Free State of Bohemia Svobodný stát Čech |
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— State of the Danubian Federation — | |||
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Motto: Sans sou et sans souci | |||
Capital | Prague | ||
Government | |||
- Type | Federal Presidential Republic | ||
- President | Gabriel Soukup-Valenta | ||
Population (1854 census) | |||
- Total | 1,277,100 | ||
- Demonym | Bohemian | ||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
- Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
The Free State of Bohemia [Czech: Svobodný stát Čech] is one of the original nine constituent states of the Danubian Federation.
During 1198, the Kingdom of Bohemia was formally established by King Ottokar I. After this, the country became a part of the Habsburg Empire. In 1204 Ottokar's royal dignity was accepted by Otto IV himself as well as by Pope Innocent III. Afterwards it was confirmed by the Golden Bull of Sicily issued by Emperor Frederick II in 1212, promoting the Duchy of Bohemia to Kingdom status and exempting the Czech king from all future obligations to the Holy Roman Empire except for participation in the imperial councils.
After the early death of King Louis II Jagiellon at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the Bohemian kingdom was inherited by his brother-in-law, the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand I of Habsburg, younger brother of Emperor Charles V, whom he succeeded in 1558. The subsequent incorporation of Bohemia into the Habsburg Monarchy against the resistance of the local Protestant nobility sparked off the 1618 Defenestration of Prague and the Thirty Years' War. Their defeat at the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 put an end to the Bohemian autonomy movement.
With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Bohemian kingdom was incorporated into the Austrian Empire with the royal title retained by the Emperor of Austria. During the revolution of 1848 the monarchy was dissolved with the formation of a Presidential Republic. The chief executive was no longer the crown but a president elected by the people, for the people. By September of that same year, the Austrian and Hungarian revolutionaries had unified to form the now-famous "Federation of Equals" in opposition to the royalists. After the revolution the state of Bohemia became part of the Danube Federation.
Form of Government[]
The Free State of Bohemia is a Presidential Republic within the federal structure of the Danube Federation. It emphasizes the role of the executive as the central figure in the government and concentrates the positions of head of state and head of government. It is the equivalent to a governor. The Minister-President retains sovereign police power, is not subordinate to the federal authorities except by Federal law, which always supersedes state law in the event of a conflict of legality, and serves as the political and ceremonial head of the state. However, the Minister-President is limited in his actions by the bicameral state legislature elected by all males ages 21 and up. The state legislature may veto any presidential action with a 2/3 vote in both chambers.
In addition to the legislature the state Supreme Court acts as a check to the Minister-President as well as the legislative body of government. The court consists of 5 members, all appointed by the Minister-President with the approval of both chambers with a simple majority. The court has the power to overturn laws and executive actions deemed contrary to the Bohemian constitution. The majority of the Minister-President’s duties consists of proposing and implementing state legislation, managing the state militia, and representing Bohemia on the Federal level. The Minister-President may serve up a maximum of three terms in office, each term being four years as in accordance with Federal precendent. Any male born in the state of Bohemia at or over the age of 32 may run for this elected position provided that he does not already hold a position in either the state or federal government (In which they would have to resign from that post if otherwise) and is not in command of a military unit at the state or federal level.
Administrative Subdivisions[]
Kraje of Bohemia
- Bechyně
- Boleslav
- Čáslav
- Chrudim
- Hradec Králové
- Kladsko
- Kouřim at Prague
- Litoměřice
- Loket
- Vltava
- Plzeň
- Podbrdy at Beroun
- Prácheň at Písek
- Rakovník
- Slaný
- Žatec
Kraje of Moravia
- Brno
- Hradiště
- Jihlava
- Olomouc
- Přerov
- Znojmo
Geography[]
The landscape is exceedingly varied. In Bohemia, to the west, consists of a basin drained by the Elbe and the Vltava (or Moldau) rivers, surrounded by mostly low mountains, such as the Krkonoše range of the Sudetes. The highest point in the country, Sněžka at 1,602 m (5,256 ft), is located here. Moravia, the eastern part of the country, is also quite hilly. It is drained mainly by the Morava River, but it also Bohemia's borders are marked with mountain ranges such as the Bohemian Forest, the Ore Mountains, and the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains), the highest within the Sudeten mountain range.contains the source of the Oder River (Czech Odra). Water from the landlocked Czech Republic flows to three different seas: the North Sea, Baltic Sea and Black Sea.
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