Iragia
08-02-2007, 17:45
This factbook will describe the government, economy, and security forces as well as cover some basic history of the People's Republic.
History
The People's Republic emerged from the fires of the fifth civil war and the fall of President Douglas's capitalist regime. Following the bombing of parliament the president declared martial law and his loyal National Police forces took to the streets, arresting hundreds and enforcing a curfew. All curfew violators were shot, and any and all critics of the president, including a number of military commanders, were imprisoned.
After five days of martial law, the army was ordered to deploy under police command and provide support, they were to disperse into small formations and be tasked to police forces all across the the country. Realizing this would render the army incapable of taking action against the president, army commander Lieutenant General Steeves summoned the senior commanders to discuss the possiblity of launching Operation Red Dawn, their plan to overthrow the government and rebuild the country that they had been planning for months.
As dusk came, and the curfew took affect on the fifth day of martial law, military forces across the country launched an all out offensive. The army was small, undertrained, and under-equipped with what equipment they did have being old and worn down, such as their BTR-50 APCs and T-34 tanks.
They had the support however, of the militia and resistance forces in the large poor ghettos scattered across the country, and along with the capital of Baker's Landing, these ghettos were the primary objectives of the initial offensive. Though the police had more modern weapon systems, and greater numbers, the army had surprise on their side and still possessed heavier weapons.
The presidential guard however was a different matter, they were equipped with relatively modern weapons including AK-74 rifles, flak vests, ATGMs, and T-72 Main Battle Tanks. The fighting between army and Guard forces left more than three thousand dead, but the Guard was defeated and President Douglas arrested. He ordered the surrender of remaining National Police forces scattered across the country, who accepted, turning in their weapons and being sent to three main detention facilities.
Once the President officially handed over authority to Lt. Gen Steeves he was executed for crimes against the people, being hung in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace on live television.
Communism
With power in his hands, the army commander officially resigned from the armed forces in order to take the reigns of the new civilian administration. Many of the militia and resistance forces had a wide range of views on how the new government should function, ranging from fascist nationalists to democratic liberals to the communist hardliners like Steeves.
The army was historically communist, being originally forged in ancient times as a community raised militia its first and foremost concern were the people. In the years that Steeves had been in power, he had instilled a deeply rooted belief in communism as the answer to the nation's problems, resulting in the sidelining of the army and the rise of the National Police under President Douglas.
The first act of Steeves as President was to abolish the old system of government and the old constitution, instead drafting a new constitution based on the principles of communism. He declared himself Premier, and formed the People's council, comprised of appointed representatives from the various districts of the country.
On a municipal level the mayors and town councils were replaced by Municipal Garrison Commanders of the newly formed Civil Defence Corps, an extension of the Ministry of Defence whose task was to maintain law and order and assist with civil administration.
The new premier then nationalized all media, and all the major industries, though citizens could still own and run their own shops, restaurants, etc. These non government businesses however were tightly regulated and watched by the new government.
Lastly, in order to ensure there would be no more poverty, the Premier instituted the Basic Living Stipend, and reforms to the social assistance system and education system. Health care became universal, and education, from pre-school to university became free for all citizens.
Opposition to communism
Though some of the new reforms proved to be popular, such as the health care and education systems many of the old resistance groups, former government officials, and concerned citizens decried the dominant role the military played in the government, the lack of democracy, and the lack of a free media and market.
This culiminated in a massive protest involving some eighty thousand individuals representing more than a hundred resistance groups, militia, and citizen coalitions who demanded the establishment of a democracy and the restoration of parliament.
Fearing this threat to the newly minted People's Republic, the Premier ordered several of his soldiers to dawn the uniforms of one of the prominent militia organizations. They slipped into the crowd of protestors and waved their weapons in the air, as many of the militiamen were doing, but then proceeded to fire shots at the army units nearby. They aimed deliberately to hit the armoured vehicles and not any actual soldiers, then promptly fled the scene, as the army units opened fire.
The Premier had the media twist the protest into an attempt at overthrowing the government and destroying the new way of life the people were building for themselves. Using mass amounts of propaganda he portrayed the protestors as violent criminals seeking to enforce anarchy on the people.
Only one hundred thirty seven protestors survived, as they became trapped in the streets they were occupying when thousands of soldiers and most of the army's armoured vehicles cut them off and unloaded artillery, cannon, mortar, machine gun, and rifle fire. It is estimated that upwards of half the army's ammunition stockpile was used up in the massacre.
The remaining one hundred thirty seven protestors were executed for treason, and a nationwide manhunt took place for anyone and everyone who opposed to the new communist way. Thousands were tortured and executed until the country was subdued, and the Premier's rule unchallenged.
Government Structure
Now that all opposition has been dealt with, and the nation is stable, the government structure was finalized and enshrined in the constitution.
The People's Republic is split into two levels, municipal, and federal. The municipal system is directly under the control of the Ministry of Defence, so it is in effect, an extension of the federal government. Each village, town, and city in the nation is ruled by the Municipal Garrison commander who commands the local Civil Defence Corps garrison. He is resposbile for property taxes, roadways, bylaws, etc. Civilian assistants aide with these efforts, and many commanders have a small elected council to aide them and handle many mundane day to day affairs as well as bring the concerns of the citizens to their attention. Though this gives the impression of democracy, all the elected council members are communist loyalists, and the only concerns citizens are willing to bring up are ones that will not offend or appear threatening to the People's Republic.
The federal government is run by the Premier who heads up the People's Council, a 97 member legislative assebly comprised of representatives appointed from each of the 97 districts. They act in the same manner as the civilian councils in the municipalities, bringing local concerns to federal attention, and handling the day to day affairs of the country. The Premier also selects a cabinet of ministers who run the various government ministries.
The government ministries are the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health Care, Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labour.
Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence handles all aspects of national defence and security. It controls the Liberation Forces of the People's Republic of Iragia, the Army of the People's Republic, the Civil Defence Corps, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Coast Guard.
The Liberation Forces of the People's Republic of Iragia is the regular military, it controls the navy, airforce, and army. It is the best equipped of all the security elements, and has been built up considerably since the fall of President Douglas. It is an all volunteer force, made up of communist loyalists, and citizens simply seeking to serve their country.
The navy is a meagre force, comprised only of eight Offshore Patrol Vessels and a pair of frigates. It also retains a number of fast moving torpedo boats that carry a couple of torpedos for engaging enemy vessels en masse. It has one support vessel, a minelayer. It also has a number of tugs and fireboats and other such vessels at its naval base at Baker's Landing.
The air force constitutes 75 Mig-29 fighters, and a battalion of 36 Hind helicopters. These are based at three airbases, one at Baker's Landing, one at Trenton, and one at Mill Towne.
The army is the largest and most powerful force, consisting of sixty thousand troops. These are split into 12 brigades, four heavy armour, eight mechanized. The army's arsenal has been boosted significantly with the creati on of the government run Iragian Defence Systems, or IDS. IDS has retrofitted many of the older vehicles, introduced a large number of new vehicles and weapon systems, and produces a domestic armoured vehicle family, the ILV family.
The army of the People's Republic is a part time component comprised entirely of conscripts. Number one hundred and twenty thousand strong, it is mostly infantry with limited artillery and mechanized support. It only possesses a very small percentage of armoured vehicles. It is poorly trained and equipped and serves simply as an auxillary force to the LFPRI. All citizens must serve in the APR for a period of at least one year, after which they enter service with the Home Guard.
The Home Guard is basically a militia, they meet a few hours once a month for a refresher on drill and weapons use and their sole purpose is to defend the nation against foreign attack. Individuals keep their uniform, web gear, and weapon with them in their homes. The armament varies widely from SKS rifles to M16s. All of the weapons used by the militias were distributed to the Home Guard, so their is no standard organization or equipment. The IDS is working on manufacturing mass numbers of AK-47s to distributed to the Home Guard, but is busy working on new systems and equipping the Civil Defence Corps and the LFPRI.
The Civil Defence Corps is a paramilitary force that handles the duties of the police and municipal governments. The court system is handle by the CDC, which runs courts in a manner similar to a court martial in which all proceedings are presided by three officers, with no juries or anything of that sort. Both sides plead their cases, and the CDC makes a decision.
The CDC is well equipped, with all officers carrying AK-74S weapons, sidearms, and shotguns are distributed as well. Machine guns and armoured cars are routinely used as well, as are snipers, and some heavier weapons such as grenade launchers and RPGs, but most duties are typically handled by trucks (without or without guns mounted) and rifle equipped officers.
Economy
The Iragian economy is rated as developing. The turmoil of decades of conflict have not gone well, and all major industries are nationalized. With that said, all citizens enjoy a minimum standard of living based on the Basic Living Stipend, and there is a strong manufacturing sector courtesy of the IDC.
***More will be added later, well as details in regards to military equipment and organization, and a refined history/government structure.***
History
The People's Republic emerged from the fires of the fifth civil war and the fall of President Douglas's capitalist regime. Following the bombing of parliament the president declared martial law and his loyal National Police forces took to the streets, arresting hundreds and enforcing a curfew. All curfew violators were shot, and any and all critics of the president, including a number of military commanders, were imprisoned.
After five days of martial law, the army was ordered to deploy under police command and provide support, they were to disperse into small formations and be tasked to police forces all across the the country. Realizing this would render the army incapable of taking action against the president, army commander Lieutenant General Steeves summoned the senior commanders to discuss the possiblity of launching Operation Red Dawn, their plan to overthrow the government and rebuild the country that they had been planning for months.
As dusk came, and the curfew took affect on the fifth day of martial law, military forces across the country launched an all out offensive. The army was small, undertrained, and under-equipped with what equipment they did have being old and worn down, such as their BTR-50 APCs and T-34 tanks.
They had the support however, of the militia and resistance forces in the large poor ghettos scattered across the country, and along with the capital of Baker's Landing, these ghettos were the primary objectives of the initial offensive. Though the police had more modern weapon systems, and greater numbers, the army had surprise on their side and still possessed heavier weapons.
The presidential guard however was a different matter, they were equipped with relatively modern weapons including AK-74 rifles, flak vests, ATGMs, and T-72 Main Battle Tanks. The fighting between army and Guard forces left more than three thousand dead, but the Guard was defeated and President Douglas arrested. He ordered the surrender of remaining National Police forces scattered across the country, who accepted, turning in their weapons and being sent to three main detention facilities.
Once the President officially handed over authority to Lt. Gen Steeves he was executed for crimes against the people, being hung in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace on live television.
Communism
With power in his hands, the army commander officially resigned from the armed forces in order to take the reigns of the new civilian administration. Many of the militia and resistance forces had a wide range of views on how the new government should function, ranging from fascist nationalists to democratic liberals to the communist hardliners like Steeves.
The army was historically communist, being originally forged in ancient times as a community raised militia its first and foremost concern were the people. In the years that Steeves had been in power, he had instilled a deeply rooted belief in communism as the answer to the nation's problems, resulting in the sidelining of the army and the rise of the National Police under President Douglas.
The first act of Steeves as President was to abolish the old system of government and the old constitution, instead drafting a new constitution based on the principles of communism. He declared himself Premier, and formed the People's council, comprised of appointed representatives from the various districts of the country.
On a municipal level the mayors and town councils were replaced by Municipal Garrison Commanders of the newly formed Civil Defence Corps, an extension of the Ministry of Defence whose task was to maintain law and order and assist with civil administration.
The new premier then nationalized all media, and all the major industries, though citizens could still own and run their own shops, restaurants, etc. These non government businesses however were tightly regulated and watched by the new government.
Lastly, in order to ensure there would be no more poverty, the Premier instituted the Basic Living Stipend, and reforms to the social assistance system and education system. Health care became universal, and education, from pre-school to university became free for all citizens.
Opposition to communism
Though some of the new reforms proved to be popular, such as the health care and education systems many of the old resistance groups, former government officials, and concerned citizens decried the dominant role the military played in the government, the lack of democracy, and the lack of a free media and market.
This culiminated in a massive protest involving some eighty thousand individuals representing more than a hundred resistance groups, militia, and citizen coalitions who demanded the establishment of a democracy and the restoration of parliament.
Fearing this threat to the newly minted People's Republic, the Premier ordered several of his soldiers to dawn the uniforms of one of the prominent militia organizations. They slipped into the crowd of protestors and waved their weapons in the air, as many of the militiamen were doing, but then proceeded to fire shots at the army units nearby. They aimed deliberately to hit the armoured vehicles and not any actual soldiers, then promptly fled the scene, as the army units opened fire.
The Premier had the media twist the protest into an attempt at overthrowing the government and destroying the new way of life the people were building for themselves. Using mass amounts of propaganda he portrayed the protestors as violent criminals seeking to enforce anarchy on the people.
Only one hundred thirty seven protestors survived, as they became trapped in the streets they were occupying when thousands of soldiers and most of the army's armoured vehicles cut them off and unloaded artillery, cannon, mortar, machine gun, and rifle fire. It is estimated that upwards of half the army's ammunition stockpile was used up in the massacre.
The remaining one hundred thirty seven protestors were executed for treason, and a nationwide manhunt took place for anyone and everyone who opposed to the new communist way. Thousands were tortured and executed until the country was subdued, and the Premier's rule unchallenged.
Government Structure
Now that all opposition has been dealt with, and the nation is stable, the government structure was finalized and enshrined in the constitution.
The People's Republic is split into two levels, municipal, and federal. The municipal system is directly under the control of the Ministry of Defence, so it is in effect, an extension of the federal government. Each village, town, and city in the nation is ruled by the Municipal Garrison commander who commands the local Civil Defence Corps garrison. He is resposbile for property taxes, roadways, bylaws, etc. Civilian assistants aide with these efforts, and many commanders have a small elected council to aide them and handle many mundane day to day affairs as well as bring the concerns of the citizens to their attention. Though this gives the impression of democracy, all the elected council members are communist loyalists, and the only concerns citizens are willing to bring up are ones that will not offend or appear threatening to the People's Republic.
The federal government is run by the Premier who heads up the People's Council, a 97 member legislative assebly comprised of representatives appointed from each of the 97 districts. They act in the same manner as the civilian councils in the municipalities, bringing local concerns to federal attention, and handling the day to day affairs of the country. The Premier also selects a cabinet of ministers who run the various government ministries.
The government ministries are the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health Care, Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labour.
Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of Defence handles all aspects of national defence and security. It controls the Liberation Forces of the People's Republic of Iragia, the Army of the People's Republic, the Civil Defence Corps, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Coast Guard.
The Liberation Forces of the People's Republic of Iragia is the regular military, it controls the navy, airforce, and army. It is the best equipped of all the security elements, and has been built up considerably since the fall of President Douglas. It is an all volunteer force, made up of communist loyalists, and citizens simply seeking to serve their country.
The navy is a meagre force, comprised only of eight Offshore Patrol Vessels and a pair of frigates. It also retains a number of fast moving torpedo boats that carry a couple of torpedos for engaging enemy vessels en masse. It has one support vessel, a minelayer. It also has a number of tugs and fireboats and other such vessels at its naval base at Baker's Landing.
The air force constitutes 75 Mig-29 fighters, and a battalion of 36 Hind helicopters. These are based at three airbases, one at Baker's Landing, one at Trenton, and one at Mill Towne.
The army is the largest and most powerful force, consisting of sixty thousand troops. These are split into 12 brigades, four heavy armour, eight mechanized. The army's arsenal has been boosted significantly with the creati on of the government run Iragian Defence Systems, or IDS. IDS has retrofitted many of the older vehicles, introduced a large number of new vehicles and weapon systems, and produces a domestic armoured vehicle family, the ILV family.
The army of the People's Republic is a part time component comprised entirely of conscripts. Number one hundred and twenty thousand strong, it is mostly infantry with limited artillery and mechanized support. It only possesses a very small percentage of armoured vehicles. It is poorly trained and equipped and serves simply as an auxillary force to the LFPRI. All citizens must serve in the APR for a period of at least one year, after which they enter service with the Home Guard.
The Home Guard is basically a militia, they meet a few hours once a month for a refresher on drill and weapons use and their sole purpose is to defend the nation against foreign attack. Individuals keep their uniform, web gear, and weapon with them in their homes. The armament varies widely from SKS rifles to M16s. All of the weapons used by the militias were distributed to the Home Guard, so their is no standard organization or equipment. The IDS is working on manufacturing mass numbers of AK-47s to distributed to the Home Guard, but is busy working on new systems and equipping the Civil Defence Corps and the LFPRI.
The Civil Defence Corps is a paramilitary force that handles the duties of the police and municipal governments. The court system is handle by the CDC, which runs courts in a manner similar to a court martial in which all proceedings are presided by three officers, with no juries or anything of that sort. Both sides plead their cases, and the CDC makes a decision.
The CDC is well equipped, with all officers carrying AK-74S weapons, sidearms, and shotguns are distributed as well. Machine guns and armoured cars are routinely used as well, as are snipers, and some heavier weapons such as grenade launchers and RPGs, but most duties are typically handled by trucks (without or without guns mounted) and rifle equipped officers.
Economy
The Iragian economy is rated as developing. The turmoil of decades of conflict have not gone well, and all major industries are nationalized. With that said, all citizens enjoy a minimum standard of living based on the Basic Living Stipend, and there is a strong manufacturing sector courtesy of the IDC.
***More will be added later, well as details in regards to military equipment and organization, and a refined history/government structure.***