The Democratic Republic of Sudrlund

[Sudrlund]

A Brief Overview of Modern Sudrlund

 

The Democratic Republic of Sudrlund

Population: 491 million (at the time of this publication)

Founded: April 19th, 1946

Capital City: Goshen

 

Official Language(s): English

Minor Spoken Language(s): Finnish, Yiddish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Greek

 

*Note* Generally speaking these languages also represent the general ethnic layout of modern Sudrlund. Many immigrants? children learn to speak English, albeit the distinctive dialect of English developed in early Sudrlund.

 

There are large numbers of Sub-Saharan African immigrants who have for the most part left behind their ancestral languages for the standardized version of English taught in primary school.

 

Dutch, French, and German were all once widely spoken, particularly in the Federal (Communist) Republic Period prior to 1946 and the National Revival of the 1960?s. German is heavily associated with Communism in Sudrlund, and mainly due to this fact it has fallen out of common public use. Most French and Dutch speakers have intermarried with English speakers to the point that these languages have also virtually disappeared from common use.

 

Many Eastern European immigrants insist on maintaining something of their cultural identity, going so far as to live in voluntarily segregated communities, often times placing them into an ideological conflict with the moderate and inclusive majority.

 

The Yiddish community is a notable exception. The circumstances of their (The Yiddish community) forced immigration to Sudrlund during the late 1890?s created an almost universal desire in Sudrlund to accept them with open arms. All Yiddish speakers are bilingual in the modern era, only maintaining their ancestral language and culture as a sign of proud defiance, one that Sudrlund celebrates much as its own.

 

 

Breakdown of Religions: Protestant- 44%, Catholic- 22%, Orthodox- 14%, Episcopalian- 9%, Jewish- 4%, Neo-Pagan- 1%, Animist- 1%, Anabaptist- 1%, Agnostic and Atheist- 4%

 

 

Form of Government: Representative Democracy, governed by a Unicameral Parliament

Major Political Parties:

Democratic-Socialist Party

Centrist-Union Party

Moral Conservative Party

Fascist Republican Party

Radical Democratic Party

Nationalist Front (semi-legal)

Free-People?s Party (semi-legal)

Communist Party or Federal-Socialist Party (defunct)

 

Name of Governing Political Body: The Parliament of the Republic of Sudrlund

Notes on Parliament: Parliamentary Ministers are elected by popular vote in the District, or Chamber that they hail from. They are eligible for a maximum of four consecutive five year terms- and must refrain from running for any other office save that of Prime Minister for at least a term. The Prime Minister may serve in office for a maximum of two five year terms, and must also refrain from running or serving in any office (other than Judicial) for at least a term. The minimum age for service in Parliament is 21, though the legal voting age is 17.

 

The Supreme Judiciary: A council of 10 Justices chosen and elected by Parliament. 9 National Justices, and one Supreme Justice decide mainly constitutional issues, but also play a part in the ratification of all law in the nation.

Edited December 29, 2015 by orioni (see edit history)

[Sudrlund]

A Brief Recent History (since 1946)

 

The Democratic Republic of Sudrlund was founded on April 19th, 1946 exactly three months after the end of Sudrlund?s sixteen year civil war.

 

Communist or Federal-Socialist forces, ((whom)) in 1930 controlled 90% of the country?s total territory, had been soundly defeated and forced into surrender in the bitter winter months of early 1946. With the collapse of their military forces, the government was forced out of power altogether- creating a power vacuum despite the readiness of Republican Rebels to step up. Idealistic elements within the Rebel?s hierarchy maintained that in order for them to form a truly legitimate government, they must be duly elected by the people they had for so long fought for. Though hastily organized, the March Elections were the first free and open elections held since the Communist took power in the Coup of 1909.

 

The new Parliament, mostly Conservative Republicans (now Moral Conservatives, Fascist Republicans and the Nationalist Front) and Democratic-Socialist took office on April 19th, under Prime Minister Coleman Raleigh Hargrove. Hargrove proved to be an outstanding leader, and is considered by all to the father of modern Sudrlund.

 

The Hargrove Years

Prime Minister Hargrove had been a commander throughout the entirety of the Civil War, earning a reputation for honor, and respect for both his men and the enemy. This served him well in the tense years in the late 40?s. There has been some speculation that had another leader been elected, former Communists might not have been so willing to allow the democratic process to continue moving forward. As it was, many took part in this shifting their allegiance to the Prime Minister?s Democratic-Socialist Party. Vast social reform was required to jump start the national economy, and for a long while Sudrlund?s main focus was on agriculture, and the development of a stable infrastructure. The Public Work?s Department provided much needed occupation for millions, while serving to rebuild the war-torn nation. Many Conservative Republicans decried the PWD, claiming that it was simply too similar the former Communist institution of the same name. For several months in appeared that the government would dissolve with the infighting, but again Hargrove proved his quality by easing Conservative fears, while not yielding his own social conviction. This led to his re-election in 1951, along with an overwhelmingly Democratic-Socialist Parliament.

Hargrove?s second term was marked by the establishment of a working National Welfare system, and the implementation of far-reaching educational reforms. The Conservative Republican Part split shortly after their resounding defeat in the 1951 election. The Nationalist Front was founded in June of 1951, cutting nearly a third of the Conservative Republican?s once impressive numbers. Sudrlund?s automotive industry took off in 1952 providing another much needed source of national income.

 

The Status Quo

The 1956 elections established a firm tradition of compassion and moderation that dominated the politics of Sudrlund well into the 1970?s. R. (Rupert) Leonard Brown was elected Prime Minster, the second of three Democratic-Socialists elected to the office back-to-back-to-back. The population continued to grow at exponential rates, and the steady flow of immigrants from around the world picked up to levels not seen since the early 1900?s. Positive conditions for labor in this era provided the necessary fuel to power Sudrlund?s burgeoning industry. Pharmaceutical research, nearly abandoned by the Communists, began again in earnest, along with several privately owned news-media corporations. Even in the ten years previous, these fields had been almost solely the responsibility of the government, and the willingness of the predominately Democratic-Socialist government was a sign of the development of an early Centrist ethic within the Parliament.

 

((More to come, it's gettin' to be time for bed here.))

Edited June 23, 2006 by Sudrlund (see edit history)

[Sudrlund]

The National Revival

 

For so long political and economic concerns had driven Sudrlund that many within the nation seemed to leave behind painful religious differences. The charismatic preacher Humphrey Novakowski rose to prominence with the expansion of television into rural areas of Sudrlund that had been previously isolated. Young, energetic, and opinionated Novakowski attracted hundreds of thousands of teen-agers to his "Great Revival" Meetings in Goshen and Decem Heights. This seemed at first to be a purely cultural movement, as most of those involved in Novakowski's ministry were young and for most part uninterested in national policy. It also served in part to give English a final push into full common use.

 

R. (Rupert) Leonard Brown was re-elected for a second term, continuing his campaign of economic revitilization. The Conservative Republican Party lost nearly every seat it still held to the splinter group, the Nationalist Front. The Nationalist Front provided a clear cut anti-socialist option for many Sudrlunders.

 

Racial tensions between African immigrants and close-knit Russian and Finnish communities in the southern highlands gave a much needed boost to Nationalist Front membership in mid 1964. Prime Minister Brown had been the individual to originally encourage settlement by the African immigrants, garnering the hatred of the Nationalists. The situation escalated to an armed conflict in the early morning hours of August 2nd, 1964. Russian-born farmers stormed an African-born farm-cooperative with hunting rifles and pitch-forks. A brief skirmish ensued, but the Africans superior numbers overwhelmed the raiders, and all 22 Russian-born farmers were killed, and some mutilated. In total 13 African settlers were killed, of them 3 were children and 1 young woman. Word of this incident spread like wild-fire, and soon much of the southern highlands was engulfed in this conflict.

 

Prime Minister Brown ordered the Army to take action on August 13th, 1964. Throwing support behind the besieged African immigrants enraged the Nationalist Front- and brought Humphrey Novakowski into the matter. Novakowski was a second generation Polish immigrant, and had no stake in the matter personally. Many of his supporters were of Russian-born and of course loyal to their families. Novakowski attempted to bring the affair to peaceful resolution through his intervention, but his efforts were rebuffed by the government- who felt that his motives were not pure. Novakowski was outraged. The Nationalist Front took the opportunity to approach the charismatic speaker with an offer that would change the nation.

 

((I need some input. I feel like I might be too long winded here, but if you all enjoy the read, I'll keep it coming. Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.))

Edited June 23, 2006 by Sudrlund (see edit history)

[Rennd]

OOC: Loving it this is what makes rping so good, its stuff like this!

 

OOC: Keep it coming

[Accra Imperiale Dichia]

He's right, keep up with the stroy telling. I love long stories, and this one is pretty good...

[Sudrlund]

OOC: Many thanks, I'll keep it coming until I get things caught up here. I should really look into getting my post count up and introducing my nation IC...

 

Few within Prime Minister Brown's government were prepared when Humphrey Novakowski took up the banner of the Nationalist Front. Though an admitted fundamentalist (a distinction shared by the majority of non-Orthodox NF members) Novakowski had previously been a political non-entity. In truth, he had gone to great lengths to avoid any comment on the government throughout his early ministry.

 

On September 2nd, 1964 Novakowski's secretary wired a speech including a declaration of total discotent and no-confidence in the Democratic-Socialist Parliament to all Sudrlund's major media outlets. The language used to refer to Prime Minister Brown was inflammatory, and many radio and television stations simply refused to repeat that portion of the speech. Most serious of the claims were that Brown was "un-christian...perhaps even anti-religious altogether." A brief, and utterly populist political commentary followed these statements, claiming: "...that Prime Minister Brown simply blows with the whims of the watching world. Whatever people are newly oppressed, he will champion! But what of those who have been here through it all!? What of those who fought for this country's freedom agains the Communards!?"

 

Fighting in the southern highlands intensified after the publication of this speech. In August much of the fighting had been on a localized basis, with small extended families facing off against Army patrols. Veterans of the Civil War now loyal to the Nationalist Front were given the task of organizing these scattered pockets while not drawing attention to the political, and at this point legal, side of their "cause".

 

The first true battle between Highland Rebels and Army forces took place on September 15th in what began as a daring mid-day raid on an Army Weapons Cache in the hills outside the Highland's provincial capital, Mt. Avery. A force of nearly three hundred Highlanders stormed the lightly guarded front-gate and were able to take control of several machine gun towers before the garrison could mount a true defense. The fighting lasted into the afternoon, but Rebel sharpshooters would eventually force an opening which allowed the bulk of their forces to surround the Cache's barracks, which they burned down around the trapped soldiers inside. Though a substantial number of personal fire-arms were lost in the fire, a half dozen light-wheeled vehicles were claimed, along with several heavy machine guns and stores of gasoline. A full brigade was dispatched shortly after the attack began, but by the late evening when they arrived, the Rebels along with the pirated Army gear had long disappeared into the hills.

 

Incidents very similar to this took place until the first winter snows, when most travel in the Highlands was impossible. Novakowski continued to deliver anti-government speeches during this time of increased tension- across the nation. Public opinion was divided on the issue, with the vast majority of the nation truly astounded and undecided. Novakowski's first full endorsement of the Rebels activities was followed promptly by his arrest and imprisonement (for inciting rebellion) in Goshen. Nationalist Front "politicians" around the nation turned this to their advantage in many ways, hurling accusations of corruption and "Federalist" tactics at the Prime Minister and Parliament. Many Nationalist Front Parliamentary Ministers took a hard line on the issue, refusing to take part in Parliamentary discussions in protest.

 

Brutal blizzard raids were conducted against numerous African immigrant settlements, with grisly results. In some isolated valleys within the Highlands entire towns were decimated; "Relieving the Army of any reason to defend this land", as the Rebels mocked, "since none who once lived here were left (alive) to defend." Prime Minister Brown promised to bring all those responsible to justice, and to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Fearing a public backlash, Brown was reluctant to allow the Army to outright crush the Rebels, as they were technically still citizens of Sudrlund- despite their actions. Few within the Army were prepared for the rigors of mountain warfare in mid-winter, whereas the Finnish and Russian blooded Rebels were in their element. Fighting was limited to skirmishes, denying the government any true victories to boast of in the newspapers. The government did continue to hold Novakowski in Goshen, and threatened to relieve Nationalist Front ministers from their duties. As election year approached many within the nation began to truly wonder where this savage conflict was leading...

 

Next: The Big Splitz

[Sudrlund]

OOC: More to come, just regrouping some on my end.

[Rennd]

OOC: Can't wait

 

Always love a good Rp

[Suverina]

OOC: Many thanks, I'll keep it coming until I get things caught up here. I should really look into getting my post count up and introducing my nation IC...

 

Spam around a bit.

[Sudrlund]

The Big Splitz

 

January 1965 saw the previously localized Highlands Conflict spread into greater Sudrlund. Highland Rebels planted several explosive devices in and around government facilities in Goshen, and Rone's Chapel- Sudrlund's two most populace, and industrialized cities. The death toll was minimal in each case, and limited to government personnel in each case also. The public remained divided on the matter of what to do about the continuing violence and discontent, even amongst ardent Democratic-Socialists. Nationalist Front politicians all over the country were pushing for a quick end, and considering the looming elections, Prime Minister Brown knew that something needed to be done quickly to ensure that another Democratic-Socialist would be elected to the nation's highest office after he.

 

The Republic's Intelligence Service perhaps the most efficient of the government's many arms had been closely monitoring Nationalist Front involvement in the rebellion. There was an obvious and clear connection. Since the onset of winter, the rebels had been utilizing a far more advanced, and much wider variety of weaponry and tactics. Literally stumbling upon a meeting between Brigham Grady (who was then a Nationalist Front Parliamentary Minister for the province of Summer-March) and Roman Havel (a Czech immigrant and one of the leading voices for unification amongst the Highland Factions). Up to now it had seemed to the Brown government that the Rebels shared a cause, and an arms supply, but they did not share organization or leadership. After taking both Grady and Havel into custody, it became very clear that the situation was far more grim that ever imagined. Fearing for his life, Grady gave up the location of thousands of Nationalist Front documents that would without a doubt link key leaders to the Rebellion. Grady openly admitted to pushing as much as 5 million dollars from both his and the Party's coffers into arms and textile purchases for the Rebels.

 

RIA Operators raided the location in the wee morning hours of January 26th, 1965. Located under the firm of one of Grady's former law partners, The Nationalist Front had established and run an underground operation for the purpose of laundering millions in cash and seeing it quietly out of the country to the ready, willing, and able arms dealers. Seven "secret" clerks, and three armed guards were taken into custody during the raid, along with all eighteen of the firm's staff. The government released enough of their findings to send the news media into a frenzy.

 

The following week, with the elections just a month and a half a way, the Supreme Judiciary levelled charges at the entire Nationalist Front including but not limited to: treason, conspiracy, murder, piracy, kidnapping, extortion, etc... The nation was stunned, and outraged. The Nationalist Front leadership could do very little to remedy the situation, save to play their "trump cards" all at once.

 

Lt. General Stephen Ruyters (retired) of the Army of the Republic of Sudrlund had been one of the leading minds behind the establishment of the Conservative Republicans in the dark years during and just after the Civil War. Following the split in the party, and the passing of legislation limiting allowed levels of participation in government for military personnel Ruyters retired from the Army and took up a position with the Nationalist Front leadership. Throughout this time he maintained relationships with the officers who'd served under him. Many of these men owed their success to Ruyters- and planned to use this conflict as the necessary impetus to destabilize the government enough to allow Ruyters or one of his counterparts to win the election in March. This was out of the question altogether now. Shifting their plans only slightly, The Ruyterists spirited their leader out of his palatial home outside of Rone's Chapel to their base of operations in the Highlands province. Many of the Ruyterists had been able to secure the loyalty of the soldiers and technicians serving under them- adding three thousand able bodied and well trained men to the Rebel's cause.

 

Throwing a force together proved easy for Ruyter, with so many volunteers at hand, and by Valentine's Day he was moving on the Army brigade in Mt. Avery. Though outmatched in artillery and tanks, Ruyter did have an advantage in numbers, and weather. A bitterly cold storm front clung to the valley and hills that Mt. Avery had been built into, severly hampering visibility for forces inside the city. Using bombers planted in the city over the past few days, Ruyters distracted the Army Commander (Brigadier General Godfrey Burnham) with three strategically placed street-vendor bombs. Ruyters' own personal guard led the first strike on the city's defenses. The main road into the city was blocked in many places by rock and mud-flows, limiting the number of tanks that could be put on the ground there. Rebel sharpshooters decimated several checkpoints before anyone within the city was aware of what was really happening. Rushing what light artillery they had through the wooded hills rather than down the ruined road, Ruyters' traitorous Army officers set up at the equivalent of point blank range and opened fire on the scattering forces within the city's main barracks. There are no accurate accounts of the carnage that followed, though it is clear that Army Forces were soundly defeated before night fell. 458 Army soldiers were killed, and another 1,150 taken prisoner by the victorious Ruyterists. Mt. Avery was firmly within Rebel hands.

 

The following day Ruyters issued a mocking declaration of independence- proclaiming the Highlands Province to be free from Communist Tyranny at long last, with the foundation of the Highland Free State. Many within the the outlawed leadership of the Nationalist Front applauded this move, some even leaving their homes for this new, proud, nationalistic Free State. Prime Minister Brown delivered an address to the nation that evening, closing with the following words: "These are the words of a disturbed and deluded individual. Again, I say to you all, citizens of the Democratic Republic of Sudrlund, this is not a lawful declaration, and it holds no weight in the eyes of the government or the world! The forces now occupying Mt. Avery are terrorists, not the founders of a free nation. I cannot and will not allow this to happen to our nation while I am in office. Tomorrow morning, I will be asking Parliament to grant me special executive powers to see this crisis to a swift, and final resolution."

 

Next: Brown Thunders

[Sudrlund]

OOC: Apologies for the break in action here, but my post count is high enough to request a plot on the map...Having said that, I imagine it would be helpful to list a bit of information regarding Sudrlund *currently*. Nothing big, just a few major characters and major national concerns. The election years are off, but a major national crisis in the late 1980's-mid 1990's caused this. It'll crop up in IC, and again here when I work my way up the time-stream that far.

 

Ok, after a looooooooooooooong break, I'm back and I have a new idea that I want to play around with a bit. More will come, promise.

Edited September 29, 2006 by Sudrlund (see edit history)

[Sudrlund]

Ok, many apologies about just dropping off the face of the planet for a few months, but the way I look at it: Hey, I never became involved in an active storyline, so things are cool.

 

I'm back now and I think I've had an idea that would be worth playing around with a bit, but it would totally chance the information I provided at the beginning of the thread (concerning modern Sudrlund).

 

I should begin tossing stuff up sometime during the weekend, or the start of next week. Again, apologies for disappearing.

Edited September 29, 2006 by Sudrlund (see edit history)