The Cross Shatters

The Cross Shatters:

A request by EmperorAlexander as well as a sequel to “The Crescent Falls”. The year is 2053 and the world that was emerging in the 21^st Century has changed drastically, for the worse.

It began with the terrible economic recession of the 2010s that developed into a global collapse as poor economic decisions led to chaos and further loss of confidence. The nations that suffered the most were China and the Germanic Republic. Eventually riots broke out in the nations that were experiencing the worst economic depressions which later erupted into full rebellion. The 2020s saw the collapse of whatever status quo had been developing in the first decade of the 21^st Century. It was only through sheer luck that nuclear weapons weren't deployed.

Things quieted down in the 2040s after the remaining powerful state moved in to bring order to the chaotic regions of Eastern Europe and East Asia. The complete collapse of the Republican Bloc removed an active global power completely whilst the collapse of the Hein Dynasty and their empire left a vacuum in East Asia that other struggled to fill, even as the successor factions battled one another. The Roman Empire rose to fill the power in vacuum in Eastern Europe as a new 'clerical-fascist' ideology took control of the empire to prevent a collapse of public order. Meanwhile the Holy Roman Empire offered their own assistance to the various petty states and regional governments that were struggling to survive in the decayed Federal Germanic Republic. A slow period of annexation saw the Holy Roman Empire expand to greater heights than ever before.

The 2040s also saw the new bipolar Cold War begin, a war that looks only to intensify.

The Roman Empire is a different nation from what it used to be when it was entering the 21^st Century. The former decentralised organization of the Empire has been dismantled and replaced with a more centralised system that eases the government's efforts to maintain order and control over the nation. The government is very religious with fascist-like features and overtones, adapting the new form of politics with the Orthodox Christian hierarchy.

Democracy is still upheld superficially by the government but the Senate is now completely dominated as a one-party state. The military and the Orthodox Church are also heavily entwined within the Senate which has further shaped the reigning ideology into an authoritarian system. This system has also made the Roman Empire very Christian, their rivalry with the Holy Roman Empire has left them highly suspicious of Catholics and their allied denominations whilst Orthodox Christians are the most highly regarded within their sphere of influence. Other denominations that are not derived from Catholicism are also respected and tolerated along with Judaism, as long as they are not that vocal, and less prominent faiths like Islam and Zoroastrianism. Religion is undergoing major revivals in the former Republican Bloc states that have since been brought into the Roman Empire's orbit. They are, on the whole, much more fanatical than the Roman Empire and many are upsetting the tenuous political balance that exists.

The cosmopolitan history of the Roman Empire means that, even under the new authoritarian government, racism is not that much of an issue. This has also helped with the integration of the races of the Roman Empire as the centralisation projects are still ongoing. However the return of nationalism in certain areas is causing a backlash against certain races. The Roman Empire and their allies have never considered the active genocide of any races but they are not above forced relocation, a process that even when well organised causes countless deaths. Sexism is very common now thanks to traditional religious restrictions becoming very prominent as well as the new policies of the government regarding gender roles. Education is universal but the educational system is dominated by either the Church or the government and is little more than propaganda.

The Holy Roman Empire emerged as the rival of the Roman Empire in the 2040s. With the collapse of the Republican Bloc and the annexation of many of the collapsed states from that former power bloc the HRE has become larger than ever before. Since the troubles of the 21^st Century and assimilation of the new territories they have had to change many of their policies. The cultural assimilation programs have largely slowed down or ended in order to placate the numerous new ethnicities they now control. Though lessons concerning the traditional cultures of the regions of the HRE have returned the standardised education system still stresses English (which is far more French than OTL) lessons as well as Catholicism. The central bureaucracy is enormous and indescribably complex. The number of specialised departments and regional offices that exist to deal with the issues of running such an immense entity have left it almost impossible for the empire as a whole to make a single unanimous decision. Whilst the Roman Empire has centralised in order to adapt to the new global situation the HRE has actually decentralised somewhat from how it used to organise itself in order to appease the vast empire it rules over. However these regional governments still have to respond to the central government in Westminster.

The Holy Roman Empire's government is a confusing entity but it could be described as a bureaucratic monarchy or an analytical one. The Emperor's powers are still absolute on paper but the legislature, judiciary and other governing bodies are now run by the bureaucracy and aristocracy, royal power being restricted by thick red tape and regulations. The government is meritocratic but the class system is still strong in the HRE. Successful people tend to buy or earn noble titles and property which keeps the power of the aristocracy in place. In some regions it is a requirement to be given a noble title before working in government a practice which, in conjunction with the new social mobility, has removed some of the meaning behind hereditary peerage. The new systems and ideals as well as the relaxing of old systems of control means that radicals and other reformist groups have merged and are starting to cause trouble for the status quo within the HRE.

The Church is a major institution in the HRE and finally returned to a rebuilt Vatican, despite the renewed danger of doing so. Despite the primacy of Catholicism other approved Christian churches also exist and are common in the regions where these denominations are practised. Other religions are now tolerated but are more of a rarity thanks to the previous efforts in expunging them from the empire. A few indigenous faiths are undergoing revivals, especially in new territories. The former territories of the Republican Bloc are experiencing one of the most energetic religious revivals but agnosticism and atheism are still rather common.

In the wake of Hein China's collapse other powers moved to exploit the chaos that had erupted in East Asia. Surprisingly one of the most successful states to rise to prominence as a result of this has been the Mauthrayas Empire of India. The subcontinent may still be beyond their reach but they have built a mighty hegemony of their own that may yet be able to challenge the existing power blocs. The Mauthrayas have no intention of entering the Cold War but any chance to subvert the Europeans will be seized upon. Mauthrayas is more liberal than it used to be, has established its own senate and grown more tolerant of religions, mostly to ease their own internal tensions. However the caste system is still in place and the government is highly elitist and prone to nepotism, the caste system often preventing notions of social movement and equality from ever entering government. Without China the Mauthrayas are the single largest exporter of manufactured goods despite the markets for consumer products being smaller and weaker than it used to be.

Cold Wars aside the major global concern is climate change, especially as changing weather patterns, temperature changes and rising sea levels cause serious problems. Most major coastal settlements have set up barriers and levies to control water levels but these prevention methods are proving to be both temporary and expensive. This world's greater degree of industrialisation means that Peak Oil is still close despite new extraction and refining techniques. Alternative energy sources are now being explored in earnest. The constant search for new technology to maintain current standards of living means that despite the Cold War and the religious ideologies of the great powers scientific research must be ongoing and supported. Pollution is also a problem that people are trying to address. Recycling, toxin scrubbing and various other means are being both explored and innovated upon in order to prevent toxin levels from becoming dangerous in vital areas such as cities and agricultural regions.