NationStates Jolt Archive

Every evening at 9:00 PM, the Vetalian government held its weekly half-hour Praetorial Address on V-SPAN, the public access network devoted to national political coverage and other normally dull affairs. However, the broadcast of June 2, 2030 was different. For weeks, even months, rumors had been in the air of a major move in the government's structure; left-wing political figures and activists were increasingly alarmed at the country's nationalist surge and were worried it would soon translate in to political action at the hands of the ruling coalition, the Vetalian National Democratic Front. And they were right.

Like any other official broadcast, the opening titles showed the national seal and played the national anthem as the important figures entered the room, in this case the Grand Chamber of the Vetalian Senate. However, even the anthem had changed, the subtler melody of the past replaced with a more upbeat, even marching version. The chamber's ornate Italianate stylings, dating back to the pre-Revolutionary era, were brightly bedecked with flags and buntings that were emphasized as the anthem played. The camera panned to show a packed house, mostly filled with invited dignitaries from around the country. When the Praetor appeared on the screen several seconds later, he was flanked not just by the Tribunes of the Senate but by the highest ranking officers of the armed forces and police, again a new move that had not been used before. He took the podium, and once the music had died down, began to speak.

"Dear compatriots, fellow citizens of Vetalia, I come to you with wonderful news regarding our rearmament plans. Before I continue, I must thank you, the people, for your support has been unwavering, your confidence unprecedented in the history of this nation. I am proud to say that you have enabled us to return to the path of greatness that our forefathers pursued when they built this great nation in the Revolution.

In order to ensure this end, with the consent of the Senate I have enacted the following program to ensure that our nation will have the strength necessary to lead our people in to the future."

He paused to gather his notes, before continuing the speech.

Effective June 1, 2030, the Defense Integration Act is hereby enacted by the Vetalian Senate and Praetor Ivan Melnikov. The provisions are as follows:

1. All personnel of the Ministry of Internal Security are hereby commissioned in to the Vetalian Army and are no longer subject to civil law. All legal matters will be handled by the Ministry of Defense, and all police personnel will receive retraining and reequipping in order to integrate them as military units. The judicial system will remain independent but will use the modified civil code rather than the current system for trying cases.

2. The Vetalian Armed Forces will be expanded from the current 24 million to 255 million troops. Of this total, 200 million will be commissioned in to the reserves and the total active duty force will be increased to 55 million. This represents a fivefold increase in active duty personnel and a tenfold increase in reservists.

3. The budgets for security spending and defense spending will be combined and the total yearly spending increased from 14 trillion to 25 trillion Solaris, or $50 trillion standard dollars.

4. Procurement spending will be increased from $2 trillion per year to $4 trillion, with emphasis on naval and ground forces procurement. The total number of active duty ships in the Vetalian navy will be increased 10-fold and the number of tanks, self-propelled artillery and other vehicles listed on the addenda to this summary will be increased 5-fold.

"Implementation of these plans will begin immediately, with an estimated time of completion in five years for all basic aspects of the plan. Further information in regard to this program will be made available to all major news agencies and official press releases are available at Vetalian government websites. Specific inquiries can be directed to tomorrow's press conference.

And with this, I bid you all good night and best wishes for the future. Without the people of this great nation, none of this would be possible."
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Ministry of State Press Room

"The Ministry of State is now open to questions regarding the DIA and its implementation. Any discussion regarding potential contracts to military suppliers can also be handled at this time through official inquiries with the Ministry of State."

FROM: DANTAG HEAVY INDUSTRIES CORPORATION
TO:Vetalian Government

DANTAG Corporation,is interested in supplying Vetalia with armament,though the storefront is still under construction you can order what you want and we will give you the prices,we offer you a 20% discount

Link to Storefront:http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=12935567#post12935567

Thank You

Ernest Dantag,CEO DANTAG HEAVY INDUSTRIES CORPORATION

TO: Vetalian Military Acquisitions Co-ordination
FROM: Lyran Governmental Trade Department

RE: Defense Integration Act

The Lyran Protectorate hereby offers its services in re-arming and modernising appropriate elements of the Vetalian Defence Forces. Tanks, Armoured Fighting Vehicles and Mobile anti-aircraft systems are our current forte, and we strongly recommend that you consider our products.

Further, your decision to shift away from such trivial things as civilian oversight is applauded by the Lyran Protectorate, which welcomes the move as a logical and entirely acceptable step forward.

Executive Command has directed that a 10% discount on all Lyran equipment be extended to you, as a direct consequence of your shift in government style.

Stand undaunted.

Lieutenant-General Aleksandr
Director
Lyran Governmental Trade Department
Bredubar
Protectorate of Lyras

"Thank you. Your bids have been noted, and we will continue to keep track of them and compare offers to determine the best source for our military needs."

OOC: You're spending 11% of your GDP on Defense? How are you not north korea? This spending is going to lessen your economy, along with the massive amount of money for training troops, I have a just under 60 million man active military and no reserves but the naval guard and spend just under $42 trillion USD [about P$20-19 Trillion Pandora Gems].

OOC: US defense spending hovered between 8 and 12% of GDP from the early 1950's until the early 1970's and only declined because the economy grew faster than defense spending. In fact, economic growth during that period was some of the best in US history in real terms. Even so, it's not going to be 11% forever, especially as the economy grows and spending remains constant in real terms.

North Korea spends 25-30% of GDP, but with an economic system that is inherently inefficient to boot; the economic system itself weighs on them as heavily as the defense spending itself.

"The equivalent of fifty trillion standards?"

"That's what it looks like, yeah. I'm wondering, is there a single competent economist between the lot of them?"

"Well, we're certainly one to talk..... officially, we spend a hundred and fifteen trillion crowns a year on defence, and I don't even know what that is in standards. Probably something like two hundred trillion."

"We do? Why can't the Council afford to give me a raise, then?"

Laughter. "'Cause all that money is returned to taxpayers, of course. The Defence Council soaks up about ten trillion of that each year, and the rest is written in as private consumption. Frankly, I don't see why anyone else would need more than about ten trillion crowns a year, which is about eighteen trillion standards as I recall."

"Why not?"

"Well, see, the amount of equipment you could afford to maintain with anything more would be so much that you wouldn't have enough people in the nation to work it. In short, the money would go to waste."

"Unless you put it into higher pay for the average soldier, of course."

"Even then.... you'd get to a point where your soldiers were worth more than the APCs they're riding in. Send a thousand million-quid soldiers out, if half of them die, you've just lost half a billion quid."

"True. So should we get Foreign to officially respond?"

"Hell no. Since when is this an important matter? If they want to fuck themselves over, it's their choice—what does it matter what some foreigners do?"

"They are foreigners, after all...."

"And foreigners usually aren't gifted with the kind of intelligence we regularly display."

"Ain't it the truth."

The conversation turned to other matters.

As expected, the economic effects of the buildup did not go unnoticed. Shortages of some key goods began to appear within several months, and the economy became increasingly reliant on the military for its very sustenance. Economic output in the private sector remained anemic as massive new arms plants sprung up to supply the new order. However, despite these problems the leadership simply continued on its course, resulting in continually harsher penalties for defiance of the laws surrounding the DIA, which had expanded to repeal many legislative checks on the Praetor and had made the military the primary deciding force in the country.

On October 17, 2030, the first of the Economic Laws was enacted.

"By order of his excellency, the Praetor of Vetalia, General Order #39 is hereby brought in to effect. All labor strikes are hereby outlawed and the punishment for production sabotage will be extended from two to five years in prison. Persons caught committing sabotage crimes against the state will be arrested and detained, and any acts classified as sedition will be immediately punishable by death including the theft of supplies for resale on the so-called 'black market'.

In addition, to ensure the success of our economic program, the following goods will be rationed for the duration of the DIA buildup beginning next month:

1. Fuel-grade petroleum
2. Plastics and vehicular steel
3. Electronic components
4. Machine tools

Further changes to this list will be imposed as needed and anyone caught stealing or otherwise illegally selling these goods will be imprisoned with hard labor"

The supply of consumer goods became increasingly tied to fluctuations in military spending, a fact which the government exploited ruthlessly to allow it to control popular sentiment. In fact, it would soon start looking abroad to fuel expansion.

Official Communique of the Most Serene and Holy Altaic Empire of Tartarystan

Tartarystan does not forget nations that help it in its time of most need. Tartarystan is willing to use its chemical factories to produce chemical weapons for Vetalia and sell it at hugely discount prices that will neither cause Tartarystan to profit or go into deficit. We have to charge a small amount to cover expenses, but we will charge no more. We are also willing to do the same for missiles, ammunition, and etc.

OOC: In case anyone is wondering, this is a quasi-news/discussion/question thread. I want to keep all this stuff in one place.

Revolution Square, Vetalia City

Drums pounded and brass blared as the Vetalian Armed Forces held their first parade of new military units in the fall of 2030. Expansion moved forward at a blistering pace during the summer and fall, the so-called "lightning program", and now expansion was being cooled to allow the private sector to rebound going in to the economically critical winter season.

Newly formed regiments paraded past, their gleaming weapons and uniforms a contrast to the rather gray look of the rest of the city. Columns of tanks passed in perfect formation as drivers waited in fuel lines and planes passed over in attack formation as passenger flights were reduced to prevent the spread of "anti-Vetalian activities". In the distance, tower cranes sprouted like barren trees, constructing new military plants and supply depots to fuel the continued expansion of the armed forces. Private construction plodded along due to rationing of fuel and construction equipment, and shortages of clothing were worsening as the military focused on diverting its resources to outfitting as many units as possible before the program was "retooled" in the winter.

The cheerfulness of the militarist theme-park culture under construction was a stark contrast to the rest of the city, and to the ugly gray labor camps and prisons sprouting up to hold the ever-increasing list of enemies of the state. Things could not continue like this forever, although the question was just how the country would move forward...

OOC:Vetalia i need help,quickly i will do anything in return,i have Sambre Military Systems and Security (Izistan) mercenaries coming towards my Factories to destroy them,PLEASE I NEED HELP!!!

This is where all is going on:

http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=534635

"Unfortunately, due to internal concerns our country cannot aid yours militarily at this time. However, we do invite you to relocate critical production facilities to our country for protection. Our nation can provide the additional muscle needed to ensure your assets are secure within our borders."

ICCD states once again that it's export goods are not prohibited to sell in Vetelia or the Government of Vetelia.

ICCD also offers our food exports such as bananas, rice, corn and other fresh foods, as required. ICCD also offers our petroleum industries exports such as aviation fuel, gas and diesel. As well we are open to any other contracts which Vetelia may be interested in.

As a state which peacefully coexists on interest of mutual benefit with Vetelia we hope that the wills and capacities of those in Training in Vetelia is grown and fostered, so that they may share their goodness with those around them.

L.O. commentary and paraphrase of message appearing in media and to the diplomatic channels.

"Unfortunately, due to internal concerns our country cannot aid yours militarily at this time. However, we do invite you to relocate critical production facilities to our country for protection. Our nation can provide the additional muscle needed to ensure your assets are secure within our borders."

Ok thank you

OOC: All of these "news" posts are in fluid time.

January 23, 2033. The Vetalian government finally erodes the last protections on the legislative branch and the Praetor assumes total control over the government of the country. With his military staff, he begins to launch an ambitious economic reform plan that will attempt to halt the economic decline that started with his military buildup a year earlier. Industrial laws are relaxed and unions taxed in to irrelevance, producing a major economic turnaround that comes at appalling social cost.

By year's end, the country will officially have 100 million soldiers under arms, although only 36 million are actually prepared for combat while the rest are in various states of training and equipping, a process which will take several more years. Nearly 11% of GDP is spent on the military, an outstanding sum that is only offset by the corporate capitalism that drives growth at any and all costs. In a matter of years, the country has degenerated in to a militarist police state, one that has turned popular patriotism in to a nationalist force not seen in a very long time.

Observation Deck, State Square, Ariga, Totalitarian State of Red Tide

Foreign Minister Vyachselav Gromkyo coughed. Even though the parade was over and the last Hydra Main Battle Tank had passed through State Square about five minutes ago, the air still reeked with diesal fumes.

It was January 15th, the time when Red Tide held its annual military parade, usually involving a entire Army Corp. As per standard all members of the Council of Ministers were watching from the Observation Deck, the only part of the State Dacha that one could actually see from outside the walls.

Gromkyo coughed again, the fumes were REALLY bad. Then he saw, out of the corner of his eye, General-Secretary Basvorich Ivanov Narmonov remove a pipe that looked like it belonged in the 1940s from his coat. He put it in his mouth, lit it, took a long drag, then nodded and turned to move down the pathway that led away from the Observation Deck.

The Council of Ministers followed, Narmonov was unusually quiet as all members walked down the pathway.

Finally, Narmonov spoke, "I heard that the Vetelians have gone Authoritarian, if not completely Totalitarian."

There was a moments pause, then the head of the Intellegince-Commissarat said, "That is true, they have also had a massive military buildup a while back. Quite large for a nation their size."

Narmonov spoke, quite thoughtfully, "We are Russian, they are Russian... perhaps there should be a approch from us? After all, they could prove to be useful."

All eyes turned towards Gromkyo, who inwardly sighed, outwardly, however, he presented that stony appearance that he always did.

"Very well, Comrade General-Secretary." The 'comrade' thing was left over from the days of communism. Old habits die hard and all that.

The message went out late that day.

Official Message from TSRT Government
To Vetelian Government
"We realise there have been some bad blood between us. We think this should end, after all, we fought(or at least, were going to fight) to protect Tartarystan together. Perhaps there can be a better relation between our two nations?"
End Message

Office of the Praetor of Vetalia

We would be honored to bury the differences between our nations. The men who so foolishly attacked your nation have been eliminated or exiled, and our administration is more than ready to renew ties between our states for the strengthening of our collective future.

Regards,
Ivan Ivanovich Melnikov, Praetor of Vetalia