Ossinia

Democratic Federation of Ossinia
Flag
Ossinia off the coast of Alenchon, Zamastan
Capital	Périnnois
Recognised national languages	Ossinian-french
Government
• President	Ilberto Baurant
• Secretary of State	Blaise Chappelle
Population
• 2020 estimate	7,233,000
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy

The Democratic Federation of Ossinia, most commonly known as Ossinia, is an island nation in the Coalition of Crown Albatross located in the Toyana Ocean off the coast of the Province of Alenchon, Zamastan. It is one of the oldest civilizations on Iearth, being continuously habited and largely isolated from the world due to its geographical location since the fifth century B.C.E.. It is largely known for its tropical landscape and beauty, as well as a rich culture.

Once a colony of Skith, it achieved independence in 1903. In 1983, a radical socialist uprising led by Jacob Plantier overthrew the government and installed a dictatorship. The last regime, under the control of Martin Saint-Yves from 1999-2020, has been accused of human rights violations such as frequent executions of citizens and political prisoners, torture, and massive censorship. The regime coordinated state-sponsored piracy to detain international shipping vessels and hold them for ransom. In May 2020, Zamastanian forces invaded Ossinia after months of escalating tensions, overthrowing and capturing Saint-Yves' regime in less than 72 hours. Zamastanian forces occupied the country until July 31st, shifting the control over to an interim government under President Nolan Riveau. Riveau transitioned the government into a more open and participatory system, and in 2023 Ilberto Baurant was elected.

History

Pre-colonial history

Ossinia was first populated by peoples from South-western Euronia. The earliest potential human presence comes from proxy evidence of lake cores, beginning ~3600 BC. Less ephemeral, permanent villages began around ~AD 300. The population peaked between AD 750-1250, with major changes in population afterwards, potentially the result of regional droughts and a Quetanan explorer's discovery, although the latter rests on highly circumstantial evidence.

Skith colony (1649–1903)

In 1649 a Skith expedition of 203 men originating from the colony in San Beausoleil, Rio Palito, led by Jacques Parquet founded a permanent settlement on Ossinia. The Skithans signed a peace treaty with the Ossirian Chief Oairouane, but within months conflict broke out between the two communities. This lasted until 1654 when the island was completely subjugated by the Skithans. The indigenous peoples who survived either left for neighbouring islands or retreated to remoter parts of Ossinia, where they ultimately disappeared during the 1700s. Warfare continued during the 1600s between the Skithans on Ossinia and the native population of the other islands in the region.

The Skithans named their new colony La Ossinian, and the economy was initially based on sugar cane and indigo, worked by slaves. The Ossinians established a capital known as Fort Royal (later St. Georgeo's). To shelter from hurricanes the Skith navy would often take refuge in Périnnois' natural harbour, as no nearby Skithan islands had a natural harbour to compare with that of Fort Royal. A renegade army of Zamastanian rebels captured Ossinia during the Revolution of 1804, but were ultimately kicked off the island due to their small numbers being overwhelmed.

The island of Ossinia and port Périnnois in 1786.

Post-independence

Erico Gaierry, second President of Ossinia

In 1903, Ossinia was granted independence as the Skith Empire began to retract from economic decline. Theohilus D. Barryshoe founded the Ossinia Government Association (OGA) in 1917 to agitate for a new and participative constitutional dispensation for the Ossinian people. Partly as a result of Barryshoe's lobbying, Ossinians were granted the right to elect five of the 15 members of the Legislative Council. Barryshow was elected President of Ossinia in 1918. He remained in office until his death in 1952 at the age of 87.

Ossinia's maritime claims saw several battles during the World War, including the decisive Battle of the Strait of Cranes.

In 1951, Erico Gaierry founded the Ossinia United Labour Party (OULP), initially as a trade union, which led the 1951 general strike for better working conditions. This sparked great unrest—so many buildings were set ablaze that the disturbances became known as the "red sky" days—and the authorities decided to call in military reinforcements to help regain control of the situation. On 10 October 1952, Ossinia held its first general elections on the basis of universal adult suffrage, with Gaierry's party winning six of the eight seats contested. Gaierry was became President in the 1952 election. He remained in office until 1966 when Émile Laframboise was elected President. He lost the 1972 election to Alexis Chappelle, who then lost to Jean-Noël Anouilh in 1980.

Civil conflict gradually broke out between Jean-Noël Anouilh's government and some opposition parties, including the Marxist New Ossinia Movement (NOM) led by Jacob Plantier. Jean-Noël Anouilh and the GULP won the 1980 general election, albeit with an reduced majority; however the opposition deemed the results invalid due to fraud and the violent intimidation performed by the so-called 'Poison Gang', a private militia loyal to Anouilh.

On 1st March 1983, whilst Anouilh was out of the country, the NJM launched a coup which removed Anouilh, suspended the constitution, and established a People's Revolutionary Government (PRG), headed by Plantier who declared himself President. His Marxist–Leninist government established close ties with Yuan, Beleroskov, Tasiastan, West Chanchajilla and other communist and socialist countries. All political parties except for the New Ossinia Movement were banned and no elections were ever held. Jean-Noël Anouilh was granted exile in Zamastan, with President Cassious Castovia cutting off all ties with Plantier's regime.

Saint-Yves regime

Plantier died in 1999, with Martin Saint-Yves taking his place. Saint-Yves has been called a dictator by the Zamastanian Intelligence Service, as well as several dozen countries in the C.C.A.. Saint-Yves' regime had been accused of human rights violations such as frequent executions of citizens and political prisoners, torture, and massive censorship. Saint-Yves had long been a critic of international shipping in the Ossinia Sea because despite Ossinia's right under the Coalition of Crown Albatross sanctioned "International Shipping Rights Charter" to set prices for ships traveling through its waters, the Sea is shared regional territory of Ossinia and Zamastan.

In 2012, Saint-Yves demanded the detaining of any shipping vessel that entered the sea through routes that intersected Ossinian waters. While several ships were detained, many were detained in international waters, in some cases causing injuries when Ossinian forces boarded vessels, leading to widespread condemnation. In 2016, a Zamastanian cargo ship was boarded in international waters and was taken back to Périnnois, and a crew member died. President Zacharias Castovia declared Ossinian capture and detaining of ships as piracy, and international shipping began avoiding Ossinia as governments began sanctioning the island nation. This series of events crippled Ossinia's economy.

According to the Z.I.S., Saint-Yves began hiring mercenaries to train citizens (voluntarily in most cases, but in some cases forcibly) to board and hijack ships in 2014. Saint-Yves reportedly wanted to use state-sponsored piracy to capture ships and then demand ransoms for the vessel and crews to stimulate the crushed economy, effectively turning Ossinia into a haven for modern piracy. In the aftermath of the MV Gideoni Daen hijacking on March 6th, 2019 which left eleven sailors from Austrolis dead, President Anya Bishop called for full sanctions and a pause on international aid to Ossinia, to which 46 nations agreed.

The ZMS Maple Wind is swarmed by ORNF speed boats on May 15th, 2020

On April 18th, 2020, an Avergnon vessel was hijacked by state-sponsored pirates. The ship was sailed to Ossinia and the hostage sailors were exchanged for Z$60 million. On May 8th, 2020, an Ossinian missile struck a Janapan oil rig, killing 5 workers. Two days later, an Austrolisian shipping vessel was boarded and detained by Ossinian naval vessels, resulting in the death of a sailor. On May 15th, only five days later, dozens of ORNF speed boats harrased the ZMS Maple Wind in Zamastanian territorial waters in a move called "dangerous and provocative" and "increased the risk of miscalculation and collision" by the Zamastanian Naval Forces.

A missile attack occured the next day on the ZMS August Vendetta, killing seven sailors and increasing hostilities even further. The missile is believed to have been intentionally fired from an Ossinian warship, the RNV Gabeaurd, operating in solo manuevers about five miles south of the fleet. While originally thought to be an accidental launch, the Defense Department and the Zamastanian Naval Command said that projections and radio chatter retrieved during and after the incident indicate that the ship intentionally fired the missile, marking the first time an Ossinian military asset attacked a Zamastanian military target. The attack occured in Zamastanian waters, making the attack a move against Zamastanian territory. Admiral Garrett Bittern, a spokesperson for the Navy, said that the Zamastanian Intelligence Service and the Navy were working congruently to determine who in the Ossinian chain of command ordered the attack.

The ZMS August Vendetta was towed back to Anchorhead, Alenchon, where fuel from the ship's damaged section continued to burn for the next two days, making recovery of the killed sailors and any recoverable use from the ship difficult. The seven sailors were buried on May 20th, with President Sakzi saying, "these men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and for our freedom. They will always be heroes. They are with God and in our hearts."

Zamastanian invasion

A Zamastanian container ship, the MV Galen Schulz, was struck by a missile the day following, suffering fatal breaches in the ship's hull that caused it to eventually sink. A Ruskaynian ship, the MV Skipjack, was also detained. President Foley Sakzi called Congressional Hall to an emergency session to convene on how to respond to Ossinia's attacks on May 16th, while Secretary-General of the C.C.A., Katherine von Wettin, removed Ossinia's seat in the General Assembly.

In response to both Zamastan's debate and the C.C.A. resolution, Saint-Yves publically blasted the two powers and took personal responsibility for the attacks, declaring that "Zamastan will burn before we are done." Saint-Yves promised "more righteous strikes" on Zamastanian war vessels if they kept "operating in the Ossinia Sea." He also promised more detainings and possible attacks on international vessels, saying "the corporate alliances and alligient governments to Zamastan are not safe if they continue to sail here." On May 21st, a Barangadeshi vessel, the MV Felishan Star, was hit with a missile. The next day, an Avergnonian and a Costa Sarba vessel were detained.

On May 23rd, Sakzi was granted expanded military powers to act against Ossinia. That same day, the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry issued a joint advisory to the international community and the Coalition of Crown Albatross warning to avoid any navigation, international shipping, and aircraft or personal travel around Ossinian territorial waters, the Strait of Cranes, and the South Anchorhead Islands in Alenchon, Zamastan. Speculation quickly spread that President Sakzi was going to order strikes on Ossinia, as activity at both the Zian Presidential Mansion and the Congressional Hall Capitol Building heightened with military personel around 9:30 PM, an unusual time for the executive and legislative function Zamastanian government buildings to be in any sessions. In Drambenburg the sudden announcement prompted the government, which had historically let private companies invest and trade with the Ossinian government, to move towards high military alerts. Ruskayn put their airforce on high alert, with President Callum MacTavish calling President Sakzi to offer military support.

Invasion begins

Wingtip vortices are visible trailing from an Z-10 Harrier as it disengages from midair refueling with a ZC-10 during Operation Black Blizzard

The three beachheads used by Zamastanian forces during the invasion on the morning of May 24th

Shortly after midnight at 00:13 AM on May 24th, a surprise military invasion by the Zamastanian Armed Forces against Ossinia began. Neither President Sakzi or Congressional Hall issued a declaration of war, justified by Ossinia's previous attacks on Zamastanian vessels in Zamastanian waters, constituting an act of war. The invasion was led by Zamastanian Army General Avery Reynolds, under the code-name "Operation Black Blizzard".

The invasion was preceded by an intensive series of airstrikes involving eight squadrons of a total of forty two Z-10 Harrier fighter-bombers against military installations on the islands of Stéphane, Augustin, Chevalier, and Girardot. The main island of Augustin was hardest hit, with government and military sites the capital of Périnnois, including the headquarters of the Ossinia Revolutionary Armed Forces, the National Capitol Building, and the Presidential Palace. In addition to the building and facilities sites, the bulk of Ossinia's navy was destroyed or damaged in the initial bombardment, with both of Ossinia's destroyers provided by Drambenburg's Lakhid Myrtan being sunk in their respective ports. It's estimated that at least 400 Ossinians, including soldiers, sailors, officers, and maintenance workers were killed. In the space of three hours, 56 military sites were destroyed, effectively depriving the Ossinian military of any early warning of the coming invasion.

46,000 Zamastanian soldiers participated in landings at three beachheads on the main island of Augustin, codenamed Tyren (on the west coast), Fulcrum (north of Périnnois), and Pelican (south of Périnnois). The first wave of troops landed at 5:32 AM to very little resistance, seizing the beachheads and starting to progress inland to create sectors for troops and supplies to land on the island. General Avery Reynolds described the three objectives of the invasion to reporters following the seizure of the beachfronts;

"We have three objectives in this operation. First, ending the regime of Martin Saint-Yves. Second, to identify, isolate, and eliminate Ossinia's military installations, no matter how big or small. Third, to end sanctions and to immediately deliver humanitarian support to the displaced and to many needy Ossinian citizens."

By 2:00 in the afternoon, Zamastanian forces that had landed on the eastern length of the island reached the outskirts of Périnnois, where resistance started to intensify. Saint-Yves had fled the city towards the interior of the island of Augustin, seemingly unaware that Zamastanian forces had landed at both coasts. Completely surrounded without realizing it, Saint-Yves retreated to a mountain-side compound built by Beleroskov in the 1980s.

Battle for Périnnois

Zamastanian marines play soccer with Ossinian kids after the capture of Périnnois. This image, taken by Tofino Times photographer Darren Billebrand, would go on to win a Hapson Journalism Prize for Photography.

Just over a day into the invasion, the Zamastanian Army's 3rd Infantry Division, with the 2nd Marine Division also present, moved into Périnnois. Units of the Ossinian Special Revolutionary Guard led the defence of the city. The rest of the defenders were a mixture of Revolutionary Guard units, regular army units, paramilitary units, and non-Ossinian volunteers, largely made up of mercenaries. Initial plans were for Coalition units to surround the city and gradually move in, forcing Ossinian armor and ground units to cluster into a central pocket in the city, and then attack with air and artillery forces.

This plan soon became unnecessary, as an initial engagement of armored units south of the city saw most of the Revolutionary Guard's assets destroyed and routes in the southern outskirts of the city occupied. On May 25th, a Special Forces Division executed a raid, later called the "Thunder Drop", to test remaining Ossinian defenses, with 29 tanks and 14 armored fighting vehicles advancing to the Périnnois airport. They met significant resistance, but were successful in reaching the airport, and eventually secured it after heavy fighting.

The next day, another brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division attacked into downtown Périnnois and occupied one of the palaces of Saint-Yves in fierce fighting. Marines also faced heavy shelling from Ossinian artillery as they attempted to cross a creek bridge, but the creek crossing was successful. The Ossinians managed to inflict some casualties on the invading forces near the airport from defensive positions but suffered severe casualties from air bombardment. Within hours of the palace seizure and with television coverage of this spreading through Ossinia, Zamastanian forces ordered Ossinian forces within Périnnois to surrender, or the city would face a full-scale assault. Ossinian government officials had either disappeared or had conceded defeat, and on May 27th, Périnnois was formally occupied by Coalition forces. Much of Périnnois remained unsecured however, and fighting continued within the city and its outskirts well into the period of occupation. Zamastanian forces supported by mortars, artillery, and aircraft continued to attack Ossinian forces still loyal to Saint-Yves and non-Ossinian volunteers. Zamastanian aircraft flying in support were met with Ossinian anti-aircraft fire. On 29th of May, by late afternoon, all fighting had ceased. A total of 41 Zamastanian soldiers and 2,980 Ossinian fighters were killed.

Capture of Saint-Yves

On May 27th, three days into the invasion, Operation Parakeet Race was launched after gaining actionable intelligence identifying two likely locations of Martin Saint-Yves' whereabouts code-named Badger 1 and Badger 2, near the town of Cienfuega. The Forces involved in the operation consisted of approximately 600 soldiers including cavalry, artillery, aviation, engineer and special operations forces.

The forces cleared the two objectives but initially did not find the target. Then, as the operators were finishing and the helicopters called in to extract them, one assaulter kicked a piece of fabricated dry wall, exposing a vaulted room; he prepared to throw a fragmentation grenade into it – in case it led to an insurgent tunnel system, when suddenly Saint-Yves appeared. The operator struck him with the stock of his rifle and disarmed him of a pistol.

Saint-Yves surrendered and offered no real resistance; he was exfiltrated by a Navy helicopter to the main Périnnois Mission Support Site (the government center of the city) where he was properly identified. After proper identification, he was then taken by another Navy helicopter from PMSS and into custody at Périnnois International Airport. Along with a pistol, an assault rifle and Z$2,750,000 in Zamastanian bank notes were recovered from the secret vault.

Two other individuals were also detained, one being a top-tier commander in the Ossinian Revolutionary Armed Forces. There were no casualties in the operation.

Post-socialist era (2020-present)

Socialist Era flag (1983-2023)

Democracy Flag (2023-present)

On December 18th, 2023, a public referendum approved a new post-socialist flag for Ossinia.

Geography

The Islands of Ossinia; Stéphane, Augustin, Chevalier, and Girardot

The 4 islands of Ossinia are the southernmost islands in the Alenchon archipelago, jutting into the Toyana Ocean, and roughly 140 km (90 mi) south of both Alenchon, a province of Zamastan. Its sister islands make up the southern section of the Ossinian Islands, which include (from north to south) Stéphane, Augustin, Chevalier, and Girardot. Most of the population lives on Augustin, with the largest settlement being the capital of Périnnois.

Ossinia is of volcanic origin, as evident in its soil, mountainous interior, and several explosion craters, including Lake Antoine, Grand Atang Lake and Letenve Lake. Ossinia's highest point is Mount St. Aberine, rising to 1,840 m (6,036 ft) above sea level. Other major mountains include Mount Granbian and South East Mountain. Several small rivers with waterfalls flow into the sea from these mountains. The coastline contains several bays, most notably on the southern coast which is split into numerous thin peninsulas.

The capital Périnnois at dusk

Climate

The climate is tropical: hot and humid in the dry season and cooled by the moderate rain fall in the wet season. Ossinia, being on the southern edge of the hurricane belt, has suffered only three hurricanes in fifty years.

Government and Politics

The Federation of Ossinia is one of the world's last remaining socialist countries following the Marxlenist ideology.

Administrative divisions

The administrative divisions in Ossinia

Ossinia is divided into 15 administrative divisions, or provinces. They are;

1. Stéphane 2. Chapuis

3. Brousseau 4. Hébras

5. Émeric d'El 6. Périnnois (Capital district)

7. Rochette 8. Josette

9. Laffitte 10. Pleimelding

11. Robiquet 12. Beauchamp

13. Bernadettes 14. Rochefort

15. Girardot

Foreign policy

Ossinia has a foreign policy based on nationalism and communistic policy, meaning that most countries that don't have shared ideology are deemed "enemies of the state" by the regime. Beleroskov and Yuan are Ossinia's closest allies, though both countries have distanced themselves in recent years, along with having condemned the island nation over their state-sponsored piracy of international shipping vessels. Yuan sells military hardware such as airplanes and tanks to Ossinia, while Beleroskov has provided energy infrasructure in the form of coal and natural gas power plants. Drambenburg, Emmiria, and the D.S.C. all have active trade deals with Ossinia, but also distance themselves politically from the regime.

"Prodding" Manuevers and Piracy

Zamastan and Janapa are considered by the Ossinians to be regional threats, and Ossinia has staged attacks on shipping vessels and off-shore oil rigs multiple times.

2020 Naval Tensions

The spring-summer of 2020, for instance, saw extreme escalations in incidents and tensions. On April 18th, 2020, an Avergnon vessel was hijacked by state-sponsored pirates. The ship was sailed to Ossinia and the hostage sailors were exchanged for Z$60 million. On May 8th, 2020, an Ossinian missile struck a Janapan oil rig, killing 5 workers. Two days later, an Austrolisian shipping vessel was boarded and detained by Ossinian naval vessels, resulting in the death of a sailor. On May 15th, only five days later, dozens of ORNF speed boats harrased the ZMS Maple Wind in Zamastanian territorial waters in a move called "dangerous and provocative" and "increased the risk of miscalculation and collision" by the Zamastanian Naval Forces. A missile attack occured the next day on the ZMS August Vendetta, killing seven sailors and increasing hostilities even further. A Zamastanian container ship, the MV Galen Schulz, was struck by a missile the day following, suffering fatal breaches in the ship's hull that caused it to eventually sink. A Ruskaynian ship, the MV Skipjack, was also detained.

President Foley Sakzi called Congressional Hall to an emergency session to convene on how to respond to Ossinia's attacks on May 16th.

Military

An Ossinian Lerbin-class frigate supplied by the Drambenburgian company Habsmarine GmBH

See: Ossinia Revolutionary Armed Forces

As of 2020, Ossinia spent about Z$91.8 million on its armed forces. In 2015, Ossinia devoted more than 10% of its GDP to military expenditures. Ossinia scaled down the numbers of military personnel, from 235,000 in 1994 to about 80,000 in 2013.

Ossinia's military is made up of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Much of their weaponry was supplied by the Zamastanian Armed Forces in the 1970s, while their more modern equipment is purchased from the Yuan military and additionally supplied through a few international corporations such as Drambenburgian and Beleroskovian private defense companies. Two destroyers, each armed with approximately 40 long-range missiles and a rail gun, two long-range bombers, and several tanks and helicopters were given to Ossinia in 2016, while massive supplies of small arms come into the country annually. The destroyers were supplied by Habsmarine GmBH, the bombers, tanks, and helicopters supplied by Lakhid Myrtan Luftfahrtverteidigungstechnik GmBH, and the small arms by Wettin Gehwer GmBH; all of which are Drambenburgian contract companies.

Culture

Due to cultural syncretism, the culture and customs of the Ossinian people have an Adulan cultural basis, influenced by both Euronian and native elements, although endogenous elements have emerged within Ossinian culture; culturally the Republic is among the most-Adulan countries in Euronia, alongside Janapa, Lillestola, and Baytonia. Quetanan and Skithan institutions in the colonial era were able to predominate in the Ossinian culture's making-of as a relative success in the acculturation and cultural assimilation of slaves diminished cultural influence in comparison to other Euronian countries.

Music and sport are of great importance in the Ossinian culture, with Merengue and Bachata as the national dance and music, and baseball as the favorite sport.

Cuisine

Ossinian cuisine is predominantly East Adulan and South Euronian in nature. The typical cuisine is quite similar to what can be found in other Southwestern Euronian countries. One breakfast dish consists of eggs and mangú (mashed, boiled plantain). Heartier versions of mangú are accompanied by deep-fried meat (Ossinian salami, typically), cheese, or both. Lunch, generally the largest and most important meal of the day, usually consists of rice, meat, beans, and salad. "La Bandera" (literally "The Flag") is the most popular lunch dish; it consists of meat and red beans on white rice. Sancocho is a stew often made with seven varieties of meat.

Meals tend to favor meats and starches over dairy products and vegetables. Many dishes are made with sofrito, which is a mix of local herbs used as a wet rub for meats and sautéed to bring out all of a dish's flavors. Throughout the south-central coast, bulgur, or whole wheat, is a main ingredient in quipes or tipili (bulgur salad). Other favorite Ossinian foods include chicharrón, yuca, casabe, pastelitos(empanadas), batata, yam, pasteles en hoja, chimichurris, and tostones.

Some treats Ossinians enjoy are arroz con leche (or arroz con dulce), bizcocho Ossinioa (lit. Ossinian cake), habichuelas con dulce, flan, frío frío (snow cones), dulce de leche, and caña (sugarcane). The beverages Ossinians enjoy are Morir Soñando, rum, beer, batida (smoothie), jugos naturales (freshly squeezed fruit juices), mabí, coffee, and chaca (also called maiz caqueao/casqueado, maiz con dulce and maiz con leche), the last item being found only in the southern provinces of the country.

Economy

The Ossinian state claims to adhere to socialist principles in organizing its largely state-controlled planned economy. Most of the means of production are owned and run by the government and most of the labor force is employed by the state. Recent years have seen a trend toward more private sector employment. By 2006, public sector employment was 78% and private sector 22%, compared to 91.8% to 8.2% in 1981. Government spending is 78.1% of GDP. Any firm that hires a Ossinian must pay the Ossinian government, which in turn pays the employee in Ossinian pesens. The average monthly wage as of July 2013 is 466 Ossinian pesens—about Z$19.

Ossinia has a dual currency system, whereby most wages and prices are set in Ossinian pesens (OSP), while the tourist economy operates with Convertible pesens (CUC), set at par with the Zamastanian dollar. Every Ossinian household has a ration book (known as libreta) entitling it to a monthly supply of food and other staples, which are provided at nominal cost.

Ossinia's natural resources include sugar, tobacco, fish, citrus fruits, coffee, beans, rice, potatoes, and livestock. Ossinia's most important mineral resource is nickel, with 21% of total exports in 2019.