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Scandinavian Empire (English)

Konungariket Skandinavien (Swedish)
Skandinaviska Imperium (Danish)

Scandinavian Empire (Norwegian)
Timeline: Principia Moderni III (Map Game)
Flag of the Kalmar Union Armoiries medievales d Eric de Poméranie 1382-1459
Coat of arms
CapitalStockholm
Largest city Copenhagen
Official languages Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian
Ethnic groups  Swedes, Danes, Norwegians, Karelians, Finns, Laplanders, Karelians
Demonym Scandinavian
Government Absolute Monarchy
 -  King Nikolaus I
Establishment
 -  Established 1462 
Currency Krone

The Scandinavian Empire is a nation located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Consisting of the former United Norse Crown (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) the Scandinavian Empire was created in 1462 following the Riksdag of Stockholm's reforms during the Sverker Conspiracy and the lack of heirs to the House of Sverker. The Scandinavian Empire is known for its incredibly powerful navy and its strong economic influence on Northern Europe.

History[]

15th Century[]

Following the Karelian War, the UNC enjoyed power in the Scandinavian Peninsula. With its claims to the rest of the Peninsula secured, the UNC looked forward to expansion into the Kola Peninsula and Lapland. However, in 1461, King Charles VIII died. His heirs were assassinated by his opponents and many others went missing, never to be seen again. This incident, known as the Sverker Conspiracy, eventually left the House of Sverker without any heirs. To prevent disaster, the Riksdag of Stockholm was called to retain order in the union.

In 1462, the Riksdag, unchecked by a monarch, enacted several reforms, including the centralization of the UNC. A political ally, Halvar Bjornsiff, is placed on the throne as King Halvar, the patriarch of the House of Halvar. The centralization of the UNC led to the renaming of the nation as the Scandinavian Empire. Scandinavia quickly worked on reforms to its economy and military. After the formation of the Scandinavian Empire, relations with former ally Hamburg grew incredibly icy. Throughout the reign of King Halvar, Scandinavia grew apart from much of Germany, becoming a powerful economic ally against them. A marriage proposal from the Roman Empire led to the betrothal of King Halvar I's eldest daughter, Elsa. Halvar I's reign, aside from diplomatic stonewalling in Germany, was relatively peaceful. Halvar died in 1487 when his ship was destroyed by a storm in the Baltic.

Due to Halvar never having a male heir, Elsa became the Queen of Scandinavia. Her first decade on the throne was relatively peaceful, but Hamburg broke the peace by declaring war on Scandinavia, proving their status as bloodthirsty puppets of the Holy Roman Empire yet again. Worse, the cowardly Novgorodians invaded Karelia, only to be joined by Pskov. They were soon joined by several other German states, invading Bremen, Holstein, and Lubek. Thanks to a powerful counteroffensive by the North Sea Trade Alliance, the invasions were kept out of Jutland for the most part. Sadly, the Scandinavian ground forces were ultimately unable to expell the Germans from Holstein, Bremen, and Lubek. The Treaty of Berlin was signed, expelling Scandinavia from these vassals. To add to this, much of Karelia was lost to the bloodthirsty Novgorodians. The rest of the area was later consolidated into a vassal state known as Finland.

16th Century[]

After the Second Norse-German War, the economies of both Scandinavia and Hamburg fell drastically. Thanks to efforts by Pskov, Scandinavia was able to get out of the economic slump. However, they responded to German warmongering by closing the Øresund to almost every single German state in Europe. This blockade remained in place for almost twenty years for Hamburg. In an effort to recover her damaged pride, Scandinavia joined the colonization race in 1519. The colony of Vinland was established on New Copenhagen Island. The naming of the capital enraged Swedes, though the anger soon subsided. A Native attack soon after the establishment of Vinland led to the creation of a militia in Vinland.

In the meantime, Elsa worked to quickly bring about economic and military reforms. By 1520, the economy of Scandinavia had recovered completely from the great economic decline in 1500. The economy continued to flourish, becoming one of the strongest in Europe. The navy also took its place as the third largest in the world. In 1539, the Scandinavians created another colony, this time on the St. Lawrence River called Strombek. During the colony's first winter, Captain Makeski of the Mirakel i Norr creates the Strombekan Military and is hailed as a hero for defending the town against hostile natives.

Peace in northern Europe lasted for the most part until 1542, when Scandinavia invaded Novgorod. Assisted by multiple other states, the Scandinavian military trampled the Novgorodian military, taking back Strombek and pushing into Ingria. The war lasted until 1547, resulting in the Treaty of Tver. The treaty ceded Karelia back to Scandinavia as well as Ingria, leaving Russia effectively landlocked in the winter. In the meantime, the elderly Queen Elsa oversaw the construction of the Winter Palace, a remote palace for the monarch of Scandinavia. She passed away in 1547, seeing honor not only regained by Scandinavia, but surpassed. Her son Nikolaus became King of Scandinavia.

Nikolaus oversaw the vassalization of tribes in the OTL New Jersey area and the creation of New Gotland in 1560. In the meantime, tensions in Europe brewed after Austria's war with France. When France attacked, Scandinavia saw its opportunity to strike, entering the Second Franco-Austrian War. During the war, the first and second fleets worked tirelessly to invade Pomerania and Brandenburg as the third fleet covered their positions. Within three years, the Austrian war machine collapsed and the Treaty of Paris was signed, giving Scandinavia Pomerania and Brandenburg as vassals. The war was over for most of Europe, but not for Scandinavia. Hamburg, upset over Scandinavia's attack on Austria and envious of its acquisition of Pomerania, declared war in 1568, triggering an armed conflict with Hamburg that lasted for four years. The apty named the Four Year's War resulted in Scandinavia, aided by Bavaria, pushing back against Hamburg, earning Lubeck back in the process. Assaults from Scandinavia, Bavaria, Romania, and Westphalia took down the Hamburg nation.

Government[]

The Scandinavian Empire is governed by a king. In the 1462 Constitution of Scandinavia, the Riksdag of the Estates (referred to as the Council of the Estates as well) keeps the king in check.

List of Scandinavian Rulers (Principia Moderni III Map Game)

Economy[]

The Scandinavian economy is fueled by trade with Europe. It has multiple exclusive trade deals with Albion, Hesse, and Hungary, though almost all nations are welcome to trade with Scandinavia. A major export in Scandinavia is iron, especially from Sweden. Scandinavia makes sure to protect its trade routes. Even in times of war, Scandinavia keeps trading with Europe, albeit with altered wartime trade routes depending on the situation.

Foreign Relations[]

Allies[]

The following nations are allies of the Scandinavian Empire.

  • Albion: Albion has proven to be a great trading partner, both militarily and economically. Their military is quite impressive and their culture is rubbing off on us, as is ours on theirs. We are part of the North Sea Trading Alliance.
  • Byzantine Empire: Our forefathers have traded with the Byzantines for centuries. We are proud to continue this tradition. While it seemed as if the 15th century would have been the end of the Eastern Romans at its dawn, their marvelous comeback is a testament to their will and firepower. Queen Elsa's marriage with the Byzantine Emperor has made us close allies.
  • France: France and Albion have been working on resolving their differences, which is great. France has been a great trading partner for decades. In 1502, we became allies due to our common goals.
  • Hesse: The Hessians were a wild card in the beginning of this century, but our mutual hatred of Austria seems to have paid off. In the Treaty of Wiemar, we sold them part of Bremen and signed an alliance deal with them. Unlike Hamburg, they did not betray us during the Karelian War.
  • Netherlands: Another member of the North Sea Trading Alliance. Their battle against Austria led to their departure from the Holy Roman Empire, an admirable victory. We look forward to trading with them in the years to come.
  • Prussia: A fellow partner in the North Sea Trading Alliance along with a constant war ally, we are proud to stand by Prussia. Despite their actions in the Karelian War, we remain close to Prussia. They helped us when Hamburg invaded. We will help them in their time of need.
  • Tartary: One of our most competent and celebrated allies, the Tartary has helped us twice fight against Russia and led to a deal that prevented us from losing further land in the Second Norse-German War. We lift our glasses to the Tartary.
  • Hispania: The powerhouse of southern Europe, Hispania is a worthy economic ally. Our friendly arms race has led to the improvement of our ships and, conversely, the improvement of theirs. We hope to never have to place them in front of our cannons ... and vice versa. The resulting battle would be glorious, but not one we ever wish to see.
  • Bavaria: Our relations with Bavaria are peculiar. They attacked us in the Karelian War and the Second Norse-German War, but diplomacy with them has since made them neutral to Austria's plans. Our royal marriage with them has secured an alliance with Bavaria. After Austria fell, Bavaria seems to be in power in Germany, a worthy claimant to such a bold title.

Liked[]

The following nations have pleased the Scandinavian Empire through deals or actions in the past.

  • Oldenburg: In addition to multiple trading deals with Oldenburg, we have maintained peace and dignity between our two nations. They remain respectful and courteous to Scandinavia. We are more than happy to return the favor. We wish them luck in their endeavors.
  • Pskov: A sliver of territory between Novgorod and Prussia. Despite their actions during the 15th Century, Pskov has become a godsend in the Baltic, providing aid after the Second Norse-German War. In turn, we have sent them aid. During our war with Russia, we even worked together. Peace and prosperity to the only worthy Russian state!

Neutral[]

The following nations are neutral to Scandinavia diplomatically.

  • Portugal: We have, strangely enough, not had much formal communication with Portugal, which is a shame since their navy is another powerhouse like Venice's and ours. We intend to initiate relations with the Portuguese.
  • China: Traders from around the world, China trades silk with Europe via the Silk Road. We hope to eventually find a cheap and safe way to travel to China to offer this mysterious nation trading deals, which is a good excuse to expand our navy.
  • Mississippia: Bold and full of spirit, we give Mississippia that much. While we have worked with the Natives to secure peace, sometimes things just don't work out, especially in the case of the L'nu Civil War. Time will tell if Mississipia will be an asset or a hindrance.

Disliked[]

The following nations are disliked by Scandinavia. While they may wish to get along with these nations, the actions of the following nations have made it difficult, if not nearly impossible to get along with these nations.

  • Austria: Their past sins seem to have caught up with them and Austria is a shadow of its former self. Despite this, we are always on guard for when it rises again. It was a worthy opponent the first go-round. A second time is not something we have the patience for.
  • Hamburg: Disliked even more than Austria, Hamburg was once our ally. Under the Treaty of Wiemar, we sold them part of Bremen. Unfortunately, the betrayed us in the Karelian War. Scandinavia has no respect for traitors.
  • Novgorod: After the Karelian War, we were interested in mending relations with Novgorod. However, their attack of Karelia has proven to us that Novgorod is a blight in Northern Europe.
  • Ottoman Empire: Heretics to God the Savior, the Ottoman Empire nearly destroyed the Eastern Roman Empire several times over. We don't like nations who try to destroy our friends.
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