History of the Federal Republic of Mercia (Mercia- UDI 1995)

Independence to 1997


After much acrimony and debate Hereford and Worcester council voted on declaring a symbolic week long declaration of UDI starting on August 1st, 1996. Jobs, taxation, cangeing the 3 letter BR Station Codes and restoring their respective counties were the hot topics of debate thereafter. They knew the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley agreed with them and would soon join in and that the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell was sure to follow. The Hereford Times and Dudley News had been independently promoting such a protest for the last year or so.

Once it was declared the people partied in the streets and Hagley’s BR Station Code was unofficially changed by the rebels from HAG to HGY.

The next day Sandwell joined the rebellion with a unanimous council vote. That night the Croatian ambassador offered his support, shotly followed by his Albanian counterpart. President Franjo Tuđman of Croatia recognized the Federal Republic by a presidential decree on the 3rd of August, which was supported by a parliamentary vote 2 days later.

The 'rebel president', Worcester councillor Pieter Smith, told the ambassador that it was only a week symbolic PR stunt, but niether the Croats or Albanians believed them (they thought the Federal Republic was being bullied by the UK in to folding up). The UK’s government in Whitehall did not believe the 'rebels' either and the Home sectary (interior minister) had outlawed the 'Federal Republic' within 3 days, oredering in the police with army back up if need be.

The parish councils southern part of South Staffordshire Council around Seisdon voted for out on August 3rd, 1996 and the day long riot in Birmingham’s southern suburbs ended as a popular rising took place in Edgbaston, Longbridge, Northfield and King's Norton on August 5th, 1996. As this took place the West Midlands, part of West Mercia, South Wales and Staffordshire police tried to quell the riots, but control was lost. The rebels had got a lotmore than they had bargined for as the UDI seamed to become more real life than PR stunt with every passing hour.

This became more so after what would later be called "The Tipton incident" the on August 8th and the subsiquent resignation of the UK's Deputy PM, Health, Education and Energy ministers after the (in their time line, not ours) Home sectary (interior minister), Defence minister, Chancelor (finance minister) and the Trade minister declaired martial law with out the PM's or the Queen's concent. They and thire short lived 'National Presidium' would later arest both the PM and the Aviation minister, who sought a peacefull solution to the crisis. the Democracy would soon return to the UK after the protests of early 1997 and thus the situation would finaly ease with the Federal Republic after the creation of The Gloucestershire Corridor.

The next 4 months saw a brief struggel of idipendence, starting at the The battle of King's Norton. The reluctant sepratists knew it was the only way left open to them.

The 11 battles that were fought in the federal republic were- As the year closed, a few more places like Ludlow in Shropshie, would join forces with the rebels' free-state.
 * 1) The battle of King's Norton
 * 2) The battle of Northfield
 * 3) The battle of Halesowen
 * 4) The battle of Kingswinford
 * 5) The battle of Smethwick
 * 6) The battle of Wednesfield
 * 7) The battle of Alcester
 * 8) The battle of South Worcestershire
 * 9) The battle of Tewkesbury
 * 10) The battle of Dymock
 * 11) The battle of Swan Village

1997
The borders were fully secured by January 1st, 1997, after the rebel victory at The battle of Dymock, and a long siege of the entire nation then issued. None the less June 6th, 1997 would witness the small border incursion known as The battle of Swan Village.

UN Security Council Resolutions on Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire

By the 10th of September, 1997, the UN Sectary General was deeply disturbed by the situation in the UK after receiving the Croatian, Albanian, Irish and Pilipino investigator’s reports on the detraining situation in the UK. He welcomed a American lead resolution on sending UN peace keepers to the UK in an effort to reconcile the UK’s and rebel government’s differences. The implement a UN/UK/Rebel agreement to hold a free and fair referendum on self-determination for the people of Hereford and Worcestershire. Fundamental differences between the UK and the Hereford and Worcestershire Separatist Front had yet to be resolved. The Netherlands, Monaco, Croatia, Albania and Algeria all chose to officially recognise the rebel Hereford and Worcestershire regime the year before.

1998-2000
25th Gurkha Rifles

The Gloucestershire Corridor was arranged for in mid 1999 as a humanitarian link to the outside world. The disliked and rather effective blockade would last for another year. Due to the heavy shortages caused and the international controversy relating to it, the total blockade was lifted in 2000 and replaced with an arms, trade and banking embargo. This was mostly due to pressure from the Netherlands, Monaco, Croatia, Albania and Algeria; all of which had politically recognised Hereford and Worcestershire in 1996.

2001-2003
The 2001 UK’s foot and mouth outbreak also hit Herefordshire and Knighton in Powys badly, as in reality.

President Pieter Richard Smith swiftly condemned the 9/11 attacks on the USA. Al-Qaeda activity in the Federal Republic was banned the next day (thankfully no one was involved in Al-Qaeda activity).

The The Stourbridge and Pedmore question of 2002-03 was a political debacle that lead to the popular division of Dudley in to it's 4 semi-autonomous provinces. At one Point Sedgley had planned to cescied from Dudley and amalgamate it's self in to Seisdon (they were both (as in fact) part of Staffordshire until 1974).

In an attempt to reconcile their differences, the UK began diplomatic negotiations with Hereford and Worcestershire in the summer of 2003.

2004-2006
The trade, arms and banking embargo ended on Christmas day 2004.

There was a new era of glasnost and cross border co-operation between the UK and the federation beginning in 2005. This included the removal of the customs check points at Tewkesbury and Ashchurch Railway Station, the B4080 B-road, the A491, A456, A449 A-roads and the M5 motorway.

As time passed, military expenditure fell, student exchanges took place and hostilities decline.

2 minor pyramid schemes run by an Australian swindler collapsed, take in M£20,000 and UK£1,000,000 with them in the May of 2006.

2007
See- The 2007 Pan-Federation Flood Disaster

The 2007 United Kingdom floods of July 2007 flooded many areas in and around Ludlow, Sandwell, Ledbury, Tewkesbury, Ashchurch, Bredon, Evesham and Upton-upon-Severn were (as in reality) the most severe in the towns' recorded history. The area around Tewkesbury is a floodplain frequently affected by varying amounts of flooding.

The federal fire and rescue services had been overwhelmed after 2 days. The townsfolk gratefully collected the supposedly 'unofficial' UK humanitarian aid that both the British citizens and government had willingly offered them in Federation's hour of need. The Irish air force also airdropped food, fuel and pumps in to the citizens of Tewkesbury and Ashcurch. This hastened the pace of peace talks between both governments.

2008-2009
The 2007 restoration of Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station and the re-building of the former Galton Bridge was one of was one of the first of the many Anglo-Federal Reconstruction and Reconciliation Programs.

The credit crunch went pretty much as in reality, but the republic’s ailing currency did pick up due to the lack of major banks, corporate failure and state debt (most of the overseas aid was given by allies free of charge).

The détente survived the floods and lead to the de facto economic and transportation assimilation of the nation in 2007. The Mercian Pound was pegged to the £ between 2008 and 2010, but then broke it's fiscal linkage and thus was re-floated during the European Economic Crisis of 2010-2012.The economy was buoyed up with continuing trade Venezuela, Algeria, Albania, Croatia, the R of Congo and the C.A.R.

A French tourist was jailed for 6 years in Hereford prison for ridiculing the federal presidenent on May 1st, 2009.

2010
The UK's H.R.H. Queen Elisabeth II was warmly welcomed on a tour of Hereford in the May of 2010. The then Bosnian representative at the UN Security Council, Ivan Barbalić got a similar response from Worcester in the July of that year.

The English Defense League demonstrations of 3 April and 17 July 2010 in Dudley town centre were marked by several nasty scuffels. This lead to a total of 38 arrests, 2 garages being looted and several instances of criminal damage. The local EDL branch was banned outright and the BNP was suspended for 6 months by the Federal Police Force as they were investigated for their linkage with the riot and the subsequent arrest of 2 of its members for inciteing a riot and looting.

2011-Today
As of June 2011, Ivan Barbalić and ex-Albanian president Sali Berisha have been negotiation the official separation of Hereford and Worcestershire from the UK. The UK’s Prime Minister, David Cameron had hinted to (according to the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper) Ivan Barbalić that formal recognition will occur in the March of 2012. The rebel's president, Pieter Richard Smith, is planning not to stand for re-election in 2013 due to ill health.

The UK's West Midlands Police and the Federal Police Force fought it out in a joint operation against the hoodlems during the West Midlands riots of August 2011. A coupel of houndred local youths rioted in parts of West Bromwich, looting business, smashing out shop windows, setting setting bins alight and torching out cars. There was Spradic, but heavy, street fighting in Winson Green, where several propeties were looted and much damage was done in the district. The Worcester Sony DADC warehouse and 6 Wensbury Kibab shpos were also arsoned.

Much of the agrression was of a classist, rasist or criminalistic nature. There was much public anger over the deaths of Haroon Jahan, Shahzad Ali and Abdul Musavir. President Pieter Smith condemed both the 3 murders and the looting of several shops and busness premasis. The wrecking of the Worcester Sony DADC warehouse and the chain of arson attcks on Wensbury Kibab shops drew pericular critisum.

The 24th of December, 2011, Boko Haram bomb attacks on sevaeral churches across Nigeria, killed a Hereford and Worcestershire national in Joss.

The UK, Turkmenistan and several other nations politicaly reconised the UK on January 1st, 2012.

Also see

 * The Federal Press Bureau
 * The Federal General Assembly
 * Worcestershire- UDI 1996
 * Politics in the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire
 * Railway and canal projects the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire
 * The Gloucestershire Corridor
 * The evacuation of Coseley
 * The Tipton incident
 * The Gloucestershire Corridor