Fardin State of Crash (FSC)

The **Fardin State of Crash (FSC)**, also known as **Xasan** and the **Mac Fardin Autonomous State**, was an autonomous region of Crash that existed between 1905 (Mt) and 1953 (Mt), until it was annexed by the government of Crash at the end of the Second Crashian Civil War.

The Fardin State of Crash was formed in 1905 (Mt) after the conversion of the government of Mac to Fardinism, and its secession from Crash a year later. The FSC retained a relationship with Ficko and the rest of the UFP until 1938. During this time period it became an ally of the Andorists who fought against the Crashian government (the 'Buffests') in the first Crashian Civil War. After the war, in 1923, it became politically isolated by the rest of Crash, and after the loss of support from the UFP, particularly after the dissolution of the UFP in 1941, it began to shrink, both economically and geographically. It fought several small-scale conflicts to retain its territories against independence movements, and in 1950 was subject to a full-scale invasion by Crash under Pe. Three years later, the Fardin government of the FSC surrendered control of Crash and went into hiding. Former members of the government were arrested or executed.

## History

In 1905 (Mt), Mac's regional government under Representative Chizma Markett converted to Fardinism under the influence of Po Bjorban's outreach programmes. They formed a bespoke regional parliament and renamed to 'Xasan', or 'the Mac Fardin Autonomous State'. As a result, they established a special relationship with the Fickolean government and formed special trading ties. The following year, Crashian President Bon Johnson attempted to blockade Mac from interstellar trade, to which the Fickolean government responded by implementing sanctions and mobilising their spaceforce into Crashian space space. As a result, Mac seceded peacefully and formed the Fardin State of Crash, also annexing List and border areas of Bacoon, which allegedly voted to join the FSC via referendum.

The FSC was an ally of the Andorists during the First Crashian Civil War and drafted over 7 million troops with around 700,000 casualties. It was in 1918 (Mt) that the FSC began drafting troops to the civil conflict, supported by Fickolean funding. The FSC officially rescinded its support for Warning Cats and renounced the Andorists in 1923, with the Buffest success.

### Post-Civil War and Coexistence Policies

The FSC continued to exist after the defeat in the First Crashian Civil War, but ceased receiving financial support from the Fickolean government in 1938 (Mt). Areas of Bacoon and List, and certain regions within Mac gained independence and rejoined the Crashian republic during this time, including Tib and Pencil. The FSC sent troops in to attempt to quash independence movements in North Tib in 1937 (Mt), but were largely unsuccessful against the Crashian government-backed Tibbian rebels, who had been approved for military support by then President Ben Taboo (N). The following year they recognised Tib as a region of Crash, partly due to the diplomatic dealings of President Edward, who favoured a *Coexistence Policy*, which came to define the FSC's history thereafter.

By 1948 (Mt), the FSC had sold vast swathes of land back to the Crashian government in an attempt to raise money for infrastructure projects in inner cities. The areas sold were mostly farmland. And the end of 1948, it was 75% of its original (maximum) size. Politically and economically isolated from the rest of Crash, as well as the former UFP, the FSC went into recession. The only trade retained by the FSC with the rest of Crash was protected by Edward's policy of coexistence, though it was limited due to negative public opinion surrounding the territory among Crashians. It retained a claim to the region of Hienz, which, though not officially a part of Crash, had held independent elections since 1946.

In 1948, Hienz sought to rejoin the nation of Cherry under its administrative rule. Cherry claimed Hienz to be one of its regions. The FSC kidnapped an official delegate of Hienz meant to represent Cherry's national government, and then sent in troops to solidify their claim, after failed negotiations with President Edward. With a population of just 145,000 people, and lacking strategic significance or raw material wealth, historians have assessed this to be an attempt at exerting hard power and preventing the further collapse of the FSC. The same year, Pe was elected as President of Crash, campaigning partly on a platform of ending the policy of coexistence established by Edward, and adopting an aggressive policy towards the FSC.

After the election of Pe, Crash sent troops in to support the Hienz Liberation movement, as well as ending all active trade with the FSC and fortifying the border. Pe also established military bases in List. The FSC started developing its military and also distributing anti-Pe, anti-Crash propaganda and rhetoric. As Crashian troops reached Hienz, FSC troops had already retreated and given way to a Crashian takeover, though they retained an official claim to the territory.

### Second Crashian Civil War

In 1949 (Mt), Pe embarked on bombing campaigns over the FSC, hitting strategic targets and population centres. The campaigns continued over the course of the following three years, but were highest in the later months of 1950, during which they killed around 2,000 per day of bombing. Firebombing campaigns also subdued the success of agriculture and slowed down the military as it went to meet Crashian forces at the border. A number of consequential air battles were lost by the FSC, who lacked a proper air force, and the Crashian reception of interstellar support helped bolster its invasion.

In early 1951, Pe began a land invasion of the FSC, with great effects. Supply lines were slow, but impenetrable to FSC attacks. The outer eastern regions of the FSC were quicker to surrender, with less loyalty to the Fardin government, particularly in light of collectivisation and diminishing crop returns and quality of life over the last few decades.

Pe's land invasion in the west was marked by several major battles including the Battle of Hind, Battle of Nord Straight, and the Battle of Bimble, the latter of which was a 50 day siege of the FSC's capital which resulted in the relocation of the Fardin government and is considered the de facto end of the existence of the FSC and victory of the Crashian government. In the following months, Pe tracked down and arrested the fugitive Fardin government leaders, and oppressed former sympathisers of the government. He re-established Mac as a territory of Crash, under direct control and without a proxy government.