- To spill Gallente blood
It would be unfair to talk about the Directorate without mentioning quite controversial topic of Gallente-Caldari relations that plagued our nations in the early YC110. As it was mentioned before, the Armor Forge revolt was a suicidal attack[10] with targets being higher echelons of corporate management. It was a classical situation, where upper classes didn’t want any change and lower classes simply couldn’t live like that. The revolts started to spread to all the State [12] and the threat of a civil war became real…
There was another movement going on the background. I myself, as a representative of a military slice of society, could not imagine how terrible our workers were living [6]. It could be a good reason for Federation to invade, as they did with many other nations, trying to liberate our people from “shockingly inhumane” practices, calling our employees “basically slaves” [28]. What Federation could not achieve two hundred years ago with military force, they tried with propaganda and luxury way of life, that was devouring our executives at the expense of the proletariat, that could now so easily be turned into mindless Gallentean electorate – a herd of grey people without past and the future. But then there came Echelon. The pride of the nation was rising, people were lifting up their heads, walking on the street proudly. The situaton on Caldari Prime was identical, just instead of Corporate managers Caldari citizens were exploited by Gallente, who owned everything on the planet. And it’s there, where the change of Caldari behavior became the most noticeable. Gallente people couldn’t tolerate Caldari, who suddenly began feeling themselves superior and the most radical of Federal citizens spilled on them their hatred [16].
Gallente started fighting Caldari, while Caldari workers started fighting against corporate managers. Two events has stopped the coming anarchy. Tibus Heth quickly realized that it’s time to switch priorities from attacking executives and instead uniting the State under the threat of a common enemy: gallenteans [14]. All following speeches of the national hero was leaning more and more towards fighting gallente influence and less towards expanding shism between proletariat and executives. Quite counterwise, his reforms were targeted on mingling people, bringing up workers into managing positions based on the merit and demoting executives for demerit. Switching their hatred towards external enemy clearly has prevented the civil war in the State and allowed the CPD to fix our society without spilling Caldari blood. The growing resentment between Caldari and Gallente was quickly defused by Otro Gairushi’s speech [19] and for a moment it was feeling that everything will be good.
But the situation exploded with Malkalen station, when it was rammed by Federal Navy supercarrier [22]. Even before this tragedy, during unrest on Caldari Prime many people were sharing the sentiment: “Our people have lived on Caldari Prime in peace since the end of the war. Why are they attacking us now? Maybe Tibus Heth is right; they just can’t be trusted.” [29] The lack of trust to Gallente was resolved by CPD by the quarantine of Gallente expatriates in Caldari space [25]. It really helped to defuse the situation in the State, however it exploded somewhere else where Provists hands couldn’t reach… for now: on Caldari Prime. Once again, by Gallenteans [30]. And while waves of praise to Tibus Heth and Provists rolled through the State, Caldari Prime began burning as fires of calmed by Gairushi racial tensions erupted again, where gallente residents, annoyed by Heth’s words, wanted to destroy native to the planet Caldari [31].
The common enemy, now so clearly outlined by the Federal action themselves, has became another uniting force. And Provist anti-gallentean ideals were gaining them even more popularity than ever, coupled with their initial ideals of restoring greatness of the Caldari, improving working conditions and saving the State from the economical collapse and mismanagement. They have succeeded, once again the State stood together, under one banner. And that banner was in hands of Caldari Providence Directorate. Now united, Tibus Heth has mobilized the State, preparing it for the final showdown against the Federation with a national draft [32]. And it was time to end Gallente racism on Caldari Prime and bring retribution for Malkalen disaster. The following liberation of Caldari Prime was probably the most successful war and military operation in general ever conducted in New Eden [33]. Welcome Home, Caldari! The liberation of Caldari Prime became the most celebrated day in the State [34]. All that was possible with uniting the State under the banner of Provists.
- And it was a wild ride!
The Caldari Providence Directorate was not just an organization that was uniting the State, they served as Tibus Heth elite guards, it also acted as an elite counter-intelligence division. They have very quickly cleared the State from multiple hostile agents right before the war [35]. The reforms that the CPD was advancing began lifting up Caldari state from the knees, fixing the economy and lives of regular citizens. The war against the Federation was amplifying demands for military production, even more stimulating the industrial sector of the State. Independent audits of Provist reforms were showing improvements in workplaces across the entire nation [36]. Talent and dedication was finally rewarded. The CPD has undertaken the widespread industrial reorganization, focusing on various individual programs and reforms. The work forces were modernized, people were actively participating in the programs. It was reported a significant decrease in injuries and dissatisfactions in affected workplaces [37]. The change was welcome everywhere in the State, with only foreigners splitting their opinions on Caldari successes [38,39]. Profits of individuals and corporations were rising [40], morale was boosting. Some citizens were, however, worried about the integration of “Young Provists” program into Creches across the State, though it’s clear these concerns were groundless, fueled by Gallente press publications like [41].
Provists have gutted our empire and rebuilt it, retaining only the purity of the State. Tibus Heth was a Hero, he was a brilliant military strategist and orator, but he was not a person suitable for fighting in the corporate board rooms to push all these reforms, nor he really was the person behind that. These tasks were performed by the Caldari Providence Directorate and its Chief Operating Officer – Janus Bravour. I think it’s unfair we so often mentioning Executor’s name and not Janus Bravour. It’s understandable with how vivid Heth’s personality was, he was the inspiration, the Hero of Armor Forge, the Hero of Caldari Prime. But it was Janus Bravour who has realized all Heth’s ideas into life, saved the State from collapse and gallentean influence.
The core of CPD reforms was bringing Caldari back to its roots as a meritocratic society, removing nepotism-spawned inefficiency. Janus Bravour set in motion a series of initiatives to root out those undeserving of their positions and install in their stead people who had truly earned the right to be there. And with these changes the State once again became a trampling juggernaut of commercial, industrial and military might. The main goal of New Meritocracy was to make sure that no matter which rung on the ladder a person occupies, they stand at least a fighting chance of making it to the rung above them. Social status has lost its power in the State. And the economic growth from these reforms was undeniable [37]. Unfortunately, Janus Bravour has left us too early and the reforms initiated by the CPD were in danger, as too much of the planning was laying on shoulders of one man. The CEP, however, took the flag and established a Reform Guidance Board (RGB) to oversee Provists program [41]. But they barely survived a month. Due to lack of will to work with the board by corporate representatives, RGB was dissolved, passing reigns of the reforms back to CPD [42]. The pause in delivering of the reforms caused by Janus Bravour’s disappearance brought the momentum down and critics of the regime lifted up their heads [43].
And yet, Caldari Providence Directorate was blooming. They even offered training services for the former slaves in the Empire [44]. In YC111 CPD hands reached State Military with reform proposal [45] that was necessary to ease costs of Caldari Prime occupation – it was taking about 15% of the fleet’s transport capacity [46]. The reforms were clearly overdue, with ground forces before being just a poor sibling of the Navy. Despite that the reforms were welcomed positively only by Patriots [47], they clearly gave that power to State Armed Forces and Peacekeepers as we know them today.
Very soon the State Protectorate has secured the last Gallente stronghold [48] and the war in low security space was technically won. However, instead of continuing the advance, Caldari Providence Directorate simply auctioned off the systems to major Megacorporations, without going to waste a single ISK on holding their authorities [49].
- The beginning of the end.
It’s hard to say where the decline of Caldari Providence Directorate has started. Some people believe that with the death of Janus Bravour [41] the Provists were never the same and were just shadow of their former glory. Others think that Heth’s decision on bringing Haatakan Oiritsuu (former Kaalakiota CEO) back was their undoing. Then there was new Gallente President – Jacus Roden, who quite openly was speaking about invasion on Caldari Prime in violation of the treaty the former president has signed [50]. People like me would likely mention lack of action after we have secured the warzone in YC111 [51], that led to slow stagnation of Protectorate. Instead of bringing the war further and forcing the Federation to unconditional surrender, we just sat there like ducks, waiting for them to occupy our systems again, the morale over the years past that was slowly declining, with whole groups starting to go AWOL in YC114 [52].
Of course, lack of protection caused FDU to re-emerge, systems were burning under guns of Gallente occupants once again and soon it became obvious, that the money that Megacorporations have invested in the development of captured systems are not going to bring any profit, costing them quite a fortune in early YC112 [53]. These losses probably were the basis for the following accusation of “embezzlement” that CEP incriminated Heth with to use it as a political leverage.
Of course, we should mention here the emergence of Mens Reppola, who was showing quite vivid anti-Provist points of view [54] and was clearly against holding Caldari Prime [55]. It as well signified with rise of dissension and criminal collaboration with the enemy among ranks of Ishukone Corporation in YC111 [56]. Speaking about Ishukone, one of their capsuleer daughters have caused quite a vivid revolt with Anti-Provist rally on Malkalen V already in YC 115[57]. Luckily, it was subdued quickly and troublemakers were arrested or killed in action. Such anti-Provist demonstration, however, was a sign of resentment towards successes of Caldari State from capsuleeers of I-RED alliance, allegedly loyal to Ishukone. On the other hand, in the past they were known for collaboration with FDU alliance [58] and fighting against State Protectorate forces [59]. While bringing this episode is essential to study relations between CPD and capsuleers, I don’t think it can really be a measure of Provists failures and it didn’t contribute at all to their following downfall.
On the other hand, there were more incidents, notably an attempt at Tibus Heth’s life in YC114 [60], but again, the impact wasn’t serious, the attack was supposedly committed by Gurista outlaws [61]. Then we should mention fights against mercenaries that were happening all throghout the State with CPD and Caldari Navy. Notably, during one of such battles even Mordu’s Legion stood against State military forces, joining their efforts together with such outlawed entities as Angel Cartel and Guristas [62,63].
Then, of course, there was a schism with the unrest of Kaalakiota’s workers in YC115 [64], almost mirroring the initial uprising in Armor Forge – though that unrest was holding at first peaceful intentions, it didn’t last like that for long. It was taken down with brutality of Oiritsuu by Home Guard and State Peacekeepers [65]. And while such practices were typical for militarized units, Heth’s old guard came into power under slogans to prevent Caldari blood from spilling. But even that was only sparking resentment. Before we talk about the real reason of their downfall, we need to address one more problem, that was often brought by anti-Provist activists.