The Dominion of Greater Shul and Harsey

The Dominion of Greater Shul and Harsey is an aggregate confederation formed by peaceful unification of six smaller nations and territories, and the military occupation of another. Three of the composite nations possess nominal sovereignty in areas that do not conflict with confederation. Three territories have local government, but rely on confederate lawmakers for the most part. The northern region is under military administration after being captured or liberated during a recent war. The residents of this region are allowed self rule on a local (city and county) level, but the Dominion military fills the higher government roles.

Geography:
Location: Southwestern Coast
Climate: Temperate; Cold, dreary winters, mild, humid summers.
Terrain: lowlands in north and east, uplands in center and south, mountains in center and south

People:
population: 1.027 billion

0-14 years: 19.3%

15-64 years: 63.1%

65 years and over: 17.6%
Ethnic Groups: Shula, occupied Ravinians
Literacy: 99% of the population over age 15 can read and write.

Government:
Nation Name
formal long form: The Dominion of Greater Shul and Harsey
formal short form: The Dominion Shul
local long form: The Dominion
local short form: Shul
former: Shula-Harsey Confederation, Shulan Empire, Republic of Shul, The Kingdom of Harsey
Government Type: Dictatorship, Republican Confederacy
Capital: Shul City
Administrative Divisions: 3 constituent nations (Shulan Empire - 12 states, Shula - 6 states, Harsey - 7 states) and 3 teritories not originally part of these nations (Bax, Carana, and “The Zone”, redubbed Greater Shul). In addition, the military administers a region along the north border.
National Holiday: Unification Day, September 30th
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch:
Chief of State: Arch-President Paul Duncan
Head of Government: Arch-President Paul Duncan
Cabinet: the arch-president creates, fills, dismisses and dissolves ministerial positions.
Elections: By senate in accordance with Shulan Articles of Confederation.
Council of Presidents: An informal gathering of the chief executives of each constituent nation and territory headed by the Arch-President to discuss and coordinate policy.

Legislative Branch:

Head: Senate President Charles Hueber, Chamber President Daniel Mueller

Bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate (75 voting seats, 3 non-voting. Each state has 3 voting seat, the three territories have a non-voting representative) and the People’s Chamber (422 seats; members elected by popular vote for a 3 year term; territories represented equally)

Judicial Branch: High Court (13 seat panel. 6 elected by Senate, 6 elected by the People’s Chamber, Chief Magistrate appointed by Arch-President

Flag Description: Armored triskelion on an orange background.

Economy

Unemployment: 4.7%
Population below Poverty line: 12.3%
Primary Industries: Arms Manufacture, Electronics and Computer Hardware, Iron, Steel, Coal, Vehicles, Machinery
Export Commodities: Weaponry, Vehicles, metals and ores, Electronics
Primary Imports: Foodstuffs, textiles, metals, chemicals, machinery

Communication:
Shul has a very technologically advanced telecommunication system. Since unification, the government has invested large amounts of resources to modernize the network and provide access to telephone, wireless telephone and internet to all regions and systems.
Broadcast Media: The government operates both a television and radio station. Independent and foreign stations provide diversity. More than 90% of households have cable, satellite or internet TV.

Military
A few years after unification, the unified military re-organized and absorbed the militaries of the constituent states, excepting some ceremonial units.
National Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Joint Service Support
Military Service age and obligation: 18 years of age, 1 year compulsory service

The Dominion of Shul was formed gradually through the confederation and gradual unification of The Shulan Empire (a republic; kept imperial styling after revolution), The Republic of Shul (formerly an imperial province) and the kingdom of Harsey. The three nations contested and later jointly administered an area along their mutual borders called “The Shula-Harsey Zone” (known informally as “The Zone”) after signing the Shula-Harsey Pact in 1976.

Two events set the path towards formal unification. First was the end of the royal line in Harsey, dealing a blow to the national identity and unity of its citizens. Second was the independence of territories of Bax and Carana, located between the empire and the kingdom. Their parent nation, the Strickfadden Empire, was divided under a civil war both regions and wished to remain neutral. To this end, in 1984 they formally requested to be protected under the administrative partnership of the Shula-Harsey Zone, bringing them peace and economical stability. The three nations began debating an expansion to the Shula-Harsey pact to include them and increase cooperation and goodwill between the nations. What resulted was the loosely organized Shula-Harsey Confederation. established January 1, 1985.

Years later, the neighboring civil war ended, and the new government of Strickfadden sought the return of its territory. The citizens of Bax and Carana wished to remain in the confederacy. War came, and the loose organization proved to be ineffective in coordinating the various militaries and militias involved. In 1990, the Confederate Council chartered a joint military command to oversee the defense of the territories. Due to its central location, the Zone was chosen as the headquarters for the new command structure.

The Zone became responsible for the needs of the centralized military, and its government grew to be the defacto executive arm of the confederation. Henry Friedman, governor and administrator of the zone gained more responsibility and influence as he became more and more involved with the administrative side of running the war. To facilitate his ability to coordinate resources and policy within the confederation, the Confederate Council named him Confederate President in 1992.

The war ended in 1995 when Strickfadden sued for peace after years of stalemate wore down resources and resolve of both sides. The heads of state of the three confederate nations and the enemy to the north met in the zone to negotiate terms. Friedman and the Council were able to direct the talks toward an equitable peace with no loss of territory by the Confederation and the establishment of a military-controlled zone along the northern border form lands ceded to the Confederation to gain peace.

The Confederacy celebrated this as a victory. However, the President and Council realized this was really a fortunate stalemate and not a victory. Knowing it was only the solidarity of the members of the confederacy that prevented defeat they began working to further unify the confederacy. The petitioned the founding nations to grant more funding and resources to the joint military and lessen their own. They also changed their policy and required that each territory elect an administrator rather than the Council appointing one.

Without the war stirring fervent support, the founding nations tuned their attention inward towards their own problems and the Council was left to its original purpose: administrating and defending the territories and resolving conflicts between the nations. In 1998, The Council proposed a division of its portfolio into three parts: a legislature to make decisions concerning the territories and the Confederacy as a whole, an executive and bureaucracy to administer the confederacy and a court to handle disputes between parties within the union. The two Shulan nations were prepared to divest more power to the union, but Harsey worried that their culture would be subsumed by their neighbors. Negotiations dragged on.

On April 3rd, 2000, President of the Confederacy Friedman was struck down by assassins. A vehicle bomb was detonated in the parking structure adjacent to the Confederate Council and Joint Military Headquarters. During the evacuation Friedman, 3 Councillors, and 2 high ranking military officers were gunned down. The Zone Territorial President Paul Duncan declared emergency martial law and the territorial militia took control of the city streets. Two days later, the Council met in the Zone’s territorial capital building and voted Duncan to succeed Friedman. As Territorial President, Duncan had worked closely with Friedman, the Council and the military commanders. Because of this and his familiarity with the Zone militia and police, he was seen as the least disruptive option during the emergency.

The known assassins were killed or had fled during the assassination, and no survivors or accomplices were found. Strickfadden involvement was highly suspected, and military presence in the northern buffer zone was increased and defiantly displayed. On June 23rd, 2000 the convoy of a Confederate diplomat was bombed between the borders on the way to Strickfadden. Strickfadden soldiers opened fire on the Confederate soldiers that went to their aid.

Strickfadden had expected a tense few weeks filled with mutual condemnations. What they had not expected was a full-scale Confederate invasion. War had come again.

What had begun as an attack on an organization funded by three sovereign nations was now seen by their citizens as an attack on them directly. Duncan and the council announced the reformation of the Confederate administration that had been proposed years before. Each nation and territory was asked to sign to commit.

The southern Strickfadden army was overrun by surprise. The bulk of their military was spread among the north and shifted to the battlefront. The Confederate forces in the south were already entrenched and in many locations were even welcomed by locals as liberators. The northern provinces, oppressed since their defeat in the civil war now found the military gone and rebelled again. They sent word and to Confederate officials and fought off smaller Strickfadden forces diverted back to regain control.

Strickfadden had lost its northern and southern territories and faced entrenched enemies on both sides. It was fast losing the ability to financially support its armies. The central government and military disintegrated and by the end of August the fighting was over. In its wake, The Imperial Republic of Strickfadden had dissolved and was replaced by a military occupied zone and a half-dozen smaller nations. The Confederation assumed military administration over the southern territories, and left troops in the northern regions to ensure stability until their peoples could draft new governments, elect new officials and agree new borders.

On September 30th, 2000 Harsey, the last to do so, signed the Shulan Articles of Confederation, officially marking the birth of The Dominion of Greater Shul and Harsey. Duncan announced the creation of a second chamber of the legislature called the People’s Chamber that would be seated based on local population without favor to nations over territories. Their terms began January 1, 2001.