English Civilization in a nutshell

Musical Theme: I vow to thee, My country (composed by Geoff Knorr)

Music Set: European
Architecture: European
Spy Names: James, Scarlett, Mycroft, Charlotte, Gwendolyn, Mr. Eks, Dr.
Grey, Andrew, Scott, Anne
Preferred Religion: Christianity (G&K) or Protestantism (BNW)
Contents
1. History
2. Geography and Climate
3. Early History: Enter the Romans
4. The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Saxons
5. The Vikings
6. The Norman Conquest
7. The Middle Ages
8. Queen Elizabeth I
9. The Stuarts
10.The United Kingdom
11.Rule Britannia
12.The UK at War
13.The Present and Future
14.English Trivia
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2. List of Cities
3. Related achievements
History

England is located on Great Britain, a "green and pleasant" island off of the
western coast of Europe. It is the largest member of the sovereign state known as
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Historically a seafaring
people, for much of the past 500 years the English have used their incomparable
navy to project their power into Europe and across the globe.
Geography and Climate

England occupies the greater part of the island of Great Britain (along with the
Welsh to the west and the Scots to the north). At some 80,000 square miles in size,
Great Britain is slightly larger than the state of Kansas in the USA. In pre-historic
times to until approximately 6000 BC a land bridge connected Great Britain to
Europe; since that time the two have been separated by the English Channel, which
is some 20 miles wide at its narrowest point.
England is endowed with rolling hills and plentiful natural resources, including
coal and (at one time) extensive forests. Benefitting from warm water brought to
its shores by Atlantic Ocean currents, England enjoys plentiful rainfall and
relatively mild winters.
Early History: Enter the Romans

The first detailed written description of England comes from the Romans, who
under Julius Caesar invaded Great Britain in 55 BC. Caesar found an island of
perhaps one million Celtic people divided into various warring tribes and
possessing an Iron Age level of technology. Caesar led two expeditions to the
island in total, and though he fought several successful battles, unrest in Gaul drew
him off the island before he could solidify his conquests.
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The Romans returned to Great Britain 90 years later - and this time they came in
force. In 43 AD four legions (some 20,000 soldiers) under Aulus Plautius landed
somewhere on the southern or south-eastern coast (the exact location is unknown)
and made their way inland. After a number of stiff battles they crushed the local
opposition, establishing a provincial capital at Camulodunum (Colchester). Over
the next fifty years the Romans extended their borders west, conquering Wales
despite fierce resistance, and north as far as the river Tyne. In 122 AD construction
was begun on Hadrian's Wall, a fortification designed to protect Roman Britain
from the fierce Picts (proto-Scots) in the northern highlands.
The Romans remained in power in Great Britain for another three centuries, until
approximately 410 AD. They had a profound effect upon the natives during their
occupation, introducing important advances in agriculture, technology,
architecture, and letters.
The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Saxons

As the Roman military presence retreated from Britain and Western Europe - under
pressure from invading Germanic tribes such as the Vandals - local warlords
appeared to fill the power vacuum. But none were strong enough to hold off the
ever-increasing attacks on the island by the Picts, the Irish, and other barbarian
invaders. According to legend, King Vortigern invited the Germanic Saxons into
Britain to fight the Picts, but in 442 AD the Saxons turned on their hosts and
conquered much of the lowlands. The Saxons remained in power for roughly fifty
years until they were driven out largely thanks to the skilful use of cavalry by the
surviving British.
In the mid-sixth century a fresh wave of Germanic invaders, the Anglo-Saxons,
reappeared, and they all but annihilated the original inhabitants, driving the
remnants of the population west into Cornwall and Wales. The Anglo-Saxons
would remain in power for several centuries, a period which saw the conversion of
the population to Christianity, and a great increase in scholarship on the island,
largely centered on the new Christian monasteries. It is during this period that the
inhabitants of south-east Great Britain began to consider themselves "English."
The Vikings

By the ninth century England (and Scotland and Ireland, not to mention much of
Europe) was under continuous assault from Scandinavian raiders known as the
Vikings. The Vikings captured cities and towns along the North Sea, and by the
middle of the century they controlled almost half of Great Britain, including
London. In 877 Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, was able to stop their advance
into Southern England, and over the next 50 years he and his heirs fought
relentlessly to retake all of the Danish conquests. Athelstan, Alfred's grandson, was
the first man to rule all of England in 927.
However, the Danes were not finished with England, and another wave of raids
began in 980. Worn down by 20 years of continuous fighting, in 1013 the English
surrendered and accepted Sweyn of Denmark as their king. Sweyn was succeeded
by Canute, who ruled until 1035. The Danes and the English coexisted fairly
peacefully for the next 30 years until 1066, when England was once again subject
to invasion.
The Norman Conquest

On September 27, 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, launched a major invasion

against England, leading 6000 knights and foot soldiers across the English
Channel. After defeating the English army and killing the English King Harold at
the Battle of Hastings, William marched on London. By December of 1066 most of
the English nobility had sworn allegiance to William, and he was crowned at
Westminster Abbey on Christmas. Under Norman rule the country's historical ties
with Scandinavia were largely severed and England came into much closer contact
with Europe.
The Middle Ages

Lots of history occurred in England over the next 400 years. There were bitter
power struggles, revolts, civil wars, as well as wars in Europe, Scotland and
elsewhere. There were several Crusades, a number of plagues and famines, and
there were many kings named Richard and Henry, some of whom appeared to be
quite mad. Unfortunately, space and time constraints require us to move rapidly to
the 16th century, and the rise of Elizabeth.

Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most remarkable rulers in English history. The
daughter of King Henry VIII, Elizabeth took the throne in a period of great social
and religious upheaval in England (and across Europe). Intelligent, beautiful, and
with a great deal of courage, Elizabeth inherited a country that was virtually
bankrupt, on the brink of religious civil war, and under threat of conquest by its
much stronger neighbor, Spain. During her reign Elizabeth I united the country,
confounded Spain's attempts at conquest, and ushered in one of the great golden
ages of arts and literature in human history. She also oversaw a major expansion of
the English navy, which would dominate the world's seas for centuries.
For a more detailed discussion of Queen Elizabeth I, see her Civilopedia entry.
The Stuarts

Elizabeth I died childless, and the English throne passed to James, the Stuart King
of Scotland, who became James I of England. Charles I, James's successor, was
overthrown by Parliament after the English Civil War (1641-1645). The crown was
reinstated in 1660, but much weaker, serving "at the will of Parliament."
The United Kingdom

Edit

In 1707, the "Acts of Union" united the kingdoms of Scotland with that of England
and Wales. The English and Scottish Parliaments were merged, and England
ceased to exist as a political entity. However, England was the largest, wealthiest
and most powerful part of the United Kingdom, so much so that many still use the
terms England and the United Kingdom interchangeably, much to the annoyance of
the Welsh and Scots (and later, the Northern Irish).
In 1800 the United Kingdom attempted to unite with Ireland, becoming the
"United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland." Many of the largely Roman
Catholic Irish were bitterly opposed to the union, leading to a terrible insurgency
that lasted for over a century. In 1922 the southern portion of Ireland was granted
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its independence, and the UK was once again renamed, this time becoming "The
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland."
Rule Britannia

Queen Elizabeth's reign saw the first British colony established in the New World,
while the powerful British navy protected the growing British interests across the
world. England's earliest colonial interests lay in the Caribbean and North America,
but over time they expanded into Asia and the South Pacific as well. As British
power grew in India, all European competition was driven out, and the English
East India Company came to rule the subcontinent in everything but name.
In the late 18th century Britain lost control of much of North America to the
Thirteen Colonies (later, the United States of America) in a long and difficult
revolution. While this was a great blow to British prestige, the Empire continued to
expand unabated, and by the early 20th century the British Empire was the largest
and most powerful in history, encompassing one quarter of the Earth's landmass
and human population.
The UK at War

For much of its history, the UK has sought to keep anyone from becoming a
dominant power in Europe, and to keep anyone from developing a navy to rival
that of the UK's. During Elizabeth's reign Spain was the biggest threat, and the UK
sought to bankrupt Spain by intercepting the Spanish treasure fleets from the New
World and to support insurgencies taking place in Spanish possessions. In the 17th
century the UK fought a series of wars against the Netherlands when Dutch ships
threatened British naval primacy.
In the 19th century the UK faced off against the mighty French Empire under
Napoleon Bonaparte. The French had an incomparable army and perhaps the
greatest general in human history, while the UK had its navy and the wealth from
its worldwide empire. The titanic struggle lasted some 12 years, but eventually
Napoleon was defeated and the UK emerged victorious.

The 20th century of course saw the UK pitted against Germany (and allies) in two
terrible conflagrations, World Wars I and II. These wars would test the British to
the limits of human endurance, and though the UK would be on the victorious side,
the cost in wealth and human lives would leave the nation exhausted and virtually
bankrupt, bereft of much of its once-great empire.

The Present and Future

It has taken some years, but the UK has recovered from the devastations of the
wars of the 20th century. Although it is no longer a super power the United States
and increasingly China are the world's "superpowers" it retains a powerful navy,
a thriving culture and a strong economy. While an integral part of the increasingly
united and powerful Europe it is also the strongest ally of the United States of
America. There is no doubt that the "green and pleasant land" will continue to
affect the course of world events for now and the foreseeable future.
English Trivia

The English consume more tea per capita than any other country in the world:
three times that of Japan and an unbelievable twenty-two times more than America
or France.
The world's first public zoo opened in London in 1829.
The bank of England is one of the few with its own nickname: The Old Lady of
Threadneedle Street.
Before the invention of the mechanical clock in the 14th century, the most complex
machine in Europe (and perhaps the world) was a pipe organ in the cathedral in
Winchester, England, completed in around 950 AD. It had 400 pipes, and 70 men
were needed to operate its 26 bellows.
Queen Berengaria, the wife of Richard the Lion-Heart, never set foot on English
soil she instead ruled from Italy and France.
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The delicious Colchester oysters were one of the main reasons for the Roman
invasion of Britain in 43 AD.
List of Cities

The United Kingdom's Flag

Founding
Order
1
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3
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5
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City Name

Notes

Capital city, old Roman fort town, home of the Globe

Theatre and Big Ben
York
Old Viking city
Nottingham Old Saxon capital
Hastings
Site of battle between King Harold and Duke William
Canterbury Located in Kent, home of the Archbishop
Lincoln
Old Roman settlement
Coventry
Warwick
Newcastle
Oxford
Liverpool
Dover
Brighton
Norwich
Former Saxon capital of England
Leeds
Reading
Ancient Viking town
Birmingham Second city of England
Richmond
Exeter
Cambridge
Gloucester
London

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24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
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Manchester Ancient Roman settlement, third city of England

Bristol
Leicester
Ancient Roman settlement
Carlisle
Ipswich
Portsmouth
Berwick
Bath
Ancient Roman settlement
Mumbles
Southampton
Sheffield
Salisbury
Closest city to the Stonehenge
Colchester Ancient Roman capital
Plymouth
Lancaster
Blackpool
Winchester Original capital city of England
Hull

QUEEN Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 24 March 1603) was

the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty in England.
Personality and Behavior

Edit

Elizabeth will normally try a diplomatic victory, but on some occasions, she may
attempt a domination one instead.
Elizabeth is often hostile, but she is not especially bloodthirsty, as she is not too
bold and will not often declare wars. However, she is very difficult to befriend. If
angered, she will turn hostile and is quick to denounce the player.
Most of the time, Elizabeth tends to build a small offensive force but a good
defensive army, consisting predominantly of ranged units. Aside from that, given
Elizabeth's strong emphasis on raising a large navy, the English navy will be one of
the best.
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Elizabeth will often try to protect city-states, and is one of the leaders more likely
to use espionage.
If you find yourself at war with Elizabeth, you can defend against her naval attacks
by setting up Cannons and other siege units in your coastal cities and taking health
away from her warships by bombarding them. Better yet, keep a small navy of
your own around for defense.
History

Edit

Elizabeth I was a remarkable woman living in a remarkable age. Beautiful,

brilliant, and as tough as nails, she survived and indeed thrived, ruling in an era
when most women were little more than chattel.
Early Life

Edit

Born to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, who her father had executed for failing
to give him a male heir, Elizabeth's early life was filled with danger. Growing up
an unwanted daughter of an insane father who was destroying England's ties to the
Catholic Church and engaging in civil war so that he could legally marry another
woman (several other women, as it turned out), Elizabeth had to use all of her wits
to survive. Elizabeth received an excellent education at the hands of various tutors,
including the great scholars of the day. She was an outstanding student, and could
speak five languages fluently.
When King Henry VIII died, the throne passed to his young son, Edward. At
fifteen Elizabeth was implicated in a plot to overthrow him. She came close to
being executed, surviving only because she was able to convince her skeptical
interrogators that she knew nothing of the plot.
When King Edward died in 1553, Elizabeth's older sister Mary assumed the throne.
An ardent Catholic, Mary was quite unpopular with a number of Protestant
noblemen, who attempted unsuccessfully to overthrow her in 1554. Once again
Elizabeth was implicated, but once again she talked her way out of execution.
Queen Mary died in 1558, and at last Elizabeth became Queen.

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Queen Elizabeth I

Edit

Elizabeth was an extraordinary ruler. She established the Protestant Church as the
official Church of England. However, she attempted to stem the persecution of
Catholics in the country - at least as much as was possible when the Catholic
nobility were actively plotting her demise. She also restored the debased currency
of England, a step crucially necessary to restore the nation's flagging finances.
Elizabeth used all of the tools available to her to achieve her goals. She carefully
crafted an image for herself as the "Virgin Queen," greatly increasing her popular
support. She received countless offers of marriage from nobility and indeed from
kings across Europe. But she accepted none of them, instead using her unmarried
state to control her friends and foes alike; if one faction got too strong, she could
drive them back into line by suggesting that she was considering marrying
someone from an opposing faction.
Patron of the Arts

Edit

Elizabeth was a great patron of the arts, particularly music and literature. She made
England a center of culture, where great artists like William Shakespeare
flourished. During her reign the first English playhouse was built, followed shortly
by others including Shakespeare's Globe. And in 1574 weekday performances were
made legal. An admirer of poetry, Elizabeth wrote a number of noteworthy poems
herself.
Foreign Relations

Edit

Militarily, Catholic Spain was England's greatest threat. Spain was the great
continental power of the day, and its leader, King Philip, had upon more than one
occasion expressed the intent of invading England. In 1588 he tried, building a
huge armada to conquer the upstart nation. Elizabeth quickly organized the
country's navy to fend off the fleet, and by a combination of superior tactics, ship
design, and some foul weather at just the right moment, they defeated the Spanish
foe. England was not to be seriously threatened with invasion for about 400 years.
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During Elizabeth's reign England, France, Spain and the Dutch all set up colonies
in the New World. Elizabeth employed a large number of privateers to attack
foreign ships and colonies, as did most other nations. Spain and its New World
wealth remained the privateers' favorite targets.
Overall, with the exception of her lucky triumph over the Spanish Armada,
Elizabeth was not a successful war leader. She oversaw various half-baked military
incursions into Ireland, France and the Netherlands, none of which redounded to
her credit.
Judgment of History

Edit

Elizabeth died in 1603, having ruled 45 years. Although in her later years military
and economic reversals had dimmed her luster to the point that many in England
were relieved that she finally passed on, history acknowledges that she left her
country in a much better state than when she came to power. Her great skills were
an unerring survival instinct and flair for self-promotion, personal charisma, and
toughness matching that of the strongest rulers in history. No better words can
serve to describe her than her own: "I know I have the body of a weak and feeble
woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king."
Trivia

Edit

A quote by Pope Sixtus V

"She is only a woman, only mistress of half an island, and yet she makes
herself feared by Spain, by France, by the Empire, By all."
Poem by Queen Elizabeth
THE DOUBT OF FUTURE FOES
The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy,
And wit me warns to shun such snares as threaten mine annoy;
For falsehood now doth flow, and subjects' faith doth ebb,
Which should not be if reason ruled or wisdom weaved the web.
But clouds of joys untried do cloak aspiring minds,
Which turn to rain of late repent by changd course of winds.
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The top of hope supposed, the root of rue shall be,

And fruitless all their grafted guile, as shortly ye shall see.
The dazzled eyes with pride, which great ambition blinds,
Shall be unsealed by worthy wights whose foresight falsehood finds.
The daughter of debate that discord aye doth sow
Shall reap no gain where former rule still peace hath taught to know.
No foreign banished wight shall anchor in this port;
Our realm brooks not seditious sects, let them elsewhere resort.
My rusty sword through rest shall first his edge employ
To poll their tops that seek such change or gape for future joy.

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