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 Dominion of Cassier who rejected Gaullican rule and fought for independence during the Asterian War of Secession in what has become known as the Patriote Movement or Patriote Rebellion. Inspired by the political philosophies of republicanism and self rule expressed by spokesmen to the south in the United Colonies, some Patriotes desired to establish a unified Cassien republic comprising the entirity of the dominion, whilst others preferred the creation of seperate Cassien and Chicadian republics. They were opposed by Cassien loyalists and moderates who supported continued Gaullican rule.

While the Patriotes represented the spectrum of social, economic, and culture backgrounds present in Cassier at the time, the majority of its supporters were Chicadians; colonists from Chicadia and New Sylvagne who represented roughly a third of Cassier's population. Consequentially, the majority of the dominion came to view the rebellion as a Chicadian effort. Together with steadfast loyalist sympathies among most colonists in Cassier, the Patriotes recieved much less support compared than their counterparts rebelling elsewhere in Asteria Superior. In spite of these disadvantages however, the rebellion was initially successful, with important civilian and military locations, most notably the important port city of Bellevue, falling under Patriote control. The Battle of Louiseville marked the climax of the rebellion, which saw an army of 5,400 Patriotes commanded by General Vivien Gérin-Lajoie engage a force of 3,500 loyalist militiamen and Gaullican army units. Despite possessing a numerical advantage, their morale collapsed following the death of Lajoie early in the battle, resulting in a rout of rebel forces. The Patriote defeat at Louiseville, combined with the arrival of Gaullican reinforcements, marked the end of serious Patriote efforts in Cassier. With the rebellion crushed, many Patriotes and their supporters fled to Rizealand, the majority of which settled in the state of Charlotte after the war.

Terminology

During the 18th century, the word “Patriote” held negative connotations in Gaullican political culture. It was used as a general epithet to describe a factious disturber of the government. In the Dominion of Cassier, aristocratic or foreign-born politicians in the colonial assembly used the term as an insult towards those who called for reforms, particularly those who culturally identified themselves as Chicadian. Upon the outbreak of rebellion in western Cassier, the disparate nature of the rebel forces fighting for independence initially prevented a single label from being used to describe the revolutionaries collectively. This changed following the St-Croix Declaration, which saw General Lajoie along with other notable revolutionary leaders consolidate their efforts together as "Patriotes". This move solidified their image as anti-Gaullican and pro-independence in the minds of the Gaullican and colonial public.

Influences

Many of the Cassiens aligned with the Patriotes had previously participated in other insurgencies before the start of the war, such as the Maraux Rebellion in 1762. Although the Patriotes represented a variety of Cassier's population, most actively involved were Chicadian. Contemporary estimates maintain that about 10 percent of the white population supported the Patriotes, while 25 to 35 percent were actively loyalist. The remainder were either neutral or privately held sympathies to either side.

Motivations

Most modern historians use the published materials, personal writings and letters of both Patriotes and Loyalists to determine their motivations for fighting. Loyalists mostly consisted the aristocratic, ruling class of the dominion, and those colonists in the upper and middle-classes of Cassien society. Generally, loyalists felt that the Gaullican king was the Cassier's rightful and legitimate ruler, believing that resistance was morally wrong. Fear was also a prevailing factor that influenced the beliefs of the loyalists. Among the foremost concerns was the notion that independence would jeopardize Cassier's security in the face of its much more populous and expansionist neighbours to the south. Additionally, many loyalist figures were also suspicious towards the ideas of republicanism, which they viewed as an existential threat to their political and economic positioning in colonial society. This was further augmented by the fact that the majority of Patriotes were Chicadians, whom were held in scorn by the upper and aristocratic classes of Cassier by virtue of their minority or Amendist ancestries, as well as their generally poorer economic status.

The rationale held by most Patriotes and their supporters was that the colonial and Gaullican governments had violated the guarentee of continued prosperity aspoused in the Continental Decree. This notion was especially strong among Chicadians whom had actively discriminated against culturally, economically and politically. Together with beliefs in republicanism and in the ideas of self-determination, they came to believe that the colonial government of Cassier was fundamentally flawed and did not represent the people of Cassier. Economic interests also played a significant role in Patriote motivations as restrictive tarrifs, taxes and trade restrictions hampered the profitability of merchants and their ventures.

Those who were alienated by physical attacks on royal or colonial 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 or responsible government was bound to come about some day but felt that the Patriotes acted prematurely, too brashly, or solely in the interest of Chicadians and not for the whole of Cassier.

Defeat and Legacy

The Patriotes' tricolour banner used during the rebellion was adopted as the flag of the Province of Chicadia in 1937, coinciding with the reemergence of Chicadian culture in western Cassier.

The Battle of Louiseville proved to be a devastating blow to the Patriotes, damanging what little public support they had been able to acquire in Cassier during the rebellion. With the arrival of Gaullican reinforcements, most Patriotes decided to flee Cassier to avoid capture and continue fighting abroad. Those either unable to leave or failed to escape colonial authorities were punished severely. This, in addition to Patriote activity beginning elsewhere in Asteria Superior, gave rise to widespread paranoia across Cassier which resulted in thousands of colonists being accused of treasonous activity during this time. Hostility towards Chicadians and minorities also increased in the rebellion's aftermath, beginning the decline of Chicadian culture and identity in western Cassier. Serious discussions regarding Cassien independence from Gaullica would not resurface until the 1840s, with Cassier remaining a part of the Gaullican Empire until the end of the Great War in 1936.

Attitudes towards the Patriotes have changed significantly over time. In the decades following the rebellion, Cassien writers, artists and political figures have portrayed the Patriotes in an increasingly sympathetic way, giving rise to the idea of the "lost Patriote cause". By Cassier's independence public perception of the Patriotes had changed drastically, with General Lajoie and other Patriote figures coming to be viewed as martyrs or forerunners of an independent Cassien republic. Numerous memorials honouring the Patriotes being erected throughout Cassier, particularly in the provinces of Chicadia and New Sylvagne, as well as abroad in countries such as Rizealand. This shift in the public view of the Patriotes has not come without criticism or controversy. The motivations, actions and opinions of both the Patriotes and the loyalists have been often used or distorted to support political agendas, particularly in Cassien federal politics.