Post by Gaea on Apr 4, 2014 17:41:45 GMT -8
Actona was nearly unknown in Elibe until recently, a small but peaceful country plagued by a corrupt and wasteful royal family that squandered much of the wealth the country gained by being directly in the path of the extremely lucrative Nabata-Arcadian trade route. The latest king was the worst in a long line of mediocre rulers, a man who went so far as to trade portions of Actona's already-limited territory in return for the guarantee of having his various vices satiated.
The revolution was historically bloody and excruciatingly methodical. The entire royal family was butchered to the accompaniment of the cheers of the citizens, the existing power structure torn out at the roots by the military coup, and in its place a stratocracy was born - a council of generals took supreme power. Nationalism erupted like wildfire as the long-suffering people finally found their saviors, cultivated by the new leadership as they struggled to find competent replacements for the countless corrupt officials that had been removed. Rebuilding entire sectors of the economy and government nearly from scratch was difficult, but occurred at record speed as Actona grew into a meritocratic stratocracy, veneration to the state mingled with a degree of investment in their nation that serfs and citizens alike had never before experienced.
Actona is bereft of natural resources, but as a primarily industrial nation, its sudden explosion of nationalism and military expansion have become synergistic and exponential in growth. Furthering this growth is the constant presence of the military; army units are constantly deployed within the country for everything from infrastructure projects to parades, giving a friendly and familiar face to a force that most commoners in other countries view as terrifying. While a calculated move by the state, it is less empty propaganda than constant reinforcement of the people's role in their new government, as equal citizens rather than mere serfs - only citizens with at least two years of military service can hold public office, but there are no other requirements and the meanest serf can ascend to significant power if they have the talent and drive to do so.
The revolution was historically bloody and excruciatingly methodical. The entire royal family was butchered to the accompaniment of the cheers of the citizens, the existing power structure torn out at the roots by the military coup, and in its place a stratocracy was born - a council of generals took supreme power. Nationalism erupted like wildfire as the long-suffering people finally found their saviors, cultivated by the new leadership as they struggled to find competent replacements for the countless corrupt officials that had been removed. Rebuilding entire sectors of the economy and government nearly from scratch was difficult, but occurred at record speed as Actona grew into a meritocratic stratocracy, veneration to the state mingled with a degree of investment in their nation that serfs and citizens alike had never before experienced.
Actona is bereft of natural resources, but as a primarily industrial nation, its sudden explosion of nationalism and military expansion have become synergistic and exponential in growth. Furthering this growth is the constant presence of the military; army units are constantly deployed within the country for everything from infrastructure projects to parades, giving a friendly and familiar face to a force that most commoners in other countries view as terrifying. While a calculated move by the state, it is less empty propaganda than constant reinforcement of the people's role in their new government, as equal citizens rather than mere serfs - only citizens with at least two years of military service can hold public office, but there are no other requirements and the meanest serf can ascend to significant power if they have the talent and drive to do so.
