Reactionary Levant: RDNA-verse

Here's a brand new map for the RDNA-verse! This one focuses on Reactionary Levant, centered around what would have been Jordan, Israel-Palestine in our world.

The Middle East has never really been explored before in the setting. Admittedly the early versions of the TL only gave a cursory, almost nonexistent mention of the region as being either under the House of Osman or a vague "Arab League." Not anymore. While much more recent material has given tantalizing hints, now the country itself is explored in full: shaped both by historical constants and the madness surrounding it. Adhering to a peculiar, if not unholy blend of various ideologies (including Zionism, Nasserism and Ba'athism), this should hopefully shed light on what became of the Arab World before and after the Terror. With more than a hint of Fascist and Orwellian undertones, to boot, while showing what could have been.

And just to be on the safe side, this is a work of fiction. This is not a political or ideological screed. The politically incorrect details in the map and text as deliberately meant to be in-universe. In addition, depiction is not endorsement.

(EDIT: Last-minute corrections)

----

Situated at what had been the crossroads of the Old World, the Hashemite Kingdom of the Levant, more commonly known as Reactionary Levant, holds sway over the last territories of the Fertile Crescent not under Collectivist control. Although not as powerful or large as the likes of Reactionary Australia, this country has long since emerged from the chaos of the Terror to live up to being the last true bastion of the Middle East. While much of what's known publicly about it is often tinged with propaganda, whether through the machinations of the ruling Alnahdists and its supporters or their erstwhile allies in the so-called "League of Neutral Defiance," there remains enough in the way of facts to discern truth from falsehood.

Nominally, the Levant is under the reign of King Hassan II of the House of Hashim (or Hashemites), whose lineage could be traced back to the Prophet Mohammed himself. In practice, however, the realm has been under the "Alnahdist" form of Reactionarism since 1939, the term itself being derived from an Arabic word meaning "Rebirth." It is formally divided into two Constituent Territories (Palestine and Transjordan), three Autonomous Territories, the National Capital District around Jerusalem, and the heavily fortified Levantine Canal Zone, with claims over the former Hejaz (including the lost Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah). Compared to other Reactionary regimes, there are some superficial trappings of a constitutional democracy, complete with the right to assembly (thus the existence of political parties). Religious liberties are also highly valued, with Jewish, Muslim and Christian clerics having a voice in the Royal Parliament through the Abrahamic Covenant. Although much like its peers, the ruling Alnahdist Party (through Prime Minister Mustafa al-Rasheed) wields nigh-absolute authority, with even the National Reformist Alliance serving more as a kind of controlled opposition. Its ideology permeates most aspects of everyday life, where the average citizen is encouraged to follow the great heroes of yesteryear, such as the legendary Saladin, for the good their hard-forged society. For they would allow themselves ot succumb to either imperialist designs or the degeneracy that, in the regime's view, allowed the Terror to nearly consume everything.

Of the 25.6 million people who inhabit the nation, at least according to official records, 93% are considered Levantine citizens. Religious affiliation and, to a degree, intermixing, are not strictly noted, but it's clear that the majority is wholly (or largely) either "Arab" or of "Jewish" lineage, their bonds forged through both fire and ideology. Although English is widely understood, a leftover from the days of British influence that's pragmatically carried over due to its utility, Arabic and Hebrew are given precedence in common use. Even after generations of technological and cultural change resulting in a peculiar Western-Islamic blend, where citizens could raise their lot regardless of faith or gender, they still hold fast to their traditions and customs with a zeal surpassing nationalist fervor. Those considered "Non-Citizens," meanwhile, are considered a caste apart, yet integral to the social order. Comprised largely of those descended from European and even Turkish refugees, as well as "unperson" defectors from the Internationale deemed too "corrupted" to join their erstwhile compatriots, they are often seen as perpetually indebted to the regime, if not indentured servants in all but name. On the other hand, they are nonetheless given many of the same benefits and rights as any citizen of similar stature. In exchange, they're also expected to an even greater degree to prove their worth, even in death through service in the Royal Levantine Army (Al-Quwat Al-Jaysh Al-Shaamia/צבא לבנטין המלכותי). 

Despite being practically surrounded by Collectivists, Reactionary Levant has done to much maximize its political situation. The realm's control over the Levantine Canal Zone (formerly the Ismailia Canal Territory) have given it considerable economic leverage, as the regime could potentially hinder crucial shipping lanes around the Mediterranean Sea if it deems it necessary. Said Canal has likewise allowed the Levant to exercise its hegemony over the remnants of the Arab League, further keeping the Internationale's Middle East designs at bay through its backing of the United Arab Republics. It has also benefited from its membership in the League of Neutral Defiance, with Australian arms having played a crucial role in helping bolster the nation's already potent military capabilities. Thus, it is not without reason that, as much as the rest of the Free World may be reluctant to admit, the Alnahdists serve as an impromptu yet vital component to the so-called Red Curtain.

Compared to the relative isolationism of most regimes of its kind, however, the nation feigns a degree of guarded openness. The ancient city of Jerusalem in particular, serving as both the realm's secular and religious heart due to its hosting relics from all Abrahamic faiths, is a major destination for travelers and pilgrims alike. Though past the landmarks and resorts, access to the rest of nation is much more restricted to outsiders. Though a foreigner enterprising or fortunate enough to see past the propaganda and security checkpoints would find a landscape heavily transformed in the name of self-sufficiency and survival. Be it the largely state-owned industrial facilities of Transjordan, the vast agricultural settlements of Palestine, the ever-busy shipping lanes that traverse the Canal or the similarly sleepless patrols around the fortified borders, Reactionary Levant is anything but unprepared.
In the face of enemies in every corner, Collectivist or not, the Alnahdists see their actions as out of necessity. For there could never be peace against those who wronged them.

The lands of the Levant have been contested since Antiquity. Be it the Hittites, Assyians, Egyptians, Romans, Arabs or Crusaders, much blood has been spilled over this corner of the world. Eventually, the feuding fiefdoms and clans were brought under the Ottoman Empire, ushering in lasting peace for the first time in centuries, oppressive as it was. In 1883, a wave of reforms, intended in part to stabilize the Sultan's vast domains, had led to the granting of greater freedoms and rights to many of its remaining Arab-predominant "vilayets" in Northern Africa and the Middle East. While the so-called "Arab League" that emerged was largely theoretical at first, this provided an crucial opportunity for the Hashemites in the Hejaz to assert themselves after centuries of Turkish rule. Abiding by a form of Sunni Islam more open to change, they also represented an unbroken line of continuity over Makkah. Combined with a blend of diplomacy and British aid with modernization, these helped give the ancient royal house growing hegemony over its neighbors.

By the turn of the 20th Century, it had all but incorporated the former vilayets of what had been called Syria (reorganized into Palestine and Transjordan), including unquestioned control over the Holy City of Jerusalem itself. It comes as little surprise, then, that the Hashemite territories were seen as the leading power behind the bloc. It came as little surprise, then, that they were given greater autonomy from Constantinople in 1903, with Sharif Ali of Mecca appointed as Emir of the Levant. Believing that gradual yet continuous progress was needed to survive in the face of the great powers, the leadership wasted little time in further developing their nascent nation. A blend of Islamic and Western influences was encouraged, with the emergence of joint companies, European-style institutions and provisions for a parliament. To the surprise of other Muslims, there were even efforts to welcome advocates for a Jewish homeland, both out of financial pragmatism and a growing notion that it was about time to overcome old grievances with the Jews. While not without controversy or tension, the first tentative steps were made on a path that, given enough time, would have made the fledging state a beacon of civilization in the Middle East, for others in the region to emulate.

The Terror, however, changed its destiny forever. Declaring itself free from the terminally weakened Sublime Porte in 1926, the self-proclaimed Hashemite Kingdom of the Levant found itself in a trial by fire. Much of the Middle East was caught off-guard, many regions unable to cope with escalating breakdown of the established order. Even as King Ali I (as the monarch came to be known) tried to rally what remained of the Arab League, as well as welcomed the growing influx of Jewish and European refugees, it became rapidly clear that there would no going back to the way things were. Under the auspice of ensuring the safety of the nation, Levantine forces seized the territories now known as Mount Lebanon and Assyria from Turkish officers-turned-warlords, while the Sinai and Ismailia Canal Territory (renamed the Levantine Canal Zone in 1945) were claimed from the growing anarchy in Egypt. As Crown Prince (later King) Hassan I proclaimed in 1928 along the fortified frontiers, the realm would not yield to either barbarism or Collectivism. What should have been a grand rallying cry, however, turned into a curse. A series of crushing defeats to militias affiliated to the nascent Collectivist Internationale in the Hejaz forced both the monarchy and clerics in the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah to do the unthinkable: the evacuation of as much of Islam's most sacred relics as was possible, including the contents of the Kaaba. This almost Herculean feat was accomplished by the slimmest of margins, the "Black Stone" only managing to reach sanctuary in Jerusalem as the Hejaz burned in 1931.

 

Despite the crushing blow to morale brought about by that loss, the heroic if costly efforts in stopping the enemy from breaching the remaining defenses allowed the monarchy to survive. Yet while some semblance of stability persisted, it was clear to all that this state of affairs could not last indefinitely. Into this conundrum rose an academic-turned-politician named Gamal Ibrahim al-Bitar. Seeing the mounting discord in Levantine society, whether it was disgruntled soldiers, mounting clashes between Jews and Muslims or a system seen increasingly as detached from reality, he and many others realized that the realm had to be reborn. Together with peers and political firebrands, notably including Jewish delegates such as Yisrael Livni and even political dissidents from the Internationale like Salah Umran al-Rasheed, he founded the Alnahdist Party in 1933. While his movement grew in influence, it wouldn't until 1939, following the ascension of Hassan I to the throne that he and his supporters marched into Jerusalem itself in what came to be called the Alnahdist Renaissance. Within months, any remaining foreign assets were seized and a new constitution was drafted, which while still preserving the Hashemites as sovereign monarchs, all but granted al-Bitar a blank slate with which to remake the Levant.

To an even greater degree than their predecessors, the new government wasted little time in pushing its plans forward. Reframing society around a sense of mutual cause among Muslims, Jews and Christians on the one hand (laying the groundwork for the Abrahamic Covenant), and a secular interpretation of Arab consciousness on the other, the Alnahdists redefined what it meant to be "free" and part of the Levant. This also meant, however, that anyone who didn't meet those standards, whether they were Europeans or even those so-called "unpersons" who fled Collectivist rule that were deemed "corrupted" by the system could not have citizenship. To further unify the populace, Prime Minister al-Bitar bestowed greater powers to the Royal Arab Legion (predecessor of the Royal Levantine Army), the upper echelons of which being among the initial supporters during the takeover, to do whatever was deemed necessary for defending the realm. On top of turning the military into a loyal extension of the regime, this also led to various intermittent skirmishes throughout the 1940s-50s with the enemy militias across the frontiers. While the Internationale eventually sent in reinforcements and more organized forces to deter future attacks, these not only allowed the Levantines to claim additional territory, however small. For these also bought them enough time, echoing Saladin's efforts against the Crusaders, to raze and mine the frontlines to such an extent that any further advance would be at best costly. It's for this reason that the "No Man's Land" surrounding the nation is, to this day, even more desolate than those around Southern Italy or British Gibraltar-Andalusia.

----

The Levantine flag is an amalgamation of the Jordanian, United Arab Republic, Egyptian and Palestinian flags, with the predominant colors based on the Pan-Arab colors used by various Middle Eastern countries in real life. While the coat of arms are derived from the Eagle of Saladin, with elements of the initial post-independence Egyptian CoA.

The Hashemites/House of Hashim, in real life, are the current sovereign dynasty of Jordan and had historically ruled over Mecca (Makkah) and Medina (Madinah) for several generations, losing the entirety of the Hejaz to the House of Saud and its Wahhabi followers in 1925. Given that their lineage goes back to the Prophet Muhammed, they're also one of the oldest royal houses still in existence. Their reputation as moderates and reformers is also based on historical records, as well.

The events the brought about the Alnahdist Rennaisance and the subsequent aftermath are based on both the rise of Fascist Italy, the emergence of Nasserism, Zionism and Ba'athism. As a consequence, the Alnahdists themselves are an unholy blend of these influences, be it in their worldview being more secular than religious, a sense of nationalism derived from both Pan-Arab and Zionist sentiment, or its rather socialist bent compared to other Reactionary regimes. Coincidentally, many of the names used are references to various figures in those real life movements, with the first head of Alnahdist Party being a reference to both Nasser himself and Salah al-Din al-Bitar, one of the founders of the original Ba'ath Party.

The Levantine/Ismailia Canal is the in-universe version of the Suez Canal, albeit built with British rather than French aid. While the "original" name for said Canal is nod to Ismail Pasha.