Patriotes

Watercolour drawing depicting the 2nd Patriote Regiment uniform. Patriote forces wore red or green clothing to differentiate themselves from the dark blue colours used by Loyalists.

Patriotes were those colonists of the Domain of Cassier who supported independence Patriote Movement or Patriote Rebellion which rejected Gaullican rule during the Asterian War of Secession. Inspired by the political philosophies of republicanism and self rule as expressed by spokesmen to the south in the United Colonies, the Patriotes sought the creation of an independent Cassien or Chicadian republic. They were opposed by Cassien loyalists who supported continued Gaullican rule.

Predominately comprised of Chicadians, the Patriotes represented the spectrum of social, economic, and culture backgrounds in western Cassier at the time. As a result, most Cassiens viewed the Patriote Rebellion as a Chicadian movement and did not recieve the popular support seen in Gaullica's other Asterian colonies, significantly hampering Patriote efforts. Despite this, the Patriotes were successful in capturing several civilian and military locations during the conflict. The climax of Patriote effort was reached at the Battle of Louiseville which saw an army of 5,400 Patriotes led by general and de-facto leader of the movement Vivien Gérin-Lajoie get decisively defeated by 3,500 strong loyalist and Gaullican force, resulting in the death of general Lajoie. This defeat lead to a total collapse of Patriote efforts in Cassier, with most of the remaining Patriote rebels and their supporters fleeing south to the United Colonies. Those who managed to escape continued to fight against Gaullica outside of Cassier for many years to come.

Terms

The word “Patriote” held a negative connotations, being used as a general epithet for a factious disturber of the government. Conservative politicians used the term as an insult towards the liberals and Chicadians within the Cassien colonial legislature. The disparate nature of the rebel forces fighting for independence prevented a single label from being used to describe the revolutionaries collectively. This would last until Lajoie and other revolutionary leaders consolidated their efforts together under the term "Patriote", solidifying their image as against Gaullica and colonial authoritities.

Influence

Many Cassiens who aligned themselves with the Patriotes were active before the start of the war in groups such as the Sons of the North who had previously fought against Gaullican rule on the Cassien frontier. Although the Patriotes represented a cross-section of the population of Cassier and hailed from a plethora of backgrounds, most were Chicadian. Estimates maintain that about 10 percent of the white population in the Cassier supported the Patriotes while 25 and 30 percent actively supported the Loyalists. The remainder remained either neutral or held private sympathies to either side. The majority of Patriotes and their supporters fled to Rizealand after the defeat of Lajoie at the Battle of Louiseville, with most settling there after the war.

Motivations

Most modern historians use the published materials, personal writings, and letters of both Patriotes and Loyalists to determine their motivations for fighting. Loyalists were generally older, better established, and composed mostly of Cassiens. They felt that the Gaullican king was the domain's legitimate ruler and believed that resistance was morally wrong. Further, there was a widespread belief amongst that independence would jeopardize Cassier's security in the face of its much more populous and non-Gaullican and Amendist neighbours. Loyalist figures were also generally suspicious towards the notion of republicanism, which they generally regarded as mob rule. The mentality shared by most Patriotes was that morality on their side because the colonial government had violated the basic rights established in the Continental Decree. This notion was especially strong amongst Chicadian revoltuonaries who joined the Patriotes in opposition to the Cassien dominated colonial government. Economic interests also played a significant role as restrictive tarrifs and trade restrictions hampered merchants in Western Cassier.

Those who were alienated by physical attacks on royal officials took the Loyalist position, while those who were offended by heavy-handed rule became Patriotes. Historians describe many Chicadians and Cassiens as "procrastinators", colonists who believed that independence was bound to come about some day but felt that the Patriotes acted prematurely or too brashly.

Defeat and Legacy

The Patriote's tricolour banner was adopted as the flag of the Province of Chicadia in 1937

The Battle of Louiseville proved to be a devastating blow to the Patriotes and damanged what little public support they had been able to acquire. Following the death of general Lajoie the majority of Patriotes were forced out of Cassier entirely to escape being tried and punished for treason. Most of those who failed to escape were punished severely or given a death sentence. Paranoia swept across the domain as thousands were labelled as traitors during this time. Cassiens also became increasingly hostile towards Chicadians or non-Gaullicans which would continue for many years to come. Chicadians meanwhile became widely demoralized. Public support for independence dwindled as the fearful population did not wish to associate themselves with the Patriotes and face the same fate as the accused. This lead Chicadian officials to seek closer ties with their Cassien counterparts, beginning the decline of Chicadian culture and identity that would not resurface for over a century. Serious discussions for Cassien separation from Gaullica would not resurface until the 1840s, and not reach fruition until the end of the Great War.

Attitudes towards the Patriotes have changed significantly over time. Many writers, artists, and political figures have portrayed the Patriotes in an increasingly sympathetic way, giving rise to the mentality of the "lost Patriote cause". By the time of the Great War and Cassier's independence the public's perception of the Patriotes had altered drastically. General Lajoie and other Patriote figures grew to be viewed as martyrs or national heroes, particularly amongst Chicadians who widely regard them as the forerunners of Cassier's republic. A renewed Chicadian identity lead to the dedication of numerous memorials honouring the Patriotes being erected throughout Cassier. However, historians and Cassien politicians have citicized the popular and favourable picture the public have adopted, pointing out the many instances of whitewashing or misinformation used to promote political agendas.