Baldéwin Šummaker (Pacifica)

Baldéwin Šummaker
President
In office 1953–1984
Preceded by	Anton Kräamer (as President of the First Clashonian Republic)
Succeeded by	Ülfrick Säawer (interim)
Military career
Allegiance	Union State of Bannarsia and Transclarvia First Clashonian Republic Second Clashonian Republic
Service/branch	Army of the Union State Clashonian Army Clashonian Army
Active service	1919 - 1984
Rank	General of the Army
Battles/wars	Transclarvia Uprising of 1912 War of 1919 Royalist insurgency against the First Clashonian Republic Clashonian Civil War Royalist insurgency against the Second Clashonian Republic
Personal details
Born	Baldéwin Augustin Šummaker
Political party	Sovereign Clashonia Party

Baldéwin Augustin Šummaker (1902 - 1984) was a Clashonian Army general and statesman who served as the President of Clashonia from 1953 until his death in 1984. Before his presidency, he was a member of the Clashonian General Staff during the First Clashonian Republic, and played a pivotal role during the Clashonian Civil War as the Chief of the General Staff.

Šummaker would begin his career in the military in 1919, when he was conscripted into the Army of the Union State of Bannarsia and Transclarvia during the War of 1919. He was involved in the 1st Army, which invaded into Weisserstein to secure contested territory. In 1922, Šummaker's unit defected and joined the Republican movement, and helped in the 1922 Clashonian coup d'état against the Union State. Šummaker would rise through the ranks of the Clashonian Army, thanks to the help of his brother Tomas Šummaker, a prominent Republican figure. He became a member of the General Staff in 1940, and became the Chief of the General Staff in 1948. As the Great War broke out, Šummaker voiced his concerns of the situation and lack of government support for the military, instead investing more and more into paramilitary organizations which answered only to the National Republican Party. His opposition eventually led to his brother Tomas, and many others, to be removed from the National Republican Party, and would eventually form the nucleus of the creation of the Sovereign Clashonia Party in 1953.

In 1950, Brigadier General Valentyn Fäalk would launch an unsuccessful coup d'etat against the government, sparking the Clashonian Civil War. Originally Šummaker opposed the military's involvement in the conflict, as he and many in the military considered it an "inter-party conflict". The military would only become involved as Royalists, Unionists, and Transclarve separatists became involved, to which the military would only seek to secure Clashonia's territorial integrity and government structure, but not become involved in the National Republican Party's inter-party war. As the Unionists and separatists were defeated, Šummaker, with the support of the military, convinced president Anton Kraamer to step down, which was followed by a bloodless coup d'état against the government. At this point, Valentyn Fäalk had sworn allegiance to the military rather than the NRP in return for the Republican Guard securing positions in government. Šummaker would be sworn in as president the day after.

Under his rule, the Second Clashonian Republic experienced rapid industrialization. He also sanctioned the creation of a ratline for Imperialist figures of the Great War to Clashonia, recruiting them as advisors for economic and military. Clashonia would enter the Cold War as a right-winged authoritarian state, and would remain neutral for nearly the entirety of the Cold War. Šummaker would crack down on dissent, namely the Royalists, who would be forced underground by his national security policies. In 1983, Šummaker would suffer a stroke during a meeting with Clashonian military generals. His handpicked successor, Ülfrick Säawer, would assume control as acting president. In 1984, Šummaker would pass away at the age of 81.

Childhood

Šummaker was born in Éšenborn, a small hamlet in Central Clashonia. Born 2 years before the 1904 Clashonian coup d'etat, he was the second son of Frédrik Šummaker (1868 - 1944) and his wife Marion Šummaker (nee: Nébert; 1871 - 1962). He was also the younger brother of future Republican figure, Tomas Šummaker, which would later help in his career during the First Clashonian Republic.

Presidency (1953 - 1984)

Ideology

Šummaker's regime sought to revitalize the idea of a "Clashonian national identity", which he believed was lost throughout the reform era of the Kingdom of Clashonia up until the First Clashonian Republic. Under his rule, a new guiding principle for the Clashonian state was created, known as the Drysäalen (Three Principles). The Drysäalen was consists of three core pillars: State Republicanism (supporting a republican system based on the 1953 Clashonian Constitution), Economic Statism (a centrally planned economic system dominated and monitored by the state), and Clashonian Nationalism (supporting a Clashonian national identity, which also includes pressing claims on historic Clashonian territories). The Drysäalen would act as a guiding principle of the Second Clashonian Republic well until the end of his rule, the ideology remained prevalent particularly of the more traditionalist wings of the SCP. Šummaker's regime also implemented a policy known as Zwêfunktén (dual functions) which enabled the Clashonian military to have an active role in all levels of the Clashonian government, economy, and society.

Imperialist influence

The relationship between Šummaker, Šummakerism, and fascism has been widely discussed, even after the fall of the regime. Fréderik Willéms, a Clashonian scholar and a deputy minister during the rule of Rynér Kléin, wrote: "whether or not Šummaker was a fascist is up for scholarly debate. However the role of ideologies like fascism in Šummaker's Clashonia cannot be understated. Šummaker's implementation of the ideology, while not outright fascist, did incorporate many fascistic elements." Franz Manteuffel meanwhile claims that no author who studies Šummaker's Clashonia would consider him fascist. Manteuffel argued that Šummaker's was only a pragmatist who took useful elements from all modern ideologies of the time; this included not only fascism but also republicanism among others. To Manteuffel, Šummaker was neither fascist nor anti-fascist but simply a realist. Karl Mosêr argued that Šummaker isn't a fascist, but instead a right-wing authoritarian, noting the suppression of socialists in Clashonia during his reign. Mosêr created a distinction between the two ideologies, stating that fascism is a radical form of far-right totalitarianism which was not seen practiced in Clashonia. Instead he argued that the institutions of Clashonia at the time was much more akin to more moderate (though still oppressive) authoritarian states.

Operation Bell and links to the ratlines

Weeks before the end of the Great War in 1955, Valentyn Fäalk and his cadres allegedly made a proposal to Šummaker with regards to smuggling Imperialist figures from defeated Imperialist nations to Clashonia in return for their skills and knowledge in fields such as administration, infrastructure, military, and state security. This task would later be given to Captain Dirk Häas, who would be the architect of Operation Bell. Häas, himself involved in the larger Imperialist exile networks, created a new branch of the Imperialist ratline to the Clashonian port of Käarlshabên.

Imperialist exile network principal Dirk Häas (2nd from left) and President Šummaker (2nd from right), who appointed Häas as the Director of the Clashonian Intelligence and Security Secretariat

Häas eventually contacted several of his relations, particularly sympathizers in former Imperialist nations, to help coordinate their relocation to Clashonia. Key to this operation was X, a Y in Nation Z, and A, a B in Nation C. K, from Nation L, was also involved particularly in M.

Legacy

Following the 1994 Clashonian War, the Royalist successfully reestablished the Clashonian monarchy, bringing an end to the Second Clashonian Republic. The new monarchy was set to de-republicanize Clashonian society and slowly replacing many republican icons, including Šummaker, was removed from public areas and moved to museums.