Soltenish Confederacy

Soltenish Confederacy Confederazione Soltenitana
1756–1894
Flag of the Soltenish Confederacy Confederate Coat of Arms
Motto: Dio è con noi "God is with us"
Capital	Ad Novas
Common languages	Regional Languages Almaran Sulman Solerian Liberocolpese Irassian Aestas Islander Vultic Riamese Common Gassasinian
Religion	77% Soltenish Orthodox 9% Vultic Orthodox 6% Catholic 6% Protestant 2% Other
Government	Confederation of oligarchic merchant republics
Speaker of the Assembly
• 1756-1768	Cristoforo Faraghi (first)
• 1888-1894	Giovanni Missiaggia (last)
Legislature	Assembly of Republics
Historical era	Trading Era
• Established	4 July 1756
• New Year's Day Constitution	1 January 1894
Population
• 1756	2,124,000
• 1894	14,271,000
Currency	Credito Comune (₵)
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of Almara Sulman Republic Liberocolpi Soleria Irassia Aestas Islands Settlements Soltenish Federation

The Soltenish Confederacy (Soltenish: Confederazione Soltenitana) was a confederation of merchant republics in what is now Soltenia that existed for 138 years from 1756 to 1894. Dominated by the coastal states of Almara, Sulman, Soleria, and Liberocolpi, it absorbed other Canterian colonies in the region such as the Aestas Island settlements or Irassia. Colonists from Almara, Sulman, and Soleria would also bring the previously unexplored interior of Soltenia under the control of the Confederacy. The Confederacy grew into a trading power during the eigheenth century and strengthened this position in the nineteenth. Citizens spoke a variety of regional languages, but most publishing and governance were done in a dialect spoken primarily by upper class Almarans.

In its early years, it prospered on the trade of agricultural goods between the various Aestas Sea states. In subsequent years, the Confederacy established a thalassocracy, with most of the population and political power living in thin strips along the coasts. It dominated trade on the Aestas Sea, including commerce between Meredonne and Olivacia, as well as Astariax. The Confederate navy was considered a relatively powerful military force and parts of its fleets were leased out to other states as government-sponsored mercenary fleets. In stark contrast to most publishing at the time, publishing within the Confederacy was often free and uncensored. The Confederacy achieved territorial conquests along the interior of Soltenia and the Aestas Sea. It became home to an extremely wealthy merchant class, who patronised renowned art and architecture along the coasts. Confederate merchants were influential financiers in Meredonne and Olivacia.

The Confederacy was ruled by the Assembly of Republics, which consisted of two to five members from each republic (varying throughout the history of the Confederacy), appointed by the various republics themselves. The Aestas Islands and Irassia were given representation, albeit with less votes, in the Assembly. The interior republics were not granted any representation at all. This power distribution ensured the political dominance of the coastal republics within the Confederacy. The Assembly was headed by a Speaker of the Assembly, who was elected for a six year term by the Assembly. The speaker's powers varied wildly speaker to speaker, with some controlling the Confederacy as a proper unified state, others controlling in conjunction with the oligarchic Assembly, and others merely presiding over the Assembly as a first among equals. The ruling class in the republics themselves tended to be oligarchies of merchants and aristocrats. The Confederacy, along with Riamo and Vultesia during this era, is generally considered to have normalized and modernized capitalism over mercantilism.

The increase in population among the coastal republics led to an increased reliance on the agricultural goods of the interior republics. By 1880, none of the coastal republics could grow or mine enough resources to feed their populations without imports from the interior. Eventually, the interior republics of Amonte, Terrenero, and Granacasta united under the "Triple Alliance". The Triple Alliance successfully negotiated a new agreement that shared power more equitably under a democratic federation of republics in 1891. In 1894, with the term of the 23rd Assembly of Republics finishing, the Confederacy was dissolved and replaced by a provisional government of the Federation of Soltenish Republics.