History of Vinalia

The history of Vinalia

Pre-Classical Vinakian (800 BCE - 10 CE)

Early Pre-Classical (800 BCE - 400 BCE)

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Pre-History

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600 BCE

500 BCE

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400 BCE

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350 BCE

Colonial Vinalia (1565-1865)

Ten Year's War (1700-1721)

Joint Soravian-Gaullican-Paretian squadron during the decisive Battle of the Arucian in 1719

Although the border between Vinalia and Novo Poveja had been established in 1568. However colonists usually crossed the Chyhyryn river to hunt for furs, and seek out timber on the northern parts of the river. Some Soravian colonists had made their way into Novo Poveja as early as 1650, illegally settling in the sparsely populated region. Although initially Povelian authorities sought to stop this, they increasingly struggled with preventing Soravian illegal entry and settlement on their territory. Catherinsk had become by the 1680 a major port for Vinalia, and following an agreement in 1683, Povelians were allowed to export goods from Catherinsk free of duties, they would also return fleeing slaves and serfs to Vinalia. In exchange Soravian settlers south of the river, would be "tolerated", on the condition they converted to Catholicism and paid their taxes. Soravian settlers on the northern areas of Novo Poveja were virtually untouched as authorities had little in the way of enforcing the agreement. Soravian settlement and entry into Novo Poveja increased in the 1690s, leading Povelian settlers to oppose and threaten the new foreign settlers. Both sides began to launch raids across the river, the use of Zapoyan allies by both sides increased tensions on each side of the river.

A raid by Vinalian settlers and Zapoyan allies numbering upwards of 500 men, was launched in 1705. Olenkov's Raid as it was called, resulted in the burning and plunder of numerous towns and villages upstream from the coast. The raid enraged Povelian authorities, who provided for the construction of forts and other installations near {{wp|Ford_(crossing)|fords]] on the river. Frederick I seizing the opportunity, deployed 2,000 men to the Chyhyryn river, to prevent further Vinalian raids south, but also to enforce Soravian power to Povelia. Although the raids ended, Vinalian planters began to call for a general conflict with Povelia, to expand Vinalia. Frederick I was interested in expanding Vinalia into the sugar rich lands south of the Chyhyryn, while also providing Catherinsk, now Vinalia's 3rd largest city, and port much needed protection. Frederick oversaw major expansion and growth in the Soravian Arucian Squadron, which expanded greatly to counter Povelian and Gaullican ambitions in the Arucian. Vinalia also began constructing forts on its side of the river, to counter Povelia.

Conflict erupted in Euclea in 1711 with the Ten Year's War. The conflict saw the major powers of Asterias roped into a great conflict by alliances, and regional rivalries. Soravia found itself in the Asterias in conflict with Povelia and Estmere, which held colonies in the Arucian, and the western part of the Asterias. Vinalia mobilized for the conflict with eagerness, and Vinalian militias and Soravian regulars quickly overpowered Povelian forces on the Chyhyryn, and occupied both sides of the river banks. Povelian slaves were quickly transferred north, and Vinalian forces awaited further instructions. Morale and eagerness in Vinalia, resulted in the selling of "Conquered" land in Novo Poveja. Some Vinalian planters were so eager, that they acquired land as far south as Rémont which they were confident would be granted to Vinalia following the victory of Soravia. At sea, Soravian ships were able to engage the dispersed Povelian ships in numerous skirmishes, successfully blockading Nassea in modern Gapolania, and the Povelian fleet inside. Soravian Privateers terrorized Povelian and Estmerish holdings, with Soravian ships recorded to have bombarded Cuanstad on February 1712. Povelian ships had used the rough seas around the Arucian to unite their scattered forces and drive out the Soravian fleet, which now was dispersed between blockades in Nassea, Remont, and the Arucian. On April 19th, Povelian forces engaged Soravian forces during the battle of the Cubulco Gulf, the battle ended in a Soravian rout, as Soravian ships quickly retreated from their positions to return to Kisharsk. Povelian ships scoured the Arucian for Soravian forces, but could not successfully engage them in battle.

With the Soravian fleet forced to Kisharsk, Povelia and Estmere prepared a combined fleet to blockade, along with an army to take over Kisharsk. An army of 5,000 Povelian soldiers, along with colonial militias, and Zapoyan soldiers set forth from Porto Sotiri to invade mainland Vinalia. Following rough seas throughout the winter of 1713, the Povelian fleet was forced to break off its blockade of Kisharsk, allowing Soravian ships to escape Kisharsk and trail the Povelian fleet, unbeknown to them Estmerish forces were heading to join them. Soravian ships engaged the combined fleet in the Battle of the Strait of Secanton in February 1714, having walked into an ambush, the Soravian fleet was nearly completely destroyed. Povelian and Estmerish ships arrived off of Kisharsk and proceeded to blockade the island on March 15th 1714. An Estmerish army of 2,000 was to be landed on the island on April 28th, Estmerish and Vinalian forces fought for control of the island, before the island surrendered on the 9th of May. Facing a stronger Povelian force, Soravian forces retreated from the Chyhyryn river, and engaged the Povelian invaders in various skirmishes between February and June, but were unable to prevent the encirclement and eventual fall of Catherinsk on January 1715. Vinalian forces engaged Povelia throughout 1715, and 1716 but were unable to prevent the fall of most of South Vinalia, and New Samistopol on August 1716.

The entry of Gaullica, and Paretia into the conflict in 1717, provided relief to the colonists. Gaullican ships engaged Povelian ships throughout the Asterias, forcing Povelia and Estmere to end the blockade of Vinalia. By 1718, a major Soravian fleet had arrived to Orlavo, as it signaled the return of Soravia to the Asterias, 5,000 soldiers were unloaded on Orlavo, allowing Vinalia to launch a major offensive against Povelian forces, which had retreated west to engage Paretian forces. Gaullica and Paretia desired to engage Povelia and Estmere in battle, but were unable to decisively engage them throughout 1717, and 1718. The fleets from all 3 nations entered the Arucian sea on early March 1719, prompting the joint Povelian-Estmerish squadron to engage Soravian forces first. The Battle of the Arucian was the largest naval battle in the Asterias up to that moment, and involved the great Asterian forces of all 5 nations. The battle ended in an Estmerish and Povelian defeat, with the Povelian fleet escaping to Novo Poveja, and the Estmerish fleet being completely destroyed. Soravian forces had freed all of Vinalia by June 1720, allowing them to briefly invade Novo Poveja. Paretia and Soravia had agreed in 1717 that Ardesia south of the Meka river was to be granted to Paretia, with everything north granted to Vinalia. The end of the war in 1721, saw Vinalia expand to the Meka River, and established Soravia as a global superpower.

Sugar explosion (1721-1800)

Bahian and Zapoyan workers in a sugar curing house in Kisharsk

Vinalia enjoyed following the aftermath a period of great growth. Former Ardesian slaves were brought to large sugar and tobacco plantations throughout the country, and agricultural production reached an all time high. Soravian sugar and tobacco now competed with Estmerish and Gaullican agricultural products in Euclea, driving up prices back in Vinalia. As slave and indentured servant plantations in Vinalia grew increasingly in size, smaller scale operations primarily operating on Soravian serfs, and free men were greatly forced outside of profitable sugar and tobacco ventures. These small landowners increasingly moved into other crops such as Cotton, Kokhineal, Corn, Beans, and Wheat which relied on less labor. Vinalian planters began importing in great quantities Bahian slaves. The Enslaved People's Code (Kodeks Ponevolenykh Lyudey; Кодекс поневолених людей) or Slave Codes. Established the legal framework for Soravian Bahian slavery in 1727, it defined slaves as property at the will of their owner, while also establishing all the offspring of slaves as slaves themselves. The Codes legally separated all 3 classes of servitude in the country, as indentured indigenous servants were granted different rights and privileges, while indentured white servants were allowed greater freedoms but were still not guaranteed free autonomy. This agricultural expansion reached its peak when in 1760 sugar exports from the island of Kisharsk were valued more than the total export of Chistovodia.

General discontent with Euclean colonisation had recently led other colonies into revolt, this along with revolution in Euclea, and abolitionist sentinment in Ardesia worried the elite of Vinalian planters. The 1773 Khmelnytskyi revolt in Chistovodia, worried Soravian authorities which feared similar events in Vinalia, the revolt brought renewed attention to Vinalia by Soravian authorities. Although initially welcomed, growing abolitionist sentiment and the threat of slave rebellion worried authorities. Such worries were realized when on March 1779, some 40 Bahian and Zapoyan slaves in a plantation on the Chyhyryn river revolted. Although easily quelled, the revolt was highly publicized although slave displeasure was not uncommon the alliance between Bahian slaves and Zapoyan indentured servants worried many. The introduction of Indigo to Vinalia in 1763 allowed small scale farmers to enter into a quickly growing market, this along with the slow scale down of tobacco production north of the Bin river in favor of Kokhineal, Corn, and Wheat moved the center of power in Vinalia south of the Bin river. Velkarichka became in 1782 the new capital of the Vinalian colony, taking the position from Orlavo. Velkarichka became a commerce hub, based on the Chyhyryn it had only existed for only 80 years yet it had become the center of the growing Soravian Sugar empire.

As Euclean calls for Bahian abolition grew throughout the world, Vinalian planters remained ironed to their positions, fearing a general Soravian outlaw of Bahian slavery and serfdom. The Soravian Empire suffered a major famine in 1797, usually stated as the beginning of the end for the empire. The famine began a period of migration into the colony, as indentured servants and free men flooded Vinalia, calls for abolition grew both in Velkarichka and Samistopol, as many saw slaves as furthering large plantations and hoarding land from former indentured servants and free men. In 1800 Soravia outlawed the importation of slaves, ending Vinalias role in the Transvehemens slave trade, this compromised satisfied Vinalian planters who now began to take advantage of the thousands of Soravian serfs arriving to the country. Colonial violent opposition which had seen many rumor a possible colonial revolution lay quiet when in 1812, Soravia silently outlawed Bahian slavery. Many former slaves were forced into indentured servitude akin to those offered to Zapoyans and Úuchmáans already. This along with the sell of indentured servant contracts from Chistovodia allowed Vinalia to continue its agricultural production.

Late Colonial Vinalia (1721-1800)

As Soravian influence and power declined, Vinalia increasingly traded away from Soravia with Vinalian grown, packaged, and sold sugar being sold in Euclea. The use of indentured servants allowed Vinalian sugar to once again outcompete its rivals in the continent. Chistovodia which had begun to industrialize in 1830 increasingly relied on Cotton, large scale plantations and small landowners had begun to slowly grow Cotton since the invention of the Cotton gin in the 1790's primarily for export to Euclea. Chistovodian textile mills began buying Vinalian cotton in great quantities, and Vinalian sugar which had peaked in 1829, began a slow decline as cotton production took hold of the country primarily north of the Bin river. Soravia which had seen its stability challenged at home, increasingly granted autonomy to its colonial authorities, and relaxed restrictions on trade and commerce. Vinalian elites saw the turmoil in newly independent Ardesia as a warning not to pursue independence specially in the face of lessening restrictions, and greater autonomy.

Republic of Vinalia (1885-1935)

Kokhineal майно near New Samistopol in 1895

The Bloody decade (1909-1922)

The rapid industrialization and population growth saw increasing Overcrowding, Race riots, and unsanitary conditions in the industrial cities of the north along with long hours, and low pay created tensions in the cities. Such conditions resulted in the 1906 election, where the Federal-Democrats struggled to find much support for incumbent Rostyslav Nechuy which had become increasingly unpopular following a major scandal on October prior to the November election. The election saw the Episemialist Democrats returning to power under Davyd Dragomanov a young and wealthy businessman and son of Kirenian immigrants, his immigrant background was essential in securing his victory. Having run on a campaign to introduce comprehensive sanitary regulations, along with intentions to construct vast housing developments for working families, along with promises to aid agricultural workers. Such reforms were greatly successful in improving the sanitary conditons of cities, but Dragomanov encountered issues with the rest of his promises, this along with increasing demands by workers made Dragomanov a divisive figure. Facing Markiyan Kopyl's brother, Igor on the Federal-Democratic ticket in 1910, Dragomanov used the strong economy and low unemployment along with criticizing Igor's age who stood at 71, and his lack of experience. Dragomanov won the 1910 election despite increasing tension in the country.

The Vinalian Section of the Workers International (VSWI), first established in 1904 in the Congress of the Workers' International. The VSWI grew from around 3,000 members in 1904 to close to 50,000 in 1910, the VSWI was seen as the most radical and largest of the "4 Pillars of Workers", including the Vinalian Workers Union (VWU), Association of Freed Serfs (AFS), and League of Working Women (LWW). The 4 Labour Organizations counted close to 100,000 members and 95% of all unionized workers, and represented the driving force in Vinalian organized labor, with 90% of its members in cities and 95% of them located north of the Bin river, the primary industrial region of Vinalia. These organizations led the first major General strike in 1910, when they called for a week of strike on June 15th, 1911. The 1911 strike paralysed the country, and Dragomanov was forced to end the strike by force by deploying soldiers to Northern cities. Workers demands increasingly grew, and following a major race riot in Ivanovo directed at Satrian immigrants, immigrants flocked to the VWU and VSWI. Numerous strikes occured for the rest of Dragomanov's presidency, with the largest involving 35,000 people on a 3 day strike led by the LWW in Chervona. The most prominent however was the 1913 Orlavo General Coal Strike, which saw Vinalian coal workers numbering 25,000 and aided by workers from other cities blockading major interceptions in the city and paralyzing the city, demanding a minimum wage, and better working conditions. Dragomanov sent 2,000 soldiers into the city to return the city into normality on February 11th, 3 days into the strike. After reports of stones and shots, the army charged strikers with horses, leading to a 3 day battle in the city as soldiers and police searched for strike leaders and members. The so called Battle of Orlavo led to the deaths of over 300 people including 15 soldiers which were ambushed by makeshift militias. The arrival of more troops ended the strike and resistance. Between 1909 and 1922 it is estimated that over 3,000 died in labour dispute related issues, leading to the time period being called the bloody decade.

Mounted soldiers breaking up the 1913 Orlavo General Coal Strike

The Depression of 1913 decimated Vinalias economy as the export of Agricultural, and Mineral products collapsed, as Euclean economies throttled down. Plantation owners who could no longer sell their product laid off Trudivnk's en masse, while factories stopped producing industrial goods leading to greater unemployment, 15,000 workers had been laid off between October and December 1913. By October 1914 the Vinalian economy had lost 1/5th of its size, and unemployment stood at 30%. As former Trudivnk's made their ways into cities, and small Mайно owners were foreclosed by Vinalian and international banks or bought by larger Mайноs, the cities increased population exponentially between 1913 and 1920, with close to 300,000 people moving into cities. The migration led to worse conditions than in the early 1900s and labour unions increased exponentially in size and intensity. Dragomanov had intended to seek a 3rd term while the depression impacted the country, an already contested election resulted in Federal-Democrat Avhust Martynova being elected in a landslide.

Martynova a wealthy Cotton plantation owner, introduced in February 1914 subsidies to aid the agricultural sector in selling staple goods such as Wheat, and Corn while maintaining low prices. The government however was relying on a global increase in imports of Vinalian cash crops, as economies exited the depression, but global demand had not improved, and the Vinalian government had been forced into debt to cover the subsidies. The Vinalian government was unable to contend with the rising costs of subsidies and its dwindling supply of Gold, faced with the prospect of default, the Vinalian government ended the subsidies on June 1915, resulting in the economy collapsing again. Vinalian farms lost so much value that the wool used in sacks to transport coffee and cotton were worth more than the crop itself, thousands of tons of sugar, cotton, and coffee were dumped into rivers or set on fire, to increase their price. By December 1915 37% of Vinalians were unemployed the highest percentage in history. The second collapse of the economy led to renewed urban desperation. On March 10th, 1916 200 people died following a fire in an overcrowded food bank, with signs of starvation, Vinalians usually died asphyxiated waiting on food banks, while many succumbed to starvation while on breadlines.

The VSWI led major national protests against the government, demanding a change in government policy, and new elections. The Functionalist group Vinalian League of Nationalists (VLN), had risen to 20,000 members and fighting between VSWI and VLN members were common, on June 11th, 1916, 39 people were murdered in street brawls throughout Catherinsk. Martynova was targeted by the VSWI for his perceived inability to solve the crisis, in a political rally in Jangorod the 29th of June, 1916. Martynova was shot by a VSWI revolutionary. Vice-President Barat Ukhtostrovskie took control of the government and led a combined government effort to crackdown on the VSWI, leading to the first Red Scare in Vinalia. Between June 1916 and October 1917, close to 5,000 VSWI leaders and members had been arrested for "Anti-Vinalian" activities. Ukhtostrovskie was able to prevent Vinalian default by increasing deficit spending, and the printing of millions of Banknotes which devalued the Zolota. Although Ukhtostrovskie had prevented the economy from collapse, and recovery had begun slowly primarily as the price of Coffee rebounded do to the extreme measures to curtail production, Ukhtostrovskie was highly unpopular and declined to run in 1918 as Episemialist Democrat, Konai Shwetz won the election. Konai moved swiftly against the VLN, and had arrested close to 3,000 of its member along with outlawing their paramilitary units which had terrorized Ardesians in the country. Konai attempted to bring worker unions and the VSWI back into the fold, as he sought a temporal stoppage to strikes and labor actions as the economy recovered. Konai had reached some minor agreements with the VSWI which saw the release of numerous political prisoners, and introducing a minimum wage this efforts resulted in no major strikes or labor movements in 1919, as the economy recovered. By 1920 only 25% of Vinalians remained unemployed, do to a rise in prices for agricultural goods, the introduction of agricultural subsidies aided additionally.

Sketch of miners in Vunet, a week before the massacre

Shwetz enjoyed great popularity and support, but major coal strikes in the north of the country created tension. Shwetz after having negotiated with both the local union and the VSWI could not end the strike in the Coal town of Vunet in Rigalia. After 3 months the Vinalian army was deployed to the town, and after confusion the army fired and massacred 124 workers and their families, forcefully ending the strike. The Vunet Massacre soured the rest of Shwetzs term in office, as the army became used more extensively as the threat of violence forcefully ended strikes in the country. Shwetz likewise could not contain the rise of Functionalist Ardesia whose leader Dinis Montecara increasingly irredentist platform in regards to the Vinalian held lands south of the Chyhyryn river. His Federal-Democratic opponent Dymtro Antonov attacked his weak stance and dwindling support. Shwetz was unable to quell popular opposition, specially in the face of an again dwindling economy, losing decisively to Antonov. Antonov quickly introduced vast spending into the government nearly doubling its budget, Antonov doubled Vinalias army, and focused on the threats of violence to ensure worker compliance. The VSWI which had reached its strongest position suffered in 1924 from the revolution in Kirenia, as VSWI support dwindled. Antonov which had begun investing in the Vinalian Armed forces in an attempt to dissuade Ardesia, only managed to increase tensions. Major Vinalian military exercises on July 1925 around Catherinsk lent Ardesia the pretense to invade Vinalia. On 9 July 1925, Ardesia invaded Vinalia, sparking the Chyhyryn War.

Chyhyryn War (1925-1930)

The main article for this category is Chyhyryn War.