Changes: Concert of Europe

Revision as of 19:17, 3 November 2017

Long ago, the weakened United States of America were destroyed after their defeat at the hands of those they attempted to subjugate, united under Tecumseh's Confederacy, and those who once subjugated them, the Kingdom of Great Britain. Now, more than a century later, as the world is recovering from another, far more devastating war, a new order has dawned over the world: as the British hegemony over the world fell together with their royal family, old and new empires struggle for dominance over the world, but as the scars of the war are still visibile, the great powers have begun to play a shadowy game of diplomacy, espionage and intrigue. The fate of the world hangs in the balance: will a new war reduce the Earth to ashes, or will the Concert manage to keep the peace?

The Concert of Europe

In the months immediately after the War, as the new maps were being drawn up, it became soon clear that no nation could hope, in the immediate future, to claim hegemony over the world. Power was spread more or less evenly among a few European powers: this situation led to rise of a colloquial expression which became common even in diplomatic speech, and even when other, non-European nations started to become prominent enough to claim the title of world powers, the name of Concert of Europe stuck. However, in this concert, each player tries to play his own tune...

The Confederacy

Seal of the Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America is the largest and most powerful nation which claims to be a successor of the old United States. Managing to secede from the failing Union in the troubled times after Tecumseh's War, the Confederacy has since modernized its economy and turned into an industrial powerhouse, the largest economy in North America and the only true world power hailing from that continent. During the War, as the European powers destroyed each other, the Confederacy sat at the edge of the conflict, making trade agreements with both sides and further extending its sphere of influence in the Americas: in the ashes of the War, the land of Dixie found its place as a world power, and is ready to defend that status at all costs.

France

Some would say that the Third French Empire was off to a bad start, as it was created when a coalition of right wing insurgents stormed Paris and overthrew the old republican government, just as the city started being shelled by the German cannons. The crony bureaucrats of the Republic threw the nation into an unwinnable war against half of Europe to obey orders from London, and now the new Empire was forced to solve this crisis by siding with its former enemies. In just a few decades, France rebuilt and solidified its status as one of the most powerful nations in the world, reforming its sprawling colonial possessions, now the largest in the world, into a centralized and mighty empire. The eagle of France is ready to soar in the skies once more, to retake its rightful place as the shining beacon of civilization in the world!

Germany

Wappen Deutsches Reich - Reichsadler 1889

One of the very few nations that could say to have won the War and be somewhat close to the truth, the German Empire is now arguably the most powerful nation in the world, playing a key role in the new world order estabilished in the post-war world. Boasting the most powerful industry and economy of Europe and with a slew of satellite states and smaller allies in Europe, Germany is however still surrounded by nations which view her as a threat at best, and as a heinous rival at worst: even the annexation of Austria, after the fall of the Hapsburg monarchy, only made things worse in this regard. However, unshakeable in their resolve, the German people care little about this: the Reich has finally taken its rightful place as the strong man in Europe, and anyone who dares challenge its position will meet the wrath of the Kaiserreich.

Great Britain

I vow to thee my country by tiltschmaster-d6sgwgx

Nothing lasts forever, and in these times, even things so old one takes them for granted may disappear in the space of a few days. After the nation's defeat in the World War, the oldest monarchy in Europe disappeared, but Great Britain did not. The prime minister of the country had barely finished signing the armistice with Germany when the British Union of Fascists, led by Oswald Mosley and with the support of many other right-wing groups, took London by storm and began laying the groundwork for the new Commonwealth. Against all odds, with skilful diplomacy and showing an incredible stiffness of the upper lip, the British people rebuilt their nations from the ashes, and even managed to hold on to much of their colonial empire. They may no longer be the undisputed masters of the world, but the Sun still never sets on the British Empire, and this old lion can still let its roar be heard all over the world...

Italy

Switching sides in the middle of a conflict may not be the most honorable move, but this was not the homeland of Machiavelli for nothing. The Kingdom of Italy went through a lot during the many years of the War, but nobody can deny that it came out stronger than before: from little more than a backwater of Europe to a world power, controlling a vast colonial empire and with several satellite states in the Mediterranean. The new Fascist government, led by Benito Mussolini, had a fundamental role in this process, and even after the leader's death, enthusiasm and support for the state are very high in Italy and its colonies: once forced to tread the dust, the Roman eagle once again spread its wings over Europe, and the true heirs of the ancient empire fear no competition from upstart barbarians.

Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun is the only east Asian nation which can truly claim to be a great power, and rightfully so. The Empire of Japan is the hegemonic power in the Pacific and in Eastern Asia, reuniting many nations of the region into the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere to ensure its economic and political dominance, and maintaining a massive, state-of-the-art navy to make sure nobody can threaten their dominance. Despite being forced to negotiate and compromise with the European powers during the War and the failed bid to acquire certain territories and other benefits they aspired for, the Japanese never liked taking "no" for an answer, especially from uneducated Western rudes. Japan believes that their project of reuniting all of East Asia under their wings is still incomplete, but only time will tell how the nation of the Samurai will pursue its goal...

The Netherlands

Some nations find the basis of their power in vast armies, powerful navies or a wealth of natural resources: the Dutch do not. They always maintained their status as a world power only thanks to their cunning, and the government of the Republic of the United Netherlands knows this perfectly well. Their colonial empire is one of the smallest of the European powers, yet among the most profitable, and their position as merchants of Europe makes wealth flow into the coffers of the state. Despite the fall of their monarchy in the chaos of the War, the newborn republican government managed to keep the nation afloat against all odds, and even expanding it at the expense of Belgium, finally regaining Flanders with the approval of the other powers of Europe. The Dutch lion may not be the biggest one, nor the one that roars the loudest, but one should not underestimate its claws and its teeth.

Persia

If one century ago someone told political scientists that the Imperial State of Persia would soon become a world power, he would have been laughed at. In part because of the weakening of the British and Russian empires and in part thanks to its vast reserves of oil, the Persian nation, led by the Pahlavi Dynasty, became the most powerful nation in the Middle East during the troubled times of the War, expanding in all directions and creating a series of satellite states surrounding it. After some animosity with the Arab Federation, which did not escalate into a full war only because of careful diplomatic maneuvering, the empire is now struggling to maintain its identity while integrating aspects of the Western civilization into its society: despite this, the lion of Iran fears no rivals.

Portugal

The Kingdom of Portugal has had the uncanny ability to prove wrong anybody who dismissed it as a minor power over the last several decades. Surviving as a relatively small nation on the losing side of the War was already an impressive feat, but even keeping its colonial empire intact while managing to strenghten its position on the world chessboard was almost a miracle for the Portuguese monarchy: and while even smaller than the Dutch one, this colonial empire is truly a powerful asset in the hands of the Iberian nation. The greatest Portuguese success was however the strenghtening of the ties with Brazil, which allowed the economies of both nations to prosper after the War: and this is only the beginning, for where other nations see an obstacle, Portugal sees an opportunity to grow richer and more powerful.

Russia

If the Russian Empire still exists, it's mostly because of what other nations feared would take its place if it had disappeared. In the chaos of the Russian Civil War, which immediately followed the nation's bitter defeat in the War, the Tsars kept their heads on their shoulders only thanks to foreign intervention and the valiant resistance of the White Armies against the Communist forces. Despite this, Russia is a tough beast to kill, and through energic reforms aimed at modernizing the state once and for all, the empire of the Tsars has turned into an industrial powerhouse despite losing a large slice of its territories to other nations: this, however, did little to hamper the largest country in the world, which is now once again rightfully in its place as one of the world powers. Just as it was about to die, the Russian bear returned stronger than ever, ready to punish those who had the arrogance to sell its skin while it was sleeping.

Scandinavia

The United Scandinavian Kingdoms are an experiment which most expected to fall apart within merely a few years after its inception. Yet, they still stand, and more powerful than ever, after playing a key role in the War: unexpectedly, the Scandinavian Navy triumphed over the British in many battles in the cold seas of the North. In the long run, the war was very beneficial to the still relatively young nation, helping to develop its industry and economy, despite not granting it many new territories: however, the Scandinavian industry still blossoms, and its military forces are among the best in all Europe. Perhaps, as it happened in the ancient past, the Northmen may terrorize Europe once again...

Spain

While not as powerful as it once was in the distant past, the Spanish Empire has taught anyone who believed it to be a relic of the past that they were wrong. Despite troubled by civil wars and periods of instability, Spain has managed to slowly modernize and turn into a powerful country, re-estabilishing good relationships with its former colonies and even managing to regain a few over the course of the decades: the British Empire is not the only one over which the Sun never sets. However, much still remains to be done if the Spanish kings wish to see their realm return to the size and prosperity of the past, and the recent years have demonstrated that the blood of the conquistadors still runs in the veins of the Spaniards.

Nations of the World

The asterisk indicates that a nation is not independent or fully independent, but exists as a protectorate or as a lesser partner in a union of countries.

Europe

Western Europe

Iberian Peninsula

British Isles

Central Europe

Northern Europe

Southern Europe

The Balkans

Eastern Europe

Russian Empire
Transcaucasia

The Americas

Greater Canada

Northern America

Central America

The Caribbean

South America

Empire of Brazil
Kingdom of La Plata
Republic of New Granada
Viceroyalty of Peru*

Asia

Middle East

Central Asia

Kingdom of Afghanistan
Imperial State of Persia
Federal Republic of Turkestan

Indian Subcontinent

Raj of British India*
Ceylon*
Dravidian State
Hindustani Federation
Sultanate of the Maldives*
Kingdom of Nepal

@@ Line 89: / Line 89: @@
 * [[Estonia (Concert of Europe)|Republic of Estonia]]
 * [[Finland (Concert of Europe)|Kingdom of Finland]]
-* [[Scandinavia (Concert of Europe)|United Scandinavian Kingdoms]]
+* [[Scandinavia (Concert of Europe)|United Scandinavian Kingdoms]] [[File:Flag of the Kalmar Union.svg|20px]]
 ==== Southern Europe ====