Arstotzka

"GLORY TO ARSTOTZKA!"

- A patriotic Arstotzkan battle cry

Arstotzka was a relatively small, land-locked, nation, located on the planet Earth, formed by Tsar Mikhail I "the Father", the Duke of Rekagrad, future capital of Arstotzka, in 844 BBY following the Duchy Wars of 937 BBY - 844 BBY, he decided to name the newly unified nation after a mythical kingdom in Arstotzkan legend, which was said to have been the ancestral birthplace of every Arstotzkan royal lineage, Mikhail I adapted his personal battle emblem, the red eagle, symbol of Rekagrad, on a black field, which represented the death and strife his land had experienced during the Duchy Wars and the early years of Arstotzka, with red striped, symbolising the bloodied bandages of wounded Arstotzkan soldiers.

The first 300 years of Arstotzkan history were plagued with recurrent uprisings, civil wars, crop failures, famines, floods and disease outbreaks, a period known as the Suffering Times, it was said that during these times much of the land of Arstotzka was stained red with blood, and the floods were the result of the tears of Mother Arstotzka, national personification of Arstotzka, weeping at the pain and suffering endured by her sons and daughters.

Despite these many difficulties, Arstotzka survived, if not for the occasional ruthlessness of Mikhail I's descendants in keeping their nation united, which they described as being a necessary evil for the common good.

In 21 BBY Arstotzka became the 13th nation to join the young Confederate States of Earth, Arstotzkan units quickly became renowned across the world for their determination and willingness to sacrifice themselves in battle, as a result Arstotzka had one of the highest casualty rates in the Confederacy, but Arstotzkan units usually won their battles.

Behind the Scenes
Arstotzka takes partial inspiration from a fictional nation of the same name in the indie game Papers, Please, the user has played this game, and quite enjoys it