History of Verde

For an understanding of any culture it is necessary to have some degree of knowledge of its history. This is especially true of the European nation of Greater DCU where a turbulent past brought about revolution and the construction of the socialist state.

In The Beginning

The history of the Verde region of Europe is a violent and often bitter tale. The first recorded settlers in the region date back to 4000 BC when a number of primitive Neolithic tribes moved westwards across the European continent and through Rokolev. We know little of these first peoples and all that remains of their settlements are some ancient burial mounds and early hill forts. However they appear to be primarily farmers, a marked change from the nomadic hunters who had previously roamed the empty plains. These scattered settlements were generally remote and isolated from each other, one reason perhaps that, despite lasting over two millennia, no permanent culture or civilisation was established.

Foreign Interference

In 900 BC a new wave of settlers arrived and began displacing the scarcely inhabited native villages. The Celts had travelled across much of Europe, and their influence can been seen across the region, before arriving at the lush river valleys and broad plains of Verde. In fact it was the Celts who first named the region after the fertile soil. Many among the tribes settled on these peaceful lands. The advanced iron users easily surpassed and conquered the original settlers and began to lay down the roots of a thriving civilisation and culture.

However Celtic civilization was highly decentralised with each settlement having its own minor king. Despite the presence of a High King at Tara, currently called Verde City, wars between the various chiefdoms were common. It was this internal strife that lead to the first “foreign” intervention in Verde. In 1424 AD the first Alamein ships appeared in the Bay of Cheddar. At the same time a minor courtier in the family of O’Connell was exiled to the remote north for the murder of his brother. Meeting the leader of the Alamein expedition, Eoin O’Connell convinced the leading nobles to back his return to glory. Supported by the superior trained and armed foreign men at arms, O’Connell overthrew the minor King of Dun Milsea. The move would lead to the establishment of a small Alamein kingdom of Smithfield in the east of the region while Cidonian, États Confédéres d'Europe and Pallux settlers would later arrive and displace many of the, now native, Celts. After centuries of intermittent warfare the borders had stabilized and the Verdean nationsates were born.

The Age of Nationstates

By the mid 1700’s the Verdean peninsula was occupied by five distinct nations. As the foreign races settled down in their new lands they established courts and then governments to administer the lands. As ties with their home nations weakened, military alliances sprung up between the new states. These ever changing and fluid pacts almost invariably led to war at least once a decade as the states struggled for supremacy. To the north the remaining Celtic chieftains, who had long since banded together, formed the Gaelic Free State. To their east, along the great river of Verde, lay the Cidonian state of Borogravia while in the SW the Pallux Church had established a diocese in the mountains of Ambrosia. Along the east coast the Alamein city of Smithfield was the centre of a small kingdom while along the Sea of Verde the Free Cities established by ECE traders held sway. The byzantine nature of Verdean politics ensured that barely a year would go by without some minor crisis between two nations – a crisis that would usually grow and later plunge the region into yet another pointless war. The only consensus among the states was their fear that foreign interference could tip the balance of power against them. To that point the Council of Five was established as each nation pledged not to involve outside parties in local politics.

The Glorious Revolution of February 22nd

On the 17th of May 1891 an historic deal was signed between the petty states of Verde. Despite every setback imaginable, the diplomats at the Council of Five had finally negotiated what appeared to be a final peace for the region. Simply called the Peace Accords it was a pledge from the national governments not to engage in conflict to resolve their issues. To a populace raised on periodic wars it was a massive step in the direction of peace. To the governments however it was a chance to furiously rearm and prepare for the next war. Almost miraculously the Accords held for close to two decades before war broke out again. In that time the governments had restocked on new weapons and were each prepared to unleash hell on each other. On the 2nd of November 1918 Bishop Karl Alkanet was assassinated on the steps of Santiago Cathedral. Within two weeks each of the states had mobilised and committed themselves to war. The Great War had begun.

Over the next 7 years the armies of Verde fought themselves to a standstill. Each offensive was thrown back, each defence tested as the citizens of Verde began to understand the horrors of industrialised warfare. Millions died in the trenches as the cities were emptied of their young men. Food began to run scarce as the armies devoured all in their path. While the soldiers were forced to run blindly into machinegun fire, the cities slowly starved.

All this came to a head on February 22nd 1925 when a group of deserting soldiers led by Alexandre Vinokourov seized control of Veers City’s government buildings and declared a new republic, one headed by the Communist Party of Verde. As the call went out throughout the city, the factories emptied of their workers and rallied around the Red Banner. When the battleship the Golden Heron was ordered to fire into the city to disperse the revolutionaries the crew mutinied and killed their officers. Similar uprisings took place through the region as the Verdean socialist groups, after years of infighting, forgot their differences and set about bringing and end to the war. In some cities the revolts were wildly successful – a royal regiment would never again set foot in Veers City – while in others the authorities cracked down viciously, the massacre of St Jose’s being particularly brutal. In the various army headquarters general staffers suddenly realised that a second (or in most cases third or fourth) front had opened behind them. On the front lines officers were suddenly confronted by mutinying soldiers as entire divisions heeded to call to “end the imperialist wars and join in the Revolution to free the Workers”. The Vinokourv proclamation of independence from the shackles of capitalism prompted a huge wave of support for the movement as even hardened troops refused to fire on singing masses of women workers who had flowed out from the factories. Over the next six months the Red Army swelled from isolated groups of socialist thinkers to an army numbering millions. With many of its members deserters from the national armies, resistance to the Revolution was weakening even as the movement itself grew in strength. It was an unstoppable rise and one by one the petty nationstates fell. On December 25th 1925 the last national stronghold was taken. As the leaders of the old regime were either executed or fleeing the country, the Provisional Worker’s Government under Alexandre Vinokourov declared the creation of the Greater Democratic Communist Union.

A Place for everyone. And Everyone in their Place

In the immediate aftermath of the Revolution the Provisional Government took measures to secure its power. This period in Verdean history between the end of the capitalist and beginning of the socialist stages is known as the Reconstruction. Vinokourov had a vision of a united nation under the ideology of Progressive Communism so it was no surprise that both nationalist and capitalist movements were mercilessly crushed. Any other challenge to the authority of the Party was dealt with similarly. Efforts were being however to ensure that there was a peaceful transition to a democratic government within the Party structure. On the 1st March 1927 elections were held for the first Assembly of the Union. Alexandre Vinokourov, the hero of the Revolution, was elected the first General Secretary of the Communist Party and given the formal authority to rebuild the shattered region. Immediately closing the borders to the outside world, the new nation embarked on the grand communist experiment, almost totally changing the face of Verde. It wasn’t until early 2003 that the borders were opened and a new nation returned to its place in Europe.

European History

Almost immediately after opening its borders Greater DCU, now led by General Secretary Eamonn McDaragh, joined the ComIntern, known at the time as the United Federation of European States(UFES). As one of the more moderate members of that alliance, GDCU played a vital role in bringing about a thawing in the Cold War with the rival EDF. When major members Cidonia and Myrth quit the alliance, Greater DCU stepped in and assumed control. Despite being greatly weakened the ComIntern did not implode like the EDF. Instead the alliance continued in a slightly dimished role for a number of months. Unfortunately inactivity on the behalf of newer members and an influx of fascists into the region meant that six months after the end of the Cold War the ComIntern was a pale shadow of its former self. The borders of GDCU once again closed.

In September 2004 the borders were once again opened as Greater DCU continued in its quest for European Socialism. This time however there was no grand socialist alliance to join and the Union was isolated in a region of capitalists and fascists. In particular the latest capitalist alliance, the Free Market States, proved an immediate source of hostilities. After a series of crises in Europaland and the Sea of Revolution, tensions finally boiled over as a fascist alliance attempted to prevent Union intervention in the neighbouring Peoples Republic of Vocur. Known as the Great Southern War, this conflict pitted Greater DCU against a variety of foes including, the terrorist VNLF, Nuttylnd, Daracnia, Qantrix, Kheion, Gunnlandia and Azores. After a series of devastating Red Army campaigns in both Vocur and Daracnia and a prolonged series of peace negotiations in Gaasbeek, peace has been secured. However the price paid by the people of Greater DCU has prompted the Politburo to close the borders and retreat to isolation.