Poulsbo was discovered in the late 24th century by the Commonwealth Scout Corps. What they encountered was a small world with a large moon that kept the planet's great seas continually churning. Because Poulsbo was resource-poor, no effort was made to colonize the planet for 100 years. During the Age of War, military necessities forced the LCAF to establish Bangor, a large staging area for attacks on the Free Worlds League. When the wars stopped and the Good Years came, the effort to sustain the base was judged too costly and it was closed in 2632.
By that time, there was a large civilian population on Poulsbo, primarily centered in the city of Hammerfest close to the base. When Bangor closed, the remaining population turned to cultivating the planet's surface and to fishing the violent seas. The years passed Poulsbo by and the planet became more and more isolated from the rest of the Commonwealth.
When the Star League fell and the Succession Wars began, Poulsbo again found itself vital to the Comonwealth's interests. Bangor was reopened and expanded to accommodate 'Mech regiments. The people of Poulsbo have not taken kindly to this renewed interest in their home. Having become independent by necessity, they are still bitter at having been previously abandoned by the government on Tharkad. Though a supporter and admirer of the Archon, the Duchess of Poulsbo nonetheless shares her people's unhappiness with how politics and war have scarred her world.