History of Superior (1983: Doomsday)

The history of the began shortly after Doomsday.

Post-Doomsday
The only target in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was K. I. Sawyer Air Force base, garrisoned by the 410th B-52 Bomber Wing. Shortly after the nuclear-armed bombers took off for their flight over the North Pole into the Soviet Union, all remaining base personnel fled from what was deemed a certain target. One Soviet missile did hit the base through an air burst, completely destroying everything within a 10-mile radius from the epicenter. Marquette itself suffered significant damage, but most of it was repaired quite easily. No other major settlements were seriously harmed by the detonation.

Mayor Robert S. Stowe Sr. of Marquette, John O. Harrington of Sault Ste. Marie, and a delegation from Escanaba met to discuss the way forward. They determined that in order for their communities to survive, the borders with the former states would have to be blocked off. This meant sending those with experience as soldiers to block off the Northern and Southern ends of the Mackinac Bridge.

Birth of the Republic
On May 19th 1984, knowing that there was little likelihood that the American government survived the war, Robert S. Stowe declared the formation of the Republic of Superior, claiming that it was time to put aside the idea that the United States still existed. Though there was some opposition to this idea which was considered secession, many agreed that a government of their own would be best until communications with the outside world could be re-established.

Each of the cities and towns sent delegations to the constitutional convention in Marquette, held on the 4th of July of the same year. There, they adopted a virtual copy of the American Constitution. The only major exception was that in order to be a considered a citizen of the Republic, one must be born on national soil, and also be the child of another citizen of the Republic. Though this was controversial, the more radical elements prevailed, claiming that by keeping out refugees they would avoid the risk of internal conflict.

The Years of Stabilization
It was quickly assumed that the county lines would form the basis of the new "states", each of which would elect Representatives and Senators to Congress in Marquette. Due to the difficulties of holding a general election across county lines at that time, Robert Stowe was elected by the Congress to be the first President of Superior. There were two major problems immediately facing the Republic upon the formation of the government. One was that there were refugees leaking through the patrols along the former border with Wisconsin. The other was the expected food crisis which would occur once the stockpiles within the cities ran out. Under the direction of President Stowe, Congress quickly passed the Kerin-Casey Act. The Act pressed former seamen into service operating what remained of Michigan's fishing fleet, in order to establish a reliable food source for the nation's population. Farming would also be re-established, though it was considered more a temporary measure as there was little possibility that the crops would thrive in Superior's environment. The Act established a National Army to regulate immigration of refugees into the Republic. At the same time, a major refugee camp was established at the Southern end of the Mackinac Bridge, in former Mackinaw City. Seen as a way to possibly stem the flow of the refugees, it only made matters worse as word spread in the Lower Peninsula. Eventually, the situation got so bad that they had to start turning refugees out from the camp. Those in the camp deemed to have skills that would be useful to the Republic, such as doctoring, teaching, etc., were allowed across the bridge into Superior Proper and sent through a naturalization program. Those who had formerly been in the army or in law-enforcement were immediately put into the military. Each of these "probationary citizens" received supplies on loan from the government that they would have to repay by working at their assigned jobs.

By beginning of 1985, the food crisis had been solved via the expansion of the fishing fleet. However, the farming expansion was a disappointing failure. At that time, control over the Western Frontier was strong enough to stop almost all illegal immigration. Several minor refugee camps were established. However, problems were only growing in Camp Mackinaw. Despite the military presence, crime and murder rates began to soar, as did the feeling of resentment toward the Republic of Superior Army (RSA) for keeping them in such squalid conditions.

Camp Mackinaw Riots
As dissent increased in the Mackinaw Refugee Camp, so did the nervousness of the camp's administrative officials. Orders were soon sent out giving emergency powers to the military, hoping that would be enough to stem the riotous behavior that was increasingly common. Col. Lewis Poulat infamously fired into an open crowd after they rushed a food convoy heading to the east sector. Despite calls for his court-martial by some Congressmen upon their hearing of the incident, nothing ever came of it. On April 23rd, 1985, a squad of RSA soldiers moved in to close a warehouse. Several refugees, including a women and her child, approached and begged for food and blankets. Nobody knows who fired first, but according to a military spokesman, two of the refugees pulled guns on the soldiers and tried to force themselves inside. The soldiers immediately opened up on the group, killing them all. A few second after this, the refugees rushed en masse upon the squad and overwhelmed them. The warehouse was broken into and picked clean of all of its holdings. The 14th Company was rushed to the area, and demanded the release of the squad. Fighting broke out when these demands were refused.

By the end of the day the riots had spread throughout the entire Southern sector of the camp, but by order of the President the Army move in to contain the uprising within the Sector. Robert Stowe hoped that the situation would cool off enough within two days to allow the redeployment of military units in the area. As a precautionary measure, dissenters in any other part of the camp were immediately ejected in hopes of containing any further thought of rebellion.

On April 25th, the 2nd Army moved into the ruins of the Southern sector, expecting little to no resistance. Surprisingly, the rebels were well fortified and well armed. It was later learned that they had somehow managed to break into one of the minor weapons caches hidden within the sector, hidden specifically in case such a riot occurred. It would take until the next day before the riot was finally crushed.

In all, some 12,000 refugees were killed or wounded during the riots, about half just fighting amongst themselves. 87 Superior Soldiers died, with another 265 wounded. The main squad that was positioned to guard the warehouse was later found hanging from the lampposts along the main street. Their bodies had been riddled by bullets, and there was not much left for identification. Public opinion of the camp dwellers fell dramatically, and it would take another ten years before proposed representation for the camps in the Republic's government would be passed.

Return to Calm
Shortly after the riots in Mackinaw, support for the refugee camps plummeted among the public. Votes came just short of a full withdrawal of support for camps both in Mackinaw and along the Western Border, even with the veto from President Stowe. Fears of further rioting died down after rationing limits were lifted marking the end of the food crisis, and law and order had been re-established by additional deployments within Mackinaw. By 1990, Mackinaw itself would develop into a fledgling city, unrecognizable from the slums that had dominated five years ago. As a result, Mackinaw became both the most populous and the most prosperous settlement within the Republic. The refugee zones were moved outside of the city.

As the city grew more successful, there grew demands for representation in the Republic's Congress. However, public opinion was still largely against Mackinaw's admission as a full state, and that swayed the Congress. One of leaders of the opposition, Republican Robert P. Griffin, claimed that the refugees had yet to earn back the right of being citizens of the Republic, and it would be better if they were apart. President Stowe disagreed, and campaigned endlessly across the nation in favor of Mackinaw's admission. The initiative would fail throughout the remainder of the Stowe administration, but it would remain a major issue within the nation into the next decade.

Another topic that began to dominate Congress was when an expedition was going to be sent into the outside world. Some communication was being picked up, but nothing that was understandable. James Whitney Dunn, a Republican Congressmen from Escanaba, eventually proposed that an expedition be sent into the Lower Peninsula in order to see if any other government had been developed, or in fact if anything remained at all. A similar expedition would be sent west, into what was the former Canadian state of Ontario. Several outposts had been established on that coast, but there had been only a few patrols into the main interior. Another, “RSREF Wisconsin”, would explore inside the former state of Wisconsin, where reports from refugees stated that there was some form of a settlement, though more recent refugees from the area said that any form of government had since left. The location was later pinpointed as being Madison, which was quickly designated as the unit's goal. A final expedition would be sent from Marquette to skim the coasts for any other signs of human goverment. President Stowe publicly supported the plan, but in private voiced doubts that anything would come of the expeditions.

Results of the RSREF
Elements of the Republic of Superior Recon Expeditionary Force (RSREF) were given 500 men each, with enough supplies to travel for about 6 months round-trip. They were encouraged to increase their supplies whenever they could. The bulk of the force left Mackinaw on April 3rd of 1991, while the RSREF left Marquette on the 5th.

The RSREF West was by far the most successful of the expeditionary forces sent out by the Republic. After engaging a group of pirates (who were promptly executed and their bodies dumped back into Lake Superior) off the coast of Wisconsin, they managed to find a local functioning government in, in the former Canadian state of Ontario. The RSREF might have missed it if the locals had not sent out a boat of their own to determine what the large force was. When the men docked, it became apparent that the city had fallen under the control of a fascist government, led by a Canadian Captain known as Giraud Leppe. The RSREF was greeted graciously, as Thunder Bay had lost all communication with the world outside the city, and was having trouble both in terms of resources and level of morale. The possibility that they were the only human settlement left was not sitting well with either the soldiers or the people. However, the tyrannical tendencies of Leppe, as well as the lack of freedom in the city itself, disgusted more than a few of the RSA soldiers and officers. The RSREF left Thunder Bay on May 29th, and returned to Marquette on Jun 17th.

RSREF South expected to find little, if anything in the Lower Peninsula. Fewer and fewer refugees were coming in from that direction, and many stories were told of horrific acts of survival. Some tales involved what was considered a rogue group of National Guardsmen, known as the “Night Watch”, led by someone known as “Sarge”, based in Lansing. Many attacks upon refugee convoys trying to reach Superior were attributed to the Night Watch. As a result the convoy was prepared for military action, expecting to engage the group at some point on its way past Lansing en route to former Chicago.

As it happened, Detroit and Lansing were found to be almost if not completely de-populated, the cities having been reclaimed by nature. Sarge’s grave was found in the ruins of Lansing surrounded by many of his spoils, with signs that the Night Watch had since disbanded. By records, it appears as if there had been an attempted coup among the leadership, in which Sarge had been killed. In former Indiana, the expedition came across several nomadic clans that traveled over most of the Midwest, and were told that there were many such groups both South and West of their current location. Meetings with the “Rico” clan did not go well, as a soldier by the name of Pvt. Neville Gregory had apparently fallen in love with, and removed the virginity of, the Chief’s daughter. A firefight ensued as warriors of the clan tried to take both Pvt. Gregory and the daughter, now disowned, back to the camp. As a result of this incident, strict rules were put upon expedition member’s interactions with natives, and Pvt. Gregory was removed from active duty.

Chicago was quickly found to be in the same condition as Lansing and Detroit. Though the city had noticeably lower radiation readings, not many Americans remained within its ruins, and those who wished to come with the expedition back to Mackinaw were allowed. RSREF South returned to Mackinaw City on August 11th.

RSREF Wisconsin was simple in its objective and left Ontonagon on May 20th. However, suspecting that the situation in the city had deteriorated based on stories from refugees, the expedition was well-armed for any possible combat with the locals. By the time the expedition arrived at Madison on June 13th, they found the entire city in a state of civil war, but little intelligance on the situation could be obtained. This was almost entirely due to Colonel Jeremiah Perry’s policy to avoid interaction with the locals. Locals who wished to escape the fighting were taken back and they explained that several mobs had developed within the city, though only three were left in existence. After a soldier was killed when a patrol in the city’s suburbs came under fire, Colonel Perry ended the mission and ordered a return back to Ontonagon. The RSREF Wisconsin arrived back o August 3rd.

RSREF East had little to no success in its mission. Many of the settlements it came across were either razed or abandoned, and Ottawa was no exception. The only bright side was that a few refugees were rescued from what appeared to be rogue hunters. It was noticed, hoever, that to survive they had become cannibalistic. The refugees told them that most of the settlements had been abandoned in favor of heading south into the former United States. RSREF East returned on August 11th.

The Thunder Bay Question
Two major issues arose by the time 1992 came around. The first and most important was the 1992 Presidential Election. Robert Stowe had won the last two elections largely unopposed, in 1984 and 1988. However, he was bound by term limits within the constitution, and was forced out of office. As a result, the Republican and Democrat Parties both held mini-primaries within the Republic to find nominees for the Presidency.

The Republican Party eventually nominated Lewis Poulat, now a General in the RSA. Running on a platform of expansion and strength, he advocated that relations between Thunder Bay and Superior be formalized, and that a military force should be sent south to liberate Madison. The Democrat Party quickly found its candidate in Vice President Joseph O’Hara of Escanaba. Though relatively conservative, he did not believe that the Republic should send aid to Ottawa at all, and that taking Madison would be a needless waste of lives and resources, for little gain.

Polling between the two candidates almost always had Poulat ahead by five to six points, and it appeared that he would win the election by a comfortable margin. However, the Marquette Press released information regarding his term of duty while serving in the Mackinaw Refugee Camp, specifically the infamous “February 3rd Massacre”. Despite attempts to remove the issue from the election, Poulat plummeted in the polls, and O’Hara won in a 57-43 landslide.

President O’Hara regarded the government in Thunder Bay as being nothing more than “a Canadian version of Hitler’s Nazi Germany, and Mussolini’s Fascist Italy!” The Republican Congress tried to pass legislation that would aid the Ottawa government, but the President’s veto power, along with Democrat opposition, resulted in naut. Eventually, Secretary of State Russ Feingold convinced O’Hara that it would be better if they tried to change Thunder Bay by offering aid, promoting Democratic reform and a return of basic civil liberties. Congress quickly passed a relatively large aid package, at the same time formalizing relations with the Thunder Bay government.

Cpt. Leppe, however, was against any form of Democratic government being created in the nation. Instead he promised to increase civil liberties, and promised that a Parliament, albeit weak and virtually powerless, would be formed. O’Hara almost canceled the deal, but Feingold and many Republican Congressmen convinced the President that the seeds of Democratic government had been planted, and it would be better that Thunder Bay were an ally rather than an enemy. In late 1993, an RSA convoy arrived, completing a transit link between Thunder Bay and Merille Base on Lake Superior. A embassy was constructed in the city, though an embassy would not appear in the Republic until 1996.

Expansion
As expected, the issue of Representation for Mackinaw again became a major issue in the Republic. Adding a new state to the nation did create some excitement, but there was also a certain level of resistance among the old guard who remembered the Mackinaw Riots. President O’Hara, however, agreed with many fellow Democrats that Mackinaw was culturally a part of Superior now, and that they had no right to run their lives while denying them citizenship. As a result, Congress passed the Mackinaw Status In Regard to Superior Act. Basically, a referendum was set for July 4th of 1995, where residents would determine whether Mackinaw was to become an independent nation or a state in the Republic of Superior. As the date for the referendum approached, both President O’Hara and Mayor Fredrick Cullen campaigned in favor of statehood, which was chosen overwhelmingly, 67-33. The debate in Congress was more heated and controversial, however. Veteran Congressmen Robert P. Griffin lead a filibuster against Mackinaw’s admission, but Democrat gains in the 1994 Congressional Elections were enough to win cloture. A star was added to the Flag of the Republic a month later on August 6th, the day Mackinaw was officially admitted into the Union. Elections were held the next month to elect Senator and Representative to Congress, among them Socialist Representative Dennis Kucinich, a member of the recently created Socialist Party.

Another major issue that was arising was overpopulation, specifically in Mackinaw. There wasn’t a problem with food or resources, it was simply a lack of space. Congressmen James Dunn quickly proposed that the government give people incentives to move into the now open countryside just outside of Mackinaw City along the Upper Portion of the Lower Peninsula. Other Congressmen included the establishment of enclaves on the now abandoned Manitou Islands in Lake Michigan, on the Leelanau Peninsula, and the outposts on the coast of former Ontario. Known as the Dunn-Keithmen-Theriualt Act, it was passed in September of 1995. Settlements then expanded to cover much of the Great Lakes region, though most remain within close proximity to the Upper Peninsula.

Another major Act passed in 1995 was the Capital Relocation Act. The idea was that, due to the rapid expansion of the Republic, a central Capital would be required other than the state of Marquette, which still had trouble accommodating the large Congress of the Republic. Despite his initial refusal, the capital was named after former President Robert S. Stowe, in honor of his guiding the Republic through the difficult early years. Following a building plan reminiscent of the Washington D.C., the capital was not entirely completed until 1998, though Congress and the Lake House were completed by early 1997.

Intervention in Madison
President O'Hara's popularity, along with the support of the electorate from Mackinaw, ensured that he would be able to serve an additional four years as President of Superior. However, the Republicans recaptured Congress after a short period of Democrat dominance. With Robert P. Griffin as Majority Leader of the Senate, he asked that an intervention force be sent to liberate Madison from its state of civil war, and to establish a new republic allied with Superior. Many Democrats, including Socialist Dennis Kucinich, regarded this nation-building as imperialism, as the goals were not in line of those within humanitarian means. O’Hara’s view of the war in Madison had since changed, however.

Since the RSREF South’s failed attempt to retrieve vital Intel on the ongoing conflict within the city, stealth recon patrols had been authorized by both Presidents Stowe and O’Hara. Apparently, three mobs were fighting for control of the city, using old National Guard equipment and weapons made in the reactivated factories. Somehow, the population in the area had managed to remain stable, but the number of casualties was staggering. Reports of child soldiers were ever more common by the late 1990’s as able-bodied men became scarce. After a meeting with Chief of Staff Charles Danforth, O’Hara asked that congress authorize a military force be sent into Madison in order to stabilize the city. On June 2nd, 1997, Congress gave its authorization, despite some opposition from Democrats and Socialist Congressmen. The 3rd and 4th armies, under the command of 4-star general Jack Yeager, entered the city on Jul 21st, with a force of about 15,000 men. What was expected to be an easy fight quickly turned into a war of attrition, as the three mobs joined forces against the outside threat from the RSA. President O’Hara was shocked when General Yeager asked for additional men, having expected Madison to already be largely under the control of the army. Comparisons from the former United States experience in Vietnam were cited by some Congressmen, but still another 60,000 men were deployed to aid the effort, along with an off-shore presence made up of former Coast Guard vessels. Madison would not come under the control of the RSA until May 28th 1999, and even then would not be stable until the last major mob arrests in August of 2001.

Overall, 689 RSA Soldiers died in the attempt to liberate Madison from 1997-1999, and another 4,576 were wounded. O’Hara’s popularity plummeted, and as a result Republicans captured super-majorities in Congress, while additional Democrat seats were lost to the rising Socialist Party. Reconstruction efforts in Madison immediately got underway, despite the occasional firefight with mob remnants that had gone underground.

The Provisional Government of Wisconsin was established on October 14th, 1999 under the leadership of General Yeager, though former Secretary of State Russ Feingold handled most of the administrative duties and reconstruction. Feingold also set elections for November of 2000, so that the Republic of Superior could quickly withdraw most of its military, leaving an effective government behind. When the elections finally rolled around, a largely liberal-socialist government was elected, with independent candidate Timothy Lemms being elected President after winning in the runoff election. The Provisional Government of Wisconsin was disbanded in February 8th 2001, which was declared a national holiday (Sovereignty Day), by President DeLeo. The still suffers from a significant level of corruption, of which Lemms is suspected of aiding, but the nation is in general considered a success in the Republic of Superior’s Foreign Policy.

The Conservative Revolution
The War in Madison had destroyed whatever hope had remained for a Democrat President to be elected in 2000. The only matter of importance was who the sacrificial candidate would be. That eventually fell to Senator Marvin St. Jean, who was in reality the only Democrat candidate that had entered the race. Future analysts would find that he himself was reluctant to declare, but that this was his best chance of both winning the nomination and the election. The Republican race was more contested, but the man who quickly came on top was Governor of Marquette, Randy Sarick, who was considered one of the most popular and successful governors of the time. The election was largely considered one-sided, as Sarick defeated St. Jean in all the debates. The analysis proven to be quite correct, with Sarcik carrying every single of the 16 states, along with a surprisingly large 65% of the popular vote. Many Democrats also found themselves voting for Socialist candidate Arlen Tompkins, who had until recently been on the fringe of national politics.

Due in part to to Sarick’s landslide victory, many Democrat voters failing to vote, and vote-splitting between Socialist and Republican candidates, Republicans also captured super-majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This would allow for President Sarick to carry out his agenda for the Republic with ease. At that time, a short-lived Conservative Democrat Party came into existence, but it failed to gain much traction and most of its members defected to the Republican party.

”Stowe, we have made contact”
One of Sarick’s most important and desired goals was the establishment of contact outside of the Great Lakes region. The government in Thunder Bay gave some hope that another might exist elsewhere, but the last expedition had proved to be largely unsuccessful in its goals. However, Chief of the Army Bruce Wayne was particularly adamant that if civilization existed anywhere in North America, it would be in the northeast corner of the continent:

''“Mr. President……Canada is our best bet in finding an form of government…..as most of those coastal settlements…….including provinces like Newfoundland and Prince Edward would have survived. Whether they themselves have had any luck in contacting the rest of the globe……however……is the real question. Is the globe still too fractured to reunite communications like it had 20 years ago? Well…..I think we must assume that it is. For the sake of humanity……..I hope that it isn’t.”'' In a landmark piece of legislation, President Sarick asked Congress to authorize the creation of the 2nd RSREF, tasked exclusively with exploration for any forms of government along the St. Lawrence or within the former American states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Despite opposition among Socialists due to the finding of the last expedition, both Democrats and Republican gave unanimous support.

The RSREF was assembled at Riker, a settlement along the southern coast of former Ontario. Almost exactly retracing the path of the RSREF East, the RSREF came across the ruins of Ottawa. Nature had almost entirely reclaimed the former Canadian capital, with few recognizable features shown from pictures taken only 10 years prior. However, bandits were found along the St. Lawrence River in the former Canadian state of Quebec, and several pitched battles were fought. Talk of a Republic known as Saguenay was heard from captured bandits, but not much thought was put into it as they were drugged when they revealed this. They also spoke of a rump Canadian government to the east.

On July 19th, the expedition came across a patrol of what appeared to be American Soldiers, yet they wore an insignia reminiscent of the former US states of Vermont and Maine. In a friendly meeting with expedition leader Col. Cage, they revealed that they were members of the military force of the Republic of, which occupied much of the former state of Maine. When asked if contact had been made with other parts of the globe, the soldier, now identified as Sgt. Oliver, simply said:

“Sir……..if you mean if I can talk with someone from here to Tokyo…..hell no. If you mean that we are in contact with other governments around the globe…..who are themselves trying to survive….then yes.”

Shortly after this exchange, Col. Cage sent the following message, now famous throughout the Republic as meaning a dawn of hope:

“Stowe……we have made contact.”

Contemporary Times
Many citizens of the Republic were saddened to hear that the government of the United States had disbanded seven years earlier, as despite President Robert Stowe’s comments during the Republic’s formation, there had been an undying hope that somehow the government that had represented the free world would fail to die. Sadness turned to pride, however, as the Republic of Superior was considered by many residents now the successor of the United States. This was true in many regards, as it had largely held onto the American political system, while also remaining culturally identical. In recent years, desire among citizens for the rebirth of the United States has lead to the dominance of the Committee to Restore the United States of America as an organization, with equally heavy support for the now dominant Republican Party. Other than the 2nd RSREF expedition, President Sarick did not accomplish much of note during his first and second terms in office. The economy boomed as settlements continued to develop along the shore communities of the Great Lakes, though this eventually presented a problem of how to govern. Many wanted to obtain immediate statehood, though this was problematic as they were far apart and not heavily populated. What eventually was passed was the Carey-Feingold Act, which carved areas along the Great Lakes into territories, based upon the location of settlements, their size, and their political leanings. A panel would determine in 2012 whether any of the territories were ready to be granted statehood, and every two years after that would make another review. In compromise to those who wanted immediate representation, a council of delegates from the territories would be established in Stowe. Though they would have no power in the actual proceedings of Congress, they would be able to make it clear if they supported the path taken in regards to any bill or law that affected them.

The 2008 election was easily won by Republican candidate Terrance Newman, who simply rode on the popularity of President Sarick, over Democrat candidate Russ Feingold. However, in a surprise move, President Newman made Senator Feingold his Secretary of State, a position he had held in the O’Hara administration. Though this was decried by some Republicans, the move was largely met as a good will gesture to a respected politician in the Republic.