The Russian Empire

**The Second Russian Empire** ,simply known as **The Russian Empire**, is an ultranationalist "Russian Warlord" State. It is the largest state in the West and is arguably the strongest. It borders Karelia-Murmansk to the North, the Republic of the Baltic Sea and the Free State of Novgorod to the North West, the Kingdom of Livonia and the Republic of Gomel-Bryansk to the West and the Kursk Military Junta, Lipetsk Worker's Republic and the Union of West Russian States and the Kazakh Empire to the South. It then borders the Great Russian Anarchy Zone to the East.

The State was formed as a result of the collapse of the Imperial Territory of Muscovy in 1998 and outbreak of the West Russian War. The West Russian War was fought between the Russian Empire and a broad coalition of Russian States, backed by the Union of West Russian States in the South, to prevent an initial expansion of the Russian Empire. The war was eventually a defeat for the West Russian States who would then largely join the Union of West Russian States with several states staying independent, although most under immediate threat from the Russian Empire.

## History

The Russian Empire's formation can be traced back to 1994 with the Imperium's establishment of The Imperial Russian Territories - The Imperial Territory of Muscovy , Imperial Territory of Karelia-Murmansk and the Imperial Territory of Greater Caucasia. The Imperial Territory of Muscovy would occupy the larger Moscow area where the Russian Empire would control and was also the more ethnically Russian Territory, with most of the population being firm Russians and many being anti-Imperiumist. The leader of the ITM, Governor Vladimir Ivashko, was a known Russian Separatist and Russian Nationalist. In his reign, the ITM would become rife with Russian Separatist groups and was constantly on the brink of collapse, requiring a single spark.

However, the main cause of the collapse of The Imperial Territory would be the death of the Emperor. The Immediate death of the Emperor would cause the Great Collapse of 1998 and the Russian Empire under ITM Army Commander, Vladimir Putin would seize Moscow from the ITM and the state would capitulate to the Russian Empire. The War broke out in June 1998 after the Russian Empire's takeover in Moscow and the breakaway of several states from the former Imperial Territory of Muscovy and the following Russian Empire invasion of these breakaway states would cause a large scale war to break out between the Russian Empire and the Southern States backed by the Union of West Russian States.

### The West Russian War and War of the Caucasus

The Russian Empire would invade The Republic of Smolensk and joined her Ally ,The Kingdom of Livonia, in invading Vitebsk. This would spark a realisation of the other Russian States, including several southern Russian States that the Russian Empire was not going to stop. The Free State of Novgorod, Mozyr, Gomel-Byransk, Lipetsk and Belgorod would join the war in support of Smolensk and Vitebsk on the 11th. They would plea to the Union of West Russian States , the major Russian State in the South, who would join.

The War would eventually be a majority victory for the Russian Empire ,who launched an offensive on the Union on the 16th of September, causing a ceasefire. The Two sides agreed that the Russian Empire would annex Smolensk, but promise to not invade The Republic of Mozyr, Republic of Gomel-Byransk or any of the breakaway states. The Russian Empire secured itself as a strong and powerful state and had built a strong alliance with the Minsk Autonomous Zone and the Kingdom of Livonia. Although the war had brought devastation and economic failures across the participants, the Russian Empire was the least affected as the majority of the fighting was not on their land and they bounced back very quickly.

However, upon the peace of the West Russian War, the Russian Empire would find itself fighting in another war but alongside their former enemy. The War of the Caucasus would break out on the 14th of September but the Russian Empire wouldn't begin supporting the 5 Nations Alliance until the 6th of October. They would provide a majority of the weapons to the Alliance and moved in a Detachment of their Elite Special Forces - the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade of the Russian Special Forces. The Russian Empire would fully declare war on the Kazakh Empire on the 23rd of October and moved over 200,000 Soldiers down to reinforce the alliance lines with the bulk of their force invading in the North of Kazakhstan.

The Russian Empire would be at the forefront of Alliance Operations in Northern Kazakhstan for the rest of the war due to their border and even threatened the Kazakh Capital in December forcing a peace deal. Although the Russian Empire didn't annex any land in the peace deal, it was a major player. Putin wanted to stop the Kazakh State from functioning and with Medvedev's Support, created the Astrakhan Demilitarized Zone in order to stop the Kazakh's. Putin also forced the Kazakhs to pay heavy war reparations which absolutely destroyed the Kazakh Economy and Political Climate. Many describe the Russian Empire's Actions as based off of hate and anger.

But with the War ended, the Russian Empire has entered a new age. They are significantly stronger than the Union of West Russian States and no one can oppose the Russian Great Power alone. Putin has become the strongest man in Russia and the most respected Leader in possibly the World. The Russian Empire is mere steps from domination of the Russian Landscape and reunification.