Zardugal

[Polites]

★ La Suda Stelo ★
The Southern Star is an online platform offering high-quality coverage of Zardic topics for an international audience.

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May 5365
New Currency
Zardugal adopts the Spesmilo.
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The Zardic government under the KPZ-V coalition has adopted a currency reform that aims to rationalize and modernize Zardugal's monetary system. The Zardugal (ZAR) has been the longstanding Zardic currency for millennia, but its name has often caused confusion, while colloquially it is referred to by a variety of other names. With the recent currency reform, the government is now switching to a new national currency, but one whose value shall be directly linked to that of the Zardugal.

The Spesmilo (pl. Spesmiloj) has been introduced as the new Zardic national currency. Abbreviated ZSM (from Zarda Spesmilo) and represented by the monogram ₷, one Spesmilo shall be equivalent to 100 Zardugals and be divided into 1000 Spesoj, while the current Zardic Cent (Cendo) shall become the new Speso. The purpose of this division is to avoid the use of fractions in day to day transactions. One Spesmilo shall also be divided into 10 Spescentoj, equivalent to 100 Spesdekoj and to 1000 Spesoj.

New coins and banknotes are on their way to being issued. The Zardic Central Bank will also issue banknotes of 1 and 5 Spescentoj and 1, 5, 20, and 50 Spesdekoj. A transition period of one year has been set during which both currencies shall be accepted, after which only the Spesmilo and its subdivisions shall be legal tender.

[Aethan]

Prince Alexios to start international tour to boost bilateral trade agreements and focus on the Gene and Seed Vault

[Pragma]

Vascania's pivot to Majatra

[Polites]

★ La Suda Stelo ★
The Southern Star is an online platform offering high-quality coverage of Zardic topics for an international audience.

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November 5365
Gunboat Diplomacy
Decommissioned military equipment used as diplomatic tool.
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Demilitarization has left Zardugal with a large technologically advanced but unusable stockpile of military equipment. Some of it had been granted to Vascania as a gift for the coronation of Emperor Dridhacyut and as reparations for colonial rule in November last year, and smaller quantities had been sold to various private buyers, but most of it, including Zardugal's large fleet of nine aircraft carriers, have remained in Zardic hands until now.

As part of the arrangement between Zardugal and Vascania the former has also agreed to transfer one of its three Onassido-class aircraft carriers. Although the Vascanian government was initially eager to accept this gift, it soon became apparent that a fully operational and recently modernized nuclear-powered aircraft carrier would be prohibitively expensive to maintain and would thus become a white elephant in Vascanian hands. After further negotiations, Zardugal has agreed to fully decommission the aircraft carrier ZNS Aleksandria Onassido and to gift it to Vascania, who pledges to put it to use as a museum of Vascania's colonial history, a museum that will showcase the brutality of Zardic, Malivian, and Luthorian rule as well as the resistance and resilience of the Vascanian people during this time and their fight for decolonization. Zardugal has also offered to train the Vascanian navy on the operation of the aircraft carrier, for purely educational and peaceful purposes.

Another former Zardic colony that is to receive reparations in form of materiel is Tropica. The nation had been colonized in the 2450s by Seko, under which it was considered an equal State part of the Sekowan Federation. Controversially and, according to Sekowan legal scholars unconstitutionally, sovereignty over Tropica was transferred from Seko to Zardugal in March 2875 via the Elizabethtown Agreement. Under Zardic rule Tropica lost the autonomy it had enjoyed as part of Seko and became a full-fledged colony, partitioned between Zardugal and its close ally Luthori, a situation that continued until the Southern Hemisphere War. Southern Tropica was part of Zone III of the Treaty of Port Tackstov and as such it was reunited with northern Tropica under Luthorian colonial rule. The Zardic government has agreed to Tropica's request to transfer 17 of its 22 Guard-class National Security Cutters as part of a reparations agreement, though the Tropican government made it clear that the transfer of materiel does not on its own constitute sufficient reparations for the centuries of Zardic colonialism. Zardugal has also issued a formal apology and has agreed to the transfer of LOD 2 billion over the next ten years, as well as the repatriation of all Tropican artefacts on Zardic soil.

A nation that has not been colonized by Zardugal but which benefits from Zardic transfer of military equipment is Kundrati. Belegejo and Kasaema have signed an agreement for the sale of two of Zardugal's 19 Venetio-class attack submarines for the price of LOD 2 billion, to be payed in instalments over the next ten years. Venetio class submarines are nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, the possession of which will greatly enhance Kundrati's naval might.

Even after all these transfers most of Zardugal's unused military equipment remains in Zardic hands, and it may take many years for Zardugal to sell or gift most of it. There are however indications that several other former Zardic colonies have expressed an interest in Zardic equipment as a form of reparations, and there are even rumours of buyers interested in some of the remaining 8 Zardic aircraft carriers. Though domestic opposition to Zardic demilitarization remains strong, if Zardugal manages to sell even a fraction of its military equipment it will have turned demilitarization into a lucrative business, just as it has already become a potent diplomatic tool.


ZNS Aleksandria Onassido will become a colonial history museum

[Polites]

★ La Suda Stelo ★
The Southern Star is an online platform offering high-quality coverage of Zardic topics for an international audience.

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May 5366
Ruhi Faith in Zardugal
Vanukean refugees join coreligionists.
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The Ruhi Faith is one of Terra's youngest religions. Born in the 43rd century in Thallerid-ruled Barmenistan, the Ruhi Faith was founded by self-proclaimed prophet and "Messiah" Ismail Rabban, and gained prominence after his brutal execution by crucifixion in 4285. Since then the Ruhi Faith has established a small but thriving community in Barmenistan, in addition to smaller groups of faithful in Vanuku and Istalia, the latter of which is the home of the religion's first temple, declared an IESCO Global Heritage Site in 4480.

The main tenets of the Faith are the unity of God (i.e. monotheism), the unity of all religions, and the unity of humanity. The Ruhi Faith believes that all major religions were founded by "Messiahs" (literally "anointed"), manifestations of the Spirit of God in human form and of whom the latest is Ismail Rabban, and that they are sent periodically by God to help humanity progress spiritually. The ultimate goal of the Faith is the unification of all humanity, believing that Terra is one country and that borders are artificial and against God's plan. Ruhis are led by a Caliph of the Messiah (the first of whom was Nasiba Rabban, the wife of the religion's founder) and a Universal Spiritual Assembly, and are taught to embrace pacifism, tolerance towards all other faiths, opposition to xenophobia and racism, respect for science, and loyalty to one's own government.

These goals are antithetical to the ideological outlook of the government of Vanuku, the location of one of the oldest Ruhi communities. The Vanukean government is a militaristic and Jelbic nationalist single party state, and although Ruhis are bound by the tenets of their Faith to obey their government unless obliged to abandon their religion, their pacifism and vocal criticism of all forms of nationalism have placed them at odds with the Lahm regime. In Vanuku the Ruhi Faith is considered a "cult" and as such its practice is illegal in the Kingdom. Coupled with police harassment and general societal distrust, the illegal nature of the Faith has caused many of its members to leave the nation and seek refuge elsewhere, with most choosing to relocate either to the religion's birthplace Barmenistan or to move south to Zardugal.

The Ruhi Faith has had a minor presence in Zardugal until now. The religion has traditionally been seen with suspicion on account of the context of its birth. The 43rd century was a time of religious upheaval when various apocalyptic cults thrived, and Zardic society has historically associated the Ruhi Faith with another new religious movement born only three years earlier, Orderist Hosianism. The latter is a violent cult that turns Augustan nationalism into a religious belief, and was involved in several deadly uprisings that brought chaos and instability to western Majatra and were put down with great difficulty. The fact that the two religions are effectively complete opposites has not prevented public perception from confusing the two, and as a result the Ruhi Faith did not establish the same presence in Zardugal that it did in Vanuku and Istalia.

But Orderist Hosianism is now but a distant memory, while the Ruhi Faith remains a small but thriving religion. The current climate of pacifism and internationalism promoted by the KPZ-V coalition government aligns with the goals and principles of the Ruhi religion, which in recent years has established a growing presence on Zardic soil. The new influx of Vanukean Ruhis fleeing persecution is now joining the expanding Zardic Ruhi community, and the Ruhi Faith (Ruĥa Kredo in Zardic) has been establishing itself in Zardic public consciousness, though it now has to compete with a Terran Patriarchal Church that, following the Council of Dolinka, has become an equally if not more open and permissive religion. Though the future of the Ruhi Faith in Vanuku looks bleak, in Zardugal it is now becoming a part of an increasingly diverse religious landscape.


Ruhi literature has been translated to Zardic.

[GreekIdiot]

Equifund
YIG sets its sights on the potentials of the (defunct) Zardic defence industry
January 5367 - The Beiteynuese investor has expressed solid interest in capitalising on the "opening" brought forth by the Zardic Government

[Drax]

Zardugal and Deltaria Enter Trade Agreement

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=4398&p=187679#p187630

[Polites]

★ La Suda Stelo ★
The Southern Star is an online platform offering high-quality coverage of Zardic topics for an international audience.

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November 5368
Zardugal Rearms
Reversal of demilitarization policy.
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The rise in tensions between Majatran powers Beiteynu and Vanuku and the ongoing arms race between them has put an end to the Zardic policy of voluntary unilateral disarmament. It is especially the rearmament plan announced by Vanuku last year that has caused a shift in Zardic military policy, as that plan puts an end to decades of relative peace in Majatra and marks the escalation of tensions with Beiteynu and its allies.

The Lahm regime in Vanuku is considered by Zardic authorities to be a genuine threat, and they seem to have attempted a diplomatic solution prior to resorting to Zardic rearmament. According to sources within the Zardic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zardugal attempted to persuade Vanuku to offer several major concessions to Zardugal as a precondition for the latter's continued demilitarization. Among these concessions are a condemnation of Nikandro Heraklito, known in Vanuku as Temrkai Khan, Vanuku's reversal to the princely title (requested because Vanuku was elevated to the rank of Kingdom by the Imperial Throne of the Augustans, which Zardugal deems illegitimate), and the demilitarization of the Vanukean-Zardic border. All these requests were reportedly rejected by Vanuku, and as such Zardugal finds itself threatened by an ascendant northern neighbour and with no choice but to reestablish its own armed forces and strengthen its alliance with Beiteynu.

The Leĝdonaro is currently voting on a proposal that will do just that. If the Rearmament Act is approved, Zardugal will once again possess armed forces, to be known as Zardic Defence Forces. They will be divided into four service branches, air, sea, and land defence forces as well as a national militia called the Zardic Partisans. The Leĝdonaro has made it clear that this proposal does not constitute a restoration of Zardugal's ill-famed and ill-fated military-industrial complex. Defence spending will be limited to roughly 2% of GDP, and emphasis will be placed on civilian preparation, cyber-warfare, and military and intelligence cooperation with close allies. The free selling and export of Zardic military equipment has also been brought to an end, though Minister of Defence Teodorino Ambrozido announced that her ministry plans on eliminating the remaining eight aircraft carriers by either selling them to Beiteynu or recycling them.

Zardugal has also unofficially put an end to its policy of providing military equipment as reparations to its former colonies, with the last such act taking place earlier this year. Zardugal transferred several ships to South Utembo and issued monetary reparations to landlocked North Utembo as reparations for Zardic colonial rule. Utembo was originally part of the Lourennais colony of Orléans and Vasser and was first occupied by Lorenne in 2475. The colony was sold to Zardugal in 2920 via the Pact of Comity Between the Government of Lourenne and Zardic Federation, though future Lourennais governments would dispute that sale, arguing that the colony formed the personal domain of the monarch of Lourenne, the only one who could sell them. In spite of this claim, Orléans and Vasser were incorporated into Zardugal's Federated States of Dovani. Zardic rule over Orléans and Vasser lasted until the Southern Hemisphere War, when Utembo and Statrica gained their independence, the former under Yingdalan oversight and the latter under Dorvish protection.

Until now Zardic foreign policy has been guided by a policy of unarmed neutrality, aiming to maintain friendly relations with all neighbouring states and establish new contacts in the former Third World. Vanukean remilitarization and the perceived hostile nature of the Lahm regime has put an end to this policy, forcing Zardugal to undo half a decade of disarmament. Though Zardugal now aims to avoid making the same mistakes it did in the past and wishes to establish an effective defence force instead of becoming a paper tiger once again, such a drastic policy shift may not bode well for Zardugal's security capabilities, while its rearmament may further contribute to the quickly escalating Majatran tensions.


Zardic anti-Vanukean propaganda.

[Polites]

★ La Suda Stelo ★
The Southern Star is an online platform offering high-quality coverage of Zardic topics for an international audience.

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May 5369
Zardic-Yeudi Alliance
Zardugal becomes friends with Beiteynu.
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The ongoing military and geopolitical tensions in Majatra between the Beiteynuese Medinat and the rising Kingdom of Vanuku have had a major impact on Zardic policy. Breaking with half a decade of anti-military policy, Zardugal is in the process of reestablishing its armed forces, while the sale of its outdated or needlessly expensive military equipment continues. This policy shift is largely motivated by the perceived hostility of Vanuku towards the Republic of Zardugal and the former's unwillingness to condemn the legacy of Nikandro Heraklito, who in the eyes of the current Zardic government was a genocidal warlord and a traitor to the Zardic people, the symbolic use of whom indicates a belligerent attitude against Zardugal.

It will take years for Zardugal to rebuild its armed forces after the five years of disarmament, and as such its finds itself needing to rely on its allies for support. One ally with whom Zardugal has historically had a strained relationship is Majatran power Beiteynu. A co-member of the MSCO and perceived to be its leading state, Beiteynu's hegemony in Majatra has at times been resisted by Zardugal, who tried to balance Beiteynuese influence by, for instance, seeking closer ties to Vascania. But the rise of what Zardugal deems to be a hostile power on its northern borders has forced Belegejo to reconsider its stance on Beiteynu.

Zardugal is now in the process of ratifying the Beiteynuese Framework of Diplomacy & Friendship, and there are rumours of a planned state visit between the two. The two nations have also both expressed their interest in the purchase of one of Zardugal's remaining eight aircraft carriers by Beiteynu and the training of Beiteynuese military staff in its operation. Whether this newfound friendship may also involve a requirement for Zardugal to abandon its close ties with Vascania, a nation on the infamous Yeudi shitlist, is uncertain. Nor is it clear whether the two countries intend to cooperate beyond containing Vanuku. Regardless, the presence of a common enemy has turned cautious allies into close friends, and as long as the Lahm regime remains in power in Wiel it is likely that this friendship will only grow closer.


Zardugal celebrates Zardic-Yeudi culture.

[Polites]

★ La Suda Stelo ★
The Southern Star is an online platform offering high-quality coverage of Zardic topics for an international audience.

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December 5369
Zardic Militarization
Zardugal rebuilds military.
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In July this year the Zardic government implemented a policy of remilitarization, which constitutes an effective U-turn compared to the previous policy of voluntary disarmament active for five years between 5363 and 5368. The justification for the previous policy however continues to inspire the new. When the KPZ-V governing coalition chose to abolish the Zardic Armed Forces and reduce military spending to 0, Zardugal was spending 7.3% of its GDP on Defence, a figure that, while not excessive, was considered needlessly high in light of the fact that the supposedly sophisticated and advanced Zardic military has never won a single war. Now that Zardugal is rearming itself, it has adopted a military doctrine focused on total war, seeking to arm every able-bodied citizen and integrate them into the newly formed Zardic Partisans. This military doctrine has as its premise that a cheap but well trained paramilitary operating behind enemy lines in case of invasion may have greater odds of victory than a less prepared and motivated force wielding cutting-edge equipment. The name of the new service branch comes from the Partisans who fought against Saiserism during the Zardic Slave War, and is meant to inspire popular resistance to invasion and foreign occupation.

The Zardic Partisans will be equipped with a new Zardic derivative of the Kalistani KR-50 Kadashev 7.62mm Service Rifle. To be known as the M12 Kadaŝev assault rifle, the new rifle will be produced by Imperial Dynamics Land Systems using modified Kadashev schematics as well as surplus moulds obtained by Imperial Dynamics representatives sent to tour the KALMILINCO factories. Just like in Zardugal Kalistani military equipment is open source, but Zardugal nonetheless decided to reward Kalistan for its cooperation in the creation of the new Zardic assault rifle by granting Kalistan trade credits and a discount for the purchase of Zardic military equipment via Equifund. The Ministry of Defence plans to have enough M12 Kadaŝev assault rifles produced to equip every able-bodied adult citizen, which may take many years. Mass production and even 3D printing of these rifles has already begun. Several other new models will be produced by the Zardic defence industries, to replace current ageing equipment over an estimated 5-10 years.

With the nationalization of said defence industry the government has launched an investigation into the quality and effectiveness of previous military equipment, as well as into the independent Zardic Institute of International Relations, the NGO responsible for the compilation of its famous military and economic rankings. The investigation has brought to light the potentially corrupt link between Zardic defence manufacturers and the supposedly independent Zardic Institute. According to the investigation, the Institute overstated Zardic military might, far above its actual capabilities, while much of its funding originated from none other than the Zardic military manufacturers. Moreover, the investigation brought to light the fact that, while Zardic military equipment has indeed been of relatively high quality, its actual efficiency has fallen short of its purported technological advancement. Independent third party investigations into Zardic military schematics made open source in 5363 have confirmed that the quality of Zardic equipment has been severely overestimated. This indicates potential corruption whereby the Zardic defence industry would lobby the Zardic Institute of International Relations to exaggerate Zardugal's military power, which in return would result in increases in Zardic military spending in spite of a military with equipment of lower quality than advertised.

These revelations have prompted the now state-owned defence industries to develop simpler and cheaper alternatives to current military equipment, though many of the existing models will be maintained. These radical shifts in policy and the mass replacement of military equipment are likely to severely reduce Zardugal's capacity to defend itself, but if successful it may have a more capable if less technologically advanced military force. For now it has no choice but to deepen its friendship with continental hegemon Beiteynu.


"Ho, Belulin', Ĝis", a Partisan song dating from the Zardic Slave War, has been chosen as the anthem of the new service branch.