Nikifor Osipov
Nikifor Antonovich Osipov | |
|---|---|
Никифор Антонович Осипов | |
 | |
| 1st Vozhd of the Slavic Union | |
| In office October 23, 1940 – April 18, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Position Established |
| Succeeded by | Kodiak Zhukov |
| 6th Prime Minister of the Slavic State | |
| In office June 16, 1933 – October 23, 1940 | |
| Preceded by | Sergei Devin |
| Succeeded by | Position Abolished |
| Minister of Defense | |
| In office April 18, 1929 – June 16, 1933 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 31, 1875 Ivanovgrad, Slavic Empire |
| Died | Apirl 18, 1953 Osipovgrad, The Slavic Union |
| Nationality | Slavic |
| Political party | Slavic Union Party |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| Spouse | Rosa Osipov |
| Children | Vasily Osipov |
| Parent(s) | Anton Osipov, Lidiya Osipov |
| Nickname | The Great Bear |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Slavic Union |
| Branch/service | Grand Slavic Army |
| Years of service | 1900-1954 |
| Rank | Marshall of the Slavic State |
| Commands | Grand Slavic Army (1920-1954) |
| Battles/wars | Ledanaya War Slavic Civil War |
Nikifor Antonovich Osipov (Slavic: Никифор Антонович Осиповwas) was the first Vozhd of The Slavic Union, serving 12 years from October 23, 1940 until his death of a heart attack on April 18, 1953. He was a general in the Grand Slavic Army during the Slavic Civil War and was a major piece in the victory of anti-communist forces. He was a decorated war hero and was appointed Minister of Defense in 1929.
In 1933, with the Slavic State in chaos Osipov would be appointed Prime Minister, quickly suppressing revolts and revitalizing the Slavic nation, he would abolish the monarchy in 1940, declaring himself 'Vozhd of all Slavic Peoples'.
Osipov's writings, policies, and general philosophy would become the basis of Osipovism, the official ideology of the Slavic state that also holds some popularity outside the nation.
Early Life and Career
Osipov was born into a Slavic princely family in Ivanovgrad in the western Slavic Empire and was a distant cousin of Imperator Aleksei II. Osipov was well educated, finishing at the top of his class in most subjects. Growing up he was a staunch Slavic nationalist and monarchist, who viewed anyone with any sort of problem with the current system as a traitor. He entered military school in Adrikagorod (Modern day Osipovgrad) at the age of 15, this was also the year of the 1890 Slavic Revolt, to which Osipov could only watch in horror as significant reforms were made across the nation.
He went on to study at the Mikhailovsky Artillery School in Ivanovgorod. In 1897 he would be assigned as a lieutenant to the Ledyanaya Military District, which is known for it's mountains and generally inhospitable conditions. He would lead several exploration missions through the region, which was still mostly untrekked and would learn several dialects of the people who lived there, who were mainly untouched by society. Osipov would returnt to Ivanovgorod to attend the Mykolayiv General Staff Academy and graduate as a Colonel in 1901, shortly before the outbreak of the Ledanaya War
On June 21,1901 Parabocan forces invaded the Slavic Union, with the south quickly being overrun and the city of Khizny being taken. Osipov fought in the First Battle of Adrikagorod and recieved the Order of Saint Ivan for bravery and was promoted to colonel.
He'd be promoted to major general in 1905 and would be captured in June 1906 by Parabocan forces after his division was separated from the rest of the Slavic army. He'd eventually escape back to Slavic territory in August 1907.
Postwar Osipov would lead several expeditions through Ledanaya, learning the culture of the people there, who'd been in complete isolation for centuries.
Slavic Civil War
Osipov was stationed in Adrikagorod when the Slavic Civil War broke out in September 1917 when the Krasnyy executed the Tsar and his family and established the Slavic Socialist Republic (SSR) in the nations north, and the provisional Slavic State in the south, which was a constitutional monarchy lead by Tsar Aleksei II's uncle Aleksandr I.
Osipov stood out among Slavic commanders for his military doctrine, which utilized guerilla, deception, and speed based tactics compared to the average Slavic general who used pure shock tactics, leading to mass casualties. Osipov's distinguishing conduct and bravery would lead to him being promoted to major general in 1919.
By 1922 he'd been promoted even further, and given the daunting task of defending the Slavic State's capital of Adrikagorod from an SSR force of 300,000, outnumbered almost 2 to 1, after an almost 2 year siege the SSR would capture the city, but it was a pyrrhic victory that crippled the SSR.
While captured Osipov wrote The Power of the United Nation, a manifesto of his beliefs and the basis for Osipovism. This book would be published upon the cities liberation in January 1925, being a best seller in the nation and incredibly popular.
By 1928 the SSR was on their backfoot, and Osipov, now the commander in chief of the Slavic military, planned the killing blow in the Ledyanaya Offensive, Army A, a 150,000 man strong decoy force marched north into SSR territory, while Army B, 80,000 men went through the Ledyanaya region, which the SSR believed to be impassible by a force so large.
In July 1928 the SSR sent the bulk of their army to face head on Army A, meanwhile Army B went around enemy lines and captured the city of Noyalensk, giving them control of the strategically important Noya river, with this tens of thousands of SSR troops were captured. And in 1929 Bolotingrad would be captured, and Arseni Bolotin would be executed along with various SSR leaders in February 1929.
Postwar and Rise to Power
in 1929 with an anti-communist victory in the Slavic Civil War the Slavic State was unified once again. But things still weren't well, the economy was in complete shambles due to foreign debt accrued from purchasing foreign weapons and the costs of rebuilding after such a devastating conflict, inflation increased massively
Rebellions and riots were incredibly common, with the military having to step in often to put them down. Nikifor Osipov was incredibly popular, being made Minister of Defense and Commander in Chief of the Slavic army.
The Osipovgrad Massacre
In 1933 the unrest culminated in the Slavic General Strike, originally a strike of railroad workers it sparked into something much greater after the Osipovgrad Massacre, when Osipovgrad police opened fire on striking workers, killing 12 and injuring 17. Unions across all trades went on strike in solidarity with the railroad workers, further crippling an already weak economy.
On June 15 1933 Nikifor Osipov requested Aleksandr II appoint Prime Minister of the Slavic state, Aleksandr refused, fearing Osipov's popularity. Osipov came back the next day with 20,000 men and his request was then granted. Osipov quickly consolidated as much power as he could and crushed strikes. He also established the Slavic Union Party (PSS)
By 1934 stability had returned to the Slavic state for the first time in decades, but Osipov was not done, he began instituting his New Unity policies, the institution of which would be the basis for all Osipovist politicians for the future. Osipov increased corporate cooperation with the state and introduced several public works projects, the most notable of which being the Tsar line, a defensive line on the Slavic border, essentially turning the nation into a giant impenetrable fortress, Osipov also massively ramped up military production in the pursuit of armed neutrality.
Aleksandr II would pass away from pneumonia on October 13 1940, Osipov soon put out a warrant for his children's arrest, alleging that they planned to overthrow him and establish the tsar as the supreme power, these allegations are widely doubted by historians and are seen as simply an attempt to get the tsar out of the way.
Aleksandr's children would end up fleeing across the border, eventually settling in Drambenburg, where the royal family remains to this day. On October 23 Osipov would declare himself 'Vozhd of all Slavs' establishing the Slavic Union, officially abolishing the monarchy, and writing the Slavic Constitution, also known as the Vozhd Law it is meant to be binding to all Slavs no matter their current nationality.
Slavic Union
Osipov further consolidated his power in the state, making the PSS the only legal party within the nation. While anyone outside the Union would've seen Osipov as a dangerous tyrant he had near universal support among the people of the Union, who viewed him as the hero who won the Slavic Civil War and once again saved the nation from chaos in 1933.
World War
The Union maintained an armed neutrality, as it would through most conflicts, during the world war, it's borders heavily fortified and constantly patrolled in preparation for an attack by either side. This military build up lead to a revitalized arms economy, while the Slavic state itself refused to aid either side private companies within the nation freely sold weapons and equipment to both sides, with the government getting a cut.
Illness and Death
The stress from his military career and leadership of the Slavic Union took a toll on Osipovs health, which wasn't helped by his heavy smoking. His health was rapidly deteriorating throughout the 50s, though he went through great efforts to conceal this from the nation, with only high ranking government officials and close family knowing about it.
Osipov was faced with a blockage of arteries in his leg in 1950, with his leg coming close to being amputated. He was said to experience intense joint pain but was never once seen in public with a cane. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in mid 1951 and underwent a surgical operation where his entire left lung was removed after a malignant tumor was found.
On March 12 1953 Osipov would collapse in the middle of a speech after suffering from a heart attack, he would return to work just a few days later. On April 18 he would give his first and only television interview with Viktor Belsky. That night when he returned to the Vozhd Palace he smoked his first cigar since before his diagnosis, that night he got as much work done as he could.
He would pass away in his sleep and would be found dead in his bed. His death caused a week of nationwide mourning, with flags being lowered to half mast and thousands visiting his funeral.
Political Beliefs
Osipovism is the official ideology of the Slavic Union, based on the writings and policies of Vozhd Nikifor Osipov. Slavic nationalism, militarism, pan-Slavicism and authoritarianism are key components of the ideology. Osipov advocated a war based economy focused on constant growth and expansion of the military but today this is a position held only by hardline Osipovists and economic system tends to vary based on the interpretation.
Osipov believed that to keep order in a nation, especially in a nation like the Slavic Union, force and power was a necessary tool, and that the governments only priority was to protect it's people from outside threats and that democratic systems simply got in the way of that priority. Osipov also wrote in his books that the most important thing a citizen could give their nation is complete and total devotion to the state.
Economically Osipov believed the military should be constantly expanding in order to protect the people of the nation, he also advocated for complete self-sufficiency, in both the citizens and the state itself in the form of autarky.
Foreign policy wise Osipov advocated for complete isolation in the form of armed neutrality. Desiring a united Slavic nation but also being very untrusting and suspicious of foreign powers, he also rejected the subjugation of other races as a goal, believing that the only thing that mattered was whether or not one was completely loyal to the state and that racial divisions simply fought against the unity which must be present in the state.
Awards
Order of St. Michael, Hero of the Slavic State, Order of Saint Ivan (Twice), Order of Victory, Order of the Great Bear, Order of St. Andrew, Order of St.George, "Merit to the Motherland", Medal of Osipov.
Personal Life & Characteristics
Osipov would marry Mariya Levin in 1900, despite multiple attempts they would never have a child. Levin would pass away in 1916, nearly causing him to leave the military out of grief. In 1922 Osipov would meet Roza Volkov, 22 years younger than him, and they would get married in 1923, shortly before the birth of what would be their only child, Vasily Osipov. The marriage was likely only to avoid the scandal of a child being born out of wedlock, and Osipov was said to have been cold his wife, viewing her and his son as being nothing but distractions on his path to saving the Slavic Union.
Personality
Osipov had a carefully maintained public persona as "the ideal Slav" strong, courageous, and resilient, despite being a cousin of former Imperator Aleksei II he also portrayed himself of being of common birth just like the rest of his citizens. While he was a prolific public speaker he still felt uncomfortable doing it, preferring only to give speeches when absolutely necessary, he was even less comfortable in 1 on 1 conversations, though with both he managed to hide his discomfort over the years.
While his public persona also portrayed him as a jovial and kind man in real life he was often cold and calculating, completely dedicated to his work and the preservation of the Slavic Union at absolutely any cost necessary. He was known to lock himself in his office for days on end as he worked.
Legacy
Osipov is beloved in the Slavic Union to this day, with many seeing him as more than just a man. Typically personality cults revolve not around the current vozhd but around Osipov, and using that to unite the nation.