User:Norcandy/Sandbox/Lysander Thomas

The Right Honourable Lysander Thomas CS KGM GWM
Thomas in 1926
18th Premier of the Hope Province
In office 14 December 1936 – 13 February 1939
Governor	Thaddeus Crace
Preceded by	Donald Bexley
Succeeded by	Hendrik de Villiers
Member of the Hope Province Legislative Assembly for Port Hope
In office 22 July 1935 – 13 February 1939
Preceded by	J. M. Barr
Succeeded by	Seat vacant
Personal details
Born	(1899-02-14)February 14, 1899 Tormouth, Hope Province
Died	February 13, 1939(1939-02-13) (aged 39) Provincial House, Burnaby
Cause of death	Assasination
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Alexandra Hepworth-Whykeham (m. 1923)
Children	3
Parent	Sir Gwilym Thomas
Education	Springbank College
Alma mater	St Edward's College, University of Port Hope (LLB) Queen's College, University of Morwall (LLM)
Profession	Lawyer Politician
Military service
Allegiance	Dominion of Satavia
Branch/service	Royal Satavian Navy
Years of service	1927-1935
Rank	Lieutenant commander
Commands	HMSS Bullhorn HMSS Rhea
Battles/wars	Great War Battle of Cape Devon First Battle of the Vehemens Second Battle of the Vehemens Battle of the Bight of Bouley Third Battle of the Vehemens Battle of Roebuck Bay
Awards	King's Gallantry Medal Great War Medal Mentioned in dispatches (2)

Lysander Rupert Gwilym Thomas CS KGM GWM (14 February 1899 – 13 February 1939) was a Satavian politician, lawyer and naval officer who served as the 18th Premier of the Hope Province from December 1936 until his assassination during the February Coup in 1939. Like his father, Sir Gwilym Thomas (who served as Premier of the Hope Province from 1914 to 1920), Thomas was a member of the Liberal Party and served as the leader of the Hope Province Liberal Party whilst he was premier.

Thomas was born in Tormouth, Hope Province to wealthy upper middle class parents. His father, Gwilym Thomas, was a career politician who served as Premier of the Hope Province for six years between 1914 and 1920, and later served as High Commissioner to the Kingdom of Estmere immediately before and during the Great War. Thomas' mother, Violet (neé Norwood) was the daughter of Conservative politician and long-serving Premier Sir Hector Norwood. Thomas was the youngest of six children; he had four older sisters and one older brother, Jack. Thomas was educated at Springbank College and later studied law at the University of Port Hope, and then went on to study for a master's at Queen's College, Morwall. Called to the bar aged 23 in 1922, Thomas began his career as a solicitor at Laterlinks working in Morwall. With the outbreak of the Great War, Thomas returned to Satavia to volunteer in the Royal Satavian Navy, and received his commission in January 1928; he later saw action at the Battle of Cape Devon and saw extensive service throughout the war.

Returning to Satavia upon its liberation in 1935, Thomas stood successfully as the Liberal candidate for the Division of Port Hope in the Hope Province Legislative Assembly. A brilliant orator, and aided by his familial ties, he quickly rose to prominence within the provincial Liberal party and was promoted to Minister for Labour whilst simultaneously holding the office of Attorney General in the cabinet of Donald Bexley. Bexley found himself implicated in the Reigate scandal in late 1936, and, at the behest of his cabinet allies, Thomas launched a leadership challenge which deposed Bexley.

As premier of the Hope Province, Thomas pursued a centrist agenda that left him broadly in agreement with Prime Minister Edward Limes. He focused mainly on reconstruction, as the Hope Province, and particularly Port Hope, had been left devastated by the Great War. Thomas' administration was generally successful to that end, and the Hope Province saw enormous growth, as well as a large influx of migrants leaving Euclea. During the February Coup, to which Thomas was vehemently opposed, Thomas attempted to prevent the Army from taking control of Port Hope, and deployed the Provincial Guard in a desperate attempt to stop the forces of General Harrison from taking Government House; in the ensuing fight over the building, which saw the only major attempt to stop the coup, Thomas was killed by soldiers loyal to Harrison and the National Party, and the remaining provincial guard surrendered shortly after. There is some dispute, and no consensus, as to whether Thomas was still alive when the provincial guard surrendered; soldiers present gave conflicting accounts of whether Thomas was killed in the fighting, or if he was summarily executed after the surrender. Thomas maintains a positive reputation amongst historians and scholars who usually judge his premiership as a success.

Honours

Domestic

• Template:Country data Estmere 1932: King's Gallantry Medal, "for exemplary acts of bravery during the Third Battle of the Vehemens"
• 1936: Great War Medal, "for service in the Armed Forces during the Great War"
• 1937: Companion of the Order of Satavia, "for services to the Royal Satavian Navy, and Hope Province"
• 1976: Companion of the Order of Longwood, "for services to the Hope Province"
• 1976: Hero of the People's Revolution, "for making the ultimate sacrifice in the name of liberty and freedom"

See also

• Gwilym Thomas
• Premier of the Hope Province