Difference between revisions of "Filtvelt Coalition"
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| − | | | + | | Founded = 20 February [[3072]]<ref name=J:FRp50>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 50: "The Jihad in Review"</ref> |
| − | | | + | | Dissolved = |
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| capital = [[Filtvelt]] | | capital = [[Filtvelt]] | ||
| − | | | + | | systems = 21 ([[3075]])<br/>7 ([[3151]]) |
| − | | | + | | population = |
| − | | | + | | currency = |
| + | | language = | ||
| + | | demonym = | ||
| + | | Head of State = [[Prime Minister of the Filtvelt Coalition|Prime Minister]]<ref name="FM:3145p189">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 189: "Filtvelt Coalition"</ref> or President<ref name="ER:3145p33"/> | ||
| + | | cintel = | ||
| + | | commander = | ||
| + | | army = [[Filtvelt Citizen's Militia]] | ||
| + | | navy = | ||
| + | | mintel = | ||
}} | }} | ||
| − | + | The '''Filtvelt Coalition''' is a Periphery realm that formed on February 20, [[3072]] from worlds that seceded from the [[Federated Suns]].<ref>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3072'', p. 78</ref> | |
| − | |||
| − | The '''Filtvelt Coalition''' is a Periphery realm that formed on February 20, [[3072]] from worlds that seceded from the [[Federated Suns]].<ref>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3072'', p. 78</ref> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
=== The Jihad === | === The Jihad === | ||
| − | After being ignored by [[ | + | After being ignored by the rulers of the [[Federated Suns]] for the first five years of the [[Jihad]], and facing ongoing attacks from the [[Tortuga Dominions]] and [[Taurian Concordat]], twenty worlds from the Broken Wheel Combat Region seceded from the Federated Suns to form their own nation. |
| − | [[ | + | In March [[3072]], [[Avi Blessed]] represented the Federated Suns in an attempt to peacefully resolve the matter.<ref name=BSSto25YiP07033073>''BattleCorps: INN Newscast (General section), news item published [07/03/3073]: "Filtvelt Coalition 'Grave Concern' to Princess Regent"''</ref> |
| − | + | [[AFFS]] military units stationed in the systems claimed by the Filtvelt Coalition were given the choice of either transferring into the Filtvelt Defensive Army or relocating to a Federated Suns system. A few weeks after the nation announced its independence, the Coalition introduced a universal draft to increase its defensive preparedness. This draft increased the size of the Citizen's Militia.<ref>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3072'', p. 79</ref> [[The Thumpers]] mercenary unit signed on with the Filtvelt Coalition for several contracts.<ref>''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', pp. 26, 54</ref> | |
| − | Willshire's death and Tiqualme's ascension in October 3075 prompted a flurry of military activity within the Coalition; the Coalition borders were closed in December 3075 to all traffic from the Cooperative, the [[3rd Filtvelt Defenders|Third Filtvelt Defenders]] were activated early and deployed to either [[Redondo]] or [[Jaboatao]] | + | Increasingly concerned with pirate activity originating in the nearby [[Malagrotta Cooperative]], the sudden change in leadership within the Cooperative in October [[3075]] provoked alarm within the Coalition. The ''Voorzitter'' of [[Malagrotta]], [[Marion Willshire]], was killed and replaced by the former second in command of the pirate band the [[Death's Consorts]], [[Gary Tiqualme]], who claimed both the title of ''Voorzitter'' and rule over the Cooperative. While the circumstances surrounding the change in leadership are unclear — Tiqualme announced that Willshire had killed the leader of the Consorts, Lady [[Paula Trevaline]], effectively subsuming her, and then been killed in turn by Tiqualme after attempting to see the Consorts executed.<ref name="JHS3076p51">''Jihad Hot Spots: 3076'', p. 51: "Under New Management"</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | Willshire's death and Tiqualme's ascension in October 3075 prompted a flurry of military activity within the Coalition; the Coalition borders were closed in December 3075 to all traffic from the Cooperative, the [[3rd Filtvelt Defenders|Third Filtvelt Defenders]] were activated early and deployed to either [[Redondo]] or [[Jaboatao]] — or possibly both — while the [[Thumpers|Thumpers Assault Battalion]] was redeployed to [[Sodertalje]] to support the [[2nd Filtvelt Defenders|Second Filtvelt Defenders]].<ref name="JHS3076p51" /> | ||
In 3076 a series of coordinated pirate raids hit several Filtvelt Coalition systems. In response, the Coalition ordered the Thumpers and Filtvelt Citizen's Militia to attack [[Tortuga Prime]] and eliminate the pirates. The Filtvelt force landed on Tortuga, but sustained serious losses from chemical weapons and a much larger number of defensive units than they anticipated. The First Citizen's Militia lost nearly all their infantry, and the Thumpers led the Filtvelt force from the world.<ref>''Historical Turning Points: Tortuga'', p. 6</ref> | In 3076 a series of coordinated pirate raids hit several Filtvelt Coalition systems. In response, the Coalition ordered the Thumpers and Filtvelt Citizen's Militia to attack [[Tortuga Prime]] and eliminate the pirates. The Filtvelt force landed on Tortuga, but sustained serious losses from chemical weapons and a much larger number of defensive units than they anticipated. The First Citizen's Militia lost nearly all their infantry, and the Thumpers led the Filtvelt force from the world.<ref>''Historical Turning Points: Tortuga'', p. 6</ref> | ||
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=== The Dark Age === | === The Dark Age === | ||
====Early Dark Age==== | ====Early Dark Age==== | ||
| − | After the Jihad, the Filtvelt Coalition found itself facing continuing problems from a lack of infrastructure and constant pirate raids. By mid-[[3081]] the Citizen's Militia had been able to recruit up to full established strength, but continued to lack equipment. This hampered the Militia's ability to respond to external threats, and was likely to continue to be a burning issue even with the prospect of trade deals and shifts in local industry manufacturing potentially easing the problem.<ref name="J:FRp115">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 116 | + | After the Jihad, the Filtvelt Coalition found itself facing continuing problems from a lack of infrastructure and constant pirate raids. By mid-[[3081]] the Citizen's Militia had been able to recruit up to full established strength, but continued to lack equipment. This hampered the Militia's ability to respond to external threats, and was likely to continue to be a burning issue even with the prospect of trade deals and shifts in local industry manufacturing potentially easing the problem.<ref name="J:FRp115">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 116: "Filtvelt Coalition"</ref> Military production was already expanding in the early [[3080]]s, with the [[Quikscell Company]] repair facility on [[Broken Wheel]] being upgraded to produce hovercraft in [[3080]] or early [[3081]]. While the major [[Inner Sphere]] powers were retiring their [[RetroTech]] production facilities after the Jihad, the [[Coalition Armory Inc.]] plant on Filtvelt continued to produce RetroTech 'Mechs until at least the early 3080s as Filtvelt had no other options for domestic BattleMech production. The Coalition government also contacted other governments during this period, hoping to obtain the means needed to expand Filtvelt's production to produce BattleMechs that did not depend on primitive technology, possibly by upgrading domestic facilities within the coalition, although the attempts had not been successful by mid-[[3081]].<ref name="J:FRp117">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 117: "Marian Hegemony"</ref> The Coalition was able to purchase surplus RetroTech production from the [[Calderon Protectorate]], augmenting what it could produce locally.<ref name="J:FRp117A">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 117: "Calderon Protectorate"</ref> |
| − | There were serious concerns within the Coalition that with the general end to operations against the Word of Blake the Federated Suns would look to reclaim the various worlds of the Coalition by force. Princess-Regent [[Yvonne Steiner-Davion]] created a new March after the Jihad, the [[Periphery March (Federated Suns)|Periphery March]], and elevated General [[Raymond-Roger Marsin]] to the position of Duke; Marsin was well-known for his dedication to the [[Outback]] region of the Federated Suns and had gained in power and influence during the Jihad, in part because of his successful reclamation of the majority of the worlds of the | + | There were serious concerns within the Coalition that with the general end to operations against the Word of Blake the Federated Suns would look to reclaim the various worlds of the Coalition by force. Princess-Regent [[Yvonne Steiner-Davion]] created a new March after the Jihad, the [[Periphery March (Federated Suns)|Periphery March]], and elevated General [[Raymond-Roger Marsin]] to the position of Duke; Marsin was well-known for his dedication to the [[Outback]] region of the Federated Suns and had gained in power and influence during the Jihad, in part because of his successful reclamation of the majority of the worlds of the Malagrotta Cooperative. The Princess-Regent evidently also took steps to ensure that her promise that the Federated Suns would not perpetrate violence against its citizens was honored by specifically and explicitly forbidding Marsin to engage in military action against the Coalition. Marsin was supportive of the Princess-Regent, and adhered to the strict guidelines she imposed, but that didn't stop him acquiring four of the Coalition worlds for the Periphery March by [[3085]]. One world, [[Hephzibah]], willingly rejoined the Federated Suns in exchange for various economic incentives; on three other worlds, Marsin sent in Periphery March forces to remove Coalition forces from the planets after the legitimate authorities on those planets "invited" Marsin to remove Coalition forces illegally occupying their worlds.<ref name="FM:3085p52+">''Field Manual: 3085'', pp. 52–53: "Camelot Summit"</ref> |
| − | Duke Marsin put pressure on the Coalition in a number of ways; Marsin's decisions were driven in part by | + | Duke Marsin put pressure on the Coalition in a number of ways; Marsin's decisions were driven in part by saber rattling from the Coalition and the rising tide of pirate activity, although Marsin concentrated his efforts against the remains of the Malagrotta Cooperative first.<ref name="FR:AFFSp16">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 16: "Crucis March Militia"</ref> In addition to speculation in [[3079]] that Marsin would soon move against the Coalition,<ref name="FR:AFFSp20">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 20: "Breakaway States"</ref> it was widely predicted that the [[First Royal Cavaliers]] would be deployed to the Filtvelt border.<ref name="FR:AFFSp8">''Field Report: AFFS'', p. 8: "Independent Commands"</ref> |
| − | One of his early decisions was to reconstitute the Malagrotta March Militia, despite the Malagrotta Combat Region of the Federated Suns having been dissolved, as well as the [[Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia]], renamed as the [[Hortense Periphery March Militia]]. Marsin's decisions not only solidified the Federated Suns hold on the various worlds of what had been the Malagrotta Cooperative, but also put political pressure on the Coalition; with three militia commands, a [[Periphery March Guard]] and the capital world of the Periphery March all deliberately located in close proximity to the Coalition, Marsin actively undermined the original purpose of the Coalition | + | One of his early decisions was to reconstitute the Malagrotta March Militia, despite the Malagrotta Combat Region of the Federated Suns having been dissolved, as well as the [[Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia]], renamed as the [[Hortense Periphery March Militia]]. Marsin's decisions not only solidified the Federated Suns hold on the various worlds of what had been the Malagrotta Cooperative, but also put political pressure on the Coalition; with three militia commands, a [[Periphery March Guard]] and the capital world of the Periphery March all deliberately located in close proximity to the Coalition, Marsin actively undermined the original purpose of the Coalition — to provide stability and security in the face of apparent neglect of the region.<ref name="FM:3085p67">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 67: "Malagrotta Periphery March Militia LCT"</ref> |
| − | Despite these pressures and the loss of four worlds, the Filtvelt Coalition stabilized as a nation in the early [[Dark Age]], with Marquess Trempeleau enjoying the full support of her people; the Coalition's military forces began to prove themselves effective at providing security for the coalition worlds, and the Marquess successfully pushed forward her agenda to build international | + | Despite these pressures and the loss of four worlds, the Filtvelt Coalition stabilized as a nation in the early [[Dark Age]], with Marquess Trempeleau enjoying the full support of her people; the Coalition's military forces began to prove themselves effective at providing security for the coalition worlds, and the Marquess successfully pushed forward her agenda to build international cooperation in areas such as bandit hunting, with the Coalition working alongside the Federated Suns, the [[Fronc Reaches]] and the [[Raven Alliance]] and with plans progressing to form combined strike teams to target bandits, drawing on forces from all four realms, while also cooperating in areas such as intelligence gathering and sharing.<ref name="FM:3085p132">''Field Manual: 3085'', pp. 132–133: "Filtvelt Coalition"</ref> |
| − | The Coalition also cooperated with nations such as the [[Calderon Protectorate]] and the [[Fiefdom of Randis]], establishing trade ties and exchanging students and staff for the various military academies and institutes within the three nations.<ref name="FM:3085p133">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 133 | + | The Coalition also cooperated with nations such as the [[Calderon Protectorate]] and the [[Fiefdom of Randis]], establishing trade ties and exchanging students and staff for the various military academies and institutes within the three nations.<ref name="FM:3085p133">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 133: "Fiefdom of Randis"</ref> With the [[Filtvelt Academy]] open to students from other Periphery Nations the Coalition gained valuable funding, and the Marquess worked to ensure that the economy of the Coalition continued to improve. By 3085 in addition to upgrading the [[Outback FarmMechs]] plant to produce Primitive BattleMechs the Coalition had also pushed for the upgrade of the Quikscell plant on Broken Wheel to a full-fledged factory and for the expansion of the [[Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion]] plant to full-time production. With industries expanding the number of jobs available increased, improving the local economy, while selling surplus production to other nations boosted the economy further and helped to foster improved interstellar relations.<ref name="FM:3085p135">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 135: "Filtvelt Coalition"</ref> Fears of a repeat of events in the Malagrotta Cooperative influenced the Coalitions negotiations with mercenary units, however; the Coalition operated a policy of communicating and contracting with mercenary units outside the borders of the Coalition, with a permanent team being established to negotiate with mercenaries as well as being responsible for issuing them the access needed to actually make landfall on Coalition worlds.<ref name="FM:3085p154">''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 154: "The Periphery"</ref> |
| − | Despite the Coalition's stabilization and subsequent growth, the number of worlds affiliated with the | + | Despite the Coalition's stabilization and subsequent growth, the number of worlds affiliated with the Coalition rejoined the Federated Suns, with the Coalition shrinking to just seven worlds by [[3130]]. A key factor in this was the efforts of [[Sherwood|Sherwood's]] Earl [[Jonathon Tyler]], a respected war veteran and Federated Suns loyalist, who persuaded first his homeworld and then other nearby Coalition worlds to rejoin the Suns.<ref>''Inner Sphere detailed map for 3130 shows Filtvelt Coalition only has seven systems.''</ref> <ref>''Touring the Stars: Sherwood'', p. 6</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | The population of the Coalition remained convinced that sooner or later the Federated Suns would look to reclaim the worlds by force, and as a result the Thumpers Assault Battalion was rotated through a number of worlds on the border, repeatedly having to move on to new assignments as worlds elected to rejoin the Federated Suns. Always popular on the border worlds, the Thumpers eventually decided to give up their trade as mercenaries and integrated fully into the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia; by 3145 the commanding officer of the Thumpers, now a full regiment in size, was Colonel [[Ranjit Matta]], grandson of the Jihad-era commander Buck Tripp by his daughter, who married a zamindar from the city-state of Thanjavur on [[Skepptana]].<ref name="ER:3145p78">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 78: "Thumper Assault Regiment"</ref> | ||
====Late Dark Age==== | ====Late Dark Age==== | ||
| − | During the early part of the [[thirty-second century]] [[Prime Minister]] [[Berko Okeke]] found himself struggling to deal with a "brain drain" resulting from a combination of the paucity of secondary education within the Coalition and the continuing demand from the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia for well-educated recruits to undergo officer training at [[Filtvelt Academy]].<ref name="FM:3145p189"/> With the [[Vagabond Schools]] of the Federated Suns era regarded as a failure,<ref name="O:Pp23">''Objectives: Periphery'', p. 23 | + | During the early part of the [[thirty-second century]] [[Prime Minister of the Filtvelt Coalition|Prime Minister]] [[Berko Okeke]] found himself struggling to deal with a "brain drain" resulting from a combination of the paucity of secondary education within the Coalition and the continuing demand from the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia for well-educated recruits to undergo officer training at [[Filtvelt Academy]].<ref name="FM:3145p189"/> With the [[Vagabond Schools]] of the Federated Suns era regarded as a failure,<ref name="O:Pp23">''Objectives: Periphery'', p. 23: "Strategic Integrity"</ref> Okeke responded to the drain by pushing through a number of tax and spending increases that increased the number of primary and university education facilities throughout the Coalition. These measures were very successful — so much so that a number of worlds bordering the Coalition began to adopt them — but it wouldn't be until [[3138]] that the Militia was finally able to recruit enough trained personnel from Filtvelt Academy to meet its needs.<ref name="FM:3145p189">''Field Manual: 3145'', p. 189: "Filtvelt Coalition"</ref> |
==== Supporting the Federated Suns during the Draconis Combine Invasion ==== | ==== Supporting the Federated Suns during the Draconis Combine Invasion ==== | ||
| − | In [[3138]] [[John Joseph Gardiner]] was elected President of the Coalition, replacing the outgoing Okeke. The son of a [[Marielund]] farmer, Gardiner had entered public service at a young age and was a staunch Coalition patriot who worked tirelessly to improve the standard of living of the citizens of the Coalition. Gardiner was a firm believer in the idea that the Coalition and the Federated Suns shared a deep connection and that the key to the coalition remaining independent was to cultivate and strengthen that | + | In [[3138]] [[John Joseph Gardiner]] was elected President of the Coalition, replacing the outgoing Okeke. The son of a [[Marielund]] farmer, Gardiner had entered public service at a young age and was a staunch Coalition patriot who worked tirelessly to improve the standard of living of the citizens of the Coalition. Gardiner was a firm believer in the idea that the Coalition and the Federated Suns shared a deep connection and that the key to the coalition remaining independent was to cultivate and strengthen that bond. Gardiner was outspoken about his beliefs and had been massively popular on Marielund, rising to the post of planetary governor in [[3111]] before being reelected to the post repeatedly. Being elected to rule the Coalition put Gardiner in a position to confirm his beliefs on a larger scale, and one of his first acts in office was to begin an education exchange program with several of the worlds in the nearby Periphery March of the Federated Suns. He followed this by negotiating a number of trade deals that proved successful, boosting the economy of almost every world in the Coalition.<ref name="ER:3145p113">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 113: "John Joseph Gardiner"</ref> |
| + | |||
| + | Gardiner and the Coalition were further tested when the [[Draconis Combine]] launched a devastatingly successful three-pronged invasion of the Federated Suns in [[3144]].<ref name="ER:3145p33">''Era Report: 3145'', pp. 32–33: "Setting Suns"</ref> In May [[3144]] when [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]] forces invaded [[Chanute]], the sister of the Duke of the [[Draconis March]], [[Duchess]] [[Victoria Sandoval]], decided to flee [[Woodbine]], making her way to Filtvelt as she was unable to reach her brother on the March capital of [[Robinson]]. Once she arrived on Filtvelt, she began a series of talks with Gardiner that were reportedly highly productive.<ref name="ER:3145p33"/> | ||
| + | |||
| + | Citizen-soldiers of the Coalition began volunteering to assist the Federated Suns,<ref name="ER:3145p37">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 37: "Uncertain Future"</ref> and Gardiner dispatched troops across the border to strike at rear targets in the occupied regions of the Federated Suns. Gardiner put the case for supporting the Federated Suns directly to the people of the Coalition, citing the shared cultural heritage the two nations shared, and was rewarded with almost complete agreement and an eruption of confidence and patriotism within the population.<ref name="ER:3145p113"/> | ||
| − | + | Dispatched on the 9th of September 3145,<ref name="ER:3145p25">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 25: "Timeline of Events"</ref> the mainstay of the forces deployed to assist the Federated Suns was the Thumper Assault Regiment, along with enough volunteer militia companies<ref name="ER:3145p76">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 76: "Periphery States"</ref> to form several ad hoc battalions of troops. The Filtvelt troops fell under the overall command of Duke [[Bernard Marsin]] of the Periphery March by default, but many in the AFFS High Command doubted that he would be able to effectively deploy them<ref name="ER:3145p48">''Era Report: 3145'', p. 48: "Federated Suns"</ref> and by the end of 3145 the Thumpers had yet to be deployed in combat.<ref name="ER:3145p78"/> | |
| − | Citizen | + | In [[3146]] pirate attacks had increased, with severe raids on [[Broken Wheel]] and [[Skepptana]]. Critics of the government called for the recall of the Thumpers regiment to deal with these pirate attacks. However the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia's command believed the pirate attacks were under control and didn't want to cause panic or recall the Thumpers.<ref>''Shattered Fortress'', p. 19: "Piracy Has Reached 'Unacceptable Levels'"</ref> |
| − | + | ====IlClan Era==== | |
| + | When Sherwood was conquered by [[Tortuga]] pirate king [[Alastar Firebeard]] in October [[3151]], Duke [[Bernard Marsin]] of the Suns' [[Periphery March]] was forced to request aid from the Coalition to counter Firebeard's invasion.<ref>''Dominions Divided'', p. 72, "A Tale of Two Foxes"</ref> | ||
== Worlds of the Filtvelt Coalition == | == Worlds of the Filtvelt Coalition == | ||
| Line 63: | Line 74: | ||
Filtvelt, Marielund, Wetumpka, Broken Wheel, Lackland, Skepptana, and Mararn. | Filtvelt, Marielund, Wetumpka, Broken Wheel, Lackland, Skepptana, and Mararn. | ||
| − | The capital world of the Filtvelt Coalition is Filtvelt, once the capital world of the former [[Outer March]] of the Federated Suns during the [[Age of War]].<ref name="HB:HDp37">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 37 | + | The capital world of the Filtvelt Coalition is Filtvelt, once the capital world of the former [[Outer March]] of the Federated Suns during the [[Age of War]].<ref name="HB:HDp37">''Handbook: House Davion'', p. 37: "Dividends of Peace"</ref> |
== Filtvelt Citizen's Militia == | == Filtvelt Citizen's Militia == | ||
| − | The Filtvelt Citizen's Militia consists of those former AFFS units that chose to join the Filtvelt Coalition. Initially the FCM was equipped with machines used by the [[AFFS#Filtvelt_Military_Academy|Filtvelt Military Academy]] Training Battalion. This low level of equipment didn't lend itself to offensive operations or effective defense, so the Coalition government contracted [[The Thumpers]] to provide some heavy hitting power. | + | The Filtvelt Citizen's Militia consists of those former AFFS units that chose to join the Filtvelt Coalition. Initially the FCM was equipped with machines used by the [[AFFS#Filtvelt_Military_Academy|Filtvelt Military Academy]] Training Battalion. This low level of equipment didn't lend itself to offensive operations or effective defense, so the Coalition government contracted [[The Thumpers]] to provide some heavy hitting power. |
| − | Between 3072 and 3075, the FCM consisted mostly of two battalions of 3025 era BattleMechs. Equipment for the armor and infantry units that supported these 'Mechs came from a [[Quikscell Company]] facility on Broken Wheel and a retired [[Ripper]] VTOL production line on Filtvelt.<ref>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', p. 47 Filtvelt Citizen's Militia</ref> In 3073 the Militia revealed that it had equipped two battalions of infantry with [[Inner Sphere Standard (Battle Armor)|Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor]]. | + | Between 3072 and 3075, the FCM consisted mostly of two battalions of 3025 era BattleMechs. Equipment for the armor and infantry units that supported these 'Mechs came from a [[Quikscell Company]] facility on Broken Wheel and a retired [[Ripper (Combat Vehicle)|Ripper]] VTOL production line on Filtvelt.<ref name=M&MTSDp47>''Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers'', p. 47: Filtvelt Citizen's Militia</ref> In 3073 the Militia revealed that it had equipped two battalions of infantry with [[Inner Sphere Standard (Battle Armor)|Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor]]. |
| − | Late in 3075, nearly a third of the [[Malagrotta Crucis March Militia]] left their proto-state and joined the Filtvelt Coalition. This provided them with additional resources and several highly trained officers. As a result, the FCM could defend the Coalition very effectively from pirates but wasn't equipped to invade anyone else.<ref | + | Late in 3075, nearly a third of the [[Malagrotta Crucis March Militia]] left their proto-state and joined the Filtvelt Coalition. This provided them with additional resources and several highly trained officers. As a result, the FCM could defend the Coalition very effectively from pirates but wasn't equipped to invade anyone else.<ref name=M&MTSDp47 /> |
The dispatch of the Thumper Assault Regiment to assist the Federated Suns in 3145 left the FCM in a difficult position; pirate activity on the Periphery border of the Coalition had been increasing, and the reduced strength of the Militia left them struggling to deal with the increased pirate threat.<ref name="ER:3145p76"/> | The dispatch of the Thumper Assault Regiment to assist the Federated Suns in 3145 left the FCM in a difficult position; pirate activity on the Periphery border of the Coalition had been increasing, and the reduced strength of the Militia left them struggling to deal with the increased pirate threat.<ref name="ER:3145p76"/> | ||
===List of Named Military Units=== | ===List of Named Military Units=== | ||
| − | * [[First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia]]<ref name=FR:Pp14>''Field Report: Periphery'' p. 14</ref> | + | * [[First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia]]<ref name=FR:Pp14>''Field Report: Periphery'', p. 14</ref> |
| − | * [[Second Filtvelt Citizen's Militia]]<ref name=FR:Pp14/> | + | * [[Second Filtvelt Citizen's Militia]]<ref name=FR:Pp14/> |
* [[Third Filtvelt Citizen's Militia]]<ref name=FR:Pp14/> | * [[Third Filtvelt Citizen's Militia]]<ref name=FR:Pp14/> | ||
* [[The Thumpers]] Assault Battalion<ref>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 152</ref> | * [[The Thumpers]] Assault Battalion<ref>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 152</ref> | ||
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==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
| − | + | MallaC and FVC 3075.jpg|Filtvelt Coalition (and Malagrotta Cooperative), ca. 3075 | |
| + | Filtvelt-Coalition-3085.png|Filtvelt Coalition, ca. 3085 | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
| Line 89: | Line 101: | ||
==Bibliography== | ==Bibliography== | ||
| + | * ''[[Dominions Divided]]'' | ||
* ''[[Era Report: 3145]]'' | * ''[[Era Report: 3145]]'' | ||
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]'' | * ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]'' | ||
| Line 101: | Line 114: | ||
* ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]'' | * ''[[Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers]]'' | ||
* ''[[Objectives: Periphery]]'' | * ''[[Objectives: Periphery]]'' | ||
| + | * ''[[Shattered Fortress]]'' | ||
| + | * ''[[Touring the Stars: Sherwood]]'' | ||
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Nation States]] |
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Filtvelt Coalition Related Categories]] |
Latest revision as of 00:52, 5 December 2023
| Filtvelt Coalition | |
|---|---|
| State Profile | |
| Founding Year | 20 February 3072[1] |
| Capital world: | Filtvelt |
| Controlled system(s): | 21 (3075) 7 (3151) |
| Government | |
| Head of State | Prime Minister[2] or President[3] |
| Military | |
| Army | Filtvelt Citizen's Militia |
The Filtvelt Coalition is a Periphery realm that formed on February 20, 3072 from worlds that seceded from the Federated Suns.[4]
Contents
History[edit]
The Jihad[edit]
After being ignored by the rulers of the Federated Suns for the first five years of the Jihad, and facing ongoing attacks from the Tortuga Dominions and Taurian Concordat, twenty worlds from the Broken Wheel Combat Region seceded from the Federated Suns to form their own nation.
In March 3072, Avi Blessed represented the Federated Suns in an attempt to peacefully resolve the matter.[5]
AFFS military units stationed in the systems claimed by the Filtvelt Coalition were given the choice of either transferring into the Filtvelt Defensive Army or relocating to a Federated Suns system. A few weeks after the nation announced its independence, the Coalition introduced a universal draft to increase its defensive preparedness. This draft increased the size of the Citizen's Militia.[6] The Thumpers mercenary unit signed on with the Filtvelt Coalition for several contracts.[7]
Increasingly concerned with pirate activity originating in the nearby Malagrotta Cooperative, the sudden change in leadership within the Cooperative in October 3075 provoked alarm within the Coalition. The Voorzitter of Malagrotta, Marion Willshire, was killed and replaced by the former second in command of the pirate band the Death's Consorts, Gary Tiqualme, who claimed both the title of Voorzitter and rule over the Cooperative. While the circumstances surrounding the change in leadership are unclear — Tiqualme announced that Willshire had killed the leader of the Consorts, Lady Paula Trevaline, effectively subsuming her, and then been killed in turn by Tiqualme after attempting to see the Consorts executed.[8]
Willshire's death and Tiqualme's ascension in October 3075 prompted a flurry of military activity within the Coalition; the Coalition borders were closed in December 3075 to all traffic from the Cooperative, the Third Filtvelt Defenders were activated early and deployed to either Redondo or Jaboatao — or possibly both — while the Thumpers Assault Battalion was redeployed to Sodertalje to support the Second Filtvelt Defenders.[8]
In 3076 a series of coordinated pirate raids hit several Filtvelt Coalition systems. In response, the Coalition ordered the Thumpers and Filtvelt Citizen's Militia to attack Tortuga Prime and eliminate the pirates. The Filtvelt force landed on Tortuga, but sustained serious losses from chemical weapons and a much larger number of defensive units than they anticipated. The First Citizen's Militia lost nearly all their infantry, and the Thumpers led the Filtvelt force from the world.[9]
The Dark Age[edit]
Early Dark Age[edit]
After the Jihad, the Filtvelt Coalition found itself facing continuing problems from a lack of infrastructure and constant pirate raids. By mid-3081 the Citizen's Militia had been able to recruit up to full established strength, but continued to lack equipment. This hampered the Militia's ability to respond to external threats, and was likely to continue to be a burning issue even with the prospect of trade deals and shifts in local industry manufacturing potentially easing the problem.[10] Military production was already expanding in the early 3080s, with the Quikscell Company repair facility on Broken Wheel being upgraded to produce hovercraft in 3080 or early 3081. While the major Inner Sphere powers were retiring their RetroTech production facilities after the Jihad, the Coalition Armory Inc. plant on Filtvelt continued to produce RetroTech 'Mechs until at least the early 3080s as Filtvelt had no other options for domestic BattleMech production. The Coalition government also contacted other governments during this period, hoping to obtain the means needed to expand Filtvelt's production to produce BattleMechs that did not depend on primitive technology, possibly by upgrading domestic facilities within the coalition, although the attempts had not been successful by mid-3081.[11] The Coalition was able to purchase surplus RetroTech production from the Calderon Protectorate, augmenting what it could produce locally.[12]
There were serious concerns within the Coalition that with the general end to operations against the Word of Blake the Federated Suns would look to reclaim the various worlds of the Coalition by force. Princess-Regent Yvonne Steiner-Davion created a new March after the Jihad, the Periphery March, and elevated General Raymond-Roger Marsin to the position of Duke; Marsin was well-known for his dedication to the Outback region of the Federated Suns and had gained in power and influence during the Jihad, in part because of his successful reclamation of the majority of the worlds of the Malagrotta Cooperative. The Princess-Regent evidently also took steps to ensure that her promise that the Federated Suns would not perpetrate violence against its citizens was honored by specifically and explicitly forbidding Marsin to engage in military action against the Coalition. Marsin was supportive of the Princess-Regent, and adhered to the strict guidelines she imposed, but that didn't stop him acquiring four of the Coalition worlds for the Periphery March by 3085. One world, Hephzibah, willingly rejoined the Federated Suns in exchange for various economic incentives; on three other worlds, Marsin sent in Periphery March forces to remove Coalition forces from the planets after the legitimate authorities on those planets "invited" Marsin to remove Coalition forces illegally occupying their worlds.[13]
Duke Marsin put pressure on the Coalition in a number of ways; Marsin's decisions were driven in part by saber rattling from the Coalition and the rising tide of pirate activity, although Marsin concentrated his efforts against the remains of the Malagrotta Cooperative first.[14] In addition to speculation in 3079 that Marsin would soon move against the Coalition,[15] it was widely predicted that the First Royal Cavaliers would be deployed to the Filtvelt border.[16]
One of his early decisions was to reconstitute the Malagrotta March Militia, despite the Malagrotta Combat Region of the Federated Suns having been dissolved, as well as the Broken Wheel Crucis March Militia, renamed as the Hortense Periphery March Militia. Marsin's decisions not only solidified the Federated Suns hold on the various worlds of what had been the Malagrotta Cooperative, but also put political pressure on the Coalition; with three militia commands, a Periphery March Guard and the capital world of the Periphery March all deliberately located in close proximity to the Coalition, Marsin actively undermined the original purpose of the Coalition — to provide stability and security in the face of apparent neglect of the region.[17]
Despite these pressures and the loss of four worlds, the Filtvelt Coalition stabilized as a nation in the early Dark Age, with Marquess Trempeleau enjoying the full support of her people; the Coalition's military forces began to prove themselves effective at providing security for the coalition worlds, and the Marquess successfully pushed forward her agenda to build international cooperation in areas such as bandit hunting, with the Coalition working alongside the Federated Suns, the Fronc Reaches and the Raven Alliance and with plans progressing to form combined strike teams to target bandits, drawing on forces from all four realms, while also cooperating in areas such as intelligence gathering and sharing.[18]
The Coalition also cooperated with nations such as the Calderon Protectorate and the Fiefdom of Randis, establishing trade ties and exchanging students and staff for the various military academies and institutes within the three nations.[19] With the Filtvelt Academy open to students from other Periphery Nations the Coalition gained valuable funding, and the Marquess worked to ensure that the economy of the Coalition continued to improve. By 3085 in addition to upgrading the Outback FarmMechs plant to produce Primitive BattleMechs the Coalition had also pushed for the upgrade of the Quikscell plant on Broken Wheel to a full-fledged factory and for the expansion of the Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion plant to full-time production. With industries expanding the number of jobs available increased, improving the local economy, while selling surplus production to other nations boosted the economy further and helped to foster improved interstellar relations.[20] Fears of a repeat of events in the Malagrotta Cooperative influenced the Coalitions negotiations with mercenary units, however; the Coalition operated a policy of communicating and contracting with mercenary units outside the borders of the Coalition, with a permanent team being established to negotiate with mercenaries as well as being responsible for issuing them the access needed to actually make landfall on Coalition worlds.[21]
Despite the Coalition's stabilization and subsequent growth, the number of worlds affiliated with the Coalition rejoined the Federated Suns, with the Coalition shrinking to just seven worlds by 3130. A key factor in this was the efforts of Sherwood's Earl Jonathon Tyler, a respected war veteran and Federated Suns loyalist, who persuaded first his homeworld and then other nearby Coalition worlds to rejoin the Suns.[22] [23]
The population of the Coalition remained convinced that sooner or later the Federated Suns would look to reclaim the worlds by force, and as a result the Thumpers Assault Battalion was rotated through a number of worlds on the border, repeatedly having to move on to new assignments as worlds elected to rejoin the Federated Suns. Always popular on the border worlds, the Thumpers eventually decided to give up their trade as mercenaries and integrated fully into the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia; by 3145 the commanding officer of the Thumpers, now a full regiment in size, was Colonel Ranjit Matta, grandson of the Jihad-era commander Buck Tripp by his daughter, who married a zamindar from the city-state of Thanjavur on Skepptana.[24]
Late Dark Age[edit]
During the early part of the thirty-second century Prime Minister Berko Okeke found himself struggling to deal with a "brain drain" resulting from a combination of the paucity of secondary education within the Coalition and the continuing demand from the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia for well-educated recruits to undergo officer training at Filtvelt Academy.[2] With the Vagabond Schools of the Federated Suns era regarded as a failure,[25] Okeke responded to the drain by pushing through a number of tax and spending increases that increased the number of primary and university education facilities throughout the Coalition. These measures were very successful — so much so that a number of worlds bordering the Coalition began to adopt them — but it wouldn't be until 3138 that the Militia was finally able to recruit enough trained personnel from Filtvelt Academy to meet its needs.[2]
Supporting the Federated Suns during the Draconis Combine Invasion[edit]
In 3138 John Joseph Gardiner was elected President of the Coalition, replacing the outgoing Okeke. The son of a Marielund farmer, Gardiner had entered public service at a young age and was a staunch Coalition patriot who worked tirelessly to improve the standard of living of the citizens of the Coalition. Gardiner was a firm believer in the idea that the Coalition and the Federated Suns shared a deep connection and that the key to the coalition remaining independent was to cultivate and strengthen that bond. Gardiner was outspoken about his beliefs and had been massively popular on Marielund, rising to the post of planetary governor in 3111 before being reelected to the post repeatedly. Being elected to rule the Coalition put Gardiner in a position to confirm his beliefs on a larger scale, and one of his first acts in office was to begin an education exchange program with several of the worlds in the nearby Periphery March of the Federated Suns. He followed this by negotiating a number of trade deals that proved successful, boosting the economy of almost every world in the Coalition.[26]
Gardiner and the Coalition were further tested when the Draconis Combine launched a devastatingly successful three-pronged invasion of the Federated Suns in 3144.[3] In May 3144 when Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery forces invaded Chanute, the sister of the Duke of the Draconis March, Duchess Victoria Sandoval, decided to flee Woodbine, making her way to Filtvelt as she was unable to reach her brother on the March capital of Robinson. Once she arrived on Filtvelt, she began a series of talks with Gardiner that were reportedly highly productive.[3]
Citizen-soldiers of the Coalition began volunteering to assist the Federated Suns,[27] and Gardiner dispatched troops across the border to strike at rear targets in the occupied regions of the Federated Suns. Gardiner put the case for supporting the Federated Suns directly to the people of the Coalition, citing the shared cultural heritage the two nations shared, and was rewarded with almost complete agreement and an eruption of confidence and patriotism within the population.[26]
Dispatched on the 9th of September 3145,[28] the mainstay of the forces deployed to assist the Federated Suns was the Thumper Assault Regiment, along with enough volunteer militia companies[29] to form several ad hoc battalions of troops. The Filtvelt troops fell under the overall command of Duke Bernard Marsin of the Periphery March by default, but many in the AFFS High Command doubted that he would be able to effectively deploy them[30] and by the end of 3145 the Thumpers had yet to be deployed in combat.[24]
In 3146 pirate attacks had increased, with severe raids on Broken Wheel and Skepptana. Critics of the government called for the recall of the Thumpers regiment to deal with these pirate attacks. However the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia's command believed the pirate attacks were under control and didn't want to cause panic or recall the Thumpers.[31]
IlClan Era[edit]
When Sherwood was conquered by Tortuga pirate king Alastar Firebeard in October 3151, Duke Bernard Marsin of the Suns' Periphery March was forced to request aid from the Coalition to counter Firebeard's invasion.[32]
Worlds of the Filtvelt Coalition[edit]
The following systems were part of the Filtvelt Coalition when it formed in 3072: Cogdell, Ebro, Eustatius, Filtvelt, Gillingham, Hephzibah, Jaboatao, Lackland, Mararn, Marielund, Mejicanos, Memphis, Morven, Moultrie, Redondo, Sherwood, Skepptana, Sodertalje, Vaucluse, Wetumpka, and Broken Wheel.
In 3130, the following systems were part of the Coalition: Filtvelt, Marielund, Wetumpka, Broken Wheel, Lackland, Skepptana, and Mararn.
The capital world of the Filtvelt Coalition is Filtvelt, once the capital world of the former Outer March of the Federated Suns during the Age of War.[33]
Filtvelt Citizen's Militia[edit]
The Filtvelt Citizen's Militia consists of those former AFFS units that chose to join the Filtvelt Coalition. Initially the FCM was equipped with machines used by the Filtvelt Military Academy Training Battalion. This low level of equipment didn't lend itself to offensive operations or effective defense, so the Coalition government contracted The Thumpers to provide some heavy hitting power.
Between 3072 and 3075, the FCM consisted mostly of two battalions of 3025 era BattleMechs. Equipment for the armor and infantry units that supported these 'Mechs came from a Quikscell Company facility on Broken Wheel and a retired Ripper VTOL production line on Filtvelt.[34] In 3073 the Militia revealed that it had equipped two battalions of infantry with Inner Sphere Standard Battle Armor.
Late in 3075, nearly a third of the Malagrotta Crucis March Militia left their proto-state and joined the Filtvelt Coalition. This provided them with additional resources and several highly trained officers. As a result, the FCM could defend the Coalition very effectively from pirates but wasn't equipped to invade anyone else.[34]
The dispatch of the Thumper Assault Regiment to assist the Federated Suns in 3145 left the FCM in a difficult position; pirate activity on the Periphery border of the Coalition had been increasing, and the reduced strength of the Militia left them struggling to deal with the increased pirate threat.[29]
List of Named Military Units[edit]
- First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia[35]
- Second Filtvelt Citizen's Militia[35]
- Third Filtvelt Citizen's Militia[35]
- The Thumpers Assault Battalion[36]
Gallery[edit]
Filtvelt Coalition (and Malagrotta Cooperative), ca. 3075
Filtvelt Coalition, ca. 3085
References[edit]
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 50: "The Jihad in Review"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. 189: "Filtvelt Coalition"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Era Report: 3145, pp. 32–33: "Setting Suns"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 78
- ↑ BattleCorps: INN Newscast (General section), news item published [07/03/3073]: "Filtvelt Coalition 'Grave Concern' to Princess Regent"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 79
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, pp. 26, 54
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 51: "Under New Management"
- ↑ Historical Turning Points: Tortuga, p. 6
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 116: "Filtvelt Coalition"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 117: "Marian Hegemony"
- ↑ Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 117: "Calderon Protectorate"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, pp. 52–53: "Camelot Summit"
- ↑ Field Report: AFFS, p. 16: "Crucis March Militia"
- ↑ Field Report: AFFS, p. 20: "Breakaway States"
- ↑ Field Report: AFFS, p. 8: "Independent Commands"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 67: "Malagrotta Periphery March Militia LCT"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, pp. 132–133: "Filtvelt Coalition"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 133: "Fiefdom of Randis"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 135: "Filtvelt Coalition"
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 154: "The Periphery"
- ↑ Inner Sphere detailed map for 3130 shows Filtvelt Coalition only has seven systems.
- ↑ Touring the Stars: Sherwood, p. 6
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 78: "Thumper Assault Regiment"
- ↑ Objectives: Periphery, p. 23: "Strategic Integrity"
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 113: "John Joseph Gardiner"
- ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 37: "Uncertain Future"
- ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 25: "Timeline of Events"
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Era Report: 3145, p. 76: "Periphery States"
- ↑ Era Report: 3145, p. 48: "Federated Suns"
- ↑ Shattered Fortress, p. 19: "Piracy Has Reached 'Unacceptable Levels'"
- ↑ Dominions Divided, p. 72, "A Tale of Two Foxes"
- ↑ Handbook: House Davion, p. 37: "Dividends of Peace"
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 47: Filtvelt Citizen's Militia
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Field Report: Periphery, p. 14
- ↑ Field Manual: 3085, p. 152
Bibliography[edit]
- Dominions Divided
- Era Report: 3145
- Field Manual: 3085
- Field Manual: 3145
- Field Report: AFFS
- Field Report: Periphery
- Handbook: House Davion
- Historical Turning Points: Tortuga
- Jihad: Final Reckoning
- Jihad Hot Spots: 3072
- Jihad Hot Spots: 3076
- Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers
- Objectives: Periphery
- Shattered Fortress
- Touring the Stars: Sherwood