The Iron Republic of Minnesota was a nation-state of Atlantic America. Growing from the original Iron Range Republic of the mid-twenty first century, the Iron Republic eventually came to control most of Minnesota, the eastern parts of North Dakota, and some territory in Wisconsin. The Iron Republic fought against the Imperial Commonwealth and was one of the last nations conquered at the end of that war.
History
The Successor States
The Republic of Minnesota was an amalgamation of several successor city-states.
The state considered the direct ancestor of the Republic was the Iron Range Republic, or the Iron Republic. A spartan and dedicated society, the IRR gained support among the unassociated communities by adhering to their agreements and coming to their aide even when there was little to be gained by doing so.
Other successor states that began the Minnesota Republic included:
- The Red River Dominion, an agricultural focused union of powerful farmers.
- The Metropolitan Confederation, made up of the communities of the former Minneapolis-St Paul area, initially formed to lower the likelihood of violence in the urban area.
- The Saint Cloud Union, an authoritarian republic.
- The Saint Louis River Compact, a technologically adept society based around Duluth.
- The State of Mankato, a harsh dictatorship with a conqueror’s mindset
- The Rochester Community, a Roman-Catholic theocratic state.
The Wars of the Saints (2180-2212)
The Wars of the Saints is a period between 2180 and 2212 that saw the IRR come to dominate northern Minnesota.
The War of the Saints is a conflict started in 2180, initially between the Saint Cloud Union and the Saint Louis River Compact over farmlands between the cities. Eventually the SLRC invited the IRR and the RRD to join the Northern League, fighting the SCU to a standstill in 2183.
The War of the Angry Saints was fought between 2192 and 2196. The IRR had gained a lot of influence over the unassociated communities and one large region was voting to join the IRR officially. This lead the SLRC, SCU and RRD to form the Southern League and attempt to destroy the IRR. The Southern League did not do well. By 2195 both the SLRC and the RRD had dissolved and the SCU had to call in the Metropolitan Confederation. The IRR sought and fought a large inconclusive battle in 2196 that forced the states back to negotiations. The IRR became simply the Iron Republic, controlling Northern Minnesota from Lake Superior to the Red River.
SCU spent the next fifteen years plotting against the Iron Republic, working to destabilize it with hired raiders, propaganda campaigns and other unconventional forms. When this was uncovered in 2210, the SCU lost the protection of the Metropolitan Confederation, and the Iron Republic went to war. The War of the Lone Saint lasted until 2212, when the SCU was conquered and annexed into the Iron Republic.
Growth and Cold War with Iowa (2212 – 2271)
The Iron Republic controlled more than half of Minnesota. The closest nation that compared was the Waterloo Confederacy of Iowa. The Iron Republic focused on building itself into a proper nation but kept an eye on the growing and belligerent Iowans. In 2254 Iowans managed to annex Mankato and end the dictatorship there, which brought them into direct conflict with the north.
The Iron Republic organized the Stillwater League – the Republic, Confederation, Eau Claire and Rochester. This league opposed the Iowans, whose hard line leaders led the nations to war in 2262. The Iowan army crashed against the defenses of Rochester and the Metropolitan Cities, leading to years of trench warfare.
This war became known as the War of Iron Wills, in that it was a contest to see who could give up first, rather than a war of conquest. Attacks were made with a mind to attrition instead of position. The Stillwater League had better troops; the Iowans had more.
For several years nothing much changed until the Iowans managed to breakthrough in 2268, capturing the Confederation and besieging Rochester. Eau Claire made a separate peace, leaving the Iron Republic as the sole remaining fighters. The Iowans, now weighted down by garrison duties, were unable to land a killing blow.
In 2271 the Iron Republic launched a grand offensive, swinging out of the west and forcing the surrender of the cities garrisons and relieving the drained Rochester defenders. In August they defeated the last Iowan field army at Blue Earth and forced the moderates to depose the Iowan hardliners. A new treaty was forged between the two nations. The Iron Republic was now the sole remaining government of Minnesota.
A Golden Age (2275-2365)
The Iron Republic recovered from the War of Iron Wills quickly, in part because the government used the resources gathered for the war – particularly the troops assembled – to rebuild the war-torn lands. Recovery was quick, and the country went from wartime economy to golden age in a few short years.
With Iowa no longer blocking the Mississippi River, trade began flowing, and Minnesota started exporting and importing a sizable amount of goods. Railroads returned in the 2280’s. The rescue and patrol craft of Lake Superior bloomed into a sizable fleet to combat piracy. The number of universities rose from a handful to more than forty. Art appreciation grew. It was almost a full century of peace.
Arming for War (2365 – 2440)
Minnesota avoided being drawn into the War of the Three Fools, but the nature of the war changed the political landscape of Atlantic America. Quebec and Michigan started eyeing the unaligned territories around them, both expanding westward into Ontario and Wisconsin respectively. The Ohio states became the UCOV, and the Mississippi Empire became a threat.
Minnesota lost a significant amount of trade, and worry of conflict with neighbors lead to modernization and revitalization efforts for the army and navy. Threats off the Dakota territory, some purchased by outside agents to harass the republic, cause a number of skirmishes and punitive expeditions. For decades, war scares and diplomatic incidents cycled regularly across the headlines.
Minnesota never went to war with its neighbors, despite several instances where the spectre was raised, but the threat left Minnesota with an established and competent military that was ready for the coming conflict with the Imperial Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth War and Occupation
Minnesota was an early opponent of the Imperial Commonwealth and a signer of the Lexington Organization. When war broke out, Minnesota weathered the initial Quebecois attack, then proceeded to clear Lake Superior of enemy ships and invade Quebec’s western territories. The nation also sent an Expeditionary force east to fight in New York.
The Mississippi Empire’s betrayal was brutal. The force in New York surrendered in its entirely. Minnesota and Iowa lasted the 2454-55 winter only because of their position at the end of the Mississippi and Great Lakes waterways. When the ’55 campaign began, both nations fought valiantly but were ultimately conquered in less than four weeks.
Minnesota suffered as any nation that forced the Commonwealth to conquer it. The political and cultural elite were executed or exiled to camps in other continents. Thousands of soldiers were recruits into Commonwealth armies, others forced into labor services to rebuild the nation the Commonwealth had destroyed. Minnesota was no longer independent, and officially became part of the Kingdom of North Mississippi on February 10th, 2459.
Government
The Iron Republic’s government grew out of the traditions of the traditions of governance of the Iron Range. In those traditions, the communities elected senators to serve in the communal senate, to debate and pass measures, and appoint individuals to executive positions. The unique tradition of the Iron Republic was that only a former senator, elected by some constituent of the population, could be appointed to an executive position. This meant that any government initiative was controlled by someone who had served in the senate, who understood the legislative and electorate’s position.
Over the centuries this practice was codified into the constitution of the republic, a necessity when incorporated large swaths of Minnesota (which had little or no government) and annexing former enemy states (which often had strong executives). The Iron Republic considered the senator rule to be one of the reasons their state had surpassed their enemies, and refused to give up the rule despite several attempts to do so during many of the annexations.
By the time of the Golden Age, the Iron Republic government had reached its final form.
Legislature: The senate reached it’s largest size of 124 individuals, each senator representing a single city, town or county. The senate met every other month, each senator being elected for a four years term. By constitutional amendment, a senator could not serve more than 3 terms in a row, or five terms total. After serving on term, a senator was then able to be appoints to an executive position, or run for the Presidency.
Executive: Prior to 2218, the executive branch consisted of senators or former senators elected by the senate to positions for fixed terms. It was not until the necessity of a constitution forced the establishment of a permanent branch. The executive branch continued to adhere to the tradition that only standing or former senators could be selected to run a department, or elected to the Presidency.
The President was elected by the population at large to a single six-year term. He could not run again for two terms after leaving office. He selected his ministers, confirmed by the legislature.
Military
It was impossible for any successor state to survive without a standing force defending it. The Iron Republic followed the traditions of many of the successor states of combining a lot of their support functions, such as medical and supply arms, using staff from all branches to fill those ranks.
Minnesota Army
The Minnesota Army was often called the Iron Army or the Iron Republican Army. Despite the name, it drew on traditions of all the successor states of Minnesota, not just the IRR.
The Iron Army was built around the infantry formations, which were inherited from the absorbed successor states. There were either regiments, or battalions organized into brigades. These were paired into divisions, which could be assembled into corps and armies when needed.
Cavalry squadrons and artillery batteries were attached at the higher headquarters levels.
Minnesota Navy
The Minnesota Navy was split into two formation, one on Lake Superior and one on the rivers, mainly focused on the Mississippi River.
The Lake Superior Fleet was built to sweep the lake of pirates, largely funded and supported by Quebec for economic purposes. The fleet never built capital ships, but their cruisers were aggressive and capable.
The River Fleet held several ironclads and numerous small, rail-transportable gunboats that could move to where they were needed.
Not many ships survived the Commonwealth War. What did was taken over by the new Kingdom of North Mississippi. All were replaced within the first ten years of the kingdom’s existence.
Minnesota Air Force
The Minnesota Air Force was never much more than a handful of planes organized to support the campaigns on the ground and the sea. Limited by the lack of stable fuel and slow rediscovery of technology, the MAF maxed out at thirty-seven aircraft, mostly two-person observation aircraft supported by a handful of transports and a few air superiority fighters for defense. The pilots and maintenance staff who survived the war were absorbed into the Commonwealth air forces.
Economics
*Coming Soon*