Archduchy of Reine

Flag of Reine adopted by the Fascist d'Scaceno Cabinet

The Archduchy of Reine was a state that existed in central [island name], from 1107 to 1942, and again from 1946. During the Great War, the country was occupied by communist Iljekya, and the monarchy deposed. Pockets of Fascist, monarchist and republican resistance remained, while the Archduke and his royal council fled to Prithania. Allied forces consisting of Prithanian and Montelan troops invaded Iljekyan occupied Reine, and recaptured the eastern half of the country by 1946, restoring the Archduchy, though the western half remained behind the Iron Curtain under Iljekya. The country was placed under Allied occupation, where Prithanian attempts at democratizing the country and rooting out the mafia failed horrendously, and were forced to restore Reinean independence under an absolutist, monarcho-fascist regime by 1954

After the death of the fascist prime minister and dictator Francesco d'Scaceno in 1978, Archduke Eugene I transitioned the country to democracy, adopting a constitution, bringing in parliamentary elections, and removing fascist influence in the country. The Archduke elevated his title from "Archduke" to "King", bringing an end to the Archduchy as a sovereign entity in 1984. The title "Archduke of Reine" still exists, but is purely ceremonial and bestowed to the heir to the throne instead of the monarch himself.

## History

### Background

The Reinish people originate from the Montelan region of Romai. Most important cities on the Reinish east coast, such as Varezzo, Remus and Tritani date back to Romai colonies from nearly 3500 years ago. At the height of the Kornitoi Empire in 1000 BC, several Naftikoan colonies were present in eastern Reine as well, with notable examples that still last to this day being Augustoples and Maltana-Acroples. With the fall of the Kornitoi Empire, these Romai and Naftikoan city-states were left to their own devices, thus beginning the Classical Era of Reine

### Classical

The Classical Era of Reine was a time of philosophical and cultural development. The hundreds of Romai, Naftikoan and Romai-Naftikoan city-states would trade and go to war with each other, sometimes forming leagues against outside threats or more powerful cities. This era lasted for 500 years until the formation of Magna Romaia

### Magna Romaia

#### Rise of Reinus

During the latter half of the Classical Era, a Romai city-state, Reinus, rose to prominence through economic influence and military conquest. By 521 BC, the city-states on the Reinish east coast were unified into one entity, called Magna Romaia after its inhabitants, or "Reinus" after its capital. By then, a people called the "Slawinci" had already arrived in modern-day Aleurusia, but they were largely harmless in the early centuries of Magna Romaia. The government system of Romaia was a senate of upper-class aristocrats and lower-class commoners, which was inherited from the days of city-states. However, as the state had grown from a single city to a well-sized country, this proto-democracy was inefficient and eventually replaced with a monarchy.

The first Romai kings prioritized military conquest and expansion to get away from the cities of the eastern coast, where their power was limited and contested by the senate and autonomous cities. Claudius Reinus I launched the Corsi Campaign against the Corsi people of central Reine, and the Poseides Campaign by Augustus Latinius II that extended Romai influence all the way to the Iljek Strait. The conquered peoples were "civilized" and gradually assimilated, though at the same time the Romai adopted their technologies, customs, and even gods.

#### Pax Romaia

By 100 BC, Magna Romaia's borders were roughly the same as modern Reine's, though it stretched further south and north, even having colonies on the Aleurusian coast. Military conquest and expansion was abandoned in favor of cultural development and grand infrastructure projects, and Romaia flourished culturally and economically. The mingling of Romai, Naftikoan, and barbarian cultures and religion eventually blended into a new nation that was different from Romai and Naftikos of the Montelan mainland - Reine.

The first Lashken in Eredan are believed to have arrived in this time period, and proto-Karostainians would have begun migrating to what is now northern Carosthania, crossing the Legarinia Strait. Although the era of peace lasted a little more than two centuries, the cultural impact it had would shape Reine, and Eredan at large, for centuries to come.

#### Decline

While the 214 year long Era of Peace *(Pax Romaia)* brought cultural development and architectural advancement, it also lead to the corruption and weakening of the once mighty and conquering Romai legions. In 180 AD, a plague swept through Romaia, killing nearly 1/4 of the population. Theodorius Maximus V blamed the Lashken for the plague and began the millennia-long Eredani tradition of persecuting Lashkens. Throughout the decades, proto-Karostainian and proto-Aleurusian tribes continuously invaded the borders of Magna Romaia, with an Aleurusian army reaching all the way to the walls of Reinus in 301 AD. Many of the great aqueducts and highways of Romaia were destroyed or left abandoned, and Felixius Dominitius III was forced to move the capital to Tritani, which resulted in the Tripartite War with three different contenders for the throne all fighting one another and recruiting Carosthanian and Aleurusian mercenaries.

In 425 AD, due to an extreme volcanic eruption in Kalshei, the sun was blocked out by volcanic ash for much of the year, causing the Great Famine of 425. Many Aleurusian tribes began moving south into Romaia, some raiding for survival and other conquering parts of the empire for themselves. The former capital of Reinus was sacked in 481, its riches looted and inhabitants slaughtered. The city would never recover, and all that's left there now are ruins and rubble for excavation. In 503, a Carosthanian mercenary general, Titus Carothaunius sacked Tritani after not receiving his pay, putting the final nail to the coffin of the millennia-old empire. Carothaunius created the Kingdom of Tritania in Tritani, and soon many other Romai generals followed, beginning the Dark Age.

### Dark Age

At first, Tritania held most of Reine, but was defeated by the Augustine Kingdom from the north, ruled by the Aleurusian Augustus Alarus Severus. Reine would continue to be in a fragmented state ravaged by warlords and endless conflict, with the only stable region being the city of Varezzo, the headquarter of the Church. The Dark Age would last for centuries, destroying many of the records, culture, relics, infrastructure and inventions of Magna Romaia. The influx of Carosthanian and Slavinsk peoples migrating into Reine and mingling with the Romaia would further shape Reine's culture, language and customs, with examples being Reinish names of Carosthanian origin, such as Alberto and Carolus. The Church's influence continued to spread during the Dark Age, with religion providing a semblance of comfort and hope for the struggling peasants in the troubling times, and barbarian kings converting for legitimacy. Eventually, by 1007, Romaia was reunited under Cassius Constantinus, ruler of Maltana-Acroples. By then, the influence from intermixing with barbarians had changed the Romai language to the point where *"Cassius Constantinus"* was most likely pronounced more like *"Casio Constantino"*. Casio moved his capital to Varezzo as it had survived the Dark Age unscathed by war and was therefore considered the most legitimate successor of Magna Romaia. Constantino was a great admirer of Romaia, and decided to name his new realm after it - *Reino*

### Regnal Chronology (1107-1848)

#### House of Maltana (1107-1362)

* **Cassius Constantinus I/ Casio Constantino** created a new title, Archduke, derived from the Romai words "archi", meaning "primary" or "authority", and "dux", the title of some military commanders in the old empire. Casio was crowned "Archduke of Reine" by the Pope in Varezzo in 1107. The Archduchy of Reine in its modern form is believed to have originated from this event.
* **Tiberius Alexandrius II/ Tibero Alexandro** had close relations with the Church and focused on rebuilding his realm that had been ravaged by war for centuries. In his later years, he commissioned the rebuilding of a Romai palace in Tritani, which ended up nearly bankrupting his duchy.
* **Claudius Aurelius V/ Claudio Aurelio** had been Archduke for less than a year when an Aleurusian army invaded Reine again, nearly reaching Varezzo. In desperation and lacking funds due to Tibero's misdeeds, Claudio reached out to the nobles of the various Dark Age kingdoms his ancestors had defeated, asking them for help. Though the invading force was repelled, this led to the rise of regional nobles with military power in Reine, a situation that would last for the next 700 years
* **Iohannius Constantinus I/ Giovanni Constantino** granted official titles to the regional nobles and allowed them to further build up their military power to appease them. Reine managed to be relatively peaceful during his reign
* **Theodorius Antonius VII/ Teodoro Antonio** went on numerous campaigns against regional nobles, replacing those he defeated with his own followers and family members. Though many of his campaigns resulted in victories, they nearly bankrupted his treasury, and he was forced to sue for peace and restore the land and titles of his enemies.
* **Marcus Alexandrius I/ Marco Alexandro** narrowly survived a coup attempt by his brother, Prince Julius of Cantabreno. After the failed coup, Julius fled to Cantabreno and launched a rebellion to take the throne for himself. Marco was forced to give several concession to the Counts of Floretio and Augustoples for their support, and while Julius' rebellion was crushed, it led to the rise of the Count of Floretio, Augusto Alberto d'Floretio, as a powerful military strongman.
* **Caecilius Maximus I/ Cecilio Massimo** launched a campaign against Count Augusto Alberto, but was defeated and forced to sue for peace. In order to secure peace with Floretio, Cecilio's daughter Aurelia was married to Augusto Alberto's grandson, Octavio.
* **Aurelia Caelina/ Aurelia Celina** was the first woman on the Reinish throne. Prior to Cecilio's death, women were not entitled to the Archduke's throne, but Augusto Alberto, whose army had accompanied him to Varezzo, "kindly requested" that his granddaughter-in-law be put on the throne instead of her younger brother Claudio. Aurelia was essentially the puppet of Augusto Alberto until his death in 1359.

#### House of Floretio (1362-1601)

* **Iohannius Carothaunius II/ Johannes Carosthano** was the first Reinish Archduke of the House of Floretio, being the son of Aurelia Caelina and Octavio d'Floretio. The Floretians were "Carosthanized" Reinish from the southern region of the country. Johannes used the army he had inherited from his great grandfather to fight against the Count of Augustoples, the second most powerful noble in Reine. The campaign was successful at first, but a particularly harsh winter killed most of Johannes' forces and he was forced to sue for peace
* **Marcus Tritanius II/ Marco Tritano** entered into a power struggle with the Pope. He was excommunicated by Pope Paul VIII after unsuccessfully attempting to depose him. The regional nobles took advantage of the situation to rise up in revolt, and Marco was deposed by his own son Adriano
* **Hadrianus Alexandrius III/ Adriano Alexandro** restored relations with the Church and was the first Floretian who prioritized culture and religion over war. He appeased the regional nobles with gifts, which kept Reine peaceful, but also allowed the nobles to become more powerful.
* **Lucius Fredericus IV/ Lucio Federico** launched several more campaigns against the Count of Augustoples, all of which ended in disaster.
* **Theodorius Laurentinus VIII/ Teodoro Lorenzo** reigned during another period of relative peace and stability, being the second and last Floretian to prioritize culture and religion over war. His reign also saw the port cities of the Reinish east coast regain their Romai status of prosperous hubs of trade. These port cities, including Remus and Catica, negotiated with Teodoro for better autonomy in exchange for more tribute, beginning the era of Reinish mercantile republics
* **Claudius Alexandrius VI/ Claudio Alexandro** pressured the Pope into naming him 'Protector of the Church'. The Reinish Archduke would continue to have this title until 1848. Claudio formed a coalition with several weaker regional nobles, one of whom being the Count of the far-western city of Milanius, against the Count of Augustoples. The campaign against Augustoples failed in disaster again.
* **Marcus Albertus III/ Marco Alberto** was Archduke when the Count of Augustoples revolted, hoping to take the throne for himself. The would-be usurper laid siege to Varezzo for 3 months before Lucius Quintus Milanius, Count of Milanius defeated the rebels and captured Augustoples, ending the rebellion. Count Lucius then became the most powerful military strongman in Reine. Marco Alberto attempted to have him assassinated in a banquet, but Lucius narrowly escaped and his army entered Varezzo, deposing Marco and installing a puppet monarch
* **Augustus Reinus V/ Augusto Reino** was the brother of Marco Alberto who had lost the race for succession and had been exiled to the far west. He became a good friend of Count Lucius and was installed on the throne after Lucius deposed his brother. Augusto gave numerous benefits to Count Lucius, such as giving him the title of Count of Augustoples and most of the former Augustopolitan count's lands and riches
* **Laurentina Augusta** was Lucius' daughter-in-law and the last Floretian monarch. Her reign saw a period of relative peace, as well as diplomatic relations with the nearby Prithania.

#### House of Milanius (1601-1741)

* **Cassius Reinus II** was the first monarch of the House of Milanius. Originating from the isolated, mountainous western region where the intermixing with barbarians didn't happen during the Dark Age, the dialect of Milanius resembled old Romai the most, and the royals were 'Romaia purists' who dreaded the barbarian influence that lingered in Reine. Cassius began his reign attempting to remove elements of barbarian influence across his realm, which sparked mass outrage from the regional nobles and nearly costed him his throne.
* **Justinius Valentinius I** had insulted Pope Carolus I due to his name being of Carosthanian origin. The Pope therefore excommunicated Justinius and a coalition of regional nobles revolted against the Archduke. Justinius however quelled the uprising, and the Pope was forced to undo his excommunication. The Papacy would be reduced to little more than a pawn of the Archduke in this period

### Unification

Though the Archduke of Reine had nominal sovereignty over all of Reine, the regions beyond the capital city of Varezzo were under the control of powerful noble families, many of whom had ruled over their home territories for centuries and had their own military and currencies. Starting from 1849, the Reinean monarch began waging wars against these local nobles, and both sides would often have the support of foreign powers. For example, in 1863, Prithania had sent 20 thousand Royal Marines to assist Archduke Carol V against the Count of Lenbardio, who had the support of Karostain. However, Reine was an impoverished and technologically backward country, being unable to afford nation-wide railways, telecommunications, and other means of establishing a unified state. Therefore, after the local nobles who defied the Archduke were defeated, the Archduke was usually forced to hand the land over to some other noble instead, and his power could not be properly exerted in the rest of the country.

Nonetheless, by 1875, all of Reine was controlled by forces loyal to the Archduke.

### Post-1900

As the world entered the 20th century, Reine attempted modernization again. With Prithanian investment, railways were built, telecommunications were set up, and Reine was more connected to the rest of the world. However, free trade allowed the rise of another group - the mafia. The introduction of compulsory education and foreign books translated into Reinish also led to some intellectuals to call for democracy and a constitution, some even wanting the end of the monarchy. This new movement, called the Reformists, called for political reforms that would limit the power of the Archduke. Logically, the Archduke did not approve of it, though many regional nobles, hoping for greater autonomy and to return to pre-unification years, supported the Reformists. With the rise of communist Iljekya and the formation of the Montelan Federation, the Reformists splintered into two factions: Monarchists and Republicans

The Monarchists, consisting mostly of middle class intellectuals and the aristocracy, wished for a constitutional monarchy much like that of Prithania's, where the monarch's power is limited by the nobility. The Republicans, consisting of the lower class populace, wished for the end of the corrupt and nepotistic monarchy and nobility. The Republican movement would soon further splinter into socialists and republicans. In 1913, the Archduke finally gave in and allowed parliamentary elections, 50% of the seats being held by the nobility and 50% being directly elected. However, the parliament had no power and served as nothing but a rubber stamp

### Great War

When the Great War broke out in 1942, Reine, being next to Iljekya and being unstable and disunited, was a prime target for expansion. The Iljekyan invasion saw the decade-long enemies of the Archduke, the nobility, mafia, republicans, and even some socialists all working together to resist the Iljekyan invasion, though the defenders were eventually pushed south and Varezzo fell in 1943. The socialist faction had splintered into pro-Iljekyans and anti-Iljekyans, with the pro-Iljekyan communists collaborating with the invaders. A communist state was declared in the ruins of Varezzo by the Iljekyans in 1943, and the Archduke and his family fled to Prithania.

I'll write the rest later, it's 12 am