Ardmore: Difference between revisions

====Formation of the kingdom====

In 1277, the various heads of the many noble clans of the Ardmori Isles formed the [[Council of Moear]] to unite the many holdings under one universally-acknowledged leader, a King of Ardmore, to prevent any future power struggles from ever happening again. For a span of two months, the council had allowed for Rosmore, Kilkken, and Dunval to argue for why they should be the paramount leader of the isles. During these two months, the three factions were more often than not at odds with one another, but the council had ended with Rosmore being selected to become the paramount leader of the Ardmori Isles, a decision that was seen as highly controversial in part due to rumors that Rosmore may have bribed most of the council members in order to secure their support and because of Rosmore's plans to centralize the new kingdom. In response to these rumors, Dunval, Kilkken and its vassal Wissel declared a separate crowned republic in rebellion against the new Ardmori monarchy.

This new social disparity was the catalyst for the emergence of trade unions that called for the betterment of the conditions found in factories all across the southern areas of Great Ardmore and the surrounding peripheral islands; the central hub for union activity was the city of Dunvál which was, and still is, the largest city in the Ardmori Isles. Initially, many of these trade unions were focused on improving the appalling working conditions that many workers have suffered under; many still supported the monarchy, instead blaming the aristocracy for their decadence and general unwillingness to let go of even a small portion of their wealth to give back to the people under their employ. Indeed, many unions celebrated when many of these new industries were nationalized in the early 1920s as many felt that that meant that they could finally get their voices heard. However, a celebratory demonstration was heavily and brutally repressed by the armed forces under the fear that the trade unionists were aiming to overthrow the monarchy.

As the kingdom's true colors got revealed to many of the nation's laborers, so too did support for the monarchy amongst the working classes dwindle. This, alongside the rise of new ideologies that call upon the workers to seize the means of production and take control of their destiny, radicalized the trade unionists with many now believing that the only way for them to achieve their rights is through revolutionary means. The nascent [[Workers' Party of Ardmore]] rose into prominence during this time under the leadership of shift managers Ardghar Mac Shuibhne and Ros Mac Daibhéid. Mac Shuibhne was educated in [[Vithinja]] where he learned about new political theories based around the policies of {{wp|syndicalism}}, and Mac Daibhéid was a prominent socialist politician and labor leader who had been expelled from the Ardmori parliament after pulling many political stunts ranging from making snide remarks directed towards the Ardmori king to inviting an entourage of child laborers and victims of industrial accidents into the House of Commons.

===Civil war===

{{Main|Ardmori Civil War}}

Despite the crackdowns, Mac Daibhéid still remained as a respectable leader of the Workers' Party and soon began to plan a labor event in early 1927, only this time diverging from his usual tactics to maintain the element of surprise. Picket lines and strike areas were set up to prevent workers from entering the factory while at the same time making the event seem more like an initiative to gain more union members than a protest like previous incidents. The intent was to encourage factory workers to join Mac Daibhéid's cause instead of allowing the upper classes to continue abusing them for much longer. The event, now known as "Red Wednesday", soon received the attention of the police after they were alerted by the factory's senior management. Over two hundred officers were sent to clear out the disturbance, leading to a clash that resulted in multiple deaths of both unionists and policeman. Unlike previous events, "Red Wednesday" became a rallying cry for the trade unionists and the lower classes of Ardmore and was a major blow for the government.

===Modern period===

The early years of the nascent cooperative republic were marked by initial wariness from the countries of mainland Levantia; the violent overthrow of the monarch and the subsequent executions of practically the entirety of the House of Rose had left a bad taste for many of the established monarchies on the mainland. The only country that had initially recognized the new Ardmori government was Calinthia, though recognition was rescinded when the Calinthian monarchy was restored in 1938. Other than Calinthia's brief moment of recognition, the first country to have recognized the syndicalist republic in Ardmore was the [[Kiravian Union]] in 1934. Having had taken over the Kiravian government through what can be described as a civilian self-coup, the nascent socialist state was more than happy to find friends in fellow socialist-aligned nations such as Ardmore. Nonetheless, one of the first measures that Ardmore took after the end of the Civil War was to build up its armed forces in preparation for a possible attack from the republican government to its west; there were fears that the Prince-Regent may try to retake the defunct Ardmori throne for himself and invade Ardmore to reestablish the kingdom.