Essex (1983: Doomsday)

The Combined Communities of Essex, Hertfordshire and London (previously Interim Nation of Essex; also known as the Combine or Essex) is a moderately large state in south east England, claiming the territories of Essex, Hertfordshire, and parts of East London. It is located south of Woodbridge, with which it jointly administers the Codominion of West Suffolk.

History

 * View main article here.

Pre-Doomsday
The county was the site of the New Towns of Basildon and Harlow. Following the Second World War RAF Debden and RAF Wethersfield were used as sites for the USAF; also within the county were the airports of Southend and Stansted, which grew in size and significance at the end of the 1970s. However – and importantly – the county was home to a nuclear bunker in proximity to the village Kelvedon Hatch, which by the 1980s was intended for use by the British Government in case of nuclear war.

Doomsday
The county was struck hard by the events of September 26th. Nine nuclear weapons fell on the county:
 * London Southend Airport – 20kt
 * London Stansted Airport – 20kt
 * RAF Wethersfield – 20kt
 * RAF Debden – 20kt
 * Tilbury Port – 20kt
 * Bradwell Nuclear Power Station – 20kt
 * Colchester Barracks - 20kt
 * Coryton Oil Refinery – 100kt
 * Harwich and Felixstowe Ports – 100kt

Structure
Essex's political system is democratic and tiered. Though this enables issues on a local and regional level to be dealt with quickly and efficiently, smaller issues that require national attention often get bogged down and lost as they reach higher strata. External critics have noted that, where necessary, it gets the job done, but could prove to be easily subverted. The system has evolved organically since its inception in 1992.
 * The High Minister is the Head of State and Head of Government. He or she is expected to be the face of the nation in international politics and holds three votes in the Parliament. The High Minister can choose to delegate any desired task to a representative in Parliament, or a named external source provided he or she receives five votes of agreement from a randomly-selected council.
 * The Parliament is the senior decision making body. Regional councils (of which there are fifteen) all elect three Ministers into Parliament. Ministers hold a single vote each and are expected to voice the concerns of their region; though not strictly a rule, it is a rule of etiquette for at least one of the ministers to speak on behalf of the minority view in the region.
 * The Assembly is the regional decision making body and has a single representative from each council. Representatives are expected to debate issues of regional importance, which vary depending on the urbanisation/ruralisation rate of the region and other such factors. Representatives vote for Ministers and are expected to devote roughly equal time to debating the finer points of Parliamentary edicts and to the needs of the region. It is often said that 'the lone voice stops here', as it is nearly unheard of for a single person's opinion to be spoken in an Assembly.
 * The Council is roughly equivalent to a parish council. Councillors, of whom one from each commune are elected, debate issues here that involve cooperation between communes. Due to the indistinct nature of a Council's borders, they are often found to cooperate with immediate neighbours.
 * Communes are the basic operative division in Essex. They have populations from as low as ten up to a hundred and fifty. Communes are based around farms or factories and exist to ensure that all participants have an equal voice in running an efficient operation. Most communes choose their chairs by lottery and vote for their Councillors, but this is not universal. For instance, communes with a strong family will often be led by their resident patriarch or matriarch regardless of vote or lottery. Some large, powerful families have manifested themselves; for example the Woolner family leads ten separate communes and is able to pool its collective wealth. Communes generally also double as independent businesses unless they choose to remain nationalised, but members from one are fully able to work in another. Every family in Essex has at least one member in a commune.

High Minister


The post of High Minister is determined by the person with the greatest number of votes from the entire electorate of the Essex population. Assembly members run for election into the parliament and parliament members run for re-election every three years; the highest-voted of the Ministers, whether or not they are experienced in parliament affairs, automatically becomes High Minister.

The current High Minister is Lee Evans of a Corporatist-Progressive leaning and former Chairman of the Billericay Assembly. Minister Evans was once part of an Entertainment Brigade, playing with the punk rock band the Forgotten Five; however, as the touring continued and the young Lee Evans was exposed to the suffering in Essex he resolved to aid the rest of the country in any way he could. A prominent figure in the Revolution of 1990 he led the revolt in Billericay and helped to establish the local council and assembly, gaining support through his repeated and popular public appearances. Mr Evans has served since 2006 and was re-elected with a landslide majority in 2009; he is currently a leading figure in the establishment of a currency.

High Ministers have indefinite term limits, but Lee Evans holds the record with three consecutive terms, each of three years in length. His current term will end on June 21st, 2011.

Parties
Unlike many other survivor nations, Essex and its associated territories are run in a (technically) non-party democracy. Communes are all expected to run councils to maximise efficiency and cooperation, and elect or place lots for members to join regional assemblies, whose control generally is over a single borough. These assemblies administer the passage of subsidized supplies throughout the boroughs and also mediate disputes and coordinate actions between the communes. Members of these assemblies can then run for election on the Essex parliament, or if there are not enough volunteers selected in a lottery. The parliament focuses on issues of national importance, such as holidays, military exploits, and (recently) the creation of a standard currency.

As said, there are no distinct parties within the Essex government, as ministers are expected to act within the interests of their electorate rather than a broader party. Nonetheless, loose affiliations of common interests are formed at the assembly and parliament level resulting in a small number of clearly distinguishable groups: the Progressives, who favour expansion; the Corporatists, who wish to accelerate the rate of free market development and are pushing strongly for establishing a currency; and the Socialists, who wish to subsidize the supply of food and water.

Current situation
After months of battling the Corporatists finally managed to convince the population to adopt a currency: the New Pound, the same used by Woodbridge. On the afternoon of April 26th High Minister Lee Evans and Prime Minister John Robson of Woodbridge made a joint statement that Essex would take up the usage of a currency, the New Pound, by June 1st. The design of the currencies would be different to each nation but would be legal tender in both, holding the same value, to "Promote economic closeness and wipe away the barrier to free trade both within and between our countries that bartering imposed." The vote passed with a 67% majority, just above the margin required for an issue of "Internal and external significance". Mints have been established in the town of Braintree.

Essex remains a vocal member of the Organisation of British Nations, and represents the largest power of the member states both in terms of population and industrial capacity. Despite this it is still very dependent on its neighbours, particularly Woodbridge for the supply of military equipment, and East Britain which is one of the main buyers of Essex-produced agricultural equipment. Essex's suggestion to found the OBN came following the 2008 War, when it was felt that had the countries cooperated they would have finished the campaign faster, and perhaps could have managed to prevent it from beginning (especially with air support from Woodbridge, though Essex now fields an air force). As such Essex is the strongest supporter of a unified military force for the OBN.

Future
Expansion has long been an issue for Essex, seeking to expand its resource base and agricultural area. Prior to the discovery of Woodbridge it was thought that territory should be expanded over East Anglia, but after the discovery it was decided to expand into the Home Counties. Claims already exist on East London and on Hertfordshire, but their actual status is tenuous; only Hertfordshire territories within the A10 are truly loyal to Essex, and the country's assistance to the population of Luton remains officially a reconstruction and consolidation effort, though depending on interpretation it could be considered aid to a foreign city-state. It is generally agreed that at some point in the future Essex will need to formalise control over these areas to ensure a steady supply of food and resources.

Some believe that the country has plans to expand into Kent, pointing to the missions to the Isle of Thannet across the Thames Estuary, though in fact these are unfounded, as many politicians of the Progressive group agree that to do so would be a needless strain on resources when far more important and useful territories are closer and cheaper to repair. Annexation and colonisation of London and Kent are only vague ideas scheduled for the next decade or further.

Since contact with Woodbridge in 2000 some suggested that the two nations could cooperate to annex and redevelop East Anglia, and since the foundation of the OBN this idea was given some attention as it would create an uninterrupted land bridge between Essex, Woodbridge and East Britain. This plan of action manifested in the 2010 Invasions. Critics pointed out that Essex, being located further from the potential site of colonisation, would be given a smaller share of the 'winnings' from the reconstruction. Nonetheless this route of growth held popularity amongst those of the citizenry who wished to solidify links between the members of the OBN and also has support from those who wanted to claim parts of East Anglia before the entire area was 'snapped up' by the expansion of Woodbridge and East Britain. Essex jointly administers the Codominion of West Suffolk with Woodbridge.

One issue between Essex and Woobridge is the border territory of Babergh, which lies between Colchester and Ipswich. Being located right between the countries it has remained a talking point for several years, with numerous suggestions for its administration registered. Though a 'split down the middle' option was popular, it was proposed for usage as either a wildlife sanctuary (given the destruction of many areas reserved for wildlife in the rush of farm construction post-Doomsday) or as a huge power generation facility, with both countries helping to construct a large system of wind turbines and hydroelectric dams along the Stour and Orwell rivers that run on either side of the territory. However, official government representatives announced that Woodbridge would formally relinquish any claims over Babergh when Essex agreed to hand over complete control of West Suffolk to Woodbridge, at some point between 2013 and 2015. Though its future still remains in doubt, Babergh is nonetheless being extensively colonised by Woodbridgers and Essaxons keen to gain a stake in the future development of the area.

Analysts have noted the growing power of the family. In May 2010 the Hammond family, which controls fourteen communes, plus an additional six in Babergh, announced that it was planning to claim the Isle of Sheppey on the south of the Thames Estuary as its own territory, thereby making it (technically) a colony of Essex. Though eyebrows were raised at the announcement, there has been little opposition, and the Hammond family has declared that it will be ready to move its first colonists somewhere around the beginning of September.

Culture
Radio Since 1990, great lengths have been taken to establish mass media and entertainment. Operating out of Kelvedon Hatch Bunker, which following the Revolution of 1990 was converted to civilian control and used for broadcasting. There are three public broadcast radio channels: Proposals have been made to extend the number of radio wavelengths available, though many are kept closed and monitored by the military in case foreign radio signals are sent.
 * Essex Waves provides news services, drama and comedy, such as Alan Davies' Slice of Life.
 * Sounds provides pre-Doomsday music.
 * The Hits broadcasts modern music and independent comedy productions.

Essex Waves is currently broadcasting a ten-part epic in one hour installments about the life of fictitious East End Londoner Mehmet Rakif and his struggle to survive in the fragmentary remains after Doomsday. Based on a number of survivor accounts acquired over the decades the story ranges from the days leading up to Doomsday and on that night in the first episode, and then follows Mehmet for the next two and a half decades. Featuring 'challenging' accounts of survival in the bleak and hellish landscape of London and the arrival of Essex raiding parties through 1996-98 (set to be the most 'controversial' episode) the story will strive to be as realistic as possible whilst adapting as many different stories as possible for a coherent and exciting storyline. It is hoped that the programme could be adapted for film or television, though as Essex has the capabilities of neither it is looking for foreign interest to sell the rights to televise. The story will begin broadcasting at 9:30 PM on May 1st and is expected to bring large audiences thanks to a powerful advertising campaign on all three major radio channels.

Television
Essex currently has no public television capability, and very limited governmental use. Nonetheless, there are plans to change this, and it is hoped that some sort of service will be restored by 2011 at the earliest.

Newspapers
The Essex Chronicle remains the primary newspaper within the country, having absorbed the Hertfordshire Mercury facilities upon expansion in the area. The Chronicle is subsidized and government-owned, delivered to all communes within the country and gives as balanced a view as possible on issues. It holds the distinction of being the only paper to serve the entire country, whereas every other paper only serves at most a few boroughs. The newspaper is printed on recycled paper and encourages readers to return older papers for further recycling.

Story writing
In recent years traditional short stories and novels have regained popularity. However, the cost of printing individual books would be prohibitive, and if the entire run is not purchased could prove a waste of resources. As such groups of stories are typically published together in the monthly Imagination Magazine delivered with the Essex Chronicle. These magazines generally contain around twenty stories aimed at a number of audiences and of varying lengths, along with author biographies and a handful of reviews. These represent superior returns on investment as the costs of printing individual books are almost entirely removed from the equation, and as only single copies are delivered to subscribing communities ensure that no paper is wasted. The format is typically two or three novellas, ten or twelve short stories, and a few poems and children's stories included too. Stories are subject to extensive review prior to publishing and thoroughly proofread to ensure no paper is wasted, but the story must appear in written form for submission before being published; the magazine's editors publish 'the written word, not ideas'.

A popular story that has been reprinted twice is Fallen Light, written in 2009, a novella set in a world where the result of the War of 2008 was reversed and Essex was absorbed by the True British Army. Focusing on a soldier named Karen Smith, sole survivor of the fictional Battle of Takeley (ironically this would be the site of a key victory for Essex in 2010), the story explores her as she leads a group of survivors across the east of England, trying to stay ahead of the marauding force of the True British Army. The backdrop of the story is bleak but recognised as highly plausible: it assumes that a wise TBA leadership would immediately attempt to remove the aerial threat posed by Woodbridge, and after a pitched battle at Ipswich would manage to swarm the defences of the country and remove the threat there too. The East British Royal Guardsmen are utterly vanquished by a far stronger and more numerous foe, and by the time Karen Smith and her associates arrive in the Kingdom of Cleveland the TBA has managed to assume control over most of England. The story's end is bittersweet. The TBA's armies are trumped as they invade Cleveland by the technologically advanced strength of Celtic Alliance troops, but are spread out well enough to begin a long and brutal guerilla warfare campaign that, the last lines of the story suggest, was only concluded after the vicious usage of biological and chemical weapons by the Celtic Alliance that rendered much of England once more uninhabitable, leaving Karen Smith and her comrades the only remaining citizens of the now-irreparable Essex, Woodbridge and East Britain.

Upon the publishing of the novella in the Celtic Alliance, the author of Fallen Light has announced he intends to publish a new alternate history novel set in a world where Britain did not evacuate after Doomsday. The novel is tentatively set for a release date near Christmas and has the working title of The Ashes. The author has not specified the reason for this, though has hinted that it is related to the pre-Doomsday cricket competition, which was dominated by the rivalry between Britain and Australia.

Fashion
Very little in the way of fashion has held Essex, though ‘designer’ clothes salvaged from Doomsday and produced following the Rejuvenation hold some value on the market. Most of the population of Essex still wear hand-me-downs from Doomsday, albeit heavily patched and repaired following years of wear and tear. The clothes most citizens wear are functional and utilitarian, heavily faded from years of sunlight after work in the fields, and patched.

Pets
Pet ownership following Doomsday fell dramatically. Resources were simply too tight to feed both humans and animals, and as such the vast majority of animals were either killed or allowed to run wild. However, since 1995 cats and dogs have started to regain popularity. Dogs remain in use by the authorities for tracking, guarding and searching, whilst cats have mostly switched to a semi-feral status, living in farmhouses and catching mice and other pests. Very few of either animal, though, are privately owned, and there are no pet shops throughout the entirety of Essex. The closest equivalent to these are the several stables and ranches, which breed horses, donkeys and mules for use on farms and for transportation of goods.

Sports
Essex was the home of the Essex Eagles cricket team and in 2007 their facilities were restored to playing condition after prior use for agriculture. Essex holds both national and international competitions at this cricket ground, and is making a bid for this to become the primary cricket ground for OBN competitions. It also plays friendly football games with teams from Woodbridge and, occasionally, East Britain.

Education
Education in Essex is, like many other facilities, dispensed on a communal basis. Communes generally band together to provide basic schooling systems, whose quality has been steadily rising since the mid-1990s with the introduction of new textbooks and the abundance of writing materials. Most primary schools in the countryside have a few dozen pupils who are collected on cart (few can spare the time to escort their children to schools) and have only a couple of classes, generally 'older' and 'younger'. Secondary schools are typically based in towns and attended from wider areas. In 2005 attendance of secondary schools up to the age of 15 became compulsory.

After primary and secondary education students can either go straight to work, enter vocational colleges, or join one of five universities. Universities tend to offer more biased curricula, for instance towards engineering (the Engineering Corps runs its own university, based in Braintree) or agriculture, though Anglia-Ruskin University tries to offer a more broad subject range, at the expense of depth. Students from Essex often opt to go to Woodbridge's universities, and vice versa.

Crime
When Essex was the Interim Nation of Essex crime was dealt with extremely harshly: capital punishment for all but the slightest of offenses, and in some places even these would mean death too. Following the Revolution of 1990 it was unilaterally decided that capital punishment in every case was barbaric, but it was still used in some circumstances, such as for murder, treason, and rape outside of a relationship. Other crimes - such as theft and assault - result in hard labour, often in the harshest of terrain. Like several other states Essex implements a 'three strike' system, though it has double usage; underage offenders are given two 'slaps on the wrist' before being sent to perform comparatively hard labour (naturally, depending on the crime this can be skipped). For adults the three strikes lead to either a life sentence or execution, depending on the severity of the crimes committed.

Population
Essex is the most densely populated nation in all of the former United Kingdom, and subsequently has been forced to adapt to serve its nearly-800,000-strong populace. Since contact with the outside world it has traded extensively to create as efficient an agricultural base as possible, and manages to feed an estimated 85% of its population solely on home-grown food. It buys the remainder both from nearby nations (chiefly Woodbridge, as well as other English states) and those further afield (continental Europe, with tentative agreements with New Britain).

As a side effect of its population Essex is the only English nation that can truly afford abortions. However, it still discourages these in most circumstances. Abortions have only been legal since 1997, when it was decided that radiation levels and numbers of deaths related to radiation were dropping sufficiently to allow voluntary loss of life. Average life expectancy has been rising slowly since the mid-1990s and is currently hovering around 55. Three in ten deaths are due to cancer, one in twenty due to radiation sickness from prolonged exposure to radioactive sites, and most of the rest down to diseases easily preventable in the more advanced regions of the world. Malnutrition makes up nearly all remaining cases. Two in five children die before age five.

Essex turns a blind eye to homosexual relationships but refuses same-sex marriage, on the grounds that it doesn't want to set precedent for a measure that could drastically curtail population growth in the state - an edict that is widely recognised as pointless, but tolerated by both homosexual and heterosexual couples. Marriage is permitted from the age of 16 upwards, regardless of parental consent.

Dialect
Despite suffering heavily with the influx of Cockney-speakers since the 1880s, the Essex dialect has made a slow recovery since Doomsday. It is strongest in the north and east of the nation but has managed to spread into the Hertfordshire territories and even as far as Chelmsford. Once the preserve of the older generations, the lack of mobility has meant the dialect has suffered less dilution or pollution from the more common Estuary accent, and is now as common amongst youth as it is amongst the elderly. Peculiarities of the dialect include: The Estuary accent remains more common and is spoken most strongly throughout the southern and western parts of the nation, but is ubiquitous across the country. Most other accents have been lost or blended with Estuary.
 * Using 'boy' to describe a man of any age; ie calling a man an 'old boy'
 * Substituting many words for 'a', such as 'of' and 'would'; ie 'pair a shoes' and 'everyone a be singin''
 * Dropping of 'l's; ie old > owd
 * Shortening of elongated vowels; ie been > bin, seen > sin
 * Dropping letters to ease flow of speech; ie wonderful > wunnerful, and correctly > creckly

Overview
The economy of Essex was based around a barter system, but on June 1st 2010 converted to the New Pound (N£). The New Pound was adopted because of long-standing misgivings around the stability of a bartering economy. This was due to the dangerous increase in wealth and buying power of the more productive communes and the fact that the food-based barter system was especially vulnerable to bad harvests, and represented little chance for investment in the future.

The adoption of the New Pound was not met with universal agreement. The ceremony involved the Woodbridge ambassador to Essex buy an item worth N£10, and the Essex ambassador in Woodbridge do the same. Unfortunately, problems came at both ends; in Woodbridge, the shopkeeper did not have the exact change, and in Essex, Woodbridge's ambassador was met with heckling from protestors who believed that the adoption of the New Pound was another step in Woodbridge's 'domination' of Essex. The hecklers were arrested though soon released. The event appears to have already become a local legend, having received coverage in the evening news of Essex, Woodbridge, and even the Celtic Alliance. New Pounds minted in Essex or Woodbridge have separate designs but are legal tender in both countries.

Most goods in Essex are handmade, typically from readily available substances such as wood, metal and the casings of otherwise useless objects. Working pre-Doomsday objects of practical value are extremely expensive and commonly-sought after, with agricultural equipment some of the most costly tools in the entire country. For this reason the government has endeavoured to purchase most available farming equipment, loaning and subsidizing it to needy communes. Communes without ownership or access to combine harvesters or tractors generally make do with extensively modified cars and trucks, horse-driven machinery, or raw manpower. Technicians with the skills to modify cars and the breeders of horses, donkeys and mules are generally members of the richer community in Essex.

Nonetheless, there is an extensive market for goods of less practical value. Antiques and memorabilia can fetch considerable sums, and independently produced artwork can often make artists some of the richest people in the nation overnight – paintings, incredibly scarce due to the lack of usable paint, regularly fetch the worth of a healthy horse from rich communes. Items which have been salvaged also draw value due to the merit of their origin, such as the 'Sheerness piano', which was retrieved by the navy on one of its missions to the town and sold on, drawing huge value as being the only piano found outside Essex (despite being hopelessly out of tune).

Foreign exports
Essex has a somewhat limited economic base for foreign trade, as the vast majority of its produce is either food or low- to mid-quality agricultural equipment. Nonetheless there are some parts of its economy that are useful for foreign trade:
 * Horses
 * Cart horses
 * Donkeys
 * Mules
 * Bees
 * Bee handling equipment
 * Hives
 * Mead
 * Honey
 * Drugs
 * Herbal medicines
 * Light electronics
 * Radios
 * Electronic repairs
 * Electrical systems
 * Small-scale wind turbines
 * Small-scale hydroelectric generators
 * Farm machinery (though mostly of a late 19th-century standard)
 * Biodiesel (though Essex is a net importer of the product)

Following Doomsday
Initially Essex’s military was composed of local Territorial Army and police units granted additional powers, subservient to the Kelvedon Hatch Bunker authorities. Members of the land, sea and air cadets aged over 16 were also pressed into service along with any younger volunteers by the government. Equipped with reasonably modern equipment for the time they were a powerful force in defending against rogue groups from the countryside, even though they were most commonly deployed on government administration missions. However, their misuse at the hands of the government to establish a seemingly self-perpetuating dictatorship led to growing distrust and discontentment amongst the military, which were triggered into launching a coup in the 1990 Revolution.

1990 Onwards
With the advent of democracy the command of the army began to change; it remained loyal to the government, but became a more independent body, as it had prior to Doomsday. It was also prompted to establish new cadet training organizations within Essex to prepare a new generation of soldiers to take the place of the slowly ageing military. These organizations continually provide a stream of volunteers, sufficient to cover the number retirees and deaths within the small army.

The highest profile event in the army's history is the War of 2008. Following a number of attacks amongst Hertfordshire communities, culminating in a raid that destroyed a fortress on the A10 and a deep raid into Essex, the military was dispatched by the government to locate the enemy which had killed and kidnapped around three thousand citizens. The military was wary, however, as a prior peaceful exploration of several hundred men towards Luton had been utterly destroyed, seemingly vanishing from the face of the earth. The army mobilised over ten thousand men and women and armed them with whatever they could find - cars refitted with guns and armour, horse-drawn carriages seized for usage as troop carriers - and marshalled them into the largest military force fielded by the country to date.

The main taskforce of five thousand men was given the objective of securing Luton as a forward base of operations, and from there locate the Essex citizens. The remaining force would establish a series of defensive perimeters to prevent further incursions into Essex. Discovering that their enemy was the racist 'True British Army', composed of ex-police and ex-military units led by a group of warlords who called themselves 'general-governors' the army was authorised to assault Luton and destroy the local regime. This they did, freeing the town in a single battle, and establishing a new base of operations. Learning that the enemy had made its base in Milton Keynes the army continued its assault, travelling up the M1 - where they were ambushed by an enemy force twice their size. Losing nearly a third of their men the army was forced to make the choice to either retreat or continue against overwhelming odds. It was close decision, until they realised that despite their losses they had inflicted a significant loss on the enemy and were likely the first truly organised opposition to the True British Army. Camping overnight in an M1 embankment they prepared for a dawn raid on Milton Keynes on February 29th. (The later justification for this date was that if it resulted in victory, the men would have to be modest and celebrate every four years; if they lost, they would only have to remember the embarrassment every leap year.)

The battle for Milton Keynes was a spectacular success, and casualties only began to grow late in the morning once the enemy realised what was happening and could organise their defences. However, despite having the proverbial home field advantage, being intimately aware of the town and having fortified it in dozens of different ways, the True British Army rapidly lost ground against the superior Essex troops, who by early afternoon had secured the town centre and executed the True British Army leaders. Demoralised and afraid the remainder of the True British Army scattered into the countryside, offering no resistance as Essex troops freed the captured citizens from an Astwood concentration camp and brought back thousands of immigrants from Milton Kenyes and surrounding territories.

Peacetime
Since their return on March 7th the military has mainly concerned itself with defending against remaining fragments of the True British Army and other raiders, and donating its physical strength in the movement of aid and construction efforts throughout the Hertfordshire and London territories. Having been downsized since the 2008 War most of the military's long-distance efforts involve scouting parties and hunting down raiders.

As the army reaches its third decade of existence it is noted much of its equipment is beginning to malfunction; its well-used rifles and carbines are slowly being replaced by civilian-owned weapons resulting a slowly more diverse arsenal. New workshops opening to provide heavier weapons such as artillery and armoured cars are also leading to the military’s ramshackle appearance. Perhaps the greatest change is that hand-to-hand combat is being taught again, and troops are being supplied with armour ranging from preserved suits of armour through to slats of corrugated iron and car chassis to wear.

Some efforts have been made in recent years to expand the mobility of the army. A handful of armoured cars are in operation, run primarily on biodiesel produced from oilseed rape grown in Essex and Woodbridge. These armoured cars have come to represent the patchy state of Essex society; after nearly three decades of service all the vehicles currently serving in the military have been repaired countless times, with heavily refitted engines and layered with sheets of improvised armour. Despite the ramshackle appearance of the 'Landrover cavalry' they still function to military standards and are generally employed guarding trade convoys or running border patrols. The military also uses armoured lorries as cargo carriers and troop transports.

The 2010 Invasions
In 2010 Essex and Woodbridge agreed to a pact whereby the two countries would cooperate in securing the territories of St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath. The two districts, formerly part of Suffolk, were known to be home to stubborn resistance but also contained valuable sites for expansion of industry and agriculture. It would be mutually beneficial for the territories to be captured by the two nations so they might secure their borders and aid their economies. Agreeing to rule the new territories as a codominium, whereby costs of redevelopment would be shared equally, the two nations readied their armies for an assault on June 1st, the same day Essex would make the transition to the New Pound.

Though expecting a relatively easy campaign troops found themselves engaged in bitter and often pitched warfare with the local resistance - the remnants of the True British Army. Though defeated in the 2008 War and with the majority of their leadership destroyed parts of the fascistic regime had returned to power and continued their reign over a large area of land around Cambridgeshire. Their presence in West Suffolk was both an unwelcome surprise and a deadly threat, and over the fortnight the invasion took place over two thousand casualties were inflicted by the local TBA, over three-quarters of which were Essaxon.

Though the invasion came to a halt on June 13th commanders recognised that there were serious flaws in their plan. Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury possessed no defensible land borders and there were several large towns nearby from which True British Army resistance could continue for years - one of those actually within the newly-acquired territories: Bury St Edmunds, which had proved impregnable. Just a few miles to the west, however, was the River Great Ouse, which represented an excellent and well-defensible border. Woodbridge and Essex subsequently decided to launch a new offensive, this time supplemented by East British troops (the River Great Ouse running into their territory). Essex would launch an assault westwards, ending along the eastern banks of the rivers Cam and Great Ouse. Woodbridge would assault northwards, alongside the Great Ouse into Norfolk. East Britain would assault southwards on the west bank of the Great Ouse, in order to capture the Isle of Eels and the city of Ely, as well as offer assistance in West Norfolk.

The invasions were all successful in capturing their main objectives and by August resettlement and redevelopment efforts were well underway. However, for Essex this came at an extreme cost; during its invasion a ten-thousand strong army launched a counteroffensive into Essex's territories in Hertfordshire. They remained a potent threat between the 20th-24th June, in the process capturing several towns and nearly leveling the much-contested town of Saffron Walden; however, a strategic disaster at the Battle of Takeley led to much of the invading army being destroyed or captured, allowing Essex to recapture the entirety of its occupied territories in a single day, and soon after forcing a peace. The conclusion of the invasions established, for the first time, contiguous borders between all three founding members of the Organisation of British Nations.

Current strength

 * 4 Regiments of 1500 troops


 * 1 active regiment


 * 2 reserve regiments


 * Each regiment is composed of 3 infantry battalions of 500 men each


 * Each battalion is divided into 5 companies of 100 men each


 * The fifth company of each battalion is mechanised, with 25 armoured cars, 50 car crews, and 50 mechanics


 * 1 specialised regiment


 * 1 battalion of engineers


 * 1 battalion of artillery


 * 1 battalion of 'spares'


 * 2 companies of dedicated medics


 * 2 companies of distribution and supply, equipped with 50 lorries


 * 1 company of special forces


 * Total strength 6000


 * An estimated 4000-6000 able-bodied men and women of sufficient training to be put onto the frontline with minimal further preparation

Navy
Essex's navy is composed almost entirely of modified civilian vessels that survived since Doomsday. The extent of modification varies; some ships are merely motor launches and pleasure craft with extra armour and larger engines (corvettes), whilst others are large yachts outfitted to support crews of at least a dozen, bristling with mounted weaponry and with ranges extending towards the coast of Europe (cruisers). In between these classes are narrowboats that have been linked together to form a more stable, catamaran-like chassis, supporting medium sized crews for coastal or upriver exploration - frigates.

The unquestioned heart of the navy is Southend. This town, rebuilt in the 1990s-2000s, is the HQ of the Essex Navy containing several shipyards and the main academy. It is also home to Southend Pier, reconstruction of which was recently completed and included a lighthouse for navigation assistance. However, the EN also has two secondary bases - Maldon, near the mouth of the Chelmer and supervising cargo movement up the canal, and Clacton, which is generally considered a more mercantile area for fishermen and coastal traders.

The history of the EN is overshadowed by the tragedy of its first mission, in which an exploration to Sheerness in Kent encountered an unexploded warhead, with over half the mission dying from radiation poisoning or suicide received from the intense radiation emitted by the device. Nonetheless the navy has held itself above the blemish (though commemorates it annually) and has dedicated its attention to three goals: In April 2010 it was announced that Sweden and Norway offered to sell redundant vessels to a joint Essex-Woodbridge bid in return for manufactured goods and foodstuffs.After all parties agreed the two Scandinavian nations agreed to deliver fourteen vessels in response to the bid: ten supplied by Sweden and four by Norway, seven going to Essex and Woodbridge. These vessels are expected to arrive by mid-May, and will be serviced at Lowestoft and Southend. The vessels, all large and mostly useless and/or outclassed freighters, will be converted by the navies of Essex and Woodbridge to serve the role of long-range vessels for military, diplomatic and trade purposes. Admiral of the Navy of Essex, Iain Stuart, has announced that the ships will: Many of these aims, however, are currently beyond the engineering capabilities of Essex, and it will be hard enough to restore these ships to working order simply for the first few criteria. Analysts are predicting that the vessels will have to be refitted several times to appease the Navy authorities and to be equipped with military equipment such as artillery and radar (technologies which Essex does not possess and will need to buy off foreign powers). It is expected that the first of these vessels will be ready at some point in late autumn at the most optimistic predictions, and the bulk by the spring of 2011.
 * Exploration of England via waterways
 * Exploration of the European coastline
 * Protection of the growing civilian maritime industry from military threats
 * Be able to be customisable to the purpose of each mission, allowing for on separate layouts:
 * Up to a hundred passengers, military or diplomatic, to be carried along with the normal crew
 * Capacity for 12,000 tonnes worth of supplies (a minimum amount, and preferably more for greater ships)
 * The ability to transport varying quantities and qualities of fuel
 * Artillery guns to be positioned on-deck as turrets for bombardments of enemy ships or installations
 * Be able to sail at least as far as Port Elizabeth in New Britain
 * Carry a variety of radio and radar to allow the ships to operate in efficiently in busy foreign ports and shipping lanes and coordinate friendly vessels and troops

Air force
In 2008 it was decided that one of the major causes for the difficulty in the War was that Essex lacked a decisive technological edge. In light of this it was decided that an air force of some sort would need to be restored, and preferably one with greater utility than a few blimps and hot air balloons used for surveillance and light transport duties. However, the country lacked the industrial capability for any form of either propeller-driven aeroplanes or the production of hydrogen that would allow for larger zeppelins. Given Woodbridge's reluctance to surrender parts of its air force even to a close ally it was decided that Essex would have to become self-sufficient in the long term.

The first stage of this would be the creation of an airport to allow the entry of foreign trade. A large runway was constructed on the site of the abandoned and partly ploughed-over RAF Boreham, near Chelmsford, chosen for its central location and proximity to trade hubs (though the move was controversial; people feared an air crash over the town). Completed in December that year attention then turned to expanding facilities and transportation to and from the site, whilst the politicians decided to begin their airfleet.

Their first move was to contact the Kingdom of Prussia. The two nations were aware of each other, but had no formal relations. It came as a surprise therefore when Essex delegates approached intending to talk to the New Zeppelin Company seeking to purchase one of their zeppelins and invite engineers to advise Essex on beginning its own programme. In return for a hefty fee Prussia agreed, selling one of their Graf Zeppelin-derived rigid airships to Essex and acting as advisors on the hydrogen manufacture and zeppelin assembly facilities established at nearby Maldon.

Throughout most of 2010 Essex had only one working zeppelin, the EAS Cavalier, which was purchased directly from the New Zeppelin Company. The Cavalier saw extensive service in the 2010 Invasions, acting as a medivac, leaflet delivery vehicle, and improvised bomber, but sustained only light damage. However, on September 16th, two new Grafzeppelin-class airships were launched, the EAS Chevalier and the EAS Warrior. For the most part the launches went smoothly - an important factor, as the launch was being displayed to the visiting King Andrew of New Britain.

The future of the fleet is in discussion. It has been suggested that Essex purchase as many as four dedicated cargo transportation zeppelins from the NZA and begin construction on a number of smaller blimps dedicated for combat support.

International relations
Essex first made contact with Woodbridge in 2000, and following a minor diplomatic incident the two nations opened their arms to each other, becoming close partners in trade and local militia suppression. From Woodbridge Essex has also learned of the other survivor nations in Britain and the wider world. It is considering requesting access to the League of Nations, mostly to capitalise on foreign trade. Essex is a founding member of the Organisation of British Nations and has played a major part in its expansion and administration since then.

Essex is careful to place its loyalties in foreign countries. For example, it has amicable relationships with both New Britain and the Celtic Alliance, but opposes both on cultural grounds. Essaxon citizens generally stereotype British citizens in New Britain as cowards who couldn't stand up on their own two feet, and whilst they appreciate the economic and political strength represented by the Celtic Alliance many are nervous that the country is trying to replace the old British culture with a Celtic one, and is therefore a threat (a view common throughout nations in the OBN).

Attempting to expand its military Essex has purchased airships from the New Zeppelin Company, based in Prussia, and (following a joint bid with Woodbridge) purchased five old freighters from Sweden and received two as gestures of goodwill from Norway, the same number going to Woodbridge. This caused some concern as the Nordic Union and Prussia have been at odds for several years, but Essex assures that it is not out to make grudges. Essex is currently searching to produce market objects that will hold real value, as the majority of its goods are agrarian in nature and its manufactured goods are of poor quality in comparison to the competition. Because the majority of Essex's usable land has been converted to crop growth it has very little in the way livestock-based products, as these offer insufficient returns on the space invested (a field put over to producing crops will give more food in total than one used for rearing livestock). As such, Essex trades intensely with Woodbridge for livestock-based goods, which the latter country can afford given its smaller population density and subsequently reduced need to maximise the efficiency of every acre of land.

On June 1st 2010 a ceremony took place to mark the adoption of the New Pound as the official currency of Essex. On the stroke of 1pm Woodbridge's ambassador to Essex walked into a shop in Chelmsford and bought a collection of goods to the value of N£10 with a banknote printed in Woodbridge while at exactly the same time Essex's ambassador to Woodbridge did exactly the same with in Woodbridge with a N£10 note printed in Essex. Speeches were then given by both men stating that this would be the beginning of a new economic era between the two nations. However the speech of the Woodbridge ambassador was interrupted by some hecklers who voiced the opinion that Essex's adoption of the new currency was the first step in an attempt by Woodbridge to gain control of Essex. The protestors were arrested but it did show that not everyone in Essex was completely happy about the move. The ceremonies were the main new story on the radio stations of Woodbridge and Essex that evening and the event was also reported on radio stations in the Celtic Alliance. Despite these initial misgivings the currency has become readily assimilated into the nation's culture and has cemented economic ties between the nations, as well as creating the serious potential for the New Pound to become common currency throughout former England.