Mango Anarchy

The Mango Anarchy Shirerithian Revolutionary Era
Part of Shiro-Benacian War
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.
Date 2.XII.1733 AN – ... Location Imperial Republic of Shireroth Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Conservatives and Loyalists: Imperial Forces Imperial Navy Kalirionists	Reformers: Aldricist Club Moderate Kalirionists	Radicals: Society of the Friends of the Revolution (Sakuragists) Sathrati Resistance Army Revolutionary Committee of Shirekeep (from 1737) Reactionaries: Society of Loyalists for the Mango Throne (Mangoists)
Commanders and leaders
Kaiseress Salome Kian Aiomide Shahnaz Yukio Ayreon-Kalirion Atreyu Maximilian Octavius Louis Thuylemans Li Suyi	Tian Huiqing Reina Yorke	Ren Sakuragi Robert De Speer Marius Gallo Bohemond Sclavenius Erasmo Laegel --- Zhao Feng

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

Debt Issues

A banknote of 500 Erb, 1730 issue.

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.

Crisis of the Old Regime (1733-1735)

"The Kaiseress is Tired"

Admirably, the Kaiseress went to the Steward entirely voluntarily. No, those soldier corpses in the corner of the room were already there, good sir.

As the hours ran out on the Benacian 48-hour nuclear ultimatum, Thuylemans cabinet became increasingly concerned for the consequences. After their daily meeting with Salome on 2.XII.1733 AN, they learned that the Kaiseress had ordered an increase in Bad Neighbour II's tempo, and that it was to begin targeting locations in Holwinn and Monty Crisco as well; this would be in order to support Operations Green Shield and Red Shield respectively. The Kaiseress had also isolated Bad Neighbour II from the command structure of the Ministry of Military Affairs, officiating what she had begun when she circumvented the chain of command to initiate Hiericus and begin the war.

Once news had arrived on casualties in the Benacian Union strike on Lichkeep, Thuylemans received a private visit from one Tribune Herzl, indicating that a portion of 1. Legion was with him and his interest in stopping the nuclear war. The firestorm had burned through neighborhoods containing many of their families. Another hit, possibly on the city center itself would literally mean a devastating blow to the Imperial Government.

Recognizing the critical situation and the imminent threat of a full-scale nuclear war, Thuylemans made a bold and decisive move. He ordered Tribune Herzl of the 1. Legion to put Kaiseress Salome under house arrest, attempting to halt the escalating conflict. The ensuing confrontation in Raynor's Keep was intense, with fighting erupting between the Palatini and the Legionnaires in the small corridors of the Keep. Salome-loyalists fiercely defended the Kaiseress, but they were met with equally determined guards who were loyal to the Steward - or at least fond of the idea to not see their families die in nuclear hellfire - and who had lost family members in the Benacian counterattack. The battle was fierce but short-lived. The guards loyal to the Steward, driven by a desire to prevent further devastation, managed to overpower Salome's defenders and secure a victory for the coup.

Following the coup's success, the Kaiseress was taken to Mahamantot Bunker, which offered more safety than a castle which served as a target for Benacian artillery fire, where she was brought face-to-face with the Steward. In this tense and pivotal meeting, she received an informal declaration outlining the terms of her new role and the transfer of power:

1. Cessation of Real Power: Salome would no longer wield any real power over the government. This effectively granted the Steward control over the Armed Forces, ensuring that military operations would be conducted under more cautious and calculated leadership. This arrangement would remain until the situation had improved and a suitable successor was groomed and deemed trustworthy enough not to unleash nuclear devastation.
2. Spiritual Leadership: The Kaiseress was to take up a more active role in the spiritual guidance of her people. She would work to cooperate with existing religious institutions, such as the Batavian Catologian Church and various cults like Tianchaodao, aiming to bring them closer to the Imperial Cult. This new responsibility would allow her to contribute to the nation's well-being in a non-military capacity, fostering unity and moral resilience among the populace.
3. Public Reassurance and Diplomacy: To prevent further panic and to stabilize the internal situation, the Kaiseress would make public appearances and speeches, reassuring the citizens and the international community of the Empire's commitment to peace and reconstruction and commit to supporting any future convention against nuclear warfare. She would serve as a figurehead of continuity and hope, while the Steward handled the practical aspects of governance and military strategy.

In the eyes of the public, the Kaiseress remained in charge of daily affairs. However, shortly after the coup, the cabinet decided to move southwards, further away from the frontlines, to ensure the safety and continuity of the government's functions. Salome remained in the capital, guarded by a group of Legionnaires, and made impossible to throw around orders. This move ensured that while Salome was still the symbolic leader, the real power resided with the Steward and the cabinet, who could now try to act decisively.

Relocation of the Shirerithian Government

In 1734 AN, the outbreak of the Maltenstein Meat Grinder turned the area surrounding Shirekeep into a war-torn no-man's land. Faced with increasing instability, the Steward, Thuylemans, urged Kaiseress to evacuate the capital, along with her court, to a safer location. However, the Kaiseress, already physically weakened by a lingering illness and mentally drained by the ongoing crisis, refused to leave Shirekeep. This refusal placed Thuylemans in a difficult position; while he had no desire to govern from a war zone (and certainly not die there), he was left with limited options.

Determined to ensure the continuity of his government, Thuylemans ultimately made the decision to relocate the administration. His official reasoning was that the government should not be cut off from the rest of the Imperial Republic, a sentiment that fueled his desire to move. Although some members of the government favored closer locations like Maltenstein or Fortis, the city of Novi Nigrad on the island of Yardistan was ultimately chosen. This choice was made due to its relative safety, far away from the war, and the fact that the city had been largely pacified in recent years, following the Sathrati Emergency. Additionally, the influx of refugees from Kildari and Benecian Shirerithians had bolstered Novi Nigrad's stability (at least, on the surface).

Thuylemans' decision, however, did not come without resistance. In the Folksraad, many members were opposed to the relocation, seeing it as a retreat. Domitius W. Iritatus, a prominent Shirekeepian politician, even accused the Steward of cowardice. The debate only ended after an hour long rant from the honorable Folksraad member at the adress of the Steward (represented by his poor chauffeur) when a bomb narrowly missed the Palace of Zirandorthel, convincing the Legislature of the necessity of the move. The government leadership's proposal was swiftly agreed upon after this close call.

By mid-1734, as the Benecian offensive intensified with the aim of encircling Shirekeep, the government and parliament evacuated the capital aboard requisitioned airships. Chaos ensued on the airdocks, with locals becoming hysterical after seeing their representatives fleeing. Three politicians were grabbed by a growing mob and torn apart before being incinerated by the heat of the ascending airship. The capital was left in the hands of a skeleton crew of officers, minor bureaucrats, and politicians, with a terminally ill Kaiseress remaining behind at the helm of what was left of Shirekeep's leadership.

This relocation marked a turning point in the Imperial Republic's handling of the conflict, as it moved the center of governance far from the conflict's epicenter to ensure the survival and continuation of the state. he move had been successful and secured the government for the time being, but it dealt a blow to its long-term credibility. Something that would have dire consequences in the long run.

Elections of the Provincial Assemblies of Greater Kildare (late 1734)

By the end of 1734 AN, for the first time in eleven years, the Heavenly Light, the Xinshi Light, called for new elections for the Provincial Assemblies. While disunited and broken up in different Dominions, the former Jingdaoese territories had kept operating more or less with the same political systems and kept cooperating with each other informally. The provincial assemblies, whose composition was still based on the long-outdated elections of the Shirerithian Adelsraad of 1723, had become completely irrelevant. Many of the original representatives had either died, retired, or been replaced by others who had been handpicked by their parties to represent their interests. The political stagnation left the system unresponsive to the rising social and economic challenges.

As hundreds of thousands of young men - both of Kildarian and Jingdaoese descent - were sent to the front lines to fight in the war, the demand for legitimate representation grew louder. Soldiers and civilians alike began to question why they were fighting abroad while socio-economic conditions at home were deteriorating. With increasing food shortages, wage cuts, and oppressive war taxes, the people’s patience was running thin.

The Xinshi Light, renowned for her lack of interest in governance - focusing instead on the more symbolic and social aspects of her role - had largely allowed political decay to take root. Her reputation for easily accepting both the syndicalist regime and the annexation of the Great Jing into Shireroth further eroded her standing among traditionalists and reformers alike. But as pressure mounted due to the war and growing public discontent, even the indifferent Xinshi Light had to act. Reluctantly, she ordered all Provincial Assemblies to be dissolved and, for the first time since the last Imperial Yuan elections of 1657 AN, she called for free elections. While protests erupted among the old political elites, who were unwilling to relinquish their comfortable positions, their opposition remained confined to the backrooms of power, unable to openly challenge the Heavenly Throne amid the ongoing war.

Provincial Elections amidst war

Ren Sakuragi in the Provincial Assembly of Dalmacija, late 1734. A few days after his elections he eagerly debates the necessity of reform in both Greater Kildare and the Imperial Republic of Shireroth. At this moment in time he is merely a minor player in regional politics. For some reason the Tegong agent, ordered to shoot him on the spot, had taken a sick day.

The 1734 AN elections were unique in several ways. Soldiers on the front lines, many of them hardened by the brutality of the war, were granted the right to vote, a move meant to placate the growing unrest within the ranks. However, far from quelling dissent, the elections amplified the divisions within the Greater Kildarian society.

The results were a disaster for the status quo. The long-dominant political parties, such as the Mango-Strengthening Movement and especially the Greater Kildarian Humanists, who had maintained their presence in the Assemblies despite the chaos of war and political crackdowns, were decimated. In their place emerged a lot of independent candidates and a much smaller, but more vocal and extremist faction of monarchists, many of whom called for a constitutional monarchy as a solution to the nation's deepening crisis. These monarchists, though far from unified, generally sought to preserve the Kaiseress' and Heavenly Light's symbolic role while radically reforming the governmental structure to restore stability.

The rise of radicalism

While monarchists dominated the conversation, the elections also gave a platform to more radical elements. A small, but fiery group of republicans began to gain traction, openly calling for the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a republican system. Although still in the minority, their presence marked a significant shift in the political landscape. These republicans were particularly popular among the urban working class and disillusioned soldiers who had grown tired of fighting a war they neither understood nor supported. Their call for a people's government resonated deeply with those who felt betrayed by both the old aristocracy and the Heavenly Light’s administration.

The political environment was further destabilized by the growing influence of revolutionary thinkers like Ren Sakuragi, whose message of equality and anti-segregation struck a chord with those tired of the aristocratic privileges and the collusion between the Heavenly Light and the Kaiseress of Shireroth. Ren’s ideas were particularly dangerous for the existing order, as they combined elements of both Jingdaoese and Kildarian dissatisfaction into a cohesive revolutionary vision.

Impending socio-economic collapse

As the war dragged on, the economic situation at home worsened. Food shortages were becoming commonplace in urban centers, while inflation skyrocketed. Corruption and mismanagement within the provincial assemblies made it clear to the people that the old system could no longer provide the stability or prosperity that Greater Kildare - and Jingdao before it - once prided itself on. Simultaneously, the people saw how their Steward, Louis Thuylemans, fled the capital of Shirekeep and exchanged it for Novi Nigrad. The people, exhausted from the war and embittered by the lack of support from the political class, became increasingly radicalized, with many beginning to openly defy their commanders.

The Jingdaoese and Kildarian youth, once patriotic and eager to fight for the nation, now returned home on leave (at least, if they survived the dangerous travel across the Shire Sea, plagued by Benacian attacks) as disillusioned veterans, questioning the legitimacy of the entire political and religious order. The war, which had initially united the people in defense of the empire, had instead become a catalyst for unrest.

The Novi Nigrad Quarrels (1734)

• See also: Novi Nigrad Quarrels.

Reforms and Constitutional Monarchy (1735 - 1737)

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.

• After two years of relative calm, a series of setbacks (note: doesn't have to be military defeat, can also be a series of failed harvests as result of nuclear. If combined with a loss: loss of Nackholm pocket? Last resistance groups destroyed by the Benacians, after two years?).
• The Shirerithian government defaults on a series of foreign loans, worsening the Recession of 1737.
• The denizens and subjects of Shirekeep rise up in their demand cheaper basic goods. No violent revolution, but a secessio plebis. Under pressure, the Prefect of Shirekeep allows the establishment of the Revolutionary Committee, composed of representatives from every bailliwick and city district, which acts as a shadow government in the city. The radicals remain on the background, but are winning support.

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.

• Salome had been under house arrest since her nuclear debacle. With the establishment of the Committee, she de facto becomes a prisoner of the Committee. Her movements are restricted. She still holds a lot of respect among the populace, though.
• During the night of ?.?.1737 Salome attempts to escape the capital (through the Shirekeep-Foley Aerodome) with the help of some of her most trusted courtiers. Unbeknowingly, the Kaiseress is betrayed and sold out to Hurmudans who kidnap her to Hurmu, where she is locked up.
• The Flight to Foley, as it's dubt by the press, shocks the public. The Kalirionists are blamed for the miserable affair of the country's finances and the Aldricists are blamed for their cooperation with the Mango Throne. Radicalisation sets in.

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.

Regime of the Bloody Cleansing (1737 - 1738)

• Moderates in the Legislature are pressured in accepting more radical legislation:
  • The Folksraad unilaterally absorpts the law making powers of the two other Chambers. It replaces their voting powers with a Rogatio (the possibility to propose a piece of legislation), which more often than not would be ignored if not radical enough. With increasing crackdowns on nobles, the Landsraad and Adelsraad became de facto incumbent, as only the most brave were willing to debate issues.
  • The end of seperate classes.
  • The seperation of State and Temple Cults.
  • The declaration of the End of the Monarchy and Victory of the Republic over the Old Regime.
  • Possessions of the Temples and Noble Houses are taken and sold, to fund the war effort.
• Start of the Bloody Cleansing: those found disloyal to the new Imperial Republic are found guilty of treason. With prisons at full capacity, forced labour and executions become daily affairs.

Emigrés in Neighbouring countries

The émigrés, mostly nobles, try to leave the country en masse.

• They organise counterrevolutionary groups in nations like Senya, Nouvelle Alexandrie and Natopia. The first ones who fled take with them huge sums of money: they make themselves at home in those foreign countries and are mostly seen as annoyances ("They do nothing else than eat and feast! The nobles who fled are rotten to the core. Not even the foreign dignitaries want to welcome them to talk business: it always comes down to them asking us to fight their conflicts!").
• Noble officers are blamed for losses on the battlefield and also start to flee, leading to disasters on the frontline.

See also

• Shiro-Benacian War
• Recession of 1737
• Fake War with Nouvelle Alexandrie and Natopia
• The Great Goat Heist Incident, border skirmish between Shireroth and Senya.