This is the Official Informational Guide to the history, culture and government of Jakra. It is offered for sale to all tourists visiting Jakra, and at the National Archives.
History of Jakra
Jakra was originally a colony established in 1605 by the Sumaran Empire to exploit the untapped resources on the newly discovered Continent of Mezoea (Me-zo-uh). The colony was named Jakra after the indigenous people known as the Jakkera, unfortunately all 1.5 million Jakkera would be wiped out in a plan by the colony's Vice-Roy to settle land disputes with the Jakkera. The Vice-Roy feigned an alliance with the Jakkera and gave poisonous foods and blankets of small-pox victims as supposed peace offerings. The Jakkera, who lived a very social lifestyle were quickly exterminated by the poisons and disease. After the Vice-Roy's plot was uncovered by Sumaran officials he was promptly tried and executed for his genocidal act, to prevent another act of such a horrific scale, the Sumaran colonial authority divided the colony into thirteen counties and used these to create a federal system which greatly constrained the Vice-Roy's previously limitless powers. This is generally considered the first step towards the inevitable formation of the Federal States as a sovereign entity.
In 1699 the Sumaran Emperor declared all colonies must contribute 30% of their GDP to the Sumaran Military (which was deadlocked in a war with another empire), the Jakran Economy crumbled under this tax and the voices of dissent grew louder and more heard. When a group of Jakran revolutionaries robbed a cargo vessel carrying Jakra's tax payments to Sumara and returned them to the Jakran taxpayers, the Emperor went into a fit of rage and ordered the Royal Army to Jakra and to regain the lost money. The Army arrived and began a house to house collection of all the taxes, due to the military presence, the taxes were collected without incident and taken to the courthouse in the colonial capital of Freidma. On the night of December 31, 1700 as the Royal Soldiers guarding the taxes drank to celebrate the New Year an armed group of revolutionaries calling themselves the Free Men raided the courthouse by easily overwhelming the few sober or awake Soldiers and reclaimed the taxes for the last time. The Free Men took the taxes to their headquarters in the city of Harsburg where they began to redistribute the money on January First. The Royal Army's local commander rallied his men and marched towards Harsburg bent on retaking the taxes and killing every Free Man he found. However, the Free Men got word of the Commander's plan and readied to defend the town and reclaimed wealth with their lives. The Free Men fought a heroic defense of Harsburg and repelled the Royal Army with heavy casualties. This battle would later be known as the Battle of Benjamen Street and was the first official battle of the First Jakran Revolution.
The First Jakran Revolution was a brief but bloody struggle between the Jakran Army For Independence (JAFI), the organized descendant of the Free Men and the Sumaran Royal Army (SRA). The war lasted only 3 and a half years but left 7,000 dead JAFI soldiers, 5,000 dead SRA and 10,000+ wounded on both sides, civilian casualties were always hidden for propaganda reasons so no reliable figures exist but it's estimated to be almost 12,000 dead or wounded. The war was ended by the Treaty of Harsburg in 1703, as the Sumarans had an opposing empire to face which explains why they granted Jakran independence so quickly and so unconditionally. The new Jakran government stayed very similar to the old colonial system only a Congress and Vice-President were added, the Vice-Roy became President and the first President became JAFI Commander Collin Smith. Smith established the basis for everything in modern Jakran politics during his three terms (4 years each), he established the first political party, a unified Jakran currency and refined the federal system to better balance power between the various government branches. For approximately 200 years after Smith left office in 1716, the FCJ was a relatively dull nation. It expanded to the limits of Mezoea, legalized woman's voting, developed a basic infrastructure and kept itself relatively isolated from the world at large. However in 1916 a President would be elected who would change Jakra's peaceful dull and middle right lifestyle forever, his name was President Charles Foster Kane.
The Enclave Revolution
The election of 1916 was a close and vicious fight for the office and Jakra's future. Jakra's 200 year old political and economic system was falling apart, the Congress was constantly deadlocked in debate and the lack of any major economic regulation lead to huge manipulative schemes and speculation related disasters each greater than the last. Millions of Euros were lost to the schemers and speculators who then used their capital to support Rightest extremists such as the Jakran National Order Party (JNO). That was how Mr. Kane won the election, as a devout Calvinist and head of the JNO he blamed Jakra's problems on minorities and the Left claiming them to be demonic souls endangering the Elect (Calvinist elite who were chosen by God for heaven). Kane also established a national religion (Calvinism) and made it mandatory to attend Sunday Mass, destroying Jakra's previously accepted concept of separating Church and State. Despite a popular vote against Kane, he had bribed several members of the electoral college, which won him the election in a flurry of dispute and accusations. But the worst of Kane's grievances had yet to be unleashed. He would soon instill martial law in all the Jakran cities and open a series of"reeducation camps" across the country for any non-protestants or "Leftist Radicals". Outrage against Kane built as he forced Jakra deeper into an economic catastrophe, by outlawing all "constrictive" business measures, encouraging monopolies of vital utilities, drastically expanding the national debt (from 320 million to almost 14.2 billion) and creating a hyper-inflation crisis as he tried to pay off the rapidly expanding debt by printing more and more money. Finally, Kane did the unthinkable, before the elections of 1920 he bribed enough Supreme Court Justices to rule that elections and the legislative assembly were unconstitutional and make Kane president for life.
However, as Kane built his government on greed and evil, the organization which was to destroy him was forming and plotting his demise. The organization in question was an alliance of socialists, communists, and disgruntled citizens all opposed to Kane, the first official name was the People's Front for the Salvation of Jakra (PFSJ). The PFSJ was led by a young socialist named Thomas Morrow who was fed up of Kane's tyranny, and determined to stop it. The PFSJ had many early successes against Kane's security apparatus, as disgruntled low ranking soldiers filled PFSJ ranks, growing sick of their ignorant corrupt officer corps. Similarly disgruntled guards and police let PFSJ rebels rob government arsenals without resistance and steal sensitive documents from army command posts often without firing a single shot in the facilities' defense. The PFSJ's propaganda wing led by a fiery young socialist named Jason Cunningham gave speeches over the PFSJ's radio station encouraging dissent and support for the PFSJ. The speeches in conjunction with PFSJ military successes prompted tremendous public support and assistance.
However despite the recent successes the PFSJ was to soon suffer a major blow at Kane’s iron hand, the PFSJ leader Thomas Morrow was assassinated by one of Kane’s death squads. At first the loss killed PFSJ moral and effectiveness, it seemed as if the loss might just cost the PFSJ their war. But, Jason Cunningham wouldn’t let the cause die. The well known Propaganda Chief took the reins of the PFSJ and gave the PFSJ a new vigor and energy, Cunningham also gave them a new name, The Enclave. The name was a reference to Cunningham’s main speech where he would call the PFSJ the enclave of sanity and justice in a state of insanity and lawlessness. Cunningham would finally achieve what the PFSJ/Enclave had longed to achieve, in 1921 the Enclave’s rebel army staged a massive uprising all over Jakra. The rebels were joined by dissenting policemen, soldiers and citizens, the rebels easily overwhelmed what loyal forces there were and captured Harsburg within 3 days of the Uprising’s start. Despite Cunningham’s intentions of a trial for Kane, it was not to be. Kane committed suicide on July 8, 1921 to escape capture by the Enclave, his face would be remembered for generations as the face of true evil.
With Kane dead and his government in ruins, Cunningham declared a revolutionary government on July 21, 1921 a day now celebrated as Revolution Day throughout Jakra. Cunningham would lead the reconstruction and build a new and improved federal system over the ruins of Kane’s perversion of a government. Cunningham’s system has served as the basis for the modern Jakran government and many of his political ideals live on today, notably his concept of an Economic Bill of Rights, which is a clearly visible contribution. Like Cunningham's ideals and policies, the Enclave lives on in modern Jakra as the dominant political party which normally enjoys majority support and approval.
Modern History
The Federal Commonwealth of Jakra has had a tremendous growth spurt since the Revolution, with the Enclave at the helm Jakra has become a prosperous country with a thriving private sector even with the inherent tight government monitoring. The modern Jakran population has has sacrificed some economic rights in favor of civil and political rights along with a large but efficient welfare state . Jakra's advanced Arms Manufacturing companies provide their military with state of the art weapons at a discounted price and bring in billions of Euros in taxes. Despite the Enclave Party's heavy dominance several small political parties are gaining recognition (Socialist Labor Party, Communist Party) and influence. The Enclave has in fact retained it's dominance by very peaceful means as it holds a 73% approval rating in general polls. The Enclave's success is often attributed to their devotion to Jakra's well being even after so many years. Jakra also opened up to the world following the Revolution becoming a force in international politics, Jakran troops have been deployed in numerous intervention and assistance missions across the world. Just to name a few,
-Empire-Comorostan Conflict
-Intervention in Guatarma
-Neoslavian Civil War
-Hadula's Civil War
-Kuroman Genocide as part of CAFOR
-Jimani Assassination Investigation
-Monandi Civil War
Jakra's crowning modern achievement however, is being a co-founder of the United Federation of Sovereign Countries with the United Kingdom of Telvira, and serving as the UFSC's Chairman member. Finally, Jakra has been a major backer of the UFSC's CAFOR deployments and interventions, sending large numbers of troops and materials and providing political will to stand by or against a deployment. However, following the decay of the UFSC after the first few years, Jakra resigned it's post as Chairman and it's membership completely. The final fate of the UFSC is still being determined.
