You know, I just realized something: Jelgava is really a parallel of Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. I've often thought it was just a loose Low Countries analog, and I suppose it does rather fulfill that (what with Algarve aerial bombing it into submission), but Algarve has to cross a mountain range that forms a natural border (like France crossed the Pyranees), the government was obnoxious (the Spaniards were still running the Inquisition), and Mezentio makes his brother king (just as Nap put his brother Joe on the Spanish throne).
So the person who claimed Jelgava=Spain forever and ever ago was right, but did a piss-poor job of explaining the parallels. TR 04:58, September 19, 2010 (UTC)
- Huh, I'll be damned, you're right.
- Actually, the restoration of Jelgava's obnoxious government made me sort of interested in a follow-up series. The coming conflict between Kuusamo and Unkerlant and their respective spheres of influence does not lend itself to an ideological conflict, but there are differences in government between the two: Unkerlant and its vassals being ruled by much more despotic, much more arbitrary kings. Kuusamo's got the Seven Princes--the only variation on the theme of monarchy known to exist in this world--Lagoas's king is much stronger than his British counterparts but, while no Elizabeth II, is at worst Elizabeth I, and not a true tyrant. The Valmieran king has had the fear of God beaten into him, methinks, and the Allies are going to keep the king of East Algarve on a short leash since he was a member of Mezentio's family. Oh, and then there's Sibiu; that always struck me as being a relatively free country, the only state-sponsored violence I can recall from them being the execution of Cornelu's wife, and that for murder.
- So what's-his-name stands out in this crowd for being the most despotic of the bunch. I guess this might also be a parallel to Spain, though of a different era: NATO tolerating Franco because he could be relied upon to oppose communists. Which is also like the Coalitions tolerating the restoration of the Borbóns because they could be relied upon to oppose liberals, though the Coalitions didn't have much reason to object to the Borbóns on philosophical grounds. Turtle Fan 13:43, September 19, 2010 (UTC)
- There is that as well. That anonymous person did point that out, but neglected to tell us how the Germany parallel invading a Spain parallel made sense in the WW II parallel. The answer, of course, is HT mixed and matched on this issue. I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised: the war kicks off with Algarve invading Bari, not Forthweg, so HT tweeked as necessary. TR 17:18, September 20, 2010 (UTC)
- Actually, some elements of Derlavai bear a passing resemblance to what we've seen thus far in TWTPE: Gyongyos in Unkerlant, Kuusamo by and large ignoring Algarve in favor of Gyongyos before it gets drawn into the war, Valmiera holding out for a good long while by French standards (though not long enough for the danger to pass). And while Bari's clearly Austria, it's not impossible to see the parallels to the German taking of Czechoslovakia, or at least the Sudetenland.
- And he took bits from other historical periods as well. All the Roman stuff with the ancient Kaunians, for example. Also, there's a bit of a homage to Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. Turtle Fan 00:49, September 21, 2010 (UTC)
Footnotes[]
Opinions are necessary. TR 17:45, September 20, 2010 (UTC)
- I hope you're not planning to make this article a pilot of the footnote program. It's hard enough getting people to write Darkness articles as is, add a strict new policy and the category will be dead as a doornail. Turtle Fan 19:36, September 20, 2010 (UTC)
- I think it's what we should strive for, if we adopt footnotes. Obviously, if there are other ideas....TR 19:52, September 20, 2010 (UTC)