Millions of former Union citizens are groaning and suffering under the tyranny of the New Earth Republic! The New Earth Republic wishes to destroy this noble government and the free world, and plunge this world into darkness, we are the light, we are the right, we must stand up and defend freedom! The safety, security and liberty of the planet is at risk! I move that we immediately take up arms in the defence of our nation, our homes, our families, and our freedom! If we fail then the light of freedom will be extinguished, and dark times will ensue!
—President Anderson Kinley addressing the Union Senate on his wish for war with the New Earth Republic
The New Earth Republic (NER) was a revolutionary quasi-nation that consisted of a brutal band of revolutionaries and usurpers on the planet Earth who launched a revolution against the Union of Earth States in 40 BBY.
Widely considered to be a terrorist organisation by the Union, the "New Earth Republic" was unrecognised and was considered illegitimate, however the brutality of its members was infamous, the NER was formed by Jack Vovich, the Chief Commandant of the government, for the purpose of overthrowing the Union of Earth States and remove what he considered to be the "petty bureaucrats" from power.
The plan of the NER was to destroy the Union and then make itself Earth's global government, the thought of which terrified Earth's citizens, who desperately wished for a Union victory in the revolution, which could be best displayed in the Plea of the People.
We, the people of the Union, express our concerns and fears of the present threat to freedom, the Union, and our very lives. We make this plea to our government to intervene and put down this revolution before the Union is destroyed and this planet is plunged into darkness. Should the forces of evil win, then we will be slaughtered en masse, the cemeteries of this planet will be filled in short order, and the crematoriums will be ever alight, we, the loyal citizens of this glorious and beloved Union, beg to our government to prevent our freedom from being lost to us. If we lose, then we lose it all!
—Part of the "Plea of the People", the historic document made by concerned Union citizens to plead with the Union Senate to take action against the New Earth Republic
Despite having little support from most of Earth's population the NER did gain a lot of volunteers in the form of anarchists, revolutionaries, and those who simply didn't like the Union, a number of East Vertanians supported the NER due to the Union continually ignoring East Vertania's protests regarding the presence of Kalland in their former nation, citing the illegality of Kalland's annexation, these East Vertanians wanted the NER to win out of the belief that the NER would force Kalland to give East Vertania back to the people upon the NER taking power from the Union.
Unionists greatly disliked Union citizens who joined the NER, stating it to be a betrayal of the Union, most Unionists believed that those who joined the NER would be punished for their betrayal upon a Union victory.
I cannot believe how some citizens of the Union could even consider supporting the barbarians, never mind joining them! When this war comes to an end they will be punished for their betrayal of the Union!
—A Unionists on Union citizens joining the NER
The two year long revolution was bloody, and nearly resulted in the destruction of the Union, it was in these dark times that the song "For the Union and Freedom!", which quickly became a rallying song, and within short order became a patriotic anthem, later receiving unofficial national anthem status.
One of the most infamous acts of violence and barbarism committed by the NER was that of the Erastan Purge, which occured in 39 BBY, during the purge elements of the NER within Erastan massacred millions of Erastians, those targeted included the rich, the middle and upper classes, the land owners, the intellectuals, and members of the working classes deemed "Traitors to the Cause" by the NER, the NER had the victims enslaved and sent to slave labour camps, where they worked until they fell of exhaustion, starvation, disease or brutality by he camp guards, or sent to death camps where they executed or tortured to death. The purge was declared a Crime Against Humanity by the Union, and served to reinforce the fear and hatred shown to the NER by the citizens of the Union.
The NER was finally destroyed with the Sinking of the Republic Town, the Union Navy launched an operation to destroy the Republic Town, the floating capital of the NER located within the Southern Ocean, with Jack and John Vovich aboard, doing so would cripple the NER and force their surrender. The action was largely undertaken by ships of the Republic of Columbia Navy, the island nation of Columbia being closest to the Republic Town, the the operation was a success, Jack and John Vovich were killed, the loss of their leaders and capital resulting the surrender of the NER, and the revolution came to an end, the Union was saved.
These petty bureaucrats, and those who support them, will be exterminated! The weak and the pathetic shall be exterminated, imprisoned, enslaved. The greedy bureaucrats of the Union's Senate shall be enslaved en masse, we shall give them a taste of their own medicine! The poor and downtrodden shall rule this world, the New Earth Republic shall empower them! We shall remove the rich, the greedy, the pathetic, the waste of Humanity, the class traitors, we shall destroy them all!
—Chief Commandant Jack Vovich giving a speech, outlining the goals of the NER
Following the NER's defeat many members went underground, waiting for the day when they could restart their revolution once more, almost 20 years later, in 21 BBY, many former NER members fought on the side of the Confederate States of Earth during the Earth Civil War, in order to conquer the Union that way, and possibly use the former Union's military coupled with citizen uprisings instigated by NER sleeper agents in the Confederacy to destabilise and conquer the Confederacy, succeeding in their plan to rule the world.
Despite this, the vast majority of Confederates hated the New Earth Republic and had no desire for former NER members to support their cause, many citizens in the states which made up the Confederacy had either lost family members to the NER, or had actually served against the NER during their service in the Union's military, President Jane Zarkan herself tried to remove as many former NER members from Confederate service as possible, citing her personal dislike of the NER.
It troubles me that there are apparently former members of the "New Earth Republic" serving the Confederacy. I dislike the NER, I dislike what they stood for, and what they did to our people. If any former NER members are hearing this we do not need nor desire your help, you may think we share similar goals, but that is completely incorrect. Unlike your NER, we do not fight the Union to conquer it and enslave the world, we fight to defend our freedom, our independence, because we believe our Union brothers have lost their way. Our goals are the complete opposite, and, frankly, I am insulted at the very idea that the Confederacy and the NER are in any way equals! That is an insult to the many citizens these Confederate States lost to the NER, and those many noble warriors serving the Confederacy right now who actually fought against the NER! You are no friends of the Confederacy! Maybe you, personally, did not join the NER to slaughter millions and enslave those you deemed unworthy, but that's what the NER leadership wanted you to fight for, and I, therefore, despise the NER for it! Perhaps you wish to make amends for your service to the NER by fighting on the side of true freedom, if that is so then you have gained a slight amount of respect from me, but that cannot change the horrors that a revolution you served forced this planet to suffer!
—President Jane Zarkan in a message to her people, on former NER members serving the Confederacy
As many Confederates suspected, there was a plan made by former NER members serving the Confederacy to restore the NER, this plan was the "Second New Earth Republic" (SNER), following the arrival of Confederate troops to the Union Senate building to oversee the signing of the peace treaty the members of SNER betrayed the Confederacy and attempted to raise their banner, which they had made in secret, above the Senate building and demand the Union being transitioned into the Second New Earth Republic, unwilling to allow the destruction of the Union and the creation of a terrorist government the Confederate and Union soldiers within the building joined forces to defeat SNER in the "Battle of the Senate building", SNER was defeated and their plan foiled, the Union transitioned into peace successfully.