Marienberg Uprising

Marienberg Uprising
Date 24th May - 19th August 2015 Location Marienberg, Vionna-Frankenlisch Result Vionna-Frankenlischian victory Rebellion successfully suppressed
Belligerents
Marienberg SIM MCP MWSP MCM Leagues Red Bands	Vionna-Frankenlisch Imperial Marienberg
Commanders and leaders
Viscomte de Ferie † Jerome Mastutti Antonio Adscuti † Theresa Fortunario † Alessandro Esquito † Giacomo Lette Pietro Lazzari Rollo Leandri Constantino Pizarin Guilliano Specuti † Joseph Trammer †	James I Dochlov Zimmermann Duke of Teutonberg

The Marienberg Uprising of 2015 was an unsuccessful rebellion in the Imperial Princedom of Marienberg against Vionna-Frankenlischian rule which took place from May to August of 2015. Though primarily organised by the Society for the Independence of Marienberg, it was supported by several organisations within Marienberg with different political stances. Initially successful, the uprising failed to secure wide support and a government crackdown saw the rebels defeated. Though there remains a strong movement in Marienberg for greater autonomy, the successful suppression of the 2015 uprising and siginificant government investment in the region has been effective in ending wider wishes for Marienberger independence.

Background

Early Politics

The process of Marienberger integration into Vionna-Frankenlisch had been a long and politically controversial one. By 1910, Marienberg's independent political bodies had been abolished and the Princedom was granted seats in the House of Commons and its aristocracy were permitted to the House of Nobles. This caused a period of instability and unrest in Marienberg but this subsided over the course of the Great Cornellian War with the only incident of note being a series of minor risings that were put down in 1916. Over time, the changes to the Marienberger political scene had the unintended effect of creating a melting pot of various parties and ideals. The old political bodies in Marienberg had been both corrupt and closed to any groups outside of the ruling Liberal Merchant Party and the National Conservative Party, which served as a controlled opposition. The collapse of the old political elite in the Princedom and the new representation available to perviously outlawed political groups permanently shifted the balance of Marienberger politics away from the center and by 1950, half of the seats in the Marienberger State Diet (a kind of local legislature) belonged to radical parties from both the left and right. This arrangement was concerning to the old order in Marienberg who saw their power slipping away with each election. However, the Imperial Government in Frankenlisch and many people in Marienberg were satisfied with the situation and no action was taken to curb radical movements in the region. The government in Frankenlisch was particularly happy as the Marienberger independence movement seemed to have been permanently weakened by this.

Red Decade

Main Article: Independent Marienberg Socialist Republic

Things remained stable until the Civil War of 1966 which saw the Vionna-Frankenlischian monarchy abolished and the old order exiled. The rise of the DPRVF brought many local changes with it. The Imperial Princedoms of Ceasia and Wolfswood remained loyal to the old monarchy and refused to cooperate with the socialist government of Marshal Howell. Marienberg, conversely, had endured a Civil War of its own which had only ended when leftist forces from Frankenlisch arrived to force a Socialist victory. Following the Civil War, Marienberg was granted greater autonomy from Frankenlisch and existed as the Independent Marienberg Socialist Republic.

Although officially independent from Vionna-Frankenlisch, the IMSR's National Soviet was essentially subservient to the whims of Marshal Howell's government and many of Marienberg's public and political institutions were heavily influenced by the Statsec in Frankenlisch. Nonetheless, the Marienberg independence movement was essentially satisfied and the true level of Vionna-Frankenlischian control was not realised until some years after the Red Decade had ended. Marienberg was not heavily involved in the War of Restoration, one brigade of the Red Army of Marienberg took part in the Battle of Nieuwesel and was almost completely destroyed. Once Marshal Howell had been killed and his government collapsed, the National Soviet made the decision to surrender to the Royalists and not to try and maintain independence. A treaty was signed following the restoration of the monarchy, restoring the old institutions in Marienberg and granting amnesty to its leaders.

Postwar Situation

In the aftermath of the War of Restoration, Vionna-Frankenlisch was ruled for six years by a government led by the Earl of Breem. Initially this took the form of a military junta headed by the commanders of the Royalist Army-in-Exile including, controversially, the Duke of Gestoria as Chancellor - a position traditionally held by commoners only. After a year, the Earl of Breem was appointed Prime Minister of an Imperial Party government and elections were reinstated. Though royals and Princes of the Realm were conventionally barred from holding high cabinet positions, the Prince of Marienberg was made Defence Minister and a Marienberger MP, Sir Andreas Andarri was Minister of Finance. These appointments appeased the Marienberger political scene, particularly the right-wing. At the 1986 election, the six constituencies in Marienberg all elected Imperial Party members and the reformed Marienberger Diet was dominated by the royalist Imperial Marienberg Party. Between 1986 and 1991, Marienberger politics were dominated by the Imperial Party and Lord Cypran's government included four Marienberger ministers, including Prince Lazzaro as Minister of Defence for the second time.

The amicable relations between Marienberg and the Imperial Party came to an end in March 1991. Facing conflict with Prodava, Prince Lazzaro resisted Lord Cypran's calls for war and was forced to resign. Marienberg, situatied on the Prodavan border, was considered to be a prime target for the vast Prodavan army and war was unpopular in the Princedom. Lazzaro was forced to resign and Cypran's other Marienberger ministers resigned in solidarity. This seriously harmed the credibility of Lord Cypran's government and was one of the causes of its collapse following the war. In spite of Marienberger opposition, the Prodavan War broke out on 14th March 1991 and lasted until June 1993. Throughout the course of the war, twenty-thousand Marienberger soldiers fought in the Imperial Army and, despite his opposition, Prince Lazzaro had taken command of a brigade midway through the conflict.

In April 1992, the Prodavan Third Army had launched an offensive against Marienberg. The Marienberg Campaign lasted five weeks and saw the Prodavans pushed back to the pre-war border where they dug in. The City of Marienberg managed to avoid fighting by forming loyalist brigades to defend itself and General Salahe's Third Army was defeated in two weeks of running enagements. Though the Vionna-Frankenlischians had proven victorious and fighting on their own soil had aroused a patriotic spirit in Imperial Marienberg, the locals steadily became insensed that a war waged without their consent had ended up in their own lands. Though the Prodavan War ended in an Imperial victory, Lord Cypran's government was voted out and John Hammond's Labour Party saw its first government in thirty years.

Feeling betrayed by the Imperial Party that they had remained faithful to, the Marienberger political scene began to shift back to its old radical nature. 1995 saw the first Marienberger Diet seats taken by the Marienberg Communist Party and the National Leagues. The following year, the Marienberger Catholic Movement was formed and sent its first representative to Caledonia, and there was a record number of League and Red Band parades. The Royal Auxiliary Marienberg Constabulary, known as the Sashes for the silk sashes they wore, began keeping files on all Marienberger politicians. Matthew Mainwaring, then Security Minister, was the first cabinet minister to suggest that a secret independance organisation was operating in Marienberg.