Storhet för dig, älskade Skandinavia ("Greatness for you, beloved Scandinavia") | |||||||
| Anthem | "Länge leve Skandinavia" | ||||||
| Capital | Stockholm | ||||||
| Largest city | Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen | ||||||
| Other cities | Helsinki, Turku, Bergenhuis, Smaland, Schleswig, Lubeck | ||||||
| Language official |
Swedish | ||||||
| others | Ethnic Languages | ||||||
| Religion | Germanic Catholicism | ||||||
| Ethnic Group | Scandinavian | ||||||
| Demonym | Scandinavian | ||||||
| Government | Constitutional Monarchy | ||||||
| Legislature | Riksdag | ||||||
| King | Erik VII(1656-) | ||||||
| Royal house: | House of Lara-Vasterbotten | ||||||
| Population | 9,323,587 | ||||||
| Established | May 17, 1507 | ||||||
| Currency | Scandinavian Krona | ||||||
| Organizations | Scandinavia, NETA (Northern European Trading Alliance) | ||||||
Scandinavia (formally the United Kingdom of Scandinavia and Scotland) is a large country in Northern Europe, situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It borders Novgorod/Russian Federation on the east and Brandenburg to the south of the province of Schleswig-Holstein (a part of Denmark, known as Slesvig-Holsten in Swedish). It also borders the Netherlands on the western border of Slesvig-Holsten. In Skottland, the kingdom borders Northumbria which is a vassal of Wales. The country shares colonial borders with Brandenburg, Venice, Burgundy, and Portugal. Scandinavia is an economic and colonial power; it has several growing colonies in Antillia and its economy is improving with the years. Its military and its navy are large and growing like the rest of Scandinavia. The most populated areas are in the south while the north remains sparsely populated. A recent population boom is increasing the populace exponentially and is encouraging immigration to the Scandinavian New World. The country was born during the reign of King Erik III of Sweden, Norway and Denmark when he acquired Finland for the Crown in 1507. King Erik is revered in Scandinavia, especially following his death in 1547. After years of Scandinavian influence in the chaotic lands of Scotland after a terrible period of disarray, the Scottish King relinquished sovereignty to Scandinavia and joined the UK in 1605. The subsequent Acts of Union of 1605 united the crowns of both countries.
History[]
Pre-Unification (???-1507)[]
The stage for the unification of Scandinavia was largely set by the Kingdom of Sweden, in contrast to the Danish-instigated and ill-fated predecessor state (the Kalmar Union). Sweden took steps to ensure the permanence of the Union and to prevent any destructive civil wars like the one that destroyed the Kalmar Union. After the Scandinavian civil war that eliminated the KU, Norway and Sweden campaigned against Denmark. At the end of the war, Sweden and Norway vassalized Denmark jointly.
In 1500 the King of Sweden was Gustav I, largely unknown in Scandinavian history. His biggest accomplishment was successfully securing the marriage of his only child, heiress presumptive Christina, to Norwegian Crown Prince Erik with the permission of Norwegian King Haakon. Gustav authorized expeditions to Antillia and was awaiting for news of the voyage to the New World when he suddenly died in 1503, three months before the expedition returned. Upon King Gustav's death, Erik (Christina's husband and heir to the throne of Norway) replaced his wife as heir and succeeded his father-in-law as King Erik III of Sweden.
Shocked to have inherited the throne of his wife's country, Erik quickly took the reins and began to expertly maneuver Sweden. Erik was educated in the Holy Roman Empire and spent several summers in Venice. When King Erik received news of a successful settlement in the Bukten Sverige (Bay of Sweden - OTL Chesapeake Bay), he decided to honor his late father-in-law by naming the settlement Gustavstad and giving the colony a royal charter. Just one year later, Sweden experienced another tragedy; King Haakon of Norway dies of old age, and King Erik III of Sweden inherits the Crown of his native Norway. Erik therefore unified Sweden and Norway, a step in creating Scandinavia.
King Erik had a lot of work to do upon acquiring the throne of Norway; his father poorly led the nation in a war with Scotland in which they lost the Shetland and Faroe Islands. On top of that war, Norway was still reeling from the Kalmar Civil War; its economy was doing as poorly as it did in both those wars. Erik began taking measures to recover the Norwegian economy before its integration into the Swedish economy. So far, it is showing great signs of recovery.
Between 1503-1507, King Erik began to vassalize the Finnish states: The Grand Duchy of Helsinki, the Grand Duchy of Turku, and the Saami nation. Most of these nations accepted vassalization peacefully. The Saami proved much more difficult. They refused to become part of a country that wouldn't respect their sovereignty; after almost three years of deliberations, the Saami accepted a Scandinavian treaty of vassalization with the condition of the creation of a Special Saami Autonomous Region. With the acquiring of all Finnish states, King Erik successfully recreated all of the original Scandinavian land with more than what the KU had. He also annexed Denmark in 1506.
King Erik being coronated in 1507 at the Palassen Skandinavia by his mother Ulrika Eleanora of Norway. This is a marble stone display of his coronation by famous Scandinavian artist Britta Klingenberg.
After placing all Scandinavian regions under his influence, King Erik announced the creation of the United Kingdom of Scandinavia from the steps of the Palassen Skandinavia in Stockholm. Upon this announcement, all areas under vassalization were annexed to the new country. Helsinki, Turku, and the Saami areas were amalgamated into Finland. Scandinavia was born; "Scandinavia Day" is celebrated every 17th of May.
Post-Unification (1507-)[]
After unifying the kingdoms of the north, King Erik knew he had to steer his country in the right direction and pursue beneficial policies. He took steps to ensure the unity of the nation by dissolving the personal unions/vassalization treaties that held the country together and that were used to create the nation. Instead of ruling over a Kalmar-like supranational entity that was Swedish dominated, he created a United Kingdom of Scandinavia in which all parts of the country would be represented in the Riksdag. The reign of King Erik is known to be a peaceful one in which he led the country into its first 40 years effectively, becoming a powerful colonial empire within ten years of his death in 1547. The stable years of his rule are considered by historians to have played a great role in the rise of Scandinavia.
Following the death of King Erik in 1547, Victoria Princess of Sweden rose to the throne. Her succession was one that surprised the nation, since it was widely expected that her brother Erik IV would rise to the throne. Sadly, during his governorship in Lubeck, Kappelist radicals killed him and his brothers the princes of Norway and Denmark respectively. Conspiracy theorists claim that the ambitious Victoria planned the event in order to secure her succession to the throne. This is widely disregarded. Victoria became almost as popular as her father, helping a nation that had not yet experienced the loss of a national monarch like Erik III. Her policies largely favored business and extensive colonialism, she focused especially on Nya Sverige due to its value as a cash crop colony. Historians credit Victoria for making the decision to marry Pedro, Crown Prince of Portugal, and creating a subsequent personal union with Portugal. She steered the country expertly in the Great Mediterranean War against Naples along with the military genius Harald Nyborg (in his first war as general). In her later years, she commissioned a 100 foot bronze statue of her late father King Erik III in Stockholm with 50 foot replicas in Oslo, Helsinki, Turku, and Copenhagen. It was completed three years after her death in 1564.
When Victoria died in 1564, the first monarch of Scandinavia-Portugal Alfonse (Afonso in Portugal) was crowned in separate ceremonies in Lisbon and Stockholm. TBC
Kings/Queens[]
- Gustav I (1450-1503) -- was King of Sweden and not Scandinavia, he played a part in its formation and is therefore considered an honorary king of Scandinavia.
- Erik III (1503-1547)*
- Victoria I (1547-1564)
- Alfonse I (1564-84)
- Erik V (1584-85)
- Jan I (1585-87)
- Karina I (1587-1630)
- Erik VI (1630-1656)
- Erik VII (1656-)
- Did not rule Scandinavia as a unified kingdom until 1507.
- As of the reign of Karina I, the imperial title Kejszar (for female monarchs, Kejszarinna) is applied to Scandinavian rulers.
Colonies[]
Scandinavia began colonial ventures in 1501 (as predecessor state, Sweden), with its first successful establishment of a colony in 1503.
Nya Sverige (New Sweden)[]
Established in 1503 in the OTL Chesapeake Bay Region, Nya Sverige is the oldest Scandinavian colony. However, it was founded under the Kingdom of Sweden and was later transferred to Scandinavia in 1507 upon its founding. Nya Sverige (abbreviated NS) is the most prosperous colony due to the huge
amounts of tobacco being exported per year. It is the most rapidly expanding colony in Antillia and it has given Scandinavia a monopoly over the exportation of tobacco and cotton to Europe, enriching the country. Nya Sverige occupies OTL Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and North Carolina. Beginning in the 1520s, Nya Sverige showed the seeds of democracy by instituting a Representanhuset (House of Representatives, House of Burgesses parallel). From there, colonial assemblies appeared in all of Scandinavia's colonies.
Nye Norge (New Norway)[]
Established in 1509 on the site of OTL Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nye Norge is the most strategic Scandinavian holding in Antillia. Its capital and chief port city, Ny Norg Stad (New Norway City) is the most thriving and important colonial port in Antillia. Ny Norg Stad has grown with the years, dashing far past any other colonial cities (like Vikstig, Neu Berlin Stad, or Nuovo Venexia). The city has done nothing but improve itself since its birth. Nye Norge has a booming shipping and insurance industry. Its residents are commercial merchants and international businessmen looking to make themselves p
rosperous in the Scandinavian New World. Nye Norge (abbreviated NG) is often regarded as the financial capital of Antillia, with one important stock exchange and several banks. NG occupies OTL Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, and parts of Illinois.
Nya Danmark (New Denmark)[]
Established in 1511 on the OTL island of Nova Scotia, Nya Danmark is an important naval base for the grand and powerful Scandinavian Royal Navy. Its chief port, Vikstig (OTL Halifax) competes directly with Ny Norg Stad and is currently the second most important colonial port in Antillia. Nya Danmark is a fast-growing shipping and naval center in the Scandinavian New world and is considered to be
the center of future Scandinavian expansions into OTL Canada. Nya Danmark (abbreviated ND) occupies OTL Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, and is soon to be in New Hampshire-- enough to border the Portuguese colony in the south and Neu Berlin in the west. Hamnoradet (OTL Portland) is a port in Nya Danmarkan Maine that is soon-to-be the third most important colonial port in Antilia. Nya Danmark has an exclave known as New Georgia.
Uusi Suomi (New Finland)[]
Established by the Nya Nordbord in OTL North Carolina/OTL southern border of Virginia with North Carolina in 1510. It is the first proprietary "colony". However, it is administered as an extension of Nya Sverige and is not an official colony. It is much like Nya Sverige, though it lags in tobacco production. It is the only part of the Scandinavian New World not to be named in Swedish, Uusi Suomi is "New Finland" in Finnish.
Eriksmark[]
Established in ??? along the shores of the Hudson River and northwestern Quebec, Eriksmark is an important fur-trapping colony. It is named after the late King Erik III. The colony borders the Bukten Erik and is quite large for its few years of existence. In 1584, the colonial governor negotiated with New Georgia (OTL Newfoundland and Labrador, it is an expatriate kingdom of Georgian Christians who
fled the Caliphate) and eventually persuaded them to join the colony as a captaincy - retaining sovereignty under the Treaty of Erikstad (capital of Eriksmark). Private Companies in the Scandinavian New World A company known as Erik's Bay Company (named after the massive bay that Scandinavian expeditions found the OTL Hudson Bay in 1511, named Saalskap Av Bukten Erik in Swedish) set up shop in the bay in 1512. They intend on settling the region and capturing/monopolizing the rich fur trade either through force or diplomacy. They are not affiliated with King Erik III or the Scandinavian government. In 1553, the Saalskap av Bukten Erik's holdings in the Bukten Erik were organized into a crown colony called Eriksmark to be governed by the same company. It has grown to occupy much of the Erik Bay (ATL name for the Hudson Bay)
[]
The largest colony of the Scandinavian New World by far, Nya Skandinavia is ironically the youngest so far. It was created in 1591 after the defeat of the Incan Empire at the hands of the revered General Harald Nyborg (of Neapolitan War, Russian Revolution, and Italian theatre of the Kappelist Wars, incredibly famous for his charge on Milan, assaulting the Muslim fortress in Novgorod, and s
eizing Naples/Sicily). He sacked Cuzco in 1591 and crowned a minor noble named Manco (subservient to Scandinavia) as the new Sapa Inca under a vassalization treaty. He went on to found the city of Nyborgia (OTL Lima) and became the first Viceroy of New Scandinavia.
New Georgia[]
Originally an expatriate kingdom of Georgian Christians fleeing the wretched Caliphate and its oppressive ways, New Georgia in recent years has
become a Scandinavian protectorate. It expands like a colony. Currently, it occupies western Newfoundland and Labrador. It is expanding south in an effort to meet up with Nya Danmark.===Afrika Scandinaviska=== Afrika Skandinaviska (Scandinavian Africa) was created in 1613 after the fall of Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu. It comprises of most of OTL Kenya and is currently expanding north towards the Horn of Africa.
Bengal[]
This rich region of India was acquired for the Crown by the SEIC (Scandinavian East India Company) in 1630. The Sultan of Bengal, knowing that the SEIC controlled his country's economy, signed a vassalization treaty in 1630 that would go into effect in 1631. As of 1660, the kingdoms of Lanka pledged allegiance to the figurehead Bengali Sultan.
Special Dependencies:[]
These areas are not colonies but are incorporated territories of Scandinavia.
- Greenland: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1503 when Norway joined with Sweden. In 1507, it became a territory of Scandinavia.
- Iceland: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1503 when Norway joined with Sweden. In 1507, it became a territory of Scandinavia.
- Orkney Islands: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1503 when Norway joined with Sweden. In 1507, it became a territory of Scandinavia. Administered as part of Skottland (Scotland).
- Faroe Islands: Part of the Kingdom of Norway from 1262-1504 when Scotland seized the isles following Norway's defeat in the War of Scottish Aggression. Scotland returned the islands in 1532. Administered as part of Skottland.
- Gibraltar: Became an official Scandinavian Overseas territory in 1585 following the defeat of Morocco at the hands of Granada. Situated at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, it is Scandinavia's most strategic holding. Following in close second are the Kattegat Straits and the G-I-SCO Line (Greenland-Iceland-Scotland line where naval presence there could halt an advance to the new world)
- Ceatl: A soon-to-be-renamed former Mayan colony purchased by the Crown in 1585. In 1592, it was renamed Västra Pekar(or West Point in Swedish due to its placement on the island). In 1616, it was sold to Venice in exchange for Nuovo Milano and a naval base in Vastra Pekar.
Foreign Relations[]
Positive[]
Brandenburg: Important ally, trade partner
Venice: Chief trading partner, important ally
Russian Federation (Novgorod, Muscovy): Important trade partner, important ally
Saami: Special autonomous region of Scandinavian Finland governed by the Saami, loyal to the Scandinavian Crown
Aragon: no alliance/trade offer, they granted us a port in Rouissilon (Northern Aragon)
Portugal: alliance, trade agreement, in personal union as of the reign of Alfonse I
The Netherlands(Holland+Flanders): alliance/trade rights
Bavaria: ally
Granada: ally, sold us the Straits of Gibraltar in exchange for military aid in their war with Morocco
Wales: alliance
Neutral[]
Saxony
A lot of other states
Negative[]
Indians
The Caliphate: An entity that is abhorred by all of Europe and that threatens to engulf the continent with heresy. Relations with the Caliphate were initially good, with Scandinavia even importing Syrian wheat after a terrible winter in the 1540s. Relations turned for the worst when they invaded and annexed Russia, a country considered a sister nation by Scandinavia due to extremely close ties. In 1585, the last year of the Caliphate before collapsing when their leader was exposed as a fraud, the Mahdiate (name given to the Caliphate when the "Mahdi" arose) invaded Finland. The border guards, trained for the situation since the fall of Russia, fended off the invasion for two months when the Muslims retreated due to the exposure of the Mahdi as a fraud.
Burgundy: We hate Burgundy.
Wars[]
Scandinavia has formally participated in six wars so far:
The Great Mediterranean War (1557-1560): The overextended Neapolitan state was deemed to be a threat by ally Venice; Our countries devised a plan in the 1540's in which we would knock Naples down a few notches. The Coalition that formed was massive: Venice, Scandinavia, Modena, Mantua, Siena, Brandenburg, Luxembourg, Burgundy, Cyprus, Granada, Bosnia, Serbia, etc. The last three mentioned were vassals of Naples who turned against their liege and supported the Coalition for their independence. In the end, it was a crushing Coalition victory in which Naples-Savoy was stripped of its colonies, had most of its land annexed to Venice, and the remainder of Naples joined the new Italian League as a Venetian puppet.
The Invasion of the Incan Empire (1586-1591): A plan for the invasion of this weakening native country in Atlantia was drawn up by Scandinavia and Venice in the 1550s during the planning of the Mediterranean War (since the Incan Empire had been vassalized by Naples.) The plan was initially curtailed due to an Incan revolt due to Naples's defeat. The plan was revived in the 1580s by Scandinavia, who fixed the invasion date to June of 1586. Venice, however, declined to participate due to their economy being in shambles after being invaded by the Caliphate. Thus, Scandinavia went to war with the Incas alone. At the head of the invasion was the famed general, Harald Nyborg (veteran of the Neapolitan War, the Russian Revolution, and the Italian theatre of the Kappelist League). After five years, Scandinavia seized most Incan territory for the Crown while the rest was vassalized under a loyal and appointed Inca. In 1592, the conquered areas were reorganized into a Viceroyalty with General Nyborg becoming the first Viceroy. He founded a city known as Nyborgia on the site of OTL Lima.
Scandinavian Seizure of Mombasa(1608-1613): Since the beginning of her reign Queen (and later, Kejszarinna) Karina coveted the richest port city in the Indian Ocean and her surrounding lands, Mombasa. She had been planning the event since the late 1580s but several events forced her to postpone the event indefinitely. At the beginning of the 17th century, she found the country in a perfect moment for a "splendid little war with the Swahili." In the summer of 1607, she ordered the invasion of Mombasa, Malindi, and Lamu (vassals of Mombasa) set for spring 1608. Admiral Nyborg commanded the assault on the city. Within 3 years, Malindi and Lamu had fallen and Mombasa was struggling with the might of Scandinavian forces. On May 17, 1613-- Scandinavia Day-- the Swahili surrendered and the Scandinavian flag was raised in Mombasa. The Riksdag passed the East Africa Reorganization Act, which amalgamated Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu into the Crown colony of Afrika Skandinaviska (Scandinavian Africa).
The Crushing of Burgundy(1615-1619): Ever since the Queen could remember, she despised the nation of Burgundy. Even before the war, she supported any and all opportunities to weaken Burgundy such as the Dutch revolt in 1593 which actually landlocked Burgundy for a while. This war was called upon by Luxembourg, in order to finally rid Europe of a meddling Burgundy. Burgundy, however, was not alone. Her only ally, France, foolishly committed itself to the defense of Burgundy. The Queen laughed at the French attempt to save Burgundy and, to make an example of them, ordered a total blockade of France and Burgundy's Mediterranean coast(purchased from France). In Atlantia, the Viceroy of Nya Skandinavia(then Jan Nyborg) formed a platoon which eventually invaded and occupied the French colony of Fort Ouest-Bout in OTL Puerto Montt, Chile. France suffered a total blockade and the closing of the Straits of Gibraltar for four straight years. The blockade played an instrumental role in convincing Burgundy to surrender and for France to sue for peace in exchange for the end of the blockade and the return of Fort Oues-Bout. Since the blockade was run exclusively by the Royal Scandinavian Navy, the success of it created a surge of patriotism in the country. It demonstrated to the rest of Europe that the RSN is arguably one of the largest and most professional navies in the world.
Irish-Welsh War(1638-1643): The Welsh had been longtime allies of Scandinavia due to their friendship with Skottland. When the unreasonably hostile country of Eire (Ireland) began to use it pitifully poor navy to disrupt Scottish and Welsh shipping, both Scandinavia and Wales demanded an end to the attacks on merchant vessels. Ireland wisely ended the attacks on Skottlander shipping but continued the attacks on Wales. Then, in February 1638, the woefully unintelligent Irish set fire to their own capital city(later investigations by the Welsh and Skottlanders prove this) and blamed it on the Welsh. They used this as an excuse to go to war with Wales and its vassal kingdoms. Scandinavia did not officially join the war, though it did supply the Welsh with weapons and Skottlander volunteer regiments. The war ended pretty badly for the Irish, with their navy obliterated by the Welsh Royal Navy and their island in ruins. In the end to make an example of the Irish, the Welsh King took no land when he could have annexed the bastards. The Irish made no successful landings. In the end it was a decisive Welsh victory without foreign aid.
War for New Georgia (1654-1658): In 1650, the ungrateful New Georgians declared their independence despite having the benefits of their own Riksdag and considerable autonomy for an expatriate kingdom (like Vinland and Nea Gyptios both of whom were annexed and incorporated as colonies by their liege). They only managed to secure the island itself where Georgians were a majority and not in Labradoren (part of New Georgia on the mainland) where Scandinavians are the majority. The New Georgian colonial militia was ejected to Labradoren where it awaited orders from the Crown. The Kejszar (at the time Erik VI) attempted diplomacy but when negotiations fell through in 1654, Scandinavia declared war on the pretentious Georgians. The island itself was blockaded by the Royal Navy's 1st Colonial Fleet stationed in Vikstig. Following the blockade, New Georgia was invaded by General Andrew Murdock's forces. The coastal defenses were destroyed and the shore was secured. The drive inland proved a bit more difficult, but Tsminda Georgi (New Georgia's capital) was sacked in 1658. The area was re-annexed. It was placed under the sovereignty of nearby Nya Danmark as punishment for the ungratefulness that led to the war. The New Georgian Riksdag was dissolved by Imperial decree of the Kejszar, to be restored when the Georgians demonstrated their loyalty in the near future. In a declaration in 1659, Kejszar Erik VII announced that the New Georgian Riksdag would be restored in 1664 approximately ten years after the beginning of the war.