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Silesian Voivodeship
Ślůnske Wojewůdztwo
Timeline: Principia Moderni III (Map Game)
OTL equivalent: Silesia
link = Croatia (Principia Moderni III Map Game) Croatia
1767 - Present
Silesia Flag (PM3) Silesia CoA (PM3)
Coat of arms
Silesia 1890
Silesia in Red (1890)
CapitalWrocłow
Largest city Katowicy
Other cities Uostrawa, Glywicy, Bytůń, Zobrze, Bjylsko-Bjoło
Official languages Silesian
Regional languages Bohemian, Polish, German
Ethnic groups  Silesian, Bohemian, Polish, German
Religion Roman Catholicism
Demonym Silesian
Government Republic
 -  Voivode Patryk Waldau
 -  Ban Franciszek Wikóz (REP)
Legislature Sabor
History
 -  Conquered by Croatia 1694 
 -  Became Voivodeship 1760 
 -  Independence 1767 
 -  Communist Invasion 1890-1891 
Population
 -  1890 census 4,510,600 
Currency Ślůnske złoty
Patron saint Saint Hedwig of Silesia

The Silesian Voivodeship (Silesian: Ślůnske Wojewůdztwo) is a culturally - and ethnically - homogeneous, small nation in the western regions of Eastern Europe. Having peacefully gained its independence from Croatia in 1767, the nation has since continued to develop as a significant economic power, due to its abundance of natural resources and ideal location.

History[]

1694 - Conquered by Croatia

1760 - Became a Voivodeship

1767 - Became independent

1890-1891 - Communist Invasion

1896 - Women's suffrage (after Germany started to do the same)

Government[]

Silesia is currently governed under the Declaration of Uostrawa, which effectively serves as a constitution for the nation. The Declaration, which was issued by the liberal-leaning Voivode Patryk Waldau in 1891, reinforced the traditional form of government that had been in place since the late 1600s.

This form of government had two primary actors: the Sabor (led by the Ban) and the Voivode. In the Declaration, the Sabor was granted almost all law-making powers and control over most domestic affairs while the Voivode reinforced his authority over diplomatic, militaristic, and religious affairs while retaining a veto on almost all issues.

Great Hall of the Sabor

Great Hall of the Sabor, Wrocłow

The Sabor itself is comprised of two different types of members: the nobles and the commons. With the 150 seats currently comrpising the Sabor, there are 75 different districts. Each district sends two members to the Sabor - one noble and one common. Aristocrats, the gentry, and monied Silesians are entitled to vote for noble members of the Sabor as well as common members (for whom all male citizens may vote). Elections for the Sabor are held every five years.

The Voivode, on the other hand, serves for life and is elected in a multi-round vote by the Sabor. The Voivode, who must be a noble with military experience, cannot have served in the Sabor and is therefore elected on merit, not politics. Despite that, many Voivodes that have been chosen share an ideological alignment with the Sabor that elected them.

Political Parties[]

There are five main political parties in Silesia. Besides the Communist Party, they are all relatively conservative on economic matters.

  • Communist Party - Based on the ideals of Eemil Jakoppi's Communist Manifesto, the Communist Party was founded in 1878 by a group of factory workers from Zobrze. In the 1890 election, seven Communists were elected as members of the Sabor, but the party was banned in 1894 from participating in the most recent 1895 elections. In the meantime, the Croatian idea of "Transitional Communism" has led to an internal row within the Party.
  • Republican Party - Formed in the aftermath of the Spring of Nations in the late 1840s, the Republican Party is a left-of-center party that believes in many liberal ideas but also the elimination of all forms of aristocracy and nobility. They have yet to experience any widespread successes, barring a brief stint in power from 1850-1855.
  • Liberal Party - The Liberal Party was the second official political party to be established in Silesia. At the conclusion of first Saborčic, Ban Bożydar Paszek created this party to combat what he saw as elitist tendencies within the Conservative Party. Consistent to liberal values throughout its existence, its period of greatest success was in the early 1800s. Many of the economic successes of Silesia have arisen as a result of Liberal policies from that period, but the party has a problem remaining relevant in a time of more extreme ideologies.
  • Conservative Party - Deeply rooted in traditionalism and the aristocracy, the Conservative Party is largely the party of the status quo. Having won more elections than any other party, they have consistently been able to draw support from the gentry, and more recently from the wealthy. This has widely translated to periods of policy stagnation, much to the ire of the other parties. Nonetheless, the strong economy has often helped the Conservatives maintain widespread support once in power.
  • Silesian National Party - By far the most influential party in the political struggle for Silesian independence, the Nationals were founded by Oldřich Piatek in the early 1700s. The peak of Silesian National power, however, came in the mid- to late- 1700s. Under Józef Zabek, Gordan Láska, and Urban Yedlička, the Nationals oversaw the independence of Silesia from Croatia. The party's appeal was then largely lost until Láska's great-great-grandson Sławomir Láska re-invented the party from bearers of a moderate center position to a far-right nationalist party in the late 1800s.

Sabor[]

1895 Sabor Election

Current Composition of the Sabor (1895)

The earliest precursor of the Sabor was the Saborčic of the Banate of Silesia. The first election of the Saborčic took place in 1695, one year after Silesia's conquest by Croatia.

Economy[]

The economy is Silesia is largely diversified between the primary and secondary sectors; that is, it involves both the extraction of primary resources and the application of these resources in the industrial process. Boasting one of the highest economies in Europe in terms of production per sq km, Silesia is also a rapidly growing economy. This is largely due to extensive foreign investment, entrepreneurship, and loosening of historic market restrictions.

Primary Economy[]

The primary economy in Silesia is dominated by the mining sector. Agriculture undeniably plays a role in the economy, but in terms of exports, mining definitely has the major advantage.

Mining[]

The mining part of the Silesian economy is probably the most diverse of all the various sectors. Mining in Silesia has traditionally centered around iron and other ore mining, but in recent years the trend has definitely been towards coal. The global demand for coal has propelled this industry forward, but the continuing demand for iron has also aided the mining sector. Iron, lead, and zinc mining is another powerful driver of this sector of the Silesian economy.

Agriculture[]

Agriculture in Silesia is mostly for domestic consumption.

  • Primarily field crops: flax, wheat, rye, potatoes
  • Also grains and livestock
  • Orchards near Katowicy

Secondary Economy[]

Refining[]

Manufacturing[]

Misc.

In 1894, a young Silesian man from Katowicy who had attended the 1892 Olympic Games in Sparta, Rome began to experiment with motorized carriage, an innovation he had first witnessed at the Games. Viktor Cienawski's "four-legged mechanized carriage" drew significant attention from urban elites, and he soon opened Automatyczne Przewóz Fabryka Katowicy (Automated Carriage Factory of Katowicy) which became better known as APFK.

Military[]

Culture[]

Demographics[]

Language[]

Silesian

Religion[]

Roman Catholic

Art and Architecture[]

Grand Palace of Wroclow

The Grand Palace of Wrocłow

Music and Literature[]

Foreign Relations[]

As a liberal nation flanked to the east by heavy-handed Communist Poland, Silesia has recently adopted a relatively defensive foreign policy. Pioneered by Voivode Patryk Waldau, this new strategy relies heavily on Croatia, which came to the aid of Silesia during the Communist Invasion.

The Voivodeship has also been a notable supporter of Eastern Czechia in its fight against the Communist West. Besides political ties, Eastern Czechia (based in Moravia) also maintains closer cultural ties to Silesia.

The Voivodeship is also currently attempting to solidify relationships with Slovakia and Bavaria and Rome, while moving away from Communist Russia and Communist France.

To Do[]

  • More with electricity

Footnotes[]

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