Altish Empire
Das Altisches Kaiserreich The Altish Empire | |
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 Flag
 National Emblem
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| Motto: Alles für das Vaterland | |
| Anthem: Heil dir im Siegerkranz | |
 The Altish Empire at its height in continental Cybelleum in 1910, two years before the Great War. | |
| Capital and largest city | Hochstadt |
| Official languages | Standard Altische |
| Demonym(s) | Altish |
| Government | Federal parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy |
• Kaiser | Siegfried III (last Kaiser) |
| Legislature | Reichstag |
| Reichsrat | |
| History | |
• Altish Empire declared; Siegried I of Almeria becomes Kaiser. | 22 March 1840 |
• Küstern War ends, bringing southern Altenland under Imperial rule. | 3 February 1876 |
• Altish-Sudish War ends, resulting in Sudenland being incorporated into the Empire. | 5 July 1904 |
• Outbreak of the Great War | 11 July 1912 |
• 1919 Armistice goes into effect, ending hostilities in Cybelleum. Altish delegates meet with the Grand Coalition in Verdon, Auvernia to discuss peace. | 17 July 1919 |
• December Revolution begins in Altenland. | 3 December 1919 |
• Imperial reformation occurs; Altenland transformed into constitutional parliamentary monarchy | 11 August 1920 |
• Siegfried III abdicates; Altish Empire is transformed into the ultranationalist, valkist-led Altisches Reich | 20 October 1928 |
| Population | |
• 1910 estimate | 68,112,892 |
| Currency | Reichsmark (ℜ) (RMK) |
| Driving side | right |
The Altish Empire (Altish: Altisches Kaiserreich), also referred to as Imperial Altenland or simply as Altenland was a federal parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy and colonial power that existed from its formation in 1840 until the abdication of Kaiser Siegfried III on 20 October 1928.
The empire was founded on 22 March 1840 following the War of Altish Unification, a conflict between a coalition of Altish states led by the Kingdom of Almeria against Auvernian-backed Altish kingdoms. The Constitution came into force on 12 May, introducing the title of Kaiser ("Emperor") for Siegfried I, King of Almeria from the House of Lieber. The Altish Empire overthrew Aventine-backed Catholic states in southern Altenland during the 1875-76 Küstern War to expand its territory further south, and Sudenland was incorporated into the Empire after a brief war in 1904, which would serve as one of the primary precipitating events leading to the outbreak of the Great War eight years later.
After 1850, the states of the Altish Empire had rapidly become industrialized, with particular strengths in coal, iron (and later steel), chemicals and railways. In 1880, Altenland had a population of 43 million people; by 1910, this had increased to 68 million. A heavily rural collection of states prior to 1840, the now united Altenland became predominantly urban. The success of Altish industrialization manifested itself in two ways in the early 20th Century; the Altish factories were larger and more modern than their Auvernian, Auber and Aventine counterparts. The dominance of the Altish Empire in the natural sciences, especially in physics and chemistry, was unmatched. During its existence, the Altish Empire became the industrial, technological and scientific giant of Cybelleum, and by 1910, it was the largest economy in Cybelleum and the third largest in the world. Altenland also became a great power, building the longest railway network in Cybelleum, the world's strongest army, and a fast-growing industrial base.
In the Great War, Altish plans to quickly overrun Auvernia and capture Nanterre in the summer of 1912 failed, and the Western Front became a stalemate for much of the conflict. During the war, Altenland invaded and occupied Reynland in order to gain access to its vital ports, expanding Altenland's northern front against Auberon, which suffered from the same stagnation as further West. A major Aventine offensive in the south in 1918 saw Sudenland fall under SIA occupation, although in the north and west, Altish armies managed to claim a number of major victories in the late-war period. In the Winter Offensive of January 1919, Altish forces broke the deadlock on the Western Front and carved into Auvernia, capturing the capital, but was ousted the following month and thrown into a chaotic retreat. By April 1919, with all participating countries thoroughly exhausted, delegates assembled in Alpana to negotiate terms of an armistice. The 1919 Armistice went into effect on 17 July 1919. Peace negotiations in Verdon, Auvernia stagnated throughout the autumn of 1919, and there were serious concerns that hostilities might resume during this period, resulting in Kaiser Siegfried III refusing to allow de-mobilization to any extent.
The empire narrowly avoided total collapse following the December Revolution, with Kaiser Siegfried III agreeing to commit to comprehensive government reforms. A new constitution went into effect on 11 August 1920, transforming the Empire into a proper constitutional, parliamentary monarchy. The Treaty of Verdon imposed post-war reparations costs of 150 billion gold marks on Altenland, confiscated its colonial possessions and partitioned territory to create the states of Rudhoren and Sudenland, while also reestablishing Reynish independence. The Altish military was restricted to 150,000 men and was barred from maintaining an air force, and was also restricted by the types of equipment it could manufacture and possess. The consequential economic devastation, which only worsened due to global economic recession in the 1920s, as well as the humiliation experienced by the Altish population are considered leading factors in the rise of Martin Winter and Valkism.
Following the triumphant victory of the Valkistiche Volkspartei in the 1936 Altish federal elections, Martin Winter was appointed Chancellor by the Kaiser. The Hochstadt Plot was used to pass the Sicheres Altenland Decree in February 1927, allowing for the suppression of civil liberties and mass arrests of political opponents. The Neureich Act of July 1927 gave Winter's government the power to make and enforce laws without the Reichstag or Kaiser, effectively alienating the Kaiser from national government. In autumn of 1928, Siegfried III attempted to organize a military coup against the ever-popular Winter government, but this plan was thwarted when details of the coup were leaked to the press. On 20 October 1928, after numerous meetings with Winter, Kaiser Siegfried III abdicated the throne. Shortly thereafter, Winter merged the powers of the chancellery and the monarch, marking the official end of the Altish Empire and transforming it into the ultranationalist, valkist-led Altisches Reich.