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“Our Union is a young one, but underneath it all is a tapestry created by people with a shared struggle.”
Political Theorist Oliver Talbot, March 2165
BEFORE THE UNION
BEFORE THE UNION
“They would rather bang upon the doors of Hell than let our voices be heard amongst their halls!"
Federalist Writer Samantha Justine, April 2149
While the Midwestern Union may be a new state, its people are all the former citizens of an older, much more storied nation - The Great Lakes Coalition. Founded in 2092 as a way for the floating cities of the Great Lakes to trade and protect one another, the nation eventually expanded onto land as it prospered in the early days.
The Coalition lacked any centralized government, however. Mass infighting was a regularity in the Coalition, and the few cities that rose above the chaos were not keen to share their power. When the Coalition expanded westward in the 2130s, the powerful city-states and merchant guilds exploited these new, resource-rich communities as a method of income. Likewise, the "Erie Elite" (the leaders of the wealthy trading cities in the Coalition's easternmost portion) shrugged off the needs of the industrial Midwest, leaving the Midwesterners feeling ignored and inferior.
Over time, the people of the Midwestern portion of the Coalition grew tired of the infighting and feeling unheard. Their list of grievances grew as time went on: Without a single, central government, the Coalition was unable to bring a swift end to the Huron Wars, nor counter the aggressive expansion of the Northeastern Union. It had furthermore failed to properly establish an organized economic system, leaving resource-rich, industrialized Midwestern states by the wayside. People in the Midwest felt that the Coalition was a decrepit, failing system, a point that would be heavily supported by The Panic of 2157.
The Panic of '57 was a disaster for the Midwestern region. The runs on banks in the eastern cities of the Coalition forced the merchant guilds to cut off trade to smaller communities, causing them to disappear to famine and raiders overnight. Without these crucial towns to feed their large populations or any sort of government intervention, the cities of the Coalition were soon awash with revolution and riots. The price of food exploded, jobs disappeared by the thousands, and refugees flooded into urban centers. The Midwest was hit hardest of all, and their pleas for help to the wealthier East went unheard. By 2162, the leaders in the Midwest finally put their foot down. Enough was enough. Something needed to change, now.
Gathering in secret, a group known only as “The Cohort” (a collection of the Midwest's most powerful politicians, industrialists, and merchants) agreed the Coalition was broken beyond repair. It needed to be paved over with a new, federalized system to survive the coming struggles. They began to formulate a plan in secret - one that would swiftly unite the Coalition into a new, centralized state: Plan 200.
Recruits trying on uniforms created for the New Model Army shortly after its creation, as they begin their training for the upcoming war against the West.
A New Model Army Infantryman practices his marksmanship at Fort Navsta, as another unit of recruits marches to their graduation ceremony.
FEDERALIZATION
FEDERALIZATION
“Our wayward siblings shall thank us when our noble task is over!"
Mackerel Commodore John Rodgers, July 2163
Plan 200 was simple: The powerful city-states of the Midwest, already on board with a secessionist movement, would select a few Eastern cities to act as a springboard for federalization efforts. Once these cities were brought under control, a new nation could form, and its army would quickly overwhelm the resisting states. The city-state of Bulwark, vying for power, volunteered its private Elite Guard militia, as well as a few local business magnates, to spearhead the operation. One such businessman, known only as "Zed," targeted one of the last floating cities of the Coalition, Bargetown.
Using their powerful connections, The Cohort was able to replace Bargetown's mayor, Thomas Hall, with Zed and members of the Bulwark Elite Guard to ensure compliance with his rule. The city remained rather quiet for the next few months. Meanwhile, in the Midwest, the Cohort flooded the city-states with pro-Federalist propaganda. By striking at existing political fault lines, the majority of the Midwest's people soon began to vie for federalization in secret. In time, the pieces were all set for a quick, decisive takeover.
On November 1st, 2163, Zed announced that Bargetown would set sail to Bulwark, refusing to provide a reason. However, thanks to the interference of an unknown party, Zed's intentions were revealed to the public: Bargetown would be scrapped, and the Gold Leaf Army would be forced into a new Midwestern army. The people revolted, killing Zed and the Elite Guard. As a knee-jerk reaction, Bulwark sent a VTOL strapped with explosives to sink the city, only for it to be shot down. The day ended with the failure of Plan 200, as other cities in the Eastern portion of the Coalition were alerted by the attacks on both Bargetown and Denton, and were able to resist Bulwark's efforts to overthrow them.
A NEW DAWN
A NEW DAWN
"To honor your Nation is to honor yourself - now onwards, trooper!"
Unknown Standing Officer, March 2164
In the chaos following the disastrous Plan 200, the Cohort scrambled to recover the lost momentum. On November 2nd, 2163, a radio announcement from Lakeview and Bulwark blasted throughout the entire Great Lakes. The Midwestern Union had seceded from the Coalition, and it vowed “total integration” of the rest of the lakeside governments into its structure. The Great Lakes were sent into a panicked frenzy.
During this period of upheaval, the Midwestern Union hastily scrambled to form a new government. While the majority of the Midwestern Union's citizens were on-board with the new nation, a handful of city-states resisted - and were subsequently crushed into submission. Likewise, propaganda efforts increased in the interest of creating a sense of national unity and further legitimizing the Federalists’ cause. It also helped bolster recruitment into the New Model Army, a federalized conglomerate of all of the former Midwest's Coalition militias.
Almost as soon as it was organized, the New Model Army launched an invasion of the Western Coalition. After months of hard-fought advances, the besieged city of Hancock finally opened its gates to negotiate the surrender and integration of the losing nation. In the wake of this engagement, the Midwestern Union demonstrated a clear message to their neighbors: they would strike first, and strike furiously.
A lone soldier of the 21st Naval Infantry overlooking the forests of Hancock, set ablaze by Midwestern forces an hour prior.
A recently trained Aviator of the Army Air Corps being encouraged by his co-pilot during a nervous first day on the job at Fort O'Hare.
A platoon of the now defunct 36th Motorized Infantry retreats from the Battle of Summerview, passing ruined farmsteads and corpses.
Repatriated Canadian soldiers of the 17th Royal Engineers engage in intense urban combat with a group of Coalition soldiers in Sunrise City.
JOIN OR DIE
JOIN OR DIE
“The New Model Army is here to deliver your due justice, and there is nowhere you can hide; nothing you can do to stop it."
General Katherine Devens, 2165
As the Midwest consolidated its gains from its victory over the disorganized Western Coalition, all eyes were now on the fledgling Federal government to take the fight to those who had been so-long painted as the enemies of the Midwestern people: The East. And so, on a cool summers evening, the New Model Army crossed their defensive lines and struck Eastwards.
At first, progress was slow, as the Union had come upon an enemy with a deeply shared history and similar doctrine. Tidal Warfare was in its infancy, and proved unable to match the East's decades of experience in protracted defensive warfare and deep monetary pockets. This initial failure led to much political turmoil at home; squabbling political parties would engage in heated debates in the newly minted Great Lakes Congress, calling for something to be done before it was too late.
But, before they could react, protests in Bulwark over the trial of disgraced Mayor and scapegoat Joseph Harding broke out, with most citizens viewing the trials as a power grab by the government. Protests soon turned into violent rioting, and former Bulwark Elite Guard members entered the fray, providing training and weaponry to the rioters. Days of fighting followed, and, with several neighborhoods damaged, the rebels were crushed. The government, for now, would stand.
OUT OF MANY, ONE
OUT OF MANY, ONE
“Do not look to this change as some mere-moment's adjustment, but as an acceptance of the storied nation that the Midwest has always been."
President Joan Simmons, September 2165
To be continued...
President Joan Simmons delivers her inaugural address to the Great Lakes Congress, flanked by corporate benefactors and congressional representatives.
Infantrymen of the 44th Integrated Infantry overlook the Midwestern Government Banner on Hill Cossette near Sandusk after a hard fought battle.
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