Duquesne

Republic of Duquesne République de Duquesne
Flag National Emblem
Motto: "Paix et Pain"
Anthem: Hymne à la Liberté
Map of Duquesne
Capital and largest city	Marquette
Official languages	Auvernian, Native Duquesnian
Recognized languages	Auvernian, Native Duquesnian, Anglo-English, Other Indigenous Languages
Ethnic groups	Auvernian (81%) Native Duquesnian (10%) Indigenous (6%) Constantinian(2.4%) Other (0.6%)
Demonym(s)	Auvernian
Government	Unitary Parliamentary Republic
• President	Marques Swen
• Vice President	Arthur Macron
• Chair of the House of Delegates	Charles Douchel
Legislature	House of Delegates
History
• The Free State of Duquesne	1847
• The Revolution	1853-55
• Civil War	1920-1926
• Great War and Mariranan Occupation	1926-1933
• Functionalist Regime	1933-Present
Population
• 2016 estimate	12,000,000
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	601 Billion USD
Currency	WIP (WIP)
Driving side	right
Calling code	WIP
Internet TLD	WIP

Duquense (Officially the Republic of Duquesne, or in Gallo-Cosmopolitan République de Duquesne), is a sovereign country in central Hibernia.

Etymology

Duquesne was the name chosen by General Arthur Gerard when he led the Rousseauist imperial forces in retreat from the Federation of Asteria, to the mountains and valleys known today as The Republic of Duquesne. He chose the name based off of the name of a flower that he spotted in the fields of which was in a book of his when he was a child. He named the land for its beauty, but also because of the nostalgia he felt when he realized that he could never go back to Roeselle.

The Duquesne Flower

History

Foundation

Duquesne was founded in 1847 after the defection of General Arthur Gerard of the Rousseauist Imperial forces in the Duquesne Territory. The Asterians had pushed the Rousseauist armies south towards their capital. The General, along with many of his commanders and associates decided to, rather than surrender, establish their own free state. This new country became the Free State of Duquesne. The General and his administration ran a harsh dictatorship, declaring himself President for life and due to his abuses the Country became impoverished, so much so that the young nation was already falling apart at its seams. The Gerard Regime cared little for the people of Duquesne, and allowed Asterian companies to enter the country and strip mine the northern mountain range. Over time, this, paired with his refusal to devolve any government powers, and his paranoia towards those he ruled over, led to what is now known as the ‘Year of Terror’. Beginning in March of 1852, Arthur’s men purged many Generals whom had sided with him during his defection from the Roessan Armed Forces, and furthermore he arrested many farmers, banning private militias and ordering troops to quarter houses throughout the land to prevent an uprising. However, this would directly lead to the regime’s downfall as commanding officers, who had become disaffected by his regime began conspiring with the mayors in many of the small villages. Their goal; to abolish the tyrannical form of government that existed and protect the rights of the farming communities from outside influence. Outspoken advocates of the movement included Henry Rosseau and Stanley Francois-Jacobieu.

The People's Revolution of 1856

Six years after the founding of the Free State of Duquesne, it was in major decline. The government had been corrupted by Arthur, and his suspension of elections for two consecutive years after the initial date of 1851 made him a very unpopular figure. He set these elections up as a response to demands by the people for a voice in the government. By this time, inflation was rampant, and the people were starving and dying in the streets of the Capital City, as farmers from the valleys struggled to be able to sell their crops in market. The People Revolted against the Dictatorship that the Free State of Duquesne had become, and in 1855, the reign of Arthur Gerard. had ended. The leaders of the revolution, Henry Rosseau and Stanley Francois-Jacobieu, executed the corrupt leaders of the dictatorship by way of firing squad. Their methods of execution and torture of the dictator and his administration are unknown, but are commonly known to be inhumane, and terrible beyond belief. The Two leaders created the Republic of Duquesne, a Democratic Republic “By the people, and for the people”. Stanley Francois-Jacobieu was elected the first President of the new government, and Henry Rosseau became his Vice President. Together, their first action was to divide the Republic into provinces. Each province would then elect a representative to a committee of electors, tasked with making the laws and other social programs of the Republic. Some major focuses of the new administration were securing the borders and crafting a new immigration system. This system became the Border Security Act of 1856, in which a complex immigration system and process was created, bringing extreme vetting procedures and an elite border control force that built walls, and patrolled the borders at all hours of every day. Catholicism continued to be the main religion of the Republic, and ideas on the Sodomites and other communities, as well as morals taught by the church, were some of the only things that remained from life under the Gerard Dictatorship.

The Lawrence C. Perrier Administration and the Duquesne Civil War (1904-1924)

President Lawrence C. Perrier was inaugurated on June 5th, 1904, in Marquette. In his inaugural speech, he called for expansion of Duquesne’s involvement in the global scene, whether participating in a alliance, or building trade deals with Duquesne’s neighbors: Roeselle, Marirana, and the Federation. The administration built their cabinet with the intent to execute these tasks, and they succeeded. Trade networks were established bringing coal and iron into the Federation, bringing agricultural products with more coal into Roeselle, and bringing “Verte Railway Company” lines into Northern Marirana. This was a time of great economic prosperity for the people of Duquesne. President Perrier was re-elected 4 times by the year 1924, and he was beloved by the Duquesne people. However, he was assassinated in the Summer of 1924 by a group of Distributist attackers, opposing his administration, and wanting to get a Distributist in the Presidential Mansion. Their fear tactic worked, as Vice President Jean Francois-Jacobieu called for a new Presidential election, and resigned, due to his fear of being killed. The race came down to a Distributist, Jacques Dufour, and a Populist candidate, Christopher A-La-Guarde. The election was heated, and came down to a 7-7 tie, with a Labor candidate the only remaining undecided elector. However, like Vice President Francois-Jacobiue, he was driven by fear, and voted for the Distributist, Jacques Dufour. The Populists, largely made up of Perrier’s supporters, were outraged by the results of the election, because the felt cheated by the assassination of their President, and the fear it drove into all who oppose the assassins beliefs. Bands of populists began to riot and protest in the streets of Marquette, as well as in many major cities throughout Duquesne, in response to the election. They also began to vandalize, harass, and attack homes of prominent Distributists, as well as many Distributist businesses, and gathering places, particularly in communities surrounding Lac Transversale. President Jacques Dufour placed many of the nation’s “Populist Hubs” under martial law, in hopes of quickly suppressing the new “Revolution”. Populists saw this as an invasion of their rights and freedoms, which increased participation in the Anti-Administration riots, and increased attacks on Distributist households. Enrollment in Populist Militias skyrocketed, as well as the mass purchase of guns and ammunition. The Dufour administration saw this as a danger to the public, so they put a temporary ban on the sale of guns and ammunition on January 1st, 1925. Even members of the Distributist party were opposed to the ban, because it would only further enrage the Populists on the brink of war in the country. The Militias began attacking police stations and Military outposts in order to raid guns, vehicles, and ammunition, and they began planning for “Operation Gerard” On Duquesne Independence day, January 24th, dozens of Populist Militias convened on the city of Marquette. The Provincial Guard, along with members of the Duquesne Special Forces, battled the citizen Militias in what became known as the Battle of Marquette. Militias surrounded the city, and began making their way into the city, using old mortars and small cannons as their artillery, which they obtained in raids on Government Weapons Caches. The Elite Troops made fortified positions, while the National Guardsmen maintained a constant artillery barrage on the Militias that were quickly advancing through the city. Citizens ran for their lives, and estimated hundreds, if not thousands, were killed by stray bullets or artillery fire. The Militias did considerable damage, setting fire to many government buildings, and attacking police stations and the military defenses. However, what they did not expect, was civilian retaliation. Civilians took up their own arms, and began shooting at the Militiamen from their apartment buildings and from alleyways. The Militias were forced to retreat, many of them dying in the retreat because of Citizen Retaliations. Casualties for the Duquesne Military numbered 500 dead, with 2,000 wounded. Militia casualties numbered 2,000 dead, and 4,000 wounded, with 300 captured. Civilian casualties numbered roughly 1,200 dead, and 5,000 wounded. The Militias were devastated by the attacks. They succeeded in dealing a blow to the Military, and in damaging government buildings, but they lost more men than they killed. News of the attack spread like a wildfire throughout the Country, and Distributionist Militias began to take up arms against the Populist Militias. At this point the Populists were dealing with two war fronts: Their fellow citizen Militias and the National Guard. The Populists were desperate for recruiting, and they began a massive recruitment effort throughout the Agrarian communities and Middle-Class Townships. It was not at all successful. They were laughed at, and called suicidal for trying to fight a war against the opposition Militias, as well as the government. The Populist Militias decided to retreat into the mountains, where they would try to regroup and assess their supply situations. However, several of the Populist supply convoys were attacked by the Distributionist Militias, so the men in the mountains were left with barely any guns and ammunition. The leaders of the Militias came together, at what is known as the infamous Council at Sahos, where they decided to surrender to the government on June 2nd, 1924. The Civil War had ended, the Republic safe from the Populist Uprising, yet left devastated by the loss of life and the damage done to Marquette, and other Military and Police Outposts. However, President Jacques Dufuor lifted the ban of the sales of firearms, and the other freedoms that the Populists abused during the Civil War, citing the protection of the God-Given rights of the citizens. The war crippled the military and morale of Duquesne’s people, and it caused the country to attempt to isolate and rebuild. However, the people of Duquesne could not dream of what would happen to the country, and to the world, in the coming years.

The Duquesne War of Independence (1925)

See main page Duquesne War of Independence

The Auvernian Federation chose to stay out of the internal conflicts in Duquesne during the Civil War. However, relations with the home country became tense during the 1925 New Year’s address from President Jacques Dufour. President Dufour called for the people to remain as one, and put behind their differences. He called for this unity to announce his plans for a final exit of the Auvernian Federation’s control. When he first announced this, there were gasps in the full chamber of the Duquesne Legislature, but it was quickly met with a standing ovation. President Dufour began to list the demands of the people of Duquesne.

“First, The Republic of Duquesne will become its own entity, autonomous and fully independent from the Auvernian Federation. The Auvernian Federation will cease to control the courts of Duquesne, and a new constitution will be drafted by the legislature of Duquesne proclaiming the rights of the people of Duquesne. Second, The Auvernian Military Forces, both on land and those who patrol our seas, will depart immediately to avoid conflict with the brave patriots of Duquesne, and the great force from the Duquesne armed services. Finally, the Republic of Duquesne will be removed from all economic relationships and tariffs imposed upon it by the Auvernian Federation, and it will develop new economic relationships with foreign nations”

-President Jacques Dufour, New Year’s Address 1925

Following the New Year’s Address, the people of Duquesne became energized with the idea of independence. Within days, there were lines building for miles outside Duquesne Military recruiting stations with men eager to fight for their independence. When the news reached Auvernia, however, the response was not friendly. The Auvernian Federation ordered the Republic of Duquesne to stand down any revolutionary behavior, further adding that any act of violence against members of the Auvernian military would be met with grave consequence. The Auvernian Congress began slapping new tariffs and economic restrictions on Duquesnian goods in an effort to cripple the economy of Duquesne. This included banning the import of Duquesne agricultural products and Duquesne resources such as coal and lumber. However, this plan backfired, and it led many more Duquesnians to take up arms and enlist in the Duquesne armed services. President Dufour sent the existing Duquesne military, including the Provincial Guard, the Duquesne National Army, and the Duquesne National Marines, to military installations in northern Envale to begin mass training and organization of forces. This move was a secret endeavor in order to prepare forces without the knowledge of the Auvernian forces. Finally, on March 5th, 1925, General Thomas Dubois ordered the attack of an Auvernian military battery in southern Envale. This military battery was on the coast of southern Envale, and it was a major hub for Auvernian military ships, and the transport of weapons and additional troops from the mainland. This became known as the Battle of the Battery, being the first attack of Auvernian interests in the Duquesne War of Independence.

The attack caught the Auvernian troops completely by surprise, and after just 6 hours of battle, the Auvernians were forced into a retreat into western Envale. This allowed the Duquesne military to take over the barracks and armories at this military battery, giving them large amounts of guns, ammunition, medical supplies, cannons, and fuel for military vehicles. When the Auvernian mainland learned of the attack and defeat, the 4th Army corp, numbering 60,000 troops were immediately sent by ship to launch a counter attack. It took 4 days for the ships to arrive on the East coast of Hibernia, and soon, the ships began to arrive and set up at the Isle de Auguste. The troops arrived under the command of Auvernian General Henrique Shasuel and they quickly set up the troops. The island was quickly taken over with little resistance, and the Auvernian armada was positioned to defend all sides of the island by Admiral David Aquesta. On March 13th, the Auvernian army boarded ships and were sent right to Marquette Harbor. The Auvernian armada began bombarding Marquette with heavy cannonfire, striking several civilian buildings, as well as the Duquesne Department of Defense building, killing 240 civilians and 135 government workers and soldiers, while injuring over 500 other people. The Marquette military batteries responded with cannonfire that sunk 3 Auvernian ships and damaged nearly a dozen others, yet the long range gunfire allowed for ships to arrive in the harbor, giving way for thousands of troops to arrive in the harbor and begin taking control of the outskirts of Marquette. The President, his cabinet, and members of the Duquesne National Assembly were evacuated from the city escorted by the district’s Provincial Guard, as well as several civilian militias that had joined the cause. Within a week, after fighting several resistance groups and small parties of soldiers, the Auvernian flag was raised above the Duquesne National Assembly building. The Auvernian military was able to take the city with such ease due to the absence of the Duquesne Revolutionary Forces, however, their control did not last long.

The Revolutionary forces mobilized quickly, and moved to regain control of Marquette. The operation became known as Operation Marquette Freedom. The Chief Duquesne Naval officer, Admiral Johannes Christopsen, ordered the Duquesne Navy, numbering about 50 ships, to attack the rear of the Auvernian armada. In addition, Duquesne Provincial Guard members from Envale, Aureliana, and Terrebonne would fire artillery from the coastline just outside of Marquette in order to distract and weaken their weapons capabilities. Finally, the Duquesne National Marines, the Duquesne National Army, and several citizen militias, would make a frontal assault on all ends of Marquette. The plan was to take effect on March 28th, 1925. However, it became more difficult for the Duquesne resistance, as the Auvernian Navy was able to transport in about 10,000 more troops into the ports of Marquette before the artillery positions were made. This pinned about 25,000 Auvernian troops guarding the outskirts of the city, against about 100,000 Duquesne ground troops. In the early hours of the morning of March 28th, the Duquesne Provincial Guard began firing artillery at the Auvernian Armada positioned in Marquette Harbor. This caught the armada by complete surprise, and it resulted in the sinking of several ships. Then, the surprise attack came from the Duquesne Navy and, despite the small number of the Duquesne National Navy ships, they were able to catch these ships already pinned in a fight against the mainland artillery, which led to many of the ships surrendering, or being sunk. The Duquesne ground troops began their ground assault over the hills surrounding Marquette, again surprising the ground troops in Marquette. The Auvernian Army began firing at the Duquesne ground troops, and successfully took out large numbers of troops in the first wave of attack running at the center of Marquette. However, the defenses were much lighter along the sides of the city, which allowed about 30,000 Duquesne National Armymen to break into Marquette, and hit the central defenses from the back, which caused about 6,000 Auvernians to surrender at the central defenses. The citizen militias then were able to enter Marquette, and quickly swept the neighborhoods along the outside, giving the Duquesne ground forces control over half of Marquette by mid-day. The remaining 14,000 troops were pinned down in the remaining government district of Marquette, as well as the docks and trade district. The Duquesne National Marines were sent in by Brigadier General Marques Nelson, and they began to engage the remaining forces of the Auvernian Army. Setting up on the tops of buildings, as well as in alleyways, the Special Forces moved block by block engaging the Auvernian troops, followed by support and cover fire from members of the Duquesne National Army. The Auvernian troops continued to retreat, and many were killed running through the streets attempting to find cover. Finally, at 4pm, the remaining 45,000 Auvernian Army Men surrendered and were taken prisoner. Meanwhile, the Auvernian government at home fell apart, and was flung into crisis. The new government ordered the military stationed at Isle d’Auguste to immediately cease all military action against Duquesne. This led many of the soldiers from the 4th Army corps, about 35,000, to defect to Duquesne instead of traveling home to their broken nation. However, the forces occupying the island, led by Commander Marc Oliver defied the orders, and began to set up a military junta over the island. However, this was met with much disagreement from Admiral Ernest LaRoche, commander of the combined Auvernian fleet stationed at Isle d’Auguste. After completing a full sweep of the city, on March 31st, President Jacques Dufour was escorted by the Duquesne Provincial Guard and led a group of heroes from Operation Marquette Freedom to fly the Flag of Duquesne again above the National Assembly building, and the Presidential Mansion. With the government in place in Marquette again, a mass cleanup and rebuilding effort began. The Duquesne National Army began working to treat the wounded and to bury the dead in a military cemetery outside Marquette. The Duquesne Provincial Guard began working with local construction companies to begin repair to the residential districts that were left with extreme damage from the warfare that had taken place. Many civilians were taken to Duquesne Red Cross camps to live in security while Marquette was rebuilt. The Duquesne National Assembly began meeting to draft an official declaration of independence. The Declaration took several weeks to write, but it was finally signed amidst nationwide patriotic celebrations on May 21st, 1925.

The Blockade of the Isle d'Auguste (1925-1298)

See main page Blockade of Isle d'Auguste

 During the drafting of the Duquesne Declaration of Independence, Admiral Ernest LaRoche finally decided to abandon the Isle d’Auguste, and taking his combined fleet, along with 15,000 soldiers from the 98th led by Commander Vincent Masson, he surrendered to The Republic of Duquesne, and defected into service of the Duquesne National Navy. This immediately quadrupled the size of the Duquesne National Navy, which sent its own ships along with the newly defected Auvernian ships to the Envale Naval Battery to be evaluated by officials from the Duquesne National Navy, and to begin restocking the ships with supplies, ammunition, and the Duquesne Flag. Two days later, Admiral Johannes Christopsen and Admiral Ernest LaRoche ordered the newly organized Duquesne National Navy to form a blockade around the Isle d’Auguste in order to cut off supply lines to force the Auvernian holdouts into a quick surrender. However, this did not come to fruition. The blockade stayed in effect successfully until October 10th, yet during that time, Commander Marc Oliver finished forming a military government, proclaiming himself the President-Commander of Augustinia. On October 10th, a group of repaired patrol boats and a decommissioned submarine were used by the Augustinians to begin harassing ships in the blockade, and to smuggle supplies in from WIP, who began to sympathize with the Augustinian cause. However, due to the exhaustive use of these ships, and the submarine, a mission went wrong, resulting in the capture of the 200 sailors and the patrol vessels and submarine, which allowed the Duquesne National Navy to solidify its blockade around the island. During this time, Marquette was slowly moving back to life, as the Port of Marquette was finally reopened for trade, and as neighborhoods were slowly repaired and rebuilt. Through continued meetings and plannings at the Envale Naval Battery, Admiral Johannes Christopsen and Admiral Ernest LaRoche planned for an April invasion of the island. The Duquesne National Army continued to conduct training exercises in Pontiac along with the Duquesne National Marines in order to prepare for battle on the Isle d’Auguste. However, these plans became complicated as the neighboring WIP began sympathetically dropping supplies including medical aide, rations, and weapons and ammo to the Augustinians surrounded in the blockade. The Duquesne National Navy shot at these planes and damaged one of them, but none were succeessfully shot down. Rear Admiral Adam Dakinsun, the present commanding officer aboard the commandship in the blockade, ordered the ships to begin to take shots at some of the coastal defenses. In addition, he had pilots drop leaflets in the big cities of Port Blanc and Augustaville sending the message that long-term resistance would not be a successful option for the rebellious, illegitimate “Augustania”. However, the supporters of the President-Commander Marc Oliver continued to follow his “cult of personality”, driven by Oliver’s promises of the restoration of a Auvernian monarchy pending independence from The Republic of Duquense. In response to these messages from Commander Oliver, President Jacques Dufour pledged the full strength of the Duquesne Armed Services, saying that “It is my highest priority to ensure the quick liberation of the people of the Isle d’Auguste from this tyrannical military state. Our resources are in place to quickly crush this illegitimate state that occupies a sovereign territory of Duquesne”. However, these in place resources were soon displaced as a hurricane struck the Isle d’Auguste. This caused much of the blockade to retreat to much calmer waters on the coast of mainland Duquesne, assuming that the Augustinians would not try to make any moves in such stormy waters. Despite the tremendous storm surge and tremendous rainfall and winds, the actions of brave Augustinian sailors delivered fresh supplies to the island, at the cost of the lives of 40 sailors who undertook the treacherous mission. The Duquesne National Navy’s blockade was planned to resume on the first of May per the orders of Admiral Ernest LaRoche. During their time back on mainland Duquesne, the sailors were able to visit with families, and the ships were able to be cleaned and restocked with supplies and ammunition. The Augustinian supply runners, however, did not take advantage of the longer period in the absence of the blockade, for they assumed the blockade would resume much sooner than it did. As a result, when the blockade resumed on May 1st, the Augustinians were already depleting the supplies that they were able to restock during the storms. Once the blockade was in place again, Admiral Ernest LaRoche and Admiral Johannes Christopsen resumed plans for an invasion, this time slating it for August. The blockade kept up their periodic bombardment of the coastal defenses and the dropping of pamphlets encouraging the immediate surrender of the Augustinian resistance. Eventually, President-Commander Oliver began to reach out to the Duquesne blockade, requesting diplomatic talks between the two parties. Via telegram, Oliver and his diplomatic team began communications with the Duquesne Department of International Affairs to potentially reach a peaceful solution. The talks began on July 9th, beginning with Augustinian requests for the allowance of food and medical aide for civilians on the island, and Duquesne negotiators reluctantly agreed. Duquesne began sending passenger ships with food and medical aide to Port Blanc, and the naval blockade began a ceasefire on the Augustinian defenses. However, President-Commander Oliver became greedy, and attempted to seize the opportunity of the Duquesne National Navy being off-guard, and he began sending out small boats in the middle of the night to smuggle weapons and ammunition from WIP. This went on for almost a month, but after a Duquesne patrol boat caught a group of smugglers in the act, the blockade around the island resumed, and the Duquesne Department of International Affairs cut off all diplomatic ties with the rogue Augustinian regime. On August 5th, the naval blockade resumed bombardment of the coastal defenses around Isle d’Auguste. In addition, it began shooting down boats suspected to be weapon smugglers sent by the Augustinian resistance fighters. This continued throughout the month of August, and it peaked with the sinking of a large fishing vessel that was controversially attacked by the Duquesne National Navy. The Augustinian regime blasted Duquesne’s assault on “innocent fishermen”, yet Rear Admiral Adam Dakinsun maintained that the decision was made because the fishermen were “Augustinian sympathizers engaged in a weapons smuggling operation”. The diplomatic issues were complicated when WIP started positioning troops on it’s border with Duquesne, forcing Duquesne to begin redistributing members of the Duquesne Provincial Guard, as well as potential reinforcements to the blockade from the Duquesne National Army. President Jacques Dufour also removed portions of the blockade to position along the Duquense coast to prepare for a possible land invasion. This allowed the Augustinians to bring in supplies in these breached zones, resulting in more skirmishes at sea between the Duquesne National Navy and supply smugglers. In addition, the Duquesne Provincial Guard began skirmishing with provocative WIP along the Duquesne border, almost escalating into all out war. President Jacques Dufour addressed the nation on January 25th, 1927 telling the Duquesne citizenry to prepare for an invasion, and assuring the people that “all resources” would be on hand to ensure the safety of the people of Duquesne. However, following emergency diplomatic meetings involving the Duquesne Department of International Affairs, the WIP backed off the Duquesne border, and cut off aide to the Augustinians. The Augustinian regime made one final attempt to establish a diplomatic relationship with the Presidential Mansion on March 10th, and President Jacques Dufour responded demanding the unconditional surrender of the Augustinian state by April 1st. No response was given to the President, and he took it as a final straw. The Duquesne Naval Air Corps began immediately bombing coastal defenses using old planes, and new planes seized from the Auvernian airfields and ships, and successfully emerged without losing any planes while doing immense damage to the coastal batteries. The bombardments from the ships resumed, and the final invasion is planned by Admiral Ernest LaRoche and General Thomas Dubois to land a 30,000 man detachment of the Duquesne National Army in mid-September. A second aerial bombing mission was launched on April 21st, this time successfully wiping out a supply battery containing the majority of military vehicles and fuel remaining on the island. With the threats averted along the Duquesne coast, the remainder of the blockade returned to its positions around the Isle d’Auguste, and another bombing was planned for May 20th. The bombing mission was a success, and it successfully destroyed the remainder of the patrol boats that the Augustinians used for smuggling. In response to this, the Augustinians packed sailboats filled with explosives, and set them off  in the middle of the night towards the Duquesne blockade. The explosives detonated on a ship, causing several injuries yet no fatalities, and the ship was forced to return to Marquette for repairs. Following the strike on the battleship, the blockade resumed, and increased its artillery barrages on the coastal defenses, and more airstrikes were planned to attack the major roadways and rail lines going outside Port Blanc and Augustaville. Admiral Johannes Christopsen famously said that “if we can’t force them out, we won’t let them escape”, while he planned for more bombing runs, and the final invasion. Over the next three months, targeted bombing runs took out the remaining coastal defenses, and struck the military headquarters of President-Commander Oliver. This forced the Augustinians to retreat to the inland jungle, and prepare for the final invasion. During these three months there were several attempted assassinations on President-Commander Oliver, all of which were thwarted and the perpetrators executed by firing squad. In late August, Admiral Ernest LaRoche and Admiral Johannes Christopsen arrived on board the command ship in the blockade to assist Rear Admiral Adam Dakinsun in commanding the fleet. The Duquesne National Army, commanded by General Thomas Dubois, began to board trains in Pontiac headed to the ports in Marquette, where they would prepare to leave to begin the invasion of Isle d’Auguste. In the remaining weeks leading up to the invasion, bombing runs by the Duquesne Naval Air Corps lessened in number, as not many targets remained that could be destroyed beyond repair. On September 7th, 1927, the Duquesne National Army troops boarded passenger liners to join up with the blockade, and to prepare for a September 9th invasion of the island. A final bombing run hit inland defenses on September 8th doing more damage to the moral of the Augustinians than the actual defenses. Finally, on September 9th, the Duquesne National Army, numbering about 45,000, landed in Port Blanc. The troops faced little partisan resistance, and quickly realized that the Augustinians had abandoned the major cities for inland defenses in the jungle. General Thomas Dubois met with a former leader of Isle d’Auguste’s Provincial Guard to learn more about the geography of the territory, while members of the Duquesne Red Cross began to provide necessary food and medical supplies to the citizens of Port Blanc. General Thomas Dubois determined that capturing Augustaville would be the next objective, so he dispatched 30,000 troops under the command of Commander Vincent Masson, another defected Auvernian military leader, to take the city. The group faced significant partisan resistance, but little to no military retaliation, and so Augustaville was taken on September 20th. The forces in Augustaville skirmishes on and off with Augustinian troops in the outskirts of the city for several weeks, which lowered morale of the troops present. Several bombing runs were attempted to push back the harassing Augustinian troops, but they all proved to be unsuccessful. On October 4th, a hurricane moved in and it ravaged forces on both sides. Several hundred Duquesnians, Augustinians, and civilians were killed, injured, and ended up missing due to the Category 5 storm. More aide from the Duquesne Red Cross was sent to help the civilians, and struggling Duquesne National Army recover from the hurricane. During the period of recovery, the Augustinians seized the opportunity to strike the Duquesnians while they were weak, and they launched a guerilla warfare campaign on the 29,500 that remained in Augustaville. This ten day offensive resulted in several hundred Duquesnians killed with only a couple dozen Augustinian casualties. However, the attacks severely depleted the ammunition of the Augustinians, and they were forced to retreat back into the jungle. Seeing little progress in the invasion, President Jacques Dufour met with General Marques Nelson of the Duquesne National Marines, and deployed 10,000 of the elite Marine Corps’ troops to assist the struggling Duquesne National Army. After reorganizing supplies and troops, as well as adding the 10,000 elite troops from the Duquesne National Marines, General Thomas Dubois began planning the final inland offensive. On October 29th, the combined Duquesne ground forces began pushing inland, however were met with tough terrain, making the use of vehicles virtually impossible. Civilian partisans that supported the Augustinians began to attempt to smuggle supplies to the struggling forces in the middle of the jungle. However, these partisans were largely rounded up and detained by the Duquesne National Army, and the Augustinians went on without the supplies. By November 14th, many of the Augustinians were starving, and President-Commander Oliver allowed 4,000 wounded and starving troops to surrender to the Duquesne National Marines. However, the remaining Augustinians pledged to fight to the death for their leader. For the next week, the Augustinians entrenched around the centuries old Duquesne fortifications, and managed to fend off attacks, yet ran desparately low on ammunition. This left every other man without a firearm. Another 4,000 men were permitted by President-Commander Oliver to surrender to the Duquesne National Marines. This left around 3,000 Augustinian troops in the defense, many of them incapable of fighting. The Duquesne National Marines reached the Augustinian stronghold on November 23rd, 1927 and successfully killed President-Commander Oliver. His top aides briefly met before committing suicide, and the majority of the remaining Augustinian troops held a fixed bayonet charge shouting their alliegance to President-Commander Oliver as they ran at the Duquesne National Army. For the next 3 weeks, the Duquesne National Army swept over the island acting as a “police force” arresting and fighting off the last remaining detachments of partisan fighters and Augustinians. The majority of the policing took place in Augustaville, where most of the partisan resistance was found. However, the last Augustinian detachment unconditionally surrendered to the Duquesne National Marines on December 10th, 1927. Victory was proclaimed by General Thomas Dubois, and the streets of Marquette filled with citizens cheering and waving Duquesne flags as the last tie to the Duquesne War of Independence was over, and the Isle d’Auguste was liberated. Within a week, former provincial governor Marques d’Este was implemented as interim governor pending elections, and 5,000 members of the Duquesne National Army were left on the island to remain as a federal police force, and to re-establish and train the Provincial Guard of Isle d’Auguste. By December 17th, the 11,000 captured Augustinian troops were back on the mainland, where they were put on trains to Pontiac to be treated for their wounds and conscripted for military service before being reassigned to the Concordia Military Battery. Finally, on January 1st, 1928, Isle d’Auguste was once again ratified as a Province of The Republic of Duquesne. This ended the 3 year campaign for independence, and left Duquesne a totally independent nation without any immediate conflicts, allowing for a new era of Duquesne industrialization and discovery.

The Picardian Distributionist Era (1933-1938)

The Duquesne National Assembly held emergency elections in October of 1933, due to the assassination of the entire Presidential cabinet by Mariranan forces, and Jean Francois-Jacobieu, a Picardian Distributist, was elected President of The Republic of Duquesne. President Francois-Jacobieu was left with the daunting task of rebuilding a broken nation. The people of Duquesne had no time to heal or rebuild from the catastrophic civil war before they were thrust into the Great War. In an effort to avoid yet another conflict, whether internal or external, the government began to implement isolationist policies, with the ultimate goal of complete isolation. Trade restrictions were lifted, with the removal of the occupying Mariranans, but President Francois-Jacobieu chose to keep the economics isolated from the outside of the world. Hundreds of thousands of new construction and military jobs were created in the first five months of the Francois-Jacobieu administration, as the government needed to repair sewage systems, power lines, water systems, roads, bridges, railway tracks, government buildings, and the newly commissioned Duquesne Border wall, which would stretch along all of Duquesne’s borders except that of the border wall with the Federation, Duquesne’s closest ally. The rebuilding process lasted until 1937, during the Samuel Le-Pen-Dune administration. During these years, the economy was stagnant, as most of Duquesne industry, other than construction and mining, had been decimated. Millions of acres of farmland had been destroyed by the prescence of heavy military vehicles, frequent bombings, and the mass carnage left behind in the fields. In January of 1934, in his yearly address, President Francois-Jacobieu announced the creation of the veterans protection agency, in order to properly bury the fallen soldiers still scattered on many of the battlefields and mountains, as well as to care for permanently injured veterans. The public put major support behind the industry, until the tax increases were announced. The government's budget was already almost depleted due to the mass reconstruction efforts that had begun immediately after President Francois-Jacobieu took office. President Samuel Le-Pen-Dune, also a Picardian Distributist, was elected in the fall of 1934. His previous experience in public service included serving as the interim chairman of the National Assembly during the Francois-Jacobieu administration. He continued the mass reconstruction campaign, and also oversaw the opening of several new veterans cemeteries and memorials to commemorate the work of Duquesne troops during the Civil War and the Great War. In The border wall was completed on February 16th, 1937, and was opened with a special ceremony to honor the work of the construction teams, and of the soldiers who died defending and re-taking Duquesne. Due to new policies passed by the Duquesne National Assembly, Presidential Terms were shortened to 3 years due to a power struggle within the committee. Total isolation was ordered in 1937 by President Jacques Dubois, the last of Duquesne’s presidents in the Picardian Distributist Era. The only ties that Duquesne had to the outside world were with the Federation, and the Vatican. With the sudden death of President Dubois in 1938, Duquesne was once again left without a leader. The committee began appointing military leaders to the presidency, the first being General George Bucard. This presidency began the Burmeoisian Distributionist Era, ending the period of rebuilding, and moving into a new era of Duquesne isolated from the world.

The Burmeoisian Distributionist Era (1938-1959)

The Burmeoisian Distributionist era began with the appointment of General George Bucard to the Presidency in July of 1938 following the death of President Jacques Dubois. General Bucard was a veteran of the Great war, as he helped coordinate the efforts with Federation forces during the beginning of “Operation Duquesne Freedom”. During his one year in office he worked closely with his ally in the Assembly, Chairman Marcel Crecy, to continue implementing total isolation policies, and constructing impenetrable defenses around the country. General Bucard knew full well the damage that the great war caused, being one of the only surviving administration officials able to see the carnage and destruction left on the people of the Vallee de Cuivre. He also managed to cut completely the foreign aid budget, and he used the funds to complete and toughen the Duquesne border wall, and its surrounding defenses. The economy was still churning compared to the depression in the late 20s, but compared to economies throughout the rest of the world, it was dismal, due to the economic isolation and lack of foreign trade. General Bucard served as President from July 3rd to May 3rd 1938-1939. On May 3rd, Chairman Marcel Crecy was elected President of the Republic of Duquesne. The election was controversial, because it was thought to have been rigged, but no one dared challenge the results, for the civil war remained close in the memories of many of Duquesne’s citizens. Marcel Crecy also made several controversial moves as President, beginning with his unprecedented appointment of the Chairman of the National Assembly. He appointed a political ally, Etienne Floren, to lead the passing of legislation that pushed Crecy’s agenda forward. However, it was discovered that Floren, along with a slieu of staff members, violently threatened opposite party’s Assemblymen, which convinced them to always vote aligned with the wishes of the President. This led to the resignation, and imprisonment of both Crecy and Floren, charged with making violent threats to Assemblymen, and dozens of ethics violations. They were both sentenced to 20 years in prison. An emergency election was called in the summer of 1941 in order to fill the Presidency and the Chairmanship of the National Assembly. However, military leaders did not trust a tattered National Assembly to begin and regulate a new election process. As a result, the military seized control of the Duquesne government on September 1st. The Field Marshal of the Duquesne Army, Marques Swanson, assumed power, and successfully led a new election cycle, organizing and managing the Provincial Elections, and the final election in the National Assembly. He also amended the constitution, so that the winner of the Presidential Election would serve without a term limit, in order to restore public civility and trust in the government. Germain F. Chevalier was elected President of Duquesne in the Spring of 1942, becoming the President that would serve without a term limit. He began his administration by holding meetings with members of the Federation Government in order to ask for money to expedite the rebuilding process from the Great War. Much of the National Infrastructure, as well as millions of acres of farmland, and the city of Marquette, were still damaged from the Civil War in the 20s, and the Great War, which had ravaged much of Duquesne. The Federation began making investments in rebuilding Duquesne, which involved the development of new buildings in Marquette, as well as the repair of rail lines, and the restoration of tens of thousands of acres of farmland. This investment was able to give a boost to the economy, unseen since the administrations in the beginning of the Picardian Distributionist Era. As 1944 approached, the city of Marquette had been completely fixed of all damages left by the wars of the 20s and 30s. In addition, the economy was churning back to that of the Perrier administration, as the farmlands began producing product again, and the fixed rail lines began distributing products throughout Duquesne again. President Chevalier became extremely popular among the people of Duquesne. In 1947, as he turned 70, he began the restructuring of the Duquesne government, preparing for the next administration to take power. He dismissed all members of the Duquesne government, other than his essential cabinet, military leaders, and government agency staffers. This led to the dismissing of all Provincial Representatives, Provincial Governors, and National Assemblymen. He began the new election process in 1948, which saw a surge in isolationists taking power throughout the country. President Chevalier did not want to return to the unsuccessful isolationism that had ruled Duquesne since the end of the Great War, so he began to appeal to Federation companies to make more investments in Duquesne industry, in order to make isolationism less appealing. Yet, 8 of the 15 provinces elected Isolationist governors, which led to the appointment of a pro-isolationism majority National Assembly. This greatly troubled President Chevalier, yet he worked to continue bipartisan cooperation with the isolationists in the National Assembly. The 1948 elections gave the Duquesne people even more confidence in President Chevalier, since he did not attempt to alter the election results, or scare the Assemblymen into voting (like Presidents before him). In the beginning of 1949, President Chevalier signed new bills of legislation to begin construction of interstate highways, in order to provide paved roads to both transport Duquesnians across the country by car, but also to create thousands of jobs in both the automotive and construction industries. It worked. Tens of thousands of Duquesnians began taking jobs as construction workers, surveyors, and car and truck manufacturers, which eliminated Duquesne unemployment, and even caused the government to begin accepting immigration from the surrounding countries of Marirana, Roeselle, and the Federation. This saw a wave of investment by the Duquesne Trucking Company, founded by the Goldman Mining Corporation in 1949, and the Duquesne Automotive Company, founded by the Bank of Marquette in 1953. While Duquesne did not allow foreign cars and trucks to be imported, the government allowed countries like the Federation to invest in the industries, in order to boost their economic success and importance in Duquesne. This new Interstate Act successfully boomed the economy for the next 6 years, as thousands of miles of new roads were constructed, and as hundreds of thousands of new cars and trucks began using these new roads. However, the happiness in the country came to a grinding halt in January of 1959, when President Chevalier was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He gave a speech to the nation on January 17th, 1959, asking for the prayers of the Duquesne people as he battled his illness. He served out 4 more months to the best of his ability, highlighting the period with the Veteran Care Act, which provided free healthcare to all Duquesne military veterans who had served in combat during the Civil War and during the Great War. However, he succumbed to his illness on May 8th, 1959. The Chairman of the House of Delegates, David Green, declared 17 days of National Mourning, since President Chevalier had served as President for 17 years. A holiday was quickly established by the Duquesne National Assembly, naming January 17th as Chevalier Day, to remember the life of President Chevalier. This ended the Burmeoisian Distributionist Era, and began the period of Picardian Restoration.

Geography

Map of Duquesne with major cities labeled

Provinces and Territories of Duquesne

Hautes Terres de Cuivre

The Northern Haute territory is named after the Hautes Mountains. The economy of the territory has been centered around the mining industry since before the founding of Duquesne, and in the past 50 years, tourism with the establishment of several national parks . The most common mines are for coal and copper. While not having an organized provincial government, or a seat on the national Delegation, it maintains major significance in the national economy.

Vallee de Cuivre

Vallee de Cuivre is the province to the west of Hautes Terres de Cuivre. It is full of valleys, as it sits next to the Hautes Mountain range. The province is not highly populated, but it is filled with large farms, critical to Duquesne’s farming industry. Tourism of battlefields along the Federation border is also a growing industry, since the Vallee was bridge of both Marirana and the Federation in and out of Duquesne. It also is very important to the Duquesne Trucking Industry, due to its many warehouses along the open highway roads.

Sud-Centralia

Sud-Centralia is the province to the North of Hautes Terres de Cuivre. It has some valleys, but mostly rolling hills and plains. It is critical to the Duquesne Military and government, as it borders Asteria. In recent years, the border with Asteria has urbanized, and cities are extending further and further into the ancient farmland. With the recent joining of the JDF, plans to bring in many Asterian military vehicles and equipment, along with Asterian Vehicles. Many vehicle factories and transport facilities are also being constructed, due to the new influx of imported Asterian and Valentir vehicles.

Pays Compache

Pays Compache is the province to the East of Sud-Centralia. The province is filled with rocky, rolling hills, which are home to a major portion of Duquesne’s mining industry. Many types of rocks used in home construction are mined and collected here, and they are distributed by train and by Tractor-Trailer all across Duquesne. It is also rumored that the Duquesne government has been digging tunnels in that land for centuries for use in smuggling of goods, and spying on neighboring countries.

Vallee Verte

Vallee Verte is the province that holds the largest open farmland in all of Duquesne. Other than the few rocky hills to its northern border with Pays Compache, the province is filled with open farmland, and small Agrarian communities. The province also pioneered Duquesne’s railroad industry, particularly the cargo industry, and it is home to the largest railroad company, The Verte Railroad Company. (see Verte Railroad Company) The Verte Railroad company maintains the position of the largest amount of agricultural products transported per year, as the vast farming communities produce considerable amounts of grain and other vegetables. A separate government railroad line also goes through the province, which leads to a series of government food storage facilities, to supply the people with food in case of drought.

Vallee de Ste. Marc

Vallee de Ste. Marc lies to the south of Vallee Verte. It lies as the Easternmost Province in the “Indigenous Secture” of Duquesne. It is in the valley of the Sahos Mountains, named after an indigenous tribe found in Northern Mariana, and the surrounding valleys of the Sahos bordering Mariana. The valleys are a rich, rainforest like area, where Duquesne’s coffee industry thrives. The jungle itself is part of the Greater Rossean Rainforest/Jungle, and is home to many secret military outposts.

Vallee Catacosse

Vallee Catacosse borders Vallee de Ste. Marc to the west. It is still a major factor within Duquesne’s coffee industry, however, it is home to Duquesne’s southern military base network. Special Forces are trained in the Rainforests, and soldiers constantly patrol the border both on foot, and in the air.

Grande Marecage

Grande Marecage is the province to the west of Vallee Catacosse. It is similar to the neighboring valleys in that it is filled with rich rainforests and a thriving coffee industry, but it is also a major part of the copper mining industry, as its companies control mines throughout the Sahos.

Sahos

The Sahos territory contains the Sahos mountain range, and the majority of the indigenous population of Duquesne. While not playing much of a political or economic relevance, its economy is still important for the mining industry.

Alpena

Alpena is the province to the North of Grande Marecage. It plays a significant role in the copper mining industry alongside Grande Marecage. It is most famous for its agriculture in the valleys, with major crops of wheat and cotton. It contains a major hub for the Marquette Trucking Company.

Passerelle de Sud

Passerelle de Sud is the southeasternmost province in Duquesne. It has a very small population, as it is a swampy wasteland, and the smallest province in population. The economy is practically irrelevant, other than its fishing industry.

Envale

Envale is the province to the direct north of Passerelle de Sud. It is a higher population area filled with factories for metals and metal-related goods. It is also a major railroad hub for the Verte Railroad Company, as it maintains direct lines from the copper and iron mines to the factories. The Duquesne military also manufactures ammunition, and military vehicles in Envale.

Nouvel Cuvimont

Nouvel Cuvimont is the province to the north of Envale. It has a large population, and its entire economy is based on agriculture growth, particularly wheat, cotton, and corn. The Verte railroad company also has hubs here, which go straight to the agricultural storage warehouses, where Tractor Trailers distribute the products around Duquesne.

Tuscinaw

Tuscinaw is the biggest province in terms of land, and comes close to highest population. With many cities, it is one of the most urban of the provinces, with manufacturing and work in the highrises for major corporations dominates the economy. Cost of living is extremely high, only lower than Hautesaeux.

Terre-Moyenne

Terre Moyenne is the province to the southwestern side of Hautesaeux. It holds major significance to the Duquesne military, as many military barracks and Air Force bases dwell in this province, due to its close proximity to the Capital City. The non-military population works in factories producing many goods for the military, such as uniforms and ammunition. There is no major farming industry in Terre-Moyenne, yet, the Railroad and Trucking industries remain vital to the nationwide distribution of uniforms and ammunition, among other vital military goods.

Hautesaeux

Hautesaeux is the most vital province to all of Duquesne. Being towards the center of the country, and home to Marquette, the nationwide Capital, it holds vital importance to the government of Duquesne, as all major Federal Government buildings are in the province. The Marquette river runs into the Great Lake, Lac Transversae, home to Duquesne’s Navy and various cargo and fishing industries. The beach along Lac Transversale is also a major tourist attraction for the country, and has several docks for private boating companies to take passengers across the lake and view the various wildlife and natural wonders. The most urban of the provinces, and the province with the highest cost of living, Hautesaeux represents the innovation of the people of Duquesne, and shows a bright future.

Charbonne

Charbonne is the province to the direct East of Hautesaeux. It is a very urban province, and holds the majority of the water-trade with Hautesaeux through the country’s “Great Lake”, Lac Transversale, and the many other rivers such as the Marquette River, and the River of Greater Charbonne. These rivers, along with the Great Lake and other bodies of water, make up the majority of the fishing industry in Duquesne.

Politics

Government

Infographic of Duquesne Government Structure

Number of local districts in each province, 2018

Political Majorities and Maps in Duquesne, 2018

Current House of Delegates by political majority, 2018

Current Political layout based on party, 2018

Political Parties in the Republic of Duquesne, 2018

Party	Position	Idealogy	Leader	Seats in the Duquesne House of Delegates	Bloc
Christian Democratic Party	Center-Right	Pro-JDF, Christian Democracy, Conservatism	Marques Swen	4 / 15	Liberal-Conservative
Agrarian Coalition	Center	Agrarianism, Centrism, Environmentalism	Arthur Macron	8 / 15	Liberal-Conservative
Working Families’ Front	Left	Socialist, Distributionist, Isolationist, Nationalist	Maria Le-Pen-Dune	2 / 15	Equalists-Distributionists
Reform Party	Center	Liberalism, Constitutional Republicanism	Emmanuel Tibhirino	0 / 15	Reform
Populist Party	Center-Right	Populism	Samuel Jacobieu IV	1 / 15	Liberal-Conservative
Cooperativist Party	Far-Left	Cooperativism, Internationalism, Postmodernism	Benedict Triganuo	0 / 15	Equalists-Distributionists
Conservative Party	Center-Right	Classical Liberalism, Constitutional Republicanism, Social Conservatism	Therese Meurka	0 / 15	Liberal-Conservative

Duquesne's Foreign Relations

Duquesne has isolated itself from the outside world for almost 100 years. However, the current administration led by the Christian Democrats and President Marques Swen are attempting to de-isolate, and move into the realm of international politics, trade, and overall relations. President Marques Swen announced in March of 2018 his decision to send a delegation to the JDF, in hopes of establishing new relations and eventually joining the pact. This resulted in Duquesne being unanimously voted into the JDF, which will be critical in Duquesne's continued de-isolating.

Duquesne Military

A Duquesne Military Jeep

Army

The Duquesne National Army consists of 200,000 active duty men, and 500,000 men in reserves. All men are required to serve in some capacity of the Duquesne Military for 3 years, beginning at age 21. However, benefits are extended to those who choose to remain in service, and move through the ranks of the military. No females are allowed in combat in the Duquesne National military, except as combat nurses and doctors. The army uses helicopters and cargo planes to transport its troops, and uses Jeeps, Tanks, and Turreted HUM-Vs. The military is often used as border protection, and as guard for important government buildings and officials.

A Duquesne Navy Patrol Ship in Lac Transversale

Navy

A Duquesne Air Force Bomber Landing at Dufour Air Force Base

The Duquesne Navy is comprised of only smaller, yet quick boats, used to patrol Lac Transversale, and the other big lakes found in Duquense. It is made up of only 5,000 active duty sailors, with 2,000 in reserve. The boats used are Cyclone-Class patrol ships, which station roughly 50 sailors per ship.

Air Force

A border patrol vehicle patrols the border with Mariana

The Duquesne Air Force is a larger operation, patrolling the airspace in Duquesne, and managing a surveillance operation in nations surrounding Duquesne, as well as in international waters. It also manages and monitors the new Duquesne Missile Defense System, gifted to Duquesne by the Federation of Asteria in August. The Air Force uses spy planes, cargo planes, fighter jets, and bombers. It has 20,000 active duty members with 10,000 in reserve. It also manages and operates the Presidential planes, and ensures that the presidential plane is always guarded when in flight. Fighter jets patrol the skies of Duquesne, and are always on standby if unidentified objects enter Duquesne Air Space. The fighter jet of choice of the Duquesne Air Force is the f-35 Lightning ii, useful for ground assault and mid-air combat. The bomber of choice is the B-52 Stratofortress, although not used often, remains the pinnacle of Duquesne’s bombing fleet.

Border Patrol

The Duquesne Border Patrol is made up of 300,000 active duty soldiers, with 50,000 in reserve. They use equipment similar to that of the army, yet they also maintain the various walls and customs entry points on the Duquesne border. They follow the strict immigration laws, and prevent mass-immigrations of refugees, or illegal immigrants.

Demographics

Healthcare

Healthcare in the Republic of Duquesne is completely private sector. The Duquesne government since the Chevalier administration has not acted to publicize healthcare, as the general consensus has been that a private healthcare system will ensure quality in care and in pricing, as companies will be forced to compete with each other. The first private health insurance firm in Duquesne, Quorexta, was founded in 1950 by a shareholding group that owned major stock in the Verte Railroad Company, and in several paving companies who had been contracted by the government of Duquesne to work on the Interstate Highway legislation. The company initially provided basic health insurance but quickly spread to the opening and management of hospitals and clinics throughout Duquesne to provide healthcare for the people. The industry is number 3 in the highest percent of Duquesne’s GDP in the private sector, only to Agriculture and Mining. Today, more than 20 insurance companies exist throughout Duquesne, both on the national and local levels, and roughly 78% of all Duquesnians have some form of health insurance.

Economy

Energy

One of Duquesne's Nuclear Power plants located in the Sahos mountains

Energy in Duquesne comes from a wide variety of sectors. The second biggest part of Duquesne’s economy is the coal mining industry, which is present in both of the mountain ranges of Duquesne. Coal is used for trains, as well as for heating in poorer agricultural sectors of the country. Solar power is uncommon, but is present in small quantity in the wealthy neighborhoods surrounding Marquette. Oil and gasoline is imported from the Federation of Asteria, and is used for Airplanes, and Automobiles. The government and the military uses mostly oil and gas, but has been working on Nuclear plants in the Sahos mountain range since the mid 1990s. Old coal mines are also being built up and used as facilities for containing and managing Nuclear Waste.

Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power was only introduced to Duquesne in the mid-1990s. It has never been available for commercial use, but has been used only by the government and the military. The Duquesne National Assembly would have to authorize the start of commercial nuclear Power, but there is virtually no support, and no legislation has made it passed the provincial bodies.

Solar Power

A typical house with solar panels

Current president Marques Swen started the Solar Power initiative in 2014 with hopes of the people of Duquesne switching to cleaner energy solutions. The initiative controls the sale of the panels, which are marketed to residential districts in and around the city of Marquette, and other major cities. Currently, there is no private sector, but when the practice becomes more common and affordable, a private market is expected to thrive in the open rolling hills and fields.

Oil and Gasoline

A train carrying oil and gasoline throughout Duquesne

Most of Duquesne’s oil and gasoline is imported from other countries, but a small amount of heating oil is produced by Standard Oil, the company with complete control over Duquesne’s oil wells and infrastructure. Gasoline companies are numerous, but the most popular companies are the Duquesne Gas company, Marquette Gasoline, and Gallois Fuel Services. These 3 companies dominate the industry with gas stations all across the country. They employ hundreds to thousands of people because federal law in Duquesne requires gas to be pumped into vehicles by a gas station attendant, a policy established in the 1930s after the civil war in an effort to create jobs.

A train transports coal from the Sahos Mountains

Coal

The coal industry makes up the second largest sector of Duquesne’s economy behind agriculture. Both the mining and transport industries combine to employ tens of thousands of workers, across many different companies. The Duquesne Government controls coal mining, but sells it to the distribution companies, and in the near future, plans to open the doors to international trade. The two distributors of coal are Cuivre Coal, and Sahos Coal Distributors. Both companies have monopolies on their respective regions, but are the middleman to many other energy companies, and foreign entities. The most common form of transporting coal is by way of train, but since the mid-1980s, transport of coal has started to happen via tractor trailers. The trucking industry in Duquesne employs thousands of workers, 30 percent of those being coal drivers. The majority of coal transport remains on railways, which are also powered by coal. The Verte Railroad Company has contracts with both distributing companies, and it transports their product, along with tractor trailers all across Duquesne. From the distributors, the local energy companies send coal to power furnaces, factories, and poorer residential districts.

Transport

Railroad

The Entirety of Duquesne's Railroading industry is the Verte Railroad Company

The Verte Railroad Company

A coal train moves through Vallee Verte

The Verte Railroad Company has been filled with controversy and public scandal since the dawn of the Duquesne Railroad industry. Not only did it pioneer the industry, but it monopolized control over all of the Major Commuter and Cargo railways, with the exception to city and suburban subway lines. The company was founded by Donald Gerard, Brother to the Founding leader turned dictator, General Arthur Gerard. He made millions of dollars in nationwide illegal tax collections, with which he founded the Verte Railroad Company. Due to the unregulated free-market policies, The company was able to monopolize the rail industry, and laid thousands of miles of track all across the country. The company continued to embed itself in controversy during the Duquesne Civil War. The company indirectly aligned itself with the Populist rebels in public, but actively supported rebels in secret. The company transported rebels free of charge around the country, as well as donated funds and hauled weapons around the country. It came under major scrutiny once this was revealed 5 years after the Civil War ended, but quickly paid itself out of trouble. It began to receive government funding in the 1970s, and was purchased by the Bank of Duquesne in 1988. The Bank’s funding was able to renovate the entire railway system as well as purchase and research new trains and other equipment. As a result, the Bank rose to become the most powerful corporation in Duquesne, and now, as a result of its immense commercial power, is facing government intervention. The infrastructure of the company is throughout all of Duquesne. In Marquette, and its suburbs, subways and newer train equipment is used throughout the lines. Throughout most of Duquesne, however, most of the trains are still coal powered, and are centerpieces of society.

Air Travel

Airports

Marquette International Airport

The major airport in Duquesne is Marquette International Airport. It is located just outside Marquette, Duquesne’s capital, alongside the Marquette River, which feeds into lac transversale. It has six terminals, as it is Duquesne’s only international airport, and it is the most modern and high tech airport in the country. The air industry was founded in the late 1960s with the introduction of several airline companies, as well as deals made with other international companies selling space in the international terminals. There are many other regional airports within Duquesne, but none comparable to Marquette International Airport

Airlines

Name	Area of Service	Popularity
Duquesne Airlines	Nationwide and International Service	The Nation’s Luxury Airline with the most airplanes and overall flights in the country. It has a very high popularity and Customer ratings. It pioneered Duquesne’s air industry, as early investments on its part established it as the most powerful and well-known airline within the country.
Agrarian Airways	Nationwide Service	Agrarian Airways is made up of all propeller planes made for use in the farm valleys only. The business also has a sector for crop-dusting, however, which makes up about a quarter of their yearly revenue.
Budget Air	Service from the Southwest and West to Marquette and between	Budget Air is a popular airline for their reliable service, quality airplanes, and inexpensive price. The business is also a major player in the cargo industry, and is chartered by the Duquesne National Post Service.
Sahos Airlines	Service to the jungle valleys of the Sahos, and its northeastern territory	Sahos Airlines is a small airline, using old jets, and providing cheap regional service.
Southeastern Air	Service to the Southeast, but also the Northernmost provinces	One of the biggest Nation-wide presences in the industry. Big aircraft for passenger and cargo service.
Marquette Airlines	Service to the high populated provinces around Marquette	Marquette Airlines prides itself on its brand new, top-of-the-line aircraft and equipment. High customer ratings, and high price tags appeal to the wealthiest of Duquesne
Transversale Air Travel	Service to the high populated provinces around Marquette	Transversale Air Travel is a biplane company specializing in small aircraft and helicopters for tourism around Marquette and Lac Transversale, as well as advertising with sky banners along the beaches.

Duquesne Automotive Industry

The original Duque Car

The Duquesne Automotive Company

A Duquesne Automotive Company Pickup

The Duquesne Automotive industry became relevant in the 1950s, while still fighting off the fierce competition of the horse and buggy. Duquesne Automotive LLC was founded by the Bank of Marquette, which was the only company willing to risk an investment in an infant industry. They developed the “Duque” as the first automobile model in the company’s history. It became extremely popular in the city, which caused the company to file a patent both in manufacturing, and in the “4-wheeled civilian vehicle”. For decades, many potential companies attempted to take the ruling to court, which failed, resulting The Duquesne Automotive Company purchasing a large number of these companies. It maintains its monopoly today, and no company has challenged the patent ruling since 2003. Since then, the government has invested billions of dollars establishing a national highway system, which created jobs for thousands of Duquesians. Trucking companies carrying manufactured cargo, agricultural products, or coal and iron from the mines pack the highways, making the upkeep of highways essential to the Duquesne economy. Since its founding, The Duquesne Automotive Company has expanded into the pick-up truck market, mimicking several models from The Federation of Asteria. It has become wildly successful in Duquesne, and has been the most sold vehicle since 1987. The Company attempted to enter the luxury and sports car industry, but failed miserably, so the wealthiest Duquesians have resorted to importing foreign cars for decades.

Duquesne Trucking Industry

A Current-Day Velo Truck

Marquette Trucking Company

An original Velo Truck

The Marquette Trucking Company was founded in 1949 by the Goldman Mining Corporation. The Goldman Mining Corporation, which was founded in 1848, is the country’s largest, oldest, and most successful mining corporation. It owns mines in both the Hautes and Sahos mountain ranges, and for the first 125 years, relied on railroads only to transport their products throughout Duquesne, and to their factories and warehouses. However, seeing the rise in popularity of the Automobile, and seeing other countries’ continued use of “Tractor Trailers”, the company secretly sent a team of engineers to the Federation of Asteria to purchase an Asterian truck, and reverse engineer a new truck, taking blueprints and each part associated with the truck back to Duquesne, where they created the new truck, dubbed the “Velostar”, or the “Velo” for short. The Company built hundreds of these trucks, and immediately deployed them into service. The company now always had trucks on standby, and was able to transport its mined products much more efficiently. Today, the Marquette Trucking Company remains Duquesne’s only Tractor-Trailer vendor, and continues to serve the Goldman Mining Corporation, and other manufacturing organizations throughout Duquesne.

Culture

Dress

A wealthy Duquesne Couple

A female Duquense Farmer

Men and women wear clothing specific to their gender and profession. Cross dressing is extremely frowned upon, and in certain cases, is against the law in Duquesne.

Men

Traditional men’s dress is overalls with a straw hat, suitable for working long hours in the fields, or in the mines. Only the hat changes for formal events, switching to a cap. Affluent farmers or men in the cities wear business suits or other formal clothes. The way one dresses is a symbol of not only wealth or social status, but a symbol of your profession and professionalism.

Women

Traditional women wear a dress suitable for work, and for management of the household. Women in the cities wear a business suit, or dresses more opulent and better for city life. Women in the cities do not typically wear hats, but some women in the countryside wear straw hats, similar to those that men wear, but typically with a colorful ribbon wrapped around.

Literature

Most of the Duquesne population is literate, due to the high presence of schools, both Solarian Catholic, Private, and Vocational. Most of the books and pamphlets published in the Republic of Duquesne are either Religious, Political, or Historical books. One of the most famous historical books was written by President Jacques Dufour following the civil war, in which he wrote about his struggles and decisions during the civil war, and why the people of Duquesne must never fight each other in the capacity of civil war ever again. Reflections of a Conflict among Brothers remains the most sold book in Duquesne, only behind the Bible. In the past 20 years, bookstores have begun importing historical, political, and religious books and pamphlets from other neighboring countries, and even countries across the sea. Other types of literature, such as romance and other forms of extreme fiction, are highly frowned upon, and publishers are banned from publishing them.

Media

Television

Logo for the SRG

Duquesne has 3 major News Channels, the SRG, which is a government funded news organization, IDN, a pro-Isolationist, hardcore conservative news network, and the CDPN, the news source of the Christian Democratic Party. These Three National News sources each have local branches across certain provinces, and regions of smaller provinces. FS1 is the main sports telecasting channel, providing sports analysis, and individual sports coverage on each of its local broadcasters. The DEC, Duquesne Entertainment Company, and the HTV, History Television Network, control the most popular channels regarding “drama TV” and Historical Documentaries and Television Programs.

Radio

The SRG controls the only major national radio network, while local stations carry topics such as Music, News, Sports, and Politics.

Movies

The Duquesne Entertainment Company controls the majority of the films produced in Duquesne, and specializes in action films, and historical documentaries. Romance movies and other unethical dramas are against the law in Duquesne, for they violate the morals and principles of Solarian Catholic Doctrine, which is critical to the stability of Duquesne’s society. In recent years, films that correspond with the law have been imported from other countries, such as the Federation, and have caught major popularity in the country.

Music

Director Marques Benedicti of the Duquesne National Symphony Orchestra

The most common genres of music in Duquesne are Classical, Military Marches, Folk/Bluegrass, and Country. Each province has its own music stations that cater to the population, and in recent years, consumption of digital music has surpassed that of radio by almost 3 times as much. One of the most popular Orchestras in The Republic of Duquesne is the Duquesne National Symphony Orchestra, which is based in Marquette, but travels around the country and the world performing native songs, and international classics. In 1971, they also signed a multi-billion dollar contract to play soundtracks for movies produced by the Duquesne Entertainment Company, which gained the group even more popularity, and the funds to massively expand, and create music education programs throughout The Republic of Duquesne.