This is the project to write down the entire history of Liberalia's RP world, from the first arrival of Sarah Quent and the vast fires in Carops, to today.

Everyone is welcome to add bits and pieces or start new sections. When finished, this should be the one place to go to for both new and old nations to catch up on what happened before.

==PreHistory of Liberalia==

===WWSETI===

====The rise and fall of the WTO====

On the grounds of WWSETI four nations of very different backgrounds met to do bussiness and battle. These "Creators" of WWSETI Role-Play were Carops, Ardalia, Loslakia, and Latagon. The beggining was a time of trust and little fighting. They tried to clean up the enviornment and set rules of warfare. Neither of which were accomplished because Latagon was attacked by terrorist during the Latagon Conference. During this time Latagon fought these terrorist. The terrorist attacked all the countries except Ardalia. In an effort to extablish peace, Carops made a treaty organization. Thus the WTO was formed. As it stands it was joined by Latagon, Carops, Ardalia, and Loslakia. As these nations stayed in peace it came to the attention of Carops that the terrorist were the Garmeanist of Ardalia. Carops then ousted Ardalia from the WTO and tensions flaired between the two nations. Latagon sided with Ardalia telling Carops, "The government of Ardalia has no power to stop it's terrorist." Carops would have none of it.

====A quick demise====

As relations worsened Latagon and Ardalia left the WTO and began a war against the Caropsyne and Loslakian people. After much fighting on the Latagonian side of the war a stalemate between Latagon and Loslakia was achieved. On the other side though, Ardalia's capital of H'ran was slowly being beaten down. Feeling a losing tide Latagonian leaders hatched a huge plan to invade Loslakia. Code named Operation Shining Dagger. Ardalian troops reinforced Latagonian boarders as H'ran fell and the plan was set in motion. Early in the morning of L-Day on X-Hour the men disembarked their ships. Latagonian men landing on both Silver and Platinum beaches. The Platinum beachhead was captured quickly and Farlia was burned by these men led by the CincoEstrellan general, Andrew Gregory. The Latagonian men on Silver beach moved in and routed the Loslakians from the back. The Platinum beach men then moved on to Kilow and took the Loslakian capital. After the messy invasion in which claims of over 1,000,000 citizens were killed and Ardalia surrenedered. With a Loslakian defeat at hand though Latagon bargained the surrender of Loslakia and Peace with Carops. It was said that that night the demise of the WTO was set in motion. In reality it was a chaotic event ending in the three day war.

====The Three Days War====

After the war the WTO broke down. The Allies and victors of the war went on to form the security council of the three nations who had started the Allies. They were Latagon, who was largest and thus became the leader, Ardalia, and CincoEstrellas. They were set up to guide the Allies in the direction they felt best. The WTO broke up when Loslakia formed the Communist States and Carops became a lone wolf. After that, thinking he could hold the allies hostage, Loslakia attacked CincoEstrellas in what is now called the Three Days War. He was defeated by mostly Ardalian and Latagonian troops and deep gratitude has been there from the Latagonians to their allies since.

==Before the First Liberalian War==

===Sarah Quent===

Sarah Quent was chosen by Dear Leader of [[Palacetonia]] to work as a liason between [[Palacetonia]] and [[Curiaistan]]. As subsequent events would show, she became a powerful political figure and eventually became President. Introduced in the Arrival of Sarah Quent as sweeping imperiously in, she made an impact on other nation's leadership where in conversation, Caropsyne officials said:

"And what do you think?"

"Not a lot. She seems to have gained her position through horizontal negotiation,"

which probably wasn't far from the truth. As time went on, she would find herself the target of assassination attempts, devious behind-the-scene manoeuvrings with the presidency and spent the rest of her days in a wheelchair after her helicopter was shot down by a Hasadonian Missile.

==Third Liberalian War==

===Events leading to the war===

After the collapse of the major alliances something of an unstable power vaccuum arose. No nation in the region had anywhere near the power for example the Allies had enjoyed, but this also resulted in less checks and balances on the behaviour of individual nations.

In this climate the nation of Kalikanna called other smaller and medium powers to a conference on the small island of Kalathessaloniki. The plan was most likely to form a group with a common interest which could provide security and the protection of interests in this new uncertain future. However, the overconfidence of the attending delegations and disputes with powerful nations such as Carops soon turned the tone of the conference a lot more aggressive.

The result was an embargo against the Pontanore by the Kalikannese Alliance, which Hasadon and Caldari then joined in an effort to improve their power position in the region. Entertaining a very real fear of isolation, Carops reacted with aggressive replies to the offending nations. As the situation got out of hand and talk of war became more and more common, the Wulgerian Union (one of the original attendees of the Kalikannese summit) attempted to move into neutrality and left the region in uncertainty regarding its diplomatic status.

As accusations of spying and sabotage ran abound, it was a surprise to some as Hasadon suddenly took the opportunity to declare war on the Kalikannese Alliance, despite previously having joined their embargo against Carops. Confronted with the threat of a Hasadonian war of conquest against the smaller powers, [[Leonstein]], which had been uninvolved up to this point, affirmed its support for the Kalikannese Alliance, not least because of the belief that Joguk (which had recently returned independence to the people of Leonstein upon the return of the player to the region) would be one of the nations under threat.

The final constellation came about when Caldari joined Carops and Hasadon and the Wulgerian Union followed this move.

As a result the nations of the Kalikanna Summit (Curiaistan, Shawnworshippers, Kalikanna, Cheesyweesy) and Leonstein stood on one side, the three major powers of Carops, Hasadon and Caldari on the other, with the WU as support.

===Jogukian Theatre===

In the confusion of the days leading up to the war the [[military of Leonstein]] had originally thought to be fighting alongside Joguk, but as the country made a last-minute switch to support Caldari, this was not to be. This however meant that Leonstein was in effect violating a friendship treatly only signed days before.
[[Image:Joguk_war.jpg|right|The Leonsteiner Operation against Joguk.]]

Since Joguk was ruled by an unstable dictator, Leonstein's military machine had had plans for a war against the country for some time, and these came into effect immediately. The idea was to win a quick victory over the smaller and weaker Joguk, instigate a regime change and then use the country as an arena to stage an invasion of [[Gregon]], from which in turn the mainlands of Carops and Caldari could come under attack. While Leonstein took this northern route, the hope was that the Kalikannese Alliance would overpower Hasadon and attack the major powers along a southern route.

The operation was to be centred around a main thrust through the mountain passes between the two countries, and two landings to overcome defensive positions. The first landing began only a day after the war was declared, with Marines conquering the small town of Hyongbo along the northern coast. The town's harbour was used to land several divisions of motorised infantry, which cut off the retreat from the mountain passes.

The main attack began at about the same time with a massive concentration of air power, artillery and infantry assaults. The Jogukian troops were soon in severe difficulties, facing a choice between standing and fighting to the death or a retreat into Joguk's interior, which was perfect tank country. They chose the former, and the few survivors fled into the woods were they continued to be a nuisance for the remainder of the war.

Once the mountain passes were taken, tank columns could make massive inroads in the flat country and its highway system. Pockets of resistance were encircled or bypassed and within a few days Leonsteiner troops reached the capital [[Kyongyang]].

However, the resistance encountered here slowed the advance down sufficiently for significant numbers of troops from Caldari to arrive. The Battle for Kyongyang looked more and more like a major clash rather than the quick victory the Leonsteiner leadership had hoped for. This extra time allowed not only the landing of additional Caldari Forces, but the arrival of Caropsyne troops as well, ending the hope for a quick end to the war.

In the early days of the battle the Leonsteiner forces succeeded in encircling the city and cutting off the electricity. Skirmishes and firefights in northern suburbs, such as Sadong-guyŏk brought no clear winner as Jogukian and Caldari forces intensified their resistance. It was only the second landing, this time more than 15,000 Leonsteiner Marines landing directly in Kyongyang Bay, which turned the tide. Now under attack from two sides, the defenders had to retreat towards Kim Il Sung Square in the city centre.

At this point the Party Secretary Dae, the highest regime official still in the city, was presented with an official request for a Jogukian surrender, which he signed shortly after. This, although a propaganda victory, had little military value as Jogukian troops continued to fight alongside Caldari soldiers in Kyongyang or simply joined Caropsyne troops landing along the west coast. Nonetheless, an Interim Government was established at least on paper, and many Jogukians joined the Leonstein-trained Interim Stability Forces.

With the battle seemingly won, the Hasadonians suddenly got involved with a hair-raising maneuvre: many hundreds of transport aircraft made the flight to the city and proceeded to attempt an airborne assault about 100,000 strong. Even today many Latagonian families are deeply unhappy with this decision by the Confidahnt, to send so many of their sons and daughters on a mission which was doomed to failure. It has become a popular tale of folklore in Latagon and heroic deeds are often compared to the "Jump on Kyongyang".

With a sizable Leonsteiner fleet in the bay and an army holding most of the city, the assault faced stiff anti-air fire. Most of the planes were destroyed, many of them with the paratroopers still on board. There was little coordination, and many soldiers were simply happy to be out of the planes. During the night the city sank into chaos as any semblance of military structure or order disappeared. The Hasadonians were engaged wherever they landed, and when dawn finally came less than 20,000 paratroopers had managed to retreat to fortified housing blocks.

Only a day later the Caldari General Yi and the Sixth CPLA Army attempted to break the siege of the city after having his soldiers march all day and all night without break. But instead of becoming a celebrated hero, the General found himself in trouble when a pincer movement by the Leonsteiner Military threatened to destroy his forces. He gave the order to retreat shortly after.

The Battle ultimately ended with the Caldari Forces retreating northwest and coming under attack from the Leonsteiner Air Force, the last Hasadonian paratroopers either falling in combat or going into captivity and Kim Il Sung Square being held by the few surviving Jogukian and Caldari soldiers who were rapidly running out of ammunition.

The war ended abruptly at this point, with neither side having won a clear victory. Once again, the player in charge of Leonstein left the region and [[Forthampton]] and Joguk established an interim government.

File:Joguk war.JPG

2007-04-10T02:25:19Z

Leonstein: The Leonsteiner operations to defeat Joguk during the Third Liberalian War

The Leonsteiner operations to defeat Joguk during the Third Liberalian War

Liberalian history

2007-04-10T02:24:48Z

Leonstein:

2007-04-01T05:00:53Z

Leonstein:

{{Infobox_Nation |
subject_name=The Thalassocratic Republic of [http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/page=display_nation/nation=Neu Leonstein
Leonstein] |
flag=http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/neu_leonstein.jpg |
region=Athar |
motto=Libertatem Quam Peperere Maiores Digne Studeat Servare Posteritas|
map=[http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/4267/leonsteinmap1mj.jpg Map of Leonstein] |
language=Platt, German |
capital=Ahlen |
population=2.152 billion |
currency=Leonsteiner Mark (LM) |
leader=Federal Chancellor Kasselbroek |
}}

The '''Federal Republic of Leonstein''' (the BRL) is a nation located on the eastern coast of Nordost in Liberalia. In recent years, it has gained a reputation for developing peaceful and progressive policy alternatives, as well as its movie industry.

== People ==

The population of Leonstein is ethnically homogenous, but has in recent years been exposed to increased immigration. Originally populated by Germanic tribes and Viking settlers in the first millennium AD, modern Leonsteiners see themselves as a unique culture, shaped by its past and its future aspirations. Only today, more than 18 years after the era of conflict and war ended in the country do immigrants become a more common sight on the streets of Leonstein.

===Language===

The official language in Leonstein is a dialect of German, but particularly along the coast, Platt is also widely used. This language was first introduced by traders from Northern Germany (Hamburg in particular) who set up various trading businesses and warehouses in some cities. The link between Hamburg and particularly Ahlen was strengthened further when Ahlen became a member of the Hanseatic League. 
Further inland, High German is the accepted language, but the government's strong focus on education has led to about 75% of the population being reasonably fluid in English as well.

===Religion===

First introduced to catholic Christian beliefs in 1123 AD, Leonstein has always been home to a variety of denominations. Today the dominant religion is Protestant Christianity, with Catholicism being more prevalent in the South. Other religious groups adhere to traditional Germanic heathen beliefs, Sunni-Islam and Orthodox Christianity. It must be noted however that the government has taken a strictly non-religious approach to politics in recent years, a move often criticised by lobby groups.

===National Anthem===

The national anthem of the BRL is ''Schwarz-Rot-Gold''. It has been criticised for what some see as too militaristic or violent lyrics, but suggested changes have been dismissed by all major political parties.

Lyrics:

In Kümmernis und Dunkelheit, 
Da mußten wir sie bergen! 
Nun haben wir sie doch befreit, 
Befreit aus ihren Särgen! 
Ha, wie das blitzt und rauscht und rollt! 
Hurra, du Schwarz, du Rot, du Gold! 
Pulver ist schwarz, 
Blut ist rot, 
Golden flackert die Flamme! 
Das ist das alte Reichspanier, 
Das sind die alten Farben! 
Darunter haun und holen wir 
Uns bald wohl junge Narben! 
Denn erst der Anfang ist gemacht, 
Noch steht bevor die letzte Schlacht! 
Pulver ist schwarz, 
Blut ist rot, 
Golden flackert die Flamme! 

== Government ==

The Federal Republic of Leonstein is, since its reunification in 1987, a democratic republic. It is formally a federation of 7 states and principalities, but various governments have reduced the power of state governments to near naught.
The parliament (known as ''Bundestag'') has 100 seats, with federal elections every four years determining the distribution.
Furthermore the ''Bundesrat'' serves as upper house, with 50 seats.
The Bundestag votes for the Federal Chancellor, who is the head of government and chooses his ministers. [[Hermann Kasselbroek]] of the ordoliberal OLP has been chancellor since 2006.
Head of state is the President, who has some reserve powers, but traditionally refrains from using them. He or she is appointed by the Bundesrat. Current President is Volcker Mathusen, in office since 2002.

See also: 
[[Political Parties in Leonstein]] 
[[Military of Leonstein]]

==Economy==

The restructuring of the formerly socialist south has been virtually completed in recent years, and former Chancellor von Bilgen made it his goal to ensure that a modern social market economy can survive in a globalised world. This entailed a progrssive tax system with a focus on keeping non-wage labour costs low and financing retirement, welfare and health expenses directly through a mixture of tax earnings and subsidies on private provisions. This path has been largely abandoned by the much more free-market OLP, resulting in unprecedented economic growth but also increasing inequality. 
The major industries in Leonstein are retail and IT, but recent uranium finds in the western mountains have opened another market. In recent years the emergence of a vibrant movie industry, particularly in Leonberg, often dubbed "Lollywood", has put Leonstein on the map internationally. 

==History==

===Early Settlement===
The earliest archaeological findings along the eastern coast and islands suggest that the first Germanic settlers (most likely originating from what is today England and France) landed in today's Leonstein in between 400 and 500 AD. Some recent finds suggest that there had been earlier populations, however their cultural roots could so far not be identified.
Little is known about life in these early Germanic towns, but there is little to suggest that their culture changed much from its origins. This changed however when Vikings, likely originating from Norway, settled on Leonstein’s coast. Often violent conflict followed, with the battle of Hugenord (approx. 850AD) the most prominent confrontation.
But until the first arrival of Catholic priests in the 12th century Florianistan remained unknown to European culture, such that written records from the time before this are sparse.

===The Middle Ages===

The introduction of Catholicism and its strict order of feudalism merely served to reinforce the power of local warlords, both Germanic and Nordic, who now took to assuming the grace of god as justification for hereditary rule.
Feudalism thrived in these years, and indeed, the first mention of the name “Leonstein” (Leon’s Rock) was found in a 1345 edict by Leon I. as the name of his grand castle. This king defeated a number of Viking leaders, and crowned himself Emperor of an area which encompassed much of today’s Leonstein. His dynasty held on to most of the land over the next 400 years.

===The End of the Leonide Dynasty===

With the 18th century beginning to change the social landscape to a large extent, and revolutions threatening a number of European kingdoms, Leonstein too came to an end. Two sons, who were meant to share the kingdom after their father’s death, fought each other bitterly over more than twenty years, until a popular revolt overthrew the house of Leon and instead resulted in a large number of smaller provinces coexisting peacefully. Over time it became clear though that the Industrial Revolution and Imperial Power would bypass the nation. While never being claimed by a European nation, the Leonsteiner states nonetheless remained powerless.

===The First Republic===

This state of obscurity and disunity continued until 1889, when the treaty of Ahlen resulted in the first Republic being declared. Modelled after the earlier French republics, the nation did have a large noble class, but gave power to popular representation. Obviously, the large wealth disparities, and the relative power of local nobility resulted in the peasants being excluded from the political process, a phenomenon reinforced by the 1895 introduction of an income-contingent suffrage. The first Republic survived both WWI and WWII by staying neutral and not getting involved, although ties to the Anglo-Saxon Allies became a predominant pillar of the ruling classes up until 1951.

===Revolution===

After 62 years of no political representation and a continued status as servants, the poor finally had enough. Inspired by successful revolutions in Eastern Europe and Asia, and anticipated successes in Africa and Latin America, the People's Front for a Democratic Leonstein (PFDL) was founded, and soon began its operations. 
Initially a peaceful movement, the harsh treatment of dissenters by the ruling strata soon resulted in violent uprising. Roughly a year later a combination of attacks on Government institutions and campaigns of civil disobedience succeeded in bringing about the end of the First Republic. However, all was not well. The revolutionaries had split into two major factions: the Ordoliberals, who wished for a free country along capitalist lines, and the Communists, who instead wanted the establishment of a socialist republic. The irreconcilable tension between the two factions resulted in civil war by the end of 1952.

See also: 
[[Leonsteiner Revolution]]

===The Divided Country===

February 1953 saw the final split between Communists and Liberals in the Ahlen conference. The Communist leadership had issued an ultimatum and when the Liberals rejected, the civil war began. It lasted until 1955, with approximately 700,000 dead, and was particularly gruesome due to the direct involvement of the civilian population. Militias raided and plundered aimlessly, and no conventions of warfare were adhered to by either side. 
However, in May 1955 the sides signed a ceasefire, after both factions had come to the conclusion that neither side had a realistic chance of winning. The Communists, under their leader [[Max Bechtel]], had succeeded in claiming the south of the nation for themselves, while the Liberals kept control of the north, as well as the capital Ahlen. From now on, Leonstein was split into the southern [[Socialist Republic of Leonstein]] (SRL) and the northern [[North-Leonstein Republic]]. 
The peace only lasted until 1961, when tensions between the two states lead to an attack by the SRL and a second war, lasting four years after early offensives resulted in stalemate. 
After a final attack by the South failed, peace talks began, and resulted in a definitive recognition of both countries' borders. A DMZ was created between the two, and all trade and contact was made illegal. Spies and intelligence agents were now the only ones still trying to pass.

See also: 
[[First Leonsteiner War]] 
[[Second Leonsteiner War]]

===The Third Leonsteiner War===

All was not well in the SRL. The socialist planned economy, which had served the country so well in the post-war years was now starting to crack under its growing weight. New developments in technology and weaponry meant that the state had to cut production of consumer items to steadily decreasing levels to keep up with the North. As a result, the populace became less and less content, occasionally beginning to protest against the Government. 
By 1982 Max Bechtel had become old and frail, and rarely showed himself in public anymore. His popularity had reached new lows, and his position became untenable. After a student protest could only just be crushed without an international scandal, Bechtel died in his office in Zentralia's People's Headquarters. It is suspected that he was poisoned by his guards on orders of the party leadership, but this has not been proven. 
His successor became [[Günther von Hagen]], a young and energetic officer who had made a name for himself through party work and excellence in his political and military education. He had not been anticipated by the North, which failed to see how dangerous this man would be. 
Hagen's first priority was to turn the SRL into a major military power. He believed that by crushing the rich North, the South could eliminate its productive shortages and move back on its path towards Communism. He termed his new ideology "Expansionist Socialism", and transformed the country into a war machine in a space of only two years. 
His attack on the DMZ came in the early morning of the 13th of January 1984. A vast tank army moved forward, supported by unprecedented artillery- and aerial bombardment. Due to the concentration of the offensive, the line was quickly pierced, and huge parts of the Northern Army were encircled. Nonetheless, issues with the mobility and reliability of von Hagen's tanks slowed progress and allowed the North to regroup its remaining forces in order to strike back. 
The counter-offensive was a success, and von Hagen found his forces pushed back as far south as Leonberg, with Zentralia under attack from missiles and bombers. With his victory threatening to go up in smoke, von Hagen launched a last desperate attack. It succeeded, and the Northern Forces retreated in sometimes less than orderly fashion, with the victorious Southern Army on its heels. The offensive was only stopped near Lemmburg, deep in Northern territory. It was here that the SRL expended its last strength, but failed to pierce the city's defensive perimeter. 
Von Hagen was insane with rage and disappointment. Feeling everything was already lost, he issued the fateful order to bombard the city with nerve gas. Having been trained from young age, his elite troops did not hesitate, and executed his order with terrible efficiency. More than 200,000 citizens in Lemmberg died of the attack and its after-effects.

See also: 
[[Third Leonsteiner War]]

===Trauma, Peace and Unification===

Life in all of Leonstein came to a halt. The attack was the single worst war crime the world had seen, and the true nature of the entire conflict was laid bare for everyone to see. Liberal party officials in the South rebelled almost immediately, removing elements loyal to Hagen, while the people took to the streets in their millions on both sides of the front. When Hagen's fanatic elite regiment was encircled by its own allies, most gave themselves up. Hagen made a dash for it, followed by about 50 of his most loyal soldiers, but was forced into the ruins of an old factory only about 20km south. In a final battle, every last one of the men was killed or committed suicide, and Hagen killed himself before he could be captured. 
The war was immediately declared over by both sides. For another year or so the leadership in the SRL was divided as to how things should proceed, but eventually the proponents of unification won. On the 20th of October 1987 the Federal Republic of Leonstein was founded, with its first Chancellor the Northern candidate [[Udo Hessler]]. 
Hessler mirrored the population with his demilitarisation and fostering of peace and compassion. The army was shrunk to a force of only 100,000 border security guards, and all traces of militarism were eradicated. At the same time, Hessler oversaw the creation of a new concept of Leonstein, where equal rights and equal opportunity were paramount, but the public interest was writ large. Imitating the concept of the "Social Market Economy", Hessler aimed to reconcile the differences between the welfare state and the pressures of globalisation. He died at the age of 84 while still in office in December 2003. 
Wolfgang von Bilgen, Hessler's economics minister and vice-chancellor, followed him in office and immediately called for an election, which he won by a small margin. His controversial policy of reintroducing compulsory military service and a more active foreign policy have seen public opinion sharply divided, but it is largely accepted that Leonstein cannot forever close itself to the realities of the world, and that it is the duty of any nation to stop such events as the gassing of Lemmberg from occuring anywhere on the planet. 
But political infighting, scandals and a gradual change in public opinion brought down the Social Democrats in the 2006 elections, with the OLP gaining a majority of seats. Von Bilgen's foreign policies have been continued by the new Chancellor, Hermann Kasselbroek, but domestically the country devoted itself to more radical free market solutions.