The Post-Apocalyptic Roadmap/Iberia

Another piece of the The Post-Apocalyptic Roadmap.

During the ensuing nuclear exchange between Russia and NATO, Spain, which had long been a NATO member state, was spared much of the devastation that befell other NATO members. This was in due, in no small part, to the low priority that Spain had been given by the Russian High Command. Nevertheless, four 1.5 Megaton ICBMs were fired at Spanish targets. Of the four, only two hit their mark: one hit the Capital city of Madrid, annihilating virtually the entire Parliament of Spain, while the other exploded above Barcelona; the Catalan city suffered less in the way of structural damage, although hundreds of thousands of people later died from radiation poisoning. As for the other two missiles, they veered off course (likely due to an error in their guidance computers) and they found their mark in neutral Portugal, with nearly a third of the Portuguese population dying over the next few months. Unlike their unfortunate neighbors, the Spanish suffered comparatively few casualties and much of their military strength remained intact.

In the immediate aftermath of the exchange, the new Spanish King, Felipe VI, declared a military junta in place of an elected Government. There was a immediate outcry, and rioting broke out within hours of the announcement. One particularly brutal riot, led by the remaining members of the Spanish Communists, nearly burned down Felipe's temporary residence in Seville. The Police then opened fire on the mob in desperation; little did anyone realize, these were the opening shots of the Second Spanish Civil War. Communist riots continued across Spain, blaming the Monarchy and the Military for failing to stop the war with Russia.

As the third month of military rule drew to a close, Spanish Communists staged a coup with the express purpose of eliminating the new King and ending military rule and replacing it with a Marxist state. The coup failed miserably, but the nation-wide rioting boiled over into open warfare. On one side stood the Marxist, who had gained much sway over the population since the war with Russia. On the other side stood the New National Syndicalist Front, made up primarily of nationalists, military men, and right-wingers. The war initially went well for the Marxists; with so much rioting, the military and paramilitary forces of the Spanish Government and the Nationalists were tied down. Things then changed swiftly. Nationalist General Julio Rodriguez managed to restore Government control in the north of Spain, and with their newly freed-up army, the Marxist collapsed by the third month since the coup. Rodriguez, who now wielded enormous power over both the National Syndicalists and the military, installed a new, brutal National Syndicalist Dictatorship, all while retaining Felipe VI as a rubber stamp.

After reestablishing Spanish power and infrastructure after the nationwide devastation of the Civil War, began to look for new conquests and new opportunities for glory. His greedy eye soon found Portugal, which remained in ruins even six months after the nuclear strikes. He quickly annexed the once-peaceful nation, creating the a new state in the process: the National Syndicalist Kingdom of Iberia.

Today, three years since the nuclear war with Russia began, Iberia is utterly unrecognizable. Rodriguez rules the nation with an iron fist, keeping all the starving and overworked people of Iberia under the eye of his secret police and in the sound of state propaganda. All people of Iberia view him (as well as the King) as near God-like figures, who hold supreme authority over the lives of their subjects, all of whom have effectively been reduced to the status of slaves. Dissenters are given no quarter, and are "rehabilitated" in ways that would make Orwell cringe. The non-Spanish-speaking people of Iberia were forced to use Spanish at all times; anyone caught speaking Catalan, Basque, Portuguese, or any other language is sent to be re-educated. All foreigners were immediately extradited, and in some cases executed.

Iberia is not for the faint of heart; there are, however, opportunities abound for those willing to seek them out.

National Syndicalist State Announcement: News for the Day

Attention, comrades! Your attention please!

In the name of King Felipe VI, our glorious General Rodriguez, the people of Iberia, and almighty God, a landmark victory in the battle for the reconstruction of our great nation and her people has been achieved! Just earlier this morning, factories from Catalonia to Asturias reported unprecedented over-fulfillments in the annual national quota for industrial goods. Record-breaking amounts of copper, pig iron, and refined oil, among other items, have been produced this year. An incredible achievement indeed, comrades!

In other news, an enemy airstrike hit the city of Burgos this morning, leaving over 100 dead. Do not let their brave sacrifice go in vain! Let their sacrifice lead our nation to ever greater triumphs on the battlefield and on the factory floor.

End of Report