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| - Despite the town's long-standing existence, Sopron's origins going as far back as Roman times, Doomsday ironically proved to be the turning point for its true rise to prominence. Although the "ever loyal town," as it's known since the breakup of Austria-Hungary in 1918, was not targeted when the bombs fell, the effects were felt almost immediately. Local Communist Party members and their Soviet minders attempted to establish a forward base as part of a campaign to invade Austria, though it became apparent that there was no real power base to work on. This proved to be a breaking point as both local citizens and soldiers rose up in a successful coup against their unpopular masters. The move was supported by Austrian garrisons along with a handful of Swiss reinforcements moving across the bo
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| abstract
| - Despite the town's long-standing existence, Sopron's origins going as far back as Roman times, Doomsday ironically proved to be the turning point for its true rise to prominence. Although the "ever loyal town," as it's known since the breakup of Austria-Hungary in 1918, was not targeted when the bombs fell, the effects were felt almost immediately. Local Communist Party members and their Soviet minders attempted to establish a forward base as part of a campaign to invade Austria, though it became apparent that there was no real power base to work on. This proved to be a breaking point as both local citizens and soldiers rose up in a successful coup against their unpopular masters. The move was supported by Austrian garrisons along with a handful of Swiss reinforcements moving across the border following the failed Soviet invasion launched during Doomsday. Yet Sopron's problems had only begun. A Provisional Authority, predecessor to the current Frontier Authority was proclaimed on February 1984, officially bringing an end to Communist rule in their corner of Hungary. One of its first acts was to declare an indefinite martial law, though even the most fervent patriots at the time were uncertain as to whether there was still a "Hungary" to speak off. With rogue Soviet soldiers rampaging through the countryside beyond the immediate vicinity of the town and the collapse of a functioning communications structure, contact with Budapest or any other section of the country had effectively been cut off. It wasn't long, however, before stories came of mass upheaval, death and utter devastation from those swarming into the region or at least those fortunate enough to have escaped the roving bands. As fallout spread from areas targeted during Doomsday, cases of radiation sickness rose tremendously over time. Eventually, it became increasingly apparent that despite their hopes, the people of Sopron were on their own. Nonetheless, It quickly gained a reputation among refugees as a "beacon of light" in the wastes. By 1987, soldiers from the then Austro-Swiss Union increasingly became a common sight around Sopron, with the locals welcoming them; their presence prior to that point had been among the reasons why the region had not fallen to the same chaotic breakdown that occurred across the former country. Over time, the Frontier (as it has already begun to call itself) had managed to secure additional territory, miniscule it may have been until a stable border was established. Trade and communication had also solidified with neighboring Burgenland as more German speakers flocked to the region seeking both charity work and new opportunities. By the early 1990s, Austrian charity groups and companies had begun to establish themselves within the city proper. But it was not until later that the Frontier came to the attention of the Linz authorities and to a degree the rest of what was to become the Alpine Confederation. While most Austrians were already in favor of the region as it was under de facto Austrian protection, the Swiss and Liechtensteiners generally saw it at first as little more than a "glorified refugee camp." While for a time a contentious topic, this quickly died down towards the end of the 1990s. Referenda were held several times from 1997 onward; all including the most recent one have generally been in favor of staying in the newly forged Confederation. Since 1997, the Frontier's formal borders have expanded sporadically; other priorities such as the situation with Sicily had generally slowed down the Alpine Confederation's efforts to restore order in what had been Western Hungary. The establishment of diplomatic and trading ties with Partium in more recent years, meanwhile, has helped benefit the local economy while assuring locals that there were still Hungarians living across the irradiated wastes.
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