The game designers seem to have done extensive research into the geography and history of the world as it was between 1419 and 1820. Unlike action video games, Europa Universalis is far more about economics and diplomacy than about war. Even battles are depicted only by icons that show which side has an advantage, thus allowing you to order your army to retreat from a fight it is losing– the only control that the player has.

Furthermore, there is a severe penalty for starting a war without a casus belli, or legal excuse for war. Christians cannot even declare war on Muslims or the wrong “kinds” of Christians (heretics) without a casus belli. Sunnis, however, have an automatic casus belli on Shiites (the wrong “kinds” of Muslims) and vice versa so they are always free to kill each other whenever they feel like it. That is Islamofascism at its finest and, not only that, the same thing is happening today in Iraq. (Strangely enough, Muslims cannot declare war on infidel pigs without a casus belli.)

This screenshot of Iraq in 1419, for example, shows exactly why people are killing each other and blowing up each other’s mosques in 2006, almost 600 years later. Iraq is at this time actually the Kaliphate but the key point is that it is Sunni while its eastern and southern neighbors (Hamadan, Tabriz, and Basrah) are Shiite. This suggests, in fact, that modern Iraq– an artificial creation of the victors of the First World War– should in fact be broken up into Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish regions. Minority populations could then conceivably be relocated, perhaps even exchanging homes and land in some manner.

Now to the second point: Islamofascism makes you stupid. In 1425, the Ottoman Empire must decide whether to institute the office of Sheikh-ul-Islam, whose purpose was to make sure that the government conducted itself in accordance with Islamic law. Instituting it makes the country more stable (Marx was perhaps right about religion being the opiate of the masses) but less innovative. That is, technological progress is slower.

The best decision is to reject the office, which destabilizes the country for a while and increases the chance of a revolution but also makes technological progress more rapid. The historical decision was, however, to institute the office, with the result that the Ottoman Empire fell behind its “infidel” rivals by the mid-16th centuries as proven by the disaster of Lepanto. Furthermore, the Ottoman Empire must make another decision at the start of the 18th century:

Under the rule of Sultan Ahmed III and Sadrazam Damat Ibrahim Pasha the Ottoman Empire entered a period of unprecedented westernization. The printing press previously outlawed by the Sheikh-ul-Islams is introduced to the nation’s capital. Ambassadors were sent to Western European nations for the first time in history. Modern textile paper and porcelain manufactories were built. Despite these improvements much of the treasury was also wasted on new palaces gardens and parks in Istanbul. The lavish lifestyle of the royal family and the court aristocracy was intensely resented by the public and religious authorities.

Lale Devri (The Tulip Age)
Choice #1 = Begin Westernization Process.
This reduces the country’s stability but increases its innovativeness by two steps (on a ten-step scale)

Choice #2= Islam is the Law!
This makes the country more stable (+3 steps on a seven-step scale) but reduces its innovativeness by two steps. Again, Islamofascism makes you stupid.

The Ottoman Empire gets yet another unpleasant event in which the Beys (provincial governors) want more power and autonomy. If the player (or computer) refuses, they revolt against the Sultan, who must raise armies to suppress them. This is, however, the best decision because giving in changes the country’s technology group from Orthodox Christian to Muslim. (Even though the Ottoman Empire is obviously not Orthodox Christian, its rate of technological growth is treated the same as that of countries like Russia and Byzantium.) This is an absolute disaster that must be avoided at all costs because Islamofascism makes you stupid.

Actually, all forms of religious intolerance make your country stupid. Everyone gets random events like “Unhappiness among the Clergy” in which you must either reduce your country’s innovativeness rating– which slows your technological and economic growth– or suffer a stability penalty. This is becuase the priests or mullahs are unhappy about controversial ideas, perhaps like Galileo invading God’s domains with a telescope. Spain must decide whether to have the Inquisition get rid of those who cannot be trusted, or make a clean sweep for the greater glory of God. The first converts some Moorish provinces to Catholicism and knocks the country’s innovativeness rating down three steps (1-10 scale)– probably to the lowest possible level, as the Inquisition’s founder has already reduced it considerably. The second converts all of southern Iberia and costs four innovativeness levels. In other words, the Inquisition and its religious intolerance make Spain very stupid. More seriously, however, this shows why the game could be a valuable teaching tool; it shows WHY Spain introduced this horrible institution that later went out of control.

It’s also quite interesting to see just how much the world of 1419 differed from the modern world. Modern countries come with considerable assembly required. If you play “France,” for example, you will find yourself with Paris and a few surrounding provinces, plus a war with England in which Henry V is leading an army on your continent. (Fortunately for the French, he dies in 1422). A good part of what is now “France” is actually hostile to you, and you must assemble everything through a mixture of force and diplomacy; friendly regions can be annexed diplomatically.

The same goes for “Russia;” you actually begin with Novgorod, Pskov, Suzdal, or Muscovy. All were separate countries and they pretty much hated each other. What usually happens under computer simulation is that Muscovy conquers the other portions and founds the realms of Russia, as happened in actual history. Then it has to conquer the Muslim regions (owned by the Golden Horde and its successors) to its south. This is a good education as to why there is such a mess in those regions today, with violence in places like Uzbekistan (the Uzbek Kaganate of 1419).

Speaking of messes, the Central Asia of 1419 is ruled by something known as the Timurid Empire, so named because it was founded by Tamerlane or his sons. It breaks up several decades later to split off Shiite Persia and the Mughal Empire, whose capital is in Samarkand (in or near modern Afghanistan). The Mughal Empire and Delhi in northern India are Sunni Muslim while central and southern India are Hindu– which is why there is considerable animosity between modern Pakistan and India.

The Ottoman Empire, especially under computer control, will conquer at least part of the Balkans (and it in fact owns Bulgaria and Rumania in 1419). Then it will try to convert the regions to Islam so as to make them easier to govern. This usually follows actual history quite well– and it explains why the Serbs and Bosnians were killing each other less than a decade ago.