People's Republic of Tidewater

The Flag of the PRT, the Bonnie Blue Flag

## Lore Overview

The **People’s Republic of Tidewater (PRT)** is a young nation formed from the remains of the Eastern Civilian Defence Front. Birthed from the fiery violence of the Atlanta Crisis coup, the PRT was established by radical Nationalists within the CDF who, with the help from the Brazilian Republic, sought to establish their own nation, in the process sparking the brutal Second American Civil War. A one party state, the PRT is notorious for its authoritarian politics and fierce propaganda. A result of this is a population largely loyal and indoctrinated, unknowing of the vast lies and conspiracies the nation was founded upon, such as its status as a Brazilian puppet state that is almost entirely military and economically reliant on its puppet-master.

## History

### Pre-Atlanta Crisis

By the late years of the Reconstruction Era a careful balance of power had arisen in the North American East Coast between the United States of America in the North, and the Civilian Defence Front in the South. Whilst originally formulated as a militia network of scrap towns opting to assist each other militarily and economically, centralization and efficient administration within the CDF had transformed it into a pseudo-state wielding immense influence over the south of the US and even maintaining its own complex foreign policy, such as deep trade ties with Brazil.

Whilst tensions between the CDF and US had existed since their very conception, and even broke out into small-scale regional conflicts, by the time of the Reconstruction Era relations between the governments began to gradually improve, to the point that a full-scale unification of CDF territories with the US was seriously considered by many CDF upper ranking officials. There was however significant pushback to this, many in the CDF began to identify themselves with the CDF more so than the US. The US was viewed with suspicion, a result of a large drift between the two peoples caused by decades of rivalry, conflict and fundamental differences in culture and values.

The CDF was democratic and afforded many liberties and welfare programs to its citizens, contrasting harshly with the authoritarian and corporatist US. Many people believed that if integrated into the US their territories would be exploited for resources and their way of life would fizzle out. At the time, this galvanized the small proponents of CDF national identity, which became officialized as ‘Tidewaterism’ in the first 2088 Tidewater National Congress. This radical new thought idea started out as fringe and extremist, but with the acceleration of US-CDF Unionists talks and various corruption scandals exposing political interference by the US, the Nationalists grew to hold an undeniably large influence over the primarily urban population.

The movement began to gain significant traction through a covert alliance with Brazil, which began to give funding and training to the group. By 2093, the movement began to plot for a potential coup of power, fearing the progress the Unionist movement was seeing. Right before the Atlanta Crisis, three prominent factions existed in the Eastern CDF balance of power, all of fairly equal strength.

* **The Unionist Party**, which proposed complete integration with the United States and the dissolution of the CDF.

* **The Moderate Coalition**, made up of fence-sitters who sought to maintain the status-quo and attempted to strike a balance between complete anti-US sovereignty and complete dissolution to the US.

* **The Nationalist Party**, made up of those belonging to the Tidewater National Congress. They sought to achieve complete sovereignty from the United States of America and held the US and their cultural values in suspicion.

### Atlanta Crisis

In the Summer of 2096, with heavy collaboration by the Brazilian government, the Nationalist Party would spring a meticulously planned coup into motion. With collaboration of hidden Brazilian military and intelligence assets, the Nationalists would organize raids, bombings and targeted assassinations of Unionists officials. In particular the Unionist controlled New Atlanta was the site of the heaviest fighting as it was where the Eastern CDF Congress Building was located, the most important administrative location in the Eastern CDF. After a vicious assault this building would be captured and within it the People’s Republic of Tidewater would be proclaimed, the Nationalists giving a televised conference where they called the country to arms and stated that treacherous elements of the pro-US CDF along with the US planned to allow an invasion of the country alongside detailed evidence consisting of forged videos, documents and radio communications.

Everywhere across the country, Nationalist militias would arise and swear allegiance to the newly formed PRTM. Militias loyal to the US would be brutally overwhelmed and destroyed alongside any US military assets present in CDF territory, the Nationalists capitalizing on the chaos and disorganization to rout the discombobulated US and force a disorganized evacuation of their assets into the South. In a matter of weeks, the Nationalists had virtually annihilated the Unionist Party and seized control of the country. During these events, the Moderate Coalition stayed mostly intact but the chaos left them idle. Reluctantly, they agreed to temporarily align themselves under the PRT, many genuinely believing the evidence and allegations against the Unionists and the US government and taking up arms against the perceived threat in the chaos and confusion following what would come to be known as the Atlanta Crisis.

### Post-Atlanta Crisis

#### 2096 Blue Terror

A few months after the Nationalist-Moderate alliance the Moderates began to grow increasingly suspicious of the PRT government. This was caused in particular by the increasing dissemination of nationalist and militarist propaganda and the PRTM’s irredentist expansion into mainland US territory, putting the supposed US responsibility as aggressors into question. This suspicion would culminate in the assembly of the Atlanta Commission, a secret investigative bloc made to examine the Atlanta Crisis and the role the Nationalists played in it.

After discovering this through Brazilian intelligence, the Nationalists became paranoid about the power and influence the Moderates still held and their potential to rebel against them, especially if the commission discovered the Nationalist’s unprovoked coup. Due to this they began to plot amongst Brazil for a second purge. In October of that year, an event known as the “Blue Terror” would begin, in which the Moderates, which had consisted of about a half of the staff on the PRT’s current war-time administration and controlled about a third of the PRT’s military, would be violently purged and persecuted.

Through a heavy handed slanderous propaganda campaign, the PRT would declare the Moderates as traitors and US collaborationists, urging the population to rise up against them or risk the country falling into the hands of the US. This led to the formation of government sponsored militias by the civilian population. These groups were given hit lists of threats, including journalists, intellectuals, politicians and military governors. Anyone who was associated with the Moderates was a target and the people exacted “justice” through fanatical nationalist fervor, with anyone even slightly suspected of having pro-moderate leanings being dragged into streets and violently killed.

With the element of surprise and their fierce propaganda campaign, the PRT managed to snuff out armed resistance in a short but brutal civil war that left most of the Moderate administration dead or in hiding. Demoralized and disorganized Moderate militias had their grunts forcibly disarmed and integrated into the PRTM, anyone refusing would be given mock trials and executed or imprisoned indefinitely in the PRT’s new political prison facility Dixie. Despite the destruction of their enemy, the Blue Terror would continue for months after as the PRT failed to control the jingoistic militias it had assembled, leading to untold numbers of massacres of US citizens and those suspected of US sympathies. The US widely considers the ‘Blue Terror’ an act of genocide against its people.

By the end of the Blue Terror in mid-2097, the Nationalists had secured complete control of the government and those that could stand to challenge them were either dead or forced into fearful obedience. The immense purge of competent military and government officials had drastic consequences on the PRT which had inadvertently crippled itself and it began to suffer heavy defeats in the face of a major US counteroffensive in early 2098, something that would only be halted by the arrival of massive military aid and reinforcements from Brazil in 2099.

#### Recovery and the Ceasefire

By 2100, the Second American Civil War had stalled into a forever war with no significant gains or losses from either side. With this period of relative peace, the PRT began to place an emphasis on domestic administration and with the help of Brazilian loans and economic planners, the PRT economy witnessed significant recovery as Brazilian corporations invested fortunes into the rebuilding of the country. In PRT propaganda this has been hailed as “The Tidewater Economic Miracle” and resulted in the significant and rapid recovery from the damage of the war.

This economic boom allowed the PRT to begin lucrative spending on social programs to win the support of the divided populace, managing to slowly heal the early reliance on fear and nationalistic fervor to intimidate the population into loyalty. Improved working conditions, universal access to healthcare and safety nets for PRT citizens were guaranteed and meant that citizens lived humble but secure lives. Additionally, policies such as the “Tidewater Land Lottery” meant that confiscated land from US citizens was redistributed to Tidewater citizens, particularly the most impoverished which won the PRT government great support. Whilst these policies are popular and mean that most Tidewaterites are content with the government, they are very expensive and have put the PRT in heavy debt, increasing their reliance on Brazilian loans.

Whilst this economic recovery was ongoing, the PRT’s authoritarian fist continued to reign supreme albeit with more discretion. Through the newly established Tidewater Federal Police (TIFEPOL), the PRT continued to spy on its citizens, censor the press, rig elections and pump out propaganda. Meanwhile, the military has remained vigilant despite the stalling of the war and the PRT continues to spend an enormous sum on their military, putting strain on their increasingly fragile economy.

In 2112 a nation-wide ceasefire was signed between the PRT and the US, a groundbreaking development as this was the first diplomatic contact between the PRT and the US since the Atlanta Crisis. Despite continuing skirmishes and occasional violations of the ceasefire, the years following the relations saw relatively improved relations between the two countries with increasing demilitarization and opening of border checkpoints, along with the permittance of delegations from the PRT to attend official diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Brazil.

#### Chance for Peace

The USA and PRT are still at war by 2115, however the possibility for peace between the two countries are becoming increasingly possible, a prospect that many within both the PRT and USA hope for as the nations lay exhausted from war weariness and the continuing mass spending on their militaries. The PRT in particular seeks to benefit a lot from peace. Despite early economic recovery in the form of “The Tidewater Miracle”, the PRT’s economy is still incredibly backwards due to corruption, a low labor pool and brain-drain caused by the Atlanta Crisis purges and the subsequent US citizen exodus. At this point the PRT is almost completely sustained through financial loans from Brazil and has sold off much of its assets to Brazilian corporations.

Despite the great desire for peace from the PRT, this prospect is increasingly being threatened through the increasing level of organized insurgencies through the PRT and the rising state of discontent and revanchism as US demagogues blame the PRT for the country’s severe economic depression, some even advocating a continuance of the war.

## Politics

### Government

While officially claiming itself to be a free and democratic nation against the corruption and tyranny of the United States, the People's Republic of Tidewater is anything but. It's government lies in the form of a socialist one-party state, supported by the Brazilian military junta. To secure support in its favor, all media and information is controlled by the government and TIFEPOL, with content either altered or completely removed if it doesn't fit the government's agenda. Because of this, many citizens of the PRT are oblivious to factual information, including the true cause of the Atlanta Crisis, and due to this provided narrative, much of the population blindly support the PRT and maintain a strong hatred for the United States. On the contrary, the populace view Brazil as their ally and protector from American aggression.

### Relations

#### United States of America

The United States is the People's Republic of Tidewater's main adversary, and since the Atlanta Crisis, both sides have been at war against one another as the US tries to reunite the country, while the PRT attempts to secure itself as an independent nation.

#### Maior Exército Brasileiro

The Maior Exército Brasileiro, Brazil's military, is the country's main benefactor and supporting power in defense by providing military equipment and economic assistance before, during, and after the Atlanta Crisis, and continues to do so into the Second American Civil War. As a result of these strong ties, the PRT is closely allied with Brazil.

#### Royal Commerce Organisation

The Royal Commerce Organisation (RCO) is a company under direction of the United Enclave of British Counties (UEBC), the successor state of the United Kingdom. It was, at one point, conducting backdoor trade agreements with the PRT. Due to hostilities reigniting on the continent between the US and PRT, relations fell as they aid the US in their war effort with equipment and manpower.

#### The Reds

The Reds are viewed as terrorists and traitors by the PRT, and the last remaining pockets of resistance inside the south by the MEB. As such, the insurgency is hunted down viciously by TIFEPOL and the MEB to ensure the puppet regime's stability stays afloat.

## Military

The military of the People's Republic of Tidewater lies in the People's Republic of Tidewater Military (PRT:M). During the early years of the PRT, the military made use of captured US military installations as well as adapting other locations to be used as makeshift FOBs. One such location is Fort Wilmington, a former prison turned military base for the PRT:M and MEB garrison inside the Halfmoon region.

As opposed to its main adversary, the United States Armed Forces, the PRT:M is an under-equipped force, donning all brown uniforms and armed with outdated and underwhelming weapons and equipment, aside from those provided by the MEB. Bolt action rifles, such as the Hyke and Sparo, make up the vast majority of weapons provided to the basic grunt. Proper body armor and night vision devices are often found lacking in sufficient numbers within equipment stores, substituted by flak jackets or absolutely nothing but webbing. This comes as a consequence of the PRT, while having a large capacity to manufacture equipment, lacking a developed industry to produce both advanced systems and the components required to manufacture them, relying on the mass production of simplistic designs. As a result, such equipment are reserved for special forces units and higher ranking soldiers such as NCOs and officers.

To make up for equipment shortages, the PRT:M uses a system of conscription to bolster its military, maintaining a numbers advantage over the US. In addition to the low equipment numbers, lack of training plagues much of the military, with only high morale and patriotism driving them forward. Of all the three branches, the army is the most funded of all of them, with a combination of domestic and MEB-provided equipment to bolster its firepower. In contrast, the navy and air force components of the military remain underfunded to provide much of a proper stance against their adversaries.

## Notable Laws

Ultimately, the PRT:M holds the most authority when it comes to law enforcement duties, but more urbanized areas will see activity by their local police department or by TIFEPOL. In regards to Chatham County, both the PRT:M and TIFEPOL have a strong presence within it, and is common to see regular soldiers out on patrol within the town of Southside. Especially under martial law, both entities enforce the law to the highest standard, and due to the high punishment for crimes one would consider minuscule, the thought is enough to keep normal citizens in line.

### Dew

One of the most notable forms of organized crime within the PRT is the manufacture of moonshine, commonly referred to as Dew. Dew manufacturing is a problem on both sides of the border between the PRT and the US, with their respective law enforcement agencies cracking down on the business. In the PRT, the punishment for being involved or in the possession of Dew can warrant a long sentence in prison, or in some cases death. However, with the high risk, there is always a high reward in return. As a result, the Reds participate in Dew activities in order to gain funds for its insurgency.

### Firearms

The PRT's citizenry is in possession of many firearms, and is a very armed population just like the US. While the government tolerates the ownership of firearms, there are many restrictions that must be followed. A permit is required to be able to own and purchase a firearm and ammunition within the PRT, including an additional permit for concealed carry. Without a concealed carry permit, firearm owners will need to keep their weapons on their property. While concealed carry is permitted, open carrying any form of long guns, including but not limited to, rifles and shotguns, within city limits is illegal. Outside of city limits, open carry of such weapons is allowed.

In addition to these restrictions, certain types of firearms are also declared illegal to own by its citizens. Naturally, weapons in use by the military and TIFEPOL have been designated as illegal. Automatic weapons and long guns with shorter barrels are also illegal to own. Most notably, the PRT government also placed a ban on firearms originating from the United States, especially military grade weapons such as the TSR family of rifles. More recently, firearms originating from the UEBC have also been declared illegal to own by the PRT.

However, there are exceptions when it comes to the restrictions on firearms. While weapons used by the military are illegal, citizens may freely use the AR-10, SH-9, Hyke, Sparo, and BHP, as they are primarily civilian grade. In addition, exceptions for the US weapon ban also exist, as popular American weapons prior to Atlanta Crisis, and even those of Pre-Flash origin, have been exempted from the ban. These weapons include the M1911 and the Mendel series of handguns, as well as the AR-15 and NC-12. Excluding military issue weapons like the Para-FXL and ICT, firearms of Brazilian origin are legal to own in the PRT.

While it is possible to obtain an exemption to these restrictions from the PRT, it is incredibly difficult and rare for one to be distributed. Most who are able to get such a pass come from companies contracted by the government or the MEB, and even then, instances are few and far between.

### Body Armor

Naturally, body armor in any shape or form is illegal in the PRT. Such equipment is only permitted for use by law enforcement agencies and the military. The punishment for being in possession of such equipment is at least many years in prison. However, hunting vests and similar derivatives are able to be owned and used. Like firearms, an exemption to the ban on body armor may be obtained, but as previously mentioned, instances where one has been granted are few and far between.