Vallmo Uprising

Vallmo Uprising
Vallmoists on the streets of Raudrena, c. 1854
Date 1854–1854 Location Blostland Result De facto Vallmoparti Victory
Belligerents
Vallmoparti: Poppy Party	Government Forces: Raudrena Police Blostlandic Royal Army
Commanders and leaders
Jacob Hedström	Sir Söderlund
Strength
60,200	500 16,000
Casualties and losses
8 Wounded	15 Wounded

The Vallmo Uprising was a civil uprising that occurred in the Kingdom of Blostland on December 16th 1854. Starting as simply a protest against the monarchy by Vallmopartei, it would quickly become the largest protest the country had ever seen; royals around the country would fear a Republican Revolution sending the army in to surround the capital and end the protest. However the King at the time Bo III would be galvanized by the protest to push his own reformist agenda, going against his advisors wishes and entering the Capital Bo would announce the end of absolutism and the empowerment of the Blostlandic Riksdag. The protests would turn into celebrations at the announcement with the public clearly on the side of the King, a week later the King would create a constitution with members of the Riksdag officially ending absolute monarchy in Blostland. It is a major milestone in Blostlandic history and is considered by many to be the start of the downfall of the monarchy, it is celebrated around the country as “Bo Day” a time to celebrate freedom and liberty.

Before the uprising

During the reign of King Henrik IX in the 1830s unions would start to expand outside coastal areas and into the growing urban centers around Blostland, having a powerful influence over the mistreated working class.

With the birth of the National Union Movement in 1808 Union supporters in Blostland would be embracing the radical elements around them taking example from revolutions in Euclea to inspire their own, the most radical of these revolutionaries would move out to the countryside in Färmark building a socialist army.

The government would catch wind of all this left wing organizing and would start to crack down on the National Union Movement driving National Unionists from the city in large groups, these groups would find themselves under the protection of the radicals who the government would declare too dangerous to reason with, sending the military to arrest them all.

At Olof Ranch military forces numbering around 500 would fight against 921 rebels most of which consisted of wanted National Unionists, although outgunned the rebels had a impressive number of old rifles which allowed the group to last 2 days at the ranch and 8 days on the run before finally surrendering.

Radicals & Soldiers exchange fire around Olof Ranch, 1846

Military casualties would be estimated around 12 dead and 15 wounded the rebels would have 29 dead and the remnants suffering from various injuries, while the event which would be called the Long March (Blostland) would inspire radicals around Blostland it would also kill the National Union Movement leaving the scene open for a new unifying organization.

Only two years later would Vallmopartei form galvanizing the fractured left once again, by this point absolutism had grown unpopular amongst the entire island and the party found itself in a powerful position in the city’s unable to be rooted out like its predecessor.

By 1854 the party would be organizing almost every major union in the country and would have around 1,500 registered members.

Events

In 1854 after years of growing and struggle Vallmo would organize a large general strike and protest after the ruling party in the Rikstag had discussed banning the party, instead of calling for just economic reform Vallmo would create a charter of reforms including universal suffrage and the abolition of absolutism. On december 5th 1854 5,000 Vallmo marchers would take the streets of the capital led by their leader Emil Hultgren.

City Police would try to direct the protest into unimportant areas however due to either poor planning or simply a lack of understanding of the city the marchers were directed to a minor industrial area where a large number of workers were just leaving for the day. With a large pro union sentiment amongst workers the Vallmoists were able to recruit 200 more men something the police would attempt to stop though this would only start to antagonize the surrounding area altering people around the city to the radical Vallmo march to end absolutism.

Vallmoists rally around the Svard Royal Hotel

Over the next four hours the march would break from the police taking to the city downtown where active fighting between the marchers and the police would take place, bystanders would join the fray against the police quickly the whole event would spark out of control and 54,800 people from around the city would gather around the event over the matter of another few hours. Police would attempt to isolate pockets of protesters but because of the city's age the streets were narrow and did not allow for the police to do much but block off road ways.

At 2:21 PM King Bo III would be altered about the protest and urged to leave the capital over fears of him and his family getting hurt, Bo would refuse and would order soldiers to instead Guard the royal palace while he prepared a speech to end the protest. Bo’s advisors would plead with the King not to go through with it believing him to be naive enough to attempt to stop the protest with just a rousing speech, However Bo had secret plans he wished to enact; previously Bo had attempted to negotiate a new liberal constitution with his fellow royals but they dismissed it swiftly even going as far as to threaten Bo over it. Bo knew that if he rallied the people to support him out right that he could actually pass his constitution unimpeded by anyone in the government.

King Bo III, c. 1854

While the King was preparing his speech the city would be growing in tension, at 3:05 PM barricades would be set up by both the police and the protesters and weapons would be assembled by the more radical members of the protest. Those more moderate people would try and ease tension on both sides but things would only get worse as agitators started rallying the masses to their side. By 3:33 PM 500 soldiers would arrive to support the police only further angering and scaring the protesters, many began to fear the worst and actively prepared to fight the army men while others tried to lead women and children out of the area. The famous flag “Raudrena is Free” would be flown in this tense moment created by student Hagen Moller for the protest beforehand.

King Bo against the words of his advisors and his wife would leave the royal palace at 3:45 PM, dressed in modern formal clothing and followed by the Royal Blostlandic Flower Guard. Narrowly avoiding multiple protesters he’d make his way into Svard Royal Hotel going to the royal suite where a large balcony overlooked the street center where the protesters were gathered, with guards securing the building the King would enter the balcony and look down at the crowd. While at first people did not recognize the King because of his outfit the crowd would soon ring out in a mix of boos, cries, and whistles; after some time the crowd would lower their tone allowing the King to speak through a cone to them.

Bo would explain to the crowd that he was the King and that he actually supported liberal reforms for the Kingdom, lifting papers above his head he'd explain that he had begun writing a new liberal constitution and that because of these protests he would be writing it with the Riksdag's direct involvement. Ensuring that universal voting would be secured as a right and that possibly other reforms would be secured as well by the empowered Riksdag. Naturally After some confusion the protesters would erupt into celebrations; from the mouth of the King himself their liberties had been ensured, soldiers and police would be taken aback as the barricades were torn down by the celebrating protesters and as parties began across the city. Even the police and soldiers would be included in the parties, something that radicals would later criticize about the uprising.

Aftermath

Reaction of the nobility

After being rushed back to the royal palace by his guards multiple members of the royal family including his uncle, Duke Joachim IX, would attempted to dissuade Bo from going along with his plans, Bo however was adamant that he would be holding a conference with the Riksdag in the following days. While parts of the royalty would be infuriated by Bo's actions, the cat was out of the bag and there was little they could do to stop the King from going along with his plans

Reaction of the Riksdag

Invigorated by the reaction of the King then Prime Minister Rune Södergren would rally the Riksdag to agree upon a number of reforms to be put into the new constitution, including universal suffrage, women's suffrage, and the establishment of real power held by the Riksdag

In popular culture

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