Preface:

In the year 1882, the Equestrian empire was an empire in name only. It more closely resembled a collection of semi-autonomous city states which owed fealty to the diarchy of the benevolent princesses Celestia and Luna, who reigned from the then-capital city of Canterlot. The two princesses were content to adopt a 'hands-off approach' to ruling their domain, and substantial authority was placed in the hands of individual Lords. Whilst this created problems in its own right as various fiefdoms jostled for power, this approach generally worked. Occasionally the princesses would step in to mediate disputes, or step upon a noble who had become too big for his boots. In the main, life in Equestria continued as it had for hundreds of years beforehand. Everyone was satisfied with striving to put food upon their tables and provide a life for their families.

A large portion of this stability was due to Princess Celestia herself. The princess was a wise ruler who was able to apply her innate gifts to best effect in the field of international diplomacy. Knowing you were sitting across the table from a woman who had been ruling a country since your grandparents walked the earth had a suitably cowing effect upon the diplomats of various nations who sought to demand things of Equestria. Given the land's abundant natural resources, pleasant climate and agreeable population, the Empire very rarely sought to meddle in the affairs of other nations, nor did it entertain extraterritorial ambitions beyond favorable trade agreements with the nations surrounding it.

By this point, the wounds caused by the Third Equestrian Civil War during the 1640s had apparently healed up and the two sibling rulers were on friendly terms once more, Princess Luna having returned from her exile. There were few causes for concern among the lesser royals as well. At that point, Princess Mi-Amore Cadenza had picked up quite a bit of experience in her second century of life and was a formidable ruler in her own right. At this time she was the ruler of the Northern Provinces of Equestria, founding the infamous 'Second Crystal Empire' as it was then known. Princess Twilight Sparkle was still in her infancy as a stateswoman. However, the coming events would greatly challenge her as we can see from her diary entries at this point.

Another reason the Equestrian Empire was able to become a major economic and military power on the continent was thanks to the Imperial Navy. Though Equestria had never had to deploy significant armed forces against an enemy government since the Gryphonic Incursions of 1675, the Navy remained a competent and deadly force to any brigands or dictators who wished to add pieces of Equestria into their tin-pot empires. Any similarly inclined tyrants or despots found their ambitions rather rapidly crushed beneath the jackbooted heel of the Imperial Navy, which only grew more lethal after Princess Luna took up her post as commander-in-chief of the Equestrian armed forces.

In summary, when 1882 dawned, there was no indication to anyone inside Equestria or outside of it that this would be the year in which things started to change. There is ongoing debate amongst many scholars about whether the change was for better or for worse. Though like all significant changes, it was to be lubricated with blood. The catalyst for war began to burn in January 1882, starting with the failure of the ill-fated Lunar Entreaty.

Relations between The Khanate and Equestria had been simmering ever since the Golden Prosperity Initiative (GPI) of 1874, which involved a Khanate-owned mining corporation setting up several illegal mining operations in Equestrian territory. The Imperial Navy responded by evicting the miners and their families by force in June of the following year. In the aftermath, the fact emerged that the GPI had been set up by the Khanate’s Foreign Affairs Ministry to fund these illegal mining operations. The so called ‘Cat-cables’ provided damning evidence of Khanate involvement. Once these telegrams reached the public eye, the Equestrian public was outraged and demanded retribution.

Celestia responded by imposing sanctions and confiscating ten miles of territory from The Khanate in reparations. As the Khanate was embroiled in internal strife in the aftermath of the Shah seizing power, they were unable to take action against the Equestrian incursion. By the time the Khanate had finished with their own civil war, the Equestrian hold on their territories had been firmly consolidated. This invasion naturally further soured relations between the two major continental superpowers. The Khanate response was long in coming, but come it did, with all the force of a speeding bullet. The repercussions can be felt even unto this day.

Max Bayeux. The Foundations of Modern Equestria. 1992, University of Manehattan Press