Tolvan
06-03-2009, 06:05
OOC: The following RP is set in 1983, so bear that in mind in regards to technology and populations. The nation of San Marcos is a NPC RPed by me. International responses are welcome, however please limit any military deployments to no more than twelve ships and 6,000 or so troops. This is a NS version of the Falklands War, not some epic world war. The Sandwich Islands are a NS analog for the Falklands, and no they have nothing to do with Hawaii.
Ministry of Defence
Brayton, Tolvanic Home Islands
March 6th, 1983
Major General Lord Peter Lynch (The Sixth Earl of Trenton) was in a most unpleasant mood as he arrived in his office. As the current Budget Director for the Royal Army, there was very little to be happy about these days. Everyone had expected cuts to the military budget when the Liberal-Progressive Coalition had won 41% of the seats in the House of Commons in the 1982 elections. However, no one had expected that the Conservative-Crown Loyalist Coalition would only take 47% of the vote and thus be unable to form a majority government for the 43rd consecutive year. Faced with the prospect of forming a minority government they had been forced to join with the Libertarian Party, who controlled some 42 seats or just over 4% of seats in the Commons, to form a Government. Despite the slight libertarian bent that most Tolvans held, the Libertarian Party had never been major player in the Commonwealth’s political scene, usually being relegated to serving as “swing votes” whenever it suited them.
Unfortunately, the Libertarian Party head, David Santos, had exacted a high price for his support and as a result the military had seen its budget cut by nearly 5%. Given the Commonwealth’s long history as a maritime nation, the Royal Navy (and the Royal Marines) had avoided most of the cuts, which fell mostly on the Royal Army with a vengeance. Since Parliament had no desire to cut funding for the lucrative procurement budgets, most of the cuts came as a result of decreased manpower and lower training budgets. Already the 19th Infantry Division (Light) had disbanded and there was talks of scrapping the 6th Armoured Calvary Regiment. Of course, the politicians had not seen fit to reduce the military’s commitments and as a result the military was spread uncomfortably thin. Tolvanic troops were tied down on colonial deployments throughout the world, peacekeeping in Africa, chasing pirates in the Pacific, and putting down Communist rebels in the Islas de Bahia.
All of this explained why Lynch was signing off on a little noticed order to withdraw the 41st Infantry Regiment (Independent) from the Sandwich Islands. The Sandwich Islands, so named because a clumsy young ensign aboard the Tolvanic ship that first lay claim to the island dropped a corned beef sandwich on the ship’s chart and obscured the previously unnamed islands from view, were a small but important part of the Commonwealth’s colonial empire. Consisting of two large islands, Keys Island and Brooker Island, and some 823 smaller islands it was home to nearly 45,000 people, most of whom were natural born Crown Commonwealth citizens. The island was an important shipping hub for the South Atlantic and was located near fertile fishing grounds and several large petroleum deposits.
Had Lynch known the consequences of the seemingly minor action he was about to take, he would have likely thrown the memo in his shredder and never looked back.
Ministry of Defence
Brayton, Tolvanic Home Islands
March 6th, 1983
Major General Lord Peter Lynch (The Sixth Earl of Trenton) was in a most unpleasant mood as he arrived in his office. As the current Budget Director for the Royal Army, there was very little to be happy about these days. Everyone had expected cuts to the military budget when the Liberal-Progressive Coalition had won 41% of the seats in the House of Commons in the 1982 elections. However, no one had expected that the Conservative-Crown Loyalist Coalition would only take 47% of the vote and thus be unable to form a majority government for the 43rd consecutive year. Faced with the prospect of forming a minority government they had been forced to join with the Libertarian Party, who controlled some 42 seats or just over 4% of seats in the Commons, to form a Government. Despite the slight libertarian bent that most Tolvans held, the Libertarian Party had never been major player in the Commonwealth’s political scene, usually being relegated to serving as “swing votes” whenever it suited them.
Unfortunately, the Libertarian Party head, David Santos, had exacted a high price for his support and as a result the military had seen its budget cut by nearly 5%. Given the Commonwealth’s long history as a maritime nation, the Royal Navy (and the Royal Marines) had avoided most of the cuts, which fell mostly on the Royal Army with a vengeance. Since Parliament had no desire to cut funding for the lucrative procurement budgets, most of the cuts came as a result of decreased manpower and lower training budgets. Already the 19th Infantry Division (Light) had disbanded and there was talks of scrapping the 6th Armoured Calvary Regiment. Of course, the politicians had not seen fit to reduce the military’s commitments and as a result the military was spread uncomfortably thin. Tolvanic troops were tied down on colonial deployments throughout the world, peacekeeping in Africa, chasing pirates in the Pacific, and putting down Communist rebels in the Islas de Bahia.
All of this explained why Lynch was signing off on a little noticed order to withdraw the 41st Infantry Regiment (Independent) from the Sandwich Islands. The Sandwich Islands, so named because a clumsy young ensign aboard the Tolvanic ship that first lay claim to the island dropped a corned beef sandwich on the ship’s chart and obscured the previously unnamed islands from view, were a small but important part of the Commonwealth’s colonial empire. Consisting of two large islands, Keys Island and Brooker Island, and some 823 smaller islands it was home to nearly 45,000 people, most of whom were natural born Crown Commonwealth citizens. The island was an important shipping hub for the South Atlantic and was located near fertile fishing grounds and several large petroleum deposits.
Had Lynch known the consequences of the seemingly minor action he was about to take, he would have likely thrown the memo in his shredder and never looked back.