Danubian Confederation
| Conventional short name: | |
| Local: | Danubija, Danubia, Данубия |
| English: | Danubia |
| |
| National anthem: Hej Sloveni (2nd verse only) | |
| Languages: | |
| Official: | Bulgarian, Croatian, Dalmatian, Serbian, Slovenian |
| Others: | Hungarian, Albanian, Italian, Istrian, German, others |
| Cities: | |
| Capital: | Belgrade |
| Other: | Ljubljana, Raguza, Sofiya, Varna, Agram |
| King: | Peter I Karadjordjevic |
| Currency: | Danubian dinar |
Administration
Government
The Danubian Confederation was a federal constitutional monarchy. The head of state was the king; the head of government was the Prime Minister, leader of the Federal Parliament at Belgrade. Each member state had its own National Parliament.
Administrative Divisions
The Danubian Confederation was made up of five member states: Bulgaria, Croatia, Dalmatia, Serbia and Slovenia. Additionally, there were five overseas protectorates: Gold Coast, Mali, Togoland, Kongo and Upper Volta.
History
Establishment
After the end of the First Great War, the Principality of Slovenia and the Kingdom of Croatia entered into a personal union; after some persuasion, which included the condition that the Serbian royal house - Karadjordjevic - would become the ruling house of the new unified kingdom, Serbia joined this union. The union of these three states was initially (and only briefly) known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Within two months, Bulgaria joined the union as well, which was then renamed Slavonic Union, being as it was a union of all South Slavic nation-states. Towards the middle of 1919, Dalmatia was persuaded into joining the union as well. Given the non-Slavic nature of Dalmatia, its entry into the union brought about the final name-change: the union thence was known as the Danubian Confederation.
Danubia as a Colonial Power
The entry of Dalmatia into the confederation made Danubia a colonial power, as several of the former Austrian/Austro-Dalmatian colonies - Mali, Gold Coast, Togoland, Kongo and Upper Volta - had been given to Dalmatia as part of the LoN-managed dissolution of the Austrian Empire. This added yet another subject for the federal government in Belgrade to deal with, besides the establishment of the various state bodies required for smooth operation of a multinational federation. The colonial question was of course not the most pressing concern, and so the colonies remained at their status quo ante bellum until such time as the authorities in Belgrade could divert sufficient time to deal with the matter. When a decision was finally made, it was decided to grant the colonies a measure of autonomy and to install new colonial governors as part of a restructuring of the colonial governments. Thus, on 15 March 1922 the former Austro-Dalmatian colonies became autonomous protectorates of the Danubian Confederation.
As part of the restructuring, each protectorate was given its own Legislative Assembly. These were comprised of representatives elected by citizens who had suffrage, together with an Executive Governor appointed from Belgrade. Suffrage was granted to all citizens of European descent 20 years of age and older, and to members of specified ethnic groups. Generally speaking, these were the dominant majority groups together with their traditional allies. The reasoning behind this arrangement was the thought that in so doing, the majority of the natives would have a reason to be supportive of the colonial government, who would then have little problem with central authorities putting down any eventual demonstrations or protests made by non-voting minorities, since these would be historically rival ethnic groups. In general terms, the policy was successful, however it did pave the way for difficulties for the protectorates during the Second Great War - notably, the Ashanti secession in the Gold Coast. Further, it also exacerbated hostilities between these groups, leading to many of the problems that have plagued Mali (with the Senegal Liberation Army, the Tuareg liberation movement and the Kasmanse liberation army) and Upper Volta (with the Berber, Logone and other liberation movements in Chad) for many years since the end of GW2.
The newly-autonomous protectorates had their economic policies, defence matters and foreign affairs handled in Belgrade, but most other matters were thenceforth handled locally. No restrictions - de jure nor de facto - were placed on how many Europeans needed to be elected to the Legislative Assemblies, and it was encouraged amonst those ethnic groups who had the right to vote to take part in political life, including submitting their candidacy in elections. On average, about 65 percent of the seats of any given Legislative Assembly were held by native politicians. Each protectorate was also authorised to raise an army (officered mostly by Europeans - a 5:1 ratio of European to native officers, the latter of which were found mostly in the lower officer ranks), which was named "The Danubian Overseas Army of (protectorate)".
GW2 and the End of the Confederation
Danubia had allied itself with the Holy Roman Empire and the Grossartige Allianz at the start of GW2, but by 1941, following a military coup, it had withdrawn and the new junta declared itself in support of the Allies. In response, the HRE occupied Danubia and set up puppet states in Croatia and Serbia. The protectorate governments' reactions were varied: Togo underwent a military coup and declared neutrality, and later, during the Danubian civil war, declared its support for Josip Broz and the communist partisans; Kongo declared itself in favour of the Allies, and the others declared their continued adhesion to the pre-war, pro-HRE policies of the Danubian federal government.
The rapid collapse of the Danubian army in face of the HRE invasion and the subsequent establishment of puppet governments resulted in a civil war breaking out on the territory of the Danubian Confederation, with national-based militias (except in Croatia and Serbia, which had their own armies subordinate to the HRE-installed governments) fighting against multiethnic communist and monarchist guerrillas, as well as against the HRE, Hungarian and Greek occupiers. The civil war continued until mid 1947, when, following the victory of the communist forces, the Confederation of Soviet Danubian States was formed on 19 July, with Josip Broz as head of state.
Geography
Borders
North: Austria, Hungary West: Italy, Adriatic Sea South: Albania, Greece East: Oltenia, Muntenia, Black Sea
