Kingdom of Prussia (1983: Doomsday)



The Kingdom of Prussia is a German survivor nation located in northern Germany along the coast of the Baltic sea.

Doomsday and World War III
Due to Germany's unique circumstances of being split amongst Warsaw Pact and NATO signatories, it managed to escape Doomsday in better shape than most. With neither sides risking to use nuclear weapons so close to each other the fighting was primarily conventional. At the start of the war the Soviets and East Germans put into plans to capture large parts of West Germany. Even before some of the nuclear missiles had reached there targets conventional forces raced across the inner German border and on into Western Europe.

Plans generally followed what analysts had predicted in case of World War 3; although given the large number of troops killed in the nuclear strikes on both countries meant the forces that meet each other were smaller than they otherwise would have been. Large Soviet tank forces battled with NATO troops along the inner German border, most notably at the Fulda gap. Although the forces here put up a stubborn resistance they were finally overwhelmed by the Soviets large numbers and the shock of the attack. Things in Berlin were far worse for troops stationed there. Completely surrounded by East Germany, NATO resistance held only long enough to see large parts of West Berlin destroyed by bombs and artillery fire. There was also some small fighting in the Baltic Sea, though most fleets stationed there were destroyed in Rostock when the bombs hit.

Overall fighting lasted only a few days before a cease fire was declared by both sides. With large portions of West Germany now under Eastern control the Soviets declared victory. In reality however the country gained little form the war as it left it militarily exhausted with several cities and towns completely destroyed. With the destruction of the Kremlin in Doomsday, the Soviet forces in Europe were effectively on their own. The constant bickering among the remaining Soviet generals - over the vacant position of "Premier" - quickly broke down the chain of command. This, along with the breakdown of morale tore Soviet forces apart in chaotic infighting and mass desertions; either disappearing into the countryside or becoming bandits and warlords. Only the (handful of) Soviet forces in Germany remained "loyal" to the now-defunct USSR.

The Prussian Uprising
With Soviet leadership in shambles, East Germany had begun tightening control of the nation far beyond normal restrictions. The country was under a constant state of marshal law. People were commonly shot for speaking out of line or even acting suspicious. Even thought the country had officially been united East Germans were still forcefully kept out of West German areas. West Berlin itself became little more than a sector to put political prisoners into into. Ironically, this state of heightened security was what saved many Berliners as the wind soon carried some of the fallout from the nuclear strike on Strausberg, headquarters of the East German military command. The most affected were the Soviet patrols across the city, most of which were outside while it fell. With some warning, people were able to stay in their homes and keep damp cloths across ventilation ducts. In all no more than 10% of the city fell to the fallout. With the loss of so many soldiers, Soviet leadership came down even harder on the populace to keep order.

However even with these Totalitarian measures order had started breaking down. Many military men had abandoned there positions and fled to the countryside to protect there families. Soviet soldiers had been ordered to return to the motherland in any way possible. Although many couldn't the ones that did leave left a wide gap in security. Upon news that a large Soviet battalion had left Berlin, the oppressed people of East Berlin rose up against the Socialist regime.

Christian-Sigismund, member of the former royal family of Prussia, was imprisoned in West Berlin at the time. Although reasons for this remain unknown it was likely due to his heritage and high status. On hearing of the rebellion in East Berlin, Christian helped start an uprising which would soon overwhelm the guards in West Berlin. After breaking free he gathered a mob armed with sledgehammers and other makeshift weapons and began assaulting the gates of the Berlin Wall and the wall itself. His aid couldn't have come at a better time, as the Soviet forces were beginning to get the upper hand against the East Berlin people. The Wall came down and Christian's mob came to the aid of the East Berliners.

In what would eventually become known as the Prussian Uprising, fighting soon spread throughout the country as people began attacking government officials and places in smaller cities and towns. Fighting lasted for days before the Soviet troops admitted defeat and surrendered to Christian and the people of Berlin; what authority remaining in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) collapsed soon after. In a speech before the people Christian stood in the gates of the Berlin Wall, with it being torn down around him East and West on either side and said "Today, we are not of east, nor west. No, today, we are all Berliners!". Soon after he was informed of the deaths of his father Louis Ferdinand and nephew Georg Fredrich in the fallout of the Hamburg bomb as they traveled to Potsdam. He was named Prince Christian-Sigismund of Prussia and head of the house of Hohenzollern.

Consolidation
Soon after the fall of the Soviet regime and unification of Berlin, reports started coming in of the destruction around the world. The West German administration in Bonn was hit and the rest of the country was in shambles. It was decided that with much of Germany's history as a nation soaked in war and devastation, the idea of a unified Germany was a thing of the past. Leaders in Berlin gathered and drafted a plan to revive the past glory of the Kingdom of Prussia, inspired by the man who led them to their freedom. A provisional pact was laid out until a formal constitution could be laid out outlining the new nation.

Leaders in Berlin organized troops and militia stationed all over Berlin into a semi-unified force, and sent them across the countryside to establish order. West and Southern Germany was largely in chaos with bombs being detonated in Bonn, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Nuremburg, and Dresden. It was too dangerous and costly to attempt to keep order in those areas, but most of northern Germany all the way to Kiel in the west came easily under Berlin control; East German remnants were offered incentives to join. Eventually news of Berlin's independence spread further east, and surviving Polish troops started coming over the border under orders from the Polish Provisional Government in Poznan to return Germany to the light of Socialism. German troops were pulled out of Hanover, Bremen, and Leipzig and sent to the Polish front. Inevitably the troops needed to hold back the Polish invaders were too much to be able to spare more to bring more territory under Berlin control. A series of forts were constructed along the Polish border in order aid in defense, and a relative calm settled over the secured territory.

In the north contact with the Provisional State of Denmark - then a survivor state just outside the future Nordic Union (separate from the Royal Danish administration) - was made. Although Denmark was fairing little better than Northern Germany the Danes still pledged mutual aid between the two countries. Christian-Sigismund personally made the trip to the Danish border where he and Queen Margrethe II began formal diplomatic relations between the countries. The relations between the two countries soon blossomed and it seemed as though the two would become allies.

Rebirth of a Nation
In 1986 after months of deliberation and negotiation, a new constitution was drafted for the new Kingdom of Prussia. In honor of his service to the people of Berlin, Christian-Sigismund was restored to the throne of Prussia as Christian I. The role of Monarch was limited by the constitution, but instead of the figurehead most monarchs were in a constitutional monarchy, the Prussian constitution recognized the leadership role a monarch could have. In his first speech as King, Chrisian indicated that he would work with the elected leaders in order to unite the lawless north German lands as well as reclaim those lost to Poland at the end of World War II. With Polish raiders still harrassing the eastern borders, and wording it as reclaiming stolen land, public support swelled for invasion of Poland, and after years of border skirmishes, in 1989 the invasion began.

With much of Poland in chaos from nukes in Gdansk, Warsaw, Lodz, Wroclaw and Krakow, a Provisional government had been set up in Poznan, who's defences had managed to destroy its incoming nuke. Prussian forces, which were much more organized than the poles expected, advanced on the city much more rapidly than their war plans had predicted. Prussian forces occupied Szczecin/Stettin and moved further up the coast towards Koszalin then on towards Gdansk, stopping short of the devastated and irradiated remains of the city. Thousands of troops suffered ill effects from their proximity to the city before pulling back. In April 1987, Prussian troops took Poznan. Polish leadership surrendered and the Treaty of Poznan was signed the next month, ceding the region of Pomerania to Prussian control. With one of his promises fulfilled, King Christian saw a swell of support he was not likely to see again during his reign.

With Pomerania under Prussian control and thousands of refugees throughout his lands, King Christian decreed that in the same way German people were ripped from their homes, so too would the poles. He, along with elected leaders, drafted plans to expell the polish populations of the coastal cities of Pomerania and resettle the German refugees. And as a symbol of a new age, the city of Slupsk was renamed Neuer Königsberg. Prussia settled in to an expected new era of relative peace in security.

Aftermath
The expected peace didn't last long, as taking land was not the same as keeping it. While the German lands within Prussian control were somewhat peaceful despite the chaos of the refugees coming in from across former Germany, the newly acquired Pomerania was a hotbed of unrest, stemming from native poles resentment at their expulsion. While the Prussian military was able to take on the disorganized Polish military with some ease, the citizens of Pomerania outnumbered the forces left to facilitate the expulsion and resettlement. Riots were commonplace and while most Poles eventually left, the few that remained formed organized resistance groups who harried the Prussian forces. In August 1988 martial law was declared and any members of organized resistance groups were to be shot on sight. This order was controversial as there was no way to tell an ordinary citizen from a resistance fighter on sight. This led to many civilian deaths and Christian's lowest approval since becoming King.

The news that Prussia had forcibly taken Polish lands came as a shock to the Danish people. Virtually overnight Denmark went from having good relations to becoming very hostile towards the country. Fearing Prussia might try and move into the historically German region of Northern Schleswig, Denmark put up a large border wall and cut off all relations with the country. Danish politicians issued one last joint statement to Prussia, condemning the expulsion of the Poles as "a blunt act of Neo-Nazism that will not go unpunished".

In 1989 the situation had gotten so bad that parliament called an emergency session. The expulsion order was revoked, and the native Poles were allowed to return to their homes if they had not already been taken by refugees settling the area. If proof could be provided, other acommodations and resettlement would be provided. By 1991 a level of order had been restored to the region. Those Poles who returned were to be offered equal rights and privileges as Germans, on the condition that they renounce their former citizenship.

Although a "dual language" system of German and Polish was initiated in Pomerania in 1990, the former gradually emerged as the dominant tongue. More and more Poles became bilingual, eventually preceding a monolingual generation of German-speakers by 1998. To this day, however, Polish is still an official language in Pomenaria, with dual language signs still visible.

In 1992 King Christian traveled to Denmark in order to smooth relations with their neighbor to the north and hopefully re-establish diplomatic ties. He attempted to reassure Danish leaders that the Schleswig situation was unrelated to Pomerania, as Northern Schleswig joined Denmark willingly, while Pomerania was forcefully taken from the German people. He publicly apologized for the Expulsion order, describing it as a "Mistake born of old grudges". He officially renounced any claim north of the Schleswig Wall and remaining German lands in Poland and reinforced that Prussia's expansion would only continue in lands within the East and West German borders. Danish leaders appreciated the gesture, and assured the Prussian King that Denmark would officially recognize Prussia and cordial relations could be maintained if Prussia returns Pomerania to Poland. King Christian saw this as an insult. That he came with good intentions, made nothing but concessions, and the response was a polite demand for more. On returning to Prussia he addressed the nation saying "I am sad to report the mission to Denmark has failed, as the greed of the Danish people is astounding." Relations failed to improve, even as the state was absorbed into the Nordic Union.

In the years afterward efforts were focused on restoring the cities ruined by the Polish-Prussian war, spreading German culture to Pomerania, fostering economic growth, and rebuilding the armed forces. It wouldn't be until 2002 that focus would be shifted to restoring order and expanding to lands outside the controlled borders.

Diplomatic Expeditions
Although the Kingdom became aware of the Nordic Union soon after Denmark's "absorption," its offers of negotiation were blatantly rejected. The ambassadors, however, obtained enough information to provide the King a rudimentary state of affairs in Northern Europe; reports were filtered here on the existence of Friesland and the Celtic Alliance.

Government
The Government of Prussia is a Constitutional Monarchy. The monarch acts as both head of State, and Head of Government, but is advised in his position as head of Government by the Chancellor, who is the leader of the majority party in House of Representatives. In the House of Representatives, also known as the Reichstag, the monarch acts as the Speaker of the House, breaking ties in votes, mediating debates, and announcing results. Germans and Poles from their respective regions are properly given representation.

The dominant political parties as of 2009 are the following:


 * Free Socialists Party


 * Royal Nationalist Party
 * Christian Democrat League
 * Großdeutschland Coalition
 * Polish Liberal Party

Current Situation
Prussia is relatively isolated from much of Europe, with a "barrier" of lawless regions and wasteland separating it from the Nordic Union (north) and the Alpine Confederation (south). Although it has maintained a sense of "detached neutrality" from foreign affairs, cordial (but tentative) ties are present with the Alpine Confederation. Although relations with the Nordic Union - especially the Danish elements - have since cooled off, it remains locked in a bitter dispute over the Danish Border Wall and the status of Polish lands. As of 2009 no Nordic Country has recognized Prussia as a legitimate country, although several retain informal relations. It maintains a level of alert regarding Poland to the east and Nordic Denmark to the north, despite a peace that has lasted nearly 20 years. There is increasing evidence that the territory that once comprised East and West Germany is becoming split into Alpine and Prussian spheres of influence.

The Kingdom takes pride in itself as one of the last centers of German culture and civilization; outside the Alpine Confederation. German is the lingua franca, although some are bilingual with Polish; especially in Pomerania. Significant artifacts, documents and artworks - spared from both Doomsday and the post-collapse chaos - are held to be preserved in the rebuilt museums of Berlin. Utilizing surviving city plans, old photographs and (occasional) design revisions, whole towns and cities were rebuilt as seen fit; the project was completed in 2002. Prussian expeditions have made inroads in Central and Western Germany, aiding and spreading influence among the survivor communities there; several warlord factions are claimed to have been destroyed in these activities. There is much political pressure to push west in order to take control of a North Sea port. It is hoped that the City State of Bremen will join Prussia, but if not the priority is to integrate Cuxhaven and Brunsbüttel.

As of 2009, it is not a member of the League of Nations.