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Svenný II
Stieler- Auguste Hilber - Zweite Version
Svenný II
Queen of Vinland
Reign 24th April 1832 - 15th October, 1857
Predecessor Svenný I
Successor Kristjana VII
Born 17th March, 1810
Rósavidr, Sud-Hafsvaedaland Fylk, Ingolfursey, Vinland
Died 15th October, 1857
Karantóborg, Vinland
Spouse Lord Hlynur Hórdursson of Nesúlfr

Prince Eric of Finland

Issue Kristjana Hlynursdottír

Gísli Hlynursson
Thordís Hlynursdottír
Einar Hlynursson
Eirik Eiriksson

Full name
Svenný Hafdis Athena Gudridr Eiriksdottír Olafursdottír
House Eiriksdottír
Father Earl Olafur Sveynsson of Vornhaid
Mother Lady Hjórdís Johannsdottír of Fyrir-Mishigamíland

Queen of Vinland for 25 years in the early 19th century, Svenný II's reign was defined by a series of wars which sought to contain republicanism and restore monarchies in the turbulent years of the Leifian Crisis.

Succeeding her cousin Svenný I on her sudden death in 1832, Svenný inherited a crown which had lost most of its power. The Althing had effectively put Svenný I on a salary, removing her involvement in running her own estates and Svenný II was expected to operate in the same structures. Indeed much of her initial actions as queen were attempts to find out what the role of the monarchy should actually be.

Vinlandic-Eriac War (1835-36)[]

In 1835 King Walastokiy John of Erie had fled the country, having being forced out by a republican coup. Svenný and the Althing welcomed the exile in but kept a close watch on the events to the south as the republic quickly gave way to a military dictatorship. In August that year there was an attempted assassination on Walastokiy John; it was foiled, but many Vinlanders were killed in the plot. The plot's organisers were rounded up, and to a man they were loyal to the new Eriac regime. The Althing felt there was little choice but to declare war. Erie had a larger army (though comprised slightly by the recent revolution), and importantly its entire offensive fleet was on the lake meaning it quickly took control of the water. Several close-run battles in the autumn staved off the threat of invasion of the Saukland and a slow winter campaign through Erie itself delivered the capital Astabula in March.

Walastokiy John was restored, but did not impose a reactionary government as had been expected. The conflict, especially the shelling of Karantóborg, was a shock to a country which had essentially been insulated from war for 300 years. The loss of the Erie fleet too was an embarrassment which showed up the poor state of the navy which had been largely neglected since its high point a century or so before. A renewed focus was placed on the army and navy, and soon shipyards were being renovated, forts modernised

Spurred partly by public outcry at the shortcomings of the war, throughout 1836-38 the Althing held impassioned debates regarding how far the state should go to suppress revolutionary thought at home and throughout Leifia. The two main political factions; the Kindrheli and the Skóllóttum, would fracture and reform on this point, becoming the more modern Frejálslýndr and Íholdssant parties (though the old derogatory nicknames still hung around). With the collapse of republican regimes in Europe there was the idea that Vinland (and to some degree its allies) should step up to sweep republicanism away in Leifia. Svenný spoke frequently to both chambers, urging the members not to drift into reactionary and anti-democratic politics. The general result was that whilst there would be no censorship or secret police tactics at home, no republican politics would be tolerated either. There was soon broad acceptance for the use of Vinlandic (and Kalmar) troops to protect interests across Leifia, the so-called Gunnlaugersson Doctrine.

The Doctrine at work[]

The doctrine would be put to the test in a series of conflicts beginning in 1839 with the Isanyathi Revolutionary War (1839-42). Isanyathimark's national bank was essentially run by Vinlanders and when this defaulted in 1839 amidst a general economic collapse it sparked a revolution, ousting King Thanka'hba and provoking violence against any Vinlanders, or Vinlandic-associated people, in the country. Citing the doctrine Vinland promptly declared war on the new regime and invaded.

Like the inital months of the Eriac War, this new war was a debácle too. They were hampered by poor intelligence, especially out-dated maps of the flat featureless terrain, and the well-drilled Isanyathi force proved hard to pin down. Overwhelming numbers eventually wore down resistance however the poor conduct of the war and subsequent occupation caused outrage back in Vinland. The Gunnlaugersson government fell apart, the elections of May 1840 produced a hung assembly and Svenný was forced to personally intervene: she would sit as speaker for four months until a second election produced a majority for the Íholdssant.

During her sojourn in Isafjordhur, with little in the way of society gatherings to distract her, Svenný plotted out various changes to the Vinlandic political system. Her aim was to remove many of the remaining medieval roles and 'customs for customs' sake'. Her plan would be to firmly shift executive power to the parties of the Althing i.e. the victor of elections rather than the Speaker (which held more fealty to the crown than the people). There was an attempt to make the Upper House electable rather than filled with nobles but on this point she had too much resistance. Finally she, and a number of trusted Althing members began to draft a constitution.

With their presence in Isanyathimark becoming more of a hindrance than a help to the royalists there, the Vinlandic army moved on to restore the monarchy in neighbouring Baxojeyuh (1842-43). This war was much more competently conducted and by the Vinlandic-Nitawahsinn War (1843) tactics, and maps, had been improved considerably. But these successes dissuaded some back home from a root-and-branch reform of the army. The same year a compilation of Svenný's speeches to the Althing was released and became a best-seller. This provoked further call for reform of the Althing, and the proposed 'Svennýite reforms' were heavily debated. Again the Upper House resisted change but conceded it needed a quorum to block legislation (as most of the time it was less than half full). A written constitution was rejected however with even Svenný herself souring on the idea: "a country's laws are dynamic and must change to suit its needs, writing even a portion of them down freezes them in time, makes them totemic and resistant to change. A constitution may make our lives better but will hamper those of our children."

Ugakhpaland was the next target for Vinland's anti-revolutionary crusade. The monarchy there had been ousted following years of financial mismanagement but the military dictatorship which followed skirted close to being pro-Mexic, a dangerous position as the Mexic were actively undermining and annexing many of the small nations along their borders. Alongside the Aniyunwiyan army Vinland restored the old regime in a largely bloodless overwhelming show of force.

Yesanland Revolutionary War (1847-1850)[]

Yesanland had ousted its own monarchy in 1821 as the initial shocks of the Leifian Crisis were felt, and it's new republican government had waged war against Susquehanockland and Álengiamark in the years that followed. Hopes that the country's radicalism would die down in time were dashed as successive internal disputes ramped up the rhetoric as the 1840s dragged on. In March 1847 six Álengsk traders were executed for 'spying' by the Yesan, even though it was quickly proved they had not been in Yesanland at all, but near the border in Aniyunwiya. Border skirmishes had been a constant issue but in June of 1847 an attempt on Queen Herridr II's life by Yesan-linked revolutionaries focused minds.

Invasion through the north of Yesanland by a broad coalition was hard-going. The Yesan fortresses, though aging, were formidable and strategically placed and held up the invading armies. Cavalry was largely useless in the mountainous terrain and the Yesan Revolutionary Guard was extremely well-drilled and motivated, a feature that was missing from the increasingly hard-pressed and harassed invading forces. Several towns were utterly destroyed, their populations butchered, on the slow advance to the interior; a bloodbath which did not stay hidden from the public for long.

The public backlash from the Yesan campaigns overawed any relief the campaign was over and collapsed two Vinlandic governments in the process. It would break the resolve of the Althing to intervene in restoring foreign regimes. Hence when Abernakriga, a neighbouring state and a member of the Kalmar Union no less, overthrew its monarchy in the summer of 1857 Vinland did not react as expected, or indeed as some of its alliance partners wished. Instead of invading and restoring the royal family it reached out an olive branch to the moderates in Abernakriga promising support as long as all long-standing agreements concerning trade and access were respected.

In all these conflicts Vinland did not receive a single new piece of land (although it certainly reaped an economic benefit from the restored regimes) however it would expand peacefully. Sparsely-populated Keewatin had long governed itself as a republic but for many years its finances had been in disarray. Finally bowing to reality in 1852 it submitted to become a Vinlandic protectorate, much like Neshabek. It would retain its own Althing but Svenný would become its Queen and Head of state. Vinland would take on its debts and responsibility for its borders. Finally a land-swap was agreed; the 500-year old isolated territory of Heklaeyja and Elvarssonland was granted to Keewatin and in return Vinland received Keewatin's claim to a massive swathe of Arctic land. This would effectively form the western part of Norrland Fylk. Exploration of this land, especially the dream of a 'north-east passage' would capture the imagination of many.

Family[]

Svenný married Lord Hlynur Hórdursson of Nesúlfr in 1829. This union 'reunited' the Alkafuglaeyjarsk Eiriksdottírs with the more senior branch as Hlynur was descended from Greta I (though at the time of the wedding no one knew Svenný would inherit the throne). They would have four children:

After Hlynur Hórdursson's death in 1840 Svenný married Prince Eric of Finland. They would have one son:

  • Eirik Eiriksson (1843-1908)

Svenný died in October 1857 of tuberculosis. Her eldest daughter Kristjana succeeded to the throne.

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