Socialist Federation of Intermarium

Nation Name*
Socialist Federation of Intermarium (SFI)
National Language(s)*
Intermarean (a zonal auxiliary language like Esperanto/Interslavic just more localized, think of it as a mix between the languages of the Intermarean ethnicities). (Similar real-world languages: Polish, Czech, Slovak, Serbo-Croatian)
Capital City*
Zamkow
Population estimates: ~5-6 milion (to be adjusted by mods if necessary)
Location: central-north part of the country, located on the confluence of the Bystra and Sylna rivers.
Zamkow has for centuries been the political, cultural, and economic center of the Intermarean region. It was the capital of numerous medieval kingdoms and later, with the demographic boom brought by the industrial revolution, it became one of the most important industrial centers of Myral. Historically, Zamkow has been a key trade hub between Urukandian and Andharian markets which allowed it to prosper from both trade and manufacturing. With the construction of the Intermarean Canal, Zamkow shifted to a more industry focused economy and trade took a second place. During the Kingdom era many royal palaces and lavish gardens were constructed in the Baroque architectural style which was succeeded by the socialist neoclassicism and utilitarian brutalism of the residential blocks (to be built in the coming years).
Notable buildings:
Intermarium Sobor Complex – located on the Gorka hill on the northern bank of the Bystra river, it overlooks the western side of the city. It houses all the major political entities including the Supreme Sobor of Intermarium.
Revolution Boulevard – a major street leading from the northern (towards PRU) to the southern (towards the canal) parts of the city.
Zamkow Technological Institute - the highest educational facility in the SFI, an R&D branch of the Zamkow Arms Group is in the Institute alongside many research facilities of different science branches.
Narodny Teatr - The national theatre built in neoclassical style, one of the few buildings that were spared the destruction during the Great War
Narodny Muzej - The national museum, rebuilt after the war in similar style to the Narodny Teatr
Tvrdzya – An 18th century citadel built on an island of the river Sylna (at the point of confluence with Bystra). During the Kingdom of Intermarium it served as a political prison and later it became a museum.


National Population*
From the excel document: 235,467,933.

Government Type/Structure*
Socialist Federative Electocracy (Socialist Federation). The nation is split into numerous federal republics which all have a representative in the Supreme Sobor of Intermarium. Each representative is elected on democratically held elections inside the republics every 4 years. After the elections, the elected representatives then vote for a Chairman of the Sobor who: selects candidates for the government, chooses ministers and key personnel in the Sobor, confirms or rejects Sobor proposals, organizes the work of the Council of Ministers, represents the Socialist Federation of Intermarium in international relations, ensures collegiality in the work of the Government etc. The Chairman is the head of state and supreme commander—in—chief of the SFI. TLDR - Federal Socialist One-Party Republic

Economic System*
Socialism. A system in which workers, democratically and socially own the means of production. The economic framework is centrally planned, although regional offices of each federal republic have their own allocated budget for approved proposals and projects. Public services such as public transport, healthcare and education are state owned. The system works in favor of the central Zamkow government which allows for better macroeconomic decision-making and easier major national project completion.

Government Centralization
High level of centralization, although (as mentioned before) each federal republic is allowed a percentage of the budget for maintenance and preservation of current assets as well as development of new projects as long as they are approved by the Supreme Sobor. They can submit proposals for state funding of crucial infrastructure or social projects in their respective republics. Additionally, projects that are of value to the entire state have higher priority as opposed to the local ones.

Government Cohesion
No areas that resist government rule. The government sports a high level of support from the population due to the fresh memories of revolution, ending of the Great War, post-war redevelopment, and new industrialization projects as well as major social benefits that the state gives (free healthcare, public transport, social housing etc.) ... As explained above, the government’s decision making is manifested through the Supreme Sobor and the Chairman of the Supreme Sobor as well as his chosen government. In case of extreme situations, the chairman has the right to declare a state of emergency in which the cabinet may act faster with less intermediate steps. Potential conflicts may arise between the presidents of federal republics and the chairman in the Supreme Sobor over money allocation to certain proposals, but as every decision is voted on democratically in the Sobor, the decisions of the Chairman may be declined or reversed depending on the will of the majority... (Same goes the other way around)

Terrain & Climate
Can't give an honest answer as JagJeg hasn't finished the climate/terrain map, but from the Flyout screenshots, here is my estimate: The Intermarean region is a naturally diverse region located between the two superpowers PRU and the UPA. The SFI's physical geography encompasses a wide variety of swampy land (near the lakes in the south), vast planes, valleys, steppes and old, forest covered, mountain tops which stretch across the numerous points of the Intermarean isthmus. (this is just made-up flavored text about physical geography as I really don't know until I see the map). Presumably, due to the high availability of water, the land is fertile, and the area is suitable for agriculture. The key geographic features that define the Intermarean region are:
Mountain chains:
Yarlovo Range and Ogany Peaks (mountain ranges to the north-west of the country near the PRU border)
Lunarides (mountain range in the central Intermarium)
Mraznitsa mountain chain (in the south of Intermarium near the UPA border)
Rivers and river valleys (ordered by size):
Sylna river (Sylna river valley) (north-western part of the country, flows into the Intermarean Canal at the northernmost part of the Great Lakes (Western Lake), has the largest drainage basin of all Intermarean rivers)
Velyka Virentynka (Virentynka river valley) (north-eastern part of the country, originates at the confluence of Černa Virentynka and Byela Virentynka and flows into the Virentian Ocean)
Maglovka river (Maglovka river valley) (central-eastern part of the country, it originates from the confluence of multiple mountain streams of the Lunarides and flows into the far eastern part of the Great Lakes)
Bagnowka river (Bagnowka valley) (flows from the Lunarides into the Great Lakes, it is the largest river in the southern part of the country, but the smallest of the big 4)
Lakes:
The Intermarean region is one of the richest hydrological areas of Attera and it features the largest lakes on the planet. Split into three parts connected by the Intermarean Canal the Great Lakes of Intermarium are one of the culturally most important parts of Intermarean identity, especially in the south. They are split into three “sub-lakes”:
Western Lake
Large Central Lake (largest of the three)
Small Central Lake (smallest of the three)
Eastern Lake
Due to the geographic landscape of Intermarium, majority of the population is situated in the flatter, larger and more fertile north, while the south is more sparsely populated. The numerous river valleys provide a large area of fertile land which enables a relatively high population density, along with the old mountain tops that could harbour natural resources (TBD by mods) ...

Major Cities*
I will only list the capitals of each socialist republic in the federation as it would be too much to write about all of them (except Zamkow as I have already written about it above):
Maglogorsk – Capital of the Socialist Republic of Maglovina, it is the second largest city in the Federation and represents a major industrial centre of the eastern part of the country. It is famous for its shipyards and construction of numerous civilian and military vessels.
Estimated population: ~3 milion.
Novygrad – Capital of the Socialist Republic of Bagnowia, it is the third largest city in the Federation and represents the last major city on the route toward the Canal. It is a major harbour and the largest Intermarean trading port on the Virentian Ocean (eastern part of the Federation). Along with the shipping and trading significance, it is a significant logistical hub with many goods being shipped to and from the city’s harbour.
Estimated population: ~2-3 milion.
Virentino – Capital of the Socialist Republic of Virentia, it is the fourth largest city in the Federation. Strategically an important port on the Virentian Ocean and a significant logistical hub for export of agricultural goods which the Virentian region is very rich in. (Velyka Virentinka valley is one of the most fertile areas in the Federation and because of the relatively flat terrain the most effectively utilized). Along the aforementioned significance, it is also an important industrial centre featuring an extensive machining industry most significant of which is the farming equipment factory (tractors, combine harvesters and various other farming machinery).
Estimated population: ~2 milion.
Iskra – Capital of the Socialist Republic of Yarlovina, Iskra is the fifth largest city in the Federation and an important port on the Aurelian Ocean. Its significance lies in its favourable location at the foot of the Yarlovo mountain range, an important resource rich mountain chain. It is metallurgical and heavy industry focused city with its shipyard being the third largest in the Federation.
Gdynsk – Capital of the Socialist Republic of Mrazovina, Gdynsk is a significant port city, located in the Gulf of Mrazovina. It is the most populous city in the sparsely populated Mrazovinian Socialist Republic and represents the most significant industrial centre in the south-western part of the Federation. Much like Iskra, it benefits from its close location to the Mraznitsa mountain chain from which it processes numerous natural resources. Along the metallurgical and chemical industries, the town is famous for its forestry and furniture making industries.
Estimated Population: ~1-2 milion.
Svatowsk – Capital of the Socialist Republic of Svatowia, it is the largest city on the Small Central Lake and an important stop on the route of all ships that cross the Intermarean Canal. It saw major development and population rise after and during the construction of the Canal as it was an important logistical hub for transporting goods and workers during the construction. Since then, it has developed its own industry and features a large port. In the years before the war it became a famous tourist destination for both locals and foreigners.
 Estimated population: ~1-2 milion


Major Ports/Harbors*
I don’t think I have to go into details with this one, much of it I’ve already said in the answer above, but other than those cities, notable port cities are: Sievierotchaysk, Chersk, Lynsk, Kanalograd, Stanitsa, Vympel and Primorsk. Everything can be vividly seen on the map.

National Resources & Economic Produce*
Natural resources are completely dependant on the resource map that is (still?) being made by the mods so I can’t make any claims without that. I would assume that the old mountains in the north, south and central parts of the country could harbour substantial mineral resources. Other than that, there could be possible coal deposits in and around those areas as well... In terms of agriculture, the main agricultural region of the Federation is the flat Velyka Virentinka river valley and Virentian Socialist Republic in general as it contains the largest swats of flatlands in the Intermarean region. Other river valleys are bound to also be very fertile as the entire Intermarean region is littered with lakes and other fresh water sources which could make irrigation very easy and sustainable... Fishing is another major part of Intermarean agriculture as it surrounded by oceans and has (as already mentioned) a lot of freshwater areas which could prove crucial for feeding the large population as well as for export. Other economic produce are various industrial products such as: furniture, clothes (textile), machined parts, refined metals, chemicals, land vehicles (civilian, military and agricultural equipment), sea vessels, aircraft, weapons and many more...

Economic Boons*
Will not go in too much detail as to not repeat what has already been said. Pretty much the most important industries are agriculture, manufacturing, metallurgy, chemical industry, and raw resource extraction (forestry, mining etc.) ...



National Economic Struggles*
Due to the recent destruction caused by the Great War and the Intermarean Civil War, the Intermarean society has experienced a major shift in its economic landscape and culture. Before the revolution, the nation was a highly corrupt parliamentary monarchical capitalist society divided by wealth classes. The socialist government promised to end the war and destruction it brought with it and to change the nation into a classless society where every individual can have equal opportunities regardless of their economic background (core socialist ideas) ... Since the end of the civil war, the government has enacted a plan of reconstruction through massive voluntary work. Youth work actions were organized as voluntary labour activities of young people aimed at rebuilding (and building of new) public infrastructure such as roads, railways, and public buildings as well as industrial and power infrastructure... Youth work actions are organized on local, public, and federal levels by the League of Socialist Youth of Intermarium and participants are grouped into youth work brigades generally named after their local town/city. The countryside is being electrified, and ground is being laid for complete rebuild of the country and its economic stabilization. The youth work actions started within a year of the socialist victory in the civil war and continued through much of the initial post-war years as a means of putting the nation back on its feet after the war. Along the youth work actions, unemployed and conscripted men who haven’t been sent abroad to fight in the war against Kassia and Tuzhaz have also taken part in redevelopment of the Federation...

National Technology Level*
On par with most nations of the similar size (medium-large). Due to the favourable position sitting between two opposing superpowers (PRU and UPA) for decades Intermarium sought to play both of them against each other and in that way advance and prosper. Later, in the years preceding the Great War, Intermarium gained closer ties to Kassia and Tuzhaz with which it had technology sharing and trading partnerships in place as to maintain its neutrality and sovereignty in the everchanging tense pre-war landscape... During the war Intermarium initially proclaimed neutrality, but later became a non-belligerent and belligerent on the Axis side to eventually after the revolution switch sides and join the Allies. Since the socialist revolution and victory in the civil war, much closer ties have been made with the PRU making it the most important ally and economic partner. Together with the PRU, the SFI was one of the founding members of the Tasharkan Pact. (economic and technological ties that will further be improved upon in the future) Most important technological/research institution is the Zamkow Technological Institute.

National Education/Research Quality*
The education in the Socialist Federation of Intermarium is structured into mandatory and optional. The mandatory level of education is elementary education: Initial 5 years of education for all children in the country starting from age 7. After elementary education, students may pursue optional humanistic or vocational studies. Humanistic studies are a broad field consisting of various scientific disciplines such as language, history, arts etc. Vocational studies or vocational specializations are either courses done to prepare students for special vocations and entrance into the workforce (example welders, plumbers, woodworkers, various craftsmen etc.) or further engineering specializations such as metallurgical, mechanical, electrical, or other engineering fields... Students who finish humanistic studies often end up working as teachers, professors, and educators on various educational levels. Professors in vocational departments are often professionals in specific fields with years of experience that get benefits for teaching in the technological institutes and vocational centres... All students who study for a vocational degree must undergo a 1-year long internship parallel to their studies in their final year where they get hands on experience of working in the chosen field.
With the educational reform passed by the socialist government after the end of the Great War, there must be at least one elementary school per village centre in each municipality, smaller municipalities may have one school for multiple villages as long as it is not more than 5km away from all-encompassing villages. Higher level education often exists only in urban centres (cities) so traveling vocational courses are done to enable rural folk access to vocational training and enable them to enter the workforce in cities... The highest scientific/technological institution in the Federation is the Zamkow Technological Institute located in the capital, but similar technological institutes exist in all federal capitals...

Military Strength, Composition, & Focus*
The People’s Army of Intermarium are armed forces of the Socialist Federation of Intermarium. It is the successor of the Royal Intermarean Army from which it inherited the arsenal and doctrine… Immediately after the war it constitutes 4% of the population as active service members and 6% of the population accounting as reserve forces which makes it 10% of the population in total or … The budget of the IPA is 10% of the total GDP and will be substantially lowered in the post-war years as the threat to Intermarean sovereignty and territorial integrity vanquishes. (It will be lowered to 5%, active-duty service members to 2.5% and reservists accordingly depending on the need for rebuilding and large infrastructure projects (youth work force initiative))


The People’s Army of Intermarium is split into four main branches:
Land Forces
Air Force
Navy
Special Canal Force (specialized branch for protection of the Intermarium Canal and its surrounding areas)

Land Forces:

The Intermarean Land Forces are the core ground forces of the PAI and constitute the largest portion of the active-duty members at 68% or 6,405,544 service members. Its doctrine is mainly based on elastic, defense in depth military strategy as the main duty of the PAI is protection of the people and land of the Federation. Along with the defensive aspects, the two key offensive aspects of the army are manifested in shock troops (Hussars), supported by superior artillery that provided the initial shock before the troops move in and make an initial breach, and mobile armored units that exploited the breach (combination of armored cars, cavalry tanks and infantry tanks). The specialized cavalry and infantry tanks are set to be replaced by the universal tank sometime in the late 40s and early 50s. Alongside the Hussars which represent the main assault regiments of the PAI, Paratroopers and Marines offer a specialized version of shock and assault troops that offer similar roles with airborne and naval insertion techniques respectively…

Air Force:

The Intermarean Air Force is responsible for gaining air supremacy, carrying out strategic and tactical bombing missions, intercepting enemy aerial missions and providing support to land and naval forces often in the form of aerial reconnaissance, troop and supply transport and close air support. The IAF consists of air defense forces (anti-air) and air forces (aircraft). It constitutes the second largest portion of active-duty members at 17% or 1,601,386 service members.

Navy:

The Intermarean Navy is responsible for protection of the Federation at sea which entails: naval warfare, sea control, power projection, deterrence, maritime security, troop and supply transport. It constitutes the remaining 15% of active-duty members or 1,412,988 service members.

Special Canal Force:

The Special Canal Force consists of elements of the ILF, IAF and the Intermarean Navy and is directly responsible for the protection and security of the Federation’s most prized geopolitical asset – the Intermarium Canal. It ensures safe and continuous operation of the Canal.

Military Struggles*
The Intermarean military is well equipped in most aspects. The land forces possess some of the best contemporary equipment available and the main service rifle is set to be replaced by a new “automatic carbine” rifle that is to be introduced later this year (1947). The armored forces are also in the process of modernization with the “Dragon” universal tank already hitting production stages. Airforce has had many challenges during the war, fighting a much more numerous enemy (combined UPA and PRU) it resorted to ambush tactics and operating under friendly air defense, the main aircraft of the Intermarean air force developed during the war was a fighter-interceptor NP-9 “Irbis” which featured a fantastic climb rate of 33 m/s which enabled the air force to implement hit and run tactics that severely impacted the enemy bombing campaign over Intermarium… However, the most damaged aspect of the Intermarean armed forces during the war was the Navy which suffered crippling losses during many confrontations with the enemy air and naval forces. The navy switched to a mainly below surface fleet of submarines to raid enemy convoys and disrupt supply lines. During the war the navy lost all of its fleet carriers and most battleships which forced its strategy to deviate to a completely defensive one which was accomplished by mining of coastlines, submarine warfare and fast torpedo ship strikes at any and all vessels that wanted to enter the Canal. Numerous coastal and island fortresses denied the enemy entrance to the Canal for the entire duration of war with PRU and UPA. After the Intermarean Civil War and SFI’s accession into the Triumvirate Powers, the rebuilding of the Navy started with some vessels being donated by its allies (mainly the PRU). The Canal and the coast of SFI was demined and dozens of new vessels were constructed until the end of the war (including carriers)… In the future, the SFI’s main armament concern will be the complete rebuilding of the naval forces as they have suffered the most during the war…

 National Welfare & Social Support
As a socialist nation, the SFI provides its citizens with all the necessary social support aspects such as free healthcare, public transportation, equal opportunities regardless of background etc. The government also started many projects such as the rebuilding initiative through Youth Work Actions which has already rebuilt a vast majority of infrastructure such as railways, roads (highways), industrial infrastructure… Alongside the youth, the military reservists also aid the nation in rebuilding, not only of economic assets, but also healthcare and educational buildings. The rebuilding initiative has also brough many novelties into many rural areas, such as electricity… The government has promised to start construction of many social housing buildings in the coming years to accommodate for the ever-growing population of the urban centers.

National Cultural & Historical Background
The Socialist Federation of Intermarium came to be after a socialist revolution and the ensuing civil war that happened during the Great War. It transformed the once authoritarian parliamentary monarchy into a federation of socialist republics… The Kingdom of Intermarium was formed during the medieval times when the numerous Intermarean tribes were united by king Vladek the Great. The following decade, the steppe Empire of Urukand invaded the kingdom from the north where The Urukandain Khan along with king Vladek and his son died in the battle of Virentinka Valley. It turned out to be a pyric victory as the Urukandians were stopped, but at an unsurmountable cost. The kingdom was left without an heir and half a century of internal conflict ensued. New Khan from the north took advantage of internal conflicts and invaded the kingdom, this time with much more success. For half a century much of Intermarium was under the Urukandian Empire until the death of the khan and the Bagnowia Rebellion. The Empire was split into multiple Khaganates which all fought for the right to rule the Empire. During this, the Intermarean nobles from the Bagnowia region refused to pay exceedingly high taxes to their overlords and revolted. The rebellion quickly spread through much of the Intermarean region and soon the Urukandians were driven out. An Electorial Sobor was instated which chose the king of Intermarium each 10 years. During the post-medieval era, absolute monarchy was instated with king Peter IV. He married a woman from the dynasty of Vladek the Great and cemented his own dynasty as the sole ruling royal family which ruled until the civil war… Peter’s rule saw Intermarium mold into its modern borders and his famous hussars became some of the most elite cavalry units of Myral. The kingdom had turned into a parliamentary monarchy in the early modern age and later greatly industrialized with the onset of the industrial revolution. Its favorable position led to the construction of the Intermarean Canal which exponentially increased the wealth of the kingdom (more on this in additional lore where it is written about in detail). Soon two superpowers arouse to the north and south of the kingdom, the PRU and the UPA. Due to its precarious position, the Kingdom was seen as a buffer state and benefited from playing the two superpowers against each other…

Modern National Culture & Society
(This is a continuation of the last section)
The Intermarean Canal is a great source of pride for the people of Intermarium, the official unveiling of the canal happened on October 5th 1916 and it is celebrated as the "Canal Day" in Intermarium as a national holiday.
Intermarium couldn’t keep its neutral position forever and due to the rising tensions between the numerous superpowers it aligned itself with Kassia and Tuzhaz in the years leading up to the Great War. The main reason for this was that in case of a war between superpowers the PRU and the UPA would most likely try to invade and take control of the canal to prevent the other side access… (more on this in the additional lore section)
In general, the Intermarean people share a lot more in common with the Urukandian neighbors to the north than with the more distant Andharians to the south. This has to do with the fact that UPA and Intermarium are separated by the Great Lakes as well as the Mraznica mountrain chain. On the other side, they shared some cultural influence with the Urukandians by being in the same nation for almost a century (Urukandian Empire) and although there were many conflicts and wars in the past, during the industrial revolution an extensive railway network was constructed between the two nations, and they became each other’s largest trading partner. With the rise of tensions preceding the Great War, this cooperation dwindled significantly, and governments of both nations cut down on mutual cooperation. During the war, the static trench warfare in the north and depressing nature of it led to many unofficial ceasefires being signed between the two sides and unwillingness to fight their closest neighbor led to a rise in anti-war sentiment in Intermarium. The socialist party was persecuted and banned in Intermarium in the years leading up to the Great War, but the idea was very popular between the population as the workers and farmers made up the vast majority of the population. This was furthered by the anti-war sentiment and by the climax of the war a socialist revolution started in major cities with soldiers of the Northern Army (PRU border) signing a temporary ceasefire upon hearing the news. The revolution spread throughout the nation, starting in Iskra, a significant port in the north-west of the country where the crew of the cruiser “Vladek the Great” raised a red flag and marched on the town hall alongside fellow naval officers and commoners which had gathered in support. In Zamkow the local NCOs overthrew and captured loyalist officers and later led the storming of the Tvrdzya where many socialist sympathizers and political enemies of the king were being imprisoned. The king fled the capital and denounced the revolutionaries in the old crown capital of Staropetrovsk. But it was to no avail as the revolution spread like wildfire and in a matter of days much of the army had turned to the socialist cause and the entirety of Yarlovina, Virentia and Bagnowia were under socialist control with socialist controlling much of Svatowia, Mrazovina and northern Zamkowia. Sporadic fighting broke out in the southern provinces as the new government was established in Zamkow and soon they accepted PRU and UPA diplomats with whom they signed an official peace agreement ending Intermarean involvement in the war on the Central Alliance side. In the coming months the socialists started a decisive spearhead offensive towards the city of Staropetrovsk and upon the capture, they proclaimed victory in the civil war with the rest of royalist forces surrendering or evacuating together with the royal family to Kassia. Upon their victory the socialists promised to rebuild the war-torn nation and to some popular dismay they joined the war on Triumvirate side which ensured some help from PRU and UPA during the rebuilding in exchange for free use of the Canal. The Canal was rebuilt, and entrances were de-mined in less than a month which greatly helped the Triumvirate Powers with logistics department until the end of the war…


National Religion
Would assume that the Intermarean region shares common main religion with its neighbours and the rest of Myral. (the main religion of Myral is the one that is practiced in Intermarium as well) Atheism and non-religiousness, although not crucial to the socialist revolution is a preferred choice for some inhabitants of the Federation.

Civil Struggles*
Explained most of this above so I won’t repeat myself, but essentially the differences between aristocracy and the proletariat were one of the key civil issues which got nullified with the end of the civil war, next on the chopping block is complete reconstruction and further social developments that will enable complete social welfare as well as equality...

Foreign Relations & Diplomacy*
Important agreements: Zamkow Conference and the Tasharkan Formation Assembly
The SFI maintains a stable relationship with all of the Triumvirate nations, but the closest relationship is with the PRU alongside which it was one of the founding members of the Tasharkan Pact. The Zamkow Conference laid out the basis for operation of the Intermarean Canal, but since the end of the civil war no new agreements have been signed and the socialist government has promised to bring the full benefits of the Canal to the service of the people…

Border Statuses & Conflicts*
The only notable dispute over territory is on the southern Great Lakes border with the UPA, an area which has many naval fortifications on numerous islands and regular border patrols (via vessels and land vehicles).

Additional Information/Lore*
(Short summary and timeline of Intermarium Canal and the pre-war politics in the Kingdom of Intermarium)
INTERMAREAN INVOLVMENT IN THE GREAT WAR [TIMELINE]:


1. Pre-1937:
-Tensions between the great powers of Attera have led to multiple flash points and crises all over the world in the decade preceding the Great War, one notable such case was the Intermarium Canal on the old continent of Myral.


1.1 Background:
-For centuries, Atteran sailors and explorers attempted to find a faster maritime way to reach Cardinal from Western Saclun and Eastern Myral, but the best they could do was sail the long way around Myral through the dangerous and icy White Ocean or along the Northern Saclun coast which was almost twice as long as the first option. This lack of a shipping route led to major increase in trading costs as the goods were initially shipped to the coast of one ocean, then transported overland to the ports on the other coast where they were again loaded on separate ships and finally transported to their destination. This convoluted scheme forced prices of many goods to skyrocket and soon enough became unattainable for the majority of traders and commoners.


-Attera's reliance on land trade hurt many isolated nations and hampered development of many areas that were not located on the "Silk Road" (no name for it in prop-punk so I'm leaving this here as a placeholder) which created numerous smaller economic regions that lacked certain resources...


-During the industrial revolution multiple attempts were made to connect the eastern and western hemispheres the most prominent of which was the Intermarium Canal.


-In 1887. a conference was held in the capital of Intermarium Zamkow which featured all of the major powers across the continents of Attera. It was agreed that the great powers would provide financial and technological support to the Kingdom of Intermarium to construct a free-to-use* global canal that would connect Attera's eastern and western hemispheres. Intermarium was chosen because of it being the most convenient place to construct a canal as well as to maintain the balance of power and prevent Urukandian and Andharian growing influence in the region. The canal was to be built on the Intermarean Isthmus on a central location containing numerous lakes and waterways. These lakes would be connected through a series of canals that featured an ingenious lock design made by an Intermarean engineer Lavoslav Morski. The series of locks ensured that the sea level from one side was matched with the other and enabled vessels to seamlessly cross through the sections of the canal without realizing that they are being lifted by hundreds of meters. (*free-to-use doesn't mean free of tax, but free to use as in universally available, otherwise it would be unsustainable for Intermarium)


-The Zamkow Conference cemented Intermarean neutrality and granted passage to international vessels which greatly reduced time for ships to travel between the Virentian* and Aurelian* oceans. The initial agreement on the canal would be set to last for 20 years with periodical conferences every 5-10 years to ensure satisfaction of all involved sides. (*Ocean #3 and ocean #2, those names are not confirmed but I put them there as it looks prettier than if I put down the enumeration)


-The construction of the canal began in the late 20th century and after multiple delays it was finished in the year 1916. The official unveiling of the canal happened on October 5th, 1916, and it is celebrated as the "Canal Day" in Intermarium as a national holiday. The canal is a major sense of pride for the people and was featured on the redesigned flag and symbols of state.
1.2. Preparation for the inevitable:


-20 years after the Zamkow Conference the world was a much different place... Years of fast economic development led to an arms race between the major powers, ideologies of imperialism and nationalism spewed tensions in all corners of the globe and the balance of power became a bipolar affair between the two major alliances. The Kingdom of Intermarium was not isolated from such events and the growing threat of invasion from the newly formed Proletarian Republic of Urukand to the north as well as the ever-imperialistic United Provinces of Andharia to the south forced the nation to find allegiances in the Kingdom of Kassia and the Tuzhaz Federation.


-Knowing that if there was a conflict between the great powers, the UPA and PRU would invade to secure the canal (an important trade route between Kassia and Tuzhaz), the leadership of Intermarium began major preparation of fortifications in the north and south of the country. "The National Redoubt" was an Intermarean defensive plan developed in the 1930s which featured massive fortifications along the mountain ranges which surrounded the country's natural borders. The northeastern border was composed of a much flatter area of land, so a series of concrete fortifications, trenches and bunkers was constructed called "The Three Sisters" (named for the three major fortresses on each side and center of the line). Along the canal line numerous island fortresses were constructed to prevent potential naval incursions into the canal and the main task of the Intermarean Royal Navy was to prevent enemy access to the inland waters and either side of the canal. To raise money for this massive project taxes were raised, a large portion of the military budget went to the construction of this defense in depth strategy which left a dent in the other branches of the army such as the navy which relied on extremely fast torpedo boats, submarines, destroyers and to a lesser degree cruisers and battleships. Intermarean officials knew that their air force and airfields would quickly become overwhelmed by much more numerous joint enemy air forces, so they employed a strategy of concealment and required their aircraft to be small enough to fit in concealed mountain and forest hangars while being able to take off from fields and quickly climb to catch up and intercept enemy bombers and fighters. The aircraft were tasked with intercepting enemy planes after extensive AA fire which was supposed to weaken the enemy. AA Defense Force of the Intermarean army was to be deployed in circular ring-like patterns across the nation with significant concentrations in and around key areas such as the canal and major cities, ports, industrial hubs, fortifications etc. Another employment of the concealment strategy was in the fortifications (similar to Switzerland) and the canal itself. A special extending section of the Intermarean Canal was built "The hidden Cut" which allowed intermarean vessels passage through the canal without a possibility of UPA detection. It was partly funded by Kassia and Tuzhaz and worked on by the brightest minds of both countries as well as Intermarean engineers who worked on the original canal construction. It featured a retractable bridge system which enabled easy maintenance, possibility of troop and equipment transport over the section as well as optional basic vessel maintenance and repair...


-The increase in taxes as well as mandatory conscription which exemplified in the latter years leading to the Great War led to major disapproval from much of the population, especially the working class which became ever more favorable of socialist ideas. (Intermarium had cordial relations with Urukand before the revolution in that country and the two nations share an extensive rail network that was a major way of culture sharing between the people of the two nations. (it was a preferred friend as opposed to the UPA which was separated by the massive southern mountain range and lakes, on another continent and a known threat to Intermarean interests)


1.3. Za Katarine sinks


-The Kingdom of Intermarium declared it's neutrality in multiple other crises that happened leading up to the Za Katarine incident. The hope was that Intermarium would be able to maintain its neutrality and at worst be a non-belligerent on the axis side in the war.


-The sinking of Za Katarine complicated the situation. The Kingdom of Intermarium promised to allow investigators from all nations to take part in deducting what happened but made it clear that no blockade of the canal would be allowed for longer periods of time.






2. The war


-This part I haven't been able to completely compose as I can't make up the lore of the war on my own and it would all be down to mod approval etc.


-My idea was that Intermarium was a non-belligerent on the axis side for the first years of the conflict, then after they reject an ultimatum from the PRU and UPA to block Axis shipping through the Canal the war begins there too


-The thing I know for certain that a civil war would happen somewhere mid-way into the Great War... Let's say that the "neutrality arc" lasted for a year or two, then the war for similar amount of time, I would guess somewhere around 1941 we'd have a civil war which would last a few months half a year at most, and the socialists win it. A part of the army would fight on the Monarchist side, but the socialists would have the population on their side and with practically 70% of the country after a few months they would push south to the old royal capital and end the civil war with the monarchy going to exile in Kassia or something. (I would presume there would be a lot of switching sides in the army to the socialist side as most of the population was in the working class with the industrial revolution going strong in the country and what not... Plus the whole military paranoia bunker building thing and war against yesterday's friends (PRU)... That's pretty much the reason why I'd have the revolution start north and end in the south, makes the most sense politically)... A similar situation to Italy in WW2 just that I would like there to be an agreement between the PRU and UPA not to get involved directly into the civil war as to not create tensions between each other while they are already fighting two major enemies (Kasssia and Tuzhaz).


-After the civil war (so like 1941-1942) the now Socialist Federation of Intermarium joins the allies, grants them the access through the Canal and helps defeat the Central Alliance


-That's pretty much everything war wise is subject to change when the Great War lore comes out, but these are the general basics and as many details that I can write with certainty at the moment.
Flag / Roundels / Battle Flags of Country?
Flag of the SFI (top) and the Kingdom of Intermarium (bottom)



Roundels of the Kingdom of Intermarium (left) and the Socialist Federation of Intermarium (right)

Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Intermarium (left) and the Socialist Federation of Intermarium (right)