Difference between revisions of "Saxmere"

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('''Officials and Other Leading Figures''')
('''Officials and Other Leading Figures''')
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*Chairman of Saxmereans for Christian Social Concern: Marty Trundlemann
 
*Chairman of Saxmereans for Christian Social Concern: Marty Trundlemann
 
*President of the Saxmerean Confederation of Trade Unions: Colin Hannigan
 
*President of the Saxmerean Confederation of Trade Unions: Colin Hannigan
*Paul Maradan, businessman, St. Xavier Parish lay leader and leader of the anti-secession movement.
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*Paul Mardan, businessman, St. Xavier Parish lay leader and leader of the anti-secession movement.
  
 
[[Category:Soveriegn States]] [[Category:Excalbia]]
 
[[Category:Soveriegn States]] [[Category:Excalbia]]

Revision as of 15:35, 5 November 2005

Saxmere
Nation: Soveriegn States
Capital: Umbra
Leader: Governor Sean Peller

Geography and Early History

The Excalbian Isles rise from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Northern Atlantic, southwest of Iceland and southeast of Greenland. The rugged Eastern coast of the main island was first settled by Celts in the 6th century. Celtic tribes flourished and expanded all along the Eastern and Southern coasts. Later waves of settlers, primarily Norsemen, moved inland, eventually forming the Highland kingdoms, of which Citadel Excalbia eventually became the largest and most powerful.

In the 12th century, Irish monks established the Monastery of Saint Columba in the village of Umbra and introduced Christianity to the Excalbian Isles. The Lowland Celts in the East embraced the new religion, which gained few converts in the South or among the Highlanders.

After King Alsgood, the Great became the first king of the Upper Lands of Excalbia at the end of the 16th century, the Kingdom of Excalbia became preeminent among the Highlanders. Excalbia even brought the Highland kingdoms of Alud and Trondgard, the easternmost of the Highland kingdoms, into its orbit as tributaries. This brought the eastern Lowlanders into direct conflict with Excalbia. Open war erupted between the two sides in the mid-17th century.

Founding of the Grand Duchy of Saxmere

Before the years of conflict, the Catholic Eastern Lowlanders lived a pastoral life with no central government. Their villages centered around the Church and were ruled by town councils or occasionally by local barons. The war, however, led to a desire for a strong leader. In 1652, after months of negotiation, the Bishop of Umbra crowned John Patrick Kennan, Baron Cambera, Duke of the newly proclaimed Grand Duchy of Saxmere.

Grand Duke John I managed to hold off the attacks of King Sweyn II of Excalbia, who then made peace with Saxmere in 1653. The peace held for 20 years until Lowlanders in the territory of Trondgard attack the King’s tax collectors in 1673 reigniting the war. A rebellion against Queen Hildegaard of Excalbia in 1674 gave Saxmere the opportunity to again make peace with the Highland Kingdom.

Peace continued until the mid-18th century. When war resumed, Saxmere suffered a crushing defeat, making the Grand Duchy a tributary of Excalbia. In the early 19th century when a Protestant Christian confederation of Lowland tribes made war against King Ragarth, Saxmere rebelled and joined the confederation. The last Grand Duke, Patrick II, opposed the rebellion and was driven from Saxmere.

When Ragarth’s son, Joshua, made peace and proclaimed the Holy Empire of Excalbia in 1809, Saxmere became an autonomous, though not fully independent republic.

Founding of the Confederation of Sovereign States

In 1817, a mixed group of American settlers and Lowlanders began demanding a republican government. In order to avoid violence, the Emperor extended a land grant to the republicans east of the Borodea Mountains and a patent to establish an autonomous republican government. The republicans accepted the grant and establish New Virginia. By 1828, a second settlement, known as Southland and dominated by extremely devout Christians, had been established. Another settlement, known as Deandra, had been founded by a group of Freedmen on an island south of Excalbia. In 1829, Saxmere declared full independence and joined its former foes – Trondgard and Alud – in the new Confederation of Soveriegn States, along with New Virginia, Southland and Deandra.

Modern History

While the nations of Excalbia avoided World War I, they did suffer under the Great Depression. The Dominion proclaimed neutrality in World War II, but both the Holy Empire and the C.S.S. backed the Allies and sent small forces to join the fight in Europe.

The Confederation of Sovereign States is prosperous and well-developed country, with a large population and a booming economy. The C.S.S., however, maintains only a small military, with the bulk of its troops serving in the militias of the various states.

The President of the Confederation is Thomas Caine of the Liberty Party. Caine recently won a hotly contested election, unseating former President Ilmar Alderson. Alderson was running as a write-in candidate after earlier unexpectedly losing the Liberty Party nomination to Caine.

Confederation Alliance with Knootoss and Rising Opposition to the Invisible Hand

President Caine's first act after inauguration was to travel to the Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss to sign the Knootian International Stabilisation Treaty (KIST). This has caused the Holy Empire of Excalbia to nullify the Treaty of Jefferson, a long-standing mutual defence pact between the Empire and the Confederation. Many organizations and international observers believe that the Confederation's sudden alignment with Knootoss is due to the influence of the Order of the Invisible Hand. It has long been rumoured that the Order's influence was growing among the Confederation's business leaders.

Saxmere, which remains a devoutly Catholic state, has become, along with devoutly Protestant Southland, home to the strongest opponents to the Confederation’s new alliance and new policies. Saxmere’s Catholic leaders have also been very vocal in attacking the rise of the Order of the Invisible Hand among ruling elites in the Confederation. Other vocal critics of the Caine administration and the Order include Ryan Edelmann, the former Presidential Chief of Staff under President Alderson, the Government of Excalbia and James Kennan, the exiled Baron of Cambera and the heir to the title of Grand Duke.

Recently, with public sentiment against the Order and President Caine rising, the state parliament passed a provisional declaration of independence. The declaration of independence is conditional on the current state government reaching an agreement with the would-be Grand Duke on a new constitution and on a peaceful seperation from the Confederation.

You can find more information on the current political situation here: NS forums

Officials and Other Leading Figures

  • Governor of Saxmere: Sean Peller
  • Lt. Governor: Douglas Aldaris
  • Commandant of the State Police: Commander Michael "Mike" Mackeown
  • Catholic Archbishop of Cambera: Archbishop Gregory Thrain
  • Catholic Bishop of Umbra: Bishop Patrick Kiernan
  • Baron of Cambera, heir to the throne of the Grand Duke (in exile): James David Patrick Kennan
  • Jacqueline Sanders, member of Parliament and leading advocate for independence
  • Chairman of Saxmereans for Christian Social Concern: Marty Trundlemann
  • President of the Saxmerean Confederation of Trade Unions: Colin Hannigan
  • Paul Mardan, businessman, St. Xavier Parish lay leader and leader of the anti-secession movement.