Difference between revisions of "Gyre"

Revision as of 21:27, 19 June 2007

Gyre

Flag of Gyre
Motto: Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
No Map Available
Region	Western Atlantic
Capital	Karzhannan
Official Language(s)	Skarharnë
Leader	Garüneta Astrid Beck
Population	3.67 billion
Currency	mark
NS Sunset XML

The Dual Commonwealth of Gyre comprises a large island or small continent in the Western Atlantic, as well as associated offshore islands and a handful of territorial dependencies. It is viewed variously as a constitutional monarchy without a monarch or a republic with an entrenched aristocracy.

Gyre is a first-world industrial economy notable for the strong economic presence of the aristocracy as directors of private corporations, and the state's reliance upon similar (national) corporations for much of it's finance.

History

Prehistory: to 750

The origins of the indigenous Gyric (Skarharnic) population are unknown, as they do not resemble any ethnic groups in Vasconia or Europe. Theories range from pre-Indo-European or archaic Vasconian Indian settlers to Atlantean colonists, the Lost Tribes of Israel, or an autochthonic branch of H. sapiens. What is known is that agriculture dates to approximately 750 BC; and that by around 1 AD they had developed bronze-working, megalithic architecture, and stone ring-forts, indicating a high level of indigenous technological development (although contact during the early Nordic Bronze Age cannot be ruled out).

The Age of Kings: 750 to 1550

The prehistoric age came to an end with the arrival of Irish missionaries during the Eighth century AD. Although the native chieftains proved hostile to Christianity, the missionaries' example prompted the adoption of writing and the beginning of written history. More immediately useful to the Gyric population were Viking traders, who began arriving fifty years later, and brought with them European agricultural species such as sheep, goats, cattle, horses and crops such as oats, barley, rye and wheat, as well as technological innovations including iron and steel production and ship-building.

By 900 AD the Skarharnic population had fully adopted all the introductions of the Norse traders, and by 1000 AD the island had been unified under the Adravön or High King. The end of the Viking Age saw the decline of North Atlantic shipping and the relative isolation of Gyre from European contact; it was occasionally visited by Norwegian or Danish traders venturing west from Iceland, who reported the island as a flourishing pagan kingdom inhabited by fierce warriors; of special note to the Europeans were a minority Christian population, which never amounted to much due to hostility from the indigenous religion and the distance from Rome.

Local literature from the time records the building of castles throughout the land as a kind of local feudalism developed; the development of a written system replacing the oral epics of the past; and, interestingly, some trade with Vasconian Indian populations further west.

The Age of Colonialism: 1550 to 1840 AD

The relative isolation of Gyre came to an end in 1550 with the first European explorers landing upon its shores (although Basque fishermen had been in contact with their Skarharnic counterparts for at least fifty years before that). By 1600 English and French explorers and colonists were stopping at Karzhannan Port on the way to Vasconia. This led to a surge in trade and an upswing in (Protestant) Christianity; the former was controlled by the High King's officers, and the latter suppressed by him with reactionary fervor. In 1650 the Enröchanë (Margraves, approximately equivalent to European Dukes), hungry for a slice of the trade revenues, marched on the royal capital at Karzhannan, executing the King and declaring the formation of the Kurjant Enröchanë (Margraves' Council) with an elected Garünet Kurjantev (First Councillor) as chairman and nominal head of state.

Under the Kurjant Enröchanë trade with Europe and Vasconia increased, Christianity expanded as a minority religion, particularly among the commons, and Gyric trading posts expanded alongside European colonies in Vasconia. The colonial ambitions of the Kurjantë were doomed to failure; although the Enröchanë now had modern ships and cannon, the European powers remained at the forefront of technological development, and were less politically fragmented; since the Enröchanë now had individual standing armies, debates in the Kurjant often dissolved into brawls, and were solved outside the council halls by armed skirmishes. Still, despite the inefficient political structure, the individual Enröchanë flourished, and Gyre made it into the industrial age unconquered by European powers; the Skarharnë retained their medieval reputation as fierce warriors.

The Age of Industrialism: 1840 to 1925

Industrial development in the early 19th century took place under the aegis of the Enröchanë, who developed at this time their hold on the Gyric economy; but this, alongside news of popular revolutions in Europe, created a disenfranchised and growing middle class, as well as an expanding working class. In 1839 famine sent many farmers into the cities, and this, combined with the already present disenfranchised classes, gave spark to an abortive Republic in 1840. The Republic spread throughout Gyre until 1850, and lasted in Karzhannan until 1852, when the armies of the Enröchanë pushed the revolutionaries back to the capital and crushed them after months of siege and heavy street fighting. In the wake of the revolution the Kurjant Vecherë (Commons' Council) was established, and the franchise extended to all male citizens over 20 years of age; the election of the Garünet Kurjantev was extended to the commons. The aristocracy, however, were given a weighted vote depending upon a formula incorporating their rank and the population of their lands, which meant that a united aristocracy could effectively impose it's will over the Kurjant Vecherë and a united commons could impose theirs upon the Kurjant Enröchanë; in theory, of course, neither was united, and both commons and aristocrats courted alliances among the other Council to further their aims.

The military was nationalized, although armies still retained the names of the marches from which they had come - a practice which continues to this day, despite the essential cessation of links between the marches and individual armies. The navy was entirely nationalized.

The Age of Dictatorship: 1925 to 1966

The early 20th century was marked by rapid modernization, the rise of the proletariat, and finally economic downturn following World War I. While Gyric participation in that conflict was minimal, the demise of ready markets for Gyric goods and spread European economic troubles to Gyre. This, alongside the Russian Revolution and socialist uprisings across Europe, led in 1925 to political unrest and in 1925 to a short-lived Second Republic being declared in Karzhannan.

Concurrent with the rise of socialism had been the rise of nationalism; and a vote of no confidence in the Garünet Kurjantev following the capitulation of the revolutionaries resulted in the establishment of a far-right nationalist government in 1926 under Garünet Ivar Valdünsev. In accordance with his romantic reinterpretation of history, Valdünsev reestablished the monarchy with himself as Adravön. Socialists and anarchists were brutally suppressed and many corporations (most of them belonging to bourgeoisie captains of industry rather than the Enröchanë) were nationalized. Military production was increased, and when World War II broke out Valdünsev entered on the side of the Axis.

The fall of Germany led Valdünsev to withdraw from the war and sue for peace; faced by the prospect of a land war on Gyre against the powerful Gyric army led the Allied powers to settle into an uneasy peace. During the early Cold War the aging Valdünsev, erratically controlled by a series of ministers, proved an unpredictable and unliked ally in the the struggle against Communism. His death in 1965 was heralded by a growing movement of social liberation, echoing the hippie movement overseas, and his son lasted only a few months before the Enröchanë, eager to avert a third Revolution, deposed him and abolished the monarchy for a second time. The powers of the Garünet Kurjantev were much reduced, and the First Councillor became once again a figurehead for the political struggles in the Councils rather than a head of state in his own right.

Gyre's first nuclear test in 1948 was followed by the rapid development of nuclear reactors a pebble-bed type, and led to the firm establishment of a nuclear navy (and, in Valdünsev's later years, follies such as a nuclear-powered tank, bomber, and cruise missile). Plans to put a man in space were shelved upon Valdünsev's death.

The Age of Modernity: 1966 to present

While the Enröchanë remained strongly opposed to Communism, Valdünsev's death signaled a growing social liberalism under which small businesses were promoted by a series of forward-thinking Garünetë hewing to the center-right, developing the economy throughout the remainder of the 20th century; interspersed by Christian and pagan socialists of the center-left, who developed social programs largely through the aegis of the Churches. Military spending remained high in the shadow of the Cold War, and the center-right did not cut spending drastically following the decline of Communism in the 1990s; while the Garünetë after Valdünsev have pledged "no first use" of nuclear weaponry, they remain committed to the nuclear navy and retaliatory strike capabilities, paying little more than lip-service to non-proliferation.

The goal of an indigenous space program, associated as it was with the ill-fated Adravön, languished for several decades, but Gyre finally managed to put a man in orbit in 1992, and bring one back in 1994; further development in aerospace industry past this milestone has been largely unmanned or focused on suborbital flight.

The "Communications Revolution" hit Gyre with full force, with those Enröchanë who did not invest in computer technology often finding themselves losing wealth to their peers and to innovative bourgeoisie corporations; the nation today has what some critics have called a "cult of technology", accused of obsession with consumer electronics, robotics, and military hardware. The reciprocating forces of consumer demand and corporate promotion continue to escalate Gyre's technological development, and only time can tell what the future will bring.

Politics

Political System

Under the Third Charter of 1966, Gyre is established as the "Dual Commonwealth", with universal suffrage, a Garünet elected by commons and aristocracy alike, and a bicameral system of Kurjant Enröchanë and Kurjant Vecherë; the former composed of the aristocracy, and the latter of the commons. The aristocracy are forbidden to vote in the elections of the Kurjant Vecherë, but in the election of the Garünet and in referenda they enjoy votes weighted by rank and holdings to bring the aristocracy [i]as a whole[/i] to nearly the same number of votes as the much larger common electorate. In practice neither of the Kurjantë have ever acted in unity, and party lines cross the bounds of the Councils to act in both fora. Laws proposed by the Kurjant Vecherë must pass the inspection of the Kurjant Enröchanë and vice versa, further establishing the balance of powers.

Elections in the Kurjant Vecherë are proportional, with seats in the 199-member Council apportioned according to party votes by the Commons; the Vecherë then elect one of their number as Üdra Kurjantev (Low Councillor), who functions primarily as a chairman.

Elections take place every five years, and the Garünet can be dismissed by a vote of no confidence of two-thirds of the electorate; the Üdra Kurjantev can likewise be dismissed by a vote of no confidence of two-thirds of the Commons. Members of the Kurjant Enröchanë cannot divide their votes between parties or candidates; all their votes must be given to one party or candidate.

Political Parties

Liberal Party

The oldest and currently the largest of Gyre's political parties, the Liberal Party was established shortly after the First Republic, representing the middle-class captains of industry and the Enröchanë. While strongly anti-socialist throughout the 19th and early 20th century, the Liberal Party has been drifting towards the center since the 1950s. It is pro-globalization and pro-capitalist but supports government funding for tertiary education and small businesses.

Christian Democratic Party

Gyre's second-largest party, the Christian Democrats formed from centrist elements of the Socialist Party and the Gyric Protestant Party in the 1920s, shortly before the Second Republic. It supports a partial welfare system organized through the Church, an increase in foreign aid, and is pro-life.

Csiëjanë Democratic Party

Largely mirroring the Christian Democrats (it formed shortly after them and in reaction to them) and tied at second place, the Csiëjanë Democrats represent Gyre's pagans. Their policies are generally congruent with those of the Christian Democrats, and the two parties tend to vote together except on the death penalty, which the Csiëjanë are opposed to, and abortion, which is a freedom of conscience issue among the Csiëjanë.

National Action Party

Formed in 1967 after the death of Ivar Valdünsev, the right-wing National Action Party originally incorporated the more centrist elements of Valdünsev's National Conservative Party. In the past decade or so it has been shedding it's history with the National Conservative Party and moving towards the center; it remains, however, strongly anti-socialist, pro-corporate, pro-military and pro-aristocracy.

Independent Democratic Party

Like the Christian and Csiëjanë Democrats, the Independents favor a partial welfare system, an increase in foreign aid, and the gradual reduction of Enröchanë power by adjusting the formula used to calculate aristocracy votes. Their main point of divergence with the other Democrats is their insistence that welfare programs should be run by the state and not by the churches. They swing between support of the Socialists and the Democrats.

Green Party

The Greens, an outgrowth of the defunct Peace and Love Party of the early 1970s, remain tainted by accusations of being a single-issue party; they strongly support renewable energy, the expansion of National Parks at the expense of Enröchanë Reserves, and conservation efforts. Outside of this focus they tend to vote with the Democrats or Socialists, supporting an increase in foreign aid, welfare, healthcare and social equality, as well as the gradual reduction of Enröchanë corporate and political power - and, of course, an increase in income taxation to fund all this.

Socialist Party

Reformed in 1966 following the death of Valdünsev, the Socialists strongly support the welfare state, renewable energy, fair trade and the gradual disestablishment of Enröchanë political power. They have little support among the Kurjant Enröchanë.

Republican Party

Reformed, like the socialists, following the death of Valdünsev, the Republicans advocate the elimination of the Kurjant Enröchanë and the establishment of a President over a unicameral National Council. In economic issues they are center-right, and vote with the Liberals where the Enröchanë corporations are not concerned. Obviously, they have no support among the Enröchanë.

Communist Party

Responsible for the declaration of the Second Republic in 1925, the Communists felt the force of Valdünsev's suppression and are still only gradually recovering, due primarily to the shift towards the center of the Liberals and Democrats. They support the nationalization of all industry, the abolition of private property and the aristocracy, and the establishment of a welfare state. They have minimal support even among the Vecherë, and are renowned as back-bench hecklers and filibusters.

Monarchist Party

The final remnants of Valdünsev's National Conservatives, the Monarchists support the abolition of the Kurjant Vecherë and the reestablishment of the monarchy. They are nationalist, pro-corporate, and pro-aristocracy, but do not enjoy support in either Council except among fringe members of the Enröchanë.

Others

There are many other parties, many of them single-issue platforms, which have not garnered the votes required for a seat in the Vecherë or persuaded an aristocrat to support them in the Enröchanë.

Geography

At 1,094,061 square kilometers in area, Gyre is a large nation (a little under twice the area of France), most of which is composed of the large subcontinental island of Gyre in the North Atlantic, east of Vasconia and south of Greenland. Despite its northerly latitude it is warmed by the Gulf Stream and possesses a cold but temperate climate, save in the far north where approximately one sixth of the nation is covered in taiga. The landscape ranges from littoral plains and deeply indented bays and river valleys in the west to mountains in the east and north. The north country is intersected by extensive fjords. Snow cover ranges from several months in the south to nearly half the year in the north and the mountainous regions.

Crops grown include wheat, barley, oats, rye, and potatoes, as well as commercial timber plantations, and sheep, cattle, and dairy cows are farmed, along with goats in the mountains.

Natural hazards include avalanches, blizzards, and occasional flooding. Environmental issues include acid rain, air pollution from vehicles and industry (particularly in the south-west, which is heavily urbanized) and agricultural runoff. Commonwealth Atomics Ltd. has stated that the risk of nuclear disaster is minimal.

Natural resources include iron, coal, copper, gold, uranium, fish, timber, and zinc.