People's Party of Bretonia

People's Party of Bretonia (PPB)
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Origin	Bretonia
Alignment	Unlawful
Profile
Date of founding	June 9th 752 A.S.
Founder(s)	unknown
Current leader(s)	Sean Glamis
Base of operations	unknown
Primary role
Overthrowing the monarchist government

Over the centuries, many left-wing parties have existed in Bretonia. Social Democrats, Socialists - even Communists. Their date of founding has never lain far from their end. They have won and lost elections; but eventually, they all failed. One of these parties however, was thrust into a fight for its survival by the most tragic of all circumstances: War. This is the history of the People's Party of Bretonia.

History

The United Unions

The situation on Planet Leeds has always been dire for the working population. Constant, health-crushing pollution, working conditions that could only be described as hostile and the lowest wages of the entire Bretonian Quadrant earned the Planet a well-deserved tragic reputation.
Yet, it was the backbone of the King's Empire. The Majority of all Bretonian Goods, Machines and Weapons were produced there. It was obvious to anyone - even an outsider - that a general strike by the working population would shake the Kingdom to its very core. Workers' Unions were thus under constant observation, tight control and the threat of severe punishment - even disbandment, were they to violate the Crown's Laws.
In 723, after the export boom to the recovering Reich of Rheinland had ended, after wages were lowered and workers let go, many of the Planet's Unions sought to become part of a common organization could help them to better manage their representation. Be it to coordinate strikes or employ a common professional legal department to protect them, the workers recognized the safety of numbers.
It was in this year's 3rd of September, that the United Worker's Unions of Leeds (UWUL) was founded. At first, the organization claimed success. Striking workers could be legally protected and the increase of protests put a crushing pressure on the Planet's authorities to improve the conditions for the working population.
In time however, instead of answering the justified demands of the UWUL, the government established a new law that specifically prohibited the interconnection of unrelated workers' unions thus banning the UWUL only three years after it was founded.
It was then that the UWUL's administration and the workers they represented acknowledged that true change could only be achieved on a political level.

The People's Party of Leeds

With the passion of an enraged population at their backs, the former administration of the UWUL quickly formed the foundation of a new party. A party that wouldn't be dedicated to a realm, to finance or to a single man - like all the others were - but to the people. The People of Leeds and eventually, the People of Bretonia.
In 728, the People's Party of Leeds (PPL) was officially founded and ready to contest the planetary election of 730. Even though it just had been founded, it surged to become the second strongest power in planetary parliament with an impressive 28.3 % of the vote. It was kept in opposition however, by a concerted effort of the established parties. Unable to find coalition partners, the PPL entered the opposition. In particular, the Labour Party feared that it would loose much of its powerbase to the PPL if the voters would feel that the PPL would be more progressive and efficient than they were.
Despite these initial difficulties, the PPL was still able to continue gaining popular support. In opposition, the PPL continued to poll well by complaining about the failings of the current government while in the spotlight of media attention as an opposition party. Two terms later, in 738, the PPL became the strongest party with 36% of the vot, growing largely to the detriment of the Labour party. Out of all established parties, only the opportunists of the liberal party dared to form a coaltion, joining the new government.
What many of the PPL thought to be the greatest day in the existence of their party, would later be recognized as the first day of its inevitable stagnation. While the new government under the control of the PPL enacted several laws to take the pressure off of the unions, enforce a minimum wage and a introduce mandatory public health insurance for every citizen of Leeds, these programs came at a cost.
These changes were favourably perceived by the brought population in the beginning, but it soon became clear that the Party had no real means to finance these social benefits and thus were piling up huge amounts of planetary debt.
This development attracted more than just negative attention from New London. Planet Cambridge already was in debt, New London not even barely profitable, and now even Leeds' books were written in red ink.
Crown and imperial parties threatened the PPL several times to let go of their social agenda and to make sure that the planet would be profitable again and did everything they could to sabotage the PPL's image as anti patriotic and dangerous to the realm. Surveys indicated that both governing parties of Leeds had lost more than 50% of its voters as a consequence. After three years of the term had passed, the liberal party that just had rubber-stamped every of the PPL's laws, made its final move to somehow get out of this coalition without losing half its voters, left the coalition and did everything they could to sabotage any attempts of the PPL to get any further laws passed through parliament.
After a final smear campaign was staged against the governor that showed him in luxury hotel with a prostitute only months before the election and with the King constantly supporting their opponents the PPL suffered a crushing defeat, only gaining 12.4% of the vote.

The People's Party of Bretonia

The PPL never recovered. In the aftermath of their defeat, one third of their members left in order to join the Labour Party. A long period of internal turmoil broke out. Party chairmen changed on an almost yearly basis. Never again should the PPL receive a result of over 10% of the vote.
However, ten years later, in 752, the party had finally finished to fight over the causes of their political decline and settled on a road map to get into power again.
They found that not their own social policies were to blame for their failure, but established parties, the higher classes and the crown its self. Never in history passed a year where Planet New London didn't create debt and others had to pay it. While it lay in the nature of Planet of Cambridge as a research and agricultural centre to be in the need of support, the rich and under-taxed population of New London, embodied by the King him self, were the ones who lived on the backs of Leeds' simple citizens.
The consensus within the PPL was, that in an effort to avoid being backstabbed by the empire on a planet, one would have to have an influence on the empire its self.

In June 9th 752, the People's Party of Bretonia was founded.

The PPB never achieved true popularity. Its image was still damaged. It was perceived as anti patriotic, hostile towards the crown and simply too incompetent and dangerous for the Bretonian economy. Since the party's supporters weren't the Lords of New London, Industrial representatives of Leeds or successful Professors but only the poor Unions, it never managed to launch an efficient campaign and thus never managed to get more than 5% at any Imperial election.

Ban, Escape & Refuge

Only one year after the war started, surveys showed that the PPB climbed up to 7% as the situation of the working class in the ongoing war became worse with every month that passed. Many were forced to work in the armament industry, first overtime wasn't paged, then only a small percentage of the entire wage would be paid if at all. At the elections in 817, the PPB reached an earthshaking increase of 8% to 15% of the vote.
The Crown and its ruling Royalist Party saw this with great concern. If the PPB would continue to encourage strikes and riots across the planets of the empire, The war effort would be in danger and the House of Bretonia could face imminent defeat.
Shortly after the election, a massive general strike on Planet Leeds escalated into a violent riot when the BPA attempted to dissolve the protests. Many protesters were killed in the ensuing street riot and sought refuge in the several party headquarters of the PPB on Leeds as the BPA wasn't allowed to enter any political installation without a proper court order - not even under probable cause.
The Royalist government saw a chance to use this incident to ban the PPB and thus deal a huge blow to the worker movements and further ensure the smooth function of the running armament industry on Leeds.

In April 21st 817, the PPB was banned for harbouring enemies of the Empire, Obstruction of Justice and conspiring against the Crown of Bretonia.

The Volksfront Protects

The BPA didn't waste any time. Only hours after the law was ratified, police raids were launched against all Party Headquarters and Facilities across the Empire and all Party Members caught were imprisoned and charged with treason.
Shortly before the raids, the PPB members and privileged supporters made an organized attempt to flee from their respective planets into open space, seeking refuge on stations that weren't under direct Bretonian Influence: Freeport 1, Cardiff, Trafalgar & the Hood. Every IMG base, however, was raided.

Out of over 150.000 party members, only 4000 managed to escape.

The refugees tried their best to organize them self on Trafalgar and the Freeport 1. But seeing as they had neither any financial resources nor connections, their situation seemed utterly hopeless.
The acting party leader, Sean Glamis, formally head of the legal department of the PPB, tried his best to keep the refugees organized and to establish connections to any space born supporters.
While both Junkers seemed rather supportive agreed to supply the refugees with food as what they mast have seen as an investment, the IMG and Zoners who were harboring the remnants of the Party, grew impatient after a few days and demanded that a rent would have to be paid if they were to extend the stay of the refugees. However, the main issue for Glamis wasn't overstaying his welcome at the Mining Stations and Freeports but simply the fact that his followers were far too exposed on them.
He grew desperate and didn't really know what to do. It seemed like the PPB would have to be disbanded in order for the refugees to be able to survive as Miners, Zoners, Junkers or even Bounty Hunters.
Surprisingly though, Glamis, who never had such a crushing responsibility to bare, reached out to find a solution to his problem: In an attempt to hide the remaining party members, he managed to contact the head of the Mollys and to convince him that the party would support all and any efforts of the Mollys in the future, should they grant them refuge. The separatists excepted.
It was clear to Glamis, however, that he couldn't ask for anything more from the Mollys, at least not for now.
As part of his long term strategy of the survival of the political entity that the PPB was, he reached out to the only other organization in the entire Sirius sector that had to suffer through the an equally dire situation and followed similar goals: the Bundschuh.
The Bundschuh wasn't nearly as strong in numbers as the PPB was right now. However, it had an excellent infrastructure, was well funded by social connections and their Paramilitary wing, the Volksfront, was disciplined, well trained in what they were doing and most importantly: experienced.
Against all of Glamis' expectations, he managed to strike a deal that would ensure the continued financial support of the PPB as a political underground movement.
The Bundschuh would pay food and shelter for the Refugees at Freeport 1 and on Trafalgar for two years, until the PPB would be able to look out for its self and repay the favor in the future.
But Glamis didn't fool him self. He knew that his party had absolutely no knowledge of how to survive as a space-born operation. It was for that very reason that he also asked to have the protecting umbrella of the Volksfront extended to the PPB. After he sent this proposal, a heated discussion ensued within the Command structure of the Volksfront and thus the Bundschuh as whole. In the end however, the pro-sirian wing within the Bundschuh prevailed, arguing that not only would this be an investment that would pay out ten times over, but that it would also increase the likely hood of a popular revolution in one of the houses and thus benefit the Bundschuh's cause in the long run.
After they officially agreed, the Volksfront redeploy three fighter squads as well as the Gunships "Volkswille" and "Freiheit" to and Trafalgar and various molly bases, in order to provide immediate Protection. Another 130 PPB members were brought to Bruchsal and Bielefeld right away, to receive a crash course in guerrilla warfare, space born public relations and dog fighting.
Two months later, another 130 Party members were transferred to be properly educated as drill sergeants, teachers and officer trainers in an effort to further increase independence of the PPB's Volksfront divisions, later known as western Volksfront, from the Bundschuh. However, all these perks came at a high price.
- The PPB had to provide 300 conscripts over the course of the next ten years to migrate into Rheinland's Volksfront. - Both the PPB's and the Bundschuh's Volksfront divisions would have to be placed under a common High Command. Needless to say, that it would take at least 5 years for even a single Bretonian to make it this far in the command chain.
- Any leader of the PPB would have to swear at his initiation to support the Bundschuh and if at all possible invade Rheinland, should the PPB succeed in overthrowing the Monarch and ruling Bretonia, just as the Bundschuh Vorstand would have to swear to carry out the same oath, should he succeed to seize power at home.

Glamis agreed.

Current Affairs

In the last two years, the PPB has understaken numerous steps to make the western Volksfront more independent from its home division in Rheinland. In late 818, the western VF finally managed to deploy more Bretonian than Rheinland officers in its service. With the next wave of Bretonian Academy Graduates arriving from Bielefeld University in the upcoming year, most of the eastern VF personnel will finally be able to redeploy to Rheinland, save a hand full of advisory and communication officers.
The western VF made significant progress in building its funding infrastructure by establishing a well thought out schedule to deploy lane hacking squads at vital Bretonian supply lines.
It is yet far away from being able to engage the BPA or even the BAF in full force heads on. The first recources for building up a strategic strike force could be provided in early 818. However, the young recruits and acadamy graduates don't have nearly enough experience to challenge a force that has been regularly sent through the hellfires of the taus for years. Reliance on the eastern advisory officers is still great and will take its time to nullify.

Diplomacy

Faction	Relationship
Bundschuh	Allied
Mollys	Friendly
Independent Miners Guild	Friendly
Bounty Hunters Guild	At War
Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing	At War
Border World Exports	At War
Bretonia Police Authority	At War
Bretonia Armed Forces	At War

Staging Grounds

• Molly Destroyer, New London
• Arranmore Base, Dublin
• Lisburn Rock, Cambridge

Player Factions

VF) - Volksfront

The armed forces of the Bundschuh party and the People's Party of Bretonia, the Volksfront are dedicated to protecting the Rheinland people at any cost, from enemies within or without. More recently they also started waging guerrilla warfare against the Bretonian crown.

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