Arlyon

Revolutionary People's Republic of Arlyon République populaire révolutionnaire d'Arliyon
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous! Workers' of the World Unite!
Anthem: Le drapeau rouge The Red Flag
Location of  Arlyon  (dark green)
Capital	Champierre
Official languages	Arlyonish
Recognised regional languages	Bassican, Anvallen, Rogondian, Tallard
Demonym(s)	Arlyonish
Government	Unitary socialist republic
• Supreme Revolutionary Council	Édouard Dissard Henri Lièvremont Gaston Vigouroux Mireille Verpilleux (President) Roberto Quasimodo Raoul Bourdon Évrard Jacquemoud Amandine Alméras
Legislature	Revolutionary National Convention
Formation
• Unified Arlyonish Crown	1053
• End of the personal union	1431
• Republic of Arlyon	1877
• September Revolution	1923
Population
• 2019 estimate	54,485,783
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$2,004,310 million
• Per capita	$37,058
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$1,879,048 million
• Per capita	$34,742
Gini	24.8 low
HDI	0.896 very high
Currency	Livre (LIV)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+52
Internet TLD	.ar

Arlyon, officially known as the Revolutionary People's Republic of Arlyon (Arlyonish: République populaire révolutionnaire d'Arliyon), is a sovereign state in Messenia. Governed as a unitary socialist republic Arlyon exercises justification over 9 Communes which are divided into 32 departments.

The modern Arlyonish state traces its heritage to the creation of the Duchy of Montois and Charhône in 1056, although the origins of Arlyon as a geographic and cultural entity predate the Duchy's creation. The Duchy was in a personal union with the Kingdom of [Italophone place] as a weaker partner. Divisions between the [Italophone elite] and the Aylonish nobility led to the enthronement of Henri II and led to the Arlyonish War of Secession that ended the union leading to the Duchy of Arlyon to emerge. The 1600’s would see the country begin to rise in strength again until entering a golden age from the 1700’s-early 1800’s which ended after prolonged revolutionary activity.

In 1797 the first Arlyonish parliament was inaugurated but was shut down just 5 years later restoring absolutist rule, leading to a failed revolution that would briefly usher in the United States of Arlyon that was defeated by reactionary forces. Republican discontent would remain throughout the 19th century and in 1877 the monarchy was overthrown and replaced with a parliamentary republic. The republic was known initially for its anti-clerical and radical reformist nature but during the early 20th century became politically inert despite the country scientifically and culturally going through a golden age.

The Continental War saw Arlyonish's republican government unable to contain increasing anti-militarist and pacifistic sentiment. The Arlyonish government signed a armistice in XXX ceding much of its territory after a collapse in morale and continued military failure. The signing of the armistice led to a military coup that itself triggered a left-wing rebellion that led to civil war which lasted until XXX with leftist forces emerging victorious. Initially the new government was heavily divided between liberal democrats, anarchists and more authoritarian-minded socialists. A left-wing republic was declared mixing in representative elements (including an elected parliament and political parties) alongside direct elements in the economy based on the idea of workers’ self management. From the mid-1990’s there was a period of more right-wing reform and reconciliation with capitalist countries but since more recently there has been a greater trend towards supporting international socialism and revolutionary trends. Unrest in Anvalle alongside far-right terrorism have been perennial issues since the 1940's.

Arlyon is currently structured as a republic with the Supreme Revolutionary Council being the collective head of state and elections to the Revolutionary National Convention being held every five years. The country’s economy is a mix of government-owned businesses, those managed by workers’ cooperatives and a small private sector combining elements of market socialism with mutualism and more traditional state-led initiatives. Arlyon has a large modern military and exercises a foreign policy promoting international socialism. Arlyon is known internationally as a global centre of art, science, and philosophy being renowned worldwide for its rich cultural heritage.

History

Modern History

Republican period

The declaration of the republic was not welcomed by large sections of the population. On the right conservatives and monarchists rejected both secularism and parliamentary governance favouring traditionalist religion and authoritarian governance, whilst the socialist left bemoaned what they referred to as a "republic of the bourgeois".

The first republican government - comprised of a coalition of moderate liberals and radicals - alienated the right through its promulgation of a new constitution in July 1877. The constitution created a parliamentary regime that established freedom of speech and freedom of association, allowed divorce, stripped the nobility of any special legal status and most controversially separated church from state restricting religious order ownership of land and banning religious officials from taking roles in public administration including education. The first election to the National Assembly saw republican parties decisively beat the monarchist right and socialist left. This was repeated after the 1881 elections confirming popular support for the republican system.

An Arlyonish poster depicting the alliance between Arlyon, Dublebia and Hallania in 1908.

April Monarchy

The collapse of the Arlyonish army during the closing months of the Continental War and the declaration of the Treaty of Lehpold caused popular discontent amongst the population of Arlyon. Nationalists who had supported the military regime were disheartened by the defeat whilst socialists who had opposed the war sought to take workers' anger to the streets. The resignation of the President Jean-Baptiste Delacroix following the Treaty of Lehpold heightened governmental instability. Delacroix's successor, General Benoît Champagne de Lacroix, as a result of the protests announced the creation of a provisional government headed by a conservative prime minister that would hold elections within a year providing parties supported both the Treaty of Lehpold and the principles of "nationalism, private property and the church" intentionally designed as a disenfranchisement of socialist parties.

Continued protests from socialist and republican elements led de Lacroix to send the Milice Nationale were deployed to disperse the strikers. Bloody Tuesday saw over 54 workers' shot in Champierre by the military and the Milice Nationale alongside the arrest of prominent socialist leaders such as Jacques Armand. This repression also saw the passing of anti-socialist laws and the continuation of wartime restrictions of civil liberty.

In April 1917 a month after the treaty was signed de Lacroix stepped down as head of state to make way for Lavarian Prince João, Duke of Abellá to be crowned King Jean IV, formally restoring the monarchy. The restoration of the monarchy was cautiously accepted on the right and vigorously opposed on the left; as such the new constitution proposed by de Lacroix saw the monarch invested with significant powers with the government being solely responsible to the monarch rather then the legislature. The senate was also rendered to be appointed rather then elected weakening the role of elected politicians in government.

The April Monarchy was deeply unpopular with the populace with the government being regarded as collaborationists with the Lavarian government. The government refused to hold elections implementing policies of fiscal austerity, reparation payment, military downsizing and repression of opposition to the new regime, leading to a further radicalisation amongst the republican opposition and their total absence from politics. Although the King Jean IV attempted to bolster his popularity as monarch by learning Arlyonish his autocratic ruling style alienated him from the vast majority of his subjects.

In May 1923 a textile workers' strike in Meassant resulted in the Milice Nationale being deployed to repress the strikers, similar to Bloody Tuesday. This led to popular outrage and under pressure from republican elements Jean IV granted an amnesty to several socialist leaders, notably Jacques Armand who was released from prison and the Parti socialiste révolutionnaire (PSR) being re-legalised. This move dissatisfied the right who soon formed paramilitary groups to combat what they saw as an imminent communist revolution.

Arlyonish Revolutionary War

Revolutionaries protesting against the monarchy during the September Revolution.

The 1923 election, held in September, saw the PSR gain a majority in the National Assembly in coalition with the communist Parti de l'Unité Prolétarienne and the radical Parti républicain socialiste radical. The result was seen as a disaster by the right and a rejection of Jean IV. The king realising his unpopularity abdicated designating General Pierre Bounine-Cabalé as regent. Bounine-Cabalé however rather then appoint PSR leader Armand as prime minister instead picked a conservative candidate, reasoning that under the 1917 constitution as the executive was not responsible to parliament the parliamentary results did not compel him to appoint a republican-left prime minister.

The announcement of this development triggered mass protests which were quickly morphing into riots and military mutinies. On the 15^th September a general strike was called by the Fédération des travailleurs d'Arliyon (FTA) which aimed to pressure the dissolution of the new conservative government, the resignation of Bounine-Cabalé and the restoration of "republican, democratic and national dignity".. Protesters on the 22^nd September 1916 stormed the Palace of TBA and declared the Gouvernement révolutionnaire d'Arliyon with General Jérôme Diderot appointed Chief of the government and PSR leader Jacques Armand as Chairman of a Council of Ministers. The declaration of a revolutionary government saw similar uprisings into several other cities that claimed loyalty to the Diderot-Armand government which immediately attempted to secure international recognition. The new government was almost universally supported on the left with socialists, communists, syndicalists, anarchists, social democrats, radicals and other left-wing republicans supporting the republic. Some sections of the right - such as secular liberals and conservatives and national syndicalists - gave cautious support to the new government due to their dissatisfaction with the April Monarchy.

The government was not recognised by sections of the military loyal to Bounine-Cabalé which retreated to the city of Belleteau and attempted to continue the provisional government being supported by an important section of the army. This started the Arlyish Revolutionary War which lasted from September 1923 to March 1926 primarily between a loyalist coalition of religious conservatives, ultranationalists, monarchists and conservative republicans based in Belleteau and the supporters of the Champierre revolutionary government which was supported by the left and minority ethnic groups. The loyalist government suffered from a lack of support internally whilst the revolutionary government although beset by infighting was larger and able to count on the broad support of society. In December 1923 Armand was killed when the train he was using was bombed by loyalist elements. The revolutionaries eventually were able to capture the last loyalist stronghold in March 1918 declaring the foundation of the Fédération d'Arliyon.

Post-Revolutionary years

The legacy of both the Continental War and the Revolutionary War saw the country economically and socially ruined whilst the new government was unstable, being based on a fragile coalition of competing ideological currents. In June 1925 a constitutional assembly was elected which soon divided between liberal-social democrats, revolutionary socialists, anarcho-syndicalists, national syndicalists and communists. Nevertheless under pressure from the Chief of the government Jérôme Diderot the Assembly was able to create a government of communists, syndicalists and moderate socialists that was able to in 1926 pass a constitution that was based on a mix of liberal democracy, democratic centralism and workers' democracy. The new constitution was controversial being a collection of compromises forced through by Diderot who after the death of Armand in 1923 and due to his status as head of the army and a revolutionary hero was considered a quasi-dictator which aroused opposition from some who feared he would recreate a military dictatorship and use his popularity to enforce a cult of personality.

Jérôme Diderot, the inaugural Chief of State of the Federation, was accused of acting dictatorial during the early years of the federation.

Diderot was however in the early years of the federation able to act as a stabilising factor acting as a mediator between the federations political factions and a popular figure the public could support. This allowed the post-revolutionary government to implement a wide range of economic and social policies considered avant-garde for the time. The economy was slowly reformed to be based on a combination of worker and consumer cooperatives co-existing alongside nationalised industry (often constituting the "commanding heights of the economy") albeit private businesses did still exist, primarily in rural areas as land reform was often slow and haphazard.

The new constitution also saw minority ethnic areas that's culture had been repressed both by the monarchy and the republic to be reformed into federal communes that exercised significant autonomy. However such autonomy was hotly contested - whilst a territorial model had been implemented many especially the communists and anarchists supported a plurinational model in order to diffuse territorial separation. Although minorities were afforded more autonomy then enjoyed historically the new federation still upheld the territorial integrity of Arlyon and saw national self-determination in terms of a cultural rather then nationalist process.

In 1930 Diderot resigned with his replacement Édouard Laffont also being a general, with many assuming Diderot was attempting to still maintain power in retirement. Nevertheless the 1920's was marked by political stability as avant-garde culture was promoted by the government with new styles such as surrealism, art deco, jazz, constructivism, expressionism and futurism. However dadaism was considered bourgeois by the government and marginalised.

Diderot died in 1932 and dissent against Laffont became more pronounced. Laffont was close to the radical Impossibilistes, a collection of anarchists, syndicalists and revolutionary socialists intent on permanent revolution and a hawkish foreign policy compared to the more gradualist Possibilistes and the communist Fédération de l'Unité Prolétarienne (the only organised political force in Arlyon).

In 1940 both the federal Communes and the Supreme Council had enough power to challenge Laffont who was forced to reign with the civilian politician Jacques Chaix appointed head of state. In 1941 a constitutional amendment saw the creation of the Conseil fédéral intended to serve as a collective head of state with Georges Carpentier appointed as its first Chairman. This coincided with the communists in the form of the Fédération de l'Unité Prolétarienne becoming the largest political faction and amassing an unprecedented amount of power.

Government and Politics

• 

  Édouard Dissard, Commissioner of Foreign Affairs and International Socialism.

• 

  Henri Lièvremont, Commissioner of Financial Affairs and Economic Planning.

• 

  Gaston Vigouroux, Commissioner of Internal Affairs and Public Safety.

• 

  Mireille Verpilleux, Commissioner of Public Instruction, Arts and Ideological Communication (President)

• 

  Roberto Quasimodo, Commissioner of Military Affairs and Revolutionary Defence .

• 

  Raoul Bourdon, Commissioner of Light and Heavy Industry, Transportation and Public Works.

• Jean Luc MELENCHON in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 2016 (cropped).jpg

  Évrard Jacquemoud, Commissioner of Labour, Hygiene and Social Security Provisions.

• 

  Amandine Alméras, Commissioner of Judicial Affairs.

Arlyon is governed as a socialist republic that combines aspects of representative parliamentary democracy with socialist and syndicalist direct democracy. The head of state is the Supreme Revolutionary Council which functions as a collective head of state and consists of eight members. Its president chairs the council and rotates annually being a primus inter pares with collective leadership being emphasised. The members of the Supreme Revolutionary Council serve for four year terms and govern with the approval of the Revolutionary Nationa Convention, the legislature of the republic. The Revolutionary National Convention is elected every four years with 400 seats elected directly and 133 indirectly through industrial sectors, the military and trade unions.

Arlyon is divided into nine communal syndicates which is the highest level country-subdivision. They further divided into 32 departments and 117 cantons.

There only exists two formally organised political parties in Arlyon - the Federation of Proletarian Unity (Fédération de l'unité prolétarienne) and the Popular Rally (Rassemblement populaire). However there exists many informal political factions that serve as de facto political parties, with the largest including the Impossibilistes, Possibilistes, Réformistes and Socialiste républicains. The current government is an alliance of the Socialiste républicains, Impossibilistes and the Fédération de l'unité prolétarienne.

Legislature

  Anarchistes: 27 seats - The most radical faction that rejects the federation as a concept and advocates a faster move to a stateless society.

  Impossibilistes: 86 seats - Big tent of council communists, syndicalists and other far-left currents.

  Fédération de l'unité prolétarienne: 66 seats - advocate a form of socialism closer to the Hytekian model. Mainly advocate centralisation and greater militarisation

  Socialiste républicains: 75 seats - Similar to the Possibilistes but closer to the more far-left factions like the FUP and the Impossibilistes.

  Écologistes: 36 seats - green advocates. Tend to be left-libertarians

  Ditanistes sociaux: 30 seats - advocates of Ditanery but with socialist messages. Tends toward the right.

  Possibilistes: 84 seats - nominally social democrats but generally seen as the bureaucratic "establishment"

  Réformistes: 52 seats - Third way types. Proponents of economic and political reform but have to ally with the bureaucratic interests of the Possibilistes causing tensions.

  Radicaux: 33 seats - anti-clerical liberals. Tend to be the most economically liberal faction.

  Rassemblement populaire: 32 seats - National Bolsheviks centred around the personality cult of yet-unnamed dude.

  National-syndicaux: 12 seats - National Syndicalists. Used to be larger under Rassemblement populaire stole their votes.

Administrative divisions

Arlyon is divided into nine communal syndicates (syndicat communal) which are further divided into arrondissements and cantons. Each communal syndicate has its own governing assembly and executive council led by a premier. Communal syndicates have autonomy in most areas as long as they maintain the fundamentally socialist character of the state. One of the communal syndicates, the capital Champierre, is a de facto city state.

Map	Name and flag	Language	Administrative centre	Population
	Subdivision
	Anvalle	Arlyonish, Anvallen	TBA	7,478,315
	Arège	Arlyonish, Tallard	TBA	7,845,621
	Bassica	Arlyonish, Bassican	TBA	4,786,583
	Champierre	Arlyonish	Champierre	4,652,344
	Charhône	Arlyonish	TBA	7,845,216
	Garault	Arlyonish, Garaultan	TBA	5,296,053
	Madorie	Arlyonish, Lavish	TBA	2,149,657
	Montois	Arlyonish	TBA	10,679,425
	Saltorra	Arlyonish, Saltorran	TBA	3,752,569

Armed forces and intelligence

• Military consists of army, airforce, navy and a Foreign Legion (founded as an internationalist force for spreading socialism). Overseen by the Revolutionary Command Council. The Federal Council is the collective command-in-chief.
• Intelligence is separated into Bureau of Intelligence Operations (domestic security), the Bureau of Counter-Intelligence (foreign security) and Bureau of Military Intelligence (military security)
• Military consists of 155,400 active personnel, 1,224,200 reservists and 360,400 paramilitaries. 1,740,000 overall.
• The military was restructured from a massive conscript force into a more militia based army during the 1980's. The Gendarmerie was abolished and conscription applied to both men and women. The current philosophy of the army is that a highly trained and professionalised "core" remains permanently active whilst in times of war reservists will be arranged into Defence Committees that will "résiste et mords". Reservists are required every year to do a fortnight of training and much of the general population is encouraged to undergo some form of military training. Gunownership is widespread for this aim albeit ammunition is tightly controlled by the government, similar to Switzerland. A period of elected officers from the 1920's-1940's was scrapped by the communists in 1944.
• One to two aircraft carriers/nuclear weapons?

Culture

Cuisine

Arlyon is known for its cultural tendency to place a great emphasis on food; preparation and enjoyment of food is considered to be essential in Arlyonish life giving the country a reputation of meticulous food preparation.There is a high amount of regional diversity in Arlyonish cuisine, with the most famous including Champierre, tba, tba, tba and tba.

Up until the 1930's Arlyonish haute cuisine was vaunted in Arlyonish and Cardian high society. Following the revolution and up until the 1990's this style fell out of favour with simpler regional cuisines being promoted. The 1970's saw the rise of nouvelle cuisine which sought an alternative to both and has continued to influence modern cuisine in Arlyon.

Within the world Arlyon is one of the major producers of wine being internationally renowned for its diversity and quality. Representing one of the largest private industries in Arlyon the production of wine is strictly regulated with specific regulations on the classification of wine types depending on the production process and where it has grown. Arlyon is known to produce red, rosé, white, sparkling and fortified wine albeit only a minority are exported. There also exists a smaller beer sector based mainly around abbey beers.