Talk:Opdamsland
This coup caught Tussenland off guard. After some saber-rattling and threats to invade Opdamsland, the government of Tussenland reluctantly recognized the new Opdamsland government, fearing a second war with Mexico who might intervene on the side of John White Owl's government. John White Owl's new government immediately nationalized the oil industry and enacted a series of political and cultural changes and policies that sought to build up Opdamsland's military and remove the economic and cultural influence of Tussenland. During the Opdamsland government, all cities were given an 'Indian name' and all education and administration were conducted exclusively in Shawnee, Sioux, Choctaw, or any native language of a recognized tribe of Opdamsland. The cultural reforms went so far that in 1942, the government announced that the nation would be looking to rename itself, this never materialized due to a lack of popular interest and the inability to find a name that didn't favor one tribe over another. Opdamsland under John White Owl was criticized by other nations in North America for corruption in its elections and the fact that John White Owl won 75%+ of the vote for each of his three terms. During this period, relations with Mexico and South Tussenland improved, and a long standing agreement between Opdamsland and South Tussenland was made to allow Opdamsland to ship oil from S. Tussenland's ports. In 1949 John White Owl was found dead under suspicious circumstances in his Utrecht (Ayuhwa) home.
Junta period
After the death of John White Owl, his populist coalition dissipated and while Tussenland lobbied for the return of the tribal council; in 1950 a new democratically elected president won on a liberalization, middle class urban and pro North American unity platform. During this period Dutch culture and language was allowed back into Opdamsland and relations between Tussenland and Opdamsland were normalized. During the governments first term, Opdamsland joined the Association of North American Nations (A.N.A.N.). In their second term in power the new government (known informally as the Liberal-democrat coalition) privatized the oil industry and enacted economic reforms to attract foreign investment to the country but the policies ended up being widely unpopular amongst the population and the government's consistent record on voting with Tussenland and the NNL in the ANAN alienated the military.
In the background, the strong entrenched military bureaucracy that was set up during John White Owl's government became resentful of the liberal-democrats government and favored an isolationist foreign policy and heavy nationalization. On August 12th 1958 the military deposed the liberal government and a military junta was installed in Opdamsland. The new military government tried to rebuild John White Owl's populist coalition while not undertaking the cultural polices of the former government. In 1959 Tussenland proposed a motion to conduct a peacekeeping mission in Opdamsland to restore the democratic government to the ANAN but it was narrowly rejected.
