Ruhenland

Reichkommmissariat Ruhenland Der Reichskommissariat Ruhenland
Flag
Motto: Die Ruhenland
Anthem: Die Neue Grenze
Capital and largest city	Port Siegfried
Official languages	Standard Altische
Recognized languages	Various Native Dialects
Ethnic groups	Altische (9%) Unknown/Uncontacted (19%) Fasikavy (25%) Alokaloka (13%) Foko Folaka (12%) Lemaka (10%) Vato (6%) Isizwe Esikhulu (11%)
Demonym(s)	Ruhenland
Government	Colonial Goverment
• Reichskommissar	Klaus Liebeld
Legislature	Kolonial Kommission
History
• Established (As Altsiche-Ostnymeria)	1886
• Ruhenland founded	1922
Area
•	453,316 sq mi (1,174,080 km2)
Population
• 1923 estimate	3,000,000
Currency	Reichsmark (ℜ) (RMK)
Driving side	right

Reichkommissariat Ruhenland (!English: Realm Commissariat Dream-Land) more commonly known simply as Eisenkuste is a colonial goverment of Altenland located on the island of Ruhenland off the eastern coast of Nymeria. Ruhenland was founded in 1923 as a continuation of the Imperial Altische colony of Altische-Ostnymeria, which had been in 1922 dissolved as part of the peace terms of the Great War. Ruhenland is known internationally for the various exotic fauna residing on the island and for it's massive, untamed jungles that has attracted a large number of colonists and explorers to the island.

Ruhenland is currently experiencing a massive influx of new colonists in what has been dubbed the Scramble for Ruhenland, as part of a PR campaign by the island's government in order to rapidly raise it's population and modernize the island. The Scramble for Ruhenland has been incredibly successful for the island, with many explorers flocking to the island to catalog the island's native fauna and colonists seeking to flee Cybellum.

Etymology

Ruhenland means "Land of Tranquility" and was coined by early Altish explorers to the Island who had heard of the exotic fauna on the island, calling it a "land of dreams" resulting in the modern name of Ruhenland.

History

Discovery

Holy Aventine Empire sailors discovered the island of Ruhenland on August 10th, 1456. The captain of the vessel landed on the southern coast and descirbed it as "the iron coast" due to the visible iron deposits on the southern portion of the island.

Great Ruhenland Wars

The Isizwe Eskihulu, known as "The Great Tribe" are theorized to have arrived on the island at some point in the 1600s. Legends of the Teratany peoples speak of "the warriors who brought thunder in their wake who brought the tribes to the knees." It is currently unknown where the Eskihulu orginated from. They are believed to be a splinter group from the !Bantu peoples of southern Nymera, but to what end and why they came to the island is unknown.

The Eskihulu were comparatively advanced, with bronze age technology in comparsion to the isolated tribes on the island. The inital landing force was said to be "like the sea". The Eskihulu were a highly disiplinced military force, utilizing legions of impi and a suprisingly advanced agricultural system to feed it's troops. The Eskihulu initially arrived on the southern coasts, where they warred against the coastal Lemaka tribe, roughly meaning "coast tribe". The Lemaka were crushed under the advance of the Esikulu. Soon after, attempts by the other Teratany tribes to trade with the Eskihulu resulted in the Eskihulu demanding them to surrender. When the Teratany chiefs rejected the demand, the Eskihulu declared war on all of them, thus beginning the Great Ruhenland Wars.

The Eskihulu quickly went about creating villages in the areas they controlled. Massive farming projects were put underway by the Great Chief of the Izizwe, Kagiso II. The Eskihulu soon began to create weapons and quickly began to overwhemlingly outpace all of the remaining Teratany tribes in productivity. The Eskihulu soon went on the warpath, winning battle after battle against the Foko Falaka and the Fasikavy. A tribe that is referred to by the Teratany only as "the Lost Tribe" would go as far into the jungles as they could to go into hiding against the Eskihulu.

In 1861, Altenland would send naval ships to scout out southern Nymera in order to begin colonization efforts in the region. The sailors would mark out the island as a potential springboard. A small expedition took place, in which the Eskihulu attacked a small landing party of Altische sailors and forced them to retreat back to their ships. In 1862, a new expedition would take place, with a force of naval troops dicovering the existence of the remnant Teratany tribes fighting a still-losing war against a bogged-down Eskihulu. These reports would be brought back to Kaiser Siegfried II, who would authorize further expeditions into the island.

Founding of Port Siegfried

The name "Ruhenland" was coined by Altish explorer Hans Koffman who had heard of the exotic fauna on the island, referring to it as a "land of dreams". Scouts send by the Altish Navy contacted the Teratany tribes in 1864. The Altish began to send shipments of firearms to the Fasikavy and the Vato, giving them a technological edge against the Esikulu, who appeared to have made little to no changes to their military tactics since arriving on the islands. At the battle of Lemaka-Colina, 200 rifle-armed Fasikavy tribesmen defeated a Eskihulu force twice their size with only 12 casulities. As Altenland increased the shipments, the Fasikavy began to arm the other tribes. In 1865, the Teratany chiefs would form the Teratany Confederation. The Confederation's firearm equipped troops made the first signifcant Teratany gains against the Eskihulu, pushing them out of the north and contesting them in the west.

The situation of Ruhenland would gain the attention of the Kingdom of Reynland, a rival to the Altish Crown with it's own colony, Carolina in the southern portion of Nymera. In the hopes of stalling Altish colonization of southern Nymera, colonial authorities in Carolina entered communications with the Esikulu and began to arm them with their own rifles. The front was promptly stablized, with the Esikulu making some minor gains in the east. Altenland and Reynland would begin a proxy war over the island.

However, in 1884, the Esikulu's overfarming would lead to their main territory becoming desertified. A massive famine began in the Esikulu territory. A year later, Altenland called Reynland's bluff and had naval vessels began a massive bombing campaign that would utterly devatsate the Esikulu. The bombardment would destroy the majority of the Esikulu's smaller coastal villages and the largest would be left in ruins. What was left of the Esikulu's military force were utterly broken by a Teratany offensive into the savannah, supported by Altish marines. The same year, the Teratany Confederation signed the Concordat of 1885 with Altenland, ceding the southern-most territory of Ruhenland to Altenland for the creation of treaty ports and forts. By 1886, the Esikulu would be completely battered, only able to launch a small number of revolts until fully surrendering in 1888.

The treaty port of Port Siegfried was founded in 1889, allowing Altenland to begin sending colonial efforts into southern Nymera. The Esikulu, after negotiations with the Confederation and Altenland were allocated a territory in the north-west, under a reservation system. In 1897, a second concordat was signed between the Teratany and Altenland, establishing a Altish protectorate over the island and granting the Taratanians second-class citizenship. Towns began to spring up in the southern-most province, Eisenkuste, alongside a large amount of iron mines. Port Siegfried became a hub of activity and soon a number of colonial military units were founded. Many expeditions were sent into the jungles by the Altish administration. In the 1910s, attempts were made to begin constructing a railroad line in the colony.

Ruhenland in the Great War

In 1912, Altenland declared war on the Auvernian Federation and the Holy Aventine Empire, begining the Great War of Verthandi. Ruhenland was, as part of Altische-Ostnymera required to raise a number of military units. A number of native Teratany units were founded and sent to the front lines in Nymera, as well as a single Esikulu regiment which was used as a police force in the mainland colonies. Ruhenland itself was untouched during the war with the exception of an attempted bombardment of Port Siegfried by the Aventine crusier Theodorus. The attack was repelled by local forces stationed in the city, forcing the Theodorus to retreat. Ruhenland was, after this incident not touched throughout the war.

Post-Great War

After the Entente victory in the Great War, Altsche-Ostnymeria was dissolved and the Altish colonies on mainland were given to the victorous Entente powers, with the exception of Ruhenland, which was left in the hands of Altenland, with the caveat that Ruhenland must allow Entente nations to enter it's port freely and military ships belonging to Altenland are not permitted in the port for five years while civilian ships are permitted The island found itself with a sudden population surge. After the dissolution of the mainland colonies, the majority of the Altish colonists living in those colonies fled to Eisenkuste, suddenly causing the formerly sparely populated colony to burgeon with new colonists. Soon, new towns and plantations were established and the borders of the colony being pushing deeper into the island.

Ruhenland was not largely affected by the Valkist coup in Altenland. Aside from a flag change and pictures of Fuhrer Franz Neumann being plastered around Port Siegfried, the colony was permitted to operate largely independently from the mainland, only required to send regular steel shipments to Altenland. Franz Neumann visited the island in 1931, and as a gift had a small wing of military aircraft sent to the island, for both military and civilian use. The aircraft are currently used for tours. The island's designation was changed by authorities in Altenland to Reichskommmissariat Ruhenland in 1932. The colonial goverment used it's close relationship to the Tarateny Confederation to ensure a stablity after the fall of the Altish monarchy. Klaus Liebeld, former Obergovernor of Altische-Ostnymera was installed as Reichkommissiar.

In 1925, the Neureich in Altenland ordered Ruhenland to demolish the tribal system. In response to this, Ruhenland simply reduced tribal authority but increased economic opportunities in Altenland, which the goverment in Altenland took as a sucess. Shortly after, Ruhenland began a massive PR campaign in a attempt to attract new colonists to the island, portraying Cybellum as a land of war and Ruhenland as a land of peace and oppotunity, coining the island as "The Last Frontier".

In 1931, Ruhenland joined VALKYRIE, an alliance formed by neighboring Reichskommissariat Bahariland and the Yeye Kingdom in order to protect their possessions.

Politics

Goverment

The goverment of Reichskommissariat Ruhenland is composed of the Governor, who is entitled with supreme power of the island of Ruhenland, with full legislative, executive and judical powers over the people of Eisenkuste. Alongside him is the Kolonial Kommission, which is composed of five seats - one for the Governor, and four other seats for the four territories of Euhenland. A ceremonial seat is also given to a representive of mainland Altenland.

In practice, only one territory (Eisenkuste itself) is controlled by the Reichskommissariat and the Kommission currently serves only as a advisory body to the governor. Hans Gunther is the current Kommissioner of Eisenkuste - the other three seats are unfilled, as those territories are controlled by the native populations. Eisenkuste also maintains a lower house, referred to as the Volkkommission, which elects representives the sub-divisions of Eisenkuste, in practice having a representive from each civilian settlement. The Kommission elects a Chairman, who is given a sixth seat on the Kolonial Kommission.

Judical duties are delegated to civilian authorities. The People's Court, much in the line of courts in Altenland was established as the judical branch of the colony's goverment.

Foreign Relations

Foreign relations are de jure handled by mainland Altenland itself, but is de facto handled by the Governor himself in Nymera. Ruhenland does, however, defer to Altenland in relations with non-Nymerian states. Ruhenland trades with the Auberon colony as well as Auvernian's colonies and the Yeke Kingdom.