1982: Death Throes of the West (OOC/AH/Cold War)

[World Anarchic Union]

Is there somebody I forgot in the OP?

IC is up: http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=371502

[Mesrane]

General
NS Nation Name: Mesrane
RP Nation Official Name: Republic of South Africa
RP Nation Colloquial Name: South Africa
Land Controlled: http://www.bu.edu/aparcrt/files/2011/03 ... frica1.gif (plus Namibia, which has been under South African rule since WW1)
Land Claimed: None, though Lesotho and Swaziland are essentially protectorates
Flag/Symbolism: http://www.alternatehistory.com/discuss ... 1355595012

Politics
Government Type: Unitary Parliamentary Republic
Head of State & Head of Government: Prime Minister P.W. Botha
Government Description: South Africa has a parliamentary system much like the UK. Members of the upper house, the Senate, are elected by an electoral college consisting of members of each of the four Provincial Councils and Members of the House of Assembly, the lower house. The latter are elected directly by an electorate that is primarily white, as suffrage is restricted to whites and a limited number of Coloureds. The Prime Minister holds the vast majority of executive power; the other executive, the State President, hold largely ceremonial duties.
Bloc: American

Demographics
Population: 30,000,000
Dominant Ethnic/Cultural Group: Afrikaners
Other Ethnic/Cultural Groups: Blacks, Coloureds, Asians
Religions: Primarily Christian and Protestant, with the Dutch Reformed faith predominating among the white population. Blacks and Cloureds are split between myriad denominations, including Lutheranism and Presbyterianism. Catholicism also has a small presence.

Economic Stuff
Economy Type: Free Market
Economy Description: One of Africa's strongest and most well-developed economies, South Africa is a powerhouse on the continent. Mineral exports of gold, diamonds, and platinum lead the way, while a reasonably large automotive presence as well as widespread and productive agriculture allow for diversification. Increased economic cooperation with the United States over the past decade has opened up new markets for South African products, which has proven a godsend just as the country was falling into increasing isolation during the 1960's.


Military Stuff
Military Description: The entire South African military is grouped under the umbrella of the South African Defense Forces (SADF). In terms of equipment, motivation, and training, the SADF is perhaps Africa's strongest military, with high standards for officers and individuals soldiers. Bolstered further still by the consistent support of the United States, it is a thoroughly formidable force.

The force is primarily composed of whites, who alone of South Africa's ethnic groups are subject to conscription (from which the reserve components are derived). Coloureds and Asians are also eligible to volunteer, and the 32 Battalion incorporates black soldiers.

SADF tactics depend on fantastic mobility and close coordination between the air and ground arms, as well as skillful deployment of special forces in cross-border operations, which has resulted in a long track record of success against Marxist groups in Angola, Rhodesia and Namibia, namely the MPLA, ZANLA and SWAPO. The South African inventory is mixed between American and domestically developed and produced equipment, resulting in a very modern arsenal in comparison to the rest of Africa.

Number of Active and Reserve Troops :
Active: 90,000
Reserve: 180,000

Strengths and Weaknesses: The greatest strength of the SADF is the quality, experience and motivation of its infantry units. South Africa's special forces especially have a reputation for being fantastic soldiers in the bush environment of southern Africa. The quality of these forces are perhaps unmatched on the continent, allowing the country to launch rapid assaults on communist guerrilla camps in neighboring countries with great success. South Africa's heavy armor units are not large but are still an effective fighting force, composed of M60 MBTs acquired from the United States.

Working in concert with the Army is the Air Force, which is staffed by a relatively small number of pilots and servicemen who play an integral role in cross-border operations against communist insurgents. While small, and receiving significantly less funding than the Army, the branch is still of a relatively high quality, having been strengthened by the expertise of American trainers.

By far the weakest link in the SADF, the Navy receives less funding than even the Air Force, and is, numerically speaking, not at all a large force, with just four frigates and five attack subs, along with about a dozen Minister-class fast attack craft. Lacking the decades of experience of either the air or ground arms, the Navy is suited to coastal defense and little else.


Historical Stuff
Brief History since PoD: Following independence in 1961, South Africa faced growing isolation from the West, which wanted little to do with the new republic's harshly enforced system of near-complete racial segregation, apartheid. Although the SADF was engaged in anti-communist operations from 1966 onwards, the nation remained on the periphery of America's large bloc of allies, with apartheid always remaining an annoying thorn in South Africa's side when it came to diplomatic relations.

The collapse of NATO that same year changed everything, ironically to South Africa's enormous benefit. Faced with waning influence in Europe, the US went looking for steady allies elsewhere, and found a firm friend in South Africa. A military alliance and economic cooperation agreement was made official in 1971, opening up the markets of America and its other allies to South African products, rescuing the economy just as it was sliding into recession.

The following decade saw an expansion of South Africa's economic and military power as well as its geopolitical influence. The low-intensity war being fought in Angola and Namibia against communist insurgents went on with great tactical success but little strategic change as Soviet assistance prevented the insurgencies from being defeated utterly. The ability of the SADF to keep most of the fighting in Angola prevented public support for the war from eroding much.

Prime Minister John Vorster recognized the Republic of Rhodesia in 1974 and shifted from a policy of covert assistance to overt support, arming, and training of the Rhodesian forces, which bolstered the young republic and allowed it to expel communist forces from its borders by the end of 1977. It has since joined South Africa in launching quick assaults into Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique in order to destroy training camps and supply depots.

Although the decade can be considered a great success, it did nothing to end the simmering tensions between black and white in South African society. The Claasen Act of 1976 gave the vote to upper and middle-class Coloureds, expanding the electorate by about 1.5 million but denying any political concessions whatsoever to blacks. This caused a number of race riots in Cape Town and Pretoria which took weeks to fully subdue, at the cost of more than three hundred dead. While things have certainly calmed down since, racial tensions have not really improved much over the past fifteen years. Nerves still run high in some urban areas, while rural provinces enjoy better race relations.

The nonexistence of a large, contiguous, pro-American bloc in Europe means that South Africa has risen to become one of America's most powerful allies worldwide, certainly the strongest US partner in Africa. As it seeks to further expand its geopolitical clout in Africa, South Africa remains committed to fighting communism on the continent and supporting American actions overseas however it can. Domestically, the Botha government remains determined to uphold and enforce apartheid policies, but is somewhat more willing to dicker with black representatives than the previous Vorster government.

Player Stuff
Expected Activity: Quite a bit. I'm willing to go on so long as a few others are too.
RP Sample: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=364769&start=25

[World Anarchic Union]

Your app is looking great, Mesrane.

Thinking of being a coalition of armed rebels in Southern Africa as my second choice.

[Mesrane]

Your app is looking great, Mesrane.

Thinking of being a coalition of armed rebels in Southern Africa as my second choice.

Thanks.

I'd be down with that. Otherwise I haven't got terribly much to do down there.

Edit: Aaand done.

[World Anarchic Union]

Mesrane, accepted. Go on to the IC! That includes everyone who was accepted.

I will start my African rebel app soon as well. What groups do you think would be the best to have?

[Kargintina]

Probably no posts from me this weekend. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday.

[Soviet Chernarus]

I've been busy recently, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to post my app tomorrow.

[Franco-Iberie]

Probably no posts from me this weekend. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday.

Same, besides, there's not much for austro-schweiz to do but gib loans.

[Greater Socialist Albania]

Reserve Lebanon please.

[North Calaveras]

hmmm what to be....

[Kargintina]

Working on the IC now.

[Mesrane]

I'll have a post up by the day's end, in all likelihood.