Octopolis
04-10-2004, 01:04
<OOC: So, yeah... I dunno if a new thread is exactly the best way to introduce onself here... but then again, why not?
This is an open RP... the here named nation of Johnston Island of course will be another main agitator, but others are just as welcome>
IC:
Covering wide areas of infertile (but often ressource-rich), cold, arctic land, Octopolis has gradually turned into a militarist state in recent times. A reaosn for this is the very real threat that is neighbouring Johnston Island. Lying South West of Octopolis, just before the nation's only sea acess, it is positioned at Octopolis' rear flank, as the Octopolisian navy is notoriously small. The massibve military is mostly built up of ground forces, nearly sovjet style.
Through emergency laws and the like, the established political institutions and parties governteh country near-dictatorical, while social freedoms mostly were kept intact. However, this lead to a dangerous situation, as the population more and more frowned at the high military expenses.
A massive anti-militarist movement soon got ground, and also many supporter in polciy who wanted to use as own powerbase. Thus, the Populist Faction was born, over time. Its leader, Michael Rath, was already known in informed circles as both opportunist and ambitinous.
Things got worse when President Steiner became ill. Defense Minister Schmidt, already de facto power behidn teh president, now practically got full control of adminstration, but due to the public unrest following this was forced to appoint (or rather, let Steiner appoint) Rath as Minister for Internal Security.
Rath soon noticed how Schmidts Defense Department intentionally kept things secret from him and his ministry. He also was rather stunned when Schmidt began to share power with Minister of Economy Hohberg and the powerful industrial magnate Paul Freiherr von Lingstetten. What he could mange to puzzle together was that Schmidt had started a rather ambitious secret project in the lonely, frozen tundra of Octopolis, and needed much financial support from it.
Caring only for his personal power, Rath did not even bother to try to learn what this project was about. He only noted how devoted Schmidt was to it, and that he used. H ebuilt up a powerful abse of supporters and allies in the parliament (still the legislative, but electiosn are overdue for 3 years now) and also among the courts, while Schmidt did not even really notice.
When the Troika in power met for a weekend in Schmidt's private villa to discuss it, Rath took action. Starting a seriue of (illegal) trials against opposite Members of Parliament, and a serie of riots that hindred many MPs to appear to the votes, he let parlaiment declare him the new "Chancellor" (an intermediate chief of government parlaimentc an appoint for a time of six months). He then called the military to arrest the Troika.
However, Schmidt had devoted and very well trained and equipped House Guards. While Hohberg and Freiher von Lingstetten were shot in the action, Schmidt could escape, to his secret bases in the north.
The coup now had suceeded for the most part, but military was unhappy that the Populist leader would then be in charge. Other units were won over by the promsie of money by the populists (who thus betryed their powerbase among the people, who fo coruse do not know of this, though), and so the Civil War started in whoch loyalist and populist unist would shoot at each other. Conviniently, Preisdent Steiner died only days after Raths coup - most suspect that this is not coincidence.
The firts month of shooting already is over, and a pattern can be regogniced: The much stronger populist forces threw back the loyalists, who reorgansied to defend certain government and military bases. Itr seems like Schmidt tries to win time by defending these bases, which again stresse steh question of just what is done there....
This is an open RP... the here named nation of Johnston Island of course will be another main agitator, but others are just as welcome>
IC:
Covering wide areas of infertile (but often ressource-rich), cold, arctic land, Octopolis has gradually turned into a militarist state in recent times. A reaosn for this is the very real threat that is neighbouring Johnston Island. Lying South West of Octopolis, just before the nation's only sea acess, it is positioned at Octopolis' rear flank, as the Octopolisian navy is notoriously small. The massibve military is mostly built up of ground forces, nearly sovjet style.
Through emergency laws and the like, the established political institutions and parties governteh country near-dictatorical, while social freedoms mostly were kept intact. However, this lead to a dangerous situation, as the population more and more frowned at the high military expenses.
A massive anti-militarist movement soon got ground, and also many supporter in polciy who wanted to use as own powerbase. Thus, the Populist Faction was born, over time. Its leader, Michael Rath, was already known in informed circles as both opportunist and ambitinous.
Things got worse when President Steiner became ill. Defense Minister Schmidt, already de facto power behidn teh president, now practically got full control of adminstration, but due to the public unrest following this was forced to appoint (or rather, let Steiner appoint) Rath as Minister for Internal Security.
Rath soon noticed how Schmidts Defense Department intentionally kept things secret from him and his ministry. He also was rather stunned when Schmidt began to share power with Minister of Economy Hohberg and the powerful industrial magnate Paul Freiherr von Lingstetten. What he could mange to puzzle together was that Schmidt had started a rather ambitious secret project in the lonely, frozen tundra of Octopolis, and needed much financial support from it.
Caring only for his personal power, Rath did not even bother to try to learn what this project was about. He only noted how devoted Schmidt was to it, and that he used. H ebuilt up a powerful abse of supporters and allies in the parliament (still the legislative, but electiosn are overdue for 3 years now) and also among the courts, while Schmidt did not even really notice.
When the Troika in power met for a weekend in Schmidt's private villa to discuss it, Rath took action. Starting a seriue of (illegal) trials against opposite Members of Parliament, and a serie of riots that hindred many MPs to appear to the votes, he let parlaiment declare him the new "Chancellor" (an intermediate chief of government parlaimentc an appoint for a time of six months). He then called the military to arrest the Troika.
However, Schmidt had devoted and very well trained and equipped House Guards. While Hohberg and Freiher von Lingstetten were shot in the action, Schmidt could escape, to his secret bases in the north.
The coup now had suceeded for the most part, but military was unhappy that the Populist leader would then be in charge. Other units were won over by the promsie of money by the populists (who thus betryed their powerbase among the people, who fo coruse do not know of this, though), and so the Civil War started in whoch loyalist and populist unist would shoot at each other. Conviniently, Preisdent Steiner died only days after Raths coup - most suspect that this is not coincidence.
The firts month of shooting already is over, and a pattern can be regogniced: The much stronger populist forces threw back the loyalists, who reorgansied to defend certain government and military bases. Itr seems like Schmidt tries to win time by defending these bases, which again stresse steh question of just what is done there....