The Ensign of the Confederation Navy
I have little doubt that we, the Traditionalist and Conservative nations of the Western world, must unify in order to combat the corrupting and hostile influence President Williams' governance has upon us. President Williams will have negative effect on our nations and our independence, for he is a member of the Federalist Faction, and, thus, actively works to destroy the nation state and replace it with a centralised global government loyal only to himself and his "inner circle". How long will it be before we see an Earth Federal Army loyal only to Richard Williams marching through our streets? The entire Free World must ally in order to prepare ourselves for the trying times that lie ahead! It is for this reason that I spearheaded the creation of this Confederation, the heads of state of the other member nations of our confederacy can see why I created our new Western Confederation, and have willingly pledged their support for it.
—Jean-Louis Picard, President of Erusea, on his creation of the Western State Confederation
The Western States Confederation (WSC) (also known simply as the "Western Rebels" by pro-Williams supporters and Unionists, as well as the Confederation, the Western Confederation, the Western Confederacy, the Conservative Confederation, the Traditionalist Confederacy, the Nationalists, and the "Conservative Coalition" by the Union of Earth States) was a military alliance between the 59 nations of the former Traditionalist Faction, the predecessor faction to the WSC, a faction of the Union Senate made up of nations loyal to the Union of Earth States who opposed the federalist policies of Richard Williams, who was elected in 24 BBY, following the Presidential election.
The following year after the election Jean-Louis Picard, the President of the nation of the Federal Republic of Erusea, proposed a military alliance to the other members of the Tradtionalist Faction. Picard explained to them his belief in the need for a unity between pro-Nation's Rights states in order to create a strong Conservative bloc in order to combat the corrupting and negative influence of Richard Williams, as well as prepare for a potential war when both sides become exhausted with perpetual arguing and fruitless negotiations.
Swayed by Picard's zeal and his passionate speech the other members agreed to help him create his alliance, the Western States Confederation was born, the WSC replaced the Traditionalist Faction. Though the WSC was nominally a faction of the Union of Earth States, it was de facto an independent bloc which effectively rejected the authority of the Union's rule of it, and was essentially the Conservative counterpart to the Union.
Richard Williams was furious, considering the Western States Confederation to be an illegal faction, viewing it as a militarist attempt to "twist his arm" into bowing to the wishes of the Traditionalists. In response the WSC stated the goal of their union to be simply a defence pact between sovereign nations, and that Williams shouldn't hold such resentment and fear for nations simply exercising their God-given right to take any action they see fit in order to protect themselves. Despite Williams' misgivings the WSC maintained dialogue with the Union Senate, in an attempt to resolve their differences peacefully and diplomatically.
Two factions emerged within the WSC, the "Separatists", who wished for the WSC to break away from the Union completely and become the Conservative equivalent to the Union, and the "Compromisers", who wished to remain with the Union after finding an approving compromise with the Union.
Whilst the latter initially had more support it wasn't long before public opinion had shifted to supporting the Separatists, the Separatists' dream of an independent Conservative confederacy was realised with the Confederate States of Earth, the Compromiser faction dwindled and eventually died out completely with the birth of the Confederate States, as the vast majority of the remaining Compromisers abandoned the faction and fully supported the independence of their new nation.
The Western States Confederation provided support to the Nationalists during the Leasath Civil War, as a result the Democratic Republic of Leasath joined the WSC, President Williams accused the WSC of breaking it's "strictly self-defence" policy, to which the WSC replied it held no such policy, and would "be willing to help a just and good cause find victory".
The WSC also provided support to the Republic of Valand and the county government of North Valand during the North Valand Rebellion, several months prior to the Leasath Civil War, when the Republic of Valand joined the WSC a faction of militant hard-line Union loyalists began an open rebellion against the government in an attempt to force North Valand to secede from Valand and remain a fully Unionist region, the rebellion was crushed.
Following the Union's defeat in the Leasath Civil War Williams declared the Western States Confederation a "hostile power", and, with the passing of the Western States Expulsion Act, expelled its senators, as a result on the first day of 21 BBY Jane Zarkan, queen of the Zarkan Kingdom, announced the secession of her nation from the Union, the other nations of the WSC quickly followed suit, and the "Confederate States of Earth" was born, the WSC served as partial inspiration for the formation of the Confederate States, the WSC was integrated into the Confederacy as a political faction which helped preserve the unity between the Confederate member nations.
The WSC had three main military branches, the Confederation Army, the Confederation Navy and the Confederation Air Force, all of which were merely the different military forces of the WSC members working as one organisation, no nation had direct control over the other nations' forces. These branches of the WSC military helped form the backbone of the early Confederate States military.