2021: A Brave New Decade (OOC) Open

[Chewion]

2021: A Brave New Decade

IC||Map: Coming soon

The 2020s. A decade set to be nightmarish and a turning point in the history of humanity. Climate Change is the existential threat that must urgently be tackled in this decade, and humanity must learn to cope with the constantly growing population that does not look likely to slow down let alone stop growing anytime soon.

In Asia, the Chinese Dragon is emerging as the regional hegemon, pushing regional nations to choose sides between them and the West while internally the regime battles against resistance in Hong Kong and ethnic tension in the far West, while also pushing claims on Taiwan, stoking regional flames. In India, the nation is dealing with religious unrest and rapid economic growth and modernization as well as increasing tension along the border with Pakistan, particularly in the Kashmir Region. Japan has continued to cause consternation with its neighbors after proudly displaying the Rising Sun flag at the Tokyo Olympics.

In Europe, Euroskepticism is on the rise in many European nations. The successful Brexit referendum led to the charge showing Euroskeptics all across the continent that leaving was possible. In Spain regional tensions threaten to explode between Madrid and Barcelona while Poland and the Visegrad Group continue to openly defy the EU.

In the Middle East, tensions between Israel and Iran are at an all-time high. Adding to this is the emerging regional cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In Yemen, the civil war still burns as a testing ground for this regional cold war.

In Africa, ethnic and religious tensions pose a danger all over the continent. In the Congo, warlords fight over land and resources like coltan offering fortunes on the international market. In the Saraha and Sahel regions, remnants of ISIS and other organizations ravage the land and people. Ethiopia and Egypt are at each other's throats over the construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam by Ethiopia. Yet there are lights of hope that still sparkle.

In North America, Canada is dealing with ever-increasing political divides much like the US to the South. Inside the US tensions between Republicans and Democrats have never seemed worse. In Mexico, the Cartels fight hard against the central government in Mexico City their corruption touches most parts of the nation.

In Latin America, the dictator Nicholas Maduro still clings to power even as his position is contested by Juan Guaidó. In Colombia, an unstable peace agreement official holds peace between the government and FARC.

How will the nations of the world tackle these issues? How will their pasts define their future, which nations will come out on top during this decade, and how will future generations remember this critical decade?

In this roleplay, you will take the helm of the nation of your choice. You have the ability to change the history of your nation from 1991 onwards within realism and with a few major event exceptions as well as anything states in the OP or other applications.



Major Unchangeable Events:

Fall of the USSR as a Communist state
Formation of the EU
9/11
08 Financial Crisis
Syrian Civil War starting
South China Sea Disputes
Brexit
Anything Mentioned in the OP.
CORONAVIRUS DID NOT HAPPEN IN THIS TIMELINE



Leadership:

OP: Chewion
Co-OPs: The Manticoran Empire
NewLakotah


Rules:

1. DO NOT GODMOD! No, but seriously, don’t Godmod, it makes the RP terrible.
2. The word of the OP and Co-OP is final.
3. Keep everything PG-13, please.
4. Do not mix IC and OOC problems, and please keep it courteous in the OOC and IC.
5. If you have an issue with another player, please ask the OP or Co-OP to moderate it.
6. Please coordinate with other players if you want to jointly write a post/negotiate deals.
7. Posts must be at least two paragraphs long and of good quality.
8. Be respectful.
9. Note that unchangeable events are completely unchangeable, so no less deadly 9/11 or less damaging 2008 Recession.
10. Posts can cover a span of up to three months. Each three month period starts following an IEC post except for the first period. The start date is January 20th, 2021.
11. Players must make at least one post a week, meaning at least every seven days from each post. Extensions may be granted by the OP and Co-OPs on a case by case basis.
12. Any changes to the irl military must be laid out in the military information section, otherwise the numbers etc will be assumed to be the same as irl.
13. Not a rule, but do try to have fun.

IEC:

The IEC (International Entity Council) is comprised of the OP, Co-OPs, and anyone else accepted into it. The IEC is responsible for making the IEC post that includes multiple events and members can serve as an NPC nation in conferences so long as they do not have a direct interest in the negotiations.


Application (Most numbers can be found on Global Firepower):

Code: Select all

Nationstates Name:
Nation Name:
Capital:
Territory:
Population:
Official Language:
Recognized Languages:
Flag:
National Anthem (optional):

Head of State:
HoS Picture:
Head of Government:
HoG Picture (If different from HoS):
Legislature Name:
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each):

GDP (PPP):
Currency:

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here):

Alliances (If different from IRL):

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):


Do not remove - Alpha777


Reservation:

Code: Select all

Nationstates Name:
Nation Name:

Roster

Accepted:
USA
France
South Korea
Czechoslovakia
Japan
Iran
USSR
Cuba
North Korea
Syria
Sudan
Israel
Iraq
Peru
Brazil
Italy
Spain

Reserved:

[Chewion]

Nationstates Name: Chewion
Nation Name: Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics

[Arvenia]

Nationstates Name: Arvenia
Nation Name: Czechoslovak Federative Republic (CSFR/Československá Federativní Republika/Česko-Slovenská Federatívna Republika/Tschechoslowakische Bundesrepublik/Csehszlovák Szövetségi Köztársaság)
Capital: Prague
Territory: The green area in Europe
Population: 15,473,620
Official Languages: Czech, Slovak, German and Hungarian
Recognized Languages: Silesian, Moravian, Bavarian, Romani, Greek, Polish, Bulgarian, Rusyn, Ukrainian, Serbian, Croatian, English, Russian and Vietnamese
Flag: Flag of the Czechoslovak Federative Republic
National Anthem: "Lightning Over My Home"

Head of State: President Miloš Zeman
HoS Picture: Miloš Zeman
Head of Government: Prime Minister Václav Horák (LSNS)
HoG Picture: Václav Horák
Legislature Name: Czechoslovak Parliament (composed of upper "Senate" and lower "National Assembly")
Party in Power: A political alliance between Liberal National Social Party (LSNS), Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO), Bohemian People's Party (BVP) and Hungarian Coalition Party (MKP).

GDP (PPP): $503.392 billion
Currency: Czechoslovak koruna (CSK)

Military Information: The Czechoslovak National Defence Forces (ČSNO/TNV/CNE) mostly resembles both the modern-day Czech Army and the modern-day Slovak Army, albeit with the inclusion of a militarized border guard and the so-called "Regional Defence Forces" (Regionální Obranné Síly/Regionálne Obranné Sily/Regionalverteidigungskräfte/Regionális Védelmi Erők). The ČSNO has 54,800 actives (12,000 soldiers and 12,800 civilians) and 3,236 reserves. The ČSNO also has at least 20 patrol boats.

Alliances: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), European Union (EU) and Visegrad Group (V3)

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):
1989 - The Velvet Revolution occurs (same as IRL).
Early 1990 - Mikuláš Dzurinda is elected as head of the Slovak movement instead of Vladimír Mečiar. As Dzurinda is much more centrist and closer to the Czech, he is able to persuade the Czech to continue funneling money into Slovakia, provided they postpone talks of a split until 1994.
1990 - With money from Czechia, Slovakia is able to develop its infrastructure and create a start up and privatization program with help from West Germany, this leads to increased levels of Slovak growth closing the once large gap between the Czech and Slovak economies over the next few years.
1991 - With the unification of Germany and division talks postponed, a movement arises in both northern and eastern Czechia among Bohemians to rejoin Germany. As protests erupt that summer, the Czech government agrees to a more devolved government in both northern and eastern Czechia.
1992 - The Slovak Magyars demand to be released to join Hungary, Slovakia seeks help from the Czechs, the Czechs agree and negotiate a similar devolution of powers agreement.
1993 - Growing demands from populations from all regions of the country demand talks to finally create a national unified government. A federal council system is created temporarily with the leaders from Bohemia (German-speaking Czechia), Czechia, Slovakia, and Felvidek (Upper Hungary) all getting representation. New elections lead to a more centrist government on all sides.
1994 - The federal council convenes in Vienna to discuss the possibility of split. The council creates a referendum, to create a devolved federation somewhat like Spain, or to separate and create 3 new nations. The referendum passes in favor of unification because:
Slovaks - no longer feel neglected by Czech government.
Czechs - no longer see the Slovaks as an economic burden and understand the ethnic tension due to the Bohemian movement.
Bohemians (Sudeten Germans) - don't see the Europeans as realistically letting them join Germany and don't feel threatened by the other groups in the country.
Felvidekians (Slovak Magyars) - start to see the rapid increase in corruption and authoritarianism in Hungary and no longer wish to join.
1995 - On January 1st 1995, the Czechslovak Parliament convenes in Prague, the capital of the nation, there are four official languages (Czech, Slovak, German and Hungarian). Like Belgium, the nation is divided into linguistically separate communities, whilst there is a national curriculum, the specifics of education are controlled by the linguistic communities. The nation is divided into four regions; Bohemia, with its capital in Pilsen; Czechia, with its capital in Brno; Slovakia, with its capital in Braitslava; and Felvidek, with its capital in Komarno. Prague is an independent city-state placed between Bohemia and Czechia (thus the Central Bohemian Region is divided between the two regions, while the city merges with both Praha-Západ and Praha-Východ to form a metropolitan area). Each region has a government (which includes a governor, a council of ministers and a regional legislature) and is divided into districts (who in turn are composed of municipalities).
1999 - Czechoslovakia joins NATO.
2004 - Czechoslovakia joins the European Union.
2006 - Czechoslovakia is recognized by the World Bank as a "developed country".
2007 - Czechoslovakia is affected by the Great Recession.
2009 - Czechoslovakia is ranked by the Human Development Index as a nation of "Very High Human Development".
2017 - A coalition government is formed by LSNS, ČSSD, ANO, BVP and MKP.
2021 - Present-day.

Do not remove - Alpha777

[Hanovereich]

Nation Name: United Kingdom
Capital: London
Territory: OTL UK
Population: 65,761,117
Official Language: English
Recognized Languages: Scots, Ulster Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish
Flag: Flag
National Anthem (optional):

Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II
HoS Picture: Elizabeth II
Head of Government: Prime Minister George Saunders
HoG Picture (If different from HoS): Rt. Hon. George Saunders
Legislature Name: Houses of Parliament
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): House of Commons (Conservative), House of Lords (Conservative)

GDP (PPP): 3,174,921
Currency: Pound sterling

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here): HMS Ocean is still in active service, meaning that the UK still has one helicopter carrier. The United Kingdom also has more Challenger 2 tanks, as part of their military modernisation project, and so they have 140 tanks in total. Everything else is on Global Firepower.

Alliances (If different from IRL): N/A

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP): In the 2003 Conservative leadership election, a rising star in politics, George Saunders, becomes Prime Minister. He had previously served as Shadow Justice Secretary, where he had criticised the Labour government for their failure to address, amongst other things, the backlog in cases.

Saunders quickly changed the party's policy to fit the people's wishes, and soon the Conservatives began to be noticed in the polling. Saunders ruthlessly attacked the government in every sector- defence cuts, failures in the economy, and slowly moving Britain off the world stage. By the time of the 2005 election, there was a predicted Conservative win. They won with 391 seats in the Commons.

In their first term, the Saunders ministry accelerated the modernisation project for the British Armed Forces. They considered plans for a British Aerospace Unit under the Air Force, but eventually decided on launching a surveillance satellite. By 2008 the plans for this were complete, and the Royal Air Force predicted that the satellite, to be named Encore, would be launched in 2010. The financial crisis put an end to this.

The 2008-9 financial crisis hit Britain hard, as Saunders had continued to fund the public sector over the private sector, had delayed plans to privatise 15 major companies, and had increased the budget on the military whilst decreasing it on other sectors. Millions lost their jobs, and millions lost their homes. It was only with a huge stimulus package that financial ruin was averted, although Saunders promised to privatise 21 companies after he was criticised for not doing this sooner. By 2010 the economy was back on its pre-2008 record.

In the 2010 election, Saunders was re-elected, though with a significantly smaller majority. The Conservatives held only 311 seats- although Labour also performed badly, with 236 seats. Saunders himself was elected to his constituency of Aylesbury with a majority of some 9,000, a drop of some 3,400 since the last election.

In 2013 Saunders announced that Encore, the planned satellite of the RAF, would be cancelled, and the funds allocated to the launch would be diverted to a project to deploy 90 radar systems across the British Overseas Territories. Britain was back on the world stage. The next year, he announced that the top 6 largest government-owned companies would be privatised by 2015.

In the 2015 election, Euroscepticsm was high. It was a major topic, and Saunders performed well- he agreed to a referendum, but also showed all his efforts to make a closer alliance with the Continent. In this way he pleased both the sceptics and the Europeanists. After his victory (which had been predicted by all major news outlets), he scheduled the referendum for 2016. [OTL Brexit]

All events after/not mentioned fit the OP and OTL.

Do not remove - Alpha777

[The Manticoran Empire]

Nationstates Name: The Manticoran Empire
Nation Name: The United States of America
Capital: Washington D.C.
Territory: IRL territory of the United States
Population: 333,048,781
Official Language: None, English is the most widely spoken language with a substantial Spanish speaking population.

Head of State: Roland Wilkerson
Age: 45
Party Affiliation: New Federalist Party
Political Positions: Wilkerson has championed the availability of abortion clinics despite his admitted opposition to the practice. He has also supported gay marriage and has been vocal in his criticism of Evangelical campaigns against LGBT communities.
He has routinely voted and campaigned in favor of greatly reduced taxes and government spending, arguing that many federal programs would be better run if left up to state governments, especially when considering socioeconomic differences between the states. However, he has also been a vocal supporter of maintaining military readiness, especially in light of rising tensions with the PRC. In a book published in 2010, Wilkerson summarized his position as follows; The responsibilities of the Federal Government are to provide for the National Defense, regulate international and domestic trade (including ensuring safe working conditions, preventing exploitative labor practices, and providing for environmental stability), build and maintain interstate transportation infrastructure, and provide oversight of state and local education boards. All other factors, such as public transportation, welfare, healthcare, and retiree pensions, are best left to State and Local governments, as they are in a better position to understand the needs of their citizens.

HoS Description in lieu Picture: Wilkerson is a white man of average height with a moderately athletic build. His eyes are blue and his hair is brown.

Head of Government: Roland Wilkerson

HoG Picture (If different from HoS):

Legislature Name: Congress of the United States
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): The 2020 election was indecisive when it came to the control of the Senate and the House. In the Senate, 50 Republicans and 47 Democrats hold seats as well as 3 Independents who generally vote with the Democrats. In the House, the Republicans hold 220 seats to the Democrats 212. Three other seats are currently vacant and await special elections.

GDP (PPP): $21,856,254,000,000 (assuming 2% growth over 2020 from 2019 due to no COVID-19 pandemic)
Major Trade Partners: China, Europe, Japan, Mexico, Canada
Major Exports: Capital Goods, Industrial Goods, Consumer Goods, Automotive, Food
Major Imports: Capital Goods, Consumer Goods, Industrial Goods, Automotive, Food
Oil Production: 11 million barrels
Oil Consumption: 20 million barrels
Proven Oil Reserves: 35 billion barrels
Defense Budget (USD): $740.5 billion
Alliances: NATO, ANZUS, UN Command, NORAD, OAS, Rio Pact, Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, US-A SPA, US-I SP, US-J MCS, US-P MDAA, US-Ph MDT, US-SK MDT, TRA, CMF

Military Branches (Just list names of official Armed Forces Branches): Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Space Guard

Active Duty: 1.4 million
Reserve Duty: 845,500
Total Manpower: 2,245,500

Tanks: 6,100
AFVs: 40,000
SPA: 1,500
Towed Artillery: 1,340
Rocket Projectors: 1,365

Fighters: 1,956
Dedicated Attack: 761
Transports: 945
Trainers: 2,765
Special Mission: 749
Tanker Fleet: 625
Helicopters: 5,436
Attack Helicopters: 904

Aircraft Carriers: 20
Destroyers: 92
Frigates: 1
Corvettes: 21
Submarines: 68
Patrol: 13
Mine Warfare: 8

Other Military Information: With the survival of the Soviet Union, US military funding remained higher for longer than IRL. Budget cuts experienced in the 1990s were avoided due to continued Soviet developments and this allowed the United States to continue planned modernization efforts. However, with warming relations between the US and USSR between 2004 and 2008, US focus shifted from peer conflict to counter insurgency warfare, a shift reinforced by the signing of the US-USSR Treaty of Friendship (known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance in the USSR and the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation in the US) in 2009. Following the drawdown in Afghanistan and the increased military build-up of the Chinese in the South China Sea, the US military began a concerted effort to restructure for peer and near-pear warfare while maintaining a counterinsurgency capability. Part of this involved a study on the efficacy of the Brigade Combat Team, with the conclusion that units needed to become more decentralized and flexible to reduce vulnerability to stand off munitions and drones. Other efforts included the Next Generation Squad Weapon, Infantry Automatic Rifle, the Next Generation Combat Vehicle series of programs (Including Decisive Lethality Platform, Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, and Extended Range Cannon Artillery), and a series of land, sea, and air drones for reconnaissance and combat use. The most recent acquisition was the THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle, with several logistics, combat, ISR, and EOD variants being ordered for evaluation and deployment. A proposal has also been levied by the Armed Forces to approach US allies for weapon systems. Notable possibilities include the K2 main battle tank and K21 IFV from South Korea, the Armata platform from the USSR, the Ajax platform from the United Kingdom, and the KF-41 Lynx from Germany.

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):

Military History Changes: The continued survival of the Soviet Union created a changed geostrategic situation for the United States moving into the 1990s. Several US military programs in the early 21st century that were cancelled came to fruition while others that were curtailed were maintained at original levels. Notably the Armored Systems Modernization Program, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle Program, and the Armored Gun System Program were continued to fruition while the F-22 was produced to its planned scale, with 750 aircraft being built for the US Air Force. On the civilian side, the survival of the Soviet Union reignited concerns over space, increasing funding for NASA and resulting in the formation of the United States Space Force in 2007 and the United States Space Guard in 2011. The formation of the Space Guard, in particular, had a profound effect on US space policy, with consideration given to having the space shuttle Endeavour transferred to the USSF and Atlantis being transferred to the USSG for use as interim crew vehicles while the new branches developed their own spacecraft. Shuttle flights, however, would come to an end in 2011 due to rising launch costs and the advanced age of the fleet, with the USSF and USSG electing to develop a new vehicle while relying on unmanned vehicles in the interim. Since 2011, there has not been a confirmed crewed launch vehicle for the US, though that is rapidly changing.

US relations with the USSR were strained throughout the 1990s, particularly by the US invasion of Iraq in 1991, the 1995 Bosnia Bombing Campaign, and the US involvement in Yugoslavia in 1999. This was made worse when the US invaded Iraq in 2003. In light of these continued tense relations, the US continued efforts to prepare the US military for war with the Soviet Union as well as to improve missile defense and early warning systems.

During the 1990s and into the 2000s, the United States military continued efforts at modernization to keep pace with the Soviets. The M2001 howitzer and its companion M2002 resupply vehicle, created as part of the Armored Systems Modernization Program, started replacing the M109 Paladin in 2004. The basis of issue was a 1 for 1 replacement of the M109 with the M2001 and a 1 for 1 replacement of the M992 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle with the M2002. There is 1 M2002 for each M2001, for a total of around 2,000 Crusader vehicles. The M2001 boasts a 155mm M297 liquid cooled cannon, capable of firing a variety of 155mm rounds up to 40 kilometers at a rate of up to 12-rounds per minute, with a Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact potential of up to 8 rounds, with a 60-round ammunition capacity and an autoloader. The M2002 is able to fully restock the M2001 with 60 shells and 270 charges in 12 minutes without any crew having to dismount. The M2002 can be fully reloaded with shells and charges in under an hour.
The M2003 Main Battle Tank, developed as the Block III Abrams, entered production in 2004, with the first batch of operational tanks arriving in 2005. The Block III initially replaced the M1 Abrams in armored units, though production was later expanded to include the M1A1 and M1A2 models. The M2003 replaced the Rheinmetall Rh-120 with the M291 tank cannon, capable of firing both 120mm and 140mm rounds following a barrel swap. The chassis is similar to the M2001 and M2002. 1,946 M2003s are in service.
The M2004 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and M2005 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle entered service alongside the other vehicles from the ASM program, replacing M2 and M3 Bradley fighting vehicles. The M2004 has a crew of 3, carries 9 dismounts, and is armed with a 50mm Bushmaster III cannon and two TOW launchers The M2005 has the same crew and armament but adds an LRAS3 mount and reduces the number of dismounts to 3, increasing room for ammunition and sensors. There are approximately 1,321 IFVs and 593 CFVs in service.
Finally, the M2006 Combat Mobility Vehicle, developed to replace the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle, entered service in 2005. It is largely unarmed, save for the presence of a mount for a machine gun or automatic grenade launcher above the commander’s hatch. 258 vehicles are in service.
Entering production in 1996, the M8 Buford Armored Gun System replaced M551 Sheridans and TOW equipped HMMWVs in the 82nd Airborne Division and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Production of the M8 totaled 237 vehicles, completed in 2001. During the transition to a modular force structure starting in 2007, however, it was decided that TOW equipped Humvees would be replaced in other light formations with the M8A1, at the time in development as a systems upgrade package with the option for new build models. However, the thaw in relations with the Soviet Union, culminating in the Cooperation Agreement of 2008, would see the plan scrapped and only existing M8 platforms in the 82nd and 2nd ACR would be upgraded to the A1 standard.

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle began replacing Assault Amphibian Vehicles in 2006. The lengthy development process, beginning in the 1980s, resulted in a vehicle that was behind the curve technologically when it was introduced, something that was intended to be rectified but never was. 1,013 vehicles are in service with the USMC.

F-22 production began in 1994, with the first public demonstration of the aircraft in 1997. Operational aircraft reached frontline units beginning in 2005. Part of the delay had been caused by the Navy’s portion of the Advanced Tactical Fighter Program, created in part by the DoD’s meddling. However, the NATF was cancelled in favor of continued F-14 service. F-14s would continue flying until late 2015, being replaced with F-35Cs. Most F-14 squadrons transitioned to F/A-18s due to delays in the F-35 program.
Additionally, the Common Support Aircraft began development in 2006 and achieved initial operational capability in 2016, replacing the C-2 and E-2 aircraft with variants being introduced to reintroduce the roles once held by the S-3 Viking.
Improved relations with the USSR led to cooperative efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan against Islamist terror groups.

During the 1990s, the survival of the Soviet Union and the continued fear of the Soviet Union resulted in the Air Force continuing work on the Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion program, with live engine tests conducted during the 2000s under total media blackout at Vandenberg AFB. USAF development of SNTP would be merged with the development of an aerospike engine and the X-37, culminating in a USAF and later USSF program to develop a new, military space shuttle. The shuttle, maintained under the highest level of secrecy, would launch on its first unmanned flight from a USSF C-5 Galaxy over the Pacific Ocean in 2019, landing at SFB Vandenberg after several orbits. The first manned mission, equally classified, was launched in 2020.

In the waning months of the Bush presidency, the USSR joined Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008, sending troops to aid the fight against Islamist terror groups in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. Later agreements would see US and USSR forces fighting alongside each other in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and several other countries as parts of Enduring Freedom, Resolute Support, and Inherent Resolve. The resultant warming of relations would see decreasing importance placed upon military spaceflight, though the USSF and USSG would continue development of the military space shuttle.

However, an apparent lack of commitment from the US, reinforced by continuing reductions in US troop numbers and several attempts to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban, have seen relations strained between the two superpowers. President Wilkerson will be forced to demonstrate America's continued committment to combatting global terrorism in order to save the relationship with the USSR.

Government History Changes: In 1992, a growing fear of professional politicians and the looming spectre of the National Deficit was exploited by Texas billionaire Ross Perot, with running mate James Stockdale, allowing him to eke out a narrow victory in the 1992 presidential race. Following his electoral success, Perot formed the Reform Party, drawing in many Americans ahead of the 1994 midterms. In his first year in office, Perot abandoned the North American Free Trade Agreement, somewhat to the chagrin of Mexico and Canada as well as many free-trade minded Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Poor handling of the situation in Somalia, including a lack of action following the disastrous operation in Mogadishu in 1993, hampered his first term, as well as poor handling of the air campaign in Yugoslavia in 1995.. In the 1994 midterm elections, the newly formed Reform Party only managed to gain a baker’s dozen of seats in the House and no Senate representation. Perot campaigned heavily leading up to the 1996 presidential election, hoping to catch his opponents, Democratic front runner Al Gore and Republican front runner Bob Dole, off guard. While Perot succeeded in clinching a second term, it was by the narrowest of margins.
Among Perot’s successes in his first term was passing a balanced federal budget. However, his goal of electoral reform and term limits for Congress would be delayed due to the poor showing of the Reform Party in the ‘94 midterms. The ‘96 election saw several new seats won by the Reform Party and garnered enough bi-partisan support for an amendment to the US Constitution, limiting Senators and Representatives to a maximum of 12 consecutive years in office. While not as drastic as many reformers desired, the bill had the benefit of garnering enough support in congress to achieve the required majority. The amendment was ratified by the states in 1997, becoming the 28th Amendment. His second term, however, would also be marred by controversy, including lack of action in Bosnia, allowing the genocide to continue. For many Americans, it would be the bodies of Bosnian civilians, not the 28th Amendment or the balanced federal budget, that would be the legacy of the Perot Presidency.
The Reform Party’s success, already on rocky footing through Perot’s lackluster foreign policy, was further endangered by internal division. As a Centrist party, it drew from both the Left and the Right of American politics and saw significant clashing between party members. In the 2000 presidential campaign, Vice President Pat Choate, who had replaced the aging Stockdale in the ‘96 election, received the Reform Party nomination. However, fellow Reform Party member Pat Buchanan refused to exit the race, campaigning on a highly conservative ticket. The split Reform Party vote allowed George Bush to clinch a victory over Al Gore, though it was by narrow margins and triggered a great deal of controversy.

The next change for OTL came in 2002, when Congress failed to pass the Iraq Resolution. A major contributing factor to this decision was the Soviet pressure in the UN for continued diplomatic efforts, supported by Germany and France. Unable to secure Congressional support for military action against Iraq, Bush focused instead on the War in Afghanistan and on the revival of the North American Free Trade Agreement. After much effort, and with assistance from Senators Al Gore and Bill Clinton, NAFTA was ratified in 2004. However the days of Democrat and Republican dominance of the Presidency would not return. In the 2004 election, Bush would win his reelection campaign by a very narrow margin, with several states only carried by margins of a single percentage point. The Reform Party, virtually annihilated by internal schism, would be replaced by the New Federalist Party, formed ahead of the 2002 midterm elections. A collection of reform minded politicians and other citizens, the New Federalist Party focused on a return to free and open trade, fiscal responsibility at the Federal level, and a reduction in government involvement in everyday life. While their 2004 Presidential nominee failed to garner enough support to carry any state, the NFP did win enough seats in Congress to hold Bush back from many of the neo-conservative policies he wished to introduce. The 2008 election would see Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain lose to New Federalist Party candidate Glenn McGhee, who campaigned heavily on bringing the War in Afghanistan to a close and finalizing an end to the “Cold War”.

McGhee’s presidency would be a largely successful one, rolling back the deficit spending of the Bush administration and orchestrating a formal partnership with the USSR that would allow significant cuts to defense spending, combined with a significant reduction in the tax burden of private citizens and small businesses. A key achievement of McGhee’s first term was laying the groundwork for the 29th Amendment, which would require the Federal Government to maintain a balanced Federal budget. The 29th Amendment would achieve the needed support in Congress following the success of the New Federalist Party in the 2008, 2010, and 2012 elections, with the amendment being ratified in 2014.
McGhee would win a second term in 2012, beating out the Republican Mitt Romney and the Democrat Hillary Clinton by a comfortable margin. It would be in his second term that McGhee would pursue final ratification of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment, achieving the goal of removing the time limit from the Equal Rights Amendment and opening the door to a final ratification.
In 2016, the New Federalist Party would put forward McGhee’s Vice President, Mark Peterson, who would run against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, losing narrowly to Trump’s populist campaign. During the Trump Presidency, the New Federalist Party would expand its representation in Congress and in State Legislatures, providing a home for moderate Democrats and Republicans both, as well as other Americans who couldn’t find a party that fit their values.
The 2018 midterm elections would see the New Federalist Party achieve a slim majority in the House and secure enough seats in the Senate to deny either the Republicans or Democrats a firm majority.
In the 2020 Presidential Election, the New Federalist Party would nominate Roland Wilkerson as their candidate, with Candice Chambers as his running mate.

Wilkerson’s political career began when he was 25 in the 2000 elections as a representative of the state of Illinois. As a young man from a Republican family in a mostly liberal state, he believed in some of the conservative Republican values, like having a strong military, low taxes, and reduced government interference in the economy. But he also held some decidedly liberal values, such as a support for abortion and non-conformal relationships. While he won three terms in the US House of Representatives, 2 as a member of the Reform Party and 1 as an Independent, he did lose his seat in 2006 to a Republican, largely due to his vocal opposition to many of President Bush’s policies and a loss of support for the Reform Party overall. He would join the recently formed New Federalist Party, garnering enough support to return to Congress in the 2008 election and then to clinch a Senate run in 2010, a seat he would hold until the election in 2016, when he would lose to a Democratic candidate. He would continue to be politically active throughout the Trump presidency, largely through speaking with people around the nation about different issues and securing a House seat in the 2018 midterm elections. In late 2019, he announced at a small gathering of supporters that he would not be seeking re-election to the House. Instead, he would be seeking the office of the Presidency.

During the 2020 presidential election campaign, Wilkerson focused less on Trump’s failures and more on what still needed to be done. Thousands of US troops were still in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting wars that had started nearly two decades ago. The economy’s growth was slowing and there were major fears that the Chinese were trying to harm US companies and people.
It was clear to many that a change was needed. Trump’s presidency had driven wedges between the United States and many of her most important strategic allies. Americans were paying more for imported goods due to the trade war with China. On top of that, the only two other candidates who seemed viable had major scandals clouding their campaigns.
Trump’s impeachment trial and his increasingly unpredictable behavior had badly split the opinion of Republicans. Unfortunately, Joe Biden wasn’t a much better option. His aggressive stance against those who supported Trump and the very suspect dealings of his son with foreign governments ensured that actual support was limited. Had the race been limited to Biden or Trump, the race may have been a very close one indeed. But with an established name from a party with existing broad support to oppose them, the race was far more decisive. With 90 million citizen votes and 300 electoral votes, Wilkerson was elected president and inaugurated on January 20th 2021.

Do not remove - Alpha42

[NewLakotah]

Tagging as my reservation. App will be up tonight.

Nationstates Name: NewLakotah
Nation Name: France

[Hanovereich]

snip

I think you used the old app template..

[The Felan Federation]

Nationstates Name: the Felan Federation
Nation Name: Germany

[Hypron]

Nationstates Name: Hypron
Nation Name: Japan

[Deblar]

Nationstates Name: Republic of Deblar
Nation Name: Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana
Territory: IRL Cuba
Population: 11,320,000
Official Language: Spanish
Recognized Languages: English, French, etc.

Head of State: Raul Castro; President of the Republic of Cuba and General Secretariat of the Cuban Communist Party
HoS Picture:

Head of Government: ^
HoG Picture (If different from HoS):
Legislature Name: National Assembly of People’s Power
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): Cuban Communist Party

GDP (nominal): 105.487 billion USD
Major Trade Partners: Venezuela, China, Spain, USSR, etc.
Major Exports: Refined Fuels, Tobacco, Sugar, Nickel, Pharmaceuticals
Major Imports: Machinery, Foodstuffs, Refined Fuel, Vehicles
Oil Production: 49,737.33 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 153,000 barrels per day
Proven Oil Reserves: 124 million barrels
Defense Budget (USD): 0.13 billion USD
Alliances: United Nations, good relations with China and other communist countries

Military Branches (Just list names of official Armed Forces Branches):
Cuban Revolutionary Army
Cuban Revolutionary Navy
Cuban Revolutionary Marines
Cuban Revolutionary Air Force
Cuban Revolutionary Coast Guard

Active Duty: 50,000
Reserve Duty: 40,000
Total Manpower: 5,971,000

Tanks: 1,230
AFVs: 1,570
SPA: 100
Towed Artillery: 150
Rocket Projectors: 20

Fighters: 38
Dedicated Attack: 0
Transports: 2
Trainers: 26
Special Mission: 0
Helicopters: 14
Attack Helicopters: 4

Aircraft Carriers: 0
Destroyers: 0
Frigates: 2
Corvettes: 4
Submarines: 0
Patrol: 25
Mine Warfare: 4

Other Military Information:
Extra naval assets purchased from USSR

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):

In 2008, when the Great Recession gripped Cuba, Fidel Castro had fallen ill, and after recovery, decided to retire from his post and hand over the Presidency and the General Secratariacy to his brother, Raul Castro, who holds the position to this day. Upon taking over for his brother, Raul began to modernize the island to “keep up with the rest of the world”, as he put it, establishing internet and cell service networks, making a net-zero emissions promise to be fulfilled by 2025, and shipping in new and modern vehicles primarily from Europe and China.

As Cuba went through the decade, there was a period, albeit rather short, of a cool down of relations with the United States during the presidency of Barack Obama. This short period would come to a quick end with the ascension of Donald Trump to the presidency, and economic sanctions on Cuba would contribute to the sluggish economy of recent years, which Raul has said the government aims to fix. However, Raul’s age is no secret, and many have concerns on how much long he can rule, and who will replace him in the event of his death or resignation. Meanwhile, the Cuban citizens grow ever more restless and impatient with the communist regime. Cuba stands at a crossroads, and only Heaven knows what will become of Cuba…


Do not remove - Alpha42

[American Pere Housh]

Nationstates Name:American Pere Housh
Nation Name:Republic of Korea (South Korea)

[The Manticoran Empire]

snip

I think you used the old app template..

I did.

[The Manticoran Empire]

Nationstates Name: The Manticoran Empire
Nation Name: The United States of America
Capital: Washington D.C.
Territory: IRL territory of the United States
Population: 333,048,781
Official Language: None
Recognized Languages: English is the established Lingua Franca, with a significant Spanish speaking minority.
Flag:
National Anthem (optional): Star Spangled Banner

Head of State: Roland Wilkerson
Age: 45
Party Affiliation: New Federalist Party
Political Positions: Wilkerson has championed the availability of abortion clinics despite his admitted opposition to the practice. He has also supported gay marriage and has been vocal in his criticism of Evangelical campaigns against LGBT communities.
He has routinely voted and campaigned in favor of greatly reduced taxes and government spending, arguing that many federal programs would be better run if left up to state governments, especially when considering socioeconomic differences between the states. However, he has also been a vocal supporter of maintaining military readiness, especially in light of rising tensions with the PRC. In a book published in 2010, Wilkerson summarized his position as follows; The responsibilities of the Federal Government are to provide for the National Defense, regulate international and domestic trade (including ensuring safe working conditions, preventing exploitative labor practices, and providing for environmental stability), build and maintain interstate transportation infrastructure, and provide oversight of state and local education boards. All other factors, such as public transportation, welfare, healthcare, and retiree pensions, are best left to State and Local governments, as they are in a better position to understand the needs of their citizens.

HoS Description in lieu Picture: Wilkerson is a white man of average height with a moderately athletic build. His eyes are blue and his hair is brown.

Head of Government: Roland Wilkerson

HoG Picture (If different from HoS):

Legislature Name: Congress of the United States
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): The 2020 election was indecisive when it came to the control of the Senate and the House. In the Senate, 31 Republicans, 34 Democrats, and 35 New Federalists hold seats while in the House the split is 140 Republicans, 145 Democrats, and 150 New Federalists.

GDP (PPP): $21,856,254,000,000 (assuming 2% growth over 2020 from 2019 due to no COVID-19 pandemic)
Currency: US Dollar

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here):Military Branches (Just list names of official Armed Forces Branches): Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Space Guard

Active Duty: 1.4 million
Reserve Duty: 845,500
Total Manpower: 2,245,500

Tanks: 6,100
AFVs: 40,000
SPA: 1,500
Towed Artillery: 1,340
Rocket Projectors: 1,365

Fighters: 1,956
Dedicated Attack: 761
Transports: 945
Trainers: 2,765
Special Mission: 749
Tanker Fleet: 625
Helicopters: 5,436
Attack Helicopters: 904

Aircraft Carriers: 20
Destroyers: 92
Frigates: 1
Corvettes: 21
Submarines: 68
Patrol: 13
Mine Warfare: 8

Other Military Information: With the survival of the Soviet Union, US military funding remained higher for longer than IRL. Budget cuts experienced in the 1990s were avoided due to continued Soviet developments and this allowed the United States to continue planned modernization efforts. However, with warming relations between the US and USSR between 2004 and 2008, US focus shifted from peer conflict to counter insurgency warfare, a shift reinforced by the signing of the US-USSR Treaty of Friendship (known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance in the USSR and the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation in the US) in 2009. Following the drawdown in Afghanistan and the increased military build-up of the Chinese in the South China Sea, the US military began a concerted effort to restructure for peer and near-pear warfare while maintaining a counterinsurgency capability. Part of this involved a study on the efficacy of the Brigade Combat Team, with the conclusion that units needed to become more decentralized and flexible to reduce vulnerability to stand off munitions and drones. Other efforts included the Next Generation Squad Weapon, Infantry Automatic Rifle, the Next Generation Combat Vehicle series of programs (Including Decisive Lethality Platform, Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, and Extended Range Cannon Artillery), and a series of land, sea, and air drones for reconnaissance and combat use. The most recent acquisition was the THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle, with several logistics, combat, ISR, and EOD variants being ordered for evaluation and deployment. A proposal has also been levied by the Armed Forces to approach US allies for weapon systems. Notable possibilities include the K2 main battle tank and K21 IFV from South Korea, the Armata platform from the USSR, the Ajax platform from the United Kingdom, and the KF-41 Lynx from Germany.

Alliances (If different from IRL): NATO, ANZUS, UN Command, NORAD, OAS, Rio Pact, Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, US-A SPA, US-I SP, US-J MCS, US-P MDAA, US-Ph MDT, US-SK MDT, TRA, CMF

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP): Military History Changes: The continued survival of the Soviet Union created a changed geostrategic situation for the United States moving into the 1990s. Several US military programs in the early 21st century that were cancelled came to fruition while others that were curtailed were maintained at original levels. Notably the Armored Systems Modernization Program, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle Program, and the Armored Gun System Program were continued to fruition while the F-22 was produced to its planned scale, with 750 aircraft being built for the US Air Force. On the civilian side, the survival of the Soviet Union reignited concerns over space, increasing funding for NASA and resulting in the formation of the United States Space Force in 2007 and the United States Space Guard in 2011. The formation of the Space Guard, in particular, had a profound effect on US space policy, with consideration given to having the space shuttle Endeavour transferred to the USSF and Atlantis being transferred to the USSG for use as interim crew vehicles while the new branches developed their own spacecraft. Shuttle flights, however, would come to an end in 2011 due to rising launch costs and the advanced age of the fleet, with the USSF and USSG electing to develop a new vehicle while relying on unmanned vehicles in the interim. Since 2011, there has not been a confirmed crewed launch vehicle for the US, though that is rapidly changing.

US relations with the USSR were strained throughout the 1990s, particularly by the US invasion of Iraq in 1991, the 1995 Bosnia Bombing Campaign, and the US involvement in Yugoslavia in 1999. This was made worse when the US invaded Iraq in 2003. In light of these continued tense relations, the US continued efforts to prepare the US military for war with the Soviet Union as well as to improve missile defense and early warning systems.

During the 1990s and into the 2000s, the United States military continued efforts at modernization to keep pace with the Soviets. The M2001 howitzer and its companion M2002 resupply vehicle, created as part of the Armored Systems Modernization Program, started replacing the M109 Paladin in 2004. The basis of issue was a 1 for 1 replacement of the M109 with the M2001 and a 1 for 1 replacement of the M992 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle with the M2002. There is 1 M2002 for each M2001, for a total of around 2,000 Crusader vehicles. The M2001 boasts a 155mm M297 liquid cooled cannon, capable of firing a variety of 155mm rounds up to 40 kilometers at a rate of up to 12-rounds per minute, with a Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact potential of up to 8 rounds, with a 60-round ammunition capacity and an autoloader. The M2002 is able to fully restock the M2001 with 60 shells and 270 charges in 12 minutes without any crew having to dismount. The M2002 can be fully reloaded with shells and charges in under an hour.
The M2003 Main Battle Tank, developed as the Block III Abrams, entered production in 2004, with the first batch of operational tanks arriving in 2005. The Block III initially replaced the M1 Abrams in armored units, though production was later expanded to include the M1A1 and M1A2 models. The M2003 replaced the Rheinmetall Rh-120 with the M291 tank cannon, capable of firing both 120mm and 140mm rounds following a barrel swap. The chassis is similar to the M2001 and M2002. 1,946 M2003s are in service.
The M2004 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and M2005 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle entered service alongside the other vehicles from the ASM program, replacing M2 and M3 Bradley fighting vehicles. The M2004 has a crew of 3, carries 9 dismounts, and is armed with a 50mm Bushmaster III cannon and two TOW launchers The M2005 has the same crew and armament but adds an LRAS3 mount and reduces the number of dismounts to 3, increasing room for ammunition and sensors. There are approximately 1,321 IFVs and 593 CFVs in service.
Finally, the M2006 Combat Mobility Vehicle, developed to replace the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle, entered service in 2005. It is largely unarmed, save for the presence of a mount for a machine gun or automatic grenade launcher above the commander’s hatch. 258 vehicles are in service.
Entering production in 1996, the M8 Buford Armored Gun System replaced M551 Sheridans and TOW equipped HMMWVs in the 82nd Airborne Division and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Production of the M8 totaled 237 vehicles, completed in 2001. During the transition to a modular force structure starting in 2007, however, it was decided that TOW equipped Humvees would be replaced in other light formations with the M8A1, at the time in development as a systems upgrade package with the option for new build models. However, the thaw in relations with the Soviet Union, culminating in the Cooperation Agreement of 2008, would see the plan scrapped and only existing M8 platforms in the 82nd and 2nd ACR would be upgraded to the A1 standard.

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle began replacing Assault Amphibian Vehicles in 2006. The lengthy development process, beginning in the 1980s, resulted in a vehicle that was behind the curve technologically when it was introduced, something that was intended to be rectified but never was. 1,013 vehicles are in service with the USMC.

F-22 production began in 1994, with the first public demonstration of the aircraft in 1997. Operational aircraft reached frontline units beginning in 2005. Part of the delay had been caused by the Navy’s portion of the Advanced Tactical Fighter Program, created in part by the DoD’s meddling. However, the NATF was cancelled in favor of continued F-14 service. F-14s would continue flying until late 2015, being replaced with F-35Cs. Most F-14 squadrons transitioned to F/A-18s due to delays in the F-35 program.
Additionally, the Common Support Aircraft began development in 2006 and achieved initial operational capability in 2016, replacing the C-2 and E-2 aircraft with variants being introduced to reintroduce the roles once held by the S-3 Viking.
Improved relations with the USSR led to cooperative efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan against Islamist terror groups.

During the 1990s, the survival of the Soviet Union and the continued fear of the Soviet Union resulted in the Air Force continuing work on the Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion program, with live engine tests conducted during the 2000s under total media blackout at Vandenberg AFB. USAF development of SNTP would be merged with the development of an aerospike engine and the X-37, culminating in a USAF and later USSF program to develop a new, military space shuttle. The shuttle, maintained under the highest level of secrecy, would launch on its first unmanned flight from a USSF C-5 Galaxy over the Pacific Ocean in 2019, landing at SFB Vandenberg after several orbits. The first manned mission, equally classified, was launched in 2020.

In the waning months of the Bush presidency, the USSR joined Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008, sending troops to aid the fight against Islamist terror groups in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. Later agreements would see US and USSR forces fighting alongside each other in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and several other countries as parts of Enduring Freedom, Resolute Support, and Inherent Resolve. The resultant warming of relations would see decreasing importance placed upon military spaceflight, though the USSF and USSG would continue development of the military space shuttle.

However, an apparent lack of commitment from the US, reinforced by continuing reductions in US troop numbers and several attempts to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban, have seen relations strained between the two superpowers. President Wilkerson will be forced to demonstrate America's continued committment to combatting global terrorism in order to save the relationship with the USSR.

Government History Changes: In 1992, a growing fear of professional politicians and the looming spectre of the National Deficit was exploited by Texas billionaire Ross Perot, with running mate James Stockdale, allowing him to eke out a narrow victory in the 1992 presidential race. Following his electoral success, Perot formed the Reform Party, drawing in many Americans ahead of the 1994 midterms. In his first year in office, Perot abandoned the North American Free Trade Agreement, somewhat to the chagrin of Mexico and Canada as well as many free-trade minded Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Poor handling of the situation in Somalia, including a lack of action following the disastrous operation in Mogadishu in 1993, hampered his first term, as well as poor handling of the air campaign in Yugoslavia in 1995.. In the 1994 midterm elections, the newly formed Reform Party only managed to gain a baker’s dozen of seats in the House and no Senate representation. Perot campaigned heavily leading up to the 1996 presidential election, hoping to catch his opponents, Democratic front runner Al Gore and Republican front runner Bob Dole, off guard. While Perot succeeded in clinching a second term, it was by the narrowest of margins.
Among Perot’s successes in his first term was passing a balanced federal budget. However, his goal of electoral reform and term limits for Congress would be delayed due to the poor showing of the Reform Party in the ‘94 midterms. The ‘96 election saw several new seats won by the Reform Party and garnered enough bi-partisan support for an amendment to the US Constitution, limiting Senators and Representatives to a maximum of 12 consecutive years in office. While not as drastic as many reformers desired, the bill had the benefit of garnering enough support in congress to achieve the required majority. The amendment was ratified by the states in 1997, becoming the 28th Amendment. His second term, however, would also be marred by controversy, including lack of action in Bosnia, allowing the genocide to continue. For many Americans, it would be the bodies of Bosnian civilians, not the 28th Amendment or the balanced federal budget, that would be the legacy of the Perot Presidency.
The Reform Party’s success, already on rocky footing through Perot’s lackluster foreign policy, was further endangered by internal division. As a Centrist party, it drew from both the Left and the Right of American politics and saw significant clashing between party members. In the 2000 presidential campaign, Vice President Pat Choate, who had replaced the aging Stockdale in the ‘96 election, received the Reform Party nomination. However, fellow Reform Party member Pat Buchanan refused to exit the race, campaigning on a highly conservative ticket. The split Reform Party vote allowed George Bush to clinch a victory over Al Gore, though it was by narrow margins and triggered a great deal of controversy.

The next change for OTL came in 2002, when Congress failed to pass the Iraq Resolution. A major contributing factor to this decision was the Soviet pressure in the UN for continued diplomatic efforts, supported by Germany and France. Unable to secure Congressional support for military action against Iraq, Bush focused instead on the War in Afghanistan and on the revival of the North American Free Trade Agreement. After much effort, and with assistance from Senators Al Gore and Bill Clinton, NAFTA was ratified in 2004. However the days of Democrat and Republican dominance of the Presidency would not return. In the 2004 election, Bush would win his reelection campaign by a very narrow margin, with several states only carried by margins of a single percentage point. The Reform Party, virtually annihilated by internal schism, would be replaced by the New Federalist Party, formed ahead of the 2002 midterm elections. A collection of reform minded politicians and other citizens, the New Federalist Party focused on a return to free and open trade, fiscal responsibility at the Federal level, and a reduction in government involvement in everyday life. While their 2004 Presidential nominee failed to garner enough support to carry any state, the NFP did win enough seats in Congress to hold Bush back from many of the neo-conservative policies he wished to introduce. The 2008 election would see Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain lose to New Federalist Party candidate Glenn McGhee, who campaigned heavily on bringing the War in Afghanistan to a close and finalizing an end to the “Cold War”.

McGhee’s presidency would be a largely successful one, rolling back the deficit spending of the Bush administration and orchestrating a formal partnership with the USSR that would allow significant cuts to defense spending, combined with a significant reduction in the tax burden of private citizens and small businesses. A key achievement of McGhee’s first term was laying the groundwork for the 29th Amendment, which would require the Federal Government to maintain a balanced Federal budget. The 29th Amendment would achieve the needed support in Congress following the success of the New Federalist Party in the 2008, 2010, and 2012 elections, with the amendment being ratified in 2014.
McGhee would win a second term in 2012, beating out the Republican Mitt Romney and the Democrat Hillary Clinton by a comfortable margin. It would be in his second term that McGhee would pursue final ratification of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment, achieving the goal of removing the time limit from the Equal Rights Amendment and opening the door to a final ratification.
In 2016, the New Federalist Party would put forward McGhee’s Vice President, Mark Peterson, who would run against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, losing narrowly to Trump’s populist campaign. During the Trump Presidency, the New Federalist Party would expand its representation in Congress and in State Legislatures, providing a home for moderate Democrats and Republicans both, as well as other Americans who couldn’t find a party that fit their values.
The 2018 midterm elections would see the New Federalist Party achieve a slim majority in the House and secure enough seats in the Senate to deny either the Republicans or Democrats a firm majority.
In the 2020 Presidential Election, the New Federalist Party would nominate Roland Wilkerson as their candidate, with Candice Chambers as his running mate.

Wilkerson’s political career began when he was 25 in the 2000 elections as a representative of the state of Illinois. As a young man from a Republican family in a mostly liberal state, he believed in some of the conservative Republican values, like having a strong military, low taxes, and reduced government interference in the economy. But he also held some decidedly liberal values, such as a support for abortion and non-conformal relationships. While he won three terms in the US House of Representatives, 2 as a member of the Reform Party and 1 as an Independent, he did lose his seat in 2006 to a Republican, largely due to his vocal opposition to many of President Bush’s policies and a loss of support for the Reform Party overall. He would join the recently formed New Federalist Party, garnering enough support to return to Congress in the 2008 election and then to clinch a Senate run in 2010, a seat he would hold until the election in 2016, when he would lose to a Democratic candidate. He would continue to be politically active throughout the Trump presidency, largely through speaking with people around the nation about different issues and securing a House seat in the 2018 midterm elections. In late 2019, he announced at a small gathering of supporters that he would not be seeking re-election to the House. Instead, he would be seeking the office of the Presidency.

During the 2020 presidential election campaign, Wilkerson focused less on Trump’s failures and more on what still needed to be done. Thousands of US troops were still in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting wars that had started nearly two decades ago. The economy’s growth was slowing and there were major fears that the Chinese were trying to harm US companies and people.
It was clear to many that a change was needed. Trump’s presidency had driven wedges between the United States and many of her most important strategic allies. Americans were paying more for imported goods due to the trade war with China. On top of that, the only two other candidates who seemed viable had major scandals clouding their campaigns.
Trump’s impeachment trial and his increasingly unpredictable behavior had badly split the opinion of Republicans. Unfortunately, Joe Biden wasn’t a much better option. His aggressive stance against those who supported Trump and the very suspect dealings of his son with foreign governments ensured that actual support was limited. Had the race been limited to Biden or Trump, the race may have been a very close one indeed. But with an established name from a party with existing broad support to oppose them, the race was far more decisive. With 90 million citizen votes and 300 electoral votes, Wilkerson was elected president and inaugurated on January 20th 2021.


Do not remove - Alpha777

[Chewion]

Reviewing all applications and reservations here in a bit!

[Italian Abyssinia]

We will get through this

[NewLakotah]

Nationstates Name: NewLakotah
Nation Name: French Republic
Capital: Paris
Territory: Metropolitan France including French Guyana. Overseas France
Population: 67,413,000
Official Language: French
Recognized Languages: There are 77 recognized minority languages in Metropolitan and Overseas France

Head of State: Jean-Pierre Blanchet
HoS Picture:
Head of Government: Jeanne Leroy
HoG Picture (If different from HoS):
Legislature Name: Parliament. Upper House is the Senate. The lower house is the National Assembly
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each):
Les Republicans and their coalition control the National Assembly with 301 seats. Followed by the LREM with 170 seats. The parliamentary left, lead by the PS, holds the third party position with 88 seats. The Left-wing La France Insoumise and PCF and the right-wing Front Nationale hold 7 seats, 5 seats, and 6 seats respectively.

The Senate has no majority party, but the largest party in the Senate is Les Republicans with 115 seats, the Parti Socialiste with 107, LREM with 45, UDI with 44 seats, the Radical Movement with 22 seats, and the remaining 15 seats with the Communist PCF.
GDP (PPP): $3.232 Trillion
Currency: Euro

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here):
The French military is more or less identical the structure of the IRL French military. However, the 2nd French aircraft carrier that was cancelled in 2013 was not cancelled and the full order of 17 FREMM frigates was fulfilled.

The French military has been actively engaged in combat in Afghanistan over the course of the 21st Century, as well as in North Africa, most notably Mali. France has long been a supporter of advancing European power as an autonomous military alliance and stresses French military independence from US, hoping to create a more Euro-focused military strategy and plan. This both to ensure military, economic, and political equality from Western Europe to Eastern Europe, as well as to ensure French military capabilities are able to force project into Africa and Asia. the French military and political leadership has also begun to work to develop closer political, economic and military ties with former colonial states, modeled off of the British system of the Commonwealth, to create a Francophone system to ensure peace and stability throughout Africa and beyond.Alliances (If different from IRL):

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):
Notable political changes:
- Francois Fillion was not Les Republicans nominee, and as such no scandal and Les Republicans defeat Macron and Le Pen
- African Economic Development Plan 2018 - investment into French African economies to increase economic and political ties and to ensure stability to prevent the rise of terrorism in Northern Africa specifically
- While there may be some minor changes, particularly as a result of the other global changes (USSR reforming, etc), the political situation and economic situation in France is more or less identical as it is today, with some key priority and geopolitical focus changes.

Do not remove - Alpha777

[Chewion]

Nation Name: United Kingdom
Capital: London
Territory: OTL UK
Population: 65,761,117
Official Language: English
Recognized Languages: Scots, Ulster Scots, Welsh, Cornish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish
Flag: Flag
National Anthem (optional):

Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II
HoS Picture: Elizabeth II
Head of Government: Prime Minister George Saunders
HoG Picture (If different from HoS): Rt. Hon. George Saunders
Legislature Name: Houses of Parliament
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): House of Commons (Conservative), House of Lords (Conservative)

GDP (PPP): 3,174,921
Currency: Pound sterling

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here): HMS Ocean is still in active service, meaning that the UK still has one helicopter carrier. The United Kingdom also has more Challenger 2 tanks, as part of their military modernisation project, and so they have 140 tanks in total. Everything else is on Global Firepower.

Alliances (If different from IRL): N/A

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP): In the 2003 Conservative leadership election, a rising star in politics, George Saunders, becomes Prime Minister. He had previously served as Shadow Justice Secretary, where he had criticised the Labour government for their failure to address, amongst other things, the backlog in cases.

Saunders quickly changed the party's policy to fit the people's wishes, and soon the Conservatives began to be noticed in the polling. Saunders ruthlessly attacked the government in every sector- defence cuts, failures in the economy, and slowly moving Britain off the world stage. By the time of the 2005 election, there was a predicted Conservative win. They won with 391 seats in the Commons.

In their first term, the Saunders ministry accelerated the modernisation project for the British Armed Forces. They considered plans for a British Aerospace Unit under the Air Force, but eventually decided on launching a surveillance satellite. By 2008 the plans for this were complete, and the Royal Air Force predicted that the satellite, to be named Encore, would be launched in 2010. The financial crisis put an end to this.

The 2008-9 financial crisis hit Britain hard, as Saunders had continued to fund the public sector over the private sector, had delayed plans to privatise 15 major companies, and had increased the budget on the military whilst decreasing it on other sectors. Millions lost their jobs, and millions lost their homes. It was only with a huge stimulus package that financial ruin was averted, although Saunders promised to privatise 21 companies after he was criticised for not doing this sooner. By 2010 the economy was back on its pre-2008 record.

In the 2010 election, Saunders was re-elected, though with a significantly smaller majority. The Conservatives held only 311 seats- although Labour also performed badly, with 236 seats. Saunders himself was elected to his constituency of Aylesbury with a majority of some 9,000, a drop of some 3,400 since the last election.

In 2013 Saunders announced that Encore, the planned satellite of the RAF, would be cancelled, and the funds allocated to the launch would be diverted to a project to deploy 90 radar systems across the British Overseas Territories. Britain was back on the world stage. The next year, he announced that the top 6 largest government-owned companies would be privatised by 2015.

In the 2015 election, Euroscepticsm was high. It was a major topic, and Saunders performed well- he agreed to a referendum, but also showed all his efforts to make a closer alliance with the Continent. In this way he pleased both the sceptics and the Europeanists. After his victory (which had been predicted by all major news outlets), he scheduled the referendum for 2016. [OTL Brexit]

All events after/not mentioned fit the OP and OTL.

Do not remove - Alpha777

Accepted!

[Chewion]

Nationstates Name: Republic of Deblar
Nation Name: Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana
Territory: IRL Cuba
Population: 11,320,000
Official Language: Spanish
Recognized Languages: English, French, etc.

Head of State: Raul Castro; President of the Republic of Cuba and General Secretariat of the Cuban Communist Party
HoS Picture:
(Image)
Head of Government: ^
HoG Picture (If different from HoS):
Legislature Name: National Assembly of People’s Power
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): Cuban Communist Party

GDP (nominal): 105.487 billion USD
Major Trade Partners: Venezuela, China, Spain, USSR, etc.
Major Exports: Refined Fuels, Tobacco, Sugar, Nickel, Pharmaceuticals
Major Imports: Machinery, Foodstuffs, Refined Fuel, Vehicles
Oil Production: 49,737.33 barrels per day
Oil Consumption: 153,000 barrels per day
Proven Oil Reserves: 124 million barrels
Defense Budget (USD): 0.13 billion USD
Alliances: United Nations, good relations with China and other communist countries

Military Branches (Just list names of official Armed Forces Branches):
Cuban Revolutionary Army
Cuban Revolutionary Navy
Cuban Revolutionary Marines
Cuban Revolutionary Air Force
Cuban Revolutionary Coast Guard

Active Duty: 50,000
Reserve Duty: 40,000
Total Manpower: 5,971,000

Tanks: 1,230
AFVs: 1,570
SPA: 100
Towed Artillery: 150
Rocket Projectors: 20

Fighters: 38
Dedicated Attack: 0
Transports: 2
Trainers: 26
Special Mission: 0
Helicopters: 14
Attack Helicopters: 4

Aircraft Carriers: 0
Destroyers: 0
Frigates: 2
Corvettes: 4
Submarines: 0
Patrol: 25
Mine Warfare: 4

Other Military Information:
Extra naval assets purchased from USSR

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):

In 2008, when the Great Recession gripped Cuba, Fidel Castro had fallen ill, and after recovery, decided to retire from his post and hand over the Presidency and the General Secratariacy to his brother, Raul Castro, who holds the position to this day. Upon taking over for his brother, Raul began to modernize the island to “keep up with the rest of the world”, as he put it, establishing internet and cell service networks, making a net-zero emissions promise to be fulfilled by 2025, and shipping in new and modern vehicles primarily from Europe and China.

As Cuba went through the decade, there was a period, albeit rather short, of a cool down of relations with the United States during the presidency of Barack Obama. This short period would come to a quick end with the ascension of Donald Trump to the presidency, and economic sanctions on Cuba would contribute to the sluggish economy of recent years, which Raul has said the government aims to fix. However, Raul’s age is no secret, and many have concerns on how much long he can rule, and who will replace him in the event of his death or resignation. Meanwhile, the Cuban citizens grow ever more restless and impatient with the communist regime. Cuba stands at a crossroads, and only Heaven knows what will become of Cuba…


Do not remove - Alpha42

Please adjust to the current application format and then it is accepted.

[Chewion]

Nationstates Name: The Manticoran Empire
Nation Name: The United States of America
Capital: Washington D.C.
Territory: IRL territory of the United States
Population: 333,048,781
Official Language: None
Recognized Languages: English is the established Lingua Franca, with a significant Spanish speaking minority.
Flag: (Image)
National Anthem (optional): Star Spangled Banner

Head of State: Roland Wilkerson
Age: 45
Party Affiliation: New Federalist Party
Political Positions: Wilkerson has championed the availability of abortion clinics despite his admitted opposition to the practice. He has also supported gay marriage and has been vocal in his criticism of Evangelical campaigns against LGBT communities.
He has routinely voted and campaigned in favor of greatly reduced taxes and government spending, arguing that many federal programs would be better run if left up to state governments, especially when considering socioeconomic differences between the states. However, he has also been a vocal supporter of maintaining military readiness, especially in light of rising tensions with the PRC. In a book published in 2010, Wilkerson summarized his position as follows; The responsibilities of the Federal Government are to provide for the National Defense, regulate international and domestic trade (including ensuring safe working conditions, preventing exploitative labor practices, and providing for environmental stability), build and maintain interstate transportation infrastructure, and provide oversight of state and local education boards. All other factors, such as public transportation, welfare, healthcare, and retiree pensions, are best left to State and Local governments, as they are in a better position to understand the needs of their citizens.

HoS Description in lieu Picture: Wilkerson is a white man of average height with a moderately athletic build. His eyes are blue and his hair is brown.

Head of Government: Roland Wilkerson

HoG Picture (If different from HoS):

Legislature Name: Congress of the United States
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): The 2020 election was indecisive when it came to the control of the Senate and the House. In the Senate, 50 Republicans and 47 Democrats hold seats as well as 3 Independents who generally vote with the Democrats. In the House, the Republicans hold 220 seats to the Democrats 212. Three other seats are currently vacant and await special elections.

GDP (PPP): $21,856,254,000,000 (assuming 2% growth over 2020 from 2019 due to no COVID-19 pandemic)
Currency: US Dollar

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here):Military Branches (Just list names of official Armed Forces Branches): Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Space Guard

Active Duty: 1.4 million
Reserve Duty: 845,500
Total Manpower: 2,245,500

Tanks: 6,100
AFVs: 40,000
SPA: 1,500
Towed Artillery: 1,340
Rocket Projectors: 1,365

Fighters: 1,956
Dedicated Attack: 761
Transports: 945
Trainers: 2,765
Special Mission: 749
Tanker Fleet: 625
Helicopters: 5,436
Attack Helicopters: 904

Aircraft Carriers: 20
Destroyers: 92
Frigates: 1
Corvettes: 21
Submarines: 68
Patrol: 13
Mine Warfare: 8

Other Military Information: With the survival of the Soviet Union, US military funding remained higher for longer than IRL. Budget cuts experienced in the 1990s were avoided due to continued Soviet developments and this allowed the United States to continue planned modernization efforts. However, with warming relations between the US and USSR between 2004 and 2008, US focus shifted from peer conflict to counter insurgency warfare, a shift reinforced by the signing of the US-USSR Treaty of Friendship (known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance in the USSR and the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation in the US) in 2009. Following the drawdown in Afghanistan and the increased military build-up of the Chinese in the South China Sea, the US military began a concerted effort to restructure for peer and near-pear warfare while maintaining a counterinsurgency capability. Part of this involved a study on the efficacy of the Brigade Combat Team, with the conclusion that units needed to become more decentralized and flexible to reduce vulnerability to stand off munitions and drones. Other efforts included the Next Generation Squad Weapon, Infantry Automatic Rifle, the Next Generation Combat Vehicle series of programs (Including Decisive Lethality Platform, Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, and Extended Range Cannon Artillery), and a series of land, sea, and air drones for reconnaissance and combat use. The most recent acquisition was the THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle, with several logistics, combat, ISR, and EOD variants being ordered for evaluation and deployment. A proposal has also been levied by the Armed Forces to approach US allies for weapon systems. Notable possibilities include the K2 main battle tank and K21 IFV from South Korea, the Armata platform from the USSR, the Ajax platform from the United Kingdom, and the KF-41 Lynx from Germany.

Alliances (If different from IRL): NATO, ANZUS, UN Command, NORAD, OAS, Rio Pact, Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, US-A SPA, US-I SP, US-J MCS, US-P MDAA, US-Ph MDT, US-SK MDT, TRA, CMF

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP): Military History Changes: The continued survival of the Soviet Union created a changed geostrategic situation for the United States moving into the 1990s. Several US military programs in the early 21st century that were cancelled came to fruition while others that were curtailed were maintained at original levels. Notably the Armored Systems Modernization Program, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle Program, and the Armored Gun System Program were continued to fruition while the F-22 was produced to its planned scale, with 750 aircraft being built for the US Air Force. On the civilian side, the survival of the Soviet Union reignited concerns over space, increasing funding for NASA and resulting in the formation of the United States Space Force in 2007 and the United States Space Guard in 2011. The formation of the Space Guard, in particular, had a profound effect on US space policy, with consideration given to having the space shuttle Endeavour transferred to the USSF and Atlantis being transferred to the USSG for use as interim crew vehicles while the new branches developed their own spacecraft. Shuttle flights, however, would come to an end in 2011 due to rising launch costs and the advanced age of the fleet, with the USSF and USSG electing to develop a new vehicle while relying on unmanned vehicles in the interim. Since 2011, there has not been a confirmed crewed launch vehicle for the US, though that is rapidly changing.

US relations with the USSR were strained throughout the 1990s, particularly by the US invasion of Iraq in 1991, the 1995 Bosnia Bombing Campaign, and the US involvement in Yugoslavia in 1999. This was made worse when the US invaded Iraq in 2003. In light of these continued tense relations, the US continued efforts to prepare the US military for war with the Soviet Union as well as to improve missile defense and early warning systems.

During the 1990s and into the 2000s, the United States military continued efforts at modernization to keep pace with the Soviets. The M2001 howitzer and its companion M2002 resupply vehicle, created as part of the Armored Systems Modernization Program, started replacing the M109 Paladin in 2004. The basis of issue was a 1 for 1 replacement of the M109 with the M2001 and a 1 for 1 replacement of the M992 Ammunition Resupply Vehicle with the M2002. There is 1 M2002 for each M2001, for a total of around 2,000 Crusader vehicles. The M2001 boasts a 155mm M297 liquid cooled cannon, capable of firing a variety of 155mm rounds up to 40 kilometers at a rate of up to 12-rounds per minute, with a Multiple Round Simultaneous Impact potential of up to 8 rounds, with a 60-round ammunition capacity and an autoloader. The M2002 is able to fully restock the M2001 with 60 shells and 270 charges in 12 minutes without any crew having to dismount. The M2002 can be fully reloaded with shells and charges in under an hour.
The M2003 Main Battle Tank, developed as the Block III Abrams, entered production in 2004, with the first batch of operational tanks arriving in 2005. The Block III initially replaced the M1 Abrams in armored units, though production was later expanded to include the M1A1 and M1A2 models. The M2003 replaced the Rheinmetall Rh-120 with the M291 tank cannon, capable of firing both 120mm and 140mm rounds following a barrel swap. The chassis is similar to the M2001 and M2002. 1,946 M2003s are in service.
The M2004 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and M2005 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle entered service alongside the other vehicles from the ASM program, replacing M2 and M3 Bradley fighting vehicles. The M2004 has a crew of 3, carries 9 dismounts, and is armed with a 50mm Bushmaster III cannon and two TOW launchers The M2005 has the same crew and armament but adds an LRAS3 mount and reduces the number of dismounts to 3, increasing room for ammunition and sensors. There are approximately 1,321 IFVs and 593 CFVs in service.
Finally, the M2006 Combat Mobility Vehicle, developed to replace the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle, entered service in 2005. It is largely unarmed, save for the presence of a mount for a machine gun or automatic grenade launcher above the commander’s hatch. 258 vehicles are in service.
Entering production in 1996, the M8 Buford Armored Gun System replaced M551 Sheridans and TOW equipped HMMWVs in the 82nd Airborne Division and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Production of the M8 totaled 237 vehicles, completed in 2001. During the transition to a modular force structure starting in 2007, however, it was decided that TOW equipped Humvees would be replaced in other light formations with the M8A1, at the time in development as a systems upgrade package with the option for new build models. However, the thaw in relations with the Soviet Union, culminating in the Cooperation Agreement of 2008, would see the plan scrapped and only existing M8 platforms in the 82nd and 2nd ACR would be upgraded to the A1 standard.

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle began replacing Assault Amphibian Vehicles in 2006. The lengthy development process, beginning in the 1980s, resulted in a vehicle that was behind the curve technologically when it was introduced, something that was intended to be rectified but never was. 1,013 vehicles are in service with the USMC.

F-22 production began in 1994, with the first public demonstration of the aircraft in 1997. Operational aircraft reached frontline units beginning in 2005. Part of the delay had been caused by the Navy’s portion of the Advanced Tactical Fighter Program, created in part by the DoD’s meddling. However, the NATF was cancelled in favor of continued F-14 service. F-14s would continue flying until late 2015, being replaced with F-35Cs. Most F-14 squadrons transitioned to F/A-18s due to delays in the F-35 program.
Additionally, the Common Support Aircraft began development in 2006 and achieved initial operational capability in 2016, replacing the C-2 and E-2 aircraft with variants being introduced to reintroduce the roles once held by the S-3 Viking.
Improved relations with the USSR led to cooperative efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan against Islamist terror groups.

During the 1990s, the survival of the Soviet Union and the continued fear of the Soviet Union resulted in the Air Force continuing work on the Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion program, with live engine tests conducted during the 2000s under total media blackout at Vandenberg AFB. USAF development of SNTP would be merged with the development of an aerospike engine and the X-37, culminating in a USAF and later USSF program to develop a new, military space shuttle. The shuttle, maintained under the highest level of secrecy, would launch on its first unmanned flight from a USSF C-5 Galaxy over the Pacific Ocean in 2019, landing at SFB Vandenberg after several orbits. The first manned mission, equally classified, was launched in 2020.

In the waning months of the Bush presidency, the USSR joined Operation Enduring Freedom in 2008, sending troops to aid the fight against Islamist terror groups in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. Later agreements would see US and USSR forces fighting alongside each other in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, and several other countries as parts of Enduring Freedom, Resolute Support, and Inherent Resolve. The resultant warming of relations would see decreasing importance placed upon military spaceflight, though the USSF and USSG would continue development of the military space shuttle.

However, an apparent lack of commitment from the US, reinforced by continuing reductions in US troop numbers and several attempts to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban, have seen relations strained between the two superpowers. President Wilkerson will be forced to demonstrate America's continued committment to combatting global terrorism in order to save the relationship with the USSR.

Government History Changes: In 1992, a growing fear of professional politicians and the looming spectre of the National Deficit was exploited by Texas billionaire Ross Perot, with running mate James Stockdale, allowing him to eke out a narrow victory in the 1992 presidential race. Following his electoral success, Perot formed the Reform Party, drawing in many Americans ahead of the 1994 midterms. In his first year in office, Perot abandoned the North American Free Trade Agreement, somewhat to the chagrin of Mexico and Canada as well as many free-trade minded Republican and Democratic lawmakers. Poor handling of the situation in Somalia, including a lack of action following the disastrous operation in Mogadishu in 1993, hampered his first term, as well as poor handling of the air campaign in Yugoslavia in 1995.. In the 1994 midterm elections, the newly formed Reform Party only managed to gain a baker’s dozen of seats in the House and no Senate representation. Perot campaigned heavily leading up to the 1996 presidential election, hoping to catch his opponents, Democratic front runner Al Gore and Republican front runner Bob Dole, off guard. While Perot succeeded in clinching a second term, it was by the narrowest of margins.
Among Perot’s successes in his first term was passing a balanced federal budget. However, his goal of electoral reform and term limits for Congress would be delayed due to the poor showing of the Reform Party in the ‘94 midterms. The ‘96 election saw several new seats won by the Reform Party and garnered enough bi-partisan support for an amendment to the US Constitution, limiting Senators and Representatives to a maximum of 12 consecutive years in office. While not as drastic as many reformers desired, the bill had the benefit of garnering enough support in congress to achieve the required majority. The amendment was ratified by the states in 1997, becoming the 28th Amendment. His second term, however, would also be marred by controversy, including lack of action in Bosnia, allowing the genocide to continue. For many Americans, it would be the bodies of Bosnian civilians, not the 28th Amendment or the balanced federal budget, that would be the legacy of the Perot Presidency.
The Reform Party’s success, already on rocky footing through Perot’s lackluster foreign policy, was further endangered by internal division. As a Centrist party, it drew from both the Left and the Right of American politics and saw significant clashing between party members. In the 2000 presidential campaign, Vice President Pat Choate, who had replaced the aging Stockdale in the ‘96 election, received the Reform Party nomination. However, fellow Reform Party member Pat Buchanan refused to exit the race, campaigning on a highly conservative ticket. The split Reform Party vote allowed George Bush to clinch a victory over Al Gore, though it was by narrow margins and triggered a great deal of controversy.

The next change for OTL came in 2002, when Congress failed to pass the Iraq Resolution. A major contributing factor to this decision was the Soviet pressure in the UN for continued diplomatic efforts, supported by Germany and France. Unable to secure Congressional support for military action against Iraq, Bush focused instead on the War in Afghanistan and on the revival of the North American Free Trade Agreement. After much effort, and with assistance from Senators Al Gore and Bill Clinton, NAFTA was ratified in 2004. However the days of Democrat and Republican dominance of the Presidency would not return. In the 2004 election, Bush would win his reelection campaign by a very narrow margin, with several states only carried by margins of a single percentage point. The Reform Party, virtually annihilated by internal schism, would be replaced by the New Federalist Party, formed ahead of the 2002 midterm elections. A collection of reform minded politicians and other citizens, the New Federalist Party focused on a return to free and open trade, fiscal responsibility at the Federal level, and a reduction in government involvement in everyday life. While their 2004 Presidential nominee failed to garner enough support to carry any state, the NFP did win enough seats in Congress to hold Bush back from many of the neo-conservative policies he wished to introduce. The 2008 election would see Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain lose to New Federalist Party candidate Glenn McGhee, who campaigned heavily on bringing the War in Afghanistan to a close and finalizing an end to the “Cold War”.

McGhee’s presidency would be a largely successful one, rolling back the deficit spending of the Bush administration and orchestrating a formal partnership with the USSR that would allow significant cuts to defense spending, combined with a significant reduction in the tax burden of private citizens and small businesses. A key achievement of McGhee’s first term was laying the groundwork for the 29th Amendment, which would require the Federal Government to maintain a balanced Federal budget. The 29th Amendment would achieve the needed support in Congress following the success of the New Federalist Party in the 2008, 2010, and 2012 elections, with the amendment being ratified in 2014.
McGhee would win a second term in 2012, beating out the Republican Mitt Romney and the Democrat Hillary Clinton by a comfortable margin. It would be in his second term that McGhee would pursue final ratification of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment, achieving the goal of removing the time limit from the Equal Rights Amendment and opening the door to a final ratification.
In 2016, the New Federalist Party would put forward McGhee’s Vice President, Mark Peterson, who would run against Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, losing narrowly to Trump’s populist campaign. During the Trump Presidency, the New Federalist Party would expand its representation in Congress and in State Legislatures, providing a home for moderate Democrats and Republicans both, as well as other Americans who couldn’t find a party that fit their values.
The 2018 midterm elections would see the New Federalist Party achieve a slim majority in the House and secure enough seats in the Senate to deny either the Republicans or Democrats a firm majority.
In the 2020 Presidential Election, the New Federalist Party would nominate Roland Wilkerson as their candidate, with Candice Chambers as his running mate.

Wilkerson’s political career began when he was 25 in the 2000 elections as a representative of the state of Illinois. As a young man from a Republican family in a mostly liberal state, he believed in some of the conservative Republican values, like having a strong military, low taxes, and reduced government interference in the economy. But he also held some decidedly liberal values, such as a support for abortion and non-conformal relationships. While he won three terms in the US House of Representatives, 2 as a member of the Reform Party and 1 as an Independent, he did lose his seat in 2006 to a Republican, largely due to his vocal opposition to many of President Bush’s policies and a loss of support for the Reform Party overall. He would join the recently formed New Federalist Party, garnering enough support to return to Congress in the 2008 election and then to clinch a Senate run in 2010, a seat he would hold until the election in 2016, when he would lose to a Democratic candidate. He would continue to be politically active throughout the Trump presidency, largely through speaking with people around the nation about different issues and securing a House seat in the 2018 midterm elections. In late 2019, he announced at a small gathering of supporters that he would not be seeking re-election to the House. Instead, he would be seeking the office of the Presidency.

During the 2020 presidential election campaign, Wilkerson focused less on Trump’s failures and more on what still needed to be done. Thousands of US troops were still in Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting wars that had started nearly two decades ago. The economy’s growth was slowing and there were major fears that the Chinese were trying to harm US companies and people.
It was clear to many that a change was needed. Trump’s presidency had driven wedges between the United States and many of her most important strategic allies. Americans were paying more for imported goods due to the trade war with China. On top of that, the only two other candidates who seemed viable had major scandals clouding their campaigns.
Trump’s impeachment trial and his increasingly unpredictable behavior had badly split the opinion of Republicans. Unfortunately, Joe Biden wasn’t a much better option. His aggressive stance against those who supported Trump and the very suspect dealings of his son with foreign governments ensured that actual support was limited. Had the race been limited to Biden or Trump, the race may have been a very close one indeed. But with an established name from a party with existing broad support to oppose them, the race was far more decisive. With 90 million citizen votes and 300 electoral votes, Wilkerson was elected president and inaugurated on January 20th 2021.


Do not remove - Alpha777

Accepted

[Chewion]

Nationstates Name: NewLakotah
Nation Name: French Republic
Capital: Paris
Territory: Metropolitan France including French Guyana. Overseas France
Population: 67,413,000
Official Language: French
Recognized Languages: There are 77 recognized minority languages in Metropolitan and Overseas France

Head of State: Jean-Pierre Blanchet
HoS Picture:
Head of Government: Jeanne Leroy
HoG Picture (If different from HoS):
Legislature Name: Parliament. Upper House is the Senate. The lower house is the National Assembly
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each):
Les Republicans and their coalition control the National Assembly with 301 seats. Followed by the LREM with 170 seats. The parliamentary left, lead by the PS, holds the third party position with 88 seats. The Left-wing La France Insoumise and PCF and the right-wing Front Nationale hold 7 seats, 5 seats, and 6 seats respectively.

The Senate has no majority party, but the largest party in the Senate is Les Republicans with 115 seats, the Parti Socialiste with 107, LREM with 45, UDI with 44 seats, the Radical Movement with 22 seats, and the remaining 15 seats with the Communist PCF.
GDP (PPP): $3.232 Trillion
Currency: Euro

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here):
The French military is more or less identical the structure of the IRL French military. However, the 2nd French aircraft carrier that was cancelled in 2013 was not cancelled and the full order of 17 FREMM frigates was fulfilled.

The French military has been actively engaged in combat in Afghanistan over the course of the 21st Century, as well as in North Africa, most notably Mali. France has long been a supporter of advancing European power as an autonomous military alliance and stresses French military independence from US, hoping to create a more Euro-focused military strategy and plan. This both to ensure military, economic, and political equality from Western Europe to Eastern Europe, as well as to ensure French military capabilities are able to force project into Africa and Asia. the French military and political leadership has also begun to work to develop closer political, economic and military ties with former colonial states, modeled off of the British system of the Commonwealth, to create a Francophone system to ensure peace and stability throughout Africa and beyond.Alliances (If different from IRL):

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):
Notable political changes:
- Francois Fillion was not Les Republicans nominee, and as such no scandal and Les Republicans defeat Macron and Le Pen
- African Economic Development Plan 2018 - investment into French African economies to increase economic and political ties and to ensure stability to prevent the rise of terrorism in Northern Africa specifically
- While there may be some minor changes, particularly as a result of the other global changes (USSR reforming, etc), the political situation and economic situation in France is more or less identical as it is today, with some key priority and geopolitical focus changes.

Do not remove - Alpha777

Accepted

[Chewion]

All reservations have been noted.

[Hanovereich]

Chewion, I have a suggestion on the rules. I think that a post spanning three months is a little too much- in four posts we can cover an entire year. Can we change it to, say, one month? Something like a battle will only take a few days at most, so we don't need such a long post covering such a long period of time.

[American Pere Housh]

Nationstates Name:American Pere Housh
Nation Name:Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Capital:Seoul
Territory:OTL South Korea
Population:51,325,041
Official Language:Korean
Recognized Languages:Korean, English
Flag:Same OTL
National Anthem (optional):Aegukga

Head of State: President Kim Gi-hyeon
HoS Picture:
Head of Government: Prime Minister Cheong Yang-seog
HoG Picture (If different from HoS):
Legislature Name:The National Assembly
Party in Power (If bicameral note who controls each): People Power Power

GDP (PPP):3.5 trillion USD
Currency:South Korean Won

Military Information (If different from irl you must indicate that here):Same as OTL except active personnel is 750,000, reserves are 3.2 million and Paramilitary is 3.1 million. Weapons used by the ROK military are mainly of
American design.

Alliances (If different from IRL):Same as IRL except South Korea has a similar treaty to what it has with the US with the USSR.

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):Same as IRL except South Korea has warm relations with the USSR, Japan, Vietnam and Taiwan. Relations with North Korea have been cold ever since NK set off its first nuclear bomb.


Do not remove - Alpha777

[Arvenia]

Nationstates Name: Arvenia
Nation Name: Czechoslovak Federative Republic (CSFR/Československá Federativní Republika/Česko-Slovenská Federatívna Republika/Tschechoslowakische Bundesrepublik/Csehszlovák Szövetségi Köztársaság)
Capital: Prague
Territory: The green area in Europe
Population: 15,473,620
Official Languages: Czech, Slovak, German and Hungarian
Recognized Languages: Silesian, Romani, Greek, Polish, Bulgarian, Rusyn, Ukrainian, Serbian, Croatian, English, Russian and Vietnamese
Flag: Flag of the Czechoslovak Federative Republic
National Anthem: "Lightning Over My Home"

Head of State: President Miloš Zeman
HoS Picture: Miloš Zeman
Head of Government: Prime Minister Václav Horák (LSNS)
HoG Picture: Václav Horák
Legislature Name: Czechoslovak Parliament (composed of upper "Senate" and lower "National Assembly")
Party in Power: A political alliance between Liberal National Social Party (LSNS), Czechoslovak Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO), Bohemian People's Party (BV) and Hungarian Coalition Party (MKP).

GDP (PPP): $503.392 billion
Currency: Czechoslovak koruna (CSK)

Military Information: The Czechoslovak National Defence Forces (ČSNO/TNV/CNE) mostly resembles both the modern-day Czech Army and the modern-day Slovak Army, albeit with the inclusion of a militarized border guard and the so-called "Regional Defence Forces" (Regionální Obranné Síly/Regionálne Obranné Sily/Regionalverteidigungskräfte/Regionális Védelmi Erők). The ČSNO has 54,800 actives (12,000 soldiers and 12,800 civilians) and 3,236 reserves. The ČSNO also has at least 20 patrol boats.

Alliances: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), European Union (EU) and Visegrad Group (V3)

History Changes (Subject to review and approval by OP and Co-OP):
1989 - The Velvet Revolution occurs (same as IRL).
Early 1990 - Mikuláš Dzurinda is elected as head of the Slovak movement instead of Vladimír Mečiar. As Dzurinda is much more centrist and closer to the Czech, he is able to persuade the Czech to continue funneling money into Slovakia, provided they postpone talks of a split until 1994.
1990 - With money from Czechia, Slovakia is able to develop its infrastructure and create a start up and privatization program with help from West Germany, this leads to increased levels of Slovak growth closing the once large gap between the Czech and Slovak economies over the next few years.
1991 - With the unification of Germany and division talks postponed, a movement arises in both northern and eastern Czechia among Bohemians to rejoin Germany. As protests erupt that summer, the Czech government agrees to a more devolved government in both northern and eastern Czechia.
1992 - The Slovak Magyars demand to be released to join Hungary, Slovakia seeks help from the Czechs, the Czechs agree and negotiate a similar devolution of powers agreement.
1993 - Growing demands from populations from all regions of the country demand talks to finally create a national unified government. A federal council system is created temporarily with the leaders from Bohemia (German-speaking Czechia), Czechia, Slovakia, and Felvidek (Upper Hungary) all getting representation. New elections lead to a more centrist government on all sides.
1994 - The federal council convenes in Vienna to discuss the possibility of split. The council creates a referendum, to create a devolved federation somewhat like Spain, or to separate and create 3 new nations. The referendum passes in favor of unification because:
Slovaks - no longer feel neglected by Czech government.
Czechs - no longer see the Slovaks as an economic burden and understand the ethnic tension due to the Bohemian movement.
Bohemians (Sudeten Germans) - don't see the Europeans as realistically letting them join Germany and don't feel threatened by the other groups in the country.
Felvidekians (Slovak Magyars) - start to see the rapid increase in corruption and authoritarianism in Hungary and no longer wish to join.
1995 - On January 1st 1995, the Czechslovak Parliament convenes in Prague, the capital of the nation, there are four official languages (Czech, Slovak, German and Hungarian). Like Belgium, the nation is divided into linguistically separate communities, whilst there is a national curriculum, the specifics of education are controlled by the linguistic communities. The nation is divided into four regions; Bohemia, with its capital in Pilsen; Czechia, with its capital in Brno; Slovakia, with its capital in Braitslava; and Felvidek, with its capital in Komarno. Prague is an independent city-state placed between Bohemia and Czechia (thus the Central Bohemian Region is divided between the two regions, while the city merges with both Praha-Západ and Praha-Východ to form a metropolitan area). Each region has a government (which includes a governor, a council of ministers and a regional legislature) and is divided into districts (who in turn are composed of municipalities).
1999 - Czechoslovakia joins NATO.
2004 - Czechoslovakia joins the European Union.
2006 - Czechoslovakia was recognized by the World Bank as a "developing country".
2007 - Czechoslovakia is affected by the Great Recession.
2009 - Czechoslovakia is ranked by the Human Development Index as a nation of "Very High Human Development".
2017 - A coalition government is formed by LSNS, ČSSD, ANO, BV and MKP.
2021 - Present-day.

Do not remove - Alpha777

App finished!

[Chewion]

Chewion, I have a suggestion on the rules. I think that a post spanning three months is a little too much- in four posts we can cover an entire year. Can we change it to, say, one month? Something like a battle will only take a few days at most, so we don't need such a long post covering such a long period of time.

Sorry, let me clarify that. Each post is not necessarily intended to cover a full three months. What it means is that in-between the IEC posts, your posts can happen anywhere within a three-month period so normally that means people make two-three posts between each IEC post. In addition, I urge things like battles and fast past things to be done collaboratively on Google docs, etc between participants to ensure we don't have twenty small posts covering one thing.