Line #28 Main/ThousandYearReign


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9	->'''Kimiko:''' Why a thousand?\
10	'''Master Fung:''' It is really 962 years, but a thousand sounds more ominous.
11	-->-- ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown''
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13	This is when someone boasts or predicts that a particular organization or accomplishment will endure for (at least) a certain amount of time, the prediction usually being wildly optimistic and incurring a high risk of TemptingFate. 1,000 years is the gold standard when talking about empires and dynasties, but various big, round numbers may be conjured. '''The important thing is that this is about assuming the length beforehand, not how long it actually lasts.'''
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15	Sometimes this assumption can be based on a prophecy that states the length of time. Of course, even if the prophecy is correct, that doesn't preclude the many ways there can be a ProphecyTwist. Perhaps the organization will last that long, but not in the way its creators intended. Say if the EvilOverlord founds it, but TheHero slays him, and [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt rules instead]]. Or, at the end of the stated time, the downfall of the organization may be so catastrophic that it undoes any impact the organization would have left.
16	----
17	!!Examples:
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19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
22	* Referenced several times in ''Film/Conspiracy2001'', which takes place at a time when the Nazis were absolutely convinced that they were moments away from victory.
23	-->'''Neumann:''' Neumann, director of the Four-Year-Plan. Whom may I be speaking to?\
24	'''Klopfer:''' I speak for Martin Bormann, of the Thousand-Year-Plan.
25	* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'': This is how long Commodus wants his incestuous line to last, when he thinks he's won completely.
26	* ''Franchise/StarWars'': In ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', Palpatine references the thousand years of the Republic. In ''Film/ANewHope'', Obi-Wan refers to a thousand generations (approx. 25,000 years).[[note]]This was reconciled in the ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' ExpandedUniverse by stating that the Republic as a whole has existed and been protected by the Jedi for 25,000 years, but that 1,000 years before the films the Ruusan Reformation restructured the Republic and formed the government that lasted until it was replaced by the Empire. In the new ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'' canon, the details have yet to be revealed, but it seems to be broadly similar. In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', references are made to the "Old Republic" that preceded the current thousand-year-old Galactic Republic.[[/note]]
27	[[/folder]]
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29	[[folder:Literature]]
30	* ''Literature/TheBooksOfEmber'': The City of Ember was designed to last exactly 200 years and no longer. Too bad that the note meant to inform the populace of this got lost.
31	* ''Literature/ChungKuo'': The Seven T'ang boast of their reign having lasted three thousand years. However, the reader knows that history has been rewritten so that the Chung Kuo are an ancient Chinese empire that conquered Western Europe in the days ancient Rome, whereas it's actually just 200 years old.
32	* The trope is mentioned in ''Literature/TheElenium'' when a reference is made to a historical figure creating an empire of a thousand years that barely outlived its founder.
33	* ''Literature/FoundationSeries'': Hari Seldon, creator of psychohistory, a set of [[PrescienceByAnalysis mathematical formulas that can predict human behaviour]], anticipates that the [[GalacticSuperpower Galactic Empire]] will collapse and leave the Milky Way in anarchy for [[TenThousandYears thirty thousand years]], an [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of this trope's usual meaning. The [[ThePlan Seldon Plan]], developed through psychohistory, will shorten this interval to about one thousand years instead. It becomes popular knowledge in the galaxy that the Foundation of Terminus is undefeatable. The first book, ''Foundation'', has also been published under the title ''Literature/TheThousandYearPlan''.
34	* ''Literature/LeftBehind'': During ''Kingdom Come'' only glorifieds and naturals who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will be allowed to live to the end of the Millenium, while naturals who stay unbelievers by the time they reach 100 years of age will die and go to Hell. The Other Light faction has prepared for this contingency by passing down their teaching to the next generation of its converts so that the generation that gets to confront God and Jesus at the end of the Millennium will be assured victory when Satan is released. However, it didn't turn out as they hoped.
35	* ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'': The Lord Ruler calls his reign "[[TheEmpire The Final Empire]]", because he believes that the empire ([[ImmortalRuler and he himself]]) will last forever.
36	[[/folder]]
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38	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
39	* The Lannisters in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' have this goal in mind. In Season 1, Lord Tywin discusses the war plans with his son Jaime, explaining that the events of the coming months will either cement a Lannister/Baratheon dynasty on the Iron Throne that could last a thousand years, or they could collapse into nothing like the Targaryens (who made it to 300 years themselves). [[spoiler:They collapse into nothing in less than 8.]]
40	* ''Series/TheWildWildWest'': In the episode "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E11TheNightOfTheRedEyedMadmen The Night of the Red-Eyed Madmen]]", General Grimm is ANaziByAnyOtherName who wants to take over the American Southwest and [[DayOfTheJackboot place it under strict military rule]]. His [[TheDragon second-in-command]] predicts that his reign will last "a thousand years".
41	[[/folder]]
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43	[[folder:Music]]
44	* In "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc56moy0poA Europa]]" by Music/{{Globus}}, there're the following lyrics:
45	-->Empires built and [[FinalSolution nations burned]]\
46	Mass graves remain unturned\
47	Descendants of [[CycleOfRevenge the dispossessed]]\
48	Return with [[SuicideAttack bombs strapped to their chests]]\
49	There's hate for life and death in hate\
50	Emerging from a new caliphate\
51	The victors of [[UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror this war on fear]]\
52	Will '''rule for the next thousand years!'''
53	[[/folder]]
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55	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
56	* The ''Literature/BookOfRevelation'' says that UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} will reign with the Saints for 1,000 years, during which time {{Satan}} is bound, before dad [[{{God}} Jehovah]] steps in. The nature of this reign and whether the time period is meant to be taken literally has been debated throughout the history of UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}}.
57	[[/folder]]
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59	[[folder:Video Games]]
60	* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'': Entirely possible, since the ''Reaper's Due'' DLC officially added immortality to the game, allowing, given the length of the game, a reign of almost seven full centuries if lucky, and conversion to later games in the series allows a single ruler to run the nation for a full millennium or more. With timeline extending mods such as When the World Stopped Making Sense, this can even be accomplished without converting the save to a separate game.
61	* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': A Demoman dominating his opposite number on the enemy team will sometimes declare "THUS BEGINS MY THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF BLOOD!" in the most over the top (bad) Scottish accent imaginable. Amusingly, Demomen typically live about three minutes at a time tops, so that 'reign' tends to end as quickly as it began.
62	* ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChroniclesIII'': Dahau declares that he will create a new homeland for the Darcsen people that will endure for a thousand years, even if it requires him to go down in history as a villain.
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65	%%[[folder:Webcomics]]
66	%%* ''Webcomic/IrregularWebcomic'': [[StupidJetpackHitler Nazi Science]] ''sneers'' at your pathetic notions of arithmetic!%%ZCE
67	%%[[/folder]]
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69	[[folder:Western Animation]]
70	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'':
71	** Harmonic Convergence is a supernatural event that occurs once every 10,000 years, in which the spirits of harmony and chaos, Raava and Vaatu, must battle to determine which force will reign until the next Harmonic Convergence.
72	** Later, when [[Characters/TheLegendOfKorraKuvira Kuvira]] takes Zaofu for her Earth Empire, banners are hanged [[BilingualBonus which read]] "May Kuvira live for 10,000 years".
73	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' begins with Twilight Sparkle reading an old legend that states that the stars would aid in the escape of the Nightmare Moon on the longest day of the 1000th year of her banishment, when she would bring about nighttime eternal. [[Characters/FriendshipIsMagicPrincessCelestia Princess Celestia]] reigned as sole sovereign during this entire time.
74	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS8E14WoodlandCritterChristmas Woodland Critter Christmas]]", the TheAntichrist is supposed to "bring a thousand years of darkness to the forest".
75	* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'': The Galra had rule over most of the known universe for over 10,000 years.
76	* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'': Parodied. One episode revolves around them locking up their dragon Dojo for the day, because on that particular day he'll turn evil, grow two heads and devour all of the magical Shen Gong Wu items, leading to 1,000 years of darkness. The spoof comes from the time being more like 962, but 1,000 sounds more dramatic.
77	[[/folder]]
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79	[[folder:Real Life]]
80	* OlderThanFeudalism: 1,000 years was the prediction for how long UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire would reign made by Creator/{{Cicero}}, which is probably the TropeCodifier in the Western Hemisphere. (He wasn't entirely wrong. The Eastern Roman Empire lasted until 1453,[[note]]Which means, depending on what you choose as a "start date", Rome lasted as long as 2200 years (foundation as a kingdom), about 2000 (the Republic), or at a minimum, a hair under 1500 (The Empire),[[/note]] and the Ottoman Emperor claimed the title of "Kaysar-i-Rum" "Caesar of Rome" until 1922.)
81	* Ancient Chinese emperors tend to be greeted with "萬歲!" ("May you reign for 10,000 years") but most dynasties only last about 400 years or so. Other East Asian countries did the same.
82	** There is a careful delineation with these acclamation, Empresses are acclaimed "A thousand years!" And sometimes, particularly powerful officials would be sarcastically greeted (not out loud, obviously) with "Nine thousand years!" Even after [[UsefulNotes/NoMoreEmperors the Republic was proclaimed on 1911]], such slogans were used for the Republic or various leaders such as Mao and Chiang. Today, this slogan is used at the Tienanmen gate in Beijing, as "[May the] People's Republic of China [last for] ten thousand years"; meanwhile, presidential speeches in Taiwan used, until 2016, to be closed with "[May] the Republic of China [live for] ten thousand years!", with pro-independence activists using their own versions.
83	** "Tenno heika banzai" the Japanese battle cry that gives the phrase "banzai charge" means literally "[To the Emperor] ten thousand years!" Since the Emperor was understood to have a normal human lifetime, this ''wasn't'' meant literally. Today, the phrase is only shouted during the dissolution of the House of Representatives, and also as an acclamation at the enthronement of the Japanese Emperor.
84	** The Korean equivalent is ''manse'' ("만세"), which also means "10,000 years", although, under Joseon, it was changed to ''cheonse'' ("천세") as a sign of deference to China. Today, it's used in UsefulNotes/NorthKorea for the leaderships: during the UsefulNotes/KoreanWar, while charging, UsefulNotes/NorthKoreansWithNodongs shouted "Long live the Great Leader, General Kim Il-sung" (위대한 수령 김일성장군 만세).
85	** In UsefulNotes/{{Vietnam}}, ''vạn tuế'' is used in this capacity.
86	* UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and ThoseWackyNazis invoked this trope by promising a [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany thousand-year Reich]]. Berlin (renamed "Germania") would be the new world capital of a greatly expanded Germany. [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII It lasted merely twelve.]]
87	** UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill implied something similar in his "finest hour" speech when he proclaimed that ''if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, people will say this was our finest hour.'' The consensus for the final end of the British Empire was when Hong Kong, the last significant Imperial possession, was given back to the Chinese in 1999. The British Empire therefore dwindled and died in the 59 years following Chutchill's speech. [[note]] The Empire was relegated to a mere administrative tail as early as 1958, when the Colonial Office was wound up and made into an appendage to the Foreign Ministry in the form Foreign And Colonial Office. The word "Colonial" was quietly dropped from the designation in the 1980's, today it's just the Foreign Office. [[/note]]
88	** On September 1934, Hitler promised, during a Nuremberg rally, that Germany would not know another revolution in the next 1000 years...
89	* The UsefulNotes/HolyRomanEmpire was, at the time of founding, considered a continuation of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire and the fourth and last "world monarchy" predicted by the Book of Daniel (after Babylon, Persia and Macedonia). It was believed that, since Rome was the last worldly empire, it would last literally until Judgement Day. (When it didn't, that's how the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Monarchists Fifth Monarchists]] became a thing during the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar.)
90	* In terms of a single Royal Family managing to pull off a Thousand Year Reign, one of the few examples is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capetian_dynasty Capetian Dynasty]]. Both of the current, as of 2023, King of UsefulNotes/{{Spain}} (Felipe VI) and Grand Duke of UsefulNotes/{{Luxembourg}} (Henri) are direct male-line descendants of Hugh Capet, who was himself crowned King of the Franks in 987. For more than a thousand years, they have almost continuously been sovereigns of ''something'', with few interruptions.
91	** Another example, and one that has managed to pull off a Thousand Year Reign ''of a single country,'' is the Yamato Dynasty, also known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_House_of_Japan The Imperial House of Japan]]. The first ''historically'' documented Emperor is Kinmei-tennō, who reigned in the mid-6th century, making this the oldest dynasty anywhere in the world. Traditionally, the first Emperor was Jinmu-tennō who started his reign in 660 BC; if true, then the Imperial House of Japan has achieved a genuine Thousand Year Reign ''twice.''
92	[[/folder]]

Context Main / ThousandYearReign