2016 - New Ideas, Disaster, and Hope
By Thatcher
The Union of Democratic States’ founder The Noble Thatcherites was founded on December 3rd 2015. Thatcher’s RL brother, Glorious Jan Mayen, introduced him to NationStates and co-founded the region Svalbard and Jan Mayen with Ozeanburg. Thatcher joined shortly after and the region peaked at 15 nations, composed largely of RL friends of Glorious Jan Mayen and Ozeanburg. On December 9th, Thatcher led a secessionist movement from Svalbard and Jan Mayen, creating the Constitutional Federation on December 11th. The document that would later be the Union’s first constitution governed the Constitutional Federation during its short existence. Due to an RL skirmish over Thatcher’s device which regrettably entailed the ejection and unintentional abandonment of the region, the Constitutional Federation ceased to exist on December 16th. To recoup from this loss, Thatcher founded the Union of Democratic States on December 18th and the region lay dormant for many months. On March 12th 2016, Thatcher sent out the Union’s first recruitment telegram to just 600 ejected nations with no significant players emerging from this batch. A day later, Thatcher sent out the Union’s second recruitment telegram to 2,700 new nations and 100 ejected nations with Scot-ireland and Khevo among the recruited players. Following this spur of recruitment, the Union’s first Constitution which created the deliberative body composed of all nations termed “Congress” and the Offices of the Prime Minister and Attorney General, was finally adhered to and elections were conducted. On March 20th, the Union saw its first elections wherein The Noble Thatcherites was elected the Union’s first Prime Minister, beating Greater Free Australia.
Thatcher worked with Congress to pass the Flag Creation Act, the Armed Forces Establishment Act, and the Budget Establishment Act. Khevo served as the Flag Committee Chairman, collecting flag designs, laying out the Union’s flag options, and putting the matter to a poll. The Union established its first flag, the famed gold and white eagle design, which established a tradition of eagle symbolism and gold coloring which remains extant to this day. The Union branched into its first foreign affairs endeavors at this time simultaneously founding the International Trade and Defense Authority and considering an offer to join an alliance with Omnia. Khevo and Thatcher vigorously debated the matter with Omnian representative Jamastai, concluding that a lack of documentation and a subservient model would be to the detriment of the Union. It would be revealed later that all major leadership positions within the Omnia were held by puppets of Jamastai. The Union proceeded to found the ITDA. Khevo served as Thatcher’s Deputy Prime Minister, however, later resigned to run and win the position of Speaker. As Speaker Khevo assisted in the passage of the Union’s second constitution which would remain in place until March of 2017. Khevo additionally passed a constitutional amendment which would allow for the democratic election of the WA Delegate. Following Khevo’s resignation, Hollywood Zeus took on the position of Deputy Prime Minister and wrote the Union’s first widely-used recruitment telegram. Shortly after, Hollywood Zeus left the Union and Stojam was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. Due to unbecoming remarks on the RMB, Thatcher dismissed Stojam, inciting the first issue of the Union Post in the incendiary article “Vice Prime Minister Axed” by Capitalist Global State. Lia Jennes followed Stojam as Deputy Prime Minister, however, Capitalist Global State would only go on to produce two issues and a special edition of the Union Post before ceasing to exist. The journalism scene in the Union was set, however, it would remain stagnant for months.
Halfway through his term as Prime Minister, Thatcher laid down the ambitious “Make our Region Great Plan” in his State of the Union Address, which set the goal of reaching 120 member nations and constructing 120 embassies. As Speaker, Khevo led the passage of the first two amendments to the Constitution, expanding the powers of and calling for the direct election of the Union’s WA Delegate. The first forum of the Union was established on April 21st. Although activity dwindled, the political scene of the region was evident in these early stages of development. The Free Nations Region, a budding ally at the time, visited the Union on June 8th and FNR Prime Minister Quentin Compson and Founder Crystalsummer gave speeches celebrating the recently discussed treaty, the Democratic Freedom Accords, which laid the framework for the special relationship between the two regions. Following the visit, a native of the FNR Cathyhungerfush joined the region Kyrzbekistan and raided it. ITDA forces, primarily composed of the UDS and FNR, invaded the region to eject Cathy and restore rule back to the natives. The Battle of Kyrzbekistan was the first R/D engagement by the Union and served to invite the Union’s growing interest in gameplay. During the Founder’s Remarks section of Khevo’s inauguration The Noble Thatcherites, in concluding his term as Prime Minister, wrote “As a region we have grown and excelled in many ways, and I cannot thank you guys enough. The Spring administration worked very hard. We passed 4 bills, 2 amendments, added 5 articles to the constitution, founded the ITDA, co-authored and signed the Democratic Freedom Accords and won the battle of Kyrzbekistan.”
At the onset of Khevo’s term as Prime Minister, the Union reached 100 nations. Khevo set the goal of re-organizing and re-founding the ITDA. In late July, the UDS and FNR founded the ITDA together and pitched the charter to the Illuminati Council and the Free Coalition of governments, visiting regions at the time. On July 29th the ITDA Charter was officially signed. Shortly after, Quentin Compson nominated Thatcher to serve as the first Secretary General of the burgeoning alliance. Khevo seconded this nomination and Thatcher was elected Secretary General by the first sitting Security Council of the alliance. OIn early August, the Union participated in the United Caribbean Island Alliances’ (UCIA) inter-regional embassy conference. The region of Sweden was invaded by the Invaders, an infamous raider group. Telemax reached out to the ITDA for support so the alliance moved in troops with invader flags to endorse native delegate Rufford. This naive attempt to lift the siege was found out and troops were ejected, however, defender command took the UDS under its wing and the region was liberated. The events which followed in the wake of the liberation served to marr the UDS and undermine ITDA leadership. Telemax set up a regional poll to elect a delegate and used puppets to rig the poll in his favor. After this was discovered, the ITDA sent troops back into Sweden to re-install Rufford as the native delegate. This attempt failed, and, due to unbecoming RMB posts against Telemax, Sweden natives turned on ITDA forces. Operation Sweden, as it was dubbed, was a rude awakening for the UDS to the realities of R/D conflict and highlighted the need to adhere to the tenets of defending. As a consequence of Operation Sweden, the Union lost embassies with the Region That Has No Big Banks. After a small bump in nations at the onset of September, the region saw a steady decline from a height of 90 nations to a record low of 55 nations toward the end of October. This regional depression was quantitatively evident by the drop in population as well as quantitatively evident in the psychological defeat of the Union's foreign affairs program which it has been building since at least the Summer as culminated in the disaster of Operation Sweden.
With Prime Minister Khevo absent, Thatcher tried to boost activity with a regional meeting and a call for elections for all positions. Out of desperation, Thatcher extralegally created the Domestic Affairs Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee. United Arkadia, or Ark, eagerly took the helm of the newly-created Foreign Affairs Committee. Towards the end of October, the ITDA was overhauled the charter was re-written and re-formatted. The Z-Day of 2016 generated great activity for the Union with discussion and planning for the event dominating the close of October 2016. Hope for the region was in the air as Ayeris Islands and Zion Imperium joined the Union and distinguished themselves during the event. The Clusterd won an election against New Babaloosh for the position of Chairman of the DAC and recruitment saw the Union’s population jump from 55 nations on October 20th to 153 nations on October 30th.
Moving into November, the Residency Requirement for Elected Officials Establishment Act of 2016 was passed by New Babaloosh. The law was the first of its kind with a preamble section, in-depth provisions, bulleted sub-clauses, and even sponsors. The Act served as the jumping stone from old legislation to the era of legislation ushered in by Zion Imperium. In the meantime the Clusterd committed treason against the Union, leaving for a region they had created called the Union of Thespis. The Clusterd abused their onsite communication privileges to encourage unionists to leave for the newly-created region. Additionally, the Clusterd plagiarized the Union’s first constitution in their own. In mid-November, Ayeris was elected Prime Minister, Zion Imperium was elected Speaker of the Congress, New Balaoosh was elected Attorney General, United Arkadia was elected WA Delegate, Greenstania was elected DAC chair, and Jamaker was elected FAC chair. In a flurry of activity, the Union’s discord was launched on November 15th. Despite a decline of nations during the month of November, the Union’s population skyrocketed in December. As Speaker, Zion passed the Electoral Regulations and Standards Act 2016, the largest bill to date which included distinct preamble and provisions sections, sub-sections, and the use of bullets and roman numerals. The Act, which established election protocols, criminalized use of a public office for gain in an election, codified parties, and explicitly included the attorney general in the prosecution of electoral crimes, served to usher in an age of Union legislation dominated by Zion Imperium. The in-depth nature of laws and ample formatting defined this age of Union law. On December 15th the UDS Dispatch Office was founded. Thatcher refused to run for a second term as Secretary General of the ITDA, thus Crystalsummer ran and won a term as Secretary General for the alliance. The controversial trail of Asian Sikh Republic, former President of the FNR in the closing days of December brought Lenlyvit (now Kuriko), Kanglia, and the Glorious Hypetrain (Kade) into contact with the Union. The year 2016 was monumental in the growth and development of the Union. The Union ended the year with an unprecedented population of 272 nations.
