I'd say from experience, culture and particularly fashion are some of the hardest things to do, and even harder to get 'right'. It would need the right mix of appeal, feasibility, and possible development especially if one wanted to consider what would fashion look in a world that wasn't dominated by European cultural exports. In some cases it might as well be quantum physics compared to tracing political developments.
Nobunaga’s Ambition Realized: Dawn of a New Rising Sun
- Thread starter Ambassador Huntsman
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Well, in this case, the familiar silhouette of the kimono (although it must be said that this is a product of the Edo and Meiji era) will last until the 20th century. I note that initially the Hakama was a symbol of women's emancipation.
Tbf originally hakama were usually worn by men except for religious ceremonies so women wearing it as a normal thing was a symbol of feminist emancipation.
This. What I meant to say more specifically is that the kimono trends from the Azuchi-Momoyama period are more present ITTL, rather than a full transition to what we see IOTL in the early Edo period due to no Tokugawa central influence.
Yeah one of the big things to consider is that Japanese fashion went the direction it did during the Meiji period because Japan needed to become more westernized in order to become more modernized and be recognized as a major player on the world stage. ITTL, that’s certainly not the situation. Sure, in some ways Europe is ahead but Europeans are still the stinky “barbarians” and Japan was capable of sending abroad 50,000-100,000 men to fight the Spanish and defeat them. It’s much more of a fair playing field. It doesn’t mean the Japanese won’t take up any western influences outside of military technology (castella still a thing ITTL) but the global standard is not necessarily the Western standard.
In this department, I’ll still try to present a grounded trend and series of developments although history often has its unexpected and seemingly unpredictable moments.
Speaking of Western styles — how are the captain's quarters on Japanese galleons and battleships furnished, anyway? How it is furnished there can likewise influence the preferences of the admiralty in how they furnish their headquarters, as well as how they choose their attires that they'll not trip themselves over with.
And also — don't the new regulations on logging affect the supply of hardwood needed not just for shipbuilding, but also for everything else? The shipbuilding industry of TTL's Japan is a magnitude or two more massive than its OTL incarnation, after all, so it'll make for less wood going towards the way of carpentry — at least as far as the OTL Home Islands are concerned — up until the relevant industries in the North catches up in exploiting those untapped-as-of-yet resources.
And speaking of Ainu trade — is it still monopolised by a single clan?
And also — don't the new regulations on logging affect the supply of hardwood needed not just for shipbuilding, but also for everything else? The shipbuilding industry of TTL's Japan is a magnitude or two more massive than its OTL incarnation, after all, so it'll make for less wood going towards the way of carpentry — at least as far as the OTL Home Islands are concerned — up until the relevant industries in the North catches up in exploiting those untapped-as-of-yet resources.
And speaking of Ainu trade — is it still monopolised by a single clan?
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If I remember correctly, it was the Kakizaki clan (OTL Matsumae clan), since they’re the few clans in Hokkaido
Geez — the OTL incentive in making the Ainu work to their bones and deplete their resources is still there then, and now they'll likewise be incentivised to haul timber on top of that.
Ainu trade was never completely monopolized by the Kakizaki clan as Hakodate served as a Azuchi-controlled port where other players have access. But the Kakizaki clan still hold the lion's share in Ezo, yes. On Karafuto, the Sakuma clan has the biggest share of what is coming out so far.
The reason why the forestry reforms are happening earlier is because the depletion is happening faster and there's a bigger feeling that if something isn't done that everything will be cut down. But yeah, shipbuilding being a way bigger deal will have a large effect on how Japan utilizes Karafuto for example.
I'll go more in depth in another military evolution update but the furnishings are very much native, and they basically dress like samurai generals but without any kabuto helmets and lighter armor. It's all topknots or jinkasa hats on the ships now.
The relationship between the Japanese and Ainu is more master and vassal because the Ainu get their hands on firearms relatively quickly IOTL and are a lot harder to defeat (at least in Ezo), hence why you see Ainu mercenaries emerge ITTL, especially in the navy and the personal retinue of Sakuma Moritora. More explanation in a future chapter.
Chapter 115: Silesia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Intersecting
Chapter 115: Silesia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Intersecting
Ever since the Peace of Prague, the dual duchies of Silesia had served as a political buffer between Poland-Lithuania, Austria, and the Protestant sphere of influence, led by the Swedish Empire in this case. Although religiously Lutheran, its rulers’ dynastic relations to historical Polish kings and the region’s previous vassalage to the Habsburgs saw it maintain relationships with all three sides. As a result, it participated in the War of the Cretan Coalition against the Ottoman Turks as a chief ally of the Commonwealth. Its influence and importance would increase further when George III, the duke of Lower Silesia, died in 1664 and his lands were inherited by his younger brother and Upper Silesian duke Christian, thus seeing the establishment of a united duchy of Silesia for the first time. The unification of the two Silesian duchies strengthened the region, with the capital of Legnica growing ever more prosperous and many religious dissidents from Bohemia immigrating as the Counter-Reformation rapidly diminished the Hussite and Lutheran churches in the kingdom.
However, political developments overseas would begin to interrupt the domestic affairs of Silesia. In 1668, John II Casimir Vasa abdicated the Polish-Lithuanian throne to a French abbey after the death of his queen and consort Marie Louise Gonzaga earlier in the year. Under the reign of this last member of the Polish Vasa lineage, the Commonwealth prospered over the gains of the War of the Cretan Coalition, now having direct territorial access to both the Baltic and Black Seas since 1526 and the increasingly unwavering allegiance of the Cossacks. This strength also enabled John Casimir to push through political reforms that addressed the unwieldy and fragile nature of the Commonwealth’s institutions [1], particularly the potential for the abuse of the “liberum veto” to shut down entire sessions of the Sejm. These reforms included the restriction of the liberum veto to individual legislation, the establishment of a general tax system, and the enactment of the principle of vivente rege, or the ability to elect a monarch’s successor before the incumbent’s death. John Casimir wasn’t able to do this, however, without initial opposition by many among the szlachta nobility that eventually resulted in a full-fledged rebellion led by Field Crown Hetman Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski after the latter was accused of treason by the king. The subsequent rebellion collapsed after being defeated by the king’s army [2] and with opposition militarily neutralized, John Casimir’s reforms were instituted [3].
However, political developments overseas would begin to interrupt the domestic affairs of Silesia. In 1668, John II Casimir Vasa abdicated the Polish-Lithuanian throne to a French abbey after the death of his queen and consort Marie Louise Gonzaga earlier in the year. Under the reign of this last member of the Polish Vasa lineage, the Commonwealth prospered over the gains of the War of the Cretan Coalition, now having direct territorial access to both the Baltic and Black Seas since 1526 and the increasingly unwavering allegiance of the Cossacks. This strength also enabled John Casimir to push through political reforms that addressed the unwieldy and fragile nature of the Commonwealth’s institutions [1], particularly the potential for the abuse of the “liberum veto” to shut down entire sessions of the Sejm. These reforms included the restriction of the liberum veto to individual legislation, the establishment of a general tax system, and the enactment of the principle of vivente rege, or the ability to elect a monarch’s successor before the incumbent’s death. John Casimir wasn’t able to do this, however, without initial opposition by many among the szlachta nobility that eventually resulted in a full-fledged rebellion led by Field Crown Hetman Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski after the latter was accused of treason by the king. The subsequent rebellion collapsed after being defeated by the king’s army [2] and with opposition militarily neutralized, John Casimir’s reforms were instituted [3].
Posthumous portrait of John II Casimir Vasa from the 18th century by Marcello Bacciarelli
This success would prove to be a hollow victory, however, for John Casimir would not sire any additional children who could potentially succeed him. Additionally, his wife’s choice to be the next monarch of the Commonwealth, Henri Jules of Conde, proved to be an impossible pick for the szlachta because of his malicious character and perceived ugliness. His father, Louis the prince of Conde, was a talented and popular commander in contrast but his heavy association with France’s wars against the Habsburgs proved perilous in potentially inflaming relations with the Austrian Habsburgs with whom the realm had maintained good relations with despite the royal court’s pro-French leanings. This set up the political crisis that followed John Casimir’s abdication as the 1669 royal election was guaranteed to be a messy situation. Initially, it looked like the prince of Conde would become the new king with the backing of the pro-French magnates over a myriad of other candidates. The Piast faction, wary of foreign influences in Warsaw, would turn to the duke of Silesia, Christian having already entered his name with the backing of several Polish nobles. Tymofiy Khmelnytsky [4], the chief leader of the Cossacks, would also support Christian as the chances of an Orthodox candidate winning seemed low. This proved decisive and in the end, Christian would be elected the new monarch of the Commonwealth. The one condition he agreed to was him converting to Catholicism in an effort to appease many opposing Catholic magnates, although he promised to not disrupt the religious status quo in his own Protestant duchy and respect the rights of Orthodox adherents in the Commonwealth.
Engraving of Christian, duke of Silesia and later monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Initially, the union of Poland, Lithuania, and Silesia under one man went smoothly. Under Christian, relations between the Commonwealth and Sweden thawed, with Poland-Lithuania no longer holding a claim on the Swedish throne and Christian taking advantage of his own cordial relations with John IV Sigismund back when he was a mere duke. However, the pro-French faction, led by Crown Hetman John Sobieski and Primate Michal Prazmowski, continued to oppose the new king and did everything they could to undermine him. Although they no longer had the ability to veto entire Sejms with the reforms of John Casimir in place, the pro-French szlachta made efforts to extend the length of Sejm sessions through overly long speeches and voted down legislation for obstructive purposes. In response, Christian curbed French influence at the royal court to strengthen his own authority and weaken the opposition. When this did little to improve the political situation, supporters of the king led by Michal Wisniowiecki demanded to bring a lawsuit against Sobieski, causing the pro-French magnates in turn to form a confederation in 1670 in support of their leader.
The political struggle between Sobieski and the king made the realm vulnerable, causing the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate to declare war on the Commonwealth in 1671, mostly to take back Yedisan and suppress the unregulated raids by the Cossacks upon the Tatars. The Commonwealth, caught by surprise amidst its infighting, could not mobilize fast enough for Turkish forces to sweep into Yedisan’s Buh valley, cutting off the realm from its Black Sea access and trade while Khmelnytsky and his Cossacks began engaging with the Crimean Tatars. At this moment, the king and Sobieski managed to set aside their differences for the time being, and the Crown Hetman began marching down towards the Turks while the king sent diplomats to Stockholm and Vienna asking for assistance. The reconciliation between the two factions in the Commonwealth proved fortuitous, for John Sobieski successfully rallied the magnates and upon his arrival in the region he began reversing any gains the Ottomans had made during the months when the Commonwealth had been militarily absent.
However, king Christian would never make it down himself, for he fell ill to dropsy and died on February 28th, 1672. He had a 12 year old son, George William, who would succeed his father as the next duke of Silesia but the Piast heir would quickly be ruled out as the next Polish-Lithuanian monarch because of his age. As a result, the Polish-Lithuanian succession became an open question, with the prince of Conde once again the choice of the pro-French magnates and Charles Leopold, the duke of Lorraine, and Michal Wisniowiecki also emerging as major contenders for the throne. The military situation, however, hastened a swift and unifying decision and many szlachta began supporting the increasingly popular John Sobieski as the next king. When the election was held later in 1672, Sobieski would be chosen to succeed his former rival Christian in absentia, as he was still on the battlefield fighting the Turks and Tatars alongside Khmelnystky’s Cossacks. With the spirit in the Commonwealth now united behind the new warrior king and the prospects of Austrian intervention ever growing, grand vizier Fazil Ahmed Pasha sued for peace rather than continue what could’ve become costly war and the Treaty of Odessa saw the Sublime Porte cede trade privileges in the Black Sea and the territorial status quo maintained.
Portrait of John III Sobieski
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under king John III Sobieski now stood at the height of its power and the new monarch began speculating on how to act upon his hungry ambitions for even further expansion. An opportunity would arrive in 1675 when George William suddenly died at the age of 15 from smallpox, leaving no heir to Silesia and extinguishing the last legitimate male line of descent of the Piast dynasty. Sobieski would act immediately and claim the overlordship of the duchy, citing the union of Silesia with Poland-Lithuania under his predecessor and Silesia being under the Polish crown before its incorporation into the Bohemian crown in the 14th century. A rival claimant would soon emerge in the form of Frederick William, the elector of Brandenburg and duke of Prussia, whose dynasty had been promised the Silesian lands in the 16th century in the event of the Silesian Piast male line dying out in the future [4]. Sweden and Transylvania, alarmed at Sobieski’s unabashed expansionism onto the Protestant sphere, backed Frederick William. Sobieski refused to withdraw his claim, resolving to determine the rightful duke of Silesia through force. On March 17th, 1676, he marched into Legnica with little opposition and forced the Silesian nobility to accept him as their next duke. In response, Sweden, Brandenburg-Prussia, and Transylvania declared war on the Commonwealth. The War of the Silesian Succession was on and would come to involve much of central and eastern Europe.
[1]: Same as OTL, just happens a bit earlier.
[2]: Opposite outcome of OTL.
[3]: Opposite outcome of OTL.
[4]: Tymofiy Khmelnytsky lives ITTL and succeeds his father instead of his younger brother Yurii.
[5]: IOTL, Frederick the Great of Prussia used this casus belli to invade and annex Silesia from the Austrian Habsburg in 1740.
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Interesting update, seems like Poland is in a better position... But it also means it will attract rivals looking to dismantle it and try to block it's growing power, I especially see Russia jumping in here to do what they always do and take bites out of the eastern lands of the PLC, which depending on how the war goes will work or not, either way it means they're not paying attention to the far east which is great for Japan and allies.
A small suggestion - apart from referring to the union during the times of his predecessor, Sobieski should also mention the issue of Silesia's former affiliation to the Polish crown. Even though over three hundred years have passed since then, it can still be used. Especially in arguments for internal use.
That sounds ominous...
Also: is Christian that guy? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian,_Duke_of_Brieg
Incorporated.
Yes.
Maybe, though tsar Alexei also dies in 1676 like IOTL so it’s an open question.
If I am correct this timeline did not have Cossack rebellions and the 1654 -1667 PLC-Russian war; this mean that Smolensk is still held by Poland Lithuania. In general Smolensk is the gate in the border; Russia has to take it to expand to west (or it can move against Estonia/Latvia). Smolensk is a might fortress that withstood years of siege in 1632 and was strengthened; it surrendered in 1654 mainly becasue of weakness of PLC and being a bit neglected over the previous years. Russia will have to first take it - and Sobieski probably remebered to strengthen it. So the war will likely start with a long siege.
PLC without the 1648-1667 wars with Cossacks, Tatars, Swedes and Russia is much stronger, historically it lost 30 to 40% of its population (some say even more). Also more tolerant (when all your enemies are all kinds of non catholic it doesn't help with religious tolerance),
Btw - Jan Sobieski had an older brother Marek - who was seen as more capable of the two; he was killed in 1652 when his commanding officer surrendered the army to Tatars and Cossacks bought the prisoners to massacre them. Just in case it comes up (I guess in this timeline he could have died in different circumstances).
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Eventually you stated is correct. As for Marek Sobieski, he’s still around but John Sobieski still attained prominence anyway, and a lot of that has to do with his marriage with a French noblewoman thus currying favor with the French. John himself is super capable himself on his own and thus is still able to become king, but having his older brother around strengthens the family overall.
So, I'll admit, I've haven't been up to date with a lot of these chapters, and really need to reread them, but I do have a question if it hasn't been stated yet:
How does Europeans view Japan? And I don't mean diplomatically or geopolitically wise where Japan is a powerful ally or enemy. We've gotten a lot of Japanese diplomacy and culture exchange with Europeans, but how do Europeans view Oda Japanese Society, cities, culture, dresses, traditions, Daimyo clans and the Oda Clan itself, and Samurai/Ashigaru themselves, etc?
How does Europeans view Japan? And I don't mean diplomatically or geopolitically wise where Japan is a powerful ally or enemy. We've gotten a lot of Japanese diplomacy and culture exchange with Europeans, but how do Europeans view Oda Japanese Society, cities, culture, dresses, traditions, Daimyo clans and the Oda Clan itself, and Samurai/Ashigaru themselves, etc?
