The Kingdom of Atlas
Introduction:
The Great Empire of the World, Atlas after the great war has become the world's near-only military, the master of the world's communication and the Major Economic power. It's the leading producer of technology and the world's most well-known and feared Kingdom. It came into power after Mantle's defeat in the great war. Where it tried to defeat the Grimm by purging all notions of self-expression and Freedom. When the world was recovering and de-arming. Atlas was seizing power and military status, even going so far as to make their headmaster and top general the same position. It was also the world's second Democracy, with its subject City Whitecliffe being the first. Spreading across the Globe, the Atlas military is in every Kingdom and protects them. Spreading their technology and prosperity with the other Kingdoms. However, that is all a Patriot have you focus on. As the Kingdom of Atlas for all of its greatness casts a great Shadow over the world of Remnant. With a Robust and enriched Oligarchal Class, the host control of the Schnee Dust Company and plagued by the shadows of Slavery. Atlas is beset by Autocracy and Racism that goes on to spread and intoxicate the other kingdoms. In many ways, people see Atlas as the Continuation of the Evils of War Time Mantle, yet most of the world is incapable of counteracting Atlas' influence as the world's leading Kingdom.Origins
The Kingdom of Mantle lost the Great War and as a result, The Kingdom of Atlas Grew in size and power. This is all well established but what often isn't said is that the story of Atlas is a microcosm of the moral decline of the wider world and its many countries. Atlas was placed in a unique place in time like its sister city of Whitecliffe, both established by Mantle as secondary settlements for the Mantle Empire. What separates them however is that Atlas obeyed the King and Whitecliffe defied the King. As such the Anti-Expressionist authoritarian nature of Old Mantle is still alive and well within Atlas. The Spread of the SDC and its subsequent decline into market degeneracy with the use of slaves and extortion mirrors Atlas' declining Democracy and slow fall into dictatorship. The Kingdom fought against the F.L.R in the Faunus Liberation War and fought against the Sister City of Whitecliffe economically and politically, aiding the Racists rather than the Faunus. Even with heroic Figures like James Ironwood, Atlas continued to make the wrong decisions, extorting Vacuo to make itself powerful, slowly buying out and occupying Mistral land and finally occupying Vale during Volume 3. Yet despite this clear descent into Imperialism and Oppression Atlas markets itself as the saviours of Humanity and the Engine to drive human greatness, even if increasingly that greatness has come to mean the exclusion of Faunus. Atlas became Fat, Rich and privileged during its reign since the Great War and now the Old order is falling once Noble State is preparing for war, a new Great War against its sister City, Whitecliffe and this time they have all of the mega Dust Bombs.Government
Whitecliffe isn't the only one to craft a sophisticated government, Atlas possesses a well-functioning Imperial Regime of Generals who command and protect places like Argos. The High and Low council system exists but the power is mainly in the hands of the High Council, two seats of which Ironwood sits but it's not the seats that are the important part but what those seats represent. Ironwood is the High Secretary of Defence and the Headmaster of Atlas Academy. The military is a massive part of Government but so is the wealthy, The Schnee Dust Company pays for most of the incumbent's and Candidate's campaigns. Exercising great control over who has power. Led Atlas to become more Corporatist and Anti Whitecliffe over the years, especially after the Faunus Civil War though a Democracy where the people vote for their leaders, it is more of a flawed Democracy where the Rich rule over everything else.Ideology
Atlas is the only Kingdom to emerge from the Great War and still have a sense of National Pride, blending nationalism and Patriotism together, it has deep respect from its military and sees itself as the Great protector of the world and its police. To atlas what they do is not some new form of Imperialism but 'Spreading our prosperity, to the rest of the world'. Atlas believes in democracy and touts virtues of Individualism, Liberty and Strength. Known for its dramatic operas and bombastic Propaganda. Atlas believes that the only way to unite the world is through the strength of one's arms, not the bond of their heart. In this aspect, they've so far been proven kind of right, as they did maintain peace for nearly 80 years with only one large-scale war, which in Remnant's history is completely unheard of, at least until it came to a violent end after Beacon's Fall. Spoiler Warning! Post Volume 3 Content After the Fall of Beacon, Atlas became far more reactionary and Human Supremacist due to heightened fears and anxiety over the possible reaction of the world's nations. This caused them to engage in trade protectionism and limit who can get Dust and how. Over the next two years, Atlas was transformed from a Morally Grey Aligned Super State into a Brutal near Ethno state with increasingly authoritarian and supremacist views washing over the government and people even affecting the military.Councils
The High Council is a council of roughly 4-5 people with the lower council being the main regulator and policymakers with the High Council setting the overall policy and trajectory of the country. Councils are democratically elected but SDC money controls who gets to succeed due to direct donations into campaign budgets and media influence. The Councils also include judges and high judges who decide the law of the country. Spoiler Warning! Post Volume 3 Content After years of government, the seat of Stewart needs to be fulfilled. Stewart is a step below a King and after signing The Stewart Act in 81 AGW, the council required leadership. Around 12 candidates came to vye for the power but thanks to the competing money of Whitecliffe and the Schnee Dust Company, only two real candidates have a chance of winning. Mantle's Robyn Hill and Atlas' Jacque Schnee. Jacque benefits from corporate backing and incredible popularity with the elite and the government while Robyn Hill has a considerable draw with most of Mantle and considerable portions of Atlas' young generations. While the Military doesn't back either candidate, Robyn hill is treated as the less trustworthy candidate by the state. Depending on who wins Stewart, it could forever change or reinforce the trajectory of the entire nation.Law Enforcement
Atlas has no Civilian Police force but instead runs martial Law as a Standard, Atlas Soldiers conduct policing operations and enforcement of the law. This has had a knock-on effect of Police brutality. Soldiers ill-fit for law enforcement regularly struggle to handle citizens appropriately resulting in a number of shootings that disproportionately affect Faunus. Courts are also regarded as corrupt. Many Lawyers including Faunus ones complain that Atlas' court system is rotting away, its standards are determined by money and not any actual laws. This resulted in a series of embarrassing cases forcing the military to conduct Military courts on a growing number of cases. The problem with these courts is that they depend on Military law which is far more authoritarian and has no accountability. Law also fails time and time again to punish companies, Despite Atlas outlawing Slavery, dodgy and near illegal contracts are signed by SDC 'Employees' who work for life in dust mines just to scratch out some of a barely decent living. There have been many attempts to sue the SDC but not many have landed due to the sheer influence the Company has over the legal system. Spoiler Warning! Post Volume 3 Content After the Fall of Beacon, this gets worse as the Military oversteps boundaries even in other Kingdoms time and time again. The washed-out white appearance and lack of eyes make people see them as brutal occupiers rather than as people meant to protect them. Shootings rise as a result of protests often meeting violent ends, and harsh military and Civilian courts turn up the pressure on citizens, bringing tensions to a boiling point.Diplomacy
Atlas has the Office of Foreign Affairs, it handles the Nation's diplomatic affairs and is concerned with keeping Atlas' interests served globally, using Investment, Trade and Soft power. Atlas doesn't have a very Democratic foreign influence and often promotes more authoritarian forms of government in order to allow access to their armies to defend Kingdoms. The SDC is an extension of this as they are one of the few producers of Dust tying many nation states economies to Atlas. The Spread of Anti Faunus Sentiment often comes from this Kingdom and is contested by their Sister City, Whitecliffe. Atlas is also the reason many countries lack Armed Forces and lack Dust Mega bombs making them one of the few Nation states that own either. Many countries often despise or detest Atlas while their governments make huge profits off working with them. Internationally Atlas is known as an Imperialistic Colonising power that is resisted only by one foreign power that is often seen trying to colonise it too.Economy
Atlas had the largest Army and Economy in the world, overshadowing everyone else. Despite Mantle being the loser of the War, Atlas was the sole most reliable military force and fully functional government left after the war. After the King of Vale died, Vale was Kneecapped and thus leaving Atlas as the most well-off government and economy though it competes with its own people in Whitecliffe, the Schnee Dust Company has overtaken the majority of economies in the world giving Atlas undisputable control and supremacy on the global stage. Year over year, More and more corporations, Banks and Financial institutions are bought out or controlled by Atlas or its companies. On top of having near tyrannical control over the world's markets, they are also the primary tech producers of the world and control nations through the flow of the market and Technology. Finally, the Schnee Dust Company has built every single CCTS Tower and device meaning that Atlas has a complete monopoly over communication technology and prevents Freer and Cheaper Alternatives from leaving Whitecliffe. They also own all of the Clean Water reserves and All Dust Production through the Schnee Dust CompanyBanking System
The Bank of Atlas essentially owns the Vytal International Banking system. This means that the Bank of Atlas can and does benefit from the tender of other countries. Domestically the banks have disconnected their Lien from precious metals and instead focus on digital value. When there is a need for money they simply print it and when Atlas or a company from Atlas needs an asset. The Bank of Atlas has tons of bad loans they can collect on and steal assets from indebted nations and organizations. The Banks are also 100% privatized including their Kingdom Reserve which regulations the currency in Atlas and is the one printing the money.Wealth Gap & Living Standards
In Whitecliffe everyone has a chance to compete and there are no established masters, however, in Atlas, this isn't true. Atlas is ruled by various ruling families, the two key ones being the Ironwoods and the Schnees. Living in an Imperial hierarchy, the wealthy live in extreme wealth with the world's finest foods, finest clothes, finest 'future' and best houses, cars, appliances, Androids and more. They're regularly protected by Well Armed Private Military Contractors, namely from the Schnee Dust Company. The City of Atlas itself is highly well-defended and almost never worries about the Grimm, Economic downturns or anything. The Rich are completely cushioned from every type of problem you could imagine.Middle & Lower Classes
The vast majority of the Middle Class live in Atlas and make up the majority of mid-level employees with less profitable roles being filled by Androids, AI and Holograms. These people live relatively comfortable lives but are nowhere close to the majority of people living in the Kingdom. Outside of the city, they're also isolated from the lower classes by walls and face similar issues of automation and social isolation. They are somewhat sheltered from Downturns and Dangers, benefiting from the trickle-down benefits of the rich, for instance, Middle-Class people in Atlas benefit from the city's insane security measures.The Lower Classes
The lower classes live in mass in Mantle, Cadia, Edensgate and cities like that across the Kingdom, clumped up in barely heated barely safe living conditions and made to work horrific dead-end jobs thanks to weak contracting laws. Their voting power is pretty bad and only by voting in extreme excess can they ever get someone they want to be elected. Split between White Fang, Equalists and Robyn Hill's Reformists, they rarely achieve any level of Unity and fail to operate as a class.Deregulation
Atlas is the single most Deregulated Economy in the world, while during its rise it had restrictions and oversight, this has largely been lost especially after the Faunus Liberation War. Regulatory bodies are mainly just money sinks who do very little. The market is self-regulated, as is the Military. In the Economy, this means that what laws exist to protect you only do so at a certain threshold of wealth. Many Whitecliffe Economists call Atlas' Economy the Lawless Economy where Might makes right. Companies are extremely cutthroat and will kill each other's employees to get an edge. The SDC is the worst with this. Having grown impossibly large and brought out so much business and influence that they're the only Atlas Company worth mentioning anymore.Product & Industry
Atlas is the world's leading producer with its huge Giga factories across its nation making up the vast majority of Production in the world, even though they do not count Whitecliffe's contributions. Technically Whitecliffe's sizable output means that Atas technically makes all of the world's output. This is because no country has industrialized like Atlas has, with superior manufacturing and technological development only contested by itself through Whitecliffe. All of Solitas is the Engine that fuels this with extremely rich Dust Deposits, ludicrous amounts of Rare metals and Oils / Natural Gas means that they are able to produce goods the rest of the world can't in much higher qualities than anyone else. This is why Atlas is seen as the most successful Kingdom, if it wasn't divided between two big City States, it'd also have the world's best agricultural output and the world's highest GDP in recorded history. This is why Atlas is pretty much the deciding factor in most geopolitical decisions because they have unbelievable leverage. Their only weakness is water, With a cold war ongoing with Whtiecliffe, Atlas doesn't have access to Solitas' fresh water. Whitecliffe contains 89% of drinking water and farmable land on the entire continent. This is why Atlas refuses to let go of Vale because Arcwald dam is one of the largest dams in their reach and vital for clean water. Desalination plants also exist but the process and Money hungry and not a viable solution. This lack of Clean water sources means that Atlas must maintain this maximum output in order to continue benefiting from foreign clean water.The Power of Electricity
It's always said that Atlas is the world's leading producer of Dust, not only because their Kingdom was the first to use Dust but also because Dust underneath Solitas is extremely rich. In fact, the massive quarry underneath Atlas and in Mantle is a giant network of Dust mines that continues to fuel Atlas' ridiculous Dust output that would be even higher if united with Whitecliffe. They are also one of the few nations that know how to refine dust. Without Atlas, Refineries won't work because they make all the parts, and possess all of the Research with the SDC overtaking every Dust Company not them because they knew how to do it better than anyone else. Thanks to this, Atlas has inroads into every nation-state on the planet with its only exception being its sister country which is the only one who knows all of this and produces parts and thus why they compete and argue with each other so much. Because of their massive Energy output, only they can power all of the highly sophisticated technology in Remnant meaning that all the modern conveniences of life are dependent on them.The Power of Currency
Power isn't the only thing Atlas has over the world, they are the sole owners of Lien, even though Lien was a Mistral Currency. Their massive financial hubs are what tie every country's financial system to them. Even Whitecliffe is beholden to Lien and they use it to try and curb Whitecliffe's influence and spread but if they didn't they'd have an inconceivably powerful financial base. Atlas funding is essential for any grand project a kingdom wishes to invest in and Atlas Investors are the leading and driving engine of Global Finance and Development. This gives Atlas extreme and unbelievable power over the world, represented by the SDC spread across the entire globe and becoming pretty much the world monopoly. Though not in the open a lot of Atlas Elite fund extremist think tanks and groups across the world centred around the idea of Human Supremacy. The Stagnation of Social Progress in the World of Remnant is because of Atlas money, something Ironwood knows and plans to change...by force if necessary.Military
The Premier Fighting Force around the world, Atlas exports its Military might to almost every nation across the world and has been involved in major conflicts. Overseeing 80 years of unprecedented peace with only one major war is something unheard of in Remnant's history. Tasked with the immense task of defending the entirety of Humanity, the Atlas Military is the first and usually the last line of defence for many kingdoms. Using its own Hunters, the Military is designed to kill Grimm and Keep Total and complete order. Though advertised as Guardians, many see them as terrifying occupiers heralding the supremacy of Old mantle and its Anti-Expressionist ideas. Indeed the Military does erase most forms of self-expression when in service, creating a sea of White that attacks in mass waves and bombastic and shocking manner. Atlas Military
Budget
The military takes around 40-45% of the National Budget, putting this into maintenance, Technological development. Creation of new arms and equipment as well as paying its soldiers and its COs who take a large portion of that budget themselves. The Atlas Military is a business and money is flowing like never before. Buying a wide assortment of Equipment from the SDC Contractors makes a huge profit from Atlas' wars which only serves to justify Atlas' military actions and operations, no matter how shaky the justification may be.Ideology
The Military believes that only it, as the Hammer of Humanity holds the answers to the world's biggest problems. They defend most settlements across the world whether they ask for it or not and believe the world is indebted to them for the great sacrifice they're making. It's no secret that this military is the single most Authoritarian Army in the world with a strict unquestionable hierarchy. "No Sacrifice too Great, No Goal too Ambitious. We are Atlas, We are the Hammer of Humanity." If something is seen to be at the benefit of Humanity, then the Atlas Military will do it without question or delay. Though it's not loud, the Military does in fact value the Faunus less than they do value Humanity. Even if Faunus are undeniably a Subspecies of Humanity and deserve the same rights and consideration if not for their Humanity but the mere fact of their existence as Thinking conscious beings. Free-thinking AI is believed to be dangerous, Even Penny is kept on an unreasonably tight leash as they fear what could happen if Technology runs amok and creates an AI that cannot be stopped. This is why The Atlas Knights seem so stupid when compared to Whitecliffe's Combat Bots. Even though robotics is at the same level between both militaries, Whitecliffe believes in AI Freedom and Atlas does not. The Military is also hyper-fixated on Technology, determined to not allow anyone to threaten Humanity's existence ever again, they have been a large pushing force towards the Disarming of Dust mega bombs but rather hypocritically hoard all of the Mega Bombs to themselves. They also control the creation and development of military technologies across the world, even attempting to do the same to the militarized Pseudo Country of Whitecliffe. If someone develops Dangerous technology, then the Atlas Military will confiscate it to Protect humanity while also conveniently weakening the military capabilities of other countries.Political Power of the Military
General Ironwood would never admit it but he has supreme power over every government because his armies are the world's only armies barring a few examples. As headmaster of Atlas Academy and being in the seat of two council seats he is the largest funder of Hutner Academies meaning every single Academy is tied to Ironwood meaning if he disapproves of something, he can easily change it. This was how he so easily ousted and outfoxed Ozpin from his position of power. The Military markets itself as the Hammer of Humanity and in some aspects this is true, without them all the countries of the world would have is Hunters and they're more mercenaries half the time. Global Police forces are ill-suited for national defence and are better for law enforcement in their cities. Because many of their Hunters are military specialists in the Specialist Program they also have the world's most reliable Hunters rivalled only by Vale and themselves with the Snowfall Academy in Whitecliffe. Their Monopoly on defence and love of discretionary spending gives them the Right but not the Obligation to wipe anything and anyone off the face of Remnant. There is a weakness to this however if the Kingdom of Atlas was to fall...The world would have no army to speak of and very few with military experience outside of Whitecliffe who could even begin to craft national armies. Many countries lack the financial resources to even fund an army meaning that every country, even Whitecliffe doesn't want to destroy the Atlas Military as they are the only ones with enough numbers and firepower to contest the Grimm Hordes. Even if the world was to unite, the combined military might of every country including Whitecliffe would barely recover 20% of humanity's military might. This is why Atlas Elections even for far-off Menagerie, mean life or death for everyone.Culture
Pain is Art, In Atlas Pain is in plenty so despite the crippling Corporate Control and growing ironclad jackboot of the military. Culture has never flourished like this before. They call it the Mantle Blues, a cultural revolution of expressionism and rage at the everyday crushing culture of Atlas. Mantle's culture is the primary export from the Kingdom, it's music, it's literature and it's divided but coherent call for Liberation and brighter days is electric and spreads across the world. So while the elites celebrate all that is Normative, Classical and Elite. The underbelly of this Kingdom invented Rock, Blues, Electronic Synths and much more. Also bringing back fancy hats, ties, and leather. Mantle's arc from the Nation of oppression to the home of Music of the Oppressed and leading Rebel of Free Expression and rhythm is one to admire if not mourn as it was Oppression and Suppression that made it in the first place. The Blues that so many Humans love is music restored from the Great War, the days when people hated each other for their skin and not just for their animal features. Mantle Blues not just references this period in time but brings it into a modern context with Faunus, many singers being Faunus themselves with some making a big underground career out of the whole thing.Clothing
Eventual Fate
Wave of Change
Peace, Justice and Prosperity!
GDP
3.4 Million Lien
Ideology
Semi-Liberal Democracy (Pre Vol 1 - Vol 4)
Stratocratic Elective Dictatorship (Post Vol 4)
Progressing towards Stratocratic Dictatorship
Government System
Stratocratic Plutocracy
3.4 Million Lien
Ideology
Semi-Liberal Democracy (Pre Vol 1 - Vol 4)
Stratocratic Elective Dictatorship (Post Vol 4)
Progressing towards Stratocratic Dictatorship
Government System
Stratocratic Plutocracy
Founding Date
19 BGW
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
The Iron Nation | Bulwarks of Humanity | Remnant's most Successful Kingdom
Predecessor Organization
Demonym
Atlassian
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Head of State
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
Lien
GDP: 1.4 Trillion
GDP: 1.4 Trillion
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Cold Civil War
These two are preparing to duel each other across the Globe, both with contradicting ideals in their minds about what the world should be.
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