The Age of Peace

[nbarclay]

This story is based on the Tournament 4 game (which I didn't get around to starting until after the tournament was over, but it was fun anyhow). Just in case anyone's interested, the endgame (both versions) is posted to the Tournament 4 thread in the Strategy forum. Since the game story from a tournament scenario, I'm sticking to game dates rather than compressing timespans to get more realism.


Chapter 1: Awakening

All the elders of the German tribe said Bismarck was “too smart.” Did not everyone know that man lived by hunting and fishing and looking for edible plants, wandering from one place to the next as the seasons turned? Would not people run out of game and edible plants if they lived in one place long enough to build anything permanent? The way things were now was the same as they always had been, and the same as they always would be.

But the young people listened to Bismarck’s dreams. And as the years went on, the young people became the elders, with Bismarck eventually rising to chief elder of the tribe. The young man who had dreamed the great dream was older and wiser, wise enough to know that the frozen lands surrounding the tribe’s current location could never support the dream he called Berlin. But the tribe could give its wanderings direction, searching for lands rich enough to support the dream.

Through generation after generation, over the next three and a half centuries, Bismarck and his descendents led the German tribe searching for a way south. Finally, they reached rich grasslands where a city could grow and prosper. And still better, there were wondrous spices to be found in the area. At long last, the dream of Berlin could be given substance.

[nbarclay]

Chapter 2: Annexation

Over its first two millennia, Germany enjoyed peace and a certain amount of prosperity. A second city, Leipzig, grew Germany from a city into a true civilization. Veteran spearmen went out to explore, and Russian explorers visited Germany in turn.

But in the year that would later be reckoned as 1550 BC, everything changed. Russia became arrogant and demanded Germany’s newly acquired knowledge of Iron Working. The latest of the Bismarck despots was not the slightest bit amused by the demand. He screamed at the Russian emissary for fifteen minutes, finally telling the man that he was lucky to be sent home with his head and shoulders still attached together. (The emissary was less sure about his luck, considering how Catherine was likely to react to the news of Germany’s refusal.)

Catherine went into a rage, sending Bismarck notice that he should consider himself at war with Russia. Of course with the two nations separated by most of a mountainous continent, the war could not be prosecuted quickly. But the Bismarck leaders were born from a dream that took centuries to become reality, and patience had never been a problem for them.

Unit by unit and century by century, Germany’s armed forces grew from a small defensive and exploratory force into a formidable power. At long last, a suitable force was ready and marched on Moscow. The fighting was brief but bloody, and when it was over, Moscow was in German hands. Peace negotiations ensued, and Bismarck demanded Russia’s wheel and masonry technologies, the city of Kiev, and all of Russia’s gold as the price of peace. The year was what we now know as 800 BC.

Russia’s payments bought a respite from the fighting, but nothing short of joining the German nation voluntarily could have purchased a permanent peace. In 130 BC, Germany demanded the city of Minsk from Russia, returning the insult by which Catherine had once demanded Iron Working with interest. Russia refused, and the events that followed would be better termed a slaughter than a war. Shortly, nothing was left of Russia except for a slowly dying subculture among the German nation.

[nbarclay]

Chapter 3: Interlude

Over the ensuing centuries, Germany filled most of the rest of its home continent, with Rome and Persia slipping a few settlers into less habitable regions that Germany had not made a priority. Eventually, one of Persia’s three cities in the area succumbed to German culture, as did Rome’s only city on the continent and a nearby island city.

Elsewhere in the world, America, England, and Persia became the world’s three great powers. Germany became a scientific powerhouse, selling technologies to anyone willing to pay a respectable price and pouring the gold into further research. But its overall power lagged a little behind even Persia, and its culture was far behind the other major powers.

Rome had lost Antium to Persia, but was still fairly healthy. On the other side of the world, Greece and China were less fortunate, although neither had been annihilated yet. England and America were evenly matched, and most of the world’s great wonders were in their hands.

Not that Germany intended to remain peaceful forever. When the decision was made to build a Forbidden Palace, St. Petersburg was chosen for its close proximity to Roman territory. Building it there took longer, but the investment in the future seemed to make sense.

[nbarclay]

Chapter 4: D-Day

The year was 1525. At long last, Germany was ready. Three galleons loaded with troops, including some brand-new cavalry detachments, sailed across the narrow channel and landed between Neapolis and Veii. Roman forces attacked but were beaten off, and the two cities fell almost immediately.

In the initial stages, Germany’s forces were spread thin enough that they suffered some losses. But the galleons continued their ferrying operation, and the balance of power shifted farther and farther into Germany’s favor. Shortly after, a great leader emerged from the fighting and formed a cavalry army.

Cumae was Germany’s next target, giving Germany control of Leonardo’s Workshop. Unfortunately, Germany’s original plan to delay upgrading most of its older units until it gained possession of that wonder had collapsed due to early losses, diminishing the immediate utility of the wonder. Rome fell not long after that, and then all of the rest of the empire that mattered.

One Roman city, Byzantium, survived on a distant island shared with Persia and America. Germany’s leaders wanted an end to the unhappiness the war was causing in their newly conquered territory, and the Byzantium was far enough away to hold the risk of rebellion down to a reasonable level. The year was 1600.

[nbarclay]

Chapter 5: Border Skirmish

After conquering Rome, Germany was reluctant to press on into Persia. Persia had at least a few riflemen to counter Roman cavalry, and a larger army overall, making it likely that a war between the two nations would be long and costly. Worse, Persia’s culture was still significantly superior to Germany’s, greatly increasing the risk of defections in captured cities.

The Bismarcks had always been patient, and they knew the day would come when the balance of power would once again shift decisively in favor of mobile forces. Maybe some kind of armored wagon, possibly steam powered. Well, Germany could wait.

But Persia had other plans. In 1670, Persian forces invaded the former Roman territories and declared war when asked to leave. That proved to be a big mistake for Persia, since the rugged country in between the two nations gave defending forces plenty of time to counterattack before any real harm could be done.

Brigade after brigade fell under the guns and hooves of German cavalry, and a few recently upgraded infantry units helped out a little. The great leader Richtoffen emerged from the fighting, rushing Universal Suffrage to completion almost immediately. The war also gave Germany an excuse to take Jinjan and Zohak, the last foreign cities on Germany’s home continent.

Better yet for the Germans, their scientists discovered the Theory of Evolution at almost immediately after Universal Suffrage was completed. Those two events combined to bring about a golden age in Germany.

After the fall of Zohak and the devastation of many of its own units in exchange for trivial German casualties, Persia agreed to pay tribute in exchange for peace. Persia would be eliminated on Germany’s schedule, and not before.

Not long after that, German forces took out the Roman city of Byzantium, partly to eliminate the need to garrison Roman cities against insurrection and partly to provide a jumping-off point from which to strike at Persia’s colonial cities on the island

[nbarclay]

Chapter 6: Blitzkreig

Germany’s Golden Age saw massive construction of factories and other infrastructure improvements, as well as rapid expansion of its military. As technology advanced, the old idea of armored war wagons evolved into something eminently workable, the Panzer.

Eventually, the golden age came to an end, but Germany’s military build-up continued. The discovery of aviation led to the use of airports to transfer panzers from the homeland to the Persian continent quickly and without risk. Enough panzers were ready in 1794, but the war was delayed another six years in order to perfect computer technology and upgrade the nation’s infantry to mechanized infantry.

Finally, in 1800, Germany struck. Antioch, Persepolis, Arbela, Pasargadae, and Antium fell almost immediately, with Germany using Persia’s well-developed rail network against it. Cavalry forces from Byzantium captured Herat, one of the two Persian cities on the same island.

Two years later, the great leader Horsa emerged from a strike at Persian units attempting to counterattack. He immediately rushed the SETI project to completion, giving Germany yet another research boost. After that, Persian cities fell as quickly as the attacking units could reach them: Dariush Kabir in 1802; Susa and Pisae in 1804; Hamadan, Sidon, Tarsus, Bactra, and the island city of Borazjan in 1806; and Sardis, Ergili, and Tyre in 1808. The Persian nation was no more.

[nbarclay]

Chapter 7: Peace

To anyone who doesn’t know better, the idea that men with spears might pose a danger to cavalry seems ludicrous. But Hans Barbarossa knew better. In a city, there are all sorts of opportunities for a deadly ambush. Worse, some of those “spearmen” had gotten their hands on more modern weapons, even explosives.

Hans hadn’t ever wanted a military command, or even to be in the military at all. But when duty calls, an honorable man responds. Duty called when Germany built up its forces, and Hans found himself assigned to an old but honorable cavalry detachment. Duty called again when enemy forces somehow slipped into camp and killed the commanding colonel and all five of his senior subordinates during the battle of Borazjan. Barbarossa found himself forced to assume command, and to make the best of the situation.

Not long after the dust cleared, Barbarossa had found himself acclaimed as one of Germany’s great heroes. He soon found himself promoted to command of the entire island over the heads of men who had been far senior to him.

During his time in command, Barbarossa got to know the commander of the American forces on the island quite well. He found that he liked the Americans, and they got along well with him too.

Shortly after the war with Persia ended, Chancellor Bismarck called Barbarossa in to discuss plans for an invasion of America. Much to Bismarck’s surprise, Barbarossa recommended strongly against such a war. Germany already controlled almost half the world. Wasn’t that enough? And with the fall of Persia, everyone Germany had ever had a conflict with was obliterated. All Germany had left was friends. Surely the world’s remaining nations could find a way to work together without bloodshed. Yes, Germany could certainly conquer the world if it wanted to. But does the fact that something can be done automatically make it right?

Bismarck listened, and Germany’s greatest remaining war leader became a leader for peace. But he still had his work cut out for him figuring out how to make the project work. Peace could only exist if the world’s other three nations decided to cooperate, and even if they did, there was even a risk that the other nations might band together to usurp Germany’s rightful place of leadership in the new order.

Fortunately, the small remnant of Greece provided a golden opportunity. In the old militaristic order, leaving Greece a poor, backward nation made perfect sense. Indeed, Germany’s now-shelved plan to invade the East had hinged on taking out Greece to provide a staging area. But in the new era of peace and prosperity, why should the Greek people not have the same access to science and luxury goods as the rest of the world? And if generosity toward Greece brought that nation squarely into Germany’s orbit, so much the better.

Finally, in 1832, everything was ready and Barbarossa rushed the United Nations to completion. Unfortunately, the first election for Secretary General produced no clear winner. Greece and Germany voted for Bismarck, while England and America voted for Lincoln.

Germany continued giving new technologies to Greece, and even gave a little to England and America (and loosened up on the sales price of some others). Germany also signed mutual protection pacts and right of passage agreements with both England and America in the hope of bringing the nations closer. The world remained at peace, and Germany started work on the world’s first starship in the hope that sending a colony to Alpha Centauri would unify the world even if voting in the U.N. could not.

A second election for leadership in the U.N. was held in 1856, and England changed its vote to support Bismarck. Thus began the Age of Peace in which global cooperation has replaced global competition.

[nbarclay]

Alternate Ending (for those who don’t like diplomatic victories):

The United Nations never did hold another election for Secretary General after the first one, but the space race shifted into high gear. In 1880, as America and England neared completion of their ships (although still lacking the Laser technology needed for the final part), Germany’s great starship took off for Alpha Centauri.

[godinex]

Yes this one is fine

[civman2000]

Nice story

[WTE_OzWolf]

Most impressive...

I enjoyed this story immensely. Well done on a well written piece of work...