République Autonome d’Arcadie

Autonomist Republic of Arcadie République Autonome d’Arcadie (Arcadie)
Flag
Motto: En avant, travailleurs!
Anthem: N/A
Location of Arcadie
Capital	Gesapsgel
Largest city	Vaillant
Official languages	(Arcadie)
Recognised regional languages	Seurian
Ethnic groups (2032)	65% Arcadie, 15% Seurian, 5% Kaskaidan, 3% Anagonian, 2% Meridonian, 10% Other
Religion	N/A (officially), Various (de facto)
Demonym(s)	"Arcadie"
Government	One-Party State
• National Spokesperson for the Conseil Industriel Populaire	Léopold Romilly
• Director of the Direction Unie des Affaires Militaires	Roch Thayer
Legislature	Conseil Industriel Populaire
Formation
• Red Winter	1974
Population
• 3032 estimate	52.45 Million
• 2032 census	52,450,545
GDP (nominal)	2032 estimate
• Total	$4,400,390,115,250
• Per capita	83,896
Gini (2032)	78.4 very high
HDI (2032)	0.801 very high
Currency	Arcadian Livre
Time zone	Major Kistavich Timezone
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+23
Internet TLD	.arc

The Autonomist Republic of Arcadie, officially the République Autonome d’Arcadie (Arcadie) is a country located on the continent of Major Kistavich, bordering Kaskaida, Seuria, and several others. It is believed that Arcadie has been inhabited since approximately 400,000 BCE, although direct evidence has only confirmed a period around 1600BCE, with the first records of transport, limited trade, and intermarriage occurring between the Proto-Seurians and Proto-Acadians being found dating to 1600 BCE. Arcadie would be subjugated by the Seurian High King Oisean Macmathan in 400 BCE, with his descendants engaging in war with the Anagonians and other neighboring (at the time) proto-states. This would eventually result in a mass revolt by the Arcadians, who would (with Anagonian support) seize control of the Seurian Islands, legitimizing the rule of the council of clan leaders which had accomplished this goal. The cultures would eventually hybridize, creating the pseudo-modern Arcadie culture in the process.

Arcadie would find itself a neutral power throughout much of history, even as it shed its clan-based governmental systems for a Republic (in rough terms, considering it was primarily controlled by a few landed families) in the early 1500s, though it would always be one with something of a preference for Kaskaida. It would trade and travel widely across the Esvanovian region, funding and engaging in the colonization of Meridon, also spreading cultural ideas to Marquesan through their wide-ranging travel. This neutrality would eventually give way in the wake of the Great War, which empowered the unions due to the necessity of defense production, even without direct entry into the war, who had already become highly anti-state in the wake of poor working conditions and government repression, leading to the Red Winter, where a series of worker-government clashes turned into a coup sponsored by the younger officers of the military (who were far removed from the noble families which controlled the highest ranks). Arcadie stands as a somewhat major power in the Kistavich region- positioning itself as the "Third Power" between the aligned powers of Anagonia and Meridon and their natural rival, Kaskaida. It possesses a highly developed military, operating the Vaillant Nuclear Carrier and having the capability to engage in foreign conflicts abroad effectively.

Arcadie is a Federal One-Party Autonomist Military State, organized around a dual-power system wherein worker-organized councils in businesses organize the economic output of the state and its domestic operation, while the military handles foreign affairs (including military action, of course). The military has often exerted a "Arcadie Veto" over domestic affairs which it believes compromise their independence, such as the installation of Vérène Villeneuve as National Spokesman after the opposition candidate Maximilien Chaput gained a majority share of the votes of the membership of the Conseil Industriel Populaire. Arcadia is not a member of any major international bodies.

Following the beginning of the Great Marinian War, Vérène Villeneuve would be replaced by Colonel Léopold Romilly as the National Spokesperson.

History

Pre-Seurian History

The process of archaeological dating in Arcadie has been slow, owing to lack of governmental support and refusal of allowance of foreign researchers from abroad, leading to the earliest known information on settlement in the region being within the realm of 1600BCE, although habitation is presumed to have occurred earlier. Findings of the 1600BCE period have shown primarily river-based settlement, with the first proto-state of the region (The Les Gens De l'Aube/People of the Dawn), a confederation of several tribal groups based on shared trade and political goals. The l'Aube would expand across much of the territory which currently makes up Arcadie and slightly into the territory of modern-day Yuldo before, due to reasons currently unknown, the confederation collapsed near the period of 1200BCE. In the wake of this collapse, a series of conflicts would break between the recently divided tribes, eventual reunification occurring under the auspice of a (presumed) Thiebauz the First, who established a fairly devolved monarchical structure by 1090BCE, which would eventually similarly collapse into fueding states until 600BCE.

The period from 600BCE to 400BCE would see the first incursions of Ancient Seurians, who would bring key trade goods to the mainland through their highly developed (for the time) seafaring capabilities, eventually claiming key territory on the outskirts of the current Arcadie state due to its own weakness. These places of control would eventually be used to invade further inland under Oisean Macmathan

Seurian Occupation

Arcadie would be occupied by Ancient Seuria in 400BCE, under the leadership of Oisean Macmathan, whose descendants would engage in violent attempts to seize control of Anagonia and other neighboring powers (most especially Dracaduna, where they would create the first primarily human ruling class), causing domestic unrest which would result in a violent revolution once Seuria had begun being pushed back by forces under the leadership of Rikor Hak, the second disciple of Melkos. This period would see Seuria expand all the way to Dracaduna through naval routes, where it would create the conditions for the first human government of the region. Expansion to the south would be prevented owing to entrenched Antillian resistance, but trade routes would begin to exist which would be maintained past the period of Seurian control.

The occupation would eventually be ended by both external pressure from the Second Disciple of Melkos (Rikor Hak) and internal dissent from the Arcadie population born from both a lack of representation and economic hardship brought by the conflict - catalyzed especially by the forces which gathered to the banner of Gautzelin II, including Jeanne d'Ay de Gesapsgel, both of whom would become major figures of anti-Seurian resistance. Especially following the collapse of control of the Arcadie territories, Seurian hegemony over the continent - and eventually their home islands - would end.

Following the liberation of Arcadie as a clan-based system under the Gautzelin, it would invade and subjugate Seuria in kind - starting a reaction which would eventually lead to the colonization of Meridon.

Red Winter

Main Article: Red Winter, Seurian Independence Movement

In the wake of the Great War, Arcadie would be rocked by internal unrest, with the renewed unions refusing to give up their power, and the government unable to mobilize the military to take action, with all attempts to do such being stymied by the common soldiers refusing to commit violence against what were, in many cases, their own relatives. Seurian independence movements would also pick up steam, and this combination would result in General Rémi Poulin attempting to storm Gesapsgel's provincial legislature to restore the power of the nation, where his forces would be stopped by the First Liberation Army, formed by elements of the Fourth, Sixth, and Twelfth armies lead by Liutenant Milun Favreau who, after disarming Rémi, would seize his weapons and launch a coup of his own, overthrowing the Republic and installing a provisional council of workers.

This would destabilize the state to a great extent as short-lived civil conflict broke out, eventually resulting in Seurian independence forces taking control of key isles from both Kaskaida and Arcadie in a coordinated push, preventing reoccupation by their seizure of Arcadie-aligned naval forces headquartered at Port Découverte, a key military instillation in the region. Arcadie was ultimately unable to engage in hostile activity against the now-independent Seurian Republic, owing to guarantees given to it by Meridon and Anagonia.

Milun would cede official power to the most notable leader of the worker's unions, Marion Vaillant, although Milun would retain an influential political role passed onto the rest of the military with his death.

Modern Period

Arcadie has continued to prioritize its own growth as a power in-line with its goals to become the Third Power (after Anagonia and Kaskaida) of the continent. In line with these goals, it has pursued somewhat positive relations with a majority of other powers on the continent, including defensive overtures to Jin Yi and Kaskaida, alongside allowing Kozakuran military training presence within its borders.

It has recently overtly aligned with Kaskaida against Meridon, and according to Meridonian sources attempted to assassinate President Yui Townley, a claim it has denied but additionally blamed Meridon for provoking.

Geography

Climate

Arcadie is generally notable for long and harsh winters, with daily average temperatures of below 15 degrees Celcius even near the coast, with worse lows often located in the internal sections of the country, a trait which has spurred most developments and the majority of the population to be near said coast. The Mistral which blows through the coastal regions is a notable source of inspiration for poetry and other literary works.

The islands formerly controlled by Seuria are notably temperate despite their northern orientation, causing much of the wealthy population (in the sense of the pseudo-noble military families) to locate themselves in the region.

Biodiversity

The Grands Bois is the largest boreal forest (approximately 4.5% of all woodland in existence) currently standing in Esvanovia, with limits to logging and mandated replanting ensuring its continued survival throughout its history of exploitation. Over 25 endemic species live within the Grands Bois, and it acts as a major source of spices for Arcadie.

Politics

Government

The domestic affairs of the state are controlled by the Conseil Industriel Populaire, a council of elected officials from major industries who determine the economic and social policy of the state. This body is defacto subordinate to the Direction Unie des Addaires Militares, and has often been overridden by them when the policy passed is believed to be in opposition to the goals of the military. Its current National Spokesperson is Vérène Villeneuve, who was installed by the military after the near-ascension of Maximilien Chaput and his Partisans du Pouvoir Syndical faction.

The CIP comprises 300 members, who are appointed in groups of 10 by the 30 largest worker councils in the nation. This pattern is followed on a provincial level as well. TBA.

Military

Main Articles: Force Aerienne Arcadienne, Marine Populaire d'Arcadie, Force de Défense Terrestre du Peuple Arcadien

Foreign Relations

Main Article: Foreign Relations of Arcadie

Foreign relations in Arcadie are under the control of the Direction Unie des Affaires Militaires, who determine the stance of the government on all matters of import abroad. This system has often been described as concerning by foreign and domestic observers, who note the potential for military action to be pursued by unreasonable or vanity-fueled leaders due to the lack of oversight.

Economics

Main Article: Economy of the République Autonome d’Arcadie

Arcadie would, in the period immediately after its revolution, begin the reorganization of the state in accordance to the principles of the then-leader of the country, Marion Vaillant - which primarily consisted, in the case of economics, of mass nationalization and the general dominance of the military-bureaucracy in such affairs. This bureaucracy, operating through the Conseil des Affaires Economiques, would reorganize the economic affairs of the state based on a series of three-year-long plans handed down to smaller regional bureaucracies, further divided into bureaus based on profession, with the short scale of each plan to allow for observation and changes to be made in the event of failure on each scale of the hierarchy. All industries would be incorporated into a bureau under the state, each bureau being obligated to match - or to provide adequate explanation for the lack of matching - economic goals, which has been perceived to encourage large scale corruption in the economic spheres.

Vaillant's economic policies were, to some degree, a repudiation of conventional Lorist market-syndicalist politics, taking a statist character as a means to prompt further development in the state despite its emergence from an already-developed economic position. It would additionally take on the characteristics of the pre-revolutionary École Solidaire, which posited that society placed upon individuals the social contexts their personal dynamics developed within, and as such that there was an obligation for the state entity to create a situation conductive to ending chronic states of internal war through a reorganization of society based upon professions, which to some degree would be noted in the early development of the République.

Unions, under this structure, have been replaced with military-formed and directed state unions (ultimately under the umbrella of the Front National du Travail) whose leadership is also appointed by military figures. The Front National du Trvail does not advocate for class conflict, instead being a self-stated tool of unity between laborers and employers designed to increase the production of all members of society to a maximum extent, although historically the organization has greatly favored the employer owing to their value to the state, and interconnection with such. Arcadie does not allow for collective bargaining, and the wage is set directly by the Front National du Trvail for specific industries. This has encouraged continuing labor disputes into the modern period, despite the continual claims of the Autonome d'Arcadie to have "solved" the field of economic history and development.

Culture

Religion

Arcadie officially declares itself as a secular state, with religion seen as a matter to be separated from public life, and overt religious expression is greatly discouraged for those in public or governmental roles. Despite this, there have been notable examples of Nesterist influence in the higher reaches of government, with numerous military and civilian projects being named after the Patron Saint of Arcadie, Jeanne d'Ay de Gesapsgel, also known as the Saint des Paysanne (Saint of the Peasants). Usage of Nesterist terms and references to Jeanne d'Ay in propaganda both increased rapidly in the immediate period after the Seurian Republic was declared, and have continued seeing upswings in usage during periods of struggle with Seuria, owing to her role in their subjugation.

Members of minority religions, such as those originating from Jin Yi or Kaskaida have often criticized the Acadian state for these policies, noting that they generally tend to favor the previously extant Neserist majority, and that in correlation with such they restrict the right of these practitioners to follow their own religions. The state has commonly ignored such complaints, and has not made any official changes to the religious policy of the state since the Red Winter.