Age of Kings

“	The greatest liberty in the world is for people to live under a monarch.	”
– Sir Robert Filmer

The mid-19th century was a time of major expansion and upheaval upon the nations of the world. The United States pushed its power to the coast under the call of manifest destiny only to fall into civil war shortly after. The balance of power in Europe constantly shifted as nationalism began to take effect and demanded a new order. Asian and African powers struggled to resist European encroachment on their independence. Throughout the Western World the ideologies of liberal republicanism and conservative monarchism battled to be the dominant form of governance.

Eventually, republicanism won out and became the standard model to which governments would try to emulate. But this came to pass because of several revolutions and failures within the Western world that swept most monarchies away. What if instead a new model was nurtured and grew instead of being snuffed out? What if liberal constitutional monarchies, now the mainstay of present monarchies, became the standard in Europe and beyond and lasted? What if there remains an Age of Kings?

Points of Divergence[]

The monarchy established in Brazil after independence managed to reach considerable heights and many considered it to be a rising and stabilizing power within geopolitics. However, the monarchy ended when Emperor Pedro II became dispirited after the death of his two sons from illness, believing that it was destined that the monarchy would end. As a result he did nothing to stop a republican coup that put a dictatorship in control over the country for decades. But, what if one of his sons lived? In Age of Kings, his second son Pedro Afonso narrowly survives his bout of illness and fulfills his duties as heir.

The Franco-Prussian War was just as much a death of an empire as it was the birth of another. Napoleon III's failure haunted him for the rest of his short life and sent the political system in France into disarray. However, in the most recent elections following his exile the people elected a political majority of monarchists, albeit divided into two different factions, the Legitimists and the Orleanists. They agreed on a compromise to get both their candidates onto the throne of France, but the Legitimate candidate refused to rule under the tricolor of the revolution. While waiting for him to die off the monarchists lost their majority to the republicans by a sizable margin, ending any hope of a return to monarchy. But, what if he swallowed his pride, or expected to use his power to force the issue once he became king? In Age of Kings, the Count of Chambord agrees to the plan, sowing the seeds for returning France to a constitutional monarchy.

Current Events[]

Events from the Age of Kings timeline are collected from three in-world international news sources: the Wall Street Journal of the United States, the British Broadcasting Corporation of the United Kingdom, and the Vossische Zeitung of Germany.

2024

3 April - A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurs off the coast of Taiwan in China. Nine people are killed and authorities quickly mobilize military and emergency response forces to react to the disaster.
3 February - Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin and former Prince of Naples and heir to the Italian throne, dies. His death puts an end to a longstanding dynastic dispute between the current Italian royal family and Emanuele, who claimed to be the rightful King of Italy.
14 January - Following the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe II, Frederik X becomes King of Denmark.
5 January - Rebel Kokang Chinese forces in Burma, operating with tacit support from China, seize total control of the Kokang Aelf-Administered Zone.

2023

31 December - Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announces in her New Year's Eve Address that she will abdicate on January 14, 2024.
6 December - Rebel Chin forces in Burma declare the formation of the State of Chinland. It remains unclear if this is a declaration of independence.
17 December - Emir of Kuwait Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah dies and is succeeded by his half-brother and heir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
29 November - Former German Chancellor Heinz Kissinger, famous for being the first Jewish Chancellor of Germany and blamed by detractors for human rights abuses in German-sponsored African states during the Cold War, passes away at the age of 100.
11 November - British Commonwealth nations recognize Remembrance Day. German Deutschegemeinschaft nations recognize Weltkriegtag. Both days commemorate the end of World War I and peace from war worldwide.
8 November - Chinese military forces target militant positions across the Burmese border in retaliation for accidental shelling the previous day.
12 October - CPT(ML) militants kill five policemen and two soldiers in southern Tibet near the Burmese border. This is the deadliest attack by communist militants in Tibet since 2018.
19 September - Armenian and Azeri forces clash along their border, killing a few on both sides. Regional and international observers call for de-escalation and dialogue.
6 September - Crimea holds parliamentary elections, with the Crimean National Party winning a clear majority of the vote and extending its tenure. Rüstem Ümerov is invited by Khan Şefik I to form a government.
8 August - Massive wildfires break out in Lahaina, Hawai'i, destroying most of the town and killing at least a hundred people. The Hawaiian government declares martial law on the island of Maui and asks for additional logistical aid and humanitarian supplies from the United States.
28 July - The initial round of the newest Baghdad talks, meant to resolve the disputed situation in Iraq, ends without resolution. Uday Hussein declares the talks as “useless” and threatens to withdraw from the peace process.
8 March - The Dalai Lama and the Regency Council of Mongolia announce that they have identified the 10th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu. The child, an American citizen by birth, is expected to take the throne as the Bogd Khan of Mongolia early next year. The 9th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu had previously died in 2012.
10 January - King Constantine II of Greece dies at the age of 82. His death prompts mourning by European royalty and the Greek public, who revered the King for leading and guiding Greece's return to democracy. His eldest son takes the throne as Alexander II.

2022

8 September - Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom dies at the age of 96. Her death prompts a massive outpouring of grief and support within the United Kingdom and the world. Her eldest son succeeds her as Charles III. Elizabeth II's funeral and Charles III's coronation are expected to be the largest gatherings of royalty since the death of German Emperor Wilhelm IV and coronation of Friedrich IV.
17 June - China launches its third, and first domestically produced supercarrier, aircraft carrier. Named the Taiwan, the launching places China as the third country in the world with an active supercarrier, behind the United States and Germany.
9 June - News reports suggest considerable disagreement and potential cancellation of base negotiations between Russia and Manchuria following the restructuring of the Russian State and the Russian invasion of Georgia. The Russian Port Arthur naval base in Dalian is the home port for the Russian Pacific Fleet. Manchurian Prime Minister King Pu-tsung denies the reports as false.
18 March - China announces the formation of the "East Asia and Pacific Cooperative Conference" (EAPCC), seen as an alternative to the Pacific Islands Forum of the United States and Australia and the Polynesian League of Germany. China, West Papua, Cambodia, Kanaky, and the Solomon Islands are listed as initial members, while news reports suggest that Manchuria, Uyghurstan, and Burma are considering membership.
9 March - In an unexpected result, the Democratic Party led by Kim Yo-jong wins the majority of seats in the National Assembly. Kim becomes the first woman and youngest person in Korean history to hold the position of Prime Minister. International observers suggest that the new administration will seek to build closer ties with China. Commentators speculate that the Democratic Party's victory may be in part to the center-left sweep of North Asia.
24 February - Russian President Vladimir Putin announces the beginning of a "Special Military Operation" in Georgia, citing alleged mistreatment of Georgia's Ossetian minority. The invasion is widely condemned by many nations around the world, including the United States and Germany.
14 January - The Hunga Tonga volcano erupts, sending a tsunami throughout the Pacific Ocean and devastating the nation of Tonga. Neighboring states such as Polynesia, New Zealand, and Australia begin to send aid.
13 January - Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom has been stripped of his military titles following allegations of sexual assault.
12 January - Elections take place in Tuva. In a surprise outcome, incumbent President Sergei Shogu is reelected to a second term while the opposition Tuvan People's Party wins a strong majority in the Great Khural. The victory by the People's Party completes the sweep of center-left parties across North Asia.

2021

20 September - German Jagdkommando special forces and Crimean military and police regulars assault suspected Islamic State apartments and buildings in pre-dawn raids across Crimea. Crimean officials report that three militants were killed, 11 injured, and 137 total arrested with no loss to state forces. It is suspected that with this strike, the entirety of Islamic State's Crimea Province has been destroyed as an operational entity. If true, Crimea Province would be the first of the organization's regional commands to be eliminated.
9 September - Manchuria holds parliamentary and local elections. The Social Democratic Party wins a majority of the Deliberative Council, taking control of the government from the Conservative Democratic Party.
30 August - Iran announces that it has taken possession of the IIS Nader Shah, Iran's newest aircraft carrier and flagship of the Imperial Iranian Navy, from the Blohm+Voss Shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. The IIS Nader Shah joins the IIS Reza Shah, a reconstructed German aircraft carrier, as the only two aircraft carriers possessed by a Middle Eastern nation. The announcement is criticized by neighboring countries and international observers, who worry about a new naval arms race spreading across Asia.
9 June - Mongolia holds parliamentary elections. The center-left Mongolian People's Party sweeps the Great Khural and the regency council invites Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh to form a government.
4 June - During the commemoration ceremony for the 80th anniversary of Kaiser Wilhelm II's death, Kaiser Friedrich IV gives a speech attempting to distance the imperial family from Wilhelm II's controversial statements and acerbic personality. The speech receives a mixed reception, with some saying that it does not go far enough while others suggest that attempting to adjust the legacy of Germany's wartime leader is disgraceful.
6 March - Pope Francis meets with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to advocate for peace negotiations in Iraq. It is the first meeting between the Pope of the Catholic Church and a Shia Ayatollah.

2020

10 December - The United States announces the Himalaya Accords. According to the agreement, India cedes control of Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh and Demchok district of Ladakh to Tibet while Tibet ends its claim to the rest of Arunachal Pradesh. In addition, Tibet ends its claim to the Doklam district of Bhutan and agrees to recognize the Western Outpost exclaves of Bhutan. Finally, Tibet begins formal relations with Bhutan and Sikkim. The Romney Administration heralds the agreement as a "new era of peace and prosperity in South Asia."
5 September - Greece and Turkey stage competing military naval exercises in the Mediterranean over their maritime disputes.
31 August - Tibetan and Indian troops engage in a tense standoff near the border of Tibet and India's Arunachal Pradesh. No one is injured but there are reports of military buildup.
25 August - The United Nations announces that Polio has been successfully eradicated from Africa.
10 August - In a surprise upset, Andrei Sannikov and the Belarusian People's Party led by are defeated at the polls by Tatsiana Karatkevich and the Belarusian Social Democratic Party. King Vladimir I congratulates the victor and invites her to form a government.
19 May - Afghanistan claims the Taliban were responsible for attacks on civilian targets over the last month. The Taliban deny the charges and accuse Islamic State of carrying out the attacks. The renewed conflict between Afghanistan and the Taliban threatens the Afghan peace process.
24 April - China announces that it will be establishing a naval and military base in West Papua.
21 April - After establishing a "security cordon" around rebel-held territory in southern Iraq, Iranian forces announce the conclusion of their operation and the Iranian government calls for dialogue. Iraq and Arabia reject Iranian calls for dialogue, declaring that any dialogue must begin with Iranian withdrawal from Iraq.
9 April - Hadhramaut and Yemen declare a ceasefire in their border conflict due to the growth of COVID-19 cases in their countries.
14 March - Following successful offensives in southern Iraq, Iranian forces cross the Iraqi border and establish forward operating bases near the frontline, effectively halting the Iraqi advance. Neighboring countries, especially Arabia, condemn Iran's move, saying it threatens the stability of the region and is a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.
13 March - In response to Russia's constitutional changes, Germany, Georgia, and Crimea announce the resumption of naval war games in the Black Sea. Russia condemns the move.
11 March - The COVID-19 disease, caused by the SARS-2 virus and originating in China, is declared a pandemic.
10 March - President Vladimir Putin announces constitutional reforms that would enable him to remain in office. He also announces a remodeling of the state to resemble a government more similar to China.
29 February - Chancellor Schwarzenegger announces that the German military mission in Kongo has reached its conclusion following peace talks between the government and rebel factions. All German forces will withdraw from the country within 12 months except for a small peacekeeping force of 2,000 soldiers.
24 February - Iraqi military forces launch offensives against rebel forces in the southern parts of the country with the ultimate goal of reclaiming Basra. Iran has warned Iraq that attacks against Shia Islamic forces will not be tolerated, while neighboring countries call for a ceasefire and management of refugees.
10 February - The Irish National Party wins the majority of seats in the Irish Dáil election, returning to government for the first time since 2015. They have published demands for a referendum on Irish independence, something the national Conservative government has opposed.
30 January - WHO officials declare the outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. At this date, over seven thousand people have been infected and hundreds have died. Many neighboring countries have closed borders with China and air travel to China has sharply dropped.
10 January - Qaboos bin Said al Said, the Sultan of Oman, passes away following complications from an illness. He is succeeded in his will by his cousin, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. Oman and Zanzibar, both ruled by the Said family, declare days of mourning.
8 January - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex declare that they are stepping back as major royals and will split their time between Canada and the United Kingdom.
1 January - In a statement put out by Tuileries Palace, King Jean IV of France bestows upon his heir, Prince Gaston, the titles of Prince Royal, the Dauphin of France, Duke of Orleans.

2019

22 October - Emperor Naruhito is officially coronated as the Emperor of Japan. He took the throne earlier on May 1.
14 October - After days of clashes between Ecuadorian authorities and protestors, President Lenin Moreno announces that he will restore fuel subsidies in an agreement with protestors.
11 October - The organization Reporters Without Borders wins the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
9 October - Chairman Joseph Kabila announces the beginning of a general offensive against all territories held by Islamic State's Central African Province. It is the largest military action in the country's civil conflict.
8 October - President Lenin Moreno's administration relocates to Guayaquil as government buildings in Quito are overrun by protestors.
4 October - President of Ecuador Lenin Moreno declares a state of emergency in the capital after protests and riots occur over the impending cancellation of fuel subsidies.
2 October - President of Peru Martin Vizcarra dissolves Congress, resulting in a constitutional crisis.
1 October - China celebrates its National Day while police begin using gunfire to suppress protest action in Hong Kong.
24 September - Protests in West Papua turn violent as they are put down by police. At least 40 people are killed.
18 September - Following the Abqaiq-Khurais attack, Arabian military forces launch a ground offensive in the northern parts of the country to clear out Islamic State militants. Arabian aircraft strike Islamic State camps within Iraq.
14 September - Two attacks on Arabian oil infrastructure occur in the cities of Abqaiq and Khurais. Islamic State claims responsibility.
1 September - Hadhramauti fighter jets strike targets inside Yemen. Yemen claims that the targets were villages and the strikes amount to a war crime. Hadhramaut denies the charges.
5 August - Hong Kong citizens stage a massive sit-in strike across the city. Over 200 flights are cancelled. The Chinese government condemns the strike.
1 August - Hadhramauti general Munir Al Yafi is killed by a Yemeni missile strike. He is the most senior officer to die in the conflict.
19 April - On Good Friday, Jean IV is officially coronated as the King of France at the Notre Dame cathedral. The coronation is the largest gathering of European political leaders and royalty since the coronation of Ludwig II of Germany.
24 March - Syrian forces capture the final city under Islamic State control, ending its territorial possessions in the northern Middle East.
1 February - Henry VII's funeral takes place and he is eulogized by his son Jean IV and Prime Minister Macron. Political leaders and representatives of royal families from across the world attend.
31 January - Abdullah of Pahang is elected the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya.
31 January - The European Parliament votes to recognize Juan Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela.
30 January - Canada announces that it will withdraw one-half of its embassy staff in Cuba following the fourteenth confirmed illness since 2017 of a Canadian diplomat in the country.
26 January - Kivu forces kill 36 members of the Islamic State Central African Province (ISCAP) in clashes near the northern border.
23 January - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó swears himself in as President of Venezuela, with de facto President Nicolas Maduro not recognizing this. Maduro declares that ties with the United States will be cut after the United States recognizes Guaidó as the legitimate president.
22 January - German and Congolese forces kill Ne Muanda Nsemi and 47 other members of the Bundu dia Kongo group after a siege of one of the group's compounds in southern Congo.
21 January - Henry VII of France dies at age 85, triggering national mourning. Many nations in Europe and abroad send their condolences. His eldest surviving son Jean informally becomes Jean IV.
21 January - A mutiny by members of the Venezuelan National Guard who oppose the government is quashed.
21 January - A Taliban attack on a National Directorate of Security compound kills 126 security personnel.
20 January - Israel and Chad reestablish diplomatic relations. Ties between the two countries have been severed since 1972.
17 January - A car bomb goes off in Bogota, Colombia. Police report at least eight people are dead.
13 January - The President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, is briefly detained in Caracas after saying he was prepared to assume the country's presidency.
10 January - Numerous South American and European nations withdraw recognition of Nicolas Maduro's administration following his inauguration and international condemnation of his electoral victory as "illegitimate".
10 January - Congo holds a general election. The Union for Democracy and Social Progress party wins a majority of seats in parliament and Félix Tshisekedi becomes Prime Minister. The victory of the left-leaning opposition is interpreted as a blow to German military efforts in Congo.
8 January - Yemeni forces seize the town of Marib, driving Hadhramauti forces from their farthest extent into Yemen.
7 January - The government of Gabon squashes a coup d'état instigated by some of its soldiers. While unsuccessful, the coup attempt further destabilizes the already unsteady German military mission in neighboring Congo.
4 January - The Lima Group announces that it will no longer recognize the government of Nicolas Maduro, starting January 10th.
3 January - The 116th United States Congress is sworn in at the Capitol. Democrat Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker of the House for the second time.
3 January - Chinese space probe Chang'e 4 successfully lands on the far side of the Moon.
1 January - The American space probe New Horizons makes a flyby of Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69.
1 January - Former governor of Sao Paulo Geraldo Alckmin is inaugurated as Prime Minister of Brazil.