History of Beiteynu

The Birth Of Jewish Civilisation
Majatran settlers first settled in the area now known as Beiteynu in the year 500, there is no known history prior to this date. Akin to most of the continents people at the time they were followers of traditional animist beliefs. By 620 however it was estimated that over 80% of the nations inhabitants had converted to Judaism making it the only majority Jewish area on Terra. Tribal groups soon began appointing high ranking members as Rebbes and in opposition to the previous animosity of the Animist Majatran High Priests they sought peace with neighbouring tribes. In the west of Padrilka large groups began uniting under the banner of the recently pronounced Ishmael I and started consolidating power over the region. By the 900's they had secured all of what is now Beiteynu as well as a large part of northern Barmenistan and 908 the Chief Rebbe of Padrilka proclaimed Ishmael I to be Sacred Monarch of the Kingdom of Beiteynu''.

The 1st Jewish Homeland (The Sacred Monarchy)
Following the coronation of Ishamael I as King he proceeded to invoke his beliefs in the "Divine Right of Kings" and proclaimed himself a Sacred Monarchy with rule over a Sacred Monarchy. Additionally to satisfy religious demands and to garner the support of the Rabbinical community for his new title he declared the nation to be a Jewish Homeland. Following later events in the history of Beiteynu the Sacred Monarchy has come to be known as the First Jewish Homeland.

Ishamael I reigned for 12 years until he died of old age and was replaced by his son Ishmael II. Ishmael II has in time come to be known as the great architect of the nation as it was under his 66 year reign that much of the nations infrastructure of future years was built. His crowning achievement however was the founding of Bira on the coast of Padrilka. This soon became the largest city in Western Majatra and a major trading port for Artanian merchants.

Following the death of Ishmael II the Sacred Monarchy was governed peacefully by four subsequent Kings. In 1131 and following the murder of Ezekiel III by a bandit Ezekiel IV ascended to the throne, he would be the last ruler of a unified First Jewish Homeland.

Under the rule of Ezekiel III the aristocracy had grown unpopular due to its numerous taxes on the peasantry as well as the high levels of witch trials. Additionally to this the idea of free market capitalism had begun to gain popularity in Beiteynu, an idea that ran contrary to the agricultural nepotism practiced by the monarchy. Combined these two factors had caused a dramatic increase in the level of rebellions against both the royalty and the clergy.

Since the death of Solomon I in 1027 it had been customary for Sacred Monarchs to refrain from actual combat and instead encourage military seperation. Ezekial IV however, largely thought to be insane, believed in personally defending his nation and so engaged in nearly every battle that he could. In 1154 a major revolt began in Endlid and the King naturally chose to participate in quashing it. However whilst in previous battles generals had been under instruction to keep him away from serious conflict this time around they were unable to do so and he was eventually killed by an arrow to the eye.

As news of the death reached Bira so did reports of further revolts accross the nation. This was only made worse by the fact that Ezekiel IV had no sons and so a struggle for power emerged between his two brothers. With the nobility unable to find a successor the royal army became demoralised and devoid of effective governance. Eventually following mass desertion the palace at Bira was attacked and looted with nearly all of the royal family, including the feuding brothers impaled in the town square.

Following this the various tribes of Beiteynu each seized an area of the nation and proclaimed themselves as rulers of it. It was at this point that the wife of Ezekiel IV, who had somehow managed to avoid death, stood on the balcony of the royal palace and proclaimed the death of the Sacred Monarchy and the First Jewish Homeland before jumping headfirst in the street below.

In 1160 the son of the eldest brother of Ezekiel IV, living in southern Tadraki, declared himself the rightful monarch of Beiteynu. However by now the nation had descended into effective anarchy and he had nowhere near enough support to gain power.

It was also around this time that Jewish emigration away from Beiteynu began. Those that move south end up few in number as the meet the growing power of the Deltarians, but large Jewish communities formed in Pontesi, Selucia and Cildania.

The Sacking Of Bira
Following the fall of Ezekiel IV central government in Beiteynu collapsed and a period known as The Anarchy took over with the idea of localised tribes resurfacing. However over 300 years later in the 15th Century it a resurgence of the Sacred Monarchy became a distinct possibility as various tribes began to unite under King David.

However in nearby Pontesi anti-Jewish sentiment was high and pogroms were commonplace. Jews had also been forced into small villages and a “Pale of Settlement” created. Following the Great Jewish Revolt of 1490 in Diar Elahmar rumours spread of a Jewish conspiracy to take over the nation. Seeing an opportunity to win support from an increasing disenchanted population the then leaders of Pontesi decide to take pre-emptive action and unite the nation in a patriotic Holy Crusade against Beiteynu. Troops immediately began the march through the Pale of Settlement destroying many Jewish villages on the way and in late 1492 entered the nominal state of Beiteynu

By June 1493 troops finally reached Bira and proceeded to burn it to the ground. Jewish citizens were routinely massacred and the nation annexed into the Pontesian state. The mass murder of Jews caused a one third fall in the population of Beiteynu a problem that was only exacebated by an increase in the Diaspora as emigration continued on a large scale. In 1500, seven years after the sacking of Bira a basic census on the lands was carried out which estimated that 47% of the collapsed population were Jewish, to this day it is believed that this is the only time the Jewish population of Beiteynu has fallen below half.

The Fight To Return
Starting in the late 16th Century the Pontesian policy on the "Jewish lands" switched from repressing the population to building it up as a sixth province. Whilst the Jewish population remained large they were treated as second glass people and never given Pontesian citizenship thus making them effectively stateless. They were forced into the far west of the nation and guarded by a large brick wall and a system of military barracks.

Despite the apparent danger well off Pontesians continued the move west and by the 18th Century it had a name as the best holiday destination due the sunny nature of the north.

However in 1800 an enormous earthquake hit the north east of what is now Fruskila destroying many Pontesian settlements and killing an estimated 80,000. Immediately Catholic leaders in Pontesi major declared the entirety of Beiteynu to be cursed and nearly all Pontesian settlers made a quick return back east.

Many Jews were now left in the position of no longer being prisoners but still living as stateless individuals. Many moves were made to address this however the most successful occured in 1864 when a group of newly appointed teachers formed the World Jewish Council and put forward the idea of a second Jewish Homeland.

The biggest issue they faced was dealing was the remaining royalists who simply wanted a return to the Sacred Monarchy. Eventually they were able to come to an agreement in which there would be no official restoration of the monarchy but the Jewish faith would play the highest role in the legislative process. The agreement was signed by 1940 and the Council immediately began recruiting local men for a so called "War of Liberation".

The 2nd Jewish Homeland (The Theocracy)

 * 1966 – The 16 Sacred Tribes unite and reclaim Beiteynu from the minimal Pontesian army that remained in the nation. Little resistance is offered and most inhabitants are pleased to see Jewish rule reinstated. 2nd Jewish Homeland of Beiteynu (informally known as the Theocracy of Beiteynu) implemented with the Head of State being the Chief Rebbe of the nation. The newly formed state begins cracking down on “anti-Jewish activities”. Pigs and shellfish are declared illegal and all people are required to dress according to their religion. Vast majority of non-Jews are either executed or exiled and many Jews themselves are killed for “religious deviation”.


 * 2006 – Massacre of Padrilkistan, Muslim population of Beiteynu halved.


 * 2124 – Loss of popular support leads Chief Rebbe to attempt a “short victorious war”, army transported to Darnussian offshore islands to claim them in the name of Judaism. The Darnussian defence however was underestimated and a stalemate situation emerged whereby each nation occupied one of the islands and neither made attempts to capture the other.
 * 2140 – Chief Rebbe calls for complete capitulation of Darnussia and nearly all of the army is sent to the islands. Sensing this the Darnussian government sent telgrams to Pontesi and Barmenistan to form a three nation alliance against Beiteynu. The nation is attacked on both sides and is unable to defend itself.

The Occupation

 * 2154 – Chief Rebbe is overthrown and nation is occupied. It is divided up with Barmenistan taking Quo'gün and Padrilka, Darnussia taking Endlid and Fruskila and Pontesi taking Tadraki.
 * 2160’s – Independence movement begins under the control of the Free Beiteynu! Organisation. It begins a campaign of terrorism.

The 3rd Jewish Homeland (The Republic) (2173-2190)
2173 – Following years of Jewish terrorism as well as dis-harmony between the occupying powers they decide to unilaterally quit the nation and the 3rd Jewish Homeland of Beiteynu is founded.

The First Two-Party State (2250-2260)
In the February 2247 general elections, the National Party and the Likud Party, which had both recently restarted, failed to make it into the Knesset despite a national voter turnout of almost 90%. The Underworld Party suffered a humiliating defeat, losing all but one of its seats in the Knesset. Meanwhile, the Habonim Dror gained an outright majority in the legislature with a 113-seat gain (250 seats total) and gained control of the executive in the first round of elections. Franklin Delanovitz Rooseveltstein's party reforms seemed to be working. The main opposition to Habonim Dror was the centre-left Kadima, which, despite a 45-seat gain, failed to garner a majority. This was the beginning of a two-party state.

During the Habonim Dror's tenure as the ruling party of Beiteynu, it passed a number of milestone pieces of legislation. One of them was a bill called the "End to War Act", which had long been advocated by the pacifist faction in the party. Amongst its provisions were a ban on all defense industries, a repeal of the draft, and the prohibition of military involvement with the police force. The Habonim Dror decreased military spending from 60,000,000,000 BEI to 300,000 BEI. The budget also provided for a doubling of the Health and Social Services funds from 20,000,000,000 BEI to 40,000,000,000 BEI and a 10,000,000,000 BEI increase in funding for the Ministry of Education and Culture (to a total of 60,000,000,000 BEI).

In January 2249, the President Rooseveltstein asked the Habonim Dror leadership to called for early elections after only two years of almost unopposed rule. President Rooseveltstein cited a "grave concern for the future of democracy" as his motivation. In the elections, the recently re-established far-right wing Judean People's Front candidate, Mortechai Jefferson Carver, won the presidency in the second round against David Ben-Gurion, the candidate put forth by Kadima. Franklin Delanovitz Rooseveltstein had been eliminated in the first round, having received only 20% of the vote.

In the general election, Habonim Dror lost a whopping 163 seats. Kadima, the former opposition, lost 81 seats. The Judean People's Front gained 245 seats and, with them, a unilateral majority. The once-successful Underworld Party, National Party, and Likud Party collapsed in the shadow their previous electoral failures. Not long after the legislative session began, Kadima dissolved their party for unknown reasons, though some speculate deep party divisions. Thus, the Habonim Dror were the only opposition to the Judean People's Front, which pursued its right-wing agenda without hesitation. In May 2249, the Judean People's Front pushed through a 20% flat tax for all in Beiteynu, destroying the previously established progressive tax.

In May 2249, the Judean People's Front allowed the Habonim Dror to form a minority government as way to balance power.

In January 2250, the Judean People's Front and the Habonim Dror agreed on a number of amendments to the Constitution. Amongst them were: a provision to change the name of the Head of Government from Prime Minister to Director General, renaming the Head of State Supreme Rabbi, reducing the size of the Knesset to 100 seats, and instituting equal representation for each region regardless of population or size. They also agreed to decrease term lengths from three years to two.

The January 2250 elections saw the beginnings of the two-party state. Franklin Delanovitz Rooseveltstein was elected to the position of Supreme Rabbi with nearly sixty percent of the vote. The Knesset elections mirrored the Supreme Rabbi election almost exactly, with the Habonim Dror winning 57 of the 100 seats. The party leadership immediately extended an olive branch to the Judean People's Front, offering them every cabinet position except for the Ministry of Defense.

In the 2252 elections, the Habonim Dror lost seven seats. Though they had garnered a majority of the popular vote (51+%) both parties received fifty seats in the legislature.

After the January 2258 elections, Beiteynu Beytenu was formed. In the 2260 elections, the Judean People's Front lost 16 seats, 14 of which went to Beiteynu Beytenu and two of which went to Habonim Dror. Despite a Beiteynu Beytenu endorsement, the longtime Judean People's Front candidate, Mortechai Jefferson Carver, received only 43.33% in the Supreme Rabbi election. Despite these gains, this would be the last election in which Habonim Dror maintained its unilateral majority.

In the 2260 elections, Habonim Dror lost 15 seats -- its largest loss in more than a decade. The Judean People's Front lost another four seats, and Beiteynu Beytenu gained 19 seats. Beiteynu Beytenu was now the second-largest party in Beiteynu. Franklin Delanovitz Rooseveltstein won the Supreme Rabbi election in the second round against Avigdor Liberman, the Beiteynu Beytenu candidate. It was the end of the two-party state.

The Second Two-Party State (2274-2282)
Following his party's humiliating defeat in the 2264 elections, Franklin Delanovitz Rooseveltstein, the longest-serving head of state in Beiteynu history, resigned his position as leader of the Habonim Dror. He died of old age not long thereafter. He was replaced by Albert Gorestein who maintained the party's position as largest in Beiteynu and, in the 2268 elections, led the party to win the Supreme Rabbi election. However, the party lost 18 of its seats in the same election. Many political analysts say that the head of state victory was due largely in part to the endorsement of the successful Kadima. Despite this temporary victory, Albert Gorestein's verbose speeches and monotonous voice failed to inspire the Habonim Dror faithful, or anyone, for that matter. The party faded away into irrelevance.

While the Habonim Dror and other parties disintegrated, however, Kadima rose to prominence. By 2276, the only parties remaining were Kadima and the Judean People's Front. In election after election, Kadima increased in size and power and the power of the Judean People's Front waned. By January 2282, Kadima held 62% of the seats in the Knesset. Shortly after the elections, however, both the Kadima Party Leader and the Supreme Rabbi Michael Spitzer-Rubenstein (Kadima) were found dead in their homes. The party collapsed admist turmoil.

Without any opposition remaining, the Judean People's Front called for early elections. It won every seat in the Knesset.

Pnték Hyéonékaiék Jeztadraki
In February 2309 as the autocratic rule of the Judean People's Front and the Exhalted Despot collapsed amidst allegations of corruption, dealings with secret societies and public uprisings, the nation was plunged into a state of near anarchy. As people immediately ran to retrieve all their savings, the state banking system was unable to cope and all branches were shut down. People were stuck with little to no money and this quickly correlated to a mass crime wave and a looting spree. Furthermore formally banned political groups began resurfacing and calling for action. The Communist Party of Beiteynu which had had the majority of its leadership executed during the Great Purges began launching a series of terrorist attacks on government buildings and urging the people to support a revolution. Perhaps more influential however was the amount of support for the Beiteynu wing of the International Federation of Jewish Anarchists. The people, now tired of authoritarian rule began to cease working for their employers as well as publically burned money on the streets. A large number of industries were taken over and workers cooperatives instaled whilst at the same time armed militas took to the streets. The state flag was burned and the anarchist one raised on all buildings.

Sensing the chaos in their neighbour and still eager to retrieve was they saw as their rightful land, the Pontesian government held an emergency meeting and authorised intervention in the nation. The army was immediately set into motion and under the banner of the already assembled Amsaék Hyéonlrnék Isràkai grouping they crossed the Abure-Tadraki border.

Within a week they had wrestled control of the Tadraki/Endlid region from the severely weakened Beiteynu government as well as exercising large authority over the rest of the nation. The Amsaék Hyéonlrnék Isràkai quickly established their control over what was now renamed Pnték Hyéonékaiék Jeztadraki (Pontesian Sunpeople's Gran Tadraki) dissolving the Judean People's Front run Politburo and giving authority to the Krs'kaisrne (United People's Table). At the head of this stood the imposing figure of the Jezhikoék'ai (Grand People's Man) and the post of Isràkai Accipitrum (Great Man Accipitrum) was created to act as a official liason to the Pontesian Atabeg Accipitrum.

The Jewish population of the nation immediately rose up in anger and national pride with the Judean People's Front reorganising itself to fight as a paramilitary group alongside the Jüdische Widerstandarmee (a radically religious splinter group from the Communist Party of Beiteynu) under the command of the Beiteynu Resistance Committee. Violence was both regular and severe, especially after the Amsaék Hyéonlrnék Isràkai May 2311 "Official Recognition of Pontesian Sovereignty over Jeztadraki", and clashes between armed Jewish groups and the Pontesian military became commonplace.

By Februry 2314, five years after establishing the Pnték Hyéonékaiék Jeztadraki, the Amsaék Hyéonlrnék Isràkai, eager to show their democratic credentials called for nationwide elections pitting their Pontesian coalition against the Jewish parties of Beiteynu, including the political wings of the Beiteynu Resistance Committee parties.