Nordmark

**Nordmark** officially known as the **Nordmarkisches Reich** (Justician: Nordmarkian Realm) is one of the three primary successor states of the Sturian Reich, alongside Grangal and Midland. Nordmark is primarily composed of the Kingdom of Göthaus, the dominant state of Nordmark as well as a dominant military and economic power prior the collapse of the Sturian Reich. Nordmark is bordered to the east by Midland, to the north by the Northern Sea (Sturian: Nordsee) and to the west by the Red Sea (Sturian: Rotes Meer). The competing state in the Nordmark Reich is Nordmark is the southern Kingdom of Vólkerheim. Nordmark is located on Feomara and is one of the largest countries located on Mundus. As of the 1893 Census conducted by the Reich Ministry of the Interior's Reich Statistics Office estimated that the population of Nordmark is around 60,692,186 people.

There is some discrepancies as to naming of Nordmark, following the collapse of the Sturian Reich the formation of the "Northern Marches League" (Sturian: Nordmark Bund) which was a collection of the northern most Sturian states in western Sturia that banned together to combat Midland and their radical peasant uprising. It is sometimes known as the *Göthausische Reich* (Justician: Göthausian Reich) due to the dominance of the Kingdom of Göthaus and their status as the favored to succeed the former Sturian Kaiser's.

Nordmark retained much of the industrial capacity of the Sturian Reich and is the prime inheritor of its vast economic resources and wealth. The Reich Ministry of Finance and Reich Ministry of Economics reported that the 1893 estimated GDP was $1,918,549 (measured in solidus). Nordmark retains the Solidus as it's reserve currency and is what backs up the Sturian Mark that is used by the three post-Sturian Reich successor states. Nordmark's economic power varies depending on region, in the northern portion of Nordmark the economics are primarily industrial with heavy and light industry as well as shipping and maritime trade being the largest component of economics. In the central region of Nordmark forestry is incredibly lucrative as well as mineral mining in the vast mountains that are located in central Nordmark. Finally in the southern portions of Nordmark remains a vast agricultural industry that serves as the primary supplier for food stuffs in Feomara.

Nordmark is ruled by Kaiser Florian I (born Florian Augustus von Göthaus) from the House of Göthaus. The Kaiser is served by the civil government of Nordmark which consists of the State Chancellor who heads up the Reich Council which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Reich. Nordmark maintains a semi-democratically elected legislature known as the Reichstag (Justician: Realm Diet) with 500 total deputies, with 250 elected via party-list proportional and another 250 appointed from different spheres of the military, business and industry and priests, teachers and intellectuals. The Reichstag has the important power of determining budgets, however, the Kaiser may issue decrees, often called "Kaiser Decrees" (Sturian: Kaiser Dekrete) which required a unanimous vote of the Reichstag to overturn, effectively allowing the Kaiser to rule autocratically.

## Government and politics

*Main articles: Government and politics of Nordmark, Reich Council (Nordmark), and Structure of the Government of Nordmark*
The Kaiser of the Nordmarkian Reich, known commonly as the *Kaiser* (Justician: Emperor) is the *de facto* leader of Nordmark, primarily through the Constitution of the Nordmarkian Reich which gives the Kaiser a variety of powers and authorities to ensure that the despite the facade of being a "constitutional monarchy" the Reich is anything but. The Kaiser is currently Florian I (born Florian Augustus von Göthaus) from the House of Göthaus, the Kaiser also holds the titles of King of Göthaus as well as several dozen other titles, including Protector of the Reich (Sturian: Reichsprotektor) a title personally bestowed upon the Göthaus family for their efforts throughout various periods of the Sturian Reich's history. The official way to address the Kaiser is "His Imperial Majesty, the Kaiser".

The civil government of Nordmark is lead by the State Chancellor of the Nordmarkian Reich, traditionally the Minister-President of Göthaus but throughout several periods have hailed from different states. The State Chancellor is assisted by the Reich Council, a cabinet of officials appointed by the Kaiser and serve at his pleasure. As it stands, the Reich Council is currently composed of 13 Reich Ministries (Sturian: Reichsministerien) which cover different spheres of the Reich. Alongside the Reich Council is the vast bureaucracy that has developed within Nordmark to manage on the largest countries located on Mundus.

The legislative branch of the Reich is the unicameral legislature known as the "Reichstag" which is a collection of 250 elected deputies and 250 appointed deputies whose responsibility it is to pass laws, debate regarding regulations and codes and importantly have the duty to pass and debate on the budget. While the Reichstag is a powerful institution the Kaiser retains a vast majority of power. While Nordmark is a highly organized the judiciary is primarily located at local levels, with most having a sort of provincial court to hear supreme matters. The Kaiser can convene a special "Reich Tribunal" (Sturian: Reichsgericht) for issues that the Kaiser, and potentially the Reich Minister of Justice feels is of grave national importance but even during the Sturian Reich, this was incredibly rare.

### Administrative divisions

Nordmark is divided primarily between two administrative division types: Civil Administration (Sturian: Zivilverwaltung) and Aristocratic Administration (Sturian: Aristokratische Verwaltung). Civil administration in Nordmark is far more important in recent decades over the aristocratic administration, which despite its prestige and wealth, is less important. The nobility in Nordmark is heavily involved in the civil administration but the civil administration is primarily represented by middle class Nordmarkian citizens, many of them making careers of civil service. In cooperation with the nobles of Nordmark, the Reich Ministry of the Interior compromised and each of the respective noble holdings as a "Province" of the Reich, each of them corresponding to noble holdings of their respective aristocratic administration.

The Kaiser is responsible for the appointment of the leadership of Provinces, however this nominally left to the Reich Ministry of the Interior with the Kaiser's approval and the Reichstag's rubber stamp. Each Province has it's own legislature and government structure; however each province has an appointed *Reichsstatthalter* (Justician: Reich Lieutenant), the personal representative of the Kaiser (and directly appointed by the Kaiser) and an appointed *Oberpräsident* (Justician: Head President) which is appointed via the Reich Ministry of the Interior and is responsible for ensuring central government policies are carried out. Most of the provinces elect or have an appointed Minister-President or Provincial *Hauptmann* (Justician: Captain) which can be rejected by the Kaiser himself.

## Law enforcement

The Reich Ministry of the Interior headed by the Reich Minister of the Interior is one of the most important political positions within the entire Nordmarkian Reich. The Reich Ministry of the Interior plays a large role, including law enforcement within Nordmark. The Reich Ministry of the Interior operates the: Reich Police (Sturian: Reichspolizei) leadby the Chief of the Reich Police, the Reich Criminal Police (Sturian: Reichskriminalpolizei) lead by the Reich Criminal Director, Secret Reich Police (Sturian: Geheime Reichspolizei; GeRePo) lead by the Chief of the Secret Reich Police and General Police Director. The Reich Police are organized at several different levels and can be found throughout Nordmark. The Chief of the Reich Police is appointed by the Kaiser and reports to the Kaiser, the Reich Minister of the Interior and the General Police Director.

The Reich Police provide general policing services, including riot response as well as specialized police services. The Reich Police are armed directly by the Reich Ministry of War and the Reichswehr, the two work incredibly closely with each other. The Reich Criminal Police are the investigative police force of the Reich Ministry of the Interior and are responsible for all criminal investigations within Nordmark. The Secret Reich Police is deceptively named, the Secret Reich Police have their foundation in the *Göthausische Geheimpolizei* (Justican: Göthaus Special Police) which served as the secret political police force of the Kingdom of Göthaus following a series of politically motivated uprisings in Southern Göthaus. The Reich Secret Police serve a similar role, acting as a political police force directly for the Kaiser.

One notable position that rivals the Reich Minister of the Interior is that of the General Police Director (Sturian: Generalpolizeidirektor) which is a unique position appointed directly by the Kaiser and is responsible directly to the Kaiser himself. The General Police Director is technically responsible for the oversight and administration of all police forces in Nordmark. The General Police Director is essentially a Reich Minister of Police. The positions authority and power expands and wains as those who hold the position and their relationship to the Kaiser and the Reich bureaucratic apparatus.

Border defense is primarily handled by the Reichswehr however a vast component of domestic border defense is the Reich Customs Service (Sturian: Reichszolldienst) headed by the General-Director of the Reich Customs Service. The Reich Customs Service is responsible for management of border outposts as well as ensuring that all matters related to customs and tariffs are secure. The Reich Ministry of Finance and the Reich Ministry of Economics jointly manage any sort of income from trade.

## Economics

### GDP

* 1891 Economic Census - $1,773,971
* 1892 Economic Census - $1,827,190
* 1893 Economic Census - $1,918,549
* 1894 Economic Census - $1,918,549

### Trade unions and workers associations

As per the "Law on the Membership in Trade Unions and Workers Association" only right-wing trade unions and trade organizations can exist. This is monitored by the Reich Ministry of Labor and the Reich Ministry of the Interior. The Reich Ministry of Labor maintain the Reich Labor Protection Police (Sturian: Reichsarbeitsschutzpolizei) which are strike breakers as well as generally acting as the enforcers of anti-left wing trade unions and workers associations. The Reich Ministry of Labor, notably under recent Reich Minister of Labor Dr. Laurenz Pfitzner has cracked down heavily on independent trade unions and workers associations, forcing them into the fold of the major right-wing trade unions.

* Northern Trade Union Association (Sturian: Nördlicher Gewerkschaftsverband; NGSV)
* Reich Trade Union Association (Sturian: Reichsgewerkschaftsverband; RGSV)
* All-Sturian Trade Union Association (Sturian: Allsturianischer Gewerkschaftsverband; ASGSV)

## Demographics and culture

Sturian is the collective name for the Sturian speaking peoples who lived within the Sturian Reich. The concept of "Sturian" as a nation-state was only pushed into the 19th century, prior to that the Sturian people were divided into multiple kingdomgs, dukedoms, archbishoprics, counties, baronies, margraves, etc. The Sturian Reich was formed in the early 19th century and existed only for several decades before its collapse.

* Sturian (German)
	+ Göthaus Sturians (Sturian: Göthausische Sturianisch) - Based of off Prussian's and Imperial Germans
	+ Völknau Sturians (Sturian: Terrauische Sturianisch) - Based off of Baltic-Germans, Eastern German settlers
	+ Vynozna Sturians (Sturian: Wynozna Sturianisch) - Based off of Russian/Ukrainian Germans
	+ Penznow Sturians (Sturian: Penzowische Sturianisch) - Based off of Polish Germans
	+ Midlander (Dutch)
	+ Farisians (Frisian)
	+ Senels (Afrikaans)
* Kozaki (Cossack's, Ukrainian)