Volscian Empire

Flag of the Volscian Empire, the "Collective Expression"

The **Volscian Empire** *(**Oscian:** Impero Volsciano)* is a Tritestist one-party state bounding the Sapine Sea and the Mare Omnium. Covering approximately 2.4 million sq. mi. including colonial territories, it is one of the largest countries in the world by land area. Excluding its colonial possessions, the Volscian Empire is comprised of the states of Oscia, Evrosa and Viratia west-to-east.

Volscia's geographic position in littoral Asteria along the Sapine Sea has historically made the region home to a confluence of peoples and cultures. Polities such as the Irian Empire proved crucial to the progress of civilization, proliferating both the Lavinic language and Lavinic script, the latter of which spread progressively through trade and, in the later years of the Irian Empire, Soterian missionaries.

The Irian Empire's collapse in 424 CE following the Military Anarchy would give rise to the Early Middle Ages, as well as multiple incursion attempts from Toxiandrian and Danlinese invaders. Institutions such as feudalism developed concurrently, and downward literary trends would slowly begin to be reversed by the Renaissance, which started around 1 NWC. The Marriage of the Crowns in 1508 CE bound the kingdoms of Evrosa and Viratia together, forming the Peninsular Union. The Union's failures following colonial secessions, failed wars against other colonial powers and weak heirs would ultimately lead to its fracturing in 1783 CE in the Succession Wars, in which the Kingdom of Oscia would ultimately triumph in bringing the two crowns under its control. The Kingdom of Volscia was founded soon thereafter.

Contemporary Volscian political history began with the March of the Legionnaires on June 1st, 1925, in which Angelo Zevi led the National Tritestist Party as well as a multitude of reactionary, avant-garde and anti-democratic factions in a march upon the capital of Iria following Volscia's catastrophic defeat in the Volscian-Esmarian War, which saw attempted colonial adventures into Talossar repulsed by the United States of Esmaria. What ensued is typically described in Tritestist records as the "great futurist avant-garde transformation of Volscian society under the ideology of Tritestism", as Volscian society underwent radical transformation. Work, timekeeping, art and cuisine — all was transformed to maximize efficiency and bring Volscia towards a Tritestist future. The Volscian Empire was declared on October 1st, 1931, though King Gualberto's refusal of the title of emperor, as well as his opposition to the Tritestists, ultimately led to his exile from the country. The title of **Comandante** replaced any royal ambitions held by the Tritestists, and thus Volscia has since operated as "an Empire without an Emperor", something that, while initially derisive, gradually came to embody republican ideals in Tritestism. Tritestism posits three core tenets, hence its name: **God,** that is, the Soterian Church, Soterian institutions and faith in God, **State,** that is, the State, the Party and its political institutions, and **Speed,** that is, the perpetual revolutionary pursuit to improve society's efficiency and speed, the greatness of the machine, scientific progress, and artistic innovation.

Volscian space endeavors would vastly expand in the mid-20th century, both due to the Space Race with Tenzan and Serica, and out of fears pertaining to the impending arrival of the Tor asteroid. While the Volscian Empire was undergoing a liberalization in the early 1980s, pushing towards integration in the global community and even eventual decolonization of its possessions, the Ulola Event caused a drastic shift in foreign policy as well as a triumph of hardliners within the Tritestist Party, and the ensuing **"Great Reaction"** proved a dramatic change in geopolitical assessments in the aftermath of the Event. Young security officer Costanzo Giurati would ultimately triumph in this reactionary power struggle, uprooting Comandante Nicarete Reda. Giurati's administration oversaw assistance to Auronea during its invasion of Demosia during Operation Palaios Logos, as well as widespread disaster relief being provided to Volscian colonies in the southern hemisphere in the aftermath of the Ulolan Event's implications. Generally, Comandante Giurati has pursued a policy of digitalization in the wake of the rise of services such as InfoScape, establishing systems such as national intranet and digitalized surveillance in order to achieve what he calls a "digital surveillance state".

Volscia is a member of various international institutions, including the International Avant-Garde, the World Congress, and various bodies pertinent to the WC, such as the World Senate, the World Court of Justice, the World Heart Service, and the World Market Forum.