BRC-21 (Boscovi Revalata Concela 1921) was a Boscovi-Kresimirian guerrilla group, terrorist group, resistance front, and political organisation active from 1921 to 1961. The translation of the name is ‘Boscovian Revolutionary Council’. Founded by Lev Ruka, the group’s primary objective was the independence of the Kresimirian district of Moraviskameja and its unification with neighboring Boscovia. Though officially banned for its entire existence due to its militant activities, it exerted significant covert political influence in Moraviskameja. Following the 1961 Treaty of Brod Moravice, the group disarmed and rebranded itself as the Boscovian Liberation Front, a legitimate political party. Supporters of the group argue that it functioned as an informal resistance to the claimed Kresimirian occupation of the region.
History
BRC-21 was established in 1921 by the ethnic Boscovian nationalist Lev Ruka in the immediate aftermath of the Kresimirian Unification War (1918-1921). Its formation was a direct response to the outcome of the war, which saw the Boscovian-majority region of Moraviskameja incorporated into the newly formed Divine Republic of Kresimiria. Viewing the Kresimirian government as an illegitimate occupying force, the group adopted a militant stance from its inception. It employed guerrilla tactics, targeting state infrastructure and security personnel to pressure the central government in Sinj and advocate for the secession of Moraviskameja.
1924 Assassination of Ivana Simuna
A turning point in the group’s early history occurred on November 15, 1924, with the assassination of Senator Ivana Simuna in the city of Brod Moravice. Simuna, an ethnic Boscovian and one of the two senators representing Moraviskameja in the Kresimirian Assembly, had become a vocal critic of BRC-21’s violent methods. In the weeks leading up to her death, she had delivered a widely reported speech denouncing the group’s “campaign of terror” and advocating for a peaceful, political resolution to the dispute.
Simuna was assassinated by Nala Jelik, a BRC-21 operative, in the early hours of the 15th of November, when Simuna was scheduled to give a speech at Brod Moravice District University. At around 10:00am, a bomb was detonated below the stage, injuring Simuna, three of her bodyguards, two journalists, and Simuna’s fellow Senator, Josipa Vukel. All injured were rushed to the central hospital in Brod Moravice, but by the afternoon it became clear that Simuna’s wounds were fatal. Vukel survived with minor grazings on her rib, but one of Simuna’s bodyguards stayed in a coma for several days before being declared dead. All other injured persons made recoveries within the week. Vukel declared a state of emergency in Moraviskameja, but publicly disagreed with Chair of the Assembly Filip Novak’s decision to send the Kresimirian Army into the District. The Army remained present and patrolling the streets of Brod Moravice for several months until tensions cooled.
The assassination sent shockwaves through the young Republic and irrevocably hardened political divisions. The act was immediately condemned across the political spectrum and led directly to the formation of the Sons of Kresimir, a hardline Kresimirian nationalist party created in retaliation, which escalated the cycle of violence in the region.
Other Actions
Dissolution and Rebranding
For four decades, BRC-21 continued its armed struggle and political agitation. The conflict came to a political turning point with the signing of the Treaty of Brod Moravice in 1961. A key provision of this treaty was the legalization of Boscovian political parties within Kresimiria. Seizing this opportunity, BRC-21 agreed to lay down its arms, formally disbanding its militant wing. The organization immediately rebranded itself as the Boscovian Liberation Front (BLF), transitioning from a clandestine guerrilla group to a legitimate political party.
Some members of BRC-21 opposed ceasefire negotiations, but these were a minority of the group. It was from a collection of these members that the Army of Free and Independent Moraviskameja was formed, a hardline anti-negotiation Boscovian independence terrorist organisation.
Ideology
The ideology of BRC-21 was centered on the principles of Boscovian irredentism and militant struggle. The group’s core political belief was that the district of Moraviskameja was rightfully Boscovian territory, and its ultimate goal was to achieve the region’s secession from Kresimiria and unification with the neighboring Boscovian Federation. To this end, BRC-21 espoused militarism as a necessary tool, maintaining that political violence and armed struggle were the only effective means to achieve its political aims. This commitment to a militant strategy defined the group’s operations until its eventual dissolution and rebranding in 1961.
Political Influence
Despite being an illegal organization, BRC-21 held considerable sway over politics in Moraviskameja. No Senators were ever officially members of the group. However, it was widely understood that it was nearly impossible for a candidate to be elected as one of the district’s two Senators without the covert support of BRC-21. This influence was extended to ethnic Boscovian politicians such as Josipa Vukel. BRC-21 effectively operated as a powerful and unavoidable pressure group within the district.