Etrurian First Republic

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United Etrurian Republic
Repubblica Etruriana Unita
Velika Etrurijanska Republika
Združena Etrurijanska Republika
1889-1938
Motto: Per Dio e il Paese
"For God and Country"
Anthem: Canzone dei Tre Popoli
"Song of the Three Peoples"
Location of Etruria in Euclea
Location of Etruria in Euclea
  Etruria and colonies   Colonial-puppet administrations
  Etruria and colonies

  Colonial-puppet administrations
Capital
Government
President 
• 1917-1923
Alessandro Luzzani
• 1923-1926
Guilio Augustino Schiattarella
• 1926-1927
Vittore De Rossi
• 1927-1927
Aurelio Cesare Tozzo
• 1927-1934
Fortunato Parlatore
• 1934-1936
Marco Antonio Ercolani
Vice President 
• 1917-1923
Arminio Tagliafico
• 1923-1926
Vittore De Rossi
• 1926-1927
Alessandro Abate
• 1927-1927
Fortunato Parlatore
• 1927-1934
Luigi Crosetta
• 1934-1936
Ettore Caviglia
LegislatureEtrurian Senate
Assembly of the States
Assembly of the People
History 
3 May 1889
10 April 1938
April 1 1938
Population
• 1918
32,448,603
• 1928
36,994,311
• 1938
39,855,922 (not including colonies)
CurrencyScutato
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kingdom of Etruria
Etrurian Revolutionary Republic
Today part of Etruria
Template:Country data Denikert
Template:Country data Sarenia

The United Etrurian Republic (Vespasian:Repubblica Etruriana Unita; Novalian: Velika Etrurijanska Republika; Carinthian: Združena Etrurijanska Republika), also known as the First Etrurian Republic, which is an unofficial, historical designation for the Etrurian state during the years 1889 to 1938. The name is derived from being the first of a series of democratically elected-systems operated in Etrurian history.

The First Republic was founded after the Constituent Assembly produced a new constitution for the Etrurian State 3 May 1889, four months after the Etrurian Revolution, which overthrew the Kingdom of Etruria. In its forty-nine years, the First Republic faced numerous problems, including hyperinflation, political extremism in its later years (with paramilitaries—both left- and right-wing), maintaining law and order in wake of strikes and worker discontentment and engaging in the Great War. However, from its formation until the early 1920s, it was able to stabilise the economy and benefit from its early radicalism, such as the granting of universal suffrage to men and women over the age of 24 in 1913, embracing and protecting freedom of speech and a free press and its successful reforms of the economy. The 1920s until the outbreak of the Great War saw immense economic development, cultural successes and a general feeling of a positivity and optimism.

However, these gains were undermined by successive short-lived governments, usually brought down by small majorities and de-centralised and highly factional party politics. The Republic was further undermined by the strains of the Great War, with Etruria forced to fight the world's first industrialised war on three-fronts, while engaging in colonial conflicts, especially in Bahia. While the war succeeded in forming the Etrurian national identity, it deepened the divides and rifts within society, caused immense socio-political upheaval, and despite being on the victorious side and suffering almost 700,000 war dead, Etruria failed to secure a vast majority of its territorial aims, which came to be known as the Grande Tradimento (Great Betrayal). In wake of the diplomatic failure to secure Etrurian gains, with the exception being Tarpeia and an end to Floren claims to the Tinian March, mass riots and often outright lawlessness ensued as the army was de-mobilised. Within weeks of the war's end, the First Republic was forced to embrace a military government with a powerless civilian figurehead.

Democracy was slowly eroded as the military government propagated nationalism, irredentism and the Great Betrayal. The allied failure in the Sarenian Crisis was swiftly blamed on the Republican system and on April 1 1938, the Etrurian military stormed the parliament based in the Palazzo Orsini, executing the entire legislature. On April 10, the military repealed the Constitution and replaced it with the Capitoline Statute, a new constitution that turned Etruria into a single-party totalitarian military dictatorship overnight, officially bringing the First Republic to an end.

Background

The First Republic first found its initial political roots in the National League for Liberty, a secret-society of liberal aristocrats from 1850 until 1888. It eventually grew to become a nationwide movement that encompassed numerous factions and ideologies, that united around the pursuit of a constitutional monarchy and an elected and powerful legislature under the monarch. The League was led by Rodoflo Grasci, a prominent industrialist and liberal thinker. Between 1860 and 1864 he called for reform, and worked tirelessly to protect the League from more extremist elements that were advocating revolution to overthrow the House of Della Rovere.

Rodolfo Grasci is widely considered to be the "grandfather of the republic." His time as Prime Minister (1864-1872) saw him dramatically expand the powers and influence of the elected legislature. However, the passing of King Guilio Vittorio III and the coronation of Guilio Vittorio IV ended Grasci's career and undermined the progess made.

In 1864, Grasci was appointed Prime Minister under Guilio Vittorio III. Working alongside Guilio Vittorio III, Grasci dramatically expanded the powers and responsibilities of the unicameral Senate of Etruria, drawing influence away from the Royal Advisory Council, a body tasked with advising with the King on political and economic matters. The RAC had since its creation in 1742, been dominated by the Piccoli Principi (Little Princes), the landed aristocratic class. The RAC under Guilio Vittorio III, saw Grasci and the NLL as a significant threat to their monopoly of power, and rallied allies and colleagues in the Senate to oppose his government.

The emergence of industry during the 1860s resulted in the steady decline of the ruling Piccoli Principi class, as agriculture diminished as the primary base of the national economy.


Great Collapse and deepening tensions


King Guilio Adriano I would be the last monarch of the Kingdom of Etruria.


Revolution

Constituent Assembly

10 Settembre

History

Consolidation 1917-1920

Golden age 1920-1926

Great War 1926-1935

Decline and collapse 1935-1938

Culture

Economy

Etrurian Colonial Dominions

Reasons for failure