The Five Years' Chaos

The Five Years' Chaos is a term generally used by the Dimitriov regime of the Russian Republic to describe the period of unrest from the death of Peter V and 1976, encompassing the social and civil strife of a post-government Russia and Chinese invasion from the east. As a defined historical term it's come to describe the first five years of the huge civil war all across what was once the Russian Empire between the remaining Russian States from 1971 to 1976 after the death of the last Tsar. The concept as a period of time has come to be recognized as the beginning of a continued and currently unresolved period of Russian disunity.

This period resulted in the formation of many different nations: Siberia, the Russian Republic, and the Volgograd Confederacy), the increased presence of Poland in western Russian affairs, and the growth of the Mafiya.

Background
While the term Five Years Chaos is sourced to Dimitriov's presidency, the conditions that arose to initiate it are wide and varying, and perhaps go back even further. Some might suggest that the Empire's crumbling began with revolution in Ukraine, which was eventually put down by General Rykov. Or unrest in the Grand Duchy of Finland. Events more immediate to the described period would be the resurgence of post-Leninist Neobolshevikism, Chinese-supported revolution in Siberia, and the death of Czar Peter V.

First Years
The events that following left the Empire of Russia weakened and shaken. Wealthy boyars and generals who were loyal enough to the Tzar to not defect to any side began a period of bicker fighting with each other, ultimately splitting the nation up. Those that could afford it, left and took their wealth with them. Those that stayed behind used their resources to combat each other.

The situation was only made worse by the existence of Nikolov's infant: the People's Republic of Siberia as well as the building powers of the Neo-Bolsheviks in Saint Petersburg ultimately leading to the formation of the Western Communes (or Western Russian Communes) with power in Estonia, Saint Petersburg, and Novogord.

The political instability in Russia allowed for Ukraine to formally secede from the former Empire and declare itself an independent nation without contest. For a period even Ukraine would have promised to of been a successful stable nation post-czar, but conflict with Hungary brought Poland and the two nations agreed to a settlement of political union giving rise to the Slavic Union.

Siberian Revolution
Prior to the assasination of the emperor one Nikolov Nitski had attained the resourced required to organize rebellions and revolts in the Siberian East. In the late Russian summer of July 4, 1970, the Siberian communist known as Nikolov Nitski discovered and approached Chinese agents within Russia to observe the nation and requested aid to better equip his local following in order to challenge the Tzardom back west. On August 2, 1970 in a meeting between Commander Yan Sing of the Chinese Inteligence Bureau and Commander Lou Shai Dek of the New People's China Liberation Army the decision to arm the insurgent was made. A short time later, and arms acquired over the black-market of from Chinese storage were being smuggled along the Chinese-Russian border to equip the Siberians.

A long bout of instigation and violence against the Imperial Army ensued with loggers and miners working up the nerve to strike against the Imperial Government and join the Nikolov's party. In Siberia, grounds were made around Chita which was appointed as the first commune of the new communist nation as it spread up and down the frigid Siberian expanses and on into the winter.

By the death of the Tzar, Nikolov and his followers would have consolodated their power in much of the Eastern Siberian region as to cement themselves as an independent state with a valuable ally.

Vallankumous Finns and the Death of the Tzar
The death of the Tzar would come a the hands of two Finns by the name of Viktor Laine and Juhani Mikhael. Distraught over the occupation of Finland as well as the slaughter of their rebel group - Vallankumous Finns - they struck out on an epic journey across Russia to slay the tzar in revenge. On their way, killing the emperor's only immediate heir and her unborn child.

On January 13, 1971 the two Finnish rebels found themselves at the site of a Tzarist rally in Moscow. This was their moment. Position their truck on the roof of a nearby parking garage the two set up their plot. Viktor setting himself on the roof with the truck and Juhani on the ground with a grenade they pulled the trigger. The grenade Juhani had merely injuring the tzar had served as a distraction Viktor needed to squeeze off a shot. With his Druganov, he shot the Tzar, destroying a dynasty.

Neo Bolshevik Revolution
On January 8, 1971 a prison riot in Kirov Riot had given one "Father" Radek and his imprisoned band of western communists - Neo-Bolsheviks - a chance to renew their revolution. Their efforts would lead to wide-spread revolution and instability in the west that would lead to the Tzar to take violent action. Though, the Tzar's actions would strike the wrong moral chords with many generals leading to defections to the Neo Bolsheviks and propegating later power vaccumes.

These state of conditions would lead to the further internal weaking of Russia that would plunge the nation into Civil War after the Tzar's death.

Foreign Influences
During the weakening of the Empire foreign influence played an important aspect in the regional politics. Since before the death of the Tzar, China had saw fit to aid Nikolov Nitski in the formation of communist Russia. Weapons and advisors being funneled into Eastern Siberia from China, ultimately leading to military support in their later conquest of Central Siberia.

Capitalizing on the lack of central government and a central military the Ottoman Empire sought to expand into the Russian caucus and the lands of the Volga and Don rivers, pushing as far north as Volgograd. However after the death of the Sultan in the mid seventies Turkish authority and influence in the Russian north withdrew completely leaving behind a landscape of independent city-states, Cossack-ruled dominions, and other semi-independent states ruled through a loose confederacy of a common military alliance.

In a greater essence, the Finnish Revolution can be seen as another theater of foreign influence in the greater sphere of the Russian Empire through Spanish support of the Russian claimant in Helsinki to turn back the Northern Finns and prevent the spread of Communism in Northern Europe. Though Finland has now been split in two by the Treaty of Addis Abada it is likely the Spanish'll still support the existence of Southern Finland.

With the end of the Russian-Chinese VX Crisis, Poland sought to flex its regional muscle with the arrest of Dimitriov and the bruising of Republican pride by negotiating for the presence of Polish-based private security in Moscow. This in effect allowing Krakow an indirect militarized platform from which to observe the state of Russia or to direct the republic's presidency. These security units also served as a means to sell to the Russians Polish-produced weapons and equipment to bolster its army at their expense to Poland.

End of the Five Years' Chaos
Popularity of the term Five Years Chaos waned after the arrest of Dimitriov and the status in Russia failed to change. With the fading out of the Russian Ressurection movement the popular hope for a resolution to the long-running crisis withered away. The post-Dimitriov conditions of Russia was much more defined by increasing criminal activity by the Mafiya who expanded in strength and influence where the Republic had withered away.

Within communist Siberia there was a period of political disunity culminating in the brief independence of the Turkish Sakha state and their re-consolidation into Siberia and a reorganization of the Siberian government.

By 1980 the Chinese had renewed their military interest in Russia with the Siberians and relaunched their campaign in May.