A World on Fire (OOC, 1700s AH, Accepting Apps)

[Nuraca]

Also, here's the Discord server!

Again, not mandatory to be in here, just may be easier to talk and would crowd up the OOC a bit less.

...care to update the discord?

Sorry, not sure what you mean?

[HypErcApitAl]

Application
General
--Nation Name: The United Dutch Republic
--Map:

(Image)

Not Picture is the colony on Ceylon

--Flag:

(Image)

--Capital: Amsterdam
Government
--Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
--Government Overview: A Republic with 3 balanced branches, a unicameral legislature and the King as Head of State, very focused on tolerance and individual rights
--Head of Government: Statenholder (Prime Minister) Greet Von Reuten
--Head of State (if different): King William III
Demographics
--Population: 4 million
----Colonial Population (if applicable): 1 million
--Demonym: The Dutch
--Primary Culture: Dutch but fairly cosmopolitan
--Other Cultures: Beligan, colonial peoples
--Religion Overview: Mostly Protestant but minorities are well tolerated
Development Points (Total = 15, 11 for nations with no navy)
--Infrastructure/Economy (out of 10): 7
--Army (out of 10): 3
--Navy (out of 10): 5
--Military Overview: The military is small and almost exclusively focused defense and fortifications. The Dutch won their independence through siege warfare and as such are masters of defending fortified structures and field good well equipped infantry and artillery. But their laser focus has left them unable to take the offensive in any meaningful way, and their best and brightest rarely enter the military which is small relative to neighboring powers.

The Dutch Navy fairs much better however and is made up of a large collection of fast ships and experienced sailors to help maintain the colonial empire AND protect the trade routes that have made the nation so rich. In addition to the regular military the Dutch also boast a substantial Merchant Marine and naval reserve with Merchant fleets that can be pressed into service.

RP Elements
--National Objectives: Profit, Profit, Profit, Expand colonial holdings, find a strong ally to help protect the nation from threats.
--History: During the religious conflicts in the 1500s a group of powerful nobles and merchants in what would become succeeded from the HRE and formed a loose confederation to help protect themselves. Other nobles, cities, and merchants quickly began joining the confederation for a variety of reasons ranging from promises of religious tolerance to economic freedom, to early nationalism, to cultural rifts between the French and German overlords.

Over the next decade the region fought for its independence, wearing down their enemy in countless fruitless sieges and supplying the cities with a strong naval presence and blockade runners. Finally finding the region more trouble than it was worth the United Dutch Republic was officially created with the military hero and prominent noble William of Orange-Nassau became King William the First.

The war had led to a series of centralizing measures out of necessity which did not recede after the war and became a stronger government with a strong parliament and three coequal branches of government, the King, Parliament and a Grand Court. The Merchants being the strongest interest in the new Kingdom, small existing colonies were subject to a great deal of investment and new colonies were founded leading to a sprawling colonial empire stretching from Florida to Ceylon. Dutch Traders profited from low taxes and regulations and are among the most prominent traders in the world, and can be found in most world markets. This has led the Dutch to become the premiere economic power in Europe.


RP Sample:

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=472129

Tracking Number:(in OP)

I actually see now. I was observing the OP and rp stuff, and my reservation was made earlier but I didn't send it until later, today. I don't even mind that stuff I said earlier.

[Khasinkonia]

Application
General
--Nation Name: Rouantelezh Breizh(Kingdom of Brittany)
--Map: The Kingdom:
Brittany proper, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyane, Louisiana, the Falklands, Zanzibar, the northern coast of the Straits of Malacca, and Various Indian Ocean Isles(Particularly the Maldives), Macau.
--Flag:

--Capital: Brest
Government
--Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
--Government Overview: In the face of the Protestant Reformation and Enlightenment philosophy, the Catholic regime of Brittany has, over the years, lashed back against the Protestant Republican ideals with a monarchy that grew, rather than waned in strength. Although the nation flirted with parliamentarianism during the 14th century, later developments effected a change in course towards the nation’s modern modus operandi: Enlightened Absolutism. Although much of the centuries-old bureaucracy still exists, its stated purpose is to serve the crown, and the crown alone. Unlike other certain other interpretations of Enlightened Absolutism, however, the power, in essence, is vested in the Crown, not the one who wears it. A direct result of this is a powerful entity derived from the Breton Estates(Existed IRL, comparable in composition to the RL French Estates) known as the Regency Council, where 3 of the 9 Dukes are elected by the Three Estates to serve as advisors to the Crown, and inform the Crown’s decisions. This is how the commoner may influence the rule of the land. With circumstances such as those of the present (which the Kingdom has had the misfortune to experience rather more regularly than many of Europe’s other kingdoms), the Regency Council has the opportunity to exercise significant powers as representatives of the crown in times of monarchal incapacity, be it due to health, age, or something else entirely. Thanks to this political development, the Kingdom has cured itself of the endemic instability that plagued it back during its Duchy days.
--Head of Government: Regency Council(Consisting of Elouan Duke of Gwened, Nolwenn Duchess of Treger, and Corentin Duke of Kerne) under the Crown of Brittany.
--Head of State: Queen Eleanora III of House Kernev
Demographics
--Population: ~2,600,000
----Colonial Population: ~2,150,000(Pernamboug/Brazil), 900,000(Zanzibar), ~1,700,000(Breton East Indies), 70,000(Bro-Gwenneg/Louisiana)
--Demonym: Breton
--Primary Culture: Breton, Gallicised Breton(Gallo)
--Other Cultures: French, various indigenous cultures(Most notably, those of the Indies), assorted slave cultures
--Religion Overview: Although Catholicism is without a doubt the state religion, the metropolitanisation of numerous major cities in the kingdom has made strict enforcement of a single denomination rather counterproductive. In Upper Brittany, there exist sects of Huguenots, but the majority of the nation largely adheres to Catholicism, though, as previously stated, the metropolises of port cities hold diversity that is best left unprovoked.
Development Points
--Infrastructure/Economy: 8
--Army: 1
--Navy: 6
--Military Overview: Much like the Dutch, the Bretons focus their expansionism to the seas. Their historically precarious position between the land of the Angles and French lands has provided them with no shortage of experience when it comes to defences. In the historical marches between France and Brittany, any layperson can easily spot a long history of strife. As a result of this, their fortifications are fairly strong, built over the centuries. Though well-funded for its size due to the vast coffers of the crown, the Royal Army suffers from a longstanding disinterest from all but the most paranoid of Uheled, rendering peacetime garrisons over-equipped, for land warfare evokes memories not of victorious advances, but of stalwart defences against persistent sieges. Everyone understands that an empire is nothing without its motherland, but no-one wants to be the one called on when such a defence is necessary. However, with the internally focused French Republic, a lasting peace seems to have been established, allowing the Bretons free reign with their preferred endeavours.

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy enjoys generous funding, seasoned sailors, and ships to match. The official navy bears a healthy combination of smaller fast ships, frigates, and its famous 74’s, which are the envy of navies the world over. Alongside the admirable Royal Navy are, and in addition to the portion of armed merchants who may be called upon in times of war, are a nebulous collection of sailors known as the Men of New Maloù. These sailors fish in the frigid waters in Southern Ocean, and their ships, known as Maoutbagoù(Sing: Maoutbag), lack proper weapons, but have proven themselves intriguingly useful under some circumstances, as the sturdy hull of the ships makes ramming small, fragile vessels into pieces quite easy under the right conditions, as well as colliding with other vessels to board them. Of course, the hardened sailors aboard these ships are perhaps as integral to such an unorthodox strategy being useful at all. As far as naval power goes, the Kingdom of Brittany can without a doubt be considered one of the world’s premier naval powers.
RP Elements
--National Objectives:
Wealth, status quo, security, continued colonial expansion, maintenance of exclusive trade with China, pursuit of enlightenment innovation ideals, and maintenance of amiable relations with France
--History:
Breton history begins back in the early medieval era, where the foundations of the nation as a political entity were laid by the Frankish Kingdom. Although plagued by usurpers to the throne for much of its early existence, a fateful occurrence proved to be a turning point in Breton history, wherein their greatest historical rival’s failure proved their opportunity. Thanks to William the Bastard’s repulsion from the lands of the Angles, the armies of Conan II(Who were even joined by the deserting three armies of his Uncle Odo, who returned with his shamed tail between his legs) were able to decisively crush the wounded and exhausted men of William’s army, leaving Normandy a shadow of its former self after two consecutive disasters. With a distant England, a battered and beaten Normandy, and a weak French crown, the Kerne dynasty secured its position as the political leader of Brittany.

The results of this secured dynastic succession was threefold: First, and most importantly to Europe, the lack of English interests in France left the French crown with little drive to nation-build, which was only exacerbated by the existence of Brittany as a rapidly stabilising political entity underneath said greater Crown. Secondly, the Kerne dynasty was a manifestly Breton dynasty, which set it apart from the other subdivisions of France, as it was compelled to culturally drift away from France, rather than towards it. Thus, the foundations of Breton as a culturally Breton state with a Breton tongue were thoroughly secured. Finally, the succession crises that had plagued the Duchy before and during its dynastic spats with Normandy caused a trend in the Breton royal family to generally avoid marriages into ruling branches of Europe’s major houses. This careful approach to diplomatic marriages has meant that, though Brittany has historically been one of Europe’s “edges,” the rare succession issues have been largely behind closed doors, sometimes even with the populace none the wiser.

At the dawn of the Age of Exploration, at the forefront was little Brittany. It had long become the primary trade node for France, and had growing curiosities in the Atlantic. Breton fishermen had long frequented the waters of the Great Northern Realm, but the extent of the accompanying lands was unknown. Though the very first formal expedition to the New World was not Breton-chartered, as, like the Dutch, their primary focus had formerly been on circumnavigating Africa, the Duchy was perhaps the first government to properly internalise that what they had found for what it was—a new land, not Asia. Breton fishermen began to investigate the new warm waters, and found respectable supplies of fish. However, with the discovery of gold in the New World and the circumnavigation of Africa, Brittany under Duke Gwenneg II was quick to charter expeditions of its own, leading to the establishment of numerous New World trade outposts along the great rivers.

The colonies of Pernamboug(Brazil) and Bro-Gwenneg(Louisiana) were initially chartered to serve as bases from which to hunt for gold, but, as such digging proved costly, dangerous, and lacked fruit compared to their endeavours in the Indian Ocean, there came a question as to what to do with the colonies until the other exploitable resources (Brazilwood in Pernamboug and Furs in Bro-Gwenneg) became evident, sparking a resurgence in investment in the two regions. Although both Bro-Gwenneg and Pernamboug have since also demonstrated themselves to be quite farmable, the latter has come to see far more settlers thanks to the Pernamboug Gold Rush that has persisted to this day, attracting prospectors the world over to the gold mines of Pernamboug. Those who succeed often then exchange their pickaxes for whips as they enter into the business of growing cash crops.

As Brittany, like much of Europe, enjoyed the influx of wealth from the new trade routes and colonies, the situation in France became more disjointed as the crown continued to haemorrhage power. This trend was finally brought to its conclusion by the Huguenot overthrowal of the French monarchy. Although much of France had experienced a great uptick in Protestantism, the conservative counties of Brittany largely remained Catholic. This fact, combined with the longstanding cultural divide lead to the French and the Bretons taking very different paths. As a French Republic was declared, it was clear to most influential parties that a French Republic needed to be French, and, as far as the Bretons were concerned, meant that Brittany was to forge its own path, with no master. Under the reign of Elouan I, Brittany ascended from a Duchy to a Kingdom, while its Counts became Dukes, and so on and so forth. This relatively peaceful reorganisation was marked in Breton history by the Articles of Rennes. Although largely agreeable for both sides given the circumstances, a few details have persistently maintained special arrangements between France and Brittany. The notable details of the Articles are as follows:
[TBD with Norv]

With this agreement in place that established Breton independence, the Kingdom continued its overseas endeavours with newfound pride, continuing its trend of naval expansion and innovation, and reaping the benefits of such. As the ideals of the enlightenment came, Brittany drifted in a direction opposite to France. Although the metropolitan nature of the nation has compelled it to embrace “Enlightened” more than “Absolutism,” the government system stands. Although the kingdom still looks to expand its holdings while controlling what it has, it is limited by its population, and so must rely on rather lightly supervised new charters to undertake most new endeavours, lest every sailor work for the India Companies. In the homeland itself, the gears of the Industrial Revolution have begun turning, as they have in other such urbanised societies, with the nation’s cities bearing witness to some of the revolution’s advancements courtesy of the demand for innovation in the shipyards and in the markets. Today, Brittany is a far cry from the unstable Duchy of the Medieval Era, but it still faces its competitors. Though it has managed to cling to Ming-era leases on the port of Macau, providing a monopoly on Chinese goods, and possesses respectable colonial holdings, it is not without its competitors in all other respects, and must, of course, carefully navigate the treacherous waters of European politics while also maintaining the status quo within its own network—something certainly made no more simple by the nation’s internal political situation. Though prosperity brings stability, the unexpected death of King Conan IV the previous year has left the Regency Council with a Queen aged 16 to negotiate with when it comes to all affairs. Even if she is generally a rather demure and agreeable individual, the Queen’s age is nonetheless a hassle when it comes to balancing education, lawful rule, and the distinct lack of an heir. Brittany still remembers the perils of unclear succession, and so, from the Third Estate to the Regency Council, every man, woman, and child has an eye on the Crown.

RP Sample: Child Monarchs are Fun

Tracking Number: 276

[The Hindustani State]

48hr Reservation Form
New Nation Name: Maratha Rebellion
Map:

999 - Do not delete this.
I circled my area since another country with a similar color already exists in the area. This isn’t a fully fledged country but the beginnings of a rebellion against the Islamic Ghurid ruling class

[Union Princes]

Is it too late to app as an Indian nation from the subcontinent?

[Khasinkonia]

Is it too late to app as an Indian nation from the subcontinent?

South India's rather free, and you have the good fortunes of the English being rather quiet this time around it seems.

[Sarderia]

48hr Reservation Form
New Nation Name: United Kingdom of Galicia and Portugal
Map: Galicia and Portugal (+ Melila and Northern Morocco)
999 - Do not delete this.

I'm redoing the application

[Danubian Peoples]

Things seem to be chugging along fine? Anyone want to flesh out international relations?

[Khasinkonia]

-snip-
The notable details of the Articles are as follows:
[TBD with Norv]
-snip-

Consider my app done. This one thing here is a reminder to me to discuss this bit of shared interaction between my own nation and Norv's, as it's rather important to finish highlighting the Franco-Breton relationship.

[Danubian Peoples]

Hmmm, it seems the Enlightenment was a bit more succesful in this timeline. A lot of more Republican governments, which makes sense. One succesful Republic will probably inspire others, although I already see some major differences, from the more Roman-inspired Constantinople to the noble republic in Novgorod to the Protestant republic in France.

That is actually a pretty interesting observation. Can't wait to see how it evolves. Also, it appears that Bulgaria claimed the Crimea on the map. I'm fine with that, but I am taking it should thr 48 hour reservation expire.

[The Pearl River]

48hr Reservation Form
New Nation Name: Kingdom of Piedmont
Map: Main european land: Piedmont, liguria
Colony: Java, The lesser sunda islands, Lampung, Jambi, Bengkulu, South sumatra, West sumatra
999 - Do not delete this

[The Baton Rouge Free State]

Application
General
--Nation Name: Kingdom of Joseon (Korea)
--Map: here
--Flag:

--Capital: Seoul
Government
--Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
--Government Overview: The government of Joseon is quite unique, especially for an Asian Kingdom. It has a written constitution and codified set of laws known as the Gyeongguk Daejon. Whilst the king operates with technically absolute authority, there are a garunteed set of rights for citizens, and their exists the large set of ministers and civil servants in the government. In the civil service there are 18 ranks, and it operates on a meritocratic system. To enter the civil service and to later be promoted you either had to pass a set of strict examinations or get recommended by several superior officials. The government is highly centralized and much of the administrative duties are undertaken by the State Council, made up the Chief State Councillor at the head, followed by the Left State Councillor, the Right State Councillor, the Left Minister, the Right Minister, and 7 other members. The State council wields control over the nations Six Ministries, which include the Ministries of Personnel, Taxation, Rites, Defence, Justice, and Commerce. There also exists the Three Offices, a check and balance system as well as an anti-corruption system. They wield the power to bring legislation and politicians to a court on the basis of corruption, treason, or going against the rights of the people. The three offices include the Office of Censors, the Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Special Advisors. The office of special advisors, also has a secondary duty of keeping watch over the Royal Library and Archives. Other major offices include the Royal Secretariat which governed cooperation between the various government organs and the King; the Capital Bureau which runs the city of Seoul; the Royal Investigative Division, which is a paramilitary organization under direct control of the King; the Office of Records which maintains the national Libraries and helps run the Archives in conjunction with the office of Special Advisors; and the Royal Academy which trains military and civil officers and creates and maintains the various tests required for promotions and entrance into the civil service. The government administrative divisions were as follows:
Provinces (Do·도 道) - There were eight provinces, each of which was governed by Governor (Gwanchalsa), a position of 2nd junior rank.
Bu(부) - administrative offices in charge of major cities in provinces. Each bu was led by Buyoon, which was equivalent to Governor in rank.
Mok (목 牧) - There were twenty moks, which governed large counties named 'ju'. They were run by Moksa, of 3rd senior rank.
County (Gun·군 郡) - There were eighty counties in Joseon, each governed by Gunsu, a 4th junior rank.
Hyeon (현 縣) - Large hyeons were governed by Hyeongryeong of 5th junior rank while smaller hyeons were governed by Hyeonggam of 6th junior rank.
--Head of Government: King Yi Seon
Chief State Councillor Ryeo Haneul
--Head of State (if different): King Yi Seon
Demographics
--Population: 14.7 Million
----Colonial Population (if applicable): N/A
--Demonym: Koreans
--Primary Culture: Korean
--Other Cultures: some Chinese influence exists in the north, tho not enough to form a separate cultural entity
--Religion Overview: the primary religion is Confucianism, though freedom of religion is garunteed and sizeable minorities of Taosim and Buddhism exists, as well as Korean Folk Religions.
Development Points (Total = 15, 11 for nations with no navy)
--Infrastructure/Economy (out of 10): 6
--Army (out of 10): 3
--Navy (out of 10): 6
--Military Overview: (How is your military structured? Equipped? Flesh out the specifics of your Development Points here.)
RP Elements
--National Objectives: Improve the Korean Military and living conditions, seek modernization and improvement while maintaining culture
--History: (Check other apps before filling this out)

RP Sample:

Tracking Number:(in OP)

WIP

[Guuj Xaat Kil]

Application
General
--Nation Name: Ghurid Empire/شنسبانی/Shansabānīds
--Map: Hello
--Flag:

I dunno

--Capital: Firozkoh (never got burned down by Mongols in this timeline)

Government
--Government Type: Absolute monarchy
--Government Overview: An absolute monarchy the Shansabānīds may be, but the Padishah's rule is far from it. Ruling over a vast stretch of land requires extensive decentralization, and in the case of the Ghurids, through provincial governors selected from the Āl-e Šansab family. As for the process of this selection, the provincial governors are to send a representative from their branch of the family (or representatives if they so desire), to the Imperial Court for training in governance. After training, these governors are tasked with various assignments within the Padishah's demesne, and when a governor dies, one of them will be assigned to the vacant post. Representatives from a former governor's family are never granted their kinsman's province, this is to prevent dynasties from forming.

As for taxation, all revenues are to be collected at the capital, and the wealth spared to the provinces as needed. Jizya tax on the other hand, is separate from this system as it is split 50/50 between the Padishah and the provinces.
--Head of Government: Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad IV/غیاث‌ الدین محمد بن سام‎‎
--Head of State: ^
Demographics
--Population: 49,250,000
----Colonial Population: N/A
--Demonym: Shansabānī, but foreigners commonly call us Ghurids.
--Primary Culture: Persian
--Other Cultures: Various Indo-Aryan groups, the occasional Dravidian, and Turkic peoples
--Religion Overview: Out of necessity, Ghurid society has evolved to become more and more cosmopolitan in order to accommodate the various faiths within its borders. Basically, a lax stance on the so-called infidels. As long as they pay up the jizya tax, then no harm shall come to them and they shall be protected as with any other citizen of the empire. The Ghurids main religion is Sunni, with significant Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain minorities in India and on the border with the Chinese, there are also the occasional Zoroastrian and Jew.
Development Points (total = 15)
--Infrastructure/Economy (out of 10): 8
(controlling a lot of cash crop capable land means very cash money)
--Army (out of 10): 6
(controlling a lot of very cash money means a very cash money military)
--Navy (out of 10): 1
(tf we need a navy for? Oh, overseas trade? Eh...)
--Military Overview: Provincial governors are to raise troops and send them to the Imperial Demesne to be trained into Ghurid infantrymen, this is to disarm said provinces and prevent armed rebellion from them. As for standing armies, the Ghurid military has extensively focused on their heavy and light cavalry forces for this category, with the latter perhaps being the most important to the empire's survival as they are used as a rapid response force against potential rebellions, as these light cavalry forces require speed in order to catch up and crush rebellions before they grow too large, attached to them almost all the time are a contingent of engineers. During peacetime these engineers assist in the construction of infrastructure, and in wartime they create bridges and new roads for armies to pass through quickly, although for the road part, that is rare, as said roads would've been accounted for and built during peacetime.
RP Elements
--National Objectives: Money, tech up to resist the damn Europeans, get more money, play the Europeans against each other, and more money.
--History: The PoD for the Ghurids are a series of fortunate events (mostly more extreme Seljuk and Ghaznavid bickering) leading to a stronger Ghurid vassal under the Ghaznavids. Nothing much of note occurs until the mid-12th century, with Sultan Bahram-Shah's poisoning of a Ghurid leader taking refuge in Ghazna, Qutb al-Din Muhammad. This resulted in his brother Sayf al-Din Suri, to march against the Ghaznavid Sultan in revenge. Defeating him in Ghazna, and a year later, he would decisively defeat the Ghaznavid and their Sultan once more, capturing the latter and crushing his armies[1]. The Ghaznavids would be unable to retake the city without the aid of the Seljuks, and an invading force of Oghuz Turks would be crushed just outside its walls, Sayf would die in the battle however, and rulership was transferred over to Baha al-Din Sam I, a younger brother of his.

In 1152, Baha al-Din Sam I would refuse to pay tribute to the Seljuks, and would barely come out on top in the Battle of Nab a few days later, which was only achieved by the death of Sultan Ahmed Sanjar in the battle[2]. In the resulting Peace of Ghazna (1154), Baha al-Din Sam I would gain the independence of the Ghurids from Seljuk vassalage. Now freshly independent, the newly crowned Sultan would live out the rest of his reign conquering Garchistan, Tukharistan, Bamiyan, and much more, but in these conquests, Baha al-Din Sam I would die in battle, and the Sultanate's rulership would fall upon the shoulders of his son, Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad.

Perhaps the greatest ruler of the Āl-e Šansab family, he would expand upon his father's conquests and propel the Ghurid Sultanate to world power status (as of the time) alongside with his brother Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad's assistance, with their conquests resulting in the Sultanate expanding to encompass a land stretching from Fars in the west to Bengal in the east, from the Aral Sea to the north to the Gulf of Persia in the south. By then their greatest threat were the Khwarazmians and as of the time, their Kara Khitan masters; both powers would struggle in the control of Khorasan. Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad would then adopt the role as defender of Sunnism, and would maintain cordial relations with the Abbasids to the west.

A longer reign than IOTL* would allow Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad to consolidate his conquests and ensure a stable succession by making sure the throne went to his loyal brother (and to his son if the brother was to die prematurely or without issue)[3]. Late in his reign he would declare himself Padishah after decisively destroying the main force of an invasion by the Khwarazmians at Amu Darya and Hezarasp (which in turn resulted in the Caliph's approval, which led to the declaration). As the Mongol Invasion has been butterflied away by chaos theory, the Ghurid golden age remains continuous. Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad dies from the stress the Khwarazmian campaign gave him in 1205, and power is transferred over to Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad, who was as capable as his brother, more so than in our timeline, as he was able to conquer Gujarat (this in turn allowed for him to oversee the conquest of land all the way to Bengal rather than his commander, Qutb-al-Din Aybak, who would be sent to assist Ghiyath against the Khwarazemids).

He crushes the Khokhar tribes of Jhelum in 1206 during their failed rebellion, making an example out of them. A stronger grip on India results in constant rebellions in that area of the Ghurid empire for quite some time, resulting in the partial loss of Bengal (mostly the coast). Near the end of his reign however, the Ghurid empire has more or less stabilized into a state that won't break apart in a few successions. Land was allotted to family members, and the succession clarified that only a member of the main lines (his and Ghiyath's) would inherit (as well as contingencies if ever those main lines goes extinct), these succession laws would be enforced with force. Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad would die of old age in 1226, and succeeded by his nephew Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud.

A civil war would erupt during Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud's reign, with Jalal al-Din Ali and Ala al-Din Muhammad claiming the title of Padishah, and supported by a large contingent of native Iranian soldiers. With the help of his Turkish commander Taj al-Din Yildiz, the rebellion was crushed about three years later. During the rebellion, the Ghurids lost access to the Aral Sea as well as their border regions in India, the former from outside forces, and somewhat the same with the latter, but with a provincial governor seceding. Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud would be unable to reconquer these provinces, but was able to subjugate the rich provinces of Gujarat the latter parts of his reign. He died of natural causes in 1251. His successor would be a grandson of Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad[4], Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad II.

Under him, the governance of the empire was stabilized. He did this by taking hostages from each governor after inciting a revolt out of them, as well as ensuring that every province no longer had hereditary succession, but rather, would have appointments instead. He would not expand much in his reign, with the only major conquest being near the Aral Sea. This was due to his focus on the inner workings of his empire, and ensuring that it would not fragment after his death. Gaining the support of both the native Iranian soldiery and the Turkish ghulams, he would lay the groundwork for a centralized army for future generations. Perhaps his crowning achievement in his reign was the completion of an extensive road system throughout the empire, and redirecting much of the Silk Road's trade through it. Placation of the Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains through the lowering of the jizya tax would prove fruitful in the prevention of rebellions.

Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad II enjoyed a long, peaceful, and prosperous reign, and would die of old age on 1287. His successor, a nephew by the name of Baha al-Din Sam II, would for the most part, have a long but uneventful reign, pushing the borders outward slightly in India and continuing his predecessor's work, and dying of old age in 1301. His successor, another nephew by the name of Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad, was a warlike man, intending on expanding the empire as his predecessors Ghiyath and namesake Mu'izz had done, displacing the Oghuz Turks in the north.

Another campaign of his would be against the Zengids, who were currently in the process of installing their claimant for the now figurehead Abbasid Caliph (whom he had extensive ties with to due to decades of intermarrying), although he beat them on the field and their Azerbaijani allies, he was unable to prevent the "Sack" of Baghdad, sack is in quotation marks as after the siege of it was concluded with a Zengid victory, the only sacking that occurred was against the Abbasid family, which were slaughtered by overeager Turkish soldiers. In response, he forced a crippling peace treaty on the Zengids and executed their claimants. Now there were no Caliphs...

After all that, he would soon turn his eyes to Bengal, and would've succeeded in conquering his way to it if not for his untimely death to disease in 1306, fortunately, he had ensured a proper succession if he were to die early. His successor was the son of Baha al-Din Sam III, also of the same name. He would consolidate his predecessors conquests, but lost parts of it near Bengal and Tibet due to successful rebellions, this in turn sparked more revolts, but he was able to crush them before things got out of hand. Other than the conquest of borderlands to the north and the establishment of tributary states in Southern India, not much of note happens and Baha al-Din Sam III enjoys a reign similar to Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad II's, and the longest as well at 42 years of rule. He dies of old age in 1348.

A long period of peace, prosperity, and mild isolation ensues afterwards, lasting from mid 1300s to the mid 1600s, in which the current lax attitude the empire had began to evolve into today's cosmopolitan society and the borders of the Shansabānīds would begin to solidify into their present day ones. The introduction of gunpowder weapons and the groundwork Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad II left behind would also contribute to the creation of a strong centralized army based around cavalry. The empire's economy was also improved and would become nearly as large as most of Europe's combined. This golden age was also touted as a 2nd Islamic Golden Age. The zenith of this period would be the 16th Century, with the Ghurids being the only Islamic Gunpowder Empire in the area of any significance, and holding a monopoly over the spread of gunpowder weaponry to its fellow Islamic states as well.

The Ghurids came out of their isolation in the 1600s to partake in the pie that was the collapsing Ming, becoming one of contributors to its demise. It was also able to carve out large tributary states in the form of Tibet and the Dzungar Khanate. This would bring them into conflict with the newly established Shun Dynasty with their conquest of the Dzungar Khanate in 1683, Padishah Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad IV would support his tributary in repulsing the Chinese invaders, he sent his commander Muhi-ud-Din Muhammad to take care of it, but he would be defeated in the field after a cat-and-mouse chase with Guo Jing. A some years later in 1695, Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad would again intervene on behalf of his tributary, leading troops personally alongside Muhi-ud-Din during the campaign. Again, they were defeated.

The stress of losing two campaigns in a row would prove detrimental to Mu'izz's health and he would die in 1699, and rulership was transferred to his son, Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad VII, but he was assassinated by supporters of a different claimant a year later. Said claimant was then installed on the throne, Sayf al-Din Mahmud II. He would die a decade later due to illness, and was succeeded by his nephew Baha al-Din Sam VI, but he would be assassinated merely days into his reign, resulting in a succession crisis and civil war. It grew so severe that old jizya tax rates had to be levied in order to support the war effort, this in turn would result in a few provincial revolts.

Baha al-Din Sam VI successor was Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad VIII who was installed on the throne after his death, but the old Padishah would soon be found dead in the pools of his palace on 1728, and the civil war grew and grew in intensity. Succession at least went to his son this time, also named Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad. The young Padishah would prove to be the saving grace of the Ghurid Empire, as he quickly ended the civil war with the castration and exile of the other claimants. Much of his reign was used in the reconstruction of the empire, and he was, for the most part, successful.

It is now 1765 and the aging Padishah stands at a crossroads, to the north are the Chinese and Russian empires, waiting for blood in the water, which may come soon with the Maratha Rebellion to the south threatening to explode into perhaps one of the largest rebellions the Ghurid Empire has ever seen. And elsewhere, perfidious Europeans wait for the right time to strike.

*in our timeline

Comprehensive Ruler Guide:

Malik Sayf al-Din Suri (1146-1150)
Malik/Sultan Baha al-Din Sam I (1150-1161)
Sultan/Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad I (1161-1205)
Padishah Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad I (1205-1226)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud I (1226-1251)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad II (1251-1287)
Padishah Baha al-Din Sam II (1287-1301)
Padishah Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad II (1301-1306)
Padishah Baha al-Din Sam III (1306-1348)
Padishah Mu'izz al-Din Mahmud I (1348-1356)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud II (1356-1370)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad III (1370-1378)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud III (1378-1400)
Padishah Mu'izz al-Din Mahmud II (1400-1434)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Mahmud IV (1434-1443)
Padishah Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad III (1443-1465)
Padishah Baha al-Din Sam IV (1465-1483)
Padishah Baha al-Din Muhammad I (1483-1500)
Padishah Sayf al-Din Suri I (1500-1535)
Padishah Sayf al-Din Mahmud I (1535-1559)
Padishah Baha al-Din Muhammad II (1559-1571)
Padishah Baha al-Din Sam V (1571-1577)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad IV (1577-1588)
Padishah Sayf al-Din Suri II (1588-1606)
Padishah Sayf al-Din Mahmud I (1606-1618)
Padishah Baha al-Din Sam V (1618-1643)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad V (1643-1651)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad VI (1651-1672)
Padishah Mu'izz al-Din Muhammad IV (1672-1699)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad VII (1699-1700)
Padishah Sayf al-Din Mahmud II (1700-1710)
Padishah Baha al-Din Sam VI (1710-1710)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad VIII (1710-1728)
Padishah Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad IX (1728-present)

RP Sample: yes

Tracking Number: 276

[Munkcestrian RepubIic]

Is it too late to app as an Indian nation from the subcontinent?

South India's rather free, and you have the good fortunes of the English being rather quiet this time around it seems.

Indian Industrial Revolution

[Sao Nova Europa]

Slightly altered map to make Russian-Chinese frontier aesthetically better. I grabbed two small empty Manchurian provinces in the north (which belong in RL to China anyway). OP is OK and unless anyone objects (none has so far), here is the altered map:

[Danubian Peoples]

Slightly altered map to make Russian-Chinese frontier aesthetically better. I grabbed two small empty Manchurian provinces in the north (which belong in RL to China anyway). OP is OK and unless anyone objects (none has so far), here is the altered map:

([url=https://i.postimg.cc/ZRRWTw7H/Map3.png]Image)[/url]

Maybe I should grab Tanu Tuva and Transamur. I was trying to accomodate the real life borders of the Qing Empire, so as to try and be more plausible, but maybe I should strive for a hard border with China, no unclaimed land in between.

[Sao Nova Europa]

I am OK with that.

[Danubian Peoples]

I am OK with that.

Here you go
Adjusted the borders a bit, now the only white space between the Chinese and Russian Empires is Central Asia. If anyone wants to play in that area, I invite you to. Should make for an interesting situation, what with being stuck in the crossroads between 3 major powers, being the Russian Republic, the Ghurids, and Great Shun. I will update my app with this new app as soon as OP declares it to be allowed. Or even sooner.

Also, it would be nice if OP put a list of accepted apps (with links ofc) at the opening post, it would be nice to have them all in one place.

[Munkcestrian RepubIic]

English exonyms for your outlands

Bohemia: Beeheemɥrland
Poland: Polɥland/Uiincɩⱨland
Bulgaria: Bɥlgɥrland
Sweden: Suiiriitի
Russia: Rɥիland
China: popularisation of name is result of Portuguese exploration, so going to depend on circumstances. maybe a Breton version?
Korea: in normal English (not Ben Franklin's spelling reform I have stolen) an alternative maybe could have been Koson?
Netherlands: Ⱨiitիland

[Reverend Norv]

Application
General

--Nation Name: The French Commonwealth.
--Map: Here, preliminarily. Its colonies in Senegal and the Cape are very loosely held. France will likely make an attempt at conquering the Algerian and Tunisian coast fairly early in the IC.
--Flag: see right.
--Capital: Paris

Government
--Government Type: Federal parliamentary constitutional religious republic. The most distinctive features of French democracy include the role of the Senate, which represents not the general public but instead interest groups like the nobility, the Reformed Church, and the military; and the aggressive and extensive judicial review of the national courts, which apply a hybridized form of civil and common law.

--Government Overview:

The French Commonwealth is governed according to a written constitution that dates back to 1598, though it has been subject to amendment nearly every twenty years. In its essence, it is a parliamentary government of limited powers. It is an avowedly Christian and Reformed state, in which membership in the Reformed Church is required in order to hold office and for many forms of public employment.

Parliament is bicameral. The lower house, the National Assembly, has exclusive powers of the purse and is therefore regarded as the more powerful of the two. It is elected by the people from single-member districts; suffrage is limited to adult men who can either pay ten écus per ballot or who have served in the armed forces. The party that possesses a majority or coalition in the Assembly then appoints the Council of Ministers and its Chancellor, who together constitute the executive. They govern until the next general election, which occurs either after a five-year term or after a vote of no-confidence by the Assembly. At present, the main divide in Parliament is between the Reformed Party (which supports an aggressive foreign policy, high taxes, a European focus, and the Army) and the Commonwealth Party (which supports a diplomatic foreign policy, lower taxes, a colonial/global focus, and the Navy). In general, the Assembly as a whole represents the interests of the bourgeoisie, who through it mostly control French politics.

The Senate was intended to ensure representation for the nobles and the Reformed Church. As French society grew more democratic, rather than abolish this institution, the nation adapted it: today, the Senate is used to represent all those whose virtue entitles them to a greater voice in government. Its members are appointed by the nobility, the Church, the armed forces, and the universities - among a few others. Because of this, and because it does not choose the Council of Ministers, the Senate tends to be less focused on party politics than the National Assembly. It cannot originate legislation, but its consent is required for all legislation passed by the Assembly.

Unlike in our timeline, this France did not emerge as the result of a centralized monarchy; rather, it was an alliance of Protestant nobles and cities. As a result, the Commonwealth is a federal republic, though it has grown more centralized over time. Its 35 provinces, ranging in size from the vast and rugged massif of Limousin to the city of Marseille alone, have the constitutional right to collect their own taxes, run their own schools, maintain their own roads, and generally handle local day-to-day administration in any way they see fit.

France is also notable for its court system. Its civil and criminal courts are insulated almost entirely from political pressure: judges are chosen by the faculty of the Sorbonne and must meet demanding academic standards. Judges on the Constitutional Court, by contrast, must be appointed by a two-thirds majority of the Senate - ensuring that they are acceptable to a wide cross-section of society instead of just to a political majority. They have sweeping power of judicial review, which permits them to strike down laws that conflict either with the Constitution or with the "Scriptural principles" that are supposed to justify it.

--Head of Government: Chancellor of the Commonwealth Paul-Henri Maturin.

--Head of State: In theory, none; the Constitution asserts that the head of the French state is God. In practice, the Chancellor.

Demographics
--Population: 24.4 million
----Colonial Population (if applicable): 220,000.
--Demonym: French
--Primary Culture:

"Metropolitan," or European, France is united by a shared French culture, though this embraces myriad regional subcultures from the Basque Country to Picardy; notably, the homogenizing influence of Paris is much less pronounced than in our timeline, and so French regional dialects and traditions remain vibrant. Nor is the Commonwealth's French culture identical to the culture of the France that we know. True, this France is characterized by many familiar features: a love of fine food and wine, a devotion to art and literature, an appreciation for beauty and a care to nurture it, a proclivity for argument and controversy, and a demanding commitment to good taste in all matters. As in our world, French culture is widely seen as a benchmark for sophistication and elegance.

But strong identification of French identity with the Reformed faith has given French culture a number of features that are unfamiliar in our timeline. The French are reflexively suspicious of absolute authority of any kind, political or religious. They are deeply committed to a Protestant vision of egalitarianism in which all people are equal in their sin, and therefore no man can regard himself as better than another. They are heirs to a cultural tradition in which bourgeois virtues are identified with Christian virtues - hard work, efficiency, progress, literacy, sobriety, piety, moderation - and both paupers and aristocrats are therefore regarded with suspicion. And finally, the French have long regarded themselves as a bastion of Protestant purity and democracy surrounded on all sides by ancient superstition and despotism; they are taught that they were chosen by God to light the world's way to progress, liberty, and moral redemption. And so French culture inculcates an intense national pride, a deep sense of national destiny, and a fiery commitment to the defense of both.

--Other Cultures: The indigenous cultures of the Senegalese coast and the Senegal River, and (to a lesser extent) of the Cape, though this is mostly a settler colony. The indigenous culture of the Bahamas is mostly extinguished, but there's an odd fusion of Huguenot, Breton, and African elements growing up in its place. The Basques are definitely not French in some ways, but are often regarded as just an unusually distinctive local variation on the larger French theme, rather than an actual minority.

--Religion Overview:

The Reformed Church is the direct descendant of the earliest forms of Protestantism that took root in France in the sixteenth century in response to the writings of Jean Calvin. It emphasizes man's absolute and inescapable sin and God's irresistible and all-sufficient grace, which leads to a belief in predestination: God saves and purifies those whom He will, whether they like it or not. These, his godly elect, are then freed to live virtuous and holy lives. Churches should be organized at the most local level possible, with ministers chosen by congregations and representatives to regional and national synods elected democratically. Education is a priority, because there can be no mature faith without a personal relationship to the Scriptures and the ability to think deeply about them for oneself. Religious art, while permissible, is suspect, lest it lure men into idolatry. The Catholic Church is regarded as entirely corrupt, because it has been appropriated by oppressive governments to crush the godly; the Reformed Church, on the other hand, is strongly associated with republicanism, since it teaches that there can be no king but God, and all others are equal before His law.

At a cultural level, the Reformed Church is a staunch defender of bourgeois values: it sees nothing wrong with making money, celebrates hard work and innovation, and is relatively progressive in its attitudes toward women and the family. Most strikingly, the Reformed Church believes that its faith is and should be constantly evolving as it comes to a better understanding of the Scriptures. This idea of semper reformanda is at the root of the remarkable spirit of innovation and creativity that informs French culture, art, science, industry, and military power.

The Jews - for whom Calvin always had a special affection - have long been treated well by the Reformed Church, and enjoy all the benefits of French citizenship - save only for public employment, which is reserved to members of the Reformed Church. A syncretic form of Islam is common in Senegal, and is permitted to practice freely, so long as imams do not organize against French rule; the Cape, as a settler colony, is overwhelmingly Huguenot. The Catholic Church is banned in France; those found to practice it, as per tradition, face the seizure of their assets and exile from the Commonwealth.

Development Points
--Infrastructure/Economy: 6. Rural France's infrastructure remains relatively underdeveloped, since the polity is dominated by urban bourgeois interests. But the roads are decent, the bridges sound, and the manufacturing sector is the most advanced in Europe - and probably in the world - as innovations like the spinning jenny and reverberatory furnace come into broader use. As a bourgeois republic, the Commonwealth as a whole lacks the grotesque inequality of wealth found in many late-feudal eighteenth-century societies. Finally, the decline of noble power has led to a far more efficient use of arable land by small freeholders, with the result that France does not suffer the food shortages that plagued it in our timeline.
--Army: 7
--Navy: 2
--Military Overview:

Unlike in most other countries, where war is the province of social elites, the French Army is a resolutely middle-class institution. This lies at the heart of its success: it has an institutional culture that prizes innovation over tradition, independent thought over dogma, education over seniority, and efficiency over glory. It suffers from little of the social-climbing or stubborn traditionalism associated with most noble officer classes. Commissions are not for sale and do not require noble birth; officer status is based on literacy, a good local reputation, and enrollment at one of the country's six military academies.

The French Commonwealth was the first nation in Western Europe to establish something approaching a modern conscription system. Similar to the Prussian system of the same era, the whole Commonwealth is divided into about 100 cantons. Each canton is responsible for providing a regiment, fully trained and at full strength, in time of war. The core of each regiment is a standing professional battalion, the corps des armes, which includes all the officers and most of the specialists, like artillerymen and quartermasters. Each canton's young men are registered with the regiment when they reach the age of Reformed confirmation, and thereafter spend six weeks a year - mostly in the winter, when there is little farm work to be done and the snow will toughen them - being trained by the corps des armes. In wartime, the best of these "cantonists" are selected to make up the other two battalions of each regiment, bringing it up to full strength for active service.

This spirit of innovation and professionalism extends to technology and training as well. The Commonwealth has invested heavily in field artillery, which it has begun to mass into batteries, and it uses horse-drawn rather than ox-drawn cassions to improve mobility. Every French infantry battalion even includes several four-pound field guns, typically loaded with grapeshot. On the battlefield, this allows French troops to close with the enemy, steadily firing, and then to halt and meet the inevitable enemy charge with a blast of grape. Artillery, after all, epitomizes the French Reformed way of war: there is nothing glamorous or glorious about it, but its efficient use can, with enough mathematical and logistical skill, cause more devastation than any spectacular cavalry charge.

Finally, the Reformed and bourgeois ethos is central to the functioning of the Army. French generals tend to come from the same merchant classes as their regimental and battalion commanders, and so they trust their officers to make good decisions and exercise initiative: the French officer, after all, is a literate, pious professional, a bourgeois cog in a well-functioning military machine, not a romantic glory-chasing aristocrat. This makes French armies unusually flexible on the battlefield, with individual commanders expected to seize opportunities and adapt plans on the fly. The overriding French military philosophy, strongly conveyed in the training that every young man receives, is that the French citizen-soldier is intelligent, virtuous, and godly enough to exercise independent judgment, aim, and thought in the heat of battle. And the army's morale reflects this, for the French soldier is trained to regard himself as the exemplar of the Reformed Commonwealth's highest values: discipline, hard work, education, godliness, sobriety. He may not be as fanatical as some of his foes, but he is as resourceful, creative, and unflinchingly tough as any fighting man on Earth.

As for the French Navy? It is very much the second child. It consists mainly of very large, very slow, very heavy, very unwieldy, and very heavily armed ships-of-the-line. This force is ideal for controlling the relatively small and island-strewn Western Mediterranean, but it lacks the capacity to operate effectively beyond the Straits of Gibralter, and many French admirals privately acknowledge that their fleet might well sink in the first serious Atlantic storm if it tried.

RP Elements
--National Objectives:

France is an ideologically motivated state. In the largest sense, the French generally believe that they have a special world-historical destiny, which is to spread republican government and the Reformed religion around the globe. This sense of holy mission informs most aspects of the nation's policy, often in unpredictable ways. In Europe, as it has been for the last two centuries, the Commonwealth's great foe remains the Holy Roman Empire. In order to secure its position against the Empire, France sees a need for greater strategic depth, and will look to create a buffer zone or sphere of influence in the Rhineland, Catalonia, and the Po Valley. In order to secure its access to trade, France has long used its military might as leverage for favorable trade agreements against Brittany and the Netherlands, so that French traders can access global markets without leaving Brest or Amsterdam. Finally, although France has little in the way of colonial empire, it is beginning to eye the North African coast on the far side of the Mediterranean, and to contemplate how lucrative it might be if it could be wrested from the corsair menace.

--History:

Charlemagne's empire did not survive his death. It clung on, at least in name, east of the Rhine. But in Gaul, it soon collapsed back into its constituent petty kingdoms, duchies, and city-states. This does not mean that the people of these various polities - who came to call themselves French, in recognition of their cultural debt to the Frankish Empire - were living through a dark age. In fact, from the twelfth century on, the disunited French lands became one of Western Europe's richest, most densely populated, most culturally advanced regions. Universities appeared; agricultural techniques became steadily more advanced, supporting larger and larger populations. Even political division contributed to the growth of an early bourgeoisie of merchants and diplomats. Conflict was constant, but rarely terribly destructive; the Norsemen conquered Normandy, for example, only to transform into yet another petty state. The French polities were proud of their differences - Norman ferocity, Occitan minstrelsy, Parisian erudition - and their many dialects of French all flourished. But without the spur of an aggressive English neighbor, they saw no reason to band together against any external threat. The King of France remained king in name only.

By the fifteenth century, the High Middle Ages in France were on the wane. Powerful forces, unleashed by the new printing press, were beginning to sweep across Europe. The Catholic Church asserted its authority, as did the powerful Bohemian emperors to the east. More and more Frenchmen, despite their different dialects and cultures, found themselves sending tithes to Rome or even to Prague. The burden fell heaviest on the bourgeoisie: craftsmen and merchants, literate men who had worked hard for what they possessed, and who were strongly influenced by the humanism that educated men in France had begun promoting as an alternative to ecclesiastical corruption. But these bourgeois humanists found themselves at an impasse: no French state could resist the combined power of Pope and Emperor on its own, and no one since Charlemagne had been able to unify France for more than a few years.

The catalyst that broke this impasse was the Reformation. From its Lutheran roots in Germany, the Reformation came to France through the teaching of Jean Calvin, a lawyer, theologian, and humanist from the Duchy of Picardy. Calvin preached that all human beings were equally and inherently sinful, and that only God's irresistible grace could save men from themselves, and set them free to live godly lives. In the face of this grace, all indulgences and offerings, masses and relics, saints and icons were irrelevant. The whole church of Rome was a scam, intended to prop up worldly tyrants instead of leading men to God. And perhaps most radically of all, no king or emperor had a divine right to rule; political power was legitimate only insofar as it was exercised in accordance with God's law, for God alone was sovereign. The king was God's servant - and if he disobeyed God, then the people had the right and the responsibility to overthrow him.

Calvin's doctrines spread like wildfire across France. The country's fractured politics meant that no one state had the power to effectively crack down on the new Reformed Church. Soon, seeing an opportunity to escape their tithes to Rome, the dynastic heads of petty duchies and the elected leaders of autonomous city-states began converting to the new creed as well. While it remained most popular with the middle classes, Protestantism came within a single generation to pervade public life across much of France.

Two years after Calvin's death in 1564, the Catholic dukes of Lorraine, Orleans, and Anjou formed the League of Metz with the King of France and sought the protection of the Emperor. Their goal was to restore the French states to religious union with Rome - even at the cost of submission to Prague. This was the start of the Forty Years' War. For several decades, French cities and kingdoms switched sides, fought each other, fought the Germans, and generally bogged down Western Europe in a conflict of impossible complexity with no clear end. That bloody chaos forged a new generation of leaders: born and raised in the Reformed faith, filled with a burning hatred of the authoritarian pretensions of the League of Metz, and accustomed to thinking of themselves as Frenchmen - not Picards or Normans or Occitans or Provençals - suffering under foreign invasion. The greatest of these young leaders was Ambroise Champion, a commander of the Lyon militia who forged the forces of dozens of southern French states into a new kind of army on Reformed principles: sober and disciplined, egalitarian and meritocratic, innovative and efficient. Champion defeated the League and the Empire at the decisive Battle of Saint-Étienne, inspiring the leaders of the French petty duchies and city states to gather at Tours to discuss a new, general alliance that could defeat the Premyslids once and for all. There, the brilliant lawyer and theologian Émile Fleury convinced the assembled dignitaries to sign the Union of Tours, creating a kind of polity never before seen in Europe: a federal republic, the French Commonwealth.

Admittedly, that early Commonwealth was far from the state we know today: only wealthy landowners could vote for members of the National Assembly, the provinces were almost as strong as the central government, and the ruling dukes and petty kings and city mayors sat in the Senate themselves. But it was radical for all that: the first true national republic Europe had seen since the days of Julius Caesar, founded on a new religious tradition in the most wealthy and densely populated area of Western Europe. And with Ambroise Champion at the head of its army and Émile Fleury as its first chancellor, the Commonwealth was strong enough to defeat the League, depose the last King of France, break through the Ardennes, invade Germany, and capture Cologne. Even a full-scale imperial intervention failed to swing the tide; Champion defeated the Kral while outnumbered two-to-one at the Battle of Mainz. In 1601, the Commonwealth traded Alsace to the Emperor in exchange for his formal recognition of French independence, and the Forty Years' War came to a close. The map of Europe had been changed forever; henceforth, the central conflict in the West would be between Commonwealth and Empire, between reformation and reaction.

That conflict flared up roughly once every twenty years for the next two centuries. When Germany plunged into religious war in the seventeenth century, the Commonwealth intervened to defend the Lutherans, and its troops rampaged through the Rhineland for a decade. Spain soon emerged as another Catholic rival for the new republic; in two wars in the late seventeenth century, France first suffered a tactical defeat, and then returned to strip Spain of Roussillon and much of the Basque Country. In the early eighteenth century, a short but devastating war with Piedmont saw the Commonwealth wrest Nice from that realm. With each war, the Commonwealth's differences from its neighbors grew more stark: its army became a disciplined force of motivated citizen-soldiers, not of mercenaries or pure professionals; its central government gradually absorbed powers from the provinces in order to run ever-larger campaigns. Even France's finances moved inexorably toward more progressive models of taxation, so that the aristocracy rather than the powerful bourgeoisie were gradually bled white by wartime expenses - allowing the economy to remain dynamic despite frequent strife. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was clear that France had adopted a civilizational model - civic republican politics, Reformed religion, bourgeois capitalism, egalitarian society - that placed it on an entirely different trajectory from much of the rest of Europe.

Thus, the period between 1601 and 1756 was also a time of gradual but sweeping cultural change. France's new national and religious identity, once so revolutionary, gradually became a treasured heritage. Certain puritanical impulses relaxed; France became one of Europe's great centers of painting and music, of literature and drama. It was the country of Charles Le Brun and Jean-Baptiste Lully, Francois de la Rochefoucauld and the great Molière. The French Reformed ethic became a delicate balance between freedom of thought and purity of spirit, between gorgeous paintings and whitewashed churches, between sensual poetry and Puritan self-discipline. This tension found its fullest expression in the Enlightenment of the current moment, as an entire generation of brilliant French philosophers and authors and scientists and economists embrace a radical empiricism in the pursuit of rational truth - almost all, somehow, without denying the Reformed faith that has long since become essential to their identity as Frenchmen.

Even so, the Enlightenment's effects have already been profound. At the end of its last war with the Empire, in 1748, the Commonwealth allowed military service as well as property to qualify men for suffrage. This transformed the National Assembly into a vastly more democratic institution and unleashed modern political parties upon Parliament. And brilliant Enlightenment scientists have formed a symbiotic relationship with the powerful French bourgeoisie: as the former churn out a steady stream of useful inventions and devices, the latter's ready capital applies them them to the business of manufacturing. Already, the spinning jenny has revolutionized textile manufacturing, and the reverberatory furnace has doubled France's steel production. France's close ties to Brittany - however distasteful to the Reformed ideologues of the Commonwealth - nevertheless offer it exceptional access to global markets. For the Commonwealth, the coming years promise prosperity and power. Its challenge, as ever, will be to use those advantages to advance its great cause against a world that still seems far from ready for it.

RP Sample: See my sig.

Tracking Number: 276

[Aureumterra]

I will app soon, I have one question, how does Bulgaria, a Mediterranean nation without any particular seafaring culture, manage to colonize so much?

[Ontorisa]

I will app soon, I have one question, how does Bulgaria, a Mediterranean nation without any particular seafaring culture, manage to colonize so much?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Danubian Peoples]

France snip

Nice app! And there really seems to be an abundance of republics, albeit ones who trace their kingless histories to times before the Enlightenment it seems. How do you think foreign relations would go between our two nations, if at all?

[Dentali]

I will app soon, I have one question, how does Bulgaria, a Mediterranean nation without any particular seafaring culture, manage to colonize so much?

yea that seemed silly to me too

[Union Princes]

48hr Reservation Form
New Nation Name: Kingdom of Egypt
Map:
999 - Do not delete this.