NationStates Jolt Archive


Out of Africa: A New Empire

RomeW
30-09-2005, 02:52
(OOC: This is going to take place in the past and proceed to the present)

From the Roman History Files, Rome

1985

The Early Period

The history of the country that is now known as "Casara" began in the 14th century. In 1321, a chieftan of a local tribe by the name of Casarus founded a kingdom inland from the modern city of Dakhla that he called "Casara" after himself. His royal capital- "Tepitilan", or "City of Glory" in Casaran language- was completed five years later, becoming a gated community that travellers from everywhere would note as being "the most splendid city west of Timbuktu".

The Casaran tribe soon established themselves quite capable fighters, subjugating the nearby Sahrawi tribes by the end of the 14th century. By the 15th century, Casara's power caught the attention of the Europeans, who sent a number of expeditionary forces to explore and possibly subjugate the kingdom. It is probably telling that none of the European armies sent to defeat Casara ever managed to do so, each coming back routed and more humiliated than they had before.

In 1601, the Roman Empire made their first formal contacts with the Casaran state. The explorer Gratius- who had explored the entire coast of Africa and the Americas- was the first Roman to see the splendour of the Casaran kingdom. He wrote glowingly of Casara in his travels, even daring to mention that its splendour outdid that of Rome itself. Soon enough, this caught the attention of a recently expansionist Rome, who, like many of the Europeans before them, sent another force meant to annex Casara. The force annexed the Spanish colonies nearby, but apart from a Roman victory inland from Capo Bojador, the Romans were also unsuccessful at breaking Casaran hegemony from the interior. Eventually, equilibrium was reached in the western Sahara, allowing Rome and Casara to establish more formal relations.

The kingdom would not, however, hold off the Europeans forever. In the 19th century, French expansion inland from the state of Tunisia reached the outer limits of Casara itself, precipitating in the low point in Casaran history. In a series of wars in 1881, 1883 and 1895, the French annexed two-thirds of the Casaran State. The remaining third- which did not include Tepitilan- was occupied by the Romans, who moved in fearing French expansionism and to protect what they could of the remaining Casaran state. Over the centuries, Rome and France would fight bitter wars aimed at reuniting the Casaran state under a single banner, with Roman forces succeeding in entering Tepitilan in 1974, with the rest of Casara united by 1981.

Since 1981, Rome and Casara have been in negotiations over the possibility of Casaran independence and ending the state of Roman protection that now currently envelops the state. Both sides have agreed that Casara should be independent, but with a lot of details left to hammer out, there is still a wide gulf of technicalities that need to be addressed before Casaran independence can be accomplished.
RomeW
08-10-2005, 06:30
1987

The Independence Accord- July 24

Casara had waited for this day. Thousands gathered in the streets of Tepitilan in elation as the announcement that Rome and Casara had finally reached an agreement allowing for the independence of the Casaran state.

The crowds danced in glee amidst the hot African Sun as they watched a huge television screen broadcast the coronation of the first Casaran king, Thetman I, in an elaborate ceremony as the Roman Emperor Keylusus II and his delegates looked on in support. Overall, it had been a happy day for all involved, pointing to an even brighter future. Eventually, Casara would set itself up as a democratic state, with the people electing their King in universal suffrage every five years. Their system was different than most democracies of the time- the Casarans elected only a single representative (the King) who, in turn, held all the power (checked, obviously, by a Constitution). The King would appoint ministers, but he would not have to sit in a legislative assembly for there was none.

1991

The system seemed to work well for the Casaran people- they had no problem electing their King and, for the most part, the people did not seem to be overtly polarized. A few wanted to have an elected council instead of simply having an elected King but so far the Kingdom experienced no problems.

Early in the year, Casara went on a program of expansion deep into the African interior. Their main reason was to subdue the neighbouring tribes who went on periodic raids into Casaran territory but many simply thought the move was just an imperialistic one. By early March the Casarans had penetrated a quarter of the way to what was once Mauritania, and by the end of the year Casara managed to finish its conquest. Upon entering Nouakchott the Casaran Army staged an elaborate Triumph, with guns blazing and a huge procession down the main street in a show of their grandeur and glory. By the end of the year, Casara would have Mauritania completely under control, formally annexing the country to the Casaran state on August 19, 1991, changing the name of their country from the Casaran Kingdom to the Casaran Empire.

The Present

It had been 14 years since the annexation of Mauritania properly established the Casaran Empire. Since then, Thetman I has been replaced by Varus I, who became the first Casaran monarch to win re-election in 1997 and again in 2002. Varus' mostly environmentalist-friendly policies have won him extensive favour on a people who by and large reject extensive building projects in what they call "the excesses of the West".

For the most part, Varus has been successful in foraging one of Africa's most successfully economic states. The mining operations in the interior and farming operations along the coast have provided ample sustenance to a country that barely 30 years ago was one of the world's worst economies. The boom has also been helped with Casara's deep association with Rome, the Empire's chief trading partner.

However, Varus looked at his Empire and felt that something was missing. He had heard of the Romans' overseas operations and was jealous, convinced that the Casarans deserved overseas possesions too. He also had to worry about a growing population, and with the knowledge that most of his land was desert, he desperately needed more farmland. He figured that if there was a better time to gain territory, it would be now.

Varus had a little problem: he lacked a navy and an air force, as well as extensive military equipment, since most of Casara's military operations have been land-based and centred mainly around subduing primitively-equipped tribes. He knew that he needed help if he was going to succeed in his venture, so he called the only state he needed to- Rome. Their association had been previously only economic, but he hoped his good standing with the Romans would allow him to sign a military alliance allowing him to gain overseas territories that he desperately needed. What he got was a receptive Roman government, who found the perfect place for Varus to set up shop: unruly Cascadia on the western North American coast.

(OOC: If you want to get involved, TG me first)