USDR

Flag of the USDR.

Flag used for individual SDRs.

The **Uniоn of Socialist Donatian Republics** (Donatese: Савез Социјалистичких Донаћанских Република / *Savez Sotsiyalistichkih Donach'anskih Republika*), or the **USDR** for short, was the first modern precursor country to Donat. It was founded in 1956 and legally proclaimed & recognized in 1957. It was a socialist one-party federal republic. All of the state's decisions were controlled by the ruling party - the Commoners' Socialist Party of Donat - and its lifelong president, Lazar Karaslav, commonly referred to as the father of modern Donat. Its capital was its most populous city - Radogost. The state was divided into *de jure* autonomous divisions called *Socialist Donatian Republics* or SDRs, of which there were seven: *Pokoska, Belonizhye, Rumenska, Vaskva & Orahovitsa, Pokrayinska, Gornyi Krayi* and *Rusinska*.

## History

Prior to the Crimson Revolution, Donat's entire territory was occupied by the Rutherish Empire. The Crimson Revolution saw several independent popular uprisings initiate, though they were all lacking a unified central government. For this reason, the USDR was formally founded as a unitary parastate, whose purpose was to unite the several revolutionary movements of Donat into a single and more powerful entity. Its first and only leader was Lazar Karaslav. The state was founded on June 2nd, 1956 in the *Proclamation of Popular Donatian Unity* written by the Commoners' Socialist Society, later renamed to the Commoners' Socialist Party of Donat. This date is generally regarded as Donat's independence day and is a national holiday in modern-day Donat.

The Crimson Revolution would be fought until the 23rd of August, 1957 after which a military stalemate was reached. The USDR would shortly gain international recognition as one of the first socialist states in existence. It was defined as a federal union of parliamentary republics, though only one party was made legal and elections were a formality.

Lazar Karaslav died in 1986 from liver failure. The death of Karaslav and many of his colleagues meant that new pro-democratic council members could be elected, which tore down the one-party system. The country was speedily reformed into a democratic and pluralistic federal state and was officially disbanded in the same year. Its succeeding state would be the United Syndicates of Donat, later renamed to the Socialist Republic of Donat.

## Economy

Karaslav's policies of rapid industrialization, industrial nationalization and the seizing of Rutherish factories were economically beneficial to the people of Donat, who had been severely disenfranchised within the empire. Socioeconomic reforms helped the native population recover from the war. The economy of the USDR was a mixture between a planned and market economy, assuring that the state be globally competent while also sufficing for its own needs.

The post-war period saw education and reconstruction prioritized over other sectors of employment. This created a surplus of readily available jobs. To fill this employment vacuum, immigrants of lower social status from across the world (primarily Ripiero) were invited to Donat. Most notably, people belonging to the ethnic groups of Southern Ripiero - such as the Cosonans and Spencians - fled to Donat to escape Notogiite occupation. Workers were entitled to a generous share of their profits and Donat was viewed as a 'safe haven' for many foreigners fleeing from social and ethnic stigmatization.

A domestic currency called the rezan was implemented to replace the old Rutherish currency. Major cities like Radogost, Tsarshava and Kralin experienced population booms and most of the immigrant influx.

## Controversies

The USDR was regarded by some as a totalitarian state with a cult of personality founded around Lazar Karaslav. All republican councils had to follow the word of the state party, and elections were more or less a formal procedure. As such, this stunted the process of democratization within the USDR. Within the country, political dissidents and opponents were frequently liquidated and freedom of speech was partially limited. This was largely enforced by the state's leader, Lazar Karaslav, and the party committee.

Rutherish citizens were deemed as former oppressors and Donatese on Rutherish crime was very high in the early years of the state. Systemically, the Rutherish were very stigmatized and were seen as the colonial minority. Most were practically forced to assimilate into Donatese culture or to leave Donat altogether. Rutherish citizens outside of Donat were also banned from entering the country. This meant that Rutherish citizens would be banned from entering the country again if they had lost their Donatese passport while out of the state. These bans would be lifted in the 1970s.

The USDR was ecologically criticized for its reliance on oil during the period of reconstruction after the war.

## Anthem

The anthem of the state was called "Son of the Republic!", composed by Slavko Klitich' in 1946.

Lyrics
Зар не чујеш узвике
Што војници часни
Вичу на сав глас?
За слободу нашу
И самовласт часну
Барјак црвени
Подигнимо сад!
Славна нам била,
Домовино!
За педаљ ти земље
Ја крв пролићу!
Славна нам била,
Домовино!
За љубав ти чувам
И небески свод.
Zar ne chuyesh uzvike
Shto voynitsi chasni
Vichu na sav glas?
Za slobodu nashu
I samovlast chasnu
Baryak tsrveni
Podignimo sad!
Slavna nam bila,
Domovino!
Za pedaly ti zemlye
Ya krv prolich'u!
Slavna nam bila,
Domovino!
Za lyubav ti chuvam
I nebeski svod.
Don't you hear the cries
That honourable soldiers
Shout at the top of their lungs?
For our freedom
And prestigious independence
The crimson banner -
Let us raise it now!
Glorious be,
Homeland!
For a footstep of your land
I'll shed my blood!
Glorious be,
Homeland!
For your love I protect
The sky above you.