Williamsport Conference (1983: Doomsday)

The Williamsport Conference is an ongoing biannual conference, the first which ran from May to July of 2019, the second occurring in June and July in 2021, and a third planned to run from May to June in 2023.

Initially, the conference was focused on improving diplomatic relations between the participating parties, focus on economic development, and coordinate infrastructure improvement projects.

Commonwealth of North Pennsylvania, the Provisional Government of Pennsylvania in Reading, the Provisional Government of Pennsylvania in State College, and the Commonwealth of Susquehanna all agreed to participate.

Republic of Gettysburg was not invited due to the cordial relationship between the country and Virginia, as well as its unfriendly actions towards both Reading and State College.

Lehigh, given its status of still legally being occupied by a joint Reading-Susquehanna task force, was not granted official representation. However, both nations recognized that the city-state would be more stable if it agreed to reunification, so a single representative was assigned to the Reading delegation.

Background[]

Since Doomsday and the discovery of other survivor states, both Reading and State College showed interest in the long term reunification of the entire state under their respective governments. After contact was made between the two provisional governments, both claimed authority over the entire state and disputed the other’s legitimacy. Reading saw several dozen state legislators and executive branch officials flee from Harrisburg to the city and set up a provisional government, while the governor, lieutenant governor, and over a dozen state legislators escaped to State College, organizing a separate provisional government. Both authorities were aware of the other’s existence for several years.

North Pennsylvania, given the distance from the capital in Harrisburg, saw local lawmakers, mainly the community mayors and surviving state and federal officials set up a provisional government in 1984 and formally organize in 1989 as no word or support had reached the region from Harrisburg or Washington. While violence broke out on several occasions and raiders on the border plagued the state for years, it became a stable figure in the northwestern part of the state.

In 1995 authorities from North Pennsylvania and State College made contact as raiders operating in the Allegheny National Forest and between Dubois and Saint Mary’s were detained or killed. At that point, the North Pennsylvania government declined an offer to reunify with authorities in State College, citing distance, poor communication, and the fact that (at that time) the two regions did not formally share a border.

However, agreements in agricultural and industrial trade, diplomatic relations, and cooperation with both law enforcement and military operations were formalized.

Susquehanna saw a complete breakdown in order for approximately three years as people’s fears and poor communication between the borough and city governments caused confusion. Several incidents of violence and skirmishes occurred from 1984 through 1987. This settled down by late 1987 as cooler heads prevailed and a realization that cooperation would accomplish more than infighting.

The region unified into the Provisional Government of Pennsylvania in Susquehanna in 1991, less than a decade after Doomsday. Formal independence occurred in 2005, however in 2000, authorities in Bloomsburg sent out several expeditions that reached both State College and Warren. Later expeditions formalized contact with them, as well as Reading and Gettysburg.

Offers of reunification were declined for similar reasons as from North Pennsylvania, however a supranational body was formed between Lehigh, Reading, and Susquehanna in 2017.

Serious discussions renewed in 2016 as all four countries saw improvements in stability, economic growth, and for the first time since Doomsday, there was a shared border by all the countries that made travel from North East to Coatesville feasible.

Arranging the Conference[]

In 2016, State College invited representatives from North Pennsylvania and Susquehanna separately to discuss possible reunification, especially given the economic and military collaboration that had occurred since communications had resumed in earnest.

Both nations declined to open talks separately due to concerns of State College attempting to influence internal politics. North Pennsylvania had been shifting towards Canada and the recent impeachment of the Amish majority government had caused internal political turmoil. By 2016, Susquehanna had begun negotiations to accept Reading’s claim as the successor to Pennsylvania with exceptions carved out for Susquehanna’s independence.

Separate diplomatic meetings were held in mid-2017 between Reading and State College in Duncannon to discuss the competing claims, with officials in each country providing documentation to support their claims as the rightful successor of Pennsylvania. Scholars at the United Communities indicated both countries held legitimate claims, and while State College could potentially succeed at an international tribunal, the likelihood of this occurring was slim.

However, Virginian expansion into the former Pittsburgh metropolitan area and claims overlapping with North Pennsylvania and State College spurred the two nations to jointly propose talks involving all the interested nations.

Initially two conferences were agreed to, with the first to resolve the issue of the competing claims between Reading and State College, as well as revoke territorial claims by both states on North Pennsylvania and Susquehanna. The second would be to arrange some diplomatic channel to promote cooperation.

Location[]

First Williamsport Conference[]

The first conference began on April 8th, 2019 and concluded on July 4th, 2019. The conference was held to address the topic of reunification, mainly the feasibility; interest; and potential paths to reunification, and options in organization. While it did not lead to any major progress on reunification, it did set out guidelines to possible steps, began to address concerns of each country, and set the groundwork for future negotiations.

Outcome[]

While the conference did not result in a firm agreement or plan for future reunification of Pennsylvania, several formal agreements regarding borders, economics, trade, and security were agreed to.

Borders[]

The participants agreed to formal land borders, which had been in dispute, mainly regarding southwestern Pennsylvania and Indiana County between North Pennsylvania and State College, Bradford County between State College and Susquehanna, and both Dauphin and Lancaster counties between Reading and State College.

Another provision that was agree to was the creation of a universal passport for the citizens of all participating nations. Susquehanna also requested for reciprocating protecting powers in nations where another participant lacked diplomatic recognition or relations with.

Cleanup[]

North Pennsylvania, Reading, and Susquehanna all controlled regions that have been deemed inaccessible or marked off as exclusion zones. However, with declining radiation levels since monitoring began, renewed interest in restoring or resettling the cities has increased. North Pennsylvania controls the ruins of Erie, fringe territory affected by fallout from Akron and Cleveland, and claims the ruins of Pittsburgh. Reading controls the ruins of Bethlehem and Harrisburg as well as claims the ruins of Philadelphia and the rest of the state (being it claims to the successor of Pennsylvania). Susquehanna controls outskirts around the ruins of Wilkes-Barre and claims both the ruins of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

With support and technical advice from Canada and Niagara Falls, North Pennsylvania has begun restoring Northwest Harborcreek and the eastern side of the city Erie, which was targeted towards the airport on the western side of the city. While cleanup began in 2011, a decade later, official resettlement has not begun. The only personnel permitted in the exclusion zone are governmental, military, and scientific staff as well as general contractors hired to complete the work. However minor repopulation of Northwest Harborcreek and Wesleyville has begun, east of NPA Route 430.

The four main participants, North Pennsylvania, Reading, State College, and Susquehanna agreed to coordinate and support restoration efforts.

Economy[]

While State College pushed for a currency union, this was not agreed to, primarily due to Lehigh, Reading, and Susquehanna all adopting the Reading Dollar in 2017 and North Pennsylvania pegging its currency to the Canadian Dollar.

A universal trade standard was agreed to between the countries, ensuring that food, manufactured goods, and natural resources could be traded and financial transactions occur fairly between countries. It also organized a trade commission to sit in Williamsport and act as an arbitrator in trade disputes. It also provided for iron mining in Reading and Susquehanna to provide a certain percentage of ore extracted to steel mills in North Pennsylvania and State College, which were reliant on imported ore from Superior. In exchange, the two nations would provide other goods and materials.

Electricity and Energy[]

With both Lehigh and Susquehanna lacking their own domestic generation capabilities and North Pennsylvania and State College disputing generation facilities in Indiana County, the conference hammered out an agreement to resolve the dispute and restore domestic power production to Susquehanna.

North Pennsylvania and State College agreed to divide the generation plants fairly between the two countries based on demand energy output and existing capacity. If there were plants that would require splitting to guarantee this, the nation with the larger share would own the plant but would have to provide a percentage of the generation output. In exchange, the other party would be required to provide materials, personnel, or funding to maintain and operate the plant.

North Pennsylvania and State College also agreed to provide Susquehanna with materials and personnel to restore the Montour Power Plant alongside Canada in exchange for Susquehanna completely decommissioning the abandoned Susquehanna Steam Electric Station and providing anthracite coal to steel mills in their countries.

Reunification[]

While not a top priority for the conference, reunification was discussed extensively. Reading and State College both entered the conference with competing claims as the successor state to Pennsylvania, while both North Pennsylvania and Susquehanna had declared formal independence.

Lehigh, North Pennsylvania, and Susquehanna both demanded security guarantees from Reading and State College that force would not be used for reunification and only a political solution would resolve the issue. State College pushed for a referendum statewide to determine future reunification, however the other nations rejected this request. North Pennsylvania cited pending referendums on independence planned for 2024, Reading cited its competing claim to being the successor state, and Susquehanna cited the passage failure of a constitutional amendment in 2007 as well as its support for Reading’s claim.

A universal agreement to rely solely on a democratic vote to determine the results of any future reunification.

Security and Defense[]

Defense was a major concern for the five nations as the issue of disputes with Gettysburg and the East American Alliance were discussed. North Pennsylvania, Reading, and State College maintained robust military forces while Susquehanna operated a smaller force capable of small scale deployments. Lehigh only operated an internal security force as permitted under the Treaty of Lehighton which provided for its independence. All parties to the conference agreed to a mutual defense pact similar to NATO’s Article 5 where an attack on one member is viewed as an attack on all.

However, military spending requirements were removed as were minimum troop contributions due to disputes from Lehigh and Susquehanna that a large contingent would be detrimental to their economies and domestic security.

Transportation[]

North Pennsylvania, Reading, State College, and Susquehanna agreed to coordinate the restoration of Interstate 80 from Hazleton in Susquehanna to Hermitage in North Pennsylvania, Interstate 79 from Mercer to Edinboro (with future extensions to Eriesburg being considered), and a new interstate from Hazleton to Lancaster utilizing part of the existing Interstate 76 and Route 61 in Reading and Route 309 in Susquehanna (with future extensions to Coatesville being considered).

The nations formed another agreement to restore rail transportation between major cities and begin passenger transportation by 2030. Some existing railroads including the Bellfante Historical Railroad, Buffalo & Pittsburg Railroad, Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad, Reading & Blue Mountain Railroad, and Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad will be utilized with new connections and stations being constructed.

While all the participants had airports within their borders, the condition and usage varied wildly.

Lehigh’s only surviving airport is the Jake Arner Memorial Airport. However, the airport was abandoned after Doomsday and what remained of the infrastructure was destroyed when Reading and Susquehanna invaded the region to destroy the remaining raiders.

North Pennsylvania’s main airport is the Chess Lamberton Airfield in Franklin, Venango with military aircraft operating from the Corry-Lawrence Airport in Corry, Erie and the Northeast Ohio Regional Airport in Ashtabula, Ohio.

Reading’s primary airport is the Reading Regional Airport outside of the capital in Bucks County and the Air National Guard operates from Muir Army Airfield in Fort Indiantown Gap as well as the Chester County G.O. Carlson Airport in Coatesville, Chester County; Lancaster Airport outside Lancaster City in Lancaster County; and Queen City Airport in Allentown, Lehigh County. Several other airports including the Lebanon Municipal Airport, Pottstown Municipal Airport, and Schuylkill County Airport have been converted into ground facilities for the Army National Guard, however Readijg plans to restore the runway at Pottstown by 2030.

State College’s primary airport is the University Park Airport outside of State College in Centre County. The Air National Guard also conducts air operations from the Altoona-Blair County Airport, Johnstown Municipal Airport, and Williamsport Regional Airport. The Bellfonte Airport, Grand Canyon Airport, Jersey Shore Airport, Penn Valley Airport, and Saint Mary’s Airport have been converted into ground facilities for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, though State College has maintained runways at Penn Valley and Saint Mary’s airports.

Susquehanna’s primary airport is Hazleton Regional Airport outside the namesake city in Wyoming County. The only other airport with a surviving runway is the Bloomsburg Municipal Airport in the capital, which Reading utilized for military patrols in northeastern Pennsylvania. However, Susquehanna has converted the Danville Airport and Sunbury Airport/Seaplane Base into military installations. Neither facility is capable of handling aircraft. Several other airports have been abandoned since Doomsday.

While none of the nations offer commercial air service they agreed to coordinate with Canada to attempt to restore passenger and cargo service to either Chess Lamberton Airfield or University Park Airport as well as develop cargo and road routes for exporting via air.

Second Williamsport Conference[]

The second conference was agreed to at the close of the 2019 conference with a two year hiatus to allow each respective participant to begin implementing the agreed to changes.

Third Williamsport Conference[]

While initially only two conferences were planned, a third was decided to plan a restructuring of the Confederation of Pennsylvanian States into a supranational government, similar to the Celtic Alliance, Nordic Union, or North American Union. Legal and political experts from all three organizations have been invited to the conference to provide technical support to modify the existing political organization.

The primary challenges to the union will be the location of the capital, which Provisional Pennsylvania in State College has clearly stated it desired in its territory, which currency to adopt,

The conference is planned to open on May 29th, 2023 and close on July 4th, 2023.

Reaction to the Conference[]

While many nations and the United Communities applauded the meeting as an example of post-Doomsday collaboration, several nations and internal groups expressed concern and dissent towards the long term potential for a reunified Pennsylvania, which could swing the balance of power in the region.

Domestic Response[]

Confederation of Pennsylvanian States - While the organization was not invited to the conference, officials expressed hope for a positive outcome. The President of the confederation, George Wagner and the Speaker of the General Assembly, Ryan Aument, released a statement in conjunction supporting the talks.
North Pennsylvania - Both the Democratic and Republican parties supported the talks, as did the majority of the domestic population. While opinions on reunification are mixed, the general population had interests in improved economic and political ties between the Pennsylvanian survivor states as well as acting as an intermediary to Canada. The Party of the Holy and Simple Life strongly opposed the discussions, claiming that it was God’s will that the state collapsed and any attempt to reform it would result in the same occurring to North Pennsylvania. More radical members claimed the goal was a State College controlled hegemony. The Lake Party and Socialist Party expressed concerned of a future state being overly reliant on industrialization and militarism.
Reading - The Democratic, Republican, and Unionist parties all generally supported the talks however the Unionist Party has pushed for the organization to request admission to the United States. The only party opposing the talks is the Libertarian Party, citing concerns of the people being overruled by the larger organization or foreign powers.
State College - The Democratic, Pennsylvania Unity, and Republican parties all supported the conference. While reunification with the authorities in State college was the most desired outcome it was recognized that this was likely infeasible due to time and the government held the idea that alignment would be better than long term hostilities.
Susquehanna - The Conservative and Republican parties both endorsed the talks as it would improve the economic standing of the nation and give it additional security if the nation was threatened. The Libertarian and Progressive parties opposed the conference due to concerns of conservative dominance in the region overruling more liberal ideologies. The Democratic Party split with the more conservative Democrats generally supporting to talks while more liberal Democrats opposed them.

Foreign Response[]

Several foreign nations and organizations weighed in on the discussions. While many were supportive, a handful opposed the talks due to concerns a unified Pennsylvania could challenge powerful regional rivals including Virginia and Superior.

Canada - Canada indicated support for the talks but expressly hoped that if a military or political alignment resulted from the talks it would align with Canada.
Delmarva - Delmarva supported the talks and hoped that any outcome would improve relations with Delmarva both economically and to counterbalance growing Virginian militance in the former state of Virginia.
Gettysburg - Gettysburg opposed the talks due to ongoing territorial disputes with Reading and State College. The Republican and Veteran parties released a joint statement condemning the talks as hostile action and imperialism and demanded any future discussions be halted.
Kentucky - Kentucky did not oppose or support the talks but expressed concern that any reunification or military alliance could destabilize the balance of power in the region and cause unintended conflict.
North American Union - The North American Union supported the conference, citing its own existence and the future potential for eastward expansion in the future.
Saguenay - Saguenay vocally opposed the conference citing North Pennsylvanian intervention in the Saguenay War and both State College and Susquehanna’s reluctance to recognize the nation. It also opposed any alignment with Canada as a threat to its national interest.
Superior - Superior saw three major camps arise within Congress and the general public. The largest and most vocal opposed the conference due to concerns of the counterweight that a united Pennsylvania could pose to Superior and its allies. A second group believed that it was an internal affair and that Superior should not intervene or comment in a similar manner they felt that Canada should not have interfered with Saguenay. The smallest group supported the conference as they felt that it could strengthen the nations around the Great Lakes.
United States - The United States openly supported the talks and hoped that it would eventually result in discussions between a reunified or aligned Pennsylvania and the United States. However the president recognized that the various nations needed to make this agreement and stated that the United States would respect the results and any domestic opinion on long term alignment.
United Communities - The United Communities was somewhat split with pro-Canadian countries supporting the talks and the Saguenay/Superior bloc generally opposing the discussions. As a whole the organization took a neutral stance but stated that it hoped any results would respect the neighboring nations and preexisting treaties.
Vermont - Vermont expressed support for the talks as the government in Montpelier hoped that reunification would help stabilize the mid-Atlantic region and possibly act as a springboard for expeditions into the former New York metropolitan area and New Jersey.
Virginia - Virginia vehemently opposed the conference citing the hostile nature of the state and its potential to side with Delmarva in territorial disputes.

Future[]

A second conference is planned for mid-2022 to occur in Pottsville. The conference is planned to focus on North Pennsylvania and State College joining the Confederation of Pennsylvanian States or forming a new supranational organization for regional grouping, arrange a court system to resolve disputes, and formalize economic agreements.