The Founder of Zubrowka know as Grandfather Zubrowk founded the capital city of Lutz after prophecy said that they would know their homeland when they saw a black Eagle snare a white dove on a red field and when he spied a Eagle chase down a dove in a field of red poppies he know this was his peoples homeland. A Roman town market town, with baths, and plunder might have helped with that decision.
He then united/conquered the forest and mountain villages, which then allowed him to set his sites on the coastal Greco-Roman towns. When he was an tribute raid he spied a very pretty young Roman noblewomen. And he desired her. She would hear nothing of mirroring a pagan and So he converted and had a rushed wedding and road off with his new wife.
So over a few generations the Zubrowka people converted to slowly stop worshiping their Buffalos and to except Christianity.
So Grandfather Zubrowk not only carved out the territory but also brought them into the greater European and Christian world.
Fast forward a bit, and Zubrowka is pulled into the Holy Roman Empire where their history is dominated by the whims of this greater body until it regains independence in the treaty of Westphalia.
This era is known as the Grand Duchy of Lutz-Zubrowka, where they fought continuously or were in treaty with the old German states, the Austrians and there eastern neighbor Redforea.
And with themselves in the First of many short lived Dynastic conflicts with the notably intertwined Zubrowka noble families.
Dearing this time the newly created Zubrowka Merchant-Navy where able to acquire the caribbean island chain of Atlántico, giving Zubrowka its first steady stream of coco, coffee and sugar.
A quick war with Arab-African Pirates gave Zubrowka it's first African holdings when they took their home ports and slowly though trade and conquest where able to convince the local Sultans to toss in their lot in with the Zubrowkan budding Empire.
Zubrowk-Bongolese eventual provided them with trade from the interior of Africa, a secure sea route to Asia and then slowly as time went on Demands and oil was discovered, past the coastal mountains.
The ocean routs secured, Zubrowka was able to acquire treaty ports from the Spice producing Island peoples which would eventually form into the Zubrowka spice Islands.
But these ports would wait as a seed to Empire, First there was Napoleonic wars and the First short lived Zubrowka republic, after the French Grand Armee arrived and "Liberated" them. A Zubrowkan infantry Brigade and the Famed Zig-Zag cavalary fought for Napoleon in Russian and just as swiftly joined the forces against him after his defeat and exile.
This lead to return of the Grand Duke, who while famously "active" never produced a child. The Grand Duke died in 1834 and this lead to the "Cousins War" With the Noble Taxis of Greater Zubrowka and Royal Zero family of Lesser Zubrowka fighting every summer until 1842. When the people finally tired of the now national game and declared for the First Lutz commune and formed and the 2nd republic.
The nobles finally distracted from their family feud rushed though a Marriage between the two factions, who then surrounded the city with their professional army. After three long months the siege was over. There was still "bandit" activity in the hills but the Royal family was firmly in control for now.
The rebellion slowly changed Zubrowka from a Small Duchy into an Empire. There where too many able bodied peasants to just kill them all, so many of them and there families where given the option to start over in the colonies.
This also helped to bring industrialization to Zubrowka with the lose of cheap labor. With more industry, money, and more activity in the colonies created more government and for the first time, the burger or middle class had an active say and stake in government.
Nationalism was taking hold and Empire was a great drama to read about in the papers. And so campaigns where launched to extend Zubrowk-Bongolese past the coastal planes and mountains to the Bongolese plateau and the head waters of the Bongolese river. With a never ending string of mad Mullahs, rebel Sultans, and savage tribes. There was no end to actions for the newly formed Colonial Police-Militia corp.
Dearing this time by treaty, conversion and clever use of the New Marine regiment Zubrowka was able to secure complete control of the now Zubrowka Spice Islands.
With all this excitement the papers mostly ignored Atlántico. With the abolition of slavery in the 1830s and the huge influx of settlers along with no taboo against ethnic mixing in the Zubrowkain Church meant that soon Atlánticoins where a people unto themselves. Whos children soon become the public face Zubrowkain colonial administration.
By the after the 1840s the trend of noble dynastic struggles gave way to accumulating wealth, going on adventures, and to get a foreign spouse. This brought not only new ideas, styles, and accents. It also made Zubrowka into a parliamentary monarchy, who wants to be bothered with running a country when you get money for just being alive and spend it all trying to out do the other nobs and the new rich.
Every thing was bright for Zubrowka, who even avoided getting dragged into the Great War with their official neutrality respected. With many a Central and Allied powers officer sharing a cigar and brandy on the Zubrowka Riviera.
After the Great War, Zubrowka was enjoy the economic boom of supplying the rebuilding of Europe and even fought a quick successful land grab against the now weakened Redforea.
They even experiment with this new Fascist thing from Italy. New Modern Zig-Zag uniforms become the height of fashion.
This was all well and good, until the 3rd Reich Decided to help out their Italian and Redforea allies in attacking and taking over Zubrowka.
The Royal family and what's left of the government flea to the Colonies. These groups rally the colonial forces and provide the Allies with a infantry division, Tank Regiment and three air squadrons, one each of fighters, bombers and transport. More troops and navy would have been provided but the Pacific squadron was sunk by the Japanese Imperial Navy with the survivors of the Colonial Militia and Marine Regiment marching away to captive or hiding in the hills leading small guerrilla bands until Allied forces liberate the islands at the end of the war.
Mean while Zubrowka itself is not idle and there is an active resistance movement. With a full blown rising in Lutz once the Red army reaches Redforea, but instead of waiting to see what the Soviets will do, the Western Allies land Zubrowka Marine commandos in Uzzo and drop troops from the Para-Blitzer regiment behind Lutz blocking German garrison troops and saving/arming the home army.
General Henckels.
A former Police inspector Lands with the Zig-Zag armor Regiment and pushes to the Capital, officially liberating the capital and pushing the remaining Germans out of the country. Much to the chagrin of the soviets and the Zubrowka Red army.
The next post will deal with Zubrowka in the cold-war and modern era.
