Federal Republic of Urcea Factbook Archive

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:37 pm

This is no longer in use, I'm simply using it to archive entries I'm deleting from my in-game Factbook. I'd definitely recommend you check that out (it's in my signature), and I appreciate Euroslavia using this thread as an example of what to post in FaNI. Most of my entries are still here if you're looking for content to post for yourself.

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:37 pm

The Federal Republic of Urcea
Imperium Romanum Sacrum
(Pronounced "Yur-see-uh")

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:38 pm

We, the loyal citizens of the Urcea, having whole-heartedly decided to constitute a Federal Republic, determined to secure for our people both physical and political freedoms, resolved to secure ourselves complete and total Liberty, hoping for Divine backing, do ordain, adopt, and enact this Constitution of the Federal Republic of Urcea.

ARTICLE I - EXCLUSIONS

Anything not mentioned within this Constitution is wholly and firmly the decision of the provincial legislatures.

ARTICLE II – CONGRESS AND THE PROVINCES

Section 1 – Role of Congress

Congress shall make no law impeding upon the rights to govern of the provinces. The role of Congress is strictly to deal with national foreign policy, raise armies, and, in times of provincial distress, enforce security within the province(s). This is maintained unless the Provinces otherwise delegate power for a temporary, but indefinite, period. The Congress shall be comprised of a single house, made up of fifty representatives, five from each province.

Congress may:

Regulate commerce with foreign nations;
Coin money;
Establish post offices;
Declare war and make rules concerning captures on both land and water;
Regulate the standing armies of the Republic;
Raise and support armies from the provinces for indefinite terms;
Provide and maintain a navy;
Use said militaries to execute the Laws of the Republic, suppress Insurrections and Rebellions, keep the peace, and repel Invasions;
Not call forth or provide for militias, which are a responsibility of the provinces

Section 2 – Power of the Provinces

Each province retains its sovereignty and freedom to tax, govern, and otherwise however it chooses without the consent of Congress or the other provinces.

Section 3 – Congressmen

As mentioned, the Congress is composed of five representatives from each province, chosen by the legislature thereof. They are to be of twenty three years of age or older, be a citizen, and have resided within the nation for at least ten years. The congressmen will hold their office for as long as their provincial legislature wishes. The provincial legislature has the power to remove a congressman at any time, so long as they send a replacement for the congressman. Compensation for the congressmen shall be decided by the individual provincial legislatures.

Section 4 – Assembly

The Congress must assemble at least once in every yearly period, starting on that day in which the Republic was declared; the Seventeenth of April. Congress may not adjourn for more than three days without the consent of a majority of the provinces. Congress may, at any time, appoint new rules of Congressional conduct without consent of the provinces. It may not, under any circumstances, expel a member of Congress without the consent of the provincial legislature.

Section 5 – Presidential Veto

The President may, should he deem a proposal inappropriate, veto any bill that passes through Congress, and this veto cannot be overturned without the approval of more than two thirds of the Congress.

Section 6 - Chancellory

In order to dictate the direction of the Congress and maintain parliamentary procedure, the tradition of the Chancellory will be maintained. The Chancellor shall have no term; he will maintain his seat for as long as the Congress approves. The Congress shall, by majority vote, elect one of the congressmen to the position of Chancellor. The Chancellor retains the role of full voting congressman. As all other congressman, the Chancellor can be replaced by the legislature of his or her respective province. In the event of the Chancellor being replaced, the Congress simply elects another Chancellor.

Section 7 – Restrictions

Neither Congress nor the provinces may grant titles of nobility, exception being that of the title of Grand Duke of Urceopolis. Provinces may not declare themselves independent of the others, may not declare war on a foreign nation or another province unless invaded, or lay claim to territories belonging to another nation or province.

ARTICLE III - PRESIDENCY AND EXECUTIVES

Section 1 – Role and Term

The executive power of the Urcean people and nation will be vested in a President of the Republic. The President will hold office for a term of five years. The President of the Urcean Republic shall hold the role as the Supreme head of the Urcean military and the militaries of the provinces, including the national and provincial navies.

Section 2 – Election and Electors

Each province shall appoint a number of electors; each particular group of electors will represent a candidate for the presidency. The general populace of each province will then cast votes for the electors, in the form of a presidential vote. All of the electors from the provinces will then convene in the capitol and cast their votes; the candidate with the total number of votes will become President of the Republic, regardless of whether he won the majority of votes or not. It must be noted that each county in a province will vote for one elector spot. (Changed in Third Amendment)

Section 3 – Qualifications

A candidate must be born within the ten provinces of the Republic; he or she may be no less than thirty years of age, and have to have resided within the Republic for no less than twenty five years.

The President shall be removed from office on either Impeachment by Congress (with approval of a majority of the provinces) or by conviction of treason or major misdemeanors.

Section 3 – Ascendancy

Should the President become incapacitated, incapable to Preside, or otherwise indisposed, the Chancellor of the Congress will ascend to the Presidency, and that title in its fullest sense. If the Chancellor is indisposed or refuses the position, the Congress shall select a new President from among their ranks.

Section 4 – Oath

“I do solemnly swear that I will firmly and faithfully serve as President of the Republic of Urcea, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend, both the Constitution of the Urcean Republic and the Urcean Nation.”

ARTICLE IV – AMENDMENTS

The Congress, with the approval of a majority of the Provinces, if it deems necessary, shall be able to call Constitutional Conventions in efforts to both write and approve amendments to this Constitution. The amendments, for all intense and purposes, will be considered full part of this constitution.

ARTICLE V - EMERGENCY

In times of great peril when the Republic is in grave danger, the Republic can vest, with unanimous approval of both the provinces and the Congress, absolute power in the leading member of the House of Platagenet-Nero, who is also the Grand Duke of Urceopolis. This leader assumes absolute control of the Republic, and, while both Congress and the Presidency still function, they can both be overrided. These "Terms of Emergency" last exactly one year, and can be extended with, again, unanimous support. The leader assumes the official title "Protector of the Republic", but also may assume any other title he pleases, such as "Emperor" or the like.

AMENDMENTS

The First Amendment

Section I

In the event that the President of Urcea, or as any other title he may hold, becomes the head of state of another political entity, the President has the authorization, with the consent of Congress, to form a state union with the other nation. Congress has the authority to admit these other lands to the Republic at any point.

Section II

In the event of admission of another land as a Constituent Province of the Federal Republic, Congress may, at the time of admission, grant the constituent the following powers:
To grant Titles of Nobility to non-members of the House of Plantagenet-Nero;
To raise an army (with restrictions on size placed by Congress);
To provide and maintain a navy (with Congressional restrictions);
To crown a sovereign, albeit with loyalties to both Congress and the Constitution

Section III

A constituent may form no more than two provinces.

Section IV

Congress may allow a Constituent province more than five congressman, but no more than ten.

Section V

The powers granted upon the province cannot be revoked by Congress without a majority decision within Congress and unanimous consent from the province's delegation.

The Second Amendment

Section I

New provinces may be admitted to the Republic with the majority consent of the people living within a territory vote for provincehood and this vote in confirmed by the Congress of the Republic.

Section II

New provinces may be created out of territories of an extant province provided the following;
The populace of the counties of the proposed new province vote for the creation thereof;
The provincial legislature of the extant province votes with at least 40% approval;
The Congress approves the motion and confirms their provincehood.

The Third Amendment

Section I

Electors will be cast for President according to their province, as opposed to by counties within a province. The Congress shall determine, by method of census, the amount of electors of each province. A prospective Presidential candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes cast.

Section II

Provincial governments may decide to award electors instead of by popular vote within the province, but this may only occur if the populace of the province has voted to allow this measure beforehand.

Section III

A prospective Presidential Candidate may be born in any province within Urcea as well as any territory, domestic or overseas.

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:38 pm

Manpower
MAXIMUM WARTIME AVAILABILITY: 598,800,000
MAXIMUM PEACETIME AVAILABILITY: 119,760,000

Urcea's Total Annual Military Budget:
$19,871,029,666,897.93

ACTIVE PERSONNEL: 65,774,567
Active Infantry: 44,849,104

EQUIPMENT TOTALS:

URCEAN LEGIONS

Urcean Legionary Air Arm
Air Attack - 9,001
Light Strategic Bomber - 2,224
Medium Stealth Strategic Bomber - 400
Heavy Strategic Bomber - 3,909
Heavy Cargo Aircraft - 19,366
Gunships - 252
Multirole Fighters - 76,721
Superiority Fighters - 18,553
Tanker Aircraft - 20,961
Maritime Patrol Craft - 6,230
Trainers - 24,035
Reconaissance/Electronic Warfare - 8,950
Surveillance UAV - 3,800
Combat UAV - 3,800
Utility Helicopters - 29,560
Light Utility Helicopters - 2,622
Attack Helicopters - 17,442
Heavy Cargo Helicopters - 16,074
Tiltrotor Cargo/Transport Helicopters - 1,463
Search and Rescue/Multirole Helicopters - 9,240
Training Helicopters - 6,270

Urcean Legionary Ground Arm
Power Armor Suits - 6,104
Main Battle Tanks - 175,950
Armored Personnel Carriers - 334,380
Infantry Fighting Vehicles - 72,500
Amphibious Assault Vehicles - 24,909
Self-Propelled Artillery - 25,050
Howitzers - 51,405
Multiple Rocket Launchers - 29,790
Air Defense Units - 19,076
Surface-to-Air Missile Systems - 21,014
Armored Recovery Vehicle - 12,844
Various Transportation/Cargo Trucks - 1,833,500
Light Utility/Attack Vehicles - 2,280
Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles - 3,040,000

NATIONAL NAVY

Aircraft Carriers - 284
Amphibious Assualt Ships - 245
Amphibious Transport Docks - 287
Dock Landing Ships - 302
Destroyers - 1,753
Frigates - 786
Missile Cruisers - 604
Attack Submarines - 1,401
Ballistic Missile Submarines - 406
Guided Missile Submarines - 92
Mine Countermeasure Vessels - 322
Patrol Ships - 253
Various Support Ships - 1,863

RECENT HISTORY

Prior to the Great War, Urcea actually had three military bodies - the Imperial Army and Navy, which served as the main military arm of the nation during warfare, the Imperial Guard, a body tasked with protection of the Emperor but also served as an elite shock force and sometimes a bureaucratic entity, and the Army of the Electorate, an army of mostly levies and feudal soldiers generally used for protection of the Urcean homeland but also could be used as a support and reserve force in a foreign war.

During the Great War, the Imperial Army mostly sided with Adrian X and the Empire, while most of the Army of the Electorate and Imperial Guard sided with Julius Nero and the Republic. Congress quickly decided to merge what little portion of the Imperial Army it had with the Imperial Guard and Army of the Electorate, and as a result the National Army was formed. The National Army fought several battles against the Imperial Army, eventually securing the Republic's independence.

Following the annexation of the Empire in 2037, most of the National Army was disbanded in favor of the Congressional Defense Force, which one may consider the successor of the Army of the Electorate. However, the National Army is never really "disbanded", as it is the official armed forces organization of the Republic, and the Congressional Defense Force is a part of it. Much of the National Army was reactivated for the Levantian War in 2055.

WAR TIME

In times of war or general distress, the Constitution of Urcea grants Congress the right to raise a unified army; normally, this entails consolidation of all the provincial militias with the Congressional Defense Force, forming whats called the "National Army". The officer corps is generally decided by whomever Congress appoints to be the Supreme Commander of the National Army. In addition, the National Army usually relies on a large amount of levies; the provincial militias and Congressional Defense Force usually simply isn't enough manpower to fully defend the nation.

During wartime, all the equipment from previous engagements are reactivated; dormant airplanes repaired and pushed back into service; sleeping warships refueled, re-crewed, and repaired; unused armored vehicles fired up once again, and so on and so forth.

During the Great Levantian War, the Congress reorganized the military into Legions. The President is the head of the military, holding the title of "Supreme Commander". Below him are ten proconsuls, who are also the independent heads of their forces. These proconsuls are also given certain military districts, of which they are the head governance of any forces in that district. Below each proconsul is ten Legates. Beneath each Legate is ten Praetorians. A Praetorian controls an unspecified amount of soldiers; it depends upon his district. The next commander after the Praetorian is the Centurion, an officer who commands one hundred soldiers.

In the Urcean Legionary System, there is no distinct armor or air corps. Air forces are distributed to each Legion by the Proconsul. The Legate generally then creates a Legionary Air Office, which is the de facto command group of a Legion's air forces. They coordinate with other Legions in creating mission assignments and handle deployments. Ground vehicles are determined by a system of requisition or deployment. Depending on the severity and nature of an assignment, a Century is given a certain amount of vehicles to assist with that particular mission. Legates will generally also form a Legionary Logistics Office, to handle not only the deployment of armored vehicles for the various missions and assignments facing the Legions, but also handle the transportation and cargo concerns of the Legion. While all of this may seem disorganized, it works quite efficiently on the principal that dividing up responsibility to smaller units ensures better usage of equipment, and also ensures that equipment, arms, and money are better handled and followed. As of 2067, the Legions have been part of the larger Department of War.

On average, each Praetorian controls about 285 centuries. This means a Legion controls about 288,490 men on average.

A STANDARD CENTURY

MAP OF PROCONSULAR DISTRICTS

PEACE TIME

During times of peace, the National Army is generally disbanded. In its place, the Congressional Defense Force and the Provincial Forces keep the nation safe. The CDF is a force tasked with keeping places of importance safe; mainly, they defend the Great City of Urceopolis, but are also given the duty to defend other important places, such as seaports, airports, and the like.

The rest of the nation is defended by Provincial Forces. During peacetime, Congress distributes the National Army's equipment among the provinces; it is the province's choice what to do with it. Provinces generally leave most equipment deactivated until the next war, but use some of the equipment for the general defense of the provinces. All the equipment is documented and minimally maintained by officials within the province; it is a logistical miracle, and when wartime hits Urcea, most of the men and equipment from the provinces are active and incorporated in the National Army within twenty four hours.

Due to the fact the nation has no standing army, training of the populace is key. Basic military education (BME) is the only nation-wide course mandatory in high schools. In BME, students are taught how to fire and service several types of weapons, how to camouflage themselves within their surroundings, how to form basic entrenchments, and how to properly enter a building.

All citizens of Urcea are encouraged to own a firearm; about 90% do.

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:39 pm

Early History

Urcea has a long and eventful history. In approximately 20 B.C., a large amount of Roman Colonists made landfall in what is now the city of Julianum, which they established soon after discovering the new land. Development was relatively slow; while the city and province of Julianum were developed, not much else on the continent was. The capitol of Urcea, Urceopolis (city of the Urceans) was established after a trade expedition in 134 A.D. Contact with Rome was permanently lost in 410 A.D., and, in its place, a political entity known as the "Ionian Empire" was established to govern the provinces. This first "Empire of the Urceans" roughly constituted most of today's Urcea. Over time, the Ionian Empire lost most of its land to smaller states, such as the Grand Duchy of Urceopolis and the Kingdom of Justonium, but still remained in existence. The continent of South Levantia was more or less split between three equal powers; the Ionian Empire in the north, and the Kingdom of Canaery, which was descended from a larger Celtic Kingdom from the previous era, and Rexheim, which was a fairly ancient Germanic kingdom. These two lands existed in some form until the twenty first century, when they were conquered by Urcea. At the time, most of the region was pagan; only the Grand Duchy of Urceopolis was Christian, mainly due to the fact Christian refugees from the early Roman period flooded there.

St. Julius I

In 710 A.D., St. Julius I, result of a royal marriage between the Grand Duke of Urceopolis and the Queen of Justonium, took the throne in both of those nations. Within three years, he merged the two realms and declared the first Empire of Urcea.

Emperor St. Julius I, as depicted in the national cathedral

This action enraged the Empire of Ionia; after a long series of Urceo-Ionian Wars that ended in 731 A.D., the Empire of Urcea reigned supreme over the continent; the Empire of Ionia was reduced to a coastal territory, and most of the other realms on the continent, save for Rexheim and Canaery, swore an oath of fealty to Emperor St. Julius I. After his many wars of conquest ended, the Emperor worked tirelessly, but peacefully, to convert his subjects to Christianity. The fruits of his labor can be seen today; over 96% of Urceans are Roman Catholics. In 745 A.D., Urcea regained communications with Rome, and the Urcean Christians recognized the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome. In 775 A.D., Emperor St. Julius I died and was succeeded by his son, Adrian. In 1291 A.D., in recognition of his tireless efforts to peacefully convert South Levantia, he was canonized by Pope Nicholas IV.

Growth and Decline

Over the decades, the First Empire continued to expand, reaching its apex in 1287, under the reign of Adrian IV, when it controlled all of modern Urcea, half of Rexheim, most of Canaery, and reached as far north as its outpost at San Carlos. Before this, most of the states on the continent, such as the Empire of Ionia (which was conquered by Emperor Constantine II in 1215), were either swallowed whole, or were feudal domains that were annexed. Still, it was not without problems; its immense size made maintaining its military a costly affair. A bright spot in this period is the reign of Adrian IV; Urcea launched a Tenth Crusade and successfully reestablished the Kingdom of Jerusalem under the Plantagenets (the King of Jerusalem's descendants would eventually sack Urcea). After the war was over, inflation shot through the roof, and the Empire's problems were compounded when a series of incompetent royals took the throne. With poor supply lines, the northern provinces broke off, establishing Urcea's present-day northern border. Otto the Bloodthirsty (b. 1309, d. 1366) launched an ill-advised war against the allied Kingdoms of Rexheim and Canaery. The war, now known as Otto's Folly (1350-1358) would prove to be the end of the first Empire; the allied Kingdoms hired a large amount of Norman mercenaries. The allied Kingdoms reclaimed their land, leaving the Normans to sack the rest of the Empire. When Otto was forced to abdicate and fled the country, the Normans established a new state, something historians now call the "Kingdom of Urcea" - it was ruled by the House of Plantagenet. The House of Nero was thrown into exile. Its loyalist and members fled north and formed the Empire of San Carlos.

Reestablishment and the Modern age

Unfortunately for the Urcean people, the Norman rulers proved no better. Not only were the Plantagenet rulers of Urcea incompetent, but they were also very violent, often treating the Urcean people like slaves. They, too, lost wars against their former employers (Rexheim and Canaery), and often faced provincial revolts. In 1402, Queen Eleanor I married Edward V, a member of the House of Nero, and the Emperor of San Carlos. The House of Plantagenet-Nero was formed, and the Second Empire of Urcea was established, as Edward V abolished the Kingdom and declared himself Emperor of a United Urcea. Edward would go on to reclaim lands lost to Rexheim and Canaery; this established Urcea's present-day southern border. With the Urcean territories set, a very uneventful couple of centuries began for South Levantia. Urcea was generally active in the age of exploration, and established several colonies, but rarely was engaged in warfare.

The Protestant Reformation was widely rejected in Urcea except in and around Julianum. In 1702, Emperor Michael II died in a carriage accident, in which he was trampled by horses. His son, Julius IV, was but three years old. In the period of confusion, the Protestants, in league with many other discontents, broke away from the Second Empire of Urcea and formed the Confederacy of Ionia. In the ensuing war, the War of the Ionian Secession (1702-1709), the Emperor's wife and the regent, Christine I personally led the Imperial Armies to victory over the rebels. The Ionian Confederacy was utterly destroyed, and the Empire was unified again. Christine I was so popular among the people that, when Julius IV came of age in 1717, she was asked to rule along-side him. She did so until her death in 1727. The rule of Julius IV and those after him was relatively unimportant and not worth nothing, except for the fact that Julius IV inherited the title of King of Jerusalem in 1739, a title which the Plantagenet-Neros' have held since.

When the French Revolution broke out, Emperor Patrick II (b. 1760, d. 1815) declared war on Revolutionary France and its dependencies - a costly mistake. Despite superior manpower, the French Armies, lead by Bonaparte himself, rolled over the Imperial Army. Napoleon dissolved the Second Empire and established the Second Kingdom of Urcea - of which he placed his younger sister, Pauline, as sovereign of.

Second Kingdom, Third and Fourth Empires, and a Republic

The Kingdom of Urcea, one of Bonaparte's many satellite states, contributed heavily in the rest of his conquests. The land and populace were heavily drawn from for his war efforts. In 1806, Lucien Bonaparte replaced Pauline as the sovereign of Urcea. After provincial revolts and several battles between the British and French in Urcea, the poverty stricken land of Urcea regained its independence from France in 1813. Patrick II, who established the Third Empire, regained the throne and ruled until his death.

The Third Empire, like the Second Empire before it, was relatively uneventful. Urcea fell victim to the wave of revolts that gripped the world in 1848; the short-lived Republic of Urcea, lead by Republican General Adrian Octaviusson, sent Adrian VII into "exile", although this exile was the city of Julianum. The Emperor soon gathered the Imperial Army and overthrew the Republican regime, which controlled only the territory around the city of Urceopolis. The Fourth Empire was soon established, and was about as uneventful as the last two, excluding the fact that the Empire became heavily industrialized in this period. The Empire of Urcea and its colonies did not participate in the First World War. It did, however, engage in conflicts leading up to the Second; in a rather poorly planned attempt to reestablish the Papal States and end fascism in Italy, Emperor Louis IV declared war on Italy. In the ensuing war, known as "the Italian Folly", Urcea was routed, leading to the establishment of a fascist puppet state.

Second World War and beyond

Such as it had been under the Bonapartes, Urcea was heavily used by its controllers during the Second World War. Its people were readily conscripted to fight the allies and its resources were pillaged for the war effort. Two Italian born fascists, Guarino Pinto (1937-1944) and Bellino Marcelo (1944-1945) ruled the nation by proxy. With support from Italy and Germany drying up, the "Urcean State" met the same fate as the Second Kingdom of Urcea - provincial revolts and British liberation. Louis IV was restored to the Throne in 1945, declaring the fifth Empire. It was at this point that Urcea and its people assumed a great dislike of socialists, socialism, and communism; several socialist activists besieged courthouses and government buildings in 1951; Louis IV deployed the Imperial Army, and the crisis was soon over. The Empire then participated in the Korean and Vietnamese wars, fighting against the communists in both conflicts.

Tyranny and the First Civil War

After the end of the Cold War, things were relatively quiet again until 2003, when Julius VI assumed power. By all accounts, he was a tyrant; he raised taxes to almost 100% for the lower class, oppressed religious minorities, and engaged in several successful but bloody foreign conflicts. Things became so bad that an age-old problem, provincial revolts, sprang up once again. The people within the provinces established, more or less, provincial dictatorships. In 2009, after about four months of fighting on the outer provinces, the people of Urceopolis assualted the Imperial Palace and executed Julius VI without a trial. His son, the twelve-year old Crown Prince, who took the title Julius VII, along with his wife and brother, fled. Two years later, Roberto Mazzi became dictator of the province of Urcea Major, and called for a landsmeet, a traditional Urcean meeting between provincial rulers that were usually royals, between the dictators of the various provinces. By sheer force of will and a large military force to back him up, Mazzi appointed himself Chancellor of Urcea and unified all the provinces under his iron fist. His rule was not without problems; he, himself was tyrannical. The Chancellorate of Urcea was dotted with several dozen royalist strongholds, all of which had defenses that were virtually impenetrable, provided a constant threat of the Chancellor's armies. These strongholds were all in communication and all well manned and well supplied. In addition, Julius VII was still alive, and getting older by the day. All of these came to fruition in 2015; Julius VII, in the colony of New Urcea, declared the Sixth Empire of Urcea, and declared war on the Chancellorate. War once against struck Urcea; three provinces immediately declared loyalty to Julius VII. The strongholds all immediately recognized him, and those sick of Mazzi's tyranny declared themselves in support of Julius VII. A large war broke out; hundreds of thousands of Urceans were killed by 2021, and there was no end in sight. However, Mazzi was completely undermined when the members of the Landsmeet were executed by their provincial constituents and replaced by nobles. The nobles unanimously declared their own state; the "Provincial Chancellorate of Urcea", lead by commoner Michael Colombo. The Provincial Chancellorate soon sided with the royalist forces, and the end was in sight for Mazzi. The war ended in 2025, when the combined forces took Urceopolis by force. Mazzi was executed where he sat in the Palace; Julius VII took power.

Second Great War

In its wake, several lessons were learned. Tyranny, either by a monarch or a commoner, simply did not work. When Emperor Julius VII took the throne, he declared that he'd reform the Landsmeet into an Electorate to run the day-to-day operations of the Sixth Empire. The Electorate was comprised of fifty popularly-elected commoners, and fifty nobles. Julius VII made strides to liberalize the Sixth Empire, but was often met with resistance from traditionalists. Several reforms made by Chancellors Michael Colombo and Brian Julius continued liberalization, but at a slow pace; the frustrated Emperor announced that he would abdicate, dissolving the Empire. This infuriated the nobility, and triggered the Imperial Civil War, which later became known as the "Second Great War". The former Emperor was elected President (by Congress), and soon, the Republic had a constitution - the Constitution of Urcea. Congress decided to keep the Acting President on as full-President, placing the end of his term in 2035. President Julius Nero led a successful defense of Urceopolis, while the Empire launched its fleets towards Uijukun. An allied force intervened, beginning the "Battle of Nations", the largest naval battle in history. Although failing to invade Uijukun, the battle was a victory for the Empire - despite the grumblings of the Republic, it brought everybody to the negotiating table; the "Treaty of San Carlos" called for the existence of two Urcean nations, effectively splitting the two by provincial lines.

Roman's Insurrection and Union

After the war, the Empire found itself compromised economically and militarily. Despite having the superior military during the war, it was unable to afford much of it due to the reparations it was called upon to pay in the Treaty of San Carlos. In addition, loss of much of its land caused an economic depression within the Empire. A hero for the Empire during the war and founder of the Romansylvania Colony, Charles Roman launched his own coup. Seizing the unsuspecting Emperor Adrian X during a tour of the colony, Roman executed the Monarch and crowned himself Emperor Charles I. Upon returning to the Empire, the Electorate unilaterally rejected Roman's claim to the throne, causing more fighting. Prior to his return, several of Roman's units had taken fortresses on the Empire's periphery, but with his return, full-blown war broke out. Although scattered fighting broke out throughout the nation, most of the fighting occurred in the streets of Julianum, the Empire's capitol. The Electorate sought and found refuge in the Republic while the fighting was going on. In a last ditch effort, they appointed Lord Chris Culos, a cousin of the Chancellor and head of the Imperial Academy, Lord Commander. Although he made a valiant attempt to retake Julianum using naval support, his assault soon became a bloodbath. Roman's marines easily boarded several of the ships and, using them as rams, destroyed the remainder of the fleet. With loyalist troops deep behind lines without naval support, Roman's troops were able to easily dispatch of many of the loyalist soldiers. Several members of the Electorate, meeting with Lord Commander Culos, decided to use the LUCIFER Protocol. The LUCIFER Protocol was designed during the Second Great War to be used in the event of a Republican takeover of Julianum. It was a 600kt nuclear weapon hidden under the Imperial Palace. It exploded, obliterating most of Roman's forces and many of the loyalists, too. President Julius Nero soon issued arrest warrants for Culos and these electors; the remainder of the Electorate, seeing that the Empire could not continue alone, decided to appoint Nero as the Regent of the Empire (during the minority of Adrian X's son, Constantine V). With this, the Union of the Two Urceas was formed. The Union was not to last, however; a landslide victory for the Conservative-Nation coalition in the 2038 General Elections lead to a speedy annexation of the Empire. In order to accommodate the annexation and placate the Imperial Government, the Empire was admitted as a single province, "Imperia", and given ten representatives to congress. In order to keep the even amount, fifty, the Julian Isles were admitted as a province as well.

Isolation and Constantine

During the spring of 2039, President Nero and Congress decided to cut off trade and communications with Ixnay for a temporary, indefinite period, in order to focus all of the nation's efforts on rebuilding the shattered remains of the Imperial Provinces, as well as to boost Urcean Industry, which was hurt significantly during the war. Congress used a significant amount of Federal power during this time in order to appropriate funds for the reconstruction of the former Imperial Provinces, but this power was always severely regulated by both President Nero and the provincial legislatures, who often recalled Congressmen they deemed "too Federal".

Nothing really of note occurred during this era except for the death of longtime Chancellor Michael Colombo and the ascension of new Conservative Chancellor Gregory Spano. When Urcea ended isolation in 2055, the nation experienced an economic boom, as opposed to a region-wide recession that surrounded it. President Nero shocked the world when he decided not to run for re-election in 2055. His nephew and the former Imperial Heir, Constantine Nero, ran for President on the Nation Party and won in an upset - Chancellor Spano was expected to win. With a new President, a rebuilt nation, and a new Chancellor, the nation looks towards the future as it enters a new era.

Early in Constantine Nero's term, a great opportunity presented itself; IxnayGeo and most major regional powers began to recognize Urcea's claim over the entire Levantian Continent, something the nation had been pushing for for nearly thirty years. Following this, Urcea declared war on all of the states in the Levantian Continent, namely Greston Minor, Meropolis, and San Carlos in the north. In the south, Urcea's age old rivals - Rexheim and Canaery - declared war in an effort to defend against the Urcean machine. The war raged on for two years. Urcea easily triumphed, and for the first time ever, Levantia was united under one flag - the flag of the Urcean Republic.

During the 2057 Election, the Conservative Party again lost in a major upset, having to form a coalition with the Imperial Party. The Liberal Party, which won 29/60 seats, soon fractured, with the Alliance for Patriotic Centrism forming. This left the Conservatives as the largest party in Congress.

Soon after Constantine Nero was elected President, the Kingdom of Brasland descended into anarchy, with plague filling the land and a total collapse of civil government. The King and most of his family fled from Ixnay, leaving Constantine Nero as the legitimate heir to the Throne of Brasland. He officially claimed the title in 2057, but had yet to enforce the claim and rebuild a civil government in his supposed realm. In 2058, following months of negotiation between Bob from Sales, which occupied Brasland, Urcea, and third party nations, a deal was reached in which would allow the re-settlement of Brasland and administration of the territory by Urcea, in exchange for Salesian bases in the area.

The End of Nero, the Third Great War, and 22nd Century

In West Ixnay, a former colony of Kazomal overthrew the colonial government and declared independence; the Urcean government, in a police action rumored to be on the behest of the Kazomal government, moved several legions into New West Kazomal in order to end the independent uprising and establish a state that would bend more towards Urcean and Kazomal interests. The effort failed and the Urceans lost many soldiers before Congress, which ruled Nero's Brasland ambitions unconstitutional, allowed President Nero to reallocate soldiers from Markund to New West Kazomal. A stalemate ensued and President Nero resigned. The new President, Gregory Spano reached an agreement with the government of New West Kazomal that was beneficial to both sides.

Several presidents followed, including Julius Colombo, who authorized use of force and deployed Legions to intervene in the invasion of Chrissinople by Morningstar, Following the conclusion to the war, Urcea formed an alliance with the new Morningstar Republic as well as with Pel, another regional power.

The situation in Morningstar would not remain peaceful for long, however. A region of Chrissinople occupied by ethnic Uzbecks, Alduan, defected from Chrissinople to Morningstar, and three years later Chrissinople declared war on Morningstar. This dragged the entire region into the "Third Great War"; Urcea and Pel honored their alliance with Morningstar, while Kazomal and Odoneru honored their alliances with Chrissinople. Other nations got involved and the war spread throughout the region. Of particular note for Urcean history was the reemergence of former President Constantine Nero, who launched a daring and ferocious northern island campaign with little more than levies and tribal allies that resulted in the capitulation of Odoneru and the capture of several territories for Urcea. In the tenth year of the war, 2088, most of the great forces were now engaged in massive campaigns in Central Ixnay. It all culminated in the greatest land battle in regional history, the Battle of Lorham, where the assembled forces of Urcea, Morningstar, Dorhaven, New West Kazomal, Pel, and other small states met the forces of Chrissinople, Dormanshire, Kazomal, and a Knifecogenstar Remnant Brigade (under Kazomal command) in open battle, containing almost every element of modern land warfare. With two major allies (Odoneru and Knifecogenstar) in the Kazomal bloc eliminated, the Urcean bloc was now on the offensive and sought to cross the Lorham river, capture the city of Chrissinople, and end the war. Millions of men on both sides participated. In the end, it was tactically inconclusive, and, although the Urcean allies were unable to cross the Lorham River to besiege Chrissinople, it was a victory for no one. Massive casualties were inflicted by both sides and great amounts of war equipment were left destroyed out in the Lorham River Basin, in a scene reminiscent of the Battle of Nations. All sides, looking to restore the peace and regional decorum prevalent of nearly thirty years prior, agreed to sign a cease fire and sit at the negotiating table.

After a year of discussion, the Treaty of La Joya, signed in neutral former Istorya, officially brought the Third Great War to an end. The major powers, in an attempt to create regional stability and a problem-solving polity in Central Ixnay, create a superstate called the "Third Empire" also known as "Federal Uzbeck", which functioned as a Federal Elective Empire. Several small states that were essentially independent swore allegiance to the central Imperial Government. Urcea guaranteed the Empire's independence.

During the 2080s and 2090s, the formerly minor Alliance of Patriotic Centrism elected two Presidents and controlled the Congress for various times. Economic hardship in the early 2090s and a shift to the left by the party resulted in a Conservative revolution, in which the Conservative and Union Party won the Presidency and an absolute majority in Congress. James Fallshade Jr., son of a former diplomat, was elected President.

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:41 pm

Ethnicity
1. Urcean (Latin and Irish Celtic) - 71.95% - 8,634,000,000
2. Caneish - 7.38% - 885,600,000
3. Rexan - 7.22% - 866,400,000
4. Irish Celtic - 5.38% -645,600,000
5. Arabian - 4.11% - 493,200,000
6. Gabrillian - 2.75% - 330,000,000
7. Sangrese - 1.01% - 121,200,000
8. Grestonian - .20% - 24,000,000

Religion
1. Roman Catholic - 96.36% - 11,563,200,000
2. Sunni Muslim - 2.44% - 292,800,000
3. Shi'a Muslim - .87% - 104,400,000
4. Others - .58% - 69,600,000
5. Prostestant Christianity - .07% - 8,400,000

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:44 pm

GOVERNMENT

CONSERVATIVE AND UNION PARTY
Spectrum: Right

The Conservative Party was formed during the split in the Chancellorate and was the ruling party in the Provincial Chancellorate, and is, as such, the oldest party in the country. It advocates traditionalism and personal rights; they fight for stability and oppose reformism and modernism. The Conservative Party is also the main opponent of Urcean Communism, or Contism, and readily advocates for its suppression. Other than that, the Conservative Party is also a supporter of moderate libertarianism. The Party was lead by Michael Colombo from when he was elected Imperial Chancellor in 2025 (Urcean Calendar) and served until his death in 2047, and has had a bumpy electoral history; it controlled a majority of seats (in a coalition with the former Julian Party) until 2030, when it was relegated to the inferior status within that coalition. Currently, the party also supports the creation of a large, strong National Army under the guidelines of the Constitution.

In an effort to keep out leftists as well as those advocating for a strong central, imperialistic government, the former Union Party and the Conservative Party initially formed a coalition, with the Union Party as the junior partner. However, as the Conservative Party became increasingly in favor of provincial rights and against a strong central government, the Union Party agreed to merge into the party; they formed the Conservative and Union Party. A major platform of the party is increased power of the provinces.

Since the creation of the Imperial Party, social Conservatism has disappeared from the party, as the Conservative Party has begun a major shift to right social libertarianism. The party became the champion of Republicanism in the region and opposed Chrissinople's invasion of Morningstar. A crushing loss in 2080 was the result of initial anti-war sentiment, but by the time the war was over the party's popular support skyrocketed. The party is lead by Michael Malachaus, who is the Chancellor of Urcea.

CURRENT SEATS: 48

GOVERNMENT OPPOSITION

PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE OF THE LEFT
Spectrum: Center-Left

Formed out of a dissatisfaction by centrists of many Liberal Party policies, the APC (Alliance of Patriotic Centrism) formed as an attempt to reconcile many of the differences between Conservatives and Liberals in Urcea. The party advocated for a "light" safety net, a strong foreign policy, little interference in the normal course of the economy (though willing to bail out many war-related industries such as arms manufacturing and transportation), and a policy of "generous integration" of new territories. They felt that the government should support the disabled, as they could not support themselves. They also favored creation of several government-run corporations (mainly healthcare-related) that could compete against those formed in a free market, that way two needs were satisfied: a free market, but cheap services that could be afforded by the less well off. The party often compromised with all other parties to get what they desire done. The party is part of the CDI.

Following several defeats among center-right voters in the 2090s and the mass defection of that group to the Conservatives left the Alliance of Patriotic Centrism as a minor party. Party leaders, now predominantly center and center left, merged with the Liberal Party to form the PAL, Patriotic Alliance of the Left. The merger advocates taking all former APC platforms to the next level; single-payer healthcare, a national social security system, a reduction in arms, greater regional cooperation, creation of "ethnic sovereignties" within Urcea, and stricter regulations on business. The party however still considers itself patriotic and appreciates the freedoms afforded by Urcea, but believes these freedoms could do more for the less off.

CURRENT SEATS: 11

--

GREEN JULIANS PARTY
Spectrum: Left

One of the major parties to come out of the electoral realignment of the 2090s, the Green Julians Party took elements of the Liberal Party along with green independents, provincial green parties, and some green Patriotic Centrists in order to form one green national party. Founded in 2095 after the dissolution of the Liberal Party, the Green Julians made major inroads in the 2095 election, capturing all of the former Liberal Party seats as well as eroding away some of the support of the newly formed Patriotic Alliance of the Left. The Green Julians consider themselves as the natural successor of the Liberal Party and consider themselves the only truly leftist party in Urcea.

The party seeks to overturn, by way of the power of education but also by legislation, the subtle but present divides between the Urcean people, particularly what they claim to be the privilege of ethnic Urceans over the other ethnic groups within the country. They seek also to change the course of the nation towards that of sustainability environmentally. Additionally, they support the lessening of provincial power as they see provinces being to the advantage of the wealthy and the political elite. In terms of actual policy, one of their major current platforms in the creation of a national social security system, and in this way the Green Party and the PAL are sometimes called the "Social Security Coalition" when it comes to debates about social security.

CURRENT SEATS: 8

--

IMPERIAL PARTY
Spectrum: Right

The Imperial Party supports a strong National Army to project Urcea's force both in Ixnay and abroad. They also favor the dissolution or severe limitation of the provincial militas, in favor of one large, well organized army. The Imperial Party supports limiting the political power of the Legions, as they may attempt to usurp central power; as it is written in law, they may currently overrule provincial governments in an emergency. The Party is in favor of rapid expansionism, and its goals were mostly met with the annexation of all of Urcea's land neighbors by 2060. In addition, the party advocates expansion overseas in order to fuel the economy. The party advocates a hands-off approach to economics, but several "Imperial Guarantees" industries important to national security, such as arms manufacturing and fossil fuel production. The Imperial Party finds most of its support within the ranks of the military or within the province of Imperia. A faction of the Party advocates using the Constitution's emergency powers clause to reestablish the Imperial Monarchy on a yearly basis, however, this is not a national platform.

The Imperial Party's main base lies within devout Catholic voters, Great War Imperial veterans, the wealthy in the province of Imperia, and expansionists. A great deal of the party's platform is formed from the policies of Constantine Nero during his Presidency. The Imperial Party and Conservative Party often compromise and work together, considering that some of their views are similar.

CURRENT SEATS: 4

--

NEW LIBERTARIAN PARTY
Spectrum: Far Right

Another product of the realignment of the 2090s, the New Libertarian Party considers itself a continuation of the old Libertarian Party that briefly controlled Urcea in the 2030s before splitting and being mostly absorbed by the Conservative and Union Party. Formed by several Libertarians who found themselves in the Alliance of Patriotic Centrism, the new party merged in other remnant Libertarian groups, before being later joined by a few Conservative defectees.

The New Libertarian Party is much more purist Libertarian than the old party. They are advocates of voluntarism, minarchism, and the invisible hand in the market. They also are much more socially libertarian that the Conservative Party, and social libertarians is where they find their main base of support. Policy wise, they support a reduction of arms and very strictly regulated federal budgets. They support any legislation or potential constitutional amendment that would limit Federal power.

CURRENT SEATS: 4

--

NATIONAL RENEWAL PARTY
Spectrum: Far Right

Yet another product of the 2090s, the National Renewal Party formed out of varying groups of the far right in various segments of Urcean society. They drew a significant amount of influence from the Callahanist ideologies of Hippostania, but also incorporate other elements while rejecting the socially liberal aspects of Callahanism. They are essentially nativist, are major advocates of guided democracy, and are socially conservative in nature, advocating for a national drug prohibition while supporting the standing bans on euthanasia and abortion.

They seek to use education to eradicate minorities insofar as total integration between the ethnic Urcean majority and the minority groups, such as the Sangre. Additionally, they oppose homosexuality in any form and seek to use education to eradicate it.

CURRENT SEATS: 3

--

POPULAR POWER MOVEMENT
Spectrum: Center-Right

Formed in the 2090s political realignment, the Popular Power Movement actually has its roots in the 2030s, forming on the ideological basis of the old Union Party, which itself formed as a faction of the Libertarian Party after that party fractured. The Popular Power Movement shared most of the Union Party's old ideologies and platforms, which include a disregard for social issues at the national level (they can best be solved provincially according to the party), a decrease in Federal authority in financial or other matters within the provinces, increased provincial power, the reintroduction of provincial militias, and the end of the provincial tributary system. The party thus cannot be properly placed in a left-right spectrum, as they do not discount social democracy or conservative democracy, but best believe that these can be adopted by the differing provinces in Urcea as the provinces see fit.

CURRENT SEATS: 2

by **Urcea** » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:59 pm

The Provisional Republic of Urcea (2033 A.D.) - Acting President
Julius Nero (2033)

The Federal Republic of Urcea (2033 A.D. - Present) - President
Julius Nero (2033-2055), Conservative
Constantine Nero (2055-2059), Nation, later Imperial
Gregory Spano (2059-2060), Conservative
Julius Colombo (2060-2075), Conservative
George Collins (2075-2080), Conservative
William Marians (2080-2085), Patriotic Centrist
George Collins (2085-2090), Conservative
Gabriel McCarthy (2090-2092), Liberal
William Alvarado (2092-2095), Patriotic Centrist
James Fallshade Jr. (2095-present), Conservative

by **Urcea** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 8:43 am

MICHAEL MALACHAUS
(born 2028, Chancellor)

The life of Michael Malachaus is not one of overcoming adversity, incredible bravery, or of deep sacrifice. Malachaus was born into a fairly wealthy story that was not affected by the Second Great War, actually benefiting from arms sales. Malachaus also did not have deep political or religious convictions from youth, instead having a mind for business and sports. He took over the Malachaus family business, that is, as an automobile manufacturer, at age twenty nine and ran it successfully for many years at a great profit before becoming a minority shareholder in the Beldra Friars, one of Urcea's baseball teams, in 2064. When Malachaus autos was bought out by foreign and domestic competitors in 2070, Malachaus bought a majority share of the Friars and, with their success, would become one of the wealthiest men in the country.

An altruist at heart, he noticed the levels of poverty and inequality that were prevalent after the disastrous presidency of Constantine Nero. He started several charitable foundations in order to improve the situation, eventually forming lobby groups with Congress. In 2075 he registered with the Alliance of Patriotic Centrism and succeeded in a run for Congress in 2080. Although not an ideologue by any means, Malachaus had core beliefs in helping the lesser off whilst still supporting the nation as a whole. He was a candidate for President in 2090 before losing the general election to liberal Gabriel McCarthy, who had taken advantage of the post-Third Great War anti-Conservative wave.

For most of McCarthy's time as President, Malachaus had opposed his policies while other factions of the APC embraced them. The Alliance of Patriotic Centrism moved gradually to the left as Malachaus noticed, and by the time of the 2092 election he had changed his party to the Conservative and Union Party, espousing compassionate conservatism, national defense, and economic prosperity. He had become very popular in the Conservative and Union Party by 2095, when he lost the party's primary to James Fallshade Jr. in the "Conservative Uprising". Still popular, Malachaus was chosen by the party as a compromise between the center-right and the right factions of the party in order to balanace out the very Conservative James Fallshade Jr. while still having an appeal to right moderates.

Malachaus and the President have had a great deal of compromise between them in order to get things done, and Malachaus is well known for being able to cut deals with the opposition in Congress in order to achieve a positive outcome.

by **Urcea** » Sun Oct 31, 2010 3:07 pm

War of the Justonium Succession (713-731 A.D.)
Minoris War (745-749 A.D.)
Nahjo Dispute (790-801 A.D.)
War of the Three Kingdoms (815-827 A.D.)
Caneo-Urcean War (867-883 A.D.)
Pagan Wars (890-1071 A.D.)
Crusades #1-9 (1099-1291 A.D.)
Conquest of San Carlos (1286 A.D.)
Tenth Crusade (1301-1309 A.D.)
First Contact War (1320-1334 A.D.)
Otto's Folly (1350-1358 A.D.)
End of the First Empire; establishment of Norman Kingdom of Urcea
Caneo-Norman War (1372-1378 A.D.)
Rexheio-Norman War (1382-1392 A.D.)
Establishment of the Second Empire
Reclamation War (1426-1481 A.D.)
First Colonial War (1512-1521 A.D.)
Second Colonial War (1534-1556 A.D.)
Neru War (1601-1617 A.D.)
Sales Conflict (1617-1621 A.D.)
Rexheim Civil War (1647-1681 A.D.)
War of the Ionian Secession (1702-1709 A.D.)
War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748 A.D.)
Great Colonial War (1767-1781 A.D.)
French Revolution (1791-1798 A.D.)
End of Second Empire, establishment of Second Kingdom of Urcea with Bonapartes as head
Napoleonic Wars (1798-1813 A.D.)
Establishment of the Third Empire
First Revolution in Urceopolis (1848 A.D.)
Exile of the Emperor, establishment of the Republic
Conquest of Urceopolis (1848 A.D.)
Establishment of the Fourth Empire
Urceo-Rexheim War (1882-1903 A.D)
War in Italy (1927-1937 A.D.)
End of Fourth Empire, establishment of fascist puppet state
Second World War (1939-1945 A.D.)
Establishment of the Fifth Empire
Korean War (1950-1953 A.D.)
Socialist Insurrection (1951 A.D.)
Vietnam War (1967-1973 A.D.)
Communist Revolt in Rexheim (1977-1983 A.D.)
Canaery Civil War (1989-1992 A.D.)
Third Colonial War (2005 A.D.)
Conquest of Wolf's Hold (2007 A.D.)
Second Revolution in Urceopolis (2009 A.D.)
End of Fifth Empire, establishment of Chancellorate of Urcea
The Civil War (2015-2025 A.D.)
Establishment of the Sixth Empire
The Second Great War (2032-2033 A.D.)
Sixth Empire dissolved; Urcea split into Federal Republic and Empire
The Insurrection (2037 A.D., in Empire only)
All of Urcea reunified under Federal Republic
Great Levantian War (2055-2057 A.D.)
Lowlands War (2058-2059)
Morningstar Crisis (2067)
The Third Great War (2078-2088)

Green - Victory
Red - Loss
Blue - Inconclusive
Purple - Ongoing
(The W/L is generally for the current regime with a few exceptions, such as 1848.)

by **Urcea** » Sat Dec 18, 2010 10:22 am

PROVINCIAL CHANCELLORATE (2017-2025)
Conservative Party, 2017-2025, Michael Colombo

UNITED IMPERIUM (2025-2033)
Conservative Party (in coalition with Julian), 2025-2030, Michael Colombo
Julian Party (in coalition with Conservative), 2030-2033, Lord Brian Julius

FEDERAL REPUBLIC (2033-present)
Conservative Party, 2033-2034, Michael Colombo
Libertarian Party, 2034-2037, Daric Stratton
Conservative Party 2037-2047, Michael Colombo
Conservative Party, 2047-2055, Gregory Spano
Conservative and Union Party, 2055-2057, Gregory Spano
Conservative and Union Party (in coalition with Imperial), 2057-2059, Gregory Spano
Conservative and Union Party (in coalition with Imperial), 2059-2060, Julius Colombo
Conservative and Union Party, 2060-2070, Gregory Spano
Conservative and Union Party, 2070-2075, George Collins
Conservative and Union Party, 2075-2080, Gregory Spano
Alliance of Patriotic Centrism, 2080-2092, William Alvarado
Alliance of Patriotic Centrism, 2092-2095, Louis Neeson
Conservative and Union Party, 2095-present, Michael Malachaus

ELECTIONS
2030 Imperial General
(2034-35 Provincial/Congressional Election missing due to Great War emergency balloting. Libertarian Victory.)
2035 Presidential
2038 Provincial/Congressional
(2040-2055 Urcean Isolationism, records not kept, Conservative Victories 2040, 2043, 2045, 2047, 2050, 2053, Julius Nero victories 2040, 2045, 2050)
2055 Presidential
2055 Provincial/Congressional
2057 Provincial/Congressional
(2057-2100, records lost due to Great War Archiving glitch)

by **Urcea** » Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:00 pm

[align=center]Electoral College

by **Urcea** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:30 pm

The First Empire (713 A.D. - 1358 A.D. - House of Nero) - Emperor
St. Julius I (713-775)
Adrian I (775-800)
Adrian II (800-803)
Julius II (803-827)
Augustus I (827-834)
Julius Adrianus (834-865)
Henry I (865-867)
Constantine I (867-900)
Henry II (900-913)
Edward Augustus (913-922)
Edward I (922-930)
Louis I (930)
Edward II (930)
Edward III (930-956)
Tiberius I (956-972)
Julius III (972-1002)
Adrian III (1002-1036)
William I (1036-1074)
William II (1074-1100)
Henry III (1100-1102)
William Augustus (1102-1118)
Edward IV (1118-1131)
Frederick I (1131-1146)
William III (1146-1147)
Frederick II (1147-1153)
Leo Augustus I (1153-1178)
Michael Octavian (1178-1202)
Leo Augustus II (1202-1214)
Constantine II (1214-1231)
Henry Octavian (1231-1253)
Tiberius II (1253-1266)
William IV (1266-1275)
Adrian IV (1275-1312)
Louis II (1312-1330)
Adrian V (1330-1339)
Otto the Bloodthirsty (1339-1358)

The First Kingdom (1358 A.D. - 1402 A.D. - House of Plantagenet) - King*
Arthur III (1358-1369)
John II (1369-1390)
Edmund III (1390-1400)
Eleanor I (1400-1402)

The Second Empire (1402 A.D. - 1798 A.D. - House of Plantagenet-Nero) - Emperor
Edward V (1402-1418)
Henry IV (1418-1424)
Flavius Julius (1424-1456)
Henry V (1456-1482)
Constantine III (1482-1483)
Leo I (1483-1492)
Adrian V (1492-1546)
Leo Augustus III (1546-1561)
Edward Tiberius (1561-1580)
Augustus II (1580-1592)
Frederick III (1592-1601)
Frederick Augustus I (1601-1612)
Henry VI (1612-1627)
Adrian VI (1627)
Leo II (1627-1651)
Michael I (1651-1656)
Frederick Augustus II (1656-1671)
Patrick I (1671-1688)
Michael II (1688-1702)
Christine I (1702-1727)
Julius IV (1727-1741)
Leo III (1741-1768)
Joseph I (1768-1781)
Patrick II (1781-1798)

The Second Kingdom (1798 A.D. - 1813 A.D. - House of Bonaparte) - King
Pauline (1798-1806)
Lucien (1806-1813)

The Third Empire (1813 A.D. - 1848 A.D. - House of Plantagenet-Nero - Emperor
Patrick II (1813-1815)
Julius V (1815-1840)
Adrian VII (1840-1848)

Republic of Urcea (1848 A.D.) - Republican-General
Adrian Octaviusson (1848)

The Fourth Empire (1848 A.D. - 1937 A.D. - House of Plantagenet-Nero) - Emperor
Adrian VII (1848-1864)
Frederick Augustus III (1864-1882)
Leo IV (1882-1903)
Leo V (1903)
Michael III (1903-1921)
Constantine IV (1921-1929)
Louis IV (1929-1937)

Urcean State (1937 A.D. - 1945 A.D.) - Il Duce
Guarino Pinto (1937-1944)
Bellino Marcelo (1944-1945)

The Fifth Empire (1945 A.D. - 2009 A.D. - House of Plantagenet-Nero) - Emperor
Louis IV (1945-1957)
Adrian VIII (1957-1983)
Adrian IX (1983-2003)
Julius VI (2003-2009)

Chancellorate of Urcea (2009 A.D. - 2025 A.D.) - Chancellor
Flavian Tiberius (2009-2011)
Roberto Mazzi (2011-2025)

The Sixth Empire (2025 A.D. - 2033 A.D. - House of Plantagenet-Nero) - Emperor
Julius VII (2025-2033)

Various Emperors in Exile
Otto the Bloodthirsty (1358-1366)
Louis III (1366-1398)
Edward V (1398-1402)
Patrick II (1798-1813)
Adrian VII (1848)
Louis IV (1937-1945)
Julius VII (2009-2025)

*House of Plantagenet numerical system adopted under Plantagenet rule

by **Urcea** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:15 pm

ST. JULIUS I
EMPEROR AND FOUNDER OF URCEA
(693 A.D. - 775 A.D.)

The man who would become the founder of the Urcean Nation was born to Grand Duke Marcellius of Urceopolis and his wife, Andreas Lucius, Queen of Justonium, in the year 693 A.D. His father, known as "Marcellius the Pious" by historians, by all accounts was a pivotal figure in Julius's upbringing. The Grand Duchy of Urceopolis was the only state in the entire region that was a Christian state, as the city itself was founded by Christian refugees fleeing the Roman Empire. From an early age, Julius was close to his father, who instilled in his son the virtues of Christ and how to be a fair and just ruler. Julius's mother was often away i Justonium, so he relied on his father's servants for a motherly role. Queen Andreas, by all accounts, was a harsh and petty woman, and it sometimes showed in the genes; although a generally patient and kind man, Julius would sometimes grow violently impatient in his early age.

Aside from a strong sense of Christianity and for justice, Julius also displayed a deep hatred for the Ionian Empire in his early age. While accompanying his father on a military campaign in 710 A.D., his father was severely wounded by an Ionian archer and was relegated to his deathbed for a very painful four months. Julius swore to his father that he would avenge him, and would go on to drive out the pagans of the land and establish Christianity in Ionia and throughout the continent. His father simply asked of his son that he do so with as little blood shed as he could, and to be fair and honest with those who did not accept Christ as their savior yet. He swore it to his father, who died on May 3rd, 710. Young Julius became Grand Duke of Urceopolis.

His mother, Queen Andreas, was also quite ill from that point onward and was stricken with grief. With Julius at her side, she died on June 14th, 712. Julius ascended to the throne, becoming King of Justonium.

Inspired by his father and what he swore to him, Julius, now the second most powerful man on the continent (second only to the Ionian Emperor, Antonius IV) decided to merge his two realms (the Grand Duchy of Urceopolis and the Kingdom of Justonium) into a single, unitary land; the Empire of Urcea. Julius personally reorganized many aspects of the two governments into single entities, gaining acclaim from his peers as a superior administrator. He also reorganized the two armies, which were thought to be incompatible, into one Imperial Army.

Enraged by this action and slightly fearful for his Empire, Antonius IV declared war upon the Empire of Urcea in order to crush the fledgling state and reestablish Ionian control. Julius quickly had to organize the Imperial Army and build up defenses in order to keep the Ionians out. Called by historians the "War of the Justonium Succession", fighting was fierce and often bloody. In Ionia, small Christian communities fortified their towns in fear of being raided by the army; many of these communities were slaughtered. The Urceans launched several reprisals, destroying temples to Jupiter and other temples in Ionian cities they took. The war was a stalemate until 722 A.D., in which the Ionians gathered many of the able-bodied men in their Empire in order to launch a final push to take Urceopolis. In the decisive Battle of Ladanday, the Urceans (with 44,906 men) repelled the Ionians (with 216,436 men) in what was considered an absolute miracle for the Urceans; Emperor Julius I himself led his men into battle. This Urcean victory caused an absolute frenzy among the Ionian people, who began to view the Urceans as part-boogeyman and part-supermen. The Ionians were never able to make a major offensive into Urcea after that, and the momentum of the war shifted in favor of the Urceans, who began the offensive. The Ionian people begged for peace, and, by the end of the war, Ionia lost a significant portion of territory, being reduced mainly to its coastal cities. More importantly, Urcean sovereignty was secured.

The rest of Julius's reign was quite prosperous, with Urcean trade booming. Julius successfully spread Christianity throughout his greatly expanded realm, eventually making the Roman pagan religion nearly extinct. Additionally, a new Urcean culture was formed and several traditions of Empire were set. The rest of his reign was peaceful, except for the Minoris War of the 740s, in which Urcea conquered all of Ionia except for its capitol city, Julianum. Julius had felt that he avenged his slain father, and felt fulfillment. He died in 775 A.D. at the age of 82, and was given a massive funeral in which over one hundred thousand people attended, and was succeeded by his son Adrian. He was canonized in 1291 A.D. by Pope Nicholas IV for his tireless efforts to convert the continent to Christianity.

by **Urcea** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 2:03 pm

Credit to New Nick and Candiro

The Urcean soldier is a fine young man or woman, strong, upright, and pious in his faith. He is loyal to his comrades-in-arms and his country. His armor is an advanced machine of war, aesthetically based upon the soldiers of ancient times, when Rome, and, Urcea as its successor, used legionary-type armor. The Urcean soldier today is organized into legions, which are divided into centuries.

A Urcean Century

by **Urcea** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 6:31 pm

The Two Official Languages of Urcea are English and Latin

For most of Urcea's history, from its foundation as a colony of Rome onward, Latin was the sole official language of state. Additionally, for nearly one thousand years, it was the only language spoken within the land. The reason is obvious; for the learned, it was the language of literature. For the clergy, it was the language of religion. For the people, it was simply a tradition, and the only language that their ancestors spoke (for a long time, it was considered a dishonor to one's family to speak another, foreign tongue). Latin dominated every level of society, from government to peasantry. It was also considered a critical tool to claiming the legitimacy of Urcea's role as the successor of the Roman Empire.

Things began to change in the early 1600s, as England's influence began to spread throughout the world. English-speaking traders began to dominate Urcean marketplaces, making it necessary for Urcean vendors to know the language. Eventually, it became so crucial to know that it was the primary language among the merchant class by 1700. Slowly, the language spread throughout the rest of society. Secondarily, protestant Urceans who fled their land and came back mostly came back speaking the language of the Anglican Church. This had a minor impact of spreading the language. By 1900, most Urceans knew both Latin and English, but as English became much more widespread globally, English eventually became the language of the people. Latin remained the official language of government and of the Church. One of the final death bells for Latin came in the 1960s, when the Second Vatican Council allowed for the mass to be said in English. Urcean Catholics rapidly abandoned Latin and readily accepted the new English mass. A disconnect formed between the ruling Plantagenet-Neros and the rest of the people; the Plantagenet-Neros and the Imperial Governments in general spoke simply Latin. The first Emperor to regularly speak English was Julius VII, who, upon ascending to the throne in 2025, made English an official language of government. For the remaining eight years of the united Empire, government documents remained in Latin. Upon the formation of the Republic, Latin disappeared from government use together, rapidly switching to the English language. Latin still rarely is used in some official aspects, as well as the government of the province of Imperia.

The third most spoken language in Urcea is French. When the Normans came to rule Urcea from 1358-1402, a small amount of French emigrated to the land. Some secluded villages and towns in mountainous northern regions still speak French. In the south, Urcea's southeast provinces (formerly known as Canaery) was primarily a French-speaking land; as such, many people in those provinces speak French or a hybrid of French and English.

The fourth and last major language of the Urceans is German. Similarly to French, Urcea's southwest provinces (formerly known as Rexheim) were a Geman-speaking land.

by **Urcea** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 3:57 pm

By the Constitution, both the Congress and Executive Office are banned from creating or appointing noble titles, exception being for those of the House of Plantagenet-Nero. The exception is the province of Imperia, which may give out such titles. As such, the old "families" of Urcea have maintained their status of nobility by all relocating to the Province of Imperia, which has essentially become a Feudal land.

THE HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET-NERO

FAMILY TREE SINCE REIGN OF ADRIAN IX

Current Hereditary Titles: Prince of Imperia, King of Jerusalem, Emperor of Constantinalia, Grand Duke of Urceopolis
Historical Titles (and claims): Emperor of Urcea, Dei Gratia Romanorum Imperator Semper Augustus, Prince of San Carlos, Emperor of Istorya, Emperor of San Carlos, King of Brasland, Emperor of Markund, Protector of the Urceo-Valencian Empire
Other Current Titles: --
Current Head: Julius VII Nero (formally Julius Octavius Gaius Plantagenet Nero Augustus, By the Grace of God, Augustus, Grand Duke of Urceopolis, former Protector of the Urcean Commonwealth, former President of Urcea, former Emperor of Urcea and of Sol Y Sangre, former Autocrat of All Urceans, Vicar of the Papacy, Sole Heir of the House of Plantagenet and the House of Nero, King of Jerusalem and Defender of the Faith)
---

The House of Plantagenet-Nero is a long and storied one. Beginning as the House of Nero, it is dated to one of the first Roman proconsuls of Urceopolis, a man by the name of Gaius Signus Nero (342-421 A.D.), unrelated to the Roman Emperor of infamy. Gaius Signus Nero was one of the first major Christian politicians in Roman Urcea. His descendants continued to administer the territory under the Ionian Empie until Gaius Signus Nero's great-grandson, Julian Marcellius Nero, broke off from the Ionian Empire in 545 A.D., declaring himself to be the Grand Duke of Urceopolis. This is the first of the titles held by the family, and still one held today.

During the 700s, the House held the title of King of Justonium under St. Julius I until the unification of his realms into the Empire of Urcea. Still, Urcean Emperors held that title until the theoretical office (and others) was abolished in 813 A.D. by the "Imperator Acts". This law placed the emphasis on the "Emperor of Urcea", one of the House of Nero's most prestigious titles. Prior to this, the Emperor of Urcea was more or less viewed as the ruler of a federation. This act and ones that followed established a strong central Urcean monarchy, one that the House of Nero would hold for centuries. In addition, the Urcean Throne would become the family's power base.

The House ruled the nation unopposed until the deposition of Otto I by Rexheim and Canaery, aided by Norman mercenaries. These three entities formed a weakened state, called the "Kingdom of Urcea", placing a Plantagenet man by the name of Arthur upon the Throne. He became Arthur III. His successors would control the Urcean nation until 1402, in which his granddaughter, Eleanor I, married a man from the House of Nero, the Emperor of the splinter "Empire of San Carlos", a man who would eventually crown himself Emperor Edward V of Urcea. This was entirely political; Plantagenet Urcea launched disastrous wars again Rexheim and Canaery, and was often faced by uprisings in the provinces. Edward was popular with the burghers and the nobility and wielded a considerable amount of influence. Edward V also controlled a fairly powerful army, which the central government desperately needed to regain peace. Edward V was up to the task, re-organizing the feudal Kingdom and San Carlos into the Second Empire of Urcea. The marriage of Edward V and Eleanor I bore several heirs that belonged to a new entity: the "House of Plantagenet-Nero".

This was the last major threat to the authority of the House; although deposed a few times, the influence and power of the heads of the House never waned. The head of the House of Plantagenet-Nero also eventually gained the legitimate title of King of Jerusalem in 1739, and it has ruled the Kingdom of Jerusalem ever since.

The demise of the "Emperor of Urcea" came about in 2037, when the last legitimate Emperor of Urcea, Adrian X, was killed by a usurper. It can be traced, however, to the overthrow of the Plantagenet-Neros in 2009. Julius VII eventually was able to reclaim the Throne through a military union with democratic elements. Over time, Julius VII became increasingly influenced by Urcean Nationalism and Republicanism, so much so that he abdicated the Throne after he put out a plebiscite (which passed) on Urcean Republicanism. He was the first President of Urcea. Adrian X, his brother, claimed the Throne but only reigned in three provinces. Reincorporated as a single province, Imperia, the House gained the title of Prince of that province. Adrian's son, by marriage to Princess Olga of Brasland, Constantine Nero, was raised by Julius VII, also known as Julius Nero. Constantine became President of Urcea, and went to claim the Throne of Brasland. He also claimed the Throne of Istorya, and was established as the head of the Urcean puppet state, San Carlos.

With the revolution in the Urceo-Valencian Empire, the House of Plantagenet Nero stepped up to the task; the Emperor of Constantinalia, Constantine V, set in place a series of emergency laws to keep the Empire intact, one of which called for the positioning of the Constantinalian Sovereign as the "Protector of the Empire".

Constantine Nero, who, both inspired by the future as well as considering foreign pressure, surrendered the title of "King of Brasland", instead reforming the dominion into the "Imperial Union of Markund", a Urcean-esque Federal Empire. With foreign recognition in hand, the new Emperor of Markund went forward with constructing his new realm. This effort was struck down by Congress, however, and any current ambition to expand the house's power ended with it.

THE OTHER NOBLE HOUSES (by Province of Origin, All Currently Reside in Imperia)

Imperia
House of Brightmount
House of Esterton
House of Roseden
House of Ioria
House of Northfay

Pholonium
House of Griffinwall
House of Rhodandium

Myriadium
House of Springden
House of Atlatium
House of Espica

Beltronia
House of Blackwyvern
House of Erihaven

Justonium
House of Greymist
House of Summerwyn

Sol Y Sangre
House of Rockbourne
House of Fallshade

Rexheim Minor
House of Highmerrow
House of Ironhaven

by **Urcea** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 9:36 pm

DEPARTMENT OF WAR
DIRECTOR - John Ironhav (since 2097)

Urcea's first truly "federal agency", the Department of War was created in 2067 as an amalgamation of several national military entities that existed beforehand. The "National Army", which proceeded the Department of War and was created in 2033 before undergoing significant reforms in the 2050s, and the "National Navy", a fairly ambiguous body that answered directly to Congress, had no real budgetary designation, and was head by admirals appointed by both Congress and the Presidency, with ships provided by Congress, provincial bodies, and the army. The Navy was solidified as a body with a budget in the 2067 reconfiguration of the Urcean armed forces.

The Department of War oversees all Urcean military bodies, not only the national entities but also the Imperial Army (the provincial military of the province of Imperia) and the various provincial militias. It organizes them into various "theater forces". Additionally, it oversees the proconsular districts and directly consults the President on various proconsular appointments.

Prior to the creation of the Department of War, the National Legions were a near-independent government entity who answered to none but the President of Urcea. Additionally, the legionary system, which increased efficiency on a local level by using need-only deployment of equipment and soldiers, actually decreased efficiency on the national level due to discrepancies in standardized equipment, travel time between caches and units, and a general breakdown of communications between the proconsuls. While effective in subjecting all of Levantia to Urcean rule, it proved disastrously ineffective both in the Lowlands War and the Morningstar Crisis, conflicts in which Urcean soldiers died needlessly because not provided with adequate support weaponry/supplies.

Following the failure of the Legionary system on a national level, as well as the departure of Constantine Nero who sought to use the new system to consolidate his power, Congress looked to reorganize the national military, not only for the purposes of transparency and to restore civilian control of the military, but also to improve efficiency by use of a Federal bureaucratic entity to replace Legionary offices. The National Defense and Security Act of 2067, passed by Congress and signed by moderate Conservative Julius Colombo, created the Department of War and set the Urcean Legions and the Navy as subsidiary bodies of the Department of War, much to the chagrin of some.

The Department of War proved critical in Urcea's successes during the Third Great War, as well-supplied and well-supported Urcean troops proved very effective against opponents with larger manpower and traditional military systems. The Legionary system proved effective on the local level once again, bolstered by national support by the Department of War. It has been said that the two go "hand in hand".

Funding for the Department of War comes from provincial tributary taxes, mostly intended for the mutual defense of the provinces, but also in emergency taxes levied upon sales during times of war by Congress.

by **Urcea** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 6:33 pm

1250-1765

1765-2009
(used unofficially by various factions up until 2037)

2009-2025

2025-2033

2033-2037

2037

2037-2057

2057-2075

2075-2095

2095-present

by **Urcea** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 7:49 pm

Beginnings to Apex, 450-1286

Norman Era to Enlightenment, 1358-1813

Modern Era

by **Urcea** » Wed Feb 15, 2012 5:49 pm

FEDERAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE AGENCY
CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR - Henry Marston (since 2100)

The Federal Aeronautics and Space Agency, or FASA, is Urcea's third Federal agency and its first true space program. It was created in 2096 following the formation of a "space coalition" of sorts; Urcean academia, the scientific community, new President James Fallshade, the Urcean military, and a large minority of the Urcean people. While space had always been a political agenda and a platform, for much of Urcean Republican history it had remained a fringe issue, an issue candidates were in favor of or opposed but did little to actually affect once in office. Indeed, space travel had always been tertiary. The first "Golden Age of Space Travel", beginning with Sputnik (1957) and ending with the first manned landing on Mars (2027), had been a time of great civil unrest within Urcea, culminating in the Civil War (2009-2025) and the later Great War (2033). Although civil violence had ended, the country was still bitterly divided and had other issues to focus on.

This isn't to say that Urceans had never gone to space. Through a series of regional programs designed to boost relations and cooperation, Urceans had been in space several times, the first of which being Daniel Nathanson, who flew on a Solisburian flight in 2034. The Urcean military had been the main body from which any Urcean space research was done, mainly in the field of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. The Urcean military rocketry program had launched most of Urcea's satellite network into space, and had also put unmanned probes around the Earth and moon, but not much else of scientific or otherwise value was done by the military. Several space corporations also formed, especially after the collapse of Solisbury and its space programs as refugees flooded into Urcea. The largest corporation was the Free Cosmos Corporation, or FCC, which regularly launched commercial satellites into space and also made three scientific-based launches.

During the period of a growth in civil unity starting in 2070, a renewed call for Urcean space travel began to grow, but only in fits and starts. The space movement began in earnest following the conclusion of the Third Great War in 2088, when the Urcean people, although war-weary, found themselves more unified then ever. While national spirit did not directly affect a space program, national focuses did; there was simply no time, energy, or money for a space program in the volatile Urcean nation.

The candidacy of war hero James Fallshade Jr. and his platform, which included the formation of a Urcean space agency, gave the space movement a leader, a powerful voice, and a chance. When elected, Fallshade promised the formation of a space agency, and he got his opportunity less than a year after elected. The Free Cosmos Corporation, the largest private space entity in Urcea, prepared to declare bankruptcy, and President Fallshade pressured Congress to purchase the entirety of the FCC. Despite strong opposition from Conservatives who detested the precedent being set of the government purchasing companies, bi-partisan support won the day and the government bought FCC, which President Fallshade went to work restructuring.

With cooperation from the Department of War, all of the military's rocketry programs were merged into the now-government operated FCC. Additionally, several astronomical science portions of the military were merged into the entity. Finally, several universities across Urcea voluntarily donated astronomical research branches and observatories to the government. Fallshade reorganized all of these into a new Federal, non-for-profit agency dubbed the Federal Aeronautics and Space Agency. He put Henry Marston, the former assistant director of the Solisburian space program, at the helm of FASA, and gave them a mission; a Urcean-launched, Urcean-built spacecraft of Urceans in space by the year 2100.

Fallshade and the upstart FASA were quickly vindicated, as by 2100 they had accomplished their goal. Urcean-built launch vehicles propelled an orbiter capsule, the Empire 1, into low Earth orbit. Empire 1, manned by John Pierce and Jessica Marlenus, remained in orbit for a week before landing near the Julian Isles and touring Urcea with new-found celebrity status. It had been a "small step", so to speak, but it was a "giant leap" for Urcean space ambitions. Plans now look to put a Urcean on the moon by 2110.

by **Urcea** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:42 am

Biographies of several important Urcean figures, living or dead..

1. Julius Nero
2. Constantine Nero
3. Gregory Spano
4. Pope Urban IX
5. St. Julius I
6. James Fallshade Jr.
7. Michael Malachaus

by **Urcea** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:44 am

The deep red is a traditional color tracing back to the Roman period. The red on the cross dates back to the 18th century and is also a traditional element. These represent Urcean power and authority. The blue is a symbol of Republicanism; this color appeared on flags as early as 1848, but was only incorporated into the national flag in 2033. The white represents a peace between traditional Urcea and Republican Urcea, identifying that, while no longer an Imperial state, the Republic still maintains all the imperial-esque grandeur and prestige of Urcea. The stars represent the fifteen provinces of Urcea.

by **Urcea** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:57 am

URCEOPOLIS
The Sites of the Great City

MAP OF DOWNTOWN URCEOPOLIS

The Pale
"The Pale" is the political and geographic center of the city of Urceopolis. It is so called because the site of the original Urceopolitan settlement in the 6th century, which roughly corresponds to the modern area, was surrounded by a wooden palisade for about a hundred years.

MAP OF THE PALE
1. Statue of Emperor Julius VII, also known as President Julius Nero
2. Statue of Emperor St. Julius I
3. Statue of the Mother of God holding the Lord Jesus
4. Statue of Empress Christine I
5. Statue of "Soldier of Kazomal", dedicated to sacrifice of Kazomal soldiers for the cause of the Urcean Republic during the Second Great War

1. The Imperial Palace

Built out of a need for something entirely new but at the same time pointing back to the days of old, the plans for a new Imperial Palace began in the eighties. The site, it was determined, was to be adjacent to the National Cathedral, so that the Emperor could easily move between the two structures. The original plans called for a modest, albeit spacious, Gothic palace on the banks of the river. The plans eventually evolved into a gargantuan, Roman-esque tower that would dominate the entire landscape, give the Emperor and his family lavish accommodations, and house many of the organs and instruments of government. It was completed in 2005.

The building itself is still very impressive years after its completion. It remains the tallest building in all of Ixnay, at a whopping 3,710 feet high. The building has 210 stories, not including twenty nine maintenance levels and five levels of parking below it. The structure houses the residence of the President, who took over most of the former residence of the Emperor, the residence of the Grand Duke of Urceopolis, the Department of War, the Department of Treasury and Exchange, the Federal Aeronautics and Space Agency, various provincial liaisons, embassies from nations of Ixnay, among other offices. Additionally, many members of the House of Plantagenet-Nero or those associated with them have residences within the Palace.

The Palace was first occupied by the Emperor, but in 2009 upon the execution of Julius VI, it remained vacant for five years until Chancellor Mazzi moved in. He lived there until the conclusion of the Civil War, in which he was captured at the Palace and executed outside. During the Battle of Urceopolis, the Palace was damaged, with a significant portion of the base bombed out. Additionally, most of the surrounding area, excluding the Palace itself, the Palace of the Electorate, and the Cathedral, was a smoldering ruin. After the war, Julius VII rebuilt the Palace and cleared out most of the area, creating a new spacious national park.

2. Palace of the Electorate
Also Known as "Old Imperial Palace" or "Second Imperial Palace", known Colloquially as the "Hall of Congress"

The Palace of the Electorate began its life as the home of Emperors, being constructed in 1701, under Emperor Michael II, as the Imperial Palace. At the time, it was one of the grandest structures in the region, with foreign dignitaries being astounded at the level of extravagance that the Imperial Family lived in. People from all nations were regularly invited to grandiose and lavish parties in the palace in order to impress them with the beauty of the structure. At the turn of the 19th century, however, these parties stopped, as the novelty value of the building wore off.

The building remained the home of the Emperor, but gradually fell into near-obscurity as the Emperor barely lived in Urceopolis for the duration of the nineteenth century. Things reached an all time low in 1854 when the once-mighty throne room was being used as Imperial Army stables. A group of concerned citizens and nobles launched a campaign to save the Palace, which successfully restored it in 1888, at which time it underwent significant renovation, adding the large central chamber with its massive glass windows. The Emperor soon moved back and made it his regular residence. He lived there until the completion of the new Palace in 2005.

Although originally planned as becoming the central museum of Urcean history, plans changed with the Civil War. The Chancellorate made the building the home of the Urcean legislature at the time, which was essentially a panel of regional autocrats. After the Civil War, the newly reunited Empire made the building the home of the Imperial Legislature, called the Electorate, which gives the building its name. Following the Great War, the Congress of Urcea made its home here, and has met there ever since. The unicameral body meets in the former Throne Room, which has been slightly reconstructed to meet its new purpose.

3. Basilica of St. Julius the Evangelist
Colloquially known as the "National Cathedral"

One of the grandest sites in Christendom, the National Cathedral of Urcea is home to the Archbishop of Urceopolis, the seat of the Papacy. The Cathedral was began in 1293 and completed in 1305. It was built in commemoration of the sainthood of Urcea's first Emperor, Julius I, who is also the Patron Saint of Urcea.

The Church is one of the only major historical structures in the city not majorly altered over the ages. The only major work done was when the dome collapsed due to shoddy medieval handiwork in 1402. A patchwork roof was put over it until a new, better dome was created by renaissance artists in the late 15th century. The new dome was completed in 1502.

With the collapse of international Church hierarchy and loss of communication with Rome throughout the world, the Basilica became the Mother Church of all churches in the late 2050s, and was elevated to the level of major basilica. The Pope often says mass here.

4. Imperial Crypt

The crypt of the Emperors of Urcea has changed over the ages. Although early Urcean Emperors were interred with other nobility, a call for a designated Imperial Crypt resulted, and Emperors began to be buried beneath one of Urceopolis's original Cathedral's, St. Mark's. However, the remains of Emperors, including St. Julius I, was moved to the Cathedral of St. Julius the Evangelist, another name for Urcea's first Emperor. Here, Emperors' remains were kept, even through the 1402 dome collapse, until about 1694 when it was discovered that the Cathedral had serious engineering problems and was in danger of collapse at some point in the future. The Crypt had to be relocated to allow for structural supports to be built beneath the Cathedral.

As part of the massive Urceopolis construction project undertaken by Emperor Michael II, a new Imperial Crypt with a massive subterranean complex was built within a year, and the remains of all previous Urcean Emperors were transferred there. While nearly all Emperors are beneath the ground, the structure above the ground holds on display (in a golden likeness) the remains of Emperor St. Julius I, as well as (in stone likeness), Emperor Michael II, Emperor Adrian IV (who conquered Jerusalem and expanded the Empire), Emperor Constantine II (who vanquished the Ionians once and for all), and Edward V (who reestablished the Urcean Empire in 1402).

5. Electorate Annex

In National Congress, the most senior Congressmen get offices in the Palace of the Electorate, as well as the Chancellor; the rest get offices within the Electorate Annex.

The building began as the Palace Annex, with its construction being completed in 1845. With the increasing complexity of Urcean government, the Imperial Palace was no longer suitable and could not fit the various Imperial government bodies that had been formed. In order to relieve congestion in the Palace, the Emperor Adrian VII ordered its construction in 1840. At the time, the brand new Palace Annex was palatial in its own right, and the Emperor even held court in the building during the 1855-1856. It was elegant and was designed by a foremost Urcean architect during the time. From the time of its construction until the construction of the new Palace in 2005, many government departments, including most prominently both the Urcean Imperial Army and the Urcean Imperial Navy, held residence here.

With the construction of the massive new Imperial Palace, most government departments moved out and the building was left mostly empty, but again found use during the Civil War as headquarters of the Chancellorate's military (Mazzi disliked using the new Palace and found it to be a symbol of Imperial extravagance). At the end of the Civil War, the new Emperor Julius VII decided to assign the building to be an annex to the Palace of the Electorate, a purpose it has maintained since.

6. The Soldier of Kazomal

The Soldier of Kazomal statue is a twenty foot high statue, commemorating men and women of Kazomal, who committed soldiers and special forces to Republican Urcean forces during the Second Great War. While they did not have as many ground forces as Solisbury, Kazomal leadership and planning helped Republican forces win the day on the ground against the Empire. The statue shows a soldier wearing period-accurate Kazomal special forces equipment, extending a "helping hand" to the Urcean people.

The statue was erected in 2057 on the orders of President Constantine Nero as a sign of good faith to the people of Kazomal in order to foster a potential alliance. Although Urcea faced Kazomal in the Third Great War, and the statue occasionally came under attack from graffiti artists, it remained intact during the war and stands proudly in the pale today, a lasting and permanent symbol of the friendship between Urcea and Kazomal.

by **Urcea** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 4:09 am

DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY AND EXCHANGE
DIRECTOR - Ian Neil (since 2095)

The second Federal department in Urcea, the Department of Treasury and Exchange is the central financial organization of the Urcean government responsible for the currency and its reserves, as well as providing economic advice to the government. Created in 2069 as a result of the Federal Financial Reform Act in response to the Currency Crisis of 2069, the Department was formed to replace the previous system of finance in the Republic.

Urceans have historically detested Central Banks, and the last and only Central Bank in Urcean history was dissolved after being stormed by rebellious mobs in 1953. After that point, the Emperor decided to create a central bank of each province, responsible not only for storing reserves but also for minting the money itself. These banks generally tried to gain power for themselves in various ways, and had very loose charters. They took orders directly from and only from the Emperor, and otherwise were free to do as they pleased. As imagined, this created problems for the Urcean people and its economy.

Although it was rumored (and very much considered) that the provincial banks would be abolished once Julius VII successfully took Urcea, instead he chose to reform these banks, placing them directly under the Landsmeet as well as the Emperor, and encouraging the Landsmeet to take on oversight, which they did. Another change he made was that, while having no authority over them, he gave provincial legislatures the power to audit such banks and report back to the central Imperial government. These changes were kept even after the Second Great War once Urcea became a Republic.

It is important to note that, prior to the creation of the Department of Treasury and Exchange, the Urcean currency, when not virtual, took the form of gold coins that held their own worth, so that there was very little need for monetary policy within the Late Empire or within the Republic. There was very little issue until the Currency Crisis of 2069, where massive new gold discoveries flooded the market and threatened to severely devalue the Urcean dollar coinage. In response to this, the Department of Treasury and Exchange was created.

The Federal Financial Reform Act placed the Department of Treasury and Exchange above the Provincial Banks, giving the Department regulatory power and essentially ending Provincial Bank independence. The Act also called for the introduction of paper money to supplant coin money as the main unit of exchange, bills which the Department would print itself in its own mints (the Department also took control of the Provincial coin mints, as well). In order to give the currency stability, the Department introduced silver to complement gold, which at the time was somewhat unstable. The Department implemented a minimum gold and silver reserve in each Provincial Bank, a law soon reinforced by Congress, which ensures that the Banks can't unload their assets and tank the Urcean Dollar. With these changes in place, the Currency Crisis of 2069 was over and the economy was back on sound footing.

Aside from handling the currency, the Department also serves as an advisory role. It cannot directly implement monetary or fiscal policy of any kind, but rather does so on the authorization of Congress. As such, the Department has the nation's top economists brought in at the beginning of each year to advise the President on the problems facing the economy and what should be done in a broad sense. The Director of the Department, on a more day-to-day basis, offers the same kind of advice. The President can then choose to encourage such reforms within Congress, or simply to leave the economy how it is.

The final role played by the Department is to ensure that the Provincial Tax is properly levied and properly accounted for. The Provincial Tax dates back to the establishment of the Republic as an alternative to the Federal Income Tax. Each Province must pay a fraction of its income (depending upon how rich or poor the province is) to the Federal Government. These taxes, along with the small income levied from tariffs (also a responsibility of the Department through the Customs and Tariffs Agency), make up the entirety of the Federal income.

Federal Republic of Urcea Factbook Archive

Federal Republic of Urcea Factbook Archive

1. Basic Overview

2a. Constitution

3. Military

4. History

6a. Demographics

5a. Political Parties

4a. List of Presidents

7g. Michael Malachaus

4d. Historical Wars

4c. List of Chancellors and Controlling Parties

5b. Electoral College

4b. List of Emperors and Other Heads of State

7e. St. Julius I

3a. The Urcean Soldier

6b. Language

6c. Noble Houses

2b. Department of War

4e. Flags over History

4f. Historical Map Progression

2d. Federal Aeronautics and Space Agency

7. Biographies

1a. The Flag of Urcea

8aa. Urceopolis

2c. Department of Treasury and Exchange

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