Sea of Axackal
10th May
1978
After years of civil war following the abolition of the Questarian Monarchy, it was finally to great applause that the 70th Armoured Division of the North Mogamiland National Army drove into the capital of the Central Questarian Republic, Charlestown on the 19th of November 1976, without even a gunshot of resistance. Years of sustained war had forced the centrally planned economy of the CQR to collapse underneath its own weight and a final push led by Field Marshal Barker kicked in the door, uniting the country once again under the banner of free markets and free trade. Yet the divisions that had occured during the past 30 years could scarcely be healed overnight. The civil war was the end of violence in the forseeable future, with Communism in Questers having demonstrably failed and the African Liberation Front totally crushed, forever.
However, the now rich North, which had barely fought at all, had improved its own status beyond measure. Years of completely free capital accumulation had reformed the North from a semi-industrial second world region of Haven to being of first world standard, with advanced industry and fast-growing financial services that threatened the current status-quo of Havenic economics. Fast economic growth was coupled with parliamentary democracy in the North and the establishment of a sizeable black middle class, with all signs pointing to rapid development to first-world status. The South had developed its industry more in according with the needs and necessities of war, and as such was perhaps growing at less of a rapid rate than the North, but still, the country as a whole was enjoying rising rates of growth, with 7.5% two years after the end of the war.
On the political front, the war, which had mostly afflicted the South, forced unity. At first states moved towards a more unified rail system but by the end of the war had already conglomerated into much larger states. With the defeat of the CQR and internal peace on the horizon a representation of delegates from all the states and from the colonies met in Jesselton and signed the Jesselton Treaty, which gave all states independent legislatures, and created a Union Legislature, the National Assembly, which dealt with military and foreign policy and little else -- the mix of states, from Military Juntas to Anarchist communities -- meant that any centralisation legislation was difficult as states were not obligated to follow it. Only Foreign Policy declarations were binding and even the Anarchist territory of Saratoga managed to achieve certain constitutional opt-outs.
Militarily, the most important event was the re-union of the armed forces. The National Assembly controlled the Confederate Army [CONFAR] Special Operations Executive [SOE], Department of Military Intelligence [DMI], Confederate Navy [CONAV] and the Confederate Airforce [CONAF], although states had their own military forces for state defence and various militias still exist. The National Assembly levied a tax each year of 1% of each state's GDP to be delivered to the national assembly to pay for the military and diplomatic services. This was the total sum of all services provided by Central Government as of this time in Questers. The success of road privatisation had forced even the most ardent social democrat to accept, at least temporarily, the wonders of the free market in action.
The first step overseas of the new country was to secure its immediate surroundings in anticipation of a return to foreign politics. The reorganisation of the once-feared Questarian Navy, which while now used outdated equipment, was still a force to be reckoned with, led the National Assembly in Jesselton to mobilise the military for foreign adventures once more. As of 10th of May, 1978, Questers began its first overseas operation in almost a decade.
Six various Operational Combat Groups blocked off the Axackal with air support from the mainland, and within short time were landing troops on the West Bank of the Axackal Sea. The establishment of rudimentary bases and airstrips, and the constant transfer of troops, became shortly national, and then international news. The Questarian flag was raised once again on foreign soil, except this time it was a different flag. A different nation.
[OOC: Note, this uses the Questarian calendar which is behind our present time and is currently in 1978, i.e. the present date.]
