Nea Byzantia wrote:Generic Info
Nation Name: Neo-Byzantine Empire
Symbols:
Location: 32
Population: 4 million
Capital City: Constantinople
Government Info
Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
Brief Explanation of Government: (explain all the complex/unique stuff that can't be described in the type section)
Ideology: "Autocracy, Orthodoxy, Nationality" (a Greek version of the Tsarist Ideology)
Leader/s: Emperor Kostantinos XII Kantakouzenos (Emperor of the Romans & Greeks from 1848 - Present), Senior Emperor
Relations
Russian Commonwealth: The Neo-Byzantine Empire enjoys very friendly relations with the Russian Commonwealth; with Emperor Kostantinos XII having his son and heir, Co-Emperor John IX marry a Romanov Princess. The Empire has established strong trade relations with the Commonwealth, and has even a Mutual Defense Pact with the Commonwealth (pending approval from the Commonwealth player, of course)
Austrian Empire: The Neo-Byzantine Empire enjoys cordial relations with Austria. Both Nations share similar, Monarchist, Traditionalist political positions. Aside from that, there is not much going on.
British Empire: Following the "Greek Vespers" of 1848, and the overthrow of King Thomas, an ex-Admiral of the British Navy; relations with Britain have been strained. Furthermore, the Republican leadership who continue to direct Republican resistance to the Imperial Regime; including Andreas Metaxas, have taken asylum in London. British merchants however, continue to do business in the Neo-Byzantine Empire; and tourists come regularly to see the sights.
Population Info
Brief Description of your people: WIP
Religion: Greek Orthodox Christianity, Islam
Ethnicity: Greek
Main/Accepted Culture(s): Greek
Other Cultures: Albanian, Turkish, Bulgarian
Military Info
Army: WIP
Navy: WIP
Other Info
Brief Description of your Economy: Industrialization is underway in major cities like Athens, Thessalonika and Constatninople; and commerce is dominated by Russian, Austrian, French and British merchants and entrepreneurs. The countryside is still very agrarian, and dominated by large landowners, but the people are not serfs. The Imperial Capital at Constantinople is still under heavy reconstruction, and the Imperial Army is occupying and attempting to subdue the nationalist rebels in Bulgaria.
Goals: WIP
History: The Greek War of Independence is helped along by a certain British Admiral, Thomas Cochrane; a well-known Philhellene. After helping the Greeks push the Turks out as far as Thrace, he was crowned King Thomas I of the Hellenes, in 1825 AD. He invited in merchants and bankers from England to invest in his new capital poor kingdom. He used the money to build up the Royal Army and Navy of Greece, and proceeded to conquer into Thrace, Makedonia and even Bulgaria. This made him incredibly popular, for a time. He established his Royal Court at Thessaloniki (because he was a Classicist and was obsessed with Alexander the Great); it was a rather extravagant building, built in a Classical Style; and was so elaborate and expensive, journalists came to call it the "Versailles of the East". In 1829, he invited the British to place a garrison of 3,000 troops, in Thessaloniki to help guard his capital. In the 1830s and early 1840s, the King boasted in his Military Successes and grandiose Neo-Classical construction projects - to make Greece like it was in ancient times. However, King Thomas cared nothing for the nation's Orthodox Christian Religion; in fact, he ordered the closure of dozens and churches and monasteries. This along with his high taxes and constant military adventuring began to pique his Greek subjects. While the King and his foreign cronies gorged themselves on dainties and expensive champagne; and lounged indolently on divans, frittering their time away in debauchery and drunkenness; the majority of the Greek People languished in poverty and watched their King squeeze them like an orange.
In 1848, King Thomas brought Greece along in the great war against the decrepit Ottoman Empire. This war won the King some popularity. However, in that same year, the 23rd of his reign, King Thomas would push his subjects over the edge, by attempting to close the venerable and ancient monasteries of Mount Athos, and arrest the Monks there; who had been criticizing the King's secularist policies, and the debauchery of his Royal Court. Instead of following the Royal Decree and taking the Monks into custody, the Soldiers turned around and, took over Thessaloniki. Aiding the rioting mob to neutralize the British garrison; and seize the weapons in the Armory ("the Greek Vespers"). Then, together, marched on the "Versailles of the East", along with a large mob of enraged peasants and workers. On the very same day that Constantinople fell to the Greek and allied forces; the Royal Court was sacked. By this point, King Thomas and his Family had already fled South with the Royal Retinue and Treasure; attempting to board a ship at Piraeus, to flee the country. However, when the King and his servants were attacked at the port, by a large mob, the King abandoned his baggage train and guards and lackeys, and fled just himself and his family. Years of gluttony, drunkenness and lack of exercise took its toll on the 73 year old British Admiral-turned King; and due to sudden stresses that befell him, Thomas Cochrane succumbed to a heart attack, as British troops and sailors dragged his corpulent body onto the ship; whilst holding the mob back.
When news of the King's Overthrow percolated throughout Greece, General Kostantinos Kantakouzenos, the Greek Commander in charge of the Greek forces in Constantinople; proclaimed himself Emperor of the Neo-Byzantine Empire; and was crowned as such by the Patriarch of Constantinople. He was crowned, Kostantinos XII, Emperor of the Greeks and Romans. When the People heard this, they rejoiced, and the unrest quieted down. The Bulgarians, however, wished to use this opportunity to stress their own Independence and National Identity, and so they continued to revolt against the Greek Government. Also, A Hellenic Republic was proclaimed in Athens; led by Andreas Metaxas. Emperor Kostantinos was quick to investigate the events in Thessaloniki; he returned the surviving British troops (kept prisoner in the White Tower) to Britain, and wrote a long, apologetic letter to the British because of their slain troops.
After concluding an armistice with the Ottomans in 1849, the newly crowned Emperor marched North and successfully reoccupied Bulgaria; forcing the rebels to flee into the Mountains and wage guerrilla warfare. In 1850, Emperor Kostantinos besieged Athens; and the Republican forces set up barricades to attempt to deter Imperial troops. But by September, the Battle was over, and Athens was in the Emperor's hands. Metaxas and other Republican leaders fled abroad, to London, as Imperial troops closed in. The Emperor continued to reign as an Absolute Monarch; and a Secret Police force was established;as resistance to Imperial rule has continued in both Bulgaria (with Bulgarian Nationalist Guerrillas) and in Attica and Peloponnese (with Republican Guerillas; called "Metaxists", after the Republican leader, Andreas Metaxas). In 1852, Emperor Kostantinos moved the capital to Constantinople. The new Imperial Capital was greatly damaged and depopulated during the 1848 assault; so the Emperor rebuilt the City in a Byzantine style and repopulated the City with Greeks, as most of the Turkish and Muslim inhabitants fled East. This project is largely ongoing to this day, and employs thousands.
The Emperor continued to reign with an iron fist; nonetheless beloved by his Greek subjects and hated by his Bulgarian and Albanian ones; who languished still under Greek Military Occupation. In 1853 AD, Emperor Kostantinos XII arranged a marriage between one of his sons, Crown-Prince Ioannis (John) and a Romanov Princess. In 1854 AD, he married his daughter, Princess Irene to a Bonaparte to cement good relations with the French; and he married his younger son, Prince Vassilis (Basil) to a Hapsburg Princess. In doing so, he won the recognition of Austria, Russia, France and Britain (begrudgingly).
In 1855 AD, the 70 year old Emperor named John as his Co-Emperor; thus confirming his Succession, and he decreed that upon his death, Prince Vassilis was to be named Co-Emperor with John, so that fratricide between the two brothers might be avoided.
WIP
RP Sample: WIP
429 - Do not remove. This is for tracking purposes.
Considering what its been through; what would be an appropriate Army size for Greece?