Neubayern: History

5542-5599AD Corporate Hegemony.

After the Concordat of Topas, the power of the Big Six seemed more entrenched than ever. Interstellar trade blossomed, and Neubayern’s economy expanded at an astonishing rate. Large corporation became increasingly important as national and bloc governments sank into corruption, complacency and corporate cronyism.

Unbridled capitalism allowed foreign corporations to gain extensive interests in the local economy. Soon it was the corporations, rather than the governments that wielded real power.

Neubayern in 5599AD was a nightmare “cyberpunk” world, where the poverty-stricken masses were crushed beneath the heel of an uncaring, super-rich corporate élite. An élite whose masters were often parsecs away on Serendip Belt, New Home or Esperanza. The situation was ripe for a resurgence of communism.

5600-5627AD World Revolution.

Between 5600AD and 5610AD capitalism was swept away in a series of popular revolts, minor wars and bloody purges. Pacifika was the first to fall; a violent coup overthrew the government on New Year’s day 5600AD. The coup leader was a young graduate student named Karl Hoganstein.

Hoganstein’s “New Year’s Address”, with the one-hundred storey Serendip Belt Corp. tower burning in the background, inspired downtrodden workers across the World. It remains one of the finest orations ever recorded. Hoganstein’s speech lit the fires of a world revolution. Once Pacifika, was firmly under the control of “the People”, Hoganstein set about using its resources to support the thousands of revolutionaries who had rallied to his cause, across the planet.

By 5610AD the communists’ victory was total. In 5612AD the “Convention” merged all states and nationalised all corporate assets. Hoganstein is now the “People’s Commissar of the Communist Party of Neubayern”. The Commission which he leads, is one of the most popular governments in all the Islands Clusters.

Hoganstein never flinches from condemning the imperialism and hypocrisy of other worlds’ governments. Neubayern’s neighbours watch uneasily as the People’s Navy of Neubayern waxes in power, and as vocal communist groups begin to challenge their own authority closer to home.