Free Worlds League

The Free Worlds League is one of the five Successor States within the fictional BattleTech universe. The Free Worlds League has been traditionally ruled by House Marik, which has held the title of Captain-General for centuries, and a central Parliament, located on Atreus, the capital of the Free Worlds League.
The Free Worlds League is considered by most canonical sources as one of the oldest of the Inner Sphere's five major Successor States. Unlike the other Successor States, it is surprisingly multicultural, with strong European, American, and Indian overtones. In the BattleTech series as a whole, the Free Worlds League is the least depicted of the major Successor States, receiving only passing references in most of the books and only a few direct source material to its credit.
For further detailed information depicted on this page please to the http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Free_Worlds_League section.
Intro
The Free Worlds League began with the joining of three different states; each of these states formed through different ways. With the Commonwealth through force, the Federation of Oriente through diplomacy, and the Principality of Regulas through mercantile prowess. The difference between these three founding states brought much vitality to the FWL but much distrust to it also.
History
In comparison to the other Successor States, the Free Worlds League experiences a wider level of autonomy among its component regions, most notably the Duchy of Oriente, the Principality of Regulus, and the Duchy of Andurien. Because of this laissez-faire approach, however, the League's history is rife with vicious civil wars and power plays. During the Clan invasion, the League, along with the Capellan Confederation, remained intact and used the widespread war facing the Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine to emerge as an economic powerhouse, supplying desperately needed resources and equipment to the besieged nations. This elevated the League to a position of great economic strength and the realm soon contributed a host of new military hardware and BattleMech designs to the Inner Sphere. The Free World's League newly gained clout inadvertently contributed to the death of Hanse Davion, former prince of the Federated Suns, who suffered a fatal heart attack upon learning of the marriage arrangement between Captain-General Thomas Marik's illegitimate daughter, Isis Marik, and Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao, which would align the strengthened Free Worlds League with what remained of the Capellan Confederation in what was surely a bid to reclaim territory either nation lost in the Fourth Succession War. The alliance would be used for just that in a joint Capellan-FWL offensive into Federated Suns territory known as Operation Guererro, though as of the Whitting Conference on Tharkad in 3058, the two had yet to be wed.
Prior to the launch of Task Force Serpent and Operations Bird Dog and Bulldog, League forces had yet to see combat against Clan forces. The League's Knights of the Inner Sphere, a noble military organization led by Sir Paul Masters and dedicated to conducting war in an honorable manner, was that nation's primary commitment to the task forces. Following the Word of Blake's breakaway from ComStar proper after the Battle of Tukayyid, Captain-General Thomas Marik, a former Comstar acolyte, welcomed the Blakist zealots into League territory, providing the Word of Blake with a haven until their conquest of Terra.
After the Word of Blake Jihad, the Free Worlds League dissolved into several bodies. Three powers continue to struggle for supremacy over the League as a whole, but many smaller realms and even non-aligned planets carry out wars and vendettas against each other.
Creation of the Marik Commonwealth
Within the fictional universe of BattleTech; the very first course of events leading to the forming of the Free Worlds League began with the Marik Family. Marshik Marik (Heir to the marik bloodline) was lead scientist of the scientific research team that led to the development of the practical use the Kearny-Fuchida drive. Two decades following the building of the first Jumship, Marshik left Terra to colonize a planet with dreams of grandeur to bring back the glory of the Marik name.
Marik, named after Marshiks' family name, was first settled as a mining operation but soon began to include the exporting of agriculture products, a succession of Mariks within administrative positions ensured that the future of House Marik was guaranteed. By the time of the first Grand Survey by Terran Alliance Marik had become self-sufficient, with almost no discontent towards the alliance.
During the schism of The Outer Reaches Rebellion Marik suffered at the alliances' heavy-handed tactics of treating all colonies even those loyal to the alliance with suspicion and abuse of such loyalty caused much discontent even among the loyal colonies. As the alliance military became ever so unable to stomp out the spark of rebellion, Charles Marik senator for Marik to the Alliance declared Marik independent. With the Demarcation Declaration of 2242 all colonies that were outside of the thirty light year range from Terra were given independence no matter even loyal to the alliance or not.
Using this to his advantage Charles Marik created treaties with nearby colonies creating the Republic of Marik. Charles with much wheeling and dealing to ensure his preferred constitution became adopted showed much charisma and skill as a politician. Through following treaties with other independent planets and military conquest the republic increased five-times its original size. With Atrues joining of the republic; the republic officially changed to The Marik Commonwealth
First steps towards the Free Worlds League
Initially created by three nations, the Marik Commonwealth, Federation of Oriente, and Regulan Principality. These three nations, formed in the wake of the Terran Alliance's internal struggles, signed the Articles of Unification (known as the Treaty of Marik), creating the League before the establishment of the Terran Hegemony.

The League's first war occurred in 2293 against the Stewart Commonality. The Commonality ruled by dictatoship the Marik family unwillingness to allow a military threat to fostor close to the Marik Commonwealth. With the League offers of peaceful nagotions with the Commonality to willing. After refusual of the League's entreaties; Captain-General Juliano Marik led League forces in the conflict which would become known as the Stewart War. The FWL's forces easily victorious and annexed the six-world Commonality into the League. This marked the first time the Leagues' Parliament named a Captain-General to lead military forces in battle. As proscribed by the Leagues' constitution, juliano Marik returned control of the Free Worlds League military to Parliament control at the end of the war.
Major Provinces' of the Free Worlds League
The Free Worlds League more or less just like the saying "Sum of its parts", the people of the League though Fractious and fiercely proud of their history and traditions. Have much pride in the League as the Provinces and planets that make up the League is a patchwork of humanity showcasing that many different cultures that in reality would otherwise would fine it atmost barely tolarble to coexist as such.
The Duchy of Andurien
One of the most unrestive provinces of the Free Worlds League is the Duchy of Andurien. Historically, the Andurien worlds have been disputed between the Free Worlds League and House Liao's Capellan Confederation. Its people resent being treated as a prize by these larger powers, and would prefer independence.
From 2366 to 2369, the Free Worlds League captured several worlds from the fledgling Capellan Confederation, including Andurien. A decade of fierce fighting failed to reverse the losses.In 2398, Kurnath Liao began the First Andurien War to reclaim the Andurien systems. In 2528, the depraved Chancellor Kalvin Liao, obsessed with the daughter of Andurien's duke, launched the Second Andurien War. Following his assassination in 2530, his successor ended the war the next year. Terrence Liao invaded Andurien again in 2551. Although militarily unsuccessful, Albert Marik conceded the Andurien worlds in exchange for Terrence's agreement to join the Star League.In the First Succession War, the Free Worlds League recaptured the Andurien systems in a 2789 campaign. However, Andurien fared well in the Succession Wars: Capellan reverses, forcing them on the defensive and giving them fresher irredentist grievances, prevented another massive invasion.
Andurien's ruler, Dame Catherine Humphreys, forged a covert alliance with Magestrix Kyalla Centrella of the Magistracy of Canopus. The conclusion of the Fourth Succession War in 3030, which saw the routed Capellans lose half their territory to the Federated Suns, emboldened them. Andurien declared independence in September, and began a joint invasion with Canopus of the Capellan Confederation, hoping to seize enough planets to make their alliance a significant power. But the Capellans rallied, and drove out the invaders. Meanwhile, Andurien's secession had created a backlash in the rest of the League in favor of the Marik rulers, who now moved against Andurien. Centrella cut Humphreys loose to fend for herself, and the Duchy was overrun by 3040.
The Marik Commonwealth
The prominent stronghold of the Marik family, the commonwealth has many cultural roots to the peoples of old Terra's Eastern and Central Europe. Romanian, Slovak, Czech and Hungarian are spoken on many planets, in addition to the official language of the League English. The provinces' location far from the borders of the League has spared it the worst of the ravages of the Succession Wars, and so Commonwealth-based businesses and manufacturers were among those best positioned to take advantage of the economic upturns during the peace.
During the wars several companies came together to use the loss of technology and food stocks; on New Olympia, several agricultural domes damaged during the Second Succession War. The surplus crops grown there are cemented the Commonwealth as the breadbasket of the League. Though such increase in food meant large amount of trade is capable companies in the commonwealth give better trade agreement to other planets within the commonwealth than would with the rest of the League.
People of the Commonwealth are known for such a clannish attitude towards others outside of the province is due to the commonwealth history as the founding state of the League. With the Mariks as ruling House of both the Commonwealth and as Captain-General of the Free Worlds League and with the long-standing supremacy of the Marik Militia, as the backbone of the Free Worlds military. Local citizens like to believe that the Free Worlds League owes its existence to the Commonwealth, a military power led by the talented Marik clan from its very beginnings.
Without Commonwealth armies and Marik commanders, comes the claim, that the Terran Hegemony would have overrun the Principality of Regulus and the Federation of Oriente before the 2330s. The long years of the Succession Wars only confirmed this insular viewpoint by further emphasizing the vital role of the military in the League's survival. This regional arrogance does not sit well with Leaguers from other provinces, most of whom hold similar attitudes about their own home regions or planets. In more troubled times during the League's history, such provincial pride was a source of frequent flare-ups, as different regions jockeyed for prominence in League affairs.
Duchy of Oriente
Known as the center of learning, arts and sciences founded as a federation of largely democratic worlds, the Duchy of Oriente has given the Free Worlds League many of its finer cultural touches, as well as a legacy of democratic government that has sometimes caused considerable trouble. A parliament exists largely because of Oriente, whose long-ago leaders insisted on some form of representative government for the League they wished to create. Without such a formidable elected governing body, the Captains-General of earlier eras would surely have had an easier time ruling a less fractious Free Worlds. But no freedom-loving League citizen would have been willing to pay the price of such unity. Latter-day Leaguers may complain about provincial partisanship and gridlock, but none would give up the personal freedoms secured by centuries of necessary political horse-trading among myriad different interests.
The Duchy of Oriente is the source of another valuable legacy as well as scientific and technological innovation. The Oriente led the League in both until the start of the Succession Wars, and even those centuries of savage conflict could not completely erode Oriente's research edge. Calloway IV, home to several BattleMech factories, also houses the Calloway Technical Corps, one of the League's foremost military design and engineering concerns a sore point for some Marik Commonwealth citizens, who hate to acknowledge any sort of military superiority outside their own borders. In civilian circles, Metamorphosis Inc. on the planet Dayr Khuna remains consistently at the cutting edge of biotechnology, with a sideline in replacement body parts that remains lucrative despite a widespread bias against such things among average citizens.
Oriente owes part of its democratic bent to the large population of British and North Americans among the region's early settlers. Both of these groups came from societies accustomed to often-raucous representative government, a tradition they proudly carried with them to the stars. Spaniards and Italians were the two other largest ethnic groups, with a sprinkling of Basques as well. The modern duchy shows various traces of all these cultural strands, from the Spanish-style siesta customary on the southern continent of Martigues to the Italian Renaissance-style marble buildings that grace the planet Oriente's government precincts, to the province-wide passion for soccer games. The duchy's location near the often-shifting Capellan border has also given it a sizable Chinese population, along with pockets of Korean, Indian and Russian emigrants from Capellan Confederation worlds. The largest Asian enclaves exist on Les Halles and Anegasaki, both of which were under Capellan control at various times in their history.
The Principality of Regulus
As the third state to join the League, the Principality population and cultural heritage draws much form India and Central Asia at first was ruled by the Selaj Family. An Indian-born family that had roots in trading before the advent of space travel that continued into space dominating the region of space that would become the principality for a time to come. Until allegations of connections to terrorist groups were the Selaj Family forced them into exile to the Magistracy of Canopus. The Cameron-Jones clan, tenacious rivals of the departed Selajes in the lucrative Regulus spice trade, swiftly stepped into the power vacuum and dominated the Principality ever since. Several other families also joined the ranks of the Regulan oligarchy over the ensuing years, most prominently the Lombards of Hellos Minor and the Alexanders of Wallis.
The addition of external cultures gradually diminished the overwhelming dominance of Indian culture in the region, but the heritage of the Selaj clan remained a vibrant force in Regulan society. Hindustani is still widely spoken, Indian classical raga music also enjoyed an energetic revival since the early 3040s and many Principality planets remain dotted with ubiquitous Hindu temples.
Politically, the departure of the Selajes for nearly four centuries ago did diminish opposition to House Marik's control of power in the League. Derrick Cameron-Jones, former opposition leader in parliament, became an elder statesman of the provincial rights movement. The opposition from Regulan worlds followed Derrick's lead among the common people, however, good economic times go hand in hand with largely pro-Marik sentiments. Though the masses of Regulan citizens generally back their leaders, most prefer them to get on with the business of protecting Regulan mercantile interests rather than indulging in anti-Marik political gamesmanship.
Free Worlds League Military
The Free Worlds League Military (FWLM) has a strong emphasis on combined arms tactics and addition to a strong aerospace force. Though most regiments of the FWLM are mostly combined the elite regiments Knights of the Inner Sphere maintain a more traditional emphasis on BattleMechs.
FWLM Command Structure
The Captain-General serves as highest and direct command of all FWLM forces, though the position was only had the purpose of military command through time and trickery of the Parliament due to fear from inside and outside threats the Captain-General became a permanent position both military and politically.
The League Central Coordination and Command is the administration branch that assist the coordination of all aspect of the FWLM. The LCCC supports the Captain-General with such duties as logistics, planning, and assimilation of captured territories. Some of the positions of the LCCC includes the Minister of Defense, Director of Military Intelligence, Chief Armorer, and Quartermaster General.
Marshals are the commanding officers of regions designated as the border regions; consaprising of four area each of various sizes. Marshals act autonomous of the Captain-General and even the LCCC directing the military operations of their regions on their own. Though at times Marshals do so act to opposition of the political and military hierarchy at times most Marshals are willing to follow the Captain-Generals' orders if they do not counter what is seemed as a threat to their charge.
FWLM Forces
The military forces of the Free Worlds League are broken into two separate categories as League and Provincial brigades. All brigades of the FWLM fall directly under the command of the Captain-General. League units usually have undying loyalty to the Captain-General and consist of personnel that have no personal loyalty to any specific province or planet in the FWL.
Provincial Brigades on the other hand are created form their home provinces and will usually be stationed in their home province unless in a state of war. Provincial units though fall under the command of the Captain-General mostly hold loyalty to the provincial family and will follow their orders before the Captain-Generals'. This has caused many instances of civil unrest when provincial leaders feel that their power is threatened by the Captain-General or a lust for power by the province's family.
Some of the most famous League units of the FWLM include the Knights of the Inner Sphere, Atrean Dragoons, Free WorldsGuard, including the Marik Militia. In addition to the League units some provincial units are will known across the Inner Sphere especially the Silver Hawk Irregulars, who the Lyran Commonwealth and its people which have much fear of, and also the Andurian Rangers, Fusiliers of Oriente, Orloff Grenadiers, Protectorate Guard, inclusion of celebrated provincial brigades include the Stewart Dragoons.
The naval branch of the FWLM through most of the Free Worlds League history had been the laughingstock of the FWLM. Though with the introduction of the Word of Blake into League Space the FWL Navy turned around and became the pinnacle of all Successor States and Periphery states' navies.
Following the Word of Blake Jihad The Free Worlds League as fractured into many of its provinces' each of its rulers claim supported by their own forces. Most units of these Claim to the Throne would be's are the former provinces own units. Units classified as League; their loyalties towards these fractures states is unknown currently.
FWL Military Academies
The Allison MechWarrior Institute located on New Olympia, within the Marik Commonwealth, specializes in Mechwarrior training. Cadets of AMI usually are received by the Free Worlds Guards and the Marik Militia, but reform of the military lead to a wider spread of the new lieutenants into the FWLM. Located near the Lloyd Marik-Stanley Aerospace School the students of both school beside the usual Mechwarrior and Aerospace pilot rivalry; the students of both school have a close friendship that most other students of other schools due not foster.
The Lloyd Marik-Stanley Aerospace School located near the Allison MechWarrior Institute, LMS cadets are fiercely but friendly competitive with their mechwarrior rivals. In addition to training aerospace pilots, LMS has a supplementary curriculum that trains DropShip and JumpShip pilots as well.
The Princefield Military Academy, the premier training center for the Duchy of Oriente, Princefield cadets are serious in their dedication to their training due to the fact that only the top students each class are allowed move onto MechWarrior training after long and lengthy curriculum of military history, strategy, and tactics. After Janos of the Marik family went to Princefield many applicants from the Marik Commonwealth have increased dramatically.
The Legionary Training Academy was originally the principal training center for those hailing from the Duchy of Andurien. After Anduriens attempted attempt to secede form the Free Worlds League. The academy administratively was taken over by the LCCC and federalized the graduates of LTA were than join the Free Worlds Legionnaires and other federal brigades.
The Orloff Military Academy is an exclusive school that besides for the members of the Orloff Family, students of the academy must meet many requirements prior to acceptance. The OMA offers only Mechwarior training as standard curriculum but also provides advanced courses in leadership and strategy for combined arms operations. As one smallest academies in the League the training received by cadets is highly sought after by commanders across the league, as a requirement all cadets after graduation spend their first duty station with the Orloff Grenadiers.
The Hero Training Institute is located on the planet Maxwell, the HTI is a federal operated school for students that are unable to afford the more prestigious schools. Thus giving that would be unable to become an officer in the FWLM to become a member of the FWLMs'a officer Corps. The training received at the HTI in comparison to most of the other academies across the League is sub-par, it offers an opportunity to the unfortunate ones that would not be able to receive such training.
Information on all Military Academies within the Free Worlds League following the fracture of the League is currently unavailable.

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