic Order
-1407: Hochmeister Konrad von Jungingen dies. He is succeeded by Adalbert von Staufen who overhauls the economic system in order to earn more money for the order and support its militant nature.
-1409: War breaks out between Poland-Lithuania and the Crusaders.
-1410: Close but complete defeat of the Teutonic Order forces in the Battle of Grunwald. However, Livonian Order forces have pushed deeply into Lithuanian territory.
-1411: First Treaty of Thorn. The Teutonic Order can negotiate under much more favourable conditions and thus it is a white peace.
-1440: Livonian Ausgleich. Due to the heavy losses inflict upon the Teutonic Order while the Livonian Order still stands strong, the Livonians are not content anymore with being the under the control of the Teutonic Order. Being in no state to refuse their demands, the Teutonic Order releases the Livonian Order once again.
-1444: As a protest and to put pressure on Charles VII, the Generalkapitel introduces the Johanna-Edikt. It is in honour of Jeanne d'Arc and allowed women to enter the knightly branch of the Teutonic and Livonian Orders.
-1454: Begin of the Three Years War. Due to the much better economical and innerpolitical situation, the Prussian revolt is much smaller and the Teutonic Order Military much stronger. Additionally, the Teutonic Order still has the support of the Livonian Order.
-1457: Second Peace of Thorn. The Teutonic Order is forced to cede eastern modern day Lithuania to Poland-Lithuania.
-1518: Beginning of the Reformation, the Teutonic Order stays with the Catholic Christian faith and supresses Lutheranism violently.
-1536: With the reformation finding many followers in Pommerania, the Teutonic Order declares war on Pommerania and within a swift military operation the Order crushes the much weaker Pommeranians. The outcry of Lutherans against this pure act of catholic hatred and brutality is not heard by the Emperor who supports the destruction of the reformist movement.
-1537: All of Pommerania is officially annexed by the Teutonic Order, with best wishes from both the Emperor and the Pope.
-1618: Beginning of the 30 years war. The Teutonic Order supports the Imperial forces.
-1630: Swedish forces land along the german coast and also in Pommerania. War between Sweden and the Teutonic and Livonian Order is officially declared.
-1648: Separate Peace Treaty of Usedom, Sweden retakes Finland and Karelia as well as all Pommeranian territories west of the Oder river.
-1654: The Teutonic Order, hoping restore its power joins in on the Muscovite War against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Although greatly weakened through the long war with the Swedes, the Teutonic Forces were a constant danger forcing the Polish to divert forces.
-1660: Third Treaty of Thorn, for large sums of money, the Teutonic Order agrees to a peace, thus having achieved its objective.
-1715: The Livonian Order participates in the Great Northern War on the side of the Russians in hopes of regaining some of its former finnish territories.
-1720: Due to high losses, crushing defeats and Swedish invasions the Livonian is forced to pull out of the war and make a separate peace.
-1721: Due to the results of the Great Northern War, the Livonian Order was highly weakened and had to pay large sums to Sweden which needed them to continue the war. Taxes had to be raised in Livonian territory which resulted in revolts in many Livonian Provinces.
1722: Teutonic-Livonian Union, due to the revolts and so on, the Livonian Order is forced to finally become a part of the Teutonic Order if it wanted to have any chance of survival. It retains however a relative autonomy when compared to other Pronvinces of the Order.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=32487768#p32487768

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

The idea of the Johanna-Edikt is well.. interesting, and I don't know what the other OP's will think about it, but I'm alright with it, due to your rather precarious situation.

Accepted.

[Shogunate of the Uzumaki Empire]

Quick question, what is Kazakhstan's History and what is their Military Strength and Population?

[Plzen]

-snip-

Could you give my application a review as well, please? Just so I know what needs fixing, if any.

Thank you.

[Tracian Empire]

Quick question, what is Kazakhstan's History and what is their Military Strength and Population?

Use Populstat for the population, their history and military strength are up to you within the limits of realism.

[Tracian Empire]

-snip-

Could you give my application a review as well, please? Just so I know what needs fixing, if any.

Thank you.

I'm working on that right now.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

Exil, you know that the Great Schism never happened, right?

The difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy continues to exist, like their use of different rites and so on, and the Latin Church is still there. But the political breakthrough never happened, and as such, the Catholic Church is still in full communion with the Orthodox Patriarchates.

And?

What exactly does this affect?
If it's about Novgorod, I didn't specify the reason for the Russian Campaign and can make simple expansionism the reason.

(Image)

Full Nation Name : The Holy Catholic Union of the Livonian and the Teutonic Knightly Orders
Majority/Official Culture : German
Territorial Core : https://i.imgur.com/jlZTag8.png
Territorial Claim : Finland, Karelia,Lithuania
Capital City : Marienburg
Population : 7.438.000

Government Type : Theocracy
Government Ideology/Policies : Militant, Religious, German Supremacy
Government Focus : The government focus has always been on a weird mix of military and religion that could be traced back all the way to the foundation of the Order States. The church is one with the government and thus much of the chuch's money comes straight from the government. The government ensures that the population is united in one faith, the catholic christian faith. Luckily they do not enforce it that harshly anymore as they did in the medieval era. And the militant focus? Well, the state was founded in a violent way, through conquest and the government structure was that of a military organisation. Besides that, due to their medieval killing spree, the Order state had made many enemies for itself in the east and had to defend itself over many decades against the vengeful enemies striking it from all sides. And after that the Order State had to deal with the territorial ambitions of other powers. They know exactly that they are a relic of the past for many of their neighbours yet they do not wish to die with their state, instead supporting militarism in order to be strong, in order to survive.
Head of State : Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen
Head of Government : Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen
Government Description : Well, let's start this at the top. Who is at the top? Yes, the Hochmeister. The Hochmeister heads the government, he has the legislative initiave as well as a legislative veto. He also holds a juristic veto and is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He alo is the highest religous authority in the Order territory. The Hochmeister is elected for lifetime (unless he resigns voluntarily) by the Generalkapitel from the ranks of the Landmeister and has to be confirmed in his office by the other Landmeister. The titles of Hoch- and Landmeister are not mutually exclusive.

Next we have the legislative arm of the government, the Generalkapitel. The Generalkapitel is made up from the Komture and the Landmeister. Each Landmeister heads a delegation of Komture from his region. These people basically had to vote yes or no about the legislations that the government proposed to them. If the Komturs managed to garner the support of atleast two Landmeister, they could also propose an own legislation. The Generalkapitel also elects the new Hochmeister and its members are to monitor their fellow christian knightly brothers for possible candidates for the position of Hochmeister.

The Government consists of the Großkomtur (Vice of the Hochmeister), the Ordensmarschall (Minister of Defense and commander of the Armed Forces), Großspittler (Minister of Health), Ordenstressler (Minister of Finances), Ordenstrappier (Minister of Welfare), Großschäffer (Minister of Foreign Relations), Ordensmagister (Minister of Education), Großgebietiger (Minister of the Interior) and last and definitely least the Chancellor of the Hochmeister, which is basically the Hochmeister's glorified secretary, as well as the secretary of the Government and the Generalkapitel. These people are chosen by the Hochmeister and there is no way of applying for their posts. They stay in office for as long as the Hochmeister permitts and he can fire them anytime he wants.

*Totally important: The Generalprokurator is a constant representative of the order in the Vatican.

The Landmeister. These are kind of weird. There are three Landmeister: the Deutschmeister, the Landmeister of Prussia and the Landmeister of Livonia. These men elect the Hochmeister and pledge their loyalty to him. They are heading the administrative departments in their respective regions. As you can guess, the Deutschmeister basically heads the administrative arm in the Pomerelia, Neumark, the pieces of Posen I own and Gotland. The Landmeister of Prussia heads his administrative department in in the territories of Western Prussia, Eastern Prussia and the part of the Voivodships Kuyavia-Pommerania and Masovia that I own (EU IV province Kulm/Chelmno). And the Landmeister of Livonia naturally holds Estonia, Latvia and Samogitia. They are elected by the Komture of their region and from their ranks for a lifetime. They manage the Komture of their region, fire them or choose new ones and just generally make sure that the decisions of government and Generalkapitel are enforced.

*The Landmeister of Livonia is also the Hochmeister of the Livonian Order. Although part of the Generalkapitel, the Livonian Order still has its own Großkapitel where they are allowed to make policies of their own so long as these are not about foreign relations, diplomacy or in any way counteracting policies of the Generalkapitel or going against the government.
**The current Landmeister of Livonia is a Landmeisterin aka a woman. Lilija Lācis is the first woman to have ever reached a position higher than that of the boring standard Komturin.
***The current Hochmeister is also the Deutschmeister.


Komture are also part of the administration. They head smaller administrative districts within the Order State called commandries. Their function is to enforce the policies from the Kapitel. The Komture serve for life unless they resign or the Landmeister fire them. Komture choose their own successors, who hold the position of Hauskomtur (basically a vice of the Komtur) untill the Komtur leaves his office. These successors are chosen based on their merit. You basically start as lowly Laienknappe, then rank up to Laienbruder, then finally make it to the position of Vogt and then, if your merit impresses the acting Komtur, he will make you his Hauskomtur. Bear in mind that this ladder only works for those who choose the knightly path. The monks and nuns, so basically the less battle ready forces, will never rank up to Vogt, instead staying forever in the swamp of different offices existing in the Laienbruder region. But there is also a good thing. Unlike the knights, they can join anytime they want and don't have to go through the Laienknappenphase.

Laienbrüder/schwestern (Military) are basically the second lowest rank within the order. That is in a political and administrative sense. They all start as Laienknappen, something you can only be if your parents want you to join the Order's Knights and if you are in good physical condition. If it is like this, then the order will take you from your parents around the age of 4 or 5. Gender does not play a role here. The order takes children of both genders ever since the so called Johanna-Edict from 1454. These poor children then receive the full gist of religious knightly training, which means hard physical training, handling of weapons, literature, theology, riding etc. Those who do not die or drop out then become Laienbrüder and thus officially knights. These knights are then put under the command of the regional Komtur and have to start at the bottom of the administrative apparatus. This is to teach them modesty. At the same time though, these Knights are also part of military organisations, which I will detail later in the military section.

Laienbrüder/schwestern (civil) are the lowest rank within the order in political and administrative sense. And well, they are basically simply monks and nuns tasked additionally with administrative duties. One can join the German Order anytime in your life and become a monk or nun and you will then be schooled in theology as well as other disciplines of the mind before you will be put under the command of your Komtur to work.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Catholic Christianity
Religious Description : The Pope is considered to be the highest religious authority on earth, lest god or another Jesus suddenly decide to descend upon the earth. Within the State, the Hochmeister is th highest religious authority. All members of the government and its administration must be roman catholics. The military accepts people of all christian faiths though. Still, religious unity is enforced in the country although in a very mild manner as in no state support for any non-roman catholic temples, groups and services and blocking of foreign donations to such.

Economic Ideologies : Socialism
Major Production : Agricultural Products, Cattle, Amber, Wood, Ships & Arms
Economic Description : Since the foundation of the Order state, it had been one of the greatest producers and exporters of agricultural products in the region. Much of the territories nowadays held by the Order are still used for agriculture, keeping the Order state competitive on the international food market and well capable of feeding its own population.

Where it is too cold, turning agriculture unprofitable, the resident people have taken to cattle breeding instead. Be it chicken, pigs, sheep or cows, but in many of the Orders more northern territory cattle is being bred and that in large numbers.

Amber is pretty self explanatory. A lot of amber can be found in Palmnicken and a lot of businesses earn their living with processing the ambers, refining them into art. That is of course a pretty nice thing to export and is well liked as luxury abroad.

Wood. Especcially the Order's northern territories are covered in large forests, perfect for some nice woodcutting industry to pop up there, right? Anyway, yeah, there is substantial woodchipping and wood processing indsutry in the Order.

The Order used to be a major exporter of wood but that focus soon changed to shipbuilding instead as the order started vying for control over the Baltic Sea as well as to extend its trade influence. Many ressources go into the building of ships and docks like those in Talinn, Riga, Königsberg, Elbing, Danzig, Kolberg & Stettin are among the most modern to be found in the world.

Arms. The Order is a highly militant state and thus has always subsidised arms production and invention. There is a plethora of different arms producers who all seek to get contracts with the German Order and its military and the Order makes sure that only the best designs get contracts, rewarding those who make these greatly.

Apart from the agricultural production, industry is largely centered around the cities, where industrialisation is slowly taking place. Still, there exist many smaller businesses in cities and there is a high amount of skilled workforce living there.

Transportationwise, the Teutonic Order has started laying railway tracks, having laid its first track from Stettin to Kolberg. However, due to a plethora of rivers and swamps, transportation over land is difficult. Though it also has the advantage of making transportation along the rivers possible.

Tech Group : European

Army Description : The German Order, due to it's highly militant nature, has a fairly large standing army of about 150.000 troops. These are called Kriegsknechte and are a highly disciplined force, equipped with modern rifles, artillery and other equipment. Kriegsknechte are recruited from all ranks of the population and have to serve for 4 years, after this time continued service is voluntary and if they quit then they are automatically assigned to the reserves untill they reach the age of 40. Recruits may also come from abroad if they are catholics. Promotions for Kriegsknechte are rather limited, they may not reach a rank above that of Hauptmann (Captain), as the Knights of the Order make sure that command of their standing army lies within the hands of skilled military commanders aka the knights themselves.

The next piece is the Landwehr. Conscription is in effect within the Order state and everyone is conscripted at the age of 17, with service being optional for women (the Johanna-Edict at work once again). Now, people may either choose to take the long and hard route and join the Kriegsknechte or they may join the Landsknechte. The Landsknechte is the second part of the army. It is a more civilian branch, more of reserves or a militia to be fair. Their equipment consists of what has been phased out by the Kriegsknechte and their training is worse. They serve for a few months annually for 10 years, free to do whatever they want in the time they do not serve and after the 10 years are over. Interestingly, the Landsknechte offer much better chances at a high place in their ranks than the Kriegsknechte, mainly because the knights do not lead the Landsknechte directly and thus the upper ranks are free for the common Landsknechte to advance to them. The Landsknechte have no field artillery of their own but they man the forts and fortresses of the Order and thus also the artillery emplacements there.

The third and most important part of the army are the knights of the Teutonic and the Livonian Order. They all are highly trained in both direct combat as well as tactics and strategies. They often serve as officers of the Kriegsknechte branch of their armed forces. However, the Knights are still an own branch of the military, approximately 9.000 strong. These knights make up entire regiments of their own and are a strong unit to encounter on the battlefield. They fill a weird role as they seem to be a mix between Cuirassiers and Dragoons. They are heavy cavalry but also more than capable of dismounting and engaging enemy forces on foot. They are the elite core of the army and their sole presence motivates their troops to give their best...be it out of fear or idolization. And their morale is probably one of the best in world. They are highly fanatical christian crusaders afterall. Knights are, as I mentioned before, recruited at the age of 4-5 and then raised by the Order to be strong in both their mastery of combat as well as their mastery of the mind. Without a doubt they are the elite.

Army Weakness :
-Multi-ethnic Army: All of the forces of the Order are made up from many different ethnicities, be it Poles, Germans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Russians or Gutes. And despite german being required learning in the school, communication problems arise everytime. But that is not yet the only problem. Ethnic tensions exist between the german majority and the minorities, who are yearning to return to their people living in nations outside of the Order. Morale of the Army, mainly the Landwehr and more reserved forces is thus pretty low.
-An Army with a State: The military is the defining trait of the Order state and as such it is very large. As it is currently, it is already pushing the boundaries of what the state can support without other sectors suffering. Should casualties and loss of equipment start to rise to more than 10% of the standing forces, of both Kriegsknechte and Landsknechte then these will be difficult to replace and any more losses will highly impact the Order state as it cannot support large losses.
-Slow Mobilization: Many areas of the Order state are rather thinly populated, making the notification and mobilisation of reservists a daunting task for the Komture in their Commandries. Reservist reinforcements or the Landsknechte take a long time to raise and organise, save for already active Landsknecht units.
-A Knight's Training: Losses to the army core of the Teutonic Knights are very hard to replace and large losses will have a negative impact in state affairs.
Naval Description : The German Order Navy is a behemoth in the Baltic Sea. Fairly large and modern, it has great influence in the Baltic Sea. Only natural, considering the long coastline of the Order state. Still, this does not necessarily justify a navy this large, right? Well, actually, in order to trade with other parts of the world without going through other continental powers, the Order Navy had to be of great strength in order secure Order shipping through the Öresund and the Storebelt. With important naval bases such as Visby, Riga, Königsberg and Danzig to back it up, the Order Navy is well supported in the Baltic Sea. This navy too, has it's upper command occupied with Knights of the Order.
Naval Weakness :
-Multi-ethnic Navy: All of the forces of the Order are made up from many different ethnicities, be it Poles, Germans, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Russians or Gutes. And despite german being required learning in the school, communication problems arise everytime. But that is not yet the only problem. Ethnic tensions exist between the german majority and the minorities, who are yearning to return to their people living in nations outside of the Order. Morale of the Navy forces is thus pretty low.
-An Army with a State: The military is the defining trait of the Order state and as such it is very large. As it is currently, it is already pushing the boundaries of what the state can support without other sectors suffering. Should casualties and loss of equipment start to rise to more than 10% of the standing forces, then these will be difficult to replace and any more losses will highly impact the Order state as it cannot support large losses.
-A Knight's Training: Losses to the army core of the Teutonic Knights are very hard to replace and large losses will have a negative impact in state affairs.
-A Knight on the Sea: The upper command of the Navy is manned with Knights as usual, however, it is not part of the Order Training Regiment to prepare their Knights for the sea or the commanding of naval vessels or forces. As such, the leadership of the Navy can be considered green on all accounts, even on account of seasickness.
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals : Spreading Roman Catholicism, Regaining Lost Territory (Finland), Easing Ethnic Tensions
National Issues : Ethnic Tensions, relatively high income and development disparity between city and country, Ancient theocratic structures, Ambitions of the Middle Class
National Figures of Interest : Livonian Hoch- and Landmeisterin Lilija Lācis, Laienbruder Ralf Torstenson (Naval Commander), Landsmarshall Erich Schröter-Senkel (Commander of the Landsknechte), Deutsch- and Hochmeister Helmut Manfred Erich von Staufen, Prussian Landmeister Carl Hermann, Kriegsknecht Hauptmann Dietrich Ekerhart Haegler
National Ambition/Aspirations : Surviving and Thriving as a Relic of the Past
Rival: Republic of Scandinavia

History :
-1236: The Livonian Order suffers heavy losses but manages to defeat the Samogitians in the battle of Saule. The heavy losses spark rebellions in Livonian Territory.
-1237: In its weakened state incapable of dealing with the rebellions, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword ask for the aid of the Teutonic Order, which helps under the condition that the Brothers of the Sword will turn into the Livonian Order and come under Teutonic authority. Together and well coordinated, Teutonic and Livonian Forces manage to crush Samogitian and Lithuanian resistance and annex large swaths of modern day Lithuania in a decade long war.
-1240: Begin of the Campaign against Novgorod. The Orders reap early victories such as the taking of Pskov but a counteroffensive by Prince Alexander Nevsky forces them back into their own territory.
-1242: Battle at Lake Peipus, Teutonic forces secure a pyrrhic victory against Novgorod but are too exhausted to press on.
-1259: The Lithuanian Duke Mindaugas rebels.
-1260: Battle of Durbe, the dispatched Livonian army is on the brink of victory when the Curonian footsoldiers betray them and the army gets annihilated. This further weakens the Livonian Order, spawning new rebellions in Samogitia, Semigallian, Courland and Oesel. In order to not get annihilated, the Livonian Order asks for Teutonic assistance, which it receives in return for further Teutonic control over the Livonian Order.
-1266: Konrad(in) von Staufen escapes Charles of Anjou and seeks refuge with the Teutonic Order. Realising that he has no chance at regaining his crown and knowing that death is just waiting for him, he joins the Teutonic Order. His sister Margaretha von Staufen follows him into the Teutonic Order state although she does not join.
-1268: Battle of Rakvere, Livonian Victory, Peace with Novgorod. No territorial changes, all stays as it was pre-war but Novgord has to pay a large sum of silver and gold to to the Livonian order
-1290: The Livonian Territories of Courland, Semigallia and Livonia are finally fully secured.
-1291: With expansion to the east sealed off by Novogord, Livonian forces make for Karelia and Finland in aid of Novgorod. Wyborg Castle is built and much of Karelia is taken over by Livonian forces although not officially part of their territory and merely garrisoned with their troops.
-1305: Poland calls the Teutonic Order into a war against Brandenburg and Pommerania.
-1308: Brandenburg bribes the Teutonic Order with Danzig and Pomerelia to turn against the Kingdom of Poland. Poland, not wanting to fight the Teutonic Order as well, the myth of Teutonic invincibility being still very strong in the Eastern Europe, quickly signs a peace. Anti-teuton sentiments grow to new heights.
-1326: The fragmented Kingdom of Poland goes to war against the Teutonic Order over Pomerelia. The war lasts for more than half a decade and the Teutonic Order is supported by Bohemia, putting them into a rather favourable position.
-1343: Treaty of Kalisz, end of the Polish-Teutonic war. Poland recognizes Danzig and Pomerelia as Teutonic territory.
-1346: The German Order purchases the Duchy of Estonia from Denmark.
-1349: Large scale invasion of Swedish held Finland in order to further cement Teutonic rule of the Baltic Sea.
-1368: Treaty of Helsinki, the Teutonic Order takes over Finland from Sweden
-1361-1370: Participation in the Hanseatic-Danish War
-1369: Another Lithuanian Crusade to further cement Teutonic rule in modern day Lithuania.
-1370: Battle of Rudau, crushing Teutonic victory over the Lithuanians.
-1395: The pirate infested island of Gotland is gifted to the Teutonic Order.
-1398: The Teutonic Order conquers the island of Gotland fromt he Victual Brothers.
-1400: The Baltic Sea has been thoroughly cleansed of pirate raiders by Hanseatic Forces, of which the Teutonic Order is a part of.
-1402: Brandenburg sells the New March to the Teutonic Order
-1407: Hochmeister Konrad von Jungingen dies. He is succeeded by Adalbert von Staufen who overhauls the economic system in order to earn more money for the order and support its militant nature.
-1409: War breaks out between Poland-Lithuania and the Crusaders.
-1410: Close but complete defeat of the Teutonic Order forces in the Battle of Grunwald. However, Livonian Order forces have pushed deeply into Lithuanian territory.
-1411: First Treaty of Thorn. The Teutonic Order can negotiate under much more favourable conditions and thus it is a white peace.
-1440: Livonian Ausgleich. Due to the heavy losses inflict upon the Teutonic Order while the Livonian Order still stands strong, the Livonians are not content anymore with being the under the control of the Teutonic Order. Being in no state to refuse their demands, the Teutonic Order releases the Livonian Order once again.
-1444: As a protest and to put pressure on Charles VII, the Generalkapitel introduces the Johanna-Edikt. It is in honour of Jeanne d'Arc and allowed women to enter the knightly branch of the Teutonic and Livonian Orders.
-1454: Begin of the Three Years War. Due to the much better economical and innerpolitical situation, the Prussian revolt is much smaller and the Teutonic Order Military much stronger. Additionally, the Teutonic Order still has the support of the Livonian Order.
-1457: Second Peace of Thorn. The Teutonic Order is forced to cede eastern modern day Lithuania to Poland-Lithuania.
-1518: Beginning of the Reformation, the Teutonic Order stays with the Catholic Christian faith and supresses Lutheranism violently.
-1536: With the reformation finding many followers in Pommerania, the Teutonic Order declares war on Pommerania and within a swift military operation the Order crushes the much weaker Pommeranians. The outcry of Lutherans against this pure act of catholic hatred and brutality is not heard by the Emperor who supports the destruction of the reformist movement.
-1537: All of Pommerania is officially annexed by the Teutonic Order, with best wishes from both the Emperor and the Pope.
-1618: Beginning of the 30 years war. The Teutonic Order supports the Imperial forces.
-1630: Swedish forces land along the german coast and also in Pommerania. War between Sweden and the Teutonic and Livonian Order is officially declared.
-1648: Separate Peace Treaty of Usedom, Sweden retakes Finland and Karelia as well as all Pommeranian territories west of the Oder river.
-1654: The Teutonic Order, hoping restore its power joins in on the Muscovite War against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Although greatly weakened through the long war with the Swedes, the Teutonic Forces were a constant danger forcing the Polish to divert forces.
-1660: Third Treaty of Thorn, for large sums of money, the Teutonic Order agrees to a peace, thus having achieved its objective.
-1715: The Livonian Order participates in the Great Northern War on the side of the Russians in hopes of regaining some of its former finnish territories.
-1720: Due to high losses, crushing defeats and Swedish invasions the Livonian is forced to pull out of the war and make a separate peace.
-1721: Due to the results of the Great Northern War, the Livonian Order was highly weakened and had to pay large sums to Sweden which needed them to continue the war. Taxes had to be raised in Livonian territory which resulted in revolts in many Livonian Provinces.
1722: Teutonic-Livonian Union, due to the revolts and so on, the Livonian Order is forced to finally become a part of the Teutonic Order if it wanted to have any chance of survival. It retains however a relative autonomy when compared to other Pronvinces of the Order.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?p=32487768#p32487768

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

The idea of the Johanna-Edikt is well.. interesting, and I don't know what the other OP's will think about it, but I'm alright with it, due to your rather precarious situation.

Accepted.

The Johanna-Edikt is first and foremost a political statement. Women in the Knights are veeeeery rare.

[Tracian Empire]

Exil, you know that the Great Schism never happened, right?

The difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy continues to exist, like their use of different rites and so on, and the Latin Church is still there. But the political breakthrough never happened, and as such, the Catholic Church is still in full communion with the Orthodox Patriarchates.

And?

What exactly does this affect?
If it's about Novgorod, I didn't specify the reason for the Russian Campaign and can make simple expansionism the reason.

The idea of the Johanna-Edikt is well.. interesting, and I don't know what the other OP's will think about it, but I'm alright with it, due to your rather precarious situation.

Accepted.

The Johanna-Edikt is first and foremost a political statement. Women in the Knights are veeeeery rare.

The Pope is considered to be the highest religious authority on earth, lest god or another Jesus suddenly decide to descend upon the earth.

Would be technically incorrect, but I just wanted to check if you knew.

[Tracian Empire]

My bad here. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the West Indies on your map - they belong to the Azteks.

Dropped the West Indies, took the rest of Java instead.

Sorry that my history is so weak, but I do intent to sleep tonight.

EDIT: Fixed some typos and incorrect calculations.

Full Nation Name: Republikken Skandinavia (en: Scandinavian Republic)
Majority/Official Culture: Scandinavian
Territorial Core: As in this map, the regions with solid colours.
Territorial Claim: As in the above map, the regions with checkered colours.
Capital City: København, Sjælland, Denmark, Scandinavia
Population:

Scandinavian Realm - 21.70 millions total

Scandinavia - 9.10 millions
Sweden - 4.93 millions
Sweden Proper - 3.05 millions
Finland - 1.86 millions
Gotland - 0.02 millions (disputed territory)
Denmark - 2.46 millions
Denmark Proper - 2.10 millions
Holsten - 0.36 millions
Norway - 1.71 millions
Norway Proper - 1.61 millions
Iceland - 0.07 millions
Faroes - 0.02 millions
Hjaltland - 0.01 millions

Colonies - 12.60 millions
Java - 9.57 millions
Unorganised Java - 8.76 millions
City of Batavia - 0.81 millions
Tranquebar - 0.90 millions
Ny Sjælland - 0.87 millions
Vinland - 0.54 millions
Mauritius - 0.30 millions
Guldkyst - 0.21 millions (partial sovereignty)
Markland - 0.12 millions
Hvalbukt - 0.09 millions

Government Type: Parliamentary republic.
Government Ideology/Policies: Colonial imperialism. Commercial expansion.
Government Focus: Baltic domination, most immediately by bringing the current war against the Teutons to a successful conclusion and annexing Gotland. Continued industrialisation and economic growth via free-market internal policies, protectionism, and the exploitation of colonies and international commerce. Colonisation of the East Indies and Sub-Saharan West Africa. Acquisition of commercial rights in East Asia.
Head of State: Rasmus Kierkegård, Republikkens kansler.
Head of Government: Søren Jensen, Statsministre
Government Description: The Government of the Scandinavian Republic is of a parliamentary-republican nature with divisions of power. The executive branch, which leads the day-to-day affairs of state, is led by the Chancellor of the Republic, chosen directly via an election conducted under the principle of weighed universal male suffrage. The executive is considered subservient to the legislature, led by the State Minister, which is composed of an upper and lower house, elected by landed suffrage and universal male suffrage respectively. The State Minister is appointed by the legislature after each election for seven year terms, or shorter if there is an early election.

Majority/State Religion: Church of Scandinavia.
Religious Description: The Church of Scandinavia is a state-sanctioned religious institution that abides by a branch of Lutheranism, which is itself a branch of Christianity. Christian faiths are the dominant majority in the Scandinavian home region, and is also spreading rapidly into the colonies.

Economic Ideologies: Capitalism. Protectionism.
Major Production: Manufactured goods, machinery, furs, lumber, fish, grain, raw metals, rubber.
Economic Description: Being a colonial empire, Scandinavia has very little in the way of economic consistency between its provinces. Southern Scandinavia is highly industrialised, with the great cities of Copenhagen, Göteborg, Oslo, and Stockholm spewing smoke into the skies in sprawling coal-powered industrial districts. To the north and to the east, as well as in North America, traditional workshops and agriculture dominate, taking in a variety of fish, furs, grain, and cattle. The Scandinavian Orient is very urbanised, but poorly industrialised. These are commercial centres, making a living primary via the transport and exchange of goods produced by other countries.

Tech Group: European Centre of Modernisation

Army Description: Scandinavia's main military limitation has always been its small population. Naturally Scandinavia's doctrine has always been about getting the most out of each and every soldier, and this mindset remains valid even in the industrial era. The Scandinavian army, entirely professional and backed by trained reserves, has one of the highest concentration of artillery and mechanised weapon of any army in the world.
Army Weakness: Naturally, Scandinavia's heavy focus in the quality of its army has left much to be desired in terms of its size. Scandinavia's regular army numbers barely above 60,000, unusually small for a nation of its size. Being designed mainly for the heavily forested Finnish border, the Scandinavian Army is also largely lacking in cavalry.
Naval Description: The Scandinavian Navy is the country's pride and crown jewel. Well-drilled crew serve under creative and knowledgeable captains in the finest of vessels to sail the seas. Although Scandinavia is not a large nation, its position as a colonial power necessitates a large investment into the navy. The Scandinavian Navy is geared first towards the maintenance and protection of its far-flung colonies, and second towards the projection of force into the Baltic and North Seas.
Naval Weakness: The Scandinavian colonial empire is far-flung indeed, and the Scandinavian navy has many obligations everywhere that can sometimes overwhelm the navy's ability to effectively respond to all of them.

National Goals: Emerge as a European great power, with all the scientific, cultural, colonial, industrial, and diplomatic bells and whistles associated with that status.
National Issues: Influence of the Teutonic-Livonian Catholic Union. Various nationalist and anti-colonial movements in the colonies. Scandinavia's less developed northern and eastern provinces.
Rival: The Teutonic-Livonian Catholic Union

History:

With the closure of the viking era, although the Scandinavian kingdoms unified themselves and grew their populations, it was clear that the Scandinavian people no longer had the strength and influence that they once did. Not only did traditional Norse culture and religion disappear, the region suffered a variety of political losses as well. The Scandinavian ability to effectively enforce sovereignty in its various Baltic territories, most notably Gotland, waned, while the Danish border with the Franks was pushed north in a couple of settlements and the kingdom had to sell the Duchy of Estonia to the upstart Livonians. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the Kingdom of Norway lost a series of wars against the Kingdom of Scotland, losing its tributaries in and around the British Isles, while commerce in the Baltic was increasingly dominated by German interests, represented by the Hanseatic League and the Teutonic Order. Its only victories were to be found in the east, where the Kingdom of Sweden expanded to absorb the uncivilised tribes of Finnish people in Österbotten, and even that was contested by the rise of Livonian Finland to the south and the east.

Fearing the growth of powers hostile to it and seeing their increasingly common interests, the nobility of the Scandinavian kingdoms arranged for a personal union between the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, bringing Scandinavia under a common crown. This union proved relatively successful, as noted by the stalemate in the Scottish invasion of Norway, 1474-1481 and the failure of Scotland to secure its war objective of Hjaltlands/Shetlands. Meanwhile, the union also continued to expand towards the east, emerging decisively victorious in a series of wars fought between the Scandinavians and the Livonians and, as a result, absorbing all of Finland under the Swedish flag. The new Empire also humbled Russian forces in the First Russo-Scandinavian War, expanding their borders all the way to the White Sea.

With the age of exploration dawning and the riches of the Americas and the Orient now availed to Europe, and with its internal affairs heavily simplified and pacified by the formal establishment of the Scandinavian Empire and the integration of the apparatus of state of all three kingdoms in 1516, Scandinavia, like many other western European countries, turned their eyes outwards, towards the virgin plains of North America. Greenland, which Scandinavian explorers unfortunately found to be deserted of the viking settlers that arrived there a few centuries prior, was recolonised throughout the early 1500s, with the establishment of several towns on its southwestern shore. The Scandinavian West Indies Company, with its mandate of exploiting the riches of the Americas, was founded in 1556. As the 16th Century went on, the first seeds that would eventually grow into Scandinavian North America was founded, with ships of first merchants, then later colonists arriving in Vinland and Markland. The Skrælings of North America gave way to the settlers one way or another, either it was by integrating into colonial settlements, being wiped out through new diseases brought from Europe, or in a series of skirmishes against the colonists eager to expand their homesteads. At the same time, trading posts were established in the Gold Coast, which would slowly grow over time into entire towns and fortresses under Scandinavian control.

Scandinavia was then shook heavily by the Peasant Revolt in 1624. The rise of colonialism and the increasing prominence of Scandinavians in trade both abroad and in the North Sea resulted in the increasing urbanisation of the Scandinavian coast and the corresponding rise of merchants as a prominent political interest in Scandinavian courts. Commercial burgher interests, dissatisfied with the aristocratic national order, eventually incited the general Scandinavian population into open revolt against the Crown, resulting in the abdication of the monarch and the formation of the Scandinavian Republic under the leadership of the Parliament. This led to a massive civil war throughout Scandinavia which invited the intervention of multiple foreign powers, culminating in the Third Russo-Scandinavian War of 1654-1660, in which Scandinavia lost most of its gains in the previous Russo-Scandinavian Wars, ceding Kola, eastern Karelia, Neva, and Ingermanland in exchange for peace.

These internal struggles, however, did little more than slightly slow down the inevitable expansion of Scandinavian commercial interests outwards against the world. The Scandinavian East Indies Company was founded in 1681. Afterwards, Scandinavian-Asian trade rapidly grew over the following decades and, with it, Scandinavian political and military influence in the Orient, culminating in the establishment of Scandinavian trading harbours in Tranquebar and Batavia, as well as a colony in Ny Sjælland.

Scandinavian-Teuton relations, never particularly warm due to their clashing interests in the Baltic Sea, soured dramatically with the rise of nationalism in the Scandinavian lands. Increasingly, powerful Scandinavian political interests began to see the Baltic coast as their land, rightfully gained in the glory days of the viking era, that should naturally be recovered by Scandinavia in its inevitable rise towards great power status. Perhaps as a result, in 1848, the Scandinavian Republic declares war on the Teutonic-Livonian Catholic Union for the liberation of Gotland's Swedish minority, blockading the island and fighting multiple pitched naval battles across the Baltic Sea.

RP Sample:

Hey you, colonial, snakker du skandinavisk?

Such a simple question. I can already feel your retort. "Of course not," you'd say. "I am a proud son of the great empires of the sand! I live in the ancestral lands, speaking the language handed to me by the rich heritage of my people and nation. I have no need for imperialists, or for your imperialist languages, fit only for lowly merchants."

Heh. I remember the last person who tried something like that. He was a nice person. His skull makes for a nice decoration to impress my friends with. Do they have a filthy skull of a savage to show off? I think not.

But consider this. That's a pretty important question. Your answer doesn't just determine how much you get paid today, whether your children will ever learn to read, or whether you will have the rights of a man or of cattle. It isn't just the difference between having a tiny voice in how your village is run and having no opinion at all, the difference between spending your summer in the shade or breaking your back in the mines.

No... I'm not having a good day today. So your answer will determine whether you get to see your family tonight. Or whether you get to see them, ever.

So take a breather. Mull over your answer. Recall what you learned in your language lessons last week.

Now, let me ask it again.

Snakker... du... skandinavisk...?

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

The population numbers are acceptable, I suppose. Accepted.

Although of course, if Scandinavia and the Teutons will start the IC in the middle of a war, the war will be supervised by an OP in order to ensure that it is as balanced as possible.

[Tracian Empire]

Full Nation Name : Western Roman Empire [official]
Latin Empire
Holy Roman Empire
L'impero romano d'Occidente (Italian; "Western Roman Empire") [official]
Il Senato e il popolo romano (Italian; "Senate and people of Rome")
Saran e Suant (Dalmatian; "Serene and Holy")
I depotuti e el poplo veste (Dalmatian; "The delegates and the people of the West") [official]
Juan Raigno (Dalmatian; "Young Kingdom"- contrasted with the "Old" Greek empire- "Vicla Raigno")

Majority/Official Culture : Italo-Dalmatian
Territorial Core : Here
Territorial Claim : [[OPTIONAL]] Technically the rest of the Western Empire, but for all intents and purposes let's say Sicily, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica, and the Baleares
Capital City : Rome
Population : ~25,000,000

• Italy ~ 20,000,000
• West Balkans ~ 2-3 mil, but boosted due to diverged history

Government Type : Exarchate
Government Ideology/Policies : Nationalism, Commercialism, Mercantilism
Government Focus : Culture and wealth are the main focuses of the Italian Caesardom. With a long tradition of craftsmanship and trade, with autonomous polities feuding back and forth over who had better paintings and architecture being but one example of this tradition continued throughout time. Despite being, under its foundation, a military governorship granted by the crown in Constantinople, it has been long since any expansion has occurred, the resources instead devoted to the aforementioned culture and wealth.
Head of State : Alessandra Udaina
Head of Government : above
Government Description : An exarchate, the government was initially a military governorship bestowed by the crown in Constantinople. Since that point, it has fallen under various relations and military uprisings and varying influencing factions until everyone forgot what it started as and it became de facto hereditary. At the moment, it is run much like the proper Eastern empire- a highly administrative absolute monarchy with a couple of autonomous regions.

Majority/State Religion : Latin-Rite Christianity, but with freedom of worship
Religious Description : Under the watchful eyes of the Patriarch of Rome, this is a Chalcedonian creed that never went extinct- within the borders of the exarchate it had instead managed to prevent its drift from the Greek Rite to a schismatic degree. It still bears resemblance to run-of-the-mill Catholicism, but remains more tolerant of imperial authority and Hellenic idolatry.

Economic Ideologies : State Capitalism, with some regulation applying to all parties (including the state)
Major Production : Dyes, luxury items, processed/precision goods
Economic Description : A specialized economy for turning raw goods into expensive things other people show off with, and turning water into fine, the Italian economic situation is generally prosperous and competitive- albeit, for how prosperous it is, it is also niche and specialized. It does what it does very well, but doesn't do other things very well at all. The army will sure look sharp in those silk uniforms with carefully hand-etched brass!


Tech Group : European

Army Description : The army is a carry-over from the Eastern themata, with military subdivisions and land grants ensuring a localized and battle-ready force is always prepared to be drawn up on the borders. Unlike the Eastern Empire, however, the themata follow regional powers and centers of conflict, conforming to what was, at times, only nominally subject city-based powers. Each city, thus, carries its own military legacy and rivalries. The military is largely modernized, perhaps moreso than the Eastern soldiers, due to proximity to the West and even the legacy of the Latins upon it. Being a frontier region, an exarchate, also gave an early emphasis on military development within it to the court at Constantinople. As a result of the localized military, the army as a whole is generally decentralized and grouped by place of origin, rather than forming large and diverse regiments. The discipline, however, suffers not.
Army Weakness : The army is highly decentralized and localized, leading to smaller units with less diversity. To some degree, this bears closer similarity to a series of alliances rather than a proper and unified standing army. Thus, what it has in discipline and modern technology, it lacks in structure and comprehensiveness.
Naval Description : The navy originated as an anti-pirate measure, but grew with ideals of trade. Somewhat limited in number due to the naval focus of the Eastern emperors traditionally, it consists of much of the same types of ships and structure. Its primary goal in existing is to ward off the Vandals and to protect trade in the Mediterranean, and can conscript civilian ships when necessary.
Naval Weakness : Similar to the army, the navy is localized and, as a result, disorganized. Each "theme" can harbor a treasure fleet of its own, and historically the power of naval projection was emphasized, but over the past couple of centuries the navy has generally been in decline. While still functional and capable of doing its base duties, it relies on the East in times of war to provide the bulk of its strength. Due to the mercantile origins of much of the navy, it consists largely of high-cargo light ships retrofitted to be military vessels, rather than having started with military use in mind.
Further Military Description :[urlhttps://pics.me.me/italian-landmine-moments-after-detonation-colorized-1944-war-is-so-12805252.png]experimental technology[/url]

National Goals : Ascendancy to Co-Emperorship, glory, and wealth
National Issues : Being a lot weaker than the Eastern empire by a large, large margin in most regards, and certainly being far from the most industrial and populous of European nations
National Figures of Interest : Tuone di Ragusa, Giorgio da Firenze, Leo d'Arezzo, Leo Farantouri
National Ambition/Aspirations : Gloria in excelsis populo
Rival: A bit too early to be declaring this, there's barely even anyone nearby!

History : The Greek general Belisarius was said to have been offered by the Ostrogoths the position of the Western Emperor when he laid siege to them. He accepted, only to turn against his Goths and betray them in the name of the court in Constantinople. For this, he was awarded the title Caesar of the West, reflecting his great accomplishment in battle and his everlasting loyalty to the Empire. He had been made the Exarch of Italy appropriately, and when he could no longer conquer and age beset his old bones, he settled in old Rome with his family. The great city had long since lost its importance, replaced by Ravenna and Mediolanum and other sites, but as the glory of all he knew originated with the city of Rome, it only seemed fitting that perhaps, just perhaps, it be given one more chance. Thus, it was born. Belisarius would live only so long to see the Lombards invade, and to personally drive them away with his son by his side.

Under the rule of the son of Belisarius, Nicephorus, there was conflict with the Patriarch of Rome. Nicephorus Belisarion had known the Greek Rite for much of his life. Furthermore, raised by the greatest general of the empire and mothered by the confidant of the empress, Nicephorus had of himself an ego rivaled only by the breadth of the imperial domain. The Roman Patriarch, who demanded submission and humility in accordance with the Latin tradition, grew to despise the decadent Nicephorus, but never dared to challenge him openly until the year 600, upon which a duel was held between the two. Nicephorus won, and the Patriarch was maimed. In but a few short weeks, he passed- and Nicephorus gained the epithet "Slayer of the Latins", known for his disrespect of the Latin ways. What had began initially as a glorious salvation from the hands of the Goths by a great general had quickly turned sour as the struggles between the Latins and Hellenes were emphasized once more. Rejected by his court, one by one, the Exarch grew anxious. Nicephorus, seeing his peril, married with a Latin woman and had five children with her- this gesture a symbol of the unity he had hoped to bring. Although he continued with the Greek Rite for his life, he took special precaution to help mend the wounds between Latins and Greeks. Naming his children in the local Latin, he passed his throne to his eldest Severius.

Verus, the first "Latin" emperor from his Greek brood, and the first since the collapse of the West near 150 years prior, grew in his life as a proper Latin. He spoke Latin, he dressed Latin, and he celebrated Latin holidays with his Latin court- the Italians had regained their position in the world, it had seemed, until all remembered the true power lay at Constantinople. It was by their grace alone that the breed of Belisarius continued to hold the throne, and by their favor towards his grandfather that Verus was allowed to govern the land. He took measure to ensure his fitness in the eyes of Constantinople- reinstating the old legions and fortifying the Alps being his major accomplishments. The fortification he had built on the Alps became known as the Veran Wall, and would be the first of many, many additions in the area.

Drawing from his predecessor, Honorius celebrated his ascension by adding to the Veran Wall. His additions were few, consisting primarily of nearby barracks to help garrison the wall- it was a gesture of support for the defense of the border, but furthermore connected him to his predecessor. This connection would become important, and the next few kings would all follow suit in making some additions to the Veran Wall, be they towers, extra layers, or even an extension entirely. The original, facing only against the lands of the Bavarii and incorporating the mountains of the Alps to fill gaps, would soon become a wonder in itself.

Several generations came and went, but in the year 812, the during the Ides of March, the Exarch Caesar Belisarion Severius dies in Venice after succumbing to his wounds by a Germanic blade. He has yet to proclaim a proper heir, and the unity of Italy begins to fall. His twin sons, Antonius and Nero, each take command of a section of the land. Nero, a brave general by heart, takes station in Venice by his father's bedside- here he garrisons the Wall alongside his men. Antonius, meanwhile, moves to Rome as the first properly administrative, non-military, ruler of the land. The court in Constantinople watches eagerly, as if an experiment, to see which of the brothers takes charge over the other, but neither does. It is in this divided reign that the Illyrian Betrayal happens, and many cities of Illyricum simultaneously declare a league of their own separate from the Italian influence. Nero moves quickly with his army, and warns of the precedent should Antonius let such events pass idly. Although Nero secures the loyalties of the Illyrians once more through 6 years of campaigning, the previous state is never recovered and they retain autonomy. It is in this new autonomy that the Dalmatian language, and its regional identity, begins to develop- as well as acting for a breeding ground for the mercantile city-republics that would come to dominate. A small town, Ragusa, begins to dominate by the end of the decade.

Antonius appeared to have won the battle of the brothers, but in his age his council turned against him. Slain by conspirators and with only a single daughter to claim the throne, the Italian cities followed the example of the Illyrians. The rule of Agrippa was rough, and only through the most cunning diplomacy and the most ruthless military action in conjunction with the elderly Nero was she able to, similarly to Nero, regain the allegiance of the Italians under different conditions. Unlike Illyria, however, the Italians failed to produce a single strong city to overcome and dominate the others- remaining divided instead. This played to Agrippa's favor, and she learned a "Divide and Conquer" tactic that she would later write about in her Codex Italicum. She would marry off her children to the local mercantile nobility, the lesser patricians, of her vassal cities and those of Nero to secure a general allegiance, but this would only serve to strengthen the autonomy of the cities as the old Roman way of splitting patricians apart from civilians began to blur.

Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the story is the same. A ruler claims the Italian throne, related to Belisarius through some distant marriage long ago, and the others would swear their fealty whilst retaining their autonomous republics. The greatest conflict stood between Dalmatia and Italy, whose respective components hired mercenary armies to compete with one another. Within the Roman art and science scene, the two constantly were competing. New developments out of Florence and Venice during the 14th century, however, began to turn the tide in favor of the Italians. By the turn of the 15th century, the leading powers were Ragusa, Vicla, Florence, Venice, Genoa, Naples, and Amalfi. It was these cities that led the way for the Rinascimento, the "Rebirth", as they began to consolidate power for the first time since the days of Severius by exerting their influence more aggressively.

Over the course of the century, the exploratory nature of the Italo-Dalmatians in their previous capital ventures to other lands brought them further and further. By 1492, the first Italian had set foot in the New World. It was under this prospering that the Italians finally began to eclipse the Dalmatians, gaining a factor of exponential growth. However, the line of Belisarius was running thin- the Republican politics had all but killed the Italian half of his line- leaving behind the Viclasun line to take charge. Stemming from Vicla, also called Veglia and, in Latin, Curicum, this unlikely progeny of the great Belisarius through no less than 4 cadet branches had managed to survive purely because their republic had long ago been eclipsed by the nearby Ragusa. Rising to the throne due to their well-recorded, if distant, lineage, the first Dalmatian Exarch went by Domagna.

Domagna Udaina was a ruthless and cunning man. Long suppressed by his neighboring Venice and Ragusa, he gained an enmity for the free republics of the exarchate. Cooperating with the Medici of Firenze, Domagna established a power base in Central Italy, a strong alliance across the land. He first chose to reign in Genoa, who stood distant from the others and with a distrust for their own duxe, the citizens of Genoa sold their city out to Domagna. Using this power base, he reaffirmed the loyalty of the traditionally monarchical Napoli to move on Amalfi. Half of Amalfi's patricians were of Greek origin, and despite a notable military presence, none was needed for Domagna to seize power. His ties to the Greek emperor, as well as his relatively nonpartisan origin, meant a nonviolent swearing of fealty. As Venice made its move against Ragusa, historically held back by the limited influence of the exarch but now with a doge reckless enough to ignore it, their city was invaded under the cover of night. In the year 1543, the "Night of Tears" occurred- Domagna infiltrated Venice with his combined Italian army and wrecked havoc upon the streets. Many of the town guard were slaughtered, and their bodies thrown into the canals. The island flowed in red for 3 days after the fatal event, and the doge was forced to surrender. As he had captured Ragusa and even appointed a new Rector, that republic had been cleared out of the way as well.

Domagna, in his violent reign lasting from 1516-1552, became known as "the Slayer". His son, Jugno, tried initially to rule with a soft hand, but in the second month of his reign realized the error of this. He chose instead, to invite all the dukes of his realm- the duxe, the doge, the rettore, to watch him compete in games. He raced for Blue in chariots, and won a tzykanisterion tournament. The games, lasting a full month on their own, ended with Jugno inviting any patricians who wished to assert their independence a duel to the death for the opportunity. He went so far as to promise his crown to any who would fight him. After the demonstration of his abilities in the games, however, none stood forward. All throughout his life, Jugno would insist the offer was always on the table, and made it to each newly elected duke of his realm. Through such shows of force and fearlessness, as well as his well-meaning heart and his administrative excellence in improving the unity and strength of his realm, the Italians and Dalmatians alike took to calling him agosto, the first Exarch since Belisarius to ever be called by such a title in any capacity.

A few more centuries would pass, and though all the cities would look to their dukedoms with regional pride, all increasingly came to realize their unity and the benefit they gained from the exarchate. This increasing unity brings us up to now, with the Veran wall crossing the whole Alps and being considered a great wonder of military engineering, a Dalmatian woman on the Italian throne, a Western empire subordinate to Constantinople, and some very pretty brass buttons on the uniforms.

RP Sample: past AD threads

#AltDiv

Done. Only in this, though. The original app is unedited. Just open the spoiler through the quote. The history is kind of a shell but that's primarily because it's just so damn long that going too much into detail (like I do in some cases, IE: 400 years or less I have previously done a king-by-king history with each king having no less than a large paragraph) would kill me.

I like it. Accepted!

[Tracian Empire]

Full Nation Name : Tsaardom Rusemaa (Ingrian) Царь России (Russian) Tsardom of Russia (english)
Majority/Official Culture : Ingro-Slavic
Territorial Core : The dark blue represents the Russian territorial core.
Territorial Claim : and the light blue represents the Russian territorial claims.
Capital City : St Petersburg
Population : 52 million

Government Type : Constitutional Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : Pushing the Frontier
Government Focus : Russia's goals include expanding the navy as a priority. Other priorities include pushing the Scandinavian frontier.
Head of State : Tsaar Aleksander II
Head of Government : Prime Minister Alexei Demyan
Government Description : After the Revolutions of 1848 and 1849, the Tsaar at the time (Aleksander I) promised reform. Later in 1850, he revealed a extensive reform program, including the elections of the Russian house of parliament, the Duma. The Social Reformists, a political group have consistently won the majority in parliament, a 720/980 seats. This allows them to rule without a coalition, BUT the Tsaar still has the ability to veto any law passed.

Majority/State Religion : Orthodox Christianity.
Religious Description : N/A

Economic Ideologies : Mostly Laissez Faire. In Aleyska, however, the fishing industry is highly regulated by the government.
Major Production : Fish,Grains (Wheat,Barley,Rye), Steel, Gold and precious metals, textiles.
Economic Description : Except in Aleyska, the state usually takes a hands off approach. In Aleyska, however, there is a state owned monolopy on the trapping and fishing industries, with strict quotas and extreme punishment for breaking these quotas. The reason for this is that Aleyska is still technically the Tsar's property (a la Congo Free State)


Tech Group : European

Army Description : The Russian army has about 90,000 full time standing soldiers. 70,000 in Europe, another 15,000 in Asia, and 5,000 in Aleyska. However, in reserve, the Russians can muster about 900,000 reservists, of which, 700,000 in Europe, 150,000 in Asia, and 50,000 in Aleyska.
Army Weakness : The Russian army suffers from a lack in quality. With its vast size and vast population, Russia relies on human wave tactics. And, well that's not a good strategy to have in the modern era.
Naval Description : The Russian Pacific Fleet sits at about a comforable 56 ships, while the Baltic Fleet is at 10 ships. They are mostly modern, with steam ships, but Russia has not invested much into its navy.
Naval Weakness : The Russian Navy, while advanced compared to other nations in Asia, pales in comparsion to any major European navy.
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals : Expand the frontier,annex Finland, incorporate the Baltic nations, expand the navy and complete a faster transportation route to the east are goals.
National Issues : Lack of a viable West-East transportation route, splitting the nation in two, severe winters and disputes with Britain and Scandinavia.
National Figures of Interest : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Are there any Mother Teresas or Moses that we need to know about?]]
National Ambition/Aspirations : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Not really a set objective, but rather the big picture that your nation is drawing towards]]
Rival: Scandinavia.

History :
POD-1223
In 1223, the Russian nations, for the first time saw the Mongol Horde. After defeats in China, the Mongols decided to push west. The might of a 100,000 cavalry sweeped through many of the Russian nations. City states like Kiev and Vladmir Sudaval where forced to submit to the tartar yoke. Over the next 200 years, up to 1442, the Golden Horde was the most powerful nation in eastern Europe. The Grand Principality of Moscow, just as she was about to rise, was sacked and destroyed in 1434. This left a power vacumm, just as the Ingrian and Estonian Duchy of Narva suffered a major defeat. After Novgorod and Pskov refused to pay their tribute to the horde, they were attacked and sacked. The remnants of the Duchy of Narva marched west into Ingria, defeating the remnants of Novgorod and Pskov at the Siege of Novgorod. This resulted in the rise of the Grand Principality of Ingria, and following Ingrias defeat of the numerically superior Golden Horde at the Battle of Vladmir, the Golden Horde began to decline.

By 1500, the Golden Horde had been subjugated, Ukraine and White Ruthenia had been incorporated, and treaties with the Romans had secured a peace with the west and south. It was now time to expand to the east. Over the next few hundred years, Siberia would be gradually incorporated into Russia. Vladivostok and Chita were both established as major cities in Siberia or on the Transamur region. Pioneering Russians even began to explore into Aleyska. The Siberian tribes were slowly pushed east and northwards. By 1780, Siberia had became an integral part of Russia, like the European core. Treaties with China and later Japan established the Russian eastern borders. Treaties with the United States later in the century negotiated the Alaskan border.

The year 1848 wrecked havoc in Russia. The nation had enjoyed peace for 50 years, but revolutions all over Russia nearly crippled the nation. Alaska attempted to secede, and Karelia nearly joined Scandinavia. The Tsaars managed to wrench control, but at the cost of giving huge reforms, including a shift to a much more democratic state, reductions in the work hours, a minimum wage of 1 rouble a day were all established by this revolution.
RP Sample: Previous AD.
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

The app so far is alright, though, you should make those changes to reflect the new Polish-Russian border (thanks for agreeing to that, by the way).

And your idea for this Russia is really interesting. You should put some more details into your app to reflect it.

[Tracian Empire]

Full Nation Name : Polish Commonwealth // Rzeczpospolita Królestwa Polskiego
Majority/Official Culture : Polish and Lithuanian
Territorial Core :
(Image)
Territorial Claim :
(Image)
Capital City : Warsaw
Population : ~9,350,000

Government Type : Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : The current government is set upon maintaining stability between rivaling factions within Poland, such as the modernists and the Catholic church, absolutists and restorists, liberals and conservatives. Infrastructure improvement is an active policy apart from internal peacekeeping.
Government Focus : The government is vying to improve infrastructure and support Polish export industry, in addition to seeking legitimacy among the people and the political factions. Should another government come into power, these priorities could come to change.
Head of State : Michał III Puzyna, by the grace of God and the will of the people, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Duke of Ruthenia, Masovia, Volhynia and Podlasie
Head of Government : HM's Regent Prince Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł, Prime Minister Korneliusz Krasovsky
Government Description : The King holds some executive powers, however his age keeps those powers in the hand of the Regent. The Military answers to that very Regent in this obvious case of a young Monarch, although funding is approved by the parliament. Most executive power, such as managing the many departments of government, lies within HM's cabinet and the Legislative power is largely determined by the representatives in the Sejm, with elected members from constituencies determined by historically feudal divisions. The electorate is composed of nearly 10% of all Adult men, most of whom are Polish and Lithuanian but with certain exceptions promoted by the constitution of 1798. The King (or Regent in this case) can has a veto which can be revoked should either HM's Prime Minister approve of the Sejm's bill or should 2/3 of the Sejm vote for it on a second vote. Legislative initiative is left to the representatives and HM's government. The Sejm is in session February-November, ceremonially opened by the King. The Judiciary is largely independent, appointments being made by the King adviced by the Sejm and HM's government.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Catholicism
Religious Description : The Roman Catholic Church is a powerful and popular institution not only religiously in Poland, but politically. Many representatives in the Sejm are closely tied to the Church and Bishops hold extensive local power in Cities like Kraków. Religious minorities such as various Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Jews exist and compose about 1/10 of the population, but have more local institutions and communities.

Economic Ideologies : State Capitalism
Major Production : Steel, Grain, Cattle, Lumber, Glass, Clothes and other textiles
Economic Description :
Since formally abolishing serfdom in 1798, the waning agricultural industry has experienced rapid growth and traditional trade routes have recovered. While the old breadbasket status of feeding most of Eastern and Northern Europe of the Commonwealth days won't return anytime near where it is now, Poland still remains a center of agricultural importance and the extension of land ownership from exclusively nobility to a fair portion of the population has paid off in both efficiency and competition. Farmers grow wheat, rye, barley, and oats more prominently, but newcomers to a more experimental industry include potatoes, sugar beet and fodder crops. Improved roads and a growing food processing industry additionally support growth in cultivation, and generally this seems to be the more secure of markets in regards to demand domestically and regionally export-wise.

The Małopolska Upland hosts various locations for mining industry and steel mills. Rapid development through government-funds there has supported growth not only in the extraction and processing of ore, but of glass and resources for domestic weapon production in Lublin. Coal mines have been established in Lower Silesia and are a vital part of the growth of industries, but does not have much international importance and is therefore more of a domestic asset. The Eastern areas of Poland host a significant lumber industry as well. The larger cities have textile industries which not only produces clothes of linen, flax and whool but imported luxuries such as cotton and silk. Apart from a smaller group of factories, industrialization has not picked up that well in Poland. No railways exist, but the government is seeking foreign loans to fund such a project to connect major cities and industrial centers. Lithuania, or the Eastern regions in general, remain less developed than the western ones. Greater Poland, Lodz and Silesia are to a higher standard in infrastructural aspects.

Tech Group : European

Army Description : The Commonwealth Army is not THE pride of the nation, but many dream of the victories once brought by the Winged Hussars. In general, it is a competent force with good leaders, modern equipment and enough of it, both strong infantry and cavalry forces as well as up to date tactics. Soldiers wear white and red to battle and the army numbers 80,000 men when mobilized. Permanently active forces number just less than 10,000 but the mobilization of the entire army could be done relatively fast as such has been a priority, soldier families often receiving land in areas with better infrastructure and coordination with officers, all in accordance with the dystrybucja system.

The Army is centralized in all aspects but conscription. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania has a separate quota of soldiers to recruit for the central command, as does the Kingdom of Poland. 62% of soldiers come from the Kingdom of Poland, which is proportionally less than required of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, purely population-wise.
Army Weakness : Divided leadership with internal political struggles and too little mobile artillery (most of such being concentrated at forts).
Naval Description : Although quite a few prominent nobles, army officials and members of the Modernist faction are navy enthusiasts and aren't afraid to express that, Poland lacks a coast and therefore any navy. Apart from tiny patrol boats to be deployed by the Gendarmie in the Vistula or Narew rivers, no ships belong to any Polish armed force. The strength of the navy is that it cannot be defeated (!).
Naval Weakness : It doesn't exist.
Further Military Description : There are three clear factions that have emerged within the Polish Army. The one currently in power is the moderate and government-loyal Obrona Narodowa faction which most high-ranking officers belong to. Their aim is to maintain order and discipline within the military, obey HM's government in any case at all and reserve any major positions within Military and Civilian government for the nobility. The Przywrócenie Narodowe faction is closely tied to the nobility as well, but more so to the catholic church. Its members are not represented at the highest posts in military, but has a stronger political presence in HM's cabinet and the Sejm. It advocates the Catholic supremacy over 'pagans', expansionist wars in the East and closer cooperation with the Teutonic knights. The most extreme members even want an outright constitution of Absolute Monarchy and a return of the Teutonic Knights as vassals, should the Papacy be inclined to agree. On the other side of the spectrum, the modernizing Futuryści are Slavic nationalists, seeking expansionist wars to the North instead for purpose of gaining access to the Baltic sea. It proposes radical reforms within the military and domestically in Poland, seeking a military republic and an end to the influence of the church. Its civilian wing has a political plurality in the Sejm but tends to be far more moderate and liberal.

National Goals : Continued Polish independence, economic development, internal stability and war of expansion.
National Issues : One political faction will have to take control, either through the young monarch's approval or through force.
National Figures of Interest : Ignacy Prądzyński (de-facto leader of the Futuryści faction) and Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (political leader of the Przywrócenie Narodowe faction and Marshal of the Sejm)
National Ambition/Aspirations : Overwhelming and rapid change of the current political order in Poland.
Rival: No "one" clear rival as of now, but there are strained relations with both the Teutonic-Livonian Catholic Union and the Tsaardom of Rusemaa because of internal factions interest in the two.

History : The 14th century started in catastrophe for Poland. The political fallout with the collapse of the Přemyslid dynasty and failed raids into Brandenburg following Teutonic betrayal left the Feudal Nation in chaos for more than a decade, only with Władysław I's coronation cementing an the end of the two-century long infighting that had started with the death of Boleslaw III. Poland's external borders seemed to stabilize as Casimir III the Great's confirmed Poland's role as a medieval power in Europe. Wars against Bohemia and the Teutonic order all ended unsuccessfully however, the latter still withholding its military prowess which had shaken fear in both pagans and Catholics. The Union of Krewo in 1385 linked Poland and Lithuania together for ages to come, christianizing the last Pagan state of Europe as well as introducing the Jagiellonian dynasty
as rulers of Poland. Initial conquests by Polish-Lithuanian forces in the Dnieper basin following the Kievan Rus's near destruction by the Mongols signalled the power of the state, but internal feuds between Polish and Lithuanian nobility hardened the unity in the Dual Monarchy. Nobility tightened their control over manufacturing, trade and other economic activities and the Folwark system effectively forced many peasants into serfdom.

The Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War of 1409-11 was largely a stalemate, although the victory at Grunwald recognized Polish military power despite defeats in Lithuania as a result of Livonian expertise and failed war coordination between the nobility of the Union parters. Polish involvement in the Hussite crusades proved successful and despite King Wladyslaw II's turning down of the Crown of Bohemia, influence within the Holy Roman Empire remained. Civil War in Lithuania 1431-1435 nearly divided the Union partners for good but a victory for Władysław III kept it together. Casimir IV's reign was long and successful, with victory over the Teutons in the Three Years War bringing Central Lithuania back to the Realm, as well as a strengthening of the Sejm and Monarch's rule at the expense of the nobility. A great economic development in mining and trade routes through Poland-Lithuania benifited the country greatly. Alexander I's reign saw two unsuccessful wars against the nascent Russia. Ingrian forces first defeated the Polish-Lithuanians in the war 1493-95, despite the latter's larger forces, and later in 1498, then an even weaker Poland-Lithuania following infighting over the succession of the crown of Poland. Most holdings formerly conquered by the Kievan Rus were lost and Lithuania nearly halved in size.

The first half of the 16th century was marked by economic recovery, cultural prestige and political stability. King Sigismund I reigned for nearly four decades, supervising the integration of the duchies of Mazovia and Lower Silesia, inviting Renaissance artists to his court in Kraków, extending royal powers, introducing fiscal and monetary reforms as well as waging a successful war against the Russians in 1535-36, extending Lithuania's borders to the Dnieper river basin. It would take another century for the Russians to seize Kiev again. Initially, Sigismund opposed lutheranism fervently and met yearly in the late 1520s to discuss the threat it posed to the catholic church with representatives from the Teutonic order, Hungary, the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire among others. In his later reign however, seeing how harsh crackdown had failed to contain the spread of lutheranism and that nobles critized him for royal privileges previously granted the Jewish minorites, the persecution was limited. His only son, Sigismund II Augustus inherited a Poland where the nobility had grown intent upon seizing further powers recently taken from them. The second half of the 16th century became much more violent than previously expected. The Union of Lublin in 1569 tied Poland and Lithuania closer than before, now a Commonwealth. Sigismund II Augustus did not leave any children to inherit the 'Noble Democracy' established, instead a notable magnate and former advisor of the King Jan Zamoyski was crowned as the second of his name. This iniated the bleeding years from 1578-1602, seeing no less than five kings on the throne and religious wars. The longest-reigning of these, Wladyslaw IV Małachowski (crowned 1585, deceased 1596) supervised a rule of terror, declaring all lutherans outlaws, fought a civil war against the self-proclaimed Grand Duke of Lithuania Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł and invited a Teuton knight to serve as Royal "inkwizytor" in command of hundreds of soldiers running rampant through Poland in search of heathens. Pogroms and persecution against Orthodox Christians was also frequent, but not as brutal as that against the Lutherans.

Poland had stabilized by the end of the first decade of the 17th century. Unity within the Sejm and the election of Janusz Ostrogski as King the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1608 saw a return of the Kingdom's previous status. Construction of Royal palaces, roads but more importantly, the expansion of the new capital Warsaw (as of 1604) was started. Great lengths were taken to placate the nobility in control of the Sejm for these construction projects to take place, Poland-Lithuania taking on a large debt to fund these projects. Architects from Constantinople, Paris and Italy were invited to build Warsaw, soon to be recognized as a centre for arts and culture. Religious freedom was also guaranteed with Ostrogoski's leadership, in an aim to put the recent history of religious war behind Poland-Lithuania. At the outbreak of the Thirty Years war, the King was determined to keep Poland-Lithuania out of it, a planned war with Russia being one of the reasons. His death in 1620 led to heated discussion upon the election of the next King however, a fate which fell upon the Lithuanian noble Krzysztof I Chodkiewicz, set upon preserving peace. Despite pressure from Catholic neighbors, he formally never entered the Thirty Years War although loans, mercenaries and supplies were granted to the Teutonic Order in particular. His austerity measures saw cuts in the military, confiscation of the property of some nobles and a full payment of the large debt Poland had amassed. His reign saw an expansion in modern diplomacy, opening embassies in many European capitals. He personally toured Europe in this time of war, seeking bonds with other nations and Christian cooperation for the sake of devotion and humanism alone. Krzysztof I was succeeded by his son, Jan II Kazimierz Chodkiewicz in 1652. Only two years later, Poland-Lithuania would be attacked by Russia and the Teutonic Order simultaneously, in what came to be the lengthy Third Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian War 1654-1663. The first three years of the war saw two important Polish victories, and one important Russian. The first of those three, the 1st Battle of Baranivka (fought on the 3rd of June 1654 in modern day western Ukraine) was a decisive victory for the Polish giving legendary status to the elite cavalry known as "The Winged Hussars". The Russian army invading the Duchy of Kiev was larger however and regrouped quicker than expected, leading to a defeat in the 2nd battle of Baranivka in October that same year. Casualties were large on both sides but the Polish could not afford them. A skirmish fought south of Kulm led to Teutons to retreat, but only until the larger German Army could march on the attackers. Kiev was besieged by the Russians by winter, and after spring's arrival, a year of few Polish victories in White Ruthenia arrived, but only at the expense of defending Ukraine. By March 1659, Kiev and Smolensk were firmly in the hands of the Russians and a Teutonic force of unexpected size was threatening Byalstok. Another year of fighting saw an exit of the Teutonic knights out of the war, but only as the result of a costly victory in battle for the Polish-Lithuanian army and a large war indemnity to be paid. For the next 5 years, King Jan II Kazimierz exhausted the resources and manpower of Lithuania and Poland despite having only a handful victories to show for it. The captures of Vilna and Minsk forced surrender upon the Polish-Lithuanians, who ceded nearly a third of their Eastern lands to Russia. The King died only a year later as the last of the Chodkiewicz dynasty and flung Poland into a 10-year long interregnum. Only in 1674, a Catholic German nobleman, Leopold Waldburg was elected. His reign lasted well into the 18th century, and was characterized by a decline in autocracy, decentralization, agricultural development and the emergency of a Polish-Lithuanian national identity even Ruthenians, Silesians, Hungarians and Jews could sense some sort of belonging to, regardless of religion. Leopold I never learnt Polish, but turned to have a thorough understanding of its culture, history and political issues by the time of his death. He spent most of his winters in Ciechocinek, South-east of Thorn in the German Order, where he built his Weichselschloss, a Baroque-styled Thermal bath. This is said to have had improved relations with the Teutons at the time.

When Leopold I died on the 8th of December 1711 at his Weichselschloss he was immensely popular and Poland had been at peace for nearly 40 years, disregarding a minor campaign into Bohemia in 1688. He was succeeded by his son, Leopold II Waldburg who vowed to continue his father's style of rule. He was what modern historians would label a 'playboy king', known to throw lavish parties, refurbishing and building new palaces, having multiple affairs outside of marriage and travelling around the Mediterranean on a privately owned luxury galley on "diplomatic missions". Day to day business was left to the Sejm, the Royal Marshal and other advisors who struggled to balance income and expense. Most loans came from the Jewish minority in Poland, giving them a lesser degree of influence on national banking and government. He waged one war against a seemingly weakened Russia 1724-25 (4th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war) as a calculated move to gain domestic support and win back land from Russia for Lithuania. Polish-Lithuanian inability to win any decisive victories and similar inability for the Russians do so led to a stalemate with no border changes, but it was propaganda victory enough for Leopold II to increase his authority. Even after the Sejm voted for new authorites in legislative power for the King, he orchestrated a coup seizing full power of the government apparatus in 1732, becoming sole autocrat of Poland-Lithuania and revoking many of the nobility's rights. A skillful chancellor who had advised him for years, Stanisław Leszczyński, launched economic reforms which came to have positive effects for decades to come. Leopold II died after a period of illness in 1737, having made sure Leszczyński would see his only child, Kornelia, take the throne as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. An enlightened ruler who had travelled the courts of Europe and had the best of tutors as a child, the young Kornelia I Waldburg became the first female ruler since Hedwig in the 14th century. She expanded the military to a modern, pre-professional force and sold of some of the many Royal palaces. Marrying a Polish nobleman in 1740, she gave up the throne for King Sigismund III Puzyna, solidifying her de-facto rule. A 5th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war was fought in the years 1752-1755, showing yet another over-ambitious attempt at retaking land in the east. Vilna was besieged by early 1755, and Queen Kornelia, busy with fighting another conflict over Upper Silesia, was effectively removed from power in a military coup. The Sejm accepted paying a large war indemnity to Russia, ceded Podolskie and Braklawskie and relinquished all control of the military from King Sigismund III. The Royal family was kept in house arrest in the Royal Palace of Warsaw for two years, during which Chancellor Stanisław Leszczyński held firm control over government. An attempt to seize back power by Queen Kornelia failed miserably, having organized a small portion of the royal guard to storm the Chancellor's offices but who were put down by a stronger Polish army garrison in Warsaw. The King was forced to abdicate under a threat to his life, and the family went to exile in Constantinople for the rest of their lives. Stanisław Leszczyński was subsequently elected king by the Sejm and portrayed himself as "savior of the nation", reigning from 1757-66. His rule was competent but much of the autocratic power of Kornelia remained to the dismay of nobles. Uprisings in Lithuania and Ruthenia as well as the fallout from the Silesian war started in 1754 kept most of his time preoccupied, despite his plans for economic reforms and reformed constitution for the commonwealth. He was succeeded by yet another 'playboy king', Polish-Ruthenian noble Maurycy Zavadovsky as Jan III Maurycy. The luxury spending of the court skyrocketed, and a new-found liking for King Leopold I's palace in Ciechocinek kept him out of the country for the majority of his 11 years as king. Jan III Maurycy was succeeded by his younger brother Eugeniusz in 1777, crowned Henryk I Eugeniusz the following year. The new king took lavish spending to new heights, building a new royal palace five miles west of Warsaw to host both the executive government and Sejm. The magnificent palace was finished in 1784 and nearly bankrupted Poland. The weakness of the Polish economy had not been noticed too well yet, but waning agricultural industry was starting to take its toll. Grain imports from Russia became more and more frequent, and so did the gaps in wealth between the poorest and richest. The Sejm tried to adress this through numerous reforms, many which affected the King's right to spend privately and executively which he vetoed. Following outright food shortages in 1797, riots in major cities erupted as the rural population sought a place in the cities. The Sejm convened and issued emergency powers to the Marshal, who happened to be the liberal nationalist Count Stanisław Małachowski. He in turn negotiated new loans for the sake of providing food for the people temporarily, importing grain reserves for the winter. He also issued the responsibility of creating a new constitution to the Sejm, which presented one eight months later. This constitution included demands for majority rule in parliament, separation of powers, enfranchisement of the middle classes and abolishment of serfdom and was accepted by an overwhelming majority of 195-64. Poland-Lithuania, or the Polish Commonwealth as it was known now, entered the 19th century as one of Europe's most democratic nations.

RP Sample: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=387361&p=29672086#p29672086

#AltDiv

Additionally, I added Lower Silesia to Poland. Lack of any medieval opponents as of now anyways so I snatched it.

The idea of that former Polish royal family having gone in exile in Constantinople in the past is interesting, consider the general way in which the Roman Empire was perceived in the Catholic West. And now that I think about it, Poland and the Romans probably shared borders at some point.

Regardless, accepted!

[New Papan]

Full Nation Name : Polish Commonwealth // Rzeczpospolita Królestwa Polskiego
Majority/Official Culture : Polish and Lithuanian
Territorial Core :
(Image)
Territorial Claim :
(Image)
Capital City : Warsaw
Population : ~9,350,000

Government Type : Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : The current government is set upon maintaining stability between rivaling factions within Poland, such as the modernists and the Catholic church, absolutists and restorists, liberals and conservatives. Infrastructure improvement is an active policy apart from internal peacekeeping.
Government Focus : The government is vying to improve infrastructure and support Polish export industry, in addition to seeking legitimacy among the people and the political factions. Should another government come into power, these priorities could come to change.
Head of State : Michał III Puzyna, by the grace of God and the will of the people, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Duke of Ruthenia, Masovia, Volhynia and Podlasie
Head of Government : HM's Regent Prince Michał Gedeon Radziwiłł, Prime Minister Korneliusz Krasovsky
Government Description : The King holds some executive powers, however his age keeps those powers in the hand of the Regent. The Military answers to that very Regent in this obvious case of a young Monarch, although funding is approved by the parliament. Most executive power, such as managing the many departments of government, lies within HM's cabinet and the Legislative power is largely determined by the representatives in the Sejm, with elected members from constituencies determined by historically feudal divisions. The electorate is composed of nearly 10% of all Adult men, most of whom are Polish and Lithuanian but with certain exceptions promoted by the constitution of 1798. The King (or Regent in this case) can has a veto which can be revoked should either HM's Prime Minister approve of the Sejm's bill or should 2/3 of the Sejm vote for it on a second vote. Legislative initiative is left to the representatives and HM's government. The Sejm is in session February-November, ceremonially opened by the King. The Judiciary is largely independent, appointments being made by the King adviced by the Sejm and HM's government.

Majority/State Religion : Roman Catholicism
Religious Description : The Roman Catholic Church is a powerful and popular institution not only religiously in Poland, but politically. Many representatives in the Sejm are closely tied to the Church and Bishops hold extensive local power in Cities like Kraków. Religious minorities such as various Lutherans, Eastern Orthodox Christians and Jews exist and compose about 1/10 of the population, but have more local institutions and communities.

Economic Ideologies : State Capitalism
Major Production : Steel, Grain, Cattle, Lumber, Glass, Clothes and other textiles
Economic Description :
Since formally abolishing serfdom in 1798, the waning agricultural industry has experienced rapid growth and traditional trade routes have recovered. While the old breadbasket status of feeding most of Eastern and Northern Europe of the Commonwealth days won't return anytime near where it is now, Poland still remains a center of agricultural importance and the extension of land ownership from exclusively nobility to a fair portion of the population has paid off in both efficiency and competition. Farmers grow wheat, rye, barley, and oats more prominently, but newcomers to a more experimental industry include potatoes, sugar beet and fodder crops. Improved roads and a growing food processing industry additionally support growth in cultivation, and generally this seems to be the more secure of markets in regards to demand domestically and regionally export-wise.

The Małopolska Upland hosts various locations for mining industry and steel mills. Rapid development through government-funds there has supported growth not only in the extraction and processing of ore, but of glass and resources for domestic weapon production in Lublin. Coal mines have been established in Lower Silesia and are a vital part of the growth of industries, but does not have much international importance and is therefore more of a domestic asset. The Eastern areas of Poland host a significant lumber industry as well. The larger cities have textile industries which not only produces clothes of linen, flax and whool but imported luxuries such as cotton and silk. Apart from a smaller group of factories, industrialization has not picked up that well in Poland. No railways exist, but the government is seeking foreign loans to fund such a project to connect major cities and industrial centers. Lithuania, or the Eastern regions in general, remain less developed than the western ones. Greater Poland, Lodz and Silesia are to a higher standard in infrastructural aspects.

Tech Group : European

Army Description : The Commonwealth Army is not THE pride of the nation, but many dream of the victories once brought by the Winged Hussars. In general, it is a competent force with good leaders, modern equipment and enough of it, both strong infantry and cavalry forces as well as up to date tactics. Soldiers wear white and red to battle and the army numbers 80,000 men when mobilized. Permanently active forces number just less than 10,000 but the mobilization of the entire army could be done relatively fast as such has been a priority, soldier families often receiving land in areas with better infrastructure and coordination with officers, all in accordance with the dystrybucja system.

The Army is centralized in all aspects but conscription. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania has a separate quota of soldiers to recruit for the central command, as does the Kingdom of Poland. 62% of soldiers come from the Kingdom of Poland, which is proportionally less than required of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, purely population-wise.
Army Weakness : Divided leadership with internal political struggles and too little mobile artillery (most of such being concentrated at forts).
Naval Description : Although quite a few prominent nobles, army officials and members of the Modernist faction are navy enthusiasts and aren't afraid to express that, Poland lacks a coast and therefore any navy. Apart from tiny patrol boats to be deployed by the Gendarmie in the Vistula or Narew rivers, no ships belong to any Polish armed force. The strength of the navy is that it cannot be defeated (!).
Naval Weakness : It doesn't exist.
Further Military Description : There are three clear factions that have emerged within the Polish Army. The one currently in power is the moderate and government-loyal Obrona Narodowa faction which most high-ranking officers belong to. Their aim is to maintain order and discipline within the military, obey HM's government in any case at all and reserve any major positions within Military and Civilian government for the nobility. The Przywrócenie Narodowe faction is closely tied to the nobility as well, but more so to the catholic church. Its members are not represented at the highest posts in military, but has a stronger political presence in HM's cabinet and the Sejm. It advocates the Catholic supremacy over 'pagans', expansionist wars in the East and closer cooperation with the Teutonic knights. The most extreme members even want an outright constitution of Absolute Monarchy and a return of the Teutonic Knights as vassals, should the Papacy be inclined to agree. On the other side of the spectrum, the modernizing Futuryści are Slavic nationalists, seeking expansionist wars to the North instead for purpose of gaining access to the Baltic sea. It proposes radical reforms within the military and domestically in Poland, seeking a military republic and an end to the influence of the church. Its civilian wing has a political plurality in the Sejm but tends to be far more moderate and liberal.

National Goals : Continued Polish independence, economic development, internal stability and war of expansion.
National Issues : One political faction will have to take control, either through the young monarch's approval or through force.
National Figures of Interest : Ignacy Prądzyński (de-facto leader of the Futuryści faction) and Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (political leader of the Przywrócenie Narodowe faction and Marshal of the Sejm)
National Ambition/Aspirations : Overwhelming and rapid change of the current political order in Poland.
Rival: No "one" clear rival as of now, but there are strained relations with both the Teutonic-Livonian Catholic Union and the Tsaardom of Rusemaa because of internal factions interest in the two.

History : The 14th century started in catastrophe for Poland. The political fallout with the collapse of the Přemyslid dynasty and failed raids into Brandenburg following Teutonic betrayal left the Feudal Nation in chaos for more than a decade, only with Władysław I's coronation cementing an the end of the two-century long infighting that had started with the death of Boleslaw III. Poland's external borders seemed to stabilize as Casimir III the Great's confirmed Poland's role as a medieval power in Europe. Wars against Bohemia and the Teutonic order all ended unsuccessfully however, the latter still withholding its military prowess which had shaken fear in both pagans and Catholics. The Union of Krewo in 1385 linked Poland and Lithuania together for ages to come, christianizing the last Pagan state of Europe as well as introducing the Jagiellonian dynasty
as rulers of Poland. Initial conquests by Polish-Lithuanian forces in the Dnieper basin following the Kievan Rus's near destruction by the Mongols signalled the power of the state, but internal feuds between Polish and Lithuanian nobility hardened the unity in the Dual Monarchy. Nobility tightened their control over manufacturing, trade and other economic activities and the Folwark system effectively forced many peasants into serfdom.

The Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War of 1409-11 was largely a stalemate, although the victory at Grunwald recognized Polish military power despite defeats in Lithuania as a result of Livonian expertise and failed war coordination between the nobility of the Union parters. Polish involvement in the Hussite crusades proved successful and despite King Wladyslaw II's turning down of the Crown of Bohemia, influence within the Holy Roman Empire remained. Civil War in Lithuania 1431-1435 nearly divided the Union partners for good but a victory for Władysław III kept it together. Casimir IV's reign was long and successful, with victory over the Teutons in the Three Years War bringing Central Lithuania back to the Realm, as well as a strengthening of the Sejm and Monarch's rule at the expense of the nobility. A great economic development in mining and trade routes through Poland-Lithuania benifited the country greatly. Alexander I's reign saw two unsuccessful wars against the nascent Russia. Ingrian forces first defeated the Polish-Lithuanians in the war 1493-95, despite the latter's larger forces, and later in 1498, then an even weaker Poland-Lithuania following infighting over the succession of the crown of Poland. Most holdings formerly conquered by the Kievan Rus were lost and Lithuania nearly halved in size.

The first half of the 16th century was marked by economic recovery, cultural prestige and political stability. King Sigismund I reigned for nearly four decades, supervising the integration of the duchies of Mazovia and Lower Silesia, inviting Renaissance artists to his court in Kraków, extending royal powers, introducing fiscal and monetary reforms as well as waging a successful war against the Russians in 1535-36, extending Lithuania's borders to the Dnieper river basin. It would take another century for the Russians to seize Kiev again. Initially, Sigismund opposed lutheranism fervently and met yearly in the late 1520s to discuss the threat it posed to the catholic church with representatives from the Teutonic order, Hungary, the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire among others. In his later reign however, seeing how harsh crackdown had failed to contain the spread of lutheranism and that nobles critized him for royal privileges previously granted the Jewish minorites, the persecution was limited. His only son, Sigismund II Augustus inherited a Poland where the nobility had grown intent upon seizing further powers recently taken from them. The second half of the 16th century became much more violent than previously expected. The Union of Lublin in 1569 tied Poland and Lithuania closer than before, now a Commonwealth. Sigismund II Augustus did not leave any children to inherit the 'Noble Democracy' established, instead a notable magnate and former advisor of the King Jan Zamoyski was crowned as the second of his name. This iniated the bleeding years from 1578-1602, seeing no less than five kings on the throne and religious wars. The longest-reigning of these, Wladyslaw IV Małachowski (crowned 1585, deceased 1596) supervised a rule of terror, declaring all lutherans outlaws, fought a civil war against the self-proclaimed Grand Duke of Lithuania Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł and invited a Teuton knight to serve as Royal "inkwizytor" in command of hundreds of soldiers running rampant through Poland in search of heathens. Pogroms and persecution against Orthodox Christians was also frequent, but not as brutal as that against the Lutherans.

Poland had stabilized by the end of the first decade of the 17th century. Unity within the Sejm and the election of Janusz Ostrogski as King the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1608 saw a return of the Kingdom's previous status. Construction of Royal palaces, roads but more importantly, the expansion of the new capital Warsaw (as of 1604) was started. Great lengths were taken to placate the nobility in control of the Sejm for these construction projects to take place, Poland-Lithuania taking on a large debt to fund these projects. Architects from Constantinople, Paris and Italy were invited to build Warsaw, soon to be recognized as a centre for arts and culture. Religious freedom was also guaranteed with Ostrogoski's leadership, in an aim to put the recent history of religious war behind Poland-Lithuania. At the outbreak of the Thirty Years war, the King was determined to keep Poland-Lithuania out of it, a planned war with Russia being one of the reasons. His death in 1620 led to heated discussion upon the election of the next King however, a fate which fell upon the Lithuanian noble Krzysztof I Chodkiewicz, set upon preserving peace. Despite pressure from Catholic neighbors, he formally never entered the Thirty Years War although loans, mercenaries and supplies were granted to the Teutonic Order in particular. His austerity measures saw cuts in the military, confiscation of the property of some nobles and a full payment of the large debt Poland had amassed. His reign saw an expansion in modern diplomacy, opening embassies in many European capitals. He personally toured Europe in this time of war, seeking bonds with other nations and Christian cooperation for the sake of devotion and humanism alone. Krzysztof I was succeeded by his son, Jan II Kazimierz Chodkiewicz in 1652. Only two years later, Poland-Lithuania would be attacked by Russia and the Teutonic Order simultaneously, in what came to be the lengthy Third Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian War 1654-1663. The first three years of the war saw two important Polish victories, and one important Russian. The first of those three, the 1st Battle of Baranivka (fought on the 3rd of June 1654 in modern day western Ukraine) was a decisive victory for the Polish giving legendary status to the elite cavalry known as "The Winged Hussars". The Russian army invading the Duchy of Kiev was larger however and regrouped quicker than expected, leading to a defeat in the 2nd battle of Baranivka in October that same year. Casualties were large on both sides but the Polish could not afford them. A skirmish fought south of Kulm led to Teutons to retreat, but only until the larger German Army could march on the attackers. Kiev was besieged by the Russians by winter, and after spring's arrival, a year of few Polish victories in White Ruthenia arrived, but only at the expense of defending Ukraine. By March 1659, Kiev and Smolensk were firmly in the hands of the Russians and a Teutonic force of unexpected size was threatening Byalstok. Another year of fighting saw an exit of the Teutonic knights out of the war, but only as the result of a costly victory in battle for the Polish-Lithuanian army and a large war indemnity to be paid. For the next 5 years, King Jan II Kazimierz exhausted the resources and manpower of Lithuania and Poland despite having only a handful victories to show for it. The captures of Vilna and Minsk forced surrender upon the Polish-Lithuanians, who ceded nearly a third of their Eastern lands to Russia. The King died only a year later as the last of the Chodkiewicz dynasty and flung Poland into a 10-year long interregnum. Only in 1674, a Catholic German nobleman, Leopold Waldburg was elected. His reign lasted well into the 18th century, and was characterized by a decline in autocracy, decentralization, agricultural development and the emergency of a Polish-Lithuanian national identity even Ruthenians, Silesians, Hungarians and Jews could sense some sort of belonging to, regardless of religion. Leopold I never learnt Polish, but turned to have a thorough understanding of its culture, history and political issues by the time of his death. He spent most of his winters in Ciechocinek, South-east of Thorn in the German Order, where he built his Weichselschloss, a Baroque-styled Thermal bath. This is said to have had improved relations with the Teutons at the time.

When Leopold I died on the 8th of December 1711 at his Weichselschloss he was immensely popular and Poland had been at peace for nearly 40 years, disregarding a minor campaign into Bohemia in 1688. He was succeeded by his son, Leopold II Waldburg who vowed to continue his father's style of rule. He was what modern historians would label a 'playboy king', known to throw lavish parties, refurbishing and building new palaces, having multiple affairs outside of marriage and travelling around the Mediterranean on a privately owned luxury galley on "diplomatic missions". Day to day business was left to the Sejm, the Royal Marshal and other advisors who struggled to balance income and expense. Most loans came from the Jewish minority in Poland, giving them a lesser degree of influence on national banking and government. He waged one war against a seemingly weakened Russia 1724-25 (4th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war) as a calculated move to gain domestic support and win back land from Russia for Lithuania. Polish-Lithuanian inability to win any decisive victories and similar inability for the Russians do so led to a stalemate with no border changes, but it was propaganda victory enough for Leopold II to increase his authority. Even after the Sejm voted for new authorites in legislative power for the King, he orchestrated a coup seizing full power of the government apparatus in 1732, becoming sole autocrat of Poland-Lithuania and revoking many of the nobility's rights. A skillful chancellor who had advised him for years, Stanisław Leszczyński, launched economic reforms which came to have positive effects for decades to come. Leopold II died after a period of illness in 1737, having made sure Leszczyński would see his only child, Kornelia, take the throne as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. An enlightened ruler who had travelled the courts of Europe and had the best of tutors as a child, the young Kornelia I Waldburg became the first female ruler since Hedwig in the 14th century. She expanded the military to a modern, pre-professional force and sold of some of the many Royal palaces. Marrying a Polish nobleman in 1740, she gave up the throne for King Sigismund III Puzyna, solidifying her de-facto rule. A 5th Polish-Lithuanian-Ingrian war was fought in the years 1752-1755, showing yet another over-ambitious attempt at retaking land in the east. Vilna was besieged by early 1755, and Queen Kornelia, busy with fighting another conflict over Upper Silesia, was effectively removed from power in a military coup. The Sejm accepted paying a large war indemnity to Russia, ceded Podolskie and Braklawskie and relinquished all control of the military from King Sigismund III. The Royal family was kept in house arrest in the Royal Palace of Warsaw for two years, during which Chancellor Stanisław Leszczyński held firm control over government. An attempt to seize back power by Queen Kornelia failed miserably, having organized a small portion of the royal guard to storm the Chancellor's offices but who were put down by a stronger Polish army garrison in Warsaw. The King was forced to abdicate under a threat to his life, and the family went to exile in Constantinople for the rest of their lives. Stanisław Leszczyński was subsequently elected king by the Sejm and portrayed himself as "savior of the nation", reigning from 1757-66. His rule was competent but much of the autocratic power of Kornelia remained to the dismay of nobles. Uprisings in Lithuania and Ruthenia as well as the fallout from the Silesian war started in 1754 kept most of his time preoccupied, despite his plans for economic reforms and reformed constitution for the commonwealth. He was succeeded by yet another 'playboy king', Polish-Ruthenian noble Maurycy Zavadovsky as Jan III Maurycy. The luxury spending of the court skyrocketed, and a new-found liking for King Leopold I's palace in Ciechocinek kept him out of the country for the majority of his 11 years as king. Jan III Maurycy was succeeded by his younger brother Eugeniusz in 1777, crowned Henryk I Eugeniusz the following year. The new king took lavish spending to new heights, building a new royal palace five miles west of Warsaw to host both the executive government and Sejm. The magnificent palace was finished in 1784 and nearly bankrupted Poland. The weakness of the Polish economy had not been noticed too well yet, but waning agricultural industry was starting to take its toll. Grain imports from Russia became more and more frequent, and so did the gaps in wealth between the poorest and richest. The Sejm tried to adress this through numerous reforms, many which affected the King's right to spend privately and executively which he vetoed. Following outright food shortages in 1797, riots in major cities erupted as the rural population sought a place in the cities. The Sejm convened and issued emergency powers to the Marshal, who happened to be the liberal nationalist Count Stanisław Małachowski. He in turn negotiated new loans for the sake of providing food for the people temporarily, importing grain reserves for the winter. He also issued the responsibility of creating a new constitution to the Sejm, which presented one eight months later. This constitution included demands for majority rule in parliament, separation of powers, enfranchisement of the middle classes and abolishment of serfdom and was accepted by an overwhelming majority of 195-64. Poland-Lithuania, or the Polish Commonwealth as it was known now, entered the 19th century as one of Europe's most democratic nations.

RP Sample: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=387361&p=29672086#p29672086

#AltDiv

Additionally, I added Lower Silesia to Poland. Lack of any medieval opponents as of now anyways so I snatched it.

The idea of that former Polish royal family having gone in exile in Constantinople in the past is interesting, consider the general way in which the Roman Empire was perceived in the Catholic West. And now that I think about it, Poland and the Romans probably shared borders at some point.

Regardless, accepted!

Thanks, and I bet there would have been one war here or there and interaction with Polish presence in the Black Sea and Moldovia in the past, to say the least, I simply forgot to add something about it. As for Constantinople, I kind of do imagine it as a nice place to live out one's days in, certainly in Eastern Europe.

[Remnants of Exilvania]

And?

What exactly does this affect?
If it's about Novgorod, I didn't specify the reason for the Russian Campaign and can make simple expansionism the reason.

The Johanna-Edikt is first and foremost a political statement. Women in the Knights are veeeeery rare.

The Pope is considered to be the highest religious authority on earth, lest god or another Jesus suddenly decide to descend upon the earth.

Would be technically incorrect, but I just wanted to check if you knew.

Dat feeling when you know that there was a schism but not why

[Shogunate of the Uzumaki Empire]

Full Nation Name :

Kazakh Khanate
Қазақ Хандығы
Qazaq Handyg'y
قازاق حاندىعى

Majority/Official Culture : Kazakh
Territorial Core : All of Modern-day Kazakhstan.
Territorial Claim : [[OPTIONAL]] [[region NOT your core where your nation’s ambition lies]]
Capital City : Turkistan, Kazakhstan
Population : 1097,5

Government Type : Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Militant, Imperialist, Expansionist, etc.]]
Government Focus : [[Tell me a little bit about what is your government’s focus… be it military, economy, culture, legitimacy, etc.]]
Head of State : [[highest-ranking individual in the nation according to rule of law]]
Head of Government :
Government Description :

Majority/State Religion :
Religious Description :

Economic Ideologies : Capitalism
Major Production :
Economic Description :


Tech Group : Eastern

Army Description : [[Describe your nation's army in as much detail as you can]]
Army Weakness :
Naval Description : [[Describe your nation's navy in as much detail as you can]]
Naval Weakness :
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals :
National Issues : [[what needs to be fixed in order for your nation to achieve its true potential]]
National Figures of Interest : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Are there any Mother Teresas or Moses that we need to know about?]]
National Ambition/Aspirations : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Not really a set objective, but rather the big picture that your nation is drawing towards]]
Rival:

History : The Kazakh Khanate was founded in 1465 in the Zhetysu region of southeastern Kazakhstan by Janybek Khan and Kerey Khan. During the reign of Kasym Khan (1511–1523), the khanate expanded considerably. Kasym Khan instituted the first Kazakh code of laws, Qasym Khannyn Qasqa Zholy (Bright Road of Kasym Khan), in 1520. The khanate is described in historical texts such as the Tarikh-i-Rashidi (1541–1545) by Muhammad Haidar Dughlat and Zhamigi-at-Tavarikh (1598–1599) by Kadyrgali Kosynuli Zhalayir.

At its height, the khanate ruled portions of Central Asia and Cumania. Kazakh nomads raided Russian territories for slaves until the Russians conquered Kazakhstan. Prominent Kazakh khans included Haknazar Khan, Esim Khan, Tauke Khan, and Ablai Khan.

The Kazakh Khanate did not always have a unified government. The Kazakhs were traditionally divided into three groups, or zhuzes: senior, middle, and junior. The zhuzes had to agree to have a common khan. In 1731, they were able to unify into a Sovereign Nation and have elected their first Khan,
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)

[Tracian Empire]

The idea of that former Polish royal family having gone in exile in Constantinople in the past is interesting, consider the general way in which the Roman Empire was perceived in the Catholic West. And now that I think about it, Poland and the Romans probably shared borders at some point.

Regardless, accepted!

Thanks, and I bet there would have been one war here or there and interaction with Polish presence in the Black Sea and Moldovia in the past, to say the least, I simply forgot to add something about it. As for Constantinople, I kind of do imagine it as a nice place to live out one's days in, certainly in Eastern Europe.

Well, that is a part that I've never discussed much due to a lack of neighbors in former iterations of this roleplay, but yeah, the Roman Empire might have attempted to expand along the coasts of the Black Sea in the past, which would have brought it into contact with the Poles, with the not-so-Crimean Tatars (since well, the Romans managed to more or less maintain control over Crimea) and later with the Russians.

It certainly is. With the Roman Empire never suffering the catastrophic periods of collapse that it experienced in real life, Constantinople has never declined so much as it did in real life. It probably still is, one of the most beautiful cities of Europe and Asia.

[Tracian Empire]

Snip

I'd appreciate it if you would use a smaller variant of that flag, as it is right now, it looks gigantic even on PC, so it could be a big problem for those viewing this thread on mobile.

[Zelent]

Caizerik Vin da Franconians
Empire Of The Franks
Imperium Francorum

Full Nation Name : Empire of the Franks (Caizerik Vin Da Franconians), refers to both the descendants of the Franks and the Gallic-Roman populations they intermingled with, the Franconians (Pronounced; Frankonians), and the land they inhabit, Francia (Frankia).

Majority/Official Culture : As previously explained, the dominant culture is Franconian, descended from old Frankish and Germanic cultures which dominated Gaul during the times of Charlemagne, that over time began to increasingly become through osmosis the culture and language of the commoners with some overlap from Celtic and Romano-Gallic influences, as evident in the language and in some regions such as Brittany, where the local culture still includes many relics of Celtic rule.

Territorial Core : https://imgur.com/a/kQgaz
Territorial Claim : [[OPTIONAL]] [[region NOT your core where your nation’s ambition lies]]
Capital City : [[Its IRL location and name]]
Population :

Government Type : [[Monarchy, Republic, etc.]]
Government Ideology/Policies : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Militant, Imperialist, Expansionist, etc.]]
Government Focus : [[Tell me a little bit about what is your government’s focus… be it military, economy, culture, legitimacy, etc.]]
Head of State : [[highest-ranking individual in the nation according to rule of law]]
Head of Government : [[highest-ranking defacto ruler]]
Government Description :

Majority/State Religion : [[OPTIONAL]] [[It does not have to be IRL religion]]
Religious Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

Economic Ideologies : Lassiez-faire w/ protectionist characteristics. State bureaucrats are appointed to a variety of different positions, as Port Officers and Tax Assessors across administrative districts.
Major Production :
Economic Description :


Tech Group : [Read "Centers of Modernization," European, Oriental, Mesoamerican, N/A (default is N/A)]

Army Description : [[Describe your nation's army in as much detail as you can]]
Army Weakness :
Naval Description : [[Describe your nation's navy in as much detail as you can]]
Naval Weakness :
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]

National Goals :
National Issues : [[what needs to be fixed in order for your nation to achieve its true potential]]
National Figures of Interest : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Are there any Mother Teresas or Moses that we need to know about?]]
National Ambition/Aspirations : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Not really a set objective, but rather the big picture that your nation is drawing towards]]
Rival: Western Roman Empire or Iberia.

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)

[Shogunate of the Uzumaki Empire]

Snip

I'd appreciate it if you would use a smaller variant of that flag, as it is right now, it looks gigantic even on PC, so it could be a big problem for those viewing this thread on mobile.

Of course!

[The Traansval]

Oh good lord, Francia has the Rhineland. I need allies...

[Wansul]

Reservation

Nation Name: The Holy Imperial Republic Of Abyssinia
Territory:Modern day Ethiopia, Dijbouti, Somalia, Kenya, Eritrea, Socotra(Part of modern day Yemen)
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

[The V O I D]

Oh, shit, this happened? Why didn't anyone tell me this happened?

Nevermind. I have a reservation at the ready.

Reservation

Nation Name: The Persian Empire
Territory: Whatever's available of this.
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)
*Note: Reservations will last for 48 hours. The OP board reserves the right to be subjective in regards to accepting reservations.

[Oscalantine]

Oh the flag... that looks... Romanian, if I recall my flags correctly XDDD