Chapter 1: Loose Foundations
Coming out of the Continental Wars Europe for the first time had a properly defined Balance of Power. The Khitan and Persian Empires remained the most powerful nations and this was broadly recognized by all powers. Following the Persians was the Hegemonic Hellenic Republic which dominated the Mediterranean. The Kingdom of Italy however due to its vast wealth and central position in Europe had quickly reconstructed itself where the Bohemian Empire had begun to run into serious national issues regarding its ethnic minorities and military. Though these issues were not unique to Bohemia, the Bohemian Empire simply had a worst case scenario underneath the hood.
The Khitan Empire was the Most Powerful Nation in the world and had strengths and issues all its own. When one speaks of ancient empires of antiquity the reference is often Rome, Persia, The Eastern Roman Empire, Golden Age Cathay and Ancient China, large Empires dominating an entire geographic Region in sheer size. This however was not Modern Cathay whos land borders in Europe stopped in Central France, The Alps and the Elbe River. In terms of Landmass Cathay was a mere shadow of itself, Demographically however a far different story was to be told.
The Core Region of Cathay held within it the highest population density in Europe, greater than even that of Northern Italy or Great Britain with almost 40 Million in the Capital Region alone, with competitive numbers in old Avalon, Northern France and along the Rhine River. With such high population density along the Major Rivers and Channel Coastline Cathay had been in an ideal position to rebuild its empire but rather than doing so in Europe did so Abroad pulling in vast amounts of resources from the Americas, Africa and Asia.
With the Recent Independence of what was now the Empire of North America and United States of Central America the Empire lost its largest captive trading partners and was wholly dependent on its Asian colonies for wealth. Demographically the Empire had a seperate but also equally pressing issue in that over the entire Empire as a whole, Native Born Khitan of the Core region were in fact a minority even with the Dutch peoples of the Lowlands being factored in as Khitan, meaning that any attempt to grant the Overseas colonies any degree of self rule or representation was simply not on the table. Similarly there was a substantial minority of Germans living on the fringes of the Empire even after the creation of the Principalities of Hanover and Frankfurt.
Geopolitically the Situation had become more Complex, The Continental Wars had resulted in the loss of Aquitaine as a buffer state and puppet with the Iberians in the South but also the loss of territories in the Alps to the Italians. With the revolution effectively given legitimacy through continued draws and successes against the Absolutists in Europe and the resulting Council of London the signs had become clear to Emperor Arthur and much of his inner circle that Ideology simply was not going to keep the Empire out of the sights of Foreign Powers anymore. The Italians and Bohemians had jumped at the opportunity to turn against Cathay at the peace table as they had done so, so many times before in the past. The Khitan Empire once again needed Reliable friends and allies it could actually count on to see it succeed rather than simply do all the work for none of the gains.
(Consul Theodosis Nepos 1836)
In Greece there was a similar sentiment, Consul Hector Illemenas had stepped down following backlash from the treaty of London and an election had been called in 1835 for a new Regime. In the time since Petrovic's illness and his own resignation Hellenic Politics had rematerialized into two major Camps. The more Hawkish and military focused leaning National Republicans who for the most part believed in the style of leadership of the Petrovik era, a Steady hand and limited and pragmatic reforms. The Opposition party, the New Democracy Party had a far more liberal stance and campaigned more around economic and social freedoms.
When the Results came in the entrenched Republicans had won thanks to revanchist feelings regarding the treaty of london and the emergence of a Charismatic new Leader, General turned Senator Theodosis Nepos. With control over the Senate and a majority in the Lower house Nepos was appointed Consul alongside a more experienced politician, Markos Spartenos. Theodosis having a mind for foreign policy immediatly implemented what he had called "Olive Branch and Rapier" that could be summarized that the Republic would move forward with either Peaceful and thus friendly relations with her partners in the world, or it would actively remain hostile.
Consul Markos meanwhile set about reforming the Government system so that the Lower House, which the Republicans had significantly less influence no longer could veto the Senates choice in Consul a somewhat controversial reformation that many intellectuals would expect would bite the Republicans back in the Long Term when the Senate inevitably turned more liberal.
Theodosis however had his own controversial acts, Being given effective free reign over foreign policy the Younger Consul signed the Treaty of Capua with Emperor Arthur of Cathay, affirming that the Khitan and Greek Empires would once again re-ignite their alliance against the Italian and Bohemian States. The Reaction from Europe fearing what was to come was swift.
In almost a Repeat of the Continental Wars the Italians in coordination with the Persian Empire invaded Croatia. The Hellenic Republic responded to this violation of the Treaty of London by invading Georgia with intent to re-annex the small Kingdom. With the Ink on the Treaty of Capua still fresh, Emperor Arthur declared war on the Kingdom of Italy with intent to defend the Hellenic Empire.
Rather than Escalate further however the British, Scandinavian and Bohemian governments all declared neutrality in the conflict. Emperor Wenceslas of Bohemia rather than put his nation at risk with the greeks again chose to invade Avaria rather than the Greek Republic Directly, as well as to assert claims to African territories seized by Granada in the treaty of London.
With the Sides set, The Khitan Armies suddenly found the expected plan of attacking Germany and marching into Bohemia an impossibility, as Bohemia was not actually in the war or being belligerent beyond denying the Khitan army military access. Instead Bavaria and the Alpine territories had become the only front the Khitan army would be capable of waging war on while the Greek Republic stood alone against Italy and Mighty Persia.
The problem was not lost on Emperor Arthur who realized that the Alps needed to be breached before the Persians and Italians simply overran the Hellenic Republic which while formidable had won against the persians previously thanks to the genius of its revolutionary era leadership. To ask for Lightning to strike twice was simple foolishness at best.
Meanwhile the Bohemian Empire's claims over territories in Africa went unanswered by Granada. In response the Bohemian Empire declared a state of war to reclaim her rightful territories from the Spanish.
The August issue of New of the World also for the first time in the history of the Empire provided relatively accurate war correspondence. Its first Major story would be that of the battle of Freiburg where the Italians had initially held off an assault from Khitan armies before finally being broken in Late July.
Elsewhere in the Empire the Region of Transvaal rumored to be rich in precious metals and diamonds had been settled by Dutch Migrants to Cape Colony. These Settlers, called Boers initially claimed independence from the Empire but were swiftly put under the Thumb of the Local colonial garrisons to protect them from Mutapa raids from the North as well as Tribal confederations in the region that had an interest in restricting European settlement.
Back in Europe a series of disastrous attempts to breach the Alpine defenses and costly battles in Germany had effectively humiliated the Khitan Military. After its great showings in the Continental Wars funding had been cut to an all time low due to the treaty of London. When it had become apparent that Italy had ignored such terms of the treaty however an outgunned and outnumbered army had little choice but to enact conscription for the second time to shore up troop numbers and prevent an italian break out into the North.
Emperor Arthur was expectantly furious and to prevent the situation from worsening had to abide a Granadan invasion of Navarra, a protected client state on the other side of Aquitaine. The Republic of Scandinavia, eager to use this opportunity to get favorable terms for an alliance with the Khitan approached Arthur for a defensive alliance. The Consequences of Denial of course could mean war in the Colonies, especially Asia and Africa where the Scandinavians held considerable interest. The resulting treaty of Hamburg was signed among the harshest stipulations were that work on the Kiel Canal be put on indefinite hold.
In the Middle East the Republic of Iran had what many of the Military leadership in Cathay had feared, success. Without the Shocking new tactics of Petrovik's generation the Greeks simply found themselves outnumbered by the Persians and slowly but surely lost ground to the Persians across the entire middle East, eventually stabilizing in the Mountainous Armenian Line. Though the Greeks were finding far greater success in Croatia, and used such success to quickly negotiate terms out of the war following the Khitan Mobilization.
The Hellenics rather than fighting a far more damaging war agreed to the Treaty of Khiva which ceded Territories in Slovenia back to Italian Hands as well as granted transportation rights from the red sea into the Mediterranean via the Sinai peninsula to the Persian Republic. For the first time the Hellenic Republic had been beaten but the war was not over. Out of either pride or foolishness the Persians had demanded terms of the Khitan Empire as well expecting the italians to be able to push enough past the Alps to enact them. At the time this seemed possible but Emperor Arthur was about to play his trump card.
In the Following Months the Italians expecting an easy war soon found themselves outnumbered nearly six to one on the Front in France due to the massive influx of reserves called up to defend the country. While the Reserves mostly civilians with military surplus equipment held the Line the proper army had reformed and trained. By the late 1836 The Khitan army returned to Burgundy in full force, and by the Spring of 1837 the Khitan army was breached the Alps and reached the gates of Milan.
With the tides turned it was now Cathay's turn to make demands. The Alpine territories taken from the Empire during the Council of London were demanded returned as well as several Italian Colony. The Persians of course remained belligerent, the Italians upon repeated failed attempts to bring Bohemia into the war found no choice but to surrender and sign a peace lest the Khitan army reach Rome itself.
The Return of the Western Alps had to some extent helped the Empire recover its prestige, It had been caught unprepared and had nearly paid the price. The Italians and Persians had learned this lesson however, if there would be a next time the invasion of Cathay would need to be swift and devastating, else they were at risk of being turned by by a wall of bodies yet again.
The Greco-Persian War would be remembered ultimately as the Second continuation War due to its effective place as the final conflict in the Continental wars. The effect of the second continuation war for the most part wasn't the specific terms that had been enacted in the various peace treaties but the undoing of much of the Council of London's stipulations. Avaria had been reduced to a rump state, the Territorial gains in the Alps had been reversed, The Khitan and Greek Empires had reaffirmed their alliance and as a result the German, Iberian Princes as well as Aquitaine would once again begin a slow irreversible drift back into the Khitan Sphere.
The Italians however had proved themselves more competent than expected, having won territory in Croatia and forcing emergency measures by the Khitan Empire to stop an assault. The next Major war in Europe would come with hesitation not out of the treaty of london but for the fear of what a war of populations could bring when neither nation refused to simply sign quick terms and instead fight until the bitter end.
(Borders of Europe 1838)
