Brittany is a country in western Europe, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and bordered in the east by France.
History
Having been part of France since 1532, Brittany wouldn’t certainly have become independent without the Syndicalist defeat in the World War. One of the few regions of France with a surviving distinct identity and language, Brittany had before the Great European War a nascent nationalist movement,that was thoroughly repressed first by the Third Republic then by the Confederation, finding shelter in Ireland. After the Syndicalist defeat, the Allies’ perspective was to neutralize once and for all former syndicalist countries ; setting a Breton rump state was seen by both Germany and Great Britain as a way to destroy all future French perspectives on the Atlantic and prospects for a French Navy. On the instigation of Irish leader Coileáin, the Breton nationalist movement, led by Maurice Duhamel, Morvan Marchal, Fanch Denoual et Olier Mordrel, began to agitate for independence in the occupied Breton peninsula, with the Breton National Party winning a majority in the 1950 regional elections.
The local government in Brittany quickly found support with the German occupation authorities, arguing for a state that would include the whole peninsula and Nantes, modeled after the Irish Republic, complete by Celticisation and rejection of French sentiment ; bent on dismantling French territory, Germany approved a referendum on independence in 1953, that was won with a small majority, in spite of being labeled as fraudulent by French authorities. On 11 January 1955, Brittany put an end to 423 years of union with France, becoming a newly independent state, setting up again its capital in Nantes.
In order to placate German support to the new nation, the Bretons agreed to have Prince Ludwig von Baden, third son of Grand Duke Berthold of Bade, as King of Brittany, taking the regnal name of Arthur IV, while setting a German naval base in Brest. The young Brittany was compared to the interwar buffer states set up by Germany in Mitteleuropa : barely self-sufficient, heavily depending on German support, its existence heavily criticized by its neighbour and with a fledging nationalist movement propelled by German advisors. Prime Minister René Pleven, a banker who turned to Breton nationalism out of opportunism, pursued the same policies than Michaeal O Coileain than in Ireland (official use and teaching of Breton languages ; Celticisation of city and family names, such as Nantes that became Naoned), but he forgot that Ireland had forged its nationalism in the fire of the War of Independence ; the local population was flabbergasted by the official policies, King Arthur IV was seen as a stranger and nationalism was concentrated in Olier Mordrel’s Breiz Atao pyrist militias, that soon became a state within the state. The nascent democracy experienced an attempted military coup in 1966.
When the Situationist Revolution broke out in Paris and France was soon thrown into a civil war, Brittany felt that it would soon disappear in the turmoil of the conflict, reunited to France. The German garrison in Brest ensured the evacuation of King Arthur to Germany and gave the greenlight to Olier Mordrel to execute a military coup in 1968, knowing that Breiz Atao would reject all compromises with Neo-Syndicalists. Supported by German troops, Brittany held on during the French Civil War. However, the German move backfired as Mordrel didn’t relinquish power and set out to put in place his very own dreams for Brittany. The peninsula took on the official name of Breton State on 3 October 1972, with a Constitution inspired by pyrist principles.
Under Tad ar Vro (Father of National) Mordrel, Brittany became “the Hermit State”, a pyrist anomaly in western France or “what mad Neo-Druidists would love Ireland to be” : use and teaching of French became a capital offense in 1974, Breton became the only official language in the same time (neglecting Gallo language), all family names were Celticized, corporatism was put in place, travel outside of Brittany became heavily monitored and almost impossible to root out “foreign degeneracies”, free speech and political dissent were thoroughly repressed, with all foreign material arriving either from France or by sea being heavily censored ; the most liberal place in Brittany became the German base in Brest. In 1978, France would being to mass troops near the Breton border : after a few skirmishes, Germany desescalated the situation to avoid another conflict and Brittany remained a pyrist anomaly in western Europe.
After fending off an attempt coup by his former ally Neven Henaff in 1977 and democracy protests in 1980, Mordrel passed away in his sleep in 1985. His appointed successor, Yann Foueré, was overthrown by General Alan Heusaff in the same year. After coming into conflict with the Catholic Church, Heusaff would go further by expelling all Catholic hierarchy and adopting Neo-Druidism as the official cult of the State. Heusaff was himself succeeded by Padrig Montauzier in 1999 : Montauzier remains to this day the Tad ar Vro, having lessened travel control in the early years of his rule, before going back after a violent repression of pro-democracy riots in 2014.
Political situation
The 1972 Constitution presents Brittany as an unitary one-party presidential republic, “tantamount in protecting the Celtic master race from Frankish, Germanic and socialist corruption”, with the “Tad Ar Vro” (Father of the Nation, stemming from the title of legendary Duke Nominoe) serving as the “guide for the Breton nation”. Such rhetoric was also used in Coileain’s Ireland but in effect, it has made Brittany a Hermit State, with use of French instead of Breton being punishable by death, with the State erecting concrete menhirs to foster a fledgling Neo-Druidic official cult. The isolated state is seen as an orthodox pyrist regime ; the General Parliament has only a consultative role.
The current Tad Ar Vro is Padrig Montauzier, having been designated as such after Alan Heusaff’s death in 1999, becoming leader of the Breiz Atao (Brittany Always) party. Montauzier remains shrouded in mystery for foreign experts, having made a lot to dispel rumours that he was of Southwestern French origin and had been a neo-syndicalist activist before 1968. Montauzier made his ascension as a member of the political police, climbing the ranks under Heusaff as leader of the moderate faction. Montauzier relaxed the travel and import limitations in the early years of his rule, before September 2014 saw massive demonstrations : blaming foreign influence for the protests, Montauzier went back on the openings and returned Brittany to its former reputation. The Tar Ar Vro being now 72, some successors are considered, such as official propagandist Boris Le Lay.
The protest movement went into exile in France, then in England after the Villiers coup : a government in exile is currently organized by neo-syndicalist militant Kendal Breizh, who called for revolution in Brittany and France alike.
Social situation, population
In fifty years of pyrist isolationist policy, the almost 3 million people in Brittany (officially) have fallen below the poverty line, having freedom of speech, of association being heavily enforced : during his lifetime, the average Breton will have few opportunities to travel abroad, with college education being heavily monitored by the state. Save from agricultural labor, civil service or military career are the only alternatives left in the peninsula. Cultural products are almost absent and only available on the black market whilst foreign goods are sold at prohibitive prices. French is officially only remembered by the older Bretons, while French is still taught in underground schools in order to prepare for emigration. Concentration camps are reported to be numerous in Brittany. Even if now Christianity is tolerated (Judaism and Islam being rejected as “foreign degeneracies”), adherence to Neo-Druidism is encouraged by the state and immigration, to maintain “unity of the race” is forbidden.
Economy
Building on Neo-Celtic ideals of “back to earth”, the Breton State pursued a corporatist economic policy concentrated on agriculture and farming : now Brittany is mostly rural and its population is well below the average European poverty line. Manufactured goods are only available through importation and subjected to heavy regulations before being sold, and then only to a few. The ports of Brest, Rosko, Naoned, An Oriant, Sant-Brieg and Sant-Malo are heavily monitored and as such, foreign merchants are heavily discouraged from interacting with Brittany, preferring other destinations. The compensation the Breton State receives from Germany for its naval base is vital for maintaining the government and in spite of severe travel restrictions and the risk of death when illegally crossing, many Bretons choose to flee for a better life in France or Britain.
Brittany is widely seen as a haven for black market and trafficking, with mafias from throughout the world using Breton ports to help drugs, humans, stolen goods to transit from or to Europe, bribing massively civil servant and officers of the Breton State, if not providing them with a safe way out of the Hermit State ; even if the Breton State dismisses such claims as despicable rumours, there are no alternatives left to surviving under the Gold Triskelion and refugees speak of a heavily corrupted society, with gangsters having become the true ruling class in Brittany.
Military
Formed by the bulk of the former Breiz Atao militias, the Breton Armed Forces are supplied scarcily by Germany, that maintains one of the Reichspakt Naval Bases in Brest, serving as a base for the Atlantic Fleet. Maintained in a constant state of emergency since 2014, the bulk of its ground forces are concentrated on the Breton-French border, setting up a heavily fortified border in case of French aggression ; its naval forces escort all incoming ships and fight against black market and escaping citizens. The Breton military is said to be heavily corrupted by sea trafficking and very poorly equipped against any prospect of a French invasion : the German base in Brest is the best deterrent the country has to offer.
Culture
Deciding to pursue its identity through all means, including repression, the Breton State had, from its inception, shocked the world by making French-speaking a capital offense, punishable by prison or death should it be taught. The nationalist zeal of Mordrel and his successors was grotesque to the few foreign visitors, from participation in traditional fanfares being mandatory and, in order to foster Neo-Druidism, the massive planting of oaks and the erection of massive menhirs… made out of concrete. Foreigners have dubbed Brittany a horrific place, devoid of hope and freedom, but also a “Celtic theme park”. Visitors from Wales, Scotland and Ireland are welcome, with ultranationalists and Neo-Druidists being very enthusiastic about the Hermit State. As of France, the only neighbour, official broadcasts proclaim it “the original imperialist, ruled by Jews and Freemasons” but they remain trade partners : the French government see Brittany as a curious anomaly and a nuisance for Atlantic trade. Most French-era official buildings in Breton cities are still standing however, save from occasional statues of French prominent people, having been inscribed with a massive Triskelion.
Paris, London and Bordeaux are massive hubs for the Breton diaspora, that grew heavily for 50 years : most returning Bretons want nothing to do with their homeland, describing it as a place “gone mad, forgotten from God and ripe for France to retake it”.