Confederate States of Earth

Background and history
"I stand before you as President of the Confederate States of Earth Jane Zarkan, Head of State of our Confederate States, each state acting in her free and independent manner, I hereby renounce the allegiance and loyalty of each member state of the Confederacy to the Union government. We seek not war nor unbrotherly relations, all we ask if for the right to our own nation and permittance to govern ourselves. We wish for continued good relations with our former Union brothers, as good neighbours we were, but we are obliged to warn you that we will not allow you to conquer us, we do not wish to see such a tragedy occur. All we ask is to be left alone. God Save the Confederacy!"

- President of the Confederacy Jane Zarkan announcing the birth of the Confederate States

The Confederate States of Earth, commonly known simply as the Confederacy, as well as the CSE, Confeds, the Separatists, the Rebel States, the Rebels, the Western States, the West, the Nationalist States, the Nationalists, the Traditionalist States, Mother Confederacy and very rarely as the Second League of Independent Nations, referencing the proposed independent Traditionalist bloc during the Tariff Crisis of 37 BBY, as well as the Traitors and the Traitor States by the Unionists) was an alliance of Separatist nations on the planet Earth that was a member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, it was formed in 21 BBY by Jane Zarkan and other pro-CIS Earth leaders, the C.S.E signed an alliance with CIS. Jane Zarkan was also "Mother Zarkan" or "Zarkania", the national personification of the Zarkan Kingdom and the Confederacy, the Confederacy was also usually referred to as a female, one of the Confederacy's anthems, Zarkania, Mother of Freedom, is about Zarkania.

All of the founding states of the Confederacy had been members of the Western States Confederacy, the faction which replaced the Traditionalist Faction, to which the original 59 member states of the Union belonged, the Traditionalists believed that since that they were the ones who created the Union they had the right to dictate its course and politics, the Traditionalists believed that the Union ought to remain a loose alliance of states, rather than have a strong centralised government as their rivals, the Federalist Faction, believed.

With the election of Federalist Richard Williams in 24 BBY and the gradual loss of influence in the governance of the Union the Traditionalists began to dislike the Union, feeling that it was being subverted by the Federalists, and feeling a loss of representation whilst experiencing an increase in taxation. Williams had no desire to allow member states of the Union to secede, and he declared wars upon rebelling states without consulting the Union Senate, an unconstitutional act, much to the chagrin of the Traditional Faction, who continually resisted him.

Everything came to a head in 23 BBY when the, not only was the Western States Confederacy created, and replaced the Traditionalist Faction, the Nationalists of Leasath under Supreme General Diego Navarro began an uprising and attempted to take over the Leasathian government, Williams sent military forces to Leasath, much to the opposition of the Western States Confederacy, who sent their own forces, in the form of the Western States Navy's First Fleet and the Volunteer Army for the Liberation of Leasath. Williams was furious at the open military support given to the Nationalists by the WSC, when the Leasathian Nationalists finally won the war in late 22 BBY Williams declared the Western States Confederacy a "hostile power" and, with the passing of the Western States Expulsion Act, expelled her senators from the Union Senate.

Angered by the expulsions, Jane Zarkan of the Zarkan Kingdom conspired with her fellow members of the WSC to secede from the Union, 9 other states pledged their immediate support and declared that they would secede almost immediately after Jane Zarkan had tendered her nation's secession, another 7 states said that they would seriously consider secession in the not too distant future, and the remaining 42 states said they felt uneasy about secession, they would think about it, but would rather wait to see what would happen within the Union before making a decision.

On the 1st day of the new year Jane Zarkan announced the secession of her kingdom and empire, by the 3rd day the other 9 states had joined her in secession and forged the Alliance of Ten, on the same day they created and signed by the Declaration of Confederate Independence and the Constitution of the Confederate States of Earth, the Confederacy had been born.

The day after the Declaration of Confederate Independence and the Confederate Constitution were made and announced Jane Zarkan had her inauguration as the Provisional President of the Confederacy, her inauguration took place outside the Confederate Parliament building, following her being sworn in she made her Inaugural address, in which she stated her goals and desires for the Confederacy.

The different states of the Confederacy mostly followed the same religion, particularly on the Aerlandian continent, due to most member states of the Confederacy being made up of direct descendants of the Northern Coast Culture, the descendants of which maintained their belief in places like the Hall of the Virtuous, however some Confederate states believed in "God", pan-Confederate national anthems and mottos used "God", though it was also common for Aermen nations to replace "God" with "Aersif".

The Confederates fought against the pro-Republic Union of Earth States, the nation they were formerly part of, during the Earth Civil War (Known as the "Confederate War of Independence" in the Confederacy) of 21 BBY - 20 BBY, the war began following the Union's unprovoked invasion of the Republic of Valand, which occurred following the Valandan Senate's refusal to accept Richard Williams' demand for all Union nations to mobilise their forces to invade the Confederacy, Valand was a Confederate-sympathising nation. Soon after the battle Valand seceded from the Union.

Shortly after the outbreak of the war the Galactic Republic invasion following the defeat of the Republic invasion during the battle the Galactic Republic withdrew from Earth, leaving the Union to effectively fend for themselves against a much stronger, and naturally, angry at being invaded without provocation, enemy, coupled with the Second Secessionist Crisis. The Republic's invasion caused the outbreak of the Solar System War.

The Union was effectively crippled at the very start of the war by the Galactic Republic's rash action, resulting in the Union losing respect for the Republic, and accusing the Republic of betrayal.

The C.S.E had their own oaths of allegiance, these oaths of allegiance were taken by new citizens, who officially became citizens of the respective government of Confederate Earth, as well as citizens of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. There were cases of Confederate soldiers forcing Union citizens to pledge their allegiance to the Confederacy, this most notably happened during the Raid on Hilltown.

During the raid some of the soldiers forced the Unionists to become Confederates in order to steal valuables from them and not be accused of thievery, citing that since the citizens had pledged their allegiance to the Confederacy the valuables were a "patriotic contribution", most of the soldiers were from Valley City, and wished to take something back from an enemy that had taken everything from them, and also because the soldiers wished to expand Confederate territory, and decided a good way to do this would be to force the citizens of the territory to join the Confederacy.

At first consisting of 10 states, the Confederacy grew to 59 states during the second part of First Secessionist Crisis in the week following the First Battle of Earth, in the aftermath of the Burning of Valley City a few months later the Second Secessionist Crisis began, which was when an additional 36 nations seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy in protest of the war crime, the Second Secessionist Crisis meant that the Confederacy covered the majority of Earth, and the Union was reduced from having 110 member states to just 15.

As a result of this crisis, and the weakening of the Union war effort resulting from it, the Union lost respect for the Republic due to the botched Republic-led invasion of the Confederacy, which served little than to weaken the Union's military, and drive most Union citizens and member states away from their own government and to the Confederacy.

Two months after the end of the war the Confederacy held her first presidential election, which Jane Zarkan won in a landslide victory, with a staggering 97% of the vote, Jane Zarkan was a heroine to the Confederate people, which accounted for her almost total popularity.

Views from people of Earth
"God Save the Confederacy!"

- A Confederate supporter shouting a popular patriotic slogan of the Confederacy

Generally, the Confederacy was well liked and respected by the people of Earth, even amongst Union citizens, most of whom agreed that the taxation placed upon the states by the Union Senate was unfair, oppressive and unconstitutional. In addition, most Earthlings supported the Confederacy's constitutional right to secede from the Union and form their own nation.

Union citizens who held Confederate sympathies, and wished for their own nation to end the war and recognise the legitimacy of the Confederacy were known as Sympathisers. In the border regions of the Union the Sympathisers were at their strongest, and they were able to demonstrate with little fear of reprisals or counter-demonstrations. In more Unionist regions, such as Soutalia and Nortalia, Sympathisers were often accused of treason, and were sometimes arrested and imprisoned without trial as traitors. Union nationalists counter-demonstrated Sympathiser demonstrations, and viewed Sympathisers as slaves of Jane Zarkan.

"Keep kissing Jane Zarkan's arse, traitor, I'm sure she must be laughing for having your traitor lips all over her buttocks!"

- A Union nationalist to a Sympathiser

The Confederate people viewed their nation as more than just a political alliance, but as an alliance between brothers and sisters, the vast majority of the Confederate member states were located on the western half of the Aerland continent, the vast majority of the population in this area was directly descended from the people of the Northern Coast Culture.

However not all Earthlings supported the Confederacy, some supported the Union, and viewed the Confederates as traitors.

"We cannot negotiate with traitors! The Confederates have betrayed our nation, they have broken the oath they took to the Union!"

- A Union senator who opposes the Confederate-Union Negotiations

Some citizens of the Union developed sympathies for the Confederacy after hearing of war crimes and atrocities committed by the Union forces in their name, some of these still supported the Union, but did not support the war, and attempted to bring peace and an understanding between the two sides, an example of this was the Committee of Peace and Brotherhood, which was made of Union citizens who turned against the war following the Burning of Valley City and began to lobby for peace and a mutual respect between both sides.

"The Committee of Peace and Brotherhood was created in response to atrocities committed by our government against our Confederate brothers, the Burning of Valley City being the catalyst, we created CPB in order to push for an end to this destructive war."

- An excerpt from An Introduction to the Committee of Peace and Brotherhood

Even amongst Union military personnel that was a lot of respect for the Confederates, most Union military personnel viewed their Confederate counterparts as brothers, and respected their cause and what they believed in, they also showed admiration for the Confederacy as a whole.

"That's one beautiful country down there, no wonder they'd fight for it!"

- A Union Air Force pilot remarking on the Confederate countryside he's flying over

Some Unionists disliked the concept of Indentured Servitude (Repaying a debt through work), believing it to be Slavery, this idea was constantly refuted by the Confederates, who stated, quite correctly, that Indentured Servitude was not Slavery, since an indentured servant was nobody's personal property, and was only an indentured servant until their debt was repaid.

Confederates argued that Indentured Servitude was most commonly practiced on criminals, who would have little to otherwise occupy their time, and it gave them employment and work skills, many criminals who became indentured servants often learnt a trade, and used that trade to find work when they were released from prison, thereby making Indentured Servitude a form of Rehabilitation. It was for this main reason, and making criminals earn their freedom by having them repay their debt to society through their labour, rather than just waiting out their sentence in relative comfort, that the vast majority of Confederates viewed the concept in a positive light.

Jane Zarkan was the most famous Confederate who defended Indentured Servitude, Jane believed it to be the only means a convict could truly repay their debt to society whilst in prison, Jane also said that it was her desire, as President of the Confederate States, to preserve Indentured Servitude wherever it was practiced.

"My views on Indentured Servitude are quite clear, I believe the institution to be a positive force and means of providing employment. For what reason should convicts be eligible to wait out their time imprisoned without labouring to repay the debt they owe to society? Their servitude also provides them with employment skills, for which they can use to find honest employment upon being granted their freedom. It is my duty, and my desire, as the President of the Confederate States of Earth, to preserve the concept of Indentured Servitude wherever it may be practiced."

- Jane Zarkan, upon being asked on her views on Indentured Servitude

Despite this refutation of the belief that Indentured Servitude was bad, which succeeded in swaying some Unionists who initially had doubts about the concept, the idea of Indentured Servitude was still used by Richard Williams in an attempt to rally the Union behind some "great evil" with his Address on Indentured Servitude, in which he attempted to argue that the Union's goal was to eradicate Indentured Servitude entirely, though few believed him, most saw the war for what it was, a war of Unionist domination and taxation over a free and sovereign Confederacy. The Confederates disparagingly referred to the speech as the "Address of Hogwash".

Nations of the Confederacy

 * Zarkan Kingdom and Empire (1st)
 * United Provinces of Adin and Morin (2nd)
 * Kingdom of Princeland (3rd)
 * Republic of Selandia (4th)
 * Toman Republic (5th)
 * Erastan (6th)
 * Kingdom of Westland (7th)
 * Norland (8th)
 * Sothland Republic (9th)
 * Confederation of the Drelan River (10th)
 * Aerlandia (11th)
 * Second Republic of Vertania (12th)
 * Arstotzka (13th)
 * Democratic Republic of Leasath (14th)
 * Hiland (15th)
 * San Salvacion (16th)
 * Tripartite Union (17th)
 * Island Coalition (18th)
 * Wielvakia (19th)
 * North Columbia (20th)
 * Kingdom of Earlsland (21st)
 * North Coast Union (22nd)
 * Independent State of Velukia (25th)
 * Derrett Republic (27th)
 * South Point (29th)
 * United Kingdoms of Zovakia and Herkania (30th)
 * Federal Republic of Estovakia (32nd)
 * Federal Republic of Erusea (37th)
 * Sotoa (39th)
 * Londany (44th)
 * Lakeland (46th)
 * Kingdom of Nordennavic (49th)
 * Republic of Valand (57th)
 * Second Republic of East Vertania (60th)
 * Republic of Columbia (61st)
 * West Kalland Republic (62nd)
 * Kalland (63rd)
 * Republic of Western Soutalia (92nd)
 * South Valandia (93rd)
 * North Valand (94th)
 * Republic of Wekland (95th)

Flags of the Confederacy
"I enjoy the flags of our motherland, they're all beautiful, both in their design, and what they represent. My particular favourite is the 10-star version of the "Stars and Bars", whilst not the flag I raised high above my castle when the heads of state of the first 10 seceded nations arrived to give birth to our new free and independent nation, that flag being the "Stainless Banner", another beautiful flag of my own design, I still love her anyway. Our flags rally our people, they're all far nicer than the ugly Union banner!"

- Jane Zarkan, giving her thoughts on Confederate flags

Flags were a very important part of the Confederate identity and culture, the Confederate Parliament believed that flags would help boost patriotic feelings and unity in their young nation. A flag represented a people and a nation, and an aesthetically pleasing flag made people feel happier and more loyal to their nation than one that was considered ugly.

At the birth of the Confederacy on the 3rd day of 21 BBY, when the Alliance of Ten declared the Confederacy's independence, the flag which flew over Castle Zarkan, the birthplace of the Confederacy, was one of Jane Zarkan I's own design, the "Stainless Banner", also known as the "Zarkan Flag", and the "Independence Flag", this was a flag with a plain white field and a square 9-star "Zarkanian Cross" battle flag which had blue stripes with white stars on a red field for the canton, a single white star in the upper left quadrant of the canton made up the 10th star, representing the 10 nations which had formed the Confederacy.

The white field of the flag represented the purity of the Confederate cause of freedom and independence, as well as the Confederacy's desire for peace with the Union, whilst the canton was an homage to the new Confederate States Militia, the predecessor of the Confederate States Army. Whilst the flag received much respect and love from most Confederate citizens, the military was concerned about the flag's potential to be confused with a flag of truce in still weather, a new flag had to be adopted.

"We had much love and respect for President Zarkan's flag, after all, who wouldn't? A flag designed, and produced, personally by our great President and mother of our nation, a flag which flew over the Confederacy at the time of her birth, with a white field which symbolised the purity of our glorious Confederacy's cause of liberty, and of our desire for peace. With a union of a blue Zarkanian Cross on a red field with nine white stars, which was a homage to our gallant men. It would be treachery to our Confederate spirit to say our hearts and souls were not warmed and our patriotism not aroused. What true Confederate could say he disliked such a pretty flag designed by his own beloved President? However, as much as it pains me to admit this, the Zarkan Flag, a flag so dear in the hearts of all, had her flaws, the military approached us, asking us to find them a new flag. They were concerned with the abundance of white on the flag, which they said could be mistaken for a flag of truce when hanging from a flag staff in still weather. I could understand their meaning, and I therefore insisted to the Parliament that we be allowed to run a contest to find a new national flag for the Confederate States."

- Gregory O. Millett, first Chief Vexillographer, on the "Stainless Banner" in his book A Pictorial History of the Flags of the Confederate States of Earth

The Confederacy put such a high importance on flags that there was a government organisation dedicated specifically for the design and production of flags, the Confederate Vexillographic Institute (C. V. I.), which both produced and designed its own flags as well as prototype versions of proposed flags for display to the Confederate Parliament, as well as produced flags for government contracts, or personal contracts with some Confederate military leaders or businesses. The C.V.I only dealt with government, military and large business contracts, smaller businesses and the general public had to either make their own flags or buy them from smaller independent flag making companies.

The C. V. I. was headed by the "Chief Vexillographer", which was a government position within the Confederate Cabinet. The Chief Vexillographer's duties included leading the institute, overseeing the fulfilment of government contracts, and displaying the various proposed flags to the Confederate Parliament. The Chief Vexillographer also organised national flag competitions, and narrowed down the numerous different entries to a dozen or so finalists.

To select a winner from the numerous flag proposals the C.V.I created the Committee on Flag and Seal, the purpose of this committee was to go through the numerous different entries for a national flag and seal, and then make a recommendation to the Parliament, other committees and branches of the institute dealt with other flags, the Committee on Flag and Seal only convened when the Confederate Parliament passed a motion to create a new national flag and/or a new national seal, as such it only convened three times, the first time in early 21 BBY, the second time in mid 21 BBY, and the final time in 4 ABY. The terms "First Convention", "Second Convention" and "Third Convention" were applied to the different meetings of the Committee.

The First Convention particularly liked the "Cross and Stripes Banner" submitted by Timothy Richards during the first national flag competition by the C.V.I, this flag featured the "Striped Banner" of East Vertania, at the time still under occupation by then still Union-loyal nation of Kalland, Timothy Richards used East Vertania's stripes as a symbol of the Confederacy's freedom from Union occupation, and expressed a wish that the Confederacy may one day free East Vertania from her occupation, he added a Battle Cross in the canton, which was from a variant of the "Stainless Banner", designed by Jane Zarkan herself, the flag which flew over meeting of the Alliance of Ten's leaders which saw the birth of the Confederate States of Earth, at the time of the selection of the first national flag there were still only 10 nations in the CSE.

In the end, his flag was beaten by the "Stars and Bars", though some in the C.V.I expressed approval of the flag. His flag was in the running to being adopted as the national flag.

"Some in the Institute have expressed their approval of Timothy Richards' "Cross and Stripes Banner", as some have taken to calling it. They particularly enjoyed the inclusion of the Stripes from the as of present imprisoned nation of East Vertania as a representation of our Confederacy's liberty from occupation by the Union. In Timothy Richards' notes, which he sent with a prototype sketch of the flag, he explained that the Stripes have a double meaning, that our Confederacy may one day liberate East Vertania from her occupation.

''Also included is a union in the centre of the Hoist, this is rather unusual, since most cantons are placed within the upper Hoist, but it is interesting to say the least. The union consists of a "Battle Cross" battle flag with a red Battle Cross atop a blue field, the canton is reminiscent of Jane Zarkan's Stainless Banner flag, the flag our founders met under to discuss the birth of our free nation, my associates did appreciate this symbolism.''

It is the opinion of this institute that Timothy Richards' flag be placed for serious consideration, a misgiving, however, must be noted, that of the recollection of the flag to that of the old Union we liberated ourselves from, whilst the recollection is vague at best, the Union's flag possessing vertical, blue stripes instead of horizontal, red ones, the institute does recommend continuing our search for a national flag, one which has less resemblance to the banner of the Union we removed ourselves from.

-an excerpt from a report by the C.V.I. to the Confederate Parliament, describing Timothy Richards' flag

The First Convention selected Alexander Martin Yarwood's flag as the winner, Alexander's flag featured three horizontal bars, red, white and red, which was actually the flag of Norland, one of the founding Confederate nations, with a blue canton which extended down two-thirds of the flag vertically, and about a third of the flag horizontally, within the canton were 10 white stars in a circle (though variants had the stars laid out 9 in the circle and 1 in the middle, as well as in rows or columns), which represented the founding 10 nations of the Confederacy. The flag was officially named the "First National Flag of the Confederate States of Earth", but was most commonly known as the "Stars and Bars", though the flag was also sometimes known as the "Old Gridiron", a term of endearment which came from the cooking tool.

Alexander's flag proved so immensely popular with the nation that during the Second and Third Conventions the C.V.I. originally had planned remove any similarity with that of the Union from the flag, but the flag had become so ingrained in the Confederate national consciousness and popular culture the Committee found themselves being unable to remove the "Bars", they were even unable to adopt different coloured "Bars", the red-white-red "Bars" stayed on both the Second and Third national flags.

The First National Flag Act made official the choice of the "Stars and Bars" as the first national flag. The content of the act gave a description of a regulation "Stars and Bars" flag.

"The Parliament of the Confederate States of Earth do enact- That the national flag of the Confederate States of Earth shall consist of a red field with a white stripe extending horizontally through the centre of the red field, and equal in width to one-third the width of the flag. The red stripes thus created above and below the white shall be of equal width as the white stripe. The union blue shall be found within the upper portion of the hoist, extending two-thirds of the flag vertically, through the white stripe and stopping at the lower red one, whilst the union shall extend one-third of the flag horizontally. In the centre of the union there shall be a circle of white stars corresponding in their number to that of the number of nations within the Confederate States."

- Part of the First National Flag Act, the act then goes on to give specific dimensions for a regulation flag

Despite the act creating the "Regulation Flag", as flags produced to the act's specifications were known, there was a wide variety of different designs, some had the canton in different places, even removed entirely, some had different width stripes, some had the stars arranged in different layouts, some seemingly of random.

Appearances

 * Ashes of War
 * A.R.K.: Ancients to the Modern Aliens