Kingdom of Wessex (1962: The Apocalypse)

Stats
The Kingdom of Wessex is a democratic UK survivor nation based in Somerset, Dorset and eastern Devon.

Doomsday
Soviet bombers and missiles were known to have hit-

Dorset

 * 1) Wytch Farm oil shale development-1x 1kt
 * 2) Kimmeridge Oil well- 1x 1kt

Devon

 * 1) Plymouth- 1x 10kt
 * 2) Plymouth Millbay docks-2x 10kt
 * 3) Plymouth submarine pens- 1x 10kt and 1x 1kt
 * 4) Plymouth Lord Nelson radio mast- 1x 1kt
 * 5) Exiter docks- 2x 10kt
 * 6) Exeter- 1x 1 kt
 * 7) Devonport docks- 2x 15kt
 * 8) Devonport- 1x 20kt, 1x 10kt, 1x 1 kt

Cornwall

 * 1) Torpoint docks- 2x 1kt
 * 2) Saltash dock- 1x 10kt, 1x 1 kt

Gloustershire

 * 1) GCHQ Cheltenham- 2 x 1k
 * 2) Cheltenham race course- 1 x 1kt

Bristol

 * 1) Central Bristol- 1x 10kt
 * 2) Bristol docks- 1 x 20 kt
 * 3) Avonmouth -1 x 10kt
 * 4) Avonmouth oil refinery- 1x 10kt
 * 5) Avonmouth docks- 1x 20kt and 1x 10kt
 * 6) St Andrew's road steal mill- 1x 1kt
 * 7) St Andrew's road docks- 1x 1kt
 * 8) Severnside trading estate- 1x 1kt

Wiltshire

 * 1) Swindon- 2 x 1kt
 * 2) RAF Lynham- 1x 1kt

Hampshire

 * 1) Andover- 1 x 10kt
 * 2) Southampton- 1 x 10kt
 * 3) Southampton docks- 1 x 50kt
 * 4) HMNB Portsmouth (HMS Nelson) area- 1x 15 kt
 * 5) Portsmouth docks- 1 x 10kt
 * 6) Gosport docks- 1 x 10kt
 * 7) RAF Middel Wholop- 1x 1kt
 * 8) Southampon western docks- 1x 10kt
 * 9) Chappel, Souhampton- 1x1kt

There would mostly be a problem with the radioactive fall-out from other regions of the UK that would cause much trouble.

1962-1975
The region was not directly attacked beyond a few minor hits in Dorset and become a safe haven for many people fleeing the remnant of Devon and south Hampshire. It would be a tough time during the nuclear winter and summer of 1962-64. After the initial crisis of the 1960's had been overcome things would look up for the nation, especially after the assumption of all regional powers by the Dorset council leader Timothy Lease at a joint meeting of Dorset, Bournemouth BC, Lynton RDC, Dorchester UBC and Somerset councils in Dorchester and Corfe Castle during the May of 1963. Martial law was declared in the June of 1963.

A severe famine and a cholera outbreak hit the county, killing many people during 1963, 1964 and most of 1966. This was further compounded, when several cases of chronic equine infectious anaemia were also reported to vets in mid to late 1967. The Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), also known among farmers as 'blue-ear pig disease' also killed off many of their pigs in late 1965 and early 1966.

It would be an struggle to cope with the aftermath as in all parts of, but once sanitation and agriculture were up and running life would improve greatly. The state set about enforcing quotas for farm production, encouraged rural crafts and started digging for oil shale in the few non-radioactive parts of Purbeck (at gunpoint in nessicery). This lead to a minor worker's rebellion in Purbeck during 1967. In the wake of this Timothy Lease declared himself King in order to cement his position as leader.

As the 1970s passed agriculture boomed the situation began to ease and the country democratised in 1975. Martial law was dropped in 1976. Wise water management and the plentiful rivers helped avoid disaster in the 1976 heat wave and drought. Expeditions were then sent out.

First Contact
Contact was made with Winchester in 1973. Both Mercia and New Derbyshire (2 of the creators of the Provisional Republic of the UK were contacted in 1975 . The city state of Gloucester town and Stroud was discovered by chance in 1976. A hostile fist contact was made with West Wiltshire in 1977.

1977-1999
Wessex and West Wiltshire clashed in 1977 over a border dispute in the Dorset town of Shaftsbury. The peaceable town in the remnants of the former city of Bath was also approached by Wessex and re-integrated at this time.

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 Mercia, West Wiltshire and Wessex successfully laid siege to Monmouth for a month, while simultaneously overrunning Hey-on-Wye and New Radnor in 1979.

The nation's farming would slowly improve between 1980 and 1985.

As the Kingdom of Wessex, was moving towards Ilfracombe, Honerton and Barnstaple, friendly contact with the Republic of Cornwall and Barnstaple in 1982. Barnstable was given to Cornwall and Wessex took Ilfracombe and Honerton in exchange for Cornwall agreeing to pool it’s economic and military resources with them against dictatorial Kingdom of West Wiltshire and the aggressive Welsh SSR.

Salisbury town, was the the focus of a new conflict with Kingdom of West Wiltshire after the pro-democracy Mayor lead a separatist revolt in 1989. The much more liberal minded nation of Wessex was the cultural kin of the town. 1990 saw the reopening of the Isle of Purbeck's oil industry.

2000 to today
Relations between the two nations have been tense ever since. Relations with Gloucester town, the Provisional Republic of the UK and Cornwall are flourishing. Relations with Cornwall, Sussex, Gloucester, Somme Republic and the PRUK, Brittany, the Channel Islands and Normandy have become ever closer since the singing of the 2004 free trade deal.

A few expedition were sent to the outer fringes of Bristol cit in 2004-5. Some tribes have been assimilated or joined trading treaties with Wessex. Some others are resisting Wessex's moves or have started trade talks with West Wiltshire, the Welsh SSR, Mercia and/or the Gloucester and Stroud Co-dominion.

Former refugee camps
Refugee camps were built in several places between 1962 and 1971, including-


 * 1) Taunton
 * 2) Yeovil
 * 3) Glastonbury
 * 4) Dorchester
 * 5) Weymouth
 * 6) Frome

Bad weather
Heavy floods hit Axminster, Yealmpton, Ottery, Otter St Mary, Gittisham and Honiton in Devon during 1987, 1998, 2007 and 2012. The winter of the winter of 2009-2010 was the worst in 50 years, in which 2 fatalities occurred.

The honorific floods and cyclone of November 22-28, 2012, devastated the former UK and Ireland. It finally killed a total of 42 people (39 citizens and 3 tourists)- 4 in Newlyn, 1 in Honiton, 1 in Truro, 3 in Exeter, 1 in Bovney Tracy, 2 in Shrewsbury, 2 in Gloucester, 2 in St Asaph, 1 in Wexford, 1 in Preston, 1 in Penrith 1 in Ayr, 1 in Cambridge, 3 in Monmouth, 2 in Northallerton, 2 in Kempsey, 1 in Chester, 1 Warwick, 1 in Derby, 1 Bridgewater, 3 in Upton-upon-Severn and 4 in Malmesbury, plus 3 Lower Saxon tourists in Warwick. It was the worst flooding incident in nearly 100 years! Aid came from Hexanshire, Durhamshire, Scarborough, Ayrshire, Perthshire, Denmark, Sussex, Willihamshaven,  Kingdom of Lille-Wallonia, and the Neo-Roman Empier.

Military
The armed forces abandoned the use of bows and swords in favour of rifles and pistols in 1986. The army is a volunteer force of 2,550. It owns 5 Wytch farm oil, several alcaholl and sunflower oil fulled vehicles-
 * 1) 1x Comet tank (in storage)
 * 2) 2x Crusader tank
 * 3) 1x Churchill tank (in storage)
 * 4) 3x Charioteer tank destroyer
 * 5) 1x Ferret armoured car
 * 6) 5x Chevrolet RD 4x2 truck
 * 7) 2x AEC Matador 4 x 4 medium artillery tractors
 * 8) 2 x Humber armoured cars

Weapons

 * 1) Thompson sub-machine gun
 * 2) Ordnance QF 18 pounder
 * 3) Colt 45 pistol
 * 4) French Darne machine gun.
 * 5) Stokes mortar
 * 6) Enfield No. 2 Mk I Revolver
 * 7) The Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys commonly known as the "Boys Anti-tank Rifle" (or incorrectly "Boyes", nicknamed the "elephant gun")
 * 8) Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk I (1903)
 * 9) Canon de 75 modèle 1897

Battles
Wessex and West Wiltshire clashed in 1977 over a border dispute in the Dorset town of Shaftsbury. 2 of the 12 Wessex and 3 of 22 West Wiltshire troopers died in the clash.

The south Gloucestershire expedition of 1976
Several villages in the former Sodbury RDC and Warmsley UDC were peaceably contacted and assimilated a few months later.

The Mid Gloucestershire expedition of 1976
The city state of Gloucester town was discovered by chance in 1976 and both the nations became friendly towards each other.

The New Forrest expeditions of 1979
A expedition was sent to the town in the wake of claims that the Isle of Wight was settling wastern section of the sparsely populated coastline. It was reavield to be true and the Interior region was peaceable annex and assimilated by 1980. The Isle of Wight hand only setteled 3 onclaves on the eastern half by 1979.

The Portished expeditions of 1984
A expedition was sent to the town in the wake of claims that the communist Welsh SSR was settling the sparsely populated town. It was revield to be untrue and the tribes in Portished and the land south of the Avon next to it were assimilated by 1986.

The Southampton expedition of 1986
The city lay in radioactive ruins and the docks were destroyed. It was quarantined until 1996.

Government and politics
Thomas Lease inherited the kingship from his farther in 1995.

Party Alignment

 * 1) Conservative- centre right
 * 2) Liberal- centre, liberalist
 * 3) Greens-Left, liberalist, ecologist

Local government
Local and national elections are held every 5 years by the fist past the post methode, which is open to nay national over the age of 15.

2010 Parliamentary Election

 * 1) Liberal- 64%
 * 2) Conservative- 21%
 * 3) Greens-12%
 * 4) Labour 3%

Economy
Like most other post-Doomsday European nations, especially British ones, the economy is poor and suffers from labour shortages, especially in the oil sector. Most of the economy is weighted towards agricultural production though there is some industrial aspects to the economy around the major towns and cities, but it is nowhere near the capability of nations like Southern England or the Republic of Durhamshire.

Trade with Ireland and Cornwall
Cornish tin ore is traded for Wessex oil shale as of 2006.

Oil and oil shale
Wytch Farm oil shale development and Kimmeridge Oil well were rebuilt with the help of Durhamshire, Lille-Wallonia, Ireland and Free State of Bavaria (German: Freistaat Bayern) helped restore the site's operations in 1990.

Irish and Walloon labourers, Durhamshire engineers and 2 experts from the Free State of Bavaria form the 160 expat community in Purbeck.

The oil shale and oil are both use domesticly and exported in small amounts to Cornwall, the I.O.W, Ireland and Sussex since 1993.

Transport
Horses and bicycles are still common place. Horses are still popular in the nation, despite the heavy, but short lived, outbreak of equine ethmoid hematoma in 2008 and 2009. There are a some alcohol and sunflower oil vehicles and a some petrol driven tractors in use across the kingdom. A few petrol cars do exist, but they are still scarce. The nation has 6 GWR 2251 Class steam loco steam locos, 6 ex- BR GOV freight cars, 5 ex-BR Mk 1 passenger carriages, 7 coal trucks and 12 oil tanker wagons.

The 2010 census

 * 1) Employment is at 97%.
 * 2) 98% of households have running water.
 * 3) 77% of households have electricity.
 * 4) 25% of households have a gas supply.
 * 5) Literacy rate - 98%
 * 6) Literacy rate of under 16's - 88%

Sport
Cricket and rugby are the national sports.

The arts
Stone sculpture and paintings of a genres are popular in the nation.

The Death Penalty
Wessex has never had a death penalty, except for the ad-hock shooting of some local rebel leaders in 1967.

Media
A once monthly newspaper has been issued since 2008.

Healthcare
Thyroid cancer ceased to be a problem in the mid 1970’s.