Western Communes

The Western Communes are a collection and federation of Communist Communes headed by the Neo-Bolshevik Commune Council and their elected front-man "Father" Dmytro Radek. The Russian Nation-State was founded as forces within Russia and abroad gradually pushed the influence of the Beo Bolsheviks from their home-base in Smolensk to the area surrounding Sankt-Peterburg/Petrograd.

Area
The Communes cover what is in our world the Republic of Petrograd and Novogorod, Estonia, and parts of Finland. To this effect, the state is divided into three independent communes: Novogorod, Sankt-Peterburg, and Talinn. With the acquisition of the city of Arkhalengisk and the de-facto control of the other-wise desolate northern coast the communes lay claim to much of the northern shore of Russia.

Economy
Due to its situation and status with its neighbors the Western Communes find themselves in a situation of forced economic independence. Being looked down on by its capitalist neighbors the communes have not been able to acquire resources from abroad and as such a neighbor induced oil embargo is effected with none of the surrounding regions willing to sell them oil. This status has forced the Communes to adapt rigid self sufficency regimines growing what they can and harvesting native resources. Strict rationing has also been employed.

As of recent the Communes have also recruited the assistance of Denmark in supplying their fuel oil needs. China has also managed to break through to the west in order to supply them to the best of the East's ability with additional resources such as food and construction supplies.

Smuggling is also an asset of the WRC economy to help in supplying it with basic needs. Though perhaps not wholly endorced by the central authority, it is an interest of the outlying communes to seek methods of obtaining excess food and living supplies to weather its winter.

Relationship
The communes relationship with other nations outside their own is contemptious. They hold outlaying states in bad flavor. Northern Finland is their closest ally, having aided Sven in the early days of his own revolution by admitting his men to use the Communes to out-manuever Finnish Royalists. Their next closest, but possibly concerning ally is that of Denmark.

Though being a part of the ASB, the Communes act often outside of Asian influence. Both out of distance, and difficulty getting to and from. China has advisors established within the communes to give advice over situations and training. And since the VX affair, a Chinese naval detachment is stationed at Arkhlanengisk to offer their resources.

The Russian Republic
Despite their claims, Radek does not see the leaders of the Republic Bolsheviks in the true sense and merely a continuation of a long line of bourgiese control over the masses. He finds the Republican power foolish, and far too stretched.

Military
In contrast to a world of tanks, jet aircraft, and chemical weapons the Commune's military is "romantically classic". Employing the use of infantry and traditional cavalry over mechanized means. Weapons are scrounged or supplied by China when and where it can be smuggled in. Raiding opposition's ammo stores is a common practice considering many weapons are shared across borders.

Operations
Though relativly primative, the WRC military has been capable of fighting off more advanced forces.

Against the Poles
In the ealry winter of 1977 a Polish army went astray of their original route and strayed into WRC territory. Commune patrols led them on a chase west into the Estonian Talinn Commune where they position them on Lake Peipus. After a several day-long battle the Polish Army was led out onto the frozen lake where explosive charges were detonated drowning a large body of the force and forcing the remainder to route and later rounded up by Commune cavalry.

Against Ukraine
Earlier in the later half of 1976 Ukrainian helicopters were ordered north to force a war between the Communes and the neighboring principality through a false-flag operation. Commune patrols intercepted the helicopters and managed to force them to land in the forests, resulting in an ambush that damaged several helicopters forcing them to leak gas or rendered them unable to fly. the Ukrainian airforce managed to give their helis a chance to retreat, leaving their damaged helicopters behind. Later that night WRC soldiers packed up the remains and stashed them away in a warehouse in Saint Petersburg.

The Ukrainian forces managed to reach their destination and obliterated several outposts belonging to the WRC's neighbors. The resulting damages in turn resulted in a WRC field general to recognize the opening and marched north to Arkhalengisk, taking the largest and most significant city on Russia's northern coast.