Panzerland

Empire of Panzerland
Panzerreich

Official language	English, German, Panzermannsch
Capital	Paderborn (formerly Grøßenburg)
Largest cities	Kreisau, Weinbrück, Francfurt, Marlsburg
Website	No Website
Forum	No Forum
Number of citizens	4
Number of active citizens	0 (Nation Inactive)
Date founded	July 2004
Government	Military Dictatorship
Current leader	Kaiser Ryszard Von Wulf
Currency	unknown
National animal	Wolf
National fruit/food	Strudel
National drink	Panzerbier
Map versions	6.7.3 - 6.7.5 (Panzerland also controlled large territories on Apollonia, notably the former lands of Ayllu and Slobovia

Panzerland was founded by Orion in July 2004 as a Germanic-themed micronation with special emphasis on military development and the culture of the armed forces. It was a micro- nation founded in honour of the great German tanks of World War II (and later, it transpired, Return to Castle Wolfenstein and dedicated to the arts of war and combat. Panzerland prided itself on strong military traditions, proper discipline and strength of the will. As the great Field Marshall Erwin Rommel once said; "Sweat saves blood."

History

Panzerland was founded under controversial conditions, as many people felt that the association with Nazi Germany was too close for comfort. Opponents quickly likened the state to the Third Reich, even though the resemblance was only aesthetic. At the time there were also a number of other German-themed micronations on Micras, and many of these quickly aligned themselves with Panzerland. The emphasis on military and work put into developing the Panzerwehr paid off in that many micronations immediately felt threatened by Panzerland. The result was a polarization of relations between a Pro-Panzerland Bloc and an Anti-Panzerland Bloc. Troy Thompson, and avid Germanophile, brought his two creations - Ayllu and Slobovia - into Panzerland as additional dominions. Much more under the table, Babkha quietly gave assistance to Panzerland as a way to counterbalance the dominance of Shireroth and other micronational powers that posed a threat. Panzerland began a proxy war with Shireroth over control of Benacia and parts of Apollonia, with Benacia essentially being designated the Panzermannsch Lebensraum - at the time most of these areas were unclaimed, so it was a more a race for expansion. Conflict with Panzerland never turned hot, and always remained on the diplomacy table. But tensions continued to mount, and accusations of Nazi affiliations continued to mount against the empire. This was exacerbated by members from the known Neo-Nazi forum of stormfront.org finding Panzerland by chance and trying to join and turn it into a true fascist state. A lack of interest on the part of its citizens and the cumulative threats lobbied towards Panzerland served to bring about its final downfall and the nation was shut down.

Government

The government of Panzerland followed a hybrid empiric government similar to that of both Imperial Germany and a military chain-of-command. The emperor, who in Panzerland was known as the Kaiser, ruled absolute and his position was hereditary. Next in line was the Reichskanzler, or Imperial Chancellor, whose position was elected by the Parlament (Parliament). The Reichskanzler, rather than the Kaiser, was responsible for appointing a Cabinet. The Parlament, on the other hand, was an open legislature where all Panzerlanders could gather to make their voices heard in the government and change government policy. The Reichskanzler acted as House Speaker for the Parlament. Various other ministries controlled the other functions of the government.

Culture and Society

Panzerlander society was based primarily around the military. All citizens were obliged to serve at least three years in the armed forces, and in times of war a minuteman (and woman) militia could be formed by nearly anyone to defend the Empire. But Panzerlanders were not limited in scope to not recognise the arts and other cultural necessities of a modern society. Generally speaking, the atmosphere of Panzerland was very 1940's. Victrola Phonographs were still more popular than DVD players and Wagner still sold more records than Warrant. While the technology was available and used where necessecary, Panzerlanders preferred the simpler life of the 40's to anything else. One major difference between Panzerlanders and the 40's was that women are treated as equals, as was seen by Frau Blavatsky's Hitzkopf Abteilung (Spitfire Division sHiAb).

Panzerland Propaganda Poster

Among other things Panzerlanders enjoyed was fine wine. The Wein Kellers of Paderborn were reknowned worldwide for their fine selection of vintages. Panzerlanders were fond of sports, music, and other entertainment. As well, they were also multi-lingual, speaking English and German equally and a unique language known as Panzermannsch. Equal influences of German and English cultures typified Panzerlander society, although tendencies leant towards European styles and architecture.