Continuation of https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1247260907 This resentment would eventually bud into hatred, and hatred fueled action. On January 5th, 2040, Grand Emperor of the Universe King Gōrudokiti was violently overthrown by Officer Major ███, who was planning further extreme actions against the now collapsing RoA. Following the death of Gōrudokiti, his son, Prince Kakuneko, inherited the nation. During his reign, Kakuneko brought about a golden age for the Empire of Augustus. He introduced freedom of speech, civil rights, and launched programs to improve education, reduce crime, and modernize the medical infrastructure. Kakuneko also began repairing Augustus' relationships with the rest of the world. He started dismantling Augustus’ nuclear stockpile and sent humanitarian aid and peacekeepers to struggling nations. Throughout this time, the young king was known for his optimism and vision for a brighter future. However, these reforms and policies drained significant resources from the military, and the police force was also lessened in power. This shift did not sit well with Kakuneko's generals, many of whom had despised the former emperor, but these new changes were also reducing their power and influence. While some in the military supported these reforms, a large faction opposed them. This tension ultimately led to a coup. On September 3rd, 2053, a significant portion of the Augustan army rebelled, and Kakuneko was forcibly removed from the chaos and taken to Oceana by loyal members of the military and the Oceanan security forces. While under Oceana’s protection, Kakuneko was provided with a private force known as the Royal Security Force, along with the financial support to aid in retaking Augustus. This private army conducted frequent training exercises alongside the Oceanan military. While Kakuneko prepared for his return, Augustus continued to suffer. The nation endured five years of brutal civil conflict, resulting in the loss of over 1.3 million lives, and the economy collapsed. International peacekeeping forces were deployed to assist with humanitarian efforts. Once Kakuneko's forces were ready, he launched a full-scale intervention into Augustus. The attack began with several rocket and drone strikes. Afterward, a large ground force quickly advanced into Augustus, taking advantage of the ongoing civil war and the resulting weakened defenses. A supply line was soon established, and Kakuneko’s troops began a two-month journey toward the capital, gaining reinforcements and civilian support along the way. Once Kakuneko’s forces reached the capital, the decaying rebellious factions of the Augustan army surrendered. The Second Augustan Civil War ended in December of 2058, with resistance leaders jailed and the five generals responsible for the rebellion executed. However, Kakuneko’s challenges were far from over. An atmospheric anomaly began to form over the Republic of Augustus, which had only just begun to recover economically (though it still faced the lingering effects of pollution and a massive demographic loss). This anomaly, likely caused or exacerbated by Augustus' early nuclear strikes on the RoA, began lowering the global temperature by 1.9 degrees. Augustus, already struggling with the aftermath of civil conflict, was hit particularly hard by this change. The nation’s economy collapsed, food shortages escalated, and crime increased as neighboring nations hoarded food supplies. Augustus could no longer feed its population, which in turn crippled the workforce. The majority of the population had to wait in long lines for food from humanitarian groups or corporations, while others resorted to raiding and creating criminal organizations that traded food for loyalty. This widespread crime and instability led to civil unrest. The chaos took a toll on Kakuneko’s health, and in 2064, he stepped down, handing power over to a transitional government. Unlike Kakuneko, this new government was far less concerned with individual freedoms. Their primary focus was consolidating power, and they began cutting funding for education (by this point, only those in upper-middle-class families could afford schooling). They reinstated mandatory military service and increased military presence along the Oceana-Augustus DMZ. Over time, Augustus adopted a more aggressive stance, and skirmishes began to break out at the DMZ.
And soon enough, on January 7th 2065, a large scale battle would break out on the southern portion of the Oceana - Augustus DMZ. Soon enough this conflict would snowball into an invasion as Augustan forces poured through the DMZ. And initially, the Augustans were extremely successful, they pushed several miles into Oceana and with the clever use of autonomous weaponry they were able to accurately target Oceanan strategic points of interests. However, this success was short lived, as the Oceanan’s would begin to use their terrain as weapon. As an Augustan soldier, you had no idea if you or your sister unit would be the one to lose contact that day. Ambushes and the cutting of supply lines led to a grueling war that continued to put strain on the Augustan war machine. Hundreds of thousands died and Augustus was forced to pull out to prevent their entire economy from collapsing. By 2070, Augustus was a shell of its former self, its economy had crashed and its population was dying out. However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, the grandson of the cousin of Kakuneko, Sho Mao. Sho Mao is a pragmatic man, he isn’t big on individual liberties, but he will do what it takes to create an efficient system. In 2073 he was hastily brought into power by the transitional government and began making changes immediately. He started increasing funds for education, he attempted repairing relations with the international community, and he is currently attempting to diversify the economy. And although the nation is beginning to rise out of the ashes, it will take him a lot of work to bring Augustus back to its former glory.
