Christian Socialist Union (Tarper)

Christian Socialist Union Union Socialiste Chrétienne
Abbreviation	CSU
Founder	Margaret Whitehall
Founded	1925 (1925)
Dissolved	1992 (1992)
Split from	Communist Party of Tarper
Succeeded by	Christian Democratic and Social Federation
Newspaper	The National Courier
Youth wing	Christian Socialist Youth
Ideology	Christian Democracy Christian Socialism Christian Left
Political position	Center-left to Left-wing
Religion	Catholicism
National affiliation	Vanguard Coalition (1925-1940) War & Reconstruction Assembly (1940-1950) People's Front (1950-1986) Anti-fascist Front (1990-1992)
Colors	Blue
Slogan	"For Tarper, For the Future"
Party flag
Political parties Elections

The Christian Socialist Union, abbreviated as CSU, was a christian democratic and socialist party in the Tarperti Confederation. Founded in 1925 as an official split from the Communist Party. It was in a coalition with the Communist Party until 1986.

It contested in the 1990 Tarperti federal election under the Anti-fascist Front. The party was dissolved in 1992 after the National Party of Tarper passed the Enabling Act which outlawed all other parties.

History

From the 1920's and on into the deepest part of the Great Depression, the Tarperti Confederation and the ruling Communist Party engaged in a period of democratization and political liberalization. Allowing factions within its own party to split off into their own quasi-independent parties. The parties would advocate their ideologies, to an extent, but follow the main Communist Party in legislation and national direction.

The Earthly Society of Socialists, later known as the Marienists after their devotion to St. Mary, was a faction of religious members of the Communist Party. It was founded in 1909 by Margaret Whitehall after the 1908 Tarperti federal election. Whitehall believed that the decrease in votes and seats in the Realm Assembly was due to an alienation of religious voters thanks to atheist rhetoric from the main lung of the party. Margaret did not believe that all church-goers could be moved by the messaging of the CPT but that the poorest attendants would be swayed. After an appreciable increase of membership after 1910, the faction was officially recognized by the greater party.

After the revolution and during the period of democratization, the Marienist faction was allowed to split off and create its own party in a similar vein as the Free Liberal Party of Tarper and the Conservative Democratic Party of Tarper before it. For the next 67 years the CSU would be the center for conservative and religious socialists, despite its healthy participation in the political environment of the Tarperti Confederation, it was forced to toe the line of the Communist Party and never had a hand in creating legislation, unlike the Free Liberals. After the leadership collapse of the Communist Party in 1986, the CSU joined up with the other historical split-offs from the CPT to create the Anti-Fascist Front as an opponent to the rapidly popular National Party of Tarper. The Nationals barely lost and the CPT retained the government with the help of the Anti-Fascist Front. Though the eventual death of Tom Starpin in 1991, the CPT power vacuum, and the Christmas Coup by the Nationals would eventually lead to a Fascist regime. The CSU and other parties would be outlawed by the Enabling Act in 1992. No successor party would pop-up in the following Second Republic of Tarper.

Legacy

The CSU permanently influenced the religious population of Tarper and have made it generally more receptive towards socialist and progressive policy. The successor party, the Christian Democratic and Social Federation was founded by former members of the CSU. Though it leaned more towards the right due to the leadership of Akers and Derby, prominent conservative voices in the Christian Socialists. The CDSF has, in recent years, leaned more towards the left. The leadership of Rafaela Tanner, daughter of CSU leader Alfredino "Dino" Tanner, has taken inspiration from the Christian Socialists for the current platform of the CDSF. Symbols of the Christian Socialists have become more and more common in CDSF gatherings.

On the other hand, there has been a noticeable portion of the religious population that has rejected the socialist history and leanings of the legacy of the CSU. Christian right groups have coalesced into their own minor parties. Despite this, the Christian Right has not had any significant electoral victories.

Election results

Election	Seats won	±	Position	Leader	Government
1930	41 / 577	41	4th	Margaret Whitehall	Vanguard Coalition
1940	52 / 647	11	4th	Margaret Whitehall	War & Reconstruction Assembly
1950	24 / 402	28	4th	Edith O'Donnell	People's Front
1960	50 / 521	26	4th	Jeff Yorke	People's Front
1970	54 / 518	4	4th	Thomas Gudmundsson	People's Front
1980	54 / 519	0	4th	Jose McMillan	People's Front
1990	17 / 662	37	4th	Wilhelm de la Garza	In opposition

Leaders of the CSU, (1925-92)

Leader	Period
Margaret Whitehall	1925-1940
Max Piovene	1940-1946
Benny C. Warner	1946
Edith O'Donnell	1946-1951
Helga Maddison	1951-1957
Jeff Yorke	1957-1960
Elias McGowan	1960-1964
Jefferson P. Lesauvage	1964-1967
Thomas Gudmundsson	1967-1976
Jose McMillan	1976-1982
Alfredino Tanner	1982-1986
Wilhelm de la Garza	1986-1992