History of Trodenhiem
From Xinda
Early History
Trodenhiem was founded by Julian I in circa 5000 B.C. Juilian was the head of a large nomadic people called the Trodden, with his people they settled in the central plains of the Troden Continent in what is now the Empire, they settled a village called Capita, later to become the Trodonian Capital. Initially they lived in clans and villages, however as threats from neighbouring tribes increased, they were forced to fortify, thus the traditional walled towns began. Initial these walled towns were little more than tribal settlements surrounded by pallisade walls, however by 350 B.C. thier culture was so well developed that they followed a traditional Greek architecture, and had constructed large stone fortifications around towns and cities of stone and mortar. This lead to the Trodonian Classical Golden Age, an age where the Trodden people flourished, thier architecture became known across the world, sharing similarities to both Greek and Roman work. They constructed merchant fleets and thier military traditions of armoured spearmen equipped with short swords known as Palatine Phalanx Hoplites made them successful as an expansionist force.
As the population multiplied it became apparent that Despotism could no longer support such a large populace nor award them the respect of the other nearby civilisations, and under the rule of Titherius I the despotism became an Imperium of unified Trodonian tribes, that came to be known as Trodenhiem. The cities united under one flag and the military grew, as did thier populace. As the Golden Age progressed as did thier technology, they began to make more use of heavy cavalry and by 230 A.D. they had developed thier own equivilent to the Byzantine Cavalry, named the Palatine Pranoi Aligon. With thier expansion complete, thier economy boomed to epic proportions, they traded with everyone, and few dared to make war with them.
Medieval History
The Empire had flourished conquering the nearby tribes and nations, and grew in size and wealth. By 1500 A.D. Trodenhiem was established as a major power on the Trodonian Continent, famous for its mounted soldiers and technologically advanced arquebusiers, thier culture was amazing, absorbing those of the nations and peoples they had conquered into thier own, and they became the hub of the civilised locale.
The nations of the Trodonian Continent, Promethia, Cassius, Cadia, Aramath, Solland and Boldividia were disunited and constantly warring amongst themselves. The constant warfare was hindering the growth of the Trodonian nation and so Emperor Scipius II lead the nation of the Great War of Ascension in which Trodenhiem conquered the states one by one and forced them into compliance. So it was that by 1812 AD all the nations of the Trodonian Continent except Cassius, on the central coast centered around Sparta. Cassius was the last nation to become taken by Trodenhiem however it was taken under the reign of Scipius III not Scipius II who died in 1812.
Renaissance History
Trodenhiem was one of the nations the was at the forefront, technologically though not socially or politically, of the Renaissance. Thier early developement of Black Powder and then Gunpowder allowed them to pave the way for a whole new era of warfare and by 1790 they already had a military far more advanced and capable than any of the other Trodonian States, including Promethia and Cassius, both renowned for thier military prowess.
It was during this period that the War of Ascension reached its climax. Scipius II had defeated the forces of Boldividia, Federalia, Imperialis and Aramath with a force mostly using crossbows in the 1770s-90s with heavy cavalry and knights, however even during the 1790s the Trodonian military was being overhauled as frontline troops were periodically sent home for retraining and rearmament with new weapons and new techniques. Trodenhiem became famous for the deadly Konquestors, mounted Carbine Cavalry first concieved in the 1550s, however they came into thier own with new weapon designs. The Pistoliers both mounted and on foot also became a deadly feature of Trodonian war and military unit that would continue in one form or another, to be a strong force until the early 1900s.
Industrial and Colonial Era
Starting in 1850 under the reign of Emperor Scipius III this period of time saw Trodenhiem at its zenith in the eyes of many historians. It was a Golden Age. The government was still autocratic, run by a revered 'God' Emperor and by the military classes. However industry and social liberty were on the rise. Trodenhiem was an innovator of Industrialism, its entrepeneurs and Industrialists setting up many companies and brands that we still see today.
Trodenhiem began in the textiles industry and swiftly moved to exploit its own resources with coal, copper, tin and iron mining as well as steel manufacture. The steel, steam and ship building industries took off, though Trodenhiem never invested in a sizeable military navy, merchant and pleasure vessels were pouring from the production lines at an unprecidented rate. Soon Trodenhiem was one of the pinnacle nations of the Industrial Revolution.
This huge industrial success fuel Trodenhiem's military ambitions and soon the non-Trodonian states of the Trodonian Continent came under attack, places such as Pretoria, Lakosh and Vier. As before they were invaded and brought into compliance, every shred of thier former independance removed and thier cultures usurped. These colonial success brought in yet more wealth and resources to fuel the Industry, nevertheless in 1910 with the Trodonio-Atholon War it was proven that Trodenhiem was beginning to fall behind, unable to advance any further as its Industrialists became tired and complacent. The military was unable to win the swift decisive victory that was expected and it was the beginning of the end for the Trodonian Golden Age.
The Trodonian Civil War (1915-1934)
One of the longest wars in history, and certainly one of the bloodiest. The Trodonian Civil War began with the dissappearance of Emperor Ulsis I, no-one to this day knows what happened to him, however soon after a distant relative Lord Maxmillion Thunderhawk attempted to sieze power. His attempts failed as a number of aristocrats and military leaders forced his forces from the capital city. However thier alliances broke down as the bickered over who should become the supreme ruler. The concept of divided democratic rule was unheard of in Trodenhiem and this ultimately lead to the Battle of Trodenhiem City, in which a total of 8 faction brought thier full military might to bear in brutal fighting for control of the capital. The battles lasted for 12 years when finally a renewed Thunderhawk returned and in a surprise attack swept the warring factions from the city and installed himself as its leader.
Thunderhawk then engaged on a brutal regime of terror, hunting down dissenting groups and fighting terrible battles against the rival factions he'd beaten out of the capital. The end of the war finally ended when the other factions united under Emperor Ulsis now adult son Felix in 1934.
The Felixian Revolution (1934-1935)
The Felixian Revolution headed by Prince Felix who had reached manhood in 1933 and was now the rightful ruler of Trodenhiem, united the warring faction and lead a coup against Thunderhawk, forcing him to flee the capital and dissappear while the remnants of the militaries scoured the Empire reasserting central Imperial control.
The Thunderhawk Uprising (1948)
The Thunderhawk Uprising happen in June 1948 when Lord Maxmillion Thunderhawk lead a small band of loyalists in an attempted coup against Emperor Titherius III (Felix' brother as Felix died of cancer in 1942) the coup was brutal but short as a unit of Spartan Hoplite Infantry surrounded and suppressed Thunderhawk and his loyalists. Thunderhawk was shot and mortally wounded during the battle and died on the steps of the Imperial Palace.
Post-War Trodenhiem (1948-1968)
This period was dominated by the rule of Emperor Silas II who ascended the throne following the assassination of his father (Titherius III) and his older brother also called Titherius. At the time it was believed to be the work of rebel Cassiun Seperatists, however following Silas' death it was revealled that the 'rebels' were under his employment.
Silas II ascended the throne in 1949, and took command of Trodenhiem in its most degenerate state. The economy was in pieces, the government was weak and deeply fragmented and the former civil war factions still fought amongst themselves hindering progress. Silas took the decision to force compliance and in on night, nicknamed the Night of the Bloody Hand, removed all dissenters and rivals. He now had complete control of the government, and with the advice of a young Farden Jarrick set about instituting his will.
By 1951 Jarrick and Silas had recentralised the national government and ruled with an iron fist. The country's economy was back on track and people were finally united under the Imperial flag once more. With the huge success of thier rule Silas decided to hand power over to Jarrick in order to reform to a democratic government. Jarrick did not believe that such a government was viable in Trodenhiem and set about secretly poisening the system and Silas' mind. During his reign he ensured the elected officials took the blame for numerous atrocities committed, such as a number of skirmishes and wars with Atholon and Gevon, as well as the outright extermination of the remaining Atholonians within Trodonian borders.
In 1960 the first elections were held and Monte Guerro, the leader of a loyalist faction in the civil war, took Jarrick's place as the leader of the nation. He set about trying to reform the nation into a properly democratic state that believed in liberal democracy rather than the traditionalist kind strongly tied to the Emperor. The idea was good but it proved disasterous in practice, as the Aristrocracy lead by Jarrick rebelled and Emperor Silas took power, exiling Guerro. Silas was by now utterly twisted by Jarrick's crazed and malign schemes and set about enslaving the nation and turning it into a giant concentration camp.
In 1966 Lord Juss a prominent member of the Cassiun Aristocracy lead an army of pro-Guerro soldiers and militias against the demoralised Imperial Army. Over the next two years they fought a one sided war and final found Silas holed up in the capital. The city was assaulted and Silas executed publicly in front of the world media. The capital was then abandoned.
The Second Imperium (1968-1979)
After this Juss returned power to Guerro, who set about rebuilding the nation. It was short process as the people and military now supported him fully, and soon he forged an alliance with Atholon and they became a Principality of the new Second Imperium. Mad with power and now twisted by the whisperings of Jarrick, Guerro set about making a number of threats against world powers and brought the nation to the verge of war with thier longest allies the Caldari.
However the collapse of Atholon lead in turn to the collapse of the Second Imperium. With Monte's position untterly compromised the Empire began to fragment into its component provinces, Promethia, Cassius, Boldividia, Cadia, Aramath, Federalia, Imperialis, Warzone, Pretoria and Trodonia. Guerro's continued propounding of the Federalist ideal failed to reunite the states and Monte was forced to start a war of reunification from his nation Imperial Trodenhiem (Imperialis), he succeeded in taking Promethia, Pretoria, Warzone, and Aramath.
The Reunification Wars(1980-1982)
In 1979 Monte Guerro's disillusioned son Carlo Guerro defected to Cassius and lead the state, now named Federal Trodenhiem in a war to revive the Federalist dream and reunite Trodenhiem. After a series of long negotiations he managed to merge his nation with Boldividia, Trodonia, Cadia and Federalia and led the nation in a war against his father. The war was ultimately a victory though it cost the capital city, which was nuked twice and then had masses of chemical and biological weapons fired there. The result of all the radiation was an EMP field that created the 'Dead Zone' an area where compasses went haywire and people were known never to return from.
The Federalist Era (1982-1990)
With Trodenhiem reunified Carlo set about rebuilding once more, however the foreign interference of nations such as Latagon prior to the collapse of the Second Imperium as well as the widespread (though debateable) belief that Latagon was responsible for all thier woes, lead many to begin openly abusing those of Latagonian descent and ethnicity. Carlo Guerro was unable to stop this and was branded a lover of Latagon. This allong with a series of dictatorial decisions reminiscent of the beginning of his father's reign as 'Emperor' lead to his imprisionment in the Dead Zone with his father and then his execution beside him in 1990 in a bloody coup by Viktor Stomalkov.
The Stomalkov Era (1990-2001)
With Carlo's death at the hands of his own government Trodenhiem began the fragment and dissolve into seperate warring states once more, but before any lasting damage could be done Stomalkov siezed the opportunity and in a violent coup assumed power. In the coup he had the remnant government assassinated and sent military units to destroy the faction leaders making him the only leader.
In the following months strange graffiti and propaganda began to appear as well as evangelists and soon a Cult of Personality built up around him as the leader, reaffirming his power. With this newfound support he was able to effectively convert the nation into a huge factory, his state capitalist ideas of a planned economy allowed him to mould the nation into a huge machine of war and industry. During his reign the economy grew to over 20 times its original size, living standards improved and Trodenhiem's military capability dwarfed that of the Caldari State and at its zenith even Latagon's.
However as Stomalkov's reign progressed so too did the Caldari-Latagon war and Trodenhiem's involvement in it. As a result of the Cult of Personality, hatred of Latagonian, Caropsyne and other non-Union minorities grew ultimately resulting the the state sanctioned Genocide of Caropsyne and Latagonian people across the nation. Over 60 million people lost thier lives as a direct result of Stomalkov's genocidal regime and the Latagonian government attempted widespread rescue operations.
Finally the genocide ended. At the time it seemed like a sudden U-turn in beliefs but now we realise that Stomalkov's advisors had assassinated him and taken control under his facade. For two years they ruled until finally Stomalkov's death was leaked and widespread public outrage lead to thier 'selling' the nation to Vadran Kelt of the ZetaResh Corporation.
Corporate Control (2001-2002)
Vadran Kelt bought the most economically powerful nation on the planet. Its product was huge, the munitions piles (that's what the were) grew to immense proportions. The nation become one huge factory and the pollution levels soared. Kelt's savvy economic leadership was not enough to save the nation from complacency however and with his death at the hands of an unknown assassin in the Union Chambers in 2002 the corporation collapsed paving the way for the ascension of Emperor Konstantin I.
The Third Imperium (2002-Present)
With Kelt's death the corporation lost its grip over the nation and soon many people became disillusioned very quickly. Suddenly Soneka Vatras the Imperial Successor announced that he'd found the hier to the throne, in the form of a lesser Aristocrat, Don Konstantin Scorpius. The highly educated Don was only 19 but by the modern laws enacted under Stomalkov he was an adult and therefore elegable to ascend the throne.
With the weight of public pressure against them the ZetaResh board of directors decided to relinquish control of the country to Konstantin on the proviso that they be given back thier investment that caused thier control. Konstantin agreed and with his power as Emperor siezed the money from the corrupt members of Stomalkov's government who had pocketed the cash and gave it to the board.
With the people supporting thier new Emperor unquestioningly Konstantin set about turning Trodenhiem from a corrupt and malignant nation, into a new reformed and democratic one. His first move was to sever his links with the Union for which the Empire had fought and whose economy they had effectively controlled under Stomalkov. The move caused outrage from the Caldari leadership however strong ties with Loslakia were maintained. He sided with more democratic nations such as Armoria and initially joined the Corporate Union in thier quest to secure world democracy.
However this alliance with the CU was short lived when they decided to go to war against Trodenhiem's wishes. Trodenhiem withdrew its support and began cultivating tronger ties with Forthampton, Loslakia, Prasser and Armoria, though Latagon was a long term target for alliance a suitable distance was maintained until Trodenhiem was in a position to approach them on peaceful terms. The success of diplomatic processes with Forthampton strengthened Konstantin's rule and allowed him to introduce democratic and liberal reforms, creating a system of democratic government and constitutional monarchy that we see today.
With Don Elric Voltaire elected under the new system, ties with Forthampton improved yet further. Konstantin and Voltaire took the opportunity to strengthen ties with Loslakia, Prasser and Armoria by forming a coalition with them against the Imperial Union when they once more attemtped to assert thier authority. Trodenhiem's long term ties with Armoria have lead many to suggest they may join Armoria's alliance ACDC, however these claims have been repeatedly denied by Trodonian officials.
Following Emperor Konstantin's marraige to Princess Kathryn of Forthampton (the spelling of her name altered upon marraige from Katherine to fit with the Trodonian language and accent where Katherine is near impossible to say) not only were ties with Forthampton cemented in the long term, but the strength fo Konstantin's and Voltaire's rule was strengthened. Such a high profile royal marraige had not been seen in centuries and many believe it signalled the beginning of the new Trodonian Golden Age. Voltaire's rule was strengthened as Konstantin left him in charge during his long honeymoon and Voltaire proved his ability to rule outright by succeeding in the defeat and plunder of the CU and then the yet further improved ties with Armoria coupled with the opening of ties with Western Contradictions.
The First Solitaire Period (2007-2009)
Main arcticle The Solitaire Series
The Solitaire Events, were a series of events that took place in Trodenhiem from 2007-2009 involving the Solitaire Project. During this period Konstantin and Kathryne's first children (twins) Prince Matthius Nash (Matthew Nash) and Princess Elyse Maria (Elyse Mariya in Trodonian, but Elissia Maria as standard) , and the Emprer Katheryne I survived an attempt on her life by an unknown assassin Khaine, believed to be linked to Farden Jarrick who is believed to have been involved in the murder of Dr Nash Lyzanda whose death signalled the beginning of this period.
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