Befreitland

The flag of the Free State of Befreitland (1964-1970)

## Overview

Befreitland was a Libertarian Socialist nation that existed from July 1956 to February 1970 when it was overthrown in a popular revolution. With a population of approximately 325 million at the time of its collapse, Befreitland was located to the north of Tiabela occupying the entirety of the island simply referred to as "Befreitland."

## History

Befreitland has a long and extensive history extending long before the creation of the Free State. Unlike many other countries on the planet Yadah, Befreitland seemed to show no evidence of human life until March of 1673 when the famous pirate Captain Harley and his crew created a base of operation in the area now known as Harley Cove. While Captain Harley was, in fact, a real person, the name Captain Harley has been passed on ever since the first Captain Harley died in July of 1679. The original Captain Harley was an egalitarian organizer, driven to piracy by the cruel working conditions on the sea. Upon discovering the island, Captain Harley and his crew quickly attempted to set up their own utopia, calling it "Befreitland," meaning "free land" in the captain's native language. From here, Captain Harley's crew continued to raid ships belonging to massive corporations and countries, sharing the wealth among themselves and with any poor folks they found.

Not all of Captain Harley's successors would be as committed to such principles, however. By the early 1700s, as the last of the original Captain Harley's crew died out, there were signs of drifting. It wasn't until 1792, however, that Captain Harley's crew would become nearly unrecognizable. Harley soon began targeting more defenseless ships, giving no quarter in their ruthless raids except to coerce sailors to fight for them. By 1831, Captain Harley's crew was working as paid privateers for corporations and countries more than they acted as free pirates.

It was this environment that led to the friendly relations between Captain Harley's crew and the neo-colonialist Apex Empire Mining Company in 1844, essentially guaranteeing each other protection from outside threats. Establishing mining operations along the north of Befreitland, Apex quickly began building company towns and dominating the economy through company stores, essentially becoming the entirety of the Capitalist economy.

The people in Befreitland, especially those families who had been there since the earliest years of Captain Harley, had increasingly begun to resent Captain Harley's presence in Harley Cove and their joint control of Befreitland with Apex. While minor uprisings and rebellions were commonplace, the Befreit residents were largely unthreatening to both Captain Harley and Apex.

By the end of the 19th century, their luck began to change for the better. With new ship technologies and increasingly powerful countries, piracy was on its way out in the world. Captain Harley's crew, not ready to give up the life they were so used to, attempted to adapt to the new rules of the world. Primarily preying on smaller ships (and threats to Apex), the crew was somewhat successful in maintaining their lifestyle.

As they continued to be outmatched, however, the seed of discontent was planted firmly in the residents of Befreitland. In May 1906, a small group of Befreit residents formed the Wingnut Union, dedicated to the ideology of Social Anarchism as described by Georg Dussten. Vowing to bring down Captain Harley and Apex, the group chose to focus on Apex with Captain Harley's weakening.

Operating covertly around the island, the Wingnut Union began creating a counter-culture, spreading the ideas of Social Anarchism around Befreitland and teaching communities self-defense methods from Apex and their paid soldiers. By 1910, another Social Anarchist organization had formed which focused on Captain Harley's crew, called the Red Syndicate. Adopting the aesthetics of piracy and even the name Captain Harley for its spokesperson, the Red Syndicate's members were overwhelmingly members of the Wingnut Union as well.

The Red Syndicate often took more direct, and occasionally more militant, action against Captain Harley than the Wingnut Union did against Apex. In September of 1914, Captain Harley's crew attempted to directly suppress the Red Syndicate, raiding a meeting in southeast Befreitland. Declaring this to be the last straw, the Red Syndicate regrouped and retaliated in October of the same year.

In October of 1914, a group of Red Syndicate guerillas arrived at Harley Cove, declaring that should Captain Harley surrender, no one would be hurt. Captain Harley responded by firing a shot at the guerillas, making clear that they would not be going down without a fight. Upon realizing it would come to a fight, the Red Syndicate soon came flooding in from every direction, massively outnumbering the dwindling pirate population. Initially prepared to fight to the death, Captain Harley and a small number of his crew quickly fled from the scene on a ship, leaving the rest of their crew to surrender to the Red Syndicate or to die fighting.

After hearing of the battle occurring, Apex sent a militia to back up Captain Harley. Since many of the militiamen were Befreit residents, nearly two thirds of the militia refused to fight, with some even outright joining the Red Syndicate at Harley Cove. Panicked by the developments, Apex officials called off the militia, leaving the pirates at Harley Cove out to dry. Massively outnumbered, the remaining pirates surrendered, and the Red Syndicate members allowed them to take one ship and to leave Befreitland and never come back. As the dust settled, it was clear the Red Syndicate had won the Battle of Harley Cove and claimed Harley Cove as their own.

Recognizing the revolutionary spirit in the air, Apex quickly summoned a foreign militia and workforce to ensure that the mining continued. As Apex isolated itself from Befreitland, the residents were more than happy to oblige, creating their own counter-economy based on gift economics. On the coast of Torch Key Bay and alongside the Romhurst River, the previous tent city of Fremont soon became a center for the Wingnut Union and the counter-economy. To the south, alongside the west of the Bentfield Reservoir, a small artists' commune called Redemis similarly began to flourish as an artistic hub in Befreitland.

As Befreitland began flourishing in its own right without any involvement from Apex, Apex businessmen became increasingly wary of the residents, becoming even more isolationist and untrusting. Relying almost entirely on imports from their other neo-colonies, they were increasingly reliant on their access to the ports. In March of 1919, on a beach in the northeast Befreitland, members of the Wingnut Union declared what would later become known as the Wingnut Strike. With the strike declared, members of the Red Syndicate crated a naval blockade around the Apex controlled harbor where their supplies had been coming from using ships left by Captain Harley. On land, members of the Wingnut Union cut off Apex access to the rest of Befreitland. Propaganda campaigns and hard working conditions encouraged foreign Apex workers to go on strike and flee to join the Befreit residents, essentially bringing Apex operations to a stop. After nearly two months of attempting to push through the isolation, Apex had no choice but to abandon their Befreit operations.

### Befreit Revolution

While Befreit citizens were quick to celebrate the exile of the Apex Empire Mining Company, it would prove to not be the last time Apex intended to occupy Befreitland. For nearly 20 years, Apex continued to fight the Befreit residents for the continuation of their operations in Befreitland. Apex would frequently send militias and workforces to occupy the Apex mining camp but were inevitably forced out within a few months by residents. In 1947, Apex suddenly went quiet, seemingly making no more attempts to colonize Befreitland. By 1951, however, Befreit residents learned the reason for the radio silence.

From 1947 to 1951, Apex began building a military proper, fully intending to fully crush and occupy all of Befreitland to make their Apex colony. When 1951 came, Apex sent out their military to invade Befreitland from the west. Caught off guard, Befreit residents fled from the massive invading in the west, while those in the east began arming and preparing for a war. By December of 1951, the Befreit defensive militia was ready to fight, meeting the Apex forces halfway through the land of Zena.

Throughout 1952, the Apex forces and the Befreit militia continued to fight in Zena. Often with large gaps between fights, it was soon clear a stalemate was developing. By May of 1953, the Befreit militia made a tactical retreat, leaving the Apex forces to believe they had the upper hand. The Befreit militia, however, fled back to Central Befreitland, creating a border set with snipers, traps, and bottlenecks to keep back the Apex forces. When the Apex forces finally arrived in July, the Befreit residents were ready for them, intimately familiar with their traps and the land.

One band of Apex forces in particular marched into the Apex mining camp, seeing no resistance. Once the Apex band had occupied the camp, Befreit forces quickly encircled the camp, springing a trap upon them. While the Befreit forces were far smaller than the Apex forces, the Apex band was fooled into believing they were facing a massive army surrounding them, choosing to surrender rather than to face what seemed to be a suicide mission.

As similar situations happened along the border between the forces, Apex quickly began losing forces and money. In March of 1954, Apex started one final push against the Befreit forces. Throwing everything they had behind it, the push lasted until October, when Befreit forces triumphed over the last Apex forces. Out of money and troops and without even a mining colony to show for it, Apex soon collapsed in on itself in January of 1955, guaranteeing that the people of Befreitland would be free from the neo-colonialism of the Apex Empire Mining Company once and for all.

Restoration projects in Zena quickly began, but the territory was ultimately so devastated it was all but abandoned and would remain so for nearly 15 years. By the middle of 1956, rumors had already begun spreading about the idea of forming an official nation, led by a prominent figure in the revolution, Lindsay Redstone.

### The Free State of Befreitland

In July of 1956, the rumors were confirmed as Lindsay Redstone announced the creation of the Free State of Befreitland in what would soon become the capital city, Fremont. Quickly forming a new government, Redstone became the first Country Representative as the government offices were first constructed in Fremont.

Befreitland was quick to involve itself in foreign affairs on the world stage, forming embassies starting the same month. By September, the Redstone administration was already supporting political parties abroad and encouraging anti-colonialist movements in satellites of Gerdon Laughis, as well as attempting to maintain international peace.

By May of 1957, the discovery of new continents on the opposite side of Yadah polarized the citizens of Befreitland, causing a split that gave birth to the Internationalist Party and the Anti-Imperialist Party. Elections in July would see the Internationalist Frederick Strauss take control of Befreitland, choosing to forego the Befreit neutrality and join with Criume in the United Nations of Sonindia.

Already by November, Strauss was replaced by the newly formed Isolationist Party's Zander Van Jaarsveld who quickly pulled out of the UNS. Van Jaarsveld's most lasting legacy, however, was that of the Council for Research of Aeronautics, Space, and Science (CRASS) and the attempt at creating an Annual Sonindian Fair. By February of 1958, Van Jaarsveld had been assassinated by a group later linked to Gerdon Laughis.

In the wake of the assassination, Anarchists and many other radicals took advantage of the chaos and attempted to declare war on the government now led by Mathis Jeremias. Kaitlyn Oak, a former Internationalist and a proto-Nationalist, began rallying support against the Anarchists at home. Gerdon Laughis, meanwhile, had sent a military force to occupy part of Befreitland in March, including a nuclear weapon. After driving out most of Gerdon's force, the nuclear weapon was activated in the Dragon Massacre, killing nearly 9000 Befreitlans, Oak included. The Anarchists,inspired by their uprisings, occupy the Moonshadow Estate and form the Moonshadow Commune, an Anarchist refuge.

In June of 1958, Jean Mitchel Myrtil, an Internationalist, was elected as Country Representative to replace Jeremias while Befreit citizens also voted to join the Anti-Imperialist Coalition.

In the fall of 1958, CRASS made two staggering leaps forward in the fields of technology: The first successful launch of a satellite, the Makhno II, and the start of the Befreit Built Program. On the international field, Befreitland announced its joining into a second alliance, the Free Order of Countries.

In February of 1960, Befreitland under Myrtil announced the creation of an international diplomatic organization, the Sonindian Union of Nations to assist in the prevention of wars and the maintenance of peace.

The second half of 1960 proved to be an eventful time for the young nation. Alicia Oak, daughter of Kaitlyn Oak, developed the National League, a big-tent right wing opposition party. Three months later, the government openly attempted to suppress the Red Syndicate, killing or arresting most and pushing the rest out in the Second Battle of Harley Cove. Possibly in response to the raid, Jean Mitchel Myrtil was abducted and lynched in Sushurst International Park. Marches were held, primarily by Anarchists and original Revolutionaries, protesting the state of the Befreit government in the Red Uprising. While the police were ordered to remain uninvolved in the protests, the National League's paramilitary wing, the Black Guard, ultimately crushed the protests. When a vote was held later that same month, the National League garnered a staggering 29% of the vote, although the Internationalist William MacBride would ultimately win the election.

In January of 1961, Halisca Iusis proposed a bill to the Nefreit National Council known as Befreit Council Proposal 153, frequently referred to as "BCP153" or "the Propaganda Bill." BCP153 proposed the creation of an organization, the Befreit Information Board, which would regulate media to reduce the amount of "undesirable content and blatant lies" which Iusis declared penetrated Befreitland. When the bill failed by one of the largest margins in Befreit history, Iusis declared the formation of the Socialist Party.

In the largely immigrant-occupied area of Rocker Street, the Black Guard planned a massive march to kick out the immigrants and form a "White Refuge." They were met with fierce resistance, however. Formed of Anarchists, Authoritarian Socialists, and people of all races and religions, the so-called Rocker Defense Unit turned back the Black Guard in the Battle of Rocker Street, pushing the National League back into the shadows and putting an end to Kaitlyn Oak's control of the party by killing her in the chaos.

In order to more effectively combat a right-wing populist movement like the National League, the three main parties (Internationalist, Anti-Imperialist, and Isolationist) merged into the Libertarian Party, an umbrella Left-Libertarian party. In the Libertarian Party's first election, their candidate Osvald Thomassen won by an astounding margin.

His administration was quickly put to the test when a group of Rajatari Christian terrorists orchestrated the Bolumi Massacre in an attempt to bring to attention their fight in the Rajatari Civil War. In response to this incident, among others, Thomassen's administration announces the creation of Befreitland's first standing military, the Befreit Armed Workers' League.

February of 1962 saw the creation of Radio Freedom, an Anarchist radio station based out of the Moonshadow Commune which spread Anarchist propaganda around much of Yadah.

In March, the National League and the Black Guard attempted to make another show of force by marching once again in the March of March. Armed to the teeth, the march is still turned away by a massive crowd of (mostly unarmed) counter-protesters. A small group of Nationalists opened fire on the protesters and were quickly subdued, kicking the National League while it was already down.

In May that same year, the remnants of the National League and the Socialist Party united in the formation of the National Socialist Party, with a Socialist wing led by Halisca Iusis and a Nationalist wing led by David Hall.

The Free Order of Countries came to an end in June 1962.

In July, the coastal city of Draka was quarantined after the Sonindiavirus was found to have entered the country, which began to spread around the nation. Intending to prevent the spread as much as possible, Thomassen's administration quarantines all infected citizens and provides testing centers for every single Befreit citizen while also closing down its border for the first time since its inception. By May of 1963, the country had reopened and recovered.

March 1963 saw the launch of Befreitland's first ever Omnicivis, Patrusheva Ilyich, an 18 year old immigrant. Her journey in space lasted nearly a week before she returned home a changed person.

In December 1963, Thomassen was replaced in an election by fellow Libertarian Estala Rubio. In March 1964, she established the Freedmen's Colony, territory she used to trade with Gerdon Laughis in order to take control of the Cape Colony.

The Cape Colony was the first leg in the Coastal Reunion, a move by Befreitland to recontrol the entirety of the island rather than just the northeast territory. The Anti-Expansion Organization, a fiercely Anarchist and anti-colonialist organization, began staging protests and attacks against the expansion movement.

During this same time, Befreitland announced the creation of the Center for Sonindian Migration, an organization dedicated to assisting in both immigration and emigration and guaranteeing all people of Yadah the right to freedom of movement.

In October 1965, political tensions were too much, resulting in a spontaneous Anarchist revolution, forcing the government into exile. It was not to last, however, as Libertarian Barbara Wilhelm was elected to office to clean up the mess left by Rubio, who remained in exile.

By December in 1965, the Coastal Reunion is complete. The *Fremont Flyer* assisted in the promotion of the Zena territory with the slogan "Go south, friend!" In Zena, the town of El Dorado is established, serving as a picture of idealism in the new expansion.

When a new virus, H5N1, reared its head in Befreitland, the government and citizens were quick to respond. Among the responses was the formation of the Sonindian Black Cross, an Anarchist health and welfare volunteer organization.

In June 1967, in response to the rise of eugenics and Fascism in the Othrodox Empire, Befreitland issued the Internationale Declaration, a guarantee of rights of Sonindians:

> “We, the undersigned, do hereby declare that all citizens of Sonindia are entitled universally with the following:
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> We make this declaration so that all people everywhere might be free, and so that all power belongs to the people and the people alone. Long live freedom and power to the people
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> o  The right to life
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> o  The right to death
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> o  The right to unionize and organize
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> o  The right to succession
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> o  Freedom of movement
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> o  Freedom of speech
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> o  Freedom of the press
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> o  Freedom from involuntary servitude
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> o  Freedom from exploitation
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> o  The right a free education
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> o  The right to free health care, including abortion and gender reassignment
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> o  Freedom from discrimination
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> o  Right to free housing
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> o  Right to free food and water
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> o  Freedom from torture
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> o  Right to vote and participate in government
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> o  Freedom of protest and assembly
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> o  Right to privacy
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> o  Freedom from execution
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> o  Freedom from arrest without just cause and a warrant
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> o  Freedom to a fair trial
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> o  Right of presumed innocence until found guilty
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> o  Right to bodily autonomy
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> We make this declaration so that all people everywhere might be free, and so that all power belongs to the people and the people alone. Long live freedom and power to the people!”
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In November of 1967, Barbara Wilhelm's administration announced the creation of the Market Initiative, a program officially switching Befreitland to Market Socialism and creating the currency known as Monetary Units (MUs). The Market Initiative further created the International Bank of Sonindia, used to standardize currency and ensure fair trade between all.

Elections in August 1968 led to the replacement of largely unpopular Wilhelm with the Libertarian Martin Sartre. Just four months later in December, Sartre and Lashaya Greene of CRASS announce the joint demonstration showing their revolutionary computing technology and the first ever orbit of Ingelosi by the Ocallan IV. With these technological developments, Befreitland declares the creation of the Committee for Open and Mutual Exchange of Technology, a committee dedicated to ensuring that all Sonindians everywhere have access to the best in technology.

Despite the technological advancements, Sartre's administration's mishandling of both foreign and domestic affairs was too much for the citizens. In February of 1970, in the February Uprising, the Befreitlans decided they had had enough of their government. Declaring Befreitland to be a failed experiment and having become everything it hates, the people revolted, declaring the death of Befreitland. Sartre, refusing to support the revolution, fled to exile. The Free State had been abolished within 15 years of its birth.