The Regional Dominion of Burnham was, under the leadership of the Consulate of October 2012 – May 2012, traditionally quite isolationist. During the days of the St Peters Republic and the Consulate, the only notable foreign affairs action was the formation of the Confederate States of Prosperity (CSP)¹, and it’s eventual transition to the Würtige Empire². However, under Würtige leadership, Burnham became a member of the Grand Unified Micronational, and it was at this point that the foreign affairs of the nation really took off.
However, much of this foreign relation was unofficial and prone to manipulation – after all, Burnham was unskilled in the art of international politics, which lead to such events as the 2012-13 GUM Leadership Scandal, which has been covered many times by various news agencies. Information about Burnham’s actions in the Scandal is summarised in the Theodorist Regional Dominion of Burnham and its Land Microwiki page (link at end of article). Since the Theodorist Revolution of the 31st May, however, the Supreme Soviet Gorsedh has made a move to formalise the diplomatic process of the country, using a document of Diplomatic Recognition and Relation based on the Würtige document of the same name.
The diplomatic state of the Regional Dominion, post-Theodorist Revolution, is now incredibly positive, with Diplomatic Recognition and Relation extending to the Principality of Pavlov; the Federation of Zealandia; the Ashukov Federation, the Kingdom of Wyvern, and the Empire of Adammia. All of these nations have had parts of play in Burnham’s history, be it by the actions of their people or their governments. Prince Deniz I of Pavlov was Justinian I’s opponent during the March 2013 GUM Chair Elections; Delegates from Zealandia and Wyvern were present with Justinian I during the 2012-13 GUM Leadership Scandal; Ashukovo is a descendant of Amager, one of the member-nations of the Confederate States of Prosperity; and Adammia built the GUM Headquarters (including the office of Justinian I) on a public Minecraft server for the entire organisation to benefit from.
Of course, there are still a slew of unofficial relations with countries that need to be cleared up. Diplomatic relations with the other two Amagerian successor states (the Union of Libereco and the Commonwealth of Hobartstown and Victoria) are still pending, as is a resumption of communication between Burnham and the Republic of Lostisland, between which all communications were severed by Lostislandic Captain-Regent Yaroslav Mar in the fallout of Justinian I’s highly aggressive GUM election campaign. As the nation of the founder of Theodorism, relations between the Regional Dominion of Burnham and the Empire of Austenasia are yet to be declared officially, although Justinian I has privately stated that Burnham must ‘improve as a state, a nation and a people’ before entering proper diplomatic channels of communication with such an illustrious country.
All this good news does not come without some bad news of course. Back over the Christmas and New Year of 2012-13, at the same time of the GUM Leadership Scandal, the newly founded Würtige Empire was dealing with the aftermath of the transfer of the Confederate States of Prosperity into Imperial Ownership. Of all the nations within the CSP, the Empire-Republic of Freedomia turned violently against any notion of submitting to the Empire. Instead of holding a referendum or choosing not to join the Empire (as the Empire of New Winterdown and the Confederation of Amager did respectively), Freedomia, under it’s leader, Emperor Mark II, led an aggressive smear campaign within the Kingdom of Knoll Island (now the Tsardom of Nolland) in an attempt to ruin the chances of the Kingdom becoming a part of the Empire. This led to the controversial Mark II trial of the Würtige Empire, where the Freedomian monarch was accused of 6 various charges. Refusing to show up the the trial, there were no prosecutors or defendants chosen, with only the Judge (Emperor Arthur I of Würdigeland), the Jury panel (consisting of Captain Regent Mar of Lostisland and Sebastian Linden of Pristinia, amongst others), and the Presenter of Evidence (Justinian I of Burnham) being present in the most neutral fashion possible. Mark II was found guilty of 3 of the 6 charges, which was sufficient for him to be banished from the Empire. Hostility continued for a time when Mark II usurped the power of the Freedomian Provisional Government, renamed Freedomia as New Israel, and led a brutal suppression of non-Christian minorities, which led to the Würtige Empire backing the persecuted state of Rocklund, which tried to remain independent from the aggressive Freedomian neighbour, eventually to no avail.
This hostility bubbled out in the Empire, but New Israel has constantly declared that, under Mark II, a glorious war is being waged against the Würtige member states. This has come to a head in recent days, where Mark II (now the only pro-New Israeli member of the government, alongside Penda Ironhand of Saxony) accused Basileus Justinian I of Burnham of being a Satanic Cultist, simply for his papal affiliation to the old Protoculture Papacy of New Wessex. However, due to issues with the New Israeli website, the link to these articles cannot be provided for clarity or laughter.
In conclusion, Burnham has reached a fantastic level of both political, cultural and international standing, and all citizens and observers are proud of the resurgence in Burnhamite activity, Of course, this has been followed by a skeleton in the national closet, but such things cannot be prevented. The nation can now look forward to a summer of high activity, political stability, and of course, the long awaited festivals of Lúnastal and Tan.
Also, Burnham has a new Microwiki page! The link can
be found here:
http://www.microwiki.org.uk/index.php?title=Burnham
LINKS:
¹http://www.microwiki.org.uk/index.php?title=Confederate_States_of_Prosperity
²http://www.microwiki.org.uk/index.php?title=W%C3%BCrtige_Empire
