Astela: Difference between revisions
→Foreign Relations
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=== Foreign Relations ===
Astela's primary historical ally has been Volscina, which remains the country's largest patron. Beyond Volscina's political sphere, Astela is fiercely isolated within Novaris, and holds particularly poor relations with neighboring Seccera. Ties with Celanora are complicated. Since 2003, there has been an official exchange of embassies between the two nations, and Celanora continues to be Astela's second-largest trading partner. However, security among their shared border remains high as Astela seeks to prevent defections. Astela has also held relations with Cryria dating back to Queen Katharine's support during the 1907 Coup. Leidenstad remains one of the few countries to have an exchange of embassies with Astela, but here too mutual ties remain limited due to Astela's general international isolation.
Astelan embassies are known to use their diplomatic status to engage in an array of illicit and semi-legal activities in order to funnel hard currency back to the GUG. This often includes providing cheap Astelan laborers in their host countries, and Astelan workers are known to have a presence in developed nations such as the Kingdom of Cryria and elsewhere.
=== Military ===
The Astelan Defense Forces are the official armed forces of the Republic of Astela. Often described as a garrison state, Astela maintains a strict system of compulsory military service where all men and women must serve for a minimum of two years in the armed forces. Refusal to serve can result in lengthy prison sentences of up to a decade in harsh labor conditions. In reality, conscription can often be extended indefinitely, with some escapees reporting an average service period of up to 6.5 years, or even some instances of conscription lasting over a decade. As a result, on paper the ADF has an outsized number of personnel, with 200,000 actively serving and another 500,000 reservists. In practice however, many conscripts are effectively used as forced labor on various government projects for the duration of their service. Much of the ADF's actual combat capability is thought to rest in its elite professional forces which consist of some 20,000-25,000 personnel.
The ADF today consists of a combination of Cold War-era purchases from Volscina and limited domestic productions.
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