Resine
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| Flag of Resine | |
| Motto: Le Roi et Ses Droits | |
| Region | England |
|---|---|
| Capital | Champ-lis |
| Official Language(s) | English, French, Spanish |
| Leader | His Majesty King Gregory, Duke of Leisine |
| Population | 2.498 billion |
| Currency | Pound |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Overview
The Kingdom of Resine arrived in NationStates in December of 2003 and shortly there after joined the region of England. On January, 23 2004, Resine was appointed Minister of Information by England's delegate His Majesty.
As minister of information, Resine compiled a detailed list of the fifty most populated regions in mid February. In late February, Resine championed the creation of orders of knighthood in NationStates England. With the approval of England's delegate and cabinet, eight Orders of England were awarded and one Order of Britain was awarded to England's founder Tyrr. Resine was one of those nations honoured with an Order of England for the many hours of hard work he spent compiling the list of most populated regions.
During the first Invasion of Northern Ireland, Resine worked non-stop to secure forces to free Northern Ireland from its oppressors. Shortly after Northern Ireland's liberation, Resine established the English Security Intelligence Service and assumed the role of Director of Intelligence, a post which he still holds today.
Upon the request of His Majesty, Resine departed for Australia to establish diplomatic relations with that region. To honour Resine's successful venture, Resine was appointed English ambassador to Australia, a post which he holds through his puppet nation Leisine.
In early June, Resine resigned his duties in England because of real-life issues. A month later, he was able to resume his duties as minister, ambassador, and intelligence director. Resine succeeded Britains Empire, England's chief forum administrator, as forum administrator in mid September 2004. Respected for his unwaivering decication to England, Resine now stands as one of the most respected and admired nations in England.
History
Phoenicians Roots
Resine has a long and proud history stemming form one of the earliest civilisations the world has ever seen. The land that currently makes up the nation of Resine was first settled by the Phoenicians in the early fifth century BC.[[1]] Their settlement marked the first time any European set foot on North America. Over the next couple of years, this settlement in the “new world” began to grow and expand, but that could not last forever. Eventually the Phoenician settlers were cut off from the rest of the world when the great Phoenician empire and its capital Carthage was completely destroyed and subjugated by the budding Roman Republic.
The once thriving settlement gradually began to die out, but the inhabitants managed to survive thanks to their interbreeding with the local native population. Over time, their language and customs became very distinct from their native Phoenician. Though, even today some Semitic characteristics can still be found in their language. Gradually, after centuries of isolation, the descendants of the original settlers began to identify themselves more and more with the native Americans around them. But, they still retained a sense of superiority, which was greatly influenced by their mythology and religious beliefs. However, these beliefs would soon bring them trouble.
The Etnin Kingdom
With few archaeological records from this time, we can only speculate as to what happened. But, it is known that several battles broke out between the Etnin, the name taken by the Phoenician descendants, and the native tribes. These many battles have been grouped together by modern historians and named the Doldrian Wars. Doldri was the ancient Etnin word for foreigner. Although both sides enjoyed periods of success, none lasted more than one hundred years. One very notable leader of the Etnin was Khate who in early fifteenth century was proclaimed the first king. Little is known about his early years, but everyone agrees that he was a tactical genius.
The first records that mention Khate tell us that he began fighting in the Doldrians Wars at a young age, probably in his teens. He became know as a strong and brave fighter when the Etnin were suffering heavy loses against an alliance of native tribes. When the fighting ceased, he used his reputation to gain the support of the people; and by the time the next round of battles began, he was the undisputed leader of the Etnin. He instituted a new system of warfare against his enemies. He used a mix of guerrilla tactics and open combat to prevent the enemy form ever resting or lowering their guard. Eventually, his tactics paid off, and he was able to destroy all the native forces bring about fifty years of peace. Five years after his last battle, he was proclaimed king of the Etnin. He proved just as capable a peacetime leader as a wartime leader, and is remembered as one of the greatest leaders and heros of Resine.
After King Khate’s death, his son Khole inherited the crown, but he did not share his father’s interests in government and war. Under his reign, Khate’s defeated enemies began planning their revenge. Luckily, neither Khole nor his heir ruled long enough to cause major problems. Khate’s leadership had brought the longest lasting time of peace ever, but it proved weak in the hands of an inept ruler. Khole’s grandson Telki proved to be even worse than his father and grandfather combined. He indulged in extravagance and relished brutality. It was under his reign that his great grandfather’s peace was destroyed. Telki’s brutality cause great resentment in the Etnin kingdom. Soon the populace rose up against him, and a bloody civil war ensued. Just as the Etnin kingdom was at its weakest point, the neighbouring native tribes attacked with great numbers. Unfortunately, the Etnin population did not put aside their differences, and as a result, were easily defeated.
After their defeat in 1501, the Etnin people signed away as much of their land and property along with their freedom. By now, the Etnin society was dying out with little hope of salvation. But two years later, their salvation came in the form of the Spanish. The Etnins saw the Spanish as their last hope to regain their land, and so they began helping the new Spanish explores. The Spanish, desperate for allies in this new land, were happy to accept any help never planning to return the favour. When war broke out between the Spanish settlers and native tribes, the Etnins sided with the Spanish hoping to regain their old lands. They were mistaken. After their victory, the Spaniards tightened their control over all the lands including Etnin lands. It would only be a matter of time before the Etnin populace would rise up against their Spanish oppressors.
Spanish records describe the scene best. “They rose up against us. The people who had once called themselves our friends have turned on us and are now butchering us in the streets. We can only hope that the other Indians don’t join them,” wrote the newly appointed Spanish governor. Unfortunately, for the few Spanish left alive, the other native tribes joined the Etnins. It wasn’t until reinforcements from neighbouring Spanish colonies came that the Spanish were finally able to put down the insurrection. Retribution came swiftly and hard. The Spanish indiscriminately executed hundreds of natives and Etnins. By the time their rampage ended, the Etnins and the other natives were so afraid of the Spanish that rebellion was never talked about again.
The Colony of Résine
The failed rebellion against the Spanish conquerors marked the beginning of a new era in Resine’s history. The Spanish combined the lands of the Etnins and several other native tribes into one colony. This new colony was named Resina, the Spanish word for resin, after the colony’s principle resource, which was shipped back to Spain to be used as varnish. The fort of San Carlos was built to protect their new colony. Spain ruled Resina like it ruled all its others – with complete control.
In 1566, French Admiral Jean Ribault captured Fort San Carlos with an army of five hundred in retaliation for the Spanish massacre of French sailors in Florida. The French kept the same names, but translated them into French as Résine and St-Charles. The local populace soon came to like the French because of their more relaxed laws. Under French rule, Résine’s population developed their own identity – not Etnin, Spanish, nor French, but a mixture of three – Résinois.
Résine remained a French colony for the next two hundred until France and Great Britain when to war in 1756. Résine was unaffected during the war, but at the peace negotiations in Paris, France ceded Résine to Great Britain. Résine was relatively ignored by the British, but the British did establish Port Resine, which soon developed into a prospering port city. Twenty-seven years later, Résine was returned to France by the Paris Peace Treaty between Great Britain, France, and the new United States. Résine’s nationalistic feelings became uncontrollable during the French Revolution. Spurred on by the America’s success against Great Britain, and the execution of the French king Louis XVI, the Colony of Résine declared itself independent from the Republic of France in 1804. The war for independence that ensued was not very bloody. France could not spare many troops because of its campaigns in Europe. The local French garrison and those from neighbouring colonies did put up stiff resistance, but within a year, independence was assured. However, the killing was not over yet.
A week after the final surrender of all French forces in Resine, a local militia returning from a night of drinking attacked the French garrison as the men were preparing to depart that following week. What followed was the biggest massacre in Resine’s history. The mob broke into each barrack killing the French soldiers as they slept. Those Frenchman that were not killed in bed managed to form ranks and fired into the militiamen killing several men before being overrun. The fighting didn’t end until all the French were brutally beaten and killed. The few French soldiers that managed to escape before being killed spread the news of the massacre. The news soon reached all the neighbouring colonies and Franch mainland. The final count was 394 soldiers and 74 officers dead, most of them still in their beds.
Enraged by the slaughter of French lives, Napoleon vowed to destroy Resine. However, fate had dealt Napoleon a defeat that would save Resine. In October 1805, the British fleet under the command of Admiral Nelson destroyed the combined fleets of France and Spain assuring Britain’s dominance of the seas. Napoleon’s fleet went up in smoke along with any hopes of shipping troops to the Americas to punish Resine. With that, the last threat to Resine’s independence was eliminated, and Resine entered the world as a sovereign nation.
The Kingdom of Resine: Today and Tomorrow
The newly independent nation was now faced with the creation of a government and replacing all the civil services France used to provide. Resine looked to Britain for inspiration, and became a constitutional monarchy. A parliament was created and a new king was elected.
The greatest test that Resine faced as a nation was the Economic Crisis of 1878. Corporate leaders seeking greater profit cut wages and laid off massive numbers of employees causing the unemployment rate to climb to 14%. The massive numbers of unemployed were force out of their homes and left to starve on the streets, which within days lead to civil unrest throughout the country. The military was needed to quell the rioting and looting. As a result of this crisis, the government of Resine set strict regulations on industries and established many government-funded social services. These regulations, however, have been gradually loosened as time goes by.
Resine remains a relatively small nation in both population and land area. The Resinois economy is largely based on tourism and the manufacture of small electrical appliances. Its small population enjoys many modern comforts and many government-provided social services more commonly found in Europe than in the Americas. Its largest city, Champlis, is also the nation’s capital, which is home to a quarter of the total population.
From its humble origins as a small Phoenician settlement at the edge of the world, to the thriving modern nation it is now, the people of Resine have shown that they can endure even the greatest adversity. It still proudly holds on to its ancient heritage and language while embracing the changes of the modern world. The Kingdom of Resine will endure as it has endured all the challenges that the future may bring.
