Kalistani Major History

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THE END OF THE EMPIRE
The United Republic of Kalistan Rises
Kaliburg, Ananto District
September 1, 4056

11:59:59 PM, August 31, 4056 marked the last second of the life of the Imperial Republic of Kalistan:  12:00:00 AM, September 1, 4056 marked the first second of the United Republic of Kalistan.


President of the Republic waves as the New Republic comes into existence at a Midnight Observance in Kaliburg

The Signature legislative act thus far in the era of Divided Government has been the abolition of the Empire.  Long left to decay and dust (The Last formal Emperor, Charles Ananto IV died more than 250 years ago,) the four major Parties of Kalistan worked together to finally put an end to the centuries old institution.  The features of the Law including the restyling of the Republic, to abolish the last nominal vestiges of Empire, as well as the formal abolition of the Nobility.  Government sources indicate that this act affects very few individuals in Kalistan, as the only people who even claim nobility are involved in various Societies for Creative Ananchronism, and LARPing communities across Ananto.  The formal abolition of the nobility essentially means that those who styled their names with the Hyphenated "Ananto"  or "Reynolds" may now no longer claim some privilege in doing so.  Those who adopted the more modern "Bennots" "Carrangus" or "Howard" hyphenations have always traced their family heritage through marriage and birth, but have never claimed any sort of noble status.  Other hyphenations which became famous as the Empire became decadent have long since disappeared from common usage.

The President of the Republic addressed a large crowd to mark the occasion.  His remarks were brief and unsentimental.  Below is a Transcript of his speech marking the end of the Empire.

"Comrades, Countrymen and women, Citizens of Kalistan, Good People Assembled, Members of the New Unity Government, Members of the Press, Assembled Dignitaries.  I greet you all.  Before the end of this speech, a long overdue change will have occurred.  This speech marks the last Speech of a sitting President of the Imperial Republic of Kalistan [The President paused while the bells in the clock struck midnight] and the first speech given to you by a President in a full Republic of Kalistan.  We have finally swept away the last vestiges of the Empire, once and for all.  We have vacated all titles held by nobles, and have abolished all privileges of Nobility.  At least, in Kalistan, we have eliminated the last formalized forms of inequality in our society.  Now, the only things that differentiate Kalistani Citizens are the things they do.  There is no longer any hint of favoritism in our law.  The Empire is gone, and we are better for it. 

"Let us pause a moment to reflect on what this means.  For most of us, when we wake up in the morning, nothing will be different.  The Empire is so far removed from our consciousness that it actually only affected a small sub community who spent their days pining away for the days when the Emperor will return and re-establish the Nobility in Kalistan.  They would engage in vast, and at the end of the day vapid intrigue, quite below the awareness of anyone, which affected only themselves.  They had their own casinos, their own bushiness, their own courtly gestures, and their own hierarchies, which nobody who was outside of the nobility could begin to catalog, let alone fathom.  Their association was akin to a secret society which had no power, nor any ambition for power, and yet, not a day went by in the capital when all of us would not meet one of these individuals who, dressed in some strange and arcane fashion, would take just a moment of their time to issue some snobbish missive about the peasants in their path before carrying on with their game.  We do not doubt that they will continue to act in such a manner, and it doesn't hurt anyone or violate anyone's liberties, but we will not be condoning their behavior in our laws.

"The real effect of the change will be felt abroad.  I will be asking the Premier to propose a redesign of Kalistan's currency to remove the last symbols of the Empire from the specie.  Our abolition of all titles associated with nobility in Kalistan also directly affects the claims held by other nations.  Already we have heard word of some irritation from at least one claimant to the throne of the 'Khan of Kalistan'.  This act abolishes that 'throne' and that title for once and all.  We will remove all references to the Empire across the Republic and replace them with the new Style of Kalistan:  The United Republic of Kalistan.

"Kalistan is now embarking on the Seas as a Full Republic, with the last vestiges of hereditary privilege washed away.  Long Live the United Republic of Kalistan.  We wish you peace and happiness."

Fireworks, both Man-made and Natural, light up the skies around Kalistan as the New Republic is celebrated

The assembled crowd rose in a cheer for the birth announcement of the New Republic.  There were several Chants of "Viva!!" which quickly spread around the hall where the President was speaking.  Outside, the birth of the Republic was marked by gunfire and fireworks, which begun at 5 minutes after midnight across the entire Republic.  The celebration continued late into the night, but in Kaliburg, it was concluded by the weather-  At 4am, a severe Thunderstorm broke out over the capital region which was unrivaled in memory of Kaliburg's citizens.  More than 4 inches of rain fell in just over 2 hours and eye witness reports said the lightning was so frequent that the sky over Kaliburg appeared to be lit by a strobe light, while the thunder was so frequent that it kept up a roar overhead for more than a solid hour.  It was as if Nature herself was joining in the Celebration.  Citizens awoke to find that the storm had passed, and those who rose early enough were greeted by a rainbow stretching from horizon to horizon in the Western Sky.