Anglei: Difference between revisions

The [[Holy Levantine Empire]] underwent significant political and social changes in the 19th century as a result of the rise of {{wp|nationalism}}. While renewed academic and popular interest in an Ænglish nation took hold in Anglei, effects of nationalism outside the Ænglish duchies would create a geopolitical context in which Ænglish reunification became possible. Specifically, the [[Recess of the Julii]] and elevation of Urcea as a fundamental threat to the princes and people of [[Dericania]] led to a reevaluation of Ænglophobia as the Angles might prove to be useful allies to Deric princes in the event of another [[Caroline Wars|Caroline War]]. The [[First Fratricide]] greatly accelerated this attitude shift as [[Burgophobia]] displaced Ænglophobia as the prevailing attitude within the Holy Levantine Empire. {{wp|Romantic nationalism}} also partly displaced religion as the primary motivating factor of Levantine geopolitics while also creating a national awakening within the Angles themselves. These events aligned in the 1870s. The now-centuries ingrained rulers of the five Duchies encouraged and patronized the Ænglish Revival, a period of artistic and cultural flourishing in the five duchies. Meanwhile, the [[Imperial Diet]] (primarily now made up of Deric and [[Fiannria|Fiannan]] representatives), motivated by Burgophobia, sought a strong check on the [[Burgoignesc language|Burgophone]] state of [[Yonderre]]. Many leading men of Dericania feared that an alliance between Burgundie and Yonderre was both imminent and inevitable, presaging an apocalyptic war that would not only destroy the nationalist notion of a [[Derian_identity#The_Two_Derics|Great Dericania]] but would also lead to the extermination of the Derian people in what would become [[Rhotia]] and [[Lapody]]. By [[1883]], the Imperial Diet turned to the Angles to establish geopolitical and military stability on the Empire's northwestern frontier. The Imperial Diet officially repealed the so-called [[Nordmontaine_War#Legacy|"Shameful Prohibition"]] which banned the formation of a united Ænglish polity in session in March 1883, allowing the five duchies to begin the process of forming a united Ænglish country.

====Unification====

In July [[1883]], four of the five duchies (excluding Outer Roseney) attended the Congress of Stretton to discuss the possibility of unification. All four agreed to meet again in Donnebourg, a city in [[Yonderre]], in [[1884]], to create a formal plan of union. In the meantime, the Congress debated instructions to provide to the Donnebourg meeting. Specifically, the issue of head of state was subject to lengthy debate at Stretton, as it was presumed that individual would serve as presiding officer of the Donnebourg talks. Three possible options were considered: the election of a Prince from among the number of the four; personal union with [[Urcea]] in the capacity of the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] as [[Ænglasmarch|Duke of Holchester]], and; selection of a foreign noble as Prince (likely from [[Catenias]] or [[Vallos]]) as an impartial leader. The Urcean option was rejected by three out of the four delegations immediately, leaving the foreign prince and elected prince option for significant debate. Each of the four delegations put forward their own state's ruler as Prince, leading to the delegations contemplating a foreign prince to break the impasse. However, fortuitously, the old Duke Robert V of Stretton died on 2 August [[1883]], leaving his ten year old son Andrew as Duke. As Stretton was the largest city in the duchies, the young man was broadly acceptable to the other three duchies as the ruler was viewed to be a blank slate subject to the influence of the other dukes. The Stretton plan was adopted unanimously. The rise of the "child prince" enabled the Duchy of Outer Roseney agreed to meet in Donnebourg with certain requirements, namely a strong federal structure. Outer Roseney's Duke also requested to preside over the meeting due to the minority of the Duke of Stretton, to which the other four agreed. In March 1884, representatives of the five states met at Donnebourg and agreed, unanimously, to unify under a new state called the United Angle States. The ensuing Concordat provided for the Stretton-led state under the rulership of a Prince, though all five dukes would retain equal dignity with respect to the importance of their constituencies. A regency would be appointed for the minor Prince to be chosen unanimously by the four other dukes. A constitution would be required for the United Angle States to be determined at a later time; until said constitution was enacted, the United Angle States would function as a loose confederacy with united foreign policy and military only. The Chamber of Lords, a formal gathering of the five dukes, would meet several times per year to discuss high matters of state, propose non-binding economic unification methods, and set forth the parameters of the future constitutional convention. The 10-year old Duke Andrew III was hailed as Prince Andrew I as the document was signed. The master copy of the Concordat was sent to the [[Imperial Diet]] which ratified it in September 1884. The United Angle States was given the status of an Imperial free state, an entity with {{wp|Imperial immediacy}}.

====Constitution====

Following the formation of the state, the Duke of Outer Roseney was voted as regent by the Chamber of Lords. Though the stated first objective of the new state was the establishment of a constitution, the regent delayed calling a convention indefinitely while focusing on centralizing authority under the regency. The regency period saw the creation of shared governmental institutions even before the constitution, regulating commerce between the five duchies. Eventually, the now-15 year old Prince Andrew I took control in [[1889]] with the support of four fifths of the Chamber of Lords. In place of a regent he appointed a Chief Minister to manage affairs and officially put out the call for a constitutional convention. The five duchies elected a 68-member convention which sat for business on 1 November 1889, beginning the work of drafting a constitution for the United Angle States. The Constitution was drafted between November of 1889 and March of 1890. It provided for a basic democratic bicameral legislative system, creation of a unified armed forces under the control of the Prince's government, and created a strong federal system. The federal system of the Constitution retained the subordinate hereditary monarchs - the five dukes - as well as the extant boundaries of the five duchies. The original constitution provided for the continuation of the House of Porter as Princes indefinitely. It was formally adopted on 7 April 1890 and has remained in place, with significant amendments, ever since.