帝国：全面战争——各国资料介绍

　　西班牙享有悠久的海外征服与殖民史：1492年，哥伦布发现了美洲;1494年，西班牙与葡萄牙签订了一份瓜分整个世界的条约;1521年，科尔特斯征服了阿兹特克;1536年，皮萨罗征服了印加帝国。在西班牙人眼中，征服新世界是“为荣耀主，为国王效力，为了发财”。从这三个方面来看，他们的确极为成功。 西班牙是一个狂热的天主教国家。直到现在，教会的权威和可怕的宗教审判仍然统治着人们的精神世界。这一点可以部分地解释为什么“西班牙掌握着大量财富，但经济却在走下坡路。”天主教会视高利贷为违背道德与教义的重罪。但“借高利贷的人下地狱，不这么做的人只好去贫民窟”。禁止放贷同样令商人们无法扩张资本壮大自身实力以应对北欧同行的竞争。西班牙封建贵族掌握绝大部分财富，但他们对国家经济增长毫无贡献，因为任何一个有教养的西班牙绅士都不屑于屈尊去赚钱工作。然而，绅士的荣誉和国家的光荣却值得为之奋勇搏杀，因此西班牙贵族从来不缺乏勇气。的确，无论是在陆上还是在海中，西班牙军队都不缺乏足够的勇士—众所周知，他们很快就要为捍卫西班牙的荣誉而战!现任西班牙国王，“被诅咒的”查尔斯二世是一个可悲的弱智，哈布斯堡家族伟大先辈脚下的一道阴影，还是一个没有子嗣的痿哥。在软弱的查尔斯二世的愚蠢统治下，西班牙的国力大受打击，不过这个白痴终究会死去。然后呢?哪一股力量将会决定西班牙和她庞大的海外帝国的命运?西班牙是否将再一次与新教徒对决?抑或新一代征服者将把西班牙国旗插到另一片遥远的海岸上?为了重铸西班牙的辉煌，查尔斯二世的继承者需要考虑的还有很多.......

　　Prussia 普鲁士

　　Prussia

　　Prussia itself has only been “German” since the 13th Century, when the Teutonic Knights carved out a new Christian state on the Baltic coast. The present Kingdom of Prussia is a new state, the result of a union between the duchies of Brandenburg and Prussia, and it is a Kingdom only because the current ruler, Elector Frederick III has decided to improve his status to that of King! In doing so, however, he has been careful not to offend the Holy Roman Emperor, the Archduke of Austria,and calls himself the King “in” Prussia, not the King “of” Prussia. The form of words is a fig leaf: Frederick is King. And he is the king of a potentially powerful and influential Protestant nation, a centre of gravity within “the Germanies” for all those who would look elsewhere for a lead than Catholic Austria. The Prussians believe – not without reason – that their virtues as apeople can carry them through any trouble: martial discipline,sacrifice, a sense of order, but this sense of duty should not be confused with ignorance or intolerance, no matter what others may say.Prussians have always had to fight, but that has made them competent,not bloodthirsty. They have the potential to become a great continental power thanks to their martial traditions, many of which can be traced back to the Teutonic Knights. These could form the basis of a truly world-beating army. Under the right guidance, they could unite the German-speaking peoples into a single entity, dominate the Baltic and,perhaps, extend their reach far beyond the confines of Central Europe.

　　Poland-Lithuania 波兰-立陶宛

　　Poland is an old idea, and an old kingdom. Like anything old, it has old enmities and problems.

　　The problems, and enmities, are those of any state surrounded by ambitious rivals, all of whom are looking to become stronger at someone else’s expense. Sweden’s ambitions to create an empire around the Baltic; Tsar Peter’s desires to make Russia a great European power to rival the style of Bourbon France; the Austrians and Prussians each seeking to define a greater Germany and secure their borders; even the distant Ottomans have to be considered, should they ever launch a new assault on Christian Europe. And in the middle of all of this, a Polish-Lithuanian state that is not under the control of a single, strong ruler, a man who can impose his will to defend his people. Instead, Poland is something altogether stranger: a land where the people have a say in government.

　　That the country has survived at all is a tribute to the spirit of its people. And yet, these rivalries could be turned to advantage. A Polish leader who picked his alliances carefully, and his wars equally so, could do much to make his country great. The Russians have no divine right to dominate the steppes, or the Swedes to control the Baltic. The various Germans states need allies, the same as other nations, and cannot expect to take anything they want without a struggle. A clever Polish leader could make much of this situation, if he can manage the hopes, expectations and fears of his people at home.