Difference between revisions of "Atopiana"

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Atopiana

Anarchist flag, used from 1991 to 2105. Fascist flag, used from 2105 to present.
Flag of Atopiana
Motto: All Are Free (1991-2105); Action! Unity! (2105-current)
No Map Available Yet
Region	Iron Curtain
Capital	Grantham (1991-2100), Kurskograd (2100-current)
Official Language(s)	Russian, Brznovian
Leader	Supreme Peoples' Council - Comrade-Chairperson-Elect (1991-2105); First Atopian - Anja Frank (2105-2162)
Population	1,029,000,000 (1.029 billion) - est. 2105
Currency	Workscrip
NS Sunset XML

The Creation of Atopiana

Brzno in Flames

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989-90, the Socialist Republic of Brzno fell into a prolonged and bloody civil war. Located in the south-western corner of the USSR, it had been occupied by the Germans during WWII, and, earlier, been heavily influenced by the Ukrainian anarchist movement. Together with the Soviet legacy and its own historical religious tensions between Catholics, Jews, Muslims and Orthodox Christians, the stage was set in 1989 for a breakup to rival that of the former Yugoslavia.

The Communist Party of Brzno (CPB) tried in vain to retain its iron grip on the nation, but when the banned National Socialist Brzno People's Party (NSBWP) rose - and with it, a significant chunk of the armed forces, particularly the Catholics from the province of Skgorria - other armed factions rose in opposition. Within a month, Brzno had fractured into its provinces. Skgorria and the NSP were prevented from taking the central Grossetape province by a combined effort by the Brzno Anarchist Federation and the Atopian Worker's Party, a nationalistic left-wing group located in the southern Atopia region. The leftist alliance was rapidly dominated by the highly organised Anarchist Federation, which instituted a program of Makhnovist reform in order to ensure a successful revolution.

Above: A Brzno army artillery unit fighting for the Atopian Anarchist Federation fires Harassment and Interdiction into Skgorrian lines, June 1991

Meanwhile, Grossetape became a battleground. It was fought over by the divided Brzno armed forces and the militias that became rapidly common on all sides. The Grossetapens themselves demanded independence, and fought to achieve this. To the north-west, three smaller provinces united as the 'Federation of Katarznya', and established a centre-right government. The CPB had, by the start of 1990, almost ceased to exist as a viable force, and settled into a pattern of guerilla raids across what had been Brzno.

By late 1993, the fronts had stabilised, and fighting began to die down. However, it wasn't until March 1994 that peace at last came to the region, and the new nations could begin the task of establishing themselves properly.

Atopiana - An Experiment in Anarchism

Atopian Society

Atopians organised themselves along lines of mutual solidarity for over a hundred years following the break-up of Brzno. Throughout the anarchist period, society was organised in mutually-co-operative groups known variously as 'collectives', 'councils' or 'federations'. These encompassed blocks of flats, sports teams, fishermen, and even factories. Money was replaced by workscrip, which was used alongside barter and the use of huge warehouse-depots full of clothes, food, and other essentials.

Complete freedom of speech, thought, and expression was prized above all, leading to a thriving culture. Prisons were closed and police replaced by the concept of social solidarity; which lead directly to a rapid fall in crime - principally because the only crime was 'serious anti-social behaviour' such as murder and rape, both of which were, by 2034, almost non-existant. Indeed, by 2078, one academic survey concluded that those offences carried out in the previous decade had all been the work of genuinely disturbed individuals who would have offended regardless of the society in which they lived.

Inevitably, however, such a social system inspired counter-revolutionary groupings, the most famous of which was the Atopian Union of Fascists (AUF). They met openly, and were for the most part ignored or ridiculed by the majority of Atopians. Indeed, despite the civil war in 2104-05, many consider the existence of such counter-revolutionary societies to have been beneficial to the progress of Atopiana from 1991-2104.

Atopian Politics

From 1991 to 2104, politics was simple - you were an Anarchist. Even those who purported to be otherwise were inevitably coming at various questions from an anarchistic point of view. It was only with the AUF's creation in 2080 that a really serious alternative ideology was espoused by more than twenty or so people at any one time.

The gradual spread of the AUF from 2080 onwards culminated in the Rising of 2104, which in turn led to the Fascist takeover in 2105. Even after this period, however, it took many decades to turn Atopiana into a truly Fascist society which, in Mussolini's words, was "All within the State, nothing outside the State".

By the death of Primo Frank and the installation of Primo Lassaert, however, there was only one option - you were in the Party or you weren't a citizen.

The Atopian Workers' and Peasants' Militia

Established in 1992, the AAF's military wing was at first simply a name for the conglomeration of forces that had been fighting to establish Atopian independence, but by 1994 the AWPM had been organised into a formidable and flexible fighting force. Based around the principle of combined arms operations, it had organised itself into groups known as Columns, each of around 1,000 men and women. At the end of the war, there were some 200 Columns, but this number has since been increased in order to cope with the Skgorrian military build up and the exponential increase in population.

Each Column generally comprises four Infantry Centuries of about 100 infantry with light arms (mortars, heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launchers and RPG-7s for example), two armoured Centuries of some 40 tanks and light armoured vehicles (most often T-64s with BRDMs in support, although some use T-54/55 and others still only have access to technicals or PT-76s), two artillery Centuries with a mix of towed and self-propelled field guns, and two anti-aircraft defence Centuries with a mix of towed and self-propelled AAA. Most Columns use shoulder-fired AA missiles where possible, and some have SAM-2 and SAM-6 units, although the majority utilise the ZSU-23-4.

Above: AWPM unit - still wearing Soviet insignia - on exercise, winter 1996.

In 2000, there were some 600 Columns, with one (Black Guard) deployed to West Corinthia, and four (Mahkno, Ravachol, Free Earth Army and the secretive Special Column) being readied for deployment to the wartorn region of Khurzav for Peacekeeping Operations. These last four were never eventually deployed, while the Black Guard eventually left West Corinthia following a short engagement with Corinthian and Skgorrian forces. The Black Guard evacuated over 700 West Corinthians, who formed the West Corinthian People's Liberation Army.

The remaining Columns were kept within Atopiana as a defence force against any possible incursion by Skgorria, Grossetape or Katarznya. The Grand Line, begun in 1992, continued to be reinforced annually.

The late 20th and early 21st Century Atopian People's Militia used the following infantry weapons:

AKM-74 assault rifles with GP-30 underbarrel grenade launchers; AK-47 assault rifles; PMM Makarov pistols; SV-98 sniper rifles; Dragunov SVD sniper rifles; Pecheneg GPMGs; RPK-74 LMGs; Saiga-12 shotguns; A-5 submachine guns; KPV heavy machine guns; Kornet E shoulder-fired anti-tank rockets; and RPG-7V shoulder-launched anti-tank rockets.

The ground vehicles used by the APWM included:

T-64, T-80 and T-95 MBTs; BMP-3 AIFVs; UAZ-469 light wheeled vehicles; 9k58 Smerch AA systems; ZSU-23-4 and Tunguska-M AA vehicles; and BTR-90 wheeled armoured reconnaisance vehicles/APCs.

Above: An Atopian Hind-D comes in low across the forests of West Corinthia in support of the Black Guard.

In the air, the AWPM equipped itself with late-generation Soviet equipment, purchasing more and more in an attempt to adequately defend the airspace of Atopiana. Hind-Ds, Ka-50 Kamov attack helicopters, Su-25 Frogfoot, and other vehicles including Tupelov Tu-160s were all in operation by 1999. Over the next few decades, many more of these were purchased in order to ensure a large, professional, air force.

Transport and logistical aircraft were also procured in large amounts, particularly Antonovs. Smaller transports were used by elite Columns such as the Ravachol Column and the Special Column for insertion by parachute - and, indeed, three Columns were entirely airmobile by 1997, increasing to five by 2002.

Above: A Special Column trooper performs a HALO jump into 'hostile' territory during Exercise Blue Circle, 1998.

Together with pre-existing weapons and equipment, the AWPM in the early 21st Century were very heavily equipped and well able to aggressively defend the revolution.

The Local Defence Councils

If the AWPM were Atopiana's professional military - and they were - then the LDCs were Atopiana's paramilitary militia. Comprised of volunteers from each village, town, city, factory and even football clubs, their task was to defend their immediate locality. Lightly armed and equipped, they nonetheless posed a serious obstacle to any potential invader. Roughly equivalent to the Home Guard or Volkssturm of the Second World War, the LDCs never saw active service until 2105, during the Atopian Civil War.

Above: A volunteer in the Grantham LDC during firearms training. Note lack of body armour.

The LDC, despite its light equipment, performed a vital role. In freeing up the Columns of the AWPM, they enabled their professional comrades to not only effectively and rapidly respond to any external or internal threat. Further, their existence enabled the AWPM to be deployed abroad several times, particularly in the case of West Corinthia.

Atopiana's Space Force

Launching from the Alto Spaceport, the ASF made its first flight in 2003. Using Soviet-era technology (which would later be improved on by Atopian manufacturing), the first satellite - a geo-stationary telecommunications module. Within the year, there were ten satellites in orbit, and the beginnings of the INTELSAT network were in place. By 2010, INTELSAT comprised 50 satellites - and by 2017, with the launch of the first ASF space shuttle, INTELSAT began giving Atopiana real-time information about any point on the earth.

Above: March 5th, 2017, and the first ASF shuttle is test-flown. Below: Blueprints for the Aero-Buran shuttle.

In 2045, with the space shuttle fleet standing at ten examples, and there being at least five launches a year, the ASF was in a position to begin work on Freedom One (later renamed Fasces One). Freedom One, launched the year that Atopiana's population hit the one billion mark, became one of the largest space stations in orbit within 18 months of building work. By 2048 it had a crew of twelve and was the control hub for INTELSAT. By 2050, it could support twenty people indefinitely, and had its own artificial gravity thanks to centrifugal force.

The Grand Line and the Atopian Air & Nuclear Defence Complex

This border defence, some six miles deep, runs along the length of the border, particularly with Skgorria and Grossetape. Its constructon began during the last weeks of the War of Independence in 1991, and has been continued yearly ever since. From its humble beginnings as a trench system, it now forms a continuous ring around Atopiana. It bristles with automated gun turrets, underground artillery pieces, and barracks.

Many commentators have compared it favourably to the Maginot Line, most memorably as "The Maginot Line on crack". During the Atopian Civil War, over 300,000 Skgorrian soldiers were killed and a further 500,000 wounded during the assault on the Grand Line, which eventually gave way to SS-Zionbane Division.

During the early part of the 21st Century, as Skgorria built up a commanding lead in the strategic arms race with massive air fleets and a nuclear weapons programme, the Atopian Supreme Council decided to channel funding into an extension of the Grand Line's underground bunker complex in order to provide shelter for the majority, if not all, of the population.

By 2076, the Atopian Air and Nuclear Defence Complex (AANDC) was complete. Able to house some 600 million people, it contains exercise chambers, nuclear power stations, water purifiers attached to specially constructed aquifers, hydroponic farms, battery farms for meat, fish and poultry, schools, barracks, housing blocks, and all the comforts of home life.

Further construction was carried out in the late 2090s, as the population grew, and now, in the early years of the 2100s, some 800 million people can remain underground indefinitely in the event of a nuclear assault. Regular drills under the auspices of the AUF mean that only ten minutes are required to fill the AANDC to capacity. Many consider the complex to be worth expanding once more, as the population continues to rise (passing the 1.1 billion mark in 2134).

The Fascist Revolution

The Atopian Union of Fascists

Our fascism is an ideology that celebrates the Atopian nation and the human race as an organic community transcending all other loyalties. The AUF heralds an era of national rebirth after the 114 year period of decline and destruction that existed under the anarchists. To this end, the AUF calls for a "spiritual revolution" against signs of moral decay such as individualism and materialism, and seeks to purge "alien" forces and groups that threaten the organic community.

The AUF celebrates youth, unity, and the regenerative power of action. We promote the doctrine of human superiority, imperialist expansion, and are not afraid to utilise extreme violence. We embrace internationalism based on racial and ideological solidarity across national boundaries. The AUF espouses equality of the sexes, and is led by Madam Frank, the Primo.

Our approach to politics is both populist--in that we seek to activate "the people" as a whole against our enemies--and elitist--in that we treat the people's will as embodied in the supreme leader, the Primo, from whom authority proceeds downward. The AUF organised a cadre-led mass movement in our drive to seize power. We have forcibly subordinated all spheres of society to our vision of organic community, through a totalitarian state. Both as a movement and a regime, we use mass organizations as a system of integration and control, and organized violence to suppress opposition.

We are hostile to Marxism, liberalism, and conservatism. We do not reject the principles of class struggle and workers' internationalism, instead seeing the working class as the upholders of the race's purity. The boss class is the insiduous evil which has backstabbed and oppressed the people for too long! We reject the liberal doctrines of individual autonomy and rights, political pluralism, and representative government as weak and foolish. Our vision of the New Fascist Order unashamedly clashes with the conservative attachment to tradition-based institutions and hierarchies. We look to the future to provide the basis for our doctrine of Action, that is, constant forward motion; and to the past for our doctrine of Unity, that is, solidarity against external enemies.

The Armed Forces

Following the victory of the AUF in the three-year long “War of National Resurrection”, the armed forces of Atopiana underwent significant changes. The Column system became the basis for a new, more classical, organisation. The AWPM was disbanded, and replaced with four organisations under the auspices of Military Command: Atopian Land Forces (ALF), Atopian Space Forces (ASF) Atopian Air Forces (AAF), and the Atopian Logistics Corps (ALC).

Atopian Military Command (AMC) is the Joint Forces Headquarters for the Atopian Land Forces (ALF), Atopian Air Force (AAF), Atopian Naval Service (ANS), Atopian Space Force (ASF) and the Atopian Logistics Corps (ALC). AMC is based underground in central Atopiana with state-of-the-art command, control and communications systems enabling it to communicate with Atopian military units across the world and in space.

Later on, with the annexation of Die Boerstaat as part of the Pact of Iron, and the creation of the naval base and colony of Stakhanograd, the Atopian Naval Service (ANS) was born. A huge series of military purchases was authorised, with the result that the ANS was quickly developed into a large sector of the Military Command.

Conscription was rejected in favour of an all-volunteer force, and within a decade, fully 3.3% of the Atopian population – male and female – was a member of Atopian Military Command (which by now encompassed the Atopian Strategic Rocket and Space Forces).

During the British Londinian War of 2118, Military Command controlled fully 133 million men and women, with a further ten million militia and youth organisation volunteers.

Ten line divisions, then, comprised an Army, with the difference made up of cooks, HQ security, general staff, and permanently attached special forces units. (For more details of equipment, see: Atopian Military Industry and The Atopian Fighting Woman of 2110.)

Regarded as the least exciting, but the most vital, part of the Atopian armed forces, is the Atopian Logistics Corps. This organisation controls all Atopian logistical units – mechanics, refueling bowsers, ‘super-carrier’ aircraft, and so on. Without the ALC, no military operations are possible. It is they who transport and keep supplied the hungry soldiers and equipment of the ALF and AAF. They are the lifeblood of Military Command, and draw many recruits from the fascist youth organisation, Future Strength, and the local volunteers of the Strength in Unity construction and work organisation.

Atopian Land Forces

The ALF remains the largest of the military services, encompassing both the army and the Strategic Rocket Force (ASRF). It totals some 12 million men and women aged between 16 and 50. All of these are front-line combat troops, in theory. Many formations are less experienced, while others are battle-hardened. The brunt of the logistical nightmare represented by the Army Groups and Indpendent Commands is borne by the dedicated Logistics Corps. This frees the 12 million soldiers of the Land Forces for combat tasks, enabling the Atopian military to sieze control of any given situation very rapidly indeed.

On the large scale, ALF are broken down into four Army Groups (A-D) each of 1.5 million troops in three armies of 500,000. These four Groups are earmarked for aggressive and defensive operations both inside and outside the borders of Atopiana. Currently, Army Group A is deployed to Iragia in defence of Atopian trade agreements. Rumour has it that if fighting continues, Army Groups B and C will be mobilised and sent to Iragia, making the Iragian campaign the largest ever undertaken by the Atopian Military.

In addition to the four main Groups, there are the Independent Commands and the troops of Army Group Home. Group Home, or AGH, is tasked solely with the internal defence of Atopiana, and its five Armies are each assigned a geographical sector for deployment, training, and defence. The Independent Commands are those deployed in defence of Atopiana’s Stakhanograd colony in Laquatia, the soldiers of the Grand Line, the occupation force of Die Boerstaat; and the Atopian Strategic Rocket Force.

Taken altogether, the ALF is a formidable force which has a wealth of combat experience to draw on, and the equipment to deal with any potential situation. Following a long procurement process, its tank units are now entirely equipped with the T-80M and T-95; all infantry units are transported in BMP-2 and -3 armoured infantry fighting vehicles; and soldiers are armed and armoured with the latest weapons and body armour. In addition, close air support in the form of attack helicopters is integral to a Division’s make-up, as are artillery and engineers. Airborne units have their own dedicated aircraft and support vehicles, while the ALC works hand-in-hand with ALF to ensure that every Atopian soldier receives enough rations and ammunition to keep fighting.

Army Group A:

First Army (500,000)

1st to 3rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

4th to 6th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

7th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

8th to 10th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Second Army (500,000)

11th to 13th Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

14th to 16th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

17th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

18th to 20th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Third Army (500,000)

21st to 23rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

24th to 26th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

27th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

28th to 30th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Army Group B:

Fourth Army (500,000)

31st to 33rd Divisions (Mechanised) – 150,000

34th to 36th Divisions (Armoured) – 150,000

37th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

38th to 40th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Fifth Army (500,000)

41st to 43rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

44th to 46th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

47th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

48th to 50th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Sixth Army (500,000)

51st to 53rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

54th to 56th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

57th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

58th to 60th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Army Group C:

Seventh Army (500,000)

61st to 63rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

64th to 66th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

67th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

68th to 70th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Eighth Army (500,000)

71st to 73rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

74th to 76th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

77th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

78th to 80th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Ninth Army (500,000)

81st to 83rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

84th to 86th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

87th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

88th to 90th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Army Group D:

Tenth Army (500,000)

91st to 93rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

94th to 96th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

97th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

98th to 100th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Eleventh Army (500,000)

101st to 103rd Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

104th to 106th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

107th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

108th to 110th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Twelfth Army (500,000)

111th to 113th Division (Mechanised) – 150,000

114th to 116th Division (Armoured) – 150,000

117th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

118th to 120th Division (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Army Group Home:

Northern Army (500,000)

First to Fourth Divisions (Mechanised) – 200,000

Fifth to Eighth Divisions (Armoured) – 200,000

Ninth Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

Tenth Division (Air Mobile) – 50,000

Southern Army (500,000)

Eleventh to Fourteenth Divisions (Mechanised) – 200,000

Fifteenth to Eighteenth Divisions (Armoured) – 200,000

Ninteenth Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

Twentieth Division (Air Mobile) – 50,000

Eastern Army (500,000)

Twenty-First to Twenty-Fourth Divisions (Mechanised) – 200,000

Twenty-Fifth to Twenty-Eighth Divisions (Armoured) – 200,000

Twenty-Ninth Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

Thirtieth Division (Air Mobile) – 50,000

Western Army (500,000)

Thirty-First to Thirty-Fourth Divisions (Mechanised) – 200,000

Thirty-Fifth to Thirty-Eighth Divisions (Armoured) – 200,000

Thirty-Ninth Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

Fourtieth Division (Air Mobile) – 50,000

Central Army (500,000)

Forty-First to Forty-Fourth Divisions (Mechanised) – 200,000

Forty-Fifth to Eighth Divisions (Armoured) – 200,000

Forty-Ninth Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

Fiftieth Division (Air Mobile) – 50,000

Independent Commands:

Grand Line (2.5 million)

Stakhanograd Defence Force (100,000)

Lightning Division (Mechanised) – 50,000

Thunder Division (Armoured) – 50,000

Die Boerstaat Occupation Force (500,000)

121st to 123rd Divisions (Mechanised) – 150,000

124th to 126th Divisions (Armoured) – 150,000

127th Division (Special Forces) – 50,000

128th to 130th Divisions (Paratroop and Air Mobile) – 150,000

Strategic Rocket Force (400,000) with static and mobile SS-27 Topol-M ICBMs.

Each Division is, in addition to its primary units, equipped with integral air defence units; engineering and repair units; reconnaissance and artillery units as well as attack helicopters. Taken as a whole, an Atopian Division is a combined arms force par excellence, providing its own air, medical, engineering, and fire support. Mechanised Divisions have integral tank units in support, while Armoured divisions have their own mechanised infantry. Such divisions, acting together as part of an Atopian Corps or Army, are an unstoppable force.

Each Division – Mechanised, Armoured, Special Forces, Paratroop and Air Mobile – is laid out in the same manner as its fellows. As a result, the example divisions shown below could come from any Army Group or Independent Command. The only exceptions within Land Command are the Grand Line units (devoid of vehicles heavier than electric jeeps) and those of the ASRF, which are discussed in detail elsewhere. Note that, when including its organic support elements, each Division is in fact around the size of a much larger three-division Corps element.

1st (Mechanised) Division:

1x Infantry Division (BMP-3)

1x Armoured Brigade (T-95)

1x Artillery Brigade (MSTA-S)

1x Engineering Brigade

1x Attack Helicopter Wing (Kamov/Hind-D)

1x Reconnaissance Brigade (BRDM)

1x Medical Battalion

1x Air Defence Brigade (Tunguska M)

4th (Armoured) Division:

1x Armoured Division (T-95/-80M)

1x Infantry Brigade (BMP-3)

1x Artillery Brigade (MSTA-S)

1x Engineering Brigade

1x Attack Helicopter Wing (Kamov/Hind-D)

1x Reconnaissance Brigade (BRDM)

1x Medical Battalion

1x Air Defence Brigade (Tunguska M)

7th (Special Forces) Division: CLASSIFIED

8th (Paratroop) Division:

1x Infantry Division

1x Armoured Brigade (PT-76, ASU-85)

1x Artillery Brigade (105mm)

1x Engineering Brigade

1x Attack Helicopter Wing (Kamov/Hind-D)

1x Pathfinder (Recon) Brigade

1x Medical Battalion

1x Air Defence Brigade (SAMs, AAA, etc)

9th (Air Mobile) Division:

1x Infantry Division (Mi-8, Hind-D)

1x Engineering Brigade (Hind-D, Mi-8)

3x Attack Helicopter Wings (Kamov)

1x Reconnaissance Helicopter Wing

1x Medical Battalion (Mi-8)

1x Air Defence Brigade (SAMs, AAA, etc)

Note that the extra attack helicopter wings in each Air Mobile Division replace the armour and artillery brigades present in most other divisions. This is to retain the speed and mobility of the Division whilst sacrificing none of the firepower. The 120 or so gunships that can be brought to bear by each Air Mobile Division is usually more than is needed, while air defence is taken care of by air-portable AAA and SAM units transported in Mi-8 utility helicopters. The engineering brigade acts as a shock assault infantry brigade in these divisions, as bridgelaying is unnecessary and repairs are carried out by the crews of the helicopters as well as the dedicated mechanics of the ALC.

In order to foster greater offensive spirit and boost morale, the Atopian Army utilises a regimental structure. Each Regiment is the size of a Brigade, and is thus seamlessly integrated into the larger Divisional structure of the ALF. For example, 1st Division’s three mechanised infantry brigades are the Black Banner Guard Regiment, the Petropavlovsk Regiment and the Phalanx Regiment. Divisional HQ personnel are made up of members of each regiment represented within the division, with overall command being held by the senior officer regardless of his parent regiment.

Strategic and tactical doctrine of the ALF places great stock in the continuous offensive, with mobility and flexibility being the watchwords. There is a famous standing order – first given in 1992 by Comrade-Commander-Elect Alex Chuganov – which has never been rescinded: “When in doubt – advance, advance, advance!” This command epitomises the ALF’s military thinking. Coupled with an often overwhelming advantage in numbers due to the vast size of the Atopian population (at the time of writing it stands at 1.62 billion people), the rapid and punching advance of an Atopian Army is rarely halted.

All ranks are trained to show initiative, and to seize opportunities which present themselves; with the result that an Atopian force will often react faster than its commanders can. Highly developed command, control and communications systems are in place as a matter of necessity, and Divisional HQs will often delegate responsibility to the company level.

Due to the high level of integration and support, each Atopian division – the building block of the ALF – is an organic, self-sustaining, intelligent and flexible war machine. Every piece of equipment is mobile, with artillery and air defence being able to keep up with the advance. Medical units, too, must move rapidly to enable successful casevac during contact with the enemy.

Such a doctrine is difficult to implement at the best of times, and it is only with the co-operation of the ALC that the ALF has been victorious so many times against enemies that were better equipped and – occassionally – more numerous.

The Atopian Strategic Rocket Forces

Further details of this arm of the Atopian military can be found elsewhere. The content of this article revolves around the social, economic and political changes and constants within Atopiana, and as such the Atopian Strategic Rocket Forces are only discussed in relation to the political decisions that led to their creation in 2002, and their expansion between 2002-2150.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Atopiana's Military Victories

Atopian Military Victories are discussed in detail elsewhere. This section exists to chronicle the successful campaigns fought by Atopians throughout history.

The Brzno War - 1990-1996

The British Londinium War - 2117-2118

The War of Morality - 2187

The End of the Dream

In 2105, 114 years after the establishment of the world's first anarchist nation, Atopiana finally succumbed to years of Skgorrian and Grossetapian fascist fifth-columnist activity.

Internal Strife

TEXT

The Perils of Freedom of Speech

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Comrade Anja Frank and the Atopian Union of Fascists

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The AUF Coup d'Etat

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Skgorrian Intervention And The Civil War

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Atopiana Under the AUF

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Atopian Military Industry

1991-2020

For almost thirty years, Atopian military industry was confined to the purchase and production of late-generation Soviet and CIS equipment. By 2010, however, the majority of the AWPM was equipped with the best available weaponry – AKM-74s in vast numbers, for example – and Atopia’s military machine was second only to Skgorria’s. For this reason, most of Atopiana’s defence spending from 2010 onwards went on the Grand Line, and, intermittently, on upgrading Soviet-era technology.

Above: Atopian Workers and People's Militia patrolling the Grand Line, 1998

Indeed, by 2014, all first-line T-95s were equipped with ERA armour blocks, side-skirts, anti-rocket mesh, and bolt-on composite armour plating where possible. The last T-54, a relic of the 1991 Brzno break-up, was decomissioned in 2015, and the last T-72 in 2017. By 2020, then, all tanks were T-80s or T-95s – and all of these had been extensively uprated and, in some cases, so refitted that they could hardly be called T-80s at all. Similarly, armoured personnel carriers such as the BTR were phased out in favour of the BMP-2 and -3 series armoured fighting vehicles, although trucks and lighter armoured vehicles remained in use by LDC and supply units.

From 2003 onwards, the majority of Atopiana’s small arms were manufactured in underground factories, and, by 2013 – only a decade later – most light armoured vehicles and many parts were indigenous builds. In the arena of computer technology, Atopian programmers and hardware manufacturers contributed greatly to the creation not only of the space programme, but to a nationwide military information system known as INTELSYS. This was later linked to INTELSAT, enabling any Atopian unit with INTELSYS capability to get real-time information from any other INTEL-enabled unit, drone, or satellite.

2021-2050

In the middle part of the 21st Century, even Atopiana’s upgraded Soviet technology was beginning to appear distinctly second-rate in the global arena. However, the immediate threat remained from Skgorrian and Grossetapen military units, who were also equipped with late-period Soviet technology. For this reason, the decision was taken to expend the defence budget on the Grand Line, integrated air-defence systems, and the space programme.

During the period 2021-50, vast sums were expended on procuring modern SAM and triple-A capability, as well as old-fashioned AAA systems for LDC useage. By the 2040s, Atopiana’s skies were well watched and patrolled. Few Skgorrian pilots could enter Atopian airspace and remain undetected for longer than three minutes.

The Grand Line, meanwhile, was extended to fully enclose Atopiana. It ran all the way around the country, extending some six miles from the border. Most of this distance was comprised of minefields, anti-tank ditches, and barbed-wire entaglements. The border itself was demarcated by an electric fence some 600,000 miles in length. Underground, the bunker complexes stretched for miles, containing factories, hydroponic farms, nuclear shelters, barracks, exercise rooms, cinemas, and so on. On the surface, most gun turrets had begun to be automated, although artillery pieces were still manned.

2051-2100

During the latter half of the century, as the anarchist majority struggled to contend with the rise of the AUF, military spending was reduced somewhat. However, by this time it was patently clear that not even the most modernised T-95 (now redesignated the T-2K series) could stand up in the global military environment. For almost fifty years, a long programme of replacement was put into place. Local Defence Councils would receive the Militia’s old equipment as the Militia was upgraded.

A series of solid-state electrically fired caseless small-arms was developed, based on the German G-11. This new weapons system – the Infantry Small Arms System (ISAS) – comprised a handgun (ISAS-9); rifle (ISAS-10); squad support weapon (ISAS-10S); and machine gun (ISAS-14). In all cases, the numbering of the weapon referred to its calibre – 9mm for the handgun, for example. Further additions were made, including a 40mm underslung grenade launcher for the rifle, enhanced optical systems, bayonets, and underslung 20mm high-explosive cannon.

To complement ISAS, the Infantry Weapon, Anti-Vehicle (IWAV) was produced. This shoulder-launched 300mm weapon fired an APFSDS round which could penentrate up to a metre of rolled homogenous steel armour plating, or 50cm of composite armour, at a distance of 200m.

In the field of armoured vehicles, further developments were made. The main battle tank was replaced with the All-Purpose Armoured Vehicle (APAV), which carried four soldiers in addition to its crew of two. The APAV was constructed from a lightweight armoured shell, which was in turn reinforced with composite plating. A remotely controlled turret contained a three-shot rocket launcher, a self-loading 130mm cannon, and a co-axial 25mm chaingun. The APAV was produced in both wheeled and tracked versions, and eventually equipped the reformed Atopian Armed Forces in the early half of the 22nd century.

Equally as overhauled were the Atopian air units. Unmanned drone aircraft began to take over from Hinds and Kamovs in the close-support role, while a high-flying long-range fighter-bomber – the Atopian Aerospace Federation 2100-E – complemented a new strike force of cruise missiles. Huge ‘super-carrier’ aircraft replaced the majority of logistical units, enabling the AWPM to airlift whole Columns with ease.

2100-current

Now equipped with the APAV, ISAS, IWAV and other ultra-modern killware, the AWPM had become a force to be reckoned with. However, the onset of the civil war in 2105 meant that the first combat use of their new equipment was, tragically, against their fellows. Where they saw action, however, they were nigh-unstoppable except by similarly well-equipped troops. T-2K armoured vehicles could, with luck, engage APAVs and win, but in most cases the APAV’s superior mobility, targeting, and firepower enabled swift victories for their crews. Equally, ISAS proved to be deadly – their caseless ammunition could penetrate body armour with ease, and, firing ceramic frangible rounds, caused horrific damage to unarmoured personnel.

Indeed, troopers using depleted-uranium rounds in their ISAS-10s and -14s found that they could knock out BMP-3s at close range, and in at least one case immobilised a T2KM. Drone aircraft found themselves engaging Hinds, Kamovs, and other updated late 20th Century vehicles with relativly mixed success. If they could aquire their targets first, the drones usually won – their air-to-air munitions were of a superior quality, and extremely hard to dodge or trick.

Following the AUF’s victory, the clearly outmatched vehicles of the LDCs were relegated to internal security tasks, and production of the latest killware was ramped up. The Grand Line, which had taken a horrendous toll on its Skgorrian attackers (upwards of 300,000 Skgorrians died before SS-Zionbane broke through as the defenders’ morale broke momentarily, and a further 250,000 or more were killed exploiting the gap that Zionbane had made. For the rest of the war Skgorrian units entered and exited Atopiana across the Zionbane Gap – and took casualties doing so), was revamped. Remote-controlled, self-loading, INTEL-linked weapons systems replaced crewed emplacements all along the Line. The underground bunker complex was extended into a nationwide ‘nuclear emergency shelter’, in order to provide living quarters for 800 million Atopians in event of a nuclear attack. In theory, the emergency shelter complex would keep these Atopians safe for as long as power held out – some two thousand years.

The Atopian Fighting Woman of 2110

Body Armour: Composite ‘carapace’ armoured suit with underlying breathable NBC-proofed skinsuit. Capable of stopping ISAS-14 rounds at 200m, and ISAS-9 at 100cm. Contains suit computer systems which monitor lifesigns and other biological activity, and which are programmed to inject a range of chemicals, anti-toxins, and other stimulants in event of injury or other mishap. Specialised dyes and paints enable the wearer to blend in with her thermal environment, rendering her practically invisible to enemy optical systems at distances of over 80m. Camouflage varies according to environment. The dyes and paints that make up the camouflage change colour according to the surrounding light, ensuring that unenhanced visual acquisition is as difficult as possible.

Helmet: Visor contains HUD displaying squad condition, localised INTEL information, ammunition avaliable, mission parameters, and other necessary information. Visor will always provide daylight levels of clarity regardless of environment, e.g. night-time or smoke. The helmet is fully enclosed and comes with rebreather and 48 hours’ oxygen provided by internal oxygen pack located on the rear of the armour. Each helmet contains an integral short-range high-power encrypted radio.

ISAS-9 handgun with six ammunition slabs, each of 25 rounds. Two slabs will contain frangible ceramic shot.

ISAS-10 assault rifle, bullpup. Ten ammo slabs of 50 rounds. Two slabs contain DU penentrators, a further two contain frangible ceramics. The ISAS-10 also comes with look-shoot targeting systems linked to the wearer’s HUD. This system enables the wearer to see what the weapon sees, and can be zoomed in to a maximum of x10 magnification. The rifle has an effective range of 800m but a maximum range of 1,500m.

Firepower Upgrade Package: Either a 40mm underslung grenade launcher firing high-explosive, smoke, or incendiary grenades out to 500m, or the U-20 20mm underslung cannon with a ten round box mag, firing either high-explosive, scattershot, or sabot AP shells out to a maximum effective range of 1km.

Combat Accessories: A ceramic mono-molecular edged sword-bayonet 30cm long; first aid kit; webbing treated with the requisite camouflage dyes; internal water and liquid nutrient dispensers; fragmentation, smoke and incendiary grenades (thrown).

The Atopian Fireteam of 2110

Fireteam Leader: A corporal or lance-corporal armed as above, with long-range high-power encrypted communications package and usually a 40mm UGL.

Trooper: Armed as above. Will normally carry a U20 if the fireteam leader is carrying a UGL.

Trooper, Support: Armed as above, but with the ISAS-10S squad support weapon in place of the ISAS-10.

Trooper, Anti-vehicle: Armed as above, but with the IWAV and six rockets.

Transport: Each fireteam is transported in an APAV. Two fireteams make a squad, four squads a platoon.

Disaster and the Exodus

In 2378, the Earth was a ruined husk, and the Solar System shattered by war and poverty. Fascism, so long the driving force behind the Atopian society, was waning. Into this came the sinister form of a drifting hulk - identified as an Imperial Star Destroyer by Atopian/Skgorrian research teams. This wreck sparked a rush to develop FTL propulsion based on retro-engineering and, further, was the flashpoint for the event which finally discredited the AUF and brought about the re-emergence of Anarchism as the main ideological force for Atopians throughout the Solar System.

The Skgorrian Treason

In 2386, Skgorrian military units annihilated the Atopian Space Fleet and wrecked Atopian military assets based on Mars, Pluto, Io, and the Moon in order to prevent Atopiana from interfering in their construction of several Star Destroyers and a series of colony ships. Constant assaults kept the Atopians from embarking on their own spacefaring program until the last Skgorrian left the Solar System in 2467.

By the early 2470s, a significant majority of Atopians had once more become anarchists, and, following a brief civil war, Atopians returned to their political roots in 2480, exactly four hundred years after the founding of the AUF.

PROGRAM ULTRA

After the refounding of the Central Council and the dissolution of the corrupt fascist state in 2480, Atopian scientists and engineers put their weight behind PROGRAM ULTRA, which centred around plans taken from the wrecked ISD in 2468. These plans were for a vessel known as the 'Imperial Star Destroyer, Ultra-class' which would be 270 km long and alone house a hundred million people, not to mention their escort vessels.

For three hundred years, the Solar System was strip-mined and every last possible thread of raw materials were extracted and used in the construction of the Interstellar Fleet. This consisted of five Ultra-class vessels, six Colony Vessels capable of carrying a billion people each (but which carried far less at the start) and myriad other vehicles, included several 'World Devastator' factory ships which aided in the construction of the Ultra vessels.

In 2793, the assembled fleet left realspace five billion miles from Pluto and entered Hyperspace. Atopiana had left its beginnings far behind, and had struck out for new worlds, where they could live in peace

The Rediscovery

Within fifty years of searching, only three planets had been located by the Atopian Space Force...

The Brzno Accords

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