Sovereign Duchy of Baerne[]
The Sovereign Duchy of Baerne is a nation on the continent of Frequesque (or Frequesue; Baernish Shroomanian uses the first spelling while San Dorado, Indhopal, and most other Shroomanian derivative languages use the latter), on the western coast. It is bordered to the North by the Costa de las Cinquos Muertes, to the South by the Mountains of Valor region of the Kingdom of the Vineyards, to the East by the Inner Sea, and to the West by the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, two Baernish colonies exist in the Frequesquan Wilderness, one on the North shore of the Inner Sea, and the other on the peninsula North of San Dorado.
The Sovereign Duchy of Baerne is typically referred to as the Duchy, or Baerne.
Flag of the Sovereign Duchy
Basic Facts and Statistics[]
Head of State: James IV Baerne, Duke of Baerne, Protector of the Baernish, etc.
Language: Baernish Shroomanian
GDP: ~$713,000,000,000
Population: 37,003,147 (Aug. 2015 est)
GDP Per Capita: $19,268
Currency: Baernish Mark; ROBs and Shroomanian Dollars also accepted as legal tender in most parts of the country.
Major Cities
- Fortress Baerne (6,213,112) Note: The Duchy's capital is built around Fortress Baerne, the center of government both as the residence of the Duke and as the headquarters of various ministries.
- Forgeville (4,509,981) Note: Forgeville is the heart of the Duchy's industry, with nuclear reactors powering huge factories that churn out a plethora of goods for the Frequesquan market.
- Greenport (4,417,996) Note: Greenport was founded as a timber havesting center, and continues to dominate the Duchy's timber industry today.
- Mereen (1,003,164) Note: Mereen is a planned city built in the Wilderness to relieve population pressure on Fortress Baerne.
'
Major Sources of Income: Mining, fishing, chemical industries, arms manufacture, heavy industry, assorted skilled labor, construction.
Territorial Sea: 12 nautical miles; Exclusive Economic Zone 200 nautical miles
Climate: Tropical; rainy, warmy, sloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool Northeast monsoon (November to Mid-March)
Natural Resources: Opals, offshore petroleum, granite, iron ore, coal, gold, niobium, tin, zinc, timber.
Political Structure[]
The Duchy is an absolute monarchy, with all power devolving from the Duke. His appointed ministers head the nation's government, and serve entirely at the Duke's pleasure. There is a Baernish Senate, established shortly after the War of the World in response to the demonstration of the evils possible under an autocratic government presented by the Shadow Empire's Nazi regime, but it has since been rendered powerless by various Ducal decrees. There are 100 Baernish Counts, and approximately 350 Viscounts, who serve as the local administrators of the 100 counties that compose the Duchy.
The Ducal Ministries are :
Ministry of War: Her Excellency Countess Truman, Minister for War
--Subministry of the Army: His Excellency General the Count Bloomberg, Ducal Army Commander
--Subministry of the Air Force: Air Marshal Ripper, Ducal Air Force Commander
--The Admiralty: Her Excellency Admiral the Countess Harrington, First Lord of the Admiralty and Ducal Navy Commander
--Subministry of Procurement: His Excellency Viscount Spinello, Minister for Procurement
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Her Excellency Countess Domizia, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Internal Affairs: His Excellency Count Lawrence, Minister for Internal Affairs
--Subministry of Justice: His Honor Chief Justice Connors, Chief Justice of the Baernish
--Subministry of Education: Her Excellency Viscountess Krasta, Minister for Education
--Subministry of the Environment: His Excellency Viscount Miller, Minister for the Environment
--Baernish Health Service: Her Excellency Doctor the Countess Nolan, BHS Director
Ministry of Economics, Industry, and Finance: His Excellency Count Sabrino, Minister for Economics, Industry, and Finance
Baernish Intelligence Service (Reports to MinWar, MinForAff, and MinInAff): -Director Classified-
The justice system of the Duchy falls under the purview of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and is composed of a county court system, as well as a Ducal Bench that serves as the nation's arbiter in matters of law.
History (in Brief)[]
The 2nd of January is celebrated as one of two National Days, with the other being the ruling Duke's birthday. This same day, in 1875, saw the seizure of the Governor's Mansion of the then-Shroomanian Colony of West Frequesque by rebel forces under the command of Edward Baerne. Angered by various excesses of the Shroomanian colonial government, the Winter Rebellion, as it is now called, staged an uprising disguised as New Year's celebrations, smuggling in guns in boxes of fireworks. The next day, when Shroomanian troops were too sickened by the last night's debauchery to defend themselves, Baerne led one hundred men up the hill to the Governor's Mansion, from which he proclaimed the new Sovereign Duchy. Shroomania did little, preoccupied with internal weirdness, much as usual. The Hundred are still remembered as well; their descendants are the nobility of the Duchy.
For the next century, Baernish influence in Frequesque grew steadily, mainly due to the work of Dukes James I and Edward III, who set the Duchy up as an industrial power. With San Dorado, Baerne soon found itself supplying much of the manufactured goods it's neighbors required. Trade wealth and several short, victorius wars against minor powers kept the populace happy even as monarchies fell around the world. The Duchy even learned lessons from the Crimson Rebellion, taking steps to provide health care and a safety net for the workers who provided it's wealth. This precaution is still visible today, as the Baernish Health Service.
Baernish troops fought under Shroomanian command in WWI and WWII, bringing knowledge and new ideas back to the Duchy when they returned. Most of these ideas had to do with military technologies, of course, and the Baernish Ducal Army has maintained a focus on armored combat ever since. It is the most mechanized of the Frequesquan militaries to this day. Another idea was that of democracy, which then-Duke Paul I allowed to manifest as a Baernish Senate, which has since been rendered completely powerless.
Recent years have provided the Duchy with tremendous opportunities for growth. In mid-2009, the Sovereign Duchy joined the FTO, which it remained a part of until the Frequesquan Treaty Organization's collapse in 2015 due to internal troubles. The Baernish military played a major role in the FTO's Operation Stabilizer, and is directly responsible for the destruction of the Revolutionary Front in the Central Frequesquan Republic. Industrially, the Duchy was a major FTO member as well, partnering with San Dorado to produce the FTO's Standard-class missile destroyer, advanced missiles, and the Vigilant-class SSBN. It also provided funds to San Dorado's Silver Streak Project.
In 2015, the Duchy joined CATO. After a brief humanitarian intervention in the Costa de las Cinquos Muertes, the Costan government dropped nerve gas on Baernish troops and bombed the capital, resulting in the first full mobilization of the Baernish State in decades. Three division advanced unto the Costa, supported by hundreds of planes and the entirety of the BDN. The Ducal Military was stopped in it's tracks, however, by an internationally-sponsored ceasefire, after losing several planes, 5% of the land force, and having HGS Isabella, the BDN's carrier, damaged by a submarine.
The aftermath of the war saw large amounts of the southern Costa join the Sovereign Duchy by plebiscite; these territories are not governed by a Count, but rather by an elected official given the same social status as a count while in office.
International Agreements[]
Alliances[]
Organizations[]
- Shroomanian Commonwealth
- BIOCOM
- Frequesuan Economic Community
Treaties[]
Military[]
[]
Main Bases:
Fortress Baerne Naval Station (Also the site of the main Baernish shipyards.)
Sand Bar Naval Station
Krastaville Naval Station
1x Kitty Hawk CV (HGS Isabella)
1x Tarawa LHA (HGS Terrapin)
6x Kirov CA (HGS Redress of Grievances, HGS Twice for Flinching, HGS Think Twice, HGS Right to Arm Bears, HGS Right of Assembly, HGS Avoid if Possible)
7x Standard DDG (HGS Edward, HGS Alice, HGS Jasper, HGS Emmet, HGS Rosalie, HGS Esme, HGS Carlisle
7x Sovremenny DDG (HGS Fearless, HGS Once Only, HGS Courser, HGS Balastro, HGS Gift, HGS Ripple, HGS Green Opal)
10x Perry FFG (HGS Piece of Eight, HGS Eye in the Sky, HGS Medusa, HGS Pie are Round, HGS On Occasion, HGS Steading, HGS Burdette, HGS Marcos, HGS Fitzclarence, HGS Mad William)
10x Admiral Gorshkov FFG
10x Seahorse FFG
3x Virginia SSN (HGS Silence, HGS Glowworm, HGS Trident)
5x Vigilant SSGN (HGS Vampire, HGS Werewolf, HGS Ghost, HGS Spectre, HGS Bloody Hand)
12x Kilo SSK (HGS Brainbug, HGS Orientation, HGS Shockwave, HGS Winter, HGS Crimson, HGS Revolution, HGS Spear, HGS Saber, HGS Scimitar, HGS Dart, HGS Poleaxe, HGS Halberd)
30x Visby Corvettes
2x Lewis and Clark AKE (HGS Tinker, HGS Tailor)
2x Supply AOE (HGS Builder, HGS Jeweler)
Ducal Air Force
[]
Fortress Baerne Air Base
101st Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Duke's Own" (20x MiG 31)
103rd Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Air Marshals" (20x MiG 31)
105th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Eagle's Screeches" (20x MiG 31)
107th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Protectors" (20x MiG 31)
109th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Silver Strikers" (20x F-16XL)
1011th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Consuls" (20x SU-39)
1013th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-50)
1015th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-50)
1017th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-54)
1019th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-54)
205th Naval Air Wing "Ripple Effects" (20x AV-8B Harrier II)
1001st Strategic Bomber Sqn. "Exploding Rocs" (20x B-1B)
1003rd Strategic Bomber Sqn. "Suborbital Shockers" (9x Silver Streaks)
1005th Strategic Bomber Sqn. "Falling Stars" (4x Silver Stars)
1007th Strategic Bomber Squadron:. "Dukes of Hazard" (20x TU-22BM)
301st Training Evaluation Standardisation Sqn. "Flying Dodos" (16x C-101)
401st Electronic Warfare Sqn. "Ghosts in the Machine" (4x 737 AEW&C, 8x Hawkeye 2000) [Dispersed]
601st Security Sqn.
901st Maintenance Support Sqn.
902nd Miscellaneous Support Sqn.
903rd Logistic Sqn.
1st Long Patrol Sqn. (6x P-3C Orion, 1x Hawkeye 2000)
1st Tactical Transport Sqn. "Guinea Pigs" (10x C-130)
'
Greenport Air Base
102nd Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Airsharks" (20x MiG 31)
104th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Raptor Claws" (20x MiG 31)
106th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Falcon Screams" (20x MiG 31)
108th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Dragons" (20x MiG 31)
1010th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Hammers" (20x MiG 31)
1012th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. "Blazing Eaglets" (20x F-16XL)
1014th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-50)
1016th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-50)
1018th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-54)
1020th Quick Reaction Force Sqn. (20x SU-54)
206th Naval Air Wing "Tidal Forces" (20x AV-8B Harrier II)
302st Training Evaluation Standardisation Sqn. "Swimming Meese" (16x C-101)
602st Security Sqn.
902st Maintenance Support Sqn.
903nd Miscellaneous Support Sqn.
904rd Logistic Sqn.2nd Long Patrol Sqn. (6x P-3C Orion, 1x Hawkeye 2000)
Ducal Army[]
Bases:
Fortress Baerne Army Base (1st Guards Division, 3rd Infantry Division)
Twintowns Army Base (2nd Armored Division)
Ravenburg Army Base (4th Infantry Division, 5th Armored Division)
1st Guards Armored Division (1x Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1x Mechanized Infantry Regiment, 4x Armored Regiment, 2x Aviation Regiment, 1x Artillery Regiment, 1x Air Defense Regiment) (Elite Training)
2nd Armored Division (1x Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1x Mechanized Infantry Regiment, 4x Armored Regiment, 2x Aviation Regiment, 1x Artillery Regiment, 1x Air Defense Regiment)
3rd Infantry Division (1x Armored Cavalry Regiment, 4x Mechanized Infantry Regiment, 1x Armored Regiment, 2x Aviation Regiment. 1x Artillery Regiment, 1x Air Defense Regiment)
4th Infantry Division (1x Armored Cavalry Regiment, 4x Mechanized Infantry Regiment, 1x Armored Regiment, 2x Aviation Regiment, 1x Artillery Regiment, 1x Air Defense Regiment)
5th Armored Division (1x Armored Cavalry Regiment, 1x Mechanized Infantry Regiment, 4x Armored Regiment, 2x Aviation Regiment, 1x Artillery Regiment, 1x Air Defense Regiment)
Armored Cavalry Regiment: 35x T-90 MBTs, 45x Bradley IFVs, 2000x Professional Infantry
Mechanized Infantry Regiment: 50x T-90 MBT, 150x Bradley IFVs, 3000x Professional Infantry
Armored Regiment: 75x T-90 MBTs, 50x Bradley IFVs, 1500x Professional Infantry
Artillery Regiment: 30x M106 SP Guns, 15x 240 mm Heavy Mortars, 30x MLRS, 10x 107mm AT Guns, 10x 180 mm Field Guns
Air Defense Regiment: 20x M6 ADA, 30x Patriot ADA, 15x S-500 ADA
Aviation Regiment: 30x AH-1, 60x H-60, 30x CH-53
1,775x T-90 MBT
2,575x Bradley IFV
150x M106 SP Guns
75x 240 mm Heavy Mortars
150x MLRS
50x 107 mm AT Guns
50x 180 mm Field Guns
100x M6 ADA
150x Patriot ADA
75x S-500 ADA
150x AH-1 Helicopters
300x H-60 Helicopters
150x CH-53 Helicopters
57,500x Professional Infantry
6,500x Guards Infantry
1st Guards Division uses Byzantine B-3 and B-2 vehicles; if they prove successful, the rest of the army will follow suit.