TAKING SIDES IN THE WORLD WAR

Te outbreak of the World War has lef the great powers of the
world beginning to form alliances among themselves, as each
seeks to use the confict to further its own agendas.
Some powers decided outright to commence wars with rivals
that had long been planned. Others were thrust into confict
with each other by chains of events beyond their control, while
still more initially hung back, until they either chose to enter
battle on the most favourable terms they could arrange, or were
also thrust into confict by aggression from rivals.
Since the events of late 1870 to mid-1871, two major alliances
have emerged, encompassing seven of the worlds great powers.
Te mysterious Covenant of Antarctica stands aloof from all
the others, working to a unique agenda of its own namely,
attempting to either prevent the conficts from spreading, or
to weaken and hamstring the other powers to try and ensure
that the wars are not prolonged. Te two major power blocs
are detailed below.
THE IMPERIAL BOND
Te older and more solid of the great power agreements, the
original Imperial Bond dates from just afer the outbreak of
war between the Empire of the Blazing Sun and the Kingdom
of Britannia, and the Russian Coalitions attack on the Prussian
Empire.
Te Empress Shinzua of the Empire of the Blazing Sun sought
an ofcial alliance with the Frederick Grunders Prussian
Empire. Tere had been an understanding between the two
powers based on a sharing of scientifc and technological
information for some years before the war, in which the
Prussian senior ofcer Sturm had played a major role.
Te treaty between the two powers took pressure from the
Empire of the Blazing Sun in south-east Asia and the Prussian
Empire in Europe by simultaneously threatening the Kingdom
of Britannia. It was the formation of the Imperial Bond, and
the later London Raid by the Prussian Empire that it inspired
which turned what had been two separate conficts into a full
World War.
Te Imperial Bond has bound the Prussian Empire and the
Empire of the Blazing Sun into a strong alliance. Te Imperial
Bond also partly encompasses other nations, such as the
Republique of France which had their own agreements with
either Prussian Empire or the Empire of the Blazing Sun, but
which do not as yet share the same degree of afnity.
THE GRAND COALITION
Te Imperial Bonds main rival is much newer, having only
begun to solidify in the wake of the joint Prussian-Blazing Sun
assault on the Caribbean in early 1871. It has emerged mostly
because of the eforts of the Kingdom of Britannia to secure
steady allies against the combined Blazing Sun and Prussian
attacks on its territory.
Te Kingdom of Britannia had a pre-existing agreement with
the Russian Coalition both sides had been allies for some
years. However, it did not immediately enter full-scale war with
the Prussian Empire until the formation of the Imperial Bond
and the advent of the London Raid.
Te Britannians had also shared a strong, but informal
understanding with the Federated States of America, which
came into being following the victory of the Southern states
over their Northern rivals in resource-based dispute that
was the American Civil War. Te FSA government had even
declared war on the Empire of the Blazing Sun in support of
the Britannians, although also for pragmatic reasons of its own.
However, it wasnt until both nations were forced to combine
their eforts to hold back the Imperial Bond assault that the
alliance between them was truly formalised, with proper joint
operations and a realisation that the Imperial Bond was a threat
to them both.
However, relations between the FSA and the Russian Coalition
have been much more strained. Te accidental engagement
between Russian and American naval forces in the Bering Sea
in 1869, together with accusations that American dissidents in
the remote Pacifc Northwestern Territories of the FSA were
being funded by Russian support, caused a lot of bad blood.
In fact, until 1871 a semi-ofcial, although bloodless confict
called the Northern War existed between them. However,
threats to both sides from other powers the resurgent
Prussians on Russians western European frontiers, and the
aggressive Blazing Sun attacks on American territory have
made both powers understand the threat the Imperial Bond
represents to them. In this they have been much encouraged
by the Kingdom of Britannia, which cannot aford to lose the
assistance of either.
Kingdom
of
Britannia
Prussian
Empire
Federated
States of
America
Empire of
the Blazing
Sun
Russian
Coalition
Republique
of France
Kingdom
of
Britannia
X At War Major Ally At War Major Ally At War
Prussian
Empire
At War X At War Major Ally At War Major Ally
Federated
States of
America
Major Ally At War X At War
Minor
Ally *
Neutral
Empire of
the Blazing
Sun
At War Major Ally At War X Neutral Minor Ally
Russian
Coalition
Major Ally At War
Minor
Ally *
Neutral X At War
Republique
of France
At War Major Ally Neutral Minor Ally At War X
* A lot of high tension has existed between the Federated States of America and Russian Coalition since the
Bering Incident of 1869, leading to the so-called Northern War. However, neither side has taken any major
military action against the other, as both wish to retain the Kingdom of Britannia as an ally. Both powers are
now trying to normalise relations with each other, in the light of greater outside threats to each.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
At War: Self-explanatory! Te powers noted are hostile to each other.
Major Ally: Tese powers are in full co-operation with each other, supporting one anothers forces with
material and information freely in combined operations.
Minor Ally: Tese powers are mostly co-operative towards each other, either for moral or pragmatic
reasons. However, they do not share the same level of trust with one another as true Allies. While they
will cooperate militarily, they do not engage in full combined operations as full Allies do.
Neutral: Tese powers are currently not at war with one another, but neither do they have any major
sense of afnity towards each other. Tey may have only economic and not military relations, or their
attitudes may be strongly coloured by mutual distrust.
DYSTOPIAN WARS ALLIANCE NATIONS
Copyright Spartan Games 2012
THE COVENANT OF ANTARCTICA
Te enigmatic nation at the foot of the world holds no formal alliances with
other powers great or small, and is commonly assumed to be hostile towards
all who would pervert the gifs of science to warlike ends.
Tis indeed is true but the rulers of the Covenant, not least Lord Sturgeon
himself, are not arrogant enough to assume they can bring the entire world
to battle openly and triumph over all. Nor are they naive enough to think that
they alone can set in motion the circumstances ft for their plans to come to
fruition.
So it is that the forces of the Covenant ofen operate in the manner of a hidden
hand; assisting the fortunes of one power here, hamstringing those of another
elsewhere. Teir overall goal is always to stife the efects or shorten the spans
of wars, redirecting ofensive actions or exhausting a promising confict for
both sides until they are compelled to cease their violent actions and come to
terms.
Always before, they carried out these activities in great secrecy, but as the war
progresses, their forces have been conducting more open operations. Some see
this goal as ultimately fruitless and futile, but the Covenant is defned by a
sense of hope as much as anything else, and will continue its eforts to this end.
THE ALLIANCE NATIONS
In addition to the great powers that dominate the globe, a number of other
nations also jockey for position and status in the global afairs. At this time of
war, many have been drawn into the orbits, and thus the conficts, of the Great
Powers.
Some have entered alliances willingly, eager to be on what they see as the
winning side in the global confagration. Some have been consumed by civil
wars, like Belgium; internal conficts rapidly escalating frst to proxy wars and
then full-scale clashes between the great powers in their territory as both sides
of those bitter conficts appeal for aid to sympathetic foreign governments.
Others, like the Greeks and Romanians, have been forced to fght, victims of
geography, economics or circumstance. Teir situations have driven them to
fnd allies outside of their borders, which has in turn drawn them into the
afairs and conficts of their greater partners.
Some of these lesser powers, such as the Italian League and the Ottoman
Dominion, were more naturally enemies. But the presence of threats even
greater than those they pose to each others fortunes, as well as powerful
mutual allies who will brook no disputes between their junior partners have
compelled them to band together. And so they stand side by side, despite their
distaste and distrust for one another at least for now.
Still others, especially the largest of these nations, such as the Chinese
Federation and the Socialist Union of South America, manage to hold onto
their neutrality. Tey are not quite mighty enough to be considered true great
powers. Yet they still possess the size and infuence to make the greater nations
alternately wary of provoking them and desperate to court them. Tey seek to
frst see if anything can truly be gained by confict for their own agendas before
pledging themselves to one side or another.
Lastly, there is a further group the opportunists and mercenaries. Times of
great confict are always occasions for professional soldiers of fortune to thrive,
and the World War of the Sturginium Age is no exception. Soldiers for hire
may arise from any nation but one power in particular, the Commonwealth
of Free Australia, has elevated the business of fghting for pay to the status of
a national industry. Te nation holds no formal allegiance to any power, but
its troops are available for hire to virtually any interested party for a suitable
fee, of course!
Te initial Alliance Nations of the DYSTOPIAN WARS world are listed below,
together with their power alliance preferences. Afer this follows tables which
defne the relationship these nations have with each other and Great Powers:
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Capital: Warsaw
Head of State: King Karol of Poland
Alliance Preference: Grand Coalition
United Kingdom of Romania
Capital: Bucharest, Brasov (Governmental)
Head of State: Her Majesty Queen Sorina I
Alliance Preference: Grand Coalition
Free Hellenic Kingdom
Capital: Athens
Head of State: King Ioannis I Zeno
Alliance Preference: Grand Coalition

Protectorate of Belgium
Capital: Liege
Head of State: Protector Jean-Paul Vermeirens
Alliance Preference: Imperial Bond
Belgian Royalist Rebels
Te Belgian rebels fghting against the Protectorate government have called
upon the Kingdom of Britannia and other foreign powers for assistance in their
efort to supplant their rivals. For Belgian Royalist forces, the following applies:
Alliance Preference: Grand Coalition
Alliance Status Great Powers
Allied with: Kingdom of Britannia (Major Ally), Russian Coalition (Minor
Ally), Federated States of America (Minor Ally)
Hostile to: Prussian Empire, Republique of France
Kingdom of Denmark
Capital: Copenhagen
Head of State: King Erik VIII
Alliance Preference: Imperial Bond
Portuguese Empire
Capital: Lisbon
Head of State: King John IX (Titular), Prime Minister Agostinho Cisneiros
Alliance Preference: Grand Coalition
League of Italian States
Capital: Milan (Kingdom of Lombardy), Cagliari (Kingdom of Sardinia),
Venice (Venetian Republic) and Palermo (Kingdom of Sicily)
Head of State: Duke Umberto I Chieva, Regent of Lombardy, King Vittorio
Emmanuel II of Sardinia, Prince Antonio Novarro, Doge of Venice and Queen
Lucrezia I of Sicily.
Note: Tese four rulers are known as the Tetrarchy of Princes, and between them
govern the Italian League. Tere are in fact many other smaller states within the
League, but in practice all owe their allegiance to one of the major powers.
Alliance Preference: Imperial Bond
Ottoman Dominions
Capital: Constantinople
Head of State: Te Sublime Lord, Sultan Suleiman Mustapha I
Alliance Preference: Imperial Bond
*Note: the Italian, Ottoman and Egyptian governments are still very distrustful
of each other over several recent minor wars. However, the world crisis combined
with strong Prussian pressure has compelled them to align with each other to
stave of the aims and forces of the Grand Coalition.
Egyptian Republic
Capital: Alexandria
Head of State: President Faisal al-Rachid
Alliance Preference: Imperial Bond
Spanish Republican Confederacy (SRC)
Capital: Madrid (Spain), Sucre (Bolivia), Lima (Peru), Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Head of State: Presidents Manuel Arroyo (Spain), Alfredo Diaz (Bolivia), Juana
de Recalde (Peru), General Tomas Velasquez (Argentina)
Alliance Preference: Grand Coalition
Socialist Union of South America (SUSA)
Capital: Sao Paolo
Head of State: Elisabetta la Rossa, Premier and Chairman of the Party
Alliance Preference: Grand Coalition
Free Republic of Chile
Capital: Santiago
Head of State: President of the Free Chileans Cleto Martinez
Alliance Preference: Imperial Bond
Chinese Federation
Capital: Peking
Head of State: His Divine Majesty the Guang Xu Emperor
Alliance Preference: Imperial Bond
Commonwealth of Free Australia
Capital: Canberra
Head of State: First Minister Anna Hargreaves
Alliance Preference: Neutral
Copyright Spartan Games 2012
Polish
Lithuanian
Commonwealth
Kingdomof
Denmark
Protectorate Of
Belgium*
Free Hellenic
Kingdom
United
Kingdomof
Romania
Italian League
Ottoman
Dominions
Republic Of
Egypt
Spanish
Republican
Confederacy
Socialist Union
of South
America (SUSA)
Republic
Of
Chile
Free
Australia
Portuguese
Empire
Chinese
Federation
Kingdomof Britannia Minor Ally At War At War Major Ally Minor Ally At War Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Major Ally At War At War Major Ally Neutral
Prussian Empire At War Major Ally Minor Ally At War At War Major Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Minor Ally
FSA Minor Ally At War Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War At War Minor Ally Neutral
Empire of the Blazing Sun At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Neutral Major Ally Major Ally At War Major Ally
Russian Coalition Major Ally At War At War Minor Ally Major Ally At War At War At War Neutral Minor Ally Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral
Republique of France At War Minor Ally Major Ally At War At War Minor Ally Major Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Minor Ally
Polish
Lithuanian
Commonwealth
Kingdomof
Denmark
Protectorate of
Belgium*
Free Hellenic
Kingdom
United
Kingdomof
Romania
Italian
League
Ottoman
Dominions
Republic
Of
Egypt
Spanish
Republican
Confederacy
Socialist Union
of South
America (SUSA)
Republic
Of
Chile
Free
Australia
Portuguese
Empire
Chinese
Federation
Polish Lithuanian
Commonwealth
X At War At War Minor Ally Major Ally At War At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral
Kingdomof Denmark At War X Minor Ally At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Minor Ally
Protectorate of Belgium* At War Minor Ally X At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Minor Ally
Free Hellenic Kingdom Minor Ally At War At War X Minor Ally At War At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral
United Kingdomof
Romania
Major Ally At War At War Minor Ally X At War At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral
Italian League At War Minor Ally Minor Ally At War At War X Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Minor Ally
Ottoman Dominions At War Minor Ally Minor Ally At War At War Minor Ally X Major Ally At War Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Minor Ally
Republic Of Egypt At War Minor Ally Minor Ally At War At War Minor Ally Major Ally X At War Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally At War Minor Ally
Spanish Republican
Confederacy
Minor Ally At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally At War At War At War X Minor Ally Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral
Socialist Union of South
America (SUSA)
Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Neutral Minor Ally X Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral
Republic Of Chile Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral X Minor Ally Neutral Neutral
Free Australia Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally X Minor Ally Minor Ally
Portugese Empire Minor Ally At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally At War At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Minor Ally X Neutral
Chinese Federation Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Neutral Minor Ally Neutral X
Alliance Nations International Relations 1 Great Powers
Alliance Nations International Relations 2 Alliance Nations
For the Belgian Royalist rebel faction, use the following chart:
Polish Lithuanian
Commonwealth
Kingdomof
Denmark
Protectorate Of
Belgium
Free Hellenic
Kingdom
Kingdomof
Romania
Italians
League
Ottoman
Dominions
Republic
of Egypt
Spanish
Republican
Confederacy
Socialist Union
of South America
(SUSA)
Republic
Of Chile
Free
Australia
Chinese
Federation
Belgian Royalist rebels Minor Ally At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally At War At War At War Minor Ally Minor Ally Neutral Neutral Neutral
For the Belgian Royalist rebel faction, use the following chart:
Kingdomof
Britannia
Prussian Empire
Federated States
of America
Empire of the
Blazing Sun
Russian Coalition
Republique of
France
Belgian Royalist rebels Major Ally At War Neutral At War Minor Ally At War
Copyright Spartan Games 2012
THE IMPERIAL DOMINIONS
As well as the lesser powers of the Alliance Nations, there are also other
nations who have come to play an important role in the World War. Tese
are the dominions of some of the greater empires, most notably those of the
Britannians and the Prussians.
Te government of the Kingdom of Britannia has put out the call to arms
across its great worldwide empire, and soldiers and war machines of many
nations have answered Queen Victorias plea for aid.
Te greatest of Britannias possessions are the vast Dominion of Canada,
the mighty and populous Britannian Raj and the broad but remote lands
of Royal Australia and New Zealand, home of some of the worlds fnest
fghting soldiers. All stand by the mother country, providing armies to
bolster Britannian forces on the front lines in Europe, south-east Asia and
beyond.
Similarly, the Prussian Empire has called upon the lands under its rule to
provide more forces for the struggle. Within the Prussian Empire itself, a
great region of its southern lands still fall under the spiritual, if not actual
rule of the ancient Habsburg imperial family. Tis Austro-Hungarian
Union, as it is still known, provides great numbers of tough troops from the
empires non-German territories, supported by the great arms industries
of Austria, Bohemia and Moravia. It is by these means that the Prussian
Empires strength in southern as well as northern Europe is maintained.
Meanwhile, far to the north in Prussian Scandinavia, the forces of the
Teutonic Order are mobilising their full armed strength in their old
domains, with huge war engines and elite soldiers massing to take their
place in the Prussian Empire front lines.
Currently, the Imperial Dominion powers are:
KINGDOM OF BRITANNIA
Dominion of Canada
Britannian Raj
Dominion of Royal Australia and New Zealand
PRUSSIAN EMPIRE
Prussian Scandinavia Domain of the Teutonic Order
Habsburg Union of Austro-Hungary
DELIVERING THE ALLIANCE NATIONS TO YOU
As you can see from the text and various tables in this document the act of
recreating a worldwide war is huge, with numerous nations, both large and
small, all involved in conficts ranging from skirmishes to full-scale ground
assaults. Our task is to deliver a mechanic that allows you to easily game the
Great Power and Alliance nations within the DYSTOPIAN WARS world.
How we have elected to do this is via our Campaign Books. Starting with
the Storm of Steel book each of the Campaign Books will detail a number
of Alliance Nations, with an emphasis on those involved in the actual
Campaign.
So if you look at Storm of Steel the following Alliance Nations are covered:
Dominion of Canada
Prussian Scandinavia
Kingdom of Denmark
Belgian Royalists
Protectorate of Belgium
Poilish Lithuanian Commonwealth
With said Alliance Nations we will discuss Army Composition, detailing
which models from other nations can be used to assemble their forces, and
roll out new models specifc to that nation.
We will also detail how the major nations involved in the Campaign, such
as the Prussian Empire and Russian Coalition, interact with the Alliance
Nations.
All models ship with a Stat Card, and if any custom rules are created for
an Alliance Nation we will detail the rules in the campaign books and also
make them available as a PDF download.
Over time this format will allow us to fesh out the numerous nations of the
world and generate a wide number of exciting campaigns for you.
Copyright Spartan Games 2012