Roessen: A Troubled Nation

## General Background

Roessen is situated as an island in the Baltic Sea; for many years, it was considered part of Germany, until the First World War in which a British invasion of the island and the subsequent defeat of the Germans in 1918. In the Treaty of Versailles, the island once known as the Dominion of Bismarck became known as the Roessisch Republik, with its own constitution, capital city in Roessenstadt (its namesake), and its own set of laws and Parliament (known as the Volksvertretung).

The 1920s was a turbulent period for Roessen. Despite having its own Parliament, constitution and laws, the rise of Communist and Nationalist movements shook the country to its core; the majority of which occurred in the northern province of Wolfszing and in the city of Bismarck in the south. In Wolfszing, the Kirchfelden Aggression saw Jewish sects battle against staunch nationalists and Fascists, while in Bismarck, Germanic loyalists battled against Communist paramilitaries, some even supported by the Soviet Union.

In 1940, as World War II raged on, reclamation of the island became a priority for the Nazi regime; after a long fought battle, Roessen fell under German control in 1941. By 1945, it had been liberated by the Soviet Union, who demanded continued control of the island, but pressure from the United Nations and the West enforced the need for Roessen to remain its own independent and democratic society.

In the Cold War, fearing a Soviet intrusion, Roessen became largely neutral, though governments often aligned with the West. In 1974 however, a Volksvertretung election saw a staunch socialist Chancellor appointed, Ernst Webermann, who was revealed to have Soviet support. In what became a tense period, Soviet diplomats and advisors were invited to policy meetings, and the West feared Roessen may have been turning to the Communists. Hotlines between Washington and Moscow urged for a reaffirmation of Roessisch neutrality, and in the subsequent election in 1976, Webermann was voted out of power.

After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, Roessen joined NATO. Since then, it has been a peaceful, democratic, eco-friendly nation, although one that has been a subject of controversy due to its tactical position against the Russian Federation.

## Political System

The power dynamic in Roessen is shared between the Präsident (President), Kanzler (Chancellor) and Vizekanzler (Vice Chancellor). While the Präsident is officially the Head of State, their powers are specifically delegated to foreign affairs and the military. Lawmaking and the interior is solely in the hands of the Kanzler and Vizekanzler.

Roessen operates a unicameral parliamentary system, called the Volksvertretung. Laws are made here, which is overseen by the Kanzler and Vizekanzler. Elections for these occur every two years, while elections for the Präsident occur every four years.

Roessen is bound by its own constitution, which can be amended or added to with a significant majority of 70% of the Volksvertretung, and with a signed approval from the Präsident. It is possible that the makeup of the Volksvertretung and the party allegiance of the Präsident may conflict, for example a left-wing Volksvertretung and a right-wing Präsident, which can cause numerous challenges of power between the executive blocs.

## Previous Roessen Political Simulators

* First Roessen PolSim: https://the-roessen-republic.fandom.com/wiki/The\_Roessen\_Republic\_Wiki
* Second Roessen PolSim: https://the-new-roessen-republic.fandom.com/wiki/The\_New\_Roessen\_Republic\_Wiki
* Third and Final Roessen PolSim: https://bundesrepublik-roessen-rp.fandom.com/wiki/Bundesrepublik\_Roessen\_Wiki