Mango Anarchy
| The Mango Anarchy Shirerithian Revolutionary Era |
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.png) The Revolutionary Committee of Shirekeep, under guidance of self-appointed Prefect Erasmo Laegel and in the presence of Kaiseress Salome, proclaimed the end of Imperial Power. Stripping her from her last influence and power, against the wishes of the government in Novi Nigrad. |
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 Conservatives and Loyalists:
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| Kaiseress Salome
| Tian Huiqing |  Ren Sakuragi
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Revolutionary Committee of Shirekeep (from 1737)
The Mango Anarchy, also known as the Shirerithian Revolutionary Era, marked one of the most tumultuous and transformative periods in recent Shirerithian history. This era began with a silent coup orchestrated by Steward Louis Thuylemans against the Kaiseress, following her decision to launch the infamous Bad Neighbour II nuclear attack, which ignited deep unrest within the empire and heightened international tensions. The subsequent period was defined not only by the internal power struggle between reformists and reactionaries but also by the widespread civil and military conflicts that accompanied the unfolding of the Shiro-Benacian War and various regional rebellions and conflicts.
Background and Causes
Shiro-Benacian Cold War
Sathrati Emergency
Shiro-Benacian War
Debt Issues
In the years leading up to the Mango Anarchy, the debt crisis emerged as a central, unresolved challenge that would ultimately destabilize the Imperial Government and weaken its authority across Shireroth. While the government had managed to keep spending under control following the Auspicious Occasion through aggressive budget cuts, the rapid expansion of the empire soon stretched its financial resources thin once more. With the empire's reach growing across Micras, costs skyrocketed: maintaining the increasingly opulent court at Raynor's Keep to satisfy the nobility’s demands, integrating new territories and their associated armies, and managing the extensive imperial bureaucracy all became unsustainable.
The Erb currency, originally pegged to wheat during the reign of Kaiseress Salome, initially served as a reliable standard. However, as the empire grew in size and complexity, the limitations of a purely agrarian-backed currency became apparent. The Erb’s rigid structure could not keep pace with Shireroth’s expanding economic demands or effectively support the financial strain of maintaining the empire’s reach over a diverse and distant population.
The debt problem was exacerbated by looming foreign debt repayments owed primarily to Natopia and Nouvelle Alexandrie, key creditors whose loans had propped up previous government programs and military expenditures. Yet, despite the looming repayments, the imperial government remained unwilling to drastically reduce spending. This resistance stemmed largely from escalating tensions with the Benacian Union, in preparation for a potential war, the government felt it could not risk scaling back on military funding or strategic infrastructure projects.
Even more concerning than the sheer size of the debt - which was not larger than that of the neighbouring Benacian Union - was Shireroth’s chaotic fiscal system. Noble privileges, feudal exemptions, and a labyrinth of archaic tax codes left the treasury struggling to maintain consistent revenue streams. Many powerful fiefs and noble families maintained tax privileges and exemptions dating back to the early feudal period, which left significant portions of the empire’s wealth untapped. Without the authority to overhaul these deeply entrenched systems, the imperial treasury remained vulnerable, as evidenced by Rigobert Brunswick, the Commissioner for the Fiscus, who warned in 1730 AN that without urgent reforms, an economic shock—such as war—could send the empire’s finances into a dangerous downward spiral.
This warning was validated with the outbreak of the Sathrati Emergency and eventually the Shiro-Benacian War in 1733 AN, events that set off a financial crisis. Despite desperate attempts to contain costs, the government had to resort to cuts in social programs (the popular Grain Program in the Eastern Imperium were entirely slashed and became dependent on the goodwill of the local governments) to fund the war effort, which spurred resentment among the lower classes. By 1737 AN, the government’s financial position was untenable, leading Shireroth to default on its debt obligations. This default not only damaged Shireroth’s reputation among foreign creditors but also led to social unrest, as the court’s ostentatious spending and noble privileges were widely resented by commoners who bore the brunt of the austerity measures.
Faced with imminent bankruptcy and a crumbling financial system, revolutionary leaders within the Revolutionary Council of Shirekeep began searching for ways to stabilize the economy. One of the most notable measures was the introduction of assignats, a form of paper money backed by land and resources confiscated from nobles and royal estates, in an attempt to create liquidity and maintain basic government functions. While the assignats provided a temporary respite, they also represented a significant departure from traditional monetary practices, which alarmed conservatives.
Bad Neighbour II
Crisis of the Old Regime (1733-1735)
Relocation of the Shirerithian Government
Elections of the Provincial Assemblies of Greater Kildare (late 1734)
The Novi Nigrad Quarrels (1734)
Reforms and Constitutional Monarchy (1735 - 1737)
1735 Shirerithian general elections
Mediocre Achievements on the Front
Diverted forces from the Benacian Union to the Batavian front, give the Shirerithians some breathing room. Definitive pushback against the Benacians in Maltenstein region. Succesfull offensive in the Elwynn region (not much land gain, but giving the army a breather and pushes the front farther away from the capital).
Return to the Capital
With the pushback on the Maltenstein Front and some advancements in the surrounding areas of Shirekeep, the government of Thuylemans returns to Shirekeep.
Great Fear and Prison Massacres
With the government returned to the capital, rumours of a coup d'état starts to spread. Masses assault prisons and noble houses. Massacres follow.
Collapse of the Constitutional Monarchy and Radicalisation (1737 - 1740)
Recession of 1737 and the Fake War
Shireroth's government declares its unwillingness to pay back its debts (made before the War to pay for necessary investments in infrastructure) to Nouvelle Alexandrie and Natopia. The Fake War breaks out between Shireroth and Nouvelle Alexandrie over the defaulted debt.
Food Riots
National debt, increased demands of the army, a failing currency and trade deficits, combined with farmers unwilling (and hiding) to sell their goods for cheap prices, lead to food shortages and riots. The moderate government loses control.
Revolutionary Committee of Shirekeep (1737)
Food and street riots leave the official government and Legislature unable to take charge of state affairs. Under leadership of Erasmo Laegel, who is elected as new Prefect by popular vote by the revolutionary mob, the Revolutionary Committee of Shirekeep is established. It swiftly takes charge over the city and keeps the government in check.
The Thuylemans Government is disbanded, and its ministers arrested for treason. Laegel is appointed Steward.
In a declaration to the three Chambers of the Legislature, Laegel announces that the government will henceforth complete the revolution and improve it by taking away the last influence and power of the Kaiseress. De facto, Shireroth becomes a real republic with a Throne without power or influence.
The Flight to Foley (1737)
Kaiseress Salome flees from Shirekeep after her humiliation at the hand of the Revolutionary Committee of Shirekeep. She's helped by loyalists to escape from Foley with an airship. The mission, while initially succesful is betrayed and Salome is kidnapped to Hurmu, where she's locked up by Humanists supports.
Failed Jinkeai Expedition
A military expedition, sponsored by émigrés, Humanists, Hurmudan opportunists and supported by a fraction of the Jingdaoese population. An armed force of 12,000 volunteers, and one armoured tank landed unopposed near the town of Xiahu (after having bribed coastal defenses), in the Duchy of Jinkeai. The expedition aimed to gather and mobilise support for Prince Yukio in the Eastern Imperium, ending the Mango Anarchy and the lockdown in the Legislature. The invasion failed miserably, when the military forces of Yukio were confronted by Shirerithian troops near Sisera Wharf. It had a major negative impact, dealing a disastrous blow to the monarchist cause (especially in the aftermath of Salome's Flight to Foley). It emboldened the radicals in the Legislature to introduce a reign of terror to secure the nation.
