It is imperative that in order to root out division within the Imperium, we all must come together as one. A single culture, a single people for a single state.
—Darius Kopan I
The state flag of the Fourth Imperium became a symbol of Odestrafication
Odestrafication was the process by which all planets, peoples, species and civilizations of the Odestrian Imperium were unified into a single, semi-homogeneous culture that was spread across Odestrian Space. While the process had its roots in the late Odestrian Revolution, it was not until the Third Imperium, when the process fully began to take shape. By the time of the Tri Decim Humilitus, most , if not all planets of the IPPO shared the same culture, naming conventions, language, and government with the capital Odestria.
Features[]
"The Legion man and the Flag" was a famous Odestrian propaganda poster that provided one of the most profound examples of Odestrian Militarism.
Odestria is less of a planet and more of a nation of multiple planets.
—Ambassador Ketresev
The evidence of Odestrafication was present in the various features the process had, some of these features included:
- Heavy Militarism
- Odessanian Religion (Odestrian Orthadox)
- Neo-Blezzian Architecture
- Standard Panasian as an official Language
- The referral to any planet's population as "Odestrian"
- The concept of Odestria as a unitary, interstellar state.
- Livio In Imperium
- Economic Centralization
Pros[]
For a unitary, autocratic, and centralized society like Odestria, the pros of this program were that is prevented many planets from demanding secession from the larger Odestrian state. The concept of "Odestrian" meant more than just "one who lives on Odestria," it became a term for one who lived on any Odestrian world. Additionally, the process of Odestrafication also added wiggle room to merge a new planets culture into the overall state, thereby creating a sort of "melting pot." In effect, this prevented the eradication of a planet's culture while still keeping it part of the overall Odestrian society. Furthermore, the process allowed for the Odestrian Imperium to remain largely self-sufficient in terms of trade for the period of Pax Odestram before its rapprochement with the Republic in 990 BBY.
Cons[]
Many of the cons of Odestrafication lie in the near removal of identity from those who aren't planetary Odestrians by birth. While the ultimate end of Odestrafication was the assimilation of all cultures, it would be foolhardy to think that this always went off without a hitch. Early attempts at Odestrafication were met with widespread condemnation by other powers, while alienating many federal constituents within the Imperium. Civilizations like the Galactic Republic, which praised the diversity of its member worlds, openly criticized the manner in which the Odestrian State operated culturally.
Behind the Scenes[]
The process of Odestrafication was heavily based off the Russian "Russification" which occurred most notably during the reign of Catherine the Great. The attempts of the state to create a unified society based on one cultural identity was also present in the Galactic Empire's method of control. While unaware of this at the time of its concept, the author, LegionforHire made it clear in his AU that the Empire's methods of control were inspired, partly on the IPPO as well as the Sith Empire during the Great Galactic War.
Sources[]
- The Odestrian Codex-Odestrafication
- "The Pros and Cons of Genzzus Era Odestrafication" - Kaiserov.
- "The Imperial Mission: Odestrafication Origins"- Tesserov.