Agreed. And right now, the Republic still needs to forcibly re-annex half its own territory - major army formations are broken up in it now, but it's not re-integrated into Republican civil order yet.Louis R wrote:As for Siddarmark, people keep on talking about them getting the Border States or a chunk of Dohlar without ever explaining why they'd want them. Or what they'd do with them. Chuck the locals out? Enslave them? Compost them to enrich the soil, maybe? Making them citizens of the Republic doesn't strike me as a viable option, but what else can you do with them? There's a good reason the Republic hasn't expanded by forcible annexation, and I don't see Stohnar & Co. forgetting that at this juncture.
I do think they'll be happy - thrilled - to negotiate closer relations with neighbors who want it that they could not before the Sword of Schueler, such as Silkiah and perhaps some northern crust of Desnair. It's remotely possible some portion of the Temple Lands in the north or some Border States may be that too, but I would not bet even money on it. I don't think that Dohlaran subjects have any desire to stop being Dohlaran - the fact that Dohlar never got sucked into being part of the expansionist and nearby Harchong, Desnair, or Siddarmark suggests to me that it's got one of the strongest national identities on the mainland.
I doubt the Republic wants reparations or annexations that are going to leave enemies determined to come back in a generation, or with populations within their borders who hate being on that side of the border. I do think it wants to make sure that, for a generation at least, everyone who's distinguished themselves in the attack on them does not want to do it again - and does not feel that honor or national pride or integrity demands it. It's definitely a lot sharper-edged than Charisian sentiment but it's not some uncontrollable hunger to make mortal enemies of every neighbor in reach.