Urcea: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox country

|conventional_long_name = Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea

==History==

The history of Urcea as a unified state can be treated as beginning in [[Golden Bull of 1098|1098]] with the political union of the [[Urceopolis (Archduchy)|Archduchy of Urceopolis]] and [[Grand Duchy of Yustona]] into a united kingdom called Urcea, though scholars are in disagreement about whether or not the idea of the "Urcean state" began at that point or earlier, during the period of the Archduchy's ascendancy.

Coming up from the chaotic period following the destruction of [[Great Levantia]], power began to slowly accumulate in the Duchy and later Archduchy of Urceopolis, accelerated by the initial formation of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], which elevated Urceopolis to a duchy. Following the accumulation of Urceopolis, Yustona, and some other lands, Urcea was elevated to a Kingdom in [[Golden Bull of 1098|1098]] by the [[Emperor of the Levantines]]. After its consolidation, several hundred years of dynastic turmoil would follow before [[House de Weluta]] solidified its reign at the end of the [[Great Confessional War]] and Protestant reformation. The de Weluta dynasty would rule over the [[Holy Levantine Empire]] intermittently until the beginning of the 19th century, after which time a period of increasing liberalization and reform changed Urcea from an amalgamation of personal territories and holdings to a unified and powerful nation-state. After a brief period of deposition before and during the [[Red Interregnum]], the de Welutas reestablished control and continued the shift of the country in a more [[Constitution of Urcea|constitutional]] direction. Urcea, a Constitutional Monarchy, participated in both [[Great Wars]] and the downfall of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], and has been an important world power in the period since. Throughout its entire history, [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholicism]] has played a critical political and social role in Urcea, and the association between Catholicism and Urcea is known throughout the world as one of the country's defining characteristics.

===Early Period===

The Urcean nation's origins lay in the establishment of the [[Adonerum|Adonerii]] colonies in [[Levantia]] during the [[Latin Heroic Age]], but its direct antecedent is [[Great Levantia]], an empire that stretched from the southern coast of modern day Urcea to the northern coast of modern day [[Fiannria]]. It was during this time that [[Latinic people|Latinic]] people began to rule over, and eventually intermix with, the native Celtic population of Levantia. Following the collapse of Great Levantia, several Latin-speaking polities formed, the Duchy of Urceopolis being chief among them. Following a period of feuding with other Latin states states, [[Hištanšahr]], and [[Gallawa]], Urceopolis was subsumed into the emerging [[Holy Levantine Empire|Levantine Empire]] and elevated into an [[Archduchy of Urceopolis|Archduchy]] under the rule of [[St. Julius I]], and his brother Aedanicus was granted the [[Grand Duchy of Yustona]]. St. Julius and his descendants laid the groundwork for continued Latino-Gaelic integration and official recognition of their shared vulgar languages.

===Archducal Period===

As an Archduchy, Urceopolis sometimes feuded with the Emperor, and found itself a part of the [[Southern Kingdom of the Levantines]] following the division of the Empire in 917. During the period of the divided Empire, the main line of St. Julius died out and was inherited by descendants of his brother Aedanicus, the [[Grand Duchy of Yustona|Grand Dukes of Yustona]], who merged the lines together by marrying a female descendant of the Urceopolitan line. This established the House of Julio-Yustona which ruled both realms, and eventually the unified Kingdom, until 1153. During this period, the [[Eastern Kingdom of the Levantines|Eastern King of the Levantines]] conquered the Southern Kingdom, reforging the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], and soon after it became an elective monarchy, with the first Urceopolitan Emperor elected in 1014.

===Early Kingdom Period===

During the first decades of the Kingdom's existence, the Julio-Yustonas reigned in relative peace and prosperity, and King Niall I managed to acquire the long-sought Electorate of [[Canaery]], becoming the first King-Elector of Urcea. The Kingdom's focus lay to the west during his reign and beyond, as successive Kings attempted to incorporate the [[Creagmer republics]] while attempting to unify [[The Valley (Urcea)|the Valley]] under the [[Julian dynasty]]. Niall's two surviving sons both ascended to the throne and both reigned for a combined seven years before the second, Niall II, died as a boy, throwing the country into a succession crisis. Seán Aleckán, a descendant from St. Julius I in the female line who had no ancestors who were King, dispatched several other claimants and became King Seán I, founding the Aleckán dynasty. Seán I's reign mostly involved strengthening his own regime by marginalizing other claimants, and he was succeeded by his son Seán II without incident. The following King, Niall III, was the first King of Urcea elected as [[Emperor of the Levantines]]. Niall's death lead to a revolt of the magnates, installing Cónn of Holmfilth, who descended distantly from one of the Julio-Yustonan Kings, as King Constantine I. Emperor Niall's son, meanwhile, was passed over, beginning the [[Saint's War]].

===Saint's War Period===

The House of Cónn ruled for a peaceful forty years and encouraged construction before being overthrown by Emperor Niall's long-exiled son, Donnchad of the Aleckán dynasty, in a bloodless coup in 1253. The Cónn Crown Prince swore loyalty to the new King, appearing to end the dynastic struggle, but Donnchad's son relied on Cónn loyalists against his enemies and eventually named the Cónn Prince, James, as his heir. King James I ruled for a long time, but the Crown reverted to the Aleckán dynasty. A Cónn claimant next took the throne, but died childless, plunging the Kingdom into a sixty three year period of military anarchy from 1339 to 1402 known as the Great Interregnum, leaving the country divided and [[Urceopolis (City)|Urceopolis]] under the de facto control of the Pope which represented the highwater mark of the influence of the [[Papal State]] and its associated [[Duchy of Transurciana]]. A scion of the [[House de Weluta|de Weluta]] family, heirs of the Aleckán line, eventually emerged victorious, and the new King Louis II married the Cónn heiress, ending the centuries-long dynastic turmoil.

===Reformation Period===

[[File:Jacopo Robusti, gen. Tintoretto, , Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie - Sebastiano Venier (gest. 1578) (Im Hintergrund, Die Seeschlacht bei Lepanto) - GG 32 - Kunsthistorisches Museum.jpg|150px|thumb|[[Emperor Leo III of the Holy Levantine Empire|Emperor Leo III]] played a critical role of shaping both Urcea and [[Levantia]] during the Reformation Period.]]

===Imperial Period===

Following the conclusion of the [[Great Confessional War]], Urcea saw a period of growth and prosperity that coincided with greater integration of the former estates in Gassavelia. In 1702, King Riordan VII was elected Emperor Riordan I of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], beginning more than a century of Urcean control over the Empire. During this period, dramatic changes were occurring in Urcea with the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and the continued decline of the power of the nobility, who had suffered a major blow in the [[Dragonnades]] and were continuing to weaken relative to the Crown. King Leo IV was denied the Imperial Crown, but won it on the battlefield during the [[War of the Caroline Succession]], acquiring the [[Grand Duchy of Carolina]] in the process and ensuring hereditary succession for [[House de Weluta]]. After several decades, the Princes of the Empire eventually won back both Carolina and the right of the [[Collegial Electorate]] to select the Emperor during the [[Second Caroline War]]. Throughout this entire period, the [[Constitution of Urcea]] began to emerge and take form. Urcea acquired part of [[Urlazio]] and the Kingdom of [[Talionia]] during this period.

===Reform Period===

Following its loss of territory and the [[Emperor of the Levantines|Imperial Crown]] following the [[Second Caroline War]], Urcea implemented a series of liberalizing reforms in line with King Niall V's philosophy of [[Crown Liberalism]], which greatly enhanced the power of the [[Concilium Daoni]] while also implementing important reforms of the [[Royal and Imperial Army (Urcea)|Royal Army]]. By fully engaging the Urcean population in the affairs of the state, Niall reasoned that he could unleash the full power of the population and economy in a truly national effort in any war the country would face. During this period, Urcea became openly antagonistic with respect to its relation to the rest of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], ushering in decades of the slow decline of the Empire. Urcea utilized its reforms under [[King Aedanicus VIII]], who won the [[Third Caroline War]] in the 1840s, setting Urcea at odds with its Imperial neighbors permanently and reconquering the [[Grand Duchy of Carolina]]. Aedanicus's reign would feature continue reforms to the [[Constitution of Urcea]] which brought it close to its present form. The King also implemented a large naval reconstruction project which would set the tone for his son's similar construction project a few decades later. Following the King's death in 1889, [[Procurator]] and army general [[Gréagóir FitzRex]] seized power in a brief period that became known as the [[Crown Regency]], which lead to the conflict known as the [[Red Interregnum]], part of the larger [[First Great War]]. The Red Interregnum was fought for five years and resulted in the creation of the short-lived [[Urcean Republic]], which facilitated the restoration in 1902.

===Restoration Period===

On 19 November 1902, [[Patrick III of Urcea]] was crowned [[Apostolic King of Urcea]], inaugurating a period of dramatic political, social, and military reforms. Many of the social changes inaugurated during the Regency - such as the abolition of [[Social class in Urcea]] - were confirmed, and the King was given broad authority (known as The Enabling) to rewrite and solidify the [[Constitution of Urcea]]. Sweeping changes were made, including the opening up the economy, changing [[Procurator]] to an elective office, the legalization of usurious banking practices that would eventually lead to the [[Great Depression]], and an unprecedented period of military buildup. During this period, Urcea also reengaged with the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], ending the century-long [[Recess of the Julii]]. This period saw King James VI elected [[Emperor of the Levantines]], and Urcea's increasing influence over the Empire lead to the breakout of the [[Second Great War]] in 1934, which would last until 1943. The war, which primarily pitted Urcea and its allies against [[Caphiria]] and its allies on multiple theaters throughout the globe, was the world's deadliest conflict and would result in the end of the [[Holy Levantine Empire]], the creation of the [[League of Nations]], the beginning of the [[Occidental Cold War]], and the establishment of Urcea as one of the world's superpowers.

===Modern Period===

Since the conclusion of the [[Second Great War]] and [[Third Fratricide]], Urcea has established itself as a cornerstone of the new Levantine geopolitical order which features the [[Levantine Union]] and has additionally been established as a global superpower with only [[Kiravia]] and [[Caphiria]] as potential rivals. Since the end of the Second Great War, Urcea has focused on domestic improvements in quality of life for those living in the Kingdom and has developed a healthy political culture. The Modern Period has seen the beginning and end of the [[Occidental Cold War]] with [[Caphiria]], a period in which the two powers sought geopolitical supremacy over the other. Since the end of the Occidental Cold War in [[2014]] with the [[Assumption Accords]], Urcea and Caphiria have grown increasingly close as partners on the world geopolitical stage. Remaining one of the world's most religious countries, Urcea's outward influence has been marked by a heavy use of soft power and support of global missionary efforts. Between the late 2000s and the conclusion of the [[Final War of the Deluge]], Urcea was been a key participant in [[The Deluge]], and it has developed a large [[Nysdra Sea Treaty Association|sphere of influence]] in [[Crona]].

===Executive===

In the Executive Branch, the [[Apostolic King of Urcea]] maintains a mostly nominal but important role, directly appointing judges and military officers through the [[Apostolic_King_of_Urcea#Royal_Household|Royal Household]] office. The King can also intervene in disputes between the [[Procurator]] and Concilium Purpdaidá, typically when the Procurator and [[Chancellor and Temporary President]] are of different parties. The Procurator, elected by the nation at large, determines the government's policy program and directs the [[Concilium Purpaidá]] to implement it. The Procurator also has functional command and control of the [[Armed Forces of the Apostolic Kingdom of Urcea]] and proposes the Royal Budget. In the 21st Century, the [[National Pact (Urcea)|National Pact]] has typically controlled the office of Procurator.

===Legislative===

The [[Concilium Daoni]] is the lower chamber of the Kingdom's national legislature and its primary legislative body, and it is led by the [[Chancellor and Temporary President]] who serves as majority leader within the Daoni. The Chancellor nominates the members of the [[Concilium Purpaidá]], although they are formally appointed by the King via constitutional advice. Members of the Daoni, called delegates or simply "members", are elected from 500 single-member constituencies using first past the post voting. Made up of committees that mirror the structure of the [[Concilium Purpaidá]], the Daoni considers legislation as well as treaties and Royal budgets. Since the 20th century, the [[National Democratic Party (Urcea)|National Democratic Party]] has typically controlled the Daoni, a trend of success continued by its successor, the [[Solidarity Party (Urcea)|Solidarity Party]].

===Counties and Local Governments===

The various provinces, Crownlands, and states of Urcea are divided into dioceses which are coterminous with [[Levantine Catholic Church|Catholic]] dioceses but have little function other than electoral and judicial organizing. The municipal level is where local government in Urcea is effectively exercised, and the most common kind of local government is that of the commune, where every citizen over the age of 21 can vote in a communal assembly on legislative and budgetary issues affecting the commune. There are also guild communes and more traditional mayor-council types of local governments, though these are rare and usually reserved only for the largest of cities. The prevalence of communes in Urcea have earned the nation both praise and condemnation for its commitment to what some have called "radical subsidiarian Christian democracy", a relatively uncommon philosophical persuasion even in [[Levantia]].

===Politics===

As a consequence of the division of power between the [[Apostolic King of Urcea|King]], the [[Procurator]], and the [[Chancellor and Temporary President]], there are four distinct political power structures that can take form. In a situation where the Procurator and Chancellor are of the same party, members of the [[Concilium Purpaidá]] are all from the leadership's party and that party's platform become the government's program. When a Procurator and Chancellor come from a different party but reach an agreement called a "Purpaidá Coalition", whereby a minority of members of the Purpaidá are appointees of the Procurator's party in exchange for a mutually agreed upon policy program being established by the Procurator. In a situation where a hung [[Concilium Daoni|Daoni]] exists, the Procurator can help broker a majority coalition in the Daoni, whereby a mix of the Procurator and Chancellor's parties sit on the Purpaidá in a roughly even split between parties. In the final form, the Procurator and Chancellor are of different parties and do not reach an agreement, typically leading to "Royal Rule", where the King can intervene in government affairs in order to solve policy divisions between the Chancellor's appointees on the Purpaidá and the Procurator.

==Military and National Defense==

Urcea's armed forces are divided into three branches and is administered by the [[Ministry of the Armed Services (Urcea)|Ministry of the Armed Services]], a [[Concilium Purpaidá]] ministry. The three constituent portions of the armed forces are: