American Empire (Dark Age)

## American Empire

Flag of both the Empire and Imperial Party

**Author’s Note: The ongoing Dark Age series has since been moved to the Fandom version of the Constructed Worlds Wiki**

The **American Empire**, also known as the **Greater American Empire,** the **American Imperium,** the **First American Empire**, the **Empire of America**, the **American-Imperial State**, or simply **The Empire**, was an advanced superpower that adhered to the Imperial System, an American-based variant of National Bolshevism. It ruled the territories of the former United States and held possession of 9 colonies. At its greatest extent Imperial territory encompassed all of North America, parts of South America, Iceland, Hawaii, and a number of smaller territories in the Pacific Ocean.

The American Empire existed as a sole political entity for a total of 45 years, from its inception in 1978, until its fragmentation in 2023. The eight year period from 2015 to 2023 is known as the ***Imperial Ascendancy**,* a time in which the Empire’s power, influence, and stability was at its greatest. However, Emperor William Aborshine’s assassination ended the Ascendancy and shook the Empire to its very core.

His aforementioned death led to the breakup of the Empire into numerous warlord states, as the Imperial state found itself unable to pick a rightful successor amid countless ambitions figures who desired the throne for themselves and themselves alone.

## History

### Origins (1964->1976)

In the mid 1960’s, the United States entered into a period of severe political and economic turmoil. The U.S. was faced with crises such as the ongoing opposition to the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, and political assassinations. For reasons still hotly debated by historians today, the economy crashed, leading to the worst economic crisis the U.S. had faced since the Great Depression. The crises seemed to be never ending, and it was due to these reasons that extremists on both the left and right began to gain massive amounts of traction, while moderate parties like the Democrats and Republicans lost popularity.

Fascists, ultranationalists and others began to gather under a new and emerging national bolshevsit political party, the Imperial Party. The Imperial Party, led by a cold and calculating man named William Aborshine, promised to end the numerous crises America faced, and usher in an era of order, stability, and prosperity. As the many crises went on and the Democrats and Republicans continued to decline, the Imperial Party rose to become the largest party in America, ahead of Communist Party USA. The United States Military itself was divided between the two parties, while a certain amount had managed to distance themselves from either party.

The Election of 1976 was between the Imperials and Communists. Due to the nature of the two parties running, many believed that civil war was inevitable no matter who won. The Election led to an Imperial Victory, subsequently leading to countrywide riots instigated by the Communists. On December 4, 1976, just over a month after the election, the United States collapsed into civil war.

### Second American Civil War (1976->1978)

The Second American Civil War began on December 4, 1976. The Imperials and Communists operated out of the states they had won during the election. The acting president at the time, Gerald Ford, was assassinated on December 7. Washington D.C. was locked down by federal loyalists while the rest of the military flocked to whichever side they supported.

With America at war itself, numerous events occurred simultaneously across the world. The European members of NATO, knowing that now they no longer could rely on American Protection and terrified of what the Soviet Union would do, combined and reorganized themselves into the European Federation. The People’s Republic of China seized the opportunity and invaded the island of Taiwan, and along with North Korea, invaded South Korea, as both no longer had the backup of the American military.

The Imperials had managed to garner more men, equipment, and America’s nuclear stockpile.. The civil war lasted for a year and a half, with the Imperials achieving victory over the communists on July 31, 1978. The same day, Aborshine declared that democracy was no longer a sustainable system and had led to the degeneration of American society. The American Empire was declared with Aborshine as its first Emperor, and first Chief of the Imperial State.

### Imperialization and Early Years (1978->1990)

The civil war led to the deaths of nearly 200,000 people, yet the war’s relatively quick duration allowed for the majority of America’s infrastructure to remain intact, which in turn helped lead to a postwar economic boom. Immediately after their victory over the Communists, The Imperials began a massive campaign of Imperialization. With the rise of the American Empire, all the institutions of the former United States found themselves modified beyond recognition. Washington D.C. was renamed Imperial Center, New York City was renamed Aborshine City, The United States Armed Forces became the Imperial Military, The Supreme Court was replaced by the High Imperial Court. The two intelligence agencies of the United States, the FBI and CIA were merged together to form the Imperial Intelligence and Enforcement Bureau. The United States Dollar became the Imperial Dollar.

The Senate, House of Representatives, and Congress were dissolved. A brand new Imperial Constitution was written that gave supreme power to the Emperor and the newly formed Imperial Governing Council. The 50 states were reorganized into 44 “districts”, and the main regions of America (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Northwest) into “overdistricts”. Alaska and Hawaii were lumped into a sixth overdistrict, while Texas and Oklahoma were eventually split off from the Southeast Overdistrict to become a part of their own unique “Texan” Overdistrict. Each district was ruled by a governor and each overdistrict was ruled by a high governor. The position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was reorganized into the position of Grand Marshal, the Supreme Commander of all Imperial forces. Although the Emperor held absolute authority over the Imperial forces, the Grand Marshal was responsible for direct command over the Imperial Military.

Aborshine desired Imperial Center to become the largest metropolitan area in the world. Now having the tools necessary to build his grand capital, Aborshine commenced the construction of Imperial Center. Beginning from 1980-1983, all that remained of the old Washington D.C. was swept away by bustling new streets, new industrial buildings, new residential buildings, new Institutional buildings, towering new skyscrapers, and various Imperial mega-structures. Imperial Center was massively expanded in size, incorporating all nearby towns and cities into the District. These included the cities of Baltimore, Annapolis, Alexandria, and Rockville.

The United States Capitol Building, which had suffered catastrophic damage during the war, was rebuilt and massively expanded. It became known as the Imperial Palace, eclipsing all other buildings in Imperial Center and becoming the tallest building in the world.

July 31 was declared a national holiday known as Rebirth Day. Each year it would be celebrated to honor the Empire’s foundation and eclipsed all other holidays in terms of scale and importance.

#### Cementing Imperial Rule

As Imperialization unfolded, many surviving moderates, underground communists, and other forces within the Empire remained opposed to Imperial Rule. In addition, most countries in the world showed hostility to the Empire's formation. However, due to the Empire’s powerful nuclear arsenal, these countries could do little about it. To deal with these threats and to prepare for future conquests, the American Empire commenced the largest military buildup in history. Alongside this, the Imperial government invested large amounts of money into technological developments, developing powerful new weapons, vehicles, tools, and advanced/faster ways of construction.

### Great Purge (1988->1992)

To further deal with domestic threats, the Empire constructed a series of concentration camps across the nation. These camps were in which people found guilty of serious crimes against the state were sent. Although the Empire began the process of sending its political enemies into camps immediately after its formation, the first widespread purge didn’t occur until 1988. Millions of political moderates, surviving communists, surviving socialists, and democratic advocates were arrested and imprisoned

### Age of Conquest and Rise to Superpower (1996->2015)

Emperor Aborshine believed it was the Empire’s destiny to become the World's largest and most powerful nation. The Empire’s first conquest came in the year 1996 when the Empire, after accusing Mexico of inciting violence and destabilizing the border, invaded. This was the first true test of Imperial Military Power. Mexico was no match for the technologically and numerically superior Imperial forces, and fell in two weeks. The Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Yucatan were directly annexed into the Empire, becoming three new districts. The rest of Mexico was put under the control of an integrated Imperial colonial administration.

The overwhelming success of the Mexican campaign prompted the Empire to expand upon their plans of conquest. During the early 21st century the Empire conquered Central America, the Caribbean, as well as portions of South America with little difficulty. The Imperials subjugated Canada and Iceland through pro-Imperial coups, as well as forcibly annexed Greenland from Denmark.

### The Imperial Ascendancy (2015->2023)

Aborshine would come to the realization that if he endlessly continued conquering, the Empire would become too large to sustain itself. Thus, at the beginning of 2015, he proclaimed that the age of conquest had come to an end and that the Empire had achieved its territorial goals.

Now the Empire’s attention would be focused on a new series of conquests; the complete and total annihilation of all opposing cultures located within the Imperial colonies. The goal was to make every Imperial colony just as Imperial as the fatherland. In some colonies the Imperialization process unfolded fairly smoothly, while others were far more resistant.

The stability of the Ascendancy would be interrupted when on May 30, 2020, a Colombian insurgent group captured an Imperial passenger airliner, crashing it into downtown Houston, District of Texas. The attack led to the deaths of over 3,465 people. In a brutal and ferocious retaliation, the Empire placed its Colombia colony under martial law, then proceeded to commit an orgy of brutality. Countless villages were destroyed, approximately 32,421 Colombians were massacred, thousands more were sent to concentration camps, and the cities of Bogota and Medellin were razed to the ground.

### Assassination of William Aborshine and Fragmentation (2023)

On November 2, 2023, Emperor William Aborshine was assassinated. William had five sons, among them his firstborn, Michael. Each of them desired to rule the Empire, sparking a massive succession crisis. The Imperial Governing Council, traditionally responsible for swearing in Emperors and fearing the outbreak of a civil war, attempted to mediate the situation. The members of council met with the siblings and attempted to work out a solution. However, the siblings rejected all proposals and bickered amongst themselves.

The next several weeks were racked by a power struggle as each sibling contended for power and influence in an effort to win the Emperorship. Finally, on November 18, 2023, the Governing Council decided that for the greater good of the Empire, a more permanent solution would be needed. The council began to hold secret talks with the Imperial Intelligence and Enforcement Bureau, Imperial Ministry of Truth and Enlightenment, and Grand Marshal Lance Corvus. Corvus had always desired the position of Emperor for himself and reciprocated the ruling council's top-secret offer to give the Emperorship to him. What was unclear at the moment was what the fate of the Aborshine family would be. After a significant period of deliberation, it was decided that the Aborshine’s would be wiped out.

On December 10, 2023, after several weeks of preparation the Aborshine family was invited to the Marshal’s Palace to, “*Personally celebrate the glory of the Empire and reach a satisfactory agreement regarding the position of Emperor*.” For reasons unknown, all five siblings agreed to the meeting. The siblings arrived at the palace and were escorted down to an underground meeting room, only to be murdered by Corvus' forces mere hours later.

On December 11, 2023, Corvus publicly announced that the Aborshine family had been found guilty of a conspiracy to destroy the American Empire and had been executed the night before. The Imperial Governing Council officially proclaimed Corvus the next Emperor. The sudden announcement sent shock waves throughout the Empire, with a diverse array of reactions occurring within the Imperial population. Just as diverse were the reactions from the Imperial government itself. Only Corvus, his soldiers located within the Marshal's Palace, the Imperial Governing Council, and the highest ranking members of the IIEB and IMTE had known of the plot beforehand. Thus most of the government was just as surprised as the rest of the Imperial population when the Aborshines were killed and Corvus was hastily proclaimed Emperor.

A majority of the Imperial Governors and Colonial Administrators felt angered that they had not been informed of the plot, feeling betrayed by Corvus and the Governing Council. Many of the generals and other leaders of the Imperial Military felt the same way. Riots soon broke out across Imperial Center and the wider Empire came to view Corvus as nothing more than a usurper. The IIEB, now regretting its decision to aid the Governing Council and Corvus in the murder of the Aborshines, began planning to dispose of Corvus. Corvus's reign would end before it truly began, as on December 19, 2023, he was killed when a bomb was detonated inside his residence. The bomb had been planted by IIEB agents who had disguised themselves as his own guards.

With Corvus's death and the position of Emperor again left vacant, the Empire rapidly descended into chaos as dozens of ambitious figures attempted to declare themselves the new Emperor, forming countless squabbling factions. Battles between these would-be Emperors and their forces broke out throughout the Empire. Additional infighting within the military spilled out into widespread open conflict that consumed the Empire's towns and cities. The IIEB proceeded to instigate a campaign of assassinations, only further destabilizing matters. By December 21, 2023, the Empire was on the brink of complete and total collapse.

The Imperial Governing Council attempted to assert itself, openly planning to abolish the Emperorship all together and declare themselves the Empire's sole ruling body, though this had little impact another than agitating the claimants. All notions of a unified Imperial Government disintegrated.

Eric Whitmore, High Governor of the Southwest Overdistrict, declared his territory independent on December 22, 2023, forming the Southwest Empire. This sparked a chain reaction which began the Empire’s ultimate fragmentation. On December 23, 2023, the colonies of Central America, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia declared themselves independent, forming the Central American Empire and Empire of Greater Colombia respectively. On December 25, 2023, The fanatical *Order of Aborshine* seized control of the Districts of New York and Long Island, proclaiming the creation of the Realm of Aborshine.

### Post-Fragmentation (2024->Onwards)

As the Empire and its military fragmented, the IIEB used its vast resources to seize the Empire's nuclear stockpile. In addition to securing itself a nuclear arsenal, the IIEB took full control of Imperial Center. They then proceeded to use the former Empire's already-existing infrastructure to establish a network of hidden bases, outposts, research facilities, and ████. By operating out of this hidden network, and with IIEB agents placed in key locations scattered throughout the hundreds of post-Imperial states, the IIEB was able to claim de-facto control over all of the Empire's former territory.

The post-Imperial states are constantly under the IIEB's watch, with the Bureau cataloging everything ranging from benign figures to bloodthirsty warlords. Anyone or anything deemed a big enough/direct threat to the IIEB or the former Imperial populace is dealt with in a variety of ways. However, the IIEB's reach does not end there. As of 20██, the Bureau has deployed secret operatives to every single government in the world and has established hidden bases on every continent.

A democratic power that formed out of the Northeast Overdistrict, the Republic of the American Northeast, was seen by many as a proper restoration of pre-Imperial American democracy. Though it made no attempts to expand beyond the boundaries of the former overdistrict, the Republic welcomed all those who sought freedom and created a powerful defense force to protect itself and the people. It was one of the most stable post-Imperial states and received diplomatic recognition from most of the world.

## Government and Politics

The American Empire was a one-party state ruled with absolute power by the Emperor. The Emperor also held the ranks of Chief of the Imperial State and Chief of the Imperial Party. The Imperial Governing Council was responsible for day-to-day activities and enforcement of the Emperor’s will, while the Grand Marshall served as the Supreme Commander of all Imperial Military Forces. Imperial rule was authoritarian and absolute.

Below the Emperor and his Advisors were the Governors, High Governors, and other regional administrators who managed the districts and overdistricts. Each Imperial Colony was ruled by a Colonial Administrator. The Imperial Palace served as the seat of the Imperial Governing Council, contained the headquarters of the Imperial Ministry of Truth and Enlightenment, and housed the residence of the Emperor. The Marshall’s palace was located nearby and contained the residence of the Grand Marshall. It also functioned as the main headquarters of the Imperial Military.

### Organizations

The **Imperial Intelligence and Enforcement Bureau (IIEB)** functioned as the Empire’s secret police force. The IIEB was created by merging the CIA, FBI, and all police agencies located throughout the nation into a single organization. The IIEB had the authority to investigate cases of treason, espionage, sabotage and criminal attacks on the Imperial Party and Empire. The IIEB also carried out the day-to-day activities once done by individual police departments. At it's height, the IIEB had a total of 1,806,438 employees.
The **Imperial Ministry of Truth and Enlightenment (IMTE)** functioned as the Empire’s main office of propaganda. The IMTE was responsible for the verifying, reviewing, and censoring of all news media, filmmaking, music, literature, theater, and broadcasting within the Empire. The IMTE was also responsible for the production and distribution of it's own propaganda films, broadcasts, rallies, music, and art. At its height the IMTE had a total of 64,300 employees.

The **Imperial Knights (IK)** were an organization of elite soldiers tasked with protecting high ranking Imperials. They could be seen guarding the Emperor, members of the Imperial Ruling Council, Grand Marshall, as well as the various Governors, High Governors, and Colonial Administrates. The Knights specifically assigned to the Emperor also had dual roles as assassins, and would be typically sent on dangerous missions into insurgent territory to eliminate rebel leaders.

The **Order of Aborshine (OA)** was a multi-role organization that answered solely to the Emperor and functioned similarly to the IIEB. Their duties included spying on potential domestic and foreign enemies, assassinating enemies of the state, and personally protecting the Emperor. What separated the Order from the IIEB was their fanatical, borderline religious devotion to William Aborshine and the Aborshine family.

The **Metropolitan Protection and Security Bureau (MPSB),** was a police organization responsible for protection and law enforcement within the Empire's seven metropolitan districts. These districts were Imperial Center, Aborshine City, New Chicago, Angel City, Greater Houston, Jernigan, and New Seattle. The MPSB was the only police force within the Empire that operated independently of the IIEB. Unlike the IIEB, its jurisdiction was limited to the seven metropolitan districts and did not go anywhere beyond.

### Flag and Symbolism

A variation of the Odal rune was adopted early on in the Imperial Party's history as the principal symbol of the party. To the Empire the Odal rune was a symbol which represented many things including power, security, and the superiority of the party itself. Imperial flags/banners almost always feature a black background overlayed by a red stripe which is itself bordered by two smaller white stripes. The red represents order/security/prosperity, the black represents darkness, and the white represents the Imperial System “holding it all together” and cutting through said darkness.

### Motto

The Motto of the Empire: "Order, Security, Prosperity", comes from a portion of William Aborshine's Proclamation of the American Empire speech on July 31, 1978: *"Our Empire shall be an Empire of **order, security, and prosperity**!”*

## Military

The Imperial Military was the primary armed forces of the American Empire, consisting of the **Imperial Army**, **Imperial Navy**, **Imperial Air Force**, and numerous other support branches and divisions. It was responsible for carrying out military operations throughout the world as well as maintaining order within districts, overdistricts, and colonies. Whomever held the title of Grand Marshall had complete control over the Imperial Military, and answered only to the Emperor and Imperial Ruling Council.

The Imperial Military was equipped with highly advanced tanks, planes, guns, mechs, ships, and cars. Millions of soldiers served in the military at any given time, and for the Empire's entire existence, was the military with the most active duty soldiers. At its height the Imperial Military had a total of 15,247,800 active personnel.

## Atrocities

The Empire committed numerous atrocities throughout it's existence.

1. **April 7, 1979** **Denver Massacre** - The first large scale atrocity committed by the Empire, the April 7, 1979 Denver Massacre was an event in which over 1,310 protestors were killed by Imperial soldiers in the city of Denver, Colorado Sector. A further 2,000 were wounded, and 1,400 were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
2. **"Assault on Columbia"** - One of the Empire's later atrocities, the Assault on Columbia was committed in the aftermath of the May 30, 2123 terrorist attacks. During the Assault on Columbia approximately 42,421 Colombians were massacred, thousands more were sent to concentration camps, and the cities of Bogota and Medellin were razed to the ground.
3. **Destruction of Las Vegas** -The second large scale atrocity committed by Imperial forces, the Destruction of Las Vegas was when the Imperial Military was deployed to destroy the city and either kill or arrest it's population. Imperial leaders despised Vegas and its gambling/nightlife style, believing the city would spawn dissidents opposed to Imperial rule. On June 10, 1980, the attack was commenced. During the assault, Imperial tanks indiscriminately fired into casinos, hotels, and apartment buildings alike. The Imperial Air Force bombed the Las Vegas strip into oblivion. Tens of thousands of civilians were either killed on the spot or rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Out of Vegas's entire population of 164,674, approximately 51,395 were killed during the attack. The remaining 113,279 were sent to various concentration camps spanning all throughout the Empire. After the destruction, the ruins of Vegas were demolished and a concentration camp known as *Camp Vegas* was built on the site

## List of Rulers

* Emperor William Aborshine (1978-2023)
* Collective Leadership (November 3, 2023-December 10, 2023)
* Emperor Lance Corvus (December 11, 2023-December 19, 2023)

## Economy

As a national bolshevist state, the American Empire possessed a command economy under the complete dominance of the government. All corporate entities were nationalized, with the exception of a few loyalist corporations that had pledged their allegiance to the Imperial Party prior to the conclusion of the Second American Civil War. During and after the Imperialization process, the Empire experienced the largest economic boom in recorded history. The Empire dedicated it's trillions of dollars and plentiful resources to funding new technological and scientific inventions as well as to it's gigantic military.

## Society and culture

### Religion

The Empire was a secular nation, not officially endorsing or adopting any religion. Many religions, as long as they did not directly interfere with Imperial rule, were permitted to be practiced by citizens.

### Arts/Media

All forms of media such as the news, filmmaking, film viewing, music, literature, and broadcasting were under the jurisdiction of the Imperial government. They were all reviewed and, if necessary, censored by the IMTE. One popular movie that existed under the Empire was *A Night in Imperial Center,* a propaganda film in which a couple embraces and finds purpose within the ways of the Empire all while wholly rejecting the ways of liberal Democracy. The Imperial News Network acted as the Empire's leading news provider.

### Health

The Empire was vehemently anti-drug. The banning of all recreational drugs and banning of cigarette use was introduced during the Imperialization process. Those found with possession of cannabis, tobacco, or nicotine were sent to concentration camps, in which they were tortured. Those found with possession of hardcore drugs such as cocaine, heroin, meth, or psychedelics such as LSD and mushrooms, were not only tortured, but executed. Exercise and a healthy/well balanced diet were promoted by the Imperial Government as things all Imperial citizens should strive for.

## Geography

At it's peak, Imperial territory encompassed the entirety of the North American, South American, Australian, and Antarctic continents, and also spanned significant parts of Africa, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Iceland. The Empire had a total of 49 districts, five overdistricts, and nine colonies.

### Major Cities

* Imperial Center
* Aborshine City
* Angel City
* Greater Houston
* Jernigan
* New Chicago
* New Seattle

### List of Districts

* District of Arkansas
* District of Alabama
* District of Arizona
* District of Alaska
* District of Baja California
* District of California
* District of Cascadia
* District of Colorado
* District of Dakota
* District of Delaware
* District of Florida
* District of Georgia
* District of Greenland
* District of Hawaii
* District of Idaho
* District of Illinois
* District of Indiana
* District of Iowa
* District of Kansas
* District of Kentucky
* District of Long Island
* District of Louisiana
* District of Maryland
* District of Michigan
* District of Minnesota
* District of Mississippi
* District of Missouri
* District of Montana
* District of Nebraska
* District of Nevada
* District ofNew York
* District ofNew England
* District of New Jersey
* District of New Mexico
* District of North Carolina
* District of Ohio
* District of Oklahoma
* District of Pennsylvania
* District of Puerto Rico
* District of South Carolina
* District of Sonora
* District of Tennessee
* District of Texas
* District of Utah
* District ofVirginia
* District of West Virginia
* District of Wisconsin
* District of Wyoming
* District of Yucatan

### List of Overdistricts

* Northeast Overdistrict
* Northwest Overdistrict
* Midwest Overdistrict
* Pacific Overdistrict
* Southeast Overdistrict
* Southwest Overdistrict
* Texan Overdistrict

### List of Colonies

* Colony of Canada (Prior to direct annexation)
* Colony of Colombia
* Colony of the Caribbean
* Colony of Central America
* Colony of Ecuador
* Colony of Guyana
* Colony of Iceland
* Colony of Mexico
* Colony of Peru
* Colony of Venezuela