Grand Byzantine Republic (Yarmuk)
From Alternative History
In 1849, with the spirit of Revolution in the air in Europe, the Byzantine Empire, the world's oldest and longest running state, disintegrated into devastating civil war. In 1851, the Grand Byzantine Republic emerged. Latin was made the ceremonial language of government and the Republic itself resembled the old Roman Republic.
[edit] Organisation
A Senate is elected every 5 years by 250 local Assemblies. Each Assembly elects 2 Senators from the local Patrician and Equites classes (1 Patrician, 1 Equite). This makes up 500 Senators. A National Assembly of 1000 members is elected every 5 years, two years after every Senatorial Election. Every year, 10 Plebeian Councillors are elected to the Senate as Tribunes of the Plebeians for a 5 year term. They make up the other 50 Senators. Every five years the Senate elects two Consuls. The Second Consul holds supreme executive power and wields legislative power through the Senate and National Assembly. He appoints 24 Praetors to administer the 24 provinces. The First Consul is the head of the Army and the Church. He appoints the four Patriarchs of Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria for 10 year terms. Each supervises the administration of 6 Praetors. He also appoints 8 Propraetors to act as a Supreme Court, a position they hold for life. However, the First Consul holds no power other than to declare war. According to the 1851 Constitution, the First Consul must be a Patrician and the Second a Plebeian.
[edit] History
With the formation of the republic, all of Constantinople's overseas territories in the Americas broke away and declared their independence. The Vice-Royalty of New Byzantium declared independence as the Confederate States of North America and the Vice-Royalty of Grand Inca declared independence as the Kingdom of Grand Inca. The republic, having just fought a two year civil war, decided to legally grant independence to these breakaway colonies.
In 1853, the Russian Empire invaded the province of Moesia Inferior in an attempt to gain control of the Strait of Dardanelles. The new state struggled to defend itself so it called on the assistance of Britain and France. The coalition defeated Russia in the ensuing Crimean War.
