History of the New California Republic



The New California Republic is the largest nation in the post-apocalyptic United States, with over 140 years of history.

Origins
The Republic's roots can be traced to Vault 15. This pre-War shelter was home to a population composed of people from radically different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Closed in 2077, it opened due to population pressure in spring of 2097, releasing its occupants into the wasteland. While a large portion of the Vault inhabitants that left the overcrowded Vault would band into raider tribes as the winter of 2098 came (marking the beginning of the Khans, Vipers, and Jackals), the remaining vault dwellers would found Shady Sands in the spring of 2098. The town used its G.E.C.K. well. No one expected that these humble beginning would eventually culminate in the formation of the mighty New California Republic.

The settlement prospered. In 2161, the Vault Dweller destroyed the Khans, rescuing Tandi in the process. As a result, the small settlement enjoyed a period of peace, as raiders gave it a wide berth. Aradesh used this opportunity to develop the community. The village thrived, eventually becoming an economic power within New California. As trade routes developed, so did cultural exchange. This lead to the emergence of a national identity movement which gradually gained popular acceptance. In 2186 the New California Republic was founded by Aradesh and Tandi. A trial council government was formed to draft a constitution. The ideals of the NCR would spread throughout California steadfast, with Junktown becoming one of the first provisional states of the New California Republic, due to its status as one of Shady Sand's oldest and most trusted trade partners. Though the alliance cause some concern in the Hub, ultimately it had little effect on the relations. In 2189 the Republic was voted into existence as a federation of five states: Shady, Los Angeles, Maxson, Hub, and Dayglow. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.41: "The New California Republic" ''The New California Republic was born from the remnants of the survivors of Vault 15 and the small walled community they founded, Shady Sands. Under the leadership of Aradesh, and with the assistance of the Vault Dweller (who saved Tandi, Aradesh's daughter and a future president of the NCR), the community prospered. Trade routes with other settlements allowed cultural exchange, and a movement to form a national entity gradually took root and won popular acceptance. In 2186, the town of Shady Sands changed its name to "New California Republic" and formed a trial council government to draft a constitution. Four more settlements joined the council, and in 2189 the NCR was voted into existence as a sprawling federation of five states: Shady Sands, Los Angeles, Maxson, Hub, and Dayglow. By post-apocalyptic standards, the NCR is a paragon of economic success and good ethical character: political enfranchisement, rule of law, a reasonable degree of physical security, and a standard of living better than mere subsistence are daily realities for it's 700,000+ citizens. Currently, the NCR in a state of transition, with rapid economic growth and a sea change in political leadership endangering its grand humanitarian ideals. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Mojave, where the occupation of Hoover Dam has improved access to electricity and water, but at the cost of straining its budget and embroiling its armed forces in a morally corrosive imperialist project. The NCR government's aim is to annex New Vegas as the republic's sixth state. While it already controls Hoover Dam, its treaty with Mr. House and the three families compels it to allot one-fifth of the dam's electrical and water production to local use free of charge. Adding injury to insult, the NCR is locked into protecting New Vegas from invasion by Caesar's legion even as it receives not one cap in tax revenue from the Strip's highly lucrative resort operations. NCR citizens in the Mojave have largely come here for economic reasons, whether as paid citizen soldiers or as prospectors and fortune-seekers."'' (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles)

The Republic Thrives
Aradesh died in 2196 and his daughter was elected unanimously as the second President of the New California Republic. She continues to serve ten terms, winning all consecutive elections until her death. As President, Tandi does more to unite the wasteland than any other leader born after the Great War, including rebuilding the pre-War infrastructure to support the growing population, finding new forms of transportation and manufacturing, clearing roads and rail lines, building forts, fostering caravans and trade inside and outside of the Republic, as well as dealing with threats swiftly and efficiently. By 2241, the Republic was the largest economic and political power in the wastelands. Much of its power was provided by its vast brahmin herds, which provide meat, leather, beasts of burden, and other goods for trade. With the situation south stabilized, President Tandi intended to expand north. However, the former northern California became an arena where the NCR struggled to dominate its two rivals: Vault City and New Reno. Tandi also faced opposition to her politics of peaceful expansion, with Vault 15 acting as proving ground.

The geopolitical struggle centered around the town of Redding, the regions primary supplier of gold ore. When the Republic switched to dollars as currency, backing them with gold, the mining city became the key to the trade in the entire New California. Whomever controls the supply of gold, controls the currency. Redding was lucky enough to remain far away enough to make a military takeover uneconomic. The three powers instead decided to make the city align with one of them through agents operating in the city, either planted ones (Painless Doc Johnson) or voluntary supporters (Marge LeBarge and Dan McGrew). The Chosen One: "{146}{}{Politics? What do you mean?}" Modjeska: "{158}{}{Have you ever seen a greased brahmin contest?}" The Chosen One: "{160}{}{Nope, never heard of anything like that. Tell me about them.}" Modjeska: "{165}{}{What they do is grease up a brahmin calf, and then everyone in the crowd tries to catch the calf. If you can't catch it yourself, you make damn sure nobody else can, either.}" The Chosen One: "{166}{}{I don't see what that has to do with politics.}" Modjeska: "{168}{}{In this game, Redding is the greased brahmin - and a golden one at that. New Reno, the New California Republic, and Vault City are all trying to catch us...or at least keep the others from catching us.}" The Chosen One: "{169}{}{What do you mean?}" Modjeska: ''"{171}{}{Here in Redding we mine gold. Then we ship it to New Reno, the NCR, and Vault City in return for goods. Each of those places would like to have the gold - and the trade - all to themselves.}" The Chosen One: "{172}{}{Why don't they just attack you and take it, then?}" Modjeska: "{174}{}{We're big enough, and far enough away, to make a take-over expensive as well as dangerous. Much more efficient to have us join willingly.}" The Chosen One: "{175}{}{What do you mean?}" Modjeska: "{177}{}{The three powers are trying to get Redding to choose which side to ally themselves with. They've all got powerful allies in town, and it looks like things are coming to a head. Soon, Redding's going to have to make a choice.}" The Chosen One: "{178}{}{A choice?}" Modjeska: "{181}{}{The grease on this Brahmin calf is getting a bit thin. Soon, one of the powers is going to have to make a major play to take Redding before the others do. When that happens, people are going to get hurt. A lot of people.}" The Chosen One: "{183}{}{Why are people going to get hurt?}" Modjeska: "{192}{}{People are going to get hurt because this kind of change doesn't come easy. Those that think they're not going to get the prize get it in their mind to not let anyone else get it, either. The only way to avoid that is if we decide to go with one of the powers and make a quick alliance before the others catch on.}"'' (RCMODJES.MSG) By 2241, the situation was slowly approaching a critical phase. In January, the first Jet batches began to arrive in Redding as part of a plan by the Mordino family to control the mining city through drugs. Vault City rejected an offer to ally with the Bishop family and the NCR in February, with mercenary attacks designed to bully the City into the alliance beginning a month later. All this was set against the backdrop of the worst dry season in years caused a drought in North California, causing widespread food shortages in the less developed areas, such as Arroyo and Modoc.

Throughout his journeys, the Chosen One was the decisive factor that secured the Republic's expansion in the north, resolving the dispute for Vault 15 in the Republic's favor and vindicating Tandi's expansion policies. Not only that, but under John Bishop's lead, New Reno would ultimately join the Republic as a territory, enjoying a large degree of autonomy. New Arroyo, Redding, and Vault City would also become territories of the NCR. The Republic would further secure its interests by attacking remnants of the Enclave within a few years of the destruction of the Enclave's oil rig in 2242. Navarro would fall to the Republic's army and with it caches of weapons and numerous Vertibirds.

Expansionism
President Tandi died in 2248, after a period of illness. Vice-President Joanna Tibbett assumed office, after Tandi's uninterrupted 52 years of reign. Five years later, in 2253, she was removed from office by a vote of no confidence following her "timid" response to the massacre of 38 NCR citizens at the hands of Mojave raiders in the Bullhead City area. Her replacement, President Wendell Peterson, ordered three battalions of NCR infantry into that area of the Mojave in retaliation.Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.458: "Important Dates "2248	 ''President Tandi takes ill and dies at the age of 103. Her presidency has lasted 52 years. Vice-President Joanna Tibbett assumes office." "2253	 President Tibbett is removed from office by a vote of no confidence following her "timid" response to the massacre of 38 NCR citizens at the hands of Mojave raiders. Her replacement, President Wendell Peterson, orders three battalions of NCR infantry into the Mojave." "2270	 The extirpation of tribals in the area of present-day Bullhead City is complete. "The Pacification of the Mojave," as it comes to be known, makes General Aaron Kimball a national hero." "2273	 Aaron Kimball retires from the NCR military and runs for office as one of Hub's political representatives (or "governors," as Hub idiosyncratically calls them). Less than two months into his term, Wendell Peterson is voted out of office and Aaron Kimball becomes the NCR's next President." "2274	 NCR forces move east and occupy Hoover Dam. The NCR reluctantly signs the Treaty of New Vegas recognizing Mr. House and his stewards, the Three Families, as the rightful owners of the Strip. The Strip opens for business." "2275	 Camp McCarran is established as NCR Headquarters in the Mojave. Sporadic fighting begins with the Mojave Brotherhood of Steel. The NCR government withdraws official support from the Followers of the Apocalypse and founds The Office of Science and Industry." "2276	 Conflict with the Brotherhood of Steel escalates, culminating in decisive victory at HELIOS One. The Mojave Brotherhood is considered "neutralized."" "2278	 Following the abduction and killing of four soldiers, NCR troops assault the Great Khans' settlement at Red Rock Canyon and massacre several dozen men, women, and children. This event goes unreported in NCR press."'' (Behind the Bright Lights & Big City) Note: the Guide erroneously states that Red Rock Canyon, rather than Bitter Springs, was attacked by the NCR.

The deployment at Owens Lake in 2269 preceded the completion of the campaign in 2270. After seventeen years of warfare, the NCR completed the removal of tribes from the areas surrounding Bullhead City. The campaign, known as the Pacification of the Mojave, elevates General Aaron Kimball to the status of a national hero. A year later, in 2271, the Rangers of the NCR and the Desert Rangers merged after the Ranger Unification Treaty was signed. The NCR starts focusing on the East as it continues to expand. In 2272 the Mojave Outpost is set up as NCR's first outpost in the Mojave Desert.

In 2273, General Aaron Kimball retired from the military to pursue a life in politics. After a successful run for the seat of a Hub Congressman, he is voted in as President just two months into his term, replacing Wendell Peterson. Kimball solidified his power base by ordering the occupation of the Hoover Dam as his first act of office in 2274. When electricity and power flowed into the Republic eleven months later, his popularity among the citizenry soared. He also enjoyed great popularity among the wealthy, powerful men of the Stockmen's Association and Republican Farmer's Committee to grow even more powerful, the so-called Brahmin Barons and Agri-Barons. The reason for this was simple: Kimball overturned President Tandi's laws limiting the acreage of fields and number of cattle heads a single man could own.Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.456: "Controversy over Economic Development The NCR's economy is based on two resources: its great Brahmin herds, and swaths of land that have been restored to arable condition. These provide the nation with meat, leather, and starchy vegetables. During President Tandi's presidency, regulations limited the number of cattle head and the acreage of fields that could be owned by a single person. Despite constant pressure from the Stockmen's Association and Republican Farmer's Committee, such regulations loosened only a little so long as Tandi was in office. Following her death, however, they eroded until President Kimball overturned them completely. ''As a result, the past 12 years have seen the rise of the Brahmin Barons and Agri-Barons: captains of industry who are, by post-apocalyptic standards, spectacularly wealthy. This has given birth to a number of cottage industries, from the rebirth of luxury goods production to "journalism" that reports on the latest purchases, commissions, and "life lessons" of the newly rich and famous. The past 12 years has also seen a change in attitudes towards collective welfare. Citizens of the NCR rarely face significant dangers on a daily basis, and survival is an assumption rather than an aspiration. Citizens are far more reluctant to share food and other resources, and the person who provides services free of charge, whether it's something as quotidian as sewing or as rarefied as surgical expertise, are now the exception rather than the rule. An added economic strain is the scarcity of salvageable goods. Sixty-five years of scavenging has done a good job of picking clean the wastes of what was once Southern California. Rare are those individuals who can make a living by scavenging and hunting what they need. A consequence of these economic and cultural transformations has been the rebirth of wage labor. Whereas one's labor was until recently seen as benefiting and belonging to a collective (whether a family or small town), it has now become a commodity. To earn their keep, many citizens must seek an employer and trade the sweat of their brow for Caps. Citizens of the NCR hold a variety of opinions about these developments. Many boast of their nation's economic strength; others decry what they feel has been lost. Many curse the selfishness of their fellow citizens, usually while pursuing aims that will benefit only themselves or their families. Here in the Vegas wastes, however, nearly all citizens will agree on one matter: opportunity has dried up back home, and to earn a fortune, one must come East."'' (Behind the Bright Lights & Big City)

The annexation of the Mojave, originally intended to be quick and painless, proved to be the exact opposite. Faced by the Caesar's Legion and an unexpected political rival in the form of Robert House, the NCR negotiated with the ruler of New Vegas and his employees, the Three Families. The resulting Treaty of New Vegas stabilized the situation in the Mojave: the NCR was allowed to move into the region in full force, establish military bases, and draw 95% of the power output from Hoover Dam for the Republic. In return, the Strip would remain independent, the Republic would not prevent its citizens from visiting Vegas, and a nominal 5% of the Dam's output would be directed to power the city.

By 2275, the NCR established Camp McCarran, deploying into the region in full force. Its new expansionism was openly criticized and opposed by the Followers of the Apocalypse, who helped the Republic in the past. In response, the NCR leadership withdrew their support for the organization, choosing instead to rely on themselves. The Office of Science and Industry was formed as a result, with help from dissenting Followers.

The Brotherhood War
The expansion of the NCR did not go unchecked. Its rising power would attract the attention of dozens of parties, including the Brotherhood of Steel. As their power waned, the Brotherhood attempted to reclaim their place by adopting a policy of reclaiming tech from lesser people. The disagreements over the way technology should be handled eventually resulted in full out war with the New California Republic. The conflict proved disastrous for the insular order and the Brotherhood was eventually forced into retreat.

Perhaps the most spectacular confrontation occurred after the NCR occupied Hoover Dam in 2274. The Brotherhood's two year guerilla campaign culminated when the NCR launched Operation: Sunburst in 2276. Confronting a majority of the chapter at Helios One, the New California Republic broke the strength of the Brotherhood in a decisive battle. Losing half of the chapter, the Brotherhood was forced into retreat, disappearing into the mountains. The Brotherhood War raged on in the West as late as 2281.

Despite numerous victories, the war took its toll on the NCR. Apart from losses in manpower and materiel, the greatest victim of the war was the Republic's economy. The Republic's gold reserves were destroyed by Brotherhood raids to the point where new gold coins could not be minted and paper money could not be properly backed with gold. NCR citizens panicked and rushed to reclaim the listed face value of currency from NCR's remaining gold reserves. Since the NCR was unable to realize these withdrawals, particularly towards the frontier, faith in their currency considerably dropped. To protect against actual economic collapse, the NCR government abandoned the gold standard and established fiat currency, not payable in specie. Since then many wastelanders lost faith in it as a medium of worth, both as a result of it not being backed by anything but the government's word and the inevitable inflation. In response to the loss of faith, merchant consortiums of the Hub established their own currency, the veritable bottle cap, backing it with water (exchanging a standardized measure of water for caps). Joshua Sawyer src: "It happened during the BoS-NCR war. I believe Alice McLafferty mentions it, but I'm not positive. She doesn't detail the events in this much detail, but here they are: The attacks caused NCR citizens (and others who held NCR currency) to panic, resulting in a rush to reclaim the listed face value of currency from NCR's gold reserves. Inability to do this at several locations (especially near the periphery of NCR territory where reserves were normally low) caused a loss of faith in NCR's ability to back their currency. ''Though NCR eventually stopped the BoS attacks, they decided to protect against future problems by switching to fiat currency. While this meant that BoS could no longer attack a) reserves or b) the source of production (all NCR bills are made in the Boneyard), some people felt more uneasy about their money not having any "real" (backed) value. This loss of confidence increased with NCR inflation, an ever-looming specter of fiat currency. ''Because the Hub links NCR with the Mojave Wasteland and beyond, the merchants there grew frustrated with NCR's handling of the currency crisis. They conspired to re-introduce the bottle cap as a water-backed currency that could "bridge the gap" between NCR and Legion territory. In the time leading up to the re-introduction, they did the footwork to position themselves properly. If some old-timer had a chest full of caps, they didn't care (in fact, they thought that was great, since the old-timers would enthusiastically embrace the return of the cap), but they did seek to control or destroy production facilities and truly large volumes of caps (e.g. Typhon's treasure) whenever possible."

The Conflict with the Legion
With the defeat of the Brotherhood at Helios came the illusion of peace. The NCR was aware of the growing power of the Legion, and took efforts to reinforce their position in the Mojave. They were hampered by weak supply lines. The delivery of a package from Navarro to the Divide awoke the nuclear missile silos in Hopeville and Ashton, triggering their launch. The resulting cataclysmic event literally tore the earth apart, turning the entire region into a killing zone. Reinforcements and traders could no longer take State Route 127 to reach Vegas and NCR positions. Coupled with the Death Valley and the Big MT, the latter being like a wall to living creatures, only the I-15 was left as a supply line. This resulted in a major slowing down of reinforcements and resupply for the NCR forces in the Mojave.

In this weakened state, the NCR Army faced the Legion in 2277. Attacking from the eastern bank of the Colorado river, the slave army challenged the NCR military, assaulting its holdings across the front, with most of the forces focusing on attacking the Dam. The First Battle of Hoover Dam, as it came to be known, was a decisive victory for the NCR. Although they had lost 103 soldiers, Chief Hanlon's clever tactics allowed them to rout and destroy most of the Legion's elite fighting force and decimate the remainder. Humiliated, Caesar was forced to retreat to recuperate the losses and make an example of his most trusted ally, Legate Joshua Graham, by throwing him into the Grand Canyon as punishment for failure. However, the weakened state of the military meant that it could not pursue Caesar and solve the matter once and for all. The Republic instead focused on maintaining and expanding its presence in the Mojave, increasing its presence in the Mojave five times. Despite the overwhelming advantage in men and materiel, the NCR was stuck in a holding pattern.

Holding Pattern
Ever since the battle, the campaign has been going bad. The only development in the plan to annex the New Vegas Strip was an agreement with Mr. House for joint policing of the Strip by Securitrons and NCR Military Police. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.41: "The Strip" "Before the Great War started, Mr. House used his considerable genius and wealth to ensure that no missiles would strike the city of Las Vegas. Though a few warheads did get through in the outskirts, most of the city was spared. Despite this, the Strip itself was not re-settled, and after close to two hundred years, Mr. House immediately began searching for a mysterious Platinum Chip, and rebuilding the glory of Las Vegas. Sending out Securitron scouts, Mr. House started negotiating with local tribes to exchange his considerable resource stockpiles for their help. Some of the tribes resisted, but three tribes eventually gained Mr. House's favor. They became the Omertas, Chairmen, and White Glove Society, running the Gomorrah, Tops, and Ultra-Luxe casinos, respectively. Because Mr. House was dedicated to restoring Las Vegas, he insisted on transforming the tribes into families with cultures that harkened back to Vegas' glory days. ''In the process of rebuilding the Strip, Mr. House also effectively "bought out" the residents of Vault 21. After they evacuated, he had the Vault stripped of useful technology, most of its actual volume filled with concrete, and the entrance turned into a gift shop and small hotel. While the families were rebuilding the casinos, the rest of the locals were hard at work erecting an enormous wall around the Strip. When NCR traders and explorers arrived on the scene, they were amazed at the Strip and returned back to California with tales of opulence and great wealth awaiting travelers. Eventually, the NCR military itself arrived and were surprised to find the Strip so well-protected and heavily policed. Though they struck a deal with Mr. House to establish a base in the area (along with control of Hoover Dam), the NCR has never had control of The Strip. After the Battle of Hoover Dam, the NCR negotiated an MP (military police) presence on The Strip, but their influence remains small. Though the tribes that became The Strip's families were once hatefully opposed to each other, the demands of Mr. House have forced the families to play nice. They continue to hold long-standing grudges, but do not act openly against each other for fear of angering Mr. House."'' (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles) While support for the campaign continued, opposition limited to a vocal minority including the Followers, the lack of development on the Mojave front strains the patience of the citizens. Despite the fact that the government continued to spend much of its budget on "safeguarding" the region, the Mojave failed to produce a single cap in tax revenue. What's worse, the Mojave continued to consume lives: 400 Republican soldiers and civilians lost their lives between 2273 and 2277, while the surge after the First Battle of Hoover Dam, increasing the size of the Mojave expeditionary force to five times its original size, caused the casualty rate to increase to 1,000 troopers annually. These mounting losses made the campaign an enduring, low-intensity political embarrassment for President Kimball and his cabinet. The NCR citizens are increasingly impatient with the lack of progress, as the promises to annex Vegas fail to materialize. However, definite opposition to the Vegas campaign remains a vocal minority. Radical opinions naming the occupation of Vegas as imperialist subjugation of a foreign territory are unpopular and widely considered unpatriotic, except, of course, for those that share the view, like the Followers.

The situation is further complicated by the conduct of the Republican military. In 2278, the Great Khans were the last significant problem in the Mojave. After the Khans kidnapped and killed four NCR soldiers, the NCR decided to cut off the head from the serpent and mounted an assault on Bitter Springs. However, the NCR command had incomplete intel. What they believed to be a fortress of the Khans was actually their main settlement in the Mojave, housing their elderly, women, and children. When Khan civilians attempted to escape through a canyon pass leading out of Bitter Springs, they were gunned down by the dozen by 1st Recon sharpshooters placed on Coyote Tail ridge to protect the flanks. Although they soon realized their mistake, the damage was done. The NCR provided medical help for survivors and resettled the Great Khans in Red Rock Canyon, converting Bitter Springs into a refugee camp. The massacre went unreported by the NCR press, although it would cast a shadow over the relations between the Khans and the Republic, not to mention lasting trauma in NCR soldiers that committed the massacre. NCR civilians coming into the region also strain relations with the locals. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Freeside, which has to accommodate Republican squatters: people who came to New Vegas looking for fortune, but ended up on the street.

Throughout the years following the battle, the Legion would continue to harass NCR forces on the west side of the Colorado. General Lee Oliver, supreme commander of the Republic's forces stationed in the Mojave, saw fit to start transferring troops from less vulnerable positions west of the McCullough Range dividing the Mojave. This has proven to be a costly mistake, as the weakened crew manning the NCRCF would be subsequently overthrown by a prisoner riot under the lead of Samuel Cooke, shutting down Interstate 93 and a direct road to Vegas. The situation was worsened when the powder gangers stole Sloan's dynamite supply, shutting down Quarry Junction and inadvertently unleashing deathclaws on the quarry and the interstate.

Direct actions by the Legion have also caused NCR to lose their footholds on the east side of the Colorado, after their forces were defeated at Fort Aradesh, Willow Beach and the Dam's Arizona spillway. Further attacks resulted in the Republic losing camps at Nelson and Searchlight, allowing Caesar's men to gain a foothold on the west bank of the River. The attacks culminated in Vulpes Incultas attack on Nipton, where the town was razed to the ground along with its inhabitants.

Second Battle of Hoover Dam
The Republic in 2281, on the eve of the second battle for Hoover Dam, is one of the mightiest nations that emerged out of the ashes of the United States. Cultural and economic transformations of the past forty years resulted in the re-emergence of wage labor, luxury industries, journalism, and more. Survival is no longer the rule for a Republic citizen. This confrontation with the Legion is the Republic's biggest test to date: weakened by constant attacks from Legion skirmishers and facing opposition on multiple fronts, the war effort in the Mojave hinges on a speedy resolution of the conflict and one person: the Courier. Like the Vault Dweller over a century earlier, they hold in their hands the fate of the Republic.