[Vision Statement] Tusis

[Tusis]

History:

The city of Tusis was founded in the 3rd century B.C.E. L, but didn’t grow into the great city it would be until the 1st century C.E. First settled by a foreign culture, the city has become a mixture of [Phoenician], [Berber], and much later [Arabic] with the introduction of Salam. The first settlers, the [Phoenicians], slowly built a trade empire starting in the 1st century. The empire was a great naval power, incomparable in its time. Yet with high corruption, decadence, foreign land based threats, and general unrest, the empire would fall to foreign empires in the 4th century. The city would fall between great empires and kingdoms until the 10th century when the now [Berber] majority revolted and gained independence to the now neglected city. Tusis was in ruin, centuries of sacking, corruption, raids, and reusing old buildings to build new ones shrunk the city from a metropolis to a large town. But after a century of rebuilding and reviving the old trade hub, the city was growing at a pace unprecedented. This revival sparked large amounts of trade once again, bringing new cultures and religions to the old city. Salam and [Arabic] traders established a great connection to Tusis in the 12th century, and with Tusis self isolating from the other countries that invaded it so long ago, gladly took the opportunity to remove itself from her more [European] and [North African] neighbors. With this trade Tusis was able to reconquer territory that it owned two thousand years ago, converting and developing the region. In the 18th century, after centuries of stability and prosperity, the more developed and militant states around Tusis slowly, then rapidly in the 19th century, took over Tusis economically and politically. Known as the occupied times Tusis faired decently under colonial rule. The city still grew, but none of Tusis’s profits were invested back into the city. This caused a great deal of corruption, public weariness to the government, a stagnant city, and radicalization. In 1952 Tusis threw a revolution against her colonial overlords under socialism. While successful, the Salam majority disliked the government’s policies and insurgents grew in the city. By mid 1961 five months before a decade under socialist rule, Salam extremists and conservatives revolted and overthrew the government. Installing a monarchy, the Utica family, an old tribal ruling family, was installed as the first new monarchs of this new nation in 1962. From then two decades of stability grew the nation, and was interrupted in 2012 by ideas of freedom, civil and political rights, and gaining a better life. While communist and socialist insurgents were common, the government couldn’t handle this wave of revolutionaries. A decade long civil war between the national government, a military break away faction, democrats, communists, traditionalists, and Salam extremists. After even years of civil war in 2023 peace was announced. While the peace uneasy, the new sultan, Tawfiq Naji Al Utica, now can begin rebuilding his kingdom.

Economy:

The Tusisian economy is an export focused one, based off of the old colonial economic system. While plans are prepared to slowly shift the economy to a free trade one, trying to create the old trade wealth of the past kingdoms, the lack of stability and the great amount of corruption has caused a stand still on the project. Tusis mainly exports fish, grain, textiles, and salt. While not found, the monarchy suspects that oil lays in the waters outside of Tusis’s ports. The economy right now is poor only having a GDP of 52 billion USD. Tusis uses the Tusisian dinar.

Politics:

Tusis is a decentralized state that relies on tribal politics. Unified by the sultan, the principalities of Tusis have their own laws, regulations, and the Vizars that rule the lands are family based. While officially an absolute monarchy, the state mainly relies on the oligarchal nature of tribal politics. But with the new sultan, he plans to break down these tribal roots and establish a true absolutism. With foreign affairs most see Tusis as a backwater nation clinging on dear life to stay afloat. Long gone is the prestige of the old kingdoms, and now lays a pathetic state needing foreign aid to feed and medicate its populous. Domestically is an authoritarian regime that forces women to keep their bodies covered, none to speak ill of the government or ruling families, and a sickening level of lack of political rights with the lack of civil. While the sultan technically can make anything law, he must first consult with the Vizers if he wishes for those laws to take effect.

Military:

The Tusisian army is outdated, but is the most funded government expenditure. Mostly using 1990s equipment, more funding must be made of Tusis wishes to participate in the regional scale. The Air Force is small. Only having two decade old planes, and the rest being from the 2000s. Finally the navy is gone. What once stood out as the most powerful navy of its time is nothing but scraps. Only submarines, convoys, and small, outdated warships remain. While Tusisians are great sailors, they will need time to relearn how to rule the waves once again with modern techniques and ships. The Tusisian government so far relies on the international community and mercenary companies to provide a modern, powerful military against insurgents.

Edited April 9, 2023 by Tusis (see edit history)