Eine Veränderte Welt: A Changed World

[PanadaPun7]

Following the fall of the United Kingdom in 1926, the remanents of the British Empire attempted to consolidate its territories, including its various colonial holdings in the Caribbean. The West Indies Federation united the British islands in the Caribbean and British Guyana in late 1926. After decades as a member of the federation, Guyana became more socialist-leaning, thus a referendum was held in 1981 on whether the country should remain a member of the federation. It resulted in it gaining independence but remaining as a commonwealth realm largely due to its historical and cultural ties to the commonwealth.

The Prime Minister of Guyana is elected by the National Assembly. Although what is common in other parliamentary democracies is that the leader of the largest party or coalition would be elected as prime minister, but the only two people to serve as prime minister of Guyana were not leaders of parties, but were unifying leaders within the assembly.

The President of Guyana is elected through the National Assembly, they are usually the leader of the largest party. Guyana is a unicameral government, with the National Assembly acting as the legislative branch and the president and their cabinet acting as the executive branch. The judicial branch is independent and separate from both branches.

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On 20 September 2021, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Coalition Party of Guyana overthrew the civilian government of Guyana and declared martial law. The term of president David A. Granger saw the country move more towards the Second Soviet Union and their sphere of influence. The Coalition party and the GDF decided to overthrow president Granger and install a new government under Coalition party leader Khemraj Ramjattan. On the night of 20 September, government buildings had been occupied by GDF’s and president Granger had been killed when attempting to escape to the Second Soviet Union. The following weeks would see arms and weapons being sent to the growing number of protesters against the new government, largely coming from the Second Soviet Union. This would begin to start the Guyana Emergency. Years of protest and civil resistance would force the government to call new elections in 2019.

***Special thanks to RealOtter on Discord for coming up with most of this!***​

 

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[PanadaPun7]

The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1945 to 2022. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of six national republics; in practice, both its government and its economy were highly centralized for most of its history. It was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), with the city of Moscow serving as its capital as well as that of its largest and most populous republic: the Russian SFSR. Other major cities included Leningrad (Russian SFSR), Minsk (Byelorussian SSR), Alma-Ata (Kazakh SSR), and Novosibirsk (Russian SFSR). It was the largest country in the world, covering over 20,219,240 square kilometers (7,806,692 sq mi) and spanning nine time zones. Following the 2022 Soviet coup d'état the country ceased to exist as the All-Russian Provisional Government was put in its place.

Following the June Revolution, Russia’s provisional government transformed into the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, a communist state under its leader Vladimir Lenin. Contending with Russian White forces and Germans for its early years, culminating in the cessation of hostilities with both in the Treaty of Kharkiv in 1921. Following Lenin’s death in 1927 Lev Trotsky would succeed him as paramount leader, implementing a dictatorship and later pushing for communist revolutions around the world. Once the Second World War began in Europe the Russians invaded much of German Europe retaking much of their former lands in Eastern Europe. They would also recapture much of Siberia and the Russian Far East held by remnant White forces during the war. Fighting against both the Bellicists and Japanese made the Russians largely surrounded by hostile states, but they were able to hold them back, and eventually, with the cooperation of the Entente and Allied Powers they would defeat the Bellicist Powers by 1946. In 1945 Trotsky would proclaim the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to integrate better and represent the newly occupied and annexed lands following their occupation of much of Eastern Europe.

During the Silent War, the Soviets would supply allied communist forces around the world in various proxy wars in order to spread their influence and global communism. Although after the death of Trotsky and the ascent of new leadership this push for global communism and support for communist parties in Western states would end, the Soviet Union would remain the greatest political adversary to the West and the most powerful country in the world. Developments in nuclear and space technology allowed for the Soviets to remain in this position for most of the Silent war.

Economic stagnation, political instability, and their global influence waning resulted in their international relevance diminishing and the West being able to be more of a challenging adversary against the Soviets. Economic and political reforms in the 1990s alleviated many of these issues, but the various factions within the CPSU would hamper any further reforms by the early 2000s. Public frustration by the lack of economic and political reform by the end of 2006 would result in the Second Russian Civil War, largely due to the collapse of Soviet client states in Europe, economic recession, and the harsh crackdown on public protests against the Soviet government.

Democratic, rebel states, and Russian nationalists would begin to fight against the Soviet government for the next 5 years. But the Soviets would manage to defeat all groups which attempted to overthrow the government. Many of the problems that caused the civil war still remained, and the factional infighting didn’t result in any changes besides the dominance of the national socialists and the hardliners. The lack of government confidence and authority would see the return of public protests and calls for political reform known as the Blue Revolution. This revolution would result in the 2022 Soviet coup d'état by a group of moderates and reformists in the Soviet government and military. They declared the end of the Soviet Union and the implementation of the All-Russian Provisional Government.

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[a] Russian became the official language of the Soviet Union during Shcherbytsky’s Common Soviet Identity Policy, removed in the Constitution of 1999.
As Chairperson of the Council of Ministers.
[c] As General-Secretary of the Communist Party.
[d] As President of the Soviet Union.
[d] Unicameral.

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Spoiler: Map

 

[PanadaPun7]

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the chief administrative and leadership body of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). It was responsible for electing the chair, or premier, of the Soviet Union who would head the Council of Ministers which governed the various departments of the Soviet government, acting between sessions of Congress. According to party statutes, the committee directed all party and governmental activities. Its members were elected by the Party Congress. The Central Committee was dissolved following the 2022 Soviet coup d'état.

Although not a government body it was considered the most powerful political organization in the Soviet Union gave it selected most of the various positions in the Soviet government, especially the Council of Ministers which made up the government. Following the Constitution of 1945 and 1999, the CPSU was constitutionally integrated as the sole legal party of the Soviet Union. Membership, although not required for citizenship or employment, offered many benefits such as government supported pensions, healthcare, public housing, and voting rights under the 1999 Constitution. The Central Committee as the chief administrative body of the party was headed by the general-secretary. The influence and the reach of the party lost much of its influence during the Yakovlev years but returned under hardliner and national socialist leadership.

 

[PanadaPun7]

The Paramount Leader of the Soviet Union was an informal position that is assigned to someone that is perceived to be the most politically powerful person in the Soviet government. The paramount leader was generally selected by the Central Committee, the chief administrative body of the Soviet Union which contained members of powerful offices. The person selected by the Central Committee then became chair of the Council of Ministers, the heads of the various departments of the Soviet government.

Troikas were a group of three high-ranking members of the Soviet government and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union that ruled over the country during their existence. These troikas occurred during times of political instability and no single person was able to attain a high enough position and standing to solely be the paramount leader of the Soviet Union. Although an unofficial body, troikas have occurred at least 5 times in history while there are several occasions where troikas weren’t formed but there still remained a lack of political stability and two people held large sway in the Soviet government or a single person achieved paramount leadership but still lacked support to fully hold on to the position.

The President of the Soviet Union was legally the highest ranked political position in the Soviet Union, but following the 2001 Soviet power struggle the office lost most of its influence as the paramount leader returned to whoever was chair of the Council of Ministers. The president was indirectly elected by the public, with voters selecting party representatives to vote on their behalf on certain presidential candidates in the presidential election. The president was a member of the Central Committee and was commander-in-chief of the Soviet armed forces.

Under the 1999 Constitution, a candidate required the endorsement of at least one-fifth of the Soviet of the Union in order to be on the ballot. Only members of the CPSU would be able to vote. Members could also vote none of the candidates on the ballots, in the case that these votes were more than the highest vote winning candidate the selection of a president would be up to the Central Committee nominating at least two candidates but no more than 3 to the Soviet of the Republics in which they would vote on those candidates until one reached a majority in which they would be elected president. Each republic had a set number of electoral commissars that would vote for the candidates for president, whoever earned a majority of commissars would be elected. If no candidate achieved a majority then the Soviet of the Republics would vote by round until a single candidate gained a majority.
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[a] As premier of the Soviet of the Republics Stepashin served as acting president until Gorbachev was elected by the same body.

 

[PanadaPun7]

The Government in exile of the All-Russian Republic was the main opposition group to the Soviet Union that had the credibility to be an alternative government to the Soviet Union. The government in exile promoted the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the return to democracy and the formation of a republic in Russia. The government in exile would return to Russia to essentially lead most or all of its claimed territories, first in 2007 and second in 2022.

Following the fall of the remnant White forces in Siberia and the Russian Far East, many remaining White leaders fled to China and other Russian diaspora groups around the world, including Canada and the United States. Many other low ranking officials of the White remnants that fled would reorganize into the government-in-exile promoting the end of the Soviet government and the reformation of the Russian Republic. Although not gaining official support from the West they would often secretly supply monetary and administrative assistance to the exiled government.

Leadership changes and the death of the Old Whites in the 1970s meant that more democratic elements in the exiled government supported the total return of democracy to Russia instead of simply the end of the Soviets and the possible return of an authoritarian dictatorship under any returned exiled government.

During their first return to Russia in 2007 the exiled government would work with the self-proclaimed Second Russian Republic under the leadership of democratic opposition leaders and radical reformers in the CPSU. After their front fell the exiled government once again fled Russia, with most of their resources exhausted attempting to support the second republic. Working again with elements in the Soviet Union the exiled government would again return in 2022 following the 2022 Soviet coup d'état.

 

[PanadaPun7]

The Blue Revolution was a series of public protests and demonstrations against the Soviet government over economic recession, fall in the quality of living, and rise in government repression. The goal of the revolutionaries was the restatement of democracy after the failed Second Russian Republic. The revolution would culminate in the 2022 Soviet coup d'état and the dissolution of the Soviet Union into the All-Russian Provisional Government.

Following the defeat of the Second Russian Republic in the Second Russian Civil War, many in the democratic opposition leadership fled with the exiled government. But the reinforcement of the national socialists and the hardliners resulted in harsh crackdowns on any public dissent.

After the failed 2020 Soviet coup d'état attempt, government authority began to deteriorate and the country returned to recession and economic instability. The failure of the reformers to unite caused the public to lose confidence in them to promote change in the government. After housing, energy, wifi, food, water, and a myriad of other living conditions problems of the years the number of protests and civil disobedience against the Soviet government would be the result of the Blue Revolution. So named after the flag that nominally represented the protests, the former Russian Republic flag with the red line removed, a symbol of blood and sacrifice.

The revolution would culminate in the 2022 Soviet coup d'état on 19 August 2022, formally ending the Soviet and the establishment of a new Russian government.

 

[PanadaPun7]

The 2000 Soviet presidential election was the 1st quadrennial presidential election, held on Wednesday, 15 March 2000. This was the first Soviet presidential election following the adoption of the 1999 Constitution. Premier Alexander Yakovlev won the election in a landslide without any organized opposition. His reformist faction of the CPSU created the new constitution and pushed to implement further reforms during his first term.

Propelled by his nationwide popularity the other factions in the CPSU didn’t believe in challenging Yakovlev in the presidential election, thus no opposing candidate appeared on the ballot. Prior to the election both the Hardliners and the Moderates began to lose confidence in his leadership; they were unable to nominate a member of their own to challenge him.

Although there was only one candidate on the ballot this election would have the highest CPSU voter turnout in any of the presidential elections, largely attributed to the excitement of people to vote in the first open elections in the Soviet Union.
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Spoiler: Map

 

[PanadaPun7]

The 2004 Soviet presidential election was the 2nd quadrennial presidential election, held on Wednesday, 10 March 2004. Incumbent Reformist Alexander Yakovlev, still nominally popular among the public, defeated Hardliner opponent Grigory Rapota in the first contested election in the Soviet Union.

The hardliners managed to support Rapota to challenge Yakovlev in the presidential election, gaining support from some moderates. The election was closer than expected, but this is attributed mainly to decreased turnout and populist support for Rapota.
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Spoiler: Map

 

[PanadaPun7]

The 2005 Soviet contingent presidential election was held between 1–2 December 2005. After the death of president Alexander Yakovlev, the premier of the Soviet of the Republics, Sergei Stepashin, became acting president until the same chamber elected a permanent president. A close friend, a political ally, and advisor to Yakovlev, Mikhail Gorbachev, was elected by the Republics Soviet to fill the remainder of Yakovlev’s term.

Most of the non-Russian majority or plurality republics had reformist deputies, thus Gorbachev received support from most of these republics. With divided opposition between the hardliners and the moderates, the challenge against Gorbachev in the first round wasn't challenging. Once Zyuganov advanced to the second round most moderates put their support behind Gorbachev over greater fear of hardliner policy than the reformist policy that would gravely impact the Soviet Union.

 

[PanadaPun7]

The 2008 Soviet presidential election was the 3rd quadrennial presidential election, held between 12–14 March 2008. The election was held during the Second Russian Civil War, there was an immense debate on holding the election, but all factions agreed that holding the election would be a show of continued stability and authority over the country. Gorbachev, the incumbent Reformist president, has been pressured into not running for a full term as he oversaw the start of the civil war and was blamed for not doing enough to suppress dissent, thus being seen as harmful to the Reformist cause. Reformist Galina Starovoytova would go on to win the election via a contingent election.

The civil war caused many Soviets to support the hardliners as they pushed for a more militaristic and reuniting response to the seceding republics. With the low turnout and with many reformists no longer voting the Reformists seemed likely to lose the election. But with the Moderates once again supporting the Reformists in the contingent election would maintain the Reformists' control over the presidency.
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[a] Given the nature of the civil war many governments of the republics were unable to send actual commissars to Moscow for the vote, so the head of each delegation of their republic announced how many votes each candidate won instead of individuals submitting their votes.
b] Many deputies sided with other factions in the civil war or were unable to be in Moscow for the contingent election.
[c] In a deal with the Reformists the Moderate deputies agreed to vote for Starovoytova in exchange for policy concessions during her term.

Spoiler: Map

 

[PanadaPun7]

The 2012 Soviet presidential election was the 4th quadrennial presidential election, held on 14 March 2012. Incumbent Reformist Galina Starovoytova lost re-election to the newly formed National Socialist faction under their candidate Vladimir Putin.

The Second Russian Civil War had ended but the country was still dealing with various rebellions throughout more remote republics (Mountain, Central Asia, and the Far East). The new National Socialist faction was founded during the war to promote the idea of Russian nationalism as the cornerstone of the Soviet Union due to Russian being the majority language and ethnicity, especially after the loss of non-Russian lands. The fall of the Reformists movements after their failed changes was blamed for the near collapse of the Soviet Union, and the nationalist and populist policies of the National Socialists resulted in Putin being elected president.
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Spoiler: Map

 

[PanadaPun7]

The 2016 Soviet presidential election was the 4th quadrennial presidential election, held on 9 March 2016. Incumbent National Socialist Vladimir Putin was re-elected by a wide margin, defeating Moderate Igor Vasilyev, his closest opponent.

A landslide election for president Putin due to increased voter suppression and support for Putin with his populist messaging. Worked with the hardliners to enforce CPSU control over the country. Putin would over his second term attempt to consolidate political power under him, angering the hardliners and they would remove their support of him.
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Spoiler: Map

 

[PanadaPun7]

The 2020 Soviet presidential election was the 5th quadrennial presidential election, held on 11 March 2020. Incumbent National Socialist Vladimir Putin lost re-election, ultimately losing to Veronika Skvortsova via a contingent election.

Putin's attempts to consolidate power resulted in the hardliners challenging him in the presidential election, fearing a total takeover by the National Socialists. The Reformists would fall as a political force by this time, failing to support a single candidate. Most supporting Moderate Skvortsova in both the general and contingent election. The divide between the National Socialists and the Hardliners resulted in the moderates being seen as a compromise candidate by the time of the contingent election by the general public. But the bitter rivalry between Putin and the Hardliners by the time he lost in the first round resulted in many of his supportive deputies electing Skvortsova in retaliation.

On the day he was to transfer power, 7 May 2020, Putin launched a failed coup with his political and military supporters. He would be captured and found guilty of treason, being executed the next year.
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[a] 12 deputies abstained in the 2nd round.
2 deputies abstained in the 3rd round.

Spoiler: Map