1906: Alternative Divergence [AH][OOC-DEAD]

[Remnants of Exilvania]

This maybe a dumb question, but if I understand correctly dreadnought is a type of battleship similar to the Japanese Mikasa or German Nassau. What is the point to build such gigantic behemoth ?

Small and fast ships with torpedos are better !

Basically the point of Battleships is to fight other battleships.

It makes more sense when you understand the build up of naval arms. Basically, we started with small ships, then built bigger ships to kill the small ships, and then we built even bigger ships to kill those bigger ships, etc. etc. Basically, nations build battleships because other nations have battleships, so they build them so their not vulnerable. Also Battleships can do large damage to medium sized ships and can bombard enemy ports or coastal emplacements, their basically floating artillery.

To your first question, a Dreadnought is a type of ship which features a "All Big Gun" layout. The idea is that instead of having multiple medium sized guns spread out in casemates (Think of one of the guns on the side of a WW1 British tank and thats basically a casemate, only with a fucking naval cannon in it) along the sides, Dreadnoughts featured fucking massive guns in bow (frontal) and aft (rear) turrents which could move from side to side, basically making it so that way you could fire all your guns no matter what side faced your enemy, unlike with Pre-Dreadnoughts where you could only bring half your guns on target since the other half were aimed the other direction. It also heavily maximized firepower as now you had between eight and ten massive shells heading towards your even instead of a dozen medium sized ones. Additionally, Dreadnoughts featured more armor, particullarly around the citadel (the area where the most vital parts such as the engine are located) and the turrets.

Good examples include the HMS Dreadnought, for which the class is named, and something like the New York Class for America.

That's not to say that Dreadnoughts lacked the old casemates with the medium guns.

They very much still had them. The Nassau he mentioned for instance also featured a dozen 15 cm naval guns as well as a larger number of 88s. Even if one could evade the big guns and make use of their longer reload, one would still have to deal with a whole bunch of smaller guns that, if one is a smaller and less armoured ship, do have a lot of potential to shred before you get into proper torpedo range.

Unless of course this is World of Warships were a Nassau can't prevent anything from closing in on it and engaging with it in an extended brawl.

[Kamchakta]

Full Nation Name: The Portuguese Empire
Majority/Official Culture: Portuguese (85.6%) is the official culture although many other tribes reside within the African Colonies such as the Ovimbundu, Mbundu and Bakongo in Angola. Some were recognised for their outstanding bravery in fighting and resisting Portuguese occupation and have military units of their own. While the cultures of the natives are slowly assimilated into the larger Portuguese family as they retain their ability to practice local customs and enjoy their local cuisine, they have to abide the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.
Official Languages: Portuguese (96.7%) and Latin
Territorial Core: Portugal and Azore Islands
Territorial Claim: Galicia (Spain) has been eyed by Portuguese Nationalist since time and memorial. Especially now with the revolutionary spirit burning among many Portuguese, some fear or wonder whether the dream of a Greater Portugal will ever be realised.
Capital City: Lisboa (658,930)
Population: 7.26 Million (Core) 2.1 Million (Colonies) 9.36 Million (Total)

Lisboa (658,930)
Porto (411,214)
Sinitra (398,226)

Mozambique: 846,320
Angola: 758,291
South Tanzania: 321,872
Zambia and Zimbabwe: 299,310

Government Type: Absolute Hereditary Monarchy
Government Ideology/Policies: Imperialist, Conservative

Government Focus: King Dom Carlos I, Monarch of Portugal is focused and consolidating his power on the mainland. With the populace getting agitated and rowdier as the demand a Republic, Carlos I finds himself having no choice to slowly reform the system and grant more powers to the people which angers the people who support the Monarchy who mostly consist of the rich merchants. His advisors and ministers are fractured on whether they should remain loyal to the King or grab power for themselves by flowing along with the tides of revolutionary change. Only time will tell if a revolution can be averted. Economically, Portugal is also not as strong as it used to which is fueling even more anger among Portuguese Nationalist.

Head of State: King Dom Carlos I
Head of Government: Council of Advisors (Conselho de Assessores) - Teófilo Braga - Minister of Trade and Commerce, Alfonso Claudio - Defence, Miguel Brasil - Foreign Affairs. They assist and advise the King regarding decisions and affairs.
Government Description: Since time and memorial, Portugal has been ruled through a succession of Kings and their heirs. Carlos I's heir is Dom Manuel II. The Council of Advisors/Ministers is in charge of helping the King make decisions while the majority of the populace is given little say in the external and internal dealings of the Empire. The Church also plays a major role as they have the power of anointing and the coronation the new King. Should the disapprove, the Church has levied and in the past fought wars against Portugal itself. That is why the lineage of Carlos I was not always the royal family of Portugal. This court culture results in frequent corruptions, especially with the materialistic and mercantilist thinking of the people in power. The Conselho de Assessores consists of 12 advisors to the King and are experts in their own fields pertaining to different matters.

Majority/State Religion: Roman Catholicism (91.8%) [Under the Greater Chalcedonian Church]
Religious Description: The Church of Portugal is a powerful institution. The 3 provinces of Portugal are the Ecclesiastical Province of Lisboa, Braga and Evora. The highest of these is the Cardinal of the Latin Patriarchate of Lisboa, led by Cardinal José (III) Sebastião de Almeida Neto. Under him are the many individual Archdiocese and Archbishops of the many small churches in the 3 main Ecclesiastical Provinces. Education is also influenced by the church with there being more than 560 religious schools in Portugal and 20 abroad in the colonies. the Mission Church of Angola and Mozambique are led by the Jesuit Religious Order while the Redemptorist lead the Mission Church of Zimbabwe. Military religious orders such as the Knights of St John's also reside in Lisboa.

Economic Ideologies: Mercantilism, Protectionism of Trade (Gold Standard) and Capitalism
Major Production: Portugal (Core) - Textiles, Machine-Parts, Steel, Tungsten, Clothes, Footwear, Tomatoes, Pears, Oranges, Fish, Wine, Rum, Wine Corks, Cheese, Ships (Military and Commercial), Early Cars, Petroleum, Bolt-Action Rifles and Artillery (For Local Armed Forces)

Cotton, Sugar, Fish, Citrus, Timber, Coffee, Diamonds, Gold, Silver, Coal, Iron, Oil

Economic Description: Due to being a Mercantilist nation with our Portuguese Escudo (Currency) tied to the Gold Standard, Portugal continues to maintain protectionist policies to ensure wealth stays within the borders of the realm. Many raw and precious goods come from the colonies while Portugal has slowly been shifting to work in the factories and industrialising. In the colonies, slightly below half are farmers while the other half work in mines or excavation related jobs. In Portugal, 35% Work on agriculture while 10% are employed in crafts such as fine wines, cheese and corks. Shipbuilding is the mainstay of Portugal's industrialisation with the shipyards of Lisboa and Porto upgraded in 1871 to house and build Ironclads. Much of the industry being developed is in Ironworks and metallurgy. Machine Part factories in Lisboa churn out the products at rates faster than ever seen since the factories first opened in 1892. Steelworks are beginning to take off especially in Braga Province. Much of it (66%) of it is government owned by the Monarchy while the remaining is private but driven by 1% of the richest in Portugal.

Development: Modern (Mainland Portugal) Semi-Industrialised (Empire)
Development Description: Portugal had begun industrialisation in the 1880s when the railway was becoming popular. Furthermore, the Naval tradition of Portugal spurred further development due to many of the shipbuilding industries pertaining to industrial activity. Hence, while the literacy rates in Portugal were at 12% in 1830, by the 1870s, they had reached 42% and in 1906 today a stunning 85% (Which is partially why revolutionary sentiment of spreading). Large clothes and textile factories were present as early as 1890 and in the 1890s, Portugal began to make Machine Parts and Ships of tonnage excess of 14,000 tons. Railway in Portugal is dominated by a Private Company (Partially Govt. owned) called Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses - Portuguese Railways finished the constructing a Lisboa to Porto railway in 1883 allowing for goods to be shipped quickly between the 2 major cities. The mainland is extremely dense in railway infrastructure and telegraph lines crisscross the entirety of Mainland Portugal allowing for quick communication between major Portuguese cities by 1904. This quick development of the mainland was needed due to the massive population of our European Competitors like Spain and France. Therefore, many of the farms use early tractors which improved the efficiency of ploughing the land and reducing the workers needed giving the unemployment needed to open factories. The colonies have extensive railways to send resources towards ports like Luanda for shipment. However, mainly focused on the extraction of resources, few factories have been built in the colonies with the exception of certain private ventures. Iron from Angola keeps the Machine Parts and steelworks in Portugal running while gold, silver and diamond from Zimbabwe and Zambia allow for a constant flow of revenue to Portugal. Oil from Angola is also starting to fuel the refineries in Portugal for the cars it is beginning to produce at a slow pace.


Portuguese Army Flag

Army Description: Exército Português (The Portuguese Army) is responsible for the defence of mainland Portugal and her colonies. Comprising of 72,200 regular soldiers, the Portuguese Army is small in comparison to its European counterparts. The regular army is divided into 3 Corps (I, II, III) which consist of 6 Infantry Divisions, each consisting of 12,000 soldiers which are further split into 3 Brigades. These divisions are trained regularly and are based in the Brigade level at different locations in Portugal. At any time, these are the 4 divisions that will respond to an invasion. These 6 regular divisions are some of the best in Europe as the need to favour quality over quantity was amplified due to the small population of the Empire. Following France, Portugal went through massive Military reforms in the 1890s with the introduction of early machineguns. Portugal was eager to test these new weapons and develop strategies for their implementation of the battlefield. At a Platoon level, a few units were equipped with the machineguns and within a Company, there can be as many as 4. To maximise individual firepower, the bolt-action rifles of the Portuguese army is the Mauser–Vergueiro which with single shots can hit a target at great distances.

Furthermore, there is a Royal Guard of the Archers (Guarda Real dos Archeiros) Brigade of 3,000 soldiers who are rigorously vetted for their proficiency and skill before being admitted into the elite unit that is based in Lisboa Barracks, outside the King's residence. In essence, the Royal Guard of the Archers has been around since 1572 under King John II of Portugal and are known for their organisation and skill at fighting having fought in times where Portugal was threatened such as when Spain seized Lisboa in 1588.

Moreover, Portugal has a conscription system requiring men aged 18 to serve 3 years in the Armed Forces, this brings the number of conscripted men to 168,600 soldiers serving in 6 Corps (IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) and into a further 12 Divisions. They are equipped with similar equipment to the regular divisions and are led by Regular Army Officers at the top and NCOs down to the Brigade level. An enlisted soldier who displays himself to command admirably is able to serve as an NCO at a Brigade level and must join the regular armed forces to go further. They are less well-trained and some critics will even state they are ineffective at combat and conscription should be banned in favour of their manpower for another usage.

Military tradition is deeply entrenched with the religious history of the nations and there are several religious orders that run their own military units. One such unit is the Most Reveranable Knights of the Order of St John's. Their Brigade of 4,000 men is run on their own funding and equipped with various different types of rifles and machineguns. They are decentralised from the main force but have proven effective when coordinating with Portuguese forces in previous conflicts such as the Animist Zealot Rebellion in Zimbabwe in 1866. Their unit dates back to the times of the early middle ages in 958 BC.

Meanwhile, there are 58,000 soldiers from the conscription in the colonies that form 3 Corps. The Moçambique Colonial Corp (1864), Companhia Colonial de Angola (1870) and the Sociedade colonial de Zâmbia (1874). These Corps consist of conscripts and regular soldiers. Furthermore, there are 2 Brigades of Native soldiers. The Brigada Mbundu of 5,000 elite natives and Brigada Bakongo of 6,000.

This brings the total size of the armed forces to 316,600 soldiers (Regular and Conscripted/ 3.5% of the population)
While this may seem high, it includes the private military orders and the conscripted men of all who reach the age of 18.

Army Weakness : One of the main weaknesses of the Exército Português (The Portuguese Army) is the Officer Corp. While there were periods of reforms in implementing the machinegun and reforming the doctrine of the Portuguese Army, it was met with fierce resistance from the Old Guard that supported the King. With some of the Old Guard still residing in their positions as generals and in the command staff, their doctrines may be severely outdated in this new kind of warfare. New, fresh minds are needed within the High Command but the new Staff Officers from Military schools in Lisboa are frequently ignored and their promotions stopped for the Old Guard to keep their own positions and precious titles creating an environment hostile to new ideas.


Portuguese Naval Ensign

Naval Description : The Marinha Portuguesa, also known as Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa or as Armada Portuguesa (Portuguese Navy) is the pride of Portugal. The Army was always something that was born out of necessity being on Mainland Europe but the joining Navy was the dream of every Portuguese. The Armada Portuguesa has had a long history and maritime tradition dating back to 1317 when it was founded by King Denis I Of Portugal. Winning in battles such as the Battle of Lisboa Coast in which the Navy fended up the Naval Blockade by Spain and it was said body after body of Spanish Sailors had washed ashore after the battle. It was also responsible for discovering trade routes to India in 1498 by Vasco Da Gama.

The Portuguese Navy comprises of 2 Fleets, the Armada de Casa (Homefleet) and Armada das Colônias (Colonial Fleet) and in total 76,250 professional sailors with 46,340 in reserve. The Homefleet is the pride of Portugal and the total fleet has 62 ships. Apart from these 2 fleets, the Portuguese Coast Guard (Guarda Portuguesa Costeira Real) is responsible for the coastal defence of the realm. The Portuguese Coast Guard has 23,300 active duty members and another 15,700 on reserve and has 38 ships, most of which are small Torpedo Boats that base of in major harbours such as Luanda, Lisboa and Porto.
Armada de Casa
- 4 Principe Class Battleships - (Rainha de Portugal, Infante Dom Pedro, Príncipe Real, São Sebastião)
13,150 tons, 4 - 12-inch guns (2 twin turrets), 18 Knots
- 14 Armoured/Protected Cruisers
6 Gabriel Armoured Cruiser Class
9,800 tons, 12 6-inch guns (2 twin turrets, 8 single guns), 2 18-inch torpedo tubes, 23 knots, belt 2-6 inches, turrets 6.5 inches, conning tower 10 inches
8 Rafael Protected Cruiser Class
9,150 tons, 2 9-inch guns (2 single turrets), 10 6-inch guns (10 single guns), 4 14-inch torpedo tubes, 20 knots, belt 3 inches, turrets 5 inches, conning tower 7 inches
- 16 Bernardo Class Destroyers
550 tons, 4 5-inch guns (4 single guns), 6 14-inch torpedo tubes, 25.5 knots, belt 1 inch, conning tower 3 inches

Armada das Colônias
- 2 Principe Class Battleships - (Santo Alberto, Lisboa)
- 6 Gabriel Class Armoured Cruisers
12 Colonias Class Destroyers
600 tons, 6 5-inch guns (6 single guns), 2 18-inch torpedo tubes, 26 knots, belt 1 inch, conning tower, 5 inches

The Portuguese Coast Guard also oversees the construction of Naval Defences. Harbours such as Porto and Lisboa all have major Naval Batteries that range from 6 inches to 12 inches in calibre. They were also recently put in place in 1901 after increased funding and a need to counter ships with better belt armour. The government frequently updates and expands the Navy and its long history has seen many victories. While many might think there would be complacency in the Navy, it is surprisingly the least corrupt institution in Portugal as too many respect the Navy tradition of honour. The Navy constantly updates its tactics and conducts simulated exercises and sea trials to test the abilities of its sailors. The navy is an all regular force. However, conscripts who serve well and show the characteristics of a good sailor are offered to take it up as a job and it is usually a great honour. Naval schools in Porto and Lisboa produce find graduates who immediately take of positions in the Navy. This promotion by merit and not affiliation ensures the Navy does not suffer the pitfalls the army does. There is even a limit to how long one can serve actively with the Old Guard upon reaching 60 having to step down for the younger generation of leaders. the Navy is one of the few jobs were pensions are provided for life after service and is hence a very attractive service.

Naval Weakness : Despite the Armada Portuguesa's long history, due to the small size and economy of Portugal, it can no longer sustain the hundreds of wooden ships it once could and had to opt for a smaller and more capability driven navy. This was to the dismay of many Navy hawks who reminisced the time when the Portuguese were hundreds of ships strong. Therefore, if faced with a larger conflict with France, no matter the strength of the navy, France would be able to outproduce Portugal in terms of number of ships and this numerical disadvantage has forced Portugal to not maintain its powerful place as the world's policeman but instead forge alliances and friendships to maintain its precarious situation. Hence, the Navy's job has become more diplomatic in nature than war.

National Goals: To keep the Nation's Naval Dominance in the region, maintain the borders of the realm, forge new alliances with European Powers to ensure Portugal's security in the region and if possible expand her colonial possessions elsewhere. However, Portugal is not in a position to have grand ideas of taking back Galicia or going to war with Spain so Portugal's aim is to remain peaceful unless the opportunity arises. Potential allies such as the Western Roman Empire must be secured for Portugal's safety. Diplomacy will be the national focus.

National Issues: To maintain the delicate balance and prevent a possible revolution. Internal turmoil is growing as the literate populace wants to establish a Republic and rid the monarchy. A slowdown in industrialisation is occurring and unemployment is rising, privatisation may be the answer and mercantilism may have to stop in favour of open free market trading. Portugal is at the crossroads on if it should reform it's old ways or continue down its Absolutist path. Either way, there is bound to be great uncertainty.

National Figures of Interest: Cadu De Souza (1st Rate Admiral of Homefleet), Aloisio Lima (1st Rate Admiral of Colonial Fleet), Fausto Ramires (Chief Staff Officer of Army), Claudio Sousa (General of Regular Corps 1-4), Christiano Trinidad (General of Conscript Corp 5-14), Dom Carlos I (King), Dom Manuel II (Crown Prince), Teófilo Braga (Minister of Trade and Commerce), Alfonso Claudio (Minister of Defence), Miguel Brasil (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Luciano Xavier (Chairman of the Labour Union of Portuguese Workers)

History : The start of Portugal for many was when its navy was founded in 1317. During those times, the Western Roman Empire was still powerful and Spain was a serious threat. King Denis the Great would fight a long war from 1305-1324 for the conquest of Evora (Southern Portugal) against neighbouring princes. He was successful at first but great power intervention forced King Denis to withdraw and nothing was gained from the conflict. It was during this time that the Navy was formed due to the fact Portugal found itself woefully unprepared against other powers of that time. In fact, Portugal, being the descendants of the Celtiberians and Lusitanians (Barbarians in the Roman eyes), they were frequently attacked by the Roman Empires of that time. It was missionaries in 1340 that started to convert the populace and the Pagan traditions of old started to die out rapidly.

By the year 1458, Portugal under a King Emmanuel II fought a brutal war for the claims on Evora once again. It was in 1460 that the battle of the coast of Lisboa took place. The Spanish armies marched into Lisboa where the Royal Guards of Archers defended valiantly, at the same time, the blockade of Lisboa was starving the men. On May 3rd, the Armada of 87 ships of Portugal and her allies set sail from Porto and met the Coalition fleet of 156 ships. The battle lasted 2 days but under the brilliant tactician 1st Rate Fleet Admiral Ramirez Diego. He valiantly crossed the "T" with his ships and sent the coalition fleet into disarray. The entire coalition armada was crushed and the attack on Lisboa was lifted. By 1472, Portugal claimed Evora and is the mainland Portugal we see today.

The occurring in the Western and Eastern Roman Empires greatly affected the state of religion in Portugal. Before, the Cardinals and Archbishops all were loyal to the traditional Roman Catholic Church of the Western Roman Empire. However, it was between in the late 1400s to lates 1500s did the church start to become more Chalcedonic in nature due to influence from Spain adopting it. This greatly decreased our standing with the Pope and several Cardinals were outraged by the proposal. Less because the new Church was being adopted but more because the state was influencing Church affairs (Ironic). Eventually, with government backdoor intervention, the Patriarchate of Lisboa and all the 3 Ecclesiastical Provinces adopted the Chalcedonic Church and abandoned the Pope, several people who help jobs closely related to matters dealing with the Pope rose their banners and took up arms. The Pope proceeded to excommunicate King Emmanuel II and a bloody war broke out. It was only when the Rebel stronghold of Catholic Zealots in Faro was crushed by a decisive siege battle led by the King himself did the war end. Slowly, the Pope moved out of the picture as the power came from the number of subjects that adhered to him. Catholic Zealots who saw the Pope as their leader would continue to spark chaos and rebellion up till the 1700s. For this, King Emmanuel II is also Saint Emmanuel, the Patron Saint of the Portuguese Chalcedonic Church.

In 1498, Vasco Da Gama discovered a trade route to India and thus began the Age of Discovery. Many other Portuguese sailors and navigators would try their luck and die in the deep depths of the Ocean they set sail to conquer. In 1532, the war was declared against Spain to claim Galicia. After a humiliating defeat at A Coruna, Portugal entered a period of peace and isolationism for the next 50 years under King Ferdinand De Souza the Coward. After a failed succession and the Portuguese Chalcedonic Church declaring war against the King, killing him and his family, the new King, Vittorio Vento I reopened the nation to trade.

After long periods of constant war with Spain to Portugal's modern borders, relations began to cool to 1906 levels a century after the failed invasion of Galicia. Trade between the Spanish and Portuguese naturally increased due to the close proximity and road connections between the 2 nations. It was to be a start of an era of prosperity for Portugal without having to worry over the defence of the mainland, funds could be directed toward state projects and it was from 1540-1567 that the Lisboa Chalcedonic Cathedral finished construction. It was truly a sight to behold and it still stands today, the home church of the Latin Patriarchate of Lisboa.

It was in 1582 did King Christiano Vento III founded the 1st colony in Angola. This created great exuberance and excitement within mainland Portugal. Imperialism was all the rage and respectively, the colonies of Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia were founded in 1598, 1636, 1768 and 1787. The inner parts of Africa were colonised later due to the impression that there was nothing of value there. Upon striking gold in Angola, there was a gold rush between the years of 1612-1678 and many European Portuguese settled there. The first of many Colonial conflicts occurred in 1658 when the Angolan tribes rose up to attack Portuguese settlements. In harsh retaliation, many natives were murdered and killed. At the same time, spreading the religion to Africa. However, in the 1825 colonial conflict, certain tribes impressed the Portuguese for fighting so valiantly and Army Corps was created comprising of these men and they were paid handsomely.

In the 1870s, as the rate of industrialisation increased rapidly, literacy rates went up along with it and several labour unions were formed to complain of the tough lives of the people and the undemocratic system of governance. Anti-Monarchy sentiment grew across the country and King Carlos I is in a precarious situation. That being said, the GDP and economy of Portugal boomed during the years of 1870-1904. Massive textile factories were built and products were being churned out at a rapid pace. Communication has never been faster without the telegram. However, things began to slow down and protest were common on the streets of Lisboa over the poor quality of living. Portugal has reached a tipping point.

RP Sample:

Portuguese Empire

Lisboa

0230 hours

Depending on the type of Post (Narrative)
Story-Based (Paragraphs and Dialogue)

Letter to Foreign Emissary

(Date)
Dear (Foreign Leader's Title and Name)
(Foreign Leaders Additional Titles)
Message
Regards, (Name)
(Address)

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

[Kamchakta]

Old Tyrannia, my only Point of Divergence is the Chalcedonic Church and the difference in history. My real point of divergence is going to happen in the RP. If you noticed, I am setting my nation up for a revolution. It should occur soon if not earlier than historically for a different reason. Is the RP App above okay?

[The Felan Federation]

Millions going to be getting killed in the upcoming war and your the only neutral country avoiding this kill-fest.

[Benuty]

This thread got unnervingly quiet lol.

[Tracian Empire]

This thread got unnervingly quiet lol.

Well, we're still trying to deal with the apps that haven't been accepted yet, but all of us in the OP board seem to be more or less busy.

I'll update the list and the map tonight though

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

Meh I guess

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.

[Finland SSR]

Meh I guess

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 had in my app that Western Rome inherited Spain in a personal union after the Iberian Wedding instead of the Habsburgs and that drew Spain into the Western Roman-French conflict detailed in France's app, is that fine with you?

[Tracian Empire]

Map updated, reservations for Iceland and Great Britain removed.

Those of us who are still working on your apps - please confirm that you are still working and intending to finish your apps either here in the OOC or by personally contacting one of the OP's, preferably me. I will start sending TG's in 12 hours and in 36 hours at the most completely silent apps will be removed.

As always, we are more than willing to wait if people are still working on their apps and everything, but we need to know that. We can't keep spots reserved if people just disappear and don't say anything else.

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

Meh I guess

I had in my app that Western Rome inherited Spain in a personal union after the Iberian Wedding instead of the Habsburgs and that drew Spain into the Western Roman-French conflict detailed in France's app, is that fine with you?

It sure is, but I've got some reservations about the ability of the French to pull some of the victories they did. Namely, repeatedly getting past a notorious defensive wall in what's already some of the most difficult terrain in the world, most likely getting their supply lines cut off once they cross it, sieging the Aurelian Wall in Rome to capture the Vatican, and then fighting down the length of Italy to force a personal surrender - all before the Romans can organize a defense, gather new conscripts, or set up traps, to say nothing of guerrilla fighting in the mountains and hills.

Having read through it, that's the one that bugs me the most. I can get behind Pavia, perhaps. Make it some legendary deal like when the Ottomans actually captured Constantinople. Lead up to some tensions, some revanchism with regards to the south to fuel conflicts in later history. In the later instance, though, the circumstances are too vastly different to pull a Napoleon like that - especially with, at most, only a third of the invading army participation while the rest is fighting Spain or conducting equally deep warfare into Germany.

[Kazarogkai]

I had in my app that Western Rome inherited Spain in a personal union after the Iberian Wedding instead of the Habsburgs and that drew Spain into the Western Roman-French conflict detailed in France's app, is that fine with you?

It sure is, but I've got some reservations about the ability of the French to pull some of the victories they did. Namely, repeatedly getting past a notorious defensive wall in what's already some of the most difficult terrain in the world, most likely getting their supply lines cut off once they cross it, sieging the Aurelian Wall in Rome to capture the Vatican, and then fighting down the length of Italy to force a personal surrender - all before the Romans can organize a defense, gather new conscripts, or set up traps, to say nothing of guerrilla fighting in the mountains and hills.

Having read through it, that's the one that bugs me the most. I can get behind Pavia, perhaps. Make it some legendary deal like when the Ottomans actually captured Constantinople. Lead up to some tensions, some revanchism with regards to the south to fuel conflicts in later history. In the later instance, though, the circumstances are too vastly different to pull a Napoleon like that - especially with, at most, only a third of the invading army participation while the rest is fighting Spain or conducting equally deep warfare into Germany.

Napoleon kinda did it more or less while facing a coalition composed of practically all the remaining great powers of Europe so there is that. Consider the poster did mention the fact that unlike Napoleon his great Marshal ended up dying in his prime and practically losing everything so that should be consolation. Reading it over it just read to me as the Napoleonic wars but condensed, probably didn't want to spend a million years like me talking about a single conflict when you got so much other stuff to do. It isn't helped his population is larger nearly larger than all 3 of your countries(Germany, Spain, w Rome) Combined. Heck I think Genghis khan in OTL pretty much conquered an area near equal in size to Europe as a whole with a population nearly equal to boot so it's achievable; plus the situation isn't helped that Spain was by all indications pretty distracted dealing with rebellions in the new world notably my nation of Guyana which would have forced them to fight France with one hand tied and Germany was just... kinda pathetic meaning the only big guy he's got to deal with would be W Rome so overall kinda achievable. Shit happens, great men of history are called that for a reason. Plus the issue is settled the ops accepted his app so ya just gotta roll with the punches. You can always get him another time if your fixated on it(WW1 anybody).

Just my two cents

Map updated, reservations for Iceland and Great Britain removed.

Those of us who are still working on your apps - please confirm that you are still working and intending to finish your apps either here in the OOC or by personally contacting one of the OP's, preferably me. I will start sending TG's in 12 hours and in 36 hours at the most completely silent apps will be removed.

As always, we are more than willing to wait if people are still working on their apps and everything, but we need to know that. We can't keep spots reserved if people just disappear and don't say anything else.

I'm still here, app is finished just waiting for the word. Don't delete me.

[Tracian Empire]

It sure is, but I've got some reservations about the ability of the French to pull some of the victories they did. Namely, repeatedly getting past a notorious defensive wall in what's already some of the most difficult terrain in the world, most likely getting their supply lines cut off once they cross it, sieging the Aurelian Wall in Rome to capture the Vatican, and then fighting down the length of Italy to force a personal surrender - all before the Romans can organize a defense, gather new conscripts, or set up traps, to say nothing of guerrilla fighting in the mountains and hills.

Having read through it, that's the one that bugs me the most. I can get behind Pavia, perhaps. Make it some legendary deal like when the Ottomans actually captured Constantinople. Lead up to some tensions, some revanchism with regards to the south to fuel conflicts in later history. In the later instance, though, the circumstances are too vastly different to pull a Napoleon like that - especially with, at most, only a third of the invading army participation while the rest is fighting Spain or conducting equally deep warfare into Germany.

Napoleon kinda did it more or less while facing a coalition composed of practically all the remaining great powers of Europe so there is that. Consider the poster did mention the fact that unlike Napoleon his great Marshal ended up dying in his prime and practically losing everything so that should be consolation. Reading it over it just read to me as the Napoleonic wars but condensed, probably didn't want to spend a million years like me talking about a single conflict when you got so much other stuff to do. It isn't helped his population is larger nearly larger than all 3 of your countries(Germany, Spain, w Rome) Combined. Heck I think Genghis khan in OTL pretty much conquered an area near equal in size to Europe as a whole with a population nearly equal to boot so it's achievable; plus the situation isn't helped that Spain was by all indications pretty distracted dealing with rebellions in the new world notably my nation of Guyana which would have forced them to fight France with one hand tied and Germany was just... kinda pathetic meaning the only big guy he's got to deal with would be W Rome so overall kinda achievable. Shit happens, great men of history are called that for a reason. Plus the issue is settled the ops accepted his app so ya just gotta roll with the punches. You can always get him another time if your fixated on it(WW1 anybody).

Just my two cents

Map updated, reservations for Iceland and Great Britain removed.

Those of us who are still working on your apps - please confirm that you are still working and intending to finish your apps either here in the OOC or by personally contacting one of the OP's, preferably me. I will start sending TG's in 12 hours and in 36 hours at the most completely silent apps will be removed.

As always, we are more than willing to wait if people are still working on their apps and everything, but we need to know that. We can't keep spots reserved if people just disappear and don't say anything else.

I'm still here, app is finished just waiting for the word. Don't delete me.

I would like to point out that his app got accepted specifically under the idea that the history with the WRE will be discussed. So we'll try to reach a compromise but no one has to roll with anything. Especially the whole conquering Rome and earning a personal surrender is not necessary from any point of view and it just underestimates what effect such an act would have on the WRE.

Napoleon is also not a historical necessity here. France has been a republic for quite some time before so Guerin's role in spreading Republican ideals wouldn't be as important as in Napoleon's case.

I'd also personally argue that Guerin dying in his prime is not that much of a consolation considering that Napoleon was eventually defeated and removed by force, while France here doesn't suffer that much in compensation.

In the end it's more of a question of scope though. Guerin can be a great leader but he doesn't have to utterly ravage and humiliate the WRE, and I believe that Norv did agree with the idea of removing the personal surrender part at some point in the past.

[The Fascist Waffle Empire]

Map updated, reservations for Iceland and Great Britain removed.

Those of us who are still working on your apps - please confirm that you are still working and intending to finish your apps either here in the OOC or by personally contacting one of the OP's, preferably me. I will start sending TG's in 12 hours and in 36 hours at the most completely silent apps will be removed.

As always, we are more than willing to wait if people are still working on their apps and everything, but we need to know that. We can't keep spots reserved if people just disappear and don't say anything else.

Im still working on my app, mainly trying to flesh out history. With the general split occuring in 1648, with my independece from central europe.

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

It sure is, but I've got some reservations about the ability of the French to pull some of the victories they did. Namely, repeatedly getting past a notorious defensive wall in what's already some of the most difficult terrain in the world, most likely getting their supply lines cut off once they cross it, sieging the Aurelian Wall in Rome to capture the Vatican, and then fighting down the length of Italy to force a personal surrender - all before the Romans can organize a defense, gather new conscripts, or set up traps, to say nothing of guerrilla fighting in the mountains and hills.

Having read through it, that's the one that bugs me the most. I can get behind Pavia, perhaps. Make it some legendary deal like when the Ottomans actually captured Constantinople. Lead up to some tensions, some revanchism with regards to the south to fuel conflicts in later history. In the later instance, though, the circumstances are too vastly different to pull a Napoleon like that - especially with, at most, only a third of the invading army participation while the rest is fighting Spain or conducting equally deep warfare into Germany.

Napoleon kinda did it more or less while facing a coalition composed of practically all the remaining great powers of Europe so there is that. Consider the poster did mention the fact that unlike Napoleon his great Marshal ended up dying in his prime and practically losing everything so that should be consolation. Reading it over it just read to me as the Napoleonic wars but condensed, probably didn't want to spend a million years like me talking about a single conflict when you got so much other stuff to do. It isn't helped his population is larger nearly larger than all 3 of your countries(Germany, Spain, w Rome) Combined. Heck I think Genghis khan in OTL pretty much conquered an area near equal in size to Europe as a whole with a population nearly equal to boot so it's achievable; plus the situation isn't helped that Spain was by all indications pretty distracted dealing with rebellions in the new world notably my nation of Guyana which would have forced them to fight France with one hand tied and Germany was just... kinda pathetic meaning the only big guy he's got to deal with would be W Rome so overall kinda achievable. Shit happens, great men of history are called that for a reason. Plus the issue is settled the ops accepted his app so ya just gotta roll with the punches. You can always get him another time if your fixated on it(WW1 anybody).

Just my two cents

Map updated, reservations for Iceland and Great Britain removed.

Those of us who are still working on your apps - please confirm that you are still working and intending to finish your apps either here in the OOC or by personally contacting one of the OP's, preferably me. I will start sending TG's in 12 hours and in 36 hours at the most completely silent apps will be removed.

As always, we are more than willing to wait if people are still working on their apps and everything, but we need to know that. We can't keep spots reserved if people just disappear and don't say anything else.

I'm still here, app is finished just waiting for the word. Don't delete me.

His complete and utter defeat and humiliation of my country is not something that can be forced upon me, this was made explicit back then as it should be now. He's also not fighting city-states and petty kingdoms reliant on nearby powers this time, nor is he leading a Mongol horde, nor is the war in Italy being led by a power based outside of it, nor can he cross the Alps without both facing resistance and needing to lay siege to a constantly-upgraded defensive wall built for the exact purpose that the north is the main gateway to Italy and all of Italy's enemies reside there, the defenders are not poorly equipped and poorly funded, and this is all to say nothing of the issues of supply lines, the fact that even Napoleon's campaign was quite seriously threatened by its own troops, and the extra troubles of having to go through another full half of Italy - that there were already such issues before even reaching the southern half of the peninsula.

The situations really aren't comparable at all, and definitely aren't comparable to that of Genghis Khan.

[Reverend Norv]

As I said, I am entirely willing to discuss the details of the Guerin period. I'm hearing four objections here: 1) getting past the Verian Wall, 2) maintaining supply lines once this was done, 3) capturing Rome, 4) subduing enough of Italy to forced a personal surrender.

The fourth is a totally reasonable point. It could be done, as Napoleon achieved something fairly similar in Spain, but had it not happened historically, any reasonable person would have called it impossible. So it's not an irrational objection, and I'm willing to drop the issue: Guerin did not receive the surrender of the Western Emperor in person, and did not subdue all of Italy.

The second and third, I think, are not particularly significant objections. One of the distinctive features of the Napoleonic era is that siege technology outpaced fortifications technology. Modern entrenchments and earth-berming were not yet in widespread use, while heavy siege artillery was. Forts virtually never stopped Napoleon. If Guerin got to Rome, it is unlikely that the city's fortifications would hold against sustained bombardment. Similarly, it would be entirely possible to supply the army in Italy by sea when the route over the Alps became blocked by insurgency or weather: the French Navy may always have been a junior partner to the Army, but it could still control the 200 miles of coast between Marseille and Genoa.

Finally, I recognize the objection to getting past the Verian Wall at all, but this is exactly why I've only provided for it twice in all of France's history - and one of those times was to justify the Commonwealth's independence itself. This is the other time, and is justified by the fact that Guerin was a titan of history who terrorized half of Europe. This does not mean that he needs to have completely subdued or humiliated the WRE, but it surely justifies having him at least make it across the Alps.

So here's a possible alternative story, based on those objections and my responses. Guerin invades Italy and gets through the Verian Wall through mass-front operations and rapid artillery movement over rough terrain - both actual Napoleonic innovations that were highly disruptive for fixed fortifications - though he takes heavy casualties in the process. He then cuts his way down the peninsula, but despite early successes, begins to take heavy casualties again as fresh Eastern troops arrive at the battlefront and insurgents spring up in his rear. He supplies his army by sea from Marseille and Toulon. He manages to take Rome, but immediately thereafter the French Navy is bloodied off Corsica and the Army's supply in Italy comes under doubt. So Guerin pulls back to a more defensible position - the Arezzo Line in southern Tuscany - and sets up Italy north of that as a puppet republic; he then departs to face and beat the eastern coalition at Stolp, and dies less than a year later, whereupon France retreats from Italy and its puppet collapses only ten months after its establishment.

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

As I said, I am entirely willing to discuss the details of the Guerin period. I'm hearing four objections here: 1) getting past the Verian Wall, 2) maintaining supply lines once this was done, 3) capturing Rome, 4) subduing enough of Italy to forced a personal surrender.

The fourth is a totally reasonable point. It could be done, as Napoleon achieved something fairly similar in Spain, but had it not happened historically, any reasonable person would have called it impossible. So it's not an irrational objection, and I'm willing to drop the issue: Guerin did not receive the surrender of the Western Emperor in person, and did not subdue all of Italy.

The second and third, I think, are not particularly significant objections. One of the distinctive features of the Napoleonic era is that siege technology outpaced fortifications technology. Modern entrenchments and earth-berming were not yet in widespread use, while heavy siege artillery was. Forts virtually never stopped Napoleon. If Guerin got to Rome, it is unlikely that the city's fortifications would hold against sustained bombardment. Similarly, it would be entirely possible to supply the army in Italy by sea when the route over the Alps became blocked by insurgency or weather: the French Navy may always have been a junior partner to the Army, but it could still control the 200 miles of coast between Marseille and Genoa.

Finally, I recognize the objection to getting past the Verian Wall at all, but this is exactly why I've only provided for it twice in all of France's history - and one of those times was to justify the Commonwealth's independence itself. This is the other time, and is justified by the fact that Guerin was a titan of history who terrorized half of Europe. This does not mean that he needs to have completely subdued or humiliated the WRE, but it surely justifies having him at least make it across the Alps.

So here's a possible alternative story, based on those objections and my responses. Guerin invades Italy and gets through the Verian Wall through mass-front operations and rapid artillery movement over rough terrain - both actual Napoleonic innovations that were highly disruptive for fixed fortifications - though he takes heavy casualties in the process. He then cuts his way down the peninsula, but despite early successes, begins to take heavy casualties again as fresh Eastern troops arrive at the battlefront and insurgents spring up in his rear. He supplies his army by sea from Marseille and Toulon. He manages to take Rome, but immediately thereafter the French Navy is bloodied off Corsica and the Army's supply in Italy comes under doubt. So Guerin pulls back to a more defensible position - the Arezzo Line in southern Tuscany - and sets up Italy north of that as a puppet republic; he then departs to face and beat the eastern coalition at Stolp, and dies less than a year later, whereupon France retreats from Italy and its puppet collapses only ten months after its establishment.

This alternate history, I can agree to. Since I'm planning a more detailed history this time around, I'll try to incorporate it from the Roman perspective. Thank you for your compliance and willingness to negotiate.

[Reverend Norv]

As I said, I am entirely willing to discuss the details of the Guerin period. I'm hearing four objections here: 1) getting past the Verian Wall, 2) maintaining supply lines once this was done, 3) capturing Rome, 4) subduing enough of Italy to forced a personal surrender.

The fourth is a totally reasonable point. It could be done, as Napoleon achieved something fairly similar in Spain, but had it not happened historically, any reasonable person would have called it impossible. So it's not an irrational objection, and I'm willing to drop the issue: Guerin did not receive the surrender of the Western Emperor in person, and did not subdue all of Italy.

The second and third, I think, are not particularly significant objections. One of the distinctive features of the Napoleonic era is that siege technology outpaced fortifications technology. Modern entrenchments and earth-berming were not yet in widespread use, while heavy siege artillery was. Forts virtually never stopped Napoleon. If Guerin got to Rome, it is unlikely that the city's fortifications would hold against sustained bombardment. Similarly, it would be entirely possible to supply the army in Italy by sea when the route over the Alps became blocked by insurgency or weather: the French Navy may always have been a junior partner to the Army, but it could still control the 200 miles of coast between Marseille and Genoa.

Finally, I recognize the objection to getting past the Verian Wall at all, but this is exactly why I've only provided for it twice in all of France's history - and one of those times was to justify the Commonwealth's independence itself. This is the other time, and is justified by the fact that Guerin was a titan of history who terrorized half of Europe. This does not mean that he needs to have completely subdued or humiliated the WRE, but it surely justifies having him at least make it across the Alps.

So here's a possible alternative story, based on those objections and my responses. Guerin invades Italy and gets through the Verian Wall through mass-front operations and rapid artillery movement over rough terrain - both actual Napoleonic innovations that were highly disruptive for fixed fortifications - though he takes heavy casualties in the process. He then cuts his way down the peninsula, but despite early successes, begins to take heavy casualties again as fresh Eastern troops arrive at the battlefront and insurgents spring up in his rear. He supplies his army by sea from Marseille and Toulon. He manages to take Rome, but immediately thereafter the French Navy is bloodied off Corsica and the Army's supply in Italy comes under doubt. So Guerin pulls back to a more defensible position - the Arezzo Line in southern Tuscany - and sets up Italy north of that as a puppet republic; he then departs to face and beat the eastern coalition at Stolp, and dies less than a year later, whereupon France retreats from Italy and its puppet collapses only ten months after its establishment.

This alternate history, I can agree to. Since I'm planning a more detailed history this time around, I'll try to incorporate it from the Roman perspective. Thank you for your compliance and willingness to negotiate.

No problem. This is a collaborative writing process, and that only works with respect and consensus; it's much more important to me that we have a stable foundation on which to build our story than to get my way on any single issue. I appreciate your flexibility, and I look forward to reading your history!

[The Fascist Waffle Empire]

This alternate history, I can agree to. Since I'm planning a more detailed history this time around, I'll try to incorporate it from the Roman perspective. Thank you for your compliance and willingness to negotiate.

No problem. This is a collaborative writing process, and that only works with respect and consensus; it's much more important to me that we have a stable foundation on which to build our story than to get my way on any single issue. I appreciate your flexibility, and I look forward to reading your history!

Since were in the topic of guerin’s Escapades through Europe, did he ever invade Central Europe? And if he did, could I possibly write how he went through the Netherlands in order to strike deeper into the Central European empire. Due to the small size of the Dutch army?

[Reverend Norv]

No problem. This is a collaborative writing process, and that only works with respect and consensus; it's much more important to me that we have a stable foundation on which to build our story than to get my way on any single issue. I appreciate your flexibility, and I look forward to reading your history!

Since were in the topic of guerin’s Escapades through Europe, did he ever invade Central Europe? And if he did, could I possibly write how he went through the Netherlands in order to strike deeper into the Central European empire. Due to the small size of the Dutch army?

Sure. We didn't have a Dutch player when I wrote my history, so you should feel free to use your discretion regarding France's role in your country's past. Just read my app carefully first, and then I'll check your history and let you know if anything doesn't work for me.

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

Full Nation Name : Western Roman Empire
Latin Empire
Holy Roman Empire
L'impero romano d'Occidente (It)
Il Senato e il popolo romano (It)
Saran e Suant Impero (Da)
I depotuti e el poplo viaspro (Da)
Juan Raigno (Da)

Majority/Official Culture : In official terms, the official terminology used is "Romani", a counterpart to the Eastern "Romaic". The Westerners pride themselves on their Latin heritage, and exploit it to its full extent. The state does not recognize regional languages, only dialects of "Lingua Latina Nova", otherwise called "New Latin" or "Modern Latin". They insist that the Italo-Dalmatian languages are just the natural progression of the Latin language, compared to the "Gallic speech" or the "Hispanic language". Natives will often call themselves by local or regional terms, sometimes with classical reference. Some might say "We are Liguri", others might say "We are Etrusci" or "We are Tusci", and so on. Interestingly, the African Latins have adopted the name Punici for themselves, in contrast with the remaining Punic speakers around Syrte, who are called Cartaginesi.

The Western perception of Romanitas varies from the Eastern one in some ways, but aligns in most. It is not necessarily fixed to any particular ethnic group, but it is more pluralistic in forgetting religious boundaries as well. In Italy, a mosaic of Christendom exists, with Catholics, Orthodox concentrated in the South, some traces of Arianism in the North, all conflicting with the Caesaropapist question of whether the emperor or the pope should rule the other. This is to say nothing of remnant pagans, or attempts to incorporate the Jews (and, in the same idea, the Carthaginians) for a slew of reasons. However, for political reasons, Latins are given more arbitrary and imaginary points regarding Romanitas, especially in relation to the Greeks.

A more demotic and republican tradition, brought about by the relative lack of courtly grace in the early military government and, just perhaps, a higher confidence in their own Romanitas as Latins, has allowed this more pluralistic view of to flourish over the ages. The relative liberty of the West has led it to pin former atrocities on the East - claiming to the Jews that it was the East which harmed them, and currying their favor through resettlement in somewhat autonomous communities as Carthaginians, just for example. Few attitudes are so universalist as in the East, and thus they are more often opportunistic, relative, contextual, and at times arbitrary. Perhaps the only constant is that 'we' are more Roman than 'them', which especially includes the East.
Territorial Core : You know
Territorial Claim : Technically the whole WRE but let's just say Spain and North Africa for now, with some revanchism regarding Gaul but that's a bit more distant by now.
Capital City : Rome
Population : ~43,200,055
35,000,000 (Italy)
3,000,000 (Africa)
5,200,000 (Balkans)
55 (Tavolara)

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 : Cesara Alessandra Udina Belisaria
Head of Government : Above
Government Description : Originating as a military governorship granted by the crown in Constantinople, the ravages of time and government have long since rendered this to exist only in name - the title is now more-or-less hereditary, in the classic Roman tradition. It has gained an administrative and perhaps bureaucratic bent under the influence of the East, though a Latin Senate still exists to provide senators, advisers, consuls, and delegates, highly influential but wielding little hard power.

Majority/State Religion : Latin Christianity (Catholic-Chalcedonian) with guaranteed freedom of worship
Religious Description : Under the watchful eyes of Rome, the Great Schism never fully split the two churches, and a unified Chalcedonian creed exists in theory if not always in practice. It remains tolerant of Imperial authority and Hellenic idolatry, and minority pagan and Judaic practices are protected by the state.

Economic Ideologies : Regulated State Capitalism
Major Production : Dyes, leather, other such luxury items, fine and finished manufactured goods.
Economic Description : A specialized economy for turning raw goods into fine things to flaunt, turning water into fine, the Italian economy is quite competitive and broadly prosperous, albeit highly specialized. They are known, at the moment, for hand-built and fine-tuned machinery (as compared to mass-production, industrialized machines), exquisite leathers, and promulgating locally-dyed and embroidered Byzantine silk to the Western market. These all come in both individual or 'raw' components, as well as finished products.

Development: Modern
Development Description : The Western economy and industry has adapted well to the ages. Although the appreciation for decadent luxury has led to a great many things being built in a hand-crafted, rather than mass-produced, fashion, the industrial capability is still there all the same. As a foremost power of Europe, the West has had to keep up with the rest of the continent by necessity - and for spite of any reliance on their Eastern counterpart. The troublesome terrain of Italy meant that the old Roman highways were a godsend in times past, as they are maintained today, but alternative infrastructure has been in demand for some time. Where terrain is flatter, trains have sprung up to allow movement, but in no small part shipment across the empire is reliant on waterbound transport, with some limited train lines or highways connecting the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian. In Africa, sheer size has forced the use of trains across its much more favorable landscape to get from one end to the other.
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. They are not often grouped into larger legions incorporating people from more than one region, however this allows a smaller-scale, more squad-based style of warfare similar to how the Romans defeated the Phalanx in antiquity. Malleable and focused.
Army Weakness :The army is highly decentralized and localized, leading to smaller units with less diversity. In this regard, a single squad will rarely be able to perform particularly diverse functions, even if as a formation they are more malleable than rigid lines. Being grouped with their regional fellows might incentivize more camaraderie, it also can take a toll on communities if an entire group is injured or killed. Moreover, it is not an effective offensive force, largely being trained to defend the hills of Italy and the sands of Africa, able to defend and garrison an urban setting well but perhaps struggling to capture it to begin with. Cavalry and reconnaissance is largely left to African auxilia, who often have their own equipment and training, and pose a linguistic barrier much stronger than inter-regional ones suffered by the Italians and Dalmatians.
Naval Description : The navy originated as an anti-pirate measure, but grew with the prominence of trade. Once reliant on the East for naval protection during the Middle Ages, the reunification and consolidation of power in the Renaissance allowed the individual shipbuilding traditions of the maritime cities to conglomerate into a more effective navy. The navy plays a much more prominent role in the West accordingly, and just as well considering the larger need for such a thing. The navy is, for the most part, fairly well modernized, and deals with much of the same equipment as the Eastern one. The ships are strong and well-equipped, the sailors often being recruited or conscripted merchants with generations of seafaring experience. A fully functional blue-water and green-water force, it makes an effective offensive force all the same. Hinterland tribes of Slavs and Albanians, though often somewhat neglected by the West, are valued as a source of marines.
Naval Weakness : The navy must compete with the army in many regards, with many preferring the comfortable life of a garrison at home instead of a working one of seabound patrols. Language barriers among the tribal marines and the 'civilized' mariners can lead to some issues as well. The cost of the fleet is substantial, and is partially subsidized by its role as a Merchant Marine as well. This dual purpose means that trade will suffer more than necessary in times of war, while strictly naval peacetime activities are limited. The ships sacrifice some military capability in favor of cargo space and speed, and might be supported by wooden ships when in need.
Further Military Description : Experimental technology

National Goals : Ascendancy to co-emperorship, perhaps even dominance. Glory and wealth, of course.
National Issues : Having less land and manpower than the East, diplomatic barriers, and not being exactly the best at industry even if technically industrialized. Let's not forget the ever-lasting problem of language barrier.
National Figures of Interest : Tuone di Ragusa, Giorgio da Firenze, Leo d'Arezzo, Antonio Farantouri, Asdruele Barco
National Ambition/Aspirations : Gloria in excelsis populo

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. Verus, in his dying days, took the conquest to Africa. Launching an invasion out of Egypt, he bribed his way through Berber tribe after Berber tribe as he went, eventually gathering a great nomadic host. This carried all the way to Carthage, from the siege of which proved decisive. The Vandals who had settled were relocated, partially among the Lombards in the north, partially throughout the Italian cities as slaves, and in no small part back north across the Alps and beyond Roman borders. His triumph was said to be legendary, including the parade of the recovered relics of the Jewish temple.

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. It was also during this time that the refugees taken in from Judea and Samaria were redistributed, with promising programs set forth for them in Africa among the dwindling Carthaginians. Set up among these last Phoenicians, the Jews and Samaritans here converted them and kept their culture alive. Indeed, it began to flourish under autonomous rule. Honorius gifted the Temple Relics to the community, and the city of Carthage was repopulated with this Neo-Punic elite. While some scolded the emperor for his restoration of the Carthaginians, the peace and prosperity it brought to Africa paid itself off in interest. By his death, Honorius was celebrated by his old Senatorial enemies, and a new age of stability came.

Time came and went like the tides of the ocean, but in the year 712, 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 world entered into the Middle Ages, the West began to brace for the changing world. While the East struggled against the Eastern hordes, the West was faced with age-old barbarian enemies. Old Roman attempts to maintain control over Caesar's Province in the south of Gaul were losing their effect, the Mohamedan regime seeming to counter Roman influence at every turn. A soft war began, a war of words, of faith, of influence. Meanwhile, to the far north, Frankish warlords slowly consumed both Roman and Muslim influence, spreading barbarity to the corners of Gaul city by city. When a Frank declared himself the new emperor, Agrippa was furious at the Papal response of relative neutrality and even some minor support. Though the debate continued to rage of emperor versus pontifex, it was mostly her gender that was called upon for support of the new Frank. Calling on the support of the Carthaginians and her sons-in-law, her position as the unequivocal leader of the Western Romans was reaffirmed. When it was reaffirmed as such by the Senate, the Pope quieted to a fully neutral position. To avoid any more such disturbances, the unusual circumstance of nominally appointed military governorship having been passed to a woman hereditarily, Agrippa took to law to reaffirm herself and her position. It was thus decreed that, like the Etruscans on which Rome had built itself, the Italians would make official that which had been known since the days of Ulpia Severina, and since Theodora: the rights and dignity of women. Although women were not allowed in the Senate or to participate in its vote, many offices were fully legalized in an official capacity. Thus, no barbarians or treasonous pontifeces could question her leadership.

With the collapse of central authority in Gaul, the Romans made their move once more. With some military conquest, ostensibly to "Restore order" to the region, and a large deal of Soft Power politics. Emperor after emperor, using the weight of merchant connections, injected Romanitas into Occitania. It was said that the people of that region spoke much more proper Latin, quite closer to the Latin of Italy than the barbaric "French" tongue. With his armored legions, the Emperor took to court in that land, sending senators and even himself as a judge to resolve disputes among the petty lords of Occitania. Land disputes between cities, resource rights over fields, guilds here and there, the Romans had an answer for everything. The affirmation of the Roman church in these lands grew stronger by the day, and the French were starting to seem not so bad after all. These wild barbarians had embraced a very Roman sense of things, broadly speaking, and the emperors began to refer to the lands of the French lords as Aeduia, in memory of Caesar's closest allies in his Gallic campaign. The free republics of the empire enjoyed increasing relations, and without an imperial title to threaten them, the emperors grew into it too.

Then came the Crusades. Holy wars to reclaim lost imperial territory for the East. While many in the West initially saw the pleading of the East as something worthy of mockery on stage, the cries of Deus Vult from Rome itself led the way to a turn of opinion. When asked for a show of support for the Crusades, Emperor Valente gave a speech at the Apostolic Palace to get the assembled Italian, Dalmatian, French, Spanish, even African, crowd to roar in approval. So the wars went, the empire focusing its soft power in Gaul, its hard power supporting the East, interrupted only by the rise of a peasant commune in Rome to remove Papal authority from the city. The emperor made a move from Ravenna with his personal retinue to seize Rome from the peasants. With a mixture of negotiation, siege, and threats, the city was recaptured. Instead of handing it back to the Pope, he instead moved the capital to that eternal city - declaring that the people of Rome had spoken, that it was the true heart of everything the West stood for, and that it was long past time to reclaim the city instead of the East's preferred Ravenna or the autonomous Milan. To appease the peasants, however, he also extended the Senatorial vote from patricians to commoners all, even if in practice the patricians were the vast majority of senators regardless. It was in the context of these holy wars to restore lost Roman territory that Africa was reclaimed as well, a more imminent concern for the Westerners, and a triumph was held down the streets of Carthage upon its recapture.

Not all in the Crusades was well, though. The Free Republic of Venice sacked some Dalmatian counterparts, culminating in the sacking of Constantinople and the founding of a rival Latin Empire in the East. Although the Western empire somewhat appreciated the sentiment of the emperor in Thessalonike, the East demanded the support of the West. Sympathizing with the East over its Frankokratia, recalling when such was threatened upon Agrippa, the emperor sent some forces to aid the East in its efforts. In the tradition of Belisarius, the West restored order across Epirus and Hellas, isolating the other Latin Empire from potential allies. When the East won, the West returned its Greek territories, with a few new trade ports established along the way. Venice faced no punishment for its role in the fight. Time marched ever onward.

The fourteenth century was a period of expansion. Influence in Gaul reached a critical peak, and the jurisdiction of the Western emperor was being steadily formalized on a city-by-city basis. As more disputes came to be solved, more influence gained, more tithe sent, the emperors began to twist things to their favor. If land came into dispute, it might go to the West. If a city needed an appointed leader, it fell to a senator to rule. If a war came to be and simply could not be determined, the Western legions helped the side most favorable to them. When the Plague rolled around, this only got worse, as the West grabbed for land and people not under the effects of the vile blight. By the fifteenth century, it began to slow, but any semblance that the Occitans were not under Western dominion was quickly fading. Like the free cities of Italy and Dalmatia, the people of Provincia were brought into the fold as autonomous holdings. In the classic fashion, they likewise began to compete with the Italian and Dalmatian free cities. Mercenary armies flew between them all, as did the daggers of assassins and the ships of great trade. While the previous century saw a rise of the Italians in dominance, the rise of the Rinascimento, a rebirth where Italian powers began to consolidate their plague-rattled countrysides, directly contributed to increasing centralization. Venice, Genoa, Ragusa, Vicla (Veglia), Florence, Naples, and Amalfi together owned the majority of Italy and Dalmatia, and most of the country's wealth.

Over the course of the fifteenth 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.

Jugno would attempt an invasion of Gaul to restore the lost Roman hegemony there. Senatorial support was strong, with Catholic elements wishing to crush the heretics, and an increasing Neoclassical faction inspired by Gemistus Pletho, the lingering pagan peasants in the Italian countryside, and the Rinascimento movement, called to restore Roman rule to Gaul more broadly. They were sort of Latins, were they not? Aeduia, the allies of Caesar? Jugno acted swiftly and decisively, only to be met with a strong and unexpected resistance from a new conglomerated republic. The first war that the Western Romans would undertake as a fully reunified power would test the strength of their unity, and Jugno would die before it finished.

In the chaos of succession, Empress Catarina took the throne only to learn that, without leadership, without certainty, without their unifying emperor, the Veran Wall had been passed, the legions stationed there weakened by their divisions. Rallying up an army in the center, she had the navy attempt to cut off any supply lines while she met the French army on the field of battle over and over again. Facing defeat, she agreed to the humiliating surrender in 1601 to recognize French independence once and for all, at which point she is said to have stated "So be it, the Gauls choose barbaritas". The internal divisions within the country were initially blamed for the defeat, but Catarina shifted the blame to rest on the shoulders of the senate, which had acted in regency at the time of the fall of the Veran Wall. Furthermore, she blamed the Pope for instigating the war in the first place, and exercised her imperial authority to have him removed from office. This was the first demonstration of Caesaropapism in near a millennium, apart from the minor example of the proper annexation of Rome centuries prior. This strengthened the Neoclassical movement, which had been gaining strength since the 14th century, among the elites of Roman society, and Catarina became known as Catarina the Pagan. In the elections of 1605, the senate was a pagan majority. With this pagan majority, Catarina enacted further reforms for the rights of women, teetering the precarious position of the pagans over a vastly Catholic populace. This included conditional female suffrage, for those of the Patrician class and those who acted as the heads of their families. It was said that the 'vote of every man' enacted earlier had been renamed by her to the 'vote of every family', thus by her logic that as the man was not always the head of the family, was not always the main moneymaker, and way not always the most influential, women should gain the right if they meet the conditions. As patrician families had always enjoyed special privileges, and patrician women were more likely to lead families, the suffrage was thus universal for them.

The great changes brought by the Treaty of Pavia and Catarina's rule, her conformity to the Rinascimento, inspired new theatrical and operatic works. Well past her death in 1647, Roman culture flourished. Although the 15th century brought many new and contemporary stories to the stage, this new theater brought grand epics of old, stories of emperors and demigods, classical mythology in total, to life. Names like Hercules and Ovid and Democritus flew at balls and on stage, as well as at convivia and in the senate. This all came to a head in 1755, when a Corsican senator by the name of Pasquale Paoli advocated universal female suffrage. The emperor took kindly, and this law became known as the Livian Reform, after the first empress in Roman history.

It was a golden age. Science, philosophy, and art flew as it never had before, with the printed word spreading these teachings faster than the ancients could've dreamed. The Library of Alexandria was little in comparison. Patricians and imperial family members heartily adopted the patronage system once run by the free republics of the land, while interfaith dialogue between pagan and Christian elites, as well as the Judaized Carthaginians, provided an exceptional home to tolerance in the West. The names of great polymaths were on the tongues of everyone, from the centuries-old work of Leonardo da Vinci, to Leon Battista Alberti, the economics of Luca Pacioli, the observations of Galileo and Zucchi, the shocking discoveries of Volta and Galvani, not to mention contributions by Dalmatians such as Giorgio Armeno, Stefano Gradi, the Nicolas of Nale and of Gozzi, and even from non-Latins such as Ruggiero Boscovich. A true flourishing throughout the 18th century, grounded in the works of the past and the peoples now reviewing them.

This came to a halt with the French warlord, Guerin. He brought a great reckoning to everything Roman. He broke past the Veran Wall, he tore through the north. The Roman army struggled to face him, it turned into a war of attrition. It is said that, as the Roman army continually retreated south, and he followed, his troops were jeered by passing towns. They had not forgotten the humiliation centuries prior, they chanted to them - "Gaulois vont chez", during which a French officer at one point rounded up the men of the village and gave them a lesson in French grammar. One stole the officer's horse and rode south in the middle of this, and from then on the villages they passed near and through told them the same message correctly. The Romans fought all the way to Rome itself, but there too were forced to retreat. The French navy, en route, was crushed by the Italian pride, and his supplies are thereon cut off. Running low, he establishes the vassal republic of Etruria and makes an ordered retreat back past the Alps. With the aid of Eastern troops, he is pushed until gone from Italy, and the French prisoners are triumphed through the the Eternal City that they had terrorized not long ago. It was made explicitly clear to them that, since their republic had declared its full separation from Rome those centuries prior and acted in atrocity against the Romans, that whatever kinship medieval Latins might've felt towards the Gauls was severed, that they had proven their lack of Romanitas through these actions and confirmed the fears of the Italians that the Gauls had not abandoned their barbarian nature after all.

The bloody warlord from France died, and his puppet republic immediately fell into trouble. The emperor, Jugno, sent a letter to them in Etruscan - the language preserved in the dictionaries of Claudius still preserved in Rome - to hold a vote. When it was held, the citizens, remembering their Romanitas, voted Jugno as the new leader. After only a matter of months, the republic was peacefully re-annexed. The French prisoners were paraded through northern Italy, being told to go home by the people of Tuscany, of Genoa, and finally by the border garrison as they were dumped on the other side of the Alps, at the exact spot the wall had been beaten prior. It was, in essence, a "de-invasion".

The 19th century saw much change, but also much the same. The Western Empire never recovered from the invasion, and their golden age ceased. Although classical scholarship of that age's like still continues strongly, the great debates, the treatises, the reports, the convivia, have all been reduced to but memory and ceremony, no longer feeling as if a living practice, but instead on life support. Italian technology began to fall behind, and the empire spent more of its money playing catch-up with the newest inventions, meaning less was devoted to patronage. It was not until the 1850s that the empire gained a more secure position in the world, settling in as a major power once again, if slightly behind the rest of Europe on more than few things. The luxury market was resolidified in its new form of furs, silks, and leathers, as it had been for centuries and yet breathed life anew. As we enter into this new age, perhaps the Romans will try to claim their place once more, or perhaps they will begin once more to fade. Only time will tell if the Romans, both West and East, will see another century yet.
RP Sample: never rp b4 trust me pew pew see hahaha is onomonopeea am good rite?

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

[The Brand New Salvatagard Republic]

Full Nation Name : The Kingdom of Ingahrafnland
Majority/Official Culture : [[What your people identify themselves with… French, Chinese, Iroquois, Touareg, etc.]] Icelandic with mixes of Danish and Norwegian
Territorial Core : [[place where you have absolute control over]] Iceland, Greenland, Bermuda, and Newfoundland
Territorial Claim : [[OPTIONAL]] [[region NOT your core where your nation’s ambition lies]] British Arctic Territories, Alaska, Labrador, Prince Edward's Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Svalbard, Northern Isles of Scotland, Faroe Islands, Jan Mayen
Capital City : [[Its IRL location and name]] Reykjavík (population of about 10,000 in 1906)
Population : 345,000
The Kingdom of Ingahrafnland (Iceland, Greenland): 95,000
The Colony of Bermuda: 20,000 (Capital City is Hamilton, with a population of about 400 in 1906)
The Colony of Newfoundland: 230,000 (Capital City is Saint John's, with a population of about 30,000 in 1906)


Government Type : [[Monarchy, Republic, etc.]] Monarchy

Government Ideology/Policies : [[OPTIONAL]] [[Militant, Imperialist, Expansionist, etc.]] Imperialist, Nationalism

Government Focus : [[Tell me a little bit about what is your government’s focus… be it military, economy, culture, legitimacy, etc.]] The Kingdom of Ingahrafnland, first founded in 1892 by King Hannes I after the Great Blue Revolution (1890-1892), has been known in the last few years

Head of State : [[highest-ranking individual in the nation according to rule of law]] King Hannes I of the House of Hafstein (1861-1922)

Head of Government : [[highest-ranking defacto ruler]] Prime Minister Björn Jónsson (1846-1912)

Government Description : The Kingdom is a Constitutional Monarchy, the 4 parliamentary chambers, 1 run by the King himself with 30 members, 1 run by the Prime Minister with 60 members, and 2 run by the Speaker of Lords with 100 members each. Basically, how a law is made is it begins with the lowest house. A law would be first introduced by a member of the lowest house. The way for that law to be passed in that house is to get 55% approval by the members. It carries on like that to the third house, which has the same system as the lowest house. It would carry on to the Minister's Chamber. The only way that a law would pass in the Chamber is if it gets 80% approval by members. It goes up to the King's Chamber, and can only get 90% approval by it members and the King to become law. This is one of the reasons why laws take so long to be made in the Kingdom. When the Kingdom was first founded in 1892, it was an Absolute Monarchy. It had became a Constitutional Monarchy in 1898 after the Revolution of the Reds the year before. The Political Party system has not been introduced into the Kingdom yet, though, the King feels that it would better the country once it becomes apart of the Government. The Royal Diet, as the Parliament is called, is basically like what the US Congress is today in real life, makes laws.

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

Economic Ideologies : [[Capitalism, Mercantilism, Socialism, Communism, etc.]]
Major Production :
Economic Description :

Development: [Modern, Semi-Industrialized, or Primitive] The Kingdom itself is semi-industrialized. The Province of Greenland is primitive and while the Province of Iceland is industrialized. The colony of Newfoundland is industrial and the colony of Bermuda is semi-industrial.
Development Description : [Explain further why your nation is in one of the above categories] The Kingdom was founded in 1892, and at that time, developments in the Kingdom were a laughing stock to Europe. The Province of Iceland was semi-industrialized, due to aid from various Christian charities. Development in the Kingdom started in the early 1800's from various local Chieftains, notably Chief Albjǫrn of the Reykjavík tribe, who introduced mining in Iceland when he discovered several small deposits of iron and coal when he was looking a suitable area to camp for the night. As the Kingdom's provinces were cut off from the rest of the world, the industrial revolution has only been introduced to the Kingdom recently in the 1870's. The Kingdom's preduccusor, the Kingdom of Iceland (1847-1892), collapsed as the workers of the Icelandic Industrial Revolution demanded better pay and less hours with mass rioting. King

Army Description : [[Describe your nation's army in as much detail as you can]] The Ingahrafnlandic Royal Army has always been known for it's fierce fighting and training it's the conditions of the frozen North, founded in 1892 when the Kingdom was founded by King Hannes I. The Royal Army composes of 15,000 troops from the Kingdom itself, along with 35,000 troops from the Colonies, a grand total of 50,000 troops.

Army Weakness :
Naval Description : [[Describe your nation's navy in as much detail as you can]]The Ingahrafnlandic Royal Navy

Founded in 1893 by King Hannes I, a year after the Kingdom was founded. The Royal Navy composes of 5,000 naval troops from the Kingdom itself, along with 24,000 troops from the Colonies, a grand total of 29,000 naval troops.

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]] Small population, low industrialization, colonies straining the Empire
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]]

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)

[The Ik Ka Ek Akai]

And with that, any question or debate about what happens to all the Jews should be settled. Most of them fled to the West of the empire IRL, settling in Italy and adopting Latin before moving to other places. This is traceable especially because of a distinct Judeo-Latin substratum in Yiddish, as well as traveler groups in the Alps. I decided to capitalize on this reality.

[Oscalantine]

Full Nation Name : Free Guyana Revolutionary State
Majority/Official Culture : Guyanese Maroon
Territorial Core : https://photos.app.goo.gl/XvH2sUNyQEGMPMoa6
Territorial Claim : https://photos.app.goo.gl/LVGvYuYoNaDsNSDL8
#AltDiv (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

Hmmm... out of pinciple, I fear that I may be creating a very dangerous precedent, so I'll give you [ACCEPTED] here before I continue. Very nice app, I enjoyed reading it.

So here's what I am going to say about any country with a military budget of over 10% of your national budget. That is unsustainable. It would spell disaster for your people. I mean... imagine one out of every ten people in your nation working on something for the military. I mean... you look at USSR, with their staggaring 15%... and let them tell you how their economy was going.

I am giving this a pass because it is just at the cusp of what I believe is "proving to me that something works by putting a lot of details on it." At the same time, I am expecting you to address this in your posts: how your national economy is suffering due to over-focus on military and so forth. I am sure it won't be much of a problem for you, seeing the app's quality, but just wanted to put this here as a reminder to myself as well as to you and all those who want overzealous military empire.

[Tracian Empire]

Full Nation Name : Western Roman Empire
Latin Empire
Holy Roman Empire
L'impero romano d'Occidente (It)
Il Senato e il popolo romano (It)
Saran e Suant Impero (Da)
I depotuti e el poplo viaspro (Da)
Juan Raigno (Da)

Majority/Official Culture : In official terms, the official terminology used is "Romani", a counterpart to the Eastern "Romaic". The Westerners pride themselves on their Latin heritage, and exploit it to its full extent. The state does not recognize regional languages, only dialects of "Lingua Latina Nova", otherwise called "New Latin" or "Modern Latin". They insist that the Italo-Dalmatian languages are just the natural progression of the Latin language, compared to the "Gallic speech" or the "Hispanic language". Natives will often call themselves by local or regional terms, sometimes with classical reference. Some might say "We are Liguri", others might say "We are Etrusci" or "We are Tusci", and so on. Interestingly, the African Latins have adopted the name Punici for themselves, in contrast with the remaining Punic speakers around Syrte, who are called Cartaginesi.

The Western perception of Romanitas varies from the Eastern one in some ways, but aligns in most. It is not necessarily fixed to any particular ethnic group, but it is more pluralistic in forgetting religious boundaries as well. In Italy, a mosaic of Christendom exists, with Catholics, Orthodox concentrated in the South, some traces of Arianism in the North, all conflicting with the Caesaropapist question of whether the emperor or the pope should rule the other. This is to say nothing of remnant pagans, or attempts to incorporate the Jews (and, in the same idea, the Carthaginians) for a slew of reasons. However, for political reasons, Latins are given more arbitrary and imaginary points regarding Romanitas, especially in relation to the Greeks.

A more demotic and republican tradition, brought about by the relative lack of courtly grace in the early military government and, just perhaps, a higher confidence in their own Romanitas as Latins, has allowed this more pluralistic view of to flourish over the ages. The relative liberty of the West has led it to pin former atrocities on the East - claiming to the Jews that it was the East which harmed them, and currying their favor through resettlement in somewhat autonomous communities as Carthaginians, just for example. Few attitudes are so universalist as in the East, and thus they are more often opportunistic, relative, contextual, and at times arbitrary. Perhaps the only constant is that 'we' are more Roman than 'them', which especially includes the East.
Territorial Core : You know
Territorial Claim : Technically the whole WRE but let's just say Spain and North Africa for now, with some revanchism regarding Gaul but that's a bit more distant by now.
Capital City : Rome
Population : ~43,200,055
35,000,000 (Italy)
3,000,000 (Africa)
5,200,000 (Balkans)
55 (Tavolara)

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 : Cesara Alessandra Udina Belisaria
Head of Government : Above
Government Description : Originating as a military governorship granted by the crown in Constantinople, the ravages of time and government have long since rendered this to exist only in name - the title is now more-or-less hereditary, in the classic Roman tradition. It has gained an administrative and perhaps bureaucratic bent under the influence of the East, though a Latin Senate still exists to provide senators, advisers, consuls, and delegates, highly influential but wielding little hard power.

Majority/State Religion : Latin Christianity (Catholic-Chalcedonian) with guaranteed freedom of worship
Religious Description : Under the watchful eyes of Rome, the Great Schism never fully split the two churches, and a unified Chalcedonian creed exists in theory if not always in practice. It remains tolerant of Imperial authority and Hellenic idolatry, and minority pagan and Judaic practices are protected by the state.

Economic Ideologies : Regulated State Capitalism
Major Production : Dyes, leather, other such luxury items, fine and finished manufactured goods.
Economic Description : A specialized economy for turning raw goods into fine things to flaunt, turning water into fine, the Italian economy is quite competitive and broadly prosperous, albeit highly specialized. They are known, at the moment, for hand-built and fine-tuned machinery (as compared to mass-production, industrialized machines), exquisite leathers, and promulgating locally-dyed and embroidered Byzantine silk to the Western market. These all come in both individual or 'raw' components, as well as finished products.

Development: Modern
Development Description : The Western economy and industry has adapted well to the ages. Although the appreciation for decadent luxury has led to a great many things being built in a hand-crafted, rather than mass-produced, fashion, the industrial capability is still there all the same. As a foremost power of Europe, the West has had to keep up with the rest of the continent by necessity - and for spite of any reliance on their Eastern counterpart. The troublesome terrain of Italy meant that the old Roman highways were a godsend in times past, as they are maintained today, but alternative infrastructure has been in demand for some time. Where terrain is flatter, trains have sprung up to allow movement, but in no small part shipment across the empire is reliant on waterbound transport, with some limited train lines or highways connecting the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian. In Africa, sheer size has forced the use of trains across its much more favorable landscape to get from one end to the other.
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. They are not often grouped into larger legions incorporating people from more than one region, however this allows a smaller-scale, more squad-based style of warfare similar to how the Romans defeated the Phalanx in antiquity. Malleable and focused.
Army Weakness :The army is highly decentralized and localized, leading to smaller units with less diversity. In this regard, a single squad will rarely be able to perform particularly diverse functions, even if as a formation they are more malleable than rigid lines. Being grouped with their regional fellows might incentivize more camaraderie, it also can take a toll on communities if an entire group is injured or killed. Moreover, it is not an effective offensive force, largely being trained to defend the hills of Italy and the sands of Africa, able to defend and garrison an urban setting well but perhaps struggling to capture it to begin with. Cavalry and reconnaissance is largely left to African auxilia, who often have their own equipment and training, and pose a linguistic barrier much stronger than inter-regional ones suffered by the Italians and Dalmatians.
Naval Description : The navy originated as an anti-pirate measure, but grew with the prominence of trade. Once reliant on the East for naval protection during the Middle Ages, the reunification and consolidation of power in the Renaissance allowed the individual shipbuilding traditions of the maritime cities to conglomerate into a more effective navy. The navy plays a much more prominent role in the West accordingly, and just as well considering the larger need for such a thing. The navy is, for the most part, fairly well modernized, and deals with much of the same equipment as the Eastern one. The ships are strong and well-equipped, the sailors often being recruited or conscripted merchants with generations of seafaring experience. A fully functional blue-water and green-water force, it makes an effective offensive force all the same. Hinterland tribes of Slavs and Albanians, though often somewhat neglected by the West, are valued as a source of marines.
Naval Weakness : The navy must compete with the army in many regards, with many preferring the comfortable life of a garrison at home instead of a working one of seabound patrols. Language barriers among the tribal marines and the 'civilized' mariners can lead to some issues as well. The cost of the fleet is substantial, and is partially subsidized by its role as a Merchant Marine as well. This dual purpose means that trade will suffer more than necessary in times of war, while strictly naval peacetime activities are limited. The ships sacrifice some military capability in favor of cargo space and speed, and might be supported by wooden ships when in need.
Further Military Description : Experimental technology

National Goals : Ascendancy to co-emperorship, perhaps even dominance. Glory and wealth, of course.
National Issues : Having less land and manpower than the East, diplomatic barriers, and not being exactly the best at industry even if technically industrialized. Let's not forget the ever-lasting problem of language barrier.
National Figures of Interest : Tuone di Ragusa, Giorgio da Firenze, Leo d'Arezzo, Antonio Farantouri, Asdruele Barco
National Ambition/Aspirations : Gloria in excelsis populo

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. Verus, in his dying days, took the conquest to Africa. Launching an invasion out of Egypt, he bribed his way through Berber tribe after Berber tribe as he went, eventually gathering a great nomadic host. This carried all the way to Carthage, from the siege of which proved decisive. The Vandals who had settled were relocated, partially among the Lombards in the north, partially throughout the Italian cities as slaves, and in no small part back north across the Alps and beyond Roman borders. His triumph was said to be legendary, including the parade of the recovered relics of the Jewish temple.

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. It was also during this time that the refugees taken in from Judea and Samaria were redistributed, with promising programs set forth for them in Africa among the dwindling Carthaginians. Set up among these last Phoenicians, the Jews and Samaritans here converted them and kept their culture alive. Indeed, it began to flourish under autonomous rule. Honorius gifted the Temple Relics to the community, and the city of Carthage was repopulated with this Neo-Punic elite. While some scolded the emperor for his restoration of the Carthaginians, the peace and prosperity it brought to Africa paid itself off in interest. By his death, Honorius was celebrated by his old Senatorial enemies, and a new age of stability came.

Time came and went like the tides of the ocean, but in the year 712, 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 world entered into the Middle Ages, the West began to brace for the changing world. While the East struggled against the Eastern hordes, the West was faced with age-old barbarian enemies. Old Roman attempts to maintain control over Caesar's Province in the south of Gaul were losing their effect, the Mohamedan regime seeming to counter Roman influence at every turn. A soft war began, a war of words, of faith, of influence. Meanwhile, to the far north, Frankish warlords slowly consumed both Roman and Muslim influence, spreading barbarity to the corners of Gaul city by city. When a Frank declared himself the new emperor, Agrippa was furious at the Papal response of relative neutrality and even some minor support. Though the debate continued to rage of emperor versus pontifex, it was mostly her gender that was called upon for support of the new Frank. Calling on the support of the Carthaginians and her sons-in-law, her position as the unequivocal leader of the Western Romans was reaffirmed. When it was reaffirmed as such by the Senate, the Pope quieted to a fully neutral position. To avoid any more such disturbances, the unusual circumstance of nominally appointed military governorship having been passed to a woman hereditarily, Agrippa took to law to reaffirm herself and her position. It was thus decreed that, like the Etruscans on which Rome had built itself, the Italians would make official that which had been known since the days of Ulpia Severina, and since Theodora: the rights and dignity of women. Although women were not allowed in the Senate or to participate in its vote, many offices were fully legalized in an official capacity. Thus, no barbarians or treasonous pontifeces could question her leadership.

With the collapse of central authority in Gaul, the Romans made their move once more. With some military conquest, ostensibly to "Restore order" to the region, and a large deal of Soft Power politics. Emperor after emperor, using the weight of merchant connections, injected Romanitas into Occitania. It was said that the people of that region spoke much more proper Latin, quite closer to the Latin of Italy than the barbaric "French" tongue. With his armored legions, the Emperor took to court in that land, sending senators and even himself as a judge to resolve disputes among the petty lords of Occitania. Land disputes between cities, resource rights over fields, guilds here and there, the Romans had an answer for everything. The affirmation of the Roman church in these lands grew stronger by the day, and the French were starting to seem not so bad after all. These wild barbarians had embraced a very Roman sense of things, broadly speaking, and the emperors began to refer to the lands of the French lords as Aeduia, in memory of Caesar's closest allies in his Gallic campaign. The free republics of the empire enjoyed increasing relations, and without an imperial title to threaten them, the emperors grew into it too.

Then came the Crusades. Holy wars to reclaim lost imperial territory for the East. While many in the West initially saw the pleading of the East as something worthy of mockery on stage, the cries of Deus Vult from Rome itself led the way to a turn of opinion. When asked for a show of support for the Crusades, Emperor Valente gave a speech at the Apostolic Palace to get the assembled Italian, Dalmatian, French, Spanish, even African, crowd to roar in approval. So the wars went, the empire focusing its soft power in Gaul, its hard power supporting the East, interrupted only by the rise of a peasant commune in Rome to remove Papal authority from the city. The emperor made a move from Ravenna with his personal retinue to seize Rome from the peasants. With a mixture of negotiation, siege, and threats, the city was recaptured. Instead of handing it back to the Pope, he instead moved the capital to that eternal city - declaring that the people of Rome had spoken, that it was the true heart of everything the West stood for, and that it was long past time to reclaim the city instead of the East's preferred Ravenna or the autonomous Milan. To appease the peasants, however, he also extended the Senatorial vote from patricians to commoners all, even if in practice the patricians were the vast majority of senators regardless. It was in the context of these holy wars to restore lost Roman territory that Africa was reclaimed as well, a more imminent concern for the Westerners, and a triumph was held down the streets of Carthage upon its recapture.

Not all in the Crusades was well, though. The Free Republic of Venice sacked some Dalmatian counterparts, culminating in the sacking of Constantinople and the founding of a rival Latin Empire in the East. Although the Western empire somewhat appreciated the sentiment of the emperor in Thessalonike, the East demanded the support of the West. Sympathizing with the East over its Frankokratia, recalling when such was threatened upon Agrippa, the emperor sent some forces to aid the East in its efforts. In the tradition of Belisarius, the West restored order across Epirus and Hellas, isolating the other Latin Empire from potential allies. When the East won, the West returned its Greek territories, with a few new trade ports established along the way. Venice faced no punishment for its role in the fight. Time marched ever onward.

The fourteenth century was a period of expansion. Influence in Gaul reached a critical peak, and the jurisdiction of the Western emperor was being steadily formalized on a city-by-city basis. As more disputes came to be solved, more influence gained, more tithe sent, the emperors began to twist things to their favor. If land came into dispute, it might go to the West. If a city needed an appointed leader, it fell to a senator to rule. If a war came to be and simply could not be determined, the Western legions helped the side most favorable to them. When the Plague rolled around, this only got worse, as the West grabbed for land and people not under the effects of the vile blight. By the fifteenth century, it began to slow, but any semblance that the Occitans were not under Western dominion was quickly fading. Like the free cities of Italy and Dalmatia, the people of Provincia were brought into the fold as autonomous holdings. In the classic fashion, they likewise began to compete with the Italian and Dalmatian free cities. Mercenary armies flew between them all, as did the daggers of assassins and the ships of great trade. While the previous century saw a rise of the Italians in dominance, the rise of the Rinascimento, a rebirth where Italian powers began to consolidate their plague-rattled countrysides, directly contributed to increasing centralization. Venice, Genoa, Ragusa, Vicla (Veglia), Florence, Naples, and Amalfi together owned the majority of Italy and Dalmatia, and most of the country's wealth.

Over the course of the fifteenth 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.

Jugno would attempt an invasion of Gaul to restore the lost Roman hegemony there. Senatorial support was strong, with Catholic elements wishing to crush the heretics, and an increasing Neoclassical faction inspired by Gemistus Pletho, the lingering pagan peasants in the Italian countryside, and the Rinascimento movement, called to restore Roman rule to Gaul more broadly. They were sort of Latins, were they not? Aeduia, the allies of Caesar? Jugno acted swiftly and decisively, only to be met with a strong and unexpected resistance from a new conglomerated republic. The first war that the Western Romans would undertake as a fully reunified power would test the strength of their unity, and Jugno would die before it finished.

In the chaos of succession, Empress Catarina took the throne only to learn that, without leadership, without certainty, without their unifying emperor, the Veran Wall had been passed, the legions stationed there weakened by their divisions. Rallying up an army in the center, she had the navy attempt to cut off any supply lines while she met the French army on the field of battle over and over again. Facing defeat, she agreed to the humiliating surrender in 1601 to recognize French independence once and for all, at which point she is said to have stated "So be it, the Gauls choose barbaritas". The internal divisions within the country were initially blamed for the defeat, but Catarina shifted the blame to rest on the shoulders of the senate, which had acted in regency at the time of the fall of the Veran Wall. Furthermore, she blamed the Pope for instigating the war in the first place, and exercised her imperial authority to have him removed from office. This was the first demonstration of Caesaropapism in near a millennium, apart from the minor example of the proper annexation of Rome centuries prior. This strengthened the Neoclassical movement, which had been gaining strength since the 14th century, among the elites of Roman society, and Catarina became known as Catarina the Pagan. In the elections of 1605, the senate was a pagan majority. With this pagan majority, Catarina enacted further reforms for the rights of women, teetering the precarious position of the pagans over a vastly Catholic populace. This included conditional female suffrage, for those of the Patrician class and those who acted as the heads of their families. It was said that the 'vote of every man' enacted earlier had been renamed by her to the 'vote of every family', thus by her logic that as the man was not always the head of the family, was not always the main moneymaker, and way not always the most influential, women should gain the right if they meet the conditions. As patrician families had always enjoyed special privileges, and patrician women were more likely to lead families, the suffrage was thus universal for them.

The great changes brought by the Treaty of Pavia and Catarina's rule, her conformity to the Rinascimento, inspired new theatrical and operatic works. Well past her death in 1647, Roman culture flourished. Although the 15th century brought many new and contemporary stories to the stage, this new theater brought grand epics of old, stories of emperors and demigods, classical mythology in total, to life. Names like Hercules and Ovid and Democritus flew at balls and on stage, as well as at convivia and in the senate. This all came to a head in 1755, when a Corsican senator by the name of Pasquale Paoli advocated universal female suffrage. The emperor took kindly, and this law became known as the Livian Reform, after the first empress in Roman history.

It was a golden age. Science, philosophy, and art flew as it never had before, with the printed word spreading these teachings faster than the ancients could've dreamed. The Library of Alexandria was little in comparison. Patricians and imperial family members heartily adopted the patronage system once run by the free republics of the land, while interfaith dialogue between pagan and Christian elites, as well as the Judaized Carthaginians, provided an exceptional home to tolerance in the West. The names of great polymaths were on the tongues of everyone, from the centuries-old work of Leonardo da Vinci, to Leon Battista Alberti, the economics of Luca Pacioli, the observations of Galileo and Zucchi, the shocking discoveries of Volta and Galvani, not to mention contributions by Dalmatians such as Giorgio Armeno, Stefano Gradi, the Nicolas of Nale and of Gozzi, and even from non-Latins such as Ruggiero Boscovich. A true flourishing throughout the 18th century, grounded in the works of the past and the peoples now reviewing them.

This came to a halt with the French warlord, Guerin. He brought a great reckoning to everything Roman. He broke past the Veran Wall, he tore through the north. The Roman army struggled to face him, it turned into a war of attrition. It is said that, as the Roman army continually retreated south, and he followed, his troops were jeered by passing towns. They had not forgotten the humiliation centuries prior, they chanted to them - "Gaulois vont chez", during which a French officer at one point rounded up the men of the village and gave them a lesson in French grammar. One stole the officer's horse and rode south in the middle of this, and from then on the villages they passed near and through told them the same message correctly. The Romans fought all the way to Rome itself, but there too were forced to retreat. The French navy, en route, was crushed by the Italian pride, and his supplies are thereon cut off. Running low, he establishes the vassal republic of Etruria and makes an ordered retreat back past the Alps. With the aid of Eastern troops, he is pushed until gone from Italy, and the French prisoners are triumphed through the the Eternal City that they had terrorized not long ago. It was made explicitly clear to them that, since their republic had declared its full separation from Rome those centuries prior and acted in atrocity against the Romans, that whatever kinship medieval Latins might've felt towards the Gauls was severed, that they had proven their lack of Romanitas through these actions and confirmed the fears of the Italians that the Gauls had not abandoned their barbarian nature after all.

The bloody warlord from France died, and his puppet republic immediately fell into trouble. The emperor, Jugno, sent a letter to them in Etruscan - the language preserved in the dictionaries of Claudius still preserved in Rome - to hold a vote. When it was held, the citizens, remembering their Romanitas, voted Jugno as the new leader. After only a matter of months, the republic was peacefully re-annexed. The French prisoners were paraded through northern Italy, being told to go home by the people of Tuscany, of Genoa, and finally by the border garrison as they were dumped on the other side of the Alps, at the exact spot the wall had been beaten prior. It was, in essence, a "de-invasion".

The 19th century saw much change, but also much the same. The Western Empire never recovered from the invasion, and their golden age ceased. Although classical scholarship of that age's like still continues strongly, the great debates, the treatises, the reports, the convivia, have all been reduced to but memory and ceremony, no longer feeling as if a living practice, but instead on life support. Italian technology began to fall behind, and the empire spent more of its money playing catch-up with the newest inventions, meaning less was devoted to patronage. It was not until the 1850s that the empire gained a more secure position in the world, settling in as a major power once again, if slightly behind the rest of Europe on more than few things. The luxury market was resolidified in its new form of furs, silks, and leathers, as it had been for centuries and yet breathed life anew. As we enter into this new age, perhaps the Romans will try to claim their place once more, or perhaps they will begin once more to fade. Only time will tell if the Romans, both West and East, will see another century yet.
RP Sample: never rp b4 trust me pew pew see hahaha is onomonopeea am good rite?

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

Looks alright, accepted!

[Kazarogkai]

Hmmm... out of pinciple, I fear that I may be creating a very dangerous precedent, so I'll give you [ACCEPTED] here before I continue. Very nice app, I enjoyed reading it.

So here's what I am going to say about any country with a military budget of over 10% of your national budget. That is unsustainable. It would spell disaster for your people. I mean... imagine one out of every ten people in your nation working on something for the military. I mean... you look at USSR, with their staggaring 15%... and let them tell you how their economy was going.

I am giving this a pass because it is just at the cusp of what I believe is "proving to me that something works by putting a lot of details on it." At the same time, I am expecting you to address this in your posts: how your national economy is suffering due to over-focus on military and so forth. I am sure it won't be much of a problem for you, seeing the app's quality, but just wanted to put this here as a reminder to myself as well as to you and all those who want overzealous military empire.

I think I kinda mentioned it but their economy really isn't that hot. Their constantly on a war footing due to having made enemies with the majority of the great powers of the world and having practically no friends to compensate. The huge military and the budget to support it are as a result kinda a necessity. At least in their eyes. Arguably the whole reason why they haven't advanced into a modern country is because of the excessive military focus and with it the extreme centering of the economy around said military. Guns instead of Butter and all that wonderfulness. Woah is the Guyanese peasant and worker who must content themselves with watered down soup and horse bread just so the military can get that a nice new batch of Rifles.

When it came down to it the overall system is heavily in part modeled on Paraguay of all places during the first half of the 19th century albeit they're a bit more internationalist in their goals. The Paraguayan government regularly spent in the realm of 50% of their budget on the military and under the assumption that my aforementioned all powerful state was presumably going to be heavy on the taxation mixed in with revenues from arms sales I figured government revenue/spending would be somewhere in the realm of 30-40% give or take. Hence the military budget equaling about 15-20% of the total GDP. Just adding on the thinking behind the madness for those who didn't have to suffer to read the entirety of my app.

To the Osca him/herself: To be fair the soviets were a straight up command economy with all the wonderful inefficiency and issues that entails, atleast Guyana has sorta a market economy of sorts albeit not of the most efficient type it it's own right still that should help keep things somewhat better hopefully. Still I kinda implied it to some degree but Guyana in the current state is not long for this world more than likely with either one of two possibilities could happen but the latter most will be most likely. The first possibility is for a slow decline in peacetime, the current model being largely unsustainable the Guyanese economy will slowly but surely start falling more and more behind as the decades go on. This will not be an overnight process and will largely for the majority of people be quite unnoticeable until things get really bad at which point it becomes in effect irreversible. Things will just kinda snowball economically with a straight spiral downward and continue on leading to what was arguably one of the most powerful military powers in the western hemisphere becoming a diminished backwater whose glory days would be largely forgotten about. The second and most likely fall will be via a general collapse as a result of an excessively overextended military campaign ala just like good ole Paraguay. They'll pick a fight with someone whose just a bit too determined and while they might do fine for a year or maybe even three if their lucky as time goes on the strain on the economy which will slowly but surely become more and more stressed will eventually result in something breaking and the whole morass just crumbles from the ground up. The economy and military in many ways, though probably effective in an Israeli esque quick and decisive war, just isn't fit around a long term war of attrition in a manner of speaking and hence though they might have an initial edge in the beginning that would eventually just wear down with time and well.. Things just kinda fall apart from that point forward.

Personally I find the latter to be the most fun of the bunch, a last glorious huzzah followed by a fall just seems rather poetic for a society such as this. Too insane and weird in a world like this this free so called Revolutionary State formed by former slaves who rose against their very masters and staked their destiny on the stars finally fell apart under their own weight unable to sustain the very hurricane that they had unleashed upon the world and became nothing more than a footnote in the chronicle of history. I assume for story purposes most would feel the same way.