It is the year 1400 and you have controll of 500 infantry, and a carrier...

[Lord Merciless]

Originally posted by Jaguar Warrior
There are medics on navy carriers.


Also there is plumbing, showers, etc. on carriers. So you could get a good woman.

With a carrier there is no problem. But suppose you only bring soldiers along, then you can get easily hosed.

[Dis]

Edit: first I said take over the middle east for oil But that is too dangerous even with technology. Muslims are just bad ass- 'nuff said.

I say take over Texas and the east coast of the U.S. Texas for the oil. Penssylvania for the coal and steel (for replacement parts). Then hopefully someone can build a refinery and factories.

[Lord Merciless]

Mideast is a good start. Lots of skilled people you can employ, and lots of countries have pretty good administration to carry out your command. Plus, inciting a Jihad to unify the Arab world and drive out foreign invaders will get you lots of volunteer soldiers.

As for iron/steel, Canada and Australia have plenty of those. Coals are available in many places. You can plenty of Gold thoughout in Americas. I'm not sure about Aluminums though.

[Dis]

but unless you are muslim you cannot launch a jihad. I am white and they would view me with wrath. They would fight me to the bitter end (like the are fighting the jews to the bitter end)

Middle east would lay waste to 500 marines and a carrier. They did some amazing thing back in the middle ages. I'm not sure where they were militarily in 1400, but I'm sure they could launch a jihad that can wipe out 500 marines easily.

[Lord Merciless]

How about converting to Islam then? Christianity sucked big times back in 1400, with all the inquisitions and witchburnings going on. In addition, Islam has the benefit of allowing you to marry up 4 wives at once .

You don't even have to believe in Allah to launch a Jihad. Just say you are a Muslim and apply the usual propagandistic practices are more than enough.

Whether you are white or not is not important. Some tannings of your skin and dyeing of your hair can be easily done, right?

Doing some good things for the economy(which should be really easy with your knowledge) and winning a couple of big battles(which should be really easy with a few radios), and people will worship you like Saladin. And that's only the beginning.

BTW Saladin was of Kurdish descent and was much whiter than the usual mid easterners.

[Dis]

good point. Just read up a little on Islam and say I'm islamic.

4 wives would be great. If they have PMS I'd just spend my time waging war.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Lord Merciless
A country should have the following characteristics:
- Has a centralized bureaucracy, meaning no pesky feudal lords to deal with. It also means once you control the central government, your command would be carried out as it is.
- Is in direct competition with another country, war usually opens up opportunities for outsiders to intervene.
- Must have access to both good human and material resources. Abundance of alchemists(scientists), craftsmen(engineers), merchants, and loyal peasants is seen as good human resources. Abundance of iron, horses, silver, and gold mines is seen as good material resources.
- Its population must have a certain zeal to spread its culture.
- Its culture may cover large territories and include many separate states.

Then your only choice is China at that moment in time:

1. Large centralised bureaucracy: check
2. Human and natural resources: check
3. Competition with another country: check
4. Spreading culture: likely but not sure
5. Large culture: check

The Chinese also had the most advanced technology in the world. Remember those cruise missiles?

[mrboo123]

Ya, China would be a good place to start!

[TheStinger]

religion in the 1500's would cease to be effective once you roll up in your carrier. Muhammed never said nothing about 80000 ton metal ships with flying machines.

I would in turn go to Mecca and Rome and anywhere else some bloke set himself up as a religious leader and offer him a choice tell everyone its a big lie or they go to the Falkland Islands

[JohnT]

Actually, China was about to end a period of expansion by 1400.

If I was going to take over a country, it'd be England. Among the first things I'd reform would be laws and customs regarding sanitation and personal habits. I'd make it mandatory to wash your hands between patients in all the Kings hospitals, prevent chamberpots from being emptied on the streets, to enter the King's presence, you must have bathed and brushed your teeth in the past 24 hours, stuff like that.

[St Leo]

I am white and they would view me with wrath.

Arabs are white.

[Az]

arabs are no ethnical group by 1400. they're a cultural group.

[Urban Ranger]

Okay. First thing I do is to trade in my carrier for a whole bunch of experts: doctors, chemists, metulagists, all sorts of engineers, mathematicians, experts on TCM. Then I'd got the whole group vaccinated against nasty diseases such as the bubonic plague and smallpox. I'll also get a large supply of medicine and seeds. Make sure everybody and everything are disinfected. Then I'd deposit myself with the whole group somewhere in Southern China, probably Canton.

I'd get everybody to dress in plainclothes and mix in with the crowd. Check out the local anti-mongol secret society and join them. Get the marines to train the soldiers in combat techniques. Get the agricultural experts to improve the farmers' farming yields. Keep the people fed to win their hearts. Once I muster sufficient military strength stage a revolt to overthrow the local government. Stage defenses along the mountain ranges in Northen Canton.

Once that is done, reform the government - put in a modern form of taxation. Throw the landowners into jail, let the farmers own their land. When the news spreads, people will flock in. More people = bigger army. Meanwhile, get the prospectors out to look for iron and coal mines. Mine the iron and coal to make steel, so we can build guns. Probably nothing major, just bolt action rifles and revolvers, but that's all we need.

When we are ready, we move along the coast up North and overthrow the mongol rule one by one. We build up the province one by one. When we are ready, we move to the next. We keep going North until we hit the Yangzee river, then spread westwards. In 3-5 years, maybe 10, we'll take control of the whole China.

Next target will be Indo-China. We go in there, we tell the people, "If you join us, we will show you how to grow more food, we will show you how to have a better life. If you don't want to join us, you are free to go."

By winning people's hearts, soon we will have a huge army. With a huge army we go to India next. Repeat. After that, Middle East. Repeat. Then Europe. When we have control of the whole Europe, we may decide whether we want to cross to the Americas.

[Sava]

I like UR's plan

[chequita guevara]

I go and offer my services to the Ottoman Empire.