Aosta (Astraleaux)

Socialist Republic of Aosta Repubblica Socialista di Aosta
Flag
Motto: Nati Uguali o Resi Uguali Born Equal or Made Equal
Anthem:  In Comradum Memoria (official) In Comradum Memoria
Map of Aosta
Capital and largest city	Rivoluzione
Recognised national languages	Lancian
Demonym(s)	Aostan (ethnic) Aostan (citizen)
Government	Anarcho-councilist republic
• Procedura Prima	Ko'êtî Argento
• Primo Ambasciatore	Gianotan Banche
Legislature	Libera Assemblea del Popolo
Establishment
• First Contact	500 BCE
• Province of Aosta	111 BCE
• Aostan Colonial Authority	1530
• Socialist Republic of Aosta	1921
Population
• 2020 estimate	50,013,112
Date format	dd.mm.yyyy
Driving side	right
ISO 3166 code	AO
Internet TLD	.ao

History

Antiquity

The origins of Aosta date back to 500 BCE when Lancian Emperor Caerndal declared the land beyond the Aostan (now Aeptan) Mountain chain to be named Aosta, erroneously believing the island to be leagues smaller than in actuality. Settlements on the eastern peninsula, such as Lux, would over time become culturally significant settlements and centers of Lancian imperialism throughout history.

Lancian Empire

Aosta quickly became the gateway from the heart of the Lancian Empire to the continent of Cesylle. While more quicker routes were discovered later, being the first Lancian settlement on Cesylle meant that Aosta made for a far more developed colony and therefore a more economically sound source of continental resources. The Governatores of Aosta were not immune to the political machinations of mainland Lancia, however, and the countless plots through the centuries kept Aosta from gathering any functional support for independence until the Era of Shadows.

Era of Shadows

With the decline of the Lancian Empire came the decline of the Aostan province. Ports once busy with commerce and soldiers struggled for decades as trade diminished and with it, the value of the Lancian lira. The Lancian settlements on the western portion of Aosta fell into siginificant disrepair and entire towns were abandoned as people moved to the eastern side of the island in search of better living standards and respite from native attackers.

Four Kingdoms Period

In the absence of imperial dominion, the mantle of power was assumed by the four most populous settlements and the surrounding regions: [BLANK], [BLANK], [BLANK], and Carcosa. Given the distance between Aosta and Maris, few attempts were made to communicate between these kingdoms and Marisian societies, and so these kingdoms were largely left to their own devices. During their reign, the kingdoms managed to consolidate control over the remaining territory of the Aostan island and some of its daughter islands. However, much like the provinces in the fallen Lancian Empire, they were prone to competing power struggles, treacherous schemes, and at times, open warfare.

Lancian Riconquista

The following centuries saw the nation state of Lancia rise again as a fervor for reclaiming the empire's former glory swept the region. However, its growth on Maris was stifled by the birth of other kingdoms and nation states that fiercely their own cultures and autonomy. So, Lancia turned outward and began to colonize Cel. One of its first priorities was to reclaim Aosta, which by now resembled a patchwork of kingdoms and polities. As the Aostan kingdoms were quite fierce in their attempts to remain independent (and the Lancian leadership were impatient to see their plans through), Lancia entered a state of open war against the many kingdoms of the island. Partway through this campaign, knowledge of firearms became known to Lancia, and so developed scenes of Lancian musketeers doing battle with Aostan knights and archers. In the end, it only took 77 years for Lancia to reclaim control over Aosta.

Aostan Colonial Authority

The end of the Lancian Riconquista arrived near the beginning of Sante Serafino's reign as Lancia's Reggente. He appointed his childhood friend Valeriano D'Aiuto as Governatore of Aosta in a move to secure the loyalty of the colony's armed forces and formed the organization known as the Aostan Colonial Authority (Autorità Coloniale di Aosta). The ACA's regime was known for its jingoist attitude, brutal treatment of lower classed laborers, and rapid industrialization, often at the cost of the native peoples and environment. D'Aiuto followed Serafino's example in Lancia and formed a cult of personality centered around himself, and surrounded himself with people whose loyalty could be assured. The following decades saw a marked rise in population as technologies that improved longevity spread to the island, but also the formation of a large wealth gap between the Lancian elite and Aostan lower class.

Independence

Aosta achieved its independence by declaring neutrality in the First Great War, ignoring Lancia's call to war. D'Aiuto was convinced by his generals that the Aostan military was ill-equipped for offensive actions against [BLANK] forces, and by complying to Lancia's request to join the war, they would be opening the nation to invasion by multiple nations who would capitalize on the current internal tensions to spark a national revolt. By all accounts this decision amounted to treason, but because the ACA's leadership was comprised of people loyal to D'Aiuto, none dared to raise a finger against him. Moreover, already mired in a global war involving the rest of its colonies, Lancia spared next to nothing attempting to attack Aosta for its betrayal. Lancia did carry out several attempts to influence and assassinate key officials who refused to join the war on Lancia's behalf, but these attempts were stifled by the surveilance culture built by D'Aiuto. [BLANK] nations largely respected Aosta's policy of non-interference and in the Treay of [BLANK] in [BLANK], did not recommend reparations or occupation of the new state - the Aostan Authority (L'Autorità di Aosta).

August Revolution

Not long after the First Great War did the ACA's fears of a national revolt come true. Inspired by the revolutions occurring across the globe and supplied money and arms from Nutarra and [BLANK], Aostan revolutionaries took arms against the Authority. A portion of the Authority's officer class defected to the rebels, providing them with armored and aerial support in a small number of theatres, but not least as famously as the Raid on the Governatore's Palace. Displeased by the Authority's treasonous attitude during the war, the Lancian Provisional Government provided aid to the rebels as well, hoping to topple the dictatorship and reset the island nation's diplomacy. After [BLANK] hard years of fighting, the revolutionaries claimed victory on [BLANK] at the Treaty of Rivoluzione, formerly D'Aiuto.

Internal Struggles

The following decade was rife with internal conflict as a number of factions within the revolutionary government vied for control. The most prominent split was between the [BLANKS], led by [BLANK], whom argued that Aosta must adopt the centralized framework left behind by the Authority in order to enact revolutionary change; the [BLANKS], led by [BLANK], whom believed that Aostans should be largely left to their own devices after so many decades of abuse and oppression; and finally the [BLANK], led by [BLANK], who wanted to form what more or less resembled a classically liberal republic. The latter faction was almost entirely pushed out of mainstream politics by the end of the [BLANK], being derided by the other factions as "foreign interlopers" and opportunists. Closer to the beginning of the Second Great War, the [BLANK]s won the disagreement and set about dividing Aosta into self-autonomous regions.