NOTICE: im not done with this thang! entries that are obviously placeholders or seem a bit lacking are like that because IM NOT DONE.. ok thx
STATEMENT: i try my best to be accessible! if you are having accessibility issues (example: an image has no alt text), let me know! (bureaumantic@gmail.com)
buzzers!
if zootopia was less about furries and more about racism and also its set in the early-mid 20th century
index
A photograph of a Hive's Royal Army parade.
A human miner.
(major) races
The four major races were the humans, nekoriams, dogrians, and beekin. While there are other minor races, there are so many minor races and each made up such little percentage of the global population that it would not be feasible nor relevant to list them all here.
humans
One of the most populous races in the world, humans can be found in most nations. Humans used to be centered in the powerful Human Empire, whose capital was the grand city of Hume, but since the collapse of the Human Empire and the slow decline of its successor, the Silorian Empire, humans are now scattered across the world. Humans were particularly prominent in the Sicebon Commonwealth and Recalian Protectorate. In these nations, humans tend to be individualistic and selfish. However, truly getting on a human's side can score you an ally closer than any dogrian or beekin. Of the major races, humans tend to be the most aimless.
The language most associated with humans is silorian.
A nekoriam in traditional cultural attire.
nekoriams
Nekoriams are a humanoid race that bear resemblance to cats. They possess both cat ears and tails. In addition, their pupils tend to be thinner. Nekoriams tend to value shrewdness and intelligence, but not at the expense of kindness and generosity (unless you live in the Commonwealth).
A common spiritual belief among nekoriams is that they receive nine lives, and that one is either rewarded or punished for their behavior in their past life. When a nekoriam is born, the family will usually hold a celebration that includes a wish for the child to be experiencing their first life. A common phrase used among nekoriams to dismiss their bad behavior is, "I'm on my last life." Of course, there is no evidence that nekoriams actually possess nine lives.
The languages most associated with nekoriams are catalin and silorian. A common slur for a nekoriam (especially common in the Olegrian Empire) was milkmouth.
A dogrian serf and noble.
dogrians
Dogrians are a humanoid race that appear similar to dogs. They have dog-like ears, tails, and large pupils.
Prior to the Reform Era, roughly two thirds of all dogrians lived in the Olegrian Empire, which is the historical dogrian homeland. However, with the Reform Era came new freedoms. Among them was freedom of movement, which enabled many dogrians to emigrate out of the Olegrian Empire. Most frequently, dogrians immigrated to the Sicebon Commonwealth, despite its flaws, because of its border with the Olegrian Empire and the potential to live in a free market capitalist state, which the peasantry of the Olegrian Empire tended to romanticize. Dogrians now made up the majority of the Commonwealth working class.
Dogrian culture most emphasizes loyalty and perseverance, shaped in large part by history. For most of Olegrian history, dogrians labored as serfs bound to lords. Daily life required both loyalty and endurance. On the national scale, the Olegrian Empire suffered countless invasions and skirmishes (partly due to its weak government's inability to appropriately defend itself), leading many historians to refer to the Empire as "history's punching bag." But in spite of these numerous attacks, the Olegrian Empire persists, reflected in the perseverance of the dogrian people. Dogrians are known for their persistence and dogged resolve to achieve their goals.
The language most associated with dogrians is dogrian, but silorian quickly became more prevalent among second generation emigrants that left the Olegrian Empire during the Reform Era due to its ubiquitous use in most major countries. A common slur for a dogrian was mutt.
A beekin lieutenant and her radio operator.
beekin
Beekin are a humanoid race that resemble bees. They have yellow skin, golden hair, large black pupils, bee-like wings, and antennae. Antennae come in either a lightning-shaped thick variant or a thin variant with a bulb at the end. The beekin's wings and antennae are particularly sensitive to touch. Antennae seem to be linked with the regulation of emotions in some way that is not yet clear. Beekin with damaged antennae tend to struggle with unpredictable mood swings. All beekin also grow fur on the upper chest and around the neck.
Before the Hive War, almost all beekin lived in the Hive Queendom. Consequently, beekin were very monocultural. Beekin tended to value loyalty, strict hierarchy, and collectivism. The beekin were also a matriarchal society, with women being the head of the household and a Queen directing the Hive with near total obedience. Under good Queens, beekin accomplished significant public works, domestic development, and social improvement. Under poor Queens, beekin suffered silently.
However, with the end of the Hive War came the Beekin Diaspora, which resulted in massive swathes of the beekin population scattering across various nations. This event led to an explosion in beekin subcultures as well as a general shift towards individualism, particularly among younger beekin. The modern beekin is not dissimilar to the human in terms of diaspora and culture.
The language most associated with beekin is silorian. Some older, rural regions still primarily speak the older, traditionally beekin, tongue of zemuss. A common slur for a beekin was buzzer because of the common beekin accent which overpronounces z's.
(major) nations
While there exist many nations, only the most significant nations will be discussed in this section. These nations were the Sicebon Commonwealth, the Recalian Protectorate, the Olegrian Empire, and the Hive Queendom.
sicebon commonwealth
The Commonwealth was the wealthiest nation in the world, with many extensively industrialized urban regions maintaining a powerful economy. It also possessed significant farmland in its rural regions, allowing it a substantial degree of domestic food production.
The Commonwealth was nominally democratic, but in reality, it was controlled by powerful corporate entities. Consequently, most policies passed by the government were those which were beneficial to massive corporations. Unlike most other countries, there were no minimum wage laws, no child safety laws, and no workers' protection laws. The justice system also tended to be heavily weighed against racial minorities and the poor.
The racial makeup of the Commonwealth was slightly less diverse than the average nation. Humans made up around 31% of the population, nekoriams made up 12%, and dogrians held 52%. The remaining 5% of the population was composed of beekin and the minor races and were not demographically significant. Humans and nekoriams held racial power in the government, while almost all of the dogrians were either first or second generation immigrants fleeing the Olegrian Empire, ballooning in proportion within only a decade.
commonwealth municipal police
One of the ways that the Commonwealth (and its corporate upper class) maintained order was through its decentralized and well-funded municipal police force. While municipalities' police forces were technically subordinate to federal offices, the complete lack of any federal funding or orders meant that municipal police forces primarily served their municipalities, and seldom interacted with the federal government except in the enforcement of federal laws.
The absence of federal funding forced municipalities to foot the bill of their police forces. This gave rise to the practice of corporate sponsorships, where corporations sponsored municipalities' police forces, providing funding for their operations. While only a charitable donation on paper, the sponsorship was, in practice, a way for corporations to buy political capital and favors to sway municipal officials. In some smaller towns, a single corporation was practically able to buy the municipal government. In larger cities, multiple corporations often competed to provide larger donations and thus hold more power in the municipality.
The effect of the sponsorship system was that law enforcement usually served corporate interests, rather than the people in the city. Investigations around potential strikes and other illegal labor action were top priority, while burglaries in working class neighborhoods were only given a minimal level of attention. Through corporate sponsorships, which paid for everything from a police force's equipment to uniforms to paychecks, corporations were essentially able to purchase the loyalty of police officers. In most nations, the government holds a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. In the Commonwealth, the legitimate use of force became an intermediary good for corporations to safeguard their business interests.
jack and jill
The Commonwealth's racial hierarchy, which placed humans and nekoriams above immigrant races such as dogrians, beekin, and those of the minor races, had a unique consequence on the nation's popular culture. The government and advertising agencies were often hesitant to portray non-humans or non-nekoriams in public media. As a result, a common pairing in advertisements and posters featuring two individuals was a human male and a nekoriam female. The human male was also often lighter toned than the nekoriam female, although this was not always the case.
This pairing, visible to the right in both the Wenton Municipal Police Force advertisement and the Commonwealth Army's recruitment poster, was so ubiquitous in popular culture that Commonwealth citizens gave it the nickname "Jack and Jill." The common trope spread from paper media to cinema, with many heterosexual couples on the silver screen consisting of a lighter skinned human male and a darker skinned nekoriam female as well.
army v. patterson corp. (1936-7)
An infamous Commonwealth court case, Army v. Patterson Corp. (often referred to as Patterson in shorthand) set the legal precedent that extreme corporate freedom would be protected by the law, even when it violated certain national security interests. Most historians agree that the outcome of the Patterson case directly resulted in the prolonging of the Hive War by at least a year. Some historians argue that the outcome of the case was influenced by illegal bribes, but there is little evidence of this being the case.
Prior to the Hive War, Patterson Corp. was involved in the design and manufacture of boots, particularly, cheap but effective low boots. As a result, Patterson frequently fulfilled contracts with the Commonwealth Army to supply boots.
By the mid-war, the Hive Queendom was experiencing significant shortages in steel, leather, food, and other critical wartime supplies, usually referred to as the Steel Crisis. Patterson Corp. offered to contract with the Hive's Royal Army and produce cost-effective leather low boots, which the Queendom accepted. At this point, Patterson Corp. was producing boots for both the Commonwealth and its enemy, the Hive Queendom.
When the Army learned of this contract, which the corporation made no attempt to conceal, the Army ordered Patterson Corp. to repeal all contracts with the Hive Queendom. When Patterson Corp. refused to do so, the Army took it to court, arguing that the corporation's disobedience and refusal to halt contracts with the Queendom was an illegal threat to national security.
The case received considerable press coverage, with all major news outlets frequently placing updates on the case on the front page. The case lasted a year and ultimately ended in Patterson Corp.'s favor. In a press statement, the case's judge stated, "Of course, the corporation's actions are detrimental to the war effort and could be called a threat to national security. But the fact is that this threat is not illegal, and it is well within Patterson Corporation's rights to supply wartime materials to the enemy. This war is certainly important, but the fact is that Commonwealth firms have always supplied our enemies, and the freedom of commerce is one of the most significant pillars of our legal system."
The outcome of Army v. Patterson Corp. led to many other corporations supplying the Hive Queendom's war effort, emboldened by the strengthened legal precedent. Patterson Corp. would continue to supply boots to the Hive Queendom until a few months before the end of the Hive War, when the corporation withdrew from its business relationship with the Hive as a result of the Queendom's failure to make appropriate payments.
the johntown incident (1936)
The Commonwealth's entry into the Hive War in 1935 prompted dissent among the working class population. Already embroiled in the Fourth Olegri-Sicebon War, workers questioned why they should have to fight another enemy in a conflict they had no stake in. While the Olegrian Empire was an understandable opponent of the Commonwealth (and many nativists blamed their poverty on the likes of Olegrian immigrants), many workers did not understand why Commonwealth soldiers should die fighting the soldiers of the Hive Queendom, who were, firstly, stereotyped as agreeably submissive, secondly, were, in fact, fighting the Olegrian Empire as well, and, thirdly, had no quarrel with the Commonwealth (for the moment, anyways). It did not help that the Commonwealth's entry into the war was heavily influenced by the Recalian Protectorate, which was the Commonwealth's most significant economic ally. This shaped the perception that, if the Fourth Olegri-Sicebon War wasn't a rich man's war and a poor man's fight, then the Hive War certainly was.
Unions made use of what little rights they had to protest the Hive War. The National Union of Miners (or the NUMs) particularly disagreed with the Hive War, due to the NUMs' general antiwar agenda. Because of the significant role minerals play in warfare, the NUMs frequently protested the Commonwealth's involvement in wars and the government often cracked down on the NUMs more strictly than other unions.
In 1936, tensions came to a breaking point. The NUMs organized an antiwar strike across the nation, including in the important municipality of Johntown, a company town owned by Johnson Brothers Mining Inc. Municipal police forces (often accompanied by mercenaries hired by mining corporations) violently broke up the strikes. The strike in Johntown was broken up particularly violently. Of the roughly 400 participants, 27 died and 85 were severely wounded.
The next morning, miners who had heard of the violence with which the strike was put down organized armed action and turned on their foremen and managers. The miners soon encountered the Johntown Municipal Police and an armed conflict ensued. Elements of the 17th Infantry of the Commonwealth Army, which was garrisoning near the town on reserve duty, were ordered to the area to put down the armed action. After three days of fighting, the riot ended with 9 Johnson managers, 31 Johntown Municipal Police officers, and 14 Commonwealth Army soldiers killed, along with 162 dead miners. It is the bloodiest labor action in Commonwealth history.
The press is prohibited from referring to the event as an "uprising," "revolution," "rebellion," "revolt," or similar titles for fear that such descriptors would lend the event a degree of legitimacy. In particular, it was feared that such descriptions could inspire similar action in other company towns across the Commonwealth. Consequently, the press frequently described it as the Johntown Incident, the Johntown Happenings, or the Johntown Event. Most historians today refer to it as the Johntown Incident.
The flag of the Sicebon Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth made use of its well-funded municipal police force to maintain racial hierarchy, suppress labor movements, and prevent undesirable political action.
A newspaper advertisement for the Wenton Municipal Police Force. Historians note a misprint in the paper's pay listing, which should be per day, rather than per hour. While a list of qualifications are provided, an unspoken requirement is struck from the paper: Be a human or nekoriam.
An infamous propaganda poster from the Sicebon Commonwealth, the information was only partially true. While Commonwealth soldiers were paid the most on paper, the Commonwealth was also the only nation that still maintained stoppages, taking money out of the paycheck for the soldier's food, housing, and other deductions. After deductions, Commonwealth soldiers were actually the worst paid among the four major nations.
Two soldiers of the 17th Infantry enjoy a cup of coffee en route to the Johntown Incident.
recalian protectorate
The only major nation on the Recalian continent, the Recalian Protectorate was formed during the Century of War as a loose band of Recalian nations aiming to maintain their sovereignty against their former colonizers. These nations pledged to unite themselves under a common ruler, the Protector. Born in wars of independence from older imperial powers and attempting to unite many disparate groups, the Recalian Protectorate was founded on ideas of liberalism, democracy, and equality out of necessity.
While (more or less) unified throughout the Century of War, the Protectorate began experiencing more internal difficulties as it established itself as a respectable nation. Member states began bickering between one another while also demanding that more power be removed from the Protector's Central Office in peacetime. The question of whether states or the Central Office had more power was not resolved, but states tended to receive more power in peacetime while the Protector was usually granted (or took) more power during crises.
While it was easily the most just nation to live in, it suffered from a slow political process that prohibited rapid, significant action. As a result, many policies and services provided by the government were often fatally slow to react to the needs of the people.
The Protectorate was a major maritime power, with the largest navy in the world. Its powerful Central Navy granted it control of the seas and enabled the nation to grow wealthy through trade. In contrast, the Protectorate's Central Army was extremely small and weak, relying heavily on state militias for ground combat.
As the most diverse nation in the world, the Protectorate was a safe haven for many minor races who had lost homelands (including many that were so small they were considered myths, making it one of the last nations to maintain the breath of fantasy). Most settlements were integrated and national policies were relatively tolerant.
the unifying compact (1842)
uhhh they like make their nation or whatever uhhhh like the disparate states declaring independence are getting destroyed by the old world empires so they unite to fight them off uhhhh power of friendship and they win yay
1846 reprioritization bill
they decide they like the navy more than the army and enforce the state militia system ya
harrison v. kristenson
establishes state authority over the central office during peacetime
dominguez v. kingston
establishes central office authority over states during wartime
The flag of the Recalian Protectorate.
The night before an attack, sailors of the Recalian Protectorate listen to their siren shipmate sing to calm their nerves. The Protectorate was the most racially diverse nation and was home to countless minor races, such as the sirens.
olegrian empire
dog russia
emperor karl rauter the young
he's like "guys.. we can make the world better!" and sets all the serfs free and they all immediately leave and the empire runs into a crisis
its okay karl we love you never give up... never lose your sparkle....
The flag of the Olegrian Empire.
hive queendom
the bee monarchy ethnostate that has lasted for like a thousand years MIGHT be old and bloated guys
the internal loyalty service
lowkey the SS
queen fenchel I
mentally unwell 32 year old girl gets the crown and goes full monarcho fascist about it
the hive's royal army
As a hyper-militaristic state, the Hive Queendom placed enormous importance on the Hive's Royal Army, or the HRA. The HRA was a massive political and military bureaucracy. While some apologists claim that it was Queen Fenchel I who obstructed the competent general staff from achieving war objectives, the HRA was always a bloated, inefficient, and poorly organized entity. Fenchel's reign only made these issues worse, with her frequent purges of the Officer Corps and the integration of various political bodies into the HRA dealing the most disastrous blows to its combat effectiveness.
the noble armies
The Hive's Royal Army was actually only one of many armies directed by the monarchy. Even during the 20th century, Queendom nobility were expected to raise armies from their own provinces, a practice that was abandoned even by the dated Olegrian Empire by the 1800s. While the HRA was the largest army that fought for the Hive, these lesser armies controlled by the nobility still accounted for over a third of all Queendom army units that fought in the Hive War. And while most chose to adopt the same policies, uniforms, and ranks of the Hive's Royal Army, this was not required. Many nobles devised their own uniforms and rank structures, resulting in confusion on the battlefield.
To make matters worse, each of these armies operated under separate operational chains of command that could conditionally overlap depending on operational circumstances. Furthermore, each of these armies had a separate logistical and administrative district and chain of command that managed the various noble armies' supplies. All of this resulted in disastrous supply issues, with units being sent unneeded equipment while desperately needed supplies were lost or redirected from those that needed it—all while paper trails in administrative offices piled up and staff officers got in bitter arguments about how various supplies should be distributed and who even had authority over who.
officer knighting, the major and minor families of the officer corps, and officer familial politicking
Another holdover from the medieval age was the practice of knighting HRA officers. All HRA officers were to be knighted as nobility and own land. As a student officer neared graduation from an officer academy, they were expected to begin navigating the complex world of the noble families.
Most student officers did not belong to a noble family prior to military service. As a result, there were a variety of officer corps families that were willing to adopt promising rising officers. Unlike the civilian noble families (which raised the noble armies mentioned previously), the officer corps families were nobility whose land did not contain civilian laborers. (This also contributed to wasted land that could have been industrialized, which was a minor contributing factor to the Steel Crisis during the Hive War) There existed hundreds of officer corps families which all had varied prerequisites for adoption. Some families prioritized infantry officers from the northeast, while others were aimed at artillery officers from urban environments and still others were centered around field commissioners from the enlisted ranks. Some families were also more competitive than others, with each family having a unique process to obtain adoption. If a student officer was not able to obtain adoption into any noble family, they could opt to head their own, new family—although this was considered political suicide and a fast track to a dead end career.
The major families (those of a larger size) held significant political power within the Officer Corps and HRA, possessing family members in key administrative and operational roles. On the other hand, the minor families (those of smaller size) tended to have less power, although this was not always the case. For example, the Arnold family was a minor family that was made up of infantry officers, but it had a strict adoption process and was known for its reputation of excellence and prominence in the general staff. (Incidentally, many historians argue that the elimination of the Arnold family in the 1939 Officer Corps Purge directly hastened the end of the war.)
While they were called "families," they were hardly comforting organizations. Each family had a complicated internal structure of grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and children and typically unspoken hierarchies that members were expected to navigate. Advancing in seniority within a family was just as important—if not more so—than advancing in rank in the HRA. As a result, competition between relatives was also fierce and only bounded by collective competition against other families. Relationships between officer family members tended to be passively aggressive or plainly toxic as individuals rose or fell in the nebulous familial hierarchy. Members of an officer family still had closer ties to their biological families than their adopted officer family.
As a result of the deep integration of the officer families in the Officer Corps, a junior officer's career path in the HRA—which was a meritocracy on paper—was largely determined by what strings their family was able to pull at certain times. A complex web of favors and deals struck between the officer families played pivotal roles in determining which officers advanced for promotion and which were forced into retirement. As a result, many promising officers never advanced to the generalship or even to field command because of an older relative's failure to strike a deal or cash in a favor.
overlapping chains of command and the technical affinity corps group
the politicization of the army
the officer corps purges of 1936, 1939, and 1940
The flag of the Hive Queendom.
the (dying) breath of fantasy
The further back in time one goes, the more fantastical occurences become. In the old days, when dragons still roamed the lands and there were a seemingly infinite number of distinct peoples beyond the frayed edges of the map, the breath of fantasy flowed through the world and novelty permeated every environment. In those days, powerful witches and wizards could will nations into existence and nothing was beyond the realm of possibility.
But by the 20th century, the breath of fantasy has faded. The world has entered the Age of the Machine. Most people go their whole lives without ever seeing anything magical (or so they think, at least). The few magicians left exercise their powers generously, but feebly.
With the decline of the breath of fantasy, the world has grown more monotone. The minor races remain small or slip into the dangerously rare category of myths as the major races only increase in population.
And yet, the breath of fantasy still gasps for life. Small acts across the world keep it sustained. The Age of Magic is not dead yet.
A Siren teenager sings at a karaoke outing.
sirens
Sirens are a race so small in number that they are officially classified as myths by the International Magic Consortium. They possess bodily appendages associated with fish, such as fins and tails, and tend to have large pupils. What distinguishes Sirens from other aquatic races are their unique, magical properties.
Sirens possess extremely pleasant singing voices, hypnotic abilities, and an ability to shapeshift. Sirens can shapeshift to appear exactly like a Human at will. However, Sirens are not able to use their hypnotic powers while in Human form. While in their natural form, Sirens have the ability to control the thoughts and actions of other humanoid races. In order to use this ability, Sirens must maintain eye contact with the victim while singing. Once initial eye contact has been made, the Siren is able to force the victim to maintain eye contact indefinitely, excepting the Siren's own need to blink. During this time, the Siren has near-complete control of the victim's mind, with some variation depending on the victim's mental fortitude.
Like all other magical properties, any attempts at scientific or medical analysis of these traits prohibits their occurrence, leaving a Siren stuck in either Human or natural form until scientific observation ceases.
From antiquity to early modern history, Sirens have been portrayed as violent and criminal, using their abilities to board sea vessels and steal from or kill the passengers and sailors aboard. It was not uncommon for historical documents to claim that Sirens even ate their humanoid victims, although more recent historical analysis has found most of these racist claims untrue. With the development of the Age of the Machine and the decline of the Age of Magic, Sirens have become more integrated in urban life, although Siren population has also been dwindling. Today, the occasional Siren can be found playing in a band, working in the music industry, or simply living a quiet 9-5.
major (modern) historical events
ya[ ya[ yap
recalian gold rush (1832-1835)
century of war
the reform era
the hive war (1933-40)
The Hive War was one of the major conflicts of the 20th century, involving every major world power and resulting in the dissolution of the Hive Queendom, one of the oldest and longest-lasting nations in the world. It involved the International Coalition, a force of major and minor nations that included the Sicebon Commonwealth, the Recalian Protectorate, and the Olegrian Empire, opposing the Hive Queendom. At the time, the Hive War was left out of the limelight, overshadowed by the Fourth Olegri-Sicebon War, which lasted before, during, and after the Hive War and which was of much greater contemporary political significance. But since then, the Hive War has become more popular. Despite the lopsided nature of the war, the Queendom was able to stand its ground for seven long years. In addition, the Hive War is a rare example of a losing power fighting to the very last, rather than surrendering. These anomalies, along with the extreme brutality of the war, has made the Hive War a subject of interest for many modern historians. Furthermore, its intersection with the history of modern culture, the political actions of world powers, and its impact on the Fourth and Fifth Olegri-Sicebon Wars makes its study a necessity. The Hive War is intertwined in countless threads of world history, providing a common nexus in various historical disciplines.
coronation of queen fenchel I (1919)
mentally unstable 32 year old girl gets the throne and starts talking about some "our glorious homeland's history and heritage" and about how "liberalism and socialism has poisoned the roots of our society" oh heck nooo
also she starts centralizing power to the crown and taking away constitutional powers uh oh
the road to war
the queendom starts saying a bunch of nonsense about how the olegrians hold a bunch of historic beekin homeland and the olegrians are like "girl wth are you on about im trying to fight these capitalists and ignores them
outbreak of war and the early war (1933-5)
The Hive War began on Burluary 10th, 1933, when the Hive Queendom yap yap yap
the queendom invades the olegrian empire
secret formation of the international coalition (1934)
But across the ocean, another power was watching with displeasure. The Recalian Protectorate, a liberal, maritime titan, observed the Hive Queendom's progress with anxiety. Threatened by the Queendom's aggression and concerned with the Hive's growing internal fanaticism, the Protectorate enforced an embargo on trade with the Hive Queendom. While this was intended to force the Queendom to halt its militancy, it only forced the Queendom to accelerate its expansionary campaign and to double its efforts to drive towards the Olegrian Empire's resource-rich regions.
Left without any peaceful means of halting the Hive Queendom, the Recalian Protectorate began assembling a secret group of nations called the International Coalition. The Coalition was initially composed of nations sympathetic to the Olegrian Empire and mostly consisted of minor nations, apart from the Protectorate. Through a combination of moral persuasion, cashing in or doling out of political favors, and beneficial trade agreements, member states agreed to take the same political stance as the Protectorate towards the Queendom, whether it be condemnations, embargos, or something more drastic. But as the pressure increased, the Queendom's war efforts became only more determined.
A significant milestone for the International Coalition was the Sicebon Commonwealth's decision to become a member. While the Commonwealth was at war with the Olegrian Empire, it had no love (or hate) for the Hive Queendom and possessed the industrial capacity to fight multiple concurrent campaigns. Most importantly, Commonwealth President Harold Turner owed personal political favors to Recalian Protector George Kenning. Turner agreed to join the Coalition on the condition that the Commonwealth did not have to take any economic action against the Queendom and that any other expectations of the Commonwealth be delayed until after Turner's almost guaranteed reelection later in 1934.
Throughout 1934 and 1935, various secret discussions took place that ultimately resulted in the decision to go to war. Preparations were made and armies were mobilized under the guise of a joint training operation. Extreme counterintelligence measures were enacted that successfully hid the true intentions of the Coalition's member states from the Queendom. In mid 1935, the International Coalition notified the Olegrian Empire of its existence. A few days later, the Coalition publicly declared its existence and all Coalition member states made a collective declaration of war on the Hive Queendom.
One of the most famous photographs to emerge from the war, "To Do And Die" depicts two young beekin draftees in combat.
the mid war and the steel crisis (1935-8)
The International Coalition's collective declaration of war on the Hive Queendom is when most historians mark the beginning of the mid war period. In response to the sudden, unexpected opposition, the Hive Queendom entered a chaotic period of strategic adjustment, ultimately settling on a strategy of attrition: if the International Coalition's member states were engaged in a protracted and costly conflict, then their citizens would eventually call for peace. Then, the Queendom could, if not continue its original plan, at least exit the war with its satisfactory early war territorial gains. This was not an inherently flawed strategy; domestic support among Coalition states' citizens for the Hive War was lower than ideal. Due to the secret nature of the International Coalition, there hadn't been enough time to drum up popular anti-Queendom sentiment. Thus, the soldiers of the Hive's Royal Army dug in and began construction on a massive front of trenches and fortifications.
One of the most disastrous parts of the International Coalition's entry into the war was the Sicebon Commonwealth's membership. The Commonwealth was the Queendom's last major trading partner after a Recalian Protectorate early war embargo, which was enacted because of the Queendom's international aggression and worsening authoritarianism. Now that the Commonwealth was a wartime enemy, most Commonwealth firms halted their trade until the 1937 decision on Army v. Patterson Corp.
The sudden loss of the Queendom's last major trading partner resulted in the beginning of the Hive Queendom's logistical problems (although the Hive was already experiencing logistical difficulties in the early war). Internally, this became known as the Steel Crisis, but its impact was a shortage of not only steel, but also food, leather, and virtually all warfighting materiel. While the Queendom would attempt a variety of industrial efficiency and productivity initiatives, the Steel Crisis would only worsen as the war progressed.
As Coalition armies began reinforcing the Olegrian Imperial Army along the existing front (and opening new fronts along the Queendom's borders), they encountered the Hive's Royal Army's rapidly burgeoning network of trenches and strongpoints. The HRA adopted a strategy of defense in depth, developing multiple layers of fortifications and only cautiously going on the offensive when existing defenses were satisfactory, in the event of Coalition counterattack. Because the Queendom's goals had shifted from attack to defense, it could politically afford to stay on the defensive indefinitely.
The Coalition had no such luxury, with citizens and politicians expecting the Queendom to be pushed back from the frontline. Thus, Coalition soldiers would spend the mid war continuously improving their defenses, probing the enemy, preparing for attack, and attempting to take and break the Queendom's entrenchments. While bloody, there was little else that could be done on this front. Technological improvements and the development of experienced strategic thinkers played the largest roles in the eventual breaking of the trench stalemate.
As for the seas, the Hive's Royal Navy was largely committed to defending the littoral waters of the Queendom and its territories. This largely prohibited any kind of amphibious assault (although some landings did occur throughout the mid war, with varying degrees of success). However, the overemphasis on coastal defense resulted in a lack of control of the open seas. Civilian merchants and traders were left with no or inadequate navy convoys, making them easy prey for the Recalian Protectorate's mighty Central Navy and the other naval forces of the International Coalition. The inability to defend its merchant ships also played a significant role in the Queendom's Steel Crisis.
Queen Fenchel I bears most of the responsibility for the Queendom's naval failures. Fenchel feared any possibility of an invasion by sea on Beekin ancestral grounds and directly ordered the Navy's strategy of extensive coastal defense. Most of the admiralty advised against this strategy in favor of open sea warfare and maritime supremacy, which would have protected against the possibility of a land invasion and would have simultaneously protected the civilian merchant fleet. These protests were dismissed by the Queen. While not decisive, this strategic failure did play a role in hastening the Queendom's defeat.
the late war (1938-40)
the popular swarm
The Popular Swarm was a radical, decentralized partisan movement that originated within the Hive Queendom during the Hive War. It advocated for the violent overthrow of the monarchy and the implementation of a new form of government.
Members of the Swarm organized in cells. These cells conducted operations detrimental to the Queendom's war effort, ranging anywhere from introducing defects in factory equipment to cutting telephone lines to planting bombs in important locations, with tasks escalating in violence as the war dragged on.
The structure and ideology of individual cells was extremely varied. Some were anarchical while others were socialist while still others were moderate liberals. Fighting between cells on ideological bases was known to break out during the early stages of the Swarm, but a combination of the overarching, unifying enemy that the Queendom posed along with aid from the International Coalition hinging on internal cooperation resulted in minimal friction between cells.
Membership in the Swarm was, of course, treasonous. When the Popular Swarm was young, lengthy show trials of members were common, usually ending in long sentences or even life imprisonment. However, this gave partisans an opportunity to espouse their political beliefs, attracting more members and publicizing the existence of resistance movements. As the war progressed, the Queendom grew more brutally fanatic while the Popular Swarm evolved from a political nuisance to a genuine threat. Punishment became merciless. Trials were foregone for on-the-spot executions of captured groups or temporary imprisonment followed by swift hangings.
During the late war, the Swarm was instrumental in crippling the Queendom's logistical network, which was already aging and infirm during the midwar. Desperately needed trains exploded, fires broke out in critical warehouses, and reinforcements were halted at demolished bridges. The Swarm played a major role in the Steel Crisis and directly contributed to the disastrous malnourishment, uniform, and materiel crises faced by the Hive's Royal Army and Navy.
Partisans of the Popular Swarm set off an explosion near telephone lines.
An executed member of the Popular Swarm.
the bombing of criton (1938-9)
Criton was one of the Hive Queendom's few industrialized cities, responsible for a significant portion of the Queendom's economic output, food processing, and war materiel. As a result, both the International Coalition and the Hive Queendom understood that air raids on the city would be disastrous for the Queendom's industrial capacity and its ability to wage war (and maintain its population's domestic industrial needs).
By late 1938, Criton was within bombing range. At the time, Criton was home to roughly 1 million people. The International Coalition began a series of attacks that sought to raze the city to the ground. The goal was not only to temporarily eliminate factories and warehouses, but also to project the Coalition's strength in an attempt to demoralize the Queendom's population as well as convince the people of Criton that there was no point in attempting to rebuild. One Commonwealth general stated, "Not a soul should be able to take a single breath in Criton until the war is over."
In order to achieve their goals, the Coalition first made use of conventional bombs. However, the effect of the explosives alone were deemed unsatisfactory. The Coalition added incendiary and poison gas to its arsenal. Planes would fly in two waves. The first would drop incendiary and conventional bombs and the second would drop gas. The intent was for the incendiary to smoke out those who were taking shelter in targeted areas. The dense, heavy gas would then either eliminate those who had fled burning buildings or float down into exposed shelters.
The Coalition first targeted military defenses, taking care to destroy known locations of anti-air batteries and air bases. This effectively crippled the Queendom's ability to defend itself. The Coalition then targeted industrial centers, factories, and warehouses. Wings were dispatched during the day and night, in order to prevent any kind of regularity and to lower the morale of citizens, who never knew when to expect an attack. After the major industrial centers were demolished, the Coalition may have begun deliberately attacking civilian housing districts.
Historians debate whether the Coalition knowingly attacked population-dense centers or whether this was due to mistaken intelligence. Regardless, the death toll ran upwards of hundreds of thousands of noncombatants, including protected categories like aid workers and children (if "civilian" wasn't protected enough already, which it evidently wasn't). In addition, while the exact numbers are impossible to directly attribute, the Bombing of Criton played a major role in furthering the Steel Crisis and indirectly led to the deaths of millions more due to shortages and starvation.
The Bombing of Criton succeeded in its goal. The Queendom's industrial capacity was crippled and citizens of the Queendom, while outraged, were also terrified by the Coalition's military power. By 1939, Criton was reduced to rubble. A mass exodus had taken place and Coalition armies rolled into Criton with almost no resistance. To this day, Criton remains abandoned, except as a historical site.
The Bombing of Criton remains the single most effective (and morally questioned) air operation in history.
the nine to ninety policy
the battle for the queen's palace
This photograph depicts a child soldier in the Hive's Royal Army. It was titled, "They Hasten to Our Defense," a jab at a popular early war propaganda poster bearing the same caption.
"Too Late." Commonwealth soldiers rush past two executed beekin civilians in an abandoned city street. The hung placards read, "I WAS A COWARD" and "I WAS A SOCIALIST."
after the hive war
the dismemberment of the queendom
the beekin diaspora and beekin renaissance
the first hive republic
After the Hive War ended in 1940, the International Coalition (in its boundless generosity..) left only an insultingly small portion of the former Queendom for the Popular Swarm, holding only 5% of its former landmass, named the Hive Republic (today known as the First Hive Republic). This puppet state was closely controlled by the major nations of the Coalition and evoked frustration among former members of the Popular Swarm. The Recalian Protectorate specifically insisted that the nation be a capitalist representative democracy (coincidentally its own form of government), causing the communist and anarchic factions of the Swarm, which collectively made up the majority of cells, to feel betrayed and the socialist factions to feel conflicted.
the little war of 1943
In early 1943, a series of attempted coups in the First Hive Republic during the consecutive late winter and early spring months developed into a small civil war, with the Hive Republican loyalists opposing the communist and anarchic factions of the Swarm. The socialist factions were split between moderate democracy and radical leftism, which eventually led to their fragmentation and irrelevancy. During this time, ethno-monarchic pro-Queendom loyalist factions that had been biding their time since 1940 also rose up and began violent action against both the Republican government and the Swarm, causing a three way war to develop in the streets of the First Hive Republic.
In mid 1943, the International Coalition stepped into the crisis, initiating what is known as the Little War of 1943. Coalition forces assisted the Republican government in putting down the various revolutionary factions. This, at last, marked the end of the Popular Swarm, although dormant terrorist cells would continue to wreak havoc in occasional attacks all the way until the 1960s. The First Hive Republic was dissolved in 1943 and its land was split between members of the International Coalition. Disputes between the Sicebon Commonwealth and the Olegrian Empire over territorial gains led to border skirmishes, which eventually developed into the end of the Second Interwar Period and the beginning of the Fifth Olegri-Sicebon War.