Hello, and welcome to Napoleon’s Legacy, a nation game and roleplaying game, all taking place in an alternate history steampunk Europe, 1880. The premise is based around Napoleon’s victory in the Napoleonic wars, followed by his near immediate death, causing the new French Empire to nearly collapse, losing many of its client states in the process. The goal of this game is to take control of one of the available nations and do your best to develop your country, win wars, and/or conduct diplomacy. To do this, you will create a character, based on your chosen nation’s history. My hope is that this game will be primarily driven by character roleplay rather than just a nation game, much like Blackbishop’s Agorath, whether you write about your character’s struggles to influence parliament, trying to get reelected, or just cruising around Europe in their personal airship. Fair warning, this is my first attempt at GMing, so who know how it will go
.Rules
The rules for this game are fairly simple. Every turn, which will take place over a six month period, you can send in two orders that affect your nation, either attempting to increase income, building more industry, expanding your army, whatever. In addition, if your nation is at war you will get two war orders to allow you to outline your strategy for the war and deploy and use your military. Any treaties that will affect stats will use an order, and should be clearly indicated when you send your orders in.
Sign Up
When signing up, simply give the following information. Your character can be anyone in the nation, from King to hobo. This will not affect your ability to give orders, but is simply open to allow you to roleplay as you see fit.
Nation Stats
Your stats are fairly simple, outlining the state of your nation. These are the things that you’ll look to improve with your orders, and you may choose to reference for any in character writing that you do. As an example, we’ll look at Great Britain.
Nation Histories
The Empire of France
France has long been a great power in Europe, with its power climaxing during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. During that time France’s influence could be felt from Cairo to St. Petersburg as Emperor Napoleon won a string of victories over allied forces, culminating in the capitulation of Russia in 1813 and the collapse of the coalition. Shortly after, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was killed in Spain while doing battle with Marshal Lannes and the British were subsequently pushed from the peninsula, leading to an embarrassing white peace and, for all intents and purposes, Napoleonic dominance of all of mainland Europe.
What should have been the start of a new French golden age was marred by the sudden death of Napoleon and the succession of his four year old son. This lead to a paralyzing political scene as different factions vied for power, all hoping to influence the most powerful nation in Europe. Some took it as an opportunity to try to return to a republic, while others sought to restore the bourbon monarchy. Within ten years most of Napoleon’s work was undone with Joseph ousted from the Spanish throne, Louis focusing on meeting the desires of the Dutch people rather than France, and a resurgence of former coalition states at the expense of his client states.
France did have some success though in the years leading up to 1880, especially with the annexation of Algeria in 1842 and their brief war with the Ottoman Empire that gave rise to an independent Greek state in 1856.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
While some had predicted a defeat of Napoleon during the wars of the coalition and the possibility of British hegemony in Europe to follow, the UK’s fate was much different. After the submission of their allies in Europe and the fall of British forces in Portugal and Spain, the United Kingdom signed a bitter peace with France, putting an end to the Napoleonic Wars.
Angered by the sacrifices made during the war only to suffer defeat many citizens took to the streets of London, before being bloodily suppressed. Rather than involve themselves in Europe’s affairs a second time after the death of Napoleon and risk upsetting the populace even more the United Kingdom focused on internal development and expansion in India. As a result the British stood at the forefront of the industrial revolution, developing several new technologies including the airship and the first automaton.
Now, more technologically and economically developed than ever, many British politicians are talking of involving themselves in the affairs of Europe once again.
The Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland was originally formed by Napoleon and headed by his brother Louis Bonaparte. Despite considerations of annexing the kingdom outright when Louis began putting the Dutch people ahead of him, Napoleon, having largely secured Europe, allowed his brother to remain in control.
Napoleon’s death can easily be said to have been the last time the Kingdom of Holland was viewed as France’s client state. With the freedom provided by France’s regency the Kingdom of Holland began operating more and more independently, restarting trade with the United Kingdom, expanding its influence in Asia, and going to war with the Ottomans and Barbary States over piracy. It was this intervention by the Kingdom of Holland that led to the creation of the Kingdom of Tripoli completely independent of the Ottomans.
The Kingdom of Holland has both a powerful economy and well trained military for a state of its size.
The Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was left in tatters by the time Napoleon died but quickly recovered following his death, expanding to its current position as the sole North German state by 1838 with the defeat of the politically isolated Confederation of the Rhine. With the collapse of the confederation and the large amount of German nationalism Prussia was able to bring the few remaining independent North German states into the Kingdom with promises of certain rights. In 1852, seeing a chance to strike against the rival power of Russia and create a buffer, they joined Sweden in its war to liberate the Baltics
In the years leading up to 1880 the Kingdom of Prussia’s industrial capacity expanded rapidly, nearly equaling that of the United Kingdom. While Prussia’s military has remained large its conservative nature and lack of any recent wars has kept it from incorporating some of the newer technologies such as airships.
The Empire of Russia
It is probably fair to say that Russia has fared more poorly than any other great power in Europe since the Napoleonic wars. Not only did they face the embarrassment of the destruction of the army at Borodino and the occupation of Moscow by Napoleon, they were also forced to release the Grand Duchy of Finland as a fully independent buffer state headed by Constantine I following threats from Charles XIII, king of Sweden and Norway, who sought to exploit their weakness.
In 1852, after a disastrous attempt to reconquer the Duchy of Warsaw only a year before, several nationalist rebellions wracked the Baltic region in response to harsh taxation, conscription, and a desire for liberty. These rebellions were quickly supported by the Kingdoms of Sweden and Prussia, and after a string of quick victories over the exhausted and demoralized Russian armies the Baltic Union was granted independence.
Russia’s one success was in the Balkans when it went to war with the Ottoman Empire in 1864 in order to expand its influence in the region, leading to independence of Romania and Serbia.
Realizing that Russia was in serious danger of losing relevance in Europe many have begun suggesting further investment in industry and the creation of a more professional army.
The Kingdom of Sweden
The Kingdom of Sweden, seemed to have been in a difficult position while Napoleon won his wars in Europe. They had only recently lost Finland to Russia and Gustav IV Adolf was dethroned. This proved a reversal of their fortunes however, as the crowning of Charles XIV and the subsequent Union of Sweden and Norway allowed them to place pressure on Russia following their fall to Napoleon that saw the release of Finland as an independent state, albeit with a brother of the tsar as its leader.
After that, Sweden, with its well educated population and variety of natural resources, took to industry, developing their economy significantly. This allowed them, with access to greater wealth, to exert more influence in the affairs of Europe, culminating in the creation of the Baltic Union following a war with Russia. Prince August of Sweden was placed as head of the new nation to serve as leader of the client state.
Sweden’s army is smaller than many in Europe but highly disciplined and technologically advanced, and their economy is steadily growing.
The Kingdom of Spain
The Kingdom of Spain was put under the rule of Joseph Bonaparte, but his rule was always a tenuous one. Almost immediately after Napoleon’s death and the withdrawal of French armies to maintain peace in France, civil war erupted to return Ferdinand VII to the throne. In 1816, with restorationist forces close to taking Madrid, Joseph fled the country for France to live in his nephew’s court while Ferdinand VII was crowned as king.
Almost immediately he removed the liberal constitution of 1812 and returned to an absolutist style of rule. This did not last long as the nation was nearly bankrupt and unable to pay its soldiers, allowing the liberals to rise up against Ferdinand's rule. It was only with the sale of Florida to the US that Spain was able to pay its troops and defeat the rebellion, which fled in to Portugal. Ferdinand VII did end up accepting a constitution, something that was viewed as a favorable alternative to revolution.
During the years leading up to 1880 Spain's empire in the America's collapsed almost completely, leaving only Cuba, Puerto Rico, minor port cities in Morocco, and the Philippines in their colonial empire.
The Republic of Portugal
Napoleon's sudden death after his victory over Portugal in the peninsular war left a power vacuum which was quickly filled by liberal revolutionaries who created the Republic of Portugal, modeling their constitution on that of the United States.
Portugal's economy is still rather weak and their technology is not on the level of other European nations, but they have expanded their colonial holdings in Africa, giving them access to new raw goods.
The Kingdom of Italy
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais succeeded the throne in Italy following Napoleon’s, and it's one of the few client states that Napoleon set up that is still close allies with France. With the death of Napoleon, Austria moved quickly to exert its influence in Italy, pushing the Italian forces (and the few French soldiers that could be spared) from Lombardy and Venice. Rather than see the fall of their client kingdom, France willing transferred the Italian lands that they had occupied, greatly increasing the size of the Kingdom of Italy.
Eugéne hoped to unite Italy, but between Austria and the Kingdom of Naples and a lack of support from France he was unable to realize his dream, allowing him to focus instead on developing the nation's industry.
The Kingdom of Naples
Was given the marshal Murat, Napoleon's brother-in-law, in 1807. When the war with the British ended, he was able to move his Neapolitan soldiers in to Sicily, dethroning Ferdinand II and taking control of the island. After Napoleon's death, Murat sought an agreement with Austria to ensure that he would not lose his kingdom in any attempted unification of Italy by de Beauharnais.
The Kingdom of Naples has remained largely agrarian over the years in addition to suffering two separate rebellions, one during which the island of Sicily tried to gain its independence and the other during an attempt to end Murat’s repressive governing.
The South German Confederation
The South German Confederation came into being as the successor state to the Confederation of the Rhine, with Bavaria and King Ludwig I at its head as well as Baden and Wurtemburg. While unable to defend the other members of the confederation, the three states were able to avoid annexation by Prussia in its desire to unite Germany. King Ludwig I proposed the creation of a new confederation in 1840, to the agreement of the other states.
The Confederation’s liberal nature helped it avoid the revolutions that other, more reactionary, nations dealt with throughout the 30s and 40s. Instead, during that time, they focused on the arts and science, building one of the first railroads in mainland Europe that connected Munich to Stuttgart.
The Confederation’s army relies on its modern technology to defend it from potential invasion.
The Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire had been humiliated during the Napoleonic wars, suffering several crushing defeats and the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire. In the years following Napoleon’s death however a gradual recover occurred, with victory in both Italy and Germany returning much of their lost land. During the 1840s however the empire faced threats from within, culminating in the revolution of Hungary in 1848. Despite initial success on the part of the Hungarians, the use of Airships by the Austrian army proved to be a deciding factor in the war, leading to an utter defeat of the rebelling forces. Austria formally integrated hungary, dissolving the kingdom and adopting a new constitution in hopes of placating the masses.
Austria’s army is smaller than that of most other great powers, largely due to an unwillingness to arm hungarians, and is not as technologically advanced as some other nations. This has lead many to consider the empire as one of the weaker great powers, though they are still above Russia.
The Kingdom of Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark lost control of Norway in 1814 after years of war with the British. As a result of the discontentment caused by their defeat, the nation peacefully adopted a liberal constitution three years later. The following years were quiet for Denmark as they tried to recover both economically and militarily. In 1836 however the Kingdom of Prussia demanded Holstein be handed over to them or there would be war. Unwilling and unable to fight the much larger power, Denmark ceded the territory in a humiliating treaty.
The nation’s first railroads were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade, thanks in part due to the adoption of airships, allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources.
The Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was created by Napoleon as a client state in 1807 with Frederick Augustus I, then king of Saxony, as duke of Warsaw. When Prussia annexed Saxony following the defeat of the Confederation of the Rhine, Frederick Augustus II fled to Warsaw where he was able to organize a defense of against Prussian troops, saving the Duchy from what likely would have been another partition. Throughout his reign he became very popular for his intelligence and ability to solve political questions from a sense of duty rather than picking a particular side. He promoted the rise of industry and modern technology in the duchy, allowing it to to defend itself from its otherwise hostile neighbors.
Much like the beginning of his reign was marked by war so was its end as Frederick Augustus II fought against Russian forces seeking to re partition the duchy. Without support from Prussia or Austria, Russia was unable to defeat the well dug in Polish troops with their modern weapons and highly developed doctrine.
The Principality of Serbia
Serbia gained semi independence, existing as an autonomous principality in the Ottoman Empire in 1817 after a successful revolution. The nation existed in this way, technically part of the Ottoman Empire until 1864 when a secret alliance with russia allowed them to declare full independence.
The nation is neither particularly wealthy nor technologically advanced.
The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire has declined greatly since its soldiers stood outside of Vienna. It’s hold in North Africa collapsed, first with the loss of Algeria, then Tripoli, leaving only Egypt, but even that was lost to Muhammad Ali. In 1855, citizens in greece rebelled, and while the Empire’s troops were able to suppress them, pushing all the way to Athens, France soon joined the war, securing greek independence in 1856. They lost Romania and Serbia soon after when Russia fought for their independence.
The Empire is known as the sick old man of Europe for good reason, but there is potential for resurgence in if its issues can be resolved.
The Khedivate of Egypt
The Khedivate of Egypt was formed by Muhammad Ali, nominally a tributary state to the Ottoman Empire. Over the years he aggressively expanded the nation’s industry and arms manufacturing base. He also attempted to modernize the military, bringing it in line with the European model, but faced significant opposition from his own soldiers, causing him to stop for a time.
Muhammad’s successors were not as capable however, allowing the nation to regress while building a significant debt to European powers.
The Sultanate of Morocco
The Sultanate of Morocco tried to foster trading links, especially with European countries and the United States. The army and administration were also modernized to improve control over the Berber and Bedouin tribes. The independence of Morocco was guaranteed in the Conference of Madrid in 1859, though with the conquest of Algeria, the French gained ever greater influence.
The Kingdom of Tripoli
The Kingdom of Tripoli, made up of the Eyalet of Tripolitania and Tunis, was established following the defeat of the barbary forces by the Kingdom of Holland. Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi, a muslim religious leader and opponent of the Ottoman Empire was installed as king by the dutch forces.
The country remains largely unindustrialized and has only a small army.
The Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was established in 1856 with the aid of the French. As a result, the French influenced the decision on who the king would be, leading to Jérôme Bonaparte’s selection.
During the early years of his reign, Jérôme was very unpopular by trying to impose French ideals on the Greeks, while keeping most significant state offices away from them. Nevertheless he laid the foundations of a Greek administration, army, justice system and education system.
Greece also remained a very poor country, lacking raw materials, infrastructure and capital. Agriculture was mostly at the subsistence level, and the only important export commodities were not enough to make the nation wealthy. Some Greeks grew rich as merchants and shipowners, and major ports developed, but little of this wealth found its way to the Greek peasantry. Greece remained hopelessly in debt to other nations as well.
The Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland, originally an autonomous region of the Russian Empire was released as a fully independent state in 1816 with Constantine as the Grand Duke. Constantine adopted many liberal policies, including freedom of education and economic development. Against the wishes of Sweden he filled his government with Russians.
Finland’s economy is not particularly strong, but its small army is highly professional even if not armed with the most modern of weapons.
The Baltic Union
The Baltic Union was founded in 1852 as a client state of Sweden and buffer between Prussia and Russia, with Prince August of Sweden as king. Initially King August sought to take a very active role in government, but the baltic peoples wanted him as a figurehead, threatening to rebel again unless a liberal constitutional monarchy was established. Swedish forces in the nation allowed for a compromise between the two sides, both of which wanted to avoid bloodshed.
The Baltic Union relatively resources poor and largely agrarian, but Swedish investors have begun developing some industry in the region.
The Kingdom of Romania
The treaty that followed France’s intervention in the Ottoman Empire allowed Wallachia and Moldavia to select the same man as both of their rulers, resulting in a union of the two states with Alexandru Ioan Cuza as ruling prince. He initiated a series of reforms that contributed to the modernization of Romanian society and of state structures, including land reform. With Russia’s victory over the Ottoman Empire, Serbia and Romania were both given complete independence.
Romania’s army began the process of modernization with the help of the French. It’s industry on the other hand was subject to many issues, including unequal distribution of land, a lack of capital, and sever debt.
Principality of Montenegro
The Principality of Montenegro was formed in 1852 when Prince Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš ended theocratic rule, creating a secular state.
Montenegro has essentially no industry, largely due to its small population, lack of raw materials, underdeveloped transport network and comparatively low rate of investment. It does have a relatively modern army though, compared to other neighboring nations.
France has long been a great power in Europe, with its power climaxing during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. During that time France’s influence could be felt from Cairo to St. Petersburg as Emperor Napoleon won a string of victories over allied forces, culminating in the capitulation of Russia in 1813 and the collapse of the coalition. Shortly after, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was killed in Spain while doing battle with Marshal Lannes and the British were subsequently pushed from the peninsula, leading to an embarrassing white peace and, for all intents and purposes, Napoleonic dominance of all of mainland Europe.
What should have been the start of a new French golden age was marred by the sudden death of Napoleon and the succession of his four year old son. This lead to a paralyzing political scene as different factions vied for power, all hoping to influence the most powerful nation in Europe. Some took it as an opportunity to try to return to a republic, while others sought to restore the bourbon monarchy. Within ten years most of Napoleon’s work was undone with Joseph ousted from the Spanish throne, Louis focusing on meeting the desires of the Dutch people rather than France, and a resurgence of former coalition states at the expense of his client states.
France did have some success though in the years leading up to 1880, especially with the annexation of Algeria in 1842 and their brief war with the Ottoman Empire that gave rise to an independent Greek state in 1856.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
While some had predicted a defeat of Napoleon during the wars of the coalition and the possibility of British hegemony in Europe to follow, the UK’s fate was much different. After the submission of their allies in Europe and the fall of British forces in Portugal and Spain, the United Kingdom signed a bitter peace with France, putting an end to the Napoleonic Wars.
Angered by the sacrifices made during the war only to suffer defeat many citizens took to the streets of London, before being bloodily suppressed. Rather than involve themselves in Europe’s affairs a second time after the death of Napoleon and risk upsetting the populace even more the United Kingdom focused on internal development and expansion in India. As a result the British stood at the forefront of the industrial revolution, developing several new technologies including the airship and the first automaton.
Now, more technologically and economically developed than ever, many British politicians are talking of involving themselves in the affairs of Europe once again.
The Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland was originally formed by Napoleon and headed by his brother Louis Bonaparte. Despite considerations of annexing the kingdom outright when Louis began putting the Dutch people ahead of him, Napoleon, having largely secured Europe, allowed his brother to remain in control.
Napoleon’s death can easily be said to have been the last time the Kingdom of Holland was viewed as France’s client state. With the freedom provided by France’s regency the Kingdom of Holland began operating more and more independently, restarting trade with the United Kingdom, expanding its influence in Asia, and going to war with the Ottomans and Barbary States over piracy. It was this intervention by the Kingdom of Holland that led to the creation of the Kingdom of Tripoli completely independent of the Ottomans.
The Kingdom of Holland has both a powerful economy and well trained military for a state of its size.
The Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was left in tatters by the time Napoleon died but quickly recovered following his death, expanding to its current position as the sole North German state by 1838 with the defeat of the politically isolated Confederation of the Rhine. With the collapse of the confederation and the large amount of German nationalism Prussia was able to bring the few remaining independent North German states into the Kingdom with promises of certain rights. In 1852, seeing a chance to strike against the rival power of Russia and create a buffer, they joined Sweden in its war to liberate the Baltics
In the years leading up to 1880 the Kingdom of Prussia’s industrial capacity expanded rapidly, nearly equaling that of the United Kingdom. While Prussia’s military has remained large its conservative nature and lack of any recent wars has kept it from incorporating some of the newer technologies such as airships.
The Empire of Russia
It is probably fair to say that Russia has fared more poorly than any other great power in Europe since the Napoleonic wars. Not only did they face the embarrassment of the destruction of the army at Borodino and the occupation of Moscow by Napoleon, they were also forced to release the Grand Duchy of Finland as a fully independent buffer state headed by Constantine I following threats from Charles XIII, king of Sweden and Norway, who sought to exploit their weakness.
In 1852, after a disastrous attempt to reconquer the Duchy of Warsaw only a year before, several nationalist rebellions wracked the Baltic region in response to harsh taxation, conscription, and a desire for liberty. These rebellions were quickly supported by the Kingdoms of Sweden and Prussia, and after a string of quick victories over the exhausted and demoralized Russian armies the Baltic Union was granted independence.
Russia’s one success was in the Balkans when it went to war with the Ottoman Empire in 1864 in order to expand its influence in the region, leading to independence of Romania and Serbia.
Realizing that Russia was in serious danger of losing relevance in Europe many have begun suggesting further investment in industry and the creation of a more professional army.
The Kingdom of Sweden
The Kingdom of Sweden, seemed to have been in a difficult position while Napoleon won his wars in Europe. They had only recently lost Finland to Russia and Gustav IV Adolf was dethroned. This proved a reversal of their fortunes however, as the crowning of Charles XIV and the subsequent Union of Sweden and Norway allowed them to place pressure on Russia following their fall to Napoleon that saw the release of Finland as an independent state, albeit with a brother of the tsar as its leader.
After that, Sweden, with its well educated population and variety of natural resources, took to industry, developing their economy significantly. This allowed them, with access to greater wealth, to exert more influence in the affairs of Europe, culminating in the creation of the Baltic Union following a war with Russia. Prince August of Sweden was placed as head of the new nation to serve as leader of the client state.
Sweden’s army is smaller than many in Europe but highly disciplined and technologically advanced, and their economy is steadily growing.
The Kingdom of Spain
The Kingdom of Spain was put under the rule of Joseph Bonaparte, but his rule was always a tenuous one. Almost immediately after Napoleon’s death and the withdrawal of French armies to maintain peace in France, civil war erupted to return Ferdinand VII to the throne. In 1816, with restorationist forces close to taking Madrid, Joseph fled the country for France to live in his nephew’s court while Ferdinand VII was crowned as king.
Almost immediately he removed the liberal constitution of 1812 and returned to an absolutist style of rule. This did not last long as the nation was nearly bankrupt and unable to pay its soldiers, allowing the liberals to rise up against Ferdinand's rule. It was only with the sale of Florida to the US that Spain was able to pay its troops and defeat the rebellion, which fled in to Portugal. Ferdinand VII did end up accepting a constitution, something that was viewed as a favorable alternative to revolution.
During the years leading up to 1880 Spain's empire in the America's collapsed almost completely, leaving only Cuba, Puerto Rico, minor port cities in Morocco, and the Philippines in their colonial empire.
The Republic of Portugal
Napoleon's sudden death after his victory over Portugal in the peninsular war left a power vacuum which was quickly filled by liberal revolutionaries who created the Republic of Portugal, modeling their constitution on that of the United States.
Portugal's economy is still rather weak and their technology is not on the level of other European nations, but they have expanded their colonial holdings in Africa, giving them access to new raw goods.
The Kingdom of Italy
Eugène Rose de Beauharnais succeeded the throne in Italy following Napoleon’s, and it's one of the few client states that Napoleon set up that is still close allies with France. With the death of Napoleon, Austria moved quickly to exert its influence in Italy, pushing the Italian forces (and the few French soldiers that could be spared) from Lombardy and Venice. Rather than see the fall of their client kingdom, France willing transferred the Italian lands that they had occupied, greatly increasing the size of the Kingdom of Italy.
Eugéne hoped to unite Italy, but between Austria and the Kingdom of Naples and a lack of support from France he was unable to realize his dream, allowing him to focus instead on developing the nation's industry.
The Kingdom of Naples
Was given the marshal Murat, Napoleon's brother-in-law, in 1807. When the war with the British ended, he was able to move his Neapolitan soldiers in to Sicily, dethroning Ferdinand II and taking control of the island. After Napoleon's death, Murat sought an agreement with Austria to ensure that he would not lose his kingdom in any attempted unification of Italy by de Beauharnais.
The Kingdom of Naples has remained largely agrarian over the years in addition to suffering two separate rebellions, one during which the island of Sicily tried to gain its independence and the other during an attempt to end Murat’s repressive governing.
The South German Confederation
The South German Confederation came into being as the successor state to the Confederation of the Rhine, with Bavaria and King Ludwig I at its head as well as Baden and Wurtemburg. While unable to defend the other members of the confederation, the three states were able to avoid annexation by Prussia in its desire to unite Germany. King Ludwig I proposed the creation of a new confederation in 1840, to the agreement of the other states.
The Confederation’s liberal nature helped it avoid the revolutions that other, more reactionary, nations dealt with throughout the 30s and 40s. Instead, during that time, they focused on the arts and science, building one of the first railroads in mainland Europe that connected Munich to Stuttgart.
The Confederation’s army relies on its modern technology to defend it from potential invasion.
The Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire had been humiliated during the Napoleonic wars, suffering several crushing defeats and the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire. In the years following Napoleon’s death however a gradual recover occurred, with victory in both Italy and Germany returning much of their lost land. During the 1840s however the empire faced threats from within, culminating in the revolution of Hungary in 1848. Despite initial success on the part of the Hungarians, the use of Airships by the Austrian army proved to be a deciding factor in the war, leading to an utter defeat of the rebelling forces. Austria formally integrated hungary, dissolving the kingdom and adopting a new constitution in hopes of placating the masses.
Austria’s army is smaller than that of most other great powers, largely due to an unwillingness to arm hungarians, and is not as technologically advanced as some other nations. This has lead many to consider the empire as one of the weaker great powers, though they are still above Russia.
The Kingdom of Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark lost control of Norway in 1814 after years of war with the British. As a result of the discontentment caused by their defeat, the nation peacefully adopted a liberal constitution three years later. The following years were quiet for Denmark as they tried to recover both economically and militarily. In 1836 however the Kingdom of Prussia demanded Holstein be handed over to them or there would be war. Unwilling and unable to fight the much larger power, Denmark ceded the territory in a humiliating treaty.
The nation’s first railroads were constructed in the 1850s, and improved communications and overseas trade, thanks in part due to the adoption of airships, allowed industry to develop in spite of Denmark's lack of natural resources.
The Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was created by Napoleon as a client state in 1807 with Frederick Augustus I, then king of Saxony, as duke of Warsaw. When Prussia annexed Saxony following the defeat of the Confederation of the Rhine, Frederick Augustus II fled to Warsaw where he was able to organize a defense of against Prussian troops, saving the Duchy from what likely would have been another partition. Throughout his reign he became very popular for his intelligence and ability to solve political questions from a sense of duty rather than picking a particular side. He promoted the rise of industry and modern technology in the duchy, allowing it to to defend itself from its otherwise hostile neighbors.
Much like the beginning of his reign was marked by war so was its end as Frederick Augustus II fought against Russian forces seeking to re partition the duchy. Without support from Prussia or Austria, Russia was unable to defeat the well dug in Polish troops with their modern weapons and highly developed doctrine.
The Principality of Serbia
Serbia gained semi independence, existing as an autonomous principality in the Ottoman Empire in 1817 after a successful revolution. The nation existed in this way, technically part of the Ottoman Empire until 1864 when a secret alliance with russia allowed them to declare full independence.
The nation is neither particularly wealthy nor technologically advanced.
The Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire has declined greatly since its soldiers stood outside of Vienna. It’s hold in North Africa collapsed, first with the loss of Algeria, then Tripoli, leaving only Egypt, but even that was lost to Muhammad Ali. In 1855, citizens in greece rebelled, and while the Empire’s troops were able to suppress them, pushing all the way to Athens, France soon joined the war, securing greek independence in 1856. They lost Romania and Serbia soon after when Russia fought for their independence.
The Empire is known as the sick old man of Europe for good reason, but there is potential for resurgence in if its issues can be resolved.
The Khedivate of Egypt
The Khedivate of Egypt was formed by Muhammad Ali, nominally a tributary state to the Ottoman Empire. Over the years he aggressively expanded the nation’s industry and arms manufacturing base. He also attempted to modernize the military, bringing it in line with the European model, but faced significant opposition from his own soldiers, causing him to stop for a time.
Muhammad’s successors were not as capable however, allowing the nation to regress while building a significant debt to European powers.
The Sultanate of Morocco
The Sultanate of Morocco tried to foster trading links, especially with European countries and the United States. The army and administration were also modernized to improve control over the Berber and Bedouin tribes. The independence of Morocco was guaranteed in the Conference of Madrid in 1859, though with the conquest of Algeria, the French gained ever greater influence.
The Kingdom of Tripoli
The Kingdom of Tripoli, made up of the Eyalet of Tripolitania and Tunis, was established following the defeat of the barbary forces by the Kingdom of Holland. Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi, a muslim religious leader and opponent of the Ottoman Empire was installed as king by the dutch forces.
The country remains largely unindustrialized and has only a small army.
The Kingdom of Greece
The Kingdom of Greece was established in 1856 with the aid of the French. As a result, the French influenced the decision on who the king would be, leading to Jérôme Bonaparte’s selection.
During the early years of his reign, Jérôme was very unpopular by trying to impose French ideals on the Greeks, while keeping most significant state offices away from them. Nevertheless he laid the foundations of a Greek administration, army, justice system and education system.
Greece also remained a very poor country, lacking raw materials, infrastructure and capital. Agriculture was mostly at the subsistence level, and the only important export commodities were not enough to make the nation wealthy. Some Greeks grew rich as merchants and shipowners, and major ports developed, but little of this wealth found its way to the Greek peasantry. Greece remained hopelessly in debt to other nations as well.
The Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland, originally an autonomous region of the Russian Empire was released as a fully independent state in 1816 with Constantine as the Grand Duke. Constantine adopted many liberal policies, including freedom of education and economic development. Against the wishes of Sweden he filled his government with Russians.
Finland’s economy is not particularly strong, but its small army is highly professional even if not armed with the most modern of weapons.
The Baltic Union
The Baltic Union was founded in 1852 as a client state of Sweden and buffer between Prussia and Russia, with Prince August of Sweden as king. Initially King August sought to take a very active role in government, but the baltic peoples wanted him as a figurehead, threatening to rebel again unless a liberal constitutional monarchy was established. Swedish forces in the nation allowed for a compromise between the two sides, both of which wanted to avoid bloodshed.
The Baltic Union relatively resources poor and largely agrarian, but Swedish investors have begun developing some industry in the region.
The Kingdom of Romania
The treaty that followed France’s intervention in the Ottoman Empire allowed Wallachia and Moldavia to select the same man as both of their rulers, resulting in a union of the two states with Alexandru Ioan Cuza as ruling prince. He initiated a series of reforms that contributed to the modernization of Romanian society and of state structures, including land reform. With Russia’s victory over the Ottoman Empire, Serbia and Romania were both given complete independence.
Romania’s army began the process of modernization with the help of the French. It’s industry on the other hand was subject to many issues, including unequal distribution of land, a lack of capital, and sever debt.
Principality of Montenegro
The Principality of Montenegro was formed in 1852 when Prince Danilo I Petrović-Njegoš ended theocratic rule, creating a secular state.
Montenegro has essentially no industry, largely due to its small population, lack of raw materials, underdeveloped transport network and comparatively low rate of investment. It does have a relatively modern army though, compared to other neighboring nations.
The IRC Channel is #Napoleon
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