Years of Lead (Paretia)

Years of Lead
Part of Great Game
The 1965 Cafè Clàssic bombing, Tosutonia, perpetrated by the EPT
Date 1955-1972 Location Paretia, primarily Tosutonia Result Far-left groups crushed, far-right groups disbanded, end of the Paretian National Union government
Belligerents
Government of Paretia Paretian National Union Paretian law enforcement Paretian Armed Forces CNI GCI COE Supported by: Werania Template:Country data Estmere	Far-left groups People's Army of Tosutonia Esmeiran Independence Front Visegan Nationalist Republican Army Deguitan Socialist Force Tenorian Popular Republican Army Red Brigades Supported by: Amathian Equalist Republic Novalian People's Liberation Front Combatant Front for Carinthian Liberation	Far-right groups Rebirth of the New Nation New Peninsular Order Militia of Marta Anti-Separatist People's Force Supported by: Etruria (alleged) National Sotirian Force (alleged)
Commanders and leaders
Dário Varejão Leonel Freitas † Danilo Abril Guilherme Rocha Caetano Ribeira da Vila	Jordi Fajardo † Ysabet Filella † Juan Manuel Carnicer Xaime Basquez Herminio Pasamontes † Leovixildo Bermudo Bonifacio Aguiar	Gualberto Silva Santana Matias Caetano Claro Gusmão Narcís Montoliu †

The Years of Lead (Luzelese: Anos de Chumbo; Tosuton: Anys de Plom) is the term used for a period of violence and turmoil in Paretia from the middle 1950s to the early 1970s. It is marked by the wave of far-left separatist terrorism which began in the 1950s, and the following rise of far-right violence in response. It is also marked by the period of the right-wing Paretian National Union government, which was formed by multiple right-wing parties in response to separatist terrorism.

Background

The root cause of left-wing terrorism in Paretia at the time was separatism, particularly in the regions of Esmeira, Tosutonia, and Visega Separatism has existed ever since the Paretian War and the creation of Paretia by Marta I. Ever since then rebellions and uprisings in the western regions of the country had continued.

During the period of the Turno Tranquilo, cultural national revivals in these regions, especially Tosutonia, began. The creation of separatist and regionalist political parties and socialist movements also helped push for separatism.

By the period of Functionalist Paretia socialist movements in the western regions began to identify with the separatists and became separatist themselves. The rise of left-wing republican separatism against the far-right monarchy lead to the creation of the symbols for the independence movements.

During the Republic of Paretia the separatist movements continued to exists but to an extent. During the Solarian War these separatists rose up again against the Etrurians, and when the monarchy returned, they had lots of support and power from foreign socialist movements. The return of the monarchy lead to left-wing republican separatism growing immensely.

History

Rise of separatism

Emblem of the EPT

After the transition back to the monarchy in 1947 Paretia was economically crushed from both the Great War and Solarian War. Separatism had begun to rise with the beginning of the Great Game between socialist and capitalist nations. Separatism in Paretia had been leaning left-wing for some time, and separatist left-wing nationalist groups began to rise in the early 1950s.

The People's Army of Tosutonia was created in 1952, and began to resort to terrorist operations early on. Early attacks such as the 1954 Encerosa raceway bombing had no casualties but began to become deadly later on. The center-left government of Premier Dário Varejão sought to support some autonomy in Tosutonia however it was never realised. Other separatist groups began to rise up in Esmeira and Visega. The Esmeiran Independence Front would kill 3 police officers in Ocerto in 1955. This attack greatly put attention on the rising separatist threat. This further emboldened the EPT to begin more lethal attacks, the group would bomb a police station in Encerosa later in 1955.

The EPT grew largely from 1954 to 1956. The group began to be heavily armed, the Paretian government began to claim foreign groups such as the Amathian Equalist Republic was supplying the separatists. The right-wing in Paretia began to claim the government was not doing enough to combat the separatists, similarly to how Etruria's government was not doing enough against their separatist movements. The EPT would then commit the 1958 Precea train station bombings, this attack killed 20 government officials and 9 civilians, and injured over 30. This attack caused enormous outrage and the right-wing in Paretia became largely more popular. The 1959 elections saw the right-wing parties make promises to deal with the separatist threat.

Paretian National Union

Three key figures of the UNP, left to right: Danilo Abril of the PDC, Leonel Freitas of the AP, and Guilherme Rocha of the FNS

The Premiership of Dário Varejão would be seen as incompetent by many in dealing with the violence in the western regions. The 1959 Paretian election saw the parties of Leonel Freitas and Danilo Abril win big against the PTP. The public response against the terrorist groups saw the right-wing win on the platform of ridding of the separatists. The Popular Alliance of Freitas won the most seats, Freitas met with members of other right-wing and center-right parties such as the Catholic Democracy Party of Abril and the National Sotirian Force of Guilherme Rocha.

Together these three parties formed a united government under Leonel Freitas known as the Paretian National Union, a broad right-wing political alliance. The government was able to pass large amounts of reforms and proposals in order to strengthen police forces and government surveillance, the government of the UNP was able to successfully ban the Paretian Section of the Workers' International from the ballot in the 1962 election.

Opposition criticized the government as authoritarian and compared them to the military dictatorships in Etruria and Piraea. Esmeiran historian Marta Vascolano says that the UNP was a "sort of near-dictatorship that teetered on being comparable to Etruria in the 1960s." The government of Freitas stated numerous times that the measures taken by the government were part of dealing with the terrorist threat in the country. The government opposed the Etrurian military dictatorship and condemned their annexation of Tarpeia.

The government began massive operations by the 1960s and arrested hundreds claimed to be members of the separatist terror groups. Their first operation was known as Operation Falange, which arrested numerous leaders of groups like the EPT in Tosutonia, Esmeira, and Visega. However, attacks continued with the 1962 Ocerto police station bombing which killed 7. The UNP's parties would win again in 1962, having gained a few seats.

Far-right response

Street battles between far-left and right elements were common, this was a street brawl in Esmeira

The UNP's focus on left-wing terrorism moved resources meant to counter far-right terrorism that was still active, and the far-right began to move against the separatist groups themselves. Groups like the Rebirth of the New Nation and the New Peninsular Order would rise in popularity among the right. They would commit attacks against left-wing groups such as the PTP and SPIO. Including the 1964 Sandoralia attack which the RdNN attacked a SPIO rally in Sandoralia, Visega, killing 3.

They would engage in street battles with left-wing separatist groups in Tosutonia and Esmeira. These fights would make living in these regions dangerous for civilians. The UNP announced plans to go after far-right groups as well. The UNP would win again in the 1965 elections. Another far-right attack in Tosutonia in 1966 killed 10 members of the PTP's women's section. Criticism towards Leonel Freitas for not doing enough to fight the far-right lead to his resignation in 1966, however he became Deputy Premier under Danilo Abril, who took over as Premier.

The left-wing separatists responded to far-right attacks by targeting the far-right National Sotirian Force, which they claimed was a supporter of the right-wing terrorist groups. In 1966 the EPT bombed the FNS office in Mausoleu, killing 4 and took hostages in a FNS office in Sigolus the same month. The EPT also assassinated the leader of the Anti-Separatist People's Force, Narcís Montoliu, in 1967. The far-right then responded by kidnapping and killing Ysabet Filella, second-in-command of the EPT. The government began to increase operations against the far-left and far-right, and began authorizing lethal force against these groups. Military forces were increasingly used as well. Abril's government began to plan a massive operation to deal with the violence.

Operation Rainha (1968)

Paretian soldiers and police arrest suspected member of the EPT, 1968

Danilo Abril's government combined forces from the military and law enforcement to conduct what was called Operation Rainha, or Operation Queen, after Queen Marta I. A large-scale police operation that lasted from August to September 1968. Police raids and arrests occured all across Paretia. The Regional Premier of Tosutonia, Ricard Florensà, had ordered a state of emergency and curfew during the operation to give the police and government emergency powers.

Lethal force was used numerous times by police and military forces, on August 7th nearly 14 people were killed by police during their operations. The leader of the EPT, Jordi Fajardo, was killed by police in a raid. As well as the leader of the Deguitan Socialist Force, Herminio Pasamontes. Leaders of all of the rest of the socialist separatist groups were arrested during Operation Rainha.

The leader of the Red Brigades was wounded and arrested by police in September. Thousands were arrested by the government during the operation, estimated to be a total of 11,000 separatists and left-wing militants had been arrested by the government. It is the largest law enforcement operation in Paretian history.

Reports of police brutality all across Paretia has made the operation widely controversial in the country. Over 80 of those arrested and convicted were later found to have had no connection to the terror groups in the first place.

The operation however is considered a successful operation that crushed the left-wing separatist movement in Paretia at the time. These groups eventually were fully disbanded and considered "inoperationable" by the government. The operation however did very little to target the far-right terror groups, a common criticism of the event. Remnants of the groups continued to exist, however much smaller and continued operations would occur into the 1970s.

Collapse of separatrists

The EPT killed Leonel Freitas in 1969 with a car bomb as it's last major act

After Operation Rainha the separatist movement began to collapse. The government had arrested most of the leadership, however the groups were not completely destroyed, especially the EPT. The group would retiate against the Paretian government for their actions during Operation Rainha. In December 1968 hey would send bombs to the headquarters of the Paretian Federal Law Enforcement and the Regional Premier of Tosutonia's office, however this attack did not injure anyone.

In March 1969 the EPT would commit it's last major attack by assassinating then Deputy Premier Leonel Freitas in Precea. They would use a car bomb to kill him. They had also planned to simultaneously assassinated Guilherme Rocha, the other Deputy Premier of Danilo Abril, this however was foiled by the government.

Abril's government responded with another retaliation by the government known as Operation Tigress. However this Operation did not succeed in getting rid of the remaining leadership of the EPT. Abril's government became less popular by the time of the election and he would decide to not run and have the new leader of the People's Alliance, Caetano Ribeira da Vila, as the National Union candidate. However Abril returned to being Deputy Premier alongside Raimon Gaudí.

Caetano Ribeira da Vila ramped up the response to the separatists and would use lethal force to destory them, however he also targeted PTP and SPIO offices with raids claiming that they were one of the reasons the EPT was still alive. He also targeted trade unions and other groups that were now considered supportive of the EPT, to an extent operation would catch EPT members in these groups but it was heavily criticized.

The EPT however was starting to fully collapse with it's size shrinking, by 1971 the EPT would be dissolved by the government under Ribeira da Vila. Followed by other separatist groups. However Ribeira da Vila would continue to target opposition parties with the power giving the government by the National Union.

Downfall of the National Union

Armoured vehicles in Precea during the 1972 coup attempt

The government of Ribeira da Vila became unpopular by 1972, even amongst the extremist right who were targeted by the National Union, the opposition criticized his use of emergency powers to raid PTP offices and rallies as well as claiming the government was not doing enough to fight the far-right terrorist groups who were still active, although mostly dissolved. In February 1972 far-right military elements would attempt a coup d'etat that would fail.

Many took this coup attempt as a sign of weakness in the government of the National Union. In response to the coup, the National Sotirian Force would leave the political alliance, this came after the government had raided FNS offices in suspicion of supporting the coup. By May 1972 the Catholic Democracy Party of Danilo Abril would leave the National Alliance, officially dissolving the political alliance.

In the 1972 Paretian election the Paretian Labour Party would win the majority of votes and Eugênio Dantas would become the next Premier. The government of Dantas would roll back most of the powers given to the government by the National Union government, however economic downturns during his tenure would lead to his party and many others collapsing.

Aftermath

Mãos Limpas lead to the rise of New Democracy(Pictured: Cabral) and the Paretian Socialist Movement

The aftermath of this period, combined with the 1970s economic crisis, and judiciary investigations into the political parties such as the PTP, AP, and FNS, lead to the eventual collapse of many political parties, this event was called Mãos Limpas (Clean Hands). This eventually gave to rise to dozens of new political parties eyeing to unite their side of the political aisle, on the right the New Democracy party of Timoteo Cabral would dominate right-wing politics, later on, on the left the Paretian Socialist Movement under Julío Pires became the dominant party of the left-wing. Other new parties emerged including the Citizens Movement and Together for Liberty parties.

The era of the Years of Lead and National Union are often considered tumultuous and many, especially on the political left, consider it to be an era of authoritarianism by the National Union, while the right it is seen as a period of strong government response by the alliance. As part of the greater Great Game it is mostly seen as a victory for the capitalist nations over socialist ones. Some consider it to be a period where Paretia somewhat attempted to mimick the authoritarian governments of Etruria and Piraea.

Legacy

In popular culture

Plomplom, a Tosuton pro-separatist rock band from the 80s

The legacy of the Years of Lead became known as a violent period in Paretian history and especially for the separatist movement, who use it as a symbol of their struggle for independence. The events influenced the culture of the region to include a new, more violent appearance. This included the creations of Tosuton Radical Rock, Esmeiran Radical Rock, and Visegan Dark Rock, many of the members of these rock movements would be leftists and pro-separatist themselves, many songs reference different events from the Years of Lead, including Plomplom's Ten quarter knives, which is about the killing of separatist Ysabet Filella. Art and films in the Tosuton world became influenced by the events in the 70s as they would become darker in tone. Paretian TV and film would begin to focus on the events of the Years of Lead by the 21st century.