New & Improved map game 622-663 (Map Game)

622
Brittania and the British Republic combine to form the Empire of Britain, under the leadership of Geoffrey the Great. Britain annexes Antoalia's territories in Ireland and subsumes Scotland by the end of the year. Geoffrey forms a complete alliance with France and French Hispania.

Meanwhile, Finland conquers even more of the Baltic Tribes, with the secret support of Poland, the Hungarian Empire, and Bulgaria.

Farther south, France grants French Hispania the right to build it's own navy and army. French Hispania immediately churns out a war fleet and builds a army of 300,000 strong. Due to increasing trade and immigration, French Hispania now has 23 million people.

623
Italy's navy is proved to be the most efficient when a war fleet gets lost but then arrives to a new land without much damages. As the land is so cold, they name it "Iceland". What they didn't knew is that it was only on winter in which it was cold. A new Itallian vessel, called "Carabella", is created.



French Hispania buys the Baelric islands from Italy, in order to cement thier hold on the mediterranean

They also replace the fore-and-aft rigged schooners with new "men-o-war", which are large, fore-and-aft rigged ships that mount ten heavy but compact torsion balistae on each side

624
Gustavus Vasa comes to power in Sweden. He will become known as Gustavus the Great, since he reforms and modernizes Sweden. King Gustavus depised France, French Hispania, and Italy, because of their powerful navies and extremely modern economies and merchant fleets. Gustavus initated a package of reforms in Sweden:

Educational Reforms: King Gustavus I established the University of Stockholm, to be staffed by French, French Hispanian, and Italian teachers and professors. The University was to teach mathmatics, reading, writing, Latin, Greek, Italian, French, science, and military tactics. The king allowed women to attend school and decreed all people between the ages of 7-14 had to attend school for at least three years. Gustavus I set up more elementary and secondary schools then any other Swedish (or Danish) monarch before him. These educational reforms were based on the French, Italian, and French Hispanian models.

Economic Reforms: Gustavus I set up several Royal Colleges: a College of Engineering, a College of Shipbuilding and Trading, a College of Manfacturing, and a College for Art and Culture. Each college taught pupils the subjects they specialised in, on subjects as diverse as engineering, ship-building, trading, arcihteture, military tatics, steel-making, and city-building. Gustavus overhauled the Sweedish tax system, replenishing the Sweedish treasury and imposing the first land tax in Sweden. Gustavus also encouraged trade with the West Danish Empire, Finland, Britain, Poland, and France.

Military Reforms: Gustavus I established the Sweedish Navy, with assistance of Italian and French Hispanian naval experts. He built 120 major ships and 400 smaller vessels. Gustavus established the naval discpline system and introduced French Hispanian ship design methods into his fleet. Gustavus also created a standing army of more then 150,000 men and a reserve of 50,000.

Agricultural Reforms: Gustavus re-vived the old Danish four-crop rotation method, in a updated incranation. Gustavus also divided the land between the nobles and poor, and he provided state support to noble estates and regular farms.

625
French Hispania buys some of the Basques land, and builds a large modern road connecting the Bay of Biscay to the French Hispanian ports. thanks to Italian taxes on the straights of Gibraltar, it's cheaper to use this road than to sail around the Iberian Peninsula. This take a large chunk out of the Italian government's income

A French Hispanian inventor discovers a way to power several dozen looms with a overshoot waterwheel. he also invents a device which allows one weaver to spin several threads at the same time. these two invention increase fabric production in Hispania by an order of magnitude.

French Hispania also adopts the Danish four-crop rotation system. thanks to the mild climate in Hispania, farmers are able to grow during all four seasons, which allows them to produce double the grain per acre as their Danish equivalents.

626
Unable to compete with their faster and less manpower intensive French Hispanian schooners, the Italian Merchant Marine loses it's control of the carry trade on the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans. The Italian economy goes into a deep recession.

627


France adopts the water-powered weaving system used in French Hispania. The French also adopt the Danish four-crop rotation system. Alexander I begins his own reforms to make France more powerful then French Hispania:


 * Educational Reforms: Emperor Alexander I establishes the University of Paris, in Paris, the capital of the French Empire. The University teaches math, reading, writing, theology, geology, science, Latin, Greek, French, Italian, and shipbuilding. Alexander I provides free admission into the university and has it staffed with the best French and Italian teachers around.


 * Military Reforms: Alexander I adopts French Hispanian naval ship-building methods into his navy, while also adopting Italian navigation methods. The French navy now has a total of 670 large ships and 800 smaller vessels, compared to the Italian navy of 430 large ships and 200 smaller vessels, and the French Hispanian navy of 230 large ships and 190 smaller vessels. Alexander I initates the first French Naval Discpline Code, similar to the one adopted by the Sweedish Navy. This greatly increases naval efficency. Alexander I increases the size of France's standing army to a million men, the reserves to 800,000. This compares with the Italian strength of 560,000 regular soldiers and 230,000 reserves, while French Hispania has only 90,000 active soldiers and less then 13,000 reserves.

French Hispania unpexectdely annexed Sardinia and Corisica. Alexander I, while he did not support this intrusion on Italian territory, did not say anything against it.

The Queen of French Hispania sends an offer of marriage to Alexander I, in order to unify the French territories. Alexander I declines the Queen's offer, believing France and French Hispania are to be seperate. In reality, Alexander I was actually in love with a Italian princess, Anna-Marie. She was also in love with him. They married by the end of the year.

The Empire of Britain is overthrown and once again becomes the British Republic. The Republic then cedes Ireland it's controlled Irish coast.

628


French and Italian relations having been cemented, Italy adopts all of the French reforms while borrowing money from France. An Italian scientist meanwhile discovers that a mixture of elements creates an explosive mixture. Italy reduces taxes for travel through Gibraltar and Italian pirates are supported by the Italian government to raid French Hispanian merchant ships.

Kiev breaks away from Hungary.

Mecklenburg breaks away from Poland.

The Muslim Caliphate arrives, and takes over most Middle Eastern Nations.

Ivan the Brave successfully unites his west Baltic tribes to become the Kingdom of Belarus.

629
Antaolia, Greece, Greater Bulgaria, Hungary, and Kiev all sign a alliance, to protect themselves against the new Muslim menance. However, Islam spread into Europe like a whirlwind, with many Catholics and Jews converting to become Muslims. The Pope loses almost all his authority.

Italy joins the anti-Muslim alliance as a firmly held Christian nation, the pope moves to the British Republic for safety. Italian scientists invent the Cannon and start a business selling them to the alliance members. The first cannons are mounted on Italian ships. By the end of the year, France also joins the alliance and begins work on a French field-cannon.

French Hispania improves the primitive Italian cannons by developing techniques of grinding the powder into uniform cakes, and loading the cannons using premeasured charges. this increases the French Hispanian cannons rate of fire three times. they are the only ones who use cannons as broadside weaponry, since they are the only navy with broadside tactics developed

630


Italy, who depises French Hispania, invade. They are given secret support by France (French Hispania does not know of this). The Italians take Sardinia and Corsica but are forced to stop here as the technologically superior but smaller French Hispanian fleet mobilizes. Italy's land based assault from it's Iberian territories is forced to abort due to the advanced Hispanian cannons, only their central offensive makes much leeway. Captured French Hispanian ammunition and tactics are absorbed by the Italians and they begin renewing their fleet. Constanzo Manlio, the current emperor of Italy dis and is succeeded by his son Constanzo II, He will come to be known as "Constanzo the fair".

Also this year, Empress Anna-Marie, wife of Emperor Alexander I of France, gives birth to their first two children, twins, Alexander, named after his father, and Anna-Maria, named after her mother.

Ivan the Brave's Kingdom of Belarus invades southern Finland to establish access to the Baltic sea, they make great progress.

The kingdom of Bavaria, having become a little paranoid being surrounded by such great powers starts to arm her military with the newest weapons and tactics it can find as well as building her own long overdue series of cobblestone roads, Bavaria is able to do this due to her strategic position on trade routes throughout Europe.

The West Danish Emperor, Sven III, gains popular support for his reforms in both Sweden and Northern Finland. The People of the Baltic Peninsula seem to be interested in union once more.

Meanwhile, Zeugatana has become known as a "Pirate Kingdom", Zeugatana is home to some of the world's greatest pirates and in fact most of the kingdom is controlled by pirate barons. Zeugatanian raids against both Italian and French African colonies in common as well.

Huge amounts of Bulgarian troops mass on the Lesser Bulgaria-Muslim Caliphate border as Anatolian troops gather on their border with the Caliphate, Greece, Italy, Kiev, Hungary and France also make slight contributions.

631


French and Italian scientists, working together, as ordered by emperors Contanzo the Fair of Italy and Alexander I of France (who is now becoming known as Alexander the Great), in secret, make signficant improvements on the French Hispanian cannon. They invent the first cross-field launcher. The French also complete work on the French field-cannon this year, designed for use against a actual army. France openly breaks relations with French Hispania and fortify their border with Hispania, pouring in soldiers, heavy fortifications, and several French-field cannons and French-Italian improved Hispanian cannons. Alexander I also sends to Italy a army of 240,000 highly trained French, equipped with all the latest French and Italian technology. The Italians immediately send them to Hispania.

French Hispania, in outrage and in sudden nationalism rename there country as Catalonia once again. Portugal, having a large population of people of Catalonian descent as well as great relations with them combines with Catalonia while Galicia decides to remain neutral as do the Basques. The Emperor of Italy, Constanzo the Fair, begins allowing the people to have more say in the government, some Italian nobles disagree with this however.

Meanwhile, Gustavus I of Sweden breaks all ties with Sven III of West Denmark and proclaims himself Emperor of Sweeden. Gustavus I now considers himself equal with his former overlord.

France sends the 40,000 man Anti-Pirate Force to French North Africa. Although small, the force has all the latest technology and tactics, and ends pirate raids into French African territory.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Caliphate gathers troops along it's borders of Antaolia and Lesser Bulgaria, intending to defend itself. The Caliphiate was recieving secret support from French Hispania, who was happily giving the Muslims French-Hispanian cannons, a French-Hispanian fighting force, and a lot of money. The Caliph of the Muslims, Abjah the Magnficent, sends Muslim preachers and scholars into lands of all Europe. They convert millions throughout Europe to Islam, including 3 million in France, over 5 million in Hungary, several thousand in Antaolia and Greece, half a million in Ukraine, and over 8 million in Italy.

Farther east, the Kingdom of Belarus swiftly conquers what is left of the Baltic tribes and renames itself the Kingdom of Russia. Russia will become one of the most powerful empires in Europe, but that is in time. One of the greatest monarchs in European history assumes control of Russia: Yemenvy the Great.

632
In a massive naval battle between the Italian-French forces and the Catalonian navy, the Catalonians reveal their newest invention: explosive shells. 70% of the combined fleet is destroyed, and another 20% is captured. Almost simultaneously, new Catalonian field artillery regiments destroy most of the French cavalry with a barrage of explosive rockets.

633
Alexander I rebuilds the French navy. French scientists developed a advanced verison of the Catalonian explosive shell, which Alexander I put into massive use. Alexander provided the new French explosive shells to Italy. The French also invented the artillery-destoryer and the cannon rocket-launcher. The French field cannon is improved on. By the end of the year, France's military is more modernized then that of Catalonia's. Advanced French artillery units, supported by ground calvary, totaling 230,000, invade Catalonia, more then enough to exterminate the puny people. However, Catalonian explosive shell technology is still used, the French, however, manage to cut Catalonia off from the Atlantic. Italy is slowly managing to cut Catalonia off from supplies by way of Gibraltar.

A fatal flaw is exposed in the French explosive shells and rockets: they quickly degrade and fall apart. Unable to return fire, much of the French army is destroyed by artillery fire. French scientists and engineers work fevershily on correcting the flaw in the explosive shells and rockets, and they fix before the year is out. Unfortunately, France is unable to build the necessary infrastructure for the new shells and rockets, and they won't be able to produce them in sufficient quantities for several years. Also, their tactics are outdated, and their military has stagnated. The Catalonians drive them back. Alexander I is assinated by a rouge soldier. His son, James I of France, signs a peace treaty with Catalonia, promising to no longer support Italy and to back out of the war. France also pays Catalonia indemnites. James sets his eyes on improving and re-building his military. He closes France off to the rest of Europe, and concerates on France's military and internal affairs only. He is hailed as the Wise for his actions.

Meanwhile in Russia, King Yemenvy initates a whole package of reforms, intent on bringing primitive Russia up to the level of the rest of Europe:


 * Military Reforms: Yemenvy reorganizes the Russian military service and introduces a discipline system similar to the French one. The king, or tsar as he is started to being called, brought in French, Italian, and Catalonian military experts. They helped him introduce advanced technology into his forces. Yemenvy creates a Russian reserve and introduces conscription. Yemenvy also establishes a Russian Military College. Yemenvy also established a Russian Navy, based in the Artic, since Russia had no access to the Baltic or Black Seas, blocked by Bulgaria, Finland, and Kiev. Yemenvy introduced a Russian Naval Discipline Code and also introduced advanced French and Catalonian naval methods and technology.


 * Agricultural Reforms: The Danish four-crop rotation system, lost since the collapse of the Danish Empire almost two decades prior, is re-introduced. Tsar Yemenvy encouraged the development of farms, provided state support to peasants, and introduced some vital Western European agricultural control methods. A College of Agriculture is established to teach farmers and nobles on how to run their farms in the most efficent way.


 * Politcal Reforms: Yemenvy established the Russian State Sobor, which would act as a advisory legislative council to assist the tsar in matters of state. Yemenvy also introduced the first Russian census, which found the population of Russia to be at 20 million. Yemenvy established the Russian taxing system and created the first form of Russian local government.


 * Economic Reforms: The Bank of Russia was established, holding the government's income and regulating the lower banks. Yemenvy encouraged trade with Kiev and Bulgaria, relaxed restrictions on internal shipping, and established a series of merchant houses throughout Russia.

[[File:Mapppy3.4.png]]

 * The people of Sweden rebel against Gustav and unite with the Danish, they become Baltland.
 * Italy drops out of the war with Catalonia, giving them all of Italian Iberia aside Gibraltar.
 * Italy becomes a democratic government when Constanzo the Fair gives rule to the people. Italy becomes the Republic of Italy.
 * Italy sends Aid and diplomats to Bavaria, Hungary, Greece and Anatolia to organize the fight against the Caliphate. Italy seems especially interested in Bavaria.
 * The people of northern Russia are just too different and were united haphazardly, Russia breaks down into several territories.
 * The Basques and Galicians unite to become Navarre.

635

 * The British Republic fear the rise of power in Scandinavia and encourage the immigration of former pirates from North Africa. The pope is returned to Italy. A rich merchants' son called Alfred Nurnby begins to make his prescence felt on the British political scene.
 * A lack of investment in Irish businesses, the heart of the Irish economy, causes the country to collapse. The countries to arise from Ireland are these.
 * Republic of Ulster-Due to Scottish immigration, under the influence of Britain.
 * Kingdom of Leinster-Dangerously unstable and hates foreigners, especially the British.
 * Irish Peoples Federation(IPF)-Isolationist and constitutionally neutral.
 * Southern Alliance-A melting pot of merchant trader city states, loosely confederated, which rely of Italian trade travelling to and fro Manilo.

636



 * Under a revolt of Christian and Zoroastrian people that don't accept being dhimmi because of the higher taxes, the Muslim Caliphate collapses. The succesor countries are:

-Nabatea (Syriac Christian, large Muslim minorities)

-Babylon (Zoroastrian, large Muslim minorities)

-Judea (Jew, Christian and Muslim minorities)

-Muslim Syria (Muslim, small Syriac Christian minorities)

-Syria (Syriac Christian, Zoroastrian and Jewish minorities)

-Assyria (Assyrian Christian, Zoroastrian and Muslim minorities)

-Sassanid Persia (Zoroastrian, Muslim and Assyrian Christian minorities)

-Ak Koyunlu (Muslim, small Zoroastrian minorities)

-Sultanate of Iran (Muslim)

-The Caliphate (Muslim)

637

 * Alfred Nurnby is elected Prime Marshal (highest political office in Britain) as his party has a crushing majority. Manipulating the British government, he engineers himslef into a new seat of power. The Lord Protector. He reinstalls the nobility and makes his most ardent followers powerful nobles, along with nobles in pretence from overseas, like the nobles from the former Hispanias. The British Republic becomes the British Commonwealth. The British pirate fleet begins cutting off Italian power to Manilo. This prevents the Southern Alliance from trading with Italian traders going to Manilo. Nurnby also encourages immigration from Scotland to Anglia and vice versa. This become known as the Nationality Purge as the Scottish, Anglish and Welsh national identities are broken down into a more strong British identity.
 * Krimea gains independence from Kiev.

638
Yemenvy the Great still ruled Muscovy, and was angered at the loss of his other states. Muscovy was extremely modernized, and had the most powerful military in Russia. Yemenvy united the other states again with Muscovy by force, but to retain the new Russia, he divides the country into provinces. By now, most people in Russia support him. Yemenvy re-instates all of his previous reforms. He then plans a invasion of Finland, which was technogically inferior and was at the verge of collapse.

Meanwhile in France, James I of France has been spending all the years of French isolation from the rest of Europe building up their armed forces. Improved French explosive shells and rockets were finally being produced in large numbers. The emperor reformed the tatics of the French army, adopting several Catalonian methods. By now, France's army had a total of 1.5 million people (unlike OTL, the population in Europe skyrockets due to several scientific and medical advances). France's reserve had 900,000 people. James also expanded and re-vitalized the French navy,

639
The Catalonians begin issuing flintlock muskets with ring bayonets to their troops. They keep the invention of these muskets a secret, so other countries can't acquire the same technology

640
French spies in the Catalonian military discover the existence of the Catalonian flint-lock muskets. They capture one, and send the sample, and all the musket plans, to France. James I immediately orders mass production of the flint-musket. The French also invent the field-bayonet, a gun that could fire at a range of 700 meters. The field-bayonet also was equipped with a small missile-launcher.

Meanwhile, King Yemenvy of Russia had spies in all of Europe's countries, including France. They inform him of the existence of the flint-musket, the field-bayonet, and the small missile-launcher. Yemenvy orders Russian mass production of all these inventions. He also learns military secrets and tactics of each European country, including Catalonia.

641
Catalonian intelligence agents capture a Russian spy leaving the country with a flintlock musket. This inspires Catalonia to increase it's security protocols, and to create the first official intelligence division, the Catalonian Intelligence Service, or CIS. They establish secret safehouses in most European countries.

642
Yemenvy the Great establishes the Russian Covert Operations Team, who comitt esiponage throughout all European countries, including Catalonia. Their secrecy and skills keep them hidden from CIS. His spies capture even more Catalonian data and weapons and escape to Russia in time. Yemenvy, after a long wait, also invades Finland. Finland was unprepared and it's technology was extremely inferior. Yemenvy annexes all of Finland before the year is out. Yemenvy strengthens his rule and expands Russia's military even more.

Meanwhile, a French engineer discovers that if a explosive shell is combined with a cannon, it will produce a deadly charge that could kill 30 soldiers at a time. James I of France likes the idea and puts the explosive cannon into mass-production. Also this year, a astronomer calculates that Earth is one of the planets oribiting the sun. The astronomer, Yesio Tchekiuh, also discovered that there are several trillion other suns just like the sun. He says each star at night is a sun. French scientists like his ideas, and they are widely accepted by the end of the year.

643


Italian scientists design a more advanced form of musket themselves this year and develop many advanced tactics such as the use of volleys to keep firing pressure up, they create an elite cavalry troop armed with these weapons. The Italians sign a mutual pact with Bavaria. The Prime Minister of Italy, Constanzo, has a close relationship with the Bavarian and Hungarian nobles. Constanzo falls in love with a Bavarian princess, Elisabeth. Italy starts yet another restructuring.

Bulgaria builds troops along the Russian border. Yemenvy's spies report the build-up, and Yemenvy also builds up troops along the border with Bulgaria. By the end of the year, the Russian army consists of 4 million soliders, 2 million on the border with Bulgaria alone.

Bulgarian troops invade Russia. At first, they gain a considerable amount of territory. However, the days of Bulgaria are coming to an end, and Yemenvy the Great defeats the Bulgarians near Muscovy, the capital of Russia. He drives them out of Russia and begins lining up careful plans for a invasion of Bulgaria. Meanwhile, in France, scientists invent the missile-launcher, a more advanced verision of the rocket-launcher. French scienstists also invent the first steam-powered cannon. French engineers begin drawing plans for a "new form of transportation", which will eventually evolve into a "car". Constanzo, Prime Minister of Italy marries Elisabeth. Italy, Bavaria and Hungary form a formal alliance between their countries that promises military, economic and political aid. Hungary gives Italy back some of their former Balkan territory. The Italians also have a strong spy ring across Europe and quickly follow technologic breakthroughs. Baltland attacks distracted Russia and makes large gains in former Finland, King Sven's reforms have brought Baltland's military up on par with Russia's army. Ireland unifies under threat from Britain.
 * France's population is 45,000,000
 * Catalonia's population is 13, 000, 000
 * Italy's population is 50,000,000
 * Poland's population is 2, 000, 000
 * Bavaria's population is 5, 000, 000
 * Nederland's population is 857, 000
 * Britain's population is 6, 000, 000
 * Hungary's population is 10, 000, 000
 * Kiev's population is 8, 000, 000
 * Greece's population is 3, 000, 000
 * Bulgaria's population is 7, 000, 000
 * Lesser Bulgaria's population is 2, 000, 000
 * Baltland's population is 5, 000, 000
 * Russia's population is 20,000,000
 * Anatolia's population is 7, 000, 000
 * Krimea's population is 3, 000, 000
 * Portugal's population is 3, 000, 000
 * Navarre's population is 3, 000, 000
 * Ireland's combined population is 2, 000, 000

You should have read earlier posts that France, Italy, and Russia each have populations exceeding 18 million.

644
Bulgarian troops invade Russia. At first, they gain a considerable amount of territory. However, the days of Bulgaria are coming to an end, and Yemenvy the Great defeats the Bulgarians near Muscovy, the capital of Russia. He drives them out of Russia and begins lining up careful plans for a invasion of Bulgaria.

Meanwhile, in France, scientists invent the missile-launcher, a more advanced verision of the rocket-launcher. French scienstists also invent the first steam-powered cannon. French engineers begin drawing plans for a "new form of transportation", which will eventually evolve into a "car".

645
CIS steals both the blueprints for steam cannons, and a prototype steam cannon and a prototype missile launcher. Meanwhile, a Catalonian weapons developer invents the minie ball, and Catalonia begins issuing rifles to it's troops. CIS takes many precautions in order to avoid other countries replicating their rifles.

646
France demands Catalonia to stop stealing their technology. The French as a peace gesture stop their stealing attempts and want a reponse from Catalonia. Catalonia refuses. So, French spies in CIS again slip past the organization and capture a prototype minie ball and a rifle. They send it to France. The French begin to try to produce these guns in large numbers but they don't have the same number of skilled machinists as Catalonia, and they have to build the rifling benches from scratch, so their rifle are inferior. they also re-take the steam cannon blueprints. France then plans a invasion of Catalonia. Bavaria, Italy, Anatolia, and Hungary send troops to help the French. All these countries sign the Anti-Catalonian Alliance and prepare to invade.

Meanwhile, Russian spies captured a minie-ball rifle, the copied blue-prints for the steam cannons, a prototype steam cannon, and a prototype missile launcher. Yemenvy then commissons large scale production of all these. He makes sure all Russian weapons are as perfect as the Catalonian ones.

647


France creates a puppet state with ties to the French Crown, known as Andorra

The Caliphate expands, annexing France's North African colony. Italia pays to save their remaining African colonies

Lithuania gains independence from Kiev, but Kiev does not want to be weakened by fighting so they create an alliance to help each other and Bulgaria

648
Yemenvy the Great invades part of Baltland. The Balts, who were decreasing the size of their military, suffer tremendous losses and lose OTL Finland and some islands in the Baltic. Yemenvy then signs a treaty with them, gaining Finland and the islands for Russia. He then turned his attention to the weak Lithuania, and annexes it, since it has no modern technology. Yemenvy promises Poland Russia has no intentions to grab Polish territory. After making that assurance, Yemenvy catches Bulgaria on suprise, and annexes most of it.

Meanwhile, the Muslims convert even more people to Islam, all across Europe, so much that it now has 40 million followers

649
The Kingdom of Prussia declares independence from Poland and is made up of most of the western part of the Kingdom.

France, Catalonia and Italy decide to stop thier constant warring in order to combat the growing threat of the Muslim Caliphate. As a gesture of good will, all three nations agree to share their technological advances with eachother. also, Catalonia recognizes Italian soverenity over Sardinia, Corsica and North Africa in exchange for Gibraltar. France allows Catalonia to reannex Andorra, and Catalonia reduces prices on its ships for French and Italian merchants.

Meanwhile, Russia annexes what is left of Bulgaria and also annexes Lesser Bulgaria. The Russians then sign a treaty with the Muslim Caliphate. The treaty says that Russia will not do anything against the Caliphate jihads in Europe. The Russians then annex Kiev. Russia also annexes part of Poland, seeing the recent Polish weakness, thus breaking the assurance made in 648.

The Muslims conquer Anatolia, Greece, and Italy's North African colonies. Islam is now stronger then ever. More then 60 million people in Europe pray the words "There is no god but god, and...is his prophet,"

Catalonia, France and Italy, being the three major european powers, were the least affected by Islam, and they launch a crusade to drive back the infidels. Italian and French forces invade Greece, while the Catalonian Navy prevent reinforcements from reaching the greek garrison. meanwhile, the Catalonians launch an invasion of north Africa

650
Prussia invades the Netherlands and takes most of their eastern territory

651
France signs a treaty with Prussia. Prussia is allowed to conquer the Netherlands, while it also promises to not attack France.

Prussia begins to annex and conquer northern Bavaria. The Prussians also annex Meckelburg.

652
French engineers, after a decade of hard work, invent the world's first working car, powered by a steam engine. The French also develop the world's first radio.

The continuing war against the Muslims brings Italy, France and Catalonia together. They create a joint commision to connect their road systems, and France shares radio technology with it's allies

The Muslims begin raiding Catalonoian, French, and Italian coasts. They carry off several Italian, French, and Catalonian people, and make them their slaves. The Muslims also take women.

653
The Catalonian navy cracks down on these raids. Catalonian schooners have soon captured most of the Muslim raiding fleet, preventing them from undertaking any naval operations.

654
The Muslims re-build most of their raiding fleet, but this time they focuse on Italy. More then 1 million Italian women are taken. The Muslims force the women to become their slaves and wives. The Muslims also increase the size of their navy. By the end of the year, the Muslim navy is the fourth-largest in Europe and the largest in Asia and Africa. The Muslims also adopt stolen Catalonian technology.

The Muslims discover, to their dismay, that it's not very easy to adopt advanced technology in a year. Most of their more advanced ships sink in a storm, and the remaining ships are crushed by the Catalonians. The Catalonians then, in order to demonstrate their overwhelming superiority, sail their ships directly into the main Muslim shipyards, and destroy them with explosive shells and landing parties. The Muslim shipbuilding program is set back several decades. The Muslims withdraw from all their gains in Africa as a result, pulling back to the Middle East, Greeece, and Antaolia.

655
The Catalonians annex the former Muslim territories, where they are welcomed as liberators. France and Italy are angry, since they wanted their old colonies back. This begins a deep rift in the alliance, causing it to almost completely fall apart.

656
The Muslims resume their raids on Italian territory. This time they attack from Islamic Greece. The 1.5 million man raiding force rapes over half a million Italian women and takes them home to the Caliphate as their slaves. Italy is angry and is out for blood.

657

 * Prussia invades what is left of Bavaria and takes it with ease.
 * Catalonia, France and Italy declare that "the Muslim savages must be stopped before they plunder Europe" they launch a joint invasion of Greece and Egypt, and destroy two huge Muslim armies with their superior technology.
 * Prussia conquers what is left of Poland. They now have a border with Russia. The Russians assemble troops on that border to protect themselves.

658
The Muslims, with sheer weight of numbers and advanced Russian-loaned technology, strike back and re-take Egypt and Greece, inflicting a heavy defeat on Catalonia, France, and Italy. The Muslims then raid Italy again and take a lot of plunder, including a million Italian women and Italian money and goods.

The CIS encourages rebellions in Persia, Syria, Anatolia, Greece, and Egypt. These rebellions occur simultaneously, and the Caliphate can only suppress the rebellion in Persia. several independent Muslim kingdoms are created. The kingdoms, however, also hate the "puny little Europeans" and they form a alliance against the three countries.

The Muslim Caliphate invades and conquers Syria, whose allies come to it's aid. this begins the Muslim Eastern Wars, which will continue almost non-stop for a century.

659
France and Catalonia begin having a argument between each-other. The French want revenge for their shaming at the hands of the Catalonians. So, equipped with flint-rifles, French missile-launchers, French cannon-launchers, and steam-powered cannons, the French, with support from Italy, turn on Catalonia and invade with over 300,000 soldiers.

Catalonia trys to negotiate a ceasefire, in exchange for paying a large indemnity, and ceeding their atlantic Hispanian coast to France. France rejects the cease-fire: the French want ALL of Catalonia. A thousand French troops pour into Catalonia every month, strengthening the 300,000 man French invasion force.

The Catalonians launch a massive offensive, and manage to drive the French out of Hispania. they fortify the Pyrenees with trenches and artillery bases. they wait for the next French offensive.

660
The French invade Catalonia again with over one and a half million soldiers, but this time on the Catalonian coast. The French quickly surrond the Pyrenees defenses and destory most of them. The French then head towards the capital of Catalonia, squashing smaller Catalonian armies in it's wake. The Catalonians withdraw to their capital.

The Catalonian Navy cuts off supplies from the French Army, and breaks the French Blockade of the Catalonian capital. Small guerilla units prevent the French Army from foraging, and the French Army is forced to retreat across the Pyrenees. By now French starvation casualties alone are twice that of the total casualties Catalonian Army, and the French public is angered by the pointless war.

661
France signs a truce with Catalonia. In it, the French pay Catalonia 56,000,000 Imperial Denri and send several thousand French soldiers to Catalonia as hostages. The French public is tired of France's incurring losses against Catalonia. The French have lost two wars against the Catalonians. The French emperor shoots himself, and is succeeded by his daughter, Anne. She is a 18 year-old red-haired girl, but she is smart, keen in military affairs, and speaks French, Italian, and Catalonian. Empress Anne rebuilds the armed forces and bides her time. The French Navy is tripled in size and given more advanced technology, to equal that of the Catalonians. Several methods of increasing the efficency of the French Army is introduced by the Empress. The Empress vows that she will kill Catalonia, but she says this in secret to herself.

Prussia invades northern France with a 400,000 man army and launches the Prussian High Seas Fleet to blockade the French ports, Frederick I says it was for the good of his countrymen. The French, however, have superior technology, and throw the Prussians out. France then forces Frederick I to promise to never launch a invasion of France ever again.

662
A French scientist makes a extradionary breakthrough: he develops the first fire-bomb. He also develops some of the earliest planes. The scientist discovers a fire-bomb can completely destory a city. Empress Anna I of France immediately puts the fire-bomb on mass production.

Prussian spies in France discover this new invention and send the specs for them back to Prussia and they begin to mass produce it as well.

663
Russian spies in both Prussia and France discover about the fire-bomb and begin mass-producing the weapon. The Russians will soon have more fire-bombs then either Prussia or France.

Russia begins it's expansion into Siberia, reaching the Yeinsley River by the end of the year. Russian settlers will reach the Pacific Ocean by 667. The Russians also conquer OTL Kahakstan, Tajikstan, Turkmenstan, Uzbekstan, and Krygystan, since these areas are scattered groups of nomads, who have the technology of over 2,000 years before 663. Russia is now the worl's largest country, and King Yemenvy proclaims the existence of the Empire of Russia.