User blog:Jeremiah Garland/The REAL World Powers

Well, after reading Tyler Crossbones blog in which he tries to list the most powerful countries in the world, I was disappointed by his selection... So I have made my own, strictly based on history. Here they are, in order from greatest to least.

1. Great Britain - Yup, you knew this would be first. Although they don't have the largest empire in the world, per se, they certainly have the most dominant, from the Americas to Africa and Asia. Competing with France, they are the most notable country in the colonisation race of India, and due to this, hold massive standings as far as trade goes, headlined by the notorious East India Company. It is also worth mentioning that they hold the largest navy in the world, and one of the largest armies. Under the rulership of the Hanoverian kings, England is politically sound, entering their golden age and strongest line of monarchs. Since the beginning of the English monarchy following the Battle of Hastings in 1066, Britain has gone through many reforms and troubled times: there was even a period of bitter civil wars in the 1650s in which no king sat on the throne for ten years. However, Britain changed the rules of sovereignty when, in 1215, one of the most important documents of all time (if not the most important document of all time), the Magne Carta, was signed by King John Lackland. The 1500s brought religious change - the schism from the Catholic Church and the establishment of the Protestant Anglican Church - as well as a late exit from the Middle Ages. In the 1700s, Great Britain is culturally an epicenter, being innovators in art, science, religion, literature, and philosophy. They hold the second largest population in the world - which spands their vast universal empire - only behind the isolated Qing Dynasty of China.

2. France - Following closely behind England is their longtime French counterparts and main competitors throughout history. Holding an empire just as impressive as England's, the French were the first to strongly colonize North America and Africa, and among the first to reach India. Strong reformers, France is best known at this time for their powerful triad of kings: the valiant Louis XIV, the overshadowed yet strong-willed Louis XV, and the courageous but controversial Louis XVI. Since the times of Charlemagne (and perhaps before) France has been the number one country in continental Europe, and has kept a sturdy and lasting system of society and government for many centuries. Ironically, it was in France that the Dark Ages and Medieval Ages began; following the fall of the Roman Empire, the feudal system first emerged in northern-central Gaul, which would last for a millenia. However, France soon shed their dark years with the rise of the Capet, Valois, and Bourbon dynasties. Economically, France prospers under trade (also due in part to the status of their vast empire). While not as impressive as Great Britain in terms of military, the French army and navy is still world-class and capable of winning wars. By the end of this century, France (and the rest of Europe) would enter a new age: one ushered in by a young, flamboyant soldier from Corsica.

3. Spain - Finishing the holy trinity of European Western powers is the kingdom of Spain. Had this been a list of the most powerful countries in the 1600s or 1500s, Spain would perhaps be 2nd, or maybe even 1st. Before England and France even started crafting their empires, Spain already held a strong foothold in the Americas - notably the Caribbean and Central and South America - as well as in north Africa. Spain also holds a vast amount of land on the European subcontinent itself, from the majority of Iberia to southern Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, and parts of the Low Countries. One of the greatest strongholds of the Bourbon Dynasty, Spain's royal roots has influence in the French and English thrones, as well as in the Holy Roman Empire and the Holy See. For centuries, Spain has held the strongest navy in the world, before that was finally (but barely) surpassed by the British at the turn of the 17th century. Historically, "Spain" itself is a relatively young nation, having been formed through the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castille in the early 1500s. This would give rise to the powerful Hapsburg clan. Along with their Iberian neighbours, Portugal, the Spanish were pioneers in the field of exploration, perhaps a direct result of their vast empire (of course, in 1492, it was the Spanish flag that Christopher Colombus sailed under). In fact, the saying was originally "the sun never sets on the Spanish Empire", before the British adapted it, supplanting their own demonym, in the 1920s. Religiously, Spain is unique because, other than the Ottoman Empire, it is the only country in immediate Europe to hold a significant Moslim population, resulting in a distinguished culture scene.

4. Russia - As far as the size of empires go, Russia holds the largest in the world at this time, even bigger than England's. By the end of Peter the Great's reign in the 1720s, the Russian domain stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and by the 1740s, Russia had expanded into the Americas with the aquisition of Alaska. Despite their monumental size, Russia lacks overseas territory, thus rapidly declining their status as traders. Up until the early 1700s, Russia was economically, politically, and culturally cut off from the rest of Europe, having a government system reminisce of the Middle Ages, and still relying on the feif-like serfdom to drive their heavily agriculturally-based economy. The tsardom, originally founded by Tsar Ivan "the Terrible" in the 1540s, had seen a line of weak rulers beginning in the early 17th century, before the emergence of the powerful Romanov dynasty in the 1640s (the Romanovs would keep complete autocracy in Russia until the October Revolution of 1917). Finally, with the ascension of Peter the Great to the throne in the 1680s, a massive reform was in the making. Not only did he more than triple the size of Russia, become a patron and innovator of the arts launching the Russian-European renaissance, and symbolically move the imperial capital to his magnum opus, St. Petersburg, but he also did away with the feudal rulership of the tsars, and established the first Russian Empire. Under him, the Russian military also improved, having doubled the size of the army and creating the first Russian navies. The Russian military would go undefeated in history until the Crimean War, in the 1850s.

5. Ottoman Empire - The black sheep of Europe, the Ottoman Empire is certainly unique, but in part a powerhouse. First, it is worth mentioning that the Ottoman Empire is perhaps the oldest country on this list, having its roots date back to the later days of the Byzantine Empire (13th centurty). It was not until 1453, however, after their taking of Constantinople, that the Ottomans emerged as a world power. Under the leadership of the sultan and his right-hand man, the grand vizier, the Ottoman Empire contiguously stretches three continents, making it the only country in the world to do this. From the Balkans in southeastern Europe, to Asia Minor and the Middle East, to the northern coast of Africa, Turkish influence is driven by religious tolerance and a dominant military. On the note of religion, the Ottomans are also the only non-Christian sect to make the list, being traditionally Moslim rulers. While not holding many overseas territories, the Turks make up for this with heavy agriculture and industry. Being strong rivals with their trans-continental counterparts to the north, Russia, the Ottomans fought many wars with the Russians, many of which ended in a deadlock. Since their rise to power in the 1400s, the Ottomans would remain the most powerful nation in their part of the world since the beginning of their dismay in the Crimean War, and ultimately their final years at the close of WWI.

6. Prussia - From humble beginnings as a subtle duchy originating in northern Poland, everything changed for Prussia after a union with Brandenburg in 1618. After the Thirty Years' War and Peace of Westphalia, the newly-formed Kingdom of Prussia emerged as the most powerful sovereignty in northern-central Europe. At its peak, Prussia stretched the northern half of modern-day Germany, the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea, to the western-most borders of the Russian-Lithuanian borders. Prussia would challenge and ultimately conquer such rivaling kingdoms as Pomerania, Silesia, Mecklenburg, Saxony, Hanover, Holstein, Hesse, Schleswig, and many more. With its seat of power in its glorious capital of Berlin, Prussia's greatest king, Frederick II, took his turn in the limelight during the Seven Years' War, where he led Prussia, then an underestimated simple Germanic kingdom, against such distinguished names such as Russia, France, and Sweden. Prussia without doubt was an agricultural state, not giving a second thought to trade of any kind. Religiously, Prussia was the birth place of the Protestant Reformation, ushered in by Luther in 1517. For this, Prussia has always been a menace to the Holy See in the Vatican, but even still, remained the strongest leg of the Holy Roman Empire. By the 1870s, with the close of the Franco-Prussian War, Prussia would ultimately morph into the German Confederation, and, within the first half century of its existance, foolhardedly spur both World Wars in the 20th century.

7. Netherlands - Had this been a list of the most powerful countries in the 17th century, Netherlands would, without question, be within the top five. However, after the Thirty Years' War, a decline in Dutch influence throughout Europe (and the world) began. After the Portuguese and before the French, the Dutch were pioneer explorers, and key in the launch of the imperial colonisation world. They were paramount in the early colonisation of the Indian subcontinent, though, as the centuries wore on, their influence there were soon overpowered by the French, and ultimately, the British. Up until the 1940s, the Dutch Empire still held control of the Indonesian archipelago in southern Asia, and even today, control of Dutch Guyana (Suriname) in South America, and various islands in the West Indies. South Africa, Malacca, Taiwan, and even modern-day New York served as other Dutch strongholds well into the 1700s. It goes without saying that, parallel to their impressive empire, the Dutch were master traders, perhaps the best in the world. Though they owned little land on the European subcontinent, the Netherlands showed the world that a strong navy, heavy exploration, and a vast understanding of trade and economics could go a long way. Even during the close of the 17th century, a Dutch king - William III - sat on the English throne. Their influence throughout the world and Europe has gone mostly unrecognised, thus emphasising the greatness of this small country.

8. Portugal - Portugal is, in a sense, very comparable to the aforementioned Netherlands. The countries themselves are smaller in size, but even still hold vast empires. They both were pioneers of the exploration age, and master trade mercantilists. Though often overshadowed by their far more superior Iberian neighbours, Spain, the Portuguese were fierce contenders in the field of imperialism, up until their decline in the 1820s (following their conquest of the House of Bonaparte). The first Europeans to reach the much-coveted regions of the Orient in the Far East (i.e., India, China) were Portuguese captains enlisted by Henry the Navigator. Having first discovered the notable trade and geographic point the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, Portuguese sailors such as da Gama and Dias were the first to set up footholds in India, such as Bombay, Goa, and Calicut, many of which fluorished until the domination of the British. Portugal scored its biggest overseas colony, though, shortly after the discovery of the Americas, with the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. Through this, Portugal acquired modern-day Brazil, which remained their paramount possession up until the 1820s (the Portuguese royal family had fled to Brazil following the invasion of Napoleon, and following the latter's downfall, allowed Brazil to remain independent). Though the Portuguese army or navy are nothing to brag about, economically, Portugal is a winner.

9. Sweden - Emerging from the Thirty Years' War, Sweden was a powerhouse of trade, military, and culture. They were the leading force in Scandinavia, soon to conquer Finland and form various alliances with Norway and Denmark. Alongside Russia, Sweden dominated trade in northern Europe, having vast control of the Baltic and North Seas. It is also worth mentioning that the Swedes held sovereignty over Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard, and the Aland Islands, making them the primary contenders of land north of the Arctic Circle. Oddly enough, up until the end of the 17th century, Sweden even had control of a small bit of land in Western Africa - the Swedish Gold Coast - now part of modern-day Ghana and Togo. After the Great Northern War in which Sweden was ultimately defeated by the emerging Russian Empire (and following the death of Swedish king Karl XI), the Swedish Empire that had emerged from the Treaty of Westphalia collapsed in 1721. Still, this did not slow Sweden's progress. For more than fifty years, Sweden entered a period known as the "Age of Liberty" in which the Swedish crown and government went through numerous reforms and civil rights. The result: one of the first great limited monarchies. Sweden revolutionised early democracy in Europe, allowing more rights and powers to the common man. Save a few more minor wars with Russia, as well as the Pomeranian Wars and Seven Years' War, Sweden remaind relatively peaceful during this era, and entered an age of 'splendid isolationism'. The organised government and line of strong rulers surely proclaimed Sweden the most dominant among the Nordic states, and the policies and rights set forth at this time I still used in the area today.

10. Austria - Though a simple duchy at the crossroads of France, Germany, and Italy, Austria was the nucleus of the Holy Roman Empire - Europe's most powerful religious coalition - as well as the greatest possession of the Hapsburg family. Since its independence in the 15th century, Austria had evaded capture from its powerful neighbours (most notably the French), and served as an impressive predecessor of the Austrian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire. Landlocked, Austrian overseas trade is nonexistant, and reliability in agriculture is high. Even still, agriculture would prove difficult in the mountainous Alpine landscape of Austria. Austria's imperial capital, Vienna, served as an ideal birthplace for somewhat of a "post-medieval northern renaissance", being a mecca for education, literature, science, and - most importantly - music. Names like Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schmelzer, Haydn, and Bach flocked to the Viennese scene and ushered in the classical era of modern music. Aside from being a cultural epicentre, Austria's military, mostly supported directly by the Holy Roman Empire, was abnormally impressive among the central European states, allowing Austrian conquet of many southern German states, northern Italian states, and the Swiss cantons. They even went so far north as the Low Countries (the Austrian Netherlands), and so far east as modern-day Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. Their biggest downfall, which kept them out of serious competition with France, Spain, and Great Britain, was there lack of a coastline, and ergo lack of a navy.