The Faraway Kingdom

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Chapter Forty-Three - Polska Spada
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    Chapter Forty-Three - Polska Spada
    Written by Wigmaster999
    (1800-1806)​

    The Europe of the 18th and some of the 19th century could be divided into three groups: Western Europe-- composed of the massive and (somewhat) prosperous colonial empires, Central Europe-- the jumbled mess of Feudal states stretching from Denmark south to the fractured Italian nations, and the fringes-- the three massive countries that occupied the very outermost extremities of the Continent of Lights. These three fringe countries were Poland, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. Each controlled vast tracts of land, and seemed to exist in a world halfway foreign to the policies of the Western World. The last time these powers had fought a major war was during the Great Turk War, a conflict that raged for decades and shook the entire political spectrum of Europe.

    Beginning in 1800, the foundations of several countries began to weaken. The primary victim of this “fall” was the Commonwealth of Poland.

    Courland​
    The small duchy of Courland had been under Swedish economic and political influence for quite some time. However, both Poland and Russia maintained claims on the region. While not particularly valuable, the ownership of Courland set a precedent; whoever controlled Courland had the upper hand. It was absolutely unacceptable for the weakening Swedes to attempt to control the area.

    The Swedish Empire, still struggling through the repercussions of two recessions a lost colonial empire, was weak. It had recently fought a war alongside Bavaria against the Hapsburgs in Austria and the electorate of Brandenburg. While the Swedes had won and secured a valuable ally, their armies were occupied in the north of the Holy Roman Empire controlling the civil revolts that had consumed the area. Since the weakening of Brandenburg and the rise of Bavaria, the circles of power were shifting.

    Of course, this meant it was the perfect time for an invasion. Russia marched west, General Anatolievich leading tens of thousands of troops into a new campaign. The actual occupation of Courland was swift; the Swedes were taken by surprise and the tiny Courland garrisons were overwhelmed before any response could be organized. The importance of this trivial occupation was much more than it appeared. A masterful political play on the part of Russia, which forced two powerful neighbors into tough situations. Were they to fight the Russians over the territory, or surrender the tiny nation Courland and lose face in the process?

    In 1805, three months after the initial occupation of Courland, a meeting was held between Poland and Sweden. Immediately afterwards, an ultimatum was issued to Russia; back down, or face war.


    The Courland War​
    The disadvantage of fighting so far north is the weather. The attacker will always face high attrition and much difficulty with supply lines when working with frigid temperatures. This was exacerbated by the constant fear of Russian troops. Wisely, the Poland/Sweden alliance chose to not invade at least until the next spring, when weather conditions improved. They instead chose simply to reoccupy Courland for themselves. An army thirty-thousand strong pushed into the Courland frontier, where most of the short war would take place.

    This proved to be a mistake, only visible from hindsight. Unknown to the Poles or Swedes, the Russians had placed most of their force in Courland, unlike the small initial occupation force that they had expected. The thirty-thousand Poles and Swedes, after moving slightly into Courland, encountered fifty-thousand Russians. Not even Polish Winged Hussars would prove able to fight the hordes.

    The battle of the Niman, or the Great Slaughter of Courland, was decisive, quick, and brutal. The Poles and Swedes were flanked from both sides, and their front line crumpled within an hour. Butchery ensued as the Russians set to work.

    The Courland War lasted six months. During that time, Sweden lost a quarter of its standing army. Poland lost half. The Russians, meanwhile, expanded their sphere of influence ever outward. The Treaty of Stockholm in 1806 granted not only Courland but much of the Baltic area to the Russian Empire.

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    Troops from St. Petersburg gearing up for the invasion of Riga.​
     
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    • Chapter Forty-Four - The Slavedriver State
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    Chapter Forty-Four - The Slavedriver State
    Written by Wigmaster999
    (1804-1807)​

    Dominick II’s rule was never from home. He ruled Carolina from the newly-conquered Ashanti Kingdoms, or from Appalachia, or from rebellious Lower Ohio. The king spent his time strengthening the influence of the monarchy both across the globe and internally, not worrying about the petty domestic affairs that came with administering a kingdom. While Dominick was away, trying to set up invasion plans for Louisiana or overseeing the newest advances in steamship technology, Governor Morisen of Virginia served as the de-facto monarch. He kept the nation together, dealing with the most powerful governors and controlling imports and exports.

    Dominick II’s offhand rule, along with the weak leadership of his father in previous years, had led to the fraying of national unity. Governors served as miniature kings with their own little kingdoms, each competing for power and only loosely obeying the whims of those further up the ladder. The worst, the Winchesters and others in Upper and Lower Ohio, had been stamped out by Dominick. The rest had to be tolerated.

    In short, Governor Morisen held the most difficult job in the world. He kept an entire nation together without having the authority of a king. He bribed fellow governors, raised petty militias to control the peasantry while the armies were away in Africa or Ohio, and tried his very best to maintain order.

    “The very fabric of this great nation was built by men like Dominick. I only wish I wasn’t the one who had to keep the fabric together.” - Private journal of Governor Morisen, 1806​

    The easiest way to have stability was clear; keep the king in Charleston, get rid of the most powerful governors, tighten the reigns on the states and territories that made up Carolina. Unfortunately for Morisen, every move he made was resisted. When he tried to bring the king back home, there was always another rebellious Winchester to deal with in the West. When he tried to get rid of the most powerful governors, they pushed back. Morisen made do with what he could do; increasing tariffs and taxes, weakening the other governors where he still could.

    Of course, there was resistance to even this.

    Bakersfield​
    Taxes and tariffs were what kept a state alive and a governor in power. Each time Morisen levied new taxes, it was a blow to the authority of the increasingly autonomous states. King Dominick, the ruthless ruler who fancied himself as an Alexander or a Caesar, was more likely in the eyes of the governors to end up a Cromwell.

    When the governor of Bakersfield, Jon Kurtis, looked out at his estate, he saw oppression. Dominick and his henchman, Morisen, taxed the governors, who then taxed the nobles, who then crushed the peasantry. The peasants, in turn, were on the brink of revolt. Kurtis was one of the men who sought to keep the peace at all costs. Peace could only be obtained if the taxes were lessened and the provinces given greater autonomy.


    1BqxbVzl.jpg

    The Bakersfield Estate in 1805.​

    Kurtis sent a plea in 1804 to Dominick. The taxation was to end at all costs, lest the country break apart! Bakersfield, and the other states, had to be allowed to rule their respective peoples! Unfortunately, Dominick was away leading armies with Niklas Winchester in Ohio, uncaring about affairs on the coast. Messages took ages to travel across the mountains, and the king’s specific location was unknown. There was only Morisen, and his position was clear; the king ruled all of the states with absolute authority, and the king ruled from Virginia.

    The plea, of course, was rejected. Jon Kurtis’ Bakerfield would not get the autonomy it needed in 1804. For now, the king remained in power and the country held together just a little bit longer.

    The Middleamerikan Coalition of Ideals​
    The revolution in New Spain and Bajio Norte had repercussions across the continent. Besides the “corrosive” ideas being spread by Guerrero of absolute democracy and the end of monarchism, the revolution proved that the Spanish were incapable of holding onto their empire. Minor revolts in Florida arose in 1808, and while garrisons were quickly stationed by the Spanish, trade slowed. The lucrative sugar trade from the Caribbean, and the Triangle Trade from Africa, ground to a halt. Suddenly, Carolina became reliant on itself for precious commodities. This, of course, meant a stressed economy.​

    Jon Kurtis called for a meeting of governors in Bakersfield to discuss the implications. The continent was in upheaval, slaves no longer crossed the Atlantic, and the monarchy held its oppressive grip over the Carolinian states. In order to survive, the governors had to work together.

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    The second meeting of the Coalition.​
     
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    • Steve Brinson

    Steve Brinson

    Happy holidays to you! Definitely interested in what's happening in Bakersfield - I feel for Morisen, but I can't help but think history won't remember him kindly...
     
    Chapter Forty-Five - The Fall of New Spain
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    Chapter Forty-Five - The Fall of New Spain
    Written by Wigmaster999
    (Late 1801-1802)​

    It ended up taking six months for Ferdinand Guerrero to fully take control of Bajio Norte. Once every town was secure and proudly flew the newly-stitched Guatemalan flag, he once again gathered up his armies and marched south. At this point, enrollment was massive. Guerrero had managed to conscript and train 30,000 troops into his “Grand Liberation Army.” In comparison, the Spanish had managed to gather 25,000 demoralized soldiers that were thinly distributed across the colony. No one knew better than Guerrero that it was just a matter of time.

    On September 11, 1801, Guerrero marched across the invisible demarcation line that separated the liberated peoples from those still oppressed by the Spanish government. Just ahead of the army, Spanish couriers ran to spread the news; the advance was coming. The Guatemalan army moved quickly, seizing supplies from farms and weaponry from stockpiles that had been abandoned in the wake of the Guatemalans.

    There were many brutal skirmishes over the next two months, but Guerrero had the people on his side. When Guatemalan soldiers marched into town, every man and woman would point the way to the fleeing Spaniards. In contrast, the Spanish found it difficult to even get food from their own subjects. Soon, the Spanish were in full retreat.

    Ferdinand Guerrero swept across the country. By the start of the new year, he captured the gold mines where his predecessor, Carlos Mandira, had lead the Gold Rebellion. The Spanish were now cut off from the gold that funded their armies, and now the collapse became imminent. Spanish defections were widespread. The heartland of New Spain fell even faster than the fringes. City after city collapsed, with the people overthrowing colonial governors without little encouragement from Guatemalans. After another three months, when the last vestiges of winter had faded away, little remained north or west of Mexico City that was still in Spanish hands.

    Finally, in May, Mexico City fell. The Guatemalan troops clashed with the Spanish, viciously pushing them back all along the line. After almost two days of fighting, a total surrender was declared. Ferdinand Guerrero ascended the steps of the governor’s palace, and La Revolución was done.

    In his wake, Guerrero left a liberated nation. The first heads of the Spanish colonial government began to roll the next morning.

    The New Nation of Guatemala​
    Guerrero set up his new administration in Mexico City. In July, 1802, he moved his revolutionary parliament to the new capital. The parliament, consisting of fifty representatives from across Guatemala, quickly hosted new elections. Guerrero, of course, was unanimously elected Lord Protector of the new country. He quickly set about passing law after law: slaves were set free, Spanish loyalists expelled, men given the right to possess the land they worked. He also began pursuing foreign affairs: he encouraged a revolution in New Granada, pushed for an alliance with France (that unfortunately failed), and resumed trade with the rest of the world.

    Finally, Guerrero focused the stolen wealth of Guatemala on exploiting new technology. From France, the new process of rifling emerged. While the Europeans ignored the invention (aside from equipping a few choice squads with the “specialized” weapons), Guerrero embraced it. The many forges of Guatemala began to produce rifled muskets; guns that were more accurate and far more effective than the weapons used by other nations.

    Guatemala would be dormant for quite a while, rebuilding and becoming a nation the likes of which the planet had never seen. What direction the country took relied on the ambitions of Guerrero.

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    The Lord Protector of Guatemala shown in a propaganda piece, killing a battalion with a single shot. -- Painted by Frederick de Angelo, 1811.​
     
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    • Chapter Forty-Six - The Old Emperor
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    Chapter Forty-Six - The Old Emperor
    Written by Wigmaster999
    (1807)​

    The Qing Dynasty of China had reached its apex and its lowest point within the span of a single emperor’s reign. Since 1753, Ming Lung had modernized his ancient country and expanded its territory greatly. He had commanded an emerging superpower, more powerful than the Europeans combined… but he had also witnessed his country be broken in half.

    In 1807, Ming Lung was an old and tired emperor. He was seventy-two years old and all of his great ambitions had failed. The people he had served had turned their back on him, looking instead to the younger Xi Jiang as a hero of the people. The emperor had freed the Chinese of the shackles of antiquity, and they had bitten the hand that fed them. Ming Lung was even subservient to the whims of the United Protectorate, the only ally of his ailing nation. Since the hugely disastrous First Chinese Civil War, Ming Lung’s government had suffered greatly. Powerful generals practically ran huge portions of the country, with the emperor being the only man to keep the country from splitting apart entirely. The aging emperor was forced to gradually reduce his own power to maintain Qing China.

    An “accidental” fire in the Forbidden City was just the beginning. It is estimated that Ming Lung survived over twenty assassination attempts in the final years of his life. Like vultures circling their prey, the emperor’s enemies waited and watched for his final breath. Cipangu, France, Xi China, the Protectorate and the Manchu Warlords all eagerly awaited the end of the Qing.

    Ming Lung grew sick in the autumn of 1807. The Forbidden City closed its doors, and the Qing’s enemies pounced.

    The Young Emperor​
    To the south, Xi China rose as quickly as its predecessor fell. Xi Jiang, in his forties, lead a prosperous mercantile nation. Thanks to the beneficial trade relations with both the Dutch and the French, the Xi coffers filled quickly. All seemed well. Xi Jiang himself was a hero and liberator of the people. While Ming Lung had ruthlessly expanded the territory his dynasty of hatred, the young war veteran had sought what was best for the new dynasty. Abolishing the closed meritocracy, he began a widespread program of education for the masses. New jobs would be created thanks to new technology, and the people of China would no longer starve.

    Xi China acquired many new allies. While technically a protectorate of France, the nation was much more powerful than other protectorates like Cornwallis or Orihuela. France was simply a military ally and a trade partner, which simply happened to get extremely good deals compared to the other European countries. Guerrero’s Guatemala, recognized as a fellow rebellious state, soon became a friend to the Xi. Negotiations with Cipangu began quickly after the turn of the century.

    It was the common notion among the peasantry that unification of China was inevitable. The disunited Han would be under one banner soon; Xi Jiang would obviously be on top. When Ming Lung grew ill, war became inevitable.

    Cipangu​
    Cipangu had modernized, just like the Qing. However, now they prospered. The Nipponese navy, thanks to designs provided by the French and the Dutch, was quickly becoming one of the greatest in the world. While this naval advantage would soon be obsolete because of new technology, the Nipponese were ready for war. The Korean peninsula was tantalizingly close to the island nation. The Shoguns of the past had claimed ownership of the territory, and now was the time for the claims to rise again. The nineteenth century was a century where only those who expanded would survive, and Cipangu did not intend to be outpaced by its European and Chinese competitors.

    The Shogun of Cipangu began his preparations. Ming Lung would die and China, hopefully, would collapse into chaos. Unlike other countries, Cipangu was going to be ready when the time came. Others played political games, but Cipangu moved fast. Politics was not always key.

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    An early 19th-century Cipangese warship.​

    The Second Chinese Civil War​
    And so East Asia stood when Ming Lung died in early winter, 1807. His heir was immediately ousted by the Chinese general Fu Jiang, and the military seized power. The military coup took only a week; but a week was too long. Rival generals immediately declared their separation from Fu Jiang. In the far west, Turkestan and the Gobi Desert entered open revolt. Fu Jiang held Beijing and the surrounding countryside, but the nation descended into chaos around him. Qing armies soon clashed into one another, abandoning posts to rampage across the land.

    The United Protectorate’s port of Qingdao became a citadel as European merchants fled the country. The Protectorate had done the little it could to delay the inevitable end, but now was the time for escape. Everyone knew what was coming; what was already happening. Fires burned just outside Beijing and everyone who could fled. It was a new Warring States period that arose in only a few weeks. But unlike the old Warring States, China now had neighbors. The Xi were still unified; in fact, they were accepting huge numbers of refugees that flowed into the country. It wasn’t long before Xi Jiang crossed the old demarcation line of the Yangtze, an army at his back, to create order from chaos.

    d39be1abfa.png

    “Once again this country shall be made whole.” -Xi Jiang upon crossing the Yangtze, 1807.​

    Xi China soon took control of the old Ming capital city of Nanjing. The Qing warlords were too busy fighting among themselves to bother with the incursion; Xi China was stability in the midst of Chaos. To preserve his own troops and in order to maintain some semblance of supply, Xi Jiang halted his advance. To the north, Cipangu landed in Korea. Fu Jiang’s forces retreated slowly up the peninsula as the Shogun advanced. The Shogun recognized the need to move quickly, for the longer he waited the greater the chance of the fractured generals organizing a unified resistance against him. The winter would not stop the Nipponese, and so the Hard March began.

    The first Nipponese Hard March took slightly more than a month. Each day, a front of cavalry and infantry advanced, traveling as far as possible and to the brink of exhaustion. A second wave would arrive at the first front’s camp after moving more slowly and not engaging the Chinese troops. The next day, the second wave would take the place of the first and advance rapidly. The cost of the hard march was in men. Cannons moved slowly, and so many were left behind. The Nipponese relied on sheer manpower to overwhelm defensive positions. The advantage, of course was in speed; by the end of the Hard March, the entire Korean peninsula had been seized by the armies of Cipangu. Fu Jiang’s men were rolled into Liaodong and surrounded.

    In order to concentrate on securing the rest of his country, Fu Jiang was forced to sacrifice his pride and concede to the Nipponese. His armies retreated to fight in the west, and Korea officially became a part of Cipangu.

    Chang E​
    The Chinese Civil War became an internal affair. Xi China had claimed what was necessary to the south and now acted as a safehaven for the Chinese. Cipangu, too, had taken what it needed. The French had peacefully taken control of Taipei, and foreigners withdrew from the remnants of the Qing. The generals were left to fight among themselves for control. Armies of forty thousand or more clashed against each other, with catastrophic casualties on all sides. Peasants began their own rebellions and the fires spread. Roving militias and regiments combed the countryside, each demanding supplies from the already suffering villages. Men did not return to their families in time for planting season.

    The Long Hunger, or Chang E, began. It would last for many, many years. Rice was not allowed to grow in 1808, nor in 1809, nor in 1810. Millions upon millions would die before northern China could stabilize.
     
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    • Deleted member 109224

    This was one of my favorite TLs for a while prior to joining the board.

    Is it dead?
     
    RMcD94

    RMcD94

    Upvoteanthology said:
    0uebAr1.png
    Click to expand...

    Why is Britain one colour? In the update you say commonwealth of England and that the firat relations made are Dutch and English so presumably Ireland and Scotland have yet to have a relationship formed. Not bound under personal union anymore either

    Edit I forgot to check when the latest message was my bad
     
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