Backstories for my Belle Époque imagi-nations: The Kingdom of Schwarzenberg

The figures that form the bulk of this army were bought from Irregular Miniature's back in the early 1980s and painted not long after the 15mm Minifig Union Infantry that are now in the Army of Burgundy. I had the idea of fighting some Franco-Prussian War battles, but once the figures were painted, I lost interest in the project and they languished in storage until I began my Belle Époque project.

What marks them out as a bit different is that they were the first figures I ever painted using water-based acrylic paint. I tried out some that had I bought in a now long-gone model shop in Greenwich, like the results, and have pretty well stuck with acrylics ever since.

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The Kingdom of Schwarzenberg

The kingdom was founded not long after the revolution in Burgundy saw the replacement of the monarchy by a republic. Such an institution was anathema to the ruler of Neumark, a small duchy within the area now known as Schwarzenberg. He persuaded the other local princes and dukes to form an alliance that became known as the Confederation of the North. In the subsequent war with the new republic, the Confederation was invaded and partially occupied, but under the leadership of the Duke of Neumark, the forces of the Confederation rallied, and eventually the Burgundians were thrown out of the Confederation's territory.

Not wishing to suffer a further invasion, the leaders of the Confederation decided that each principality and duchy would contribute military units to a Confederate Army, and that the Duke of Neumark should be its commander and he should be elevated to the rank of Prince of the Confederation. The units adopted the style of dress and drill used in Neumark's small army, and within a few years this unified army was well placed to protect the Confederation.

Enmity between the Republic of Burgundy and the Confederation simmered for many years, with occasional outbreaks of border warfare not being uncommon. Leadership of the Confederate Army passed to the son of its first commander, and when the Burgundians tried to invade the Confederation for a second time, the Confederate Army beat then soundly. As a result, the Prince of Neumark enjoyed immense popular support, and the leaders of the Confederation voted to unit as a kingdom under the rule of the Prince of Neumark. He became the first king of the newly-created country and chose to name it after the highest peak in the country's main mountain range, the Black Mountain.

The flag of the Kingdom of Schwarzenberg.

The country’s economy is a mixture of heavy and light manufacturing industries, mining, forestry, fishing, and agriculture.

The country's army is composed of a number of well-equipped regular troops who are supported by conscripts who have undertaken two or three years of training with the regular army before passing into the reserves.