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Cymru am Byth (Wales Forever) | |||||
| Anthem | "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers)" | ||||
| Capital | Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr Tudful) | ||||
| Largest city | Rhondda | ||||
| Other cities | Cwmbrân, Hirwaun, Aberdare, Tonypandy, Brynmawr, Monmouth and Blaenau Gwent. | ||||
| Language | Welsh, English | ||||
| Religion | Church of England | ||||
| Government | Communist Republic | ||||
| Area | est 2,700 (disbanded in 2005) km² | ||||
| Population | est 328,000 (in 1997) 321,000 (over former it’s lands in 2010) | ||||
| Currency | Welsh Pound, CA Cel, Barter in rural parts | ||||
History[]
The Socialist Republic of South Wales was a former UK survivor nation that lasted between 1986 and 2005. Little is known due to the limited outside contact, the chaotic regime and lack of written records. Most accounts come from local stories, conjecture, hear-say and Mercian reports (Warning - Mercian news coverage of South Wales was over-opinionated and thus unreliable).
Doomsday[]
On the morning of September 26th, 1983, the southern coast of Wales was struck by various nuclear weapons. Targets included
- Cardiff (then capital city) - 200 KT
- Swansea - 200KT
- Newport - 100KT
- Swansea – 100Kt
- Cardiff Airport – 1kt
- Swansea Airport – 1kt
- MOD St Athan – 1kt
- Rhymney Valley – 1kt (but buried itself in a recently abandoned coal mine and didn’t explode.)
- The Uskmouth power stations - 1kt
- The Woodham Brothers scrapyard, Barry Island -1kt (but did not explode and buried itself 8 ft into the ground).
Post Doomsday[]
South Wales in 1996-97.
The survivors of these attacks fled to the countryside of Breconshire, northern Gwent and the northern South Wales Valleys, and later, western Herefordshire the Clun Valley, Shropshire Hills and Wye Valley.
When the word of what happen came, the towns Rhondda, Rhymney, Merthyr Tydfil , Brecon, Abergavenny and Cwmbrân called a town meeting. They decided to cut down a local forest, put up farms and a rationing system. When they thought the UK had largely perished, they formed the Provisional Republic of South Wales on June, 8, 1984.
A severe famine and an urban cholera outbreak hit the region, killing many people during 1985 and most of 1986. Several food and water riots also helped to devastate Rhymney, Abertillery, Ebbw Vale, Cwmbrân and Torfaen further. Many turned to the former trades unions and the Anglican Church for help. Admits this chaos varicose towns developed militias and commits based by various over-parochial ex-trade unionists, Marxist agitators, Labour left wings, local heavies, hard-line Welsh nationalists and concerned Anglican clergy. They ended the nation’s period of anarchy with a mixture of fear, bribery, political inspiration, religious hope and common-sense ideas. As time passed, a new and united South Welsh nationalist began to grow.
As the South Welsh moved farther north in to Radnorshire and east through the forest of Dean, they clashed with the locals, but Mercia was willing to give some settlement rights in the western Herefordshire, Clun Valley, the Shropshire Hills and Wye Valley after the Mercians realisation that they had a heavy manpower shortage in 1994. This treaty would be abandoned in 1996 after a Welsh attempt to annex the region in to Powys. The Brecon Mountain Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Mynydd Brycheiniog) narrow gauge railway and Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme opencast coalmine) reopened in 1994. The irradiated remnants of two Aberthaw power stations were cannibalized and 1 became partially operational by 1995. The railways were also restored in part, by heavy cannibalization of track and gear. An expedition to Avonmouth, Severn Beach and piling fond a few fortified hamlets, but the survivors were suffering badly from the effects of long term radiation sickness.
When Republic of South Wales attempted to predate high grade Mercian agricultural and land off of Herefordshire and Shropshire in the middle 1996, there was much worry and anger in Mercia, who had long. This lead to the 1997 battle of Clun, in which Clun Bridge was destroyed. Mercian held Ross-on-Wye also saw an anti-Welsh riot in late 1998.
After the Mercians had defeated the Welsh provisional army and ejected the settlers from the Clun Valley and Shropshire Hills South Wales was on the retreat. Things became more chaotic as the Mercians successfully laid siege to Monmouth for a month, while simultaneously overrunning Hey-on-Wye and New Radnor. The communist/socialist element of the regime then entered a 2 year civil war with the Nationalists in which the towns of Cwmbrân and Abercynon would suffer greatly. As the nationalist and communists/Socialists tried to take the country over, the Anglican clergy broke from the collapsing nation and organised a more moderate and humane state in the Rhondda and Rhymney valleys during 1998-2000.
As time passed the various towns and villages broke away and largely fell under the control of the Celtic alliance and were mostly assimilated by 2005. The Rhondda and Rhymney valleys were finally (and in their case happily) assimilated in 2006.
Earthquake[]
A set of 6 minor earthquake hit Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale, Rhymney, Tredegar, Caerphilly, Abergavenny, Blaenavon, Cwmbrân and Torfaen in mid 2008. It was reportedly caused by several old mine workings collapsing. The only casualty was in Torfaen. The actual fate of the unexploded nuke under the Rhymney Valley (Cwm Rhymni) is still unknown.
Battles[]
The 1997 battle of Clun occurred after rebel Welsh settlers had effectively taken control Clun Valley, and were also laying came to the increasingly ethnically Welsh Shropshire Hills. The Mercians were feeling increasingly threatened by the ethnic imploding of Shropshire and Herefordshire, so they took up the challenge and invaded the Welsh rebel stronghold at Clun. It was a face battle with the Mercian forces and local English militias versus the South Welsh Army and local Welsh insurrectionists. With the result of 20 Mercian military dead (including two cavalry horses), 12 Mercian civilian dead along with 35 dead Welsh dead and 20 Welsh civilian deaths, as well as the destruction of Clun Bridge the Welsh government became unstable once more. Mercia took over the Monmouth and Hey-on-Wye districts shortly afterward. The Welsh state gradually fell under the rule of the Celtic Alliance and was fully assimilated by them by 2006.
Government[]
The Socialist Republic of South Wales is a de facto Communist state and is run by various and often uncooperative ex-trade unionists, Marxist agitators, Labour left wings, local heavies, hard-line Welsh nationalists and concerned clergy. The regime was authoritarian and conservative by nature. As the nationalist tried to take over, the Anglican clergy broke from the coalition and organised a more moderate, independent state in the Rhondda and Rhymney valleys during 1998-2000. The 11 (circles) boroughs were as follows-
- Merthyr Tydfil (Trades unions)
- Cwmbrân (Welsh nationalists)
- Monmouth (Anglican Clergy)
- Hirwaun (Socialist)
- Brecon (Anglican Clergy)
- Aberdare (Trades unions)
- Aberthaw (Trades unions)
- Abercynon (Trades unions)
- Rhondda (Anglican Clergy)
- Blaenau Gwent (Marxists)
- Rhymney (Socialists)
Elections were banned in the Marxist Circles.
Economy[]
Like most other post-Doomsday European nations, especially British ones, the economy is poor and suffers from labour shortages. Most of the economy is weighted towards agricultural production though there are some industrial aspects to the economy but it is nowhere near the capability of nations like Cleveland or Essex.
Tower Colliery and Ffos-y-fran Land coal mine[]
The South Welsh government reopened the Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme opencast coalmine just northeast of Merthyr Tydfil in 1994 and Tower Colliery (Welsh: Glofa Tŵr), at Hirwaun in 1995, but output is very low. The two Aberthaw power stations and the 4 steam trains are the main sources. Domestic use is supplied by looting the slagheaps of abandoned mines and stealing from the Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme opencast coalmine. The South Wales coalfields were seen as a possible source of future wealth and fuel. The Abercynon Colliery located in Abercynon, Bedwas Navigation Colliery located in Bedwas, and Albion Colliery located in the village of Cilfynydd were slated for reopening by around 1999-2000, but never were.
Foreign Relations[]
The South Welsh Republic was able to establish diplomatic relations with the British survivor nations, including such as the Duchy of Lancaster, and also with the Celtic Alliance. Relations with Mercia were appallingly bad.
Transport[]
The rivers Wye and Lugg were navigable from Hereford to the Bristol Channel.
The Brecon Mountain Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Mynydd Brycheiniog) narrow gauge was located three miles north of Merthyr Tydfil in Beacons along the full length of the Pontsticill Reservoir. It was reopened with two steam locos and four carriages in 1994 and expanded to Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Tonypandy, Rhonda and Clun through cannibalising track and equipment. The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway and Big Pit museum were also utilized by the south Welsh. A Nora class 1912 saddle tank engine and five coal trucks made for the National Coal Board serves the Aberthaw power stations, Aberthaw, the Tower Colliery, Aberdare, Mountain Ash, Abercynon, Tonypandy, Ystrad Rhondda, Treherbert and Treherbert trading estate (well two small furniture factories, a warehouse, two small wind turbines and small screw factory) twice weekly.
Horses are still popular in the nation, despite the recent, but short lived, outbreak of equine ethmoid hematoma.
Three alco-fuel buses run twice on Mondays between Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Aberthaw, Cwmbrân, Hirwaun and Rhondda.
Alcohol[]
Cwmbrân Brewery is a small, independent brewery in Cwmbrân produces the nation’s beer and high proof alco-fuel in small quantities.
Waterworks[]
Pontsticill Reservoir and the Afon Lwyd River provide most of the clean water for the country. The drinking water from the River Taff, River Severn and Rhymney River was banned until 2004.
Media[]
The Rhondda Leader and South Wales Argus were back in print by 1995.
Sport[]
Pontypool Rugby Football Club, Cwmbran RFC and Croesyceiliog RFC are the major Rugby cubs and Merthyr Tydfil F.C. is the national soccer club. The two matches in 1995, 2006 and 2008, between Shrewsbury Town F.C. and Merthyr Tydfil F.C. were noted for their off pitch violence.
The death penalty[]
Murderers, sex predators, rapists, child molesters, traitors and enemy spies are executed with the hangman’s rope.