The Waterloo Confederacy was a nation-state of Atlantic America that encompassed most of Iowa and into surrounding states. Often synonymous with Iowa, the Confederacy was briefly an aggressive conquering nation before a series of set backs pushed them back to their own territory. The Confederacy died with the end of the Commonwealth War, and its territory became part of the Kingdom of North Mississippi.

History

Iowa entered the 22nd century in complete chaos. During this chaos the Church of Grace was formed, the details of its founding long lost to myth. The Church did allow for a return to a community-based culture, and soon Iowa was a breadbasket. The communities organized into the Waterloo Confederacy by the 23rd Century, as a defensive organization rather than an imperial one.

Iowa’s wealth of food made it a target for raids from many of its neighbors, resulting in the rise of the Confederacy’s political and military power. This power conquered or bullied neighbors into compliance until the War of Iron Wills with Minnesota. Only after Minnesota troops burned through half the state did those in power fall and the state returned to peace.

The Confederacy remained a breadbasket, producing a significant amount of food for its neighbors. During the Commonwealth War, Iowa sent out a huge portion of its population, with troops fighting in every theater, and therefor cut off when the Mississippi Empire switched side. Iowa fell to the Commonwealth early in 2457 and became incorporated into the new Kingdom of North Mississippi.

Government

The Waterloo Confederate Government was on paper very weak. Every constituent community – from broad county to moderate city – elected representatives to the Confederate Legislature. The Legislature would appoint temporary executives to fulfill the roles of government as needed, but always with expiration dates and no allowances for immediate reappointment.

During the War of Iron Wills, the Legislature came under the rule of Church of Grace hardliners who kept the government at war with the neighbors to the north, who added more permanent functions to the government. With the end of the war and return of the moderates, a new revised constitution removed some of these functions and retained others, mostly keeping those that had to do with trade and economy, to keep Iowa prosperous and amongst her neighbors.

Military

The Waterloo Confederate Military was always reliant on heavy drafts of manpower to make up for the lack of industry and manufacturing.

The largest was of course the army. Every community had at least one active regiment and one reserve regiment, and many had multiple at each. These regiments were banded into community brigades or even divisions. At higher levels, divisions, army corps and field armies were designated and staffed by the legislature, ensuring their loyalty to the country as a whole.

The navy was no more than a handful of revenue cutters and river monitors, and Iowa never fielded more than a handful of airplanes for reconnaissance or liaison duties.

Economy

For the entirety of its existence, the Waterloo Confederacy was an agricultural breadbasket, feeding not only its own population but many of its neighbors as well. Some minor industries evolved to supply the farms with the necessary tools for farming, but never grew large enough to begin exporting their crafts.