Alberto I
| Alberto I | |||||||||
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| Emperor of Cárinansia | |||||||||
_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg) Official imperial portrait 1841 | |||||||||
| Emperor of Cárinansia | |||||||||
| Emperor | 16 June 1827 - 6 October 1841 | ||||||||
| Coronation | 16 June 1827 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Publius Pompilius Herenus (as Imperial Viceroy) | ||||||||
| Successor | Alberto II | ||||||||
| Viscount of Ipudorm | |||||||||
| Viscount | 9 October 1819 - 6 October 1841 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Marius Julius Numerius | ||||||||
| Successor | Alberto II | ||||||||
| Born | Sextus Voteporix Gaius February 4, 1792 Cendejas, Ipudorm | ||||||||
| Died | 6 October 1841 (aged 49) Imperial Castle, Vóclaria City | ||||||||
| Burial | Imperial Mausoleum | ||||||||
| Empress | Manuela | ||||||||
| Issue |
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| House | Zendejas | ||||||||
| Father | Nonus Voteporix Gaius | ||||||||
| Mother | Lilian de Galán | ||||||||
| Religion | Amendist Godsinian | ||||||||
| Occupation | Statesman, Military leader | ||||||||
Emperor Alberto I, commonly called Don Alberto, was the first Emperor of the Imperial State of Cárinansia, serving in the position for 14 years until his death aged 49 while leading his men into battle. His oldest son, Alberto “Chaparro” was coronated months later at the age of 13.
Early Life
Born in what was then-known as Colonia Iulia Gemella Acci as Sextus Voteporix Gaius, the tenth child of esteemed military general Nonus Voteporix Gaius and a direct descendant of previous Arcadian emperors, he was a member of the country's aristocratic class from the beginning. As the tenth child of the family, he received little attention and was not groomed for any major leadership positions. He received schooling until he reached 16 years of age, after which point he declined to pursue any more.
Inheritance of Viscountcy of Ipudorm
As the first son following three daughters born to his father's third wife, Lilian de Galán, he became the closest living male relative to Marius Julius Numerius, 5th Viscount of Ipudorm following the death of all other male descendants born before 1811 and his death in 1819. Receiving the position at 27 years old, he moved to the Viscount Manor in the city only weeks later.
Reign
After successfully repelling all Arcadian forces from both Lekeadia and all territory south of La Plata with the success of the Battle of Cidad Heiro on 14 June 1827, he quickly moved for the Cathedral of Nuestra Merced Santa Maria, where he was coronated Emperor of Cárinansia two days later at midday upon arriving, officially establishing the new Imperial State of Cárinansia. Despite this, no peace treaty would been signed with Arcadia until 1835, in Seoyang.
As a descendant of a previous Arcadian Emperor, he felt little need to legitimise his rule throughout his reign, but he felt urged to expand Cárinansian influence, beginning the first of a series of wars with Arcadia to establish their colonies under Cárinansian suzerainty. In the 1829-1835 War of Guarteixo, he managed to successfully establish the Kingdom of Aparicia, with his son Enrique as King. It is here where the first predecessor concepts to the Hakisphere emerged, at the time called ‘Arecár’, a term still sometimes used by residents of the Valorán states.
At the conclusion of the War, he formally made peace with Arcadia and received their recognition of his Imperial title, in exchange for a non aggression pact that was to last 99 years. It was broken only 7 years later by an Arcadian attempt to annex Lekeadia, though it was ultimately repelled by the Imperial Lekeadian Army under the authority of a young Alberto II.
Afterwards, he demobilised roughly a third of the Army and provided them with employment; predominantly in construction, though some managed to enter the civil service and government. This notably includes Pedro, 1st Duke of Buenavista, who enlisted as a basic infantryman but rose through the ranks to become the Emperor’s most trusted advisor, and helped craft Taji, a social class structure which would remain in place until Alberto IV removed it entirely, favouring equality of the people. Despite its later constraints, it originally gave new opportunities to the masses for upward social mobility.
In 1838, Alberto signed a formal Treaty of Friendship with the Kingdom of Valorá, establishing an alliance which was disbanded in 1859 with the foundation of the First Valorán Republic. As part of this alliance, he contributed a force of 15 thousand veterans from the War of Guarteixo and several hundred military officers in 1840 to defend against the invading Fae.
Final Years
It is known that Alberto had developed stomach cancer by 1839, dropping to 20kg underweight by the time of his death. Despite his weak condition, he still sought to involve himself as much as he could with the affairs of the state. Six months before his death, he appointed the Duke of Buenavista as his Regent. During his time in this office, the Duke-Regent approved the first aid relief package in the country’s history with a 10 million peso donation to the Kingdom of Kangsu, which was facing famine.
Death
In the morning of 6 October 1841, Alberto was discovered deceased in bed by Empress Manuela, who quickly spread the news to the palace staff. His death was formally announced at 4pm that day by Manuela in her capacity as the new Regent, and a funeral parade through Vóclaria City and São Alberto to Anáheiro and Buenavista was held two days later.
Legacy
Alberto I is viewed very favourably by both modern historians and the public, receiving extensive praise for his developmental strategies and foreign policy, especially for the success of Taji. He is seen as one of the most important figures in Cárinansian independence, as he was responsible for substantial military and diplomatic victories. Additionally, his refusal to implement anti-Indigenous policies despite opposition from most of the landed gentry has been near-universally applauded.
The main issues surrounding Alberto’s legacy derive from his imperialist drive to establish a Cárinansian sphere of influence, and specifically his treatment of remaining ethnic Arcadians. He deemed it necessary to cleanse the country of these people to establish a rigid sphere, in what many have described as a genocide. At least thirty thousand Arcadians in Cárinansia and thirty-five thousand in Aparicia are thought to have been killed as a result of his anti-Arcadian sentiment.
| Styles of Alberto I, Emperor of Cárinansia | |
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| Reference style | His Imperial Majesty |
| Spoken style | Your Imperial Majesty |
| Alternative style | Sire |