Kingdom of the North - or how a clumsy maid and a thirsty dog created a mighty empire

[Redbeard]

Wow, things sure move fast. Industrial revolution soon?

What's the situation over in the Far East?

Assuming F-S and KoN take over their OTL counterparts in the late 1700s, how would this look?

KoN
Nagasaki - monopoly trading rights with Tokugawa Shogunate
Singapore
Prince of Wales Island (Penang)
Formosa (Taiwan), maybe a more amicable relation with the Ming remnant regime and island natives who are more open to trade than the Manchus in mainland China
East Indies
Eastern India

F-S
Macau
Indochina
Philippines
Western India

In the Far East things are not that unlike from OTL - apart from KoN taking the combined role of the OTL British and Dutch Empires!

The KoNs presence in the Far East (India and East India) probably is a bit more consolidated by year 1800 than in OTL, as French-Spanish rivalry in India and East India basically was eliminated a 100 years before OTL - giving time and resources to focus on local rivals. OTH the F-S are strong in Indo-China and Philippine Islands.

Japan and China I haven't yet given any PoDs.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

 

[Redbeard]

We go on summarizing the events until 1800:


Habsburg Empire - Austria

The wars of the mid-17th century had started with an F-S attempt to dislodge the Habsburg Emperor from Germany – i.e. his Empire. In that context it was a miracle that he still could call himself an Emperor, but it wasn’t a Holy Roman one. The KoN had intervened in Germany but the price had been giving up Habsburg control over Germany. The comfort and the foundation beneath still claiming the title of Emperor was the new opportunities in the Balkans with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

Seen from the optimists in Vienna you had traded away formal sovereignty over unruly German Princes for the direct control of new lands in the Balkans – and even could claim to be great Christian liberators! The pessimists however claimed, that you had given away jewels for rocks, and said rocks were only attained due to KoN support – in other words the Habsburg Emperor had sunk from the ranks of 1st rate powers acting independently to a 2nd rate. Still above numerous 3rd and 4th rate powers, but in the end utterly dependent on KoN consent for anything important.

In Vienna everybody knew that but few talked about it. Instead much inspiration was found in the King of North’s remarks about “my faithful ally in the East”. In the Norse philosophy about a quartered world it was most flattering to be representative of the east, and as Austria actually meant “eastern realm” it had been natural to take the title “Emperor of Austria”. “Emperor of Danube” had been considered, but KoN had flatly refused an annexation of Wallachia around the Danube estuary.

Northern Italy had held some of the jewels in the Habsburg crown, but had to be given up to new independent states on the principle from Germany. Vienna had found this outright repulsive, but Copenhagen had demanded the “German principle” applied also to Northern Italy – creating KoN vassals in Germany and F-S ditto in Italy – KoN had paid for hegemony over Germany with Habsburg Italian jewels!

It indeed was a huge humiliation, but it also had to be realized, that without KoN the Habsburg Empire probably had been partioned between F-S and Russia. Anyway, at least outside court circles in Vienna, the Norsemen were not unpopular. Their disciplined behavior had impressed and in many a marketplace you could hear the women with a glimpse in the eyes say about the Norse soldiers: “They pay well, they look good and they are here!”


Wallachia

Vienna had taken it for granted that Wallachia could be annexed at the successful conclusion of the Constantinople wars, but KoN would hear of no such thing. Instead Wallachia remained an independent Kingdom for the coming centuries. No doubt Bucharest had to watch Vienna before every step, but Wallachia soon became a very adept in discretely reminding Vienna about how Copenhagen might want things arranged in the Black Sea. Anyway Copenhagen largely financed and trained the significant Wallachian Black Sea Fleet.


To be continued, next Russia.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

 

[Redbeard]

The ongoing summary of event until appr. 1800:

Russia

In 17th century Russia all focus was on the re-conquest of Constantinople, and forgotten was old ambitions about gaining access to the Baltic. If you had asked someone about why, they probably would have said: “The Baltic? That is just barren land on the edge of the world, crowded with barbarian Norsemen, why should we go there? But it is our holy duty to liberate the holy city of Constantinople and resurrect the Roman Empire and from there eliminate all infidels and heathens!”

The Zar did indeed hoist his flag above Constantinople and the Patriarch of Moscow did indeed carry out the re-consecration of Hagia Sofia and indeed millions of Muslims were killed or subdued in Asia Minor with great resolution (i.e. brutality), but if anyone had hoped this would immediately lead to the resurrection of the Byzantine Empire in all its glory they were utterly disappointed. In short the Russian Empire was extended across the Black Sea and the Zar did call himself Emperor of Rome, but beyond Constantinople and into the Mediterranean everybody else, even old fierce enemies, suddenly could agree to block any further Russian influence. Even Persia got F-S support to block Russian expansion in that direction. And although Russia formally controlled Asia Minor its control in reality never exceeded the Black Sea Coast – inland status was a de facto permanent rebellion outside a few Russian garrisons.

For Russia the Constantinople Wars firstly were seen as the first steps on Russia’s great and holy quest against infidels of any kind. But it also was also a lesson to be remembered for ever, that in the end Russia could rely on no one but herself.

In late 17th century there had been a chaotic period, as Zar Alexis left no children obviously suitable to inherit the Throne. The oldest son was an idiot and his daughter – a woman (!), but a younger 10 year old son was elected co-Czar together with the idiot and with the sister as regent. That went OK for some years as the young Czar gladly spent his time reading and traveling in Western Europe and left the ruling to his sister. A lot of eye-brows were raised however as the young Czar returned from one of his journeys dressed like a Norseman and clean shaved like a Frenchman! He even insisted on dressing some hundred boys like KoN soldiers – absolutely repulsive!

Everybody had heard the stories about the devilish Norsemen burning and pillaging a few decades ago – and now the Czar looked like one and even involved innocent boys in his schemes – the devil had to be behind!
The regent sister so far had been content about having government matters for herself but now even her legitimacy was threatened. The matter was solved when one of her (intimately) favored Strelitsy generals returned from a successful campaign in the Caucasus and simply demanded to cut the throat of the devil!

So done the corpse (padded with gunpowder bags) was burned publicly at the Red Square in Moscow and Thanksgiving services held in churches all over the country for being saved from the devils evil schemes. Strict restrictions on trade and other contacts with foreigners were also introduced, and were jealously guarded by the church in the coming times.
All in all Russia remained Russia and by year 1800 an OTL person would say: “not much happened here the last 100 years!”.


Bulgaria

Bulgaria was the good story among all the disappointments of Russia. Here was a stout Slavic people who adored Mother Russia and did not hesitate to fight fiercely for her. Bulgaria was to remain a faithful Russian ally for centuries.


To be continued, next about the new Jewish state at Thessalonikki.

Regards

Steffen Redbeard

 

[Redbeard]

New Jerusalem
The Jewish city-state of Thessaloniki - New Jerusalem – was founded by the Jewish majority (see post 711) in Thessaloniki at the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in mid-17th century and had started as an Imperial Free-City of the Holy Roman Empire. As that Empire turned into the Empire of Austria (East) after the Krumvæld and Constantinople Wars the so called German Principle of formally sovereign states with de facto vassal status to various great powers was also applied to New Jerusalem and with Austria as the foremost protector. New Jerusalem soon attracted great numbers of Jewish immigrants from everywhere and by year 1700 had become a significant commercial and naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean controlling the Aegean, Crete and Cyprus.

From the start New Jerusalem had ambitions about gaining old Jerusalem, but the F-S grabbed that part of the world at the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and proclaimed the Kingdom of Jerusalem (with the King of F-S as King). The neighboring areas were in more or less chaos but in short the F-S created alliances and goodwill in the Middle East by guaranteeing protection of Jerusalem against the Jews.

For consultation on the boards: I call the city "New Jerusalem" but from resent research i have also learned that Jerusalem in a Jewish context is nothing short of unique. Would it give any meaning to a Jew to name a city New Jerusalem? What else could thet call it? Ideas welcome.

Greece
Greece had emerged as an independent state at the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and according to the Russian plan it should have been a Russian vassal, but in short the F-S arrived first and to the great disappointment of the pious Russians had no intentions of leaving again. Most Greeks, certainly after the expulsion of Muslims and Jews shared their basic Orthodox faith with the Russians but it had been centuries since their churches had been practically united and very few in Greece had any prominent wish to be annexed by the Russian Orthodox Church. On the contrary focus was put on liaison with all the Orthodox Christians in the Middle East and here F-S was a loyal supporter and protector – as long as the Greek didn’t let the Russians in.

Tensions were felt with Austria over the many Orthodox living in the former Ottoman areas annexed by Austria in mid-17th century. But both Austria and not at least KoN had repeatedly stated that an unbroken control of territory from the Baltic/East Sea to the Aegean was imperative to the strategic balance needed to keep the world peaceful - take that Serbia!

Thessaloniki and the Aegean islands under control of New Jerusalem having an ancient Greek history also created tensions, but mainly in intellectual circles. In daily life the Greeks enjoyed taking over property left by Jews leaving for New Jerusalem and both Jews and Greeks enjoyed good trading.

Anyway the New Jerusalem navy was way too strong for anybody to just go snatch said islands.

Poland
The Polish-Lithuanian dreams of ruling the world had been thoroughly crushed already by early 17th century. Although the Poles always have had an eye open for opportunities they by late 18th century are firmly inside the KoN sphere of interest. Inside Poland itself most of the Jews have left for New Jerusalem, but the number of Protestants is growing, especially in the towns where commercial and cultural contact with the KoN is strong.


To be continued, next about Africa. And after which I guess I'm ready to go on with the ATL in its more narrative form. I have a young Italian waiting to make his entry on the world stage...

Regards

Redbeard