Landwirtrechtbewegung

Synopsis
The LWB, or Landwirtrechtbewegung (farmers' rights movement), is believed to be engaged in attacks on Synth Foods operations and sympathetic government officials in retaliation for Rheinland concessions to the Liberty Food conglomerate. This faction is a faithful ally of the Hessians, therefore considered hostile by the Corsairs. However, the LWB attempts not to interfere into the war between Corsairs and Outcasts and stay neutral towards groups that joined either alliance.

Beginnings
Ever since initial settlement, Planet Stuttgart was recognized as a highly fertile planet. The planet had a very high concentration of Oxygen, making industrial development infeasible, but agricultural development ideal. After only a century of settlement, Planet Stuttgart became known as the Breadbasket of Rheinland. Seeing the power they held, the farmers on Planet Stuttgart formed a union known as the WVS, which lobbied for agricultural subsidies.

Economic Strife
Although the whole of Rheinland was hit hard by the economic strife at the end of the 80-Years-War, none were hit harder than the farmers of Stuttgart. During the war, the Rheinland government was loaned immense amounts of capital from Liberty. Rheinland found itself unable to repay the loans in it's current situation, but the Liberty Conglomerate Synth Foods was more than eager to pressure their politicians to renegotiate the terms of repayment if they were given unrestricted access to Planet Stuttgart. The Rheinland government agreed to these terms, and the Conglomerate moved in.

Takeover
After Synth Foods moved into Stuttgart, the Rheinland government began to ignore the complaints and calls of the WVS. Synth Foods was free to do as they pleased on the planet with the government looking the other way. In a matter of decades, the once proud farmers were reduced to indentured servants, as all agricultural business was conducted through Synth Foods officials. Although the WVS attempted to lobby the government in the courts, it became apparent that the politicians had sold their voice to the highest bidder.

Radicals Take Charge
In what was widely seen as an act of desperation, the most radical members of the WVS left Planet Stuttgart in order to form the "Landwirtrechtbewegung," or "LWB". They left for the Ostnebel, in Eastern Stuttgart, where they found themselves in a perfect position to aid the nearby Red Hessians as a base of operations for their excursions into Stuttgart and the systems bordering Rheinland in return for training and equipment.

The LWB Today
Although strikes against Synth Foods have generally been successful, the movement as a whole has not made much headway. At the turn of the new century, 25 years after the LWB's creation, Synth Foods held 90% of the planet's surface, a major development coupled with the irrevocable changing of the planet's atmosphere through the extensive use of Terraforming Gases and heavy Fertilizers produced by ALG Waste Disposal. Despite these facts, the LWB claims to be winning their war, having gained many supporters in nearly every corporation active in Rheinland. Rumor even stipulates that the CEO of ALG Waste Disposal is secretly sympathetic towards the LWB, and sends all profits made from dealings with Synth Foods directly to the LWB.

In the recent years, though, the LWB had become caught in the affairs of foreigners, most notably, the Corsair-Outcast war. The LWB first aligned themselves with the Corsairs, despite their close relationship with the Red Hessians, but threw off this alliance later in the war for a hope of neutrality. Their close relationship with the Red Hessians, however, was cause for suspicion for the Corsairs, who consider the LWB hostile due to this fact.

Known bases

 * Darmstadt Depot, Stuttgart
 * Kaiserslautern Depot, New Berlin
 * Cruiser Schwarzwald, Koeln