Illderian Worldbuilding Thread

[Illderia]

THE BRASLENIAN INSURGENCY​

Background
During the colonization of Illderia, Enneheim was the only territory of the colony who's majority religion was Laurenism. This made the territory and soon province distinctive within the colony. During the 1856-57 Revolution, the right hand man of Franz Müller, Gerhard Nacht utilized a group of Braslenian heavy infantry units known as the Braslenian Assault troops (Braslenische Sturmtruppe), but due the increasing Illderian nationalism, where messianism (specifically couranism) is one of its pillars, the Braslenian community was threatened. During the 1860-70-80s there was a rapid movement to turn the peninsula into another couranist province. The boiling point of the Braslenains was Nicola Furrer (Illderia's Fascist leader), who treated them as second class citizens for their Laurenism and difference in language. This prompted the creation of the Braslenian People's Legion (Braslenische Volkslegion). This was a guerilla army which fought in the Illderian Civil War against Furrer to create an independent Braslenian nation state on the principles of communism. After the defeat of Furrer, the Volkslegion was brutally suppressed by General Konrad Wach's 1952 military junta. In '72 after the killing of a Braslenian independence activist during a demonstration by an Illderian national, the secessionist left wing Braslenian movement, the Braslenian National Union founded the Braslenian Republican Army and declared the Independent Democratic Republic of Braslen

1970s and Operation Schildkröte
On 5 March '72 the newly formed, and unrecognized secessionist state ordered the BRA to attacked a nationalist march in Enneville, remembering the fallen who fought against Furrer and there were 12 casualties. In response, commander-in-chief of the security forces in Enneheim, Generalmajor Patrik Heisenau sent in the provinces' territorial Landwehr. This quick attack failed miserably. Upon hearing about the revolution and failed attack Minister of Defence Generaladmiral Richard Treich ordered the 42nd Airborne Division, under the command of Generalmajor Josef Kristian, stationed nearby to respond to the uprising. With this action Treich launched Operation Schildkröte, an aggressive COIN operation and within months, the province of Enneheim fell into chaos. By the end of '73 an unofficial front line formed stretching from Herzen going through Vitterhoz ending near Adewald. Generalmajor Kristian's paratroopers used brutally effective tactics to suppress the insurgents. Kristian's chief of staff Oberstleutnant Adriaan Varr developed a search and destroy doctrine, dubbed the "Varr shock" or "Varr assault". He also formed 3 Hunter Units (Jaegereinheit), by pulling airborne regiments and combat support units from the 18th Airborne Brigade and creating air assault combined arms formations.

In 1976 a raid conducted by KöMI agents attached to parachute troops killed Xavier Bernhoepf, the supreme commander of the BRA militia. This effectively toppled the Braslenian revolutionary government and BRA units were left scattered around the peninsula. Although the centralized command and insurrection disintegrated in that raid, tragedy struck when reformed elements of the BRA tried to bomb Könignau Palace on 25 December, 1979.

In the political sphere, when the army marched into Hafstadt, then State Chancellor Philip Eisenberger of the Reformistische Union (Reformist Union) gained substantial support among the populous and managed the win a second term in the 1974 elections. The conservatives were debating, that despite their hatred towards the BRA, Bernhoepf's execution was unconstitutional and the socialist party had silent sympathy with the BRA, due to large number of trade union leaders within the party.

1980s and Operation Kastell
During the 1982 provincial elections in Enneheim, a hard-line Illderian nationalist, Nicolas Winkler ran under a Reformist Union banner and won, the uproar from the locals was massive. After Winkler's election there were 2 weeks of strait protests and riots throughout the province. Under the command of the State Chancellor, the Ersatzpolizei was sent in to disperse the riots. There were several arrests, injuries and a few rioters were even killed. As retaliation the BRA assassinated Winkler, when they bombed his apartment in the suburbs of Enneville. After his assassination, Enneheim was placed under martial law, with the airborne forces taking control of law enforcement and humanitarian duties. The provincial head of government was now a advised by the newly promoted Generalleutnant Kristian.

After Winkler's death several anti-braslenian paramilitary groups started organizing, such as VE (Verteidigung Enneheims/Defense of Enneheim). These militia groups would engage in gang warfare with the BRA. Throughout the '80s both anti and pro independence groups would engage in a low-intensity conflict with the Krijgsmacht.

From 1985-86 there would be several corruption charges and conformations of bias against Enneheim's Provintmiliz, due these claims and after intensive sessions in both the Senat and the Nationalrat arguing over its constitutionality, the Enneheimer Provinzmiliz was reformed, but mostly renamed into the Police Service of Enneheim (Polizeidienst von Enneheim).

1990s and Operation Schwarze Falke
Throughout the '90s the BRA started setting up assassinations and ambushes against PDE officers and agents. Both for active duty policemen and for servicemembers on leave. PDE agents assigned to service's plain clothes department, if ambushed by the BRA, would be executed on the spot. By '93 more than 25 officers would be killed by BRA fighters.

During the 1994 general elections, the Abierbach case reviled that several high profile trade union leaders who were members of the Enneville based Socialist People's Party were supporting the BRA with economic aid. The investigation was started by the Reichspolizei after a corruption charge was filed against SVP elector Otto Abierbach. It ended up in the hands of the KöMI and after the case the SVP electors, lords and ladies uninvolved with the aid split from the SVP and formed the VPI (Volkspartei Illderiens/People's Party of Illderia). A month later the SVP was disbanded.

In 1999, newly elected Chancellor Thorsten Schneider, managed to negotiate and declare a ceasfire with the BRA. This would mark the end of Schwarze Falke, and would stop the conflict for at least a year.

The 21st Century and Operation Marder


Neuhafen Agreement
On 24 September 2019, a month after a delegation form the BRA was sent to negotiate peace with the Illderian government, Operation Marder was halted with only 2 BRA strongholds remaining. After intense negotiations, both sides agreed on these terms.

• The PDE,
  • shall be watched by an independent commission to avoid bias.
  • shall disband its plain clothes operative division
  • shall establish an auxiliary civil guard force, known as the Zivilarmee, to police and protect areas, with populations not larger than 2000
• Ethnic Braslenian parties will be allowed in the Ducal Parlaiment.
• The withdrawal of Illderian military forces in law enforcement and security operations.

 

[Illderia]

RANKS OF THE ILLDERIAN KRIJGSMACHT​

Illderian Royal Army / Königliche Heer

Illderian Royal Navy/ Königliche Marine

Illderian Marine Corps/ Küstenjaegerkorps

Illderian Royal Air Force/ Königliche Luftwaffe

 

[Illderia]

KÜSTENJAEGERKORPS
(Coastal Raider Corps/Royal Marine Corps)

---UNDER REWORK---​

 

[Illderia]

2. Luftsturmjaegerdivision

The division's shoulder patch​

The 2nd Air Assault Division (2. Luftsturmjaegerdivision) was the primary airborne force of the Kaiserschützen and the early Royal Army. It was formed out of the 2nd Rifle Division (2. Schützendivision) which housed the primary light infantry and skirmisher formations of Colonial Illderia. It mainly participated in the Illdeiran civil war and played an important role after the conflict, hunting down fascist war criminals and serving as internal security forces. The divison's 1st Air Assault Brigade (1. Luftsturmjaegerbrigade) gained a negative reputaion during the reign of General Konrad Wach and his military junta.

Soldiers from the 11th Air Assault Grenadier Brigade taking a break during Operation Swordsman​

The division was commanded by Generalmajor Alfons "Ros" Rosengarten from '45 the civil war, until 1952. In 1952 the Generalmajor was promoted and became the right hand man of now Generalfeldmarschall Bastian Goldreich, the newly appointed Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Illderia. Due to the nature of the civil war, the division did not fufill its intended role, instead they were used as motorized light infantry. The division, specifically the 11th Air Assault Grenadier Brigade (11. Luftsturmgrenadierbrigade) helped the 2nd Army Corps reorganize itself in the heat of battle, when Reichsarmee troops pierced the corps' front line and started hitting its supply lines.

Paratroopers from 2nd Air Assault Brigade alonside elements of the 3rd Armoured Cavalry Brigade
during Operation Golden Hunter​

The division, despite being a parachute unit was mostly made up of trucks and modified jeeps fitted with light machine guns. On its first mission, Operation Golden Hunter, the division helped an armoured column on its flanks while attacking Heimwehr positions near Osterhausen. During Operation High Castle, the division was to lead a pincer maneuver on Reichsarmee troops who were garrisoned in Freiheim. This ended in a faliure and the 2nd Air Assault had almost 46% of its force destroyed or wounded. The division never fully recovered after its Freiheim losses. After the disastrous battle in '45 Generalmajor Alfons "Ros" Rosengarten took control of the force and reorganized the brigades it into more easily maneuverable units. After Generalmajor Ros took charge of the unit it got assinged to newly promoted General Goldreich's Guards Corps (Gardeschützenkorps). Under the Generalmajor's command the division spearheaded several successful operations and evetually it was the part of the main assault force alongside the 8th Armoured Cavalry Brigade in Operation White Rose to size Hadenburg.

Troopers from 6th Air Assault Brigade patrolling the streets of Amsterburg after the civil war​

After the war, the division acted as an internal security force and also helped to put down the communist rebels that were occupying Enneheim. It also reinforced Illderian Palace Guard troops in Hadenburg until the independence referendum. The unit was disbanded in 1953 and refomed as the Strategic Reserve Group (Strategische Reservegruppe), which served both as a special operations and airborne force. The SRG was the predecessor to the Strategic Operations Command (Strategische Operationen Kommando) and the 2 airborne brigades of the newly formed Heer.

ORDER OF BATTLE - 1945

• 1. Luftsturmjaegerbrigade
• 2. Luftsturmjaegerbrigade
• 6. Luftsturmjaegerbrigade
• 11. Luftsturmgrenadierbrigade
• Divisional troops
  • Divisional headquarters and signal detachment
  • 23. leichtes Artillerie-Batalijon
  • 23. leichtes Panzerjaegerbatalijon
  • 231. Fernspählehrkompanie
  • 239. Aufklärungsbatalijon
  • 23. Medizinische Kompanie
  • 24. Luftpionierbatalijon
  • 2315. Abteilung, Militärischer Aufklärungsdienst

 

[Illderia]

Provinces of Illderia

Illderia is made up of 13 federal provinces and 1 capital territory (Hadenburg). All provinces have a state parlament. Each province has its own state constitution, and is largely autonomous in regard to its internal organisation. Within the provinces there are usually 25-30 smaller constituent territories called Electorates. These electorates are led by elector counts/countesses who represent these small territories in the National Assembly and usually encompass a couple of small or large cities and towns.

Because federalism is entrenched within the constitutional principles of Illderia, provinces have their own basic law, provincial government, state police forces in the form of the Provincial Militia (Provinzmiliz). Though international relations including international treaties are primarily the responsibility of the federal level, the provinces have certain limited powers in this area: in matters that affect them directly, the states defend their interests at the federal level through the Privy Council (Kronrat).

Each province has a Provincial Parliament (Provinzparlament) which elects a governor to be its head government and a duke/duchess or a grand duke/grand duchess is the ceremonial "head of state" of the province, who under the advice of the governor, defends the interests of the province in the Privy Council.

After the 1861 compromise, most of the then Illderian territories were reorganized as provinces. These include Lükenshof-Reusstadt being reorganized to the province of Lükensborg, Saafburg and Freiheim getting merged, Västerland and Rothienfeld splitting from the Frundsberg Frontier Territory, the merging of Kaisersküst and Vallenfeld into Kaiserfeld and the creation of the Province of Hallenholz from the northern parts of Noorderveen and Hannofer. At the creation of the monarchy there was an attempt to merge Hadenburg and Noorderveen, but the referendum didn't pass either the Hadenburg City Council nor the Noorderveen Provincial Parliament.

Politics

Most of the states are governed by a cabinet led by a Provincial Governor (Provinzgouverneur), together with a unicameral legislative body known as the Provincial Parliament (Provinzparlament). The states are "parliamentary crowned republics" and the relationship between their legislative and executive branches mirrors that of the federal system: the legislatures are popularly elected for four or five years (depending on the state), and the governor is then chosen by a majority vote among the Provinzparlament’s members. The governor is typically the head of the biggest party of a coalition. The governor appoints a cabinet to run the state's agencies and to carry out the executive duties of the state's government. Like in other parliamentary systems, the legislature can dismiss or replace the governor after a successful no-confidence vote. The provinces de facto "head of state" or the duke/duchess, grand duke/grand duchess is purly ceremonial, but only he/she can represent the interests of the province in the Kronrat

The provinces are further divided into Electorates and municipalities. Larger cities like Amsterburg, Aradonville, Saafburg and Hannofer each have their city "senates" to deal with local issues.

Defense/Police

The Illderian states are responsible for managing the bulk of Illderia's police forces. Each state has its own defence force known as the Provincial Militia (Provinzmiliz). Although the state police forces are regulated by 14 different legislatures and are, in fact, different police forces, there has been an increasing tendency toward standardization of police activities nationwide. All provincial militia forces in Illderia are subordinate to the province's Secretary of the Interior.

Most municipalities, small and large towns are patrolled by only the militia or alongside the National Police Corps. The Reichspolizei itself is mostly decentralized, with small/major cities having their own police departments under the jurisdiction and banner of the Reichspolizei.

Smaller municipalities and villages are patrolled by unarmed community police (Gemeindepolizei) and are the first responders to domestic disturbances and are sometimes even attached to militia patrols to help out.

The provincial governor with the agreement of the parliament can also pass a bill to reorganize 50% of the provincial militia to act as a State Defence Force in the case of an emergency

 

[Illderia]

Jugendheer - Illderia's Cadet Corps

The rank structure and the logo of the Jugendheer​

The Jugendheer - (Youth army) is a national youth organisation sponsored by the Illderia's Ministry of Defence and the Krijgsmacht. It also acts as Illderia's officers training program run out of colleges and universities.

In 2018, JH officer graduates constituted 59.4 percent of newly commissioned active-duty Heer and Luftwaffe officers. Under JH, a student may receive a competitive, merit-based scholarship covering all or part of college tuition, textbooks and lab fees, in return for an active-duty service obligation after graduation (or completion of a graduate degree under an approved education delay).

Both cadets and cadet officers go through basic training and basic drill. While JH starts at 14, cadets can shoot live rounds under supervision at the age of 16 and at 18 can participate in either basic training or students from colleges/universities can participate in JH officer training programs. Regular cadets who prove they have potential in leadership could be promoted to cadet sergeant and sent through an extensive cadet NCO course. Everyday JH activities range from skill at arms, fieldcraft, drill and first aid.

Cadet units assigned to Army and Air Force units are organized as; Detachment, Company/Squadron, Battalion/Wing. Navy units are organized as; Detachment, Squadron, Flotilla.

 

[Illderia]

Politics of Illderia

​

The politics of Illderia take place within the framework of a federal parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy. Illderia is a multi-party system, but sometimes thanks to its two major parties, the National Conservatives (NKP) and Reformists (RmU), its sometimes resembles a two-party election. Due to the increasing tensions within the NKP, several breakaway and smaller parties have been gaining nation-wide attention. These include the Traditionalists, National Federalists and Free Liberals. Also since 1867, there have been Labor/Socialist parties in various iterations. Illderia is also a federation, where power is divided between the federal government and the provinces.

The federal government is separated into three branches

• Legislature: the bicameral Kongress, made up of the Nationalrat, and the Senat
• Executive: the Ministerrat, comprising the Staatskanzler and ministers of state to advise the monarch. In effect, the Chancellor makes executive decisions upon consultation with monarch
• Judiciary: Oberster Gerichtshof von Illderien and other federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the monarch with the advise of the Chancellor

Political Institutions

The Monarchy
Illderia has been a monarchy since 15 July 1952, but has been governed by members of the House of Schwarzburg as Viceroys since 1861. The current monarch is Reitz von Schwarzburg. The heir apparent is the Duke of Noorderveen and Crown Prince, David Aadriaan.

Könignau Palace, the seat of the monarchy​

Constitutionally, the monarch is head of state and has a role in the formation of government and in the legislative process. He has to sign every law passed by the Royal Congress to make it valid. Although the current king takes these functions seriously, he refrains from exerting his power in these positions. The monarch also plays a central role in the formation of a cabinet after general elections or a cabinet crisis. When a cabinet falls, the Chancellor has to request the monarch to dismiss the cabinet.

The Cabinet
The Government of Illderia constitutionally consists of the Chancellor and the cabinet ministers. The King's role is limited to the formation of government and he does not actively interfere in daily decision-making. The ministers together form the Ministerrat, which advises the monarch on external and internal issues. This executive advisory body meets every week at Villa Hansenstadt.

Logo of His Majesty's Most Loyal Government​

The Royal Congress
The Illderian Parliament, officially known as His Majesty's Royal Congress, consists of a National Assembly (Nationalrat) and a Senate (Senat). Both chambers are housed in Fellburg Palace and discuss proposed legislation and review of the actions of the cabinet.

Members of the Nationalrat are elected directly every four years. Representatives are chosen on personal title, so in the relatively rare case that a member no longer agrees with his or her party, the member can decide to stay in the chamber, either as an independent representative, or connected to another parliamentary party. If a member decides to resign, the empty seat falls to the original party collecting the votes, and can be filled by a member of that party, the highest placed on the party's electoral list that was not elected. Coalition governments may fall before their term ends, which usually results in early dissolution of the Nationalrat and new elections.

Members of the Senat are elected indirectly by provincial representatives, again every four years, just after the elections of the provincial representatives, via a system of proportional representation. As the upper house of the congress, many senators -especially within the NKP-ITP coalition- are descendants of Illderian aristocrats and nobles.

Political Parties

• NKP - National Conservative Party: A centre-right, Messianist democratic party, the establishment conservative party and currently holds government
• ITP - Illderian Traditionalist Party: A right-wing to far-right traditionalist conservative party, mostly made up of the clergy and descendants of Illderian aristocrats. In a coalition with the NKP
• NFP - National Federalist Party: A nationalist right-wing populist and a breakaway party, with most of its members originally from the NKP
• RmU - Reformist Union: A centre, centre-left liberal party, and its the official opposition. They claim to represent Tristian Kellerman's original liberal policies and reformist party
• FLP - Free Liberal Party: An RmU breakaway and Illderia's left-wing progressive party, it's member's left the RmU after several disagreements and a corruption scandal in 2004
• VPI - People's Party of Illderia : Illderia's socialist party, made up of the remenents of the SVP (Socialist People's Party) and after a merge in 2001, the KPI (Communist Party of Illderia)

 

[Illderia]

Law Enforcement in Illderia​

Law enforcement in Illderia is one of the three major components of the country's justice system, along with courts and corrections. Law enforcement officers are employed by all three levels of government – federal, state/territory, and local.

Federal Agencies

Federally, the main law enforcement agency is the National Police Corps (Reichspolizeikorps), it's organization is highly centralized, opposite to provincial police forces, which are decentralized. Every electorate, with a population center bigger than 20,000 has at least one police department. They conduct general law enforcement and criminal investigation duties in urban areas, control the large amount of constitutional militia groups and issue identity documents and it's intelligence branch (Office of Investigations) conducts major criminal investigations. The RPK operate several specialized units such as the Highway Patrol Bureau, Bureau of Special Operations, the Office for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Arms and the Reserve Police. The last being the dedicated riot police arm of the RPK.

Territorial Agencies
As each province enacts its laws, general law enforcement duties are the responsibility of the Provincial Militia, who are report to a Provincial Director, who is in turn responsible to the province's attorney-general. These are mostly paramilitary police forces that carry out the bulk of general policing throughout the entire province. Provincial and federal forces routinely carry firearms. While on duty, most officers' duty belts consist of a handgun, Taser, expandable baton, pepper spray, a set of handcuffs, ammunition magazines, gloves, torch, and a two-way radio.


Local Agencies
There are special circumstances, like in Enneheim, where the majority of the province is policed by locally operated and unarmed auxiliary force, the Zivilarmee. The main provincial force, the Police Service of Enneheim (Polizeidienst von Enneheim) is a quasi-military police force, which carries out law enforcement and internal security duties in areas outlined in the Neuhafen Agreement.

 

[Illderia]

The Illderian Home Guard
Landwehr - Nationale Sicherheitstruppen

Subdued Landwehr patch
(Royal Badge of King Reitz)​

Overview
The Landwehr or National Security Troops is a voluntary paramilitary and reserve force of the Illderian provinces, part of the Krijgsmacht. They are generally known as the "Gold Berets" due to the color of their headdress. Their members are diverse, consisting of former military personnel, volunteers and armed forces reserves.

The Saafburg Workers Revolt of 1935-36 led to social and political unrest and a breakdown of security within the province. Citizen militias formed as a response, but soon these would be transformed along political (left-right) lines. Most right-wing and some left-wing militia groups would be disarmed while most of the hardline communist and workers unionist groups continued to stage a resistance against government forces. On February 18, 1936, a Modnic-born Illderian general named Gerhardt Cooper-Diederich (who in the following Illderian Civil War would be the aide-de-camp to Josepf Goldreich) marched on the rebels ahead of a new model army. Gerhardt's force was made up of 2 main elemets, the elite Guard Legion (drawn from the ranks of the Viceregal Guard) and the volunteers. The last is the predecessor of the modern day Landwehr. They were mostly volunteer soldiers and organized into battalions along their provincial affiliations (e.g.: Västerland Militia Cavalry).

These volunteer battalions participated on both sides of the Civil War form 1943-47. After the declaration of the monarchy the Landwehr became a more of a paramilitary reserve, protecting Illderian territory and helping both the civilian population and local law enforcement.

Primary Tasks

• Protection of civilians
• Force reconnaissance
• Harassment of enemy forces
• Protection of key assets from sabotage or attack

Organization
Since the 1957 reforms each province maintain's a several Landwehr formations. In 2001 these formations have been reorganized and a movement of standardization. When the Armed Forces are called in to help with forest fires, flooding or missing person searches, it often falls to Landwehr units to support the police and Rescue Services. Territorial surveillance, base security, escort duties, transport protection and helping border patrol are other typical Landwehr duties.