Great Plains Federation
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Great Plains Federation | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: Equality before the law. | |
| Capital | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Largest city | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Official languages | English |
| Government | Federal Republic |
• Premier | Harvey Rand |
• Deputy-Premier | Isabelle Martin |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Area | |
• Total | 407,968 sq mi (1,056,630 km2) |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate estimate | 15,000,000 |
| Currency | Great Plains Federation Dollar (GPFD) |
| Time zone | CST |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Internet TLD | .GP |
The Great Plains Federation is a self-proclaimed breakaway state in the midwest region of North America. It lies in the northern most central region of the former United States occupying an area of 407,968 sq mi, with a population of about 15,000,000. The Great Plains Federation is made up of all, or parts of the former states of Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Montana. Midwesterners are usually seen as ultra conservative, dirt farmers with a stubborn streak a mile wide. Members of the Federation are still generally more tolerated and tolerant than any other successor states in the former USA, as they often are familiar with or were previous members of some other faction. The federation has enjoyed relative stability and prosperity since it's creation. It maintains good relations with the independent Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and has become a reliable trade partner for them. The federation also maintains an alliance with the Republic of Superior and has trade agreements with the Republic of Absaroka and the Republic of Jackson.
History
Early Stages
The Great Plains Federation came into existence after the events of Shattered Union and the fracturing of the United States. At first, the Governor of Nebraska had announced its intention to become independent from the rest of the former United States, but was offered a deal from the Governor of Iowa, which proposed that both Iowa and Nebraska create and sign the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation in an attempt to survive the turmoil and chaos of the shattered union. An agreement was reached, and the two states began collectively working together. Shortly after, the Governor of South Dakota offered to join the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation. The western most counties of South Dakota had decided to defect and pledged themselves to the Republic of Absaroka.
Creation of the Federation
North Dakota was the next state to ask for membership in the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation, which was approved by senior leadership. The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation now included 4 states and a number of counties that had defected from their home states in hopes of a better life. Governance and coordination was becoming problematic between the member states of the treaty, so in 1991 delegates from the 4 states and representatives from a number of counties had met in Omaha, Nebraska to discuss the future of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation. After several days, it was officially announced that the member states and counties would be united into what would be known as the Great Plains Federation, and April 20th marked the day of establishment for the federation.
First Conflict
As the Republic of Lincoln and the Republic of Absaroka went to war over territory in Montana, many counties in northern and eastern Montana had begun asking for membership to the federation for "saftey and security". The Lincoln-Absaroka war of 1991-92 put many unaligned counties in northern Montana at risk, so it was decided by federation leadership to accept their requests for membership. The self-proclaimed government of the Republic of Lincoln had denounced this action, claiming that the lands in Montana are de jure territories of Lincoln, and threatened to take "actions to protect the lawful lands of the republic".
The GPF responded by deploying the Federation Defense Forces to Montana. When the Republic of Lincoln had heard of this, it declared war on the Great Plains Federation and begun moving it's militia units east. FDF units had advanced from North Dakota to Glacier National Park where they first engaged militia units from Lincoln. After several weeks of light fighting, the FDF was unable to coordinate an offensive to secure the park. With supplies running low and morale dwindling, a well planned surprise offensive conducted by the Republic of Lincoln pushed FDF forces back to Highway 15, where the FDF was able to regroup enough to hold a steady defensive line.
By this time, the war not not looking promising for the Republic of Lincoln. The Republic of Absaroka carried out a series of offensives which resulted in severe casualties for Lincoln. Pressure from the GLF had limited the combat capabilities of Lincoln militia units. Eager to end the war on all sides, delegates from Lincoln, Absaroka and the Great Plains Federation met in the city of Three Forks, Montana. After discussions there, it was agreed that Montana would be partitioned. The counties currently under the protection of the GPF were granted admission into the federation, and all hostilities between the GLF, Absaroka and Lincoln were concluded. It was estimated that around 200 FDF servicemen were killed in the short conflict, while another 500 were wounded and around 50 missing. While no official reports are available, the GPF estimates that the Republic of Lincoln suffered close to 500 casualties and the Republic of Absaroka around 700.
The Kansas Situation
Kansas had been in a state of total chaos since the events of the Shattered Union. Counties in southern Kansas had announced their intention to join the Republic of Texas, whereas eastern Kansas wanted to form up with the newly rising Republic of Jackson. Northern Kansas wanted nothing to do with Jackson or Texas, and instead felt more aligned with the Great Plain Federation. When intelligence had reached the federation government that military units from Texas were occupying counties in southern Kansas, the GLF leadership made the decision to deploy the FDF once again, and started moving to occupy counties in northern Kansas. When the FDF and Texan military units had finally met, the standoff began. Texas was refusing to back down and the GLF leadership wanted to avoid another war. The Republic of Jackson had annexed its counties in eastern Kansas and turned its attention to the Texans. For two weeks a stalemate had occurred until delegates arranged a meeting. Similar to what happened in Montana, Kansas was to be partitioned between Jackson, Texas and the GLF based on referendums in border counties. The result of the referendums would determine the official borders.
Minnesota Joins the Federation
As the Wabash Republic continued to violently annex territory in Wisconsin, the state of Minnesota had finally decided to align itself to stand against the aggressive expansion and approached the Great Plains Federation. The GLF agreed to allow Minnesota to become a member of the federation. Minnesota was rich is population and natural resources and was a huge step for the Great Plains Federation in terms of economic and political influence.
Politics
The executive powers of the GPF are vested in a Premier, a Deputy-Premier (who in case of the death, removal, resignation, or absence of the Premier has gubernatorial powers and would perform gubernatorial duties), a Secretary, a Treasurer and an Auditor. The Assembly consists of an upper house, called the Council, led by a Chairman; and a lower house, the House of Representatives, led by a Speaker of the House. The Council has 15 members, the House has 200. The term of members of the Council and the House of Represenatatives is two years. The term for Premier and Deputy-Premier is 4 years. Since the Assembly's creation, its members have largely remained bipartisan and independent politicians.
Military
The GLF military, formally known as the Federation Defence Forces, or FDF, comprises three branches: the Army, Navy and Air Force. The FDF army has around 33,000 men. There are four military regions in the army. The army is organized into ten divisions. The FDF naval force about 5,000 strong and primarily patrols Lake Superior and the numerous rivers that flow through the nation. The FDF Air Force has around 4,000 men situated at five air bases, located at Malmstrom, Minot, Ellsworth, Grand Forks and Offutt.
Law and crime
There are 230 jails in the GPF, which incarcerate around 8,700 people. The prisons are managed by the Federation Penitentiary Service. There is one designated federal prison located in a remote location in North Dakota.