Christian Robertsson

Christian Robertsson ᚲᚱᛁᛋᛏᛁᚨᚾ ᚱᛟᛒᛖᚱᛏᛋᛋᛟᚾ Kristan Robertsson
1st Chairman of the Isokyrian Nororist Party
In office April 17, 1937 – September 20, 1959
Succeeded by	Elias Sigurdsson
Personal details
Born	Christian Robertsson April 17, 1889 Futorprent, Fisbae , Isokyria
Died	March 6, 1980 (aged 91)
Resting place	Our Lord's National Cemetary, Hufo
Political party	Nororist
Spouse(s)	Svana Hermansdottir
Children	2
Religion	Protestant

Christian Robertsson (Isokyrian: ᚲᚱᛁᛋᛏᛁᚨᚾ ᚱᛟᛒᛖᚱᛏᛋᛋᛟᚾ, Kristan Robertsson; April 17, 1889 - March 6, 1980) was the first Chairman of the Isokyrian Nororist Party, creator of the Nororist ideology, and an important military figure during the Isokyrian War of Indepencence and the subsequent Isokyrian Civil War.

He first entered politics by participating in his home town of Futuorprent's town hall debates. He was elected one of the village's aldermen in 1914 when he was 25. While he was an alderman, he promoted nationalist policies and it was during this time he began developing his Nororist ideology, influenced by brewing fascist movements all over Europe. He met Svana Jonsdottir while attending a debate and they married in 1916.

He joined the Party of Isokyrian Republicans in 1919 shortly before the War of Independence broke out. He assisted the PIR by providing them with information on British government travel routes, allowing guerrilla fighters to ambush them and seize their cargo. After the defeat of the British, he became influential in Isokryian politics, known for his calm demeanor and invigorating speeches. He then joined the Nationalist and Nordic Coalition, the precursor to the Nororist Party.

After the independence of Isokyria was secured, he joined the Nationalist & Nordic Coalition and quickly became its most influential member. He succeed in employing Nororism to unite the party and in the process made rivals with Henrik Petyrsson.

The Isokyrian Civil War broke out between the Nationalists and the Socialists which Robertsson took a back-seat role in. He participated in a few battles, such as the Battle of Sauifthor and the Battle of Dyr Alex, but he believed he was a poor marksman and instead provided medical assistance to wounded combat soldiers and to displaced civilians. His role as a philosopher was also considered too important to allow him to put himself in too much danger.

After the war's end, the Isokyrian Nororist Party was established and Robertsson was elected as its first Chairman and he effectively became Isokyria's head of state. He oversaw the ratification of a new constitution that made the INP the only legal party in the country.

Today he is apparently remembered fondly by Isokyrians though some defectors claim that this is part of a personality cult that has been built around him since his resignation. His critics argue he was an authoritarian dictator responsible for numerous human rights violations.

Biography

Early life

Robertsson was born to Vidgris and Haruld Robertsson on April 17, 1889 in Futorprent, Isokyria. His father was a businessman and his mother was a housewife. They owned a family farm which was inherited from Robertsson's paternal grandfather. Robertsson attended Saint Casmir Academy from the age of 6 until 11 when he was forced to drop out due to his parents falling severely ill suddenly. Robertsson had no other family and was the only surviving child of three. From this point on, he opted to educate himself as best as circumstance would allow. He used the money he earned from the farm and odd jobs to purchase books and spent a great deal of time at the local libraries. This is how he met Elias Sigurdsson who would become one of his closest friends and colleagues. Both Robertsson and Sigurdsson both shared an affinity for learning, especially social sciences and politics. By the age of 16, Robertsson was beginning to form his own political views which leaned nationalist. He learned about the Great Famine in Ireland and became disgusted by the British and wished to drive them out of Isokyria. He also came to detest the English language, describing it as a "Bastard tongue with no rhyme or reason. It is a shame this is the language that will come to dominate and extinguish all others." His anger compelled him to learn the Isokyrian language but spoke it rarely, knowing few people who could understand him.

Robertsson's parents died within a year of each other after battling illnesses such as tuberculosis. He inherited their property and his father's modest savings which he lived off of comfortably for several months. At the insistence of Sigurdsson, he ran for and was elected to Futorprent's town council. As a non-partisan position, Robertsson felt free to voice his opinions without interference. He gave nationalistic and anti-British speeches. He referred to the English as "Slave drivers" and asserted the British Empire was compensation for their "Insecurity and inferiority complex". He served on Futorprent's council for five years before stepping down to join the Party of Isokyrian Republicans, which had begun taking militarized action against the British.

War of independence

Image of Robertsson taken during the war of independence c. 1922.

Robertsson proved to be a useful asset to the PIR as he supplied them with intelligence and reconnaissance, particularly British travel routes. He was also a skilled marksman and was able to strike targets from nearly half a kilometer away. However, his leadership was his best strength. He was a significant morale booster, able to whip up the guerrilla fighters into a frenzy during seemingly hopeless periods. He began organizing his beliefs into a coherent system but had yet to give it a name. He recorded his sentiments intermittently throughout the war which would eventually become the Manifesto on Isokyric Thought.

NNC and Civil War

After independence, the political divide between Isokyrians became immediately apparent as the new Congress of Isokyria was split near-evenly between nationalists and socialists. Henrik Petyrsson, a member of the Nationalist & Nordic Coalition, was elected as Prime Minister. Robertsson joined NNC where he met more people who would go on to form his future regime. While he was never elected to the Congress, he became quick rivals with Petyrsson who was, although a nationalist, billed as a moderate. He disagreed with Robertsson's views and dismissed them as too radical. Petyrsson accused of Robertsson of being a "Fascist tryhard" and vowed to resist extremism from both the right and left.

By 1931 Robertsson completed the Manifesto of Isokyric Thought and distributed it to all members of the NNC. The book was enormously popular and helped to unite the party under a single cause. Sigurdsson coined the term 'Nororism' for Robertsson's new ideology and it quickly became the NNC's official platform.

The Civil War is said to have been started by the NNC's attack on the Young Socialist Front in which 57 activists were killed, most of them younger than 20. It is not known what role Robertsson played, if any. It is known, however, that Robertsson and his supporters thought it was prudent to conceal him from the conflict with the socialists; that his role as a philosopher was too important to allow him to risk his life. He frequently moved from town to town using various aliases. He stayed with Elias Sigrudsson for much of this time. While staying at a house in a remote farm village in Fisabae, he met a woman named Svana Hermansdottir. He told her his actual name, to Sigurdsson's shock and scolding. Hermansdottir said she was a supporter of the NCC's cause and joined Robertsson's party.

After meeting Hermansdottir Robertsson stayed in hiding with her for the remainder of the war. Many, in fact, thought he was dead including his own supporters through which he gained the nickname "the Ghost".

He came out of hiding by the war's end, to the joy of the nationalist factions. He was not free from criticism however and was denounced as a coward by some, most notably Henrik Petyrsson.

Legacy

Dyr Christian. Robertsson is venerated as a saint in some communities.

Robertsson's memory survives in full force today. He is venerated by the Isokyrian government as the founding father of the modern Isokyrian state. His image appears on the Isokyrian one pound note, statues of him are present in each provincial capital and Hufo. Isokyria's largest airport is named after him and the Church of Isokyria considered him a source of theology. Although the government incessantly promotes Robertsson's image to a degree that would give outsiders doubt on its validity, it is well known that there is genuine admiration for Robertsson even among what is thought to be progressive areas of Isokyrian society. Dr. Thomas Wilson from Michigan State University writes "Even if tomorrow the Nororist Party said Robertsson was actually fraud and wasn't actually that great, nearly all Isokyrians would refuse to believe so. Even the most harshest critics of Nororism view Robertsson as a role model. Some go so far as to say 'This isn't what Robertsson would've wanted'".