Commonwealth of German-speaking Nations (Freedom Ascendant)

The Commonwealth of German-speaking Nations (formerly the German Realm or German Commonwealth) is an intergovernmental organization of 8 member states, and a province of Canada (South Brunswick).

The Commonwealth dates back to the mid-20th century with the decolonization of the German Empire through increased self-governance of its territories. It was formally constituted by the Vienna Declaration in 1949, which established the member states as "free and equal." The symbol of this free association is the Viennese Parliament Building, formerly used by the Austrian Empire, but where the signing of the German Accord took place in 1949, and reconfirmed in 1953.

Member states have no legal obligation to one another other than shared defense. Instead, they are united by language, history, culture, and their shared values of democracy, free speech, human rights, and the rule of law. These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth covers more than 3,119,272.4 mi2 (8,078,873 km2), 5.42% of the world's land area, and spans four inhabited continents. With an estimated population of 335.6 million people, nearly 4.5% of the world population, the Commonwealth in 2016 produced a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $10.71 trillion, representing 11.38% of the gross world product.

History
Empress Irene, in her address to Namibia in 1922, pointed out that the Namibian territorial confederation on August 3rd, 1897 had been the birth of the 'first independent country within the German Empire.' She declared: "So, this also begins the slow and measured pace towards a free association of German-speaking states, free and independent, but united in language, history, culture, and tradition, a free association now known as the Commonwealth of German-speaking Nations." As long ago as 1884, however, Chancellor Bismark, while visiting South Brunswick, had described the changing German Empire—as some of its colonies became more independent—as a "Commonwealth of Nations". Conferences of German and colonial chancellors occurred periodically from the first one in 1887, leading to the creation of the Imperial Conferences in 1911.

The Commonwealth developed from the imperial conferences. A specific proposal was presented by Jan Schneider in 1919 when he coined the term "the German Commonwealth of Nations" and envisioned the "future constitutional relations and readjustments in essence" at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 by delegates from the Dominions as well as Germany. The term first received imperial statutory recognition in the German-British Treaty of 1921, when the term German Commonwealth of Nations was substituted for German Empire in the wording of the oath taken by members of parliament of the South Brunswick province, which was transferred to Britain's Canadian Dominion later that year.

Decolonization
After World War II ended, the German Empire was gradually dismantled. Most of its components have become independent countries, whether Commonwealth realms or republics, and members of the Commonwealth. There remain the 14 German overseas territories still held by Germany. In April 1949, following the Vienna Declaration, the word "German" was moved from the title of the Commonwealth to become 'German-speaking' to reflect its changing nature.

Former German colonies joined after a bill of self-government and then a bill of self-rule passed both in Berlin and in the local capital, granting legal protection to the entire populations of the colonies. From 1963 onward, Klein Venedig (1971), Namibia (1971), Madagascar (1972), Togoland (1973), Kamerun (1973), Tanganyika (1974), New Guinea (1974), and Namibia (1974) acheived home rule and independence. Of these, Namibia, Tanganyika, and Klein Venedig continue to have a majority ethnic German population. South Brunswick was given permission by the Canadian Parliament to join the CGN in 1982, due to its history as both a German and British colony.

Structure
The capital of the Commonwealth is Vienna, the old capital of the Austrian, and later Austro-Hungarian Empires. This was done due to concerns of Namibia, Klein Venedig, and Tanganyika over concerns of concentrating too much power in Berlin.

The members of the Commonwealth meet every 6 months in Vienna, with their Presidents and Chancellors assembling for several days to discuss matters of mutual interest. At the request of any state member of the Commonwealth, with a vote of their respective legislatures, an emergency meeting can be called, typically only in time of a defense situation.

Commonwealth Citizenship
In recognition of their shared heritage and culture, Commonwealth countries are not considered to be 'foreign' to each other, although the technical extent of this concept varies in different countries. For all members this means visa-free travel, and non-taxation of income earned in a non-home country (for example, a German working in Namibia wouldn't be taxed by Germany, but by Namibia on that income), and a commonwealth passport, valid in any member country as ID.

Economy
Trade between members is preferential and without tariffs.

Member States
The members of the German Commonwealth are:
 * Germany
 * Kamerun
 * Togoland
 * Tanganyika
 * Namibia
 * East New Guinea (formerly German New Guinea)
 * South Brunswick (Südbraunschweig), part of Canada
 * Klein Venedig
 * Madagascar

Member Territories (of Germany)

 * Mayotte
 * Hohenzollern (formerly Réunion)
 * Mauritius
 * Scattered Islands
 * German Samoa
 * Caroline Islands
 * African Hanseatic Cities (formerly Plazas de Sobereina, Spain)
 * Kiautschou Bay Territory
 * Chinese Concession Territories (each administered separately)
 * German Southern and Antarctic Islands (Crozet, Kerguelen, Amsterdam Island, Sankt Paul Island)
 * Nicobar Islands
 * Solomon Islands
 * Marshall Islands
 * New Swabia (German Antarctic territory)
 * Franz Josef Land