Great Powers

The Great Powers are the Tasnica Republic, the Kingdom of Guardia, the Esper Union and the Scandian League. They are the most powerful nations in the Web and wield tremendous political and economic influence. It is the interplay between these four powers that largely determine the 'Kupopolitic' of the tetrapolar world.

Some historians have ascribed different periods during which one power or the other seemed more dominant. The time around the Omnisent conflict is largely seen as a time of Guardian dominance. The Esper Union forged the Fascist Pact during the Age of Imperialism, however, and during that time was seen as the leading power. The Scandian League's stunning military victories at the start of the Leviathan War made it (very briefly) the ascendant in the Web. And, as the joke has it, the Tasnicans won the Leviathan War. When this period of Tasnican dominance ended (or even if it has) is hotly debated, and largely depends on who you ask. Some have gone so far as to claim that the reign of the Great Powers is approaching its end.

History of the "Great Power" Concept

The idea of a nation as a "power," with inordinate influence on the global stage, is one that has roots in earlier periods of Web history. While operating under different nomenclature, there have been other "great powers" in the Web's recent past, distant past, and will be again in the far future.

The Great War Era: The Three Powers

During the early Great War era, there were three nations that were recognized as exceptionally powerful and influential: the Kingdom of Baron, the Ticonderan Empire and the Tasnica Republic. Both Baron and Ticondera were highly regarded chiefly for their military prowess; Tasnica was considered the least of these three nations, being at its station largely as an economic and diplomatic power. Through trade and alliance with Pandora, Kakkara and some of the Crystal states (including and especially Eblan), Tasnican rise was built on the Geld rather than the sword. It is ironic that Tasnica would be the only one of the Three Powers to survive the Great War as a leading, first-tier nation.

The Imperialist Era: Dawn of the Great Powers

For a time following the Great War, national powers were weakened, and all pride and ego subsumed by the almighty Grand Army. Powerful nations with independent armies were a thing of the past: the very idea of them seemed to have been wiped out by the Dark Gods, along with the ascendancy of nations like Baron and Ticondera. Nations with powerful, independent armies were potential troublemakers: why would you bother with an army when you have GA membership? Clearly you are bad (like Caidin's Ticondera, Kusader's Kuvalla or Ozzie's Medina) and want to conquer people. With the advent of interdimensional space travel, expansion of territory became both benign and acceptable. Nations with ambition and cash to burn on a space program could plant their flag on distant, unclaimed soil without fear of the modern stigma assigned to conquerors. So began by the powers of the Gate Three a new period of nationhood: during this period, Gate established colonies on otherwise lifeless planets in every dimension of the Web, the Esper Dimension was all but unified under a singular rule, and Tasnica slowly began to re-establish itself as a military power. By the end of this period, the timidity with which the Web viewed nationalism in the wake of the Great War was all but forgotten. Even as the rise of the Great Powers lead into the terrible Leviathan War, people still cleave to their nations.

Neo Timeline: Before the Second Great War

In the era of 140 WR in the Neo Timeline, there are a number of powerful nations who boast significant influence over Web politics. This landscape is so radically different from the modern period of the Kupopolis Proper timeline as to be all but unrecognizable to anyone who has studied the linear progression from the Great War era to the New Peace era.

• Carrion has enormous influence, and reputation as a supreme military power. Together, the Republic of Man, the Federal Kingdom of Carrion and the Republic of West form a major tripartite power that everyone is afraid to cross (until the Triad soundly defeats them).
• The Holy Mana Empire has emerged as a pre-eminent power in the Fringe. Their alliance with Scande and the nations of Carrion is of some concern (until the Triad obliterates the world of Alter-Mana and renders it utterly uninhabitable).
• The United Crystal States emerged from a disastrous war with Esper as a power to be respected, though it would not be until they joined and formed the Triad that they became a power to be truly feared. In a similar vein as the Esper Union, the Crystal States formed as a highly militaristic, quasi-fascist unified Dimensional government.

All of this, of course, was before the rise of the Triad and the start of the Second Great War. The Triad was comprised of the Crystal States, Triangle and Tasnica -- which, again, was the lesser partner to its fellow Triad members.