Verenigde Republieks van die Traansval

The Bonny Stars, Traansval Flag

Rannoire (Secondary)

English (Secondary)

Warring States Period: 1895-1902

Federation: 1902-Present

Mazdaii (6%)

Hadorian (4%)

Boer (3%)

Other (2%)

The Verenigde Republieks van dieTraansval, or United Republics of the Traansval, is a Federation of Fourteen Republieks under the Federal Government which is led by a Council of Beamptes (The Executives of the Republics) chaired by the Verkozen Officiele (Translation: Elected Official, the Head of State for the Traansval). The country is located on the so-called "New World" continent. The United Republiek all total to a population of 18 Million Boers, with much of the countries population centered around the plains in the center of the country and its northern coast. Each of the Republieks retains their own Capitals, but the capital of the Federal government is located in the city of Pretoria (Which is also the Capital of the Gauteng Republiek, as the Beampte of the Gauteng Republiek is always given to the Verkozen Officiele). Valian

The Traansval is a former colonial state, broken off from its mother country of Rannoria. While the two nations share many Cultural and Linguistic similarities, the Valians isolation in the Colonies have caused them to drift away from Rannorian Culture to a culture all their own, Valian Culture. The Frontier lifestyle is often revered as the highest form of living by the Valians, who always seem ready to push the boundaries of their borders to explore new lands just beyond their reach. The pastures are always greener the next hill over for the Valians, and its unlikely they'll ever change.

Valians are often revered for their marksmanship, mobility and prowess in rough terrain. They have also gained a reputation as Traders and Merchants, and almost every exploratory expedition contains a Valian. These three attributes; Martial Prowess, Commerce and Exploration form the backbone of Valian Interests.

## History of the Traansval

### Colonial State

In the early 19th Century, various economic interests in Rannoria were attracted to a man named Paul Kruger who had begun to advertise his East Empire Company. The company managed to gather together the funds for an expedition to search for a suitable location to begin a colony.

The Kruger Expedition, as it was titled by history, would set out on their mission. Braving storms and choppy seas, they would find their objective in the so called "New World".

At the site of the modern day city of Bloemfontein, the Kruger Expedition set foot ashore and established a trading outpost. Word was sent back home, and the East Empire Company began funding and organizing more expeditions. News of the colony galvanized the Rannorian Public, and many saw the new Colonies as a chance to start over and gain a better life.

April, 1830 would see the creation of the Traansval Colony, named after the Val Lake (Traans being the Valian word for "Above"), which would serve to condense the various colonies that had popped up around the Bloemfontein Colony. The Colony would began to expand out from the coastal regions, further inland claiming more land for the East Empire Colony. The Traansval Colony was unique in it not being a colony of Rannoria, but instead of a private Rannorian Company. As such, instead of the Rannorian Army providing protection for the company, the Colony would be policed by the East Empire Force, a private army made up of Mercenaries. The East Empire Force would later be known throughout the colonies for its ill discipline and Brutality with dissenters and natives.

Said Natives would be a hamper to the development of the colony, and a frequent enemy of the East Empire Force. Boers, as they were known, were the native inhabitants of the Valian Region and had been since the middle ages. While not as advanced as the Rannorian Colonists, the Boers had quickly adopted western technology and used Rannorian firearms captured in raids on the colony. The two sides would frequently fight, with the Boer's employing hit and run tactics to avoid open battle. Even so, they would be caught in multiple skirmishes such as the Battle of Red Hill, the Battle of the James River, and finally the Battle of the Val where a large force of Boers would be caught on the banks of the Val Lake and forced to either be cut down by the East Empire Force or driven into the lake where they would flee into the center of the continent. Those Boers still left were put on "reservations" usually in the south and a assimilation process was begun.

Time would pass, and the distance between Rannoria and its colonies would begin to become more and more apparent. News would take weeks to reach Rannoria, where the East Empire Company was based, and the greed of the Company would lead to heavy taxes and levies being placed on the colonies. The culture of the colonists would slowly shift, with certain words and speech drifting from Rannorie and the culture changing to fit more with their frontier lifestyle. The culture shift, combined with the taxes and export quotas levied by the Company and the brutality of the East Empire Force in enforcing them would lead to, in 1880, the Pretoria Congress.

### Revolution

The Pretoria Congress was a congress of various Colonial leaders at the city of Pretoria. There they compiled a list of grievances and complaints, called the Pretoria Treatise, and sent it to Company headquarters in Rannoria. The Company reacted violently, declared the Congress illegal and sent in the EEF to arrest all members. When the Force arrived at Pretoria, they were greeted by force of Militia and Woodsmen who blocked the way into town while the Congress fled the city. The Company Force opened fire on the Colonists, who then returned fire. The following would be labeled the Battle of Pretoria, with the Empire Force crushing the Colonial Militia and taking over the city as the remaining colonial forces fled with the Congress. When the force attempted to follow, they were harassed by the Colonial Militias before finally being met in open combat at the Battle of Rorkes Drift, where the Colonial Militia held a bridge and routed the Companies forces.

On June 25th, 1888, the Congress (Which had now been moved to Bloemfontein) convened once again to discuss what to do. The congress was split between Loyalist to the Company who sought appeasement, and the Rebels who thought that the actions of the Company showed that the Colonies needed to seek independence. Their minds would be made up a month later, when the section of the East Empire Force that had been routed at Rorkes Drift returned to Pretoria, only to pillage the city in revenge for its rebellious ways. This act would sway many Loyalists to the Rebel side, and eventually the Congress would vote in a unanimous decision to declare independence. The Official document declaring said independence would be signed November of 1888, and a copy would be sent to the Company.

The declaration was mostly ceremonial, as by now many had already taken up arms. The Traansval Colony had been formed from Fourteen colonies that had been formed between the early 19th century and 1830, and those Fourteen Colonies had been used to form the basis of the Colonial Districts. With the declaration of independence, these Administrative divides soon formed the basis of the first States of the Republic of the Traansval, the unofficial term for the newly independent colony.

The Republic would get off to a bad start, however, as their military forces mainly relied on a decentralized Militia to fight the more professional Mercenary force of the Company. Joseph Kruger, grand son of Paul Kruger, would be chosen to lead the Republican Army as he'd had experience serving with the Empire Force. He'd abandoned his service with the Force after the outbreak of hostilities, and offered his services to the Republic (Which at this time was controlled by the Congress). He'd see the disorganized force, and would take it by the reins, working to try to modernize it while also fighting the Company. The one advantage the Republic had over the Company was their knowledge of terrain, and this would work to their advantage as General Kruger would organize raiding parties and Ambushes to slowly weaken the Companies position. The East Empire Force would be caught off guard with the Guerrilla tactics employed by the Republic, as they'd been trained in regular Line Order battle formations.

Around this time, the term "Boer" would begin to appear more and more as the rebels tried to distance themselves further from the Rannorians. The new Boer forces would begin to launch more raids, and even offensives and battles as they grew stronger and bolder. The use of Woodsmen as scouts and skirmishers would help, while the Militias would be reformed and trained under General Kruger. At the Battle of Pretoria Heights, a Boer force would defeat a larger East Empire Force detachment at the outskirts of the city of Pretoria (Which had been the de facto capital of Company control in the former colony). The Boer force would later march into Pretoria uncontested as all Company influence had fled.

### Independence and the Republic

In 1882, the Company would send an envoy to General Kruger, requesting a Ceasefire. He would accept, and over the passing months an uneasy peace would settle over the frontlines between Republican and Company controlled territory. After the establishment of a Ceasefire, Company and Republican representatives would meet in Bloemfontein to end the war. After months of debate, a treaty would be drafted and later signed by both sides. The provisions of the so called Treaty of Bloemfontein were simple; The Company would give up all claim to the former Traansval Colony, and would recognize the Republic of the Traansval as a sovereign nation. The treaty would be signed janurary 5th of 1891, which to this day is celebrated as Boer Independence Day.

## Government and Politics

### Overview

Ever since the foundation of the Federation, the Traansval has been ruled by the Council of Beamptes and the Verkozen Officiele. The Verkozen Officiele and his Cabinet of Ministers have sole authority over matters of International Affairs, while matters of Internal or Domestic policy are left to the Council. Legislature is handled by the Dual Houses of the Senaat and Staatskongres, with is a Bicameral Legislature based on the Westminister system. While the Fourteen Republieks that form the Federation are under the Federal Government, they are still allowed a large amount of Autonomy in regards to certain powers.

### Executive

The Executive Branch is formed of three parts; the Verkozen Officiele, the Council of Beamptes, and the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Council of Beamptes is a council of Fourteen Beamptes (Leaders of the Republieks) who together make act as the nations Executive. Their powers include; Signing Treaties, Vetoing or Signing into law Legislature, the power to Declare War, and the power to veto Cabinet or Judicial Appointments. When deciding on an issue, the council will vote Yea or Nay, with a simple majority required to decide on an issue. The Beampte of Gauteng, due to the position also being that of the Verkozen Officiele, cannot vote unless there is a Tie upon which the office holder is allowed to vote to break the tie.

The Verkozen Officiele, translated to English meaning "Elected Official", is the Head of State for the Traansval and is tasked with representing it internationally. The powers vested in the Verkozen Officiele by the constitution include; appointing Cabinet positions, appointing Judicial positions, supreme control over the Leger von Traansval, the ability to issue "Executive Orders" to Cabinet members or Ministries, and to call Republikeinse (Republican) Military Forces into Federal Service. The Verkozen Officiele is elected every 8 years and no one can serve more than One term. Upon being elected, the new Verkozen Officiele is also given the title of Beampte of Gauteng. It is a largely ceremonial title, since the Capital Province is largely under the control of the Federal Government.

The Cabinet of Ministers is a council of the various heads of the Eleven Ministries that make up the Federal Government. Each Minister is appointed by the Verkozen Officele, unless the appointment has been veto'd by the Council of Beamptes who will then appoint a replacement. The Ministers and Ministries that make up the Cabinet and the Federal Government are the:

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*Ministry of Internal Affairs: Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken*

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*Ministry of Foreign Diplomacy: Ministerie van Buitenlandse Diplomatie*

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*National Affairs Department: Departement van Nationaal Zaken*

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*Ministry of Trade and Finance: Ministerie van Handel en Financiën*

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*Ministry of Workers: Ministerie van Arbeiders*

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*Ministry of War and Defense: Ministerie van Oorlog en Defensie*

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*Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship: Ministerie van Immigratie en Burgerschap*

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*Ministry of Health: Ministerie van Gezondheid*

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*Ministry of Science and Research: Ministerie van Wetenschap en Onderzoek*

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*Ministry of Public Services: Ministerie van Openbare Diensten*

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*National Bureau of Investigation: National Kantoor van Onderzoek*

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### Legislative

The Dual Houses, made up of the Senaat and the Staatskongres, is a bicameral Legislature with almost total control over Federal Laws. The Staatskongres, made up of Kongresmen elected to represent their Republiek, with each Republiek being allocated a certain number of Congressmen based on Population. All bills with the intent to become Law must be introduced in the Staakongres,where they can be passed with a majority vote (Ties can be broken by the Speaker of the Congress, who is appointed by the Verkozen Officiele). The Senaat is a House containing Senators who are elected on a National Ballot and do not represent individual Republics. The Senaat has the power to Edit or Veto laws passed by the Staatskongres, which can be over ruled by a 2/3rds majority vote in the Kongres. Additionally, the Senaat has to power to appoint Senaatorial Committees, which are legislative sub-organizations in the Senate that handle a specific duty (rather than the general duties of the Senaat). Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction. As "little legislatures", the committees monitor ongoing governmental operations, identify issues suitable for legislative review, gather and evaluate information, and recommend courses of action to their parent body, the Senaat.

### Republican Governments

As the name suggests, the Traansval is a nation based upon the idea of a Confederation or Union of the Fourteen Republieks of the land. These Republieks are;

1. Orange Free Staat
2. Eypt
3. Kaapstaad
4. Mhali
5. Gauteng
6. Salev
7. Ivroum
8. Aetlund
9. Congarin
10. Desurum
11. Aegypsum
12. Natal
13. Daemonhelm
14. Sylbania-Deruhn

Each Republiek has its own autonomous government modelled on the national government in Pretoria. As such, each Beampte has a Legislative Branch comprised of a Unicamerial Legislature known as the Staats Senaat, or State Senate, which is made up of a elected representatives from internal Districts of each Republiek. Presiding over the Republeik in the Executive Branch is the Beampte of the Republiek, who has the ability to veto law, appoint members of the Republiek's Government, and lead the Republiekinse Wag (Republican Guard) of their Republiek. The Beampte also serves on the Council of Beamptes which acts as an executive council over the larger United Republics.

While Republiek's have no power over Foreign Policy in terms of Diplomacy, Trade, or War, they still have immense power over domestic affairs short of interstate commerce or diplomacy. Each Republiek has its own law code and the vast majority of rules and laws are created at the Republiek level and not the Federal one.

## Military

### Verenigde Weermag

In English, the United Army, the Weermag is a Federal force of volunteers recruited from across the nation.

### Republiekinse Wag

In English, the Republican Guard, is a term for the part time reserve forces of the fourteen Republieks of the Traansval. Each Republiek has its own Republiekinse Wag along with its own General Staff and Units, all under the command of the Beampte of the Republiek.