Eemsmerschen

Peasant's Republic of Eemsmerschen Buernrepubliek Eemsmerschen (Low Allemannisch) Bauernrepublik Emsmarschen (High Allemanisch)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Lewer dood as Slaav! "Better dead than a slave!"
Political Capital	Brüggedörp
Official languages	Low Alemannisch
Common languages	Low Allemanisch, High Allemanisch, Welk
Demonym(s)	Eemsmarsian, Eemsmersisch
Government	Peasant Republic
• Council President	Brüne Vennemann
Establishment
• The Great Peasant Revolt	1227
• Day of Mass Defenestration	1888
• The Peasant's Restoration	1890
Area
• Total	47,856.85 km2 (18,477.63 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	7,000,000
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Per capita	$18,500
Currency	Eemsmark (EM)
Driving side	right

Emsmarsh (Low Allemanisch: Eemsmerschen, High Allemanisch: Eemsmarschen) also known as the Peasan'ts Republic of Eemsmerschen (Buernrepubliek Eemsmerschen) is a relatively small country in (INSERT HERE). The populace of Eemsmerschen is very spread out, having a population of 28 million mostly spread throughout the coastal areas, with the exception of the semi-metropolitan are around Brüggedörp, the nations political and economic capital.

Etymology

From Old Low Allemanisch Emisk-mersk, also reflected in the Medieval Fragran name Emsmargo (“marsh of the (people of the) ems”).

History

Middle Ages and Peasant State Unification

After having thrown off the shackles of their previous clerical and monarchical overlords, the Eemsmarsians found themselves surrounded by feudal lords who wished for nothing but their destruction, as they feared that such a successful peasant uprising would have drastic political effects on the region. These fears were proven rational, as peasant uprisings began confederating into what is now known as the peasant republic. What would have been a coalition war against the young and unstable peasant state was avoided by a hereditary mishap in which an old duke died leaving his two sons to split his lands up in half; however, neither son wanted to inherit the issue of dealing with the very stubborn - and at this point, very aggravated - marsh-dwelling, fish-eating peasants. So, at the table in Brüggedörp, a treaty was signed, stipulating that no further expansion and unification would occur with the rebelling peasants of the states bordering Eemsmerschen. In return, the state would be left alone, leaving the feudal lords relieved they wouldn't have to deal with the "wretched" Eemsmerschens and their land that frankly, wasn't worth very much economically to the lords.

Post Medieval and Formation of an Oligarchy

Some Eemsmerscheners cheered when they realised they no longer were slaves in everything but name, and some grew a hunger for power. In a vacuum for power that was never supposed to exist, farmers began consolidating their power through marriages and land acquisition. What was designed by the first 48 judge-mayors to be a direct democracy eventually turned into an oligarchic mess. Large families spanning multiple villages, hence giving these families multiple votes allowed the formation of pseudo-dynasties to exert control and a majority over the peasant council.

Day of Mass Defenestration - Dag vun de Massenfinsterstört and beyond

These pseudo-dynasties became very unpopular, very quickly. The young population in Eemsmerschen grew more and more dissatisfied with what their state had become. A nation with such a rich history, reduced to some strange constitutional elective monarchy wearing the mask of a peasant republic while spitting in the face of the very peasants that their forefathers once were. Many protestors and hopeful reformers were jailed or went missing throughout the years, not causing much of a stir initially, but adding to the already tense political atmosphere. In 1888, a student demonstration in Brüggedörp turned violent when police and council members exchanged fire with the protestors over a thrown rock. A handful died and many were arrested, creating martyrs for this student movement. Soon after, on an early July morning, students in Brüggedörp demanded that not only the prisoners be released, but the council members responsible for the death of their fellow students be brought to justice. The council members declined to even speak with them, leaving a handful of armed police to defend against a horde of emotional students. It took fifteen minutes of being pushed up against the front doors of the council building for the police to cave and retreat inside the building. Hundreds of students stormed through the doors and the manhunt began. Windows at the top building began swinging open and members of the council began falling, their political careers coming to a close.

Geography

The main terrain within the coastal Eemsmerschen are marshes, bogs, and very slighlty hilly flatlands throughout the Eems plain. Many of these bogs, marshes and hills leave some lowland isolated from the rest of the state. For the most part, these features were created during the Last Glacial Period (LGP).

Politics

Eemsmerschen is a peasant's republic, a democratic large-scale proto-commune, in which the peasants and farmers - and more recently labourers - have more freedom and are subservient to no one but themselves and whom they choose to do trade and do business with. Every village is its municipality and political region and can put forward a leader who will represent their interests as a Judge-Mayor. These Judge-Mayors form a council held in the capital that decides on all economic, military and social issues throughout the nation except for justice, which is carried out almost exclusively by a jury of the respective area of the victim or perpetrator. 37 of the 48 Judge-Mayors come from unofficial political dynasties, formed out of six original families:

• Family Niehues, from the East
• Family Klinkowström, from the North
• Family Schröder, from the Center
• Family Fahrenkrog, from the West
• Family Vennemann, from the West
• Family Hölscher, from the South

Economy

The most distinctive and important aspect of the Eemsmerschen economy outside of trade and ship-building is its expansive agricultural sector. A rich history of hop and wheat growing for beer, pastures for its wurld-famous dairy products, traditionally farmed venison for its national cuisine, and the production of a large amount of organic agricultural products. While not a diverse and fast-growing economy, Eemsmerschen sustains itself while most of its citizens self-sustain as well in regards to food and many consumer goods, leading to a somewhat lazy economy.

Demographics

Inhabited for most of recorded history by a people determined to live in some of the most wet, miserable and unpleasant environments that most people living inland can even imagine, the land that Eemsmerschen now occupies does not have a very long history of being considered desirable. Traditional society in Eeemarschen up until the present day is based on the fruit of well-educated landowning farmers sustaining themselves and their families, while people in larger villages tended to work on larger farms. The population of landless labourers is extremely low as land is often lotteries off when a landowner dies with no heir. A mostly content society, the region and people are known for stability and general happiness.