Eske Illejan

Image of Illejan

**Eske Nanoq Illejan**, more often just **Eske Illejan**, was the first and only president of the Federal Republic of Greenland. He lead the uprisings against [insert badguy] in Nuuk.

## Early Life

Illejan was born in Nuuk to father Eqaluk Illejan and mother Anissi Illejan. Little is known about his parents. What is known is that Illejan attended classes at Ilisimatusarfik when he turned 18, and that he was a noticable prodigy. After four years, in 2008, Illejan graduated, top of his class. He got a degree in law, and shortly thereafter enter the political spectrum. He had a slow start, but eventually his patriotic ideals made him a figure of national admiration. Even so, he lost the 2014 election to Kim Kielson. However, in 2018, he won the election.

## As Leader

As prime minister, Illejan used the interal stability in NATO to his advantage. In the midst of the chaos resulting from Germany's exiting of NATO, Illejan declared Greenland's independence from Denmark. Denmark dispatched a military force at once, but the convoy was intercepted. The Greenlanders stole all the resources the Danes had been sending, and put them to use. The Danes, furious, sent another convoy, only for it to be intercepted again. Greenland, now with an army, was ready to fight back against the Danes, attacking a Danish military ship off the coast of Kulusk. They captured the ship, founding the Greenlandic Navy. They painted over the Danish flag with a Greenlandic one, and put up the Angerlarpoq Flag, a white flag that read "ANGERLARPOQ" ("go home") in bold, black letters, with a sihlouette of a rifle beneath it.

   After this incident, the Danish government held a council. They decided it would be too risky to continue the war any further, as they had already lost thousands of dollars in valuable equipment, plus a battleship. On November 16th, 2019, the Danish government surrendered to the Greenlanders. Greenland was given full independence from the Kingdom of Denmark. With the Treaty of Kulusk, the Federal Republic of Greenland was signed into existence.

### Presidency

Illejan's "iron fist"-type of diplomacy had won his country's Independence, and he served as the leader of the Interim Government of 2019. In 2020, when the first elections were held, he easily won the Presidency. Under Illejan, Greenland saw a period of rapid industrialisation. He bored through the northern Ice Sheets in order to access the vast amounts of oil beneath them, and as such he became a popular trade partner to the United States. He expanded the Greenlandic economy, allowing him to build up the country's infrastructure. He also increased military spending, and promised benefits to all military servicemen. As time went on, it was clear that Greenland was going to become the next power.

### Annexation of Iceland

With the 2019 collapse of NATO, Iceland was left in an awkward position. With a growing power, Greenland, looming over it, it had two options: join the Warsaw Pact, or unite with Greenland. Prime Minister Atlas Einarsson realised the futility of his situation, and complied with the Greenlandic request to station military troops in the country. However, on December 11, 2019, an announcement was made that Greenland was to annex Iceland. The annexation was met with little resistance. Illejan considered this a personal success, as, "If I had been an idiot, this would have been war. I am not, however, an idiot."

#### Faroe Islands

Shortly after the annexation of Iceland, Illejan dispatched a naval fleet to the Faroe Islands. They were met with a warm welcome by the locals, however the Danish government, which still had authority over the Faroes, was less than excited. They dispatched a naval fleet of their own, and the short Battle of Mykinesfjordur was held. The battle was a decisive Greenlandic victory, and in Torshavn, Illejan met with Danish Prime Minister Brage Jepsen. Jepsen agreed to cede the Faroe Islands to Greenland, and the locals were overjoyed.

### Wars with Canada

The next place Illejan could expand was Canada. He knew this was a big risk, but if he could pull it off (which he had no reason not to believe), he could raise Greenland to an even higher position. He declared war on Canada in 2023, and sent the navy to capture the Canadian Archipelago. His strategy was to attack coastal resistence in short bursts, then to send infantry onto the island to capture it. His outsanding success in the Archipelago put the Canadian on edge, leading to the bloody Battle of Kugaaruk. The battle lasted two days before the Greenlanders captured the city. From there, the Greenlanders were unstoppable, sweeping across Nunavut in just a few short months. The Canadians were forced to surrender, and ceded Nunavut to Greenland.

Illejan knew the risk of annexing Nunavut. Canada had already been displaying a more authoritarian nature. As such, he decided to prepare Greenland for the very real possibility of another war. He developed the Jocky unit, a unit of soldiers riding trained polar bears. When Canada declared war on Greenland in 2023, the Greenlanders were fully prepared to push them back. The Jocky unit proved extremely successful, killing off numerous Canadian divisions, all while successfully invading the Northwest Territories. It was when the Greenlanders reached all the way to the Alaskan border that the Canadian decided to surrender.

Now with more land than ever under his control, Eske Illejan felt like a god. His people loved him, and he was easily re-elected in the 2024 election. However, all was not well. With Fascism brewing in Canada, an attack was imminent. He also realized, however, that the Canadians underestimated him. He wrote in his personal journal that, "I get a rush when in war. I love the thrill of commanding the army to conquest and victory. And above all, I love a stupid opponent."

When the fascist Canadians declared war on Greenland in 2024, Illejan was well-prepared. He had the Canadian focus their divisions on the North, all the while secretly planning a naval invasion of Newfoundland and Labrador. When he carried out the invasion, the Canadians were forced to spread out their divisions to Labrador. However, a surprise attack was waiting for them. Much of the Canadian army was destroyed in the Battle of Split Lake, allowing the Greenlanders to crush any and all resistance in both the North and East. Eventually, with the Greenlanders on the gates of Ottawa, Canada was forced to surrender.

### War with the United States

In 2024, the United States became an authoritarian dictatorship under president Donald Trump, the reason being to maintain order in a time when they were once more pitted against the Soviet Union. The incompetence of the leadership led to the United States being severely weakened. Eske Illejan saw an opportunity. Easily could he invade the country, steal its cities and resources, and cement Greenland as the Soviet Union's greatest adversary. He established the Avannarleq, meaning "North", an alliance based in Nuuk. The hope was to establish it as the Warsaw Pact's adversary. But first, he had to win the war with America. In 2025, he declared war on the United States of America. Alaska was captured almost immediately, and several northern states such as Washington, Michigan, and Maine fell quickly. Mexico, however, intervened, declaring war on both Greenland and the United States. When the two sides met in the middle, the war became a perpetual stalemate. Illejan, however, was determined to win. Many historians say that if Illejan had lived, the war would have been a Greenlandic victory.

## Death

In 2032, just after Eske Illejan was voted into office as President of Greenland for yet another term, he was killed in a fatal car accident in Nuuk. His death was mourned nationally. His successor, Uilulak Suersaq, was sworn in at his funeral. However, he was unable to live up to Illejan's image, and ultimately lost the war for North America to Cascadia (later the Ecological Republic).

## Character

Ekse Illejan was a stern, focused man, patriotic for his country. However,  he did have a lust for conquest. His love of warfare, and his ambition, were what helped propel Greenland to the global stage. He never held a relationship, nor had any children, for reasons unknown.

## Legacy

### Nuuk Empire

In the Nuuk Empire, Eske Illejan is revered for his greatness and bringing of Greenland into the global stage. He is the first of the Five Great Heroes of Greenland. He is on par with Ole I.

### Weltreich

In the Weltreich, Eske Illejan is remembered as a cunning statesman who used the political situation of the time to bring his country to glory. For this alone he is respected.