History 1936-2050s
History 1936-2050s
The ten years 1936-1946 was an unruly one, with initially more unrest from the Communists and Jacobins. However, with the ascension of Emperor Pelka VI important changes were made to the running of the Empire. No general right to voting were still allowed, and the country would never become a democracy. But the new Emperor saw that changes were needed should the system survive. This, together with the enormous growth of the economy, would save the Empire.
In 1938, the extended royal family and close allies of the Imperial family were allowed to vote in representatives to an advisory body to the Emperor, with advisory underscored. Further, the bureaucracy and internal organization were reformed, in addition to further social reforms to the benefit of the country as a whole. Together, this calmed things down and made the country ready to face its greatest challenge yet.
In 1947 there finally was a showdown between Poland and her many allies – chief amongst them Greece – and the Franco-Byzantine alliance. Byzantium at this time was a paper tiger, but France had militarized quite a bit the last two decades and her army, navy and airforce were a force to be reckoned with. She had long envied the strong position of Poland and now thought herself powerful enough to go up one to one with her longtime rival.
Source:; http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3Y8tkZUuYvCYGa3vaQ7TyC.jpg
The war would be long and bloody and initially the French made good advances into Germany and Italy, before being stopped around Rome and Berlin, respectively. Here, the lines stalled, and countless lives were lost before Poland finally managed to slowly drive the French back.
Greece in the meantime steamrolled Byzantium and finally accomplished what the Byzantines had wished for so long, the reuniting of the country – only in reverse. Alarmed at this, Ukraine – who herself had built up her military over the last decade – declared war on the Polish alliance on September 23rd, 1949.
On the other side of Europe, Andalusia – the long time ally of Poland – had remained neutral so far, but now she was promised southern Italy from France if she joined the French alliance. And so, on October 4th the same year, she too joined in on the French side.
Both countries would regret their decision. Ukraine showed herself to be paper tiger and was overrun by Greece and Poland, and by spring 1950 Greece occupied Armenia and the Caucasus, while Polish tanks roamed Central Asia - and Ukraine was no more.
Back in the west, France was by December 1951 defending her own homeland, giving the Poles a hard time for each inch. France would not give up before all of her lands were occupied, and Free French contigents would continue the fight as Polish troops entered Iberia. But the writing was on the wall, and on May 8th, 1953 peace finally returned to Europe with the Treaty of Paris.
The treaty would see France divided into three puppet regions under the supervision of Poland, with Andalusia divided into two regions; Andalusia and Castille, both puppets of Poland. Ukraine and Armenia was divided between Poland and Greece, with her Asian subjects reorganized as puppets of Poland. A Pax Polonia reigned Europe as all of it was ruled by Poland, her puppets or her allies.
Elsewhere in the world, fear gripped the people. A three-way Cold War soon developed between a Poland and her allies whose economies were soaring to yet unknown heights on one side, and free American countries and Asian countries on the other side. Africa was already partly under the Polish alliance’s influence and the last countries there soon joined the Polish fold.
In America, Vermont lead the American alliance, consisting of most of North, Central and South America, with the sole exception of Polish Central America.
In Asia, India, the Chinese states and Japan sought together to form an alliance of their own, soon strechting from the eastern Middle East all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Australia remained a steadfast Polish ally.
This cold war would last until the 1990s, when the immense growth of the Polish alliance’s economy and this alliance’s deepening ties under the more and more dominating Poland broke the camel’s back. Poland was by the late 1980s consolidating her grip on her puppets and allies and by the mid 1990s it was increasingly hard to see where Poland stopped and her “allies” started.
Asia was first to fall. Failing to keep up with the Polish economic miracle, the Asian alliance broke asunder in 1998, and the Asian countries one after another sought closer ties with Poland.
At the turn of the millennium, Poland had already operated a Moon base for the better part of a decade and further expansion into the solar system followed. The American alliance lead by Vermont was increasingly falling behind, both on Earth and in space.
Source: https://www.deviantart.com/advoma/art/Praevitrinium-Class-Scientian-Ark-Ship-403511014
The Cold War between the Americans and the rest of the world, led by Poland, continued for decades still, though. In the 2050s, the solar system was fully colonized, and the people of Earth looked outwards to the galaxy at large. There existed no foolproof technology to colonize outside the solar system, but several experimental techniques was under testing. Some, both in the Polish led world and in America, wanted away from Polish influence and were willing to risk their lives to escape.
The first wave of extrasolar, experimental colonization started in the mid 2050s. A dozen ark ships left Earth, and all contact was lost. No one knew if anyone had survived, and there was really no way to find out. The Emperor, now named Pelka VII, did not worry. He was sure they were dead, and if not, they were potential trouble makers that was no longer a worry. Time would show how wrong he was.
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