NS Name: Arvenia
RP Name: Greater Colombian Republic
Territory: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Acre State (Brazil), Roraima State (Brazil), Rondônia State (Brazil) and Amazonas State (Brazil)
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by Arvenia » Tue Jan 11, 2022 1:41 pm
NS Name: Arvenia
RP Name: Greater Colombian Republic
Territory: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Acre State (Brazil), Roraima State (Brazil), Rondônia State (Brazil) and Amazonas State (Brazil)
by Khasinkonia » Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:31 pm
NATION APPLICATION
中华人民共和国(Putonghua) | The People’s Republic of China(English
中国(Putonghua) | China(English)
Government Type: Unitary Corporatist One-Party Socialist Republic
Government Explanation: The government of the People’s Republic of China formally follows a three-branch system, with a legislative, judicial, and executive branch.
The National People’s Congress is the unicameral legislative body with the power to legislate and oversee operations of the government, as well as to elect major officials of the state. Consisting of 3,122 members as of 2007, it is generally considered impractical for the entire congress to remain in session, and so it generally only convenes annually, with the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which consists of 197 members elected from within the NPC, handling legislative duties when the full congress is not in session. Since the Extended People’s Political Consultative Conferences of 1955 caused by the unexpected sickness and later passing of Chairman Mao Zedong and ensuing power struggle, the National People’s Congress has enjoyed a significant increase in power and is able to affect issues of all levels of importance to the Chinese regime.
Unlike many regimes across the world, it is difficult to put an accurate face to the Executive Branch of the People’s Republic of China because it is not one face, but in fact twelve. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China consists of eleven members publicly elected from within the 26 constituent departments of the Executive Branch. Of the elected officials, ten receive the title of State Councillor, one receives the title of Council Arbitrator, and one receives the title of President. The State Councillors decide on most issues within the government, with the Council Arbitrator serving to break any ties and bring issues before the NPC, and the President serving a ceremonial role. By convention, the President is generally the Minister of Foreign affairs or selected from within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but internal recommendations do not specify this as a requirement, only requiring that the choice be “The most charismatic among the elected councillors.” Despite restrictions, the President often has some sway over larger public policy because of the potential to use the role as a “bully pulpit”—something which has been used to great effect by the current President Sun Chunlan.
According to the 1982 constitution and the Organic Law of the People’s Courts, the Judicial Branch of the People’s Republic of China consists of four levels, the Supreme People’s Court, with six circuit courts beneath it, and then High People’s Courts, Intermediate People’s Courts, and Primary People’s Courts all falling under local jurisdictions rather than the national jurisdiction of the Supreme People’s Court. The Supreme People’s Procuratorate is the highest national agency responsible for prosecution and investigation within the People’s Republic. The Ministry of State Security, meanwhile, handles issues of national security primarily as an intelligence agency under the Executive Branch, but frequently deals with matters that may require extensive interaction with the justice system.
The Extended People’s Political Consultative Conferences of the 1950’s additionally sought to separate the Chinese government from the Communist Party, creating two distinct institutions with different leadership, partially in order to sideline a severely ill Mao Zedong.
Head of State: President Sun Chunlan
Head of Government:Nation Capital City: Beijing
Official Territory:There are yet more treaties to repudiate!
Territorial Disputes: Union State(Seizure of Outer Manchuria, Sakhalin, Tannu Tuva, and Central Asian territories), India(Aksai Chin & Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan(See Arunachal Pradesh), and Japan(Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands)
Nation Population: 1,784,778,724
Military Population: 5,015,000
Alliances: UN, Proponent of the East Asian Economic Union
Enemies: The People’s Republic of China is in the process of attempting a detente with the Union State while simultaneously moving to exert more pressure on Hong Kong. China stands opposed to India because of ongoing territorial conflicts, but has expressed a willingness to compromise with both India and Japan. Relations with the West remain cold, but since the opening of the Chinese economy in the 70’s, ever-increasing trade relations have forced China to adopt a less overtly anti-Western policy in the 21st Century.
History: In the aftermath of the Century of Humiliation, the People’s Republic of China rose from the ashes of the Chinese Civil War and reigned supreme over both the mainland and the surrounding islands. Chiang Kai-Shek and his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, were shot down during their evacuation from Chengdu, lending a crippling blow to the administrative structure of the Nationalist Chinese. Due to this period of confusion and lack of a clear leader, the People’s Liberation Army was able to make landings on both Hainan and Taiwan by 1950, effectively ending the Chinese Civil War later in the year.
Soon after the declaration of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, however, rumours within the central government began to circulate of Mao Zedong taking ill. During the first People’s Political Consultative Conference, it was revealed that Mao Zedong had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was to receive treatment in the Soviet Union. Despite the best efforts of experts, his situation did not improve, and, as of January 2, 1950, it was decided that the first People’s Political Consultative Conference would remain in session to ensure stability within the government. However, Mao attempted to cling to power and bring about some of his goals in order to set the nation on the path he felt was best while preparing a successor. This proved too much for the sickly man to handle, particularly from a Moscow hospital. Though he succeeded in preventing opponents from gaining power, he was unable to instate his chosen successor. Instead, after the Chairman’s death in spring of 1952, the Extended People’s Political Conference continued on, and established the first constitution of the People’s Republic of China in 1954, and transferred its role as primary legislature to the National People’s Congress. The role of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party was kept as an honorary role, and delegated eternally to the late Chairman Mao. Additionally, in honour of the founder of the People’s Republic of China, the position of Chairman was not included in the new executive branch.
Despite these measures, the lack of a single rallying figure for the nation was not lost to the newly inaugurated first Standing Council. Song Qingling was elected as the first President of the Standing Council due to her ties to Sun Yat-Sen and her previous endorsement by the late chairman. Under the First Standing Council of the People’s Republic of China(1954-1959), represented by Song Qingling, the foundations of the modern People’s Republic were laid. Maoism, though officially paid lip service to, was replaced by a hybrid model heavily inspired by the New Economic Policy of the early Soviet Union, albeit with continued collectivisation measures from the Chinese Civil War and industrialisation following a Five Year Plan model.
Through the Second Standing Council(1959-1964), presided over by Song Qingling; Third Standing Council(1964-1969), presided over by Zhou Enlai; and Fourth Standing Council(1969-1974), presided over by Zhou Enlai, the Five Year Plan model was followed closely, leading to a progressive industrialisation of China that, while slower, lead to a more stable, if smaller Chinese economy. During the Second Standing Council, a minor famine disrupted industrialisation progress and was further aggravated by the government’s progressively more belligerent policy towards reunification with Mongolia, which alienated China from the Soviet Union and the potential supplies of grain therein.
The primary reason for Chinese belligerence in foreign policy has been a concept known as The Century of Justice, which has been propagated since the Second Standing Committee as one of the primary features of the Chinese national consciousness, emphasizing a unified Chinese identity of “One Nation, Many People,” which establishes a civic Chinese identity that is to exist over the numerous ethnic identities of the nation. Further, the Century of Justice suggests that the landlords and robber barons of previous years are likewise a symptom of the Century of Humiliation, and that greed is a “Counterrevolutionary, western value.” Although the Chinese Communist Party remains important within the People’s Republic of China, traditional means are likewise used to justify the nation’s ideology, through the Three Traditions of Conformity, Harmony, and Justice, represented by the use of a taiji with the characters Shui and Qin in the Yin and Yang respectively.
This reevaluation of values under later administrations further alienated China from the Soviet Union and led to the development of nuclear weaponry during the 1960s. After Zhou Enlai, the first period of the People’s Republic of China is generally considered to have ended. The Century of Justice popularised by Zhou Enlai’s administrations began to take its own character during the Fifth Standing Council(1974-1979), presided over by Jiang Shangqing. While the policy of the Four Modernisations was heavily advocated by State Councillor Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Shangqing, a well-known war hero, popularised an ideas of Chinese revanchism with the public, suggesting both in internal memos and in public appearances that the only way to fully achieve Zhou Enlai’s dream of a Century of Justice would be to repudiate all of the Unequal Treaties. Although President Jiang did not pursue a second term like many of his predecessors had, his ideas had seeped into the national consciousness and education system alike, and created an invigorated sense of Chinese nationalism.
The Sixth Standing Council(1979-1984), under Song Renqiong, oversaw the largest military expansion programme in the history of the republic, which continued through the Seventh Standing Council(1984-1989) and Eighth Standing Council(1989-1994). The Eight Standing Council saw, to date, the only instances of this expanded military’s use came first in the 1983 seizure of Macau, and then later in the form of the Occupation of Disputed Territories in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, leading to the formal repudiation of the treaties of Aigun and Beijing by President Song. Despite the potential to spiral into a nuclear conflict, the Chinese military was ordered not to back down.
Under the Ninth Standing Council(1994-1999), presided over once more by Song Renqiong, the government turned its priorities to defending the newly re-acquired territories from Russia and attempting to repudiate other treaties. Negotiations with the United Kingdom did not result in any progress, and, unlike in the case of Russia, military intervention was deemed too big of a risk due to the United Kingdom’s involvement with the United States and the trajectory that the Falkland War had taken. Song Renqiong’s death in 1997 led to a provisional government run by Hu Jintao, who would then ascend to formally hold the position under the Tenth Standing Council(1999-2004) and the Eleventh Standing Council(2004-2009).
Although he is known in the West for his policy of detente with the West, Hu Jintao is known within China as a rather quiet figure and has received praise for his decision to step down as President and enact term limits in line with the established norms of the early People’s Republic. His leadership further gave the modern Chinese economy its current character—one which more closely resembles corporatism than the nation’s roots in Marxist-Leninist theory.
RP Example(s): We’re in that rp Aka: New Power together, and I think I’m in more of your RPs than not
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Tue Jan 11, 2022 4:45 pm
by Monsone » Tue Jan 11, 2022 6:14 pm
NATION APPLICATION
The United States of America (Other languages not included; the US has no official language but its de facto language is English.)
The United States, the US, the USA, America, 'Merica
Government Type: Semi-Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic
Government Explanation:
The president is the head of state and head of government, with the two houses of Congress (the Senate with 104 seats and the House of Representatives with 441 seats) acting as the legislative branch of government. The Supreme Court has no fixed number of justices but currently sits at nine. Beneath the federal government are state governments which as a whole are quite similar in layout to the federal government, but they lack the power of the federal government. Governors preside over their state, which has a state legislature, and its own circuit courts, and state supreme court. Beneath the state government are local authorities which vary in how they are laid out widely depending on the state in question.
By far the federal government is the most powerful part of government and is capable of overriding states with near impunity in many cases. This stems from Reconstruction-era powers and wartime acts which are still "on the books," allowing for direct control over the entire nation if necessary. However, these controls haven't been used since WW2 and are hence unlikely to be used again.
Head of State: Barack Hussein Obama (Barack H. Obama)
Head of Government: Barack Hussein Obama (Barack H. Obama)
Nation Capital City: Washington D.C.
Official Territory: All IRL US territory (including Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands) but excluding the areas controlled by New Amsterdam.
Territorial Disputes: Arguably some in the US consider New Amsterdam's very existence to be a territory dispute, but officially there aren't really territorial disputes save for a few areas of remote wilderness with Canada. Most border/territorial disputes involve the US's maritime borders with Canada and New Amsterdam, though little conflict actually emerges from these disputes, with a resolution always being reached peacefully. More recently some possible disputes have arisen over US plans to build ever-increasing numbers of offshore wind farms close to the maritime border between the US and New Amsterdam.
Nation Population: 316 million
Military Population: 1.5 million
Alliances: NATO (Founding Member), OAS (Founding Member), UN (Founding Member)
Enemies: The US doesn't exactly have enemies per se, just threats. The People's Republic of China and the Union State are both considered primary threats, but not enemies. By in large, the US has cordial diplomatic relations with practically every nation on Earth with few exceptions.
History:
RP Example(s):
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by Union Princes » Tue Jan 11, 2022 7:01 pm
by Deblar » Tue Jan 11, 2022 7:04 pm
1865-1890 --- Reconstruction and the Gilded Age or: A tale of two cities.
Forced to remain at home and rest by his personal physician, Abraham Lincoln evaded being assassinated at the Ford Theater and survived long enough to complete his term in 1868. During his second term as president, Lincoln would oversee the rise of two cities, Chicago and San Francisco, alongside the widespread societal changes that Reconstruction would bring. Chicago would emerge as the center of American commerce, industry, trade, and transportation due to its central location and excellent transport links. And San Francisco would emerge as the gateway to the west coast thanks to its land and sea transport links. Meanwhile, the lands of the former Confederacy were subject to military rule to undo the inhumane institutions that reinforced and propagated slavery.
Mass-industrialization and the completion of the Trans-Continental Railroad were the hallmarks of Lincoln's second term aside from winning the civil war. Freemen from across the US entered the labor force in ever-growing numbers, and agricultural lands formerly controlled by plantation owners were dolled out to their ex-enslaved peoples along with loans and farm equipment. It was an attempt by Lincoln to try and repair some of the damage caused by slavery. Alas, Lincoln would never get to implement Reconstruction as he saw fit; succeeded by the more radical and soft-spoken ex-general Ulysses S. Grant. The Grant presidency would see the rise of the industrial US and growth in its prestige. It would also see some of the most hard-line anti-Confederate Reconstruction policies which would result in the military occupation of the South ending only in 1890.
Rutherford B. Hayes would be but a blip on the map of history and was succeeded by James A. Garfield. After evading an assassination attempt, the Garfield presidency would last for another eight years. Under his presidency, the effects of Reconstruction were codified into the Constitution. Secession was now explicitly marked as treason and voter suppression/intimidation tactics were strictly prohibited under a voting rights amendment that also expanded suffrage to those eighteen and older as well as women. An early network of social services (namely universal schooling) came to be, but this would not be mistaken for an end to the unfettered capitalism of the Gilded Age. Indeed, it simply was the mark of a transition from an age of excess and wealth to an age of progress and modernity.
by The V O I D » Tue Jan 11, 2022 8:11 pm
by The V O I D » Tue Jan 11, 2022 8:27 pm
Arvenia wrote:ReservationNS Name: Arvenia
RP Name: Greater Colombian Republic
Territory: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Acre State (Brazil), Roraima State (Brazil), Rondônia State (Brazil) and Amazonas State (Brazil)
Khasinkonia wrote:NATION APPLICATION
(Image)
中华人民共和国(Putonghua) | The People’s Republic of China(English
中国(Putonghua) | China(English)
Government Type: Unitary Corporatist One-Party Socialist Republic
Government Explanation: The government of the People’s Republic of China formally follows a three-branch system, with a legislative, judicial, and executive branch.
The National People’s Congress is the unicameral legislative body with the power to legislate and oversee operations of the government, as well as to elect major officials of the state. Consisting of 3,122 members as of 2007, it is generally considered impractical for the entire congress to remain in session, and so it generally only convenes annually, with the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, which consists of 197 members elected from within the NPC, handling legislative duties when the full congress is not in session. Since the Extended People’s Political Consultative Conferences of 1955 caused by the unexpected sickness and later passing of Chairman Mao Zedong and ensuing power struggle, the National People’s Congress has enjoyed a significant increase in power and is able to affect issues of all levels of importance to the Chinese regime.
Unlike many regimes across the world, it is difficult to put an accurate face to the Executive Branch of the People’s Republic of China because it is not one face, but in fact twelve. The State Council of the People’s Republic of China consists of eleven members publicly elected from within the 26 constituent departments of the Executive Branch. Of the elected officials, ten receive the title of State Councillor, one receives the title of Council Arbitrator, and one receives the title of President. The State Councillors decide on most issues within the government, with the Council Arbitrator serving to break any ties and bring issues before the NPC, and the President serving a ceremonial role. By convention, the President is generally the Minister of Foreign affairs or selected from within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but internal recommendations do not specify this as a requirement, only requiring that the choice be “The most charismatic among the elected councillors.” Despite restrictions, the President often has some sway over larger public policy because of the potential to use the role as a “bully pulpit”—something which has been used to great effect by the current President Sun Chunlan.
According to the 1982 constitution and the Organic Law of the People’s Courts, the Judicial Branch of the People’s Republic of China consists of four levels, the Supreme People’s Court, with six circuit courts beneath it, and then High People’s Courts, Intermediate People’s Courts, and Primary People’s Courts all falling under local jurisdictions rather than the national jurisdiction of the Supreme People’s Court. The Supreme People’s Procuratorate is the highest national agency responsible for prosecution and investigation within the People’s Republic. The Ministry of State Security, meanwhile, handles issues of national security primarily as an intelligence agency under the Executive Branch, but frequently deals with matters that may require extensive interaction with the justice system.
The Extended People’s Political Consultative Conferences of the 1950’s additionally sought to separate the Chinese government from the Communist Party, creating two distinct institutions with different leadership, partially in order to sideline a severely ill Mao Zedong.
Head of State: President Sun Chunlan
Head of Government:Nation Capital City: Beijing
Official Territory:There are yet more treaties to repudiate!
Territorial Disputes: Union State(Seizure of Outer Manchuria, Sakhalin, Tannu Tuva, and Central Asian territories), India(Aksai Chin & Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan(See Arunachal Pradesh), and Japan(Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands)
Nation Population: 1,784,778,724
Military Population: 5,015,000
Alliances: UN, Proponent of the East Asian Economic Union
Enemies: The People’s Republic of China is in the process of attempting a detente with the Union State while simultaneously moving to exert more pressure on Hong Kong. China stands opposed to India because of ongoing territorial conflicts, but has expressed a willingness to compromise with both India and Japan. Relations with the West remain cold, but since the opening of the Chinese economy in the 70’s, ever-increasing trade relations have forced China to adopt a less overtly anti-Western policy in the 21st Century.
History: In the aftermath of the Century of Humiliation, the People’s Republic of China rose from the ashes of the Chinese Civil War and reigned supreme over both the mainland and the surrounding islands. Chiang Kai-Shek and his son, Chiang Ching-kuo, were shot down during their evacuation from Chengdu, lending a crippling blow to the administrative structure of the Nationalist Chinese. Due to this period of confusion and lack of a clear leader, the People’s Liberation Army was able to make landings on both Hainan and Taiwan by 1950, effectively ending the Chinese Civil War later in the year.
Soon after the declaration of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, however, rumours within the central government began to circulate of Mao Zedong taking ill. During the first People’s Political Consultative Conference, it was revealed that Mao Zedong had been diagnosed with lung cancer and was to receive treatment in the Soviet Union. Despite the best efforts of experts, his situation did not improve, and, as of January 2, 1950, it was decided that the first People’s Political Consultative Conference would remain in session to ensure stability within the government. However, Mao attempted to cling to power and bring about some of his goals in order to set the nation on the path he felt was best while preparing a successor. This proved too much for the sickly man to handle, particularly from a Moscow hospital. Though he succeeded in preventing opponents from gaining power, he was unable to instate his chosen successor. Instead, after the Chairman’s death in spring of 1952, the Extended People’s Political Conference continued on, and established the first constitution of the People’s Republic of China in 1954, and transferred its role as primary legislature to the National People’s Congress. The role of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party was kept as an honorary role, and delegated eternally to the late Chairman Mao. Additionally, in honour of the founder of the People’s Republic of China, the position of Chairman was not included in the new executive branch.
Despite these measures, the lack of a single rallying figure for the nation was not lost to the newly inaugurated first Standing Council. Song Qingling was elected as the first President of the Standing Council due to her ties to Sun Yat-Sen and her previous endorsement by the late chairman. Under the First Standing Council of the People’s Republic of China(1954-1959), represented by Song Qingling, the foundations of the modern People’s Republic were laid. Maoism, though officially paid lip service to, was replaced by a hybrid model heavily inspired by the New Economic Policy of the early Soviet Union, albeit with continued collectivisation measures from the Chinese Civil War and industrialisation following a Five Year Plan model.
Through the Second Standing Council(1959-1964), presided over by Song Qingling; Third Standing Council(1964-1969), presided over by Zhou Enlai; and Fourth Standing Council(1969-1974), presided over by Zhou Enlai, the Five Year Plan model was followed closely, leading to a progressive industrialisation of China that, while slower, lead to a more stable, if smaller Chinese economy. During the Second Standing Council, a minor famine disrupted industrialisation progress and was further aggravated by the government’s progressively more belligerent policy towards reunification with Mongolia, which alienated China from the Soviet Union and the potential supplies of grain therein.
The primary reason for Chinese belligerence in foreign policy has been a concept known as The Century of Justice, which has been propagated since the Second Standing Committee as one of the primary features of the Chinese national consciousness, emphasizing a unified Chinese identity of “One Nation, Many People,” which establishes a civic Chinese identity that is to exist over the numerous ethnic identities of the nation. Further, the Century of Justice suggests that the landlords and robber barons of previous years are likewise a symptom of the Century of Humiliation, and that greed is a “Counterrevolutionary, western value.” Although the Chinese Communist Party remains important within the People’s Republic of China, traditional means are likewise used to justify the nation’s ideology, through the Three Traditions of Conformity, Harmony, and Justice, represented by the use of a taiji with the characters Shui and Qin in the Yin and Yang respectively.
This reevaluation of values under later administrations further alienated China from the Soviet Union and led to the development of nuclear weaponry during the 1960s. After Zhou Enlai, the first period of the People’s Republic of China is generally considered to have ended. The Century of Justice popularised by Zhou Enlai’s administrations began to take its own character during the Fifth Standing Council(1974-1979), presided over by Jiang Shangqing. While the policy of the Four Modernisations was heavily advocated by State Councillor Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Shangqing, a well-known war hero, popularised an ideas of Chinese revanchism with the public, suggesting both in internal memos and in public appearances that the only way to fully achieve Zhou Enlai’s dream of a Century of Justice would be to repudiate all of the Unequal Treaties. Although President Jiang did not pursue a second term like many of his predecessors had, his ideas had seeped into the national consciousness and education system alike, and created an invigorated sense of Chinese nationalism.
The Sixth Standing Council(1979-1984), under Song Renqiong, oversaw the largest military expansion programme in the history of the republic, which continued through the Seventh Standing Council(1984-1989) and Eighth Standing Council(1989-1994). The Eight Standing Council saw, to date, the only instances of this expanded military’s use came first in the 1983 seizure of Macau, and then later in the form of the Occupation of Disputed Territories in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, leading to the formal repudiation of the treaties of Aigun and Beijing by President Song. Despite the potential to spiral into a nuclear conflict, the Chinese military was ordered not to back down.
Under the Ninth Standing Council(1994-1999), presided over once more by Song Renqiong, the government turned its priorities to defending the newly re-acquired territories from Russia and attempting to repudiate other treaties. Negotiations with the United Kingdom did not result in any progress, and, unlike in the case of Russia, military intervention was deemed too big of a risk due to the United Kingdom’s involvement with the United States and the trajectory that the Falkland War had taken. Song Renqiong’s death in 1997 led to a provisional government run by Hu Jintao, who would then ascend to formally hold the position under the Tenth Standing Council(1999-2004).
Although he is known in the West for his policy of detente with the West, Hu Jintao is known within China as a rather quiet figure and has received praise for his decision to step down as President and enact term limits in line with the established norms of the early People’s Republic. His leadership further gave the modern Chinese economy its current character—one which more closely resembles corporatism than the nation’s roots in Marxist-Leninist theory.
RP Example(s): We’re in that rp Aka: New Power together, and I think I’m in more of your RPs than not
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States wrote:Could I reserve the Netherlands? Still thinking about the details…
Monsone wrote:NATION APPLICATION
The United States of America (Other languages not included; the US has no official language but its de facto language is English.)
The United States, the US, the USA, America, 'Merica
Government Type: Semi-Federal Presidential Constitutional Republic
Government Explanation:
The president is the head of state and head of government, with the two houses of Congress (the Senate with 104 seats and the House of Representatives with 441 seats) acting as the legislative branch of government. The Supreme Court has no fixed number of justices but currently sits at nine. Beneath the federal government are state governments which as a whole are quite similar in layout to the federal government, but they lack the power of the federal government. Governors preside over their state, which has a state legislature, and its own circuit courts, and state supreme court. Beneath the state government are local authorities which vary in how they are laid out widely depending on the state in question.
By far the federal government is the most powerful part of government and is capable of overriding states with near impunity in many cases. This stems from Reconstruction-era powers and wartime acts which are still "on the books," allowing for direct control over the entire nation if necessary. However, these controls haven't been used since WW2 and are hence unlikely to be used again.
Head of State: Barack Hussein Obama (Barack H. Obama)
Head of Government: Barack Hussein Obama (Barack H. Obama)
Nation Capital City: Washington D.C.
Official Territory: All IRL US territory (including Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands) but excluding the areas controlled by New Amsterdam.
Territorial Disputes: Arguably some in the US consider New Amsterdam's very existence to be a territory dispute, but officially there aren't really territorial disputes save for a few areas of remote wilderness with Canada. Most border/territorial disputes involve the US's maritime borders with Canada and New Amsterdam, though little conflict actually emerges from these disputes, with a resolution always being reached peacefully. More recently some possible disputes have arisen over US plans to build ever-increasing numbers of offshore wind farms close to the maritime border between the US and New Amsterdam.
Nation Population: 316 million
Military Population: 1.5 million
Alliances: NATO (Founding Member), OAS (Founding Member), UN (Founding Member)
Enemies: The US doesn't exactly have enemies per se, just threats. The People's Republic of China and the Union State are both considered primary threats, but not enemies. By in large, the US has cordial diplomatic relations with practically every nation on Earth with few exceptions.
History:
RP Example(s):
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
Union Princes wrote:Tag, might consider the United Kingdom
by The V O I D » Tue Jan 11, 2022 8:30 pm
Hypron wrote:
Government Type: Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Government Explanation: The Australasian Confederation is a Constitutional Monarchy, governed by a Parliament divided into 2 branches, the 150-seat House of Representatives, which makes up the lower house, and the 36-seat National Assembly representing the upper house. The Head of State is the monarch of Great Britain, who is represented by the Governor-General, which alternates between an Australian and a New Zealander every 5 years.
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II (Represented by Governor-General Anand Satyanand)
Head of Government: Prime Minister John Kay (Australasian Liberal Party)
Nation Capital City: Canberra, Australia
Official Territory: Commonwealth of Australia, Dominion of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji
Territorial Disputes:
Nation Population: 34,512,798
Military Population: 130,000 standing, 340,000 maximum
Alliances: Commonwealth of Nations, UN, NATO (Observer)
Enemies: The People's Republic of China
History: In 1900, the "Australian and New Zealand Federation Act" passed through the Parliaments of Australia and New Zealand, unifying the nations, along with the island of Fiji, into the Australasian Confederation, Elections were held in 1901, putting Richard Seddon and the Australasian Liberal Party into power. Being a New Zealander Progressive, he and his party, along with the Australasian Labour Party joining them, vetoed the attempts by the Australasian Conservative Union to enact a "White Australasian Policy", and instead set out of enshrining native rights across Australasia and making meaningful economic reforms.
The peace and quiet in the South Pacific ended with WWI, which lead to the occupation of what is now known as Papua New Guinea from its former colonial masters. The Australasian Army, formerly known as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) fought on almost every front, showing off their skill and becoming known as some of the best soldiers in the world. After this, in 1937, the "Papua New Guinea Federation Act" officially incorporated Papua New Guinea into the Australasian Confederation in time for the Second World War.
In the modern day, the Australasian Confederation is a stable, economically prosperous nation in the South Pacific. The goals of the current government, elected in 2009, is to keep the economy growing and ensure stability in the Confederation. Whether it can live up to these goals, however, remains to be seen.
RP Example(s):
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by Free Ward Marchers » Wed Jan 12, 2022 3:40 am
by Arvenia » Wed Jan 12, 2022 5:42 am
NATION APPLICATION
The Greater Colombian Republic (La República Gran Colombiana)
Colombia
Government Type: Federal Constitutional Presidential Republic
Government Explanation: The Greater Colombian Republic is a federal republic that separates power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The President heads the executive branch and is elected directly by popular vote. He is assisted by a Vice President and government ministers. The executive branch consists of the President, the Vice President and many executive departments (with each department being headed by a minister). The President has the power to appoint officials to government positions, command the military, present budget to the Congress and represent Colombian interests abroad. He is elected for a single term of four years. The Vice President governs the country if the President is either absent or deceased. Among executive departments is the Ministry of National Defense (Ministerio de Defensa Nacional), who is the first of its kind to incorporate both army and naval affairs, since the country doesn't have a separate department for naval affairs. Other departments include the Ministry of Justice (Ministerio de Justicia), the Ministry of Home Affairs (Ministerio del Interior), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio del Exterior), the Ministry of Finance (Ministerio de Hacienda), the Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio de Agricultura), the Ministry of Labor (Ministerio de Trabajo), the Ministry of Communications (Ministerio de Comunicaciones), the Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación), the Ministry of Transportation (Ministerio de Transporte), the Ministry of Welfare (Ministerio de Bienestar), the Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura), the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs (Ministerio de Asuntos Indígenas), the Ministry of Urban Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano), the Ministry of Natural Resources (Ministerio de Recursos Naturales), the Ministry of Environment (Ministerio de Ambiente), the Ministry of Science (Ministerio de Ciencia) and the Ministry of Trade (Ministerio de Comercio).
The Congress (Congreso de la República Gran Colombiana) is the tricameral legislature that consists of the upper Censorate (Censorado), the middle Senate (Senado) and the lower National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional). The National Assembly consists of 382 MNAs who are directly elected through proportional voting and represent the general population. Each MNA has an electoral district to represent and the Speaker heads the house. The National Assembly has the power to vote on most legislative matters, approve the budget and send proposed bills to the Senate. The Senate consists of 56 Senators who are indirectly elected by state legislatures and represent the individual states. There are usually four Senators per state (due to the RGC having less states than the US, Argentina and Brazil). The Senate has the power to give advice and consent to the President, ratify treaties, appoint state officials, supervise the judiciary, vote on some legislative matters (mostly constitutional ones) and debate on proposed bills that are sent from the National Assembly. The Senate is headed by a Chairman. The Censorate is a house composed of 12 Censorators who are secretly appointed by either the President or a group of politicians. They represent the Greater Colombian Constitution and has the power to impeach the government, keep an eye on the other two houses and even act as a constitutional court. While the two lower houses are dominated by political parties, the Censorate is completely nonpartisan. The Censorate is headed by a High Censorator (Censorador Jefe), who is usually a veteran judge.
The judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de la República Gran Colombiana), the Appellate Courts (Tribunales de Apelación) and the District Courts (Tribunales de Distrito). It follows the European civil law and also includes other courts such as military courts and administrative courts.
From 1840 to 1892, the main political factions were the Moderates (Moderados) and the Patriots (Patriotas). The Moderates were a pro-European movement influenced by Miguel Carceres, who supported traditional values, economic liberalization and states' rights (decentralization). The Patriots were an anti-European movement influenced by Daniel Sulívar, who supported liberal values, economic intervention and national unity (centralization). In 1892, the Moderates became the Conservative Party (Partido Conservador), while the Patriots became the Patriotic Party (Partido Patriótico). However, 1899 saw an internal conflict happen in the Patriotic Party, which ended when a large majority of PP members broke away to form the Liberal Party (Partido Liberal) a year later. For the first half of the 20th century, the Conservative Party (PC) and the Liberal Party (PL) were the largest parties in the country, followed by the Patriotic Party (PP) and other smaller parties. The Patriotic Party eventually gained power in the late 1930s as a result of the Great Depression, but it didn't last long until a coup d'etat in 1944. Starting in the 1980s, newer parties started to emerge, while the Liberal Party split up a decade later. One half of the party merged with the Conservative Party to form the Liberal Conservative Party (Partido Liberal Conservador), while the other half became the New Liberal Party (Nuevo Partido Liberal). As a result, the Liberal Party became known as the "Old Liberal Party" (Antiguo Partido Liberal). As of 2010, the RGC is currently ruled by the Democratic Party for National Unity (Partido Demócrata por la Unidad Nacional), a national conservative and anti-communist party formed by President Álvaro Uribe in 2001.
The country is geographically divided into first-level states (estados), second-level cantons (cantones) and third-level municipalities (municipios or municipalidades). The states have governors (gobernadores), legislatures (congresos estatales, asambleas estatales or legislaturas estatales) and courts (tribunales estatales), while the cantons have cantonal councils (consejos cantonales) and the municipalities are like those in the US (various kinds of municipal governance). The country has currently fourteen states. Those states are Ecuador, Urabá, Baudó, Amazonia, Orinoquía, Cordillera, Inca, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Sulivia, Rondonia and Roraima. Bogotá is an independent city, which means it is not part of any state in the country.
Head of State: President Álvaro Uribe (PDUN)
Head of Government: Same as above
Nation Capital City: Bogotá
Official Territory: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Acre State (Brazil), Roraima State (Brazil), Rondônia State (Brazil) and Amazonas State (Brazil)
Territorial Disputes: The RGC has numerous territorial disputes with Brazil, Guyana (British Guyana) and Chile.
Nation Population: 137,663,152
Military Population: 1,093,598 FARGC personnel (624,648 actives and 468,950 reserves)
Alliances: UN, WTO, OECD, APEC, OAS, ALADI, SELA, OEI, UNAS, Mercosur, CARICOM (observer) and NATO (Global Partner)
Enemies: Brazil and Chile
History: The area that makes up the Greater Colombian Republic belonged originally to various indigenous civilizations (such as the Inca Empire and the Muisca Confederation). In the 16th century, the area was invaded and colonized by the "Conquistadors", a group of soldiers from Spain. The civilizations inhabiting the area were either eradicated or enslaved in the process. The area was divided into the New Kingdom of Granada, the Province of Venezuela and the Viceroyalty of Peru. Several years later into colonial rule, the Spanish began shipping their African slaves to the Americas. The colonization of this area produced many goods like tobacco, cotton, wood, textile, wheat, copper, nickel, iron, gold and silver, which would greatly benefit Spain. In the 18th century, both Venezuela and New Granada merged to form the much larger Viceroyalty of New Granada.
However, between the late 18th century and the early 19th century, colonial uprising began to emerge in the Americas due to various factors. These factors include slavery, poverty, war and corruption. The "Libertadores" were rebels who fought for independence in the Spanish Americas. Among these rebels was a military officer named Daniel Sulívar (1774-1828). He was born to a Spanish colonel and a Wayuu woman, which makes him a "Mestizo". He was raised as a Spanish person with many privileges. He served in the Spanish Army up until the Americas began rebelling against their colonial overlords. Since he was a Mestizo, he was disgusted by the injustice that is being directed at both African slaves and Amerindian tribes (especially how his mother was treated due to her ancestry), as well as the fact that all power in the Spanish Americas belonged to the "Peninsulars" (native Spaniards residing overseas). Largely inspired by the revolts in New Spain, Daniel deserted and then organized his own rebellion against colonial oppression in New Granada. This rebellion united many Amerindians, Africans and some dissident Peninsulars in their quest for independence from Spain. One of those dissident Peninsulars was a fellow officer from the Spanish Army named Miguel Carceres (1776-1862), who also happened to be Daniel's childhood friend. Together, Daniel and Miguel greatly weakened Spanish rule in New Granada, allowing it to become independent. However, their quest was far from over as they later focused on Peru. There, they spearheaded another successful revolt against Spanish rule. This allowed Peru to also become independent. Around 1816, the Greater Colombian Republic was proclaimed after the merger of New Granada and Peru. Daniel Sulívar, who was the primary head of the revolts in New Granada and Peru, was declared President of the Greater Colombian Republic, with Miguel Carceres serving as Vice President due to being second-in-command. Under his rule, Daniel made many changes like abolishing slavery, introducing public education, implementing universal suffrage for all ethnic groups, stripping the Catholic Church of many privileges, returning all indigenous land to their respective tribes, establishing a tricameral legislature, ending corruption, nationalizing the economy, cutting all ties with mainland Spain and adopting the Colombian dolár as the national currency.
During the first years of its existence, the RGC maintained friendly relations with the United States, New Amsterdam and other Latin American states. Although enjoying peace and stability, the RGC would soon be rocked by an internal conflict between Daniel and Miguel. Miguel, who was somewhat sympathetic towards Spain and the Catholic Church, started to disagree with Daniel, who was fiercely liberal and nationalist, over issues regarding administration, culture, economy and diplomacy. In the end, Miguel departed from his position and cut all ties with Daniel. Following this, Daniel selected a former slave named Luis Antonio Gil to serve as Vice President. Daniel would go on to rule the RGC until he died from a disease in 1828, by which he was given a state funeral. After the funeral, the country held its very first election. Luis Antonio Gil, serving at the time as acting President following Daniel's death, won the election and became the second permanent President of the RGC (as well as its first African President). He continued Daniel's policies with the same level of efficiency. Later in the 1830s, however, Ernesto Rodríguez, the third President of the RGC, began cutting all ties with the US and other Latin American states, after he accused the former of discriminating against Native Americans, while the latter began suffering from political turmoil. This wouldn't benefit the RGC, who had no country to trade or cooperate with (since it was hostile towards both Europe and Brazil). As a result, the country began experiencing both diplomatic isolation and economic crisis (with the latter causing uprising among businessmen and villagers).
In 1840, as the country held its fourth presidential election, Miguel Carceres unexpectedly began his candidancy, which would be the first time he appeared publicly since he broke up with Daniel Sulívar. His platform included economic liberalization, social stability, reconciliation with Europe and more sovereignty to the constituent states of the RGC, while President Ernesto Rodríguez continued supporting Sulivarian policies (such as economic intervention, social equality, national unity and liberation of the Americas). Due to the general dissatisfaction with the current government, Miguel was able to win the election and become President of the RGC. Even more unexpectedly, he also changed the Gran Colombian Constitution so that the President only has a single term. His presidency saw the RGC supporting conservative values, tax cuts, free trade and states' rights, which helped stabilize the economy and establish diplomatic ties with Europe. Two months after election, the RGC and Spain signed the Treaty of Bogotá, which saw Spain recognize the RGC as an independent country and also end bad blood between the two countries. A year later, Miguel reinstated diplomacy between the RGC and the United States. Following this, the RGC also restored diplomatic and economic ties with other Latin American states. Despite his successful presidency, Miguel gained many enemies, many of whom were supporters of Daniel Sulívar. This caused the RGC to operate under a two-party system, with the supporters of Miguel Carceres becoming "Moderates" and the supporters of Daniel Sulívar becoming "Patriots". Once Miguel's presidency ended in 1844, as they ultimately won that year's presidential election, the Moderates would dominate the RGC from 1844 to 1852, when the Patriots gained power under Quentin Valentino, a radical Senator from Ecuador. His presidency saw the RGC return to its liberal roots and cut off all ties with Europe, while the Patriots would dominate the country for three decades. During those decades, both East Asians and Jews began migrating to the RGC. This era also saw the RGC support the Union during the American Civil War, which allegedly included sporadic attacks against the Confederate Navy in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1879, the RGC declared war on Chile. While it fought hard, the RGC was eventually defeated by Chile in 1883. This tarnished the reputation of the Patriots, which led to the Moderates being elected once again in 1886. In the end, industrialization decreased and corruption increased. In 1892, both Moderates and Patriots were respectively reorganized as the Conservative Party and the Patriotic Party. In 1898, the RGC assisted the US throughout the Spanish-American War. In 1899, President Roberto Caycedo, a member of the Patriotic Party, was impeached by the Censorate on charges of corruption after being accused of it by both the Conservative Party and even members of his own party, which makes him the first President in the RGC to be impeached by the Censorate. His impeachment sparked an internal conflict within the Patriotic Party, which ended with the formation of the Liberal Party in 1900. This new party, although having the same social views as the Patriotic Party, was more moderate and also supported a free market economy. Since then, both the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party were the largest and dominant parties in the RGC, while the Patriotic Party was reduced to being a small party, although it still held some congressional seats and certain political positions. 1902 saw the RGC get its first Liberal President, a pragmatic Senator from Venezuela named Carlos Maduro. In 1903, the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed between the US and the RGC, resulting in the US gaining control of the Panama Canal.
In 1906, Rafael Basquera, a Conservative MNA, became the new President of the RGC. His presidency saw the RGC become more industrialized in 1908. By the 1910s, the FARGC was now filled with aircrafts. Once WW1 broke out, the RGC initially stayed neutral (although it did send supplies to the Entente). However, following an attack by the German Navy, the RGC officially declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. From 1917 to 1918, the RGC sent a large expeditionary force of 450,000 troops to the Western Front. This expeditionary force was commanded by General Juan Díaz Ortega. This force participated in numerous battles such as the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Once WW2 ended, the RGC had lost over 65,000 men. The Colombian involvement in WW1 was overseen by President Victorino Márquez Bustillos (PL), who became the third President in the RGC to serve two terms. During Victorino's presidency, the RGC unexpectedly allowed Presidents to serve two terms again, much to the dismay of veteran politicians, especially older members of the Conservative Party, as there might be a risk for increased corruption.
While everything was relatively peaceful and calm in the 1920s, with General Juan Díaz Ortega (PC) being President from 1922 to 1930, the Great Depression broke out in 1929, which then reached the RGC a year later, thus crippling its flourishing economy. This has since led to the Patriotic Party gaining popular support for the first time since the 1890s. From 1932 to 1935, the Chaco War was fought between the RGC and Paraguay, which eventually ended with the latter emerging victorious. In 1938, the Patriotic Party finally won that year's presidential election, thus making its leader, Antonio José Castelli (PP), the new President of the RGC. The new government began implementing radical policies, which includes demand for Colombian takeover of the Panama Canal, the nationalization of the Colombian economy, the centralization of the Colombian states and the complete buildup of the Colombian military. As WW2 broke out, the RGC covertly cooperated with Japan. However, in 1944, the Patriotic Party was overthrown by a group of far-right FARGC officers who formed a military junta called the "Supreme Council for National Defense" (Consejo Supremo de Defensa Nacional). Led by a young Marco Pérez Jiménez, his junta forced the RGC into fighting on the Allied side for the remainder of WW2, while persecuting the country's Japanese population. After WW2 ended, the CSDN continued the rule the RGC with an iron fist and make amends with the US. It also went on to persecute feminists, communists, anarchists, intellectuals, journalists, pacifists, LGBT people, disabled people, indigenous people, religious minorities, trade unions and small businesses, as well as forming a close relationship with the Conservative Party, thus shunning both the Liberal Party and the Patriotic Party. In 1950, the Patriotic Party was officially dissolved by the CSDN, thus leaving the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party as the sole major parties in the RGC (although the CSDN favored the former over the latter).
Once the Cold War broke out, the RGC immediately joined the Western Bloc. In 1954, the CSDN allowed elections again and restored numerous government institutions, but continued to covertly support the Conservative Party. This allowed the party to win that year's presidential election, which has been rigged by the CSDN. The new civilian government, led by President Laureano Gómez (PC), implemented many social and economic policies that favored the US, the CSDN, the Catholic Church, big businesses and anti-communist dictatorships. Meanwhile, the Liberal Party continues to lose popularity and many statues dedicated to Daniel Sulívar were removed due to his left-leaning beliefs. During the Korean War, the Colombian Battalion was deployed to the Korean Peninsula to aid South Korea and their allies. Gómez continued to be President after winning again in 1958, but then something happened two years later.
In 1960, a coup d'etat took place in Bogotá. It was led by Lieutenant Colonel Enrique García Martínez, a WW1 veteran and vehement supporter of the Patriotic Party, and liberal members of the Colombian military. It was supported by the Liberal Party, moderate members of the Conservative Party and even the Red Guards, the armed wing of the Patriotic Party. The coup was a success and supporters of the government, including the CSDN, were prosecuted by a new junta called the "National Reconstruction Committee" (Comité de Reconstrucción Nacional). The CRN reversed many policies that both the CSDN and President Goméz had implemented. In 1962, new elections were held and a new party called the Democratic Action Party (Partido Acción Democrática) emerged victorious with Rómulo Betancourt (PAD) as the new President. The Democratic Action Party formed a coalition government with both the Liberal Party and the Christian Social Party (Partido Social Cristiano), which became known as the "Puntofijo Pact" (Pacto de Puntofijo). This coalition government implemented numerous liberal policies and took inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement. The RGC was briefly involved in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1968.
However, during the 1960s, many left-wing rebel groups would show up in the RGC. Two of these were the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) or FARC and the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) or the PCC-SL. The former is based in the northern parts of the country, while the latter is based in the southern parts. The former is influenced by Che Guevara, while the latter is influenced by Mao Zedong. Ever since their formation, both groups have been terrorizing the RGC for years. This also led to the creation of right-wing paramilitary groups. Meanwhile, relations between the RGC and Chile deteriorated when the latter is subsequently ruled by military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Both countries nearly went to war in the 1980s, but it was neverthless thwarted.
In 1977, the Torrijos–Carter Treaties were signed by the US and the RGC in Washington DC. In 1982, due to the prolonged US control of the Panama Canal Zone, the state of Panama seceded from the RGC and was subsequently led by General Manuel Noriega, a disgruntled EGC officer. The Colombian government, led by President Belisario Betancur Cuartas (PC), both condemned the secession and charged Noriega with treason. In 1989, Panama was jointly invaded by both the US and the RGC. The former had Noriega wanted for racketeering and drug trafficking, while the latter sought out to regain control of Panama. Despite being denounced by the UN and the OAS as a violation of international law, the invasion was a success and led to the RGC regaining control of Panama in 1990. However, that same year, due to the invasion, the Colombian population became fearful of the aftermath. As a result, Alberto Fujimori (AU), a Japanese-Colombian politician from Peru, is subsequently elected as President. A member of the right-wing populist United Action (Acción Unida), Fujimori took a harsh stance on left-wing insurgents and the country's macroeconomic instability. Due to the outbreak of a constitutional crisis in 1992, Fujimori, with the help of the Colombian military, carries out a self-coup. This coup led to the dissolution of the Censorate, the removal of judicial independence and the creation of a new constitution in 1993. Alberto was able to run for three terms, making him the first (and only) President to do so in the RGC. Starting in 1997, Alberto supported and funded the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia), a notorious right-wing paramilitary group who fought against FARC and other left-wing rebel groups, while fighting against both the Shining Path and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (Movimiento Revolucionario Túpac Amaru) down south. Meanwhile, Fujimori used his party to promote Japanese interests in the RGC and form close relations with Japan, even going as far as to deny the severity of Japanese war crimes, provide all Japanese companies with special treatment in the RGC, support Japanese territorial claims and advocate for the revision of Article 9. This didn't sit well with both left-wing activists and far-right nationalists. In 1998, as a result of changes in its political platform, the Liberal Party splits into two groups. One group merged with the Conservative Party to form the centre-right Liberal Conservative Party (Partido Conservador Liberal), while the other group merged with the Democratic Action Party to form the more left-leaning New Liberal Party (Nuevo Partido Liberal).
In 2000, Alberto Fujimori lost all support when a video depicting his corruption is shown to the public. His ministers resigned, while he fled to Japan. After that, Ricardo Márquez Flores (AU) was elected as acting President and would oversee the 2002 presidential election. Two years later, that election is won by Álvaro Uribe (PDUN), the self-described leader of the Democratic Party for National Unity (Partido Demócrata por la Unidad Nacional). Meanwhile, the old Colombian constitution is reinsated, thus restoring both the Censorate and judicial independence, as well as limiting presidential terms to two again. As the current President of the RGC, Álvaro continues to wage war on left-wing terrorism and promote national security within the RGC. The year is now 2010 and Álvaro's second term is coming to an end as a new presidential election will be held later that year.
RP Example(s): A War of Blood and Steel
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by The V O I D » Wed Jan 12, 2022 8:49 am
by Sao Nova Europa » Wed Jan 12, 2022 10:15 am
by The V O I D » Wed Jan 12, 2022 1:17 pm
Sao Nova Europa wrote:
Government Type: Supranational federal union (de jure), Dominant-party state (de facto)
Government Explanation:
The Union State functions on three levels:
1. The first level is that of the Union comprised of nine states: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. The nine heads of government of those states form the Union Council. The Council is presided by the Union Chairman. That office is rotated every two years among the member states. The Chairman convenes the meetings of the Union Council and chairs them, but does not have any special powers over the rest of the members of the Council. Together, the Union Council forms the executive branch of the Union government. The legislative branch of the Union is comprised by the Union Senate: every six years, each state elects 20 Senators for a total of 180 Senators. While the Union Council can issue executive actions, legislation affecting the whole of the Union must be approved by the Union Senate. The Union deals with military, foreign, monetary and (to a limited extend) fiscal policy. All the rest are delegated to state level.
2. The second level is that of the states. Each state comprising the Union has broad autonomy to manage internal affairs: taxation (with the exception of a Union income tax and a Union VAT to fund the Union's budget), infrastructure, healthcare, education, cultural affairs, sports, pensions and all other kinds of policies not under Union jurisdiction.
3. On the third level are sub-state subdivisions. Those depend on the state. Russia is a federation while Tajikistan is a unitary republic. As such, both the types and the powers of the subdivisions vary.
Despite the democratic facade, the Union is dominated by the Union Party. Nominally a center-right conservative party, it has established a dominant position in the Union through control of the media and courts, capture of state institutions and electoral fraud. Also, despite the appearance of equality between the member states, Russia is the dominant power and the Russian President Vladimir Putin sets the policies of the Union, even when he is not Union Chairman
Head of State: Union Chairman Kassym-Jomart Tokayev(Image)
Head of Government:
Union Chairman (de jure)
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin (de facto)(Image)
Nation Capital City: Moscow
Official Territory: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan
Territorial Disputes: Territorial disputes with China
Nation Population: 230,000,000
Military Population: 1,013,628
Alliances: The Union State is not formally allied with any country, but does maintain an informal 'alliance' of convenience with the United States, as a result of mutual antagonism towards China.
Enemies: China as a result of territorial disputes.
History:
The reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev came too late to save the Soviet Union. By 1991, economic and political turmoil began to boil over as the Baltic states chose to secede from the Soviet Union. On 17 March, a referendum was held, in which the vast majority of participating citizens voted in favor of changing the Soviet Union into a renewed federation called the Union State. Despite his best attempts to keep this newly created union together, Gorbachev faced twin crisis at the end of 1991: Ukraine seceded from the Union while Chinese troops grabbed large parts of Central Asia, entirely annexing Kyrgyzstan, as well as Outer Manchuria and the Kuril Islands.
In 1992, the office of the President of the Union State was abolished. Instead, a new office called Union Chairman was established, to be rotated among the leaders of the Union's member states. The first Union Chairman was Boris Yeltsin. With the gravitas of his position (being President of Russia) and the failure of communism (which had less to loss of land and prestige), he pushed forth structural free market reforms: a shock therapy. While this allow the Union State to transition to a market economy, it also created a class of corrupt oligarchs and caused popular unrest as the Soviet welfare institutions were dismantled.
In the 1990s, the Union had to deal with guerilla warfare in the Caucasus waged by Jihadists - both domestic and foreign. Despite his pro-Americanism, Yeltsin was unable to get the Americans to respect the Union. On 31 December 1999, President Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned, handing the post to the recently appointed prime minister and his chosen successor, Vladimir Putin. Even though he was not Union Chairman, Putin became the public face of the Union and the drive behind its decision, using the geopolitical weight of Russia to dominate the other member states.
Putin crushed the Islamist insurgency in the Caucasus in a campaign of shock and awe that saw the region bombarded heavily. As a result of high oil prices, a rise in foreign investment, and prudent economic and fiscal policies, the Union economy grew significantly; dramatically improving standard of living, and increasing its influence in global politics. The success in putting down the revolt in the Caucasus and the high rates of economic growth meant that Putin became immensely popular, even in the other member states of the Union.
Using his popularity, connections with state bureaucracy and oligarchs, and old KGB ties, Putin was able to put Union democracy on a leash. His Union Party - a nominally center-right conservative party - was able to capture state institutions, control the judicial system and earn incredible majorities through controlled media coverage and electoral fraud. Some in the West began to refer to the Union State as the 'Union of Dictators' and 'an alliance of authoritarians'.
Putin's crackdown on democracy and civil society would have put him at odds with the US, had it not been for the rise of socialist China. Both the Union and the US had a common interest in seeing China contained: the US out of anxiety, the Union out of revenge for China's landgrab in the last days of the USSR. Now Putin hopes to use America's antagonism with China to fulfil his dream: the restoration of Russia's historical borders.
RP Example(s): Example
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by Union Princes » Wed Jan 12, 2022 8:01 pm
NATION APPLICATION
FORMAL Nation Name The United Kingdom of Great Britain and North Ireland
INFORMAL Nation Name The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, the UK
Government Type: Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Government Explanation:
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
Head of Government: (if the same as Head of State, just state the Head of State's title)
Nation Capital City: London
Official Territory: IRL Britain and Malta
Territorial Disputes: Gibraltar and North Ireland
Nation Population: 63 million
Military Population: 300,000 active
Alliances: NATO, Commonwealth, Interpol, WHO, WTC, UN, G7, G20, AUKUS, OECD, G10
Enemies: The People's Republic of China over the situation in Hong Kong. Elsewhere, its competition for influence against mainland Europe and the US.
History: (the history of your nation - at least three paragraphs, or else a comprehensive timeline detailing significant events throughout each decade since your nation's Point of Divergence)
Decolonization - Despite its best efforts to hold onto the scrapes of its flaying empire, the United Kingdom was eventually forced to carry out decolonization. With great reluctance, the British Raj ended and was replaced with the states of India, Pakistan, and eventually Bangladesh. Whether or not the partition was done out of blind ignorance or sheer spite upon losing the crown jewel of the empire remains a controversial topic to this day.
In the Middle East, the Palestine Mandate reached its conclusion as the UK simply forfeit the region and let the United Nations sort out the mess. In the absence of British power, the state of Israel emerged as an independent nation and was an immediate target of an Arab coalition. Yet, the final straw London had over this movement occurred in the Suez Crisis when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. Bitter from the international humiliation from losing such a prized strategic asset, Great Britain was emboldened to pursue its own agenda to wrangle concessions out of its former colonies.
Taking inspiration from the French Foreign Legion, a new initiative to retain the manpower from the formerly vast empire. Policymakers in London, when arranging independence for the African, South and East Asian, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean colonies, demanded that the United Kingdom retain the exclusive right to enlist volunteers from their populations through recruitment offices. The colonies have no choice but to comply. The decision to trade manpower for freedom was met with begrudging acceptance but both parties ended up getting what they desired. Thus the International Commonwealth Volunteers for the Service of Britain was born but while the FFL was renowned for its elite training and status, the ICVSB’s low standards allowed its ranks to swell considerably.
Dying Left - In 1966, Harold Wilson of the socialist Labour Party was re-elected to the position of Prime Minister. He had campaigned on a radical agenda for nationalization, greater independence for international diplomacy, and numerous social reforms. Yet in 1968, a huge scandal broke out that shook British politics and society to their very core. Evidence was unearthed showing the Soviet Union in a collision with the Labour Party due to Wilson’s unprecedented ambition.
In response, the military lead by a cabal of admirals considered a coup to save “British Democracy’ but was quietly halted in its tracks when the royal family subtly indicated its reluctance to support such an extreme measure. Meanwhile, the Labour Party was torn to shreds from the backlash as the Red Scare gripped the country. Harold Wilson left in disgrace, leaving the PM office ripe for the taking.
Thatcher Rising - Out of all the candidates that competed for office, the victory of Margaret Thatcher of the Conservative Party was the least expected and most shocking. The old guard Conservatives, however, thought a woman like her could be tamed and kept under wraps while they carry out their agenda. Much to their own surprise and increasing frustration, PM Margaret Thatcher split the party internally between her old guard detractors and new guard enthusiasts.
While the post-war consensus remained the gospel for the major political parties, Thatcher pursued her own philosophy. Coined as “Thatcherism” by observers, Thatcher embarked on a campaign to enact supply-side Monetarism everywhere. Rather than controlling unemployment, the future Iron Lady was focused on controlling inflation, privatizing state-owned monopolies, lowering taxes, and crushing the trade unions. That last part was remarkably a lot easier than expected due to the Red Scare still lingering in the public conscious.
The Iron Lady - No one would expect a daughter of a grocer to become one of the most popular Conservative Party politicians and they would certainly laugh at the notion that she would emerge as dictator in all but in name, ruling from London, yet that has happened. Through crafting a cult of personality, as a champion of the common people and a staunch anti-communist, Thatcher vowed that Britain will “never experience another Wilson” and in the pursuit of rooting out political and business corruption and Soviet spies, her increasingly aggressive measures subverted democratic values much to the worry of the Conservative old guards.
Towards the end of her second term in the early 1970s, Thatcher’s popularity reached an extent that British democracy was subverted entirely prompting an uproar from the old guard. In response, she purged the Conservative Party from her detractors, replaced them with young loyalists, and rebranded it to become the National Conservative Party. The exiled Conservatives, however, reunited and formed the Democratic Conservative Party as they hoped to undo Thatcherism.
Sensing a potential rift among the Conservatives, the remnants of the socialist Labour party slowly reorganized itself into political entities. The National Liberals and the Social Liberals emerged to challenge the Iron Lady through the stigma from Wilson’s scandal was the first obstacle to be overcome. But they weren’t the only parties trying to make a comeback: the National Front, founded by A.K. Chesterton, began seeking membership within the UK.
Ireland and the Bush Wars - The subject of North Ireland was a constant source of agony between the governments of Dublin and London. While Ireland wished to have a united island, the Protestant Irish saw themselves more akin to the English than their Catholic brothers. Belfast abused its privileges to no end, setting up anti-Catholic gerrymandering, in order to suppress the Nationalist sentiment growing in North Ireland. As a response, the Catholics formed a civil rights organization in 1969, prompting the Protestants to form their own movement to react to this trend. Although ordered by the police to stand down, the Protestants countermarched anyway and immediately got into a clash with the Catholics. The police broke up the riots with extreme brutality, further devolving the situation into a three-way war between the Catholics, Protestants, and Police.
Not risking to lose North Ireland to Nationalist sentiment, Thatcher carried out a plan suggested by MP Enoch Powell to deport the entire Catholic population to the Republic. Much to the ire of Dublin, British police with the help of Protestant paramilitaries evicted the Catholics from their homes and exiled them to Ireland en masse. A massive wall was erected to separate the two Irelands, creating one of the most militarized borders in the world.
In the continent of Africa, Uganda experienced a coup when Field Marshal Idi Amin overthrew Obote and installed himself dictator in 1971. While Britain was initially pleased since Obote was dangerously defying the ICVSB clause and flirting with the Soviet Union, that mild optimism was quickly replaced with dread and anger when Amin attacked an ICVSB recruitment station and murdered the staff in 1972. While he regularly mocked the UK during his rule, this course of action to humiliate London and discredit the ICVSB was a slight that cannot be forgiven. As it turns out, Amin targeted the recruitment office because many of his targets for persecution sought refuge under the British umbrella by trying to enlist.
The First British Bush War has begun when the British High Command organized six regiments ICVSB recruits to secure a landing zone to pave for a full invasion of Uganda. However, the troops were outnumbered at least 3 -1, prompting further escalation of the conflict. Although led by superior officers and supported by a modern logistics system, further reinforcements were needed. Thatcher authorized further development of ICVSB units, including the elite Gurkhas from Nepal, causing British troop presence to swell to 16,000 soldiers. Comprised entirely of men drawn from all four corners of the Commonwealth, there are Arabs, Burmese, Nepalese, South Americans, South Africans, and even members from the Acholi and Lango ethnic groups that were persecuted by Amin's regime. Overall, the mixed quality of units meant that the entire British force in Africa was on par with Uganda's army, leading to intense guerilla warfare and bloody engagements in urban areas. By 1978, there were 25,000 ICVSB soldiers active in Uganda, suppressing remnants of Amin's followers and ensuring stability for the new Ugandan government. Though extremely expensive and bloody, the country was declared pacified by Thatcher. Though the dictator was gone, criticism arose accusing Britain of "neo-colonialism."
The Second British Bush War occurred in 1994 when Thatcher ordered ICVSB regiments to cross the border from Uganda and into Rwanda. Unlike the situation in the first British Bush War, London was not interested in establishing another puppet state but instead "restoring order and sanity to Rwanda." After the murders of President Juvénal Habyarimana, Cyprien Ntaryamira, and Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, it was paramount for Britain to stop whatever evil is taking hold of the African country. Whether or not Thatcher was genuine in protecting the Tutsi from genocide or using the crisis as an excuse for neo-colonialism, the result was the same: another long, grueling war where tens of thousands of ICVSB soldiers fought alongside hundreds of thousands of Tutsi people resisting Hutu extremists. By the end, London claimed victory when it forced Rwanda to cede the prefecture of Ruhengeri to be given to the Tutsi people. Under Thatcher's directive, this was to prevent another internal genocide by giving the Hutu and Tutsi people their own nations to govern and rule. Thus, the Tutsi Free State was born as a new nation of Africa under the watchful protection of Britain.
Rusting Iron - Towards the end of the Cold War and the coming of the new Millenium as the uncontested ruler of Great Britain. Her policies of Thatcherism continued without much resistance though there were exceptions such as the National Health Service. Yet, there was one last piece that needs to be addressed: climate change. As an early herald of climate change and environmental protection, Thatcher pushed these issues into mainstream politics.
Since the coal mines were already closed down, the next step was to expand renewable energy sources and enact greater environmental protection. Looking to the east for inspiration, Thatcher invited Japanese investors and engineers to build several lines of Shinkansen, the bullet trains, in order to upgrade the rail industry. Though it has been privatized in the past, the train businesses got the message to embrace this change rather than push back.
New Decade - After ruling for four decades, Margaret Thatcher announced her retirement from British politics and resigned from the office of PM. In her stead, Thatcher appoints Sir John Major to be her successor. Though a visually unremarkable man that lacked the charisma of Thatcher, his boring but practical approach towards Thatcherism earned some favor from his party. However, it was clear that the opposition will soon rise and break the glass ceiling left in place by his predecessor.
RP Example(s): https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=509276
[url][/url]
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Fri Jan 14, 2022 2:15 pm
NATION APPLICATION
Republiek der Nederlanden | Republic of the Netherlands
Nederland | The Netherlands
Government Type: Unitary Presidential Republic
Government Explanation: The Dutch government, from the 20s up until the 90s, used to be a copy of the monarchist system, with the king replaced by a president. This meant the president had some far-reaching powers, but generally decided not to use them in favour of letting the cabinet and parliament hash things out between themselves. Throughout the years, there were more or less active presidents, each with their own spin, but generally cabinets would reflect the majority in parliament. Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, though, the Raadspensionaris has taken more and more liberty in his positions. During the first years of his presidency, Pim Fortuyn ruled with a minority cabinet, which was only fixed when he threatened to disband parliament for new elections, making the centre-right and the Christian democrats cave to his demands. A system that had been ruled by convention more and more sees those conventions crumble, and the president taking a more and more active role to the detriment of the power of parliament.
Head of State: Raadpensionaris Pim Fortuyn
Head of Government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Mat Herben, Minister of General Affairs
Nation Capital City: The Hague (Den Haag)
Official Territory: The Netherlands, Flanders (including Brussels) the Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saint Maarten, Saint Eustatius, Saba
Territorial Disputes: N/a
Nation Population: 24.000.000
Military Population: 50.000
Alliances: UN; EU; NATO; INTERPOL;
Enemies: N/a
History: The history of the Netherlands diverges from real history in the late 19th and early 20th century. While financial capitalism in the Netherlands was still underdeveloped next to colonial capitalism, and the prominence of religion in daily life was still a danger to the formation of any kind of class consciousness, Dutch socialists gained boons from their more economically developed cousins across the Atlantic, who wrote and spoke in a Dutch dialect that was not difficult to translate into European Dutch. This was true for most forms of literature, and the exchange was mutual, but while Dutch liberals were more interested in colonial literature by Multatuli, and conservatives still favoured the classics, the working classes were inspired by the various texts and the experience from New Amsterdam. This improved the strength of the Dutch left wing, as well as the power of the left-wing unions.
At the same time, business interests between New Amsterdam and the Netherlands meant that politically, too, the two places were intertwined. There was, therefore, a lot more opposition to the Germans throughout the war, although the Netherlands remained neutral. This was until 1917; on June 7th, her majesty queen Wilhelmina and her eight-year-old daughter Juliana were killed in a railway accident. Though later reports determined this to be a tragic accident, some placed the blame with German agents, while others suspected a false flag by Britain or France. She was succeeded by a German cousin with relations to the German kaiser, who was viewed with suspicion. Later in the year, following Red October, Dutch social-democratic politician Troelstra fomented revolutionary action, and rebranded the Social Democratic Worker’s Party into the Revolutionary Action Party. As the economic wartime recession progressed, the result of the international markets being dominated by food and armament imports by warring states, more and more people flocked to the social-democratic cause.
While the ‘revolution’ as a whole remained unsuccessful, with the union NVV and the social democrats waiting who would make the first move, the government was preparing for substantive action. They rightly concluded that the revolutionary fervour was partially due to economic downturn. The plan they hatched to save the economy was to play a part in the defeat of Germany, and thus lay claim to the reparations that were being discussed. Following the failed German spring offensive of 1918, the Dutch declared war on Germany, and moved on the Ruhr in order to secure the vital industrial German heartland. The Dutch army did not get far; it overestimated itself to the point of hilarity, using outdated equipment and outdated tactics only partially modernised following the experiences of other countries. The Dutch divisions were unable to break even the German rear guards and were pushed back to the border, the military situation only being saved when the German rear guard units joined in the Kiel mutiny.
If the Dutch government thanked God for the Kiel mutiny, then they would soon come to regret it. Following the armistice Dutch and German soldiers met in no-mans land and exchanged ideas. Before long, the Dutch units which had had their asses handed to them in the name of profit and national glory were too running up the red flag, and started marching on Holland. They were joined on the way by the industrial workers of the Eastern Netherlands, as well as the canal diggers and peat miners. In Rotterdam and Amsterdam, meanwhile, news of the mutiny finally prompted the unions to declare a general strike, and the revolutionary social democrats took over the government. The German-born king was forced to resign in favour of the new Republic of the Netherlands. After the allied troops moved into Germany, there were uprisings in Antwerp and Brussels as well, and Belgium shattered under the weight of wartime destruction, with Flanders seeking reconciliation with the rest of the Dutch-speaking Netherlands in 1920.
This was a mistake, or at least, this was the death warrant for the socialist republic. Already, the republic had been beset by countless problems: the revolutionary guards in the army wanting soviet-style communism, while the social democrats favoured more market-socialist reforms. Meanwhile, Dutch industrialists had fled to the colonies and prevented the Netherlands from receiving colonial exports. And opposition to the revolution was fomented by those same industrialists, using their colonial fortunes to fund terrorist groups and armed ‘Vrijkorpsen’ to oppose the new republic.
The red banner hanging over Antwerp was something the entente could not accept. Antwerp and Rotterdam were the main import hubs for goods overseas, and their socialist occupation provided too much of a threat. The entente high command feared that, if Germany was to fall to socialism, then there would be a single corridor from Antwerp, through Germany, through Hungary, to the new USSR, and this could not be allowed. The French army, operating from occupied southern Belgium and the Ruhr, invaded, and met with very little armed resistance on the way, barring a few street battles in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. They did not allow the German-born king back on the throne, however, and the Republican system of government was maintained, though all the social democrats were purged from the system. Belgium was divided as part of the post-war peace, with Flanders going to the new pro-Entente Netherlands. This way, no future German army could go through Belgium without opening up an entirely new front, and it meant that the British and French only had to influence one government, which was already influenced by colonial capital.
The new Dutch Republic was reactionary to its core. The social-democrat leadership had pretty much been purged, and the remaining organisation, as well as the remaining trade unions, were defanged and declawed. Most influence came to reside in the senate, the First Chamber of the Estates General, which was a body appointed from the regions. Universal female suffrage was rolled back and would only return after the second world war. It is often said that the Dutch left wing never survived their short-lived revolution. The reactionary nature of the Dutch government also explains why national socialism and fascism were never popular during the 20s and 30s, as the government itself was already pretty much wholly reactionary. The paranoia against the left wing remained, however, and would prompt authorities to work together with the German occupation between 1940 and 1945 to root out leftist sympathisers and Jews, making the holocaust especially deadly in the Netherlands.
Following the war, the moderate Christian-democrats rose to power. Through the 50s and 60s, they implemented ideas of corporatism in the Netherlands; sector associations were supposed to replace the need for unions by including worker and employee representation. In practice, this only had the effect of rubber-stamping employer decisions; the war recovery was hampered by the fact that wages were stagnated while capital dividends were still being paid out. This lead to an increased GDP and the Netherlands acting as a bigger player on the world stage, while wealth inequality started to rise. By the end of the 60s, the government decided to get involved in the Vietnam war, and though the Dutch effort was small, it still led to large casualty lists in the name of ‘fighting communism’. The peace movement and the new communist movement, finally resurgent since the absolute decimation of the German occupation, found each other, and during the 70s they made their voices heard. The new left-wing union, de Eenheids-Vakcentrale, began to take on the sector associations, and supported squatting movements throughout the ‘Red 70s’. This eventually led to the election of left-wing presidents at the end of the 70s and through the 80s, also in reaction to Britain, where the Thatcher reign was scaring the daylights out of the intelligentsia.
It was the fall of the Soviet Union that heralded the demise of left-wing governance in the Netherlands. After 1991 the Union State reforms made it clear that free market capitalism was to be the new model. The final 1990s left-wing governments implemented some liberalisations, but they were soon to be replaced by centre-right progressives. These centre-right politicians began implementing free market reforms, combined with the legalisation of equal marriage and weed legalisation in order to make the bitter pill go down easier. They also implemented more liberal refugee programs in order to supplement the aging Dutch labour market, and this invited the ire of the far right. Funded by various business interests, a new populist right, unknown since the 40s, took on more and more popularity. Its leader, Pim Fortuyn, a charismatic and vehemently xenophobic figure that really spoke to a lot of previously-unmentioned racist attitudes. A failed attempt on his life in 2002, which left him critically injured, finally was enough to make him win the presidential elections of that year.
That was eight years ago. Since then, Fortuyn has been re-elected once, and he is facing election again in two years. Under his leadership the constitutional protections of the Netherlands have slowly been eroded. The left-opposition is gaining strength again, especially in migrant communities, but they are still in a minority when compared to the alliance of racist and pro-business elements in parliament. Meanwhile, Fortuyn is reshaping the Netherlands in his image. Time will tell if he succeeds.
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by The V O I D » Fri Jan 14, 2022 6:47 pm
Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States wrote:NATION APPLICATION
(Image)
Republiek der Nederlanden | Republic of the Netherlands
Nederland | The Netherlands
Government Type: Unitary Presidential Republic
Government Explanation: The Dutch government, from the 20s up until the 90s, used to be a copy of the monarchist system, with the king replaced by a president. This meant the president had some far-reaching powers, but generally decided not to use them in favour of letting the cabinet and parliament hash things out between themselves. Throughout the years, there were more or less active presidents, each with their own spin, but generally cabinets would reflect the majority in parliament. Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, though, the Raadspensionaris has taken more and more liberty in his positions. During the first years of his presidency, Pim Fortuyn ruled with a minority cabinet, which was only fixed when he threatened to disband parliament for new elections, making the centre-right and the Christian democrats cave to his demands. A system that had been ruled by convention more and more sees those conventions crumble, and the president taking a more and more active role to the detriment of the power of parliament.
Head of State: Raadpensionaris Pim Fortuyn
Head of Government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) Mat Herben, Minister of General Affairs
Nation Capital City: The Hague (Den Haag)
Official Territory: The Netherlands, Flanders (including Brussels) the Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saint Maarten, Saint Eustatius, Saba
Territorial Disputes: N/a
Nation Population: 24.000.000
Military Population: 50.000
Alliances: UN; EU; NATO; INTERPOL;
Enemies: N/a
History: The history of the Netherlands diverges from real history in the late 19th and early 20th century. While financial capitalism in the Netherlands was still underdeveloped next to colonial capitalism, and the prominence of religion in daily life was still a danger to the formation of any kind of class consciousness, Dutch socialists gained boons from their more economically developed cousins across the Atlantic, who wrote and spoke in a Dutch dialect that was not difficult to translate into European Dutch. This was true for most forms of literature, and the exchange was mutual, but while Dutch liberals were more interested in colonial literature by Multatuli, and conservatives still favoured the classics, the working classes were inspired by the various texts and the experience from New Amsterdam. This improved the strength of the Dutch left wing, as well as the power of the left-wing unions.
At the same time, business interests between New Amsterdam and the Netherlands meant that politically, too, the two places were intertwined. There was, therefore, a lot more opposition to the Germans throughout the war, although the Netherlands remained neutral. This was until 1917; on June 7th, her majesty queen Wilhelmina and her eight-year-old daughter Juliana were killed in a railway accident. Though later reports determined this to be a tragic accident, some placed the blame with German agents, while others suspected a false flag by Britain or France. She was succeeded by a German cousin with relations to the German kaiser, who was viewed with suspicion. Later in the year, following Red October, Dutch social-democratic politician Troelstra fomented revolutionary action, and rebranded the Social Democratic Worker’s Party into the Revolutionary Action Party. As the economic wartime recession progressed, the result of the international markets being dominated by food and armament imports by warring states, more and more people flocked to the social-democratic cause.
While the ‘revolution’ as a whole remained unsuccessful, with the union NVV and the social democrats waiting who would make the first move, the government was preparing for substantive action. They rightly concluded that the revolutionary fervour was partially due to economic downturn. The plan they hatched to save the economy was to play a part in the defeat of Germany, and thus lay claim to the reparations that were being discussed. Following the failed German spring offensive of 1918, the Dutch declared war on Germany, and moved on the Ruhr in order to secure the vital industrial German heartland. The Dutch army did not get far; it overestimated itself to the point of hilarity, using outdated equipment and outdated tactics only partially modernised following the experiences of other countries. The Dutch divisions were unable to break even the German rear guards and were pushed back to the border, the military situation only being saved when the German rear guard units joined in the Kiel mutiny.
If the Dutch government thanked God for the Kiel mutiny, then they would soon come to regret it. Following the armistice Dutch and German soldiers met in no-mans land and exchanged ideas. Before long, the Dutch units which had had their asses handed to them in the name of profit and national glory were too running up the red flag, and started marching on Holland. They were joined on the way by the industrial workers of the Eastern Netherlands, as well as the canal diggers and peat miners. In Rotterdam and Amsterdam, meanwhile, news of the mutiny finally prompted the unions to declare a general strike, and the revolutionary social democrats took over the government. The German-born king was forced to resign in favour of the new Republic of the Netherlands. After the allied troops moved into Germany, there were uprisings in Antwerp and Brussels as well, and Belgium shattered under the weight of wartime destruction, with Flanders seeking reconciliation with the rest of the Dutch-speaking Netherlands in 1920.
This was a mistake, or at least, this was the death warrant for the socialist republic. Already, the republic had been beset by countless problems: the revolutionary guards in the army wanting soviet-style communism, while the social democrats favoured more market-socialist reforms. Meanwhile, Dutch industrialists had fled to the colonies and prevented the Netherlands from receiving colonial exports. And opposition to the revolution was fomented by those same industrialists, using their colonial fortunes to fund terrorist groups and armed ‘Vrijkorpsen’ to oppose the new republic.
The red banner hanging over Antwerp was something the entente could not accept. Antwerp and Rotterdam were the main import hubs for goods overseas, and their socialist occupation provided too much of a threat. The entente high command feared that, if Germany was to fall to socialism, then there would be a single corridor from Antwerp, through Germany, through Hungary, to the new USSR, and this could not be allowed. The French army, operating from occupied southern Belgium and the Ruhr, invaded, and met with very little armed resistance on the way, barring a few street battles in Antwerp, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. They did not allow the German-born king back on the throne, however, and the Republican system of government was maintained, though all the social democrats were purged from the system. Belgium was divided as part of the post-war peace, with Flanders going to the new pro-Entente Netherlands. This way, no future German army could go through Belgium without opening up an entirely new front, and it meant that the British and French only had to influence one government, which was already influenced by colonial capital.
The new Dutch Republic was reactionary to its core. The social-democrat leadership had pretty much been purged, and the remaining organisation, as well as the remaining trade unions, were defanged and declawed. Most influence came to reside in the senate, the First Chamber of the Estates General, which was a body appointed from the regions. Universal female suffrage was rolled back and would only return after the second world war. It is often said that the Dutch left wing never survived their short-lived revolution. The reactionary nature of the Dutch government also explains why national socialism and fascism were never popular during the 20s and 30s, as the government itself was already pretty much wholly reactionary. The paranoia against the left wing remained, however, and would prompt authorities to work together with the German occupation between 1940 and 1945 to root out leftist sympathisers and Jews, making the holocaust especially deadly in the Netherlands.
Following the war, the moderate Christian-democrats rose to power. Through the 50s and 60s, they implemented ideas of corporatism in the Netherlands; sector associations were supposed to replace the need for unions by including worker and employee representation. In practice, this only had the effect of rubber-stamping employer decisions; the war recovery was hampered by the fact that wages were stagnated while capital dividends were still being paid out. This lead to an increased GDP and the Netherlands acting as a bigger player on the world stage, while wealth inequality started to rise. By the end of the 60s, the government decided to get involved in the Vietnam war, and though the Dutch effort was small, it still led to large casualty lists in the name of ‘fighting communism’. The peace movement and the new communist movement, finally resurgent since the absolute decimation of the German occupation, found each other, and during the 70s they made their voices heard. The new left-wing union, de Eenheids-Vakcentrale, began to take on the sector associations, and supported squatting movements throughout the ‘Red 70s’. This eventually led to the election of left-wing presidents at the end of the 70s and through the 80s, also in reaction to Britain, where the Thatcher reign was scaring the daylights out of the intelligentsia.
It was the fall of the Soviet Union that heralded the demise of left-wing governance in the Netherlands. After 1991 the Union State reforms made it clear that free market capitalism was to be the new model. The final 1990s left-wing governments implemented some liberalisations, but they were soon to be replaced by centre-right progressives. These centre-right politicians began implementing free market reforms, combined with the legalisation of equal marriage and weed legalisation in order to make the bitter pill go down easier. They also implemented more liberal refugee programs in order to supplement the aging Dutch labour market, and this invited the ire of the far right. Funded by various business interests, a new populist right, unknown since the 40s, took on more and more popularity. Its leader, Pim Fortuyn, a charismatic and vehemently xenophobic figure that really spoke to a lot of previously-unmentioned racist attitudes. A failed attempt on his life in 2002, which left him critically injured, finally was enough to make him win the presidential elections of that year.
That was eight years ago. Since then, Fortuyn has been re-elected once, and he is facing election again in two years. Under his leadership the constitutional protections of the Netherlands have slowly been eroded. The left-opposition is gaining strength again, especially in migrant communities, but they are still in a minority when compared to the alliance of racist and pro-business elements in parliament. Meanwhile, Fortuyn is reshaping the Netherlands in his image. Time will tell if he succeeds.
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
by The V O I D » Sat Jan 15, 2022 8:49 am
by Reverend Norv » Sat Jan 15, 2022 9:11 am
by The V O I D » Sat Jan 15, 2022 9:17 am
Reverend Norv wrote:I'd like to reserve Israel. The basic idea is this: in our timeline, in 1950, between 4.5 and 5 million Jews lived in the USA. Of those, 2 million - nearly half - lived in New York City, comprising a quarter of the city's population. While I certainly don't want to exaggerate the power of some mythical "Jewish lobby," it is fair to say that US support for Israel was driven to a substantial extent by the political activism of American Jews. In this timeline, almost half of those Jews are citizens of New Amsterdam - not the USA. Their political influence is proportionately greater in New Amsterdam than it ever was in the US. And it therefore follows that New Amsterdam, not Washington, is likely to be Israel's closest ally.
This has a few implications. One is that Israel cannot rely on true superpower support. New Amsterdam is doubtless a mighty economic and cultural force, but it probably does not have a Security Council veto, nuclear weapons, or the same strategically deployable military strength as the States. Without that kind of backing, Israel's occupation of the Palestinian Territories - and consequent international isolation - would not be survivable. So in this timeline, Israel probably remains behind its pre-1967 borders. This has some advantages (a stable Jewish demographic majority, much less vulnerability to terrorism) and some disadvantages (a tiny nation surrounded by hostile forces, without a powerful patron like the US to protect it). As a result, Israel's great threat remains conventional invasion by the Arab world, not Palestinian insurgency. The Middle East may be the last remaining area where high-intensity conventional warfare is a regular fact of life.
Moreover, Israel's close relationship with New Amsterdam - as opposed to the US - likely means that the leftism of RL Israel's early decades got stronger rather than weaker as time went on. With the proven example of Amsterdammer Socialism - and a steady stream of Amsterdammer investment, and access to Amsterdammer markets - Israel's economy would remain dominated by domestic equivalents of New Amsterdam's co-ops: kibbutzim, moshavim, and other cooperatives. These serve a variety of purposes: they provide housing, form the basis of Israeli agriculture and light industry, and tend to be located on the borders of the Jewish state - providing fortified strongholds inhabited by trained reservists, a first line of defense against invasion. Israel would not be quite as socialist as New Amsterdam - heavy industry is unionized but not employee-owned, most service workers and professionals are employed at-will, the government is a largely conventional liberal democracy in which the Labor Party is unofficially dominant - but the culture and policies of early Labor Zionism are pervasive: collective housing, collective work, collective self-defense, collective sacrifice.
The result is something less like modern Israel in our timeline, and more like a continuation of the Israel of the '50s and '60s: a nation reliant on itself and not on the US, a people living under constant threat of invasion and therefore characterized by a high level of social solidarity, an economy driven by workers' collectives, a culture of shared sacrifice and shared prosperity. Does that sound like a valuable addition to this world?
by Arvenia » Sat Jan 15, 2022 11:31 am
Arvenia wrote:NATION APPLICATION (WIP)
(Image)
The Greater Colombian Republic (La República Gran Colombiana)
Colombia
Government Type: Federal Constitutional Presidential Republic
Government Explanation: The Greater Colombian Republic is a federal republic that separates power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The President heads the executive branch and is elected directly by popular vote. He is assisted by a Vice President and government ministers. The executive branch consists of the President, the Vice President and many executive departments (with each department being headed by a minister). The President has the power to appoint officials to government positions, command the military, present budget to the Congress and represent Colombian interests abroad. He is elected for a single term of four years. The Vice President governs the country if the President is either absent or deceased. Among executive departments is the Ministry of National Defense (Ministerio de Defensa Nacional), who is the first of its kind to incorporate both army and naval affairs, since the country doesn't have a separate department for naval affairs. Other departments include the Ministry of Justice (Ministerio de Justicia), the Ministry of Home Affairs (Ministerio del Interior), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerio del Exterior), the Ministry of Finance (Ministerio de Hacienda), the Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio de Agricultura), the Ministry of Labor (Ministerio de Trabajo), the Ministry of Communications (Ministerio de Comunicaciones), the Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación), the Ministry of Transportation (Ministerio de Transporte), the Ministry of Welfare (Ministerio de Bienestar), the Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura), the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs (Ministerio de Asuntos Indígenas), the Ministry of Urban Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Urbano), the Ministry of Natural Resources (Ministerio de Recursos Naturales), the Ministry of Environment (Ministerio de Ambiente), the Ministry of Science (Ministerio de Ciencia) and the Ministry of Trade (Ministerio de Comercio).
The Congress (Congreso de la República Gran Colombiana) is the tricameral legislature that consists of the upper Censorate (Censorado), the middle Senate (Senado) and the lower National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional). The National Assembly consists of 382 MNAs who are directly elected through proportional voting and represent the general population. Each MNA has an electoral district to represent and the Speaker heads the house. The National Assembly has the power to vote on most legislative matters, approve the budget and send proposed bills to the Senate. The Senate consists of 56 Senators who are indirectly elected by state legislatures and represent the individual states. There are usually four Senators per state (due to the RGC having less states than the US, Argentina and Brazil). The Senate has the power to give advice and consent to the President, ratify treaties, appoint state officials, supervise the judiciary, vote on some legislative matters (mostly constitutional ones) and debate on proposed bills that are sent from the National Assembly. The Senate is headed by a Chairman. The Censorate is a house composed of 12 Censorators who are secretly appointed by either the President or a group of politicians. They represent the Greater Colombian Constitution and has the power to impeach the government, keep an eye on the other two houses and even act as a constitutional court. While the two lower houses are dominated by political parties, the Censorate is completely nonpartisan. The Censorate is headed by a High Censorator (Censorador Jefe), who is usually a veteran judge.
The judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de la República Gran Colombiana), the Appellate Courts (Tribunales de Apelación) and the District Courts (Tribunales de Distrito). It follows the European civil law and also includes other courts such as military courts and administrative courts.
From 1840 to 1892, the main political factions were the Moderates (Moderados) and the Patriots (Patriotas). The Moderates were a pro-European movement influenced by Miguel Carceres, who supported traditional values, economic liberalization and states' rights (decentralization). The Patriots were an anti-European movement influenced by Daniel Sulívar, who supported liberal values, economic intervention and national unity (centralization). In 1892, the Moderates became the Conservative Party (Partido Conservador), while the Patriots became the Patriotic Party (Partido Patriótico). However, 1899 saw an internal conflict happen in the Patriotic Party, which ended when a large majority of PP members broke away to form the Liberal Party (Partido Liberal) a year later. For the first half of the 20th century, the Conservative Party (PC) and the Liberal Party (PL) were the largest parties in the country, followed by the Patriotic Party (PP) and other smaller parties. The Patriotic Party eventually gained power in the late 1930s as a result of the Great Depression, but it didn't last long until a coup d'etat in 1944. Starting in the 1980s, newer parties started to emerge, while the Liberal Party split up a decade later. One half of the party merged with the Conservative Party to form the Liberal Conservative Party (Partido Liberal Conservador), while the other half became the New Liberal Party (Nuevo Partido Liberal). As a result, the Liberal Party became known as the "Old Liberal Party" (Antiguo Partido Liberal). As of 2010, the RGC is currently ruled by the Democratic Party for National Unity (Partido Demócrata por la Unidad Nacional), a national conservative and anti-communist party formed by President Álvaro Uribe in 2001.
The country is geographically divided into first-level states (estados), second-level cantons (cantones) and third-level municipalities (municipios or municipalidades). The states have governors (gobernadores), legislatures (congresos estatales, asambleas estatales or legislaturas estatales) and courts (tribunales estatales), while the cantons have cantonal councils (consejos cantonales) and the municipalities are like those in the US (various kinds of municipal governance). The country has currently fourteen states. Those states are Ecuador, Urabá, Baudó, Amazonia, Orinoquía, Cordillera, Inca, Peru, Venezuela, Guyana, Panama, Sulivia, Rondonia and Roraima. Bogotá is an independent city, which means it is not part of any state in the country.
Head of State: President Álvaro Uribe (PDUN)
Head of Government: Same as above
Nation Capital City: Bogotá
Official Territory: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Acre State (Brazil), Roraima State (Brazil), Rondônia State (Brazil) and Amazonas State (Brazil)
Territorial Disputes: The RGC has numerous territorial disputes with Brazil, Guyana (British Guyana) and Chile.
Nation Population: 137,663,152
Military Population: 1,093,598 FARGC personnel (624,648 actives and 468,950 reserves)
Alliances: UN, WTO, OECD, APEC, OAS, ALADI, SELA, OEI, UNAS, Mercosur, CARICOM (observer) and NATO (Global Partner)
Enemies: Brazil and Chile
History: The area that makes up the Greater Colombian Republic belonged originally to various indigenous civilizations (such as the Inca Empire and the Muisca Confederation). In the 16th century, the area was invaded and colonized by the "Conquistadors", a group of soldiers from Spain. The civilizations inhabiting the area were either eradicated or enslaved in the process. The area was divided into the New Kingdom of Granada, the Province of Venezuela and the Viceroyalty of Peru. Several years later into colonial rule, the Spanish began shipping their African slaves to the Americas. The colonization of this area produced many goods like tobacco, cotton, wood, textile, wheat, copper, nickel, iron, gold and silver, which would greatly benefit Spain. In the 18th century, both Venezuela and New Granada merged to form the much larger Viceroyalty of New Granada.
However, between the late 18th century and the early 19th century, colonial uprising began to emerge in the Americas due to various factors. These factors include slavery, poverty, war and corruption. The "Libertadores" were rebels who fought for independence in the Spanish Americas. Among these rebels was a military officer named Daniel Sulívar (1774-1828). He was born to a Spanish colonel and a Wayuu woman, which makes him a "Mestizo". He was raised as a Spanish person with many privileges. He served in the Spanish Army up until the Americas began rebelling against their colonial overlords. Since he was a Mestizo, he was disgusted by the injustice that is being directed at both African slaves and Amerindian tribes (especially how his mother was treated due to her ancestry), as well as the fact that all power in the Spanish Americas belonged to the "Peninsulars" (native Spaniards residing overseas). Largely inspired by the revolts in New Spain, Daniel deserted and then organized his own rebellion against colonial oppression in New Granada. This rebellion united many Amerindians, Africans and some dissident Peninsulars in their quest for independence from Spain. One of those dissident Peninsulars was a fellow officer from the Spanish Army named Miguel Carceres (1776-1862), who also happened to be Daniel's childhood friend. Together, Daniel and Miguel greatly weakened Spanish rule in New Granada, allowing it to become independent. However, their quest was far from over as they later focused on Peru. There, they spearheaded another successful revolt against Spanish rule. This allowed Peru to also become independent. Around 1816, the Greater Colombian Republic was proclaimed after the merger of New Granada and Peru. Daniel Sulívar, who was the primary head of the revolts in New Granada and Peru, was declared President of the Greater Colombian Republic, with Miguel Carceres serving as Vice President due to being second-in-command. Under his rule, Daniel made many changes like abolishing slavery, introducing public education, implementing universal suffrage for all ethnic groups, stripping the Catholic Church of many privileges, returning all indigenous land to their respective tribes, establishing a tricameral legislature, ending corruption, nationalizing the economy, cutting all ties with mainland Spain and adopting the Colombian dolár as the national currency.
During the first years of its existence, the RGC maintained friendly relations with the United States, New Amsterdam and other Latin American states. Although enjoying peace and stability, the RGC would soon be rocked by an internal conflict between Daniel and Miguel. Miguel, who was somewhat sympathetic towards Spain and the Catholic Church, started to disagree with Daniel, who was fiercely liberal and nationalist, over issues regarding administration, culture, economy and diplomacy. In the end, Miguel departed from his position and cut all ties with Daniel. Following this, Daniel selected a former slave named Luis Antonio Gil to serve as Vice President. Daniel would go on to rule the RGC until he died from a disease in 1828, by which he was given a state funeral. After the funeral, the country held its very first election. Luis Antonio Gil, serving at the time as acting President following Daniel's death, won the election and became the second permanent President of the RGC (as well as its first African President). He continued Daniel's policies with the same level of efficiency. Later in the 1830s, however, Ernesto Rodríguez, the third President of the RGC, began cutting all ties with the US and other Latin American states, after he accused the former of discriminating against Native Americans, while the latter began suffering from political turmoil. This wouldn't benefit the RGC, who had no country to trade or cooperate with (since it was hostile towards both Europe and Brazil). As a result, the country began experiencing both diplomatic isolation and economic crisis (with the latter causing uprising among businessmen and villagers).
In 1840, as the country held its fourth presidential election, Miguel Carceres unexpectedly began his candidancy, which would be the first time he appeared publicly since he broke up with Daniel Sulívar. His platform included economic liberalization, social stability, reconciliation with Europe and more sovereignty to the constituent states of the RGC, while President Ernesto Rodríguez continued supporting Sulivarian policies (such as economic intervention, social equality, national unity and liberation of the Americas). Due to the general dissatisfaction with the current government, Miguel was able to win the election and become President of the RGC. Even more unexpectedly, he also changed the Gran Colombian Constitution so that the President only has a single term. His presidency saw the RGC supporting conservative values, tax cuts, free trade and states' rights, which helped stabilize the economy and establish diplomatic ties with Europe. Two months after election, the RGC and Spain signed the Treaty of Bogotá, which saw Spain recognize the RGC as an independent country and also end bad blood between the two countries. A year later, Miguel reinstated diplomacy between the RGC and the United States. Following this, the RGC also restored diplomatic and economic ties with other Latin American states. Despite his successful presidency, Miguel gained many enemies, many of whom were supporters of Daniel Sulívar. This caused the RGC to operate under a two-party system, with the supporters of Miguel Carceres becoming "Moderates" and the supporters of Daniel Sulívar becoming "Patriots". Once Miguel's presidency ended in 1844, as they ultimately won that year's presidential election, the Moderates would dominate the RGC from 1844 to 1852, when the Patriots gained power under Quentin Valentino, a radical Senator from Ecuador. His presidency saw the RGC return to its liberal roots and cut off all ties with Europe, while the Patriots would dominate the country for three decades. During those decades, both East Asians and Jews began migrating to the RGC. This era also saw the RGC support the Union during the American Civil War, which allegedly included sporadic attacks against the Confederate Navy in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 1879, the RGC declared war on Chile. While it fought hard, the RGC was eventually defeated by Chile in 1883. This tarnished the reputation of the Patriots, which led to the Moderates being elected once again in 1886. In the end, industrialization decreased and corruption increased. In 1892, both Moderates and Patriots were respectively reorganized as the Conservative Party and the Patriotic Party. In 1898, the RGC assisted the US throughout the Spanish-American War. In 1899, President Roberto Caycedo, a member of the Patriotic Party, was impeached by the Censorate on charges of corruption after being accused of it by both the Conservative Party and even members of his own party, which makes him the first President in the RGC to be impeached by the Censorate. His impeachment sparked an internal conflict within the Patriotic Party, which ended with the formation of the Liberal Party in 1900. This new party, although having the same social views as the Patriotic Party, was more moderate and also supported a free market economy. Since then, both the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party were the largest and dominant parties in the RGC, while the Patriotic Party was reduced to being a small party, although it still held some congressional seats and certain political positions. 1902 saw the RGC get its first Liberal President, a pragmatic Senator from Venezuela named Carlos Maduro. In 1903, the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed between the US and the RGC, resulting in the US gaining control of the Panama Canal.
In 1906, Rafael Basquera, a Conservative MNA, became the new President of the RGC. His presidency saw the RGC become more industrialized in 1908. By the 1910s, the FARGC was now filled with aircrafts. Once WW1 broke out, the RGC initially stayed neutral (although it did send supplies to the Entente). However, following an attack by the German Navy, the RGC officially declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. From 1917 to 1918, the RGC sent a large expeditionary force of 450,000 troops to the Western Front. This expeditionary force was commanded by General Juan Díaz Ortega. This force participated in numerous battles such as the Battle of Saint-Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Once WW2 ended, the RGC had lost over 65,000 men. The Colombian involvement in WW1 was overseen by President Victorino Márquez Bustillos (PL), who became the third President in the RGC to serve two terms. During Victorino's presidency, the RGC unexpectedly allowed Presidents to serve two terms again, much to the dismay of veteran politicians, especially older members of the Conservative Party, as there might be a risk for increased corruption.
While everything was relatively peaceful and calm in the 1920s, with General Juan Díaz Ortega (PC) being President from 1922 to 1930, the Great Depression broke out in 1929, which then reached the RGC a year later, thus crippling its flourishing economy. This has since led to the Patriotic Party gaining popular support for the first time since the 1890s. From 1932 to 1935, the Chaco War was fought between the RGC and Paraguay, which eventually ended with the latter emerging victorious. In 1938, the Patriotic Party finally won that year's presidential election, thus making its leader, Antonio José Castelli (PP), the new President of the RGC. The new government began implementing radical policies, which includes demand for Colombian takeover of the Panama Canal, the nationalization of the Colombian economy, the centralization of the Colombian states and the complete buildup of the Colombian military. As WW2 broke out, the RGC covertly cooperated with Japan. However, in 1944, the Patriotic Party was overthrown by a group of far-right FARGC officers who formed a military junta called the "Supreme Council for National Defense" (Consejo Supremo de Defensa Nacional). Led by a young Marco Pérez Jiménez, his junta forced the RGC into fighting on the Allied side for the remainder of WW2, while persecuting the country's Japanese population. After WW2 ended, the CSDN continued the rule the RGC with an iron fist and make amends with the US. It also went on to persecute feminists, communists, anarchists, intellectuals, journalists, pacifists, LGBT people, disabled people, indigenous people, religious minorities, trade unions and small businesses, as well as forming a close relationship with the Conservative Party, thus shunning both the Liberal Party and the Patriotic Party. In 1950, the Patriotic Party was officially dissolved by the CSDN, thus leaving the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party as the sole major parties in the RGC (although the CSDN favored the former over the latter).
Once the Cold War broke out, the RGC immediately joined the Western Bloc. In 1954, the CSDN allowed elections again and restored numerous government institutions, but continued to covertly support the Conservative Party. This allowed the party to win that year's presidential election, which has been rigged by the CSDN. The new civilian government, led by President Laureano Gómez (PC), implemented many social and economic policies that favored the US, the CSDN, the Catholic Church, big businesses and anti-communist dictatorships. Meanwhile, the Liberal Party continues to lose popularity and many statues dedicated to Daniel Sulívar were removed due to his left-leaning beliefs. During the Korean War, the Colombian Battalion was deployed to the Korean Peninsula to aid South Korea and their allies. Gómez continued to be President after winning again in 1958, but then something happened two years later.
In 1960, a coup d'etat took place in Bogotá. It was led by Lieutenant Colonel Enrique García Martínez, a WW1 veteran and vehement supporter of the Patriotic Party, and liberal members of the Colombian military. It was supported by the Liberal Party, moderate members of the Conservative Party and even the Red Guards, the armed wing of the Patriotic Party. The coup was a success and supporters of the government, including the CSDN, were prosecuted by a new junta called the "National Reconstruction Committee" (Comité de Reconstrucción Nacional). The CRN reversed many policies that both the CSDN and President Goméz had implemented. In 1962, new elections were held and a new party called the Democratic Action Party (Partido Acción Democrática) emerged victorious with Rómulo Betancourt (PAD) as the new President. The Democratic Action Party formed a coalition government with both the Liberal Party and the Christian Social Party (Partido Social Cristiano), which became known as the "Puntofijo Pact" (Pacto de Puntofijo). This coalition government implemented numerous liberal policies and took inspiration from the Civil Rights Movement. The RGC was briefly involved in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1968.
However, during the 1960s, many left-wing rebel groups would show up in the RGC. Two of these were the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) or FARC and the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) or the PCC-SL. The former is based in the northern parts of the country, while the latter is based in the southern parts. The former is influenced by Che Guevara, while the latter is influenced by Mao Zedong. Ever since their formation, both groups have been terrorizing the RGC for years. This also led to the creation of right-wing paramilitary groups. Meanwhile, relations between the RGC and Chile deteriorated when the latter is subsequently ruled by military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Both countries nearly went to war in the 1980s, but it was neverthless thwarted.
In 1977, the Torrijos–Carter Treaties were signed by the US and the RGC in Washington DC. In 1982, due to the prolonged US control of the Panama Canal Zone, the state of Panama seceded from the RGC and was subsequently led by General Manuel Noriega, a disgruntled EGC officer. The Colombian government, led by President (PC), both condemned the secession and charged Noriega with treason. In 1989, Panama was jointly invaded by both the US and the RGC. The former had Noriega wanted for racketeering and drug trafficking, while the latter sought out to regain control of Panama. Despite being denounced by the UN and the OAS as a violation of international law, the invasion was a success and led to the RGC regaining control of Panama in 1990. However, that same year, due to the invasion, the Colombian population became fearful of the aftermath. As a result, Alberto Fujimori (AU), a Japanese-Colombian politician from Peru, is subsequently elected as President. A member of the right-wing populist United Action (Acción Unida), Fujimori took a harsh stance on left-wing insurgents and the country's macroeconomic instability. Due to the outbreak of a constitutional crisis in 1992, Fujimori, with the help of the Colombian military, carries out a self-coup. This coup led to the dissolution of the Censorate, the removal of judicial independence and the creation of a new constitution in 1993. Alberto was able to run for three terms, making him the first (and only) President to do so in the RGC. Starting in 1997, Alberto supported and funded the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia), a notorious right-wing paramilitary group who fought against FARC and other left-wing rebel groups, while fighting against both the Shining Path and the Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (Movimiento Revolucionario Túpac Amaru) down south. Meanwhile, Fujimori used his party to promote Japanese interests in the RGC and form close relations with Japan, even going as far as to deny the severity of Japanese war crimes, provide all Japanese companies with special treatment in the RGC, support Japanese territorial claims and advocate for the revision of Article 9. This didn't sit well with both left-wing activists and far-right nationalists. In 1998, as a result of changes in its political platform, the Liberal Party splits into two groups. One group merged with the Conservative Party to form the centre-right Liberal Conservative Party (Partido Conservador Liberal), while the other group merged with the Democratic Action Party to form the more left-leaning New Liberal Party (Nuevo Partido Liberal).
In 2000, Alberto Fujimori lost all support when a video depicting his corruption is shown to the public. His ministers resigned, while he fled to Japan. After that, Ricardo Márquez Flores (AU) was elected as acting President and would oversee the 2002 presidential election. Two years later, that election is won by Álvaro Uribe (PDUN), the self-described leader of the Democratic Party for National Unity (Partido Demócrata por la Unidad Nacional). Meanwhile, the old Colombian constitution is reinsated, thus restoring both the Censorate and judicial independence, as well as limiting presidential terms to two again. As the current President of the RGC, Álvaro continues to wage war on left-wing terrorism and promote national security in the RGC. The year is now 2010 and Álvaro's second term is coming to an end as a new presidential election is to be held later that year.
RP Example(s): A War of Blood and Steel
#CITYUPONTHEHILL - Do NOT Remove
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