For Mother Zarkania!
—The most popular motto of the ZNL
The Zarkanian National League (ZNL; also known as the Ligue Nationale Zarkainaise; LNZ in Law Malandish) was a political party of the Zarkan Kingdom and Empire, a nation located on the planet Earth. The party was founded in 35 BBY following an Ultranationalist backlash against the actions of the Union of Earth States during the Tariff Crisis of 37 BBY.
Background and history[]
Founded as a unification of Albert Georgeson's Everything For The Motherland Party (EFTMP) and Hirram Tollard's short-lived Nationalist Phalanxes of the Zarkanian Motherland (NPZM) with support from the Order of the White Dragon, a Zarkanian nationalist secret society, the ZNL quickly rallied popular support with their message of defending the Zarkanian lands and restoring her glory through the usage and encouragement of Zarkanian nationalism.
Shortly after being founded, the party established the Protection Brigade - also known as the "Whiteshirts", for the color of the PB's uniforms. The PB's purpose was to serve as a bodyguard and paramilitary unit, intended to protect party officials as well as combat the party's opponents - most prominently the "Red Front", an alliance of Socialist and other Revolutionary Leftist groups. The PB defeated a Red Front riot during the "Battle of Zarkania Square" in 34 BBY, for which a memorial was constructed. The ZNL won the city's Local Election later in the year, forming Zarkan City's new council.
In 31 BBY the party formed a political alliance with Edward Wainwright's Movement for Zarkanian National-Folkism (MZNF), the other largest nationalist party in the Zarkan Kingdom. The purpose of this alliance was to lay the groundwork for a grand alliance of Zarkanian nationalist parties - the United Front of Zarkanian Nationalist Parties and Movements (UFZNPM), founded in 30 BBY, of which the ZNL and the MZNF would both be leaders. The alliance also had the purpose of strengthening co-operation between Zarkanian nationalists, earning more votes for the nationalist bloc, and furthering resistance to the Red Front.
The ZNL was a fervently monarchist party, especially since most upper-class Zarkanians were raised to hold highly nationalist viewpoints. The party was supportive of King Daniel IV until his assassination in 28 BBY. During the coronation of Jane Zarkan as Queen Jane I the ZNL eagerly swore fealty to her and offered her a position as the spiritual leader of the party, which she happily accepted. Jane made a deal with Albert Georgeson to establish a special unit of the Protection Brigade to serve as her personal paramilitary force.
Ideology[]
The ZNL held three primary ideologies: Zarkanian nationalism, Zarkano-Aermanism and National Labour.
Zarkanian nationalism[]
Zarkanian nationalism was a form of nationalism which asserted that the Zarkanians were a nation, and advocated for the cultural and racial unity of all Zarkanians. This nationalism was long-standing, having become a real force when King Thomas I led the Zarkanian War of Independence in 1,000 BBY. Centuries of royalism in the Zarkan Kingdom had effectively united Zarkanian nationalism with Monarchism.
Zarkanian nationalism, especially in its Ultranationalist form, was a bedrock ideology behind the centuries of Zarkanian imperial expansion. This imperialism was justified in ultranationalist terms of needing more space for Zarkanians to live and cultivate. As settler colonies were created a nationalist belief developed that considered the Zarkanians in the motherland and the colonials as one and the same, having to remain united
Whilst most Zarkanian people were nationalists, Ultranationalism increased massively amongst them following the Tariff Crisis in 37 BBY, in which the Union of Earth States attempted to increase tariffs on the Zarkan Kingdom and other Western nations to help pay for the damage caused by the New Earth Republic crisis, this act angered the Traditionalist Faction members, who refused to abide by it. The Union very nearly invaded the Zarkan Kingdom in response before a compromise was made. The Zarkanians were outraged by the Union's acts, and started to advocate for the Zarkan Kingdom to withdraw from the Union.
With this rise of Ultranationalism, the Zarkanians grew much more belligerent towards the demands of the Union. Along with the rest of the West, they often outright refused to abide by Union policies they deemed detrimental to their respective national interests. The Union was incapable of doing much about this for fear of upsetting the Western powers and their many sympathizers.