Overview: Canon memories of Sweden
Oct. 24th, 2012 04:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rules_the_northSweden is from 1851 at the moment. That means that he is married to Norway (a marriage that he forced on the other nation and while they are on speaking terms right now, Norway is very cold towards him) and getting closer again with Denmark, whom he was at war with for centuries but now they even allied in a war.
Aside from the nations thing, Sweden's world is exactly like ours (160 years ago). The difference is that the nations are "personified". Sweden is not only people and land, but also a person. That person comes to exist before the actual nation is founded, but will exist as long as their people think of themselves of their people, even if they have no land anymore (for example Poland had no territory for a while, but was still kicking around) and only leave when that isn't the case anymore. They literally go away though and don't die like humans, and before that time comes they are basically immortal and heal quickly and thoroughly. They can be hurt, but not die. What we see from the strips, the existence of the nations is no secret and those that live in the capital or are involved with the government usually know about them. What happens to a country (the people) tends to also happen to the nation-person, like if there is a recession they catch a cold.
Age-wise, nations age very slowly and in a vague relation to their status as a nation. Typically, adult nations are between 15 and 25 human years. Sweden is 22 atm.
~50BC-1397AD: Sweden grows from a toddler into a teen. He befriends Denmark and Norway and sometimes does stuff with them, sometimes allies or even marries one of them and sometimes is at war with them. For a while he is a Viking and during that time meets Finland for the first time while Norway introduces Iceland to the other two Scandinavians. He raids, trades and works as a bodyguard and along the way helps Russia and Ukraine to get a steady shape of government and unify. He also meets Turkey (=Byzantine, later Ottoman).
The time around 1000AD sees a few changes as he unifies (Götaland and Svealand become one), ceases being a Viking and subsequently stays in the Baltic Sea area & Scandinavian peninsula (he makes exceptions for wars, though). He also starts to pick up Christianity and during the 13th/14th century makes Finland stay with him (under the name East Sweden).
1397-1523AD (Kalmarunion): Our Scandianvian boys have an awesome idea: Let's all move in together :D ...this works out well for roughly a hundred years, but as Sweden becomes more and more powerful and Denmark becomes more and more controlling, while Norway sinks into a more and more powerless state, the now two main players start to clash frequently. In 1520, Denmark's king Christian decides that killing off a couple of Sweden's nobles will subdue the nation - which does not happen. Sweden rebels, and after 3 years of war breaks free of Denmark. Thus the North splits into East and West: Sweden takes Finland with him while Norway and Iceland stay with Denmark. Sweden also adopts Lutheranism when he establishes his independence, which will play a role for royal succession and alliances with other nations alike (see 30 years war).
1523-early 1700s AD: Sweden continues to rise after that, becoming a major power in Europe and for a while being THE military power, the most advanced and with the strongest army. Along the way he expands his territory to include Scania (from Denmark), a couple of Norwegian territories, Latvia, Estonia and some territory in today's Germany. Finland is still there, too.
1700-1723 AD: And then he does something that after him France and Germany did and failed at as well. He attacks Russia too late in the year, gets stuck in the Russian winter, and BAM. Over this he loses Latvia and Estonia.
1809 AD: He loses Finland to Russia as well.
1814 AD: But then Napoleon does what I mentioned above :D And since Sweden is in the Sixth Coalition, the alliance against France that forms when Russia's winter basically destroys France's army, Sweden is allowed to collect his spoils. Which is Norway whom he has wanted to marry or otherwise have in his house for *ages*. (Basically, Denmark whom Norway basically belonged to even if it was formally an union was forced into an alliance with France by England destroying his fleet so France couldn't get it. As such Denmark-Norway was on the losing side in the war of the Sixth Coalition and Sweden collected his spoils afterwards against a lot of people wanting to stop him - among them Norway who had budding hopes of independence.) Sweden's and Norway's marriage began very tersely, but slowly calmed down a bit. They are vaguely getting along now back home.
Aside from the nations thing, Sweden's world is exactly like ours (160 years ago). The difference is that the nations are "personified". Sweden is not only people and land, but also a person. That person comes to exist before the actual nation is founded, but will exist as long as their people think of themselves of their people, even if they have no land anymore (for example Poland had no territory for a while, but was still kicking around) and only leave when that isn't the case anymore. They literally go away though and don't die like humans, and before that time comes they are basically immortal and heal quickly and thoroughly. They can be hurt, but not die. What we see from the strips, the existence of the nations is no secret and those that live in the capital or are involved with the government usually know about them. What happens to a country (the people) tends to also happen to the nation-person, like if there is a recession they catch a cold.
Age-wise, nations age very slowly and in a vague relation to their status as a nation. Typically, adult nations are between 15 and 25 human years. Sweden is 22 atm.
~50BC-1397AD: Sweden grows from a toddler into a teen. He befriends Denmark and Norway and sometimes does stuff with them, sometimes allies or even marries one of them and sometimes is at war with them. For a while he is a Viking and during that time meets Finland for the first time while Norway introduces Iceland to the other two Scandinavians. He raids, trades and works as a bodyguard and along the way helps Russia and Ukraine to get a steady shape of government and unify. He also meets Turkey (=Byzantine, later Ottoman).
The time around 1000AD sees a few changes as he unifies (Götaland and Svealand become one), ceases being a Viking and subsequently stays in the Baltic Sea area & Scandinavian peninsula (he makes exceptions for wars, though). He also starts to pick up Christianity and during the 13th/14th century makes Finland stay with him (under the name East Sweden).
1397-1523AD (Kalmarunion): Our Scandianvian boys have an awesome idea: Let's all move in together :D ...this works out well for roughly a hundred years, but as Sweden becomes more and more powerful and Denmark becomes more and more controlling, while Norway sinks into a more and more powerless state, the now two main players start to clash frequently. In 1520, Denmark's king Christian decides that killing off a couple of Sweden's nobles will subdue the nation - which does not happen. Sweden rebels, and after 3 years of war breaks free of Denmark. Thus the North splits into East and West: Sweden takes Finland with him while Norway and Iceland stay with Denmark. Sweden also adopts Lutheranism when he establishes his independence, which will play a role for royal succession and alliances with other nations alike (see 30 years war).
1523-early 1700s AD: Sweden continues to rise after that, becoming a major power in Europe and for a while being THE military power, the most advanced and with the strongest army. Along the way he expands his territory to include Scania (from Denmark), a couple of Norwegian territories, Latvia, Estonia and some territory in today's Germany. Finland is still there, too.
1700-1723 AD: And then he does something that after him France and Germany did and failed at as well. He attacks Russia too late in the year, gets stuck in the Russian winter, and BAM. Over this he loses Latvia and Estonia.
1809 AD: He loses Finland to Russia as well.
1814 AD: But then Napoleon does what I mentioned above :D And since Sweden is in the Sixth Coalition, the alliance against France that forms when Russia's winter basically destroys France's army, Sweden is allowed to collect his spoils. Which is Norway whom he has wanted to marry or otherwise have in his house for *ages*. (Basically, Denmark whom Norway basically belonged to even if it was formally an union was forced into an alliance with France by England destroying his fleet so France couldn't get it. As such Denmark-Norway was on the losing side in the war of the Sixth Coalition and Sweden collected his spoils afterwards against a lot of people wanting to stop him - among them Norway who had budding hopes of independence.) Sweden's and Norway's marriage began very tersely, but slowly calmed down a bit. They are vaguely getting along now back home.
