Difference between revisions of "Colony of Calsahara"

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===Annexation of Hooverville===
===Annexation of Hooverville===
[[File:Steps of Hooverville 2011.jpg|thumb|King Montague and Crown Prince Nicholas on the steps of Hooverville]]
On 16 January 2011 King Montague and soldiers from the Royal Corps of Engineers journeyed a quarter of a mile into the neighboring United States to pay a visit to the exiled members of the Civil Office, who had been previously instructed to live the Hooverville shantytown.
On 16 January 2011 King Montague and soldiers from the Royal Corps of Engineers journeyed a quarter of a mile into the neighboring United States to pay a visit to the exiled members of the Civil Office, who had been previously instructed to live the Hooverville shantytown.



Revision as of 05:37, 16 April 2018

Westarctican Colony of Calsahara
Flag
Flag
Motto: From nothing, something!
National Anthem: Viva La Calsahara!
Government Type Colonial Administration
Founded 24 November 2009
As Kingdom of Calsahara
Area 117 acres
Overlord His Royal Highness, Grand Duke Travis
Viceroy His Viceroyal Highness, Prince Daniel Nicholas
Military Governor His Excellency, Captain-General Ciani

The Colony of Calsaraha, formerly the Realm of Calsahara, the Imperial Kingdom of Calsahara, and originally the Kingdom of Calsahara, is a dependent colony of Westarctica located entirely within the U.S. state of California near the unincorporated community of California Valley on the Carrizio Plain. Calsahara was founded by Travis McHenry on 24 November 2009, and existed as an independent sovereign state until it was conquered without resistance during the Invasion of Calsahara by the Westarctican Royal Guards on 29 October 2018.

Kingdom of Calsahara: 2009 - 2011

Pre-founding

Travis McHenry had abdicated the throne of Westarctica in 2006 and served as a governor of two different Molossian provinces. After moving to southern California to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, he was convinced by fellow micronationalist, President Kevin Baugh, that since his time in the U.S. Navy was over, it was safe to return to being involved with a micronation again.

In late 2009, Travis learned that his mother-in-law was part owner of a 2.5 acre plot of land in an area of Central California called the Carrizo Plain. This area was completely barren and sparsely populated. After doing some research on the location, Travis determined it would be an ideal spot to create a new micronation.

Founding and early days

A loose collection of ideas about how the country should be run were put into a PowerPoint presentation with the file name Calsahara.ppt and this presentation became the original governing document of Calsahara, effectively serving as the constitution. The slides were completed and presented to Travis' wife and son on 24 November 2009, which became the official date of the founding of the nation. Calsahara is believed to be the first (and possibly only) country in history to have its constitution in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.

On 31 December 2004, Travis was formally proclaimed King of Calsahara. He chose the regnal name "King Montague." The same day, His Majesty addressed the assemblage of Calsahara's citizens at the Supreme Diet, a church sanctuary located in Yorba Linda, California that also served as Calsahara's seat of government. At this time, he officially declared Calsahara a sovereign nation by proclaiming "Royal Decree 0." It read:

Flag being raised over Calsahara for the first time

The Executive Office of Calsahara hereby decrees the formation of The Realm of Calsahara and directs the immediate formation of a government.

We are attempting to build a nation on the barren plain of the California Valley, a nation which shall be completely self-reliant, and independent of the United States, by which it is surrounded.

As a nation, we do not seek, nor desire, any formal recognition of our sovereignty. We own, control, and are developing the land: therefore we already exercise sovereignty, and that's good enough for us.

Raising the flag

The first trip to visit the land of Calsahara didn't occur until 15 May 2010. The flag was raised over the capital city of Otisburg by King Montague and the Grand Chancellor. At the same time, a detailed survey of the land was taken and a photographic record was obtained for future reference.

Imperial Kingdom of Calsahara: 2011 - 2014

In January 2011, the Kingdom of Calsahara expanded from 2.5 acres to an area of over 100 acres.

Causes for the expansion

When Calsahara was first created, an institution called the Civil Office was established to provide new citizens with gainful employment. The available jobs were all drawn from the Queen song The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke (which in turn was inspired by the painting of the same name by Victorian artist Richard Dadd. The open positions were:

  • Ploughman - a person who uses a plow
  • Tinker - a person who travels from place to place mending metal utensils
  • Tailor - a person who makes fitted clothes such as suits, pants, and jackets
  • Dandy - a man unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance
  • Nymph - a beautiful maiden inhabiting rivers, woods, or other locations
  • Tatterdemalion - a person in tattered clothing of shabby appearance
  • Ostler - a man employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn
  • Apothecary - a person who prepares and sells medicines and drugs
  • Harridan - a strict, bossy, or belligerent old woman
  • Junketer - someone taking part in a junket or banquet: a partygoer

In late 2010, the Civil Office was dissolved by Royal Decree and the newly unemployed citizens (less than 20 individuals) were instructed by King Montage to “wander off and live in a nice little Hooverville somewhere.” The abandoned homestead a quarter mile away from Otisburg was to be the location of the Hooverville where refugees from the Civil Office could make their new home.

Annexation of Hooverville

King Montague and Crown Prince Nicholas on the steps of Hooverville

On 16 January 2011 King Montague and soldiers from the Royal Corps of Engineers journeyed a quarter of a mile into the neighboring United States to pay a visit to the exiled members of the Civil Office, who had been previously instructed to live the Hooverville shantytown.

In an interview with The High Plains Reporter, King Montage stated:

We felt it was our responsibility to check on their progress. I didn’t want to accidentally cause a Wrath of Khan incident with our exiled countrymen. Upon arriving at Hooverville, however, we found it completely deserted. Almost as though no one had ever been there.

After conducting a thorough inspection of the dilapidated property, the Corps of Engineers climbed up the steps of Hooverville and entered the structure. As they did, a large white barn owl flew out of the ruined interior. The flight of the white owl was interpreted as a divine sign that the owl was inviting the Calsaharans to take possession of the building. At that moment King Montague turned to his aide-de-camp and said: "Let’s just take all this for the fatherland, what do you say?"

The King then led his followers due west to the Seven Seas of Rhye and followed the coastline until it led them back to the borders of Otisburg. When they arrived back at the capital, King Montage and the Grand Chancellor declared every inch of ground they had trod upon to be an inseparable part of the Kingdom of Calsahara.

Status as an Empire

Rather than declare himself Emperor of Calsahara, the name of the nation was altered to be an "Imperial Kingdom" and King Montague maintained his title of King, similar to Queen Victoria in the days of the expansion of the British Empire.

Calsahara was divided into three areas, each with the status of a petty kingdom:

  • Calsahara - Otisburg and surrounding area. (2.5 acres)
  • Travonia - Area surrounding Hooverville. (30 acres)
  • Rhye - Area between Otisburg and the Seven Seas of Rhye. (88 acres)

After this time, Royal Decrees began to be called "Imperial Decrees."

Realm of Calsahara: 2014 - 2017

In 2013, King Montague and Queen Cathryn filed for divorce. This resulted in a crisis in the Calsahara government. The members of the Chancellery voiced their desire to have someone other than the disgraced King Montague rule their land. After months of bickering and internal pressure, King Montague abdicated and passed the throne to his son, who was crowned as King Nicholas in late 2014. In a power-sharing agreement, the executive power to govern was split between King Nicholas and the newly-created office of Dictator For Life. Naturally, McHenry was the only serious candidate for the office.

The official name of the country was changed to "Realm of Calsahara."

Resignation of the Dictator for Life

On 23 January 2017, Travis McHenry resigned as Dictator for Life, citing continued hostility from members of the Chancellery, which made it impossible for him to govern effectively. Rather than attempt to lead the nation as a puppet on a string, Travis gave up his position as co-executive of Calsahara and put full responsibility for the government in the hands of King Nicholas.

Calsahara after Travis' departure

From the time Travis departed the nation, activity in the government fell to nonexistent levels. No member of Calsahara's government made any visits to the country during that time, in fact, none of them (aside from Travis McHenry) had visited Calsahara's territory since 2012.

Neither King Nicholas nor Grand-Chancellor Arledge made any attempt to represent the interests of Calsahara from this time forward.

Colony of Westarctica: 2017 - Present

Government

Since the government upheaval in 2014 that resulted in the abdication of King Montague and the ascension of King Nicholas, the power in the central government is shared by the King and the Dictator For Life.

The two branches of government are:

  • The Executive Office
  • The Chancellery

The Executive Office is controlled entirely by King Nicholas and the Dictator for Life. According to Decree of the Realm XII, no instrument of government (including decrees, titles of nobility, and military appointments) is valid unless is bears the official seals of both the King and the Dictator.

The Chancellery consists of four individuals who are direct descendants of the original owner of Calsahara's property, Boots Brannon. They serve in an advisory capacity and have no real power in the government. They are led by the Grand Chancellor, who is also King Nicholas' mother and the ex-wife of the Dictator For Life. She serves as a liaison between the Chancellery and the Executive Office, advocating for them when necessary.

Military

File:General-Montague.jpg
General Montague

In July 2011, Calsahara established its first military force, the Royal Corps of Engineers. The primary duty of the Corps is to defend against seasonal flooding which endangers the southern border of Calsahara. At the head of the Corps is the Dictator For Life, who is responsible for all military operations in Calsahara. During the 2010 state visit to Vikesland, members of the Corps of Engineers participated in the Joint Micronational Training Exercise-2010 (JMTEX-10) with the Vikesland Security Force. In 2011, they constructed the Otisburg Fire Pit, a small ring of rocks quarried from Calsahara.

Although capable of combat operations, Calsaharan soldiers do not carry firearms.

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