GOR 200: HISTORY OF THE UBARATES (WAR & POLITICS): Kati Evans

 GOR 200: History of the Ubarates (War & Politics)

Instructor: Magistrate Kati Evans Prerequisite: GOR 101 Goal: To understand the military history, political evolution, and strategic failures of the major Gorean powers.

Week 1: The Nature of the Ubarate (Dictatorship vs. Administration)

Topic: The legal distinction between an Administrator (Peace) and a Ubar (War). The "Emergency Powers" clause in Gorean Civic Law.

Key Concepts: When does a Republic become a Dictatorship? The check of the High Council. The history of the First Ubar.

Case Study: The transition of power in Ar during the crises of the 100th year.

Assignment: Draft a "Declaration of Emergency" justifying the suspension of the High Council and the appointment of a Ubar.

Week 2: The Imperial Experiment (Marlenus of Ar)

Topic: The rise of Marlenus, the Ubar of Ubars. The concept of "Empire" on a planet of City-States.

Key Concepts: Economic hegemony as a prelude to invasion. The "Glorious Ar" propaganda machine. Why the Empire is destined to be unstable (The Home Stone problem).

Case Study: The annexation of the surrounding towns of Ar.

Assignment: Analyze the logistical difficulty of holding 50 conquered Home Stones.

Week 3: The Resistant Stones (Ko-ro-ba & Treve)

Topic: How smaller cities survive against giants.

Key Concepts:

Ko-ro-ba: The cultural defense. Surviving destruction by the Priest-Kings.

Treve: The mountain fortress. Guerrilla warfare and the use of terrain (The Voltai) as a weapon.

Case Study: The invisibility of Treve and why Ar cannot conquer it.

Assignment: Design a defensive strategy for a small city facing a siege by Ar.

Week 4: The Great Siege (Logistics of Starvation)

Topic: The mechanics of siege warfare. Circumvallation, starvation, and the breaking of morale.

Key Concepts: The mathematical formula of "Food vs. Time." The role of the Tarn Cavalry in breaking a siege. The psychological impact of the "Green Walls."

Case Study: The Siege of Ar (during the Pa-Kur invasion).

Assignment: You are the Quartermaster of a besieged city. You have 3 weeks of food and 6 weeks until relief arrives. What is your plan? (Rationing, culling, expulsion).

Week 5: The War of the Thassa (Cos, Tyros & Port Kar)

Topic: Naval power and the struggle for the Western Sea.

Key Concepts: The Galley vs. The Round Ship. The "Great Tharlarion" ships of Port Kar. The geography of the Vosk Delta.

Case Study: The Battle of the 100 Ships. How Bosk (Tarl Cabot) unified the pirates.

Assignment: Draw a tactical map of the Battle of the Delta, showing how the shallow draft ships defeated the heavy galleys.

Week 6: The Southern Campaigns (Turia vs. The Wagon Peoples)

Topic: Asymmetric Warfare. Static defenses vs. Mobile cavalry.

Key Concepts: The culture of the Wagon Peoples (Tuchuks, Kassars). Why nomads cannot hold cities. The reliance on Tribute.

Case Study: The Fall of Turia. How the Tuchuks bypassed the walls.

Assignment: Compare the effectiveness of the Kaiila Cavalry vs. the Tarn Cavalry.

Week 7: The Mercenary Companies (War for Profit)

Topic: The economics of hiring swords. The Caste of Mercenaries (The Golden Sword, The Iron Gauntlet).

Key Concepts: Loyalty to gold vs. Loyalty to stone. The danger of a standing mercenary army turning on its employer.

Case Study: The Sack of Dietrich. When the mercenaries were not paid.

Assignment: Write a contract for a Mercenary Company that ensures their loyalty (hostages, tiered payments, etc.).

Week 8: The Shadow War (The Assassin & The Spy)

Topic: War by other means. The Caste of Assassins (The Black Caste). Spies and sabotage.

Key Concepts: The Law of the Knife. Why Assassins are hated but used by everyone. The role of the Scribe in espionage (cyphers and codes).

Case Study: The Pa-Kur Alliance. How assassination was used to destabilize the High Council of Ar.

Assignment: Decrypt a coded message containing troop movements (I will provide the cypher).

Week 9: The Intervention (The Priest-Kings' Role)

Topic: When the Gods interfere. The "Flame Death" as a military tactic.

Key Concepts: The limits of conquest. Why the Priest-Kings destroyed the "Empire of the Dust." The technological ceiling on warfare.

Case Study: The destruction of the armada of Cos by the Priest-Kings (weather control/energy weapons).

Assignment: Debate: Did the Priest-Kings save Gor or enslave it by stopping the technological advancement of war?

Week 10: The Modern Geopolitical Map (Current State)

Topic: The current balance of power. The "Cold War" between Ar and Cos. The rising power of the Vosk League.

Key Concepts: Trade routes as the new battlefield. The role of the Merchant Caste in maintaining peace.

Final Exam: The Administrator's Dilemma. I will give you a scenario involving a border dispute, a trade embargo, and a rogue mercenary company. You must write a policy paper on how to resolve it without destroying your city.