Editing Velatine Federal Republic (section)

==History==

===Succession Wars===

During the Succession War era, the area that would become the Velatine Federal Republic was sporadically populated in fits and bursts as refugees and explorers left from the Inner Sphere and the conflicts - a few "micronations" emerged in the area and warred with each other. Eventually the situation resulted in two powerful noble families burning the meager resources of the area to try and gain supremacy in the area - The Brankovich Family and the Musafir Family. After the Fourth Succession war, the conflict began to take on a new dimension as groups rebelling against both Noble Families began to collude, referring to themselves as the Velatine Partisans. Ragusa, the most profitable, populous and industrialized planet became the center of the conflict.

===Clan Invasion===

The conflicts in the area would come to a head during the Clan Invasion, with 3051 being the year of greatest import. After the clan invasion started, a large number of refugees from the Draconis Combine arrived in the area, making landfall on Ragusa. They were followed by and protected by a motley group of fighters - a collection of mercenary forces who had been devastated by the clans and then prosecuted by the Combine for abandoning their posts - these mercenaries would form the core of what would later become the Stradioti. The refugees, with their greater technology and knowledge, allied with the Partisans after attempts by the Brankovich Family to forcibly seize their ships and military equipment. With Inner Sphere technology  and allies, the Partisans were able to conquer Ragusa easily, forcing off all other forces. In 3051 the Velatine Federal Republic was formed, with Partisan leader Veronica Zanetti as the first President. Most of her rule was spent bringing the other planets in the area under Federal control, and turning the Velatine Partisans into the Federal People's Party.

===FCCW and Jihad=== 

The next few  years presented many conflicts and problems for the fledgling state that threatened its unity and existence. The first was the rise of President Eric Fierro - elected on the basis of modernizing and industrializing the nation, President Fierro became known for his promotion of his cult of personality and his attempt to quash regional religious and cultural beliefs, claiming that such were holdovers from Inner Sphere Culture that needed to be eliminated. Eventually Fierro was murdered in a military coup and his vice President, Ana Kovac, was made President, ruling as a puppet under a Military Junta - this heralded the rise of the Velatine Horizon Party, which managed to win its first elections. The VHF and military was quickly tested by cultural revolutions set off by the harsh presidency of Fierro and through the next few years there was a steady stream of violence and raids attempting to quell the disturbances


===Early Republic Era===

The few years of peace and development after the rebellions was broken by the scion of the ousted Musafir Family, who purchased  the services of a mercenary group (one with ties to the former Word of Blake, and so eager to abandon the Inner Sphere) with the intention of overthrowing the President and taking over the nation - an attempted swift strike turned into a larger war, especially when the enemy mercenary leader began cutting deals with pirates - the pirates would strike at marked targets in exchange for being allowed to keep loot and salvage. The enemy coalition would also gain the usage of some outer pirate planets as a base of operations. As the Stradioti was on tour in the IS at the moment of the first strike the war started as difficult for the VFR - however they managed to hold on long enough for the Stradioti to make a counter attack, the war ended with a full invasion of the pirate planets.

===Late Republic Era===

Compared to the warring of the early Republic era, the Late Republic Era was much more stable for the VFR - while there was some internal division it was nowhere as near as disruptive as in earlier generations. The war had a generally unifying effect on the nation and had spurred a boost in its industry. Particularly after 3120 or so the nation recorded a significant improvement in its economy, stability and membership in its armed forces.

===Dark Age===

The rule of El Presidente Serafino Onofre Campos. During Gray Monday the Stradioti are on tour in the IS - they have to fight their way through chaos and a collapsing Republic to make it home.  High levels of uncertainty at home lead to more power for President Campos.

===List of Presidents===

'''1st - Veronica Zanetti''' (FPP) 3051-3065: Partisan Leader turned First President, Zanetti was far more charismatic and visionary than many of her other contemporaries and is seen as the mother of the nation. 

'''2nd - Eduardo Cazador''' (FPP) 3065-3070: An old and moderate statesman, Cazador was Zanetti's choice as her successor. However, he failed to find widespread popularity with the general populace or the revolutionary old guard. 

'''3rd - Eric Fierro''' (FPP) 3070-3077: A radical revolutionary Eric Fierro turned his Presidency into a reign of terror, targeting cultural, religious and intellectual elites. His Presidency lead to a shift in power within the military and he was eventually removed by the military by force, dying not too long after under mysterious circumstances. 

'''4th - Ana Kovac''' (FPP) 3077-3080: Ana Kovac was President Fierro's VP. She was essentially a puppet for a council of Military Generals who were mostly concerned with crushing rebellions within the nation and her Presidency was essentially a junta. 

'''5th - Osman Beganovich''' (VHP) 3080-3084: A former general, Osman Begonovich won wide support for his election, running on a platform of security. Osman spent his entire term finishing off rebellious groups within the nation - however he was assassinated by said rebels before finishing his term. 

'''6th - Sanda Cruz''' (VHP) 3084-3095: President Begonavich's assassination allowed Sanda Cruz, his VP, to win the next election on a platform of security and increased moral firmness. Sanda Cruz ruled through an invasion of outside forces and was extremely harsh, both before and after, in her prosecution of the war - though popular while prosecuting it, she eventually was ousted in a coup late in her third term by citizens upset with her highly conservative and morally strict rule and the austerity that followed. Despite leaving in this way, many hardliners in the nation look back fondly upon her reign. 

'''7th - Giotto Alagona''' (VHP) 3095-3095: Ruling for less than a year, Giotto Alagona simply maintained the position of Presidency - he agreed to cut a deal with the revolutionaries where he would remain as President to transition power in the next election. Though he did attempt to weasel out of his deal and make a bid in that election, he was handily defeated. 

'''8th - Derrick Murphy''' (FPP) 3095-3100: A General who helped save the nation from the invading mercenaries, Murphy was an incredibly popular choice for President. However he constantly clashed with the FPP and, tired of politics, refused to stand for reelection after just one term. 

'''9th - Clemence Esperenza''' (FPP) 3100-3105: President Esperenza was an attempt to find a suitably popular replacement to President Murphy - having both military experience, and a background in film and as a model, she was seen as a sure success. However, scandals relating to her personal life, and her surprisingly vehement revolutionary views lead her to lose wide popular support. After losing her second election handily she attempted to stage a coup but was put under house arrest by the military. 

'''10th - Adan Villa ''' (VHP) 3105-3108: A military man, and another veteran of the war, Villa was an attempt by the VHP to copy the high popularity of President Murphy. Villa died of a heart condition partly into his first term. Some VHP members who remembered the death of Osman Beganovich assumed this was an assassination and began riots - a few hardliner military members even attempted a coup with the vague intention of forcing the FPP to admit to an assassination, which was put down in the streets by VP bin Hapsah. 

'''11th - Siti bin Hapsah''' (VHP) 3108-3110: A Placeholder for the dead Villa, the mild-mannered but charismatic bin Hapsah was disliked by his own party who pressured him against running for reelection - many resented him for restoring order by fighting against some of his own party members, albeit the more radical ones. However, he still campaigned for his party after stepping down, helping get his successor elected. 

'''12th - Milan Jovanovich''' (VHP) 3110-3120: A former businessman who became President on promising economic reforms, Milan Jovanovich was somewhat popular in his first term, but his popularity plummeted in his second after constant corruption scandals.

'''13th - Mizuki Pierce''' (FPP) 3120-3130: From a family of Draconis refugees, and a protege of Derrick Murphy, Mizuki Pierce proved to be a popular President who reversed the poor fortunes of the FPP. Her "Trifecta" platform of social programs, cultural development and military reforms led her to be widely popular. Her rule served as a very stable period. 

'''14th - Serafino Campo''' (FPP) 3130 - Present: After the popularity of President Pierce, 'El Presidente' Campo had an easy first term but has turned to increasingly authoritarian means to curb opposition to guarantee himself a long and glorious rule. His strong connection with the military has managed to prevent much opposition - in 3150 he would start his fourth term, the most of any President so far, to mixed reactions from the general populace.