Post by faecakes on Aug 27, 2010 5:29:18 GMT 1
Country: Confœderatio Helvetica ( Switzerland )
Real name: Vash/Basch Zwingli < I’m starting to become more partial to Basch, but I still use Vash, just pronounce it like you would Basch >
Personality: When people first get a glance of Switzerland their initial concept would run along the lines of harsh and intimidating. Always quick to retort, and speak his mind direct the Swiss Confederation is a man of power and control. In this day and age, in order to survive, you would have to be strong. The weak never survive and Vash finds them one of the greatest embarrassments to the world… or at least he’d like to. Given his strong foundation as a mercenary growing up, even when he desperately desires to he cannot overlook the weak and injured. He was never able to.
Switzerland is not solely the heartless nation other’s perceive him as. Though he’d refuse to admit it, it is simply a defense. He’s never been good at social interactions and these insecurities involving them back him into a corner, making him lash out with his fierce temper to protect himself. This fierce temper can sometimes take a physical form if he has access to a gun—shooting down his opposition. This becomes especially apparent if being questioned about his past or any of his relations with other countries. Due to the rejection from the ancients he suffered when he was Helvetii as well as his experience when under ‘rule’ of the Hapsburgs, Vash has become insecure and fearful of getting close to anyone. There are even limitations with Liechtenstein, that force him to get flustered easily and shy away. The only difference with his sister that differs from other nations, is he senses a strong connection of similarity with her, and refuses to see her have to walk the same hardships.
Beside his own personal vendetta, Switzerland’s first, and sole focus is his people. Without them he wouldn’t even be and he feels indebted to them for this. Had his cantons not united, despite their differences in order to survive, Vash would’ve been lost to the world long ago. His cantons are his heart and soul and he refuses to act upon selfish human desires, reminding himself nations are not humans and our first concern should be them and always be them. Some may perceive this as why the Swiss Confederation is so stuck up with himself, but that’s for them to decide. To Vash, he is simply hard working and loyal.
Having been born with so little assets himself, Vash has learned to live frugally. Saving money is one of the highest of virtues, and he can’t stand seeing it go to waste, even on something as simple as food and clothing. Being raised alone in the Alps taught Vash only to get by with the barest necessities and do whatever it took to make an honest living for his people. He has found most wars foolish for similar reasons, not willing to risk the lives of his own for another’s cause. Switzerland has remained neutral for hundreds of years, and that’s not about to change. Again, many find it prudish Vash refuses to fight or assist their causes but Switzerland knows war is not the answer; going about peaceful and unbiased assistance such as the Red Cross or peace movements. His home is surrounded by forces that have always been against one another, and picking a side could be signing his own will.
Likes:
- Money
- Being Frugle
- Solitude
- Peace
- Honour
- Neutrality
- Home-made guns
- Science (it’s an odd one, but Switzerland is actually a very heavily science loving country and has actually produced quite a bit of wonderful technology)
- Work
Dislikes:
- European Union
- Immaturity
- Tresspassing
- War
- Certain countries… (though he won’t admit it)
- Seeing money wasted
- Being bothered
- Social situations
- Memories
History: < -gonna get shot for this being so long, but trust me when I say this is condensed >
1500 – settlements of Celtic, Raetian, and Helvetic tribes moved into the Alps
58 BC – Helvetic tribes pressured to migrate by Germanians only to be slaughtered by Ceasar’s army when arriving near Gaul. Later they were Romanized.
4th Century – Western Roman empire falls and Germania takes over Helvetic regions. Christianity is also introduced by Irish monks.
843 – The Treaty of Verdun, relinquishing Switzerland ( Upper Burgandy) to the Holy Roman Empire
1218 – Death of Berchtold V relinquishing control over the western most part of Switzerland, making tensions rise between Kyburg and the Hapsburgs for control over Switzerland.
1273 – Rudolph I of Hapsburg takes over the Holy Roman Empire and revoked the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden to be governed by the Hapsburgs and not the Holy Roman Empire.
1291 – The Cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden unite to rebel against the Hapsburg Rule, forming the Old Swiss Confederacy.
1315 – Battle of Morgarten
1386 – Battle of Sempach, defeating the Hapsburg army and allowing the Confedercay to continue within the rule of the Holy Roman Empire again.
1353 – Glarus, Zug, Lucerne, Zürich, and Bern join into the confederation.
1440 – Zürich is expelled from the confederation due to the Old Zürich War
1470 – The Swiss mercenaries gain recognition from the rest of Europe
1499 – Swiss Victoury against the Swabian league gaining independence from the Holy Roman Empire
1506 – Pope Julius II hires the Swiss Guard to serve Vatican City
1515 – The strong reputation of the Swiss army is tainted by their defeat at the Battle of Marignano
1523 – Zwingli’s Reformation, changing civil life and state matters in Zürich significantly, which then spread to five other cantons in the country. The Reformation caused tension between the other cantons of Roman Catholic faith, leading to Kappeler Kriege in 1529 and 1531. Zwingli died in battle.
1618 – Switzerland, a land of peace and prosperity in the Thirty Years’ War, being hired by the majour powers in Europe to fight simply so the country wouldn’t fall into the hands of their rivals, and tried to influence them unsuccessfully.
1648 – Treaty of Westphalia, letting Switzerland gain independence from the Holy Roman Empire.
1653 – Lucerne, Bern, Solothurn, and Basel revolted due to currency, leading to the Swiss Peasant War, which broke out again during the Battles of Villmergen.
1798 – Switzerland is overrun by Napoleonic French invasion, becoming the Helvetic Republic
1803 – The Act of Mediation by Napoleon gives Switzerland’s cantons their sovereignty back along with equal rights.
1815 – Congress of Vienna re-establishes Switzerland’s independence and is recognized as a neutral country, along with adding in its final cantons.
1847 – The last armed conflict in Switzerland breaks out as a civil war between Catholic and Protestant cantons, leading to Switzerland’s adopted federal constitution in 1848
World War I – neutral (armed), attempted invasion by France ending in failiure. Grimm-Hoffman Affair
World War II – neutral (armed), acted as a mediatour between allies and axis powers. Trade was blocked in attempt to sway Switzerland to one side or the other. Germany had plans to invade, but never carried through. The Swiss currency (franc) also became one of the most convertible currencies, earning much for their economy, mostly from Germany. During this time Switzerland also took in many refugees, and came close to a break down of it’s unification due to the mixed cultures, but held strong.
1958 – Switzerland gains the technology to build a nuclear bomb, but one is never made.
1959 – Switzerland’s Federal Council is elected
1963 – Switzerland joins the Council of Europe
1979 – The canton of Jura gains independence from Bren
2002 – Switzerland becomes an official member of the United Nations
2005 – Switzerland joins the Schengen treaty and Dublin Convention
Role Play Example: < decided to do a World War II esque post c: hope this works for you > He swore to god it was the same every time. Every single time his neighbours went to war, Switzerland always got hell for it. The economies around him would falter, some would collapse, and then his trade would be affected. If it weren't for his exports of weaponry and dairy products, Vash would be virtually broke. Even his banks weren't doing as well these days. Who had the money to afford the high praised Swiss banks, when they were spending all their money just to keep a light on with bread to feed their family? The numbers expressed in his economic documents kept the Swiss nation up at night with worry--- but he wouldn't show it. He had to remain strong, and he would. Not only for Liechtenstein, but for himself. The strong, unshakable Swiss Confederation that had always stuck to its guns... this was the image he'd die maintaining.
Gazing over the stock in the aisles of the grocer's mart, Vash could feel his stomach rumble with want. He'd been reduced to having only two meals a day, to suffer as his people did. Switzerland wasn't hurting like some of the other nations were, but nor was he at the zenith of economic bliss.
He lifted free a budget sheet from his pocket, skimming down his numbers to his total for the week to spend.
"Only 80 francs..." Vash sighed looking down at the cheeses, "...Guess I'll even have to pass that up this week," he mumbled to himself looking to his hand basket of already acquired groceries.
In the cart lay a litre of goat's milk, one loaf of bread, a kilo of cheap ham, and a few vegetables. Anything sweet was out of the question.
Lifting the list back up, Vash flipped the small parchment over in his hands and crossed of cheese with a pen.
"So next we have... flour. I don't want to cut that... Baking is probably one of the few stress-free things we have left to do at my house,” Switzerland ran a gloved hand through his hair, biting his bottom lip.
Looking at all the groceries, it was probably going to consume at least half of the money he had to spend for the month, and he still needed to buy some new parts for his guns. If he couldn’t make them, he couldn’t sell them. Vash was fed up with this, people couldn’t live under this kind of stress and neither could he. How could anyone live happily like this? Even if they went at war, everyone suffered. And yet people called Switzerland grumpy for it all.
Well… for now he’d figure out what parts he needed later. He didn’t like being away from Liechtenstein too long with threats of embargoes by America being thrust in his face, as well as Germany and Russia knocking on his back door. Being away from his home any time, even if it was just for a moment was a moment his defenses were down, and anyone could try and take advantage of it. The proof of that still aggravated him from World War I.