Bonstock
16-01-2005, 17:12
http://www.islandnet.com/%7Edeannad/Wysteria/Nations/bonstock.html
The Federal Republic of Bonstock is a republic based on the Bonstocknian peninsula, on the island of Isa in south-eastern Wysteria. It shares land borders with Weird Ed, The Steppe, and Zecro. Formerly the head of a large empire in Eastern Asia, its resources were strained in two civil wars and four Asian wars, to the point where its overseas possessions were lost, with the exception of the now autonomous Singapore (in A Modern World).
Bonstock traces its origins to the descendants of Viking explorers who supposedly landed around modern Port Yuko around 1200 AD. Bonstock was organized as an independent nation in 1795 by exiled French noblemen. Throughout its history, Bonstock has been known for both a strong anti-communist doctrine and for imperialist ambitions in Asia. New elections have brought in a more moderate government, with aims of molding Bonstock into a more democratic nation.
History
According to tradition, a Viking expedition landed near modern day Port Yuko around 1200 AD, subduing local natives and establishing a minor kingdom centered on what is now the Bonstocknian capital. An exiled noble family from France, the Ste. Evrémondes, established control in 1795, gave Bonstock its name (from French “Bon,” good, and “Stock,” as in the stock market, a reference to a good economy) and dominated the country until recent times. The Ste. Evrémondes were known for cruelty, tyranny, and oppression, but their harsh leadership helped organize Bonstock into an imperialist power. During the 19th century, Bonstocknian ships traded all over Wysteria, and established outposts in the East Indies (modern Indonesia) and Formosa (modern Taiwan). In the early twentieth century, after seeing regimes such as theirs overthrown by communism, the Ste. Evrémondes cracked down on communism. It was at this point that one of the Ste. Evrémondes, Charles Ste. Evrémonde, became President of Bonstock. Modern Bonstocknian history is said to begin here.
Charles Ste. Evrémonde quickly built Bonstock into a modern military power. With foreign equipment, he rallied Bonstock to come to the defense of White Tundra against Dreisden. Although Bonstock’s presence had no effect on the outcome of the conflict, Bonstock came away with a much better experience on warmaking.
However, while Bonstocknian forces were engaged overseas, a threat much closer to home came to be. The nearby nation of Multaan was in political chaos. When Bonstocknian forces intervened on behalf of the government of that nation, rebel Multaanese commandos infiltrated Bonstock and began pillaging the countryside. The response was quick and brutal. Forces quickly destroyed the commandos, and Bonstock launched an invasion of rebel held areas in Multaan. The leader of the rebellion was quickly captured, and turned in to stand trial at a multinational tribunal. However, communist forces within the country, angered at the wars, staged a revolution, seizing Port Yuko. Ste. Evrémondes put it down with force, and nearly 150,000 Bonstocknians died in the First Bonstocknian Civil War. However, propaganda glorified the “Victory against the rebels.” Ste. Evrémonde became wildly popular. He purchased a space fleet from Klonor, and began expanding Bonstocknian influence in Asia.
Bonstocknian trading posts had long existed in Taiwan, defended by Bonstocknian soldiers. Most notably of these was one around Hualien, known to the Bonstocknians as Maropian Coast. Bonstock allied itself with Tech-Annihater around this time, though mostly for the purposes of land-grabbing in China, held by Tech Annihater. After Tech-Annihater was destroyed in a nuclear strike, Bonstock claimed China as its own. Unfortunatly, the nations that had destroyed Tech-Annihater, led by Automagfreek, quickly drove Bonstock out. Bonstock withdrew to bases in Taiwan, and a standoff ensued. AMF claimed Taiwan as its own, and threatened to invade. However, Bonstocknian troops stood their ground, and AMF’s invasion never materialized. After the war, _Taiwan became an independent nation, and Bonstock incorporated Maropian Coast as a colony. Immigration from the colony made Bonstock a much more multi-cultural nation, and more expeditions abroad were undertaken.
It was at this time that a young woman named Hu Li began rising to prominence in Bonstocknian politics. A member of the Bonstocknian Special Services, the Ste. Evrémondes’ secret police and intelligence force, Ms. Hu used her “influence” to rise in politics. Rumored to have had relations with Ste. Evrémonde, she was appointed as ambassador to Automagfreek, and later as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. When Ste. Evrémonde announced his retirement, Hu Li became the nominee for Ste. Evrémonde’s party’s presidential bid. She won the election against another rising star, Alfred von Strauswitz, and quickly furthered her harsh agenda, which included the creation of a Bonstocknian empire and the production of a new bomb, the T-1, that could destroy entire countries.
When a nation known as Ertomia began selling slaves, President Hu sent a naval task force to blockade that nation. Ertomia’s ally, Dark Terror, sent bombers with cruise missiles against the fleet, destroying the entire task force and killing at least 5,000 Bonstocknian sailors. Bonstock declared war, and Dark Terror and its allies sent an armada of bombers against the nation. Bombs with acronyms like JDAMs and MOABs were indiscriminately dropped on heavily populated Port Yuko, creating a fireball which claimed 5 million Bonstocknian lives. Bonstock bought off Dark Terror, but the damage had been done. Hu Li took almost all the blame. Dissenters openly criticized the government, and Hu Li cracked down on them, arresting thousands of innocent people. Protests quickly formed in Port Yuko, and Hu Li ordered that machine-guns be used on them. Though intended to disperse the protests, the protestors, led by the former presidential candidate Alfred von Strauswitz, soon raided a Bonstocknian armory, and besieged the government buildings. Hu Li quickly evacuated, first to Southern Bonstock, and finally to Maropian Coast after the rest of Bonstock was overrun by rebels. Von Strauswitz formed a rebel government in Port Yuko, and seized the Sakishima islands near Maropian Coast to use as a staging area to destroy what remained of the former government. As his naval forces left to attack, however, a lone government Arsenal Ship fired hundreds of missiles at Strauswitz’s fleet. The entire rebel fleet was destroyed in that decisive battle, and the government took the offensive.
Bonstocknian government forces, commanded by General Gustav Adolph, launched an amphibious invasion of Bonstock from bases in Maropian Coast after a long air campaign that bombed the rebels to the brink of destruction. Disorganized and surprised, rebels in Southern Bonstock quickly joined the government invasion, and within a day Port Yuko fell. The old spacefleet acquired by Ste. Evrémonde was commandeered by the rebels in the last hours in a last ditch attempt to destroy the government. Hu Li, with a long personal loathing for von Strauswitz, strapped herself into a small space-pod with one of her T-1 superbombs, and smashed directly into von Strauswitz’s flagship. The entire rebel space-fleet was destroyed in the ensuing explosion. Now a Field Marshal, Gustav Adolph became President of Bonstock, and set about rebuilding the war-torn nation.
In remarkably short order, Gustav Adolph’s programs got Bonstock back on its feet. Within a short while, however, Bonstocknian colonies in Asia were threatened by Japann. Seeking to eliminate this threat, Gustav Adolph launched an invasion, seizing Tokyo quickly, but then stated that Bonstocknian forces would not leave. A coalition of Asian forces, with East Islandia, Hudecia, Xiaguo, Spyr, Sino, and others, declared war on Bonstock, claiming it had an imperialist ambition to dominate Japan. After some light fighting, a temporary truce was declared for the Chinese New Year. Seizing the opportunity for a major gain, Bonstocknian forces violated the ceasefire, attacking all over Japann and _Taiwan. Despite initial success, Asian forces proved to great; Bonstock withdrew from Japan, but retained its hold on Maropian Coast. The First Asian War ended in stalemate.
Soon thereafter, needing access to Middle East oil supplies, Gustav Adolph’s government invaded Yemen. Thinking there would be little or no resistance, Bonstocknian forces were stunned when many nations, including the entire Asian alliance, joined against it. After surrounding the Yemenese capital, Bonstocknian forces abruptly withdrew. The Second Asian War ended with more inconclusive results.
However, Gustav Adolph’s wars had cost him dearly at home. Internal dissent drew great, and finally he was assassinated, replaced by another politician, Montgomery Burns. Burns ruled Bonstock with as cold an iron fist as had the Ste. Evrémondes and Hu Li before him. Finally, Gustav Adolph’s son, Harald, avenged his father, and staged a coup. Burns was exiled, doomed to spend eternity running an American nuclear power plant. Harald quickly sought to gain everything his father had dreamed of: a Bonstocknian empire in Asia. To do that, he figured, he must first assault the island of Okinawa, held by the same Asian alliance Bonstock had fought before.
So the Third Asian War began. Lord Harald, with a fleet of 400 ships and 300,000 men, attacked Okinawa. Only a few of his forces landed, thinking the battle would be a cakewalk. So great was Lord Harald’s overconfidence that he himself landed, with only 30,000 of his men. All of a sudden, hundreds of thousands of enemies poured onto the Bonstocknian beachheads. Harald called for reinforcements, but by then it was already too late. His men were slaughtered by the thousands, despite their valiant efforts to fight. At sea, Bonstocknian transport vessels, without any credible escort, were easy prey to the Asian vessels of war. Of the 400 ships that set out, only 30 would return. As for Lord Harald, some say he died, went to Heaven or Valhalla, and then descended to reclaim Bonstock. Others say he got badly wounded, and hopped one of the transports home. With Lord Harald, it is almost impossible to separate the fact from legend.
In ensuing battles, the Asian Alliance tried to wrest Bonstocknian possessions away, but were forced back. So another war ended inconclusively. But peace did not last. The Bonstocknian Empire soon expanded again, to now include Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Greedily, and with the same overconfidence that had sealed the fates at Okinawa, Lord Harald started charging all ships for passage through the straits of Malacca. He thought there would be no resistance. He was wrong.
Just a few short months prior, Harald had sent forces to aid Marimaia in its conquest of Myanmar. Bonstocknian conduct there would haunt the nation and the world. After five Bonstocknians were captured by insurgant forces, and brutally executed, Bonstocknian commanders went on a mad orgy of revenge. Ignoring the laws of war and human decency, the Bonstocknians firebombed the entire city of Mergui, in Myanmar. After the bombardment, thousands of Bonstocknians rushed into the city, killing every man, raping every woman, and enslaving every child they found. They pillaged and burned great Buddhist temples and the homes of innocents; those who resisted were quickly destroyed. The world was outraged; the taxing of the Malacca straits was simply a convenient excuse to go to war.
So came the Fourth, and final, Asian War. Lord Harald, faced with invasion of the Bonstocknian Sakishimas, did not look to his flanks in Malaysia and Maropian Coast. The Sakishima invasion became a stalemate, as did the Malaysian invasion, but the invasion of Maropian Coast caught the Bonstocknians off guard. The proud Bonstocknian army disintegrated. So Lord Harald realized that his own overconfidence had twice doomed him. Angered to the point of rage, he led 300 of his most devoted soldiers to Maropian Coast, to defend the mountain passes from the attack. Hopelessly outnumbered, he bravely faced death. His men held off the enemy for a while, but were soon surrounded after a traitor betrayed the route around their positions. He was offered a chance to surrender. Harald refused, and he and his men stood their ground. Every last one was killed. Maropian Coast fell the next morning. Bonstock was thrown into political chaos. Faced with an enemy breakthrough in the Sakishimas, the Bonstocknians fired nuclear artillery shells at the beaches, destroying the enemy fleet, but angering the civilian population to the point of revolution. The war ended, without a glorified victory for either side, but Bonstock’s overseas empire crumbled. Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Sakishimas all declared independence. Bonstock was left with Singapore.
As of right now, Bonstock remains a broken state. In Singapore, now autonomous, General Wu Shin-kua continues to resist an invasion by Sino. In Bonstock proper, the populace remains saddened and angered by its losses. No leader had yet risen to mold Bonstock back into the world power it was. But there is still hope. Bonstock has been destroyed, and has risen again, on many occasions in its history. But now the people seek their chance to rule themselves. And that may be Bonstock’s redemption. As its citizens cast away their authoritarian past, they look towards a future where they might govern themselves, and live under laws, not people. Perhaps that may be the fulfillment of the dreams of the Ste. Evrémondes. The irrational, imperialist, and tyrannical rule of old is steadily being replaced by the rule of the common people. And thus will Bonstock rise again to reclaim her place among the nations of the world.
Politics
Bonstock is a republic, with three main branches of government. The President makes up the executive branch. In previous times, the Presidents held considerable authority, backed by the power of secret police forces and the military. The legislative and judicial branches have been traditionally less prominent, limited to proposing and interpreting laws, respectively. The legislative branch is known as the Riksdag, and has 300 members, each serving two year terms. Their purpose is to propose laws and appropriate funds and levy taxes. The judicial branch is headed by the Bonstocknian Supreme Court, with 15 judges interpreting laws through their judicial decisions.
With the old empire, the colonies sent representatives to the Riksdag, but held considerable authority. Bonstock was a federal republic under that system, thus creating the now defunct title of “Federal Republic of Bonstock.”
There are two main political parties, the Social Democrats and the Capitalist Moderates. The Social Democrats are considered Center-Left, but have been sometimes associated with left wing communist activities. The Capitalist Moderates are more of a centrist party, which sometimes leans to the right. They are the party associated with many of Bonstock’s previous regimes.
Elections are to be held in Bonstock soon. A new constitution is in the process of writing, and will be ready before elections take place. As of now, the office of President remains vacant, and a power vacuum looms large in Bonstock.
Military
Bonstock’s military has traditionally dominated society, but is now more relaxed. Up until recent times, men and women were obliged to serve a year in the military. Conscription has since been done away with, replaced by a volunteer military with about 15 million active troops. The army has 100 infantry divisions, of which two (the 6th and 9th) are elite airborne divisions, the rest being mechanized infantry divisions. The Air Force has 100 tactical fighter wings, each with 72 fighters, mostly F-32A Joint Strike Fighters. The Navy is based around its Carrier Battle Groups, of which it has one hundred, equipped with F-32C JSFs. As for the Marines Corps, there are twenty Marine Expeditionary Forces, each with about 50,000 marines.
Geography
Bonstock is a northward jutting peninsula on the island of Isa, in Wysteria. The peninsula is divided by the Peninsular Mountains, which stretch length of Bonstock. Bonstock is heavily forested, with large coniferous forests back dropped by the mountains. Most of Bonstock has a fairly continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Moist air from the sea contributes to the moderation of the climate to the north, which would otherwise be subtropical. Bonstock’s only land connections are to the south, in cold, heavily mountainous terrain.
Economy
The Bonstocknian economy has always operated on a more or less full model of capitalism, despite heavy government spending on defense which called for heavy taxation. In recent years, such taxation is lowering, but is still much higher than that of other industrialized nations. Bonstock’s exports include airplanes, weapons, and electronics, though most of the workforce is involved in service industries. Bonstock is entirely self sufficient in terms of farming, and is thus able to feed a large population.
Bonstock’s primary trading occurs with nations in Wysteria, with Zecro being Bonstock’s top trading partner.
The United Nations considers Bonstock’s economy to be “Frightening.” With a per-capita GDP of nearly 40,000 US Dollars, Bonstock is considered in the top bracket of industrialized nations.
Transportation
Bonstock is covered by extensive rails and highways. Domestic air travel is provided by many companies, most notably AeroBonstock Airlines and Bonstocknian Airways. International flights are mostly out of Port Yuko. Shipping is usually out of Port Yuko, as well. For short distances, most citizens use public transportation, as Port Yuko is far too crowded to rely on automobiles. For long distances, most rely on air travel.
Demographics
A recent census showed the Bonstocknian population at about 3.5 billion people. Of these, about twenty percent trace their origins to Bonstock’s original settlers. Most of the populace is descended from later-day immigrants, which settled in Port Yuko for economic opperatunities. Most of the populace traces its origin either to Europe, the Middle East, or East Asia, with a significant number being considered “multi-racial.” Bonstock has been traditionally a very open society; anyone who agrees to do their military service and pay taxes can be a Bonstocknian citizen.
Religion
An avowedly atheist government has helped contribute to a great lack of religion in Bonstock. Eighty percent of the populace professes to have no religion, and five percent are Islamic and Christian each. The remaining ten percent is considered “other.” In Bonstocknian popular life, religion is disdained. Very few attend church, and many resent religious leaders.
Culture
Most of Bonstock’s culture can be traced to that of most modern Western civilizations. The primary language is English, and most Bonstocknian youths watch Western movies, listen to Western music, and eat foods such as McDonalds. This contrasts to the more “Spartan” culture of old days, when most Bonstocknians were farmers and soldiers dedicated more to defending their homes then enjoying modern pleasures.
Bonstock has also been a center of education and science, though with a heavy bent towards helping the needs of the army. A large space program has been almost entirely military run, and many of the tens of thousands of universities and colleges are geared towards sciences, as opposed to liberal arts.
The Federal Republic of Bonstock is a republic based on the Bonstocknian peninsula, on the island of Isa in south-eastern Wysteria. It shares land borders with Weird Ed, The Steppe, and Zecro. Formerly the head of a large empire in Eastern Asia, its resources were strained in two civil wars and four Asian wars, to the point where its overseas possessions were lost, with the exception of the now autonomous Singapore (in A Modern World).
Bonstock traces its origins to the descendants of Viking explorers who supposedly landed around modern Port Yuko around 1200 AD. Bonstock was organized as an independent nation in 1795 by exiled French noblemen. Throughout its history, Bonstock has been known for both a strong anti-communist doctrine and for imperialist ambitions in Asia. New elections have brought in a more moderate government, with aims of molding Bonstock into a more democratic nation.
History
According to tradition, a Viking expedition landed near modern day Port Yuko around 1200 AD, subduing local natives and establishing a minor kingdom centered on what is now the Bonstocknian capital. An exiled noble family from France, the Ste. Evrémondes, established control in 1795, gave Bonstock its name (from French “Bon,” good, and “Stock,” as in the stock market, a reference to a good economy) and dominated the country until recent times. The Ste. Evrémondes were known for cruelty, tyranny, and oppression, but their harsh leadership helped organize Bonstock into an imperialist power. During the 19th century, Bonstocknian ships traded all over Wysteria, and established outposts in the East Indies (modern Indonesia) and Formosa (modern Taiwan). In the early twentieth century, after seeing regimes such as theirs overthrown by communism, the Ste. Evrémondes cracked down on communism. It was at this point that one of the Ste. Evrémondes, Charles Ste. Evrémonde, became President of Bonstock. Modern Bonstocknian history is said to begin here.
Charles Ste. Evrémonde quickly built Bonstock into a modern military power. With foreign equipment, he rallied Bonstock to come to the defense of White Tundra against Dreisden. Although Bonstock’s presence had no effect on the outcome of the conflict, Bonstock came away with a much better experience on warmaking.
However, while Bonstocknian forces were engaged overseas, a threat much closer to home came to be. The nearby nation of Multaan was in political chaos. When Bonstocknian forces intervened on behalf of the government of that nation, rebel Multaanese commandos infiltrated Bonstock and began pillaging the countryside. The response was quick and brutal. Forces quickly destroyed the commandos, and Bonstock launched an invasion of rebel held areas in Multaan. The leader of the rebellion was quickly captured, and turned in to stand trial at a multinational tribunal. However, communist forces within the country, angered at the wars, staged a revolution, seizing Port Yuko. Ste. Evrémondes put it down with force, and nearly 150,000 Bonstocknians died in the First Bonstocknian Civil War. However, propaganda glorified the “Victory against the rebels.” Ste. Evrémonde became wildly popular. He purchased a space fleet from Klonor, and began expanding Bonstocknian influence in Asia.
Bonstocknian trading posts had long existed in Taiwan, defended by Bonstocknian soldiers. Most notably of these was one around Hualien, known to the Bonstocknians as Maropian Coast. Bonstock allied itself with Tech-Annihater around this time, though mostly for the purposes of land-grabbing in China, held by Tech Annihater. After Tech-Annihater was destroyed in a nuclear strike, Bonstock claimed China as its own. Unfortunatly, the nations that had destroyed Tech-Annihater, led by Automagfreek, quickly drove Bonstock out. Bonstock withdrew to bases in Taiwan, and a standoff ensued. AMF claimed Taiwan as its own, and threatened to invade. However, Bonstocknian troops stood their ground, and AMF’s invasion never materialized. After the war, _Taiwan became an independent nation, and Bonstock incorporated Maropian Coast as a colony. Immigration from the colony made Bonstock a much more multi-cultural nation, and more expeditions abroad were undertaken.
It was at this time that a young woman named Hu Li began rising to prominence in Bonstocknian politics. A member of the Bonstocknian Special Services, the Ste. Evrémondes’ secret police and intelligence force, Ms. Hu used her “influence” to rise in politics. Rumored to have had relations with Ste. Evrémonde, she was appointed as ambassador to Automagfreek, and later as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. When Ste. Evrémonde announced his retirement, Hu Li became the nominee for Ste. Evrémonde’s party’s presidential bid. She won the election against another rising star, Alfred von Strauswitz, and quickly furthered her harsh agenda, which included the creation of a Bonstocknian empire and the production of a new bomb, the T-1, that could destroy entire countries.
When a nation known as Ertomia began selling slaves, President Hu sent a naval task force to blockade that nation. Ertomia’s ally, Dark Terror, sent bombers with cruise missiles against the fleet, destroying the entire task force and killing at least 5,000 Bonstocknian sailors. Bonstock declared war, and Dark Terror and its allies sent an armada of bombers against the nation. Bombs with acronyms like JDAMs and MOABs were indiscriminately dropped on heavily populated Port Yuko, creating a fireball which claimed 5 million Bonstocknian lives. Bonstock bought off Dark Terror, but the damage had been done. Hu Li took almost all the blame. Dissenters openly criticized the government, and Hu Li cracked down on them, arresting thousands of innocent people. Protests quickly formed in Port Yuko, and Hu Li ordered that machine-guns be used on them. Though intended to disperse the protests, the protestors, led by the former presidential candidate Alfred von Strauswitz, soon raided a Bonstocknian armory, and besieged the government buildings. Hu Li quickly evacuated, first to Southern Bonstock, and finally to Maropian Coast after the rest of Bonstock was overrun by rebels. Von Strauswitz formed a rebel government in Port Yuko, and seized the Sakishima islands near Maropian Coast to use as a staging area to destroy what remained of the former government. As his naval forces left to attack, however, a lone government Arsenal Ship fired hundreds of missiles at Strauswitz’s fleet. The entire rebel fleet was destroyed in that decisive battle, and the government took the offensive.
Bonstocknian government forces, commanded by General Gustav Adolph, launched an amphibious invasion of Bonstock from bases in Maropian Coast after a long air campaign that bombed the rebels to the brink of destruction. Disorganized and surprised, rebels in Southern Bonstock quickly joined the government invasion, and within a day Port Yuko fell. The old spacefleet acquired by Ste. Evrémonde was commandeered by the rebels in the last hours in a last ditch attempt to destroy the government. Hu Li, with a long personal loathing for von Strauswitz, strapped herself into a small space-pod with one of her T-1 superbombs, and smashed directly into von Strauswitz’s flagship. The entire rebel space-fleet was destroyed in the ensuing explosion. Now a Field Marshal, Gustav Adolph became President of Bonstock, and set about rebuilding the war-torn nation.
In remarkably short order, Gustav Adolph’s programs got Bonstock back on its feet. Within a short while, however, Bonstocknian colonies in Asia were threatened by Japann. Seeking to eliminate this threat, Gustav Adolph launched an invasion, seizing Tokyo quickly, but then stated that Bonstocknian forces would not leave. A coalition of Asian forces, with East Islandia, Hudecia, Xiaguo, Spyr, Sino, and others, declared war on Bonstock, claiming it had an imperialist ambition to dominate Japan. After some light fighting, a temporary truce was declared for the Chinese New Year. Seizing the opportunity for a major gain, Bonstocknian forces violated the ceasefire, attacking all over Japann and _Taiwan. Despite initial success, Asian forces proved to great; Bonstock withdrew from Japan, but retained its hold on Maropian Coast. The First Asian War ended in stalemate.
Soon thereafter, needing access to Middle East oil supplies, Gustav Adolph’s government invaded Yemen. Thinking there would be little or no resistance, Bonstocknian forces were stunned when many nations, including the entire Asian alliance, joined against it. After surrounding the Yemenese capital, Bonstocknian forces abruptly withdrew. The Second Asian War ended with more inconclusive results.
However, Gustav Adolph’s wars had cost him dearly at home. Internal dissent drew great, and finally he was assassinated, replaced by another politician, Montgomery Burns. Burns ruled Bonstock with as cold an iron fist as had the Ste. Evrémondes and Hu Li before him. Finally, Gustav Adolph’s son, Harald, avenged his father, and staged a coup. Burns was exiled, doomed to spend eternity running an American nuclear power plant. Harald quickly sought to gain everything his father had dreamed of: a Bonstocknian empire in Asia. To do that, he figured, he must first assault the island of Okinawa, held by the same Asian alliance Bonstock had fought before.
So the Third Asian War began. Lord Harald, with a fleet of 400 ships and 300,000 men, attacked Okinawa. Only a few of his forces landed, thinking the battle would be a cakewalk. So great was Lord Harald’s overconfidence that he himself landed, with only 30,000 of his men. All of a sudden, hundreds of thousands of enemies poured onto the Bonstocknian beachheads. Harald called for reinforcements, but by then it was already too late. His men were slaughtered by the thousands, despite their valiant efforts to fight. At sea, Bonstocknian transport vessels, without any credible escort, were easy prey to the Asian vessels of war. Of the 400 ships that set out, only 30 would return. As for Lord Harald, some say he died, went to Heaven or Valhalla, and then descended to reclaim Bonstock. Others say he got badly wounded, and hopped one of the transports home. With Lord Harald, it is almost impossible to separate the fact from legend.
In ensuing battles, the Asian Alliance tried to wrest Bonstocknian possessions away, but were forced back. So another war ended inconclusively. But peace did not last. The Bonstocknian Empire soon expanded again, to now include Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Greedily, and with the same overconfidence that had sealed the fates at Okinawa, Lord Harald started charging all ships for passage through the straits of Malacca. He thought there would be no resistance. He was wrong.
Just a few short months prior, Harald had sent forces to aid Marimaia in its conquest of Myanmar. Bonstocknian conduct there would haunt the nation and the world. After five Bonstocknians were captured by insurgant forces, and brutally executed, Bonstocknian commanders went on a mad orgy of revenge. Ignoring the laws of war and human decency, the Bonstocknians firebombed the entire city of Mergui, in Myanmar. After the bombardment, thousands of Bonstocknians rushed into the city, killing every man, raping every woman, and enslaving every child they found. They pillaged and burned great Buddhist temples and the homes of innocents; those who resisted were quickly destroyed. The world was outraged; the taxing of the Malacca straits was simply a convenient excuse to go to war.
So came the Fourth, and final, Asian War. Lord Harald, faced with invasion of the Bonstocknian Sakishimas, did not look to his flanks in Malaysia and Maropian Coast. The Sakishima invasion became a stalemate, as did the Malaysian invasion, but the invasion of Maropian Coast caught the Bonstocknians off guard. The proud Bonstocknian army disintegrated. So Lord Harald realized that his own overconfidence had twice doomed him. Angered to the point of rage, he led 300 of his most devoted soldiers to Maropian Coast, to defend the mountain passes from the attack. Hopelessly outnumbered, he bravely faced death. His men held off the enemy for a while, but were soon surrounded after a traitor betrayed the route around their positions. He was offered a chance to surrender. Harald refused, and he and his men stood their ground. Every last one was killed. Maropian Coast fell the next morning. Bonstock was thrown into political chaos. Faced with an enemy breakthrough in the Sakishimas, the Bonstocknians fired nuclear artillery shells at the beaches, destroying the enemy fleet, but angering the civilian population to the point of revolution. The war ended, without a glorified victory for either side, but Bonstock’s overseas empire crumbled. Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Sakishimas all declared independence. Bonstock was left with Singapore.
As of right now, Bonstock remains a broken state. In Singapore, now autonomous, General Wu Shin-kua continues to resist an invasion by Sino. In Bonstock proper, the populace remains saddened and angered by its losses. No leader had yet risen to mold Bonstock back into the world power it was. But there is still hope. Bonstock has been destroyed, and has risen again, on many occasions in its history. But now the people seek their chance to rule themselves. And that may be Bonstock’s redemption. As its citizens cast away their authoritarian past, they look towards a future where they might govern themselves, and live under laws, not people. Perhaps that may be the fulfillment of the dreams of the Ste. Evrémondes. The irrational, imperialist, and tyrannical rule of old is steadily being replaced by the rule of the common people. And thus will Bonstock rise again to reclaim her place among the nations of the world.
Politics
Bonstock is a republic, with three main branches of government. The President makes up the executive branch. In previous times, the Presidents held considerable authority, backed by the power of secret police forces and the military. The legislative and judicial branches have been traditionally less prominent, limited to proposing and interpreting laws, respectively. The legislative branch is known as the Riksdag, and has 300 members, each serving two year terms. Their purpose is to propose laws and appropriate funds and levy taxes. The judicial branch is headed by the Bonstocknian Supreme Court, with 15 judges interpreting laws through their judicial decisions.
With the old empire, the colonies sent representatives to the Riksdag, but held considerable authority. Bonstock was a federal republic under that system, thus creating the now defunct title of “Federal Republic of Bonstock.”
There are two main political parties, the Social Democrats and the Capitalist Moderates. The Social Democrats are considered Center-Left, but have been sometimes associated with left wing communist activities. The Capitalist Moderates are more of a centrist party, which sometimes leans to the right. They are the party associated with many of Bonstock’s previous regimes.
Elections are to be held in Bonstock soon. A new constitution is in the process of writing, and will be ready before elections take place. As of now, the office of President remains vacant, and a power vacuum looms large in Bonstock.
Military
Bonstock’s military has traditionally dominated society, but is now more relaxed. Up until recent times, men and women were obliged to serve a year in the military. Conscription has since been done away with, replaced by a volunteer military with about 15 million active troops. The army has 100 infantry divisions, of which two (the 6th and 9th) are elite airborne divisions, the rest being mechanized infantry divisions. The Air Force has 100 tactical fighter wings, each with 72 fighters, mostly F-32A Joint Strike Fighters. The Navy is based around its Carrier Battle Groups, of which it has one hundred, equipped with F-32C JSFs. As for the Marines Corps, there are twenty Marine Expeditionary Forces, each with about 50,000 marines.
Geography
Bonstock is a northward jutting peninsula on the island of Isa, in Wysteria. The peninsula is divided by the Peninsular Mountains, which stretch length of Bonstock. Bonstock is heavily forested, with large coniferous forests back dropped by the mountains. Most of Bonstock has a fairly continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Moist air from the sea contributes to the moderation of the climate to the north, which would otherwise be subtropical. Bonstock’s only land connections are to the south, in cold, heavily mountainous terrain.
Economy
The Bonstocknian economy has always operated on a more or less full model of capitalism, despite heavy government spending on defense which called for heavy taxation. In recent years, such taxation is lowering, but is still much higher than that of other industrialized nations. Bonstock’s exports include airplanes, weapons, and electronics, though most of the workforce is involved in service industries. Bonstock is entirely self sufficient in terms of farming, and is thus able to feed a large population.
Bonstock’s primary trading occurs with nations in Wysteria, with Zecro being Bonstock’s top trading partner.
The United Nations considers Bonstock’s economy to be “Frightening.” With a per-capita GDP of nearly 40,000 US Dollars, Bonstock is considered in the top bracket of industrialized nations.
Transportation
Bonstock is covered by extensive rails and highways. Domestic air travel is provided by many companies, most notably AeroBonstock Airlines and Bonstocknian Airways. International flights are mostly out of Port Yuko. Shipping is usually out of Port Yuko, as well. For short distances, most citizens use public transportation, as Port Yuko is far too crowded to rely on automobiles. For long distances, most rely on air travel.
Demographics
A recent census showed the Bonstocknian population at about 3.5 billion people. Of these, about twenty percent trace their origins to Bonstock’s original settlers. Most of the populace is descended from later-day immigrants, which settled in Port Yuko for economic opperatunities. Most of the populace traces its origin either to Europe, the Middle East, or East Asia, with a significant number being considered “multi-racial.” Bonstock has been traditionally a very open society; anyone who agrees to do their military service and pay taxes can be a Bonstocknian citizen.
Religion
An avowedly atheist government has helped contribute to a great lack of religion in Bonstock. Eighty percent of the populace professes to have no religion, and five percent are Islamic and Christian each. The remaining ten percent is considered “other.” In Bonstocknian popular life, religion is disdained. Very few attend church, and many resent religious leaders.
Culture
Most of Bonstock’s culture can be traced to that of most modern Western civilizations. The primary language is English, and most Bonstocknian youths watch Western movies, listen to Western music, and eat foods such as McDonalds. This contrasts to the more “Spartan” culture of old days, when most Bonstocknians were farmers and soldiers dedicated more to defending their homes then enjoying modern pleasures.
Bonstock has also been a center of education and science, though with a heavy bent towards helping the needs of the army. A large space program has been almost entirely military run, and many of the tens of thousands of universities and colleges are geared towards sciences, as opposed to liberal arts.