Schattenkrieg: The Shadow War What if Bukharin won the power struggle and American democracy takes a dark path?
"War never changes" as some people would say. In 1922, it was not Stalin and the center who won the Soviet power struggle but rather a dark horse by the name of Nikolai Bukharin and the Right Opposition. Maintaining the Soviet economic path of the NEP and turning the country into a minarchist Soviet state guided by the ideals of market socialism. A relatively free and open Soviet Union would build ties with the West and ease its confrontational foreign policy of spreading the world revolution. Yet parallel developments in Germany as well as current economic woes amidst the Great Depression gave rise to Adolf Hitler who proceeded to bring half of Europe under his heel in 1940. A mildly unprepared Soviet Union braced for the worst as the Nazi horde swept through much of the motherland in 1941 until they were beaten back in Ukraine and Belarus. With American and British aid, the Soviet Red Army broke through German defenses and marched onwards to Berlin in a crusade to liberate the East from the fascist jackboot. From the ashes of collaborationist states, the Soviets established democratic governments under so-called "Popular Fronts" to better administer the region.
With fascism defeated in Berlin, most believed that a time of peace would come in August 1945. But they were mistaken as under mysterious circumstances, conciliatory President Henry Wallace was secretly sacked by Congress and the military took the reins to government the country from the shadow. Believing that the Soviet Union and communism itself will become the next biggest threat to the American Way of Life. An Iron Curtain would descend from Kiel to Trieste. American forces amassed along the German border in a show of force known as the "German Crisis". This standoff between Americans and Soviets became the point of no-return for their relationship to devolve into ideological conflict and brinkmanship during the Cold War. Due to Bukharin's conciliatory demeanor towards the Americans; his successor had been decided from the beginning, Georgy Zhukov, a man more confrontational towards the West.
Western Europe would struggle to regain their former pre-war strength as the devastation of the war laid waste to their economy and society. Expensive colonial wars, economic recession with the lack of Marshall Aid, and American isolationism drove the former democracies of Europe to embrace an authoritarian conservative path. While the West struggles to maintain itself, the East would become dependent on Soviet Russia. It is 1964 and NATO as well as the SARPAC are at the gates. Bidding their time to strike first against each other.
Nations of the Saratov Pact (SARPAC)
Capital MoscowGeneral-Secretary Georgy ZhukovPremier Nikolai PodgornyGovernment Democratic centralist, federal socialist republicRuling Party Communist Party of the Soviet UnionPopulation 241 millionGDP $1.21 trillion
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is a federal, Marxist-Leninist, one-party, socialist republic located in Eurasia. The General-Secretary is Patriotic War hero, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, who won the power struggle over Beria in 1953. While the Premier is Nikolai Podgorny who is a close ally of Zhukov. Together with Brezhnev and Kosygin, they form a troika of Soviet leadership. The vanguard party of the USSR is the CPSU and they engage in democratic centralism where politics takes place internally. The previous Bukharin's premiership was remarkably less totalitarian and oppressive without gulags and famines yet relied on the NKVD for consolidation. Bukharin balanced between industrialization and agricultural productivity while giving more powers to trade unions and Soviet councils. Liberalization was noted in the USSR during the late 40s. Zhukov has reversed Bukharin's economic policies in favor of centrally-planned economy with the help of AIs but has maintained social liberalization policies.
The Soviet Union is a superpower after emerging victorious in WWII against Nazi Germany after deploying defence-in-depth withdrawals and decisively defeating the Wehrmacht in Bukharingrad, Ukraine SSR in armored warfare. Since then they are locked in a conflict of ideals with the United States between communism and capitalism. The Soviet Union's foreign policy focused outwards in funding Third World national liberation movements. They have become an industrialized superpower under Zhukov with the second largest economy and military in the world. The Soviet Union's policy towards her Finlandized eastern European allies in the Saratov Pact has been that of being a generous patron of economic investment through COMECON and encouraging the growth of locally-developed socialism. All the while supporting Popular Fronts as a subtle mean of political control under Foreign Minister Anastas Mikoyan.
Capital BerlinState-President Louis-Ferdinand of PrussiaChancellor Ernst JungerGovernment Unitary, semi-presidential republicRuling Party United Social Democratic PartyPopulation 21 millionGDP $451 billion
The Prussian Republic is an unitary, semi-presidential, republic in Central Europe which encompasses Eastern Germany and Silesia. The State-President is former Hohenzollern Crown Prince, Louis-Ferdinand, who was a Valkyrie conspirator and anti-fascist resistance fighter. He is responsible for establishing Prussia's welfare state. The currently ruling party is the USPD which is in a Popular Front with the LDP and Greens. The Chancellor is Ernst Junger who is the author of All Quiet on the Western Front and a WWI war hero with nationalistic sympathies. Prussia is the spiritual successor to the Weimar Prussian Free State and they are a product of the Postdam Conference. Silesian and East Prussian territories were rewarded to the nascent country as punishment for Poland's Home Army Revolt in 1946. Prussia's principle enemy since 1949 is West Germany which they view as Rhine-Bavaria dominated and a vestige of Nazi rule. This is re-affirmed when the Bundeswehr under General Guderian launched a coup against the state after Chancellor Adenauer's assassination in 1955.
The Prussia of today is an economic powerhouse in the SARPAC and maintains the third largest, most prepared military in the pact as the front line of a future worst case scenario. They have become a leading manufacturer of industrial and electronic goods with the economy catching up on West Germany. It is a bastion of democracy and a gateway to western culture and goods as relations with Britain and France improves. It isn't unheard of that West Germans attempt to flee to the other side of the Iron Curtain, Prussia, as political refugees of the West German junta. The country is Finlandized and its foreign policy defers to Moscow's line. But it maintains political autonomy and has been a democratic socialist stronghold in Central Europe. Prussians are proud of this fact and they are perhaps a successful case of Denazification unlike its Western counterpart.
Capital WarsawPresident Marshal Wojtech JaruzelskiPrime Minister Edward GierekGovernment Authoritarian socialist military juntaRuling Party SanationPopulation 29 millionGDP $283 billion
The Socialist Republic of Poland is an authoritarian, socialist military junta in Eastern Europe occupying Congress Poland, Poznan and all of Galicia. The President is Marshal Wojtech Jaruzelski and the Prime Minister is Edward Gierek. Jaruzelski being a Soviet collaborator of the Polish People's Army in WWII and Gierek is a party official and technocrat. The ruling party has been the People's Workers' Party of Poland but their interests have been represented through the military council known as Sanation. The Jaruzelski military regime has been dubbed the "Marshal's Regime". The politics of today's Poland is a continuation of the Pilsudski days with added communist fervor. They have embraced something of an ideology known as "War Communism" where Poland maintains an under siege mentality as well as state collectivization and central planning to industrialize Poland's economy and expanding its military. Which has bore fruit at the cost of shortages of public goods. This has encountered resistance from trade union groups spearheaded by Lech Walesa of Solidarnosc. Poland is uncompromisingly loyal and close to the Soviet Union in SARPAC and has something of a detente relationship with Prussia.
Capital PraguePresident Ludvig SvobodaPrime Minister Alexander DubcekGovernment Federal, parliamentary republicRuling Party Socialist Party of CzechoslovakiaPopulation 13 millionGDP $310 billion
The Czechoslovak Federative Republic is a federal, parliamentary republic in Central Europe. The President is Czech Foreign Legion war hero known as Ludvig Svoboda and the Prime Minister is Alexander Dubcek who has advocated for "Socialism With a Human Face" which meant political democratization and social liberalization. After the 1948 coup, Czechoslovakia was initially run as an one-party communist state until Dubcek was elected by the Politburo. Since then, Czechoslovakia is a parliamentary democracy with multiple parties and high amounts of personal freedoms. The Communist Party was rebranded as the Socialist Party. That was threatened in 1968 during Prague Spring where communist hard line elements of the StB launched a coup against the government which was met with popular resistance from the people and a SARPAC intervention to restore Dubcek to power. Elections are to be held in 1970 in which the Socialist Party are expected to win in a free manner this time.
Czechoslovakia is an industrial power and a notable manufacturer of cars, airplanes, and weapons. Industry is focused in the Sudetenland and they have tourist sites all over old parts of the country with rich history and culture behind them. Czechoslovkia maintains cordial relations with the USSR in the SARPAC and they have celebrated the intervention as a national holiday.
Capital BudapestPresident Imre NagyPrime Minister Janos KadarGovernment Unitary, semi-presidential republicRuling Party Hungarian Socialist Workers' PartyPopulation 9 millionGDP $167 billion
The Republic of Hungary is an unitary, dominant-party, semi-presidential republic in Eastern Europe with its Trianon borders. The President is reformist Imre Nagy and the Prime Minister is Janos Kadar who has been something of a political pragmatist. The ruling party since 1948 has been the MSZMP which has dominated the political landscape of the country. After the war, they've suffered from hyperinflation and post-war devastation which they truly recovered from in the late 50s. 1955-'56 saw Imre Nagy ascending to the presidency and a political thaw occurred from 1956 to today known as the "Budapest Thaw" with press and cultural restrictions slowly lifted and Hungary transitioning into a market socialist economy under the ideals of Goulash Communism. In the grand scheme of things, Hungary is irrelevant in the SARPAC and it's this irrelevancy that has allowed them considerable political autonomy from the USSR.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Prussian Republic
Socialist Republic of Poland
Czechoslovak Federative Republic
Republic of Hungary
Capital BucharestKing Michael IPrime Minister Lucretiu PatracasnuGovernment Federal, constitutional monarchyRuling Party Social Democratic Party of RomaniaPopulation 20 millionGDP $263 billion
The State of Romania is a federal, parliamentary, constitutional monarchy in Eastern Europe. It is the only monarchy in the SARPAC. Its King is Michael I who has been regarded as a national hero for his role in the Anti-fascist Coup of 1944 and involvement in local development of Romania. Communist-turned-social democrat Lucretiu Patracasnu is Prime Minister of Romania who is leading a solid coalition known as the National Front between Social Democrats and National Liberals along with other agrarian parties. Romania is a breadbasket of Eastern Europe, second to Yugoslavia, and they have a considerable industrial manufacturing base. Social progress in women's rights and quality of life has been noted in the 60s during the "Ten-Year Plan". Romania's economy is managed in state capitalist lines and they maintain a large military of 300k soldiers in the Romanian National Army. Romania is Finlandized by the Soviet Union and they are an odd one in the SARPAC owing to their monarchical system. But Michael I has been on Zhukov's good graces and his overtures to Moscow has been met with relative praise. All to maintain Romania's monarchy and independence.
Capital SofiaPresident Georgi DimitrovPrime Minister Todor ZhivkovGovernment Unitary, parliamentary republicRuling Party Labor Party of BulgariaPopulation 7 millionGDP $112 billion
The Democratic Republic of Bulgaria is an unitary, parliamentary republic in Southern Europe. The ruling party is the democratic socialist Labor Party of Bulgaria which in itself is in the Fatherland Front together with agrarian and Christian socialist parties. The President is former Comintern chairman, Georgi Dimitrov, re-elected in 1964 who is fast approaching death at 86 years old and has been considered as the "Father of Modern Bulgaria" for his welfare policies. Todor Zhivkov is the Prime Minister of Bulgaria since 1965 and is a protege of Dimitrov. Bulgaria has been used as a bulwark against Turkish and Greek military posturing in the Mediterranean and its Navy is a serious contender in the region. Moreso than its Army or Air Force. Relations with the USSR have been exceptionally close as they are "Slavic brothers". Its economy is modest and primarily driven by tourism and manufacturing of consumer goods.
Capital BelgradePresident Josip Broz TitoPrime Minister Milovan DijasGovernment Federal, dominant-party socialist republicRuling Party Communist League of YugoslaviaPopulation 23 millionGDP $349 billion
The Socialist Federated Republic of Yugoslavia is an federal, Marxist-Leninist, dominant-party socialist republic in Eastern Europe. They are a political juggernaut on the world stage with their role in founding the Non-Aligned Movement and being the first to send a man on the moon. Now they have a lunar colony known as the Yugoslav space colony. Its President is Marshal Tito who is a Partisan leader and charismatic leader of Yugoslavia through his "Brotherhood and Unity" rhetoric. His personal ideology known as Titoism stresses political independence, Third Way politics, and market socialist economics. Milovan Dijas is a reformer within the Communist League and has earned Tito's favor after being appointed Prime Minister. He is a chief instrument in gradual Yugoslav liberalization and opening relations with the West.
Yugoslavia occupies a prestigious international position as the bridgehead between the Soviet Union and the West. Tito is friends with nearly everyone and this has been used to his favor in getting favorable deals from both East and West. Its economy is growing at a rapid peace in large part to Western loans and lunar mineral funds. It has the second largest military in the SARPAC and they have been regarded as a co-leader within the pact. Yugoslavia never split with the Soviet Union and Tito is a personal close friend of Zhukov himself. But Yugoslavia is a ticking time bomb with ultranationalists plotting behind his back for the dismemberment of Yugoslavia. All it would take would be an economic recession and the death of its beloved Marshal...
Capital TiranaFirst Secretary Enver HoxhaPrime Minister Mehmet ShehuGovernment Totalitarian Marxist-Leninist republicRuling Party Party of Labor of AlbaniaPopulation 2 millionGDP $20 billion
The People's Socialist Republic of Albania is a totalitarian, one-party, Marxist-Leninist, socialist republic located in Southern Europe which has earned the reputation of being the "Fortress of Europe" for its large amounts of military bunkers and nuclear shelters. The sole and ruling party of Albania is the Party of Labor of Albania. Its First Secretary is Marxist revolutionary and anti-fascist fighter Enver Hoxha with the Prime Minister being his close ally, Mehmet Shehu. Albania is the only nation to be openly state atheist and has taken steps to eradicating religion within its borders. Hoxha is radically different from his colleagues as he claims to follow a little-known strand of Marxism known as "Stalinism" and has enacted a hard line interpretation of Marxism. Dubbing it "Hoxhaism". Albania is the poorest country in the SARPAC with stagnant economic growth and they're the blacksheep of the pact. In an alliance filled with democratic socialist nations and Marxist hybrid regimes; Albania is one of the most totalitarian nations in the world. Both Tito and Zhukov does not go along very well with Hoxha. Leaving Hoxha's primary friends being the North Chinese and they're only tolerated in the SARPAC for being a bulwark against Greece.
Capital HelsinkiPresident Urho KekkonenPrime Minister Ahti KarjalainenGovernment Unitary semi-presidential republicRuling Party Centre Party of FinlandPopulation 5 millionGDP $177 billion
The Republic of Finland is an unitary, semi-presidential republic located in Scandinavia. Their President is Urho Kekkonen of the Center Party who has been in the position for decades since the 50s by using the Soviet threat to ensure Parliament to vote him into power. Ahti Karjalainen as Prime Minister is one of the many lines of Finnish premiers who all have been sacked with constant cabinet reshuffling. Finland is a democracy within the SARPAC but Kekkonen's actions have slowly subverted democratic traditions for the sake of Finland's neutrality. Finland has been dubbed a "Kekkonencracy" or Anocracy for this. It is where the term Finlandization came from which means towing to the Soviet line while balancing Western interest. Finland has a relatively strong economy with a robust welfare system that has served the every needs of its citizens. It is a mixture between the cultures of Slavic East and Nordic West. Finland is an observer state within the SARPAC and is only a full member of COMECON.
State of Romania
Democratic Republic of Bulgaria
Socialist Federated Republic of Yugoslavia
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
Republic of Finland
Nations of NATO and Western Associates
Capital ParisPresident Charles de GaullePrime Minister Georges PompidouGovernment Unitary, semi-presidential, republicRuling Party Union for the New RepublicPopulation 50 millionGDP $720 billion
The Fourth French Republic is an unitary, semi-presidential, republic bordering anocracy which is a Great Power in her own right. The President of France is WWII war hero and Free French leader, General Charles de Gaulle, with the Prime Minister being Georges Pompidou who is a leader of a conservative party known as the Union for the New Republic. France's fourth republic has ushered in a semi-presidential system with unhealthily amounts of executive powers for the President. De Gaulle's brand of ideology known as "Gaullism" which emphasizes civic nationalism, social conservatism, and France's national independence or souveranism. The France of today is a bastion of "old politics" of conservatism and Catholic values. Its economy is growing at an alarming rate in the era of the "Thirty Glorious Years" after decades of languishing with the lack of Marshal Aid. However, a shadow subversive enemy is growing within French society. The counter-culture movement spearheaded by the students of the New Left and Futurist sympathizers. All of which culminated in the May Revolution of 1968 which will shake the republic's foundation to its very core.
The France of today came to be after the 1958 Crisis when the socialist government under President Vincent Aueriol was overthrown by French military units in Algeria which brought de Gaulle into power. After attempting to negotiate with the FLN for a peace settlement. Not satisfied with being a figurehead, de Gaulle had the conspirators purged which gave birth to the far-right OAS terrorist group and sweeping powers for the presidency after a referendum passed with 70% support. France maintains colonies in the Sahel led by Jacques Massu and has been forming a Commonwealth-like association for Francophone nations known as the French Community. In 1963, France withdrew from NATO and has forged an independent path of its own. They have been able to develop nuclear weapons and their military as well as navy is the fourth largest in the world.
Capital LondonQueen Elizabeth II of WindsorPrime Minister Enoch PowellGovernment Federal, constitutional monarchyRuling Party Conservative PartyPopulation 55 millionGDP $680 billion
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a federal, constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy where the Queen maintains ceremonial powers and MPs convene in Parliament about the passing of new laws. The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland along with dependencies such as Jan Mayen, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Gibraltar, and much more. Its monarch is Queen Elizabeth II of the House of Windsor who has been Queen since 1952. The Prime Minister is Enoch Powell of the Conservative Party, elected in 1970. Known for making his infamous speech known as the "River of Blood" which changed how British people discussed about immigration. Unlike her unfortunate western European neighbors, Britain's democracy has persisted throughout the years in spite of any pitfalls, political instability, and economic recessions. Britain's Empire is falling as Decolonization is at full force and it isn't unthinkable that the sun will set on the British Empire. Magnifying issues and problems back home.
Britain is an economic powerhouse with the sixth largest economy in the world driven by manufacturing and coal but growth has slumped in the 70s. However, it is not a member of the European Economic Community as their membership was vetoed by France. It is a Great Power albeit one in slumber as Britain doesn't possess a prestigious position in international politics anymore ever since its defeat in the Suez Crisis of 1956. Instead, she maintains and cultivates soft power as the British language is widely used throughout the world with British culture being the most prominent in the Commonwealth nations. Britain maintains Dominions in Canada, Newfoundland, Australasia, and South Africa. As a member of NATO; Britain has conducted war games with both Netherlands and Belgium as a part of the Amsterdam Association. It has the second largest navy in the world behind the United States Navy and after the Soviet Navy as a blue-water naval force. Trouble is brewing within Britain's territory as the New Left and Futurism is gaining prominence day by day. With a Futurist rebel group formed by David Bowie known as the Her Majesty's Most Damned Outcasts (HMMDO). Resulting in a medium-intensity conflict known as the "British Insurgency".
Capital MadridDiarch General Francisco FrancoCo-Diarch Antonio de Oliveira SalazarGovernment Federal, dictatorial diarchyRuling Party Traditionalist National UnionPopulation 43 millionGDP $325 billion
The Iberian Union is an federal, dictatorial, one-party, diarchy located in southern Europe. Formed in 1959 as a political union between Estado Novo Portugal and Francoist Spain after a brief civil war in Portugal on 1958. Where Portugal was thrown into civil war between forces loyal to Salazar and the pro-democratic Humbert Delgado when results of the 1958 elections were contested. Leading to a Spanish invasion which crushed pro-democratic forces and forcing Salazar to accept the Treaty of Barcelona where the Portuguese and Spanish government would be merged. Now Iberian politics is ruled by two strongmen within a diarchy. Co-Diarch Antonio Salazar who handles affairs in Portugal and Diarch Francisco Franco who has been calling the shots in the government. Often times, they bicker among each other and their authority overlaps within the byzantine Iberian Parliament leading to accusations that the Union is biased in Spain's favor. Nonetheless, the economy has grown ever since foreign private investment entered into the country in the late 60s with help from economic technocrats within Opus Dei. It has snuffed out ETA and CNT rebels and both men knew that their best chance of survival for their regime would be to stick together within this less-than-ideal union.
Even though Iberia is a vestigial empire with her only possession being Morocco, its military is still a force to be reckoned with as they are under NATO's sphere of defense. Most specifically, Iberia is under the Triumverate military command within NATO and has been involved in Northern African affairs such as providing support for the Libyan and Algerian government in exchange for oil.
Capital RomeKing Umberto IIPrime Minister Mariano RumorGovernment Federal, constitutional monarchyRuling Party Christian DemocracyPopulation 53 millionGDP $385 billion
The Royal Italian Federation or simply the Kingdom of Italy is a federal, constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democratic system located in southern Europe. It is a federation in that its member states are given elevated status as "Estates" and have oversight on their budget and laws like an American state. The King since 1944 has been Umberto II of Savoy who was instrumental in turning Italy's back against Nazi Germany and becoming a symbol of hope as well as stability in this troubled nation. For this, the monarchists performed admirably in the 1946 Referendum with 64% supporting the Italian monarchy. Mariano Rumor is one of the many Prime Ministers elected into office where governments would last on average for three years due to scandals and parliamentary bickering. Christian Democracy has been the dominant party in Italy engaging in a coalition with liberal conservative parties. Against everybody's expectations, Italy has emerged from WWII as a stronger nation than ever before as the downfall of Mussolini's Salo Republic was swift and sound New Deal economic policies helped in rebuilding the Italian economy without Marshal Aid. However Italy has troubles ahead of her. The Years of Lead has terrorized the nation and torn apart by both far-left and far-right. Between the Red Brigades and the National Vanguard. Then there's a web of conspiracies of CIA and SISMI intelligence in conducting false-flag attacks per Operation Gladio as well as Masonic involvement from the Propaganda Due secret society.
Italy is a formidable power in her own right. The Royal Italian Armed Forces is well-equipped and well-trained for a professional-sized force. The Italian Navy regularly conducts operations in the Mediterranean and Red Sea while both the Army and Air Force have conducted peacekeeping missions throughout the Middle East. They are the leader of the Triumverate military command within NATO. Italy's influence in the Middle East and North Africa could be felt. Italy has fostered a lot of goodwill with Arab nations as Enrico Mattei of Agip has helped Arab countries in developing their oil plants and dealing with Arab states in fair 50-50 deals. It's a rather subtle way of accumulating soft power as the Italians have truly learned their lesson after WWII.
Capital BonnPresident General Heinz GuderianPrime Minister General Franz HalderGovernment Federal authoritarian military juntaRuling Party None, BundeswehrPopulation 53 millionGDP $607 billion
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal, authoritarian, dictatorial military junta located in Central Europe which gained independence in 1949 at the conclusion of the Potsdam Conference. Her eastern neighbor is the Prussian Republic which is a democratic socialist nation under Soviet influence. Its President is former Wehrmacht general, Heinz Guderian, who is a pioneer of Blitzkrieg that has swept France and Benelux. The Prime Minister is General Franz Halder, another Wehrmacht officer, who was responsible for the "Wehrmacht myth" and played a role in ending Denazification. There was a period of optimism in West Germany after the war in the early 50s. With Western goods and media flowing into the nation and life so carefree as if the war was behind them... Under Adenauer, the West German economy grew thanks to Rhein Capitalist economics. But Denazification on the west is a failure and rarely enacted. Many former Nazi officials continued their job as civil servants, politicians and officers as if the war had never happened. The assassination of Chancellor Adenauer by communist rebels and the ensuing interregnum unearthed how fragile West German democracy is. On 1955, in an effort to save the nation, the Bundeswehr led by the German Generalstab launched a coup and took over the nation. Life goes on in a steady if rigid pace with political liberties curtailed. While America and West Europe continue to support the Guderian regime as a necessary evil and bulwark against the SARPAC.
The Guderian regime is a thinly-veiled conservative military dictatorship which has roots in an unsavory Nazi past. Denazification ended under the Adenauer regime and justice never came after the war. They have engaged in historical revisionism and stressed the role of the Wehrmacht in resisting against Hitler and painting them as moral saints compared to the SS. This has been the moral legitimacy that the Bundeswehr could claim. Irregardless, the Bundeswehr maintains the largest military force in NATO under the Stahlpakt military command. They are the principal enemy to the Prussian Republic and their claws extend elsewhere. The BND had both sponsored regime changes in Switzerland and Austria. The left-wing Swiss government overthrown by the Swiss military in 1958 could be traced back to the BND and King Otto von Habsburg of Austria relies on West German support for his government.
French Fifth Republic
United Kingdom
Union of Iberia
Royal Italian Federation
Federal Republic of Germany
Capital BrusselsKing BaudouinPrime Minister Col. Frederic VandewalleGovernment Federal, authoritarian constitutional monarchyRuling Party None, Belgian Defence ForcesPopulation 9 millionGDP $109 billion
The Kingdom of Belgium is a federal, constitutional monarchy (with an authoritarian military government presiding it) located in Western Europe. Belgium is a greatly divided nation torn apart between the French-speaking (Walloon) and Dutch-speaking (Flanders) segments of the country. This division reached into a breaking point in 1946 after the war where the previous King, Leopold III, was accused of passive collaboration with the Nazis and authoritarianism when he issued a surrender without parliamentary approval. Walloons opposed the return of the king while Flanders supported it. Communist and trade union uprisings sprung up across the country and a period of interregnum took place in Belgium. This all ended in 1947 when the Belgian military seized control and Lt. Gen. Albert Crahay became Prime Minister with Leopold III's son, Baudouin, as King. Crackdowns on communists and political stabilization followed. Belgium participated in the Korean War by sending a military contingent in the UN. In 1961, the loss of the Belgian Congo triggered a coup led by Frederic Vandewalle and he has personally given support to the Katangan regime by sending in paratroopers.
Since then, Belgium is a troubled nation with race riots being a daily occurrence and economic growth sluggish as political instability continues in the 60s. The people turn to the King for guidance and the young Baudouin must deliver his promise for Belgium's sake. On the international level, Belgium possesses little in the way for title of regional power. Its military is rather weak and mostly focused in crushing internal dissent. As a part of NATO within the Amsterdam Association defense umbrella; more often than not Britain has to come into Belgium's aid by training its military and defending its land.
Capital DublinPresident Eamon de ValeraTaoiseach Jack LynchGovernment Unitary, parliamentary republicRuling Party Fianna FailPopulation 7 millionGDP $68 billion
The Republic of Ireland is an unitary, parliamentary republic in Southern Europe. The President since 1959 is Eamon de Valera who has previously served as Taoiseach during the Interwar Era and WWII. He is credited for breaking Ireland free from British home rule and towards total independence. But many have criticized his austere, heavy-handed, and borderline autocratic way of rule as President. The Taoiseach is Jack Lynch of the conservative-nationalist Fianna Fail. Ireland is a backwater, rural nation in the 60s and has been a bastion of social conservatism. Adverse to industrialization and globalization, Ireland has focused developing itself as an agricultural exporter with little to no enemies. What's the need in antagonizing Catholic potato farmers? But that was until the Troubles began in Northern Ireland where Unionists fought the IRA. The British government has accused Valera of providing shelter for IRA fighters but he has fiercely denied this. Politically and diplomatically isolated; Ireland is not a member of NATO but is planning to join the Amsterdam Association wing of the organization. Provided that Britain would accept them.
Capital AmsterdamQueen JulianaPrime Minister Col. Raymond WesterlingGovernment Unitary, authoritarian constitutional monarchyRuling Party None, Royal Netherlands Armed ForcesPopulation 12 millionGDP $198 billion
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is an unitary, constitutional monarchy ruled by an authoritarian military junta; located in Central Europe. One thing remains constant in the Netherlands is that the Queen is Juliana and the coast is shrinking. Ever since the Netherlands lost its crown jewel, the Dutch East Indies, to Indonesian Republican rebels in a violent armed struggle in 1949; the Netherlands had its economy and morale crippled. All of the blame were pointed at the social democratic government and a military coup was launched by the Royal Netherland Army and ex-KNIL officers. General Simon Spoor was initially Prime Minister of the Dutch junta until he was overthrown by younger and more radical officers led by Colonel Raymond Westerling on 1959. Who has committed war crimes in Sulawesi in the Indonesian National Revolution. The Netherlands of now is a police state where internal dissent is crushed and the military uses COIN-terror tactics in breaking the morale of communist rebels. The government undertook state capitalist policies in growing the economy with considerable success and they have been accused of dumping political dissidents to the remote jungles of West Papua. It has a small army yet a considerably potent navy. They are a part of NATO within the structures and command of the Amsterdam Association. In 1962, the Netherlands lost to West Papua to Indonesia yet again after gruelling jungle warfare. It was a considerable blow to Dutch morale yet again
Capital ViennaKing Otto von HabsburgPrime Minister Bruno BittermanGovernment Federal, parliamentary crowned republicRuling Party Social Democratic Party of AustriaPopulation 7 millionGDP $96 billion
The Federal State of Austria is a federal, parliamentary crowned republic located in Central Europe. It is a crowned republic in the sense that the king is elected by a council of nobles and select parliamentary members known as the Royal Assembly. The system was a compromise between the conservative and social democratic forces of the country. As Italy quickly fell to the Allies by 1944; Austria was quickly liberated before the Soviets could reach Vienna. A decision was made in re-instating the Habsburg monarchy with Otto von Habsburg as King of the Austrians albeit ceremonial. Austria is a rare example of a working democracy in the west as many of her neighbors are either anocracies, military dictatorships, or highly unstable democracies. Otto is a stabilizing figure of Austria who has mended the divide between the conservative OFP and social democratic SDAPO. Its Prime Minister is Bruno Bitterman of SDAPO elected in 1965 and he is credited in establishing a robust welfare system in Austria. The country is demilitarized after the conclusion of the Treaty of Vienna in 1946 but this doesn't stop the Austrians from secretly developing a military of their own. Known as the "Shadow Army", they disguised paramilitary members as policemen or border guards while drilling them in army tactics. They are secretly under NATO jurisdiction and Stahlpakt command. With their foreign policy determined by its West German neighbor.
Capital AthensKing Constantine IIPrime Minister Konstantinos KaramanlisGovernment Unitary, constitutional monarchyRuling Party National Radical UnionPopulation 8 millionGDP $110 billion
The (Second) Kingdom of Greece is an unitary, constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democratic system located in southern Europe. True to Ancient Greece's legacy as inventors of democracy; Greece is a bastion of parliamentary democracy and rule of law and this is often contrasted with her more authoritarian allies in Europe. The King of Greece is Constantine II of the House of Glucksburg while the Prime Minister is Konstantinos Karamanlis of the center-right National Radical Union. The Second Kingdom came to be after the highly unstable government (after the Aspostasia) was overthrown in the 21st April Coup of 1967 led by Colonel Georgios Papadapolous. The Colonel's Regime was sworn in on the same month by the King but it was proven to be short-lived as the King launched a counter-coup to overthrow Papadapolous and restored democracy. The King returned as a hero and the Colonel's reign of terror ended in November 1967. Constantine II fulfilled his promise of being a ceremonial figurehead and the 1969 elections saw Konstantinos Karamanlis becoming Prime Minister. With him forming a coalition with Andreas Papandreou's PASOK (New Democracy Party). But there's still the issue of mounting strikes and far-left insurgency to take care of.
Greece is a part of NATO under the Triumverate military command. It possesses a rather large and modern army, air force, and navy. Ironically, it isn't used to counter a Bulgarian nor Albanian threats but rather to act as a deterrence for their own Triumverate ally, Turkey. Relations have been tense between the two nations over the issue of Cyprus and the Dodecanese. With Cyprus being unilaterally given to Greece in the 50s. Cyprus is an autonomous subject of Greece in a political union known as "Enosis". Makarios as President of Cyprus has attempted to reconcile between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. But violence and insurgency still continues in Cyprus between the Turkish TMT and Greek EOKA-B.
Kingdom of Belgium
Republic of Ireland
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Federal State of Austria
Kingdom of Greece
Capital ZurichNational Chief General Henri GuisanDeputy Chief Maj. Gen. Eugen BircherGovernment Unitary military stratocracyRuling Party None, Swiss Armed ForcesPopulation 8 millionGDP $78 billion
The Swiss State is an unitary, authoritarian military stratocracy located in Central Europe. It has earned the nickname of "The Black Spot of Europe" for its high amounts of nuclear and military bunkers, its inhospitable Alp mountains, and the fact that information does not come in or out of the country. It is basically one large prison complex with a dash of Swiss chocolate, yodelling, private banking, and high-quality watches. In fact, Switzerland has been on the world's good graces by virtue of possessing the highly secretive Swiss Bank. Life is both idyllic and heavily regimented as nearly everyone is conscripted into the Swiss military. It is a stratocracy where the military is the government of the country. Cantons and direct democracy are effectively abolished to make way for military rule. General Henri Guisan is the National Chief of the State who holds the most power in the country. His policies saw a massive militarization of the Swiss military, large-scale constructions of nuclear bunkers, and adopting a Songun-like policy with economic and libertine sacrifices made for the sake of the Swiss' people survival in the "worst case scenario". Switzerland's foreign policy has changed their tune since the 50s and they're now heavily active on a world scale. Joining NATO under the Stahlpakt structure and becoming a close ally of like-minded West Germany.
This Switzerland came to be in 1958 after the November Coup where a democratically-elected left-wing socialist government was overthrown by the Swiss military with assistance from the CIA and BND. Its entire military stratocratic government is just a front for something more sinister. Swiss Banks have been used to fund anti-communist rebel groups throughout the world and the government may just be enacting the will of a very sinister cabal from Pentagon...
Capital CopenhagenKing Frederick IXPrime Minister Hilmar BaunsgaardGovernment Unitary, constitutional monarchyRuling Party Social Liberal PartyPopulation 4 millionGDP $64 billion
The Kingdom of Denmark is an unitary, parliamentary constitutional monarchy located in Scandinavia. The King is Frederick XI of the House of Glucksburg while the Prime Minister is the social liberal Hilmar Baunsgaard. Denmark is an oasis of peace and stability in Europe compared to her West German or Dutch neighbor. It is a full, peaceful democracy with respect to the rule of law and civil liberties. The King has done well in maintaining stability within the small nation as well as co-operating with the Prime Minister. However there are tensions between Denmark and West Germany - particularly on the issue of Kiel's and Flensburg's ownership. Denmark then founded an economic union known as Nordek in 1968 with Norway and Sweden joining while Finland remained in COMECON. Then it went further with both Norway and Sweden joining a political union in which they invited Denmark. But the Danes have steadfastly maintained their independence but supported the creation of a Scandinavian Defense Council within the frameworks of NATO. Denmark possesses little in the way of military might but they're useful as an early-warning system for Soviet naval activity in the Baltic and Kiel strait.
Capital OsloKing Olav VPrime Minister Per BortenGovernment Unitary, constitutional monarchyRuling Party Center PartyPopulation 4 millionGDP $79 billion
The Kingdom of Norway is an unitary, constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy located in Scandinavia. Norway operates within the frameworks of a political union with Sweden within the Norway-Sweden Union. The King is Olav V of the House of Glucksburg who has particularly endeared himself to the people by acting modestly as a populist king. The Prime Minister is Per Borten of the Center Party who has stressed the importance of Scandinavian military/economic co-operation instead of looking to the Pan-European EEC. Norway entered into a political union with Sweden on 1964 with open borders and common currency but many debated on how far this union must go with there being whispers of a Nordic unification. The business of oil extraction in the Nordic sea has benefited Norway in many ways. It has been used to fuel economic development and welfare programs, and with Swedish industry; the two nations could be a force to be reckoned with in Europe. Norway maintains a modest military within the Scandinavian Defense Council as a part of NATO and has obligations in coming to aid nominally neutral Sweden in the case of a Soviet invasion.
Capital StockholmKing Gustaf AdolfPrime Minister Olof PalmeGovernment Unitary, constitutional monarchyRuling Party Social Democrat PartyPopulation 8 millionGDP $135 billion
The Kingdom of Sweden is an unitary, constitutional monarchy located in Scandinavia. It is in a political union with Norway called "Sweden-Norway Union" and many have called for further centralization but some argued that it would be a Swedish dominated union. Sweden is a stronghold of social democratic politics outside of the Saratov Pact with the Social Democrats dominating Swedish politics since the 30s with intermittent conservative governments. The King is Gustaf Adolf of the House of Bernadotte who has been a charismatic monarch and the Prime Minister is the outspoken social activist, Olof Palme, who is leader of the Social Democrat Party. Olof Palme has further consolidated the welfare state in Sweden and has criticized American foreign policy in general. But the Social Democrats won the 1968 elections in a narrow victory against the Social Conservatives. As the country has experienced a conservative tide in recent years after the Soviet Union occupied Gotland island in 1964 when it was in pursuit of a mutinous naval warship in the Baltic Sea. The formation of the Sweden-Norway Union and Swedish ascension into NATO/Scandinavian Defense Council signifies a capitulation of Sweden to the west and compromising its decade long neutrality at the face of Soviet maneuvers in the Baltic Sea. But Sweden has a lot of things to offer to the West: blonde women, military industry in the form of Saab, Swedish meatballs, and IKEA.
Capital AnkaraPresident Mehmet Fuat KopruluPrime Minister Adnan MenderesGovernment Unitary, parliamentary republicRuling Party Democrat PartyPopulation 34 millionGDP $185 billion
The National Republic of Turkey is an unitary, parliamentary republic located in Eurasia and Western Asia. The President is Mehmet Fuat Koprululu and the Prime Minister is Adnan Menderes of the conservative liberal Democrat Party since the 50s. The country has undergone a significant radical change ever since the Kemalist CHP of Inonu stepped down from power. Turkey has been opening up to foreign investments, centralized its government, and has relaxed restrictions on religious expression; opening the floodgates of an Islamic revival. Menderes has been accused of tightening his grip on power. For better or worse, it has startled the secular elites and military establishment. Turkey has always been an odd one in Europe as a Muslim-majority nation. However, since the days of Kemal, it has become a Westernized nation with the country undergoing modernization. It is a strong contender for ascension into the EEC but even that has been delayed many times. However Turkey is a loyal member of NATO within the frameworks of the Triumverate military command. They have adopted a pro-American foreign policy in regards to the Soviet Union and has been rumored to be developing nuclear weapons ever since the Americans pulled its nukes out of the country after the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Turkey is a significant military power in the region and has the largest military in the Middle East and third in NATO. They have large oil reserves and this has been a boon to the country's economy. While a loyal member of NATO, they are not a team player in regards to Greece. Accidents have occurred in the Aegean Sea over EEZ maritime disputes and the Cypriot issue has been a barrier for improvement of relations between the two countries. However, it's 1965 and the country is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. First there are rumors that both the Turkish military and Gray Wolves are planning to overthrow the country's Islamic-friendly government. Then the Kurds have intensified their military insurgency against the Turkish state and both could spell disaster for Turkey...
Swiss State
Kingdom of Denmark
Kingdom of Norway
Kingdom of Sweden
National Republic of Turkey
Mao's dreams of a world revolution came crashing down in 1949 when the much-needed United States Army and Royal British Army reinforcement came to assist the KMT regime in the Republic of China against the CCP's People's Republic of China coincided with the start of the Korean War. A grueling bloodbath of a war managed to push the KMT upwards to Central China by 1950. With the People's Republic of China battered by Chiang's General Offensive and the Soviet Union intervening to prop up the regime to Mao's embarrassment; the Chinese Civil War ended in a ceasefire much like Korea and the country was unofficially split between two China's for much of the decade since in the 50th Highly Militarized Zone. With the North occupied by the CCP and the South - the KMT. This will have lasting impact on the continent and the emergence of a strong albeit rump Republic of China in the absence of a strong Japan could serve to counter any Maoist endeavor in the region. But the People's Republic of China and her DPRK allies are plotting for a new revolution but they must consolidate their holdings first before taking on such adventurism. Even the KMT have set their sights into the south. Burma and Vietnam; all battlegrounds of Chinese influence between the CCP and KMT.
Both America and the Soviet Union have stakes in East Asia. With Japan falling into Civil War right after World War II; all eyes are turned on the situation in China and Korea. America has backed both South China, South Korea, and the Legation States through the establishment of EATO (East Asian Treaty Organization). The Soviet Union in turn has poured money into its satellite states in North China, Mongolia, Turkestan, and North Korea. But Mao knows he's at a disadvantageous position as he relies on the Soviet Union after the disastrous people's war against the KMT. Yet there's chaos in North China as the Great Leap Forward takes place and nothing good will come out of it...
Important Nations of Asia
Capital GuangzhouPresident Soong Ching-LingPrime Minister Chiang Ching-KuoGovernment Federal, parliamentary republicRuling Party KuomintangPopulation 573 millionGDP $359 billion
The Republic of China or South China is a federal, parliamentary republic located in East Asia. It is a Great Power in East Asia and supported by the United States as a bulwark against communist North China after the stalemate of the Chinese Civil War. The President is Chiang Ching-Kuo, son of the Generalissimo and pro-democracy reformer, and the Prime Minister is Soong Ching-Ling who is the former wife of KMT founder Sun-Yat-Sen. It is ruled by the Kuomintang Party which has returned to its roots as the party of Sun Yat-Sen with factionalism present between the right and left-wing of the party. It is in a coalition with the Federalist Party and the China Democratic Socialist Party. The country has successfully transitioned into a multi-party democracy after Chiang Kai-Shek was overthrown by a party-military coup in 1960 which ended years of Martial Law. But South China has a long road ahead of her for it to truly embrace the fruits of democracy. Corruption, hunger, and poverty remains rampant in the south as the country slowly transitions into a market economy and righting the wrong of Chiang Kai-Shek. For democracy and welfare are a vital part of the Three Principles of the People.
South China maintains the third largest military in East Asia before North China. With a powerful army and air force albeit a weak navy; it could stand up against North China on its own without Western assistance and could project its influence elsewhere. In 1961, Chiang loyalists and elements of the right-wing KMT "infiltrated" northern Burma to "wage" a guerrilla war against Ching-Kuo's presidency. But it was just an excuse for South China to invade Burma. A military occupational government occupied by the "rogue" KMT group led by General Li Zhongren in the Shan states was established with support from the Shan people. It has become a hub for the opium trade within the Golden Triangle and the KMT government has been secretly profiting from the trade.
Capital BeijingChairman Lin BiaoPremier Zhou EnlaiGovernment Unitary, authoritarian socialist republicRuling Party Communist Party of ChinaPopulation 351 millionGDP $403 billion
The People's Republic of China or North China is an unitary, authoritarian socialist republic located in East Asia. The Chairman of the Communist Party is Marshal Lin Biao who was a former Mao loyalist and represents the ideological radicality of the Cultural Revolution. He has chiefly used the People's Liberation Army to remove threats to his power including the Gang of Four. The Premier is Zhou Enlai who is the straight man to Mao's radicalism and is a pragmatist who has bigger ambitions for North China. He is bidding his time as he knows that Biao could only rely the Old Guards of the CCP like him to maintain power. The ruling party since 1946 has been the Communist Party of China but ever since Mao's "People's War" against the KMT has ended in failure in 1950 during the Civil War; the party's grip and legitimacy has been slowly slipping away with the passing of time. North China has effectively became a client state of the Soviet Union as it was the USSR who stepped in to "save" China from Western aggression and they have been dependent on Soviet aid ever since in spite of the clear difference in ideology. An ideological split was thus averted but Mao began treating his northern realm as a testing grounds for his social engineering. The Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution all massive disasters which would negatively affect Chinese society and economy for years to come. It wasn't until 1970 where Mao would be "assassinated" by a counter-revolutionary did the terror truly ended yet made him a martyr for communists.
North China maintains the second largest military in East Asia after South China and below North Korea. It's a potent military force which has came to represent Soviet force in Asia. Equipped to the brim with Soviet or domestic missiles, weapons, tanks, and artillery. But the quality of its million troops is something to be desired. The economy has been in tatters since Mao's ambitious revolutions but has been slowly picking up under Zhou Enlai and would grow to contend with South China's Miracle on the Yangtze River. But North China specializes something else - irregular warfare in the form of people's protracted war, the support of national liberation movements in the Third World, and massive copies of the Little Red Book.
Capital SeoulSupreme Commander Park Chung-HeeDeputy Commander Chung Il-KwonGovernment Unitary, authoritarian stratocracyRuling Party None, State of Korea Armed ForcesPopulation 32 millionGDP $68 billion
The State of Korea or South Korea is an unitary, authoritarian stratocracy in East Asia. The southern half of Korea after the Korean War; South Korea is an equally dictatorial nation like North Korea which has been considered as a "military with a state" as the SOK Armed Forces have become the sole representative of the government. Political authority lies within the military and Park Chung-Hee has become the sole military autocrat of South Korea. He is a military officer in the SOKAF and has cracked down on student movements which he accuses of being DPRK-sponsored communists. In which massacres were conducted throughout the country and prison camps established. The previous short-lived democratic government of Yun Posun who replaced Syngman Rhee failed to control the political instability within the nation and was thus overthrown by a military coup in 1962. However, Park's corporatist economy has helped catapult South Korea's economy to greater heights of economic growth as quality of living slowly improved under him. In stark contrast to the North's futurist ideals and cyberpunk aesthetic; South Korea is a quiet, conservative nation built on Buddhist ideals. And South Korea had been a loyal friend of the US since the 50s. Sending troops to fight in both the Vietnam War and the Philippine Civil War.
Capital PyongyangSupreme Leader Kim Il-SungVice Premier Nam IIGovernment Unitary, totalitarian socialist hivemindRuling Party Workers' Party of KoreaPopulation 8 millionGDP $85 billion
The Democratic People's Republic of North Korea or North Korea is an unitary, totalitarian, one-party, socialist hivemind located in East Asia. The northern half of Korea after the Korean War; the North is a futuristic, cyberpunk dystopia as the Supreme Leader wills it after Le Patron's visit to his domain in 1970. He has seen a new vision - a futurist utopia filled with great technological advancement and the transcendance of human matter (transhumanism) to develop a hyper-communist society under the Korean banner. He has dubbed this "Techno-Jucheism". The Supreme Leader is Kim Il-Sung who is the founder of this great nation that would be the hub of cybernetic development and may as well be the "People's Emperor" of his realm. The centrally-planned economy is put under AI control and Pyongyang has been lauded as a futuristic marvel of the world. With skyscrapers, brutalist buildings, and socialist realist build boards set up with neon lights casting over the hermit kingdom's land. Where the workers' collectives reign supreme over the bourgeoise and individual. They are a leader in computer manufacturing, cybernetics, and were the first to develop nanomachines and virtual reality. They have developed this kind of advancement thanks to Soviet industrial assistance in the country's "Ten-Year Plan" to shape the country into a testament of the success of Techno-Jucheism. Per Songun-ideals; North Korea maintains the largest military in East Asia with four million servicemen.
Capital UrumqiPresident Ehmetjan QasimPrime Minister Abdulkerim AbbasGovernment Unitary, authoritarian socialist republicRuling Party Communist Party of TurkestanPopulation 18 millionGDP $35 billion
The Democratic Republic of Turkestan is an unitary, authoritarian socialist republic located in Central Asia. The ruling party has been the Communist Party of Turkestan which originated from the CPSU. (East) Turkestan gained its independence in 1949 after the ceasefire of the Chinese Civil War which split North and South China from one another. It would later come to encompass all of Xinjiang. Turkestan was conceived by the USSR as a way to divide China and prevent North China from gaining too much power. It was "a nation for Uyghurs and by Uyghurs". The President is Ehmetjan Qasim and the Prime Minister is Abdulkerim Abbas who were architects behind an independent Uyghur state and fiercely promoted the idea in the CPSU's Presidium. For a socialist state in a barren land with few resources; Turkestan is a backwater socialist nation. But advancements in women's rights, literacy, child healthcare, and overall standard of living were noted by foreign analysts which were all credited to the socialist programs undertaken by the state. However economic growth remains stagnant and heavily reliant on the USSR.
Republic of China
People's Republic of China
State of Korea
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Democratic Republic of Turkestan
Capital RangoonPresident Ne WinPrime Minister Sein WinGovernment Unitary, authoritarian personal dictatorshipRuling Party Burma Socialist Programme PartyPopulation 27 millionGDP $40 billion
The Union of Burma is an unitary, authoritarian military dictatorship with socialist trappings which is effectively ran as a personal domain of its President. This Burma came to be in 1962 after the military overthrown the democratic government of Prime Minister U Nu for his failure in containing the ethnic tensions and separatism within the country's minorities - exacerbated by the South Chinese invasion. Ne Win as President has embarked on a policy of turning Burma into a "socialist country" while he cracked down on student's dissent and centralized the country even further. His program was dubbed the "Burmese Way to Socialism" which only consisted of nationalizing every Burmese industry which was controlled by the Anglo-Burmese and Chinese at the time. The country began to isolate itself diplomatically and attempted to remove any foreign influence on Burma. The policy spelled disaster and Burma went from one of the more promising nations of Asia into a struggling state. Ne Win was peculiar in that he bathed in dolphin's blood for good luck and used his lucky number as the exchange rate for the Burmese kyat. With that said, Burma posses a rather large military in Southeast Asia known as the Tatmadaw. They have been fighting against ethnic separatist rebel groups within the country as well as "rogue" KMT soldiers clandestinely supported by South China and Thailand.
Capital Hong KongHigh Commissioner Sir Robert Brown BlackSecretary of State Sir Michael GassGovernment Condominium, parliamentary republicRuling Party Democrat PartyPopulation 26 millionGDP $255 billion
The Legation States is an international condominium, parliamentary republic located in East Asia which comprises the cities of Hong Kong and Macao as well as the island of Taiwan and Hainan. It is an international condominium in which the British, American, Iberian, Italian, French, and Australasian government all have a stake in the country's consortiums. The Legation States was established in 1947 amidst the Chinese Civil War as a means to "safeguard" British possessions in Hong Kong as well as the island of Taiwan in the case of a KMT defeat. But this had been rendered useless as the war ended in a stalemate but the powers who have a stake in the Legations have promised to return the territories to the ROC by 1999. When Portugal is absorbed to the Iberian Union in the 60s after disastrous Colonial Wars; it lost Macao and it was ceded to the Legation States. The High Commissioner is appointed by foreign powers in agreement to act as the middleman between Chinese conglomerates and the West. The current High Commissioner is the Hong Kong Governor, Sir Robert Brown Black. Hong Kong and Taipei are financial centers of Asia as they are the hub for international trading and commerce. Since the 50s, the Legation's economy has grown thanks to foreign investment. But Chinese nationalist sentiments remains high and in 1968 this boiled to become a left-wing student protest against "foreign occupiers" of the state who only served the interest of the Hong Kong bourgeoise and expats. This was the 1968 Hong Kong protest and the mass shootings of protesters only emboldened local opposition against the government.
"Kekkonencracy" or Anocracy for this. It is where the term Finlandization came from which means towing to the Soviet line while balancing Western interest. Finland has a relatively strong economy with a robust welfare system that has served the every needs of its citizens. It is a mixture between the cultures of Slavic East and Nordic West. Finland is an observer state within the SARPAC and is only a full member of COMECON.
