People's Party of Bretonia

People's Party of Bretonia (PPB)
Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination
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 Federalist 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 Federalist party. Out of all established parties, only the opportunists of the Democratic 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 negative attention from across the empire. With Planet Cambridge already in debt, New London barely profitable, and now even Leeds' books written in red ink, the ruling echelon of the empire grew increasingly concerned about Leeds' upstarts.
Crown and imperial parties threatened the PPL several times to abandon their social agenda, ensuring Leeds' continued profitability, but the PPL refused to budge. Determined to set things right, these groups began to publicly decry the anti-patriotism and foolishness of the party. Eventually, polls indicated that both of the governing coalition parties had lost more than 50% of their support as a consequence of this path. After three years of the term had passed, the Democratic party that just had rubber-stamped every of the PPL's laws, left the coalition and did everything they could to sabotage the PPL's ability to pass further legislation.
After a final smear campaign was staged against the premier of Leeds, showing him in a luxury hotel with a prostitute only months before the election, and with the King constantly supporting their opponents, the PPL suffered a crushing defeat, dropping to a mere 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 Federalist Party. A long period of internal turmoil broke out. Party chairmen changed on an almost yearly basis. Never again would the PPL receive more than 10% of the vote.
However, ten years later, in 752, the party had finally stopped infighting for a long enough period to establish a road map to get into power again.
They believed that it was not their social policies were to blame for their failure, but established parties, the higher classes and the crown itself. Every year, New London created debt - forcing the weaker systems to pay it. While it lay in the nature of Planet of Cambridge as a research and agricultural centre to be relatively revenue neutral, the rich and under-taxed population of New London, embodied by the King himself, lived on the backs of Leeds' simple citizens.
Once again, the PPL acknowledged the need to reach into higher places to effect changes, this time they sought to have an influence on the empire itself.

On 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 Lords of New London, Industrial representatives of Leeds or successful Professors of Cambridge - only the poor Unions, they never managed to launch an efficient campaign, never getting more than 5% of the vote at any Imperial election. All that changed, when an event, unforeseen by any in the empire, served to unite the PPB in a way they'd never imagined.

Ban, Escape & Refuge

Only one year after the war started, polls showed the PPB climbing up to 7% support as the situation of the working class in the ongoing war worsened with every month. Many were forced to work in the armament industry, often without overtime; Eventually, only a small portion of the wages would be paid - if at all. At the elections in 817, the PPB achieved an earthshaking doubling of their support to 15% of the vote.
The Crown and its ruling Royalist Party witnessed this revival with great concern. If the PPB could 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 some sought refuge in the party offices of the PPB on Leeds; The BPA barred from entering 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 workers' movements - further ensuring the smooth function of the Leeds' wartime industry.

On 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 offices across the Empire and all Party Members detained were imprisoned and charged with treason.
Shortly before the raids, certain PPB members and privileged supporters saw enough of the writing on the wall to make 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 themselves on Trafalgar and the Freeport 1. But seeing as they had neither financial resources nor any remaining political 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 with any spaceborne supporters.
While the Junkers seemed rather supportive, agreeing to supply the refugees with food in what they must have seen as an investment, the IMG and Zoners harboring the remnants of the Party grew impatient after a few days and demanded that a rent be paid if the refugees were to extend their stay. 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 that 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.
In a last desperate gasp, Glamis, who never had to bear such a heavy responsibility, reached out to 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 accepted.
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 suffered through an equally dire situation: the Bundschuh.
The Bundschuh wasn't nearly as strong in numbers as the PPB was right now, but they had an excellent infrastructure and were well funded by their social connections. Their paramilitary wing, the Volksfront, were experienced with great training and discipline.
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 for food and shelter for the Refugees at Freeport 1 and on Trafalgar for two years, hoping that after that time the PPB would be able to look out for its self and repay the favor in the future.
Glamis didn't fool himself. 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 aegis of the Volksfront extended to the PPB. After he sent this proposal, a heated discussion ensued within the Command structure of the Volksfront and Bundschuh as a whole. In the end however, the pro-sirian wing of the Bundschuh prevailed, arguing that not only would this be an investment that would pay out ten times over, but that an increase of democracy and socialism in Sirius could only benefit the Bundschuh's cause in the long run.
After they officially agreed, the Volksfront redeployed three fighter squads as well as the Gunships "Volkswille" and "Freiheit" to Trafalgar and the 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, spaceborne 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

Over the last two years, the PPB has undertaken 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 return to Rheinland, save a hand full of advisory and communication officers.
The western VF has made significant progress in building its funding infrastructure by establishing a well thought out protocol 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. While the supplies and manpower needed for a strike are just becoming available now, it would be suicide for the party. 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.

Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Volksfront Wiki Volksfront - Bundschuh - LPFE - PPB Forum Feedback - Recruitment - Message Dump - Foreign Relations Office Characters Freya Eistochter - Josef Marks - Lisa Fiedler - Hagen von Seelenburg - Tearloch Sommerville