Bolívar
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Bolívar is a Terran country bordering both Columbia in the east and Sargon in the south. It is a nation inhabited by small-sized races, predominantly the Perros, with limited self-defense capabilities while possessing rich Originium deposits, but its abundant natural resources result in the fracturing of the nation into three warring factions. Currently, Bolívar is partitioned into two de facto independent states ruled by their respective factions: the Kingdom of Bolívar (Reino de Bolívar) in the west that is ruled by a classical monarchy and the Sovereign State of Bolívar (Estado Soberano Bolívariano) in the east being run by an oligarchy, and the third faction consists of liberated zones freed by local guerrillas but being under the rule of an authoritarian military junta.
Bolívar was founded as a colonial viceroyalty of Iberia established in the once unexplored northwestern region of Terra, triggering other superpowers to set up their colonies in the region, However, the increasing geopolitical pressure from rivaling nations forced Iberia to hesitantly abandon the colony and declare its independence. But Bolívar's independence was short-lived with the collapse of its government which allowed Leithanien to interfere in its internal affairs and convert the nation into its puppet state. The independence of Columbia further fractured Bolívar as the Columbian government asserted political influence upon its neighbor, resulting in a proxy war between the two superpowers. The war eventually gave rise to a local resistance force fighting against the imperialist forces, yet their extreme disorganization and brute force upon the populace further dragged Bolívar into a seemingly never-ending stalemate.
The Bolívarian language resembles Latin American Spanish in our world while having distinct grammars and accents even though both are mutually intelligible enough with each other. Victorian, Columbian, and Leithanian are also three of the most spoken languages in the nation as a result of foreign intervention.
History
Francisco de León Geological Expedition
The eighth Terran century was the age of exploration in which many superpowers were eager to explore the uncharted regions of the Terran continent to set up colonies and extract natural resources, and among those nations, Iberia was the leader of the expedition owing to its interest in maritime exploration. In Terran year 735, the famous Iberian conquistador, Francisco de León, sought sponsorship from the King of Iberia to conduct the greatest land expedition in Terran history – the exploration of the uncharted northwestern region. De León envisioned the expedition to turn Iberia into a major superpower through their colony in the region and the knowledge in the expedition. Being persuaded by De León's vision, the king approved the expedition and provided necessary support to his expedition team.[1]
Within two years of preparation by 737, the "Francisco de León Geological Expedition" was initiated. De León had long prepared himself to never return to his homeland, yet he deemed the expedition worth his sacrifice to further strengthen Iberia's influence in the Terran heartland. In order to gain passage to the region, De León sought an unexpected ally – Padishah Bayad of Sargon, as Sargon and Iberia never had a formal diplomacy except some commercial trades. After several negotiations, De León and Bayad agreed a collaboration with De León providing fiscal support and Bayad allowing the Iberian troops access to land passages. The Iberian expedition team eventually uncovered a vast, fertile plain near the Sea of Norlett, triggering the explorers to report their news back to their homeland while setting up infrastructures for their colony.[1]
Viceroyalty of Bolívar
The Viceroyalty of Bolívar (Virreinato de Bolívar) was formally established with the crowning of De León as the colony's viceroy by the King of Iberia. In its early years, the colony of Bolívar became the symbol of Iberia's might on Terra and was praised for its prosperity with several titles: "the place where the king also wants to visit," "the golden plain," "the kingdom of expeditioners," etc. A trading route on land was established spanning from Bolívar to Iberia while passing through Sargon, and the passage brought prosperity to the Sargonians as De León promised. Under De León's rule, the colony's development reached its historical zenith.[1]
De León eventually passed away in 759, and the succeeding viceroy, despite lacking De León's charisma, continued to maintain the colony's prosperity. The turning point of the colony's history was, however, the year 767, eight years after De León's passing, when Padishah Bayad also passed away. The succeeding Padishah sought to eradicate legacies of Bayad to solidify his political power; so, the trading route between Bolívar and Iberia was forcefully shut down as the Sargonians retrieved Iberia's right to access their land route. Furthermore, Iberia's presence in the northwestern region prompted other superpowers such as Victoria, Leithanien, and Gaul to set up their respective colonies to counteract Iberia's influence in the heartland.[1]
With their communication being severed, the Viceroyalty of Bolívar quickly fell into a chaotic status. Victoria constantly harassed the colony, and Sargon forbade Iberians access back to their colony. After more than a century of ruling, the Bolívarian viceroy was forced to declare independence from Iberia in the year 885 as the Dominion of Bolívar (Dominio Bolívariano).
Dominion of Bolívar
Without proper leadership, the Dominion of Bolívar quickly fell into chaos. Victoria and other superpower continued to harass Bolívar, aiming to fully erase Iberia's influence in the region. Consequently, all trading routes with Bolívar were blocked by the superpowers which forbade necessary supplies to enter, creating a severe humanitarian crisis in the region. Furthermore, Sargon sought to convert Bolívar into its tributary vassal by implementing a similar system in the Vouivre Alliance upon Bolívar, but the Bolívarian viceroy rejected the offer from the Shahanshah out of humiliation that would trample its three-decade-old prosperity.[2]
Throughout the 130 years of independence, the Dominion of Bolívar experienced frequent political instability. Regime change occurred once in three years among the forty viceroys ruling the dominion; the economy was completely paralyzed; plagues broke out constantly in Bolívar; the nation was unfortunately divided by several warlords. The first colonial settlers from Iberia yearned to re-established their connection back to their homeland, but the advent of nomadic cities since the Crystalization Age completely altered the geopolitics; not only Iberia was no longer able to initiate military campaigns through land, but also other superpowers began to put their interest on Bolívar once again.[2]
Leithanian-Columbian proxy war
In Terran year 897, the Kurfürst of Sturmland dispatched an army to Bolívar in the name of "assisting the Bolívarian government" and "quenching the civil unrest." Their arrival allowed Leithanien to establish a puppet regime in the country – the Singas dynasty – upon fully occupying its border. After the retreat of the Kurfürst's army, the Singas quickly adopted the Leithanian political system while maintaining diplomatic ties with Leithanien through annual tributes, tourism, and infrastructure construction. Despite the prosperity and social stability on the outside, the Leithanian puppet regime constantly exploited the local Bolívarians. Many Bolívarian warlords also played a double-dealing policy as they were unhappy to be occupied by a foreign superpower.[3]
The independence of Columbia in 1019 ushered in a new era in the region but at the same time brought more uncertainties to Bolívar. The traveling route between Leithanien and Bolívar was now fully occupied by Columbia which aroused political tensions between the two nations. Furthermore, the Federal Government of Columbia used political ideologies and financial support to influence Bolívarian tycoons and entrepreneurs. Between 1020 and 1047, many territories within the jurisdiction of the Singas dynasty fell to the Columbians' hands as many regional warlords openly declared themselves siding with Columbia, and Columbia converted these regions as independent Columbian enclaves by providing covert support to the warlords. On the other hand, Leithanien was under the rule of Herkunftshorn the Witch King at the height of his tyranny since the War of the Four Nations, which caused Columbia to be absolutely wary and cautious in supporting anti-Singas warlords.[3]
In the year 1048, in response to the continuous treasons among Bolívarian warlords, the Witch King instigated a civil unrest on Columbian soil by providing military support to the Singas dynasty and attacking Columbian enclaves in Bolívar. Despite Leithanien having superiority in the military, the Gesatzswächters, who had long been protesting against the Witch King, refused to collaborate in the name of solely obeying to the Güldenesgesatz. Consequently, the armies the Witch King dispatched to Bolívar were absolutely chaotic and undisciplined as many of these soldiers were made up of vagrants and outlaws who were moreso refugees seeking asylum. In the meantime, Columbia launched an outright invasion on Bolívarian soil in response to Leithanian provocation and in the name of "liberation" from the tyranny of both the Singas and the WItch King. After convincing pro-Columbian tycoons and warlords to join their cause, the pro-Columbian Coalition Government was formally established in La Unidad.[3]
Throughout the war, the Columbians slowly gained its upper hand in Bolívar by providing military training and weapons to the Coalition army. But Columbia underestimated the chaotic situation in Bolívar as treason was a norm among the faction. Not only did Columbian investment not bring immediate prosperity to the Coalition territory, but also the proxy war against Leithanien resulted in a brutal deadlock.[3] Furthermore, the Columbian Department of Defense, the instigator of the proxy war, was further weakened by the Federal Government with the promulgation of Federal War Preparation Act by the Congress in 1056 which in turn severed long-term military support to the Coalition Government.[4]
Bolívarian civil war
The proxy war between Columbia and Leithanien resulted in vocal protests among the local Bolívarians; they condemned both the Singas as oppressive despot and the Coalition Government as treacherous thieves. Around 1050, various local resistance forces who opposed both imperialists banded together to form the True Bolívarians. But despite sharing a common goal, the True Bolívarians were as undisciplined as the other two warring factions: some of them sought to expel their foreign rulers but retaining the current government system while others vowed to reestablish a whole new system, and some were even extreme anarchists who were heavily influenced by the Rusthammers. The rise of the True Bolívarians not only did not free the nation from the imperialists, but also further fractured Bolívar into three factions.[3]
Since the 1050s, a full-scale civil war broke out in Bolívar among the three warring factions. Both the Singas and the Coalition retain de facto rules in their respective territories while being backed by their proxies, and the True Bolívarians constantly liberate their territories through guerrilla warfare. Nevertheless, the lawlessness among the three factions and their authoritarian rule within their borders result in constant recaptures of their settlements, betrayals among their subordinates, and refugee crises. The ongoing Bolívarian civil war also brings a complete halt in development across the country with Dossoles – the only neutral city in the country – being the heart of the economy and the de jure capital of the country where all three factions were treated equally under the city's law.
Notable people
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| Expatriate |         | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Migrant |   | ||
- Francisco de León
- Carlos Fernandez Melo☠: A famous Bolívarian writter who was the author of the best-seller novel "Ciudad Misteriosa", which narrates the daily life of a person living in Dossoles while mixing with surreal descriptions and emotions. The book would later be adapted into a Wrankwood movie, receiving critical acclaim despite its creative liberties.[5]
Places
Settlements
- Dossoles
- La Unidad: The capital of the Sovereign State of Bolívar.
- Gran Sinderacato: The capital of the Kingdom of Bolívar.
- La Plata: A briefly mentioned Bolívarian nomadic city located near the Columbian frontier.[6]
References
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