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The Third Restoration; The Kingdom of France reborn
Topic Started: Feb 15 2016, 04:58 PM (251 Views)
Rhadamanthus
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The ancient kingdom of France, the eldest daughter of the Church, was born when Clovis King of the Franks was baptized into the Catholic Church. Under the Merovingian and Carolingian rulers, the Frankish realm expanded into a grand empire, the archetype of Europe. This mighty empire was divided at Verdun in August, Year of Our Lord 843, when the grandsons of the Emperor Charlemagne partitioned the Frankish realm into three great parts. West Francia, the division closest to the setting sun, linked the archaic Franks of the Merovingian and Carolingian ages to the Kingdom of France ruled by the Capetians, the glorious third race of kings, who led the nation to the forefront of Western civilization. The French flame burned brightly, until traitors and criminals tore the nation apart in the so-called "revolution." After decades of war, the kingdom was restored. But the parvenu tyrant, Napoleon, was not easily contained, and he returned from exile to vex Europe for one hundred fateful days. Then the world was restored, and the King of France was placed back upon his throne. But this second restoration was doomed to failure, for the Western world had grown wise and corrupt. Having seen the Kingdom of France, the beating heart of the civilization, torn out and offered as a bloody sacrifice to the gods of the age, European man turned to various idols and the true and ancient France, the higher France, slept hidden in abandoned cathedrals and rural villages and the dreams of the dispossessed. One day it would emerge again, as the West settled into its final form, the long, neo-baroque twilight that is yet to come...
Edited by Rhadamanthus, Feb 4 2017, 07:21 PM.
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In the latter days, Robert Charles Louis Phillipe de Bourbon, a descendent of Hugh Capet according to his male line, received word that he had inherited the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The last rulers, distant cousins, had been members of the Bourbon-Parma lineage (though using the name of Nassau-Weilburg), and long subservient to the Colognian Papal State. Robert, on the other hand, was descended from the Spanish Bourbons, though his family had returned to France several generations back, due to the rise of the Andorra Republic, a terroristic state that had plunged Europe into war. Robert's male ancestors, who were the senior agnatic descendants of Hugh Capet, settled in Anjou, where they acquired a small estate in the country. Robert's grandfather died fighting in the Dominion War. Robert's parents fell ill when he was young. At that time, the French Republic had been recreated and was engaged in a political rivalry with the Empire of the Greeks. Robert's parents had contracted a rare disease, which few yet knew how to treat. On the advice of an eminent French medical scholar, they had sponsored a Greek physician, a famous specialist, to come to France to provide treatment. But due to the political rivalry between the two states, the Republic denied the physician's visa. Consequently, Robert's parents died needlessly when he was still a boy. He was placed in the care of his uncle, Charles Claude Louis Phillipe of Bourbon, who sent him to Porcu to ensure that he was classically educated. Charles even sent the family chaplain to Porcu with young Robert, to ensure that the boy's religious education was conducted properly in an irreligious country. After finishing his primary and secondary education, Robert travelled to Rostock, then within the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Vorpommern, in order to attend university. While Robert was at university, he received word that his uncle had died while conducting business in Normandy; in those days the Normans were struggling to maintain control over northern France and England. Robert had loved his uncle Charles like a father, so he returned home to mourn, before returning to Rostock to finish his studies. Once he finished, he returned home to Anjou, where he married Elisabeth Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, granddaughter of Jerome Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, the famous Prince of Morbihan.

From that time, Robert returned to his estate in Anjou, where he oversaw his farms and manufactures while teaching history and political theory at the University of Angers during the spring term, and traveling to Paris to teach at the Sorbonne during the fall term. Though there was no national authority in much of France, and order was maintained by city councils and local lords, while the Normans oppressed the north and viciously crushed any attempt at larger scale political organization. During this period, many in France had come to see the republic as a failure, which had led to the destruction of France, and many scholars and former statesmen began exploring alternative theories of government. Robert, due to his standing as the senior descendent of Hugh Capet, became a figure of interest among those who whispered of restoring the monarchy in France. For his part, Robert avoided such speculation. After all, God had taken the monarchy away from the French due to their sins, and he would return it to them when he found them contrite. So Robert continued to tend to his estate, and to pursue his academic vocation. During this time, Elisabeth bore him four sons and two daughters. She assisted Robert in managing the estate, and she oversaw the education of her children, carefully choosing their schools and tutors, and ensuring that they were not spoiled by indolence or ignorant teachers. The family travelled, occasionally, but generally they lived a quiet life in the country.

Then, it came to pass that a political crisis came over Europe and much of the world. Nations were overthrown and great empires collapsed. The regime of the Normans was toppled, but no government arose to replace it. Most of the remaining states in Europe were in Eastern Europe, with exceptions such as Porcu in the north and Austria in the south. Western and much of Central Europe had reverted to warlords, and cities, and small fiefs, and banditry became more common, and commerce became difficult. Robert had been blessed in that his estate had thrived due to his wise management, so he had slowly become one of the most prosperous men in Anjou. Due to his wealth, he could hire men to guard his estate and to protect him when he travelled to Angers and Paris. He could also afford to house and feed his men, for which they became loyal. That was the situation when he learned of his inheritance.

Now, the Colognian Papal States were among the powers of Europe that had recently collapsed, and in the upheaval, the various provinces had separated. One of those was the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The ruling house of the Grand Duchy, which had previously pledged fealty to the Colognian Papacy, was ambushed by bandits while traveling from Cologne back to the City of Luxembourg. This extinguished their branch of the House of Bourbon. When the scholars of the Grand Duchy traced the lineages of their ruling family, they found that the next heir was the scholar of Anjou, Robert de Bourbon. While somewhat surprised when he received the message, he understood that a new vocation had come to him. Just as he had governed his estate wisely, he would govern the Grand Duchy wisely, and, in time, he understood, it would be for him to govern France wisely. So he named a steward for his estate in Anjou, and he gathered together his wife and his six children and the majority of his fighting men, and travelled from Anjou to the City of Luxembourg. On the outskirts of the city, he met the Grand Ducal army. Once the commanding officer learned whom Robert was, he provided an official escort, and Robert proceeded into the city, where his escort and his own men paraded through the city streets to the jubilation of the Luxembourgers. Once he had arrived, he met with the leading scholars and statesmen of Luxembourg, who taught him about the Grand Duchy, its lands and its government. Finally, on Christmas Day, he was crowned Robert, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Whereas before, he had been a farmer and a scholar, now Robert had received a new calling, to be a ruler of men.
Edited by Rhadamanthus, Feb 5 2017, 05:09 PM.
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For three years, Robert de Bourbon governed as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, in concert with the Parliament of the Grand Duchy. Amidst the general degeneration of civilization in France and Germany and the Low Countries, the Grand Duchy was a shining star, for the Grand Duke and Parliament were in agreement regarding the needs of the country. Robert was widely respected for his scholarship, and the Luxembourgish legislators honored his opinion on many subjects. They worked together to recover the ancient territories of Luxembourg, which at various times been annexed to Belgium, and to Prussia, and even to France, and the peoples of those lands willingly rejoined Luxembourg for the sake of her many virtues. In this way, Luxembourg became a light to the nations of Western and Central Europe. Robert himself could not avoid the attention of the gentlemen of Europe, who observed his reign from afar. Some scorned him, but many admired him, and in the salons of Paris, Robert was named "the new Charlemagne," for it was believed that he could lead the West out its torpor.

In those days, the leading minds of France summoned an Estates-General. This was not the old Estates-General, from the time of the monarchy, for that institution had long fallen into disuse through the various fluctuations of government. But, nevertheless, it was an Estates-General in spirit: the remaining parliamentarians of the Sixth Republic, the scions of the great families, and the country's leading prelates of both Genesian and Colognian obediances were all gathered in Paris, to restore France and bring order to the country. But the land was still chaotic, and it was easier to travel from some regions than others. The majority of those who gathered in Paris for the Estates-General were from the eastern half of the country, from Provence in the south to Flanders in the north, and from the north of the country, between Flanders and Normandy. Representatives attended from other parts of France as well, but only as minorities, and not full delegations, because travel from the other provinces was too difficult. Robert's native Anjou was one such province; a handful of representatives attended, but most of the Angevin delegation could not reach Paris due to the danger of the roads.

One day, Robert was discussing city planning with several Luxembourgish members of parliament. Robert was interested in developing the green spaces of Luxembourg. There was disagreement because many of the members of parliament believed that Luxembourg needed to prioritize the rebuilding of its economy, which had still not fully recovered from the collapse of Cologne. The worry was that protecting too many green areas would limit Luxembourg's industry. The other faction in parliament argued that the Low Countries were very densely populated, so what green space remained ought to be preserved and protected. Robert's own leanings were toward the latter belief, but he hoped that a consensus could be created. While the discussion continued, an attendant brought the Grand Duke an envelope. Robert quietly opened the envelope with his letter-opener, and removed the letter from within. He carefully unfolded the letter. Seeing that the Grand Duke had grown quiet, the parliamentarians turned and looked toward him, witnessing the look of surprise on his face.

"My friends," Robert began, "I have been invited to attend the Estates-General in Paris."

"Wonderful, your highness," one of the others responded, "what subject is to be discussed?"

"The reunification of France."
Edited by Rhadamanthus, Feb 8 2017, 08:18 PM.
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Once the session of the Luxembourgish Parliament had ended, Robert, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, made preparations and travelled to Paris. Once at Paris, he took his seat among the Angevin delegation at the Estates-General of France. There were few of his countrymen there; the delegations from the eastern and northern provinces were far more robust. The regions and departments of the Republic, with their egalitarian borders and scientific administrations, had faded away, and the social and cultural networks of post-republican France aligned largely with ancient provincial boundaries. Hence, the delegations that took their seats together in the Estates-General were representatives of Ancien Régime provinces or clusters of provinces; even the republican statesmen who were present could not help but notice the stubborn persistence of old and forgotten things.

The date that had been set for the beginning of the Estates-General was February 1. When the session opened, a priest from Brittany proposed that the session be delayed two months in order to allow the remaining delegates extra time to reach Paris. The proposal was seconded by an elected representative from Lower Navarre. This immediately led to raucous debate in the assembly among those who wanted to start as planned, and those who wanted to wait and ensure that the remainder of the country had its reputation. Robert hoped to see some of his friends from Anjou, but he also felt that it was necessary to begin discussions on the restoration of France. Finally, a compromise was decreed and the assembly agreed to wait three weeks, until February 22, to begin deliberations. The session was dismissed until that date.

During that time, Robert walked around the city, visiting strange places and meeting interesting people. He drank with his old colleagues at the Sorbonne. He prayed in the the great churches of Paris. One day, he was strolling in the countryside outside the city. He was accompanied by a friend, Jean-Marie de Garmeaux, a professor of economics. The two men spent the day walking aimlessly, discussing weighty matters and reminiscing of times past. Jean-Marie was hungry, so they stopped to pick apples off of a tree. While Jean-Marie ate, a flash of metal glistening in the sunlight caught his eye. He walked into the forest, toward the sparkle that he had seen. At first, Jean-Marie did not notice that his friend had wandered off, so he was far behind Robert. By the time that he had caught up with Robert, he found that his friend had excavated an old chest, made of wood and trimmed with metal, that had been half-buried among the trees. Jean-Marie arrived next to Robert, just in time to see the chest opened. Robert slowly opened the chest, and inside he found a cloth of red and gold:

Posted Image

Both men knew it immediately: the Oriflamme, the ancient banner of the kings of France. Lost in medieval times, it had now been found.

Over the next couple weeks, rumors spread throughout Paris about the miraculous recovery of the Oriflamme, and its finder, the lost scion of the House of France. Hearing this tale worked repentance in the hearts of the Parisians, many of whom swore oaths in their hearts to their uncrowned king. Others scoffed, but found themselves quickly rebuked. The struggles of the last years had worked a great change in the hearts of the French, who rued their ancestors who had killed the king and those who had rebelled against kings. By the time that the Estates-General began, the rumor had circulated even among the delegations. When Robert entered the chamber with the Oriflamme carried behind him, the significance was unmistakable. For the first time in centuries, there was a king in France.
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On the appointed date, the Estates-General was convened. However, unlike in ancient times, the delegations were sat according to province rather than by Estate. Elected representatives, noblemen, and prelates from each region sat together. The delegations from the east and the north of France sat toward the front of the assembly. In the years following the fall of national government in France, these areas, which were closer to the capital, had maintained stronger ties of communication and transportation with Paris. Consequently, they had been able to send large delegations, broadly representative of their societies. Those societies were themselves a broad cut-section of France: among them were the Normans, descendants of Viking warlords who had not long ago attempted to resurrect their dominion of England and the whole north of France; portions of Flanders and Hainaut, where France kissed the Low Countries and counts looked covetously cross the border toward their lost lands; great provinces such as Picardy and Champagne, which had formed the feudal heartland of France; the Duchy of Burgundy as well as the Free County of Burgundy, which had been separated by the Treaty of Verdun; Alsace and Lorraine, coveted by the Germans and adjacent to Robert's Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; the Dauphine and Provence in the south, still greatly Roman in their customs; and the Savoyard fiefs of Savoy and Nice.

Behind them sat the delegates of western and southwestern France, and those from Corsica. These were the incomplete delegations, limited in their ability to represent their provinces. Robert de Bourbon sat in this section, among the few delegates from the province of Anjou. In this section, there was anxiety that whatever decisions were made by the Estates-General would be biased against them, or at least reached without consideration of their input, because their were outnumbered numerically by the larger delegations. However, the delay in the session had not helped them much, and few additional delegates arrived in Paris. Therefore, they could not legitimately delay the proceedings further and they were forced to join the Estates-General when it was convened.


Day 1: Reunification of France; Borders; Autonomies.

The first proposal was the reunification of France. This was the purpose for which the Estates-General had been convened, so this was no surprise to the delegates. The proposal passed nearly unanimously, and consequently, it was determined that France was united once more, and that following the end of the Estates-General, she would seek recognition from other nations. However, there will still questions regarding the borders of France. In theory, this was fairly straightforward. France as it had existed under the most recent republic was widely understood as a geographic and cultural entity by the major nations of the earth. It was similar to the boundaries of France that had existed under the monarch before the revolution, except for the additions of Savoy and Nice, which had been acquired from the Savoyards by the so-called emperor, Napoleon III. Nevertheless, those counties had been acquired lawfully, and were recognized by the nations, so there was no barrier to incorporating them into the new French state. After all, when Napoleon III was replaced by a republic, they continued to recognize these provinces, and the new France could do so as well. Hence, the territories as they existed under the recent Sixth Republic were seen an adequate basis for the formation of France.

Despite this, the assembly was not unanimous in its adoption of these boundaries. The first dispute was raised by the Normans. Geoffrey d'Hauteville, one of the Norman nobles, rose and spoke.

Geoffrey said, "Delegates of the Estates-General, the people of Normandy cannot accept the borders that have been proposed. As you know, in recent times, a demagogue who named himself Robert Plantagenet took control of lands on both sides of the Channel. He ruled the whole north of France, from Flanders to Brittany. And he ruled the lands of England besides. And you know that, of late, that rule was shaken off, and now we Normans have no sovereign. But we have our lands, and we have our freedom. And beyond that, we have possession of the Channel Islands, which were retained by England many centuries past when the English kings were forced to renounce Normandy. They kept the islands then, alone of the entire Normandy, but since the fall of Robert Plantagenet's regime, we have retained these islands, and restored them to our Duchy, as they were in ancient times."

This message was well received, for it enhanced the greatness of France.

"Therefore," said Geoffrey, "the Norman delegation will not accept the proposed borders of France, unless they are modified to include the Channel Islands as part of Normandy, as they were when the land was given to our ancestors by the King of France."

The delegates applauded, and many shouted their support for Geoffrey's proposal to reincorporate the Channel Islands into France. However, a few had questions as to whether this would potentially lead to war with England. But England was in a state of disarray, as chaotic as it was before the coming of Caesar, so these worries did not sway the assembly. The proposal was accepted, and the Channel Islands were accepted as part of Normandy, and therefore France.

Emil Fabron, an elected representative from Flanders then spoke.

"Friends," Emil said, "I am happy to welcome our brethren on the Channel Islands back into the French fold. However, what of our brethren who have not yet been redeemed?"

Others began to look at him quizzically. Several started shouting, warning of irredentism.

Emil said, "Be sure, my friends, that I am not speaking of conquest or war. I speak only of our province of Flanders, which has been part of France since the Treaty of Verdun. In more recent times, it was divided between France and the Low Countries, but with the failing of the Colognian Papal State, there is no law there. Now, we do not have control of the remainder of Flanders, but, I believe that we have no right to exclude from our announced boundaries any portion of the Ancient Kingdom of France, the western division of the Realm of the Franks. By this law, we must recognize the remainder of Flanders as part of our kingdom so that one day, when the time is right, the people will reunite themselves to us."

Some of the delegates were not convinced and shouted that they would not go to war for Flanders' vanity. But ultimately, it was decided that the whole of Flanders would be defined as within the borders of France, but as with the other areas that the Estates-General could not control, France would seek peaceful union with those territories once it was strong enough to provide transportation, communication, and law enforcement to those territories. With these caveats, the proposal was accepted.

The next to raise concern was a delegate form Anjou, Robert de Bourbon.

Robert rose, the Oriflamme fluttering behind him. He said, "My lords, in addition to managing my estate in Anjou, I reign as Grand Duke of Luxembourg. By law, I cannot compromise the rights of my Grand Duchy. The borders of France as it existed under the republic include some tracts of land that were taken from Luxembourg. Since the fall of the Colognian State, Luxembourg has restored its independence, and has restored its old lands that were taken by France, Belgium, and Prussia. I cannot willingly allow those lands to be reunited to France, but I will accept the borders except only those portions."

There was murmuring in the crowd. Some pointed accusatory fingers at Robert, as if he was trying to steal the lands of France. But, as before, many of the delegates were eager to avoid war. While Luxembourg was a small state, they did not want to fight a war with Luxembourg while they were disunited. Especially because the tracts of land were small relative to France, and large relative to Luxembourg, the delegates did not want to war with one of their own in order to keep these lands. While some delegates from Barrois and Lorraine protested, because they would gain from those lands, most delegates recognized that theses lands were in Luxembourg's hands now, and supported Robert's claim. Even some, who might have wanted to take those lands for France, saw the Oriflamme and hesitated.

Next, from among the men of Provence, stood the Prince of Monaco...

[To be continued]
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Rhadamanthus
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Summary of Conference

The conference continued for several more days. The boundaries of France were recognized as the boundaries of the recent Sixth Republic, with the addition of the Channel Islands, as had been agreed in the early proceedings, and with the exception of territories ceded to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the Prince of Monaco. However, it was also recognized that significant portions of this territory were not well-represented in the Estates-General and would remain temporarily outside the effective control of the new French government. This was seen as a temporary situation that could be remedied once the new state had brought order to northern and eastern France; the same was held true about the ancient portions of Flanders that lay outside French control. The representatives of the Estates-General agreed to establish a parliamentary government under the presidency of a strong monarch, judging that this was the best combination of the ancient French tradition and the advances of modern European government. At this point, it was judged necessary to select a monarch. Robert de Bourbon of Luxembourg and Anjou was largely the favorite, due to this status as the senior descendent of Hugh Capet, and due to the mystical aura that surrounded him after the miraculous recovery of the Oriflamme. His opposition largely consisted of disgruntled representatives from Barrois and Lorraine, who resented the reduction of their own provinces at Luxembourg's expense, but this was of no accord due to the great support for Robert.

Consequently, Robert was crowned in Notre-Dame de Reims as Robert III, King of France. The Kingdom of France had been restored with great ceremony. The first acts of government were to establish treaties with Luxembourg and Monaco, which were effectively dependencies of France. The three realms would cooperate in diplomatic and domestic matters, while maintaining their own laws and governments, and would all be subordinated to the French military command in time of war. With these basic matters established, the Estates-General remained in session to further outline the basic workings of the French government. Robert sent out the following message to the nations of Europe:

"Fellow nations of Europe, after a period of difficulties, France has been restored under the ancient monarchy. We seek peaceful relations among the powers of Europe, and to have our place among them recognized. Furthermore, we seek confirmation that other European nations will not prey upon the lawful boundaries of France while our government is attempting to reestablish the peace after the long disruption following the collapse of the previous regimes. I would invite any of the leaders of European nations to Paris, who are interested in establishing relations with France."
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Porcu
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."

The Parliament and People of Porcu welcome the return of France to the geopolitical landscape of the Continent. The Republic wishes to express its interest in establishing formal ties, hopefully cementing lasting and peaceful relations between our two storied peoples.
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Rhadamanthus
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OOC: I am closing this thread and the reception for the king of France thread. I'm thinking I will probably reboot this in a revised form within the next few days.
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