Here is an outline for an alternate Traveller setting. In this Universe, the Soviet Union wins the Cold War. The Villani then conquer and Earth that's stuck at TL 7. The Soviet Union surrenders without a fight, and in return for tribute, the Villani allow the Soviets to continue governing Earth. The Soviets act as obediant vassals until they've copied sufficient Villani technology, and then they stage a second communist revolution through propaganda and subversion. Imprisoning and the assasinating the entire Imperial Family, and so instead of establishing the Ramshackle Empire they establish an Interstellar Workers State or the Union of Socialist Stellar Republics. Technology is somewhat uneven in this setting. The maximum working tech level is 12, and everyone is guaranteed employment by the state, and not only that, but all of the starships are owned by the state as well. All forms of employment are illegal except by the state, and all of the Stellar Republics have the same government type, a Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy based on the socialist model. Factories typically emply thousands of workers, evem on frontier worlds. Although much of this work could be automated, its not as the government has to employ everybody. Robots are not employed except in hostile environments where humans cannot operate. The USSR operates on ten-year-plans, typically quotas are set to determine how many products will need to be produced over the next ten years. Innovation is discouraged as new technologies tend to threaten jobs and are deemed not useful in the governments efforts to employ everyone, the bog exception of course is the Military. Other nations that existed in the OTU also exist here with the major exception being the Imperium. The Zhodani are considered to be the class enemy of all socialist peoples, mostly because two of them can communicate within the USSR and not be overheard by the Committee For State Security, a spy organization that spies on much of the citizenry.
The Union of Socialist Stellar Republics
- Thread starter TKalbfus
- Start date
This is a parallel universe that could possibly be reached by a misjumping starship from the OTU. Comments are of course welcome, but lets try not to stray into real world current politics. We'll stick to the nature of this setting. I can see some differences already, for instance there is no merchant class within USSR territory, just simply starship's crews that travel into things similar to Free Traders and the like, selling items at the state's official price. Of course these people often don't have what people want unless of course a bribe is placed under the table, then sometimes that particular item can be "found". The USSR spends alot more on its military than the Imperium, how much it spends is really hard to say due to the distortions of the state controlled economy. Some starships are assembled in forced labor camps filled with political prisoners who aren't paid a salary. The USSR credit is not a real freely traded currency, alot of people have millions of these things and most personal items are available at the listed price in the Traveller Handbook if the happen to be on the shelf, however most of the time they're not. To get the item, PCs will often have to pay a bribe to the seller under the counter, and perhaps he'll find it somewhere. Most people in the USSR travel in ground cars. Only high party officials or the military have access to grav vehicles.
Sounds a bit like something out of an 1950's sci-fi novel, but seems workable, as long as you and your players like it - though I think that it should be ALLIED with the Zhodani (such a government fits their thought-police-state mind quite well, even though the Zhos will view it with contempt as an inferior Human state), though, ofcourse, they'll see this as a, but, ofcourse, like any self-respecting superpower, will keep spying on them using a thought-police of it's own. Hell, even if it will rival the Zhodani (and maybe start organizing a "revolution" - read: takeover - there), they'll have their own super-variant of Psi Corps (maybe a subdivision of the State Security Bureau, maybe a replacement for it).
I think that the government should be more along the line of an Impersonal Bureaucracy rather than a Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy; Party inner circles come and go (sometimes with an accompanying "Purge"), but the massive, ultra-bureaucratic state remains.
Politics will be dirty. VERY dirty. Unlimited centralized power attracts competition, and the various state apparattuses would compete over control of the government (like the Beria-Khuschev power play in the late 1950's).
Other than that, this kind of Stalinism seems unstable on the long run (like the original USSR) due to social and economical reasons; bureaucratic inefficiency in the original USSR cost it about 20% of it's GNP ANUALLY, not to mention the growing dissatisfaction of the masses from the opressive, inefficient government which is blind to their needs. I see this state developing into one of the following:
1) A Third Revolution from below overthrowing the Stalinist state-machine and replacing it with a decentralized socialistic democracy (i.e. planetary governments are composed of several truely elected bodies, factories are owned by their workers and not the state, the reinstatement of a limited free trade between independant worker-controlled cooperatives and so on). This is most likely to be triggered by a true (that is, social-democratic) revolution in another polity (most likely the Zhodani). This is similar to what Hungary (IIRC) tried to achieve in the 1950's revolt ("Socialism with a Human Face") against the RL USSR, and to what workers in various Stalinist east-european states tried to achieve in 1989 just to find the Stalinist regime replaced by a capitalist one with an even worse standard of living.
2) An invasion from the outside (Zhodani? Aslan?) replacing the opressive Stalinist state with a similarly operssive occupation rule, spewing capitalist/invader's nationalist propaganda instead of the old Communist one. This is unlikely due to the USSR's huge military buildup and "scorched-earth" tactics.
3) Economic reforms by interested elements within the Party-Sate bureaucratic machine which eventually transform the USSR into something more similar to a giant corporation, triggering a rapid economical boom and fast technological progress; new mass-produced goods will be agressively marketed to neighbouring politics in relativly low prices (due to an exploited workforce). This is similar, in very rough lines, to what happened to RL's China.
4) A Long Night triggered by internal collapse of the USSR's Stalinist state-machine; this could possibly originate from failed economical and political reforms from within which will go out of hand and trigger chaos. The more opportunistic appartchicks (Party bureaucrats) will grab whatever they could from the collapsing economy and found their own corporations and/or pocket empires, while the main bulk of the population will fall into far worse living conditions that in the USSR days. The USSR will then split into many, possibly warring, factions with despotic, or, to the very least, corrupt, leaders. This is similar, in very rough lines, to what happened to RL's USSR.
5) Covert action by the Zhodani-funded Ine Givar (fighting for a "democracy") eventually result in a fake "revolution" which ends up making the USSR into a Zhodani client-state with a regulated free-market economy and the standard Zhodani-style thought-police and nobility.
A good resource for this alternate setting will be the Solomani Alien Module. Speaking of which, if you won't like getting rid of the Imperium, you could always replace the Solomany Party with a neo-Stalinist Communist Party (or Progressive Party, or Worker's Party) and add a Revolution in the Solomani sectors to the OTU timeline; the Solomani Rim War will soon follow it as a Civil War equivalent, and the resulting state will be very similar to both your USSR and the original Solomani Confederation.
Another good resource is the fantasy/sci-fi/alternate history comic "Red Star" which details the events within a USSR variant.
I think that the government should be more along the line of an Impersonal Bureaucracy rather than a Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy; Party inner circles come and go (sometimes with an accompanying "Purge"), but the massive, ultra-bureaucratic state remains.
Politics will be dirty. VERY dirty. Unlimited centralized power attracts competition, and the various state apparattuses would compete over control of the government (like the Beria-Khuschev power play in the late 1950's).
Other than that, this kind of Stalinism seems unstable on the long run (like the original USSR) due to social and economical reasons; bureaucratic inefficiency in the original USSR cost it about 20% of it's GNP ANUALLY, not to mention the growing dissatisfaction of the masses from the opressive, inefficient government which is blind to their needs. I see this state developing into one of the following:
1) A Third Revolution from below overthrowing the Stalinist state-machine and replacing it with a decentralized socialistic democracy (i.e. planetary governments are composed of several truely elected bodies, factories are owned by their workers and not the state, the reinstatement of a limited free trade between independant worker-controlled cooperatives and so on). This is most likely to be triggered by a true (that is, social-democratic) revolution in another polity (most likely the Zhodani). This is similar to what Hungary (IIRC) tried to achieve in the 1950's revolt ("Socialism with a Human Face") against the RL USSR, and to what workers in various Stalinist east-european states tried to achieve in 1989 just to find the Stalinist regime replaced by a capitalist one with an even worse standard of living.
2) An invasion from the outside (Zhodani? Aslan?) replacing the opressive Stalinist state with a similarly operssive occupation rule, spewing capitalist/invader's nationalist propaganda instead of the old Communist one. This is unlikely due to the USSR's huge military buildup and "scorched-earth" tactics.
3) Economic reforms by interested elements within the Party-Sate bureaucratic machine which eventually transform the USSR into something more similar to a giant corporation, triggering a rapid economical boom and fast technological progress; new mass-produced goods will be agressively marketed to neighbouring politics in relativly low prices (due to an exploited workforce). This is similar, in very rough lines, to what happened to RL's China.
4) A Long Night triggered by internal collapse of the USSR's Stalinist state-machine; this could possibly originate from failed economical and political reforms from within which will go out of hand and trigger chaos. The more opportunistic appartchicks (Party bureaucrats) will grab whatever they could from the collapsing economy and found their own corporations and/or pocket empires, while the main bulk of the population will fall into far worse living conditions that in the USSR days. The USSR will then split into many, possibly warring, factions with despotic, or, to the very least, corrupt, leaders. This is similar, in very rough lines, to what happened to RL's USSR.
5) Covert action by the Zhodani-funded Ine Givar (fighting for a "democracy") eventually result in a fake "revolution" which ends up making the USSR into a Zhodani client-state with a regulated free-market economy and the standard Zhodani-style thought-police and nobility.
A good resource for this alternate setting will be the Solomani Alien Module. Speaking of which, if you won't like getting rid of the Imperium, you could always replace the Solomany Party with a neo-Stalinist Communist Party (or Progressive Party, or Worker's Party) and add a Revolution in the Solomani sectors to the OTU timeline; the Solomani Rim War will soon follow it as a Civil War equivalent, and the resulting state will be very similar to both your USSR and the original Solomani Confederation.
Another good resource is the fantasy/sci-fi/alternate history comic "Red Star" which details the events within a USSR variant.
^ I like it; it looks a lot like the Empire that is gaining power IMTU.
Soviet Rule didn't ALWAYS result in SPO. (The highest level, absolutely, but not all levels.)
Since, technically,, the USSR was a republic, right down to the lowest worker's soviet (council, really), you could wind up with worlds of types 3, 4,8,9, A,B,or C.
3= SPO.
4=Representative Democracy. Mind you, the svoiet system was some 6-9 layers deep, at least on paper... so the actual representation is poor. This is for the worlds where that system actually is working, and the planetary soviet is comprised of people who have actually risen and still represent the worker's ideals.
8= Civil Service Bureaucracy. This is actually how the soviet system seemed to function, BTW. Leaders don't need to be efficient, so long as they pick efficient people.
9= Impersonal Bureaucracy. Like 8, but less efficient from the standpoint of the governed. Mostly exterior appointees, doing their job because the sector or subsector soviet told them to. Some would argue this was the model by which the soviets operated.
A= Charismatic Dictator
B= Non Charismatic Dictator
both of these represent the planetary, subsector or sector soviet appointing a temporary dictator to run things "For the duration of the emergency". Case A, he's liked. Case B, he's not.
C = Charismatic Oligarchy. The apparatshchiki have taken control over who gets into the planetary Soviet, but said PS is WELL liked, and leads with little resistance because they do things that make workers happy. They do this so that the sheep, ne, workers, keep them happy and well fed.
Of these, A&B should be GM Specials. The others could be looked at thusly:
Pop 0-3: Possibly even a participating democracy (if all your workers are friends with a member of the Planietskoi Soviet, it may as well be a participatory. In extreme cases, the entire pop might BE the PS. Types 2,3,4,8 (1d6: 1=2,2-4=3,5=4,6=8)
Pop 4-6: Types 3,4,8,9,C (1d6: 1-2=3, 4=4, 5=8, 6=9)
Pop 7-8: Types 3,8,9,C (1d6: 1=3, 2-3=8, 4-5=9, 6=C)
Pop 9-10: Types 8,9,C (1-2=8, 3-5=9, A=C)
Just an idea....
Since, technically,, the USSR was a republic, right down to the lowest worker's soviet (council, really), you could wind up with worlds of types 3, 4,8,9, A,B,or C.
3= SPO.
4=Representative Democracy. Mind you, the svoiet system was some 6-9 layers deep, at least on paper... so the actual representation is poor. This is for the worlds where that system actually is working, and the planetary soviet is comprised of people who have actually risen and still represent the worker's ideals.
8= Civil Service Bureaucracy. This is actually how the soviet system seemed to function, BTW. Leaders don't need to be efficient, so long as they pick efficient people.
9= Impersonal Bureaucracy. Like 8, but less efficient from the standpoint of the governed. Mostly exterior appointees, doing their job because the sector or subsector soviet told them to. Some would argue this was the model by which the soviets operated.
A= Charismatic Dictator
B= Non Charismatic Dictator
both of these represent the planetary, subsector or sector soviet appointing a temporary dictator to run things "For the duration of the emergency". Case A, he's liked. Case B, he's not.
C = Charismatic Oligarchy. The apparatshchiki have taken control over who gets into the planetary Soviet, but said PS is WELL liked, and leads with little resistance because they do things that make workers happy. They do this so that the sheep, ne, workers, keep them happy and well fed.
Of these, A&B should be GM Specials. The others could be looked at thusly:
Pop 0-3: Possibly even a participating democracy (if all your workers are friends with a member of the Planietskoi Soviet, it may as well be a participatory. In extreme cases, the entire pop might BE the PS. Types 2,3,4,8 (1d6: 1=2,2-4=3,5=4,6=8)
Pop 4-6: Types 3,4,8,9,C (1d6: 1-2=3, 4=4, 5=8, 6=9)
Pop 7-8: Types 3,8,9,C (1d6: 1=3, 2-3=8, 4-5=9, 6=C)
Pop 9-10: Types 8,9,C (1-2=8, 3-5=9, A=C)
Just an idea....
Makes the Soc statistic rather interesting then . . .
Officially everybody's social is the same but some would be more equal than others.
What new title could there be?
Revolutionary Guardian Soc: D
Peoples' Advocate Soc: C
Citizen Director Soc: B
Senior Comrade Soc: A
or . . .
The Executive Junior Agent to the People's Undersecretary for Brown Shoe Lace Standards
Might have a bit more pull than The People's Administrative Senior Deputy to the Associate Director for Sock Distribution
Officially everybody's social is the same but some would be more equal than others.
What new title could there be?
Revolutionary Guardian Soc: D
Peoples' Advocate Soc: C
Citizen Director Soc: B
Senior Comrade Soc: A
or . . .
The Executive Junior Agent to the People's Undersecretary for Brown Shoe Lace Standards
Might have a bit more pull than The People's Administrative Senior Deputy to the Associate Director for Sock Distribution
I was thinking of making the misjump from the OTU to this parallel universe very specific.
For instance the PCs have to be within 100 planetary diameters of say Regina in the Spinward Marches with the Jump Computer set on Roup. The Jump appears to occur normally and the PC ship arrives at Roup, but at the Roup of the parallel Universe. Similarly to go back, the PCs must be within 100 planetary diameters of Roup with the Jump computer set on Regina and the PCs will arrive back in their home universe. USSR Starships can do the same, but only from these locations. I think it might be interesting to pit the USSR against the Imperium. Have potentially one Universe threaten to invade the other. The PCs would find out about this through happen stance, say they were attacked by pirates and had to jump out too close to the planet to escape. The ship has to be exactly the right distance for this to occur and the misjump can be reproduced so long as one know the exact distance and destination to set.
For instance the PCs have to be within 100 planetary diameters of say Regina in the Spinward Marches with the Jump Computer set on Roup. The Jump appears to occur normally and the PC ship arrives at Roup, but at the Roup of the parallel Universe. Similarly to go back, the PCs must be within 100 planetary diameters of Roup with the Jump computer set on Regina and the PCs will arrive back in their home universe. USSR Starships can do the same, but only from these locations. I think it might be interesting to pit the USSR against the Imperium. Have potentially one Universe threaten to invade the other. The PCs would find out about this through happen stance, say they were attacked by pirates and had to jump out too close to the planet to escape. The ship has to be exactly the right distance for this to occur and the misjump can be reproduced so long as one know the exact distance and destination to set.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Now, geeee, where I have heard of something similar to this.... Except it involved transporters, I think... 
And beards...
And beards...
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
<strokes beard> "Fascinating."
F: Member of Sector Soviet
E: Member of Subsector Soviet
D: Member of System Soviet
C: Member of World Soviet
B: Member of Regional Soviet
A: Member of District Soviet
9: Member of City Soviet or Agricultural subdistrict Soviet
8: Member or Quarter Soviet or Collective Soviet
7: Member of Work Collective Soviet or Member of Farm Soviet.
E: Member of Subsector Soviet
D: Member of System Soviet
C: Member of World Soviet
B: Member of Regional Soviet
A: Member of District Soviet
9: Member of City Soviet or Agricultural subdistrict Soviet
8: Member or Quarter Soviet or Collective Soviet
7: Member of Work Collective Soviet or Member of Farm Soviet.
Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
Wandered into this thread from the political Pulpit (and is it refreshing!)...
Let's not forget one distinctly Soviet brand of justice...the vertical stroke.
If, say, that MIG-25 was unable to fly because the ground crew had gotten drunk on the alcohol used as coolant, they would have been sent to the gulag...as well as the squadron commander, base commander, front commander, sometimes right up to the Kremlin itself.
That would tend to instill a very paranoid CYA attitude.
A very good source for how things work in the military is Inside the Soviet Army by Victor Suvarov. He describes how the system is intentionally set up to misdirect enemies, and how it is resilient enough to take great punishment and recover. Would post ISBN, etc. but I'm about as organized as a ball of yarn after the cat's done with it...
Let's not forget one distinctly Soviet brand of justice...the vertical stroke.
If, say, that MIG-25 was unable to fly because the ground crew had gotten drunk on the alcohol used as coolant, they would have been sent to the gulag...as well as the squadron commander, base commander, front commander, sometimes right up to the Kremlin itself.
That would tend to instill a very paranoid CYA attitude.
A very good source for how things work in the military is Inside the Soviet Army by Victor Suvarov. He describes how the system is intentionally set up to misdirect enemies, and how it is resilient enough to take great punishment and recover. Would post ISBN, etc. but I'm about as organized as a ball of yarn after the cat's done with it...
Madarin Dude
SOC-13
I like the setting. Spent some tiem in Leningrad in the early 90s and got some anecdotal eveidence and the like. I presently live in the Peoples Republic of China. I would have to add some observations i made and add them to the mix. an example there is always at least one ugly fasion model in every fashion magazine or layout she is connected to the party in some way. (must be by my observations). Add sarcastic sayings that people say while there is no party around like "We will pretend towork as long as they pretend to pay us."
Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
Now that I think of it...
A friend had the Solomani module and I read it. I was very pissed off that the government of Earth had gone Communist to survive! Especially since I was in the Marines at the time...
It did show a great system for incorporating Soviet-style politics into decision making. Finally made sense to this transplanted city boy.
Wass it James Blish's Cities in Flight series that had everyone escaping Earth and its continual superpower clash? everyone that coulkd simply left Earth, leaving the Communists to stew in their own wastes...
A friend had the Solomani module and I read it. I was very pissed off that the government of Earth had gone Communist to survive! Especially since I was in the Marines at the time...
It did show a great system for incorporating Soviet-style politics into decision making. Finally made sense to this transplanted city boy.
Wass it James Blish's Cities in Flight series that had everyone escaping Earth and its continual superpower clash? everyone that coulkd simply left Earth, leaving the Communists to stew in their own wastes...
