Ano Vermelho

The Ano Vermelho (Red Year) was a confrontation that began on 4 September 1697 in which the Cartadanian lower-class murdered and exiled over two-thousand upper class citizens. This continued until late August 1698 when the military finally stepped in and ended the massacre. It is, to date, the bloodiest incident to occur on domestic soil.

Amid tense relations between the lower and upper class, the government, then in the hands of the upper-class elite, began to collapse, along with the economy and other sectors. The event began when approximately 200 civilians from south-central Alexandria kidnapped and executed six corporate magnates in the former capital, Meridia. Things escalated when similar events occurred in Verona, Santiago, and Maresia. Eventually things continued to worsen until the national majority began actively murdering or exiling the upper class.

The Cartadanian military finally had the power, in 1697, to stop the massacre and end civil unrest. By this point, the damage was well pronounced. The exiled elites made their way to different locations, mostly ending up in southern Crona in what would become the territories of Ceylonia and Galicia. This marked the very beginning of the Luson Rebellion and would lead to the complete rewriting of laws and policies within the government to the Second Republic.

Background
The conflicts that would lead to the Ano Vermelho began in the city of Calaine, the capital of Alexandria and the financial capital of Cartadania. It is often cited that the true beginning was the failure of Alexandria to create laws for discrimination when it ratified its original constitution on 30 October 1680. Many of Alexandria's financial executives began to exploit this lack of legislation by denying the majority of the state's population access to certain goods and services. Some historians argue that this was a remnant mindset of Cartadania's provincial past.

Things began to crumble when Alexandrians began to protest in front of the Alexandria State Capitol in August of 1697. Tensions escalated to a point where one protestor was shot and killed on the steps of the capitol building. This caused a chain reaction across Cartadania's most populous states where a man was also shot near Verona's capital, Sevilla, at the hands of a wealthy businessman.

Following these shootings, things began to quiet down a bit for a period of a few weeks. However, on 4 September 1697, 200 Alexandrians flooded into Calaine, capturing not only then-Governor of Alexandria, Angelus Lurio, but five other upper-class individuals, notably the heads of the Bank of Alexandria, Alexandria Common Oil, and Cafe Gral. They were tied to a set of horses and drug six miles from central Calaine to the eastern city limits before being shot infront of a crowd of Alexandrian commoners. News of the event quickly reached Santiago and Verona, south of Alexandria, and by mid-October, had reached Maresia. By November, high-profile murders were common news. First, Santiago's governor was waterboarded and shot, followed by Verona's governor being thrown from a church's 440 foot bell tower, and finally Maresia's governor being drowned in the Marèe Channel.

Over the period of the next ten months, Cartadanians in the four aforementioned states would murder over 2,200 people, injure another 4,500, and exile over 2,000 people from the country. 18 March 1698 was the only time in history that a Cartadanian president was assassinated, with a Venetian citizen actually shooting then-President Petrus Aratus.

Aftermath
Though, the military did step in to intervene, the conflict largely died down after the initial year and was completely resolved with talks of a redefined constitution. Due to a large percentage of the military being from the lower- and middle-classes, these groups were heavily involved in the creation of the new constitution. A few states, namely Verona and Maresia, adopted the title Commonwealth as a depiction of their devotion to all of their citizens, not just those who possessed large sums of money. Verona's code of laws has been adopted in full or in part by a few states and, together with a few rules from Maresia, is known as the Commonwealth Code.

The establishment of a new country brought about many changes, including Congress and the Treasury voiding the Peso and introducing the Escudo as the new currency, a new scaling tax rule, among other changes to monetary structure in the country. These changes directly set the country up to become one of the most powerful economies on the planet, and many historians argue that, though the period was brutal and bloody, it was a necessary evil to even out the old mindset of the new country.

Investigation
Though some Cartadanians wanted those that were responsible to be tried for their actions, and the Justice Ministry did investigate the issue, the military and Congress ultimately denied any requests and efforts. The military stated it would return back to its position as a defense body and congress wanted to focus on rebuilding a nation in disarray.

Legacy
The legacy of the Ano Vermelho lives on in a national holiday, the aptly named Dia Vermelho or Día Rojo, which is celebrated on the 4th of September each year to remember the events of the conflict. It is typically celebrated, ironically, by a festival, similar to Carnival. The color red is typically worn and Cartadanians will flood the streets of the country, dancing and celebrating. Larger cities, like New Venceia and Sierra will typically shut down city streets as a result, and it is not uncommon to hear large crowds of people excitedly chanting "Libre", something also associated with Independence Day, celebrated on the 30th of October.

Contribution to Luson Rebellion
The Ano Vermelho was the only violent conflict of the Luson Rebellion and to date, other than minor events of the Second Great War, is the most violent event to occur in Cartadania proper. It was the height and end of the rebellion, bringing it and the century to an explosive close. Many historians believe it put a great deal in perspective for the upper class of Cartadania, and those that conformed to the demands of the lower- and middle-classes prevailed.