Volonia

The Republic of Volonia is a country in Sarpedon, located south of Caphiria and east of Cartadania. It shares a long cultural and political history with Caphiria.

Before its establishment as an independent country, Volonia was initially a number of Slavic kingdoms before becoming southern provinces of Caphiria. The area served as the cultural crossroads between the Latinic north of Sarpedon and the Slavic south. The modern Republic of Volonia became independent during the Second Great War after its own War of National Liberation, which became a theater within the conflict. The Volonian Republic was officially proclaimed on 9 November 1939. With its independence recognized by the Treaty of Kartika, Volonia underwent decades of military rule under the Liberation Government before transitioning to democracy in the late 1960s. The modern democratic constitution of Volonia was inaugurated in 1970. Prior to independence, Volonia was an agrarian portion of Caphiria, but since independence it has rapidly industrialized and developed into a modern Occidental nation.

Volonia is a member of the League of Nations and Continental Diplomatic Arrangement Organization.

Etymology
The term Volonia was adopted gradually throughout the 19th century as a consensus term for the people native to Caphiria's southernmost provinces among a large number of possible alternative names. The term derives from a historical reference to "volones", a tribe of Slavic people who lived in the region during the time of the Republic of Caphiria. The origin of this name is uncertain, but some scholars have suggested it is adapted from a native term meaning "strong shield". An alternative explanation centres on the Proto-Slavic root *vol/vel-, meaning 'wet', in reference to its position between Lake Parima and the Vočisna Gulf. "Volonia" as a word was used to refer to the territory infrequently, but began to be used in the romantic and poetic sense around 1820. By around 1900, the term "Volonian provinces" was used in unofficial Caphirian government documents referring to the region, and by that time the term had entered common use.

Geography
Volonia is situated in the southern part of Sarpedon, bordered to the south by Lake Parima and on its other sides by rivers. A small, moderately low elevation mountain range sits in the center of the country and is considered the traditional dividing line between southern Volonia and the rest of the country. The mountains separate the most irrigated and settled parts of the country from the northern deserts.

Lake Parima is one of the defining parts of Volonia. The Lake, which is divided between Volonia, Aciria, and Caphiria, has been a major conduit of transportation and commerce since antiquity. The Lake's freshwater has allowed for significant agricultural activity throughout Volonia, and it has been the source of irrigation for what is now Volonia for thousands of years.

Climate and environment
Much of the landmass of Volonia is naturally desert, with large pockets of arable land along the rivers which stretch from north to south along the nation's borders as well as along Lake Parima, which has been responsible for irrigating significant parts of southern Volonia. Since independence, efforts have been made to transform Volonia's desert into viable land for development, and much of the nation's industrial base has been relocated into former tracts of desert. Volonia's southern coastal regions are wetter and cooler than the interior, but are still mostly warm year round. Winters are not meaningfully observed in the northern two-thirds of the country, but in the southern region temperatures can sometimes drop to around 50 F on very cool days, with the average being in the high 70s. The central mountain range of Volonia are mostly rocky elevations above the desert floor looking to the north while overlooking irrigated agricultural regions to the south.

Slavic Silver Age
Volonia was home to a period of Slavic political and cultural resurgence against the advancing Caphirian First Imperium during the 5th and 6th centuries known as the Slavic Silver Age. During this period, Volonia was home to four major Slavic kingdoms.

Truřovid conquests
The Principality of Truřov was among the most prominent realms in what would become Volonia during the medieval period, and it was ruled by the Odobricci, also sometimes referred to as the "Truřovids". The Odobriccis were a Caphiro-Slavic dynasty whose ancestors had been settled as foederati subjects of the Imperium and had been given Imperial princesses and offices, things which gave them legitimacy both during the existence of the Second Imperium as well as after its fall. In the wake of the collapse of the Second Imperium, the Odobriccis established a wide network of clients among former Caphirian controlled cities in modern Volonia in addition to Slavic principalities to its south. In 1203, the Truřovids waged a major campaign of domination of the modern Caphirian south, including the modern provinces of Ranaella and Isuriana which would last until 1215. Although these regions had been never closely integrated into the Second Imperium, the Truřovid control from the southern coast through the central flatlands made it the emergent power in central Sarpedon, one that had a degree of Imperial-descendant legitimacy.

In 1283, Prince Șerossaccir Odobricci took the city of Venceia following a long campaign against the Venceian Republic. Rather than destroy the city, Șerossaccir Odobricci induced the Senate to recognize him as Augustus and proclaim his formal adoption by the last recognized Imperator of the Second Imperium. Șerossaccir assumed the responsibilities of Imperator, moving his court to Venceia and adopting Caphiric, rather than Slavic, laws and customs for his court. The newly formed Third Imperium would nonetheless have significant political and cultural Slavic influence. Due to the conquests, most of the lands of what would become Volonia was integrated into the Third Imperium, beginning eight centuries of Caphirian rule over the region. Due to being the home region of the Odobriccis, the lands around Truřov would receive significant benefits and Imperial favoritism for the next two centuries.

Ash War
On the the first Sunday following Easter in 1627 - April 11th 1627 - the The Reformations of 1627, a package of reforms throughout the Caphiric Church took effect. Among other changes, the Reformations introduced the new universal liturgy was used throughout Caphiria. It included burning consecrated hosts into Sacred Ash. As liturgies proceeded throughout Caphiria's southern provinces that Sunday, crowds within Churches began to react violently as the priests attempted to burn the consecrated hosts. These crowds threw priests out of churches and began public riots, starting what would become the Ash War. The crowds began to coalesce around local leaders, preventing Caphiric-aligned priests from entering churches and eventually leading to a rejection of civil authority. A local Slavic noble and member of the Senate named Aleksandar Baciu managed to unite the mobs with other dissatisfied low level Slavic nobles, beginning an open revolt that would last for five years. Baciu's armies would ultimately be defeated in 1631 and he would be executed in Venceia, but the unrest continued until mid-1632.

Though the Ash War was ostensibly a conflict related to the Great Schism of 1615 and southern provincial Slavic loyalty to the Catholic Church and its teachings, the war would be a major source of pride and inspiration for the people of Volonia in the future. Baciu is recognized as one of the nation's founding fathers and national heroes.

Era of Retribution
With the defeat of Aleksander Baciu's army in 1631 and ultimate suppression of rebellion in the southern provinces in 1632, a period of harsh crackdowns and strict control from Venceia began. The worst of the so-called "Era of Retribution" came from 1632 to 1635, when the Imperial Legion systematically destroyed most Catholic Churches in the region, executed priests and nuns, appropriated convents and monasteries for the homes of generals and nobilities, and in many cases burnt villages that were housing priests or had been heavily involved in the uprisings. The most famous of these events came on 18 August 1634, when an aged Imperial Naval Fleet carrack was filled with 424 priests - most of the Catholic priests remaining in southern Caphiria and sank just off the southern coast of the country, with many village elders and other prominent locals forced to view as most of the clerics drowned to death.

By 1635, the southern provinces were considered pacified such that a permanent occupation by the Imperial Legion was no longer necessary. While most violence ended, the Era of Retribution continued as Imperial magistrates imposed heavy obligations on the people of the provinces and violence was still employed in order to bring about adherence to the Caphiric Church. Economic disruptions continued through the 1640s, as prominent local Catholic nobles and landowners were systematically expelled and their land re-appropriated to Legionary generals. The Imperial Senate passed many acts between 1629 and 1680 relating to suppression in the southern provinces. By the 1680s, all participants of the Ash War were long dead and the area was considered fully integrated back into the Imperium, ending both special legislation as well as the burdensome presence of additional magistrates.

Long Peace
The "Long Peace" was inaugurated in the 1680s as Caphiria's focus shifted from adherence to the internal Great Schism of 1615 to external military and economic dominance in Sarpedon, and as such most retributive legislation against the southern provinces had expired or been repealed by 1700. While Catholic priests and liturgies continued to operate underground in the area, their existence was something of an open secret tolerated by authorities, though if caught Catholic adherents would be subject to significant penalties or even death. Following nearly a century of violence, however, the economic and agricultural output of the area began to rebound and exceeded 1600 output by 1715.

The Long Peace continued through much of the 1800s until notions of began to develop among the people of the southern provinces, who began to view themselves as a distinct "Volonian people".

Liberation Government
Following the conclusion of the Second Great War, Volonia was governed by a proclaimed as the official governing body of the provinces towards the end of the fighting. This junta, which referred to itself as the "Liberation Government", an ostensibly temporary body, was really a slightly reformed version of the United Volonia Movement established by G.C. Lorenzo. Given the coalition nature of the Movement, cracks began to form even before the official end of hostilities. By January 1943, General Timotei Nicolescu managed to become the Chairman of the Liberation Government, and began to immediately coalesce power. Nicolescu, who had represented Volonia at the Treaty of Kartika, was hailed by the people as the leader who finally lead them to independence following four centuries of Caphirian domination. He used his popularity to first launch a political purge of the left wing of the United Volonia Movement, with key leaders and local organizers of the Socialist Party of the Volonian Nation (SPVN) arrested on the night of 22 March 1945. Following the purge of the left, Nicolescu sought alliances with the right, securing the support of the Catholic Party as well as a number of groups who sought the establishment of a Levantine-style monarchy in Volonia. Nicolescu managed to dominate these groups, and eventually purged them as well on 4 November 1949. By 1950, Nicolescu ruled Volonia unopposed, taking the title of President on 1 January of that year. Nicolescu also assumed the title "Tribune of the Revolution" and reorganized the United Volonia Movement as a formal political party under his direct control. His two titles would be later consolidated as "National Tribune" in 1955.

Nicolescu's Liberation Government pursued close relations with Levantia and Aciria, committing Volonia to the Levantia and Odoneru Treaty Association and recognizing Aciria's Western Imperium. The nation received significant infrastructure investments from Urcea and Burgundie during the 1950s as well as technical experts, bringing Volonia to modernity with respect to its industrial and economic capabilities. Most of the benefit of the economic growth, however, remained in the hands of a small clique of Nicolescu's friends and insiders, and the daily lives of Volonians were actually slightly worse in 1960 than they had been prior to the nation's independence. General Nicolescu died on 30 September 1965. He was succeeded as National Tribune by General Andrei Diaconu, a close confidant. Diaconu, however, was outmanuevered within the Liberation Government by General Paul Torje, who made alliances with reformers and traditionalist conservatives. General Diaconu was forced to step down as National Tribune on 7 December 1968, ceding authority to Torje. Torje announced a transition to democracy would begin, calling for a constitutional convention to begin the following year. While still wielding dictatorial authority, Torje began to unilaterally liberalize the economy in early 1969 as much of the economy was still in the hands of Nicolescu's allies who sought to restore Diaconu to authority.

Constitutional reform and rapprochement
The Constitution of 1970 took effect on 1 July 1970 following a year and a half of formulation. The 1969-70 Constitutional Convention included many of Torje's military allies, but the majority of its members were legal scholars, diplomats, and a few clergy. The Constitution was largely based on the governing systems of Pelaxia and Cartadania, instituting a moderately liberal democracy in Volonia. Elections were held in June 1970, and Torje was reelected as National Tribune and the United Volonia Movement won a plurality of seats in both houses of the legislature. Following his election, Torje formally resigned his military command and transferred authority to a non-UVM Minister of Defense, signaling a partial transition of power in the country.

While the constitutional reform was underway, Torje was undertaking secret negotiations with Caphiria to rebuild relations with its northern neighbor. Technical and economic assistance from Levantia had dwindled since 1960 and had ceased with beginning of Operation Kipling, and the benefits to Volonia were dwindling. Trade with Caphiria would significantly boost the Volonian economy. Torje extracted a promise from Caphiria to recognize Volonia's sovereignty and even issue a statement of apology for the Era of Retribution and atrocities committed during the Ash War. With a popular mandate established, Torje announced on 18 August 1970 that Volonia would be leaving the Levantia and Odoneru Treaty Association and would no longer recognize the Emperor of Aciria as worthy of Continental Obligations. Volonia would be joining the new Continental Diplomatic Arrangement Organization with Caphiria and Pelaxia and would offer its obligations to the Imperator once more. While this decision was controversial, and the United Volonia Movement lost its majority in the House of Tribunes in the 1974 election, the economic benefits to Volonia were undeniable. Torje remained in power through the 1986 elections, when he retired. Despite the limitations of the Constitution, Torje received considerable criticism for his heavy handed authority exercised over the government of Volonia, and many modern scholars believe the "true" democratic era only began with the inauguration of the first non-UVM National Tribune in 1987.

Modern era
Volonia's modern period is traditionally attributed to the victory of the Justice and Progress Party, the first party besides the United Volonia Movement to elect a National Tribune in the history of the nation. The first decades of this period largely focused on institutional reforms. The incoming Justice and Progress Party found that, though the nation had shifted to democracy, many state contractors and benefactors of public projects had been politically connected UVM members or their friends and allies, and as a result, the nation's institutional outcomes were weak in many sectors, including healthcare, education, and the economy. The significant infrastructure investments from abroad in the 1950s had been largely consumed as, leaving the nation's rail networks, ports, and highways in much worse condition than the public was even aware of. The 1990s in Volonia saw a dual focus on new investments in these sectors as well as a sweeping and controversial anti-corruption campaign. The UVM and other minority parties criticized the mass firings and investigations as politically motivated witch hunts. Several highly publicized incidents of Justice and Progress Party members investigating and prosecuting their political enemies were recorded, but by 2000 most international observers suggested corruption in Volonia's political administration had been greatly reduced. Infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other similar social institutions had been greatly transformed in the intervening decade and a half. Despite these successes, the often caustic approach of the Justice and Progress Party to reform alienated many voters who sought normalcy and stability, and the United Volonia Movement won a landslide victory in 2002. With corruption having been mostly eliminated, the Justice and Progress Party became victims of their own success, as reform issues were no longer a winning political issue. The party dissolved in 2010, with many of its key constituencies moving to the rival United Volonia Movement or the upstart Commonwealth Party.

The decade and a half of reform lead to significant social and cultural changes within Volonia, as the economic returns of democracy and liberalization finally came to fruition in the early 1990s. This era saw the rise of major sports leagues within Volonia as well as the levels of disposable income necessary for the pursuit of popular media forms, including a television and novel writing boom in the mid-1990s. During this period, popular Urcean music began to spread to the country, becoming popularized and adapted by local artists.

Government and politics
Volonia is a governed according to the principles of the Constitution of 1970. The Constitution features a under the leadership of a National Tribune and a  legislative body, consisting of the House of Tribunes, which represents certain geographical areas and social institutions, and the National Assembly, which represents the population at large. Elections for the National Tribune are held every four years beginning with the 1970 election. Both houses of the legislature are elected to four year terms, but their elections are staggered, with the House of Tribunes electing during the election cycle of the National Tribune and the National Assembly electing during the other even numbered years between the Tribunal cycle. Volonia is a, but it does have specific geographic areas, known as tribunates, with uneven populations which are represented in the House of Tribunes.

National Tribune
The National Tribune is the and  of Volonia, serving four year terms with no term limits. As Volonia employs a, the National Tribune has broad discretion to implement policy within the national bureaucracy and also has significant legislative powers. The National Tribune is entitled to speak on the floor of the House of Tribunes if he wishes, and also has the power to issue suspensive vetoes, requiring legislation to be tabled until the next session of both the House of Tribunes and National Assembly. The National Tribune also serves as functional head of the armed forces as the Minister of Defense, the civilian head of the military, is answerable to the National Tribune.

House of Tribunes
The House of Tribunes is the of the Volonian Legislature. It consists of elected representatives for each of the five tribunates, plus an additional two tribunates each for the Catholic Church and the five collegium within the country. The Catholic members are not elected and instead appointed and typically sit as neutral members of the House, with each representative rotating as Speaker. Under the 1970 Constitution, the tribunates each receive five tribunes as a base allocation plus an additional tribune for every five million people living in Volonia determined every five elections. The last calculation was in 2026. Accordingly, tribunal elections and subsequent sessions of the House of Tribunes are typically recorded in their "quintuple" group of five sessions where representation remained the same. Following the 2026, calculation, there were 45 tribunes within the House of Tribunes.

National Assembly
The National Assembly is the of the Volonian legislature, and is comprised of 225 members who are elected on the basis of, with all parties passing a threshold of five percent in national voting receiving seats in the National Assembly based on the share of votes they received of all eligible parties. Elections are held every four years, in years where the National Tribune and House of Tribunes are not on the ballot. The President of the Assembly is elected at the beginning of each four year term and is the only constitutionally named officer in the line of succession in the event of the death of the National Tribune. The President serves both as a partisan party leader as well as organizing officer of the house.

Tribunates
Volonia is divided into five tribunates, approximately corresponding to the four ancient Slavic kingdoms as well as Caradej, the capital city of Volonia. These areas represent distinct cultural and historical regions within the country. The tribunates do not have local legislatures but instead are used as administrative units, providing for judicial circuits as well as taxing districts. Besides Caradej, the four tribunates are Costeşti, Titu, Bradu, and Mizil, each named for the largest city in their respective tribunate as of 1950.

Political parties
There are three major political parties in Volonia.

The largest and oldest of the nation's political parties is the United Volonia Movement (UVM), a successor to the organization formed by G.C. Lorenzo during the Second Great War. The UVM originally formed the post-war which ruled the country, but has transitioned into a  political party which is typically categorized as a  party. It supports strong relations with Caphiria, though not necessarily to the exclusion of any other nation, a strong national defense, a liberalized economy, a moderate social safety net, and. The United Volonia Movement has won a majority of the elections since the implementation of the current Constitution in 1970 and is currently in power.

The second largest party in Volonia is the Party of National and Traditional Defense (PNTD), which is usually categorized as right to far right. It is an anti-Caphirian political party and has significant Levantine sympathies. The PNTD calls for a chilling of relationships with Caphiria, alliance with Levantia, a furtherance of Catholic social teaching, and upholding of traditional Volonian values. The party also supports a significant rearmament of Volonia. From 1970 to 1994, the party included the replacement of the National Tribune with a as part of its platform.

The third largest party and the newest is the Commonwealth Party (CP). Considered to be center-left, the Commonwealth Party views western Sarpedon as a single cultural and economic continuity, and seeks to eschew both Caphirian and Levantine influences in favor of those of Cartadania and Pelaxia. The Commonwealth Party is a strong proponent of Volonia's entrance into UNESARP, but also seeks to enhance Volonia's social safety net. The Commonwealth Party views Cartadania specifically as a model for Volonians to emulate.

Several minor political parties exist, including the far-left wing Party of the Revolution in Sarpedon (PRS), the monarchist and Urceanist Julian Party of Volonia, and regional interest parties such as the Frontier Party, a small party which seeks the reunion of the northern forty miles of the country with Caphiria.

Law
Volonia employs a system wherein the 1970 Constitution is the ultimate legal authority. The Constitution provides for the form of government of Volonia, provides for basic civil rights, and also includes a well developed section on civil law theory and the binding legal nature of legislation as passed by the national legislature.

Judiciary
Volonia employs a judicial system based around the geographical boundaries of the tribunates, with the Caradej Tribunal Court functionally serving as the nation's highest court of appeals as a prime court. Tribunal courts are comprised of five members serving ten year terms, appointed by the National Tribune and confirmed by the National Assembly. Judicial systems within local areas are organized by the tribunal courts.

Education
Volonian educational attainment is considered high by global standards, with it ranking above average in most global metrics. Prior to independence, educational attainment in Volonia lagged behind that of most other nations in western Sarpedon as well as most developed nations in Levantia. During the period of the Liberation Government, extensive school building occurred between 1950 and 1955, with significant additional investments coming to the system following the transition to democracy in 1970. By 1985, educational attainment had reached world average levels, which it has since exceeded.

Religion
The Catholic Church is the official religion of Volonia and is officially represented in the House of Tribunes. The 1970 Constitution states that the Volonian people "are intrinsically and forever tied to the Apostolic Catholic Faith and forever sit in communion with the Pope. The Catholic faith, though it may not be enforced by law, is an indelible characteristic of the Volonian people and their state." Volonians have long been associated with Catholicism in Sarpedon, and were subject to persecution for it during Caphiria's control of the area in the midst of the Great Schism of 1615.

Labor
By law, all workers within Volonia are organized into five publicly sponsored labor unions known as "collegium". They are the Soldiers' Collegium, the Famers' Collegium, the Industrialists' Collegium, the Urbanists' Collegium, and the National Collegium. Within the collegium, "Industrialists" means workers employed in industry or in service associated with heavy industry, "Urbanists" means service sector employees generally, and the National Collegium includes workers who do not fit within any of the other categories, typically employees of the government or the Catholic Church. The Collegium are represented within the House of Tribunes and elect leaders every two years to represent their interests in labor negotiations.

Transportation
As most of the Volonian population lives in or around the major cities, transportation consists mainly of busses, metros, and high-speed trains or ferries between metropolitan regions. Volonia has two international airports, one in Caradej and one outside of Titu. Titu also has a natural deep-water port. The government's Agenda 2040 plans to artificially deepen a corridor for modern container ships to pass in Lake Parima to make the northern shore of Volonia open for trade.