Commonwealth of Man
The Commonwealth of Man, commonly known as the Commonwealth, is an interstellar government organised as a military dictatorship. The primary population of the Commonwealth are Humans, who evolved on Earth. The population of the Commonwealth is notable for its intense militarism and distrust of foreign influences. The Commonwealth is a military dictatorship, ruled by a Grand Marshal who is elected for life. The admiralty holds particularly strong political influence in the Commonwealth, and its society is permeated by a strong sense of national pride. Diplomatically, the Commonwealth considers Humans the undisputed rulers of the galaxy, and aggressively expands its borders in order to accomplish this.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Government
The Commonwealth of Man is structured as a unitary military dictatorship. It is typically classified as an authoritarian mixed-market autocracy, with low-to-moderate levels of corruption.Executive power is vested in the Grand Marshal of the Commonwealth, who is both the head of state and head of government. The Grand Marshal has significant, nearly unlimited, power over the apparatus of state and rules by decree, and is appointed for life. The position is aided by the Commonwealth Colonial Council, which consists of high-ranking military officers and Human Development Group leaders. The Colonial Council is responsible for implementing the decrees of the Grand Marshal and selecting a new Grand Marshal upon their retirement or death.
The Commonwealth is effectively a one-party state, with the one legal political entity being the Human Development Group. The Grand Marshal and Colonial Council act as its head, with the Central Executive Committee acting as a quasi-legislative body for both the Human Development Group and the Commonwealth of Man. Although the CEC permits some internal debate and feedback on decrees, ultimately they unanimously pass any legislation put forward by the Secretariat. The Human Development Group is also responsible for the dissemination of Commonwealth state ideology: human supremacism, militarism, and state service.
Planetary governors are appointed by the Grand Marshal and Colonial Council, and serve at their pleasure. They are given extensive authority and autonomy to carry out whatever development they see fit. However, they are subject to review by the Colonial Council, and can be recalled at any time for any reason. This power is uncommonly exercised, typically used in order to remove an unpopular governor after protests.
History
Ulysses Initiative
The history of the Commonwealth began on the planet Earth, in the latter half of the 21st century (UNE standard calendar). With increasing levels of climate change and political instability, the planet was in general chaos compared to the relative stability of the early 21st century. In 2082 CE, a distortion was identified at the edge of the Sol System's Kuiper Belt. Upon closer examination by unmanned probes, the distortion was revealed to be a wormhole. Further probes sent through the wormhole itself identified strong evidence of a habitable planet on the other side. Despite the global instability, the United Nations and the International Space Agency created the Ulysses Initiative in order to settle the newly-discovered planet. Six great ark ships were constructed over the following decade, and 1.5 million colonists were selected.In 2095 CE, the six ark ships, each carrying a quarter million colonists each, were launched from low-Earth orbit. The colonists were cryogenically frozen while the command crew piloted the ships through the wormhole. However, on the other side of the wormhole, only one ship reached its intended destination. Ark Ship Chrysanthemum (ISA-05) arrived in the Deneb System, touching down at its intended destination of Deneb IIb, which was named Unity.
Deneb IIb
The early days of the Chrysanthemum colony were haphazard. The 250,000 colonists were left without many resources that were onboard the five missing colony ships, which included many critical infrastructure supplies. Despite this, the colonists were able to ration their resources to create a self-sustaining colony on the planet. A city was constructed around the landed Chrusantheum, named Unity Prime, and the population rapidly expanded through aggressive population planning. Throughout its century of isolation, it achieved a remarkable average population growth rate of 6% per year.Denebian Conflicts
However, the Human colonists quickly discovered that they were not alone on Unity. They soon came into contact with an intelligent species, Iron Age reptilians they called the Denebians. The Denebians had divided the planet into a large number of feudal realms, not unlike a millennia prior on Earth. Even before communications had been established by the Unity Prime government and local kings, outlying Human settlements and explorers had come into conflict with the Denebians. Sizable numbers of colonists had seized various Denebian settlements by force using their vastly superior technology, and in some cases had perpetrated massacres.These annexations and massacres significantly marred initial diplomatic relations between Unity Prime and the Denebians. Although other Denebian kings were happy to see their rivals eliminated, they understood the grave danger that highly advanced conquerers posed. Throughout the first several years of contact, simple communications were established between the two species, but no translations were made. When several agricultural areas around Unity Prime experienced a crop failure in 2097 CE, the Denebians refused to provide food to the Humans. In response, various 'colonial militias' were formed by frontier settlers, who raided and massacred any Denebian settlements they came across. In response, a coalition of Denebian feudal lords assembled large hosts, and marched into Human territory, killing anyone they came across.
Word of these massacres reached Unity Prime, which organised its military units to fight off the Denebians. While the Denebians enjoyed a massive numerical advantage, the Humans had a clear technological edge. Although they lacked the war machines of Earth, Human military units refitted all-terrain vehicles, drones, and helicopters with ballistic weapons and missiles. Between their superior firepower, mobility, and communications, the Humans utterly devastated the Denebians. However, they didn't stop with just the armies. The Humans swarmed into nearby kingdoms, massacring every Denebian they could find, and securing their resources.
Unity Emergency Government
By 2101 CE, six years after planetfall, millions of Denebians had been killed, either by Unity Prime's military actions, Human citizen militia, or famine caused by the firebombing of food supplies. Despite this, there were still attempts to make peace with the Denebians. The Captain of the Chrysanthemum, who had been leading the colony, attempted on numerous occasions to defuse tensions between the species. However, during one of his peace negotiations, his party was ambushed and massacred by a large force of Denebians. With the captain and numerous high-ranking officers dead, the Deputy Head of Security, Raul Valdez assumed command of the colony. Although there were several non-security officers technically ahead of the Deputy in the line of succession, the backing of the colony's security forces guaranteed his position as leader.In response to the killing of the captain and command crew, Valdez declared an Emergency Government. Backed by the colony's security forces, he was given unlimited power to ensure the safety of the Human population on Unity. This was a move largely supported by the colonists, who were increasingly beleagured by Denebian raids deep into Human territory. Valdez also formalised the creation of colonial militias, as well as professional military units. He was supported by Jayadeva Upalekar, a retired general that had served in the United States Marine Corps on Earth for most of his life. As such, General Upalekar was made head of the newly-established Colonial Marines.
Denebian Pacification Campaign
Later that year, Unity Prime had faced several major setbacks in its campaign against the Denebians. Its working population had been reduced through violence, disease, starvation, and accidents, while the youngest children of the colony were still too young to noticably help. In addition, the majority of Denebian society had unified against Unity Prime, and a major war looked to be on the horizon - one the colonists could ill afford. However, Human reconnaissance had observed a major occurrance in Denebian society. An extremely virulent and deadly disease had begun sweeping through the population, beginning in areas closest to Human settlement. As Denebian society was highly connected through trade, the disease had already spread to much of the planet by the time it was noticed by Human researchers. Upon examination of deceased Denebians, it was discovered that the disease was a heavily mutated variant of the Human viral infection known as the Common Cold. Humans were evidently unable to be infected by this mutated virus, which had adapted to Denebian physiology.Over the following decades, Denebian society collapsed as millions died. Although records provided by the Commonwealth of Man are heavily redacted, the United Nations of Earth's Pre-FTL Protection Agency estimates that half of the Denebian population, or approximately 100 million individuals, were killed by this virus during the period 2100-2120 CE. This was coupled with several particularly bad global droughts, which were estimated to have killed another 40 million individuals through famine during that same timeframe. With the majority of their population dead, the Denebians were unable to resist Human expansion into previously strongly-held territory. A large number of Denebians attempted to hold a major religious site in 2124 CE, but were massacred by Human forces, along with the civilians present.
By 2140 CE, it is estimated that over 99% of the Denebian population had died. All that remained of their civilization were isolated holdouts and the stone buildings they had left behind, many of which were razed by the Unity Prime colony in order to construct new buildings. Most of the records surrounding the Denebian Pacification Campaign (named by the Commonwealth, referred to as the Denebian Genocide by many scholars and politicians within the UNE) were sealed, and individuals involved in the campaigns took oaths of silence. Due to this, it is difficult to acquire specific information about this period of Commonwealth history.
Post-Denebian Unity
As the Denebian threat to the colony began to lessen, the Emergency Government because less sustainable. However, due to its success in defending the colonists and allowing them to claim Unity as their own world, the military government was viewed very favourably by the population. In 2138 CE, a large number of generals, aspiring politicians, intellectuals, landholders, and business interests assembled with Acting Captain Raul Valdez to discuss the future political situation of the colony. The first generation of Unity-born Humans had come of age, and the second generation were being born at the time, so the question of what the Unity Prime colony was to be was a serious one. Although there was a minority that favoured a democratic system similar to the one the United Nations had been attempting on Earth, the majority favoured an autocratic system. Raul Valdez was made into the Grand Marshal of the Commonwealth of Man, and an advisory council was established to support him.In the latter half of the 22nd century, the Commonwealth experienced exponential population growth, expanding to cover most of Unity. While simple rockets had launched satellites since the earliest days of the colony, manned spaceflight took off around 2150 CE. Mining stations were established over New Luna, the Deneb Belt, and several other planets within the system, while Jackson's Planet became home to a major engineering research facility.
The Commonwealth developed its first hyper drive in 2207, commissioning the science ship CNS Pathfinder as the first manned hyperspace-capable ship.
Demographics
The population of the Commonwealth of Man is predominately Human. Other species are not permitted citizenship, or are outright enslaved within Commonwealth space. Tzynn, Xani, and Vheln are the most common slave species, while Voor and Yondar make up the majority of non-Human residents. Although a majority of the population lives in the developed core sector, a higher population lives in frontier sectors than other comparable empires. This is due to the strong national identity as a colonial nation, the Human nomadic desire, and significant government incentives. Many of these outlying worlds are poorly-developed, with very low population densities and poor infrastructure.Humans are advantaged in the Commonwealth socio-economic system, with access to genetic healthcare and social welfare. As such, Humans live a decade or two past their typical life expectancies. Slaves are not as fortunate, especially chattel slaves, who are often mistreated or subject to brutal conditions. Migration to the Commonwealth is uncommon, except from the Voor Technocracy and Kingdom of Yondarim, and limited numbers of Humans from the United Nations of Earth.
Economy
The Commonwealth of Man is a medium-sized, industrial, semi-mixed-market economy. It features a large private sector, although large corporations are subject to oversight by the Commonwealth government. The economic system has been described as similar to corporatism or party-state capitalism from 20th and 21st-century CE Earth history. Human citizens of the Commonwealth are granted access to social welfare programs, such as free education and healthcare, but residents and slaves are denied these services. Unemployment benefits are modest, but the Commonwealth government offers several work programs to keep unemployment as low as possible.Heavy industry is concentrated in the Commonwealth's core sector, while outlying worlds are much more rural and underdeveloped. While corporations are the primary drivers of economic growth in the core sector, the frontier is dominated by smaller landholders and homesteaders. The exception to this is mining and energy generation, which is usually conducted by government or private corporations. The Commonwealth has also constructed a number of space habitats throughout its space. Many of these habitats specialise in asteroid mining, scientific research, or supplemental military operations.
Society
Commonwealth society is defined by the colonial spirit inherited from the pioneers that stepped off of the Chrysanthemum. From a young age, Commonwealthers are taught the virtues of hard work, self-sufficiency, and loyalty. Militarism and Human supremacy are the twin pillars of Commonwealth state ideology, which permeate through society thanks to the efforts of the Human Development Group. A significant portion of the Human population are members of the HDG, due to the generous benefits membership brings.While the military maintains total control over the Commonwealth's state apparatus, outside of politics, Humans are somewhat free to live as they see fit. Citizens are encouraged to take entrepreneurial risks in starting businesses, or to settle farmsteads on newly-colonised worlds. This combination of loyalty to the state and a hierarchical military structure, combined with an emphasis on 'rugged individualism' and risk-taking can often seem confusing to outsiders, but it is in fact in line with the goals of the state. Between youth indoctrination through the Young Pioneers, mandatory military service upon becoming an adult, the Human Development Group offering material benefits for membership, and extensive state psychological shaping programs, dissent is fairly low in the Commonwealth.
While Humans are advantaged in Commonwealth society, enjoying high quality services and welfare, other species are universally viewed as lesser. Certain species such as Voor and Yondar are allowed to migrate, but are permanently denied rights to citizenship. They may own property and create businesses, but have significantly fewer rights and avenues of redress than Humans. Species without residency permits are subject to enslavement, and the Commonwealth permits citizens and residents to own slaves. The majority of slaves work as chattel slaves, and are particularly present in the agricultural and mining fields. Around forty percent of slaves are domestic servants, who often reside directly with their masters and perform less physically intensive work. Slaves are treated poorly in the Commonwealth, with very limited access to services that even residents receive. Many live in cramped, squalid conditions, and are subject to violence by their masters.
Military
A highly militarised society, the Commonwealth fields one of the largest militaries in the galaxy. The Grand Marshal is recruited from the ranks of the military, typically the Commonwealth Colonial Navy. The Admiralty occupies a powerful position in Commonwealth politics, second only to the Grand Marshal. As such, the Navy receives significant investment and the best recruits, keeping it cutting edge and highly competitive with peer powers. On the other hand, the Commonwealth Colonial Marines receive significantly less funding than the fleet. Despite this funding disparity, the Colonial Marines are highly regarded as a formidable fighting force.The Commonwealth military is comprised of three types of manpower: permanent professional volunteers, temporary conscripts, and military clones. The core of the military, and virtually all of the officers, are professional career volunteers. They typically serve for several decades, and receive prominent positions in the public or private sector after retirement. Every Commonwealth citizen is expected to serve for three years upon turning eighteen, typically in the military but deferments for civil service can be arranged by the HDG. Following their mandatory conscription period, Commonwealth citizens undergo refresher courses every few years, and can be called up in the event of war, for both defensive and offensive operations. Many citizens elect to join Colonial Militia units, a subsection of the Marines that acts as a dual reserve/militia unit.
The concept of military clones was controversial when first introduced, but has since become an important manpower-saving facet of the Commonwealth military. DNA samples are taken from every Commonwealth citizen, and the best combinations of genetics are stored to create quickly-bred, highly conditioned, and loyal clones. Cloning operations are slowed during peacetime, but during wartime clones can comprise up to half of the Commonwealth's active manpower. Military clones live for just under decade before rapidly declining in health, and are considered the property of the Commonwealth of Man for their entire lifespan.
Ad astra per aspera
Founding Date
2096 CE (Unity Prime Colony)
2101 CE (Unity Emergency Government)
2138 CE (Commonwealth of Man)
2101 CE (Unity Emergency Government)
2138 CE (Commonwealth of Man)
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
Commonwealth, CoM
Demonym
Commonwealther
Leader Title
Government System
Dictatorship
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Subsidiary Organizations
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Related Species
Amicable
Cordial
Poor
Neither friends nor enemies, the UNE and Commonwealth find common ground in their shared humanity and opposition of the expansionist Tzynn Empire. Beyond that, they have little reason to approve of each other. The UNE is especially critical of the slavery policy of the Commonwealth, as well as its stated goal of galactic domination.
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