People's Republic of New Norway

National Flag of New Norway

**New Norway** (Norwegian: *Nynorge*), officially the People's Republic of New Norway (Norwegian: Folkerepublikken Nynorge) is a socialist republic located in the Midwest.

## History

### Founding

*Following the American Collapse in the late 1940s several members of the Farmer-Labor Party (FL) of Minnesota fled to South Dakota after US Army remnants ceased most of Minnesota. There they formed an alliance with Norwegian-American farmers and tried to establish some form of order and government. The fall of the United States and their expulsion at the hands of US Army remnants disillusioned and radicalized many members of FL. This resulted in two factions forming within FL: The social democrats who stuck to the party's pre-collapse doctrine, led by Hjalmar Petersen, and the democratic socialists who advocated for the abolishment of the capitalist system of the old US, led by Elmer Austin Benson. Benson's faction won out and he quickly began to put his policies into action as well as expand the militia. The small group of Norwegian-American farming communities was reorganized into the Federation of Dakotan Communes (FDC). Following this reorganization, the FDC began to rapidly expand, absorbing more towns and communities through both peaceful and violent means.*

### Early expansion

*As the FDC grew in power, calls for gaining vengeance upon the US army remnants who kicked them out of Minnesota, also increased. Finally, a justification for war arose when Norwegian-Americans and other socialists launched a rebellion in southern Minnesota hoping to join with the FDC. The army remnants, now organized into the Grand Army Of The Republic (GAR), responded swiftly and attempted to put down the still young rebellion, but were met by well organized and well trained FDC troops. The war raged on with the GAR holding an advantage in equipment and experience, while the FDC held an advantage in numbers and the support of the populace in southern Minnesota. Eventually both sides became exhausted and a reluctant peace was signed. Southern Minnesota was given to the FDC, but in return the FDC had to pay reparations and both sides had to recognize each other’s claims. But as the war with the GAR came to a close, a new competitor arose to the north, the Minnedosan Protectorate. The Minnedosans, from the former Canada, had set their eyes upon the military bases located in northern North Dakota, an area of land claimed, but not controlled, by the FDC. Tensions rose and escalated into full blown warfare between the two competing powers. Unlike the war against the GAR, this time both sides were equally matched in both numbers and equipment. Eventually though, as in the war with the GAR a stalemate was reached and a peace treaty was signed. The FDC relinquished their claims over parts of northern North Dakota while the Minnedosans made some minor land concessions and both sides signed a NAP.*

### Post-war reorganization

*As a result of having suffered two wars in rapid succession, neither of which ending in victory, the FDC was forced to halt expansion and rebuild. FL began a push towards industrialization to help rebuild both the severely weakened military and the slowing economy. The wars had, however, also been a hit to FL’s popularity with opposition parties grasping the opportunity. Most relevant of these was the anarchist/syndicalist Socialist Worker's Federation (SWF) and stalinist/maoist Communist Party of New Norway (CPNN). As a political PR move and to calm the opposition, Chairman Benson declared the FDC to be replaced by a People’s Republic of New Norway (PRNN). The following election was a near disaster for FL forcing them to form a coalition with the American Freedom Party (AFP) just to acquire a slight majority. However, in the subsequent years the situation improved with the military surpassing its pre-war strength, the economy fully recovering, and FL regaining its independent majority. This finally brings us to the present day where the PRNN stands as the prime bulwark of socialism in the midwest! But only the future can tell what fate will befall New Norway: Will the SWF bring the unions to power? Will FL retain their power and continue the steady path? Or will the CPNN seize power and establish a dictatorship of the proletariat?*