It's the year 1700, and the age of enlightenment is just beginning to dawn. All over Europe, free thinkers are beginning to question the supremacy of the old feudal aristocracy. The various old powers are firmly entrenched in their colonies, and now bicker and struggle for dominance in a brutal game.
But even the way of war is changing; No longer are vast armies of pike and musket trudging across the fields of Europe, ravaging the land as they smash against each other or wait in sieges. The flintlock is being widely embraced by armies everywhere, and there is a growing certainty among the generals of the day that battles are not won through large squares slugging it out, but instead by long, thin lines which can devastate the enemy with volleys of fire.
But there is no England, France, Austria, or Russia.
Oh, these nations are there, but they aren't what they were historically. You see, in this RP, we'll collaborate to build an alternate history. We'll each make a nation of our own, and then- sorry folks!- interact with each other to establish our own, internally consistent Europe.
Now, I should be clear on one point: This isn't fantasy, magic or otherwise. You're allowed to make your own country, but if you do, you'll need to establish just how it came to be. So no kingdom of Derpistan- the point is to make a version of the world which could have existed, if only. I'll be looking for a smaller group for this RP, since, given its world-building aspect, we'll need to be closely working together.
If you're still interested, here's how you can join. Go to this pad and write your entry there, following the given instructions. Don't post your country in this sheet just yet! Instead, keep working on it in the pad, fleshing out with other players your joint history. When you're finally content that everything about your nation is ready, you can post it in this OOC thread (Not the characters tab!). I'll look over it, and if I agree that you're ready, you can go ahead and post it in the characters tab. When enough people have reached this point, we'll be able to start the IC.
Repeating my claim on Poland and Hungary. Kind of a dualist kingdom ruled by the Báthory Dynasty. The change in the timeline would be that Stephen Báthory's health lasted longer, the Polish nobles were more cooperative and he managed to win kingship over Hungary, too. Oh, and he left behind successors.
The tentative name of the nation is Polish-Hungarian Commonwealth.
Official Name: United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland Unofficial Names: United Kingdoms, Báthory Monarchy, Hungary-Poland Government: Personal union between Hungary and Poland (and their members) Population: c. 14 million Agriculture: Very High Resources: High Economy: Meium-High Development: Low-High Military: High Navy: Medium Allies: Khazaria, Valois, Cromwell Britain Enemies: Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Russian Tribes
Personal union of the Kingdoms of Poland and Hungary ruled by the Báthory Dynasty. Their first king was Stephen Báthory I. whose deft use of politics made him vovoide of Transylvania, King of Poland and eventually also King of Hungary. His aim was to create a strong nation in Central Europe which is no longer prey to the great powers from neither the East or West. His vision was continued by his son Sigmund who took back Buda from the Ottomans and made several territorial gains in Hungary. In 1648 Hungary-Poland led the Holy League against the Turkish Menace. This coincided with the rebellion of the Janissaries thus rendering the Ottomans weak enough that the champaign concluded in major victory. The war abruptly ended when the Habsburg Monarchy went against the treaty and attacked Hungary before the Turkish forces could be truly expelled from Europe. Regardless, Sigmund achieved his main objective, reclaiming Hungary as a whole. Following this Poland-Hungary entered an era of consolidation and relative peace. The Pope urged the Báthory Dynasty to drive out the Turks but rivalry with the Habsburgs kept Hungary-Poland in check. The year is 1700 and the Kingdoms are ruled by their seventh shared king, Báthory Stephen II. The world is at change as Europe erupts in war and turmoil once again.
Official Name: United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland Unofficial Names: United Kingdoms, Báthory Monarchy, Hungary-Poland Government: Personal union between Hungary and Poland (and their members) Population: c. 14 million Agriculture: Very High Resources: High Economy: Meium-High Development: Low-High Military: High Navy: Medium Allies: Khazaria, Valois, Cromwell Britain Enemies: Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Russian Tribes
Personal union of the Kingdoms of Poland and Hungary ruled by the Báthory Dynasty. Their first king was Stephen Báthory I. whose deft use of politics made him vovoide of Transylvania, King of Poland and eventually also King of Hungary. His aim was to create a strong nation in Central Europe which is no longer prey to the great powers from neither the East or West. His vision was continued by his son Sigmund who took back Buda from the Ottomans and made several territorial gains in Hungary. In 1648 Hungary-Poland led the Holy League against the Turkish Menace. This coincided with the rebellion of the Janissaries thus rendering the Ottomans weak enough that the champaign concluded in major victory. The war abruptly ended when the Habsburg Monarchy went against the treaty and attacked Hungary before the Turkish forces could be truly expelled from Europe. Regardless, Sigmund achieved his main objective, reclaiming Hungary as a whole. Following this Poland-Hungary entered an era of consolidation and relative peace. The Pope urged the Báthory Dynasty to drive out the Turks but rivalry with the Habsburgs kept Hungary-Poland in check. The year is 1700 and the Kingdoms are ruled by their seventh shared king, Báthory Stephen II. The world is at change as Europe erupts in war and turmoil once again.
Well, for future reference, you COULD have been the Byzantines. On the piratepad, there's a list of NPC nations, among which the Ottomans, that only exist as long as a player doesn't claim that land. Shame to see you go.
Alright, posting my more complete NS. The Military part is very much WIP for now but otherwise I'm ready:
United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland
Nation Summary
Official Name: United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland Unofficial Names: Báthory Monarchy, Hungary-Poland, The Dragon's Land Government: Personal union between Hungary and Poland (and their members) Population: c. 20 million Standing Army: 60,000 Primary Industries: Agriculture, Mining, (Smithy and Clothmaking as emerging big industries) Trade Goods: Salt, iron, coal, precious metals, grain, livestock, exotic goods from Asia Friends: Khazaria, Valois France-Spain, Sweden, Italy, Finland Enemies: Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Novgorod Tribe
History/General Overview
Personal union of the Kingdoms of Poland and Hungary ruled by the Báthory Dynasty. Their first king was Stephen Báthory I. whose deft use of politics made him voivode of Transylvania, King of Poland and eventually also King of Hungary. His aim was to create a strong nation in Central Europe which is no longer prey to the great powers from neither the East or West. His vision was continued by his son Sigismund who took back Buda from the Ottomans and made several territorial gains in Hungary. In 1648 Hungary-Poland led the Holy League against the Turkish Menace. This coincided with the rebellion of the Janissaries thus rendering the Ottomans weak enough that the champaign concluded in major victory. The war abruptly ended when the Habsburg Monarchy went against the treaty and attacked Hungary before the Turkish forces could be truly expelled from Europe. Regardless, Sigmund achieved his main objective, reclaiming Hungary as a whole. Following this Poland-Hungary entered an era of consolidation and relative peace. The Pope urged the Báthory Dynasty to drive out the Turks but rivalry with the Habsburgs kept Hungary-Poland in check. The year is 1700 and the Kingdoms are ruled by their seventh shared king, Francis Báthory II. The world is at change as Europe erupts in war and turmoil once again.
Government Overview
Hungary-Poland is a personal union ruled by a shared king from the Báthory Dynasty. Both Hungary and Poland are technically elective monarchies but effectively the nation was reigned by the descendants of Stephen Báthory the Great ever since its conception. Over the century the Báthory Dynasty made many reforms and modernized the old feudal system with the ideas of Enlightenment. Regardless, the high nobility held great power in both countries and even during Sigismund's legendary reign the king required support from the estates of the realm to effectively rule the nation. Fortunately, tensions between the nobility and the Báthory Dynasty are relatively low which aided the nation's development considerably.
Francis Báthory II. (II. Báthory Ferenc) is the 7th king of the United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland. His father Francis Báthory I. died only a few months after his son's birth in 1676, leaving only his mother Jelena Zrinska. He learned to ride on horseback by the age of 3 and he was taught by the best tutors in both the courts of Hungary and Poland. Following that he studied in Italy and later France. He was royalty but Francis didn't allow that to get into his head. The boy was described as spirited, friendly and humble. In spite of that Francis didn't forget his heritage and conducted himself the way which was befitting his birth. Descended from the branch of the Báthory dynasty, Francis was an unlikely candidate for the throne. Yet with the sudden death of Stephen Báthory II. without a male heir, he was the most logical choice. He was recalled from France and in the winter of 1698 Francis Báthory II. was crowned king as I. Ferenc (Hungarian) and Franciszek I. (Polish). He's an enlightened and studious ruler, fluent in several languages. He's also a brave man who had already proved his worth in battle. His honorable reputation was partially the reason for Francis' quick election.
Side Note: He's the alternate history version of Francis Rákóczi II. His grandmother was actually Zsofia Báthory so as an amusing twist of history he'd be likely the king of Hungary-Poland here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_II_R%C3%A1k%C3%B3czi
Economy/Industry Overview
Hungary-Poland is gifted with plentiful arable lands and rich mountains. As such traditionally agriculture and mining are their two most important industries. As of the late 17th century Hungary-Poland became an important trade hub between the east and west, with a land route leading from Khazaria to Hungary and then to either North or Southern Italy which distributed the goods through Europe. Aside from exotic goods this also reinforced Poland-Hungary's status as the primary source of gold and silver, thus their trade could directly influence the economy of other nations. There exists an alternative route from the Ottoman Empire to Germany but because it's a sea route through Hungary-Poland's territorial waters they need to pay heavy tariffs.
This influx of money aided the modernization of Hungary-Poland massively, allowing them to invite foreign experts from all over Europe. From 1652 onwards clockmakers from England, France and even Germany traveled to Hungary-Poland and were employed by the royal court as well as the high nobles. This eventually lead to the foundation of the Royal Clockmaker Guild (Királyi Órakészítű Céh / Królewski Zegarmistrz Gildii) and several other derivatives. Other crafts and industries were on the rise as well. Number of mining towns collected extensive number of blacksmiths. Selmecbánya stands out the most as the location for the first ever mining academy in history, as well as Hungary's hub for firearm production. Speaking of universities, the Báthory Dynasty supported the creation of no less than 5 universities. While their fame didn't even approach Italy's the foundation of these were an important step towards the modernization of both countries. Overall, Hungary-Poland still needs to catch up to the more advanced nations in the West but they are close to approaching them.
Hungary-Poland has 3 shores to three different seas: Baltic Sea, Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Seafaring is popular and common for trade. Although compared to the Western nations Hungary-Poland is too busy with their enemies to join in the colonization attempts.
(Also known as the Valois Dominions) Montjoie Saint Denis!
Component Territories
Francis III is the current leader of the House de Valois, the King of Aragon and France, the Overlord of Britanny, the Most Catholic King. Born in the year 1648, and having ruled since 1681, Francis III is an experienced ans savvy ruler, known for his pragmatism and flexibility. His reign has been a troubled one, marked by two diametric shifts of power: The rise of the crown of France, and the decline of that of Spain. Looking at the record of his rule, one can clearly see these movements; the Spanish failure to bring back the wayward colony of Peru into the fold, and the french success in the Savoyard War, which resulted in Imperial recognition of the annexation of Nice.
Now aged 52 and sickly, his thoughts have begun to turn towards his own succession. Though he had two sons, one died of sickness, the other in battle, with neither leaving heirs of their own. Thus, his only remaining child is his daughter, Isabelle de Valois. Despite salic law prohibiting female inheritance, Francis has been working tirelessly to ensure that she will succeed him upon his death, forcing the nobles of the kingdoms to swear loyalty to her, and issuing the Edict of Clarification, legalizing the transfer of all Valois domains to Isabelle upon his death.
Nevertheless, he is intelligent enough to know that the french and Aragonese nobility only promised their support under duress, and has thus begun reaching out to other European kings, seeking assurance of their support when the looming crisis hits. His main worry is the Habsburg Emperors, who never abandoned their claim to his thrones.
Though both France and Iberia have had long-lasting relations with one another, stretching back to the days of the Celts, it was only in 1496 that the two powers were formally united, when Joanna of Castile wedded Charles XIII, King of France. The union of the two crowns did not go unnoticed by the other European powers, however, and it was one of the key issues in the Italian Wars. During these conflicts, the Valois were forced to cede Galicia to Portugal to end the latter's involvement in the conflict, beginning a long rivalry between the two powers which continues to this day.
The European status quo was shattered by the bloody Five Year's War (1606-1611), fought over succession to the crowns of Franco-Iberia between Valois and Habsburg claimants. The Habsburgs, newly converted to protestantism, and having united the Germanies beneath the Imperial banner, defeated french army after french army, while the Castilians revolted in support of the Habsburgs. After the french victory at the Battle of Rheims, however, the war ground to a stalemate. The Treaty of Amiens (1611) was then signed, restoring the status quo ante bellum between the two powers.
While most of the castilian colonies in the new world were retaken without too much effort, the Peruvians proved resistant, and continued to wage their own low-intensity war for half a century. Though the Treaty of Toledo (1649) finally ended the grueling colonial war, ending the hostilities between the supporters of the Valois and Habsburg pretenders, the Peruvians continued to maintain that the king of the Valois domains was a usurper, and that the only true King was the descendent of the Habsburg claimant of old.
The Valois came into conflict with the Habsburgs once again after the french annexation of Nice and Savoy. Deemed an unacceptable breach of the balance of powers, the Valois fought a coalition of Habsburgs, Italians, and others in the Savoyard War (1686-1689). Though French armies performed well, the death of the last male Valois heir to the throne brought Francis III to the peace table, desiring to end the war quickly so as to build support for the succession of his daughter, Isabelle de Valois. The war ended with both sides claiming a victory; the Emperor acknowledged the annexations of Nice and Savoy, while the French ceased their expansion into Italy.
Portugal: The Portuguese have been a constant enemy to the Valois ever since the union of 1496. Surprisingly adept at warfare, they have acquitted themselves well in nearly every war against the Valois, particularly at sea. Their colonial empire, which sprawls across the world, has been the main source of conflict between the two, particularly the expansion of Brazil.
Holy Roman Empire: The Habsburgs have, in the last century, emerged as the arch-rival of the Valois. Not only do they claim the French and Aragonese thrones, but the two are also divided by religion, the former being protestants, and the later devout Catholics. It is especially the French who are at odds with the Empire: in any european war, one can expect to find the Emperor on one side, and the Valois king on the other.
Poland-Hungary: The kings of Poland-Hungary and France-Aragon have had a traditional alliance stretching back a hundred years, mainly united by their common foe in the newly unified Holy Roman Empire, as well as the Turks, and the Italians.
There is no unified Valois army. Instead, each crown has its own force which acts independently of the others. Each army has its own organization, and quality.
The Aragonese army is reputed to be unreliable, with corruption among the officers being rampant, and moral among the poorly-paid foot soldiers at a low. Meanwhile, the French army is famous for its quality, its talented generals leading well trained and well equipped hosts. The colonial and axillary forces are generally considered to be unfit for battle, and are kept for garrison duty.
The Marshall General of France, responsible for overseeing the defense of the realm, is the Duke of Angers, a visionary known for his enthusiastic adoption of emerging technologies. His Aragonese counterpart, the Duke of Berga, is in many ways his opposite as well. The Duke of Berga is a deeply conservative man, convinced of the supremacy of logistics and siege craft, and the old way of war.
In peacetime, the kingdoms have armies that are quite small; 50 thousand in the Spanish army, 80 thousand in the French, and around 30 thousand in the axillary forces. In war-time, these numbers can increase tenfold, though in practice the cost of feeding, training, and equipping an army of that size would cripple the state.
Government: France is ruled by His Grace Francis III, in personal union with the kingdom of Aragon and all subordinate crowns thereof. Unlike the other Valois dominions, the authority of the king of France is not absolute- though he rules the nation by himself, he relies on a parliament of nobles to collect taxes, the High Estate. Though these landed nobles are generally supportive of the King's policies, they occasionally cause trouble by refusing to approve taxes or otherwise impeding the crown's objectives.
Colonies: Though France has some colonies elsewhere, notably the Antilles and Louisiana, their main colony is New France, the vast expanse stretching from Labrador to the Great Lakes. From here, France has a virtual monopoly on the trade of furs from the New World, though increasingly the English dispute that claim.
Government: In Aragon, the King rules absolute. There are no checks on his power, allowing him to use this realm as a base for power when the French nobility prove difficult. When the Crown of Castile was liquidated in 1612, its lands were added to Aragon divided into provinces. Keeping these territories obedient is a major goal of the Aragonese government.
Colonies: Though Aragon did not itself found any colonies in the new world, it inherited all of Castile's possessions, notably the Carribean, and the viceroyaltys of New Spain and Columbia. Its domination over the Gulf of Mexico is absolute, and it has perhaps the greatest concentrated territory in the new world.
On the Crown of Castille: The Castilian kingdom was liquidated in 1612, when it was annexed into the Crown of Aragon. This measure followed the bloody Five Year's War (1606-1611), fought over succession to the crowns of Franco-Iberia between Valois and Habsburg claimants, in which the Castilians supported the Habsburg pretender. During the war, the Castilian colonies in the new world followed the rebellious lead of their homeland.
Though the Treaty of Amiens (1611) stipulated the return of all Valois colonies in the New World, and most were indeed retaken without incident, the Peruvians refused to recognize the treaty, and continued to fight in a nearly unbroken war for half a century.
Though the Treaty of Toledo (1649) finally ended the grueling colonial war, ending the hostilities between the supporters of the Valois and Habsburg pretenders, the Peruvians continued to maintain that the king of the Valois domains was a usurper, and that the only true King was the descendent of the Habsburg claimant of old.
Government: Britanny is of course ruled by the Grand Duke, who rules his territory directly, managing its cities through governors. Though the Bretons in theory are vassals to the french crown, in practice they pursue their own foreign policy, allying with enemies of the Valois in constant efforts to gain greater autonomy and perhaps even independence.
Well, for future reference, you COULD have been the Byzantines. On the piratepad, there's a list of NPC nations, among which the Ottomans, that only exist as long as a player doesn't claim that land. Shame to see you go.
Ah, didn't know the Ottomans were NPC, but, still, I'm only a Casual player on this site.
BTW, since warfare is going to be a thing and I doubt every layman is knowledgeable about this thing, here's a brief summary on weapons, units and a bit of on the tactics used during this period.
First off, the musket. The dominating weapon during this era which will only rise in importance as time marches on. The most popular firing mechanism is the flintlock which actually has several variants but it generally doesn't matter. What you'd rather wish to know is that how effective are these in combat, right? Well, it fires a ball about 10 times heavier than an assault rifle bullet. These things are nasty and one hit anywhere is guaranteed to incapacitate the enemy (even if they don't die). Are they inaccurate as the myth says? Depends. Volley fires were tended to be at 30-50m in order to maximize their power but otherwise muskets can semi-accurately shoot for 160 meters and the musket ball can kill from even 300 meters away. It's possible to reach better accuracy with a tight-fitting ball but snug projectiles made the barrels foul with unburnt powder much faster so it was useless for massed armies. As for rate of fire, it depends on training and a tiny bit on the quality of equipment. The speed of volleys depended on the slowest reloading soldier in your fire team. So worst case was one per minute while the best shooters can perform 4 shots under the same time. Some Napoleonic sources state 6 but that was a century later and only expected during training. Muskets vs armor? Muskets didn't actually made armor obsolete, just less convenient. The so-called "musket-proof" armors were thick (5-8mm) and contained 2-3 different layers pressed together. These were heavy so they only protected the vitals and in case of riders the horse was pretty much exposed. As such armor will steadily go out of fashion as we progress in the 18th century here. Armor can save your life but not with complete certainty. Still, it does give a considerable headache for gunmen trying to shoot you down. Lastly, with the invention of gun bayonets your musketeers are effectively also pikemen and if the situation calls for it you can use them as such. Though the tendency of thinner formations did reduce their effectiveness in this role. Yet as time goes on the gunmen will rel more and more on their firearms instead of anything else and the tactic of a well-timed volley can stop many kinds of threats.
Second, the cannons. While nowhere as good as their modern or WW2 counterparts, artillery was a valuable asset not only during sieges but also within the battlefield. The classic cannons you see in various media are pretty much these. They are big metal tubes usually firing solid iron balls. They could be devastating on hit and with a bit of luck (and misfortune to the enemy) they bounced, increasing their path of lethality further. Basically think of Bowling but made sickeningly brutal, that's the contemporary cannonball in action. The range of these cannons were around 600-700 meters but certain unique pieces could fire for twice as far. Worths noting though that many armies preferred to shoot from 200-250 meters as this improved the cannons' lethality to a considerable degree. Aside from solid balls the cannon could fire multitude of creatively designed projectiles, you can look them up here. Firing with cannons was no easy thing, though. It required lot of technical skill, finely refined gunpowder and a list of other things. In a way you can measure a nation's wealth and technical development by the number and quality of their cannons. Cannons were shot by two means, linstock and gunlocks. Linstock is using a long slowmatch rod to directly ignite the primer, the matchlock of cannons. Fittingly with this theme the gunlocks use a flintlock mechanism. Technically the gunlocks were only really introduced in 1745 but in effect they aren't much different from flintlock so you may get them earlier.
Third, units. Just because your army uses guns it doesn't mean everybody has the same role. the overwhelming bulk of your infantry will be made of the line soldiers, that is the guys who stand in line tightly packed lines and fire. Next important element are the skirmishers. Skirmisher can be both a general term for harassers or mean a specific role. Skirmishers move ahead of the main army. They have lighter equipment for this reason and move in loose formation. They try to break the enemy's lines by attacking from the flank and even often use cover for safety. Skirmishers are rather exposed to cavalry attacks. Around this time nations also began using sharpshooters, skilled soldiers who may use better guns (early rifles, airguns, etc) with better fitting loads to shoot from further away. Sharpshooters/marksmen were rare for obvious reasons. Lastly, there are the grenadiers. During mid 17th century many nations tried using thrown bombs and for this role they recruited the most physically fit soldiers. Early grenades were a failure but the grenadier role stayed as elite assault units. Cavalry had many variations, too. Guns made firing lines dominate the battlefields yet the speed and power of cavalry charges was valuable if timed right. They also used guns (generally pistols and shortened muskets) but they were less accurate and generally it only softened up the target for a cavalry charge. Heavy cavalry still existed but the changes would trend to lighter units in the future. Aside from firing on horseback there's also the dragoons who use horses but dismount prior to combat and fight on foot.
So yeah, on paper a 17th century battle ma look simple. In effect the tactics were about mind games. I hope my long text above was helpful.
Official Name: Kingdom of Khazaria Unofficial Names: Khazaria, Khazar Khanate, Jewish Turkistan Capital: Sarkel Government: Parliamentary Monarchy Population: c. 5 Million Standing Army: 60,000 Primary Industries: Agriculture, Mining, Textiles Trade Goods: Stone, Furs, Precious Metals, Asian Goods Friends: Poland-Hungary, Cromwell Britain, Grand Duchy of Moskva Enemies: Holy Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Republic of Novgorod
History:
The Khazars are first mentioned in European Sources around the year 630 AD. They are a turkic people who broke from the Gokturk Kaganate and dominated the region of the North Caucasus and the Pontic Steppe.
The Khazars had long been little more than a buffer state for the Byzantine Empire, but after a series of vicious wars with the Eastern Slavs, the Khazars felt that they no longer wished to act as a Roman Proxy in eastern wars. The Khazars threw off their alliance with Byzamtium. To show they were subject to neither the the Christian world, nor to their enemies in the southeast. The Khazars chose to convert to Judaism, and with vigor and stern laws following, the Khazar commoners found themselves with no choice than to follow the king's new found faith. Judaism was seen as odd at first, and many resented it, but soon it would creep into all aspects of their lives, with the very essence of being a Khazar tied to Judaism. The religion gave them a sense of unity.
With that, it came time when the Khazars took note of Byzantium's favoring of the Rus people. Seeing a threat to their nation, Khazaria attacked the Rus and burned Kiev to the ground, exiling the Kievan Rus to the far north. Byzantium was furious at their former ally, and began a series of attacks on Ukraine and the Caucasus. Khazaria got lucky, however, because during their long and bloody war with Byzantium, and unforseen enemy attacked Byzantium, the Seljuks. With Byzantium focused on the Seljuk threat, Khazaria managed to wrestle back control of Ukraine, but forever lost their hold on most of the southern caucasus. With Byzantium out of the way, the Khazars could rest and recover from their wounds while the enemy was torn to pieces. For so long their only enemy had been the Russian Principalities, and they assumed no threat would rise up in the Middle East for a long time.
Instead it came from the East. In 1250, Vast armies of Horse archers and nomads, the Golden Horde. The war with them was by far the worst the Khazars had ever fought, the Mongols pushing them west, and consuming Khazaria’s eastern lands with vigor. The war began to slow eventually, with the Khazars pushing back against the Horde, enlisting the aid of their former nemesis, the Russians. The Shield of Khazaria and Russia managed to fend off the Mongols in the Battle of Kazan (1268), who turned their sights south to Persia instead. The War was won, but not without huge costs. The East was devastated, Khazaria was exhausted and the Russians saw it as a chance to once again attack. Eventually the dust had settled, and Khazaria was stable again. But one more threat would test the survival of Khazaria. From the South came the Ottomans, using Byzantium's old route of Ukraine. Crimea was the first to fall to a naval attack, with the Ottomans moving up from the Crimean Bosphorous while the more poured in from the Balkans. It seemed this would be end of Khazaria, if not for a mutual enemy of the Ottomans. With the help of an alliance with Hungary-Poland, Khazaria managed to expel the Ottomans from Western Ukraine while Khazaria kept them out of Crimea. The two continued a two prong attack into the Balkans to make progression more difficult for the Turkish forces, eventually wearing them down into a peace agreement; however when the Habsburgs betrayed Hungary, Khazaria found itself too weak to drive out the Ottomans alone, choosing simply to keep them at bay out of Ukraine.
Finally, Khazaria had a lasting peace. The nation resumed their status quo. Then came the Kara-Khazar Revolt (1632), where the Kara-Khazarlar, the Commoner Class, demanded that the Royals cease their mistreatment of the laborers and artisans. With the end of the revolt came a precedent of what would become the Humanistic Movement in Khazaria. The ideals of the Kara-Khazar Revolt would lead growing liberal and progressive movements all throughout the nation. In 1700, Khazaria finds itself as a powerful nation under the leadership of Khan Zachariah III with a population seeking a change in social policy and the hierarchy of power.
Khazaria maintains a very Friendly Relationship with the United Kingdoms of Hungary-Poland, their alliance intact since the days of the Ottoman Wars. Khazaria sees the many Russian and Turkic states it neighbors as gnats that should be used however the King sees fit.
Khazaria has a population of about 4,500,00 people. Spread out across the vast lands. Most of these people are still pastoral nomads or farmers, with a large population city dwellers. Most of the population are of the Turkic Khazar ethnic group
Khazars bear a great resemblance to other people from Asia, but are notable for their white skinned complexion, and hair colors ranging from Blonde, Brown and Red. The Khazars are almost entirely Jewish, save for a very small Tengriist minority. The Second most prominent ethnic group in Khazaria are Russians, Russians are primarily Christian, with a significant Pagan minority in the East. Cities with major Russian populations include Kiev. The Khazars are undergoing an effort to Judaize the Russians. Bulgars are the third major minority in Khazaria, primarily settled around the Volga to Crimea region, with the cities of Kazan, Bulgar and Bağçasaray. Bulgars are a Muslim ethnic group, and speak a Turkic language akin to Khazar.
Government Overview
Following the populist uprising of the Karakhazar Revolt, the King has been forced to make concessions for his people. Most notably is the implementation of the Black Charter (Hebrew: אמנה שחורה; Russian:черный чартер; Khazar: siyah tüzük) which created the People’s House, a senatorial house originally comprised of the Russian and Kazar nobles with support of the Jewish Clergy, who felt that the Khan had too much unchecked power. The Khazarian government is comprised of 3 houses
Beit ha-Malek The Royalty, comprised of the Khan and his close family. the Beit ha-Malek creates all laws and makes all revisions to the existing decrees, but these decisions are under the scrutiny of the People’s House, and the House of the Law, who may choose to nullify a decree that they find detrimental to the well being of the people or against the law. The King may also choose to approve or nullify a law that the house of people proposes.
Beit ha-Goy The Senate, comprised of land owning nobles across the country. The house is separated into the Higher House, comprised of the Ak-Khazar, nobles of pure Khazar ancestry, and the Kara-Khazar, lesser nobility and common people comprised of those of Mixed or Russian descent, often elected. Most law is proposed by them, and either approved or denied by the king. The also may choose to deny a decree of the king, with the support of the Beit ha-Torah. Only the Beit ha-Goy may propose a war decree, which must be approved by both the Beit ha-Torah and the Khan.
Beit ha-Torah The Clergy, who assure that the decisions of the king and nobility adhere to both civil and religious law. All members of this house are educated religious officials, almost entirely comprised of Rabbi or Levites. This house also acts as a high court, judging the most serious matters.
King Zachariah ben Samuel III Qadim, the 3rd king to ascend to the throne since the Karakhazar Revolt. His Dynasty, the House of Qadim, rose in the aftermath of the revolt, when the nobility had King David VIII executed. With the support of the clerics, and the appeal of being a mixed Khazar-Bulgar family to the Kara-khazars, yet still purely turkic to keep the Ak-Khazars happy. It was this Zachariah who negotiated the alliance with the Grand Duchy of Moskva, supporting their conflict with the Republic of Novgorod, and opening trade to them.
Foreign Relations
Poland-Hungary: Khazaria and Poland-Hungary have amiable relations since their days of alliance against the The Ottoman Empire. Poland-Hungary is Khazaria's primary European trade partner, regulating their stream of Asian goods.
Valois Union: Khazaria is friendly to the Valois, primarily due to their support of Poland-Hungary and hatred of the Holy Roman Empire and Portugal.
Novgorod: Novgorod is Khazaria's sworn enemy, an affront to all they stand for, in a brutal rivalry dating back to the conquest of the Rus.
Moskva: Moskva is Khazaria's agent among the Russians, serving their interests and acting as a proxy for their wars with the Russian states.
Portugal: Khazaria dislikes Portugal, seeing them as a threat to trade.
Economy
Khazaria is blessed with fertile plains and many natural deposits of minerals and precious metals. While these alone are enough to support the nation, they are also blessed by Location, being right at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As such, Khazaria acts as a central hub for trade between continents, which it passes on to Poland-Hungary. The Valuable trade goods aid them very much, which leads to Khazaria's dislike of colonies like Portugal's. The Khazars seek new horizons in trade, pushing them further east, back towards their ancestral homelands in search of goods.
