History of Glanodel

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The origins of the modern Glanish culture can be traced back to the emergence of the Dalish tribes at the start of the Iron Age which dominated most of the region now known as Glanodel. As a single, unified country, the nation owes its origins to the establishment of the Kingdom of Glanodel in 1158 with the crowning of King Ögri Vænström. From the 14th to the 17th century, the Northern Renaissance shaped much of modern Glanish political, economic, and social ideology. It also led to the emergence of the nascent, liberal-leaning movement which dominated national policy towards the mid-17th century until the Kingdom joined the union of the United Kingdom of Lhedwin alongside the Navack and Crylante.

Lhedwinic occupation of Glanodel ended with the liberation of region by the Grand Alliance in 1899. The subsequent ratifying of the Grundlov (Constitution of Glanodel) on 5 March 1900, established the Commondwealth of Glanodel under a federal presidential form of government. Glanodel faced great challenges immediately following the end of the Great War due to war losses and the intentional stripping of resources and goods from the region by retreating Lhedwinic forces. As a result, a majority of the first half of the 20th century in Glanodel was spent on reconstruction. These efforts were aided by reparations paid out of the Lhedwin Royal Treasury as the Lhedwin government was dissolved, and by aid from Newrey. This period has come to be known as the Reconstruction Era.

The 20th century also saw the rise of the modern Glanish entertainment industry and its modern economy. Glanodel emerged as a dominant manufacturer in the growing world economy throughout the 1930s and 40s. The late 1920s and the 1930s saw the empowerment of unions, numerous economic reforms, and unemployment benefits, as well as publicly-funded pensions, universal health care, and greater investments in both public and private education.

The 21st century saw the rise of Glanodel as major power in Lhedwinic foreign affairs and a minor power within Asuran politics. Since the nation's rise to economic power in the 1990s, Glanodel has held a consistent place as having the highest per capita income in the world and one of the most economically competitive nations in the world. Economic reforms throughout the early 21st century also led to the gradual decline in the tax burden of the population and has led to a growth in private consumer spending. Glanodel has also emerged as a primary contributor to the Drago Entente's northern missions, along side Newrey, and is a key proponent of the formation of a Lhedwin Union and the merging of the Drago Entente and Asuran Community.


Prehistory

Related article: Lhedwinic prehistory
The oldest known Glanish petroglyphs dating back to the 9th millennia BCE, carved into the walls of Hafrhell, a system of underground caverns extending from the coast of the Sørland-Østbjorth border to Ellesø, Særland.

The Late Palaeolithic was immediately followed by the first phase of the Mesolithic in c. 9,600 BCE. An important consequence of de-glaciation was a continual land uplift as the Earth's crust rebounded from the pressure exerted by the ice. This process, which was originally very rapid, continues to this day. It has had the consequence that originally shore-bound sites along much of Glanodel's coast are sorted chronologically by elevation. This age gave rise to the region's first small bands of hunter-gatherer-fishers with microlithic flint technology. Where flint was not readily available, quartz and slate were used. Around the c. 5th millennium BCE, semi-permanent fishing settlements with pottery and large inhumation cemeteries appeared.

Farming and animal husbandry, along with monumental burial, polished flint axes, and decorated pottery, arrived from the mainland with the Funnelbeaker Culture in c. 4,000 BCE. Within two centuries, much of the area became dotted with megalithic tombs. However, the majority of the mountainous, Eastern and far Northern territories retained an essentially Mesolithic lifestyle into the first millennium BCE. Coastal settlements, likewise, reverted from neolithisation to a hunting and fishing economy after only a few centuries with the emergence of the Pitted Ware Culture. In c. 2,800 BCE the Funnel Beaker Culture was replaced by the Battle Axe Culture, which coexisted alongside the coastal, Pitted Ware Culture until c. 2,400 BCE, when they merged into a Late Neolithic culture.

The Bronze Age in Glanodel began in c. 1,700 BCE with the start of bronze importation from mostly North Asura. Copper mining was never tried locally during this period and tin deposits are not found in Glanodel, so the majority of metal needed to be imported. This period was entirely pre-urban with most of the population living in small hamlets and farmsteads with only a single-story wooden longhouse. Signs of social stratification first appear during the early Bronze Age with the appearance of rich individual burials.

A correlation between battle-worn weapons found in burials and the health status of deceased's bones indicate a link between one's social states and membership of the warrior class. These findings have led archaeologists to believe that these early cultures may have adopted meritocratic social hierarchies based on martial skill. Through this skill, the elite of society most likely built its position on control of trade. Abundant rock carvings largely portray long rowing ships, appearing to allude both to trade voyages and to mythological concepts. Areas with rich bronze finds and areas with rich rock art occur separately, suggesting that the latter may represent an affordable alternative to the former.

Bronze Age religion as depicted in rock art centers upon the sun, fertility and public ritual. Wetland sacrifices played an important role. The later part of the period after about 1,100 BCE shows many changes: cremation replaced inhumation in burials, burial investment declined sharply and jewellery replaced weaponry as the main type of sacrificial goods. The end of this period saw the emergence of the Dalish culture (Proto-Lhedwinic: Dalings; tr. "people of the Dales" or "people of the valley"), the precursors to the modern Glens and the Glanish culture.

Dalish people

Main article: Dalish people
Hauk's Stones is a stone ship located about 30 kilometers south of Mogeltonder, Østbjorth in Glanodel constructed around 630 BCE, making it the oldest stone ship in Glanodel.

The Dalish Iron Age is generally recognized as occurring between 500 BCE and 1,100 CE. Most of the period is proto-historical. Most sources regarding the Glanish Iron Age are from Fiorentine contemporaries.

By the 5th century BCE, austere burial customs resulted in few formal burials and few grave goods being left for the that were performed. Social stratification seems sparse during this period and bronze importation completely ceased as iron production dominated. The introduction of iron working techniques during this period saw vast improvements in the living conditions of native cultures in what is now Glanodel. Iron was stronger and more plentiful than bronze in the Lhedwinic region, and its introduction marked the beginning of the Iron Age in Lhedwin. Iron working revolutionized many aspects of life, most importantly agriculture. Iron tipped ploughs could turn soil more quickly and deeply than older wooden or bronze ones, and iron axes could clear forest lane more efficiently for agriculture. There was a landscape of arable pasture and managed woodland thoughout much of southeast and central Glanodel. There were many enclosed settlements and land ownership became important. Primarily in response to the encroaching military presence of the Fiorentine Empire which had come to dominate the majority of mainland Asura, the population was forced to rapidly modernize their navy to repel invasions.

The 2nd century BCE saw an increase in urn cremation cemeteries and weapon burials with large above-ground stone markers, creating a monumental cemetery record that persisted, unbroken until the end of the Iron Age. These cemeteries are by far the most common type of visible ancient monuments in Glanodel and throughout Lhedwin. This re-emergence of weapon burial suggests an increase in social stratification similar to that of the Bronze Age.

Beginning in the 2nd century CE, agricultural land was parceled up with low stone walls, dividing the land into permanent infields and meadows for winter fodder, and wooded outland for cattle grazing. Hillforts, mostly simple structures on mountaintops designed as refuges during attacks, became common toward the end of this period. About this time, a major shift in the material culture of Lhedwin occurred, reflecting increased contact with the Fiorentine Empire. Imported goods, now largely bronze drinking gear, reappear in burials. Following the collapse of the Empire, larger settlements along the coasts began expanding, using vessels which had originally served to defend Dalish lands to gain influence throughout Lhedwinic waterways during the 5th and 6th century. Trade routes out of Glanodel soon stretched throughout much of the archipelago.

Consolidation of Glanish territories

Main article: Glanish Monarchy
Related article: Truathism
The Ögri stone, or Ögristen, is a runestone carved around the end of the 10th century, dedicated to the first King of Glanodel, Ögri.

Prior to the 9th century, Dalish territories were divided into small chiefdoms ruled by jarls and are mainly known from legends and scattered sources from mainland Asura. This period also saw a noticeable increase in maritime trade (especially fur and timber) emerged. The increased focus on sea-based trade by the states along the eastern coast of modern Glanodel is primarily attributed to the fact that calmer channel waterways were easier to travel than much of the dense forests of inland Glanodel or the large, rigid mountains which separated Glanodel from most of its neighbors. As a result, most historians trace Glanish naval traditions to this period, as well.

Trade out of Eastern Glanodel generally focused on ports along the northern coasts of Asura, most notably being the numerous, coastal petty kingdoms of modern tir Lhaeraidd and the small tribal kingdoms of what is now Newrey. Several trade expeditions also reached as far east as the Slavurosiyans peoples (the precursors to the modern Navorgskans). Limitations imposed by continual, seasonal freezing of the northern waterways prevented most large scale sea-based trade in Western Glanodel and as a result, land routes remained dominate in these regions. By the 11th century, the region of Glanodel had been consolidated into a handful of self-governing provinces.

Historians generally accept Ögri Vænström as the first to possess the title of King of the Glens (c. 1158 CE). A title which he acquired mostly through peaceful means. The Vænström family had accumulated considerable wealth through sea-trade based out of the city which would come to bear their name, as well as serve as the capital of the nation, Vænholm. Most historians attribute the Vænströms' political success to their practice of collective pursuits, that is, pursuing greater influence as a group of conspirators. Whether this assessment is fair or accurate is still a matter of debate.

A photo of the front and back of the earliest coins minted by the Royal Treasury of Glanodel, modeled after the Lhaeraidh coin.

Despite the establishment of a monarchy in 1158, most contemporaries refer to Glanodel as an "anarchic society". Glanodel remained relatively decentralized in comparison to many Asuran nations and power did not reside exclusively with the aristocracy. Perhaps more accurately, political power and influence arose from the support of the landowners beneath the nobility of a province. As a result, political and military action was heavily swayed by public opinion and most provinces and even individual cities frequently exercised near-autonomy. In addition, Glanish nobility regularly gathered to discuss matters of law with the monarch. This unofficial practice continued throughout the 13th and 14th centuries and came to be referred to as the Landsmót (tr. Landsmeet; literally "meeting of the lands"). It would later be made official in the 15th century and serve as the basis for the region's first parliament.

This period also gave rise to stronger and more formalized ties between the state and religion in Glanodel. Adopted in 1247 following Navish proselytizing of the Glanish population, King Gærhialm established the Royal Truathist Church of Glanodel. With steady income in the form of tithes, which had been made compulsory for all nobility in 1254 by order of King Ögri, most of Glanodel's major cities came to erect their own cathedral. By the 14th century, the Truathist Church had become one of the most important and well-funded institutions in the country. Beginning in 1280, smaller communities outside of major cities, organizing mostly through local parishes, pooled their limited resources to establish a larger Truathist presence within their communities, eventually giving rise to monasticism. Initially serving as small communes which aided the poor, caring for the ill, and in some cases, record keeping for cities and nobles, as well as wealthier citizens, monasteries eventually became centers of commerce and trade within Glanish society and their members made up the majority of the literate population from the 13th to the 15th century. As a result, monastery and cathedral courtyards soon became hubs of activity in most cities and towns throughout Glanodel and the primary setting for official functions and events.

Early Modern era

Main article: Northern Renaissance
Originally serving as the Royal Concert Hall of the Glanish Kingdom, located in Old Town Vænholm, Musikhuset Andresen (Andresen Music Hall) is the oldest concert hall in Glanodel, completed in 1697.

With the beginning of the 16th century, Glanodel, alongside most of Asura, experienced a period of cultural, social, economic, and technological innovation as the region was rapidly brought into the Modern Era and new political philosophies, social classes, and economic systems gained popular support among an increasingly educated population. Now referred to as the Northern Renaissance, contrasted by a similar period experienced by Asuran nations on the mainland at the same time, its start in Glanodel is attributed to a few primary factors.

Although feudalism was already minimal within Glanish society by 14th century, it had been effectively abolished by the end of the 15th century, due to the increasing use of money as a medium of exchange, an increase in absolutism (centralized monarchic rule), the decline of feudal armies due to military technological innovations like gunpowder, and a general increase in agricultural productivity due to improving farming technology and methods.

While most of the artistic aspects of the Northern Renaissance initially centered around religious expression (Truathism), the mid-16th century saw the rise of more secular institutions and beliefs. Humanism, perhaps the most significant, would lay the philosophical grounds for much of the art, music, and science from the latter half of the Northern Renaissance in Glanodel. Quicker and more effective transmission of ideas and information was also facilitated by the introduction of the printing press. Patronage also saw a marked increase in frequency during this period and most early Glanish artwork, literature, and musical works, as well as the majority of Glanish social and political philosophies originate from this period. Merchants and Glanish nobility regularly enlisted the services of local artists or musicians to give the impression of cultural sophistication, as was the case in many Lhedwinic nations during the renaissance.

Glanish Liberalism

Oskar Fischer's 1634 depiction of King Peter II (bottom left) signing the Law of Governance in front of Lukas Ohlson (top left), representative of masonry guild of Vænholm, and Gudhlek Lagerlof (right), one of the most influential merchants of the late Renaissance.

Prior to the 14th century, Glanish desires for freedom and individual liberty engendered a laissez-faire attitude towards most public affairs; however, most historians believe this was perpetuated by the aristocracy in an effort to reduce the over all financial burden of maintaining a local guard. Additionally, Glanish law had been relatively unregulated compared to that of many neighboring kingdoms and was expected on an individual level to be supplemented by one's personal martial prowess. Petty crime like theft was overlooked by city guards, whose main concern was usually protecting their posts. Consequently, the common citizen wouldn't have expected much help fending off criminal activity unless murder or major property damage had occurred. This changed at the beginning of the 15th century when local governments comprised of elected officials became increasingly more common, especially in major cities along the coasts. These city councils, referred to as things, eventually dominated local politics and in time, local aristocracies became irrelevant.

Commerce was given little official scrutiny as long as taxes were paid and businesses such as brothels and gambling halls were not only tolerated, but expected. Laws regulating personal behavior such as bearing arms, drinking, gambling, and prostitution, also never gained much support among the average citizen, laws pertaining to prisons and law enforcement, economic freedom, and the protection of private property for commoners became important local concerns. Punishment for a crime had, until then, been quick and violent, which was preferred by the nobility to avoid the costs of long-term imprisonment. Common methods included public humiliation, flogging, disfigurement, fines, and executions. With local governments under the influence of the common citizen, however, local taxes could be diverted toward long-term imprisonment and eventual reintroduction to society.

By the 17th century, a nascent liberal movement among the population gained clout as many of the major cities and thus, the largest economies within the kingdom became dominated by stjórnkarl (tr. "common rule), primarily through the dominance of things. This essentially referred to the fact that most local governments were now composed of elected commoners and only the most influential aristocrat held public authority, usually serving as a governor to officiate certain ordinances that only they were authorized to do under Glanish Law. Finally in March of 1621, a group of the most powerful merchants in Glanodel, along with representatives from several of the largest guilds in the country, forced their way into the royal castle to gain recognition for commoners on the national level in political affairs. The result would be the Grundlov ("Supreme Law"), a law establishing the deliberative council of the Landsmót (or Landsmeet; literally meaning "meeting of the lands"), which would hold officials both from the noble and the common class.

United Kingdom of Lhedwin

Related article: United Kingdom of Lhedwin
A depiction of the 1658 Vænholm Revolts by Newreyan painter Georg Olesen.

In 1645, the moderate popularity gained by the Glanish liberal movement was effectively halted by the accession of Prince Bendt III. Despite widespread disapproval from the public, as well as several of the nobility who feared possible revolt, King Brendt's first action upon taking the throne was to repeal the Grundlov and enact several laws to emphasize the rule of the crown. The exact restrictions imposed by these new laws varied but were primarily centered around harsh restrictions on who could hold public office and reestablishing the supremacy of the nation's nobility and monarchy.

In 1652, civil unrest had reached a boiling point and small, local revolts became increasingly common in many of the nation's largest cities. By 1655, King Brendt was forced to establish martial law throughout several metropolitan areas as worker strikes, civil protests, and even violent rebellions spread throughout the nation, effectively crippling the region's economy. With few options, the monarchy was forced to enlist the assistance of the United Kingdom of Lhedwin, an emerging regional power created from the union of the Crylante and the Navack established primarily in response to ongoing conflicts with tir Lhaeraidd. Once an agreement between the waning Glanish monarchy and the United Kingdom had been reached, Lhedwin forces violently and quickly struck down the rebellions, re-establishing order.

Most historians attribute the intervention of the United Kingdom as the only reason the Glanish monarchy was preserved. Over the next three decades, the UKL would assert increasingly heavier influence over the Glanish monarchy. Using the Kingdom's reliance on UKL forces to maintain order, the monarchy of Lhedwin managed to pressure the Glanish monarchy into numerous concessions. The most notable would come in 1684 when King Brendt was forced to signed the Lhedwin Compact, officially recognizing the Crown of Glanodel as a kingdom within the Lhedwinic Empire.

File:Glanodel-POW Camp.jpg
A photograph of the Lhedwinic labor camp just outside Filholm, Siwald.

The 18th century saw a gradual decline in the level of civil unrest throughout Glanodel, an occurrence that historians generally attribute to changing demographics. As the older generations which had lived during the liberal movement died, and the newer generations came of age, public memory of an increasingly limited monarchy faded. This decline led to the gradual withdrawal of the Lhedwin occupying forces from the region, which would be replaced with a Lhedwin-appointed, Governor-General in 1818 to act as the "Official Representative of the Imperial Monarchy". The Governor-General was granted sweeping authority and could, by order of the Lhedwin Monarchy, act in the Glanish King's stead in almost all matters of state.

Glanodel experienced rapid, forced industrialization through the Governorship's elevation of industrialists who were sympathetic to Lhedwin and during the 19th century, Glanodel was transformed from a cultural hub of artistic expression and social innovation into an industrial center and manufacturing hub. Assisted by the Lhedwin secret police, work camps also become common throughout Glanodel in order to imprison anyone who publicly opposed Lhedwinic rule. These camps, which quickly suffered from drastic deterioration in living conditions throughout their operation, were designed to use political opponents as free labor and were modeled after penal colonies. In April of 1866, the Lhedwin military police began quietly rounding up nobility and other public officials in Glanodel who were suspected of not supporting Lhedwinic rule in an event now known as the April Massacre. While extensive efforts were made to hide the plot from the public, the truth surfaced in May and was immediately followed by public outcry.

The Great War

Main article: Great War
Glens being examined by Lhedwin medical officers for eligibility for conscription.

Glanish participation in the Great War was involuntary and almost entirely opposed by the Glanish public. With the nation quickly descending into rebellion, the Lhedwinic government declared martial law throughout the region in December of 1895.

In November of 1896, the royal decree referred to as the Glanish Support Proclamation would be signed by Karl VIII, the King of Lhedwin, and the Prime Minister of Lhedwin, Gustav Maskensson which enacted a nation wide conscription across Glanodel, forcibly enlisting roughly 375,000 Glanish citizens into the United Kingdom's Royal Army. This, as well as the April Massacre, are considered the primary inspiration for the formation of the Glanish Resistance. While most public officials loyal to Glanodel over Lhedwin had been imprisoned or executed, a small group of former politicians and military leaders who had sought refuge in Newrey, established what came to be known as the Glanish government-in-exile. From their headquarters in Newrey, they organized the resistance and attracted people from all walks of life and types of political views. A major problem for the Resistance, however, was that with the exception of a handful of Newreyan nationals who were sent to assist the resistance, none had any military experience. In 1898, a Glanish military tactician referred to by his peers as simple the "General" (real name: Vidar Clausen) assumed command of the Glanish Resistance and coordinated efforts to combat martial law in Glanodel.

File:Glanodel-Resistance2.jpg
Newly trained, Glanish Resistance soldiers receiving instruction from a volunteer military instructor from the Newreyan military.

Liberation of prisoners held in labor camps were the first priority of the Resistance, to increase their forces. In Graylund, Østbjorth on the eastern coast of Glanodel on 19 November 1898, the resistance would force their way past the Lhedwin military police and within a matter of 29 hours, overtake the city before Lhedwin reinforcements could dispatch reinforcements. Once the city was taken and those in the labor camps freed, the city would quickly be turned into the resistance's main headquarters.

This location served as the main planning area for the resistance throughout the remainder of the Great War. Taking control of the city also enabled the resistance to use the sea. With most of Lhedwin's naval forces concentrated on dealing with external conflicts, little could be done to mount a naval-based offensive against the resistance occupied port. This port also granted enemies of the Lhedwinic Empire access to the islands and a gateway into mounting a ground-based offensive. Mostly utilized by Newreyan forces, the port quickly became a hub for military forces fighting against the United Kingdom.

On the last day of 1899, Lhedwin officially surrendered to the Grand Alliance. As part of the treaty which brought an permanent end to the Great War, Glanodel was given independence as part of a "United Kingdom Breakup" clause which dissolved the United Kingdom's government and granted most of it's constituent states independence while prohibiting the formation of a union in the future. In January of 1900, Glanodel was officially restored.

20th century

File:Glanodel-Post war celebration.jpg
Glens waving Glanish flags in celebration of Lhedwinic surrender in 1899.

Glanodel emerged from the Great War to face a series of political, social, and economic problems. Immediately following the end of the war, the first priority of the Glanish provisional government was to arrest and put on trial nearly 40,000 Glens suspected of collaboration with and support for the Lhedwinic Empire. Between 19-28 January 1900, military leaders from Glanodel and Newrey, among others, presided over a series of military tribunals which led to the prosecution of around 13,000 of those arrested for their participation in the forced labor camps in Glanodel and other "violations of human rights". 113 of which received a death sentence. The trials were held in the city of Graylund, Glanodel and are now referred to as the Graylund Trials.

After the conclusion of the trials, the second priority of the provisional government, led by General Claus Berthelsen, a general within the Glanish Resistance, and Provisional Director Alex Åberg, the de facto head of government for the Glanish government-in-exile, was the reestablishment of a Glanish government. On 5 March 1900, the ratification of the Second Glanish Constitution established the Commondwealth of Glanodel under a federal presidential form of government controlled by a series of coalitions.

Due to its abundant natural resources and Lhedwin's forced industrialization movement from 1854 to 1873, Glanodel experienced rapid industrialization between the 1850s and 1880s. Glanodel also served as the main industrial center of the Lhedwinic war machine throughout the Great War. At the end of the war, however, millions of people were homeless, the Glanish economy had collapsed, and much of its industrial infrastructure had been destroyed. Thanks to bombardment from Grand Alliance fleets, especially Newreyan fleets, the Glanish economy was still well below its pre-war level and signs of growth were sparce. Agricultural production was 78% of pre-war levels, industrial production was barely 42%, and exports only 59%. Inland territories were not as severe.

Reconstruction era

Related article: Aftermath of the Great War
File:Glanodel-Postwar Industrialization.jpg
An artist's depiction of postwar re-industrialization from a newspaper article in 1916.

The reconstruction efforts began shortly after a series of aid and reparations were paid to Glanodel at the beginning of the century. In addition to reparations of roughly $400 million paid by Lhedwin throughout the two year process of dissolving the United Kingdom's government, Glanodel's recovery also, in part, supported by Newrey via the Newreyan-Glanish Recovery Program which involved nearly $200 million in aid from the government of Newrey. These funds were used for importing goods from abroad. Starting from May of 1900, these imports were mainly much-needed staples such as food and fuel, but later the purchases turned towards reconstruction needs. A large amount of the raw materials and equipment needed as reconstruction began were obtained as Lhedwin's military, industrial products, and factories were dismantled and distributed among the Grand Alliance members throughout 1900 and 1901.

As the Glanish economy began showing signs of stable and sustainable recovery, the Glanish government began diverting portions of their aid into counterpart funds to establish reserves of domestic currency. According to ECA rules 60% of these funds had to be invested in industry. These funds played a crucial role in lending money to private enterprises which would spend the money rebuilding. These funds played a central role in the re-industrialization of Glanodel. The companies were obligated to repay the loans to the government, and the money would then be lent out to another group of businesses.

File:Glanodel-National personification.jpg
A statue of Moder Glanska (Mother of Glens) positioned atop the former Glanish Supreme Court building, now the Presidential Library. This statue is believed to have served as the basis for the construction of the Frihedsstatuen (Statue of Liberty).

1901 to 1923 saw the fastest period of growth in Glanish history. Industrial production increased by 35%. Agricultural production substantially surpassed pre-war levels. The poverty and starvation of the immediate postwar years disappeared, and Glanodel embarked upon an unprecedented two decades of growth that saw standards of living increase dramatically. There is some debate among historians over how much this should be credited to the Recovery Program. Most reject the idea that it alone miraculously revived Glanodel, although most believe that the Program did expedite this recovery, considerably. Most historians do agree that the political effects of the Program were more far reaching. Recovery Program aid allowed the fledgling Commondwealth to relax austerity measures and rationing, reducing discontent and bringing political stability. Most consider this to be the main factor in reducing communist influence in Glanodel. The trade relations fostered by the Program also helped forge Newreyan-Glanish foreign relations, who in 1900 established one of the oldest, continuing defense pacts still in existence.

It was also during Glanodel's postwar re-industrialization that the modern Glanish entertainment industry first emerged. In 1910, the Ottesen Filmography Company was founded by the inventor of the first motion camera, Stig Ottesen. The company later fell under the leadership of Nicklas Birch who would innovate the first commercial uses sound film. Hanson Group, the largest recording studio in Glanodel and one of the largest in the world, would also be founded in the 1920s by Bothilde Hanson. Many other entertainment industry-oriented companies would emerge during this time as well, such as Axel Pictures, Kirk Records, Philms Motion Pictures, Betagende Photography, and Glimrende Company. The rise of the Glanish entertainment industries during this time is mainly attributed to the reemergence of patronage which resulted from an increasing desire among the Glanish population for a return to the former glory of the Glanish Renaissance. These industries continued to flourish due to the rapid expansion of the Glanish economy which followed over the next decade.

Contemporary Glanodel

File:Glanodel-Female Pres2.jpg
President Margrete Thrane, the first female president of Glanodel, being escorted to her seat to view a Newreyan military ceremony.

Throughout the rest of the 20th century, Glanish politics became dominated by two major parties, the Liberal People's Party and Conservative Democratic Party, with fluctuating support among smaller parties. As the overall tax burden on the public rose between the 1920s and 30s, economic growth slowed but standards of living modernized and progressive policies dominated legislation throughout the rest of the 20th century. The late 1920s and the 1930s saw the empowerment of unions, numerous economic reforms, and unemployment benefits, as well as publicly-funded pensions, universal health care, and greater investments in both public and private education. These investments, as well as the restructuring of the tax system coupled with an effective model for redistribution of wealth resulted in high levels of income equality, per capita income, social mobility, and high human development. With the country's industrial base mostly restored, Glanodel emerged as a dominant manufacturer in the growing world economy throughout the 1940s and 50s.

The 1960s saw one of the largest expansions of the entertainment industry in Glanodel; and the establishment of the Glanish Film Institute, Glanish Opera Company, the Glanish Exhibitions, National Glanish Dance Studios, and the Glanish Architectural Institute saw the rise of state funding for the arts in Glanodel. In 1962, Ottesen Filmography was renamed Ottesen Studios after the construction of a massive filming studio was completed in the city of Blåby in south Østbjorth. At the same time, paperwork estalishing Ottesen Studios as a subsidiary of the Glanish, multinational, entertainment company, Inspirekom. During the mid-60s, Hanson Group expanded into numerous countries, establishing new record labels throughout most of Asura and parts of Engortia, Rennekka, and Vestrim. In 1967, Axel Pictures and Philms Motion Pictures merged to form Axel Films, becoming the second largest film studio in Glanodel, and one of the largest in the world. The late 60s and early 70s also saw the rise of Glanodel's extensive tourism industry which by the turn of the 21st century grossed over 4% of the nation's economy.

File:Glanodel-Offshore Oil Rig.jpg
Innovations in offshore oil drilling played a key role in the expansion of the post-war Glanish economy.

While the late 60s also saw the emergence of the state oil company, Regoil, oil production did not provide net income until the early 1980s because of the large capital investment that was required to establish the country's petroleum industry. Around 1975, both the proportion and absolute number of workers in industry peaked. Since then labor-intensive industries and services like factory mass production and shipping have largely been automated, or in a few cases outsourced.

The 1990s saw the longest economic expansion in modern Glanish history, especially when the communications infrastructure was equipped to provide internet. Beginning in 1994, Glanodel entered into numerous trade pacts with over 20 other nations throughout the world, the goal being to eliminate trade and investment barriers among the countries with whom Glanodel traded the most; trade among the partners has soared since these agreements went into force. Numerous international finance and economist magazines rank Glanodel as one of the largest economies in the world. At the turn of the 21st century, Inspirekom became the largest, multinational, entertainment company in the world and has since established more filming studios in more countries than any other.