Princess Celestia The Changeling Queen: Stories Behind the Mask

by vren55

The History of Equestria Under Alternia Part 21: Equestria's Second Golden Age 600-900 AR Part 1

The sixth hundred year of the Alternia regency passed without much fanfare.

As did the six hundred and first.

And… well you get the point. The fact of the matter is that between 600-900 AR, a great peace settled over Equestria. Documenting this part of history as a political, or military history is somewhat difficult because so little happened.

There is quite a bit to talk about, though, if we are looking at Equestria’s society, geography and economy, because while this peace was to some extent responsible for the military stagnancy that caused so many problems in 900AR - 20 TR (Triumvirate Rule, to denote the year when Luna returned and Alternia was crowned, thus when The Equestrian Triumvirate began to rule), it also brought untold prosperity that enabled the remilitarization efforts of 3-4 TR.

In this chapter, we’ll talk about the general changes in Equestria and the world.

Geographic, Cultural and Demographic Changes

The actual territorial extent of Equestria didn’t change to a great extent, but the cities of Equestria grew and new cities were established. The resettlement of Saddle Arabian ex-slaves established permanent populations in old ghost towns like Somnambula, Sire’s Hollow, and Hollow Shades.

The formerly large Everfree Forest also shrank, pacified to a great extent (though never completely), due to the need to protect travellers heading to Canterlot through the roads near the Everfree Forest. It actually became so well-tamed, in 951 AR, the town of Ponyville was founded by its borders.

The greatest change in Equestria came in the cities, who experienced a significant growth in population, which multiplied in population. Farming techniques had been perfected to support the increased population of the country. Improved roadways from the infrastructure and construction spending that took place after the Saddle Arabian war meant blossoming trade and commerce.

Improved links of communication allowed for more centralization and through careful shaping of the curriculum of young ponies with the formation of the Equestrian Education Association (EEA), the general literacy and knowledge of the common pony was increased. With this, came a renewed sense of identity, a renewed sense of being a pony.

However, in some ways, this renewed sense of national identity would sow future seeds of conflict. Although Alternia’s guidance made sure the EEA always attempted to teach ponies to welcome other species, the fact of the matter was that despite Equestria’s improved infrastructure, and the growing cities, the country was rather rural. In cities, griffons, minotaurs, mules, and the odd kirin could be seen. As time passed, though, most of the other species in the pony-heavy cities tended to migrate to live in their own communes in Equestria’s borders. This often led to significant socio-cultural friction between ponies and members of other species when they did interact, due to lack of experience. In time, this invisible barrier would blossom into Colonel Gold Star’s attempt on Queen Lamia’s life, sparking the changeling-Equestrian Crisis of 1000 AR (01 Triumvirate Era).

But that’s literally another story.

Perhaps the city that changed the greatest during this era is Venecia. Once a simple colony on sandbars, it grew between 600-1000 AR into a massive trading city. The why? That’s a bit complicated

Venecia, and Equestria on the World Stage

Venecia’s rise was due to Equestria’s rise on the world stage. After the defeat of the Saddle Arabians, nobody wanted to provoke a war with Equestria. The sheer numbers it fielded, the fact that the country had magic at its disposal, and the sun-raising “alicorn” that commanded absolute loyalty from its ponies made… well all of these factors made the Griffon Kingdom, Yakyakhistan, and the defeated Saddle Arabia, very unwilling to compete militarily with Equestria. Rather, they wanted to share in the wealth that Equestria seemed to have a bottomless amount of, due to its massive land mass and access to natural resources.

Venecia, smack-bang in the middle of the Equestrian sea, thus became an increasingly important stopping-over point for ships heading between the the Griffon Kingdom and Equestria. It wasn’t quite on the trade winds that blew between both nations, but the problem was that as cargo ships got bigger during this period to carry more cargo, crew size increased to handle the larger ships. This meant that provisions needed to be stocked and so Venecia became an easy point to stop by. This meant deviating from the old trade routes established years ago, but most thought that a shore leave in the middle of your trip was a good idea.

Of course, neither side knew that it was actually a terrible idea given the Aquestrian Empire undersea had made an agreement - lost to time- that relegated trade ships to these routes. But the consequences of that wouldn’t be felt until later.

Anyway, by the time coal-powered ships started to become common, Venecia’s advanced port facilities meant that it instead became the handing off point for goods between Griffonia and Equestria. So instead of a captain having to sail from Manehattan to Helgastopol (a major Griffonian port), they could just sail to Venecia midway, drop off its cargo, pick up a cargo of goods, and sail back.

As such, Venecia’s wealth and population grew, which encouraged Alternia to allow the colony to keep its autonomy as an Equestrian Dominion. This was because Alternia saw the value of having a Dominion with more lax immigration and customs laws as a trading hub. After all, Equestria made millions of bits off of trade from Venecia, and the Dominion continued to send a partial tax.

But while Equestria grew in prosperity from 600-900 AR, it had come out of the Saddle Arabian war significantly poorer, both from the war’s costs and the cost of the post-war infrastructure and resettlement program. The answer to how Equestria raised itself from this is also tied to the stagnancy of the Equestrian military.

Military Stagnancy and Pax Equestria

One might understandably ask how the Equestrian government supported the post-war construction program. The answer was by demobilizing the military and cutting military spending. The wartime Equestrian army numbered about 50,000 ponies in the army, and 100,000 ponies in the Eastern Sea and Western Sea navies, not including logistics and support personnel. By 700 AR, their were but 20,000 ponies in the army, with 70,000 in the navy. By 900 AR, the army had but 10,000 ponies, with the navy (which then included the very tiny airship navy) merely having 40,000. The reduction in the military’s size was also followed by a spending reduction.

To some extent, more advanced warships and military technologies allowed for this, as crew sizes could be reduced. Yet, historians have puzzled on why the drop was so drastic, especially since there were so many more ponies being born.

Some historians have blamed Alternia for this, or at least, “Celestia.” They cite that she was traumatized by the horrors of the war in Saddle Arabia and insist that she decided to fully focus on moving Equestria into a peaceful world power. Her plan was to massively demobilize the military and expand the diplomatic corps.

Setting aside the oxymoronic idea of a “peaceful world power” it’s clear that Alternia had no qualms about exerting power and force when it was needed. Furthermore, there’s an intriguing hypothesis later historians have forwarded that seems more convincing.

Scholars of this thought call it “The Continued Peace” theory. They argue that Alternia’s initial response to demobilize the military and reduce its size brought untoward prosperity to Equestria. She brought so much prosperity that when the United Parliament’s representatives had another infrastructure project idea, they simply cut more from the military.

This was assisted by the fact that although highly trained during the Saddle Arabian war, most of the Equestrian Army was not a professionalized standing army. The numbers the Equestrian Army had fielded during the war was achieved through the well-planned introduction of slowly-lengthening enlistment contracts. For example, soldiers in one year enlisted for at first 3 years, the next year the contract was extended for new recruits to 5 years, then 8 years and so forth. Thus the army’s size built up, especially as soldiers who finished their contracts were either encouraged to enlist as reservists, or offered new contracts. This allowed a slow-buildup of a trained core of ponypower before tensions broke into war.

These historians then argue that the memory of Equestria’s victory in the war lingered with other countries to such an extent, that they were unwilling to challenge Equestria’s might. Together, these factors enabled Equestria to continue to cut from its military, and spend on improving its prosperity.

I find flaws in this theory, though, and so do others of my peers. For one, Equestria might have dissuaded the Griffons, Yaks, and Saddle Arabians from fighting them. However, do so for three hundred years is… well rather unbelievable. Luckily, recent declassified documents from the archives of the Royal Equestrian Intelligence and Naval Service have revealed much as to why this peace continued.

The “Pax Equestria” or the “Equestrian Peace” that I and others believe in occurred was actually an active policy pursued by Alternia. However, this policy was not pursued out of any trauma stemming from the Saddle Arabian conflict, but was continued out of circumstance and necessity.

We know this due to memos and directives Alternia wrote in this period. None of them list the term “Pax Equestria” as a policy, but it’s a term that becomes increasingly used by nobles and civil servants in this time. Furthermore, the memos and directives themselves indicate an active policy direction which: maintain diplomatic relations through economic ties, and use espionage to defuse threats.

Of course, the public memos themselves don’t reveal the prioritization of espionage. They mostly tell of the need to “strengthen economic ties to make conflict unenviable.” They do reveal however that funding to the REINS, particularly the Intelligence Service, increased significantly over the years.

Furthermore, the declassified documents also reveal that the number of REINS operations between 600-900 AR actually increased. Most of these were intelligence gathering operations that informed Alternia, the Equestrian government, and the Equestrian Diplomatic Corps of how to best proceed. Yet, there were a number of “interventions,” and a number of, though rare, assassinations.

With hindsight, this course of action was a very changeling thing to do and it was undoubtedly effective. The simple fact that Alternia had information on the wants, needs, and situation of foreign powers and leaders before they would ever meet meant she could make proposals that they’d listen to and apply diplomatic pressure in areas where they were hard pressed to respond.

As such, although no wars were fought, Equestria became the preeminent superpower of its age, mediating a myriad of disputes at Camp Draco, Alternia’s preferred neutral meeting place, and Canterlot, where many treaties were signed. From Saddle Arabia to Griffonia, Yakyakhistan to the Dragon Lands, paintings and newly developed photographs all feature leaders meeting at Canterlot to sign treaties of trade, ceasefires, and peace treaties. The fact that Alternia lived and reigned longer than most leaders meant she often was more familiar with the needs and wants of different nations more than many of their own leaders.

This all came at a cost, though.

First, the reliance on the REINS further retarded Equestrian military capability. Knowing all and defusing all before it came to war meant that Equestria’s military took a reactive stance. They still developed and put into place new technologies and doctrines, but now they were entirely reacting to changes in the military status quo rather than pioneering it.

Secondly, almost nobody in the military would see action aside from some monster or creature suppressing patrols. Only REINS operatives would get combat experience, along with Equestrian special forces such as the Dragoon Guard, and the even more secret, and somewhat ironically named, “Changeling Brigade” (They thought then that changelings were a myth).

The thing was, REINS operations in foreign countries often required recruits of different species. This was rather easy in 600 AR with the descendants of the Saddle Arabian War still around. By 900 AR, though, the number of recruits from non-pony species had dwindled to a trickle.

The cause lies in the increasing socio-cultural friction between pony and non-pony residents in Equestria. With the national identity of Equestria becoming a “pony” nation becoming more engrained, more and more non-pony species started to live either outside of Equestria or in communes. Outright speciesism never occurred, but the misunderstandings encouraged other species to live away from ponies.

That drastically decreased the effectiveness of the REINS, and would become a contributing cause to the growing number of crises in 900AR.

Author's Note:

FYI all, I decided to host an Ask Me Anything, see blog post

Comments

[keroko]

Of course, the public memos themselves don’t reveal the prioritization of espionage. They mostly tell of the need to “strengthen economic ties to make conflict unenviable.” They do reveal however that funding to the REINS, particularly the Intelligence Service, increased significantly over the years.

Hee! I knew it! Alternia went the EU route of making war unenviable through a linked economy. You go girl! Pacifist superpower for the win!

[Xanni]

"unenviable" looks like a typo for "unviable", and "Somnambula" is misspelled again.

[Starcat5]

9946627
"Unenviable" is both correctly spelled and correctly used in that sentence. Maybe I am more used to seeing and hearing it used than you are. Different regions, different dialects, etc.

[Xanni]

9946871
Yes, it's correctly spelled and grammatically correct. However I believe it does not actually have the correct meaning. The ponies want war to be unviable. Nopony "envies" war.

[vren55]

9946871 9947039
I say it's "unenviable" because the ponies want to make war "unenviable." Saying that war is a "viable" thing is... well you could but it's tricky as there are people who say that war is viable (which tends to mean possible and profitable). Thus the turn of phrase would be "war is unenviable."

9946242 Yup, but she always made sure she had the intelligence assets to enforce it :)

[TartarusFire]

10132269
Very'

[Two_Madmans]

I like how it's changing from short nice holiday story to "there's wars"