Republic of Kansas

The Day After
With the use of Harvey and Reno County, Kansas as a landing site for dozens of Soviet aircraft immediately after the bombings, a unique situation emerged. Soviet heavy bombers sent to attack the United States had only enough fuel for a one-way trip and had no definitive plan for what to do once they delivered their ordnance. Shortly before the outbreak of conflict a group of Soviet officers met to discuss this scenario following the destruction of the KAL civilian flight over international waters. Ultimately, they wanted seven sites for re-organization after ordnance was dropped, but only four areas were identified: south-central Kansas, southwestern Arizona, southeastern North Carolina, and southern Idaho. Southern Kansas was identified as the best possible site with Arizona behind it due to its proximity to California and several military bases, Idaho was thought to have too few places to land safely, and North Carolina was too close to military bases as well as ruined cities, so fuel availability would dictate where landings would or could occur. Unfortunately, while maps were provided to the aerial crews and some basics of a plan outlined, this contingency plan was only rudimentary when the conflict arose and no one was sure what would happen after they landed to re-organize - or exactly what 'reorganization' entailed. Upon reception of orders, the entire Soviet strategic bombing force was committed: 92 M-4 'Molot' bomber aircraft, some configured as in-flight refueling tankers, and almost 300 Tu-95 'Bear' bombers or derivatives along with five prototype Tu-160 'Blackjack' supersonic bombers. All long-range aircraft heading for the continental United States to attack their targets - half were destroyed or intercepted before reaching their targets. As their aircraft ran out of fuel, the secure communications systems organized just over 60% of the surviving aircraft, they headed for southern Kansas and began to land in Hutchinson and Reno counties. Airports and larger highways became de facto airfields, most cars would get out of the way if able to but less than half the aircraft would be worthy to take off again assuming they could find fuel. An eventual inventory of Soviet aircraft would note 27 M-4 'Molot' bombers, 111 Tu-95 'Bear' or derivative bombers, and two of the five Tu-160 'Blackjack' prototypes loaded emergently for the war. This left about a thousand Soviet Air Force personnel landed alive in a region decimated and disorganized, though not unable to respond. Local law enforcement saw the massive aerial fleet land with several loaded for what was thought to be a prelude to invasion. Thankfully a handful of the Soviet officers spoke somewhat broken English, one who did not literally kept repeating, 'Strawberry Fields Forever'! and ironically defusing the situation somewhat. A deal soon emerged between the Soviets and Kansas officials, they would be permitted to live if they would integrate into the community and surrender to the United States in the person of Major William Omens of the United States Air Force who was on leave at the time. Soviet Polkovnik (Colonel) Maxim Marchenko of the 37th Air Army was found to be the highest ranking officer of the group, he organized the other Soviet military members into the 'Air Forces In Isolation' with meetings every week and major Russian holidays celebrated as a co-ed fraternal organization (Just over one in six of the Soviet Air Forces that landed were women). With Wichita blasted to ash but the wind carrying the debris to the east, and no other signs of a surviving government emerging over the next few weeks, five Kansas counties emerged as the center of a rump government: Sedgewick, Harvey, Kingman, Butler, and Reno. Hutchinson became the de facto capitol of this 'Remnant of Kansas' with an emergency government made up of the county leadership from each polity coming into place as a five-member council. Salvage of the ruins in the area and scavenged defenses from the bomber aircraft (mostly 23mm autocannons; over 1000 rounds per 'Bear', over 10,000 rounds per 'Molot') not only stopped bandit gangs like McCaven's Marauders but gave the Kansas Remnant a chance to organize other survivor communities. Roads were maintained and the surviving aircraft were moved to the former Hutchinson Air Force Station, intact though military use was stopped in 1968, was restored with the runway reinforced for use of all available aircraft.

Stopping the Tide
Kansas recovered quickly with the help of the Russian contingency, most of whom married into the various communities soon after the war. Conservation of resources, recycling of metals, salvage of Wichita, Kansas City, and Oklahoma City, became mandatory while rebuilding of key defensive capacities became priority. Ammunition was manufactured in pistol calibers beginning in 1986, rifle calibers in 1989, and small machine plants were operational by 1990. Their role in the new society was more secure but still in question for some when a large force appeared to demand fealty from Kansas, the deaths of any and all Russian military personnel, all vehicles 'of a military nature', and unfettered access to the oil refineries. Large gangs roamed wide parts of the continent as oil permitted, but there were only a handful of functional refineries to make more gas. Leading this gang - or coalition of gangs - was a psychotic former Army soldier from California named Leonard Lake determined to carve out a chunk of the Midwest as a 'New Roman Empire' modeled on the worst of Roman, Spartan, and Mongol behavior. Based in the Oklahoma Panhandle, they were collecting 'tribute' from communities between Utah and the Mississippi River, from southern South Dakota to central Texas. Several potential survivor states were destroyed trying to resist, and this New Rome from Guymon avoided these strongest of Midwestern communities while gathering strength. Looted military equipment from several bases, including tanks and even a handful of aircraft, augmented a field army of mostly conscripts under threat of death to themselves and their families depending on the whims of their commanders. A chance discovery of a large fuel depot, still intact despite years of looters searching for it, permitted the New Romans to fuel their tanks and mount a desperate offensive in hopes of gaining control of the oil and securing southern Kansas for themselves. They claimed to have a lot more motorized equipment and only needed the fuel to begin truly consolidating their Empire. Leaders from the now twenty 'Restored' counties met in Hutchinson, and it was the Russian colonel who gave a stirring speech saying he 'would fight and die before these accursed Cossack wanna-bees have a chance to threaten anyone else'! The 'parley' offer from the New Roman Army passed quickly, especially when demands about freedoms with the women were brought up. So it was that at sunrise on August 5, 1993 the Battle of Hutchinson began, the largest known battle in the Western Hemisphere after Doomsday. Post-conflict estimates put the New Roman Army at between 25,000 and 30,000 men with 300 tanks of various builds while the Kansas elements included literally anyone who could wield a weapon above the age of 16, even including a World War One veteran.

A defensive perimeter was established at I-35, US-50, and SR-61 as sides of a triangle. Avoiding the perimeter the New Roman Army proceeded to loot the remaining sixteen of twenty rebuilt counties in Kansas before re-assembling for the battle. The mayor of El Dorado succumbed to the threat and offered oil, gas, and provisions, but everything else was torched in 'scorched earth' fashion. Widespread atrocities hardened the defenders who adopted a 'no prisoners' stance. What followed was akin to Kursk in World War II, probably because that is what inspired the defense. Most of the tanks were destroyed in prepared defenses and tank pits lined with jury-rigged mines, the scavenged 23mm cannons from the various Soviet aircraft did the rest and formed a critical line of defense. Less than a hundred of the New Romans survived the slaughter that followed, but Burning Kansas was no longer just a metaphor. Hutchinson was devastated, and while El Dorado survived largely intact, its mayor declared his intention to rule as a dominant figure only to be ousted in another conflict immediately after. By August 10, 1993, the population of the Kansas territories was merely 25% what it was before, the psychological traumas broke some of the population, and several children would be born nine months later with many questions to answer. What may have become a foundation for a supra-regional if not potentially a national government was reduced largely to ash, but the raiders were permanently broken and word spread throughout the region - no one dared come within three counties of Hutchinson again.

"Well, if we destroy Kansas the world may not hear about it for years"
Nearby oil wells remained on fire for weeks, but eventually brought under control one by one as the surviving refinery at El Dorado permitted the refining of gasoline, kerosene, and other petroleum products. McPherson's refinery would eventually be repaired around 1997, making the area once again a stop for the well-armed bands of merchant caravans that traversed the country. While they had come in significant numbers before, sometimes with a tanker truck or two to refuel before continuing their journey elsewhere, the reduced population made the area a less attractive market and many of the survivors had decided to fan out to smaller towns or fortified settlements surrounded by thick walls. A conscious decision was made to reduce oil sale in the late 1990s and stop them all together in 2001, stating the machinery needed parts they did not have. Despite this, trade slowly returned and gave the Remnant an opportunity to learn about much of the rest of the country. Surprisingly, the Battle of Hutchinson left the existing plethora of Soviet aircraft intact - paperwork found in one of the tanks indicated that the New Roman Army knew about the aircraft and planned to use them as a strategic bombing force against more powerful targets like the Provisional United States or Utah. The source was also mentioned in the paperwork, unfortunately he disappeared before a trial could be held. Quietly, one Tu-95 was fueled and sent out on scouting expeditions at night to ascertain if any other threats existed - any series of artificial lights bright enough to indicate large populations was recorded and reported. A decision was made not to expand until existing infrastructure was rebuilt, a 'slow and steady' pace was felt safest while industries and lives were rebuilt. In 2004 the 'Remnant' called for a new State Convention and declared itself the Restored State of Kansas, almost no other government existed to argue the claim.

By 2019, much of central, southern, and eastern Kansas was under control of the Restored State and scouts have visited almost every nation in North America. Contact was discreetly made with Socialist Siberia though only to ascertain the state of family members and immediate affairs via the Bureau of Missing and Disconnected Persons in Krasnoyarsk. Ironically the 37th Air Army is reformed, and as information becomes available several of the now-integrated Russians are finding out they have surviving family back home. Colonel Marchenko is still alive, though now almost 80 years old, and with two sons and four daughters with his American wife as well as her two children from before Doomsday, but he recently learned his daughter Mischa is alive...and has children of her own. Like many of the Russians in Kansas he recognizes that his life is now in the former United States without desire to return to Communist rule, but the temptation of seeing his family once again weighs heavily on his conscience. Chancellor Kataninov, himself half-Russian and half-American, sympathizes with the situation but security concerns have prevented any possibility of a return visit to this point. Their isolation will perhaps end soon as the petroleum resources attract the attention of much of the rest of North America, and the oil refineries are functional though they could use parts only available in the Provisional United States, Kentucky, Victoria, Virginia, and Texas.