My first game with the POP mod for Vicky 2. I decided to give it a run through as an unciv and the journey I embarked on was something I never could have imagined. It started out simply enough with me going to war with Panjab to try and cripple them early on. Soon I was at war with Panjab again this time allied to Persia and Kokland. I achieve total victory even starting another war against Burk as soon as that other war was over. Finally after years of fighting and westernising in 1880 I Civilised and became the Durrani Empire.
Prestige along got me high into the Secondary powers, enough to start colonising, but Japan had already beaten me to it as GP and failed to hold position. From that point on me and Japan were engaged in a point struggle for fifteen years. That was until the Communist Rebellion spread like wild fire through the world. A few minor nation fell at first and I was comfortable in the knowledge that it would probably never effect me. Then Belgium fell to revolutionary forces and the world was set a blaze. The French Republic fearing that Belgium would inspire revolt in their own nation declared war days later. The Belgium Revolutionaries were not without means to defend themselves. Mobilising their forces they were 500+ in strength rivalling France and most other nations in Europe. This would force France into focusing it's forces into Europe to protect the homes of its peoples while the larger Belgium Colonial forces would have been free to rip through Frances colonial holdings. They needed help, they needed an ally, they needed the Durrani.
The Durrani and Belgium people were not friends. In the past Belgium had forced Durani Empire to curb it's colonial ambitions. In return for this Belgium had been humiliated by the Durrani when the nation of Ethiopia had accepted the annexation into the Durrani rather than Belgium. France called upon the Durrnia to help and it had answered. 50,000 soldiers struck deep into the territory of Belgium Congo. They overran local defences and captured the entirety of the Belgium colonial force. Two years into the war the forces of Belgium surrendered and were forced to pay for the cost of the war. For Belgium it would be a humiliating defeat. Durrani would claim part of the parts of the Congo and the province of Boma. Columbia would gain the rest of the coast. If it were not enough to leave Belgium colonial holdings land locked Wallonia and Flanders were released. Belgium is now only a city state and empire only in name.
During this period The Great British Empire was racked with rebellions. To help with the running of the Empire the British government decided to release the territories Australia, South Africa and Canada would be freed, but this would not be the end of the matter. A month after Australia was released as a vassal a Jacobian revolution took hold freeing it from any remaining hold the British may have had. The Durrani saw this as an excellent opportunity to gain holdings in the Far East, where the ever unstable China continued to be a source of problems for neighbouring nations.
The war would prove to be a huge learning curve for the Durrani Empire. For years the Durrani had neglected the Military for industry and cultural advance, now it was time to pay for this neglect. The 12,000 Australian strong army was outnumber more than three to one. The result was a blood bath. For every Australian killed five Durrani soldiers lost their life. The war was won with a huge loss of life, but the lesson had been learnt. Over the next 10 years the Durrani Military would receive huge funding and research for modernisation. It would continue to lag behind until the beginning of the First World War.
Five years passed of peace when The Durrani turned their focus closer to home. During the interlude of wars with civilised nations the Durrani had been consuming the uncivs that surrounded the empire. Persia was the last of the central Asian nations to fall to the Durrani and with it for the first time in a hundred years the Persians and Pashtuns were united and the Durrani government wanted to cement it. Along with Persia the Arabian Peninsular had also been annexed. All that stood between the linking of both parts of the empire by land was an empire of old. The Ottoman. Though diminished and consumed by rebellion often, the relic was still dangerous with a mobilised army of 200. The Durrani had over 300+. What no nation had expected was the intervention of the USA. From a war that should have lasted a year it went took five. Only with the landing of troops on the Hawaii did the USA finally agree to the peace terms offered. The Durrani so close to their goal were stopped and today a gap of only 10 miles separate the two parts of the empire.
This would not be the end of matters for the two GPs. Both sides failed to achieve their goals. Previously friendly nations the two were now bitter enemies. Both sides looking for a chance to return the favour and GB was more than willing to offer one. The USA sensing the weakness of the British declared war on the empire to expand their territory in the north. With Britain weakened to the point of breaking they requested the aid of the Durrani. The Durrani landed troops on every pacific holding to the USA, but attempts to land in North America were defeated by a superior navy. A grim stalemate took place until the British finally succumbed to Fascists. The new government accepted peace with the USA and the Durrani were forced to step down.
The First World War began in winter 1922. France still allied with the Durrani was attacked by the Republic of Britannia. The war was historically seen as a huge tactile blunder as the now Modern and 400+ army of the Durrani broke through British defences in India, occupying most of north India before the war took a dramatic turn. Prussia had revolted with a military faction taking control of the government. This had been three year ago. Now with total control of the country it attacked France for the Rhine. With Prussia was Russia and a host of minor nations. Britannia sensing a chance to quit from the field without losing face whit peace with France. The new war began in earnest. It would later become the bloodiest war in the history of mankind with over a million deaths. Four years into the war the Austro-Hungarian Empire joined on the side of the Alliance/ The war finally ended in 1926. Russia would never gain recover. Prussian power had been destroyed and the map of the known world had been completely redrawn. So ends the History of the Durrani Empire.
... Of course Germany (now fascist) didn't like my annexing policies, so my oldest and most faithful ally decided to try to contain me...and failed. All of these stacked great wars and dismantling actually lead to the Ukraine being a great power for about a decade before Russia recovered from their dismantling and beat the Ukraine back to secondary power status.
