User:Tranvea/Sandbox3
Exalted Republic of Povelia and Her Dominions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 779-1784 | |||||||||
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |||||||||
Motto: "Mare Nostrum, Pax Aeterna" Our Sea, Eternal Peace | |||||||||
 Povelia at its greatest territorial extent in 1660. | |||||||||
| Capital and largest city | Povelia | ||||||||
| Official languages | Povelian Etrurian | ||||||||
| Government | Parliamentary oligarchic merchant republic with elective monarchistic features (779-1515) Oligarchical directorial republic (1515-1784) | ||||||||
| Doge | |||||||||
• 779-804 | Onorio Giustin (first) | ||||||||
• 1782-1784 | Tribuno Sagredo (last) | ||||||||
| Legislature | Senate | ||||||||
| Council of Thirteen | |||||||||
| Council of the Communes | |||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established | 779 AD | ||||||||
• Declaration of the Àdexe | 988 | ||||||||
• TBD | TBD | ||||||||
• | TBD | ||||||||
• | TBD | ||||||||
| 22 July 1784 | |||||||||
| 22 August 1784 | |||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 1780 census | 8,950,000 | ||||||||
| Currency | Povelian florin | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of |  Etruria Galenia Piraea Emessa Poliania Belmonte Marirana Tsabara Zorasan | ||||||||
The Exalted Republic of Povelia and Her Dominions, (Povelian: Esałtata Repùblica Poveja e La Domìni; Etrurian: Esaltata Repubblica di Poveglia e Le Dominazioni) or the Republic of Povelia (Repùblica Poveja; Repubblica di Povelia), was a sovereign state and maritime republic in what is now northern-central Etruria. It lasted from 779 AD until 1784 AD. Centered on the lagoon communities of the prosperous city of Povelia, the republic grew into a trading power during the Middle Ages and strengthened this position in the Renaissance, before becoming a global power during the early modern period, through the colonisation of the Asterias.
History...
By the late 17th century, Povelia began to enter a steady decline owing to rising rival powers both in Etruria and abroad. It began to lose its territories, beginning with its Coian territories in 1669, following a series of costly wars against the Gorsanid Empire. The growth of Euclean colonisation in the Asterians further weakened the vital Solarian Sea trade routes, despite its own colonial territories in the Eastern Hemisphere. By the 18th century, the decline hastened with Povelia's successive defeats to the Etrurian based, Kingdom of Tyrrenhus. Povelia's involvement in the Ten Year's War saw its defeat and loss of Belmonte in 1721, followed by the loss of its western Euclean territories in modern-day Poliania in 1753. The final collapse of Povelia came in 1784, during the Etrurian Revolution, where citizens inspired by the overthrow of the Tyrrenian monarchy overthrew the merchant oligarchy of the city-state and declared the entire state open to the Etrurian Revolutionary Army, resulting in Povelia's annexation into the Etrurian First Republic.
History
Establishment
- Povelia was a long-time refuge and safe haven from the chaos of the late Solarian Empire.
- Its financial emergence was noted as early as this, providing the Empire with much needed capital and trade goods.
- This results in the formation of the Old Council (Conséjo Vècio), the first political grouping of the city's patricians.
- The Old Council negotiates the Declaration of the Àdexe, which sees the Empire grant Povelia its independence.
Early beginnings 780-1100
- Steady development of the Patrician-Merchant class,
- Establishment of Trade Offices (Tràfego Filiai) across the Solarian Sea basin.
- 990-1090: Tyrant period, a succession of authoritarian and depostic Doges.
- 1100 - Proclamation of the Communes, a new governing system introducing wide-ranging checks and balances.
Early Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
Renaissance and Pax Poveliae
- Renaissance emerges in Povelia, great explosion of cultural and scientific activity.
- Growing maritime domination of the Solarian Sea.
- Territorial expansion in the Faulian War of Succession
- Povelian-Gorsanid Wars
- Zaninian Reforms
- Major victory in the Etrurian Wars
- Centralisation of the Doge
- Rise of the Council of Thirteen
- Pax Poveliae over Etruria
Colonisation
- Rumours of the New World eventually see Raffaele de Mariran to petition Doge Aurelio Frixaterra to fund an expedition, in exchange to securing a trade post and foothold in the Asterias.
- De Mariran discovers Marirana in 1522.
- Novo Poveja in founded in 1523 and the settling of modern Marirana begins.
- Belmonte is annexed from Lusitan in 1530.
- XX in Asteria Minor is founded.
Decline
- Colonies no longer proving profitable over the cost.
- Rising rivals in Etruria - primarily Tyrrenhus.
- Ten Year's War was a horrific cost to no benefit.
- Losses to Gorsanid Empire.
- Rising weakness and corruption of the Council of Thirteen.
- Whirlings of pre-revolutionary republicanism and radicalism.
Fall of the Povelian Republic
By 1784, the Republic of Povelia found itself victorious in the Torazzi War, albeit in thanks to the Etrurian Revolution overthrowing the monarchy of its enemy in the Kingdom of Tyrrenhus. While victorious, Povelia’s armies had suffered heavy losses and its fleet was in need of repair, greatly reducing its capacity to defend itself. As the revolution rapidly radicalised and the northern Duchies and Communes uniting to form the League of Altidona against the newly formed Etrurian Republic, Povelia found itself stuck between both sides geographically and diplomatically. Many in Povelia hoped to remain neutral, not recognising the threat of radical republicanism posed to the ancient maritime republic. Throughout April 1784, Povelia successfully resisted northern pressure to join the League and war against the Republic.
However, movements and groups inspired by the Etrurian Republic began to agitate for reform, sparking riots and uprisings on the Terrafirma. A belated order of military mobilisation came too late to deter popular unrest, nor would Povelia be able to muster the necessary forces to regain control of its territory and defend against the large and fervent forces of the Republic. On April 20, Revolutionary Armies entered Povelian territory in pursuit of fleeing League forces, sparking a diplomatic crisis. Crippled by indecision, incompetent leadership and a self-interested elite, the revolutionary wave sparked by the presence of Republican forces ultimately led to the overthrow of the Povelian maritime republic, through the Lesser Povelian Revolution. In support of this revolution, the Etrurian Republic issued an ultimatum demanding its surrender and annexation or its forces would seize the island-city and all its territories.
After the Republic’s ultimatum, Doge Tribuno Sagredo surrendered unconditionally on 22 July, and abdicated, while the Council of the Communes declared the end of the republic. It was formally absorbed into the Etrurian Republic the same day, becoming the Province of Povelia. Its military forces, supplies and navy were also absorbed into the revolutionary war machine.
Government
Novo Costitusion (1505-1784)
In wake of Povelia's victory in the Etrurian Wars, the popularity of the Council of Thirteen had skyrocketed, while significant number of the council in cooperation with Doge Aurelio dalla Stava sought to use his influence over the body to empower of the Dogeship. In a series of small-scale power struggles, Enrico Agosto da Frixaturo, a prominent member of the Council of Thirteen, outmanoeuvred Dalla Stava nad in turn used the body's popularity within the Council of the Communes to secure backing for a new constitution. In late 1502, Dalla Stava was removed from office following a constitutional coup by the Council led by Frixaturo, who in turn was elected Doge by the Grand Assembly of the City by right of acclamation.
Between 1502 and 1505, Doge Frixaturo and the Council of Thirteen steadily and systematically introduced laws and reforms that empowered the body while abolishing several ancient bodies that had proven vital in maintaining checks and balances on the Doge. However, Frixaturo did not seek unlimited power, but rather saw this reforms as necessary to streamline the functioning of the Republic. By 1511, Frixaturo had opted to empower the Council of Thirteen at the expense of the Dogeship, essentially transforming the body in the executive and upper-chamber of the legislature, with the Doge as the head of the Council under the status of primus inter pares. These laws since 1502 were collated and enshrined in the Novo Constitusion. The system of government introduced in 1505, would remain in place until the Republic's downfall in 1784.
The system of government produced maintain some elements of the mixed government that had been in place since the Proclamation of the Communes in 1100, with the monarchistic style of the Doge, the aristocratic nature of the Council of the Communes and the democracy of the Grand Assembly of the City. However, the Novo Constitusion effectively centralised power and control in the Council of Thirteen, where it retained its position as the upper-house of the parliament, while also adopting several key executive powers.
The new system firmly established the Doge being elected by tax paying citizens of the city, while the Council of Thirteen's membership would be restricted to the "Thirteen Families of Honour" (Trédexe Fameie de Onor), who's seats would be held in perpetiuity through hereditary inheritence. This was reformed to open three seats on the Council following the Great Plague (1522-24), which destroyed three patrician families on the council since its inception a century earlier. The Council of the Communes would be elected by tax paying male citizens from the Terrafirma and city, and maintain control over the treasury, produce laws, treaties and have significant say on matters of commerce and trade.
The Novo Constitusion also introduced the Inquisitori de Comùn, to guard the security of the republic. By means of espionage, counterespionage, internal surveillance, and a network of informers. These state inquisitors were accountable to the Council of the Communes, while appointed by the Council of Ten. However, by the 1530s, the State Inquisitors were solely tasked with the security of the republic and maintaining the control of the Council of Thirteen.
The Council of Thirteen was now charged with appointing members of the Siori da Guera and the Siori da Màr, the bodies tasked with military affairs and defence of the mainland and the navy and overseas territories respectively. These bodies were made truly subordinate to the Council of Thirteen through thier heads being the Captain-Generals of the Land and Sea, who were near entirely members of the Thirteen themselves. Reforms in the late 1510s saw both military positions appointed on the basis of acclamation and record.
Territories
Military
From its formation in 779 until 1486, the military of Povelia took the form near identical to other Etrurian states of the Middle Ages, in that forces were levied from local communes short durations of time, with command of armies delegated by the Povelian senate to select individuals. Between 779-1310, Povelia's entire military focus lay on its maritime capabilities, owing to the Republic's small holdings on the Etrurian mainland. Throughout the middle ages, Povelia was renown for its mighty fleet of galleys and galleasses. The dominant position the Povelian Navy held in martial affairs did not change over 600 years, providing Povelia the means to protect its lucerative trade routes and to supply its growing outposts across the Solarian Sea. It was not until the late Renaissance that the Povelian military underwent a series of major reforms, led by Captain-General Massimiliano Zanin in 1487.
Zaninian Reforms 1515
In 1485, a former Condottiero, Massimiliano Zanin was elected Captain-General of the Land by the Assembly of the Communes for life. In 1486, Zanin sought to reform the Povelian military to guarantee its superiority over its Etrurian rivals. In close cooperation with Ludovico di'Giovan, the Captain-General of the Sea, the pair made drastic reforms, that in some cases were decades ahead of their time. These reforms would constitute the structure of the Povelian military until the Republic's fall in 1784.
Zanin introduced for the army:
- Domestic Protectors (Protètori Domèstichi): A standing army numbering 4,000 strong, many of whom were drawn from non-essential professions from both the city and its mainland territories. The Protètori Domèstichi were well disciplined and trained, around 1,500 were rotated in being readied for deployment to the Dominions of the Sea; Povelia's overseas territories. The Protètori Domèstichi included footmen, pikemen, archers, crossbowmen and a unit of cavalry. This force would prove devastatingly effective during the Etrurian Wars (1487-1499). Following the Peace of Altidona, and Povelia's dramatic expansion, the Protètori Domèstichi were enlarged to number 10,000 strong.
- Auxiliary Protectors (Protètori Ausiliari): a military force drawn from Povelia's overseas possessions, in most cases this force was dedicated to the navy, while the Protètori Ausiliari were known to be deployed against Povelia's Etrurian rivals. A vast majority of these men were drawn from Piraea and Tsabara, where they gained reputations for fierce fighters. When not deployed in Etruria or other Povelian territories, they would constitute the militias of their native Povelian territories.
- Extraordinary Protectors (Protètori Straordinàri): The mercenary contigent of Povelia's forces, most widely used against Coian rivals, especially the Gorsanid Empire and pirates in Emessa. Despite pressures to rely upon mercenaries considering Povelia's immense wealth, consecutive Captain-Generals refused, maintaining and entrenching the Zaninian Reforms.
Legacy
Povelia’s millennia long existence ensured a significant contribution to the development of modern-day Etruria, and its national identity. Povelia’s historic innovations on Renaissance-era banking, finance and trade form the bedrock of some modern-day practices, while its cultural contributions as the birthplace of the Etrurian renaissance are unmatched by its Etrurian counter-parts. Povelia’s historic role as a major Solarian-Sea power and the coloniser of Marirana constitutes an integral part of modern-day Etrurian nationalism, where Povelia the city and nation are revered in equal measure.
Its contributions to Etruria did not cease with its fall in 1784, rather many of Povelia’s most capable administrators, bankers and merchants were employed by the Etrurian Republic, while the former nation offered many soldiers and several integral commanders, the most notorious being Giovanni Zanon. Povelia’s role as the country’s leading trading hub would continue until the height of industrialisation in the 1860s, when larger ports overtook Povelia economically.
Povelia’s presence can be found across the Solarian basin, with landmarks, castles, fortresses and ruins located in numerous countries. Its history as the coloniser of Marirana maintains its legacy through monuments, literature, architecture and names of Mariranians.
The city’s greatest legacy is that has served as the national capital of the Etrurian Federation since the San Sepelchro Revolution of 1888, with its location at the heart of the country and its separateness from the mainland being key symbols of national unity.