The Cultural Revitalization of 2032

A Lost Bronze Statue of Alexander the Great

## Quote

"The pendulum swings" - Christopher Erbs, in his book, *The Wooden Philosopher.*

## Overview

The Cultural Revitalization officially began in March 12, 2032, near the ancient city of Pella, where an individual by the name Alexander Nikolaus I found a two hundred food long lost bronze statue of Alexander the Great while hiking. This event propelled him to massive popularity in Greece, and solidified a sense of Nationalism between Macedon and Greece, and empowering the long existing "Golden Dawn Party" of Greece, with these notably nationalistic characteristics. This drastic shift in cultural appreciation began to spread wildly around the word, empowering parties to return to their traditional roots and heritage, to begin an appreciation for history and the past. This event marked what most historians to be "The End of Globalization," as rhetoric began to focus on domestic policy even more so than ever, with a renewed push back against transnational forces. However although on the outside this seems to be a conservative movement, its effects were extremely mixed across the world. In the Middle East, this resulted in a loose confederation known simply as "Persia," including most parts of the Levant all the way to Western Afghanistan, excluding Israel, which tried to model a government based on the ancient structure of satrapies. Tunisia secured land from Libya in a succession movement for Democracy, and China saw a renewed push towards its past Han cultural heritage, rejecting the elements of the CCP and leading to the Taiwanese Invasion of Qingdao in 2034. In Mexico, Falangists, Anarchists, and Nationalists rose in popularity and started a Civil War in 2034, and German Communism began to grow in immense popularity. In Russia, calls for a Tsardom and Democracy were utterly crushed, which would entail long term consequences. The effects of the Cultural Revitalization are argued to have continued all the way to the Third Great War, shaping people, policy, and diplomacy permanently, and giving rise to many new nations - including Poland-Lithuania, Czechoslovakia, Rhodesia, amongst many more. In addition, the event profoundly changed the perspectives of individuals all around the world, who had previously thought the world order had been established and was somewhat indomitable, now opening these individuals to not only new perspectives but new ways of approaching politics and policy. The Cultural Revitalization was also argued to be more accurately the "Breaking Point of 2032," developed through a many decades long growing rejection of Globalization, starting as early as 2010.

## Mexico

Starting in 2032, with news of Greece's successful Nationalistic party, Mexican Nationalists saw the opportunity to secure more power, attempting to break the decades long "Authoritarian" rule in Mexico. By extensive campaigning, helped immensely in part by events around the world, the Mexican Nationalist Party grew alongside the Mexican Falangist party, growing fifty-fold in size. However, due to this massive change in the political demographics of Mexico, this also was accompanied by a massive retaliation by the Mexican Socialist Party, who had been holding office since 2024, which began aggressive, inflammatory campaigning against the Nationalists, eventually causing Mexico to resemble much of the political situation before the Spanish Civil War in 2036, now notably named "The Troubled Months." Gangs of Socialists, Falangists and Nationalist militias patrolled cities and neighborhoods attempting to distribute pamphlets of their political cause, threatening entire communities with expulsion if they did not match the right political party. Gang violence was often violent, and small skirmishes were being conducted by all political parties, with a definitive military branch to coordinate attacks between gang units and monitor equipment and territorial gains. Killing of innocents was somewhat uncommon contrary to expectation as gang units usually were given strict orders to only fire upon other gang members, usually indicated by some uniform. However, threats were common nevertheless, especially leading up to the election of 2034, which would prove decisive for Mexico. Upon news of hearing of Nationalist Party leader Eduardo Ramirez being elected in 2034, the Socialist Party immediately called fraud and moved to mobilize their populace if Ramirez did not step down. Naturally Ramirez rejected these threats but feigned negotiations, giving time for the Nationalists to mobilize, and three months after the election in December 12, 2034, the Mexican Civil War officially started with the Siege of Mexico City.

## China

The CCP enjoyed relative stability up until the Cultural Revitalization, which finally saw their political institutions and social order challenged by a ever growing portion of the populace, demanding democracy and a return to what is considered Sun Yat Sen's original principles. Contrary to Mexico, which lacked a large government to be able to contest these types of drastic changes, China bolstered a sufficient police force and bureaucracy to keep its civilians in check for some time, and general censorship simply continued. Underground cafes became a growing phenomena to counter this censorship, and large groups of revolutionaries discussed plans to organize a general uprising in large village basements, with individuals from all over China. Particularly, many ethnic minorities became deeply involved in these cafes, drawn to the promise of equal and democratic representation. It was not uncommon for trains and buses to be purchased by these groups for the sole purpose of facilitating transportation to these meetings around the country. Unfortunately for the party, the military itself became somewhat more and more affectionate to the promises of Western Democracy, and coordinated groups began to pop up most notably in the Naval Branch of the Chinese Military, which made efforts to simply drive ships away to Taiwan, carrying large numbers of defectors. In December of 2032, the Beijing Uprising erupted amongst a large group of Chinese, as ten thousand armed protestors marched upon the Forbidden City and managed to set aflame the portrait of Mao Zedong, before being violently dispersed by the government after three days of conflict. These underground movements and military defections would only continue to grow as the Cultural Revitalization continued to gain traction, eventually leading to the invasion of Qingdao in 2034.

## Persia

Unlike other countries, the transition into simply what is known as Persia was relatively bloodless. As part of a general Iranian movement that sought to integrate the people of the Middle East under an effective system that balanced autonomy and transnational cooperation, the idea to assimilate the people of the Middle East into what was previously a common Persian identity seemed appealing after a year and a half of the spread of the Cultural Revitalization. In a declaration made by the Iranian government to now be ruled by a shah in 2033, the desire to join in a cooperative movement gained traction over the course of the next year, as even reluctant countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria that were unsure of their long and troubled histories eventually caved and saw the appeal in working together to combat the forces of Globalization, Internal instability especially present in countries such as Syria, Yemen, and Iraq were eventually diminished as a result of Iranian aid, and the new generations of the populace idealized of a unified Middle East that could stand for itself and a have willingness to look past previous woes. Persia was officially declared in the year 2036, consisting of all the Levant excluding Israel, stretching all the way to breakaway portions of western Afghanistan. The ancient system of satraps were restored, and a general flourishing of arts and culture followed as a renewed interest in Persian history was effectively enforced in all levels of education.

## North Africa

Unlike Persia, the North African Union was even more so a looser union, still retaining their individual and effective government structures but still bound under the name of the "North African Union." North Africa consisted of Libya, Algeria, and Egypt, but excluding Tunisia. The North African Union had less cultural ties generally, and was more so a union made as a result of Tunisia's expansion into Libya, also as a result of the renewed appreciation for their ancient Carthaginian heritage. A democracy was born in Tunisia that was inherent aggressive, and was able to initiate a border conflict in 2035 with Libya that secured a large part of western Libya. Conflict was only avoided because of the collective desire to contain Tunisia in North Africa, resulting in the North African Union. Although many countries in North Africa became even more so attached to their Muslim heritage, even expressing a desire to integrate with Persia, this ultimately was stiffened by the growing threat of Tunisia's military capabilities under a brilliant general by the well known nickname of Barca, owing roots to Hannibal Barca's legacy.

## Greece

The Cultural Revitalization was perhaps most powerful in Greece, which fundamentally transformed society and triumphed millennia long feuds between Macedonians and Greeks. The two of them re conciliated their differences by officially deconstructing and declaring the border between their two countries to be nonexistent, and a massive festival numbering in the million was held to celebrate their reunification, known as the Reunification Celebration. The founder of the statue, Alexander Nikolaus I, grew in immense popularity and was regarded by the populace to be the true heir of Alexander the Great, and he eventually agreed to become their king, however acting as also a member of the Golden Dawn Party. Immediately massive art projects and constructions began underway, including rebuilding the city of Pella in an ancient themed capital, and restoring Athens with likewise classical Greek architecture. The populace, frankly, became obsessed with their heritage, and all forms of media, including TV shows, books, and movies, all began to gear towards plots taking place in Classical Greece. The youth, especially in High School and Colleges, reflected the same interest through the sudden appearance of many new History courses, some being completely focused on the Reign of Alexander the Great or on Classical Greece. Nikolaus' reign as King was also characterized by the construction of Olympic stadiums to hold traditional games, and sparring contests between Hoplite Adorned fighters as day to day entertainment. Although Greece represents an extreme example of the return to past traditions and appreciation for such arts, many other countries reflected fundamentally the same type of mindset, albeit to a lesser extent.