The German Empire

420: A Germanic man, Tancred, has travelled across the world in search of knowledge, a thousand years before Marco Polo. He has spent his entire life searching for knowledge. He travelled through Rome, across the Silk Road into Asia, sailed down the South Asian Coastline, travelled throughout Africa, and back up through Spain and Gaul during the division of the Roman Empire. This trip lasted for 15 years, starting when he was around 15 years old. The first thing he attempted to teach his people was how to read, write, and count, using the Roman Alphabet and Arabic Numerals. While he taught them, he also spoke of the religion he had converted when he travelled through Rome the first time, Christianity. He travelled from village to village teaching and preaching to all Germanic peoples in Central Europe.

423: Tancred is married and has a son, Tancred II, near year's end.

425: Tancred's wife gives birth to another son

427: Tancred's wife gives birth to a third son.

430: With literacy now existing in every German tribe, all tribal leaders are invited to Tancred's home village. Here is where the foundations are laid for the Germanic Empire. For Tancred received the loyalty of, and authority over, every Germanic Tribe in Central Europe. The Empire began as a loose collection of Germanic tribes, many had left to live in Roman society. Tancred became Richimir Tancred, ruler of Magna Germania. The capital city, Saxonia, was built in Northern Germany, plumbing and sewers were included. The Richimir became the sole ruler over all Germans. He intended to transition the nation into a democratic society once he stabilized the empire.

431: The Richimir extends an invitation to the Norse peoples to join his empire, the Norse accept. With the Norse metalworkers, he will be able to build the weapons he devised during his travels.

432: The Richimir is now able to debut his new weapon, the gewehr, OTL gun. German soldiers are now outfitted with these weapons, along with armor similar to that of Spartan Armor, but made from steel instead of bronze. The gewehr is made with spinning grooves, intended to keep the barrel clean of powder, and unintentionally spins the conical bullet, extending the weapons range. Bullets are made with powder inside, contained with a wooden plug. Soldiers are still required to carry short blades along with their gewehr's. Along with the gewehr's, the Richimir had kanones, OTL canons, developed. Also the Richimir has developed granates, OTL grenades. Romans have fled their failing nation. Farmers, intellects, and soldiers alike now begin to occupy every part of the German Empire. The Richimir accepts these peoples into his newborn nation, but fears that slavery may take hold. After seeing how slaves are treated in the 'civilized' world, slavery is made illegal and is punishable by death. If a slave flees a nation and makes his way to Magna Germania, that former slave is granted freedom and citizenship. Word of this spreads to the Slavs of Eastern Europe.

436: German soldiers conquer coastal Gaul and move into Britannia. Anglo-Saxons readily accept the Germans and aid them in conquering the island. Roman settlers are now subjected to German law. All Germanic peoples are now under a single ruler.

444: Tancred II marries a Gallic woman to help solidify the Empire.

445: Literacy and Christianity have spread across the Empire. The local churches are used to educate the masses. Roman missionaries are brought in to aid in this process. The Pope has tried to incorporate the German converts, but is blocked by the Richimir. The Richimir calls together religious leaders from across the Empire to organize German Christianity. The religion is established without clergy, instead each church is led by a council, with the National Spiritual Council placed in Saxonia. This has angered the Roman Catholic Pope, who is able to unite the fragmented Roman Empire to fight against the German Empire. The Roman Catholic nations join their forces together to invade Magna Germania.

446: The Roman-German War, 446-449: The Pope orders an invasion into southern Germania. With the low population, German soldiers are spread thin, but barely stand their ground thanks to the newly developed gewehrs, kanones, and granates. Roman Catholicism is banned from Germania.

Tancred II's wife gives birth to Tancred III. They go on to have three more children.

447: German soldiers are brought from across the Empire to fight against the Romans. Slavs are brought in to help fight the Romans.

448: German soldiers invade Gaul, quickly conquering with help from the natives who have been oppressed by the Romans.

449: German soldiers are able to move into Northern Italia and Northern Illyrium. This is a sign to the Romans that the Germans can hold their own. The Romans back down from their attacks and tensions cool between the Romans and Germans. Gauls are made into soldiers, both to defend the Empire and lessen the population to more easily control western lands. Eastern Slavic Tribes are incorporated into the Empire as a means to protect their people from the Romans. Serbians hear of the incorporation of their Slavic cousins and the seeds of revolt have been planted. A ceasefire is signed between the Pope and the Richimir in OTL Switzerland, the land is declared neutral territory. Scrolls of all kinds are to be sent to Germania. The knowledge is translated onto cotton scrolls and sent back to the Roman nations. Without the Germans to fight, the Roman nations return to fighting each other. The German Empire begins building itself a naval force.

450: The first library is established in Saxonia. Scrolls are placed alphabetically with letters written on the back of the scrolls pertaining to the subject.

451: Serbian provinces revolt in both the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. The Serbs beg for inclusion into the German Empire. The Richimir accepts the Serbs and sends German soldiers to secure the nation. Without wanting to break the ceasefire, the Roman nations ignore the German incorporation of Serbia and continue to fight each other. The Richimir charged soldiers of the Eastern Empire to cross the Serbian lands to fight the Western Romans. The first university is established in Saxonia.

453: The Kriesen, OTL Revolver, is invented. Soldiers are required to carry two each.

455: With a weakened Roman society, Gallic soldiers are ordered to move invade Hispania. The Western Roman Empire has fallen and the Eastern Roman Empire has become the Byzantine Empire. The first compass is invented.

461: Richimir Tancred dies at the age of 71. He is succeded by his son, Richimir Tancred II, age 38.

468: Tancred III marries a Serbian woman to help solidify relations with the Slavs.

470: Odomir is born to Tancred III and his Serbian wife. The couple ends up having two more children.

492: Richimir Tancred II dies at the age of 69. Richimir Tancred III takes power at the age of 48. Odomir marries an Anglo-Saxon woman to help gain control of the Anglo Islands.

493: Richimir Tancred III orders German troops to move northward into Scandinavia, the Balkans, and eastward into Kievan Rus lands with Slavic troops. Anglo troops invade Ireland and Iceland. Gallic and Hispanic troops move into the Italian Peninsula. The Byzantines leave the peninsula in order to deal with eastern invaders.

494: Odomir II is born.

It is discovered that people who are inected with cowpox seem to be able to survive an infection of smallpox.

495: The smallpox vaccine is created, needles are dipped into cowpox pus and stabbed into the recipients forearm.

496: German Christianity surpasses Roman Catholicism as Europe's greatest religion. Byzantine missionaries are forced to move southward and convert Africans. With such an emphasis placed on educating the population, the steam engine is invented.

501: The train is invented, along with the railroad. The Richimir orders that a railway is to be built from Saxonia to Rome.

502: The needle is invented to help with administering vaccines.

516: Odomir II is married to an Italian woman.

517: Richimir Tancred III dies at 73. He is succeded by his son Richimir Odimir at the age of 47.

518: Odomir III is born. With Rome to the south, and barbaric hordes coming from the east, the Richimir sends a ship westward, captained by Walaruna, to discover a trade route to Asia. The Walaruns, OTL Americas, are discovered three months later, the ships landed in OTL Florida, the land is named Blume. The German ships continue westward and reach the Mayan civilization. Cattle are given as a present to the Mayan people. Once the Germans leave, smallpox and cowpox spread among the Mayans. Thanks to the spread of cowpox, less than 10% of infected people die from smallpox.

519: The exploring ships return to a Gallic port with many different foods and animals.

521: Mapmakers are sent with an expeditionary force to map Blume, the Walarun Islands, and the Mayan civilization. Gewehrs, granates, and kanones are given to the Mayans. With these new weapons, the Mayans expand southward.

523: The Byzantines are in need of help from the Germans to fight off the eastern hordes. The Germans agree under the condition that the Carthaginian lands be handed over to the German Empire. Along with all soldiers from Carthage, and 10% of all other Byzantine troops. Germany than sends all of these newly acquired soldiers to the Byzantine frontlines, along with a 50% compliment of Slavs, Gauls, and Italians.

The Mayans now stretch down to Panama, before entering South Walarun.