1000-1099 (Abrittus)

The 11th century begins with another economic crisis, which sparks revolutions, which in turn are followed by decades of hot and cold war. This throws the developed nations from Europe over Northern Africa and Southern Asia to China back. Africa, Atlantis and Caribia catch up a little.

Economy / Society
The century begins with another economic depression (overproduction crisis? debt crisis? speculative bubble? bad monetary politics? The theoreticians still debate...) hitting all developed nations within a few years. Social insecurity, unemployment and falling living standards are the fertile soil on which social revolutions grow. Socialism establishes itself in many countries. Socialist and capitalist nations fight against each other.

While these wars have devastating effects (especially in India), they also fuel technological innovations (invention of telegraphs and airships, for example).

Military
In the Indian War, large-scale bombs as well as biological and chemical weapons are used for the first time and with devastating effects. While they had to be deployed by suicide missions at first, the invention of airships made their use more effective.

After the Ostrogoths have sold horses to the Nahua federation and also to Atlantic tribes in the Mississippi region, warfare in Atlantis changed deeply and intensified, contributing to the formation of larger states and proto-states.

Philosophy / Science
With the advent of impoverished and traumatised Indians on the shores of Persia, China, Saba, Aksum and the Mediterranean Empires, and news of the Indian War reaching the public via telegraphs and newspapers, pacifism becomes a powerful trend way beyond religious (Christian or Buddhist) zealots.

The Horon deepen their ideological chasm to their Simonist neighbours and former brothers by developing a pro-capitalist libertarian political theory, which they propagate at home and abroad combined with horror stories of how terrible life among the Simonists is.

Religion
In Norway, a radically Bible-literalist branch of Christianity, Olavism (after its founding father, a former monk from one of the many Celtic Church monasteries which have turned Norway`s sparse population mostly Christian), develops.

Nations of Europe

 * The Baiuvarian Civil War ends with the intervention of a Roman peace mission. The association is restored.
 * In Norway, Olavists begin to mobilise the population against the "corrupt, sinful and treacherous" aristocracy and their allies in the Celtic Church monasteries.

Nations of Asia

 * A socialist revolution succeeds in Pala India, which renames itself and becomes the Socialist Bengali Republic. The government of Pala openly supports egalitarian revolutionary groups in other parts of India. After another rebellion almost succeeds in Western India, the Gupta and Pallava Empires jointly declare war against Pala. The war is conducted with large armies and large-scale bombs are used for the first time. Entrenched, neither side gains much ground. After Chola joins the anti-socialist side, the Pyu Federation, which had been internly deeply divided, sides with Pala in order to prevent a Hinduist takeover. The war continues for over a decade, during which chemical and biological weapons are used and both industrial infrastructure and irrigation systems are destroyed. When it looks as if the Western side wins the war, Sri Vijaya, where an egliatarian revolution had won, too, joins the Eastern side. China remains officially neutral, but at times supports the East with loans and weaponry because it is mainly interested in maintaining a balance of power in India. After Sri Vijaya becomes involved, China, Tibet, Dvaravati, Kambuja and Nam Viet start an initiative for internationally supervised peace talks, which, after 16 terrible years of war, finally succeed. India has lost much of its economic infrastructure, millions of lives and further millions of citizens who have fled the war and emigrated to other countries, bringing Indian culture, religion, philosophy and languages to many nations which had so far seen mostly only Indian products or heard of Indians in their newspapers.
 * After 87 years, a famine brings down the egalitarian dictatorship in Balhae. A republic is installed, whose economic policies orient themselves - as so often in Balhae`s history - at Hong China´s.
 * Nihon`s industrialisation accelerates, partly due to the influx of Indian refugees.
 * China´s hunger for resources drives the empire to expand Northwards into Siberia and deforest large territories. This causes attacks and invasions by native Siberian nations. In contrast to the old days, China can deal easily with these, but public opinion has become aware of the problematic consequences of this policy.

Nations of Africa

 * As both Congo and Kitara slowly begin to industrialise, they both become interested in the treasures of the Katanga soil. Long and protracted warfare in the jungle ensues.
 * The Horon establish colonies all over the continent`s Atlantic Ocean coast (in addition to their Atlantic one). Either due to the translation of their autonym, or due to their new and pronounced political philosophy, their nation becomes known in the Latin-speaking world as "Liberia".

Nations of Atlantis

 * As Ostrogothic trade volumes with Europe and their credit networks break down during the depression, desperate Taino-Ostrogothic enterpreneurs look for other lucrative businesses - and come up with the idea of selling horses to the people on the Atlantic continent. The Nahua pay them with lots of gold for this excellent contribution, while the Mississippi Federation turns into the expanding Mississippi Empire due to this military innovation and repays the Ostrogoths with produce brought forth by the tribes they subdued.
 * While in Europe, Asia and Aksum, the 11th century is the last great century of the horse, in which urban populations move about in horse-drawn carriages and soldiers go to war on horseback, in Atlantis it is the first great century of the horse. The Nahua and the Mississippi Federation are the first to get hold of these marvellous animals. Their aristocracy breeds them as well and as fast as they can, use them to improve transportation on their otherwise already nicely built infrastructure, and of course also to conduct war even more efficiently and subdue their neighbours. By the end of the century, the Nahua have doubled the size of their empire, while the Mississippi Federation have extended their control as far as OTL Florida in the East and the Pueblo cultures in the West  - helped very much by another European innovation they were now able to afford: firearms!
 * Attacks on the Southern Taino islands and attempts at invasion by Caribs are staved off easily by the Ostrogoth-Taino`s use of firearms.

Salvador79 (talk) 01:04, May 14, 2014 (UTC)

Abrittus