Vongolan People's Republic

"We Stand United."

- The official motto of The Vongolan People's Republic

The Vongolan People's Republic, formerly known as The Kingdom of Vongola, is the government that presides over most of Vongola. The state was formed after a popular coup d'etat led by Uteriach di Armechio dissolved the monarchy and forced parliament to concede some of its power.

The political tensions associated with the VPR's birth, along with its position during the Tanar-Takemikazuchi War, all engendered a civil war that is presently devastating Vongola. Because of this, in the Alliance of Free Planets and in the New Order refer to the planet's government as a failed state, though this definition remains controversial.

The Kingdom of Vongola
The monarchy was initially a popular institution formed in c.BR 450. However, it soon fell to corruption, as a royal family full of insane and tyrannical leaders took the throne. The monarchy's power was nearly unchecked until BR 220, when the Queen created a parliament, the Vongolan Global Assembly, to appease a series of non-human protests that threatened the stability of the kingdom. The parliament went through various reforms over the subsequent decades, eventually gaining the power of the purse; but the monarch still held most of the power.

For years, the masses, both human and non-human, felt the effects of the corrupted government. Though Vongola claimed to be a land of economic opportunity, noble relatives of the monarch and loyalists often were the only ones who owned most of the wealth. The middle class was small enough to be considered a sham. To cover up for this, the rulers would often create social and financial welfare programs to soothe the concerns of the impoverished and quell any dissenters. Those that did not comply with these measures were often violently repressed. The oppressive tactics of the Vongolan regime reached unparalleled levels of violence under the arrogant King Agnes Oncé, whose rule also saw an increase in inequality. These conditions allowed a wave of nationalist and populist fervor to spread throughout the Vongolan population. The spread of these ideologies was most prominent in the military, which resulted in the formation of a secret committee of anti-monarchist generals in 0 AR.

The revolutionary committee knew that it had the backing of the Vongolan people behind it, meaning that the time was right for a violent revolution. Its leader, Dachori General Uteriach di Armechio, had decided that the putsch would involve the military seizing the palace and forcing Oncé to abdicate. At the same time, civilians loyal to the revolution would take control of several government buildings. While all this would be happening, a recording of the committee's principles would be broadcasted throughout the Kingdom through a holographic transmission. Uteriach also had decided that to personally end the monarchy, he would trick King Oncé into capturing him. The Rider's plan had worked, and the monarchy was gone.

Coup d'Etat
''You, in effect, are a useless rubber stamp of a bygone era. You may think yourselves as guardians of democracy, as heroes who will lead Vongola out of the days of kings and into the days of parliamentary regimes. But you are all cowards and fools who can be manipulated like sheep. You aren't anything like real democracy. I will show you what true democracy looks like.''-Uteriach di Armechio speaking to the Vongolan Global Assembly.

During the transition from the monarchy to the dictatorship, the revolutionaries ensured that there would be no challenges to their authority. Uteriach and his allies confronted the Vongolan Global Assembly with a new constitution that significantly decreased their power, and a new budget that would increase military funding. The delegates' complaints were met with a mass protest by revolutionary loyalists (later called Partisans) who stormed the halls of the parliamentary building and demanded reform. Meanwhile, rumors of wealthy Vongolans being murdered by mobs spread throughout the capital city. Special Forces squadrons of the Vongolan military, handpicked by the generals themselves, engaged in secret purges of the nobility and the wealthy citizen that lived nearest to Oncé City (most notably, those living in Burjua). No one in the public was informed, and only those who had previously pledged absolute loyalty to Uteriach and his allies (or those who had escaped with Thomas P. Kane) survived. It is possible that the Vongolan People's Republic will roll out these purges throughout the rest of the planet as it attempts to reorganize itself.

The revolutionary government's leaders made efforts to reach out to several other governments in the galaxy to forge alliances, trade agreements, and military pacts. One such alliance existed between the VPR and the Tanari Confederation.

Tanari-Takemikazuchi War
TBD

Vongolan Civil War
Sometime during the Tanar-Takemikazuchi War, Malchior IV and several other states backed multiple rebel groups to act as "counter-revolutionaries" against the VPR. The group became known as the Separatists, with Thomas P. Kane acting as one of its leaders.

After the war, Uteriach was imprisoned for his crimes, and Figlio di Armechio mysteriously vanished. Though Kane had passed away, his former spy and dear friend Joshua Kozín became the leader of the Separatists, and fully dedicated himself to fighting the VPR all across the planet. The removal of the Armechios from the Vongolan political equation was inspiration enough. Unfortunately, Rahksha, one of Uteriach's most loyal enforcers, was appointed Acting Generalissimo by the Uterian loyalist generals, who hoped to manipulate his extremism to their own ends. Orbital bombardments of Resistance positions, along with other devastating attacks, ensued. However, the Resistance grew in the midst of this and continued its fight against the VPR. What once began as a series of insurgencies evolved into a full-scale intra-planetary civil war.

Despite their many victories, however, the Separatists stopped receiving funding from the Alliance of Free Planets during the wars with the New Order and the Arcs. This contributed to the perfect storm that resulted in a split in the rebel faction, creating two new insurgent groups in its wake: Kozín's Democratic-Republicans (often called rebels or derogatorily referred to as "Kozínites", who favored a new, more democratic approach to governing Vongola, and the Restorationists, nationalists and monarchists who wished to restore the Vongolan monarchy (their leader claiming to be a member of the Royal Family). This three-way civil war tore through Vongola, Tuvar'quóth, and other pro-Uterian planets in the system.

The Democratic-Republicans later received supplies and funds from the AfP, and it is no secret that the VPR and Tuvar governments were cooperating. However, it is unknown who is supplying the Restorationists. Some believe that exiled nobles support them, while others claim that the Tanari Separatists are behind their rise. Either way, all of the factions have faced tremendous losses and pyrrhic victories.

Ultimately, the Vongolan Civil War, which has lasted for nearly a decade, has killed hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) and displacing nearly twice as many people. It is unknown what role Uteriach di Armechio's recent prison break will play in the conflict.

Monarchic Period
Throughout most of the monarchic period, Vongola was an industrial power, with various sectors profiting from research and service-based economies. Additionally, its colonial ventures in the Tuvar system allowed for a mining industry to develop. As a result of some of these developments, the Kingdom of Vongola became an export-driven economy, trading various metals and manufactured goods with the rest of the galaxy. Foreign direct investment was encouraged, as well as the expansion of foreign industry, but all had to be approved by the ruling class (with expansions only occurring in the form of subsidiaries that were jointly owned by intergalactic corporations and nobles).

Though the monarch and the nobility invested in most firms, there was less regulation than one would assume. That being said, few owners of businesses and assets did not come from a royal or noble background, and oftentimes, much nepotism would occur when it came to managerial positions. Once the Vongolan Global Assembly was created, reforms that allowed greater upward mobility ensued, and more were able to become wealthy or make a modest living (on the condition that they were proven loyal to the crown, of course).

That being said, there was a massive wealth gap between rich and poor, especially affecting the oppressed K'thaan people, and Vongolans living in rural areas. As was noted earlier, a largesse safety net and financial welfare program was formed by the Assembly, coming primarily from tariffs and taxes. However, the variance of working conditions as well as the vast corruption of nobles and government officials led to growing unrest. The revolution was inevitable.

Revolutionary and Warring Periods
Generalissimo Uteriach di Armechio and the other generals initiated a transition to a more planned economy. Many firms and industries were "nationalized" (some enterprises were jointly owned by loyalist plutocrats and VPP Partisans, while others were fully state-owned). All of the firms were told to operate under production targets set by the Vongolan People's Republic. However, the devastation of two wars and sanctions has virtually destroyed much of Vongola's economy.

Demographics
The Vongolan People's Republic has a diverse population, but a slim majority of them are humans of varying ethnic backgrounds. The largest minority is the Tuvar-nloq, a group of blue-skinned amphibian humanoids from a neighboring planet in the system. A historically important minority is the K'thaan, the native race of Vongola which was largely oppressed by the "alien (human and nonhuman) conquerors", primarily in the monarchic era.