Striped Shirts

Striped Shirts Liberating the Homeland, Eduardo Ganzanì, 1875.

Striped Shirts (Vespasian: Camicie righe, Gapolanese Vespasian: Camìcie rigè), often shortened to the Stripes, were a paramilitary group in the 19th century Gapolania comprised mostly of farmers, miners and former slaves that operated under the Council of the Righteous and were tasked with peacekeeping missions, land seizing and goods distribution among the rural population. The name derived from the pattern of their shirts, with the colored stripes sewn in plain white shirts, most commonly used by the tenuti laborers.

Established after Gapolania proclaimed its independence from Etruria and entered the Semaran War against its neighbors, Semara and Adamantina, their role was initially to form the front lines, as the country lacked the professional military forces and was dependent only on its levy quantity to defend the most strategic points. Striped Shirts consisted mostly of the Razzamista and Black population, as the war became an opportunity to improve their socio-economic situation. Following the Liberation Act proclaimed in 1817 by the Council, the Striped Shirts were granted status of a semi-official organization that worked to "implement the God's Law, establish equal society and punish the sinful" across the republic, though the Act itself does not mention any geographical limitations. They were focused mostly on inspecting and seizing lands and goods from the affluent citizens, especially rich landowners and trade guilds members, transferring estates, ships, art and material goods to the Gapolanese church and the Council. In turn, the members of the organization were provided salary, debt relief and land parcels to own under the supervision of the clergy on which they could grow crops, keep livestock or develop workshops.

The Striped Shirts heavily contributed towards achieving some goals of the Sotirian republican ideas, especially those concerning ethnic inequality, economic inequality and forming national identity. However, their actions are also associated with delaying introduction of industrialization and capitalism to Gapolania - conscious resignation of these led to a very slow development of Gapolania, which is believed to impact the current economic situation as well. The organization's increasing unpopularity in the second half of the 19th century, especially within the urban population, caused a series of riots and counteractions, including the emergence of the Soleggiato Movement, which ultimately started the Brick Revolution and overthrew the joint church and republican council rule. The Striped Shirts were stripped of privileges in 1896 and later disbanded in 1898.

Background

A statue of Sergiò Matanèl in Zeta, often referred to as the founder of the organization.

Political changes in colonial Etruria in the late 18th century affected its colonies as well. This was especially noticeable in the northern parts of New Povelia, where peasants and slaves were the dominant demographic group and the authority of both the central and colonial governments was reduced due to geographic features and low population density. The work of two priests: Giacomo Sandera and Lozano Bigantú led to the rise of the Pantheonisti movement in Gapolania, which aimed to create an independent Sotirian republic out of Etrurian colonies in the Asterias. Their followers, called the Sanderistas, promoted abolitionism, social equality and clergy-run state. The movement acted as an opposition to a liberal faction led by Marzio Brettè, supported mostly by the landowners and merchants. Believing that the army would also follow Brettè, Sergiò Matanèl, one of the Sanderistas, advocated for creation of an "idea-driven" popular army, consisting of the less affluent population that would help maintain Sotirian ideas in the nation.

Independence of Gapolania was secured by Lorenzo di Ceilla, Bishop of Nassea, a member of the Sanderistas, who, together with the Republican Movement led by Silvio Amindè, proclaimed the Republic of Gapolania on 18th October, 1808. Joined efforts of the group prevented Marzio Brettè and his allies from obtaining political power and forced them to move south to the city of Astia or to Adamantina. Most of Brettè's supporters, as well as Etrurian army and officials were allowed to escape, while their belongings were confiscated by the popular army. That army gained access to many armories, exchanging farming tools like scythes or sickles to professional equipment, which would later prove useful during the Semaran War, in which the Pantheonisti government of Zeta and Nassea would fight the liberal-led republic formed on the western coast of the modern-day Gapolania. The war, which lasted from 1810 to 1818, was the first large-scale land conflict in the region, with both sides claiming full control over the newly independent region. While initially victorious, the liberal army was quickly outnumbered by the levies of the Sanderistas and ultimately lost, sealing Pantheonisti rule over the country for other 80 years.

The Council of the Righteous, the governing body of Gapolania wrote the Liberation Act in 1817, signed by the First Citizen, Silvano Ceralli, recognizing the Striped Shirts as a "legal organization fully subordinate to the government of Gapolania, working only on its orders and by the God's vocation". Among the main goals listed in the document were: peace and law-keeping on the territory of the republic, inspecting and archiving of material possessions of the secular landowners, controlling flow of goods on local and international level, reacting to acts of rebellion or heresy and participating in the initiatives taken by the religious authorities.

The Striped Shirts grew in membership and influence in the country. Many men decided to join the community, as the members were granted not only financial profits but also land to own, as well as access to education or basic healthcare. Between 1820 and 1850, over 80 schools were constructed in Gapolania, most of whom were run by the clergy and allowed the rural population to register and obtain skills such as reading and writing, mathematics or linguistics.

Oppressive measures taken against the post-colonial elites forced many of them to fled abroad. The landowners were expected to provide most of their income towards the local governments, decreasing possible income and opportunities to expand businesses. Common inspections carried out by the Striped Shirts could determine whether the owner could keep their premises or was deemed as untruthful, in which case all the goods and land could be seized and then granted to the nearest church to be distributed among the farmers. While the Asterian nations saw the 19th century economic growth, Gapolania fell into stagnation - there was very low export of goods, resistance to appearing Euclean methods of production of technologies, as well as no central support for the enterprise development.

Resignation of Damiano Celfàni, Martin Gavàstre, 1899.

As secular ideas started spreading across the country in the 1860s, the popularity of the Sotirian republicanism sunk. New rural and urban classes developed, who often resented the Striped Shirts, as with time, their capabilities and means of fulfilling the goals shifted, including violence and extortion of the common population. In 1889, a riot broke out when an unknown merchant refused an inspection of his ships and was supported by several other traders and port workers, leading to a brawl. Since then, acts of resistance started appearing in other places as well. Damiano Celfàni, the First Citizen of Gapolania between 1890 and 1896, introduced new guidelines for the organization, such as limiting inspection of subjects only once per year or removing tax reliefs, though ultimately the Council of the Righteous mostly rejected his proposals, fearing the retribution of the community members.

The Brick Revolution of 1896, sparked over the ownership of a brickyard in Trapanto, led by the Soleggiato Movement, a collective of entrepreneurs, led to the resignation of Damiano Celfàni and dissolution of the Striped Shirts. By 1898, the group was completely disbanded, with its members allowed to retain owned goods and land, excluding some individuals close to the Council of the Righteous, who were accused of abuse of power and harm to the nation. They were ultimately pardoned on a condition they would testify against the Council members.

Legacy

The Striped Shirts to this day awake a number of opinions, both positive and negative. Scholars emphasize their unique role in enforcing social and economic equality, something that the newly independent Asterian nations struggled with. Men of all background were allowed to serve, contributing to the growth of the Gapolanese culture, language and customs. They were provided church education, increasing the general literacy level among the population.

Despite that, many view their actions as fanatical and oppressive. Their existence is tied to lack of well-equipped and organized army, which was created in Gapolania only at the beginning of the 20th century. Efforts to redistribute land and resources led to years of economic halt, with many rooting the current-day economic situation of the country to the events of the 19th century. Industrialization and capitalism, introduced as late as in the 1900s, could not keep up with similar processes happening in the world, rendering Gapolania of little political and economical relevance and its population susceptible to radical movements emerging in the 20th century, both right-wing and left-wing.