Okay, since many here haven't seen LOTGH, I'm just going to stick with talking about the backstory like I did for Code Geass.
In the year 2039, tensions between the Reich and the Chinese Empire, which had jointly taken over the crumbling Soviet sphere throughout the 1980s and 90s (instead of a WW3 that lasts two years, the Soviets suffer through a slow but violent internal collapse), reach the point of no return with the Thirteen Day War, in which nearly every major city on Earth is nuked at least once. After a hundred years of chaos, the survivors reorganize and begin establishing new governments. In 2129, these governments unite into a world government, based in New Prague, Mittagsland. Earth begins colonizing the solar system, and within several generations, human colonies on Mars and the moons of Jupiter become more populous than Earth cities. FTL is invented, and extrasolar colonization begins. Centuries pass, and Earth enters a golden age as resources from the colonies are sent to rebuild the planet. However, the colonists soon grow tired of sending their resources and money to a planet many of them have few ties to. Complaints become protests, and protests become riots. On the other side, Earth's ostensibly liberal society—which emphasizes a fusion of Roman meritocracy and Chinese democracy—becomes socially stratified, with military officers effectively becoming a new Roman-style aristocracy. The military, taking influences from Chiang's regime, gradually expands its influence over the civilian government and advocates for a harsh crackdown against the riots. The riots escalate into rebellions, which the military violently suppresses. Human rights violations are committed on multiple colonies, some of which are completely glassed from orbit, driving more and more colonists against Earth. Ultimately, the major colonial systems unite into a single alliance, provoking all-out war with Earth. Although Earth fights fiercely, without its most important colonies it cannot support its own economy and military. The colonial fleets eventually push their way to Earth, which they besiege and blockade for months, starving billions. When the death toll began to skyrocket and Earth's misery was at its peak, the fleets opened fire, glassing the planet in revenge for everything done to the colonies. The bombardment was so thorough that the Himalayas were almost completely eradicated and the population of Earth was reduced to 10 million. Earth would never recover—humanity would move on and forget its place of origin almost entirely.
The victorious colonies soon turned against each other as they argued over what to replace Earth's rule with, ushering in centuries of war. Finally, in 2801, or Galactic Calendar (GC) Year 1 in a new calendar, humanity united in a Galactic Republic, a democratic alliance of planets. The golden age of the Republic would last for several centuries. But as the years went on, the economy stagnated, and both the government and the people grew complacent. Cracks emerged in society. Corruption scandals brought down administrations. Rampant consumerism led to the centralization of power in powerful corporations who undermined workers' rights. A resurgence in space piracy proves too much for the Republic's security forces to handle.
It was in this time that Rudolf Goldenbaum was born. Rudolf was a talented pilot and ship commander who had graduated from the Republic's military academy with many honors. He distinguished himself by leading the Republic's navy against the space pirates and decisively ending their threat, earning him the overwhelming support of the common people. His charismatic nature allowed him to get a foothold in politics, where he railed against both the power of the corporations and the corruption of the establishment, calling on the people of the galaxy to unite behind him and overthrow the oppressors holding them down. His rhetoric transcended economic, cultural, and planetary lines, appealing to people across the galaxy no matter their status or origin. He was soon swept into power with an overwhelming majority granting him a mandate to do as he wished. Rudolf was a man of action. He and his allies immediately nationalized the corporations in control of the Republic's economy and threw their leaders in jail. They then did the same with the politicians they accused of corruption. Soon, the overjoyed people began calling on Rudolf to fix every issue with their society, no longer wanting to do it themselves. Rudolf obliged, purging dissident political groups like equalists and unionists, arresting any who protested his policies, and expanding the power of the military to include law enforcement. Under Rudolf's increasingly autocratic rule, all disloyal or dissenting elements were eliminated in the name of greater economic, social, and political efficiency. And to many across the galaxy, it seemingly worked. With humanity rallied behind him and all obstacles to his rule removed, Rudolf declared himself Kaiser Rudolf I von Goldenbaum, the second coming of Friedrich the Great. Adopting Roman titles and political institutions, he turned the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Reich, an absolute monarchy based on the Metternich-era Reich, which he held as the pinnacle of the old Reich. On his new imperial capital, Odin, he built cities based on old Berlin, with New Brandenburg Palace as his place of residence. His closest allies received German names, noble titles, and positions in his cabinet. Rudolf declared that all important positions should be given to those best qualified for them, but even he ignored his own order, and within a generation all major government positions had become hereditary. His allies formed a new dynatoi class. House von Goldenbaum became royalty. Even the calendar was reformed again, with Imperial Calendar (IC) Year 1/GC 310 marking Rudolf's ascent to power.
Once the state and the economy had been "streamlined" into something Rudolf deemed efficient, he next turned to the people themselves. Believing that the people had to be purified of the consumerism and dangerous ideologies that had torn humanity apart in the Republic years, he ordered the arrests and executions of all who believed in anti-monarchical ideologies. This would later be extended to include those Rudolf deemed weak, including the poor and disabled, citing how Saint Wilhelmina oversaw the French purges and Muslim diaspora to unite the old Reich. Interpretations of the vague order Rudolf gave eventually escalated the purges into the genocide of entire planets. Over the next few centuries, millions died, and many more were sent to prison camps or dangerous asteroid mines.
Arle Heinessen was one of those prisoners. He and many others had been arrested for calling for a return to democracy and exiled to a remote asteroid mine. In IC 164, they escaped and stole several ships, which they used to secretly go around the Reich recruiting more likeminded individuals and liberating prison camps. Heinessen adopted the ideals and imagery of Friedrich the Great, as well as Lin Zexu, for himself, calling on the peoples of the galaxy to unite against their new oppressors in the Goldenbaum dynasty. Many heeded the call, flocking to his purple-red-yellow banner (drawing on both the designs of the Roman and Chinese flags). Soon the reigning Kaiser realized Heinessen's threat and mobilized the Imperial Navy. Knowing his ships could not survive a direct engagement with the Reich, Heinessen and his allies decided to flee the Reich entirely and find a new home for democracy. Traveling on stolen civilian and mining ships not meant for such long FTL trips in uncharted territory, their journey took many decades. Nobody who fled the Reich, including Heinessen himself, lived to see the end of what would later be called the Long Trek of Ten Thousand Light-Years. 54 years later, the descendants of the initial refugees found a habitable planet they could live on, far from imperial rule. They named it Heinessen, after their fallen leader, and in his name they would establish the Free Planets Alliance, which would continue the democratic legacy of the Galactic Republic.
However, as the years passed and those who remembered the Long Trek passed away, the FPA soon fell into the same cycle of stagnation and discontent that brought down the old Republic. The founders of the FPA, like those in the anti-Earth coalition, fell into infighting within years of settlement, culminating in assassinations against each other. Although the FPA's constitution enshrined many individual rights, it also left out noticeable loopholes as a result of the founders needing the backing of several important military and economic factions that had traveled with them. Like what happened on Earth, the former expanded its influence over the civilian government, claiming that militarization was necessary for the inevitable confrontation with the Reich, though whether it would be an imperial invasion or the FPA invading the Reich was not specified. The latter also wormed its way into the government, buying off politicians and lobbying for the passing of bills that would expand their power and undermine the people's rights. Consumerism returned in full force, aided by a government eager to find the cultural antithesis to the Reich's hierarchical society. Patriotic and militaristic civilian groups calling for further militarization, the silencing of dissenting views, even outright purges of dissenting populations became a common sight on Heinessen and other FPA planets. By the time the Reich stumbled upon the FPA and hostilities resumed 113 years later, the FPA had effectively become a military/corporate junta pretending to be a democracy.
It is now the Galactic Year 796 and Imperial Year 487, or 3596 CE in the old Earth calendar. The war between the FPA and Galactic Reich has raged for 156 years, and neither side has made any progress. Imperial and Alliance fleets can only cross into each other's territory via two hyperlane chokepoints, one guarded by the Reich's planet-sized Iserlohn Fortress and the other controlled by the neutral planet of Phezzan, whose businesses sell weapons and information to both sides to profit off the endless war. The war has heavy Romance of the Three Kingdoms inspirations.
The Galactic Reich has further expanded the size and power of the Imperial Navy to such a degree that the empire has effectively become an army with a state. The dynatoi and officer corps almost completely overlap. The military is now the only bastion of meritocracy within the Reich, and even there it is extremely limited. Upward social mobility can only be achieved through military service, and even then it can only be done by nobility or those with noble connections. The office of chancellor has been staffed by the Field Marshal of the Imperial Navy for generations now. The Goldenbaum dynasty has become complacent in its rule, content with holding galas and banquets in New Brandenburg Palace while the military runs most things. Court intrigue constantly claims new casualties as the various dynatoi vie for who can gain favor over the Kaiser or his heir through imperial consorts or concubines while eliminating their rivals and the royals they support. The Galactic Reich is very clearly based on the Metternich-era Reich, with elements of past Chinese imperial dynasties—specifically the early Ming Dynasty—and concepts like the Mandate of Heaven being invoked.
Reinhard von Müsel, a minor noble, is forced to watch as his beloved older sister Annerose is sold off as a concubine to Kaiser Friedrich IV to help pay his father's debts. As a result, he and his best friend, Siegfried Kircheis, vow to rescue Annerose, take down the Goldenbaum dynasty and replace the Reich with a truly meritocratic society, and conquer the universe for themselves. They join the military academy, where they quickly rise through the ranks due to Reinhard's strategic genius and talent in finding the best qualified person for any task. Reaching the rank of admiral by the time he is 21, Friedrich IV confers up on Reinhard the dynatos name "Lohengramm," elevating him to the dynatoi as Reinhard von Lohengramm. Leaving the academy, Reinhard is given command of a fleet and deployed to the front lines, where he plans to break the stalemate against the FPA.
On the other side of the galaxy, the FPA has remained stagnant and under the informal control of both the Alliance Navy and major corporations. The administration of Job Trünicht, a fervent nationalist and militarist, has led to far right organizations being empowered across the FPA, where they intimidate or assault anybody they believe is sabotaging the war effort by calling for peace or demilitarization. Democracy has become a sham, as only parties and candidates vetted by the military for loyalty and financially supported by at least one corporate backer can start and maintain an election campaign. The economy has been restructured to prioritize the war effort, making weapons manufacturers rich at the cost of other businesses. Any popular movements to return to the ideals espoused by Arle Heinessen either don't get any public support, due to general apathy or consumerism taking away the people's attention and critical thinking skills, or are quickly crushed by the military, corporations, or the patriotic organizations. The FPA heavily takes inspiration from both the Reich of the 1980s but also China in the 1930s, with its founding narrative borrowing from the Fuxingyundong movement of the 1860s and the founding of the Ming Dynasty by a peasant standing up to Mongol rule.
Yang Wen-li, a college student majoring in history, enlists in the military academy as a way to pay for his tuition. He is soon promoted to commodore in the Alliance Navy due to his tactical brilliance, drawing on his knowledge of past battles and historical events, winning the FPA many decisive battles against impossible odds. Although he would rather retire from the military and return to university, he reluctantly stays in the service to help with the FPA's war effort, realizing more of the men under his command would die should he leave. Compared to Reinhard, Yang is humble and hates publicity, but his military victories and lack of defeats makes him into a national hero opposing Reinhard. Although many in the FPA want Yang to speak out against the corruption and semi-authoritarianism of the FPA's current politics or even intervene to restore true democracy, Yang does not want fame and refuses to assume more direct power and responsibility than he already has, believing it would risk the FPA's already flawed democracy and lead to the Reich's total victory. As the series goes on and the two repeatedly fight, Yang's underdog victories and commitment to democracy earns him Reinhard's respect, while Yang comes to respect Reinhard's minimization of collateral damage and belief in meritocracy, and each comes to incorporate elements of the other's ideals into their own.
Meanwhile, the mysterious Earth Cult, originating from the long forgotten home of humanity, schemes with Phezzan to steer the war in its favor...
The original novels were written over the course of the 1980s and would have reflected both the progress of WW3 and the geopolitical posturing of both the Reich and China as they prepared for a post-Soviet world.
In the year 2039, tensions between the Reich and the Chinese Empire, which had jointly taken over the crumbling Soviet sphere throughout the 1980s and 90s (instead of a WW3 that lasts two years, the Soviets suffer through a slow but violent internal collapse), reach the point of no return with the Thirteen Day War, in which nearly every major city on Earth is nuked at least once. After a hundred years of chaos, the survivors reorganize and begin establishing new governments. In 2129, these governments unite into a world government, based in New Prague, Mittagsland. Earth begins colonizing the solar system, and within several generations, human colonies on Mars and the moons of Jupiter become more populous than Earth cities. FTL is invented, and extrasolar colonization begins. Centuries pass, and Earth enters a golden age as resources from the colonies are sent to rebuild the planet. However, the colonists soon grow tired of sending their resources and money to a planet many of them have few ties to. Complaints become protests, and protests become riots. On the other side, Earth's ostensibly liberal society—which emphasizes a fusion of Roman meritocracy and Chinese democracy—becomes socially stratified, with military officers effectively becoming a new Roman-style aristocracy. The military, taking influences from Chiang's regime, gradually expands its influence over the civilian government and advocates for a harsh crackdown against the riots. The riots escalate into rebellions, which the military violently suppresses. Human rights violations are committed on multiple colonies, some of which are completely glassed from orbit, driving more and more colonists against Earth. Ultimately, the major colonial systems unite into a single alliance, provoking all-out war with Earth. Although Earth fights fiercely, without its most important colonies it cannot support its own economy and military. The colonial fleets eventually push their way to Earth, which they besiege and blockade for months, starving billions. When the death toll began to skyrocket and Earth's misery was at its peak, the fleets opened fire, glassing the planet in revenge for everything done to the colonies. The bombardment was so thorough that the Himalayas were almost completely eradicated and the population of Earth was reduced to 10 million. Earth would never recover—humanity would move on and forget its place of origin almost entirely.
The victorious colonies soon turned against each other as they argued over what to replace Earth's rule with, ushering in centuries of war. Finally, in 2801, or Galactic Calendar (GC) Year 1 in a new calendar, humanity united in a Galactic Republic, a democratic alliance of planets. The golden age of the Republic would last for several centuries. But as the years went on, the economy stagnated, and both the government and the people grew complacent. Cracks emerged in society. Corruption scandals brought down administrations. Rampant consumerism led to the centralization of power in powerful corporations who undermined workers' rights. A resurgence in space piracy proves too much for the Republic's security forces to handle.
It was in this time that Rudolf Goldenbaum was born. Rudolf was a talented pilot and ship commander who had graduated from the Republic's military academy with many honors. He distinguished himself by leading the Republic's navy against the space pirates and decisively ending their threat, earning him the overwhelming support of the common people. His charismatic nature allowed him to get a foothold in politics, where he railed against both the power of the corporations and the corruption of the establishment, calling on the people of the galaxy to unite behind him and overthrow the oppressors holding them down. His rhetoric transcended economic, cultural, and planetary lines, appealing to people across the galaxy no matter their status or origin. He was soon swept into power with an overwhelming majority granting him a mandate to do as he wished. Rudolf was a man of action. He and his allies immediately nationalized the corporations in control of the Republic's economy and threw their leaders in jail. They then did the same with the politicians they accused of corruption. Soon, the overjoyed people began calling on Rudolf to fix every issue with their society, no longer wanting to do it themselves. Rudolf obliged, purging dissident political groups like equalists and unionists, arresting any who protested his policies, and expanding the power of the military to include law enforcement. Under Rudolf's increasingly autocratic rule, all disloyal or dissenting elements were eliminated in the name of greater economic, social, and political efficiency. And to many across the galaxy, it seemingly worked. With humanity rallied behind him and all obstacles to his rule removed, Rudolf declared himself Kaiser Rudolf I von Goldenbaum, the second coming of Friedrich the Great. Adopting Roman titles and political institutions, he turned the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Reich, an absolute monarchy based on the Metternich-era Reich, which he held as the pinnacle of the old Reich. On his new imperial capital, Odin, he built cities based on old Berlin, with New Brandenburg Palace as his place of residence. His closest allies received German names, noble titles, and positions in his cabinet. Rudolf declared that all important positions should be given to those best qualified for them, but even he ignored his own order, and within a generation all major government positions had become hereditary. His allies formed a new dynatoi class. House von Goldenbaum became royalty. Even the calendar was reformed again, with Imperial Calendar (IC) Year 1/GC 310 marking Rudolf's ascent to power.
Once the state and the economy had been "streamlined" into something Rudolf deemed efficient, he next turned to the people themselves. Believing that the people had to be purified of the consumerism and dangerous ideologies that had torn humanity apart in the Republic years, he ordered the arrests and executions of all who believed in anti-monarchical ideologies. This would later be extended to include those Rudolf deemed weak, including the poor and disabled, citing how Saint Wilhelmina oversaw the French purges and Muslim diaspora to unite the old Reich. Interpretations of the vague order Rudolf gave eventually escalated the purges into the genocide of entire planets. Over the next few centuries, millions died, and many more were sent to prison camps or dangerous asteroid mines.
Arle Heinessen was one of those prisoners. He and many others had been arrested for calling for a return to democracy and exiled to a remote asteroid mine. In IC 164, they escaped and stole several ships, which they used to secretly go around the Reich recruiting more likeminded individuals and liberating prison camps. Heinessen adopted the ideals and imagery of Friedrich the Great, as well as Lin Zexu, for himself, calling on the peoples of the galaxy to unite against their new oppressors in the Goldenbaum dynasty. Many heeded the call, flocking to his purple-red-yellow banner (drawing on both the designs of the Roman and Chinese flags). Soon the reigning Kaiser realized Heinessen's threat and mobilized the Imperial Navy. Knowing his ships could not survive a direct engagement with the Reich, Heinessen and his allies decided to flee the Reich entirely and find a new home for democracy. Traveling on stolen civilian and mining ships not meant for such long FTL trips in uncharted territory, their journey took many decades. Nobody who fled the Reich, including Heinessen himself, lived to see the end of what would later be called the Long Trek of Ten Thousand Light-Years. 54 years later, the descendants of the initial refugees found a habitable planet they could live on, far from imperial rule. They named it Heinessen, after their fallen leader, and in his name they would establish the Free Planets Alliance, which would continue the democratic legacy of the Galactic Republic.
However, as the years passed and those who remembered the Long Trek passed away, the FPA soon fell into the same cycle of stagnation and discontent that brought down the old Republic. The founders of the FPA, like those in the anti-Earth coalition, fell into infighting within years of settlement, culminating in assassinations against each other. Although the FPA's constitution enshrined many individual rights, it also left out noticeable loopholes as a result of the founders needing the backing of several important military and economic factions that had traveled with them. Like what happened on Earth, the former expanded its influence over the civilian government, claiming that militarization was necessary for the inevitable confrontation with the Reich, though whether it would be an imperial invasion or the FPA invading the Reich was not specified. The latter also wormed its way into the government, buying off politicians and lobbying for the passing of bills that would expand their power and undermine the people's rights. Consumerism returned in full force, aided by a government eager to find the cultural antithesis to the Reich's hierarchical society. Patriotic and militaristic civilian groups calling for further militarization, the silencing of dissenting views, even outright purges of dissenting populations became a common sight on Heinessen and other FPA planets. By the time the Reich stumbled upon the FPA and hostilities resumed 113 years later, the FPA had effectively become a military/corporate junta pretending to be a democracy.
It is now the Galactic Year 796 and Imperial Year 487, or 3596 CE in the old Earth calendar. The war between the FPA and Galactic Reich has raged for 156 years, and neither side has made any progress. Imperial and Alliance fleets can only cross into each other's territory via two hyperlane chokepoints, one guarded by the Reich's planet-sized Iserlohn Fortress and the other controlled by the neutral planet of Phezzan, whose businesses sell weapons and information to both sides to profit off the endless war. The war has heavy Romance of the Three Kingdoms inspirations.
The Galactic Reich has further expanded the size and power of the Imperial Navy to such a degree that the empire has effectively become an army with a state. The dynatoi and officer corps almost completely overlap. The military is now the only bastion of meritocracy within the Reich, and even there it is extremely limited. Upward social mobility can only be achieved through military service, and even then it can only be done by nobility or those with noble connections. The office of chancellor has been staffed by the Field Marshal of the Imperial Navy for generations now. The Goldenbaum dynasty has become complacent in its rule, content with holding galas and banquets in New Brandenburg Palace while the military runs most things. Court intrigue constantly claims new casualties as the various dynatoi vie for who can gain favor over the Kaiser or his heir through imperial consorts or concubines while eliminating their rivals and the royals they support. The Galactic Reich is very clearly based on the Metternich-era Reich, with elements of past Chinese imperial dynasties—specifically the early Ming Dynasty—and concepts like the Mandate of Heaven being invoked.
Reinhard von Müsel, a minor noble, is forced to watch as his beloved older sister Annerose is sold off as a concubine to Kaiser Friedrich IV to help pay his father's debts. As a result, he and his best friend, Siegfried Kircheis, vow to rescue Annerose, take down the Goldenbaum dynasty and replace the Reich with a truly meritocratic society, and conquer the universe for themselves. They join the military academy, where they quickly rise through the ranks due to Reinhard's strategic genius and talent in finding the best qualified person for any task. Reaching the rank of admiral by the time he is 21, Friedrich IV confers up on Reinhard the dynatos name "Lohengramm," elevating him to the dynatoi as Reinhard von Lohengramm. Leaving the academy, Reinhard is given command of a fleet and deployed to the front lines, where he plans to break the stalemate against the FPA.
On the other side of the galaxy, the FPA has remained stagnant and under the informal control of both the Alliance Navy and major corporations. The administration of Job Trünicht, a fervent nationalist and militarist, has led to far right organizations being empowered across the FPA, where they intimidate or assault anybody they believe is sabotaging the war effort by calling for peace or demilitarization. Democracy has become a sham, as only parties and candidates vetted by the military for loyalty and financially supported by at least one corporate backer can start and maintain an election campaign. The economy has been restructured to prioritize the war effort, making weapons manufacturers rich at the cost of other businesses. Any popular movements to return to the ideals espoused by Arle Heinessen either don't get any public support, due to general apathy or consumerism taking away the people's attention and critical thinking skills, or are quickly crushed by the military, corporations, or the patriotic organizations. The FPA heavily takes inspiration from both the Reich of the 1980s but also China in the 1930s, with its founding narrative borrowing from the Fuxingyundong movement of the 1860s and the founding of the Ming Dynasty by a peasant standing up to Mongol rule.
Yang Wen-li, a college student majoring in history, enlists in the military academy as a way to pay for his tuition. He is soon promoted to commodore in the Alliance Navy due to his tactical brilliance, drawing on his knowledge of past battles and historical events, winning the FPA many decisive battles against impossible odds. Although he would rather retire from the military and return to university, he reluctantly stays in the service to help with the FPA's war effort, realizing more of the men under his command would die should he leave. Compared to Reinhard, Yang is humble and hates publicity, but his military victories and lack of defeats makes him into a national hero opposing Reinhard. Although many in the FPA want Yang to speak out against the corruption and semi-authoritarianism of the FPA's current politics or even intervene to restore true democracy, Yang does not want fame and refuses to assume more direct power and responsibility than he already has, believing it would risk the FPA's already flawed democracy and lead to the Reich's total victory. As the series goes on and the two repeatedly fight, Yang's underdog victories and commitment to democracy earns him Reinhard's respect, while Yang comes to respect Reinhard's minimization of collateral damage and belief in meritocracy, and each comes to incorporate elements of the other's ideals into their own.
Meanwhile, the mysterious Earth Cult, originating from the long forgotten home of humanity, schemes with Phezzan to steer the war in its favor...
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