Commonwealth of Lavrasia

"The long and proud history of Lavrasia, its tireless and diligent leaders, and its resilience as a people and a state have all contributed to its current economic prosperity and credibility as a burgeoning citadel of independence."

- Secretary of State Dylan Callahan, NottaLottan Empire

The Commonwealth of Lavrasia, The Commonwealth, or Lavrasia ([lah-VREY-zhuh] or [luh-VRAH-zee-uh]) was a semi-autonomous client state of the NottaLottan Empire. It was the territorial and legal successor to the Salanian state, albeit with revised goals, new leadership, and the guidance and backing of Dylan Callahan, an experienced micronationalist. The Commonwealth strove to exceed its predecessors in every way, though NLA-appointed Lord Governor David Sarkozy was constantly haunted by the ghosts of Salania, namely in the form of intense paranoia about the nation being rediscovered by the MicroWiki community “before [it was] ready.” The Commonwealth sought to be entirely legitimate, and was completely honest about its citizenry and activities with the leadership of the NLE. As a result, though the Lord Governor was initially apprehensive, the nation started to expand once more, far more cautiously than before. Eventually, the wishes of various citizens to leave the Empire won out, and the Commonwealth and its territories declared independence as the Grand Republic of Delvera on March 29, 2013.

Etymology
A new name was chosen for the Commonwealth in order to distance it from its former incarnations and, according to Lord Governor Sarkozy, because “’Commonwealth of Salania’ doesn’t sound very good.” He eventually decided on Lavrasia, a permutation of the historic Salanian capital city of Lavrada, which takes its name from the Portuguese word lavrado, meaning "wrought."

History
The Commonwealth of Lavrasia officially came into existence on July 15, 2011, after a lengthy discussion between NLA Secretary of State Dylan Callahan and President Jordan I of Salania. David Sarkozy, a friend of the Secretary and observer during the “Salanian Era”, was appointed Lord Governor. The relationship between Sarkozy and Callahan was cordial for over a year, but financial difficulties on the part of the NLE, resulting in reduced military aid, coupled with an increase in demand on the Lavrasian end to equip new recruits and prepare adequate territorial defenses resulted in pronounced tension between the two by Autumn 2012. The Lord Governor was snubbed by the Secretary in an attempt to organize a military conference to discuss potential threats, defense plans, and training techniques. Additional plans to host an intermicronational summit within the next two years were soundly rejected by the NLE central government as well. In an effort to ease the tension and show the Secretary the results of his efforts, the Lord Governor invited Callahan and his younger brother Maverick to attend the Winter Drill Exercises in February 2013. The Secretary initially accepted the invitation, but later rescinded his plan due to weather concerns. A misunderstanding ensued after Sarkozy jokingly referred to the elder Callahan as a “pansy” to his brother, sparking a heated rebuke from the Secretary. This was a major catalyst in the secession movement that would culminate three months later. After the incident, official communication broke down between the Commonwealth and the Imperial government. All aid ceased, and only token correspondence occurred, mostly via Nikias Wernher and Maverick Callahan. The Lavrasian government actively planned secession at this time. With the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Delveran Writ of Rights, the Commonwealth effectively seceded from the NLE on May 29, 2013. However, due to a series of legal and personal delays, the NLE central government was not notified until July 4, 2014, over one year later.

Government
The government of the Commonwealth initially included only the Lord Governor, who held sole executive power. However, choosing to split power among several individuals, he appointed Lilac Grey to the new position of Secretary of the Commonwealth, who had the duty of countersigning laws. Upon creation of the Commonwealth Military Protectorate, its Chief Director was also required to lend his signature to pass new legislation. The Lord Governor created only one executive department, the Ministry of Commerce. Two types of legislation were issued in Lavrasia. The Gubernatorial Decree, signed only by the Lord Governor, was reserved for ceremonial and nominal purposes, whereas the Commonwealth Resolution, requiring 2-3 signatures, was used for more binding and important laws. Commonwealth Resolution V created the Lavrasian High Court, and Lilac Grey was appointed Supreme Justice. However, the Court never tried a case.

Military
The Commonwealth was highly militarized, made so by the interests of several of the citizens and the administration of the NLE. In fact, the military was the largest facet of recruitment in those days. The Adjutant General of the NottaLottan Armed Forces regularly supplied materiel aid to the Commonwealth in the form of weaponry, uniforms, and equipment. The military force of Lavrasia was the Army of the Commonwealth (ACL), later styled the Armies of the Moniteau (AoTM) in order to distinguish the Army of the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Militia as separate entities. Initially comprising just 5 service members, including the Lord Governor, the Army held its first Basic Training Exercise in August 2011. The Lavrasian High Command developed the military extensively, passing the Lavrasian Military Regulations, establishing new units, purchasing munitions and uniforms, and organizing quarterly training exercises beginning in August 2012. Much of this build-up was fed by rumors and propaganda from the NottaLottan High Command and ulterior sources regarding the possible threat posed in the vicinity by a resurgent Empire of New Europe. The Lord Governor’s own paranoia fed this, and he began a series of operations aimed at improving the defenses of the Commonwealth and surrounding area. Later, the possible repercussions of secession from the NLE helped with the recruitment of soldiers. The Commonwealth Military Protectorate (CMP) was established by Commonwealth Resolution I on June 30, 2012. Initially comprising four districts, it included land owned or rented by Lavrasian citizens for the purpose of military training. It was administered by the Executive Officer of the ACL.

Economy
The economy of the Commonwealth was almost entirely dependent on the NLE at the beginning of its existence, but it slowly started to build itself up. One of Son III’s stimulus programs involved sending a number of copper coins to Lavrada for use as currency. The Lord Governor appointed a Minister of Commerce and established the the Commonwealth Shilling (Σ) as the official currency. He set an exchange rate, and even drafted rudimentary income tax legislation. However, the Shilling was never in great enough supply or valued appropriately to actually use in transactions. Most of the Commonwealth’s GDP was spent on the military, but some also went toward national symbols, especially flags. Eventually, the investments paid off, leaving the nation with a sizeable military arsenal useable in warfare or as collateral assets.

Media
Some effort was made to create a national newsletter, and the first edition of the Commonwealth Post-Dispatch was printed on August 15, 2012. However, the editor was occupied with other concerns after this time, so the first issue was also the last issue published. Other news came in the form of infrequent updates on the Commonwealth website.

District of Altaria
Initially recruiting their close friends and classmates, members of the Commonwealth soon looked elsewhere for citizens. Lord Governor Sarkozy quickly tired of the blank looks and laughs he garnered from many of his peers, but he took a chance and asked an acquaintance of his, Mr. Nikias Wernher, to join Lavrasia in September 2012. To the Lord Governor’s surprise, Wernher was delighted to become a citizen. He established the District of Altaria in his hometown, about 30 miles (~45 kilometers) from Lavrada, and began a large recruiting drive in his area.

Symbols
The Commonwealth adopted the flag and coats of arms of the historic Kingdom of Prussia in the I Gubernatorial Decree in July 2011. These symbols were chosen to conform with the national colors of the NottaLottan Empire, black and white, as well as the Germanic theme of that nation. The Prussian eagle on the flag and coat of arms was affectionately nicknamed “Winston” and used in several recruiting drives for the Army of the Commonwealth. The initials “R” and “F” on the eagle’s breast were the basis of the national motto: Robur et Fidelis (Strength and Fidelity).