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Description

Here's a new entry for the RDNA-verse, this time focusing in-depth on one of major international organizations in the setting: the League of Neutral Defiance, the primary bloc of the "Reactionary" nations.

Although the League has been brought up in other entries, and has been around in some form or another since the early days of the setting, it has never really been explored in detail even in contrast to the major Reactionaries...until now. More than simply rehashing and retconning old material, however, it's also been a good chance to really delve into the darker corners of the timeline. For in addition to showing the different forms of Reactionarism (a sort-of equivalent to fascism and other hard-authoritarian regimes), this is also meant to show how different they are from the rest of the Free World, why they would resort to forming such a bloc (while simultaneously presenting a realistic evolution), and how in a sense, far gone they are in ensuring their "purity" and racial/cultural/etc. supremacy against everyone. It's not particularly pleasant reading, nor is it meant to be. The comparisons to both the Axis Powers and Non-Aligned Movement are only the tip of the iceberg.

Similarly with the previous "Long Cold War"-themed maps, I also incorporated some of the sleek interfaces and customized stylings of the Thousand Week Reich and The New Order mods for Hearts of Iron IV to give that in-universe "vidscreen" aesthetic. Whether it's from (and intended for) the people behind An Examination of Extra-Universal Systems of Government or the Agency, to say nothing of the return of the "N-P Identity" note which may or may not be shorthand for "Nation-Personification"...I'll leave that up for the viewer to decide.

Just to be on the safe side, this is a work of fiction. This is not a political or ideological screed. The politically incorrect details in the map and text are deliberately in-universe. In addition, depiction is not endorsement in any way.

All the same, hope you enjoy. Crederent, obedire, bellum.

----

The League of Neutral Defiance: General Introduction

Among the so-called "Free Nations," the League of Neutral Defiance, often known simply as the League, is often seen as a peculiarity. Currently headed by Permanent Secretary Eric Stevensen of Australia, the name itself is something of an oxymoron, as its "neutrality" is only insofar as its member states do not align with the rest of the Free World. Those who are part of the bloc are a motley mix as varied as their own particular strains of Reactionarism. It would be folly, however, to simply dismiss them as just a club of delusional men playing at running the world's future. This even goes past them being simply defiant.

The origins of the bloc go back to Oswald Mosley and his followers. While by no means the first or only significant figure to have conceived the ideological catch-all, his successes made him an enemy in his former homeland. Such animosity was soon followed by other Royalist and Republican powers, with similar movements failing in nations as varied as Gran Patagonia and New Austria. By the mid-1930s, it had become clear to the regimes in Southern Africa, Australia and even Ireland (whose ruling party came to power indirectly due to Mosley's actions) that, for all their disputes and self-imposed isolationism, simply opposing the nascent Collectivist Internationale and standing apart from the turmoil beyond their borders was not enough.

Thus, began several correspondences between Mosley and Southern Africa's leader, Johannes Gerhardus Hertzog. While the two were known to have somewhat mended their friendship, which had soured following the Afrikaner Dawn of 1927. There were, nonetheless, heated debates over how to go about forming a viable political bloc, especially as both parties saw such a proposal as a means of asserting power on the international stage. These eventually culminated in the Treaty of Windhoek in 1938, in which the two founding states proclaimed that they would stand separate from any existing alliance or pact, but would hold steadfast in mutually preserving the "purity of civilization" from Collectivists and "degenerates" alike. The following year, the Irish joined after prolonged discussions and the threat posed by the British Imperial Commonwealth, with the Republic of Colombia applying for membership not long after. The League of Neutral Defiance had been born.

From the beginning, there was little doubt that Southern Africa was the leading component (though Reactionary Australia was not far behind), which was reflected in the decision to make Kaapstad the bloc's headquarters in 1942. Still, prestige and status were almost wholly the only real benefits provided by membership in those early days, and little else. The Invasion of Britain, however, alongside reports of Collectivist raids past the Irish border (with Afrikaner "volunteers" known to have aided in the defense) prompted calls for more solidarity. The rest of the decade saw Reactionaries in Southeast Asia and Venezuela also being welcomed, whether due to Australian or Colombian support. But even as the number of member-states grew, the expanding reach of the Collectivist Internationale made it increasingly apparent that this "club of lunatics," as one American reporter quipped at the time, had to be more than a vanity project.

Slowly but surely, there was a more structured effect being laid out in the name of advancing mutual Reactionary interests. Southern African arms (as well as "advisors") and Australian aid became more widespread across various parts of the world, whether it's the jungles of South America or the remaining militias and Reactionary states on the African continent itself. Initiatives were made to encourage more trade among member-states (even if only as means for the dominant powers to exert influence), deter attempts by Royalist and Republican countries to stir opposition to their regimes, and offer support to sympathetic movements (like the extreme New American Party). With the entry of the nominally Hashemite-ruled Levant and its Arab allies in 1968, the League's clout had firmly become as significant as those of the Three Crowns, Twin Republics or the wider Assembly of the Free World. Further refinement and coordination in subsequent decades meant that by the time the Kingdom of Joseon joined in 2007, it was anything but a glorified status symbol.

Today, the organization has 18 countries in its ranks, reduced over the years due to either Collectivist-backed revolts or the collapse of local regimes (especially in Venezuela's case). Whether it's Equatoria (an infamous rogue colonial remnant founded by French and Belgian-Dutch settlers), the fervent Bolivaristas of Colombia, or the Levant's blend of nationalism and state control, they are at least superficially varied in their professed takes on Reactionarism and forms of government. This has undeniably caused friction and much bickering, especially with the recurring trend of such regimes to emphasize racial and cultural purity befitting those "chosen" above all others. Nonetheless, there's a peculiar sense of order. From Kaapstad, agreements are reached that help keep the flow of trade weapons, aid and manpower going, keeping its member-states separate and protected from the rest of the world.

Of the myriad constituent nations, six wield the most power in directing the League's affairs, and by extension, most Reactionary trends:
The Free Republic of Australia (Anglo-Mosleyites/Sovereign People's Council)
The Union of Southern Africa (Afrikaner-Mosleyites/Volksfront)
The Free Sovereign Republic of Ireland (National-Reactionaries/Fianna Gael)
The Hashemite Kingdom of the Levant (Alnahdists/Hizb Alnahda)
The Republic of Colombia (Bolivaristas/Partido Bolivarismo)
The Kingdom of Joseon (United Front/Yunaich'idŭ Isahoe)
While the Afrikaners retain their traditional prestige, they had long since been supplanted by Australia as the bloc's de facto leading face, with talks of moving the headquarters to Melbourne only further solidifying that unspoken reality. Though more ambitious, far-reaching plans lurk within those halls. Of those known, among the most concerning is the so-called "Last Bastion" initiative. A combination of Southern African and Australian contingency measures, it's officially presented as a bloc-wide project to establish defensive redoubts in the event of a large-scale assault by any foreign aggressor, Collectivist or otherwise. It's also believed, however, that atomics are involved in these preparations, and that the extent to which they would triumph in either victory or defeat would have drastic consequences even for the Free Nations as a whole.

Whatever the truth, at least for now, the League remains focused on themselves and against the Internationale. For how long, is anyone's guess.

- "The World Almanac of Nations." American Federation. 2023 Edition.

----

For added information and trivia, Australia's President Wellington-Mosley is partially based on A.K. Chesterton (the second cousin of Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton), who in real life was an active member of various groups, including the British Union of Fascists alongside Mosley himself. Colombia, meanwhile, has President Valencia, based on Laureano Gomez , who was suspected of having sympathies for various dictatorships and Francisco Franco especially. While Joseon's puppet monarch, Yeong, is based on Yi Kang, Prince Imperial Uihwa and to a degree Chinese Emperor Puyi . In addition, the Hashemite monarch nominally ruling the Levant, Hassan II, is based on Prince Naif bin Abdullah of Jordan , while Union President Hertzog of Southern Africa being based on both James Barrie Munnik Hertzog and his infamous son, Johannes Albertus Munnik Hertzog . As for the League's Permanent Secretary, he's an amalgamation of Eric Campbell and Queensland's infamous Johannes Bjelke-Petersen .

Ireland's flag is a combination of its OTL flag and the defaced St. Patrick's Saltire used by the Blueshirts . In real life, the Blueshirts were a paramilitary organization that was absorbed in what's now known as the Fine Gael party. Coincidentally, the Irish leader, O'Dubhthaigh, is based on Eoin O'Duffy , who infamously led the Blueshirts and was involved in the Spanish Civil War. While the National-Reactionaries' party, the Fianna Gael, is Irish Gaelic for "Soldiers of Ireland."

The Levantine flag is an amalgamation of the Jordanian , United Arab Republic, Egyptian and Palestinian flags, with the predominant colors based on the Pan-Arab colors used by various Middle Eastern countries in real life. While the Alnahdists themselves are are based on both the rise of Fascist Italy , the emergence of Nasserism , Zionism and Ba'athism .

The Korean used is based on the McCune-Reischauer system , which in real life was used in South Korea until 2002 and remains utilized in altered form by North Korea. The Kingdom of Joseon's flag is also a combination of the real life ones used by Joseon until the 19th Century and those of the short-lived Korean Empire (which lasted until 1910). The rise of Reactionarism among the Koreans in the timeline, however, is a combination of the militarist takeover of Japan in the 1930s and the rise of Fascist Italy (complete with the retention of a powerless monarchy).

Befitting its Bolivarian pretensions, the Colombian flag uses a coat of arms that combines elements from various aspects of its real-world history, particularly the insignia for Gran Colombia.

The League's particular stylings, seeming dysfunction and overall atmosphere are a warped blend of the Axis Powers and Non-Aligned Movement , with elements of Oswald Mosley's "National Party of Europe" initiative from the 1960s.

While Equatoria, shown in the map, is a more perverse mirror of the Belgian Congo, Rhodesia and the Central African Republic. Alternatively, its ruling regime could be described as what the infamous Central African Empire period would be like, had delusional renegades, settlers and garrison remnants tried to forge it.

The unfiltered version can be found here:

The Long Cold War - The League Unfiltered

----

The Californias: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Th…

Kuba and its Neighbours: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ku…
New Austria: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ne…

New Austria and the Upheaval: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ne…

Loyalist Canada: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Lo…

Western Europe c.2015: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/We…

The American Federation: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Th...

North America c.2022: mdc01957/art/No...

Vatican-in-Exile: mdc01957/art/Va...

South America c.2022: mdc01957/art/So..

Legitimate Union of Brazil: mdc01957/art/Le...

Gran Patagonia: mdc01957/art/Gr...

The New World c.2022: mdc01957/art/Th...

The Empire's Legacy c.2022: mdc01957/art/Th...

The Three Crowns: mdc01957/art/Th...

Reactionary Australia: mdc01957/art/Re...

The Twin Republics: mdc01957/art/Th...

A World at the Precipice c.2022: mdc01957/art/AWo...

A World at the Precipice (Vidscreen): mdc01957/art/AWo...

Free Nations of East Asia c.2022: mdc01957/art/Free...

The Long Cold War-The Free World: mdc01957/art/Th...

The Long Cold War-Britannia: mdc01957/art/Th...

Reactionary Levant: mdc01957/art/Re...

The Long Cold War-Italia: mdc01957/art/Th...

Central Plains Collective: mdc01957/art/Cen...

Reactionary Southern Africa: mdc01957/art/Re...

Description

Here's a new entry for the RDNA-verse, this time focusing in-depth on one of major international organizations in the setting: the League of Neutral Defiance, the primary bloc of the "Reactionary" nations.

Although the League has been brought up in other entries, and has been around in some form or another since the early days of the setting, it has never really been explored in detail even in contrast to the major Reactionaries...until now. More than simply rehashing and retconning old material, however, it's also been a good chance to really delve into the darker corners of the timeline. For in addition to showing the different forms of Reactionarism (a sort-of equivalent to fascism and other hard-authoritarian regimes), this is also meant to show how different they are from the rest of the Free World, why they would resort to forming such a bloc (while simultaneously presenting a realistic evolution), and how in a sense, far gone they are in ensuring their "purity" and racial/cultural/etc. supremacy against everyone. It's not particularly pleasant reading, nor is it meant to be. The comparisons to both the Axis Powers and Non-Aligned Movement are only the tip of the iceberg.

Similarly with the previous "Long Cold War"-themed maps, I also incorporated some of the sleek interfaces and customized stylings of the Thousand Week Reich and The New Order mods for Hearts of Iron IV to give that in-universe "vidscreen" aesthetic. Whether it's from (and intended for) the people behind An Examination of Extra-Universal Systems of Government or the Agency, to say nothing of the return of the "N-P Identity" note which may or may not be shorthand for "Nation-Personification"...I'll leave that up for the viewer to decide.

Just to be on the safe side, this is a work of fiction. This is not a political or ideological screed. The politically incorrect details in the map and text are deliberately in-universe. In addition, depiction is not endorsement in any way.

All the same, hope you enjoy. Crederent, obedire, bellum.

----

The League of Neutral Defiance: General Introduction

Among the so-called "Free Nations," the League of Neutral Defiance, often known simply as the League, is often seen as a peculiarity. Currently headed by Permanent Secretary Eric Stevensen of Australia, the name itself is something of an oxymoron, as its "neutrality" is only insofar as its member states do not align with the rest of the Free World. Those who are part of the bloc are a motley mix as varied as their own particular strains of Reactionarism. It would be folly, however, to simply dismiss them as just a club of delusional men playing at running the world's future. This even goes past them being simply defiant.

The origins of the bloc go back to Oswald Mosley and his followers. While by no means the first or only significant figure to have conceived the ideological catch-all, his successes made him an enemy in his former homeland. Such animosity was soon followed by other Royalist and Republican powers, with similar movements failing in nations as varied as Gran Patagonia and New Austria. By the mid-1930s, it had become clear to the regimes in Southern Africa, Australia and even Ireland (whose ruling party came to power indirectly due to Mosley's actions) that, for all their disputes and self-imposed isolationism, simply opposing the nascent Collectivist Internationale and standing apart from the turmoil beyond their borders was not enough.

Thus, began several correspondences between Mosley and Southern Africa's leader, Johannes Gerhardus Hertzog. While the two were known to have somewhat mended their friendship, which had soured following the Afrikaner Dawn of 1927. There were, nonetheless, heated debates over how to go about forming a viable political bloc, especially as both parties saw such a proposal as a means of asserting power on the international stage. These eventually culminated in the Treaty of Windhoek in 1938, in which the two founding states proclaimed that they would stand separate from any existing alliance or pact, but would hold steadfast in mutually preserving the "purity of civilization" from Collectivists and "degenerates" alike. The following year, the Irish joined after prolonged discussions and the threat posed by the British Imperial Commonwealth, with the Republic of Colombia applying for membership not long after. The League of Neutral Defiance had been born.

From the beginning, there was little doubt that Southern Africa was the leading component (though Reactionary Australia was not far behind), which was reflected in the decision to make Kaapstad the bloc's headquarters in 1942. Still, prestige and status were almost wholly the only real benefits provided by membership in those early days, and little else. The Invasion of Britain, however, alongside reports of Collectivist raids past the Irish border (with Afrikaner "volunteers" known to have aided in the defense) prompted calls for more solidarity. The rest of the decade saw Reactionaries in Southeast Asia and Venezuela also being welcomed, whether due to Australian or Colombian support. But even as the number of member-states grew, the expanding reach of the Collectivist Internationale made it increasingly apparent that this "club of lunatics," as one American reporter quipped at the time, had to be more than a vanity project.

Slowly but surely, there was a more structured effect being laid out in the name of advancing mutual Reactionary interests. Southern African arms (as well as "advisors") and Australian aid became more widespread across various parts of the world, whether it's the jungles of South America or the remaining militias and Reactionary states on the African continent itself. Initiatives were made to encourage more trade among member-states (even if only as means for the dominant powers to exert influence), deter attempts by Royalist and Republican countries to stir opposition to their regimes, and offer support to sympathetic movements (like the extreme New American Party). With the entry of the nominally Hashemite-ruled Levant and its Arab allies in 1968, the League's clout had firmly become as significant as those of the Three Crowns, Twin Republics or the wider Assembly of the Free World. Further refinement and coordination in subsequent decades meant that by the time the Kingdom of Joseon joined in 2007, it was anything but a glorified status symbol.

Today, the organization has 18 countries in its ranks, reduced over the years due to either Collectivist-backed revolts or the collapse of local regimes (especially in Venezuela's case). Whether it's Equatoria (an infamous rogue colonial remnant founded by French and Belgian-Dutch settlers), the fervent Bolivaristas of Colombia, or the Levant's blend of nationalism and state control, they are at least superficially varied in their professed takes on Reactionarism and forms of government. This has undeniably caused friction and much bickering, especially with the recurring trend of such regimes to emphasize racial and cultural purity befitting those "chosen" above all others. Nonetheless, there's a peculiar sense of order. From Kaapstad, agreements are reached that help keep the flow of trade weapons, aid and manpower going, keeping its member-states separate and protected from the rest of the world.

Of the myriad constituent nations, six wield the most power in directing the League's affairs, and by extension, most Reactionary trends:
The Free Republic of Australia (Anglo-Mosleyites/Sovereign People's Council)
The Union of Southern Africa (Afrikaner-Mosleyites/Volksfront)
The Free Sovereign Republic of Ireland (National-Reactionaries/Fianna Gael)
The Hashemite Kingdom of the Levant (Alnahdists/Hizb Alnahda)
The Republic of Colombia (Bolivaristas/Partido Bolivarismo)
The Kingdom of Joseon (United Front/Yunaich'idŭ Isahoe)
While the Afrikaners retain their traditional prestige, they had long since been supplanted by Australia as the bloc's de facto leading face, with talks of moving the headquarters to Melbourne only further solidifying that unspoken reality. Though more ambitious, far-reaching plans lurk within those halls. Of those known, among the most concerning is the so-called "Last Bastion" initiative. A combination of Southern African and Australian contingency measures, it's officially presented as a bloc-wide project to establish defensive redoubts in the event of a large-scale assault by any foreign aggressor, Collectivist or otherwise. It's also believed, however, that atomics are involved in these preparations, and that the extent to which they would triumph in either victory or defeat would have drastic consequences even for the Free Nations as a whole.

Whatever the truth, at least for now, the League remains focused on themselves and against the Internationale. For how long, is anyone's guess.

- "The World Almanac of Nations." American Federation. 2023 Edition.

----

For added information and trivia, Australia's President Wellington-Mosley is partially based on A.K. Chesterton (the second cousin of Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton), who in real life was an active member of various groups, including the British Union of Fascists alongside Mosley himself. Colombia, meanwhile, has President Valencia, based on Laureano Gomez , who was suspected of having sympathies for various dictatorships and Francisco Franco especially. While Joseon's puppet monarch, Yeong, is based on Yi Kang, Prince Imperial Uihwa and to a degree Chinese Emperor Puyi . In addition, the Hashemite monarch nominally ruling the Levant, Hassan II, is based on Prince Naif bin Abdullah of Jordan , while Union President Hertzog of Southern Africa being based on both James Barrie Munnik Hertzog and his infamous son, Johannes Albertus Munnik Hertzog . As for the League's Permanent Secretary, he's an amalgamation of Eric Campbell and Queensland's infamous Johannes Bjelke-Petersen .

Ireland's flag is a combination of its OTL flag and the defaced St. Patrick's Saltire used by the Blueshirts . In real life, the Blueshirts were a paramilitary organization that was absorbed in what's now known as the Fine Gael party. Coincidentally, the Irish leader, O'Dubhthaigh, is based on Eoin O'Duffy , who infamously led the Blueshirts and was involved in the Spanish Civil War. While the National-Reactionaries' party, the Fianna Gael, is Irish Gaelic for "Soldiers of Ireland."

The Levantine flag is an amalgamation of the Jordanian , United Arab Republic, Egyptian and Palestinian flags, with the predominant colors based on the Pan-Arab colors used by various Middle Eastern countries in real life. While the Alnahdists themselves are are based on both the rise of Fascist Italy , the emergence of Nasserism , Zionism and Ba'athism .

The Korean used is based on the McCune-Reischauer system , which in real life was used in South Korea until 2002 and remains utilized in altered form by North Korea. The Kingdom of Joseon's flag is also a combination of the real life ones used by Joseon until the 19th Century and those of the short-lived Korean Empire (which lasted until 1910). The rise of Reactionarism among the Koreans in the timeline, however, is a combination of the militarist takeover of Japan in the 1930s and the rise of Fascist Italy (complete with the retention of a powerless monarchy).

Befitting its Bolivarian pretensions, the Colombian flag uses a coat of arms that combines elements from various aspects of its real-world history, particularly the insignia for Gran Colombia.

The League's particular stylings, seeming dysfunction and overall atmosphere are a warped blend of the Axis Powers and Non-Aligned Movement , with elements of Oswald Mosley's "National Party of Europe" initiative from the 1960s.

While Equatoria, shown in the map, is a more perverse mirror of the Belgian Congo, Rhodesia and the Central African Republic. Alternatively, its ruling regime could be described as what the infamous Central African Empire period would be like, had delusional renegades, settlers and garrison remnants tried to forge it.

The unfiltered version can be found here:

The Long Cold War - The League Unfiltered

----

The Californias: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Th…

Kuba and its Neighbours: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ku…
New Austria: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ne…

New Austria and the Upheaval: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Ne…

Loyalist Canada: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Lo…

Western Europe c.2015: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/We…

The American Federation: mdc01957.deviantart.com/art/Th...

North America c.2022: mdc01957/art/No...

Vatican-in-Exile: mdc01957/art/Va...

South America c.2022: mdc01957/art/So..

Legitimate Union of Brazil: mdc01957/art/Le...

Gran Patagonia: mdc01957/art/Gr...

The New World c.2022: mdc01957/art/Th...

The Empire's Legacy c.2022: mdc01957/art/Th...

The Three Crowns: mdc01957/art/Th...

Reactionary Australia: mdc01957/art/Re...

The Twin Republics: mdc01957/art/Th...

A World at the Precipice c.2022: mdc01957/art/AWo...

A World at the Precipice (Vidscreen): mdc01957/art/AWo...

Free Nations of East Asia c.2022: mdc01957/art/Free...

The Long Cold War-The Free World: mdc01957/art/Th...

The Long Cold War-Britannia: mdc01957/art/Th...

Reactionary Levant: mdc01957/art/Re...

The Long Cold War-Italia: mdc01957/art/Th...

Central Plains Collective: mdc01957/art/Cen...

Reactionary Southern Africa: mdc01957/art/Re...