Kansallist Valkea

Republic of Valkea Valkean Tasavalta
1923–1975
Flag Coat of Arms
Motto: "Ikuisesti Valkea!" (Valkean) Forever Valkea! (English)
Capital	Källälivi
Demonym(s)	Valkean
Government	Semi-presidential one-party parliamentary republic
President
• 1923-1928	Hannu Sibelius
• 1928-1945	Markku Vuotola
• 1945-1948	Juha Lajunen
• 1948-1954	Miska Karttunen
• 1954-1966	Heikki Koponen
• 1966-1967	Anttoni Salo
• 1967-1975	Jari Karlsson
Legislature	General Labor Congress (1923-1947) Eduskunta (1947-1975)
History
• Established	21 January 1923
• Disestablished	16 October 1975
Currency	Valkean kruunu (VKK)
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Valkea Valkea

Kansallist Valkea, officially the Republic of Valkea, was the period of Valkean history between 1923 and 1975, when the Kansallist Party governed Valkea under a one-party state. Their rule began with the creation of the republic in 1923 and lasted until 1975, after which Valkea transitioned into a democracy.

The Republic was established on 21 January 1923 at the conclusion of the Valkean Civil War. Its new government was led by Hannu Sibelius, leader of the Valkean National Movement, which reorganized as the National People's Party (Kansallinen Kansanpoulue). The first few years of Kansallist rule were marked by internal political tensions, slow economic recovery, and a massive famine in 1927 and 1928. Following Sibelius' assassination in 1928, Markku Vuotola became President, conducting a purge of suspected conspirators as well as political opponents. Vuotola restored economic stability and began a period of rapid industrialization throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Around this time, the Valkean state intensified efforts to forcefully assimilate the Velgi, resulting in the death and displacement of thousands.

Reforms were instituted in Valkea after Vuotola's death in 1945, including lifting the ban on opposition parties, relaxing restrictions on civil and political freedoms, expanding foreign trade, and funding greater subsidies for key industries. A period of economic growth characterized the 1950s and 1960s, with millions of Valkeans seeing rises in their standard of living. However, reignited tensions with Romberg caused the Kansallist Party to invest into nuclear weapons research, which soured relations with its neighbors. In 1971, Valkea underwent an economic recession that stirred up civil unrest across the country, leading to demonstrations against the Kansallist Party. A snap election was called in October 1975, which saw the Democratic Centrist Party win majority seats in the General Labor Congress, marking the end of the Kansallist Party's hold on power. Constitutional reforms were undertaken in 1976, transitioning Valkea towards a democratic republic.

History

Beginnings

In October 1916, a revolt broke out in major Valkean cities such as Dagsmark, Vuornaa, and Novika. The government sent the army and police, which violently crushed the uprisings. The conflict involved two main factions: the Monarchists, who intended to preserve the status quo; and the Republicans, whose stated aim was to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic. Within the republican faction was a revolutionary group called the Valkean National Movement, which called for the creation of a syndicalist state. Led by Hannu Sibelius, they eventually became the most influential group within the republican faction.

Child victims of the Valkean famine of 1927-1928. The famine took the lives of nearly 600,000 people.

A long and bloody civil war ensued between Monarchist and Republican forces, as well as Ostrothian nationalists who wished to break away from Valkean sovereignty. It began in 1916 and ended in 1922 with a Republican victory. On 21 January 1923, the Republic of Valkea was formally declared, and the Valkean National Movement was reorganized as the National People's Party (Kansallinen Kansanpoulue), known more commonly as the Kansallist Party. From its inception, the Valkean government was a one-party state ruled by the Kansallists, with Sibelius serving as the nation's first president.

The Sibelius government instituted several reforms to restore political stability and rebuild the Valkean economy. The first of these reforms was a nationwide electrification program involving the construction of several power plants in key regions and the creation of a national grid. This eventually became the basis for the National Development Plans, a series of economic plans that were similar in concept to the Soviet Union's Five-Year Plans. In addition to this, lands were redistributed across the country, which led to mass discontent among rural workers. A peasants' revolt erupted in 1925 that was brutally put down by the Valkean military. Despite these policies, economic recovery remained sluggish.

In 1926, a drought struck much of Southern and Central Valkea, resulting in the Valkean famine of 1927-1928. Over 600,000 Valkeans died of starvation and disease, making it the deadliest single event in Valkean history. Aid from local and regional governments was slow and disorganized, contributing to the high casualty rate.

On 4 February 1928, while on a public rally in Ervasti, Hannu Sibelius was shot by a far-left communist called Sulo Rantanen. The assassin was shot and killed by security personnel, but Sibelius succumbed to his wounds at Ervasti Central Hospital. The Chairman of the General Labor Congress, Markku Vuotola - considered to be Sibelius' right-hand man - was named as Acting President in the aftermath.

Vuotola era

Soon after his appointment as Acting President, Vuotola conducted a sweeping investigation on the assassination of Sibelius, resulting in the execution of several high-ranking Kansallist party members accused of orchestrating the assassination. This was followed by a purge of the party as well as other leftist elements such as anarchists and communists that resulted in several thousand deaths, along with several thousands more detained in labor camps. These extrajudicial activities, collectively called Vuotola's Terror, consolidated power around Vuotola and cemented him as the undisputed leader of the Kansallist Party.

Vuotola was formally elected as President of the Republic in 1929. Under his tenure, Valkea underwent a period of rigorous economic, political, social, and cultural reforms with the goal of industrialization and modernization.

Government

Kansallism

During and immediately after the Valkean Civil War, the National Movement embraced the ideology of syndicalism. However, throughout the 1920s, the Kansallist Party began to reorient towards national syndicalism as state control became more centralized. Following Vuotola's rise to power, the Kansallists shifted more dramatically to the right, cementing itself as a fascist regime throughout the 1930s. While the regime's more authoritarian characteristics have softened after Vuotola's death, Kansallism has largely remained on the right until its demise. Contemporaries of that time contend that Kansallism has largely remained on the left - citing their support for the unions and generous social welfare nets as consistent policies. However, critics point to the sidelining of union members in favor of corporate groups in the General Labor Congress, nationalist fervor against the Velgi and other indigenous groups in the north, and the adoption of more capitalist systems as proof of their political reorientation.

Foreign relations

Valkea's foreign policy was centered on a policy of non-alignment. The Kansallist Party sought to distance itself from wider regional politics, avoiding joining major political or military blocs that would lead to entanglements in foreign wars. As such, Valkea had avoided joining both Great Astyrian Wars and maintained friendly relations with members of the Astyrian Treaty Organization and the East Astyrian Treaty Alliance.

Valkea had a hostile relationship with Romberg from the 1930s to the 1970s. Several high-profile incidents occurred between the two countries that escalated tensions. In 1943, a Rombergian warship sunk a Valkean fishing boat, believing that it strayed into Romberg's territorial waters, causing the deaths of four fishermen and nearly starting a war. In 1958, a naval skirmish took place over an uninhabited island which both countries claim, giving the Kansallists an impetus to begin developing nuclear weapons to counter Rombergian aggression. This program was cancelled in 1973 due to cost overruns in the wake of the 1971 Recession.

Beginning in the 1940s, Valkea began to develop friendly relations with the Khyragusian Technate, which lasted for several decades. However, the Kansallist Party had consistently rebuffed petitions to join the Technocratic Union, citing ideological differences as the primary reason, although they continued to maintain close economic and diplomatic ties.