Altenland

The Altish Realm Das Altisches Reich
Flag National Emblem
Motto: Freiheit, Einheit und Vaterland
Anthem: Lied vom Vaterland
Capital and largest city	Hochstadt
Official languages	Standard Altische
Recognized languages	!Rhenish, !Bavarian, !Austrian, !Bohemian, !Moravian, !English
Ethnic groups	Altische (84%) Reynish (11%) !Mixed Slavs (3%) Other(2%)
Demonym(s)	Altish
Government	Unitary Valkist one-party state under an authoritarian dicatorship.
• Führer and Reichskanzler	Martin Winter
Legislature	Reichstag
• Upper house	Reichsrat
History
• Martin Winter becomes Chancellor	10 August 1926
• Sicheres Altenland Decree passed in the Reichstag	6 February 1927
• Neureich Act passed in the Reichstag	19 March 1928
• Death of President Ruppert Graff	22 April 1928
• Offices of Reich Chancellor and President merged; Winter declared Führer und Reichskanzler	2 May 1928
• Altish Annexation of Reynland	13 April 1931
Population
• 1931 estimate	64,384,201
Currency	Reichsmark (ℜ) (RMK)
Driving side	right

Altenland, (Reynish: Altany), also known by its official state title Das Altisches Reich, is a country located in central Cybellum. It borders Auberon and Gweryn to the north, Alytaj to the west, Hercynia and the Holy Aventine Empire to the south, and Freijian and the Auvernian Federation to the west. Coined as the Neureich, the modern Altish state is seen as the successor to the Altish Empire. which existed from 1840 until its collapse in 1919 as a result of the December Revolution.

The Valkistiche Volkspartei, known as the VV or simply as the Valkist Party, was formed primarily from the various Vorhut movements that were active in Altenland during the turbulent period following the Great War. Headed by the skilled orator and war veteran Martin Winter, the VV formed a coalition with other right-wing political parties active at the time, known as the Reichsbund, and achieved victory in the July 1926 Altish federal elections. Winter leveraged then-president, Ruppert Graff, to appoint him chancellor, saying that he would not participate in a coalition government unless he was its leader. Winter became Reichskanzler on 10 August 1926 at the behest of prominent right-wing politicians and industrialists. The Hochstadt Plot was used to pass the Sicheres Altenreich Decree in February 1927, allowing for the suppression of civil liberties and mass arrests of political opponents. The Neureich Act of 1928 gave Winter's government the power to make and enforce laws without the Reichstag or president, and the mysterious death of President Ruppert Graff in April of 1928 allowed Winter to merge the powers of the chancellery and presidency. A referendum in 1929 confirmed Winter as the sole Führer, or leader. Power was centralized in Winter's person.

In the midst of global economic recession, which had struck Altenland especially hard due to its already-weakened economic state following the Great War, the Valkists restored economic stability and ended unemployment. Financed by deficit spending, the regime has undertaken extensive public works projects, including the Autobahnen (motorways), hydro-electric dams, and a massive secret rearmament program, which gave rise to the Wehrmacht in 1931.

The Reynland issue is one of particular concern for the Valkists, as well as the broader international community. Occupied by Altenland during the Great War, the Reynland gained independence during the December Revolution. Martin Winter, citing the ethnic minority of Altish peoples living inside Reynland, sought to answer what he called the "Reynish Question". In April of 1931, the outbreak of a Altish-backed valkist coup in Reynland and retaliation by the Reynish government against the Altish minority in the country acted as justification for Altish troops to march into the Reynland, ousting the monarchy of King James V. and leading to the creation of a Reynish government-in-exile in Carolina. In the years since the Altish annexation, most outward resistance has been curtailed, though and underground resistance movement remains active, working to prevent the process of integration of the new provinces of Westfalen and Ragnau into the Reich.

Etymology

Altenland translates literally to "Old Land" or "Ancient Land", and is the term used by both Altisch and Reynish speakers. It was originally used in reference to the geographic area that now comprises Altenland and became more popular in the 18 Century as Pan-Altish sentiments were becoming more-popular among Altish monarchs in the region's many kingdoms and city-states. The formation of the Altish Empire in 1840 saw the term Altenland first used to describe the unified Altish state, however, this was used as the country's informal name, and the official state title of the Empire was "Das Altische Reich", which was changed to "Das Altische Kaiserreich" in 1876.

The use of the name "Neureich" ("New Reich") is common both within Altenland and abroad, although there are misconceptions about its origins and its practical usage. The term was first coined by Martin Winter and used in speeches in the early 1920s, and frequently used in his book Eine Neue Ornung to describe the new Altenland that he sought to built. In 1928, after Winter became Chancellor, the Neureich Act was a piece of legislation passed that gave Winter's government the power to make laws and issue decrees without parliament or the president. Despite its common usage, however, "Neureich" is not an official term, and the official state title remains "Das Alitsches Reich", a modification of the official state title under the Altish Empire and notably different from the official title under the Republic: Das Altisches Republik.

Background

Altenland was known as the Altish Republic between 1920 and 1928. It was a parliamentary democracy with a semi-presidential system that, from its inception after the December Revolution was plagued by hyperinflation, political extremism, contentious relationships with the victors of the Great War, and divided political parties that failed to yeild an effective coalition government. Severe setbacks to the Altish economy began shortly after the Great War ended, a large part being from reparations payments required under the 1920 Treaty of Verdon. The government printed money in order to make the payments and repay the country's war debt, but the resulting hyperinflation led to inflated prices for consumer goods, widespread shortages and food riots. Unemployment skyrocketed to a height of 30% in 1921 as the Altish wartime economy transitioned back into peacetime and millions of veterans returned home to find a lack of employment opportunities.

The Altish left-wing, which had so effectively brought about the destruction of the Lieber Monarchy, was itself dissatisfied with the state of affairs in Altenland. The common perception among Altish communists and socialists was that moderates in parliament had betrayed the revolution and thus, with center-left and centrist parties in power, formed active paramilitary organizations that engaged in street violence throughout the country. The government reacted by banning several far-left political organizations, but in most cases, the bans only served to further-placate leftist movements and encourage them to organize a second revolution. In response to the ever-present threat of communist takeover, the Vorhut took shape. Comprising mainly of veterans of the Great War, early Vorhut (Rhenish: Vanguard) organizations had been instrumental during the December Revolution, having beaten communist paramilitaries in Münzen and facilitating the destruction of the People's Republic of Küstern and Lauenmark. In the early Republican period, Vorhut movements resigned themselves to opposing leftist political movements throughout Altenland, and were often depended upon heavily by the national and state governments to oppose leftist efforts.

The Valkist People's Party (Valkistiche Volkspartei), commonly known as the Valkist Party, was born in January 1922 out of the remnants of the Vorhut movements in southern Altenland. The Valkist platform included the destruction of the Altish Republic, rejection of the Treaty of Verdon, and the implementation of valkist ideas relating to race, religion and culture. They promised a strong central government, the formation of a national community based on culture, and the full integration of the Reynland into the Reich. The party, especially its original paramilitary wing Volksgarde (VG; People's Guard), became a visible symbol of the Altish right-wing in the mid-1920s, often engaging in political violence against left-wing revolutionary movements, disrupting their meetings and attacking their members, which was customary among political paramilitary forces during this period.

The failure of the Altish government to enact effective economic reform and alleviate the burden placed upon the Altish people caused internal political strife to reach a boiling point in 1926. The Valkist Party had been campaigning for years, and its platform was met with a positive reaction from the disenfranchised population of Altenland. In the July 1926 Altish federal elections, the Valkists won a major victory, securing 227 of 650 total seats. Combined with their right-wing allies in the Reichsbund, the Valkist-led coalition enjoyed 408 seats in total, or a 62% majority.

History

Valkist rise to power

(Main article: Martin Winter's rise to power)

Politics

Ideology

(Main Article: Valkism)

Martin Winter, Peter Pappenheim and Walther Lautmann perform the Valkist salute at the Hapsburg Rally, August 1934.

The Valkists are a far-right political party which arose during the social and financial upheavals that arose in the aftermath of the Great War. The party was formed in 1922 after the failed Münzen Putsch, when right-wing Vorhut paramilitary organizations were banned from operating in most states in Altenland. The Valkistiche Volkspartei (VV) saw limited success in the 1924 Altish federal election, securing only 29 seats, or 4% in the Reichstag. In 1926, after the formation of the Reichsbund with other right-wing parties and extensive campaigning, the Valkist Party alone secured 227 of 670 seats, or 33% of seats. Combined with its partners, the Valkists achieved a 60% majority.

While in prison after the failed Münzen Putsch, despite having had no direct involvement, Martin Winter wrote Eine Neue Ordnung, which laid out his plans for transforming Altish society and conforming it to his valkist ideals. Valkist ideology brought together elements of cultural supremacy, authoritarianism, eugenics, and combined them with pan-Altishism and territorial expansion with the goal of "righting the wrongs" of the Treaty of Verdon and achieving Autarky for the Altish people.

Volksgemeinschaft

The regime has worked to restructure the Reich into one adhering to the concepts of Volksgemeinschaft, or "People's Community", rooted in the notion of uniting all peoples across class divides to achieve national purpose and unity. In the Valkist vision of Volksgemeinschaft, society is to be organized into classes (based upon talent, property or profession), but there is to be no class conflict, because a common national consciousness will inspire different economic and social classes to live together harmoniously and work for the good of the nation. While the Valkist movement does not specifically alienate different races from participating in the people's community, it does state that harmony can only be achieved by ensuring that the people be "united in cause and in identity", establishing that the idea of 'foreign' should not be used to identify those who hail from outside of the community, but should indicate those within the community that fail or refuse to conform to its values and support its goals, whether or not they belong to the traditional Altish stock. To this effect, the idea of the Volk is not solely of racial origin, but transcends statehood and race.

Ständestaat

The Valkist state is based upon an organic collective in a natural hierarchy with an aristocracy based upon merit positioned at the highest echelon of society. In this system, social mobility is based upon merit, and the productivity and value the individual within the Volksgemeinschaft. Under Valkism, the Volk form certain "estates" that exist within the greater people's community, and the state promotes anti-liberalism, anti-individualism, and is anti-democratic. As opposed to other similar movements, Valkism rejects the role of organized religion as a pillar in the social structure, and instead vests its faith in the Führer to serve as the ultimate leader and mediator. Instead of the Epiphanian or Lyndanist faiths as a guiding model, a nationalist spiritualism for the state and the Volk is in proposed. Although the movement rejects Epiphanian corporatism, Lyndanist concepts of collectivism serve as inspiration for the Valkist model of social structure. The Ständestaat also serve an economic function, with the people organized into their "estates" based upon their profession. Employers and employees under the system are encouraged to work with one another to maximize productivity without neglecting wages or quality of life, with strict rules put in place by the government to ensure that this is made reality.

Legalistic Authoritarianism

The Valkist state is based on a formal constitution and is grounded in a legal framework as opposed to the standard despotism commonly adopted by authoritarian regimes. Peter Pappenheim serves as a leading legal theorist, and with Martin Winter himself, is responsible for laying the groundwork for the new Valkist constitution as well as the sweeping legal reforms that have taken place since the Valkists came to power. Valkist ideology establishes that a strong executive element of government is required for a government to act decisively, and that the dictator (Führer) is not in power merely to protect the status quo during times of crisis, but to set a new status quo. Under this system, the Führer must be a sovereign entity capable of opposing party politics, liberalism, and parliamentary infighting that, in the view of the Valkists' core founders, are the critical issue plaguing modern democracies.

Valkism also outlines an essential division between the liberal doctrine of separation of powers and what is seen as the nature of democracy itself: the identity of the rulers and the ruled. In Eine Neue Ordnung, Martin Winter wrote that "once the people are involved in the destiny of the state, however slight this involvement may appear to be, the state becomes democratic." Furthermore, an oligarchic party principal not dissimilar to the governments of the medieval period tends to work against the people. Valkism holds that the people must rally and unite behind the Führer, who in turn gives them voice.

The Friend-Enemy distinction also plays a major role in Valkist legalism, and is written about at-length in Eine Neue Ordnung: "The political enemy need not be morally evil or aesthetically ugly, but he is nevertheless the 'other', the stranger." Winter describes the "enemy" as whoever is "in a specially intense way, existentially something different and alien, making the probability to conflict in certain cases more likely." As seen by the Valkists, these enemies need not be based on race nor on nationality, and instead on the liklihood that conflict between him and the state will occur. The Friend-Enemy distinction is widely considered an "unimportant" distinction among Valkists, who believe that a national enemy is rarely chosen by virtue of morality or appearance alone, and that the ideas of prominent Valkist legalists have already been in practice for centuries.

Technophilia

Valkism fully embraces modernism and the technological and social evolutions that occur over time. Technological modernization and progress is not pursued for the sake of progress itself, however, and rather to be used as a tool to create and enhance the society and the state. In Eine Neue Ordnung, Martin Winter outlines his belief that the principle struggle faced by mankind is not one between classes and parties but between man and technology, and expressed his concerns about the effects a mechanized, highly modernized society will have on the human spirit, and that the technological apparatus of modernity has reached, or will soon reach, a point in which it has achieved a position of superiority over the common man. For this, Winter sees nationalism as the antidote to the anti-particularist materialism. In the Valkist state, the acceptance of any modern technique and the endorsement of any modern phenomena is imperative, and the overall subjugation and employment of new technologies and methods is critical to achieve the desired post-modern political order.

Trenchocracy

In his earliest speeches and writings, Martin Winter spoke of the emergence of a young intellectual elite born in the trenches of the Great War, ready to oppose bourgeois capitalism and to embody a new nationalist revolutionary spirit. In Eine Neue Ordnung, Winter expanded upon the concept, defining the concept as Aristokratie der Schützengräben, "Aristocracy of the Trenches", or Trenchocracy. The fundamental belief is that the Great War formed a fraternal bond between all of its participants regardless of social class or background, and in order to overcome class struggle and divisiveness, the state must cede power to militant and politically radicalized veterans as the new generation of natural leaders.

The Valkist regime has taken major steps towards implementing the concepts of Trenchocracy, with must of its leadership having served in some capacity in the Great War, or in the political violence that plagued Altenland in the aftermath of the war. An important deviation from standard militarist societies is that the Valkist state does not empower the military itself to encompass political functions, and establishes that military leaders and those immersed by conflict should rise to serve in the political capacity, separate from the uniformed armed forces.

Government

(Main: Government of Altenland)

Martin Winter rules Altenland by asserting the Führerprinzip ("leader principle"), which calls for absolute obedience by all subordinates. The Valkist state is structured as a pyramid, with himself positioned at the apex. Party rank is not determined by elections, and positions are filled through appointment by those of higher rank. Heavy use of propaganda has developed a cult of personality around Winter.

  Valkistiche Volkspartei (VV): 410 seats

  Vaterländisch Arbeiterpartei (VAP): 155 seats

  Unabhängigkeitspartei (UkP): 45 seats

  Reichspartei (RP): 40 seats

While top officials report to Winter and follow his policies, they maintain considerable autonomy. Winter expects officials to "work towards the Führer"- to take the initiative in promoting policies and taking actions in line with party goals and Winter's wishes, without his involvement in day-to-day decision-making. Due to the cult of personality surrounding the Führer and the centralization of political power around him, resulting in much of the government becoming a disorganized collection of factions led by the party elite, struggling to amass power and gain the Führer's favor. In this way, the fostering of distrust, competition and infighting among his subordinates has allowed Winter to further-consolidate and maximize his own power. The Reichstag, Altenland's parliament that existed under both the Imperial and Republican systems, has continued to exist under the Valkist regime, although its powers to legislate have been largely stripped away with Winter serving as both chancellor and president simultaneously. Federal elections have continued to be held following Winter's rise to power, but as of 1930, but are largely seen as illegitimate. Executive actions Winter, including the Neureich Act, have seen most organized political opposition outlawed, leaving only four political parties, all of which involved in the Valkist-led Reichsbund. Of these parties, the VV alone controls 410 seats, or 63% of total seats.

Altenland under the Valkist regime continues to utilize the administrative framework of the previous Altish Empire and Altish Republic, with the nation comprising of numerous Länder (constituent states), which were formerly independent kingdoms and duchies unified into the Altish Empire in 1840. With the creation of the Altish Republic in 1920, these former monarchist states took inspiration from the Atlesian system to reform the Länder into democratic, as part of the broader federation of Altish states. Under the Valkist regime, leadership of the Länder is by appointment, with all currently-serving state leaders (Staatsoberhäupter) selected by the Führer, though entrusted with a significant degree of autonomy. Local elections are still common in many parts of the country, though whether are not these are permitted is dependent upon the Staatsoberhäupter, as no executive action has been taken explicitly forbidding them from taking place. Still, in most instances, the VV is the only party present on local ballots, and Martin Winter continues to actively debate the idea of abolishing local elections in favor of appointment of mayors and other local leaders by the Reich Ministry of the Interior.

Law

(Main article: Law in Altenland)

In March 1930, civil servants and members of the military were required to swear and oath of unconditional obedience to Winter. These laws became the basis of the Führerprinzip, the concept that Winter's word overrides all existing laws. Any acts sanctioned by Winter, even murder, thus became legal, so long as they were ordered by the Führer. All legislation proposed by cabinet ministers is required to be approved by the office of Deputy Führer Peter Pappenheim, who also maintains the power to veto top civil service appointments.

The vast majority of the judicial system and legal codes of the Altish Republic remain in place to deal with non-political crimes, though the intensity of government prosecution of criminal offenses increased exponentially. People convicted of three or more offenses - even minor crimes such as petty theft or vandalism - may be jailed indefinitely. People such as prostitutes and pickpockets are judged to be inherently criminal and a threat to the community, leading to mass arrests of said individuals without trail.

The Volksgerichtshof ("People's Court") was established in 1930 to deal with political cases, making more than 11,000 arrests of political opponents and ordering 2,000 executions since its creation. Penalties can be issued for offenses such as being communist, printing seditious leaflets, or speaking negatively of the Altish military, especially related to its performance in the Great war. The Verpo is in charge of investigative policing to enforce Valkist ideology and confines political offenders and others seemed as undesirable or of particular threat to the state.

Military and paramilitary

Wehrmacht

(Main article: Wehrmacht)