Free Worlds League

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Crest of the Free Worlds League
Free Worlds League
Faction Profile
Time period: 2271 – present
Classification: Successor State
Controlled systems: 330+
Capital world: Atreus
Ruler title: Captain-General
Military: Free Worlds League Military
Secret Service: SAFE

The Free Worlds League is one of the five Successor States of the Inner Sphere. Its capital is Atreus and the League is ruled by a Captain-General, leaders of House Marik.

The Free Worlds League is notable as the first successor state founded in the Inner Sphere. It is multicultural, with strong European, American and Indian influences. It also traditionally offered great autonomy to its component regions, like the Duchy of Oriente, Principality of Regulus, and Duchy of Andurien.

History

Creation

The Free Worlds League was a federation that was initially created by three existing nations, the Marik Republic, Federation of Oriente, and Regulan Principality. Three nations, formed in the wake of the Terran Alliance's internal struggles, signed the Articles of Unification (also known as the Treaty of Marik) in 2271, creating the League even before the establishment of the Terran Hegemony. As influential as Detlev Marik, Tomás Allison, and Raju Selaj, the leaders of their respective nations, were, the League owes just as much to George Humphreys, the man who negotiated between the three leaders.[1]

The League's first war occurred in 2293 against the Stewart Commonality. That nation's dictator, David Genovese, refused the League's peaceful entreaties. In September, Captain-General Juliano Marik led a force in what came to be known as the Stewart War. Marik's forces were easily victorious and the League annexed the six-world Commonality. This marked the first time the League Parliament named a Captain-General to lead military forces in battle. As proscribed by the League constitution, Marik returned control of the Free Worlds League Military to Parliament at the end of the war.[2][3][4]

Early Years

In 2306, the League signed the Ryerson Accord, which brought the nation into direct conflict with the Sarna Supremacy as allies of the Capellan Hegemony. Parliament elected Danak Selaj Captain-General. Selaj was a failure. By the end of the 2300s, the position of Captain-General all but belonged to House Marik, who had been granted the right of first refusal.[5][6]

In the 2360s, Captain-General Allan Marik undertook a series of military campaigns that added a number of Capellan planets to the Free Worlds League. In 2367, the five Capellan nations united under House Liao as the Capellan Confederation. Chancellor Kurnath Liao attacked the League in 2398 with Andurien as the focus of his offensive. The six-year struggle marking the beginning of the Age of War.[7]

Age of War

While the 24th century marked a new era in the history of the Inner Sphere, it also marked a transfer of power in the League. Allan Marik was replaced by his son Peter Marik as Captain-General. Peter was appointed in 2396 as many in Parliament feared such a conflict was imminent. Peter immediately went to the Andurien front and prosecuted an incredible campaign, despite the fact that larger realms with larger military forces meant ever-bloodier battles. After a defeat on Kwamashu in 2401 gave Hered Selaj room to angle for the Captain-Generalcy himself, Peter went directly for Sian, the Capellan capital, and earned a victory there. Chancellor Aleisha Liao sued for peace in 2404.[8][9]

Peter Marik returned to Atreus a victor and a hero. He continued to prosecute military actions against the Capellans and Lyran Commonwealth, unfazed by Parliament's ratification of the Ares Convention in 2412. Parliament began reining Peter in, first with an oversight committee in 2413, then with the passage of the War Powers Act in 2418. When the Lyrans attacked again in 2420, Peter refused to serve as Captain-General with the War Powers Act in effect. Unwilling to repeal the law, Parliament appointed one of Peter's subordinates, Joseph Stewart, Captain-General. Stewart was a disaster and the League was fortunate the Lyrans were distracted by the Draconis Combine. Stewart's failure did wonders for Peter's popularity, as many Members of Parliament became convinced that only a Marik could effectively serve as Captain-General.[10][11]

Peter Marik was assassinated in 2422. The Lyrans invaded in 2427 and Parliament asked Terrence Marik to lead the defense, and he refused. When more League worlds were lost, Parliament repealed the War Powers Act. As soon as Terrence was notified, he took over as Captain-General, took control of the FWLM, and blunted the Lyran advance. Terrence's younger brother Peter succeeded him in 2440 and led an offensive against the Lyrans. Parliament passed the Liberation Act in 2448, which allowed citizens of conquered planets to become full League citizens. This staunched the flow of refugees leaving newly-conquered League systems and the economy flourished. Peter retired in 2452 with the League at the height of its power.[12][13]

Peter was succeeded by Geralk Marik, who became known as "the Bloodthirsty" due to tactics he used against the Lyrans. In 2459, Geralk personally led the invasion of Loric. In that battle the LCAF deployed BattleMechs for the first time. A mere company of 'Mechs turned the tide against Marik's conventional forces and Geralk himself was killed when a 'Mech stepped on him. They Lyrans tried to press their technological advantage, but did not have enough BattleMechs to do more than blunt the League invasion[14][15][16]

The nineteen-year-old Simone Marik succeeded her father as Captain-General. She focused the League's attention on technological innovation and improving education with an eye toward enhancing the nation's long-term economic situation. Simone was ousted by Parliament in 2475 due to her disastrous foreign relations, especially with respect to the Capellan Confederation, which culminated in Chancellor Jasmine Liao rejecting an offer to jointly attack the Terran Hegemony in exchange for Andurien and the surrounding systems. Simone's insane brother Carlos became Captain-General and planned an attack aimed at conquering Terra. The Hegemony discovered this plot and launched a raid that decimated the naval task force in the Oriente system. A third sibling, Brion, seized power with backing from Parliament and House Marik, and Carlos went into exile in the Magistracy of Canopus. The new Captain-General quickly negotiated a peace settlement with Director-General Theodore Cameron.[17][18]

Star League

Albert Marik succeeded his father in 2511. In 2528 the League again went to war with the Capellans over Andurien. in 2531, Director-General Ian Cameron abruptly invited Albert and Mica Liao to New Delos to negotiate the end of the Second Andurien War. The Treaty of New Delos surprisingly ended not only the war, but various border disputes that had gone on for years. This was followed by the five-year-long Third Andurien War, which began in 2551. To conclude that war, Albert Marik willingly gave Terrence Liao control over Andurien in exchange for Liao joining an alliance with the League and Terran Hegemony in what would become the Star League, which would unite all of humanity under its banner. For that sacrifice, Ian Cameron agreed to only recognize a Marik Captain-General as the representative of the Free Worlds League. This gave the Captain-General purely political power for the first time and forced the League to make the position permanent. Over the coming years, Ian Cameron and Albert Marik negotiated, cajoled, bribed, and manipulated the Lyran Commonwealth, Federated Suns, and Draconis Combine into joining the Star League.[19][20]

Reunification War

Main article: Reunification War

Ian Cameron made the Pollux Proclamation in 2575, signaling his intent for the Star League to rule over all of humankind, one way or another. The realms of the Periphery—the Taurian Concordat, Magistracy of Canopus, Rim Worlds Republic, and Outworlds Alliance—refused the Star League peaceful entreaties to join, preferring their own, hard-fought independence. The Star League and armies of its member nations launched a coordinated assault in 2576 known as the Reunification War. Captain-General Marion Marik, who had succeeded her father a few years prior, led the assault into Canopus. The technologically- and numerically-inferior Periphery realm had little hope, but fought tenaciously in defense of their homeland. Marik all-but abandoned the Free Worlds League to Parliament and threw herself into the campaign. She ensured that Canopians were treated with respect and that the dictates of the Ares Conventions were followed. Her forces captured Canopus in 2584 and the entire Magistracy was secured by 2588.[21][22]

Internal Troubles

The League's history is marked by considerable internal tensions, punctuated by several vicious civil wars and tensions along its eastern border; the League gained considerable territory at the expense of a vengeful Capellan Confederation.

From 3014-15, Anton Marik, aided by Maximilian Liao, rebelled against his older brother Janos, the Captain-General. The resulting Marik Civil War ended with a loyalist victory; Anton was killed by the Wolf's Dragoons.

In 3030, the Duchy of Andurien seceded from the League, and started a war with the Capellan Confederation. It took several years for the FWLM to reclaim the rebellious province. During this war, an assassin's bomb claimed the life of Captain-General Janos Marik. His son Thomas, disfigured by the explosion, succeeded Janos to the office.


The invasion of the Clans in Operation Revival in 3049 changed the role of the League in the Inner Sphere considerably.

As one of the two untouched and - until Operation Serpent - uninvolved nations in the war, the Free Worlds League gained the status of economic powerhouse of the Inner Sphere, selling huge amounts of materials, ranging from food to Mechs, to other factions in need. It often received captured advanced Clan technology in exchange. Near the end of 3067, the Free Worlds League possessed a strong economy and huge amounts of wealth building a space navy that greatly outpaced those of the other Successor States.

Jihad

However the schism between ComStar and the Word of Blake would strongly affect the League, and ultimately destroy it.

Removing ComStar personnel from interstellar communication facilities in favor of the Blakists the League was repaid with treachery.

At the start of the Jihad "Thomas Marik" was denounced as an impostor by the Word of Blake. This revelation led to the total collapse of the League.

The Free Worlds League was torn apart into several competing states, namely the Regulan Fiefs, the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth, the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey and the Oriente Protectorate.

Unable to reach a compromise, the rulers of these realms tried to re-unite the League under their own leadership. Their disputes inevitably led to conflicts, in which these states fought each other savagely. During this period of turmoil, the Lyran Commonwealth, taking advantage of the whole mess, successfully conquered a large portion of the former League's coreward border.

Resurrection

Jessica Marik, daughter and heir of the false Thomas Marik, finally managed to successfully reunite the Free Worlds League. She reinforced her claim to House Marik's legacy by marrying Thaddeus Marik, scion of the line of Alys Rousset-Marik, and largely succeeded in her reformation plan, being proclaimed Captain-General of the reformed Free Worlds League on July 3, 3139.

The reformed league listed two new positions: a Warden-General to handle military affairs and a Minister-General to handle domestic affairs of the people.[23]

Military

Main article: Free Worlds League Military

The Free Worlds League has a strong emphasis on combined-arms tactics, with almost all of their regiments featuring a large number of infantry, armor, and aerospace assets, as well as one of the largest navies in the Inner Sphere. The focus on BattleMechs, however, does exist within their elite regiments, including the Knights of the Inner Sphere.

Manufacturing Center

A detailed list of some FWL manufacturing centers.

Heavy Aerospace Industry[24]

3067

Major Defense Induries[25]

3067

References

  1. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, pp. 11-13, “To the Stars”
  2. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 11
  3. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, p. 13, “First Blood”
  4. ↑ Field Manual: Free Worlds League, pp. 6-7, “Politics of Command”
  5. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 13
  6. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, p. 17, "Timeline: Ancient History" & p. 82, "Captain-Generals in History"
  7. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, p. 17, "Timeline: Ancient History"
  8. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), pp. 14-15, "The Andurien Crisis"
  9. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, p. 15
  10. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), pp. 15-16
  11. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, p. 18, "The Age of War"
  12. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 16
  13. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, pp. 18-19
  14. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 16
  15. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, pp. 19 & 21, "Paradigm Shift"
  16. ↑ Handbook: House Steiner, p. 20
  17. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 17
  18. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, p. 21
  19. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), pp. 17-18
  20. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, pp. 21-22
  21. ↑ House Marik (The Free Worlds League), p. 19
  22. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, pp. 22-23, "The Star League Era"
  23. ↑ To Ride the Chimera, p. 314
  24. ↑ Strategic Operations, p. 14
  25. ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 14

Bibliography

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