Cancellation of the 1915 Chawosaurian legislative elections

The **Cancellation of the Chawosaurian Legislative Elections of 1915** was the widely criticized, deeply unpopular, and very controversial cancellation of the originally planned Chawosaurian Legislative Elections of 1915 that was supposed to be set on December 31, 1915. The 1915 elections were canceled because of the severity of World War I (1914-1918), the cancellation was proposed by Chawosaurian Prime Minister Garfield Lucas Webster, and was approved by the Emperor. Webster received heavy criticism for the cancellation, and the criticism worsened when Webster voted in the 1916 United States elections, Webster bowed to public backlash by promising the 1919 legislative elections will not be canceled out of hopes (that came true) that World War I will end before 1919. World War I ended in 1918, and the 1919 elections were lucky enough to proceed as planned. Garfield Webster got deadly sick by the Spanish flu of 1918, and rejected a second term, also, he was mired in scandal for covering up death statistics of Euro-Chawosaurians who died in the warzones of Europe because he feared many of these Euro-Chawosaurians might have been Jewish.

The cancellation of the elections led to severe riots, revolutions, and mini civil wars all across Chawosauria all meant to overthrow Garfield Webster, the Emperor, and the whole government, these people continued to stay in power because of the lack of success of these insurrections. The cancellation sharply made Garfield Webster looked like a dictator, and Webster's popularity ultimately collapsed, and it destroyed Webster's reputation as a pro-democracy progressive.

City riots, often bloodier riots, dominated Chawosaurian society, massive demonstrations, anti-Webster protests, draft riots, and several mini civil wars have dominated Chawosauria. Webster constantly sent in troops to restore law and order, but the troops are often confronted violently by rioters, and mini civil wars occurred in cities. Garfield Webster was so unpopular that he was widely referred to as King Garfield. After World War I ended in 1918, the 1919 elections were lucky enough to proceed. Garfield Webster was mired in scandal at the end of his premiership, and Theodore McClellan became the next Prime Minister.

Since the 1919 Chawosaurian legislative elections, the Chawosaurian political establishment had refused to cancel future legislative elections. In 1939, the Chawopolis Palace previously canceled the 1945 Chawosaurian legislative elections because of World War II but didn't allowed the news to come out. World War II ended in 1945 and the 1945 elections became lucky enough to proceed, during the Vietnam War, the Chawosaurian government refused to cancel the 1955 Chawosaurian legislative elections, 1959 Chawosaurian legislative elections, 1965 Chawosaurian legislative elections, 1969 Chawosaurian legislative elections, and the 1975 Chawosaurian elections. In 2001 after the September 11 Attacks, the War on Terror began but the Chawosaurian government refused to cancel the 2005 Chawosaurian legislative elections, 2009 Chawosaurian legislative elections, 2015 Chawosaurian elections, 2017 Chawosaurian elections, and the 2019 Chawosaurian elections. There are speculative questions of will there be an election during World War III, this question is too complicated for Chawosaurian politicians to answer. A great majority of Chawosaurians would support dismissing a planned election during a Nuclear War.

## Background

### **Beginning of World War I**

World War I broke out in 1914 after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and European states wanting to take each other over, the war began and the allies and the central powers became the opponents. The central powers were the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

### **Garfield Webster**

Garfield Lucas Webster was the third Prime Minister of Chawosauria from January 1, 1910, to December 31, 1919, for one term in office. When World War I began, Chawosauria just had a legislative election in 1909, and the next legislative election was set to take place on election day, December 31st, of 1915. Webster was aware that if the war proceeds up to 1916, it would not be safe for Chawosaurians to vote in 1915, and he believed the elections would have to be canceled but wondered how would he do so without facing blowback from citizens (or in this case, voters). The war didn't seem to make any progress at all, the war was projected that the war would end before or during Christmas of 1914, but the war continued up to 1915, this made Webster decided to issue a cancellation proclamation to the Emperor, C.P. no 17. *Cancellation Proclamation no. 17*. A proclamation to cancel the 1915 legislative elections, citing the severity of World War I likely to proceed straight through the whole election year in 1915.

### **The Emperor**

The Emperor warned Webster that this cancellation proclamation will give him a very bad image, and attract very bad attention towards the Government. Webster was very well aware of the backlash he may face from Chawosaurian civilians, and this move will make him look so bad in the eyes of civilians, very especially to those civilians who vote.

The Emperor did approve the cancellation proclamation moments after warning Webster of the popular consequences of this cancellation. The proclamation went into effect immediately and Webster feared a media firestorm once they report on this proclamation to the public. The Emperor was not proud of his signature of the proclamation, in 1973, 18 years after Webster's death, Emperor Santiago, still emperor in 1973, expressed regret for signing the proclamation, and said he should've stood up to Webster and offer another plan to proceed the 1915 elections. He said he couldn't do it because Webster was a powerful Prime Minister.

### **C.P. no 17**

A very controversial proclamation for a Prime Minister, C.P. no 17 was issued by Garfield Webster to the Emperor, the Emperor approved it, and now Chawosauria has to cancel the elections of 1915. The Chawopolis Palace got angry with Webster for doing this, saying this will cost the current Palacians their reelections in the next election.

## Reactions and Opposition to C.P. no 17

The reaction Webster feared has happened, but worse than Webster feared. There were anti-government strikes, protests, riots, and eventually mini-civil wars. Webster attempted to calm down angry citizens by saying it is for safety reasons because of a big war that was going on in Europe, but the citizens ignored the excuses and accused Webster of democratic backsliding and installing a dictatorship for him to stay in power forever, in fact, if World War I had continued passed through the 1920s, it will affect Webster's term, extending it broader up till the war ends.

### **Riots**

Anti-Government riots broke out across Chawosauria in opposition to Garfield Webster's election cancellation, it was such a drag on Webster that the riots got bloodier. Webster's inability to restore law and order was badly embarrassing, especially among Chawosaurian Jews who really opposed the cancellation. Webster was called a tyrant, a dictator, and a "de-facto emperor". "King Garfield" was what Webster was called for his election cancellation. Lots of people turned to Communism in opposition, and that was really gonna transform Chawosauria's political alignment, but would not go into effect until the 1945 midterm elections, in which Webster won't be Prime Minister then. Webster failed numerous times to restore law and order everytime a riot breaks out, and Webster's troops are often killed, worse, underpaid because of the government having to cut their salaries to recover the city damages, which ended up causing law enforcement to go on strike against Webster.

### **Strikes**

In order for the government to invest in reconstruction of cities damaged by the riots, they have to cut the salaries of the police force, state trooper force, and all other law enforcement departments, this caused federal employees who work for law enforcement to strike against Webster because it is the Prime Minister who (at that time period) approves the fiscal budget. Webster lost control over law enforcement, who would eventually join the rioters against Webster, causing mini civil wars against Webster. Webster gave in to the strikers and restored payment salaries to the law enforcers and received backpay as well.

### **Mini Civil Wars**

The compromise of Webster to restore the salaries of law enforcers alienated minority and poor neighborhoods who were harassed by law enforcers, seeing this as a sellout, poor people and minorities turned against Webster, and started mini civil wars, and mini civil wars to overthrow Webster have also begun. Webster often won many of these mini civil wars, and several more of these mini civil wars would get crushed.

## Conclusion of the Opposition

### **Preserve the 1919 elections movement**

Chawosaurians feared that if World War I expands to 1919, Webster would cancel the 1919 legislative elections, Webster feared the war would expand to 1919, and the protesters would erupt in a unified civil war that will really strike down Webster.

### **1918 Chawopolis Riots**

Anarchists attacked Chawopolis City to overthrow Garfield Webster and the Emperor. The Anarchists attempted to storm the Chawopolis Palace and start a revolution similar to that of the Russian Revolution that erupted a year before. the riots got so bad that the a city civil war began between the Chawopolian police force and the Anarchists, and the whole city burned to the ground except the Palace. Unexpectedly, the Anarchists received a heated backlash from the opposition for the Chawopolis Riots, as well as a backlash from the Chawosaurian Public, and Garfield Webster's popularity recovered. Garfield Webster remained in power, as well as the Emperor, and the Anarchists were pushed out of the city, and they finally surrendered.

### **End of World War I and the 1919 elections spared**

In November of 1918, the Central Powers, Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary, despite the withdraw and fall of Russia, surrendered to the allies, and peace came to Europe, at least for now. This meant the 1919 elections will not get struck down by Webster. While the 1919 elections was going on, Webster left office to Theodore McClellan.

## See also

* Garfield Lucas Webster - Prime Minister from 1910 to 1919.
* Garfield Webster's handling of World War I
* Chawosauria in the Two World Wars