The Union of Free Republics was an alliance of many small countries on the planet Earth. At its height, the Union consisted of Kosovo, Belgium, Luxembourg, Moldova, Armenia, The Netherlands, Catalonia, Scotland, Ireland, Sicily, Texas, and Alaska.
History[]
Unification of Earth[]
After the Final War had ended, Earth came out looking very different. All continents had been unified into single, massive countries to maintain stability on the planet. However, many smaller countries believed their voices would be silenced by the bigger countries. One of these was Kosovo, which was within the unification zone of the Yugoslavia-Baltic Republic. On February 17, 2008, Kosovo had declared independence from Serbia, and had retained such freedom for nearly a hundred years. A referendum in Kosovo yielded 99.2% in favor of remaining independent, while 0.8% wanted to unite with the Balkans. The government of Kosovo also was concerned that Yugoslavia would exploit and punish the Kosovans for leaving Serbia. For this reason, Kosovo reached out to Luxembourg, who had a similar dilemma. The two countries chose to form an alliance and allow any small countries not wishing to unify to join.
Catalonia and Scotland[]
For many years, Catalonia had been pushing for independence from Spain. Spain had suppressed their wishes and Catalonia remained as a part of Spain until the start of the Final War. Wish Spanish forces fighting in its own territory and Catalonia left to its own devices, they decided the time was right to declare independence. On April 7th, 2100, the Republic of Catalonia declared independence from the Spanish, but immediately declared war on the Spanish aristocratic rebels on the coastline of Spain. The Spanish government was shocked, but grateful for the help. Soon, Catalonian Volunteer Forces and Spanish soldiers were fighting side by side. Within 1.5 months, the Spanish rebellions were shattered. Spain was extremely grateful for Catalonia's help, and decided the time was right to finally let Catalonia go its way. Spain recognized Catalonian independence, sent economic aid to the country to help it establish itself, and transitioned the coastline so many Catalonian soldiers had died on to Catalonia. Soon after, Catalonia joined the then Kosovian-Luxembourg Alliance.
Scotland had declared independence in 2089 after the United Kingdom agreed to allow it to go a separate way. Since the Conference of Unification, there was concern that Europe may annex it. To prevent this, Scotland joined the now Union of Independent States.
Sicily and Southern Italy[]
Sicily and Northern Italy was formed after a civil war in Italy that saw the original Italian government move to northern Italy, while the southern half and Sicily declared independence from the corrupt government. While it was a rather large country, it chose to join the Union to be its big protector against the politics of Europe.
Later Members[]
Soon after Sicily joined the Union, The Netherlands, Armenia, Moldova, Ireland, and Belgium joined. Together, they posted their intentions to their respective unification zones and respectfully withdrew from their conferences. All countries took this in good stride and recognized the alliance as a "respective exercise of small countries wanting to remain independent".
Republic of Texas[]
One of the most shocking members of the Union was the Republic of Texas. When the transition of the United States had happened, Texas had held a referendum to decide whether the people wanted to remain a part of the United States and the new government that would take its place. Incredibly, 99.9% of the people wanted to go their separate ways, and the state Senate unanimously agreed to present the referendum to the US Congress. A date was arranged to present the results to the Senate on January 1st, 2110.
When the results of the referendum were presented and Texas's intentions were stated, Congress was furious. Congress iterated what had happened during the American Civil War, that they could not leave the United States. But Texas would not give up easily, and they sued the national government the day after their meeting in the case United States vs. Texas. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court with all lower courts ruling in favor of the United States. The Supreme Court, however, was a different matter. The Supreme Court brought up the fact that all Americans had "certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Going on this logic, the Supreme Court deducted that, because the people of Texas had voted to leave the United States, they were exercising their irrevocable right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the end, the Court ruled 9-0 in favor of Texas. When Congress heard of this, they were fuming. President Marshall Devon, a native of Texas himself, respected the Court's decision. He made arrangements for Texas to leave the US. Seven months later, as the day of the leave came, President Devon made an announcement that he was resigning the presidency to his Vice President, Matthew Maron, and that he was elected by the Texas Senate to be the first President of the Republic of Texas. When Congress got word of this, they sent a message to all countries of the world stating that it was an internal matter and that other countries should not interfere. This broadcast, along with its counterpart from President Devon, became known as the Texas Controversy. That same day, another message came in from President Devon, asking for Texas to be recognized as a country. Yugoslavia and the UOIS sent a joint message to the US Congress, stating that they respected Texan independence and that any offensive actions against the Republic of Texas would mean economic sanctions. Congress was raging, but eventually realized that they could not re-annex Texas. The rest of the planet soon recognized Texas, and Texas joined the Union of Independent States.
Years of Peace[]
From 2100 to 2120, Earth experienced peace and prosperity. The UOIS had maintained a strong army in the event something cataclysmic happened. Throughout the first fifteen years, Sir Montgomery Lendon led the Union for three consecutive terms. He had planned to run for a fourth, but died of natural causes at 88 years old. A week of remembrance was declared, which turned into a national holiday in all Union nations. Coming into office on December 17, 2115, John Harold of Belgium took office, and he furthered his predecessor's goals of maintaining the Union and peace. Harold and his allies in the Senate introduced legislation to further trade with the major powers of the world. However, a near catastrophic event occurred seventy-eight days after the election.
Texas Hostilities[]
This quarantine will remain in position indefinitely or until the State of Texas gives up its autonomy and submits to Congress and any and all punishments we see fit.
—Speaker of the House Mark Tandon, stating Congress's intentions with Texas.
On March 4, 2116, the NUSA issued massive tariffs on Texas and ordered that an aerial "quarantine" of Texas begin. The Republic of Texas was now cut off from its allies and had to pay huge, ruinous tariffs from the United States to import hat it needed to survive. When John Harold and the Senate heard of this, they were outraged. They went with their ally, Yugoslavia, and a small army to stare down the American forces. Meanwhile, Harold and the leader of Yugoslavia, Amyntas Stojanovska of Serbia, went to the US to demand the removal of the American "quarantine". The US Congress shot down this request and stated that they withdrew its recognition of Texas as a free country and that it was still apart of the United States. Harold was furious, and went back to Europe to consult his allies. They determined that the only way they could get the US to lift its "quarantine" was by a show of force. On March 18, a fleet of freighter shuttles flew high above the limits of the quarantine down into Texan airspace. By the time the Americans realized this mistake, it was too late and the shuttles were through. Loaded on board was food, money, and M320 MLRS ammunition. The M320s positioned just out of range of the imposing ships, but had the capability to move into range. The Texan forces broadcasted a message to the American forces, stated that unless they moved out of their airspace, they would put on a show of forces. When thirty minutes had passed and the ships remained in position, the MLRS artillery fired their ammunition. Four minutes later, the ammo had been exhausted, but the barrage had the intended effect. Within ten minutes, the ships had recieved orders to remove the "quarantine". Crisis had been averted, but came very close to starting a full-scale war. However, the United States did not lift its tariffs or re-recognize Texas.
Purchase of Alaska[]
Ever since the Texas Hostilities, the Union wanted to force the United States's hand into lifting the tariffs. Their answer lied in Alaska, a rich oil provider of the NUSA. The Union knew they could not muster up enough money to pay the NUSA to give them Alaska. They decided to seek out Alaska's historical owner, Russia. When the Union stated its intentions, Russia was very much on board. They agreed to a compromise that would benefit them both. For exactly five years after the transaction occurred, Russia would have the northwest, west, and southwest coast of Alaska as a protectorate and have the ability to funnel its natural resources into their factories, while the rest of Alaska became the Republic of Alaska, which would join the Union. Each would provide funds for the transaction, and all countries involved in the purchasing would recognize Alaska as an independent state. The cost came up as 786 million EuroMarks and Rubles each. The transaction took place on September 30, 2116. The NUSA realized that if the purchase went through, they would have to raise tariffs on Texas to gain access to the Texan oil. As much as hey did't want to give up the tariffs, they couldn't pass up the huge amount of money. The transaction took place, and the Republic of Alaska was born. For the alloted five years, West Alaska was a protectorate of Russia, while the rest became the Republic of Alaska. The current government of Alaska remained in place to carry the new country into the world. After the five years was up, Russia ceded West Alaska to the Republic of Alaska. Russia then proposed an official trade agreement, agreeing to trade iron and Titanium, along with a sum of money, in exchange for Alaska's precious oil reserves. The Alaskan government agreed to these terms, and became a major steel producer for the world.
Belligerence of the United States[]
After the loss of Alaska, Congress was hopping mad. President Matthew Maron did his best with his cabinet to keep Congress in check, but it did little good. Congress was in deadlock, and nothing was getting done. The only thing that was happening was Congress blaming Texas and Alaska for their problems. Congress began publicly blaming the Union for their problems. However, John Harold was not going to loose the Union to the United States. He declassified purchase papers for Alaska and a manuscript of the Supreme Court's ruling, smashing any American claims that the purchase was illegitimate. In November 17, 2120, the elections for Secretary of the Union came up. John Harold competed against his long time ally in the Senate, Norman Badeaux. The election was very respectful, however, unbeknownst to both sides, the United States began to influence the elections with political spies, pushing for Badeaux's victory. Badeaux began to pull the victory, but in one of the vote-counting rooms, files with money and instructions were found, signed by Senate Majority Leader Jacob Knox. Harold privately interviewed Badeaux, inquiring if he was corrupt. He took Harold through his house, and showed him no such files existed in his house. The files were then publicly presented and all countries immediately blasted the United States politically and economically. Mass protests broke out in the cities of the NUSA. The Senate ordered federal troops to forcibly put down the riots. When Europe got wind of this, Scandinavia declared war on the United States, as did Oceania and Canada. The Union declared war on the US two days later, as did Europe and Russia. Within days, a joint battlegroup had assembled in the Atlantic, and prepared to raid Washington D.C. The Senate called for the arrest of President Maron, who narrowly escaped to the approaching battlegroup by shuttle. The US government then set up massive defenses along the East and West coast, along with the border of Texas.
Battle of the East Coast[]
Early in the morning of December 1st, 2120, the joint battlegroup landed at Baltimore, Hampton Roads, and Wilmington, cities that had been protesting in very high numbers. Federal troops were quickly driven from the cities and fled to the countryside. Artillery was soon brought into the cities, and forced the troops towards D.C. With a beachhead established, the 18th and 17th Armies from the south and the 16th Army from the east began their convergence maneuver on D.C.
For two days, the armies moved forward to D.C. The South Group ran into a Virginian counterattack 57 miles south of Washington D.C. This attack held up the advance for twenty-two hours, but with the overwhelming numbers and tactics of the attacking force, the counterattack surrendered. Once the South Group reached D.C, aerial special forces units descended into the city. The 5th Aerial Shocktrooper Company was assigned to take the Capitol and detain the officials who started the political bickering and deadlock. Seven hours later, federal forces had been shattered and the city had been taken.
Immediate Aftermath[]
Immediately after the surrender of the United States, the Treaty of D.C was signed. Its terms were as such:
- The Congress of the New United States of America is to elect new members.
- European, Scandinavian, Union, and Oceanic forces will remain as a peacekeeping force for one year.
- The NUSA must pay war reparations.
- Prices will be raised on all goods imported into the NUSA for two years.
- Canada shall annex northern regions of the NUSA.
- Texas shall annex southern regions of the NUSA.
Post-War[]
After the war, the NUSA ceased to be a world superpower. The land losses, raised prices, and war reparations brought down the economy of the US. The newly elected Senate began to get things done, alongside President Maron. After all war reparations were paid and the prices lowered, America rebuilt its economy. However, Europe now stood as the strongest country.
Politics[]
Leadership[]
While the Union was made up of independent countries, they felt it necessary to establish a central government that would govern the countries as a whole, but without as much direct power individually. The leader of this government was known as the Secretary of the Union. The first Secretary was former Captain Sir Montgomery Lendon of Scotland. Being a war veteran of the United Kingdom and being knighted in 2091, he was a friendly man who was very good with the art of politics. He was elected on December 17, 2100 to preside over the newly created Senate of the Union.
Executive Responsibilities[]
The Secretary of the Union possessed the ability to sign into law or veto bills produced by the Senate. One rule the Secretary had to follow is that a bill could not show unnecessary favoritism to any member states. The Secretary of the Union was also the de facto commander-in-chief of the Union armed forces, comprised of military assets from all member countries. The Secretary also had the power to dismiss and convene the Senate.
Formal Responsibilities[]
The Secretary of the Union was the figurehead of all diplomatic relations that involved the Union. The Secretary was responsible for negotiating with the bigger countries problems that involved the entire union.
Notable Political Events[]
Senate Resolution 9-42[]
Also known as the European Land Purchase Act, this act was signed in on May 19, 2107 in the 2nd term of Sir Montgomery Lendon. Resolution 9-42 authorized the transfer of 567 million EuroMarks, the official recognized currency of the Union, to Europe and Yugoslavia to obtain land in Germany, France, Serbia, Greece, Russia, and Romania. All involved parties agreed to the allotted amount, and transfer of the land happened on June 2, 2107.
Martian Cold War[]
The Martian Cold War was a short conflict between Earth, the People's Communist Republic of France, and the Martian Socialist Kingdom. The Communist parties had illegally developed Titan III and IV nuclear payload missiles, with the Titan III missiles trained on Earth and the Titan IV missiles prepared to destroy the Confederation of the New Rebellion. The Union was not having two socialist states on its doorstep. They convened with the different powers of Earth to discuss their course of action. Union spies would soon be tasked with sabotaging the nuclear weapons in Mars's core. These spies were successful in destroying the nukes, along with most of Mars.
Military[]
Army[]
The Union Army was the land-based military of the UOIS. It consisted of infantry, tanks, and artillery from across the Union. At its height, the UA possessed 1.34 million soldiers, 1 million technical personnel, tasked in operating the machinery of the army, 4780 tanks, 2089 armored fighting vehicles, 2235 self-propelled guns, and 2235 transportation vehicles.
[]
Galactic treaties limited individual navies to small, defensive fleets, with planetary defense fleets being built jointly. The UOIS maintained a sizable fleet of EF76 Nebulon-B Escort Frigates, modified CR90 corvettes, a few CR92 Assassin-class corvettes, F/A-XX attack craft, T-70 X-wing starfighters, S-90 Raider fighter-bombers, and B-2 Spirit refits. This fleet was mostly reserved for interplanetary trade protection from pirates, and the fleet regularly engaged with said pirates in jump-off points to regular New Rebellion planets. Occasionally, the fleet would be on a scouting operation and engage the odd First Order fleet that had hidden out from the FOR surrender.
Economy[]
Yearly Income[]
The Union's yearly income was a common gathering of wealth. The Union's member states brought in common money from both tax revenue on business, home taxes, other taxes, and exports. In all, the central banks gained 478.6 million EuroMarks per year from its member states.
Imports[]
| Imported Product | Cost |
|---|---|
| Slate | -7000000 EM |
| Building Supplies | -1300000 EM |
| Heavy Munitions | -1500000 EM |
| Dry Foods | -1750000 EM |
| Total (Per month) | -11,550,000 EM |
| Total (Per year) | -138,600,000 EM |
Exports[]
| Exports | Payment |
|---|---|
| Military Hardware | +67200000 EM |
| Minerals | +65005000 EM |
| Uranium | +35000750 EM |
| Industrial Metals | +13000000 EM |
| Steel | +8570000 EM |
| Starship Parts | +7680000 EM |
| Fossil Fuels | +88705000 EM |
| Total (per month) | +285,160,750 EM |
| Total (per year) | +3,421,929,000 EM |
Mining[]
Mining made up a significant portion of the Union's economy. In total, mining exports alone made up 42.63% of the Union's export revenue. When Alaska joined the Union, production of Titanium steel joined exports. The production of Grade 5 steel by Alaskan factories rapidly brought in more revenue. Alaska's main trade partners were Canada and Scandinavia.
Fossil Fuels[]
Exports of large quantities of oil, coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels from Texas, Alaska, and other territories accounted for 31.11% of monthly export revenue. These fossil fuels would normally cause huge amounts of pollution, but an engineering team in Belgium came up with a system to attach to a fossil fuel generator. When the fuel was used, the emissions would go through a filter that could draw carbon out from oxygen while keeping the system energy-effective. The carbon would then be used for industrial purposes, while the oxygen was released back into the environment. This managed to bring down air pollution significantly.
Metals[]
Metal production was a massive revenue provider of the Union. It, in total, made up 19.84% of revenue. These metals included Tungsten, Uranium, Vanadium, Titanium, Iron, Magnesium, Copper, Nickel, and Aluminum.