The ISOT thread

First Vasa.

Second, see MAP. 


 
As the Romans discovered the hard way, oar galleys tended to stay close to shallow waters and not brave open oceans. Wind and wave, so dictated since SWAMPING or Turtling was a given if you did not have low metacentrics and high gunwales (See Vasa above. M.).  As a corollary to operating in shallow water near land, was the design characteristics of shallow draft and no keel boards or bilge keels. Caracals or galleons had deep drafts and keel boards and bilge keels. (Invented by the Spaniards. M.)

Gun artillery aboard ships (Battle of Lepanto) was what we call modern pistol shot ranged up until the American Civil War. So you were going to have to get in CLOSE. In addition, there were no Paixhan shells, just round shot and the usual incendiaries used (Romans used ballista, onager and catapults to throw hot pitch balls, flaming arrows and assorted other combustibles.), since the days of Salamis. Imagine what happens to a ship on fire when the flames reach the powder magazine? NOT TOO GOOD. 

But the Swedes have superior sailing ships! The Romans have the NUMBERS (Actium they had about 300 warships present; if we believe the accounts.). 
   
The point is that one has to sweat the details out and prepare carefully before one goes a conquering the "savages". Look at what happened to COL Custer against the Lakota, or to GEN Lawton in the Philippine Islands against the Katipunan. 

The allotment system? I do not know that system well. It was my understanding that foot soldiers were raised from groups of farmers with 1 unlucky soul being selected to meet the quota, while the others took care of his family and farm while he went off to play "spearman" or musketeer. Horsemen were given a tax break when they supplied the horses, the arms and themselves for service. The artillery, both guns and gunners Gus supplied. The navy was nobles led, coastal fishermen press ganged  and Gus supplied the ships or hired the ships they used.

The big problems Gus will face will be a low Swedish population, little industrial infrastructure, a small army, a big empty space and Vikings. Those were the SAME problems my nation faced, except the Native Americans replaced the Vikings.   

We took it slow and nibbled at it, only risking one big foreign war when we had no choice. It took us about 100 years to make to the Pacific and ensure we were there to stay. If you substitute the Franks for Mexico and the Byzantines for British Canada, I think Gus would reach the same conclusions Madison reached. Nice and slow and do not chew more than you can swallow.      
      

   Just one nasty thought with Sweden sent back in time. Would there be any bubonic plague present?  Think Europeans were starting to build up a level of resistance to it by this time but it was definitely still about and for either 783AD or 218 BC it would cut through Europe and neighbouring areas like a nightmare.  Do recall reading in the north it hit Norway very hard and the population never really recovered which was a major reason why Norway went from contenting with Denmark and Sweden to being a possession squabbled over between the two of them.

WI: Falkland islands from 2019 to 1000 AD.

What fate awaits the 2000 or so inhabitants of the islands?

Albania from 1980 ISOT to 27 BC

In 1980 Enver Hozha is still alive and Albanian army is pretty strong - over 100,000 active troops plus 700,000 reserves.

In this scenario there is no reason for Albania to just stay and watch. It is going to seize at least significant parts of Europe just to spread communism.

But how much exactly? Is seizing all of Roman Empire feasible?