Emperor Pelka IV
(1700-1752)
The long reign of Emperor Pelka IV would see much colonial expansion but would also be dominated by the lurking threat of revolution.
Early reign
Shortly after beginning his reign, Pelka IV, who had a weak legitimacy due to his heritage, started a big push into the American tribes’ territory. First out was Illinois and their allies, who was declared war on in 1700 and totally overrun and annexed by 1701.
Interestingly enough, what would be termed the Enlightenment started within months after Pelka IV took office, but it would be decades before it reached Europe properly, as it originated in French Louisiana and would spread slowly from there, in the beginning mostly affecting French lands.
Back in Europe, Pelka IV founded the Kiel Canal, a marvel of engineering that greatly helped the economy of Northern Germany and thus the Wendish Empire at large.
In 1704 Wendish Lousisiana was founded, as the expansion into America continued unabated, and the expansion into the Native American tribes continued, with Erie and allies being the latest target in 1705, ending in a resounding victory in 1707.
Pelka IV’s ally Castille also expanded in the area, albeit slowly, and dragged him into one of their wars at the time, all while Pelka continued war with Susquehannock in 1707 and Sioux in 1712.
The big expansion of his reign would happen in the aftermath of the war on Chisca in 1714, which ended in 1716. One of the gains was a new vassal deep into French held territory, and this small tribe was incidentally also at war with French Louisiana, although not France proper. Due to the new vassal tribe being in this war when they were added to the Wendish sphere, Pelka IV was in war with French Louisina, but not France, who also declined to join their colony in their war. Thus, the Wendish forces descended on French Louisiana and soon the entire colonial nation fell and was annexed into Wendish Louisiana.
The revolutions
In 1716, revolution shook the world as both Andalusia and Bjarmaland descended into civil war with rebels whose ideology was that of the enlightenment – a wish to end the despotism of monarchy and replace it with the horrors of the republican dictatorship.
In Andalusia, monarchist forces soon won the day, but in Bjarmaland republican forces won the civil war and beheaded the monarch, his entire family, the nobles as well as destroying the church.
In the Wendish Empire and her colonies, order still reigned, but there was a distinct undercurrent of unrest and dissatisfaction with Pelka IV – who after all was the child of an Emperor and a lowly whore in the eyes of many.
This meant that Pelka IV had much work to keep his colonies in check and many concessions were made to keep them happy, plummeting the prestige of the Empire in the eyes of the world.
Much resources were spent at this time to expand the navy, which more than quadrupled in size the next years.
A win was made at home in 1722, when on November 9th Carpathia was completely incorporated into the Empire as an integral part of it, after centuries in a personal union.
More wars and the British
In 1725, Ireland called Pelka IV into war with Scotland and her allies. On the continent Bavaria was overrun, but the peace was one of monetary gains, not land. On the British Isles on the other hand, Ireland and the Wendish subject of England bashed in the defenses of Scotland and in 1727 Pelka IV negotiated a separate peace with the Scots, gaining England a lot of land.
Back over the pond the wars in America continued unabated, with Oneota being the latest victim, and Castille also expanding with the help of the Wendish Empire.
In 1736 Pelka IV started the consolidation of his British holdings. Britannia was annexed during his predecessor, now he started the integration of England to be an integral part of the Wendish Empire.
More wars followed in America, before Pelka IV finally turned his eyes eastwards, where Bjarmaland was struggling in several wars with their Asian neighbors, but still supported and inspired rebellion and sedition in the Wendish Empire and her allies. Pelka IV declared his intent to topple the republican regime once and for all.
Pelka IV sent his armies into Bjarmaland in 1746, which folded like wax and within months the republican regime melted away. Immediately this calmed things down all over the Empire and her dependencies, but Pelka IV was not content with just toppling the regime. He wanted revenge and pressed on.
In the end, Bjarmaland was brought low, a monarchy was restored, land was ceded to the Wendish Empire and the country of Permia was liberated from core Bjarmish lands. What little remained of trade value was also steered towards the Wendish Empire for the next years as payment for damages.
And so July 2nd, 1752 arrived. Emperor Pelka IV, old and increasingly frail, died in a massive heart attack during a dinner with his eldest son and his wife. His 51-year-old son Stanislaw III inherited the throne, his first task to get an heir, quick, to save the dynasty, as he had no child of his own and no surviving siblings.
