Terror Incognitia
09-01-2007, 17:51
Incognitia is a parliamentary democracy, occupying the territories of real life France, and exercising suzerainty over the currently demilitarised Benelux.
In the early 1400’s, Henry V of England conquered France, as was. He survived long enough to be crowned, and begin cementing his rule there; he then died, passing the throne to his young son Henry VI.
At this point large swathes of the English merchant class migrated to France for the greater trading opportunities there. When Richard Duke of York rebelled against Henry in England, Henry abandoned his English throne to the Yorkists, and retained the throne in France, albeit briefly. The final result of the Wars of the Roses left England and France under the rule of two different members of the interbred House of Capet-Lancaster. The two gradually drifted apart, and when France had a Civil War, replacing the King with a Protectorate under an English style Parlement, the last tie was cut.
The monarchy never returned to France. The gentry and merchant class took an ever-growing share of power, and as part of the process of eradicating the monarchy the nation was renamed Incognitia.
When the Industrial Revolution began, Incognitia awakened from a long slumber on the world stage. Casting the Spaniards out of the Low Countries, and crushing the errant Dutch, the new power was not interested in maritime colonisation, rather in trade across the continent, and expanding her own industrial power.
When, at last, the Great War became inevitable, Incognitia had been at peace for a long time. The professional army sufficed – barely – to prevent the initial onslaught from reaching Paris, then managed to beat back the enemy a fair way before hitting dug-in trench lines on the edge of the relatively recently conquered Flanders.
At this point a rare flash of intelligence hit the General Staff. Realising that neither the weapons nor the tactics existed to break the trench lines, they decided against fruitless assaults on the enemy lines, and dug-in properly, with concrete dugouts etc. Local assaults of opportunity were occasionally conducted, along with counter-attacks to turn back enemy attacks, but Somme/Verdun style massed assaults were not attempted. This undoubtedly massively cut casualties.
When in late 1916 the first ‘tanks’ were ready for use, their potential was recognised immediately. Massed armoured assaults, accompanied by infantry and supported by artillery and new-fangled aircraft, soon became the norm. Slow initial production of ‘tanks’ and their unreliability held back the success, but in the Spring of 1918 major breakthroughs were made.
A steady grind across Eastern Incognitia drove the Ansurians back. As the first advanced units were considering how to cross the Rhine, the exhausted Ansurians offered an Armistice. The Peace negotiations were to be held at Versailles…
Harsh terms were imposed on the Ansurians, limiting their armed forces and imposing demilitarised zones and reparations. A gesture of good faith, however, by a new Incognitian government committed to lasting peace, saw the Low Countries territories demilitarised in return. Since the Ansurians have not yet attempted to remilitarise the Rhineland, Incognitia has kept its troops out of the Low Countries.
After initial cuts to the armed forces after the war, fresh concerns about Urcea resulted in fresh growth of a restructured force. Incorporating all the lessons of the Great War this resulted in an army fast-moving and flexible, with tank formations, motorised infantry, and close support aircraft, trained to operate together as one unit.
With very few overseas commitments, the navy is not the highest priority. However a recognition of the vulnerability of some trade routes has resulted in increased production of destroyers and light cruisers, and plans for some light aircraft carriers. The submarine force is small but capable, with capacity for growth.
Meanwhile the air force consists of two parts; one focussed on close air and tactical support for the army; the other for deeper strike missions on enemy infrastructure. The independent fighter force is being expanded, with a couple of new types entering service, as the effectiveness of bombing, and necessity of protection from it is sinking in.
The Armed Forces at present are quite small, highly professional, and fairly up to date. The reserves are conducting a vast recruiting drive, and conscription is mooted, to expand the pool of trained manpower. A return to Great War expedients of women labourers is also under consideration, as tensions rise again as the War to End All Wars recedes in the public memory.
OOC: When I've had a chance to find some relevant data, I'll come up with steel production, coal production, population, rough military numbers.
In the early 1400’s, Henry V of England conquered France, as was. He survived long enough to be crowned, and begin cementing his rule there; he then died, passing the throne to his young son Henry VI.
At this point large swathes of the English merchant class migrated to France for the greater trading opportunities there. When Richard Duke of York rebelled against Henry in England, Henry abandoned his English throne to the Yorkists, and retained the throne in France, albeit briefly. The final result of the Wars of the Roses left England and France under the rule of two different members of the interbred House of Capet-Lancaster. The two gradually drifted apart, and when France had a Civil War, replacing the King with a Protectorate under an English style Parlement, the last tie was cut.
The monarchy never returned to France. The gentry and merchant class took an ever-growing share of power, and as part of the process of eradicating the monarchy the nation was renamed Incognitia.
When the Industrial Revolution began, Incognitia awakened from a long slumber on the world stage. Casting the Spaniards out of the Low Countries, and crushing the errant Dutch, the new power was not interested in maritime colonisation, rather in trade across the continent, and expanding her own industrial power.
When, at last, the Great War became inevitable, Incognitia had been at peace for a long time. The professional army sufficed – barely – to prevent the initial onslaught from reaching Paris, then managed to beat back the enemy a fair way before hitting dug-in trench lines on the edge of the relatively recently conquered Flanders.
At this point a rare flash of intelligence hit the General Staff. Realising that neither the weapons nor the tactics existed to break the trench lines, they decided against fruitless assaults on the enemy lines, and dug-in properly, with concrete dugouts etc. Local assaults of opportunity were occasionally conducted, along with counter-attacks to turn back enemy attacks, but Somme/Verdun style massed assaults were not attempted. This undoubtedly massively cut casualties.
When in late 1916 the first ‘tanks’ were ready for use, their potential was recognised immediately. Massed armoured assaults, accompanied by infantry and supported by artillery and new-fangled aircraft, soon became the norm. Slow initial production of ‘tanks’ and their unreliability held back the success, but in the Spring of 1918 major breakthroughs were made.
A steady grind across Eastern Incognitia drove the Ansurians back. As the first advanced units were considering how to cross the Rhine, the exhausted Ansurians offered an Armistice. The Peace negotiations were to be held at Versailles…
Harsh terms were imposed on the Ansurians, limiting their armed forces and imposing demilitarised zones and reparations. A gesture of good faith, however, by a new Incognitian government committed to lasting peace, saw the Low Countries territories demilitarised in return. Since the Ansurians have not yet attempted to remilitarise the Rhineland, Incognitia has kept its troops out of the Low Countries.
After initial cuts to the armed forces after the war, fresh concerns about Urcea resulted in fresh growth of a restructured force. Incorporating all the lessons of the Great War this resulted in an army fast-moving and flexible, with tank formations, motorised infantry, and close support aircraft, trained to operate together as one unit.
With very few overseas commitments, the navy is not the highest priority. However a recognition of the vulnerability of some trade routes has resulted in increased production of destroyers and light cruisers, and plans for some light aircraft carriers. The submarine force is small but capable, with capacity for growth.
Meanwhile the air force consists of two parts; one focussed on close air and tactical support for the army; the other for deeper strike missions on enemy infrastructure. The independent fighter force is being expanded, with a couple of new types entering service, as the effectiveness of bombing, and necessity of protection from it is sinking in.
The Armed Forces at present are quite small, highly professional, and fairly up to date. The reserves are conducting a vast recruiting drive, and conscription is mooted, to expand the pool of trained manpower. A return to Great War expedients of women labourers is also under consideration, as tensions rise again as the War to End All Wars recedes in the public memory.
OOC: When I've had a chance to find some relevant data, I'll come up with steel production, coal production, population, rough military numbers.