The host of the L’histoire de Hessia Show,
Richard Barnes, sat upon his chair on the show’s set. He was a tall dark-haired man with a pair of small glasses and an expensive suit. “Welcome to L’histoire de Hessia.” he said. He spoke with a light Hessian accent and an eloquent voice. “I’m your host, Richard Barnes. Today, we will be covering the Socialist Movement of 1992. With us is famed historian, Professor Wilhelm Blackwood, of the Union of Saints University. Good afternoon, Professor Blackwood.”
Professor Blackwood was an old man of 83 years - one of the most intelligent historians in Hessia. “Good afternoon, Mister Barnes.” he replied with a weak smile. Though he spoke powerfully, his voice was a bit raspy due to his age.
“Professor Blackwood, this is a very controversial topic.” Barnes said. “Let’s start with the causes of the Hessian Socialist Movement of 1992.”
The professor nodded. “Of course. Well, the causes of the Socialist Movement can be traced all the way back to the Six Year War, which pinned the Kingdom of Hessia up against the People’s Republic of the Orient. During this war, which last from January 6, 1937 to January 6, 1943, the Hessians conquered the Orient and made it part of the Kingdom.”
“And what relevance does this have to the Socialist Movement?”
“Well, the Orient was a communist nation and held close ties with the Tavïki government. With the end of the war, a new conflict now known as the Northern Cold War began. Hessia and Tavïk were on the verge of destructive confrontation, yet neither side wished to strike first.”
“Sort of ironic, considering that Hessia and Tavïk are now steadfast allies.”
Blackwood chuckled. “Yes, it is! Now, back to the topic at hand. During 1947, Hessia was brought under the rule of King Amadeus Royauté. Amadeus was considered a tyrant. The Six Year War had devastated the Hessian economy, and Amadeus’s government did little to help the situation. He continued hoarding the people’s money. And efforts to repair the damages caused by the Orientals were slow. As time went on, the Hessian people began watching the peace and prosperity of the Tavïki people. They said, ‘Why can’t we be like them?’ They said, ‘We want that type of success!’”
Richard smiled and nodded. “And this attitude slowly built up to the events of the Socialist Movement.”
“Precisely! Now, despite its high poverty levels and low quality of technology, medical care, and weaponry, the Kingdom of Hessia’s educational courses and universities remained the best in the world. Socialist ideologies in Hessia were magnified with the rapid influx of Tavïki foreign exchange students. The ‘Socialist Party of Hessia’, or ‘SPH’, was founded by a small group of students, predominantly Tavïki, at Swithelm University. Violence erupted on the campus between the supporters of the SPH and the monarchists. Slowly and steadily, the SPH gained an increased number of followers. Many of these new followers were of Hessian descent.”
“And these new followers were students as well?”
“No, actually, much of the populace outside of the university began to follow SPH ideologies. Tension between the socialists and the monarchists doubled every day - especially in Swithelm. They caused riots, protests, and even several murders! Car bombs and mines were set up by both sides. It had almost reached a point of civil war. Everything built up to the final confrontation that lasted from May 6, 1992 to August 15, 1992.”
“Explain this confrontation please, Professor Blackwood.”
“Certainly! On May 6 of 1992, nearly 500,000 socialist protestors gathered at Swithelm Square. The government suspected that some of them were armed, yet proof of this has yet to be found. Regardless, the protestors proved menacing to both the monarchists and the neutral civilians. Several riots occurred, provoking the government to send in troops. King Amadeus deployed Royal Military Police soldiers into the Square. They blocked every outlet and highway in the central districts of the city, completely containing the socialist protestors. But the protestors did not back down. The standoff continued for over a month. The soldiers were prepared to fire upon the civilians, and the civilians were prepared to fight back. This was a massive issue, as the moment Hessian soldiers would open fire on the civilians, Hessia and Tavïk would most likely go to war.”
“How did it end?” Barnes asked.
“It ended on the day of the coronation of the new King, Cyril Royauté.” the professor replied.
“Queen Aurore’s father.”
“Yes, as Aurore’s grandfather, Gaston Royauté, had already died of hemophilia. King Cyril had different ruling practices. He made extreme efforts to improve the free-market economic system, and he significantly lowered taxes issued by the government. Cyril modernized the Kingdom of Hessia. He made the Kingdom one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. The levels of Hessian wealth rapidly increased as the levels of poverty decreased. The desire for socialism slowly depleted. A sense of pride in the nation’s monarchism had returned by 1995.”
“What of the Socialist Party of Hessia?”
“The SPH slowly disintegrated throughout the 90’s. Yet former members remain within our borders. The Northern Cold War ended roughly around 1993. Trade and interaction between the two nations immediately resumed. It truly is ironic. Hessia and Tavïk are now two of the most powerful countries on the planet. They dominate the economics of the north.”
