United Kingdom of Germaneigh
The United Kingdom of Germaneigh encompasses what, on Earth, would be the greater Germanic cultural region at its greatest extent. This includes the regions of Bohemia, Austria, Switzerland, parts of Flanders, Marienwerder, Danzig, and Konigsberg, as well as what is called the Federal Republic of Germany, today.
The primary cultural influence of the Germane crown is Prussian, and the Germane crown was unified by the Kingdom of Prussia in 407 C.S. Gradually, other areas became vassal states to the Germane crown. In so doing, several of them retained a great deal of Autonomy. These became the Grand Duchies of the Germane States. As a matter of policy, they generally go along with what the central government requests and agrees on, but they have a very strong voice in Government.
Within Germaneigh, there are the following political subdivisions:
-Germane crown lands (districts that answer directly to the central government)
-Autonomous Duchies (which are usually divided into multiple Margrâvates)
-Independent Counties (Landgrâve)
-Independent Cities (Burcgrâve)
However, the entire United Kingdom of Germaneigh is also divided into Districts. Directly, these Districts also have a voice in government, and are as close to a Representative Democracy of the individual Pony as the Kingdom gets.
Governmentally, the Germane state is ruled by a tricameral governmental system.
The Bezirkstag (District Diet) represents the ponies by district without distinction of what Duchy or Independent County (Landgrâve), or Independent City (Burcgrâve). This gives each district a voice outside of their usual chain of authority. Representatives are called Distriktkonsul (District Consul), and are elected at-large in each District.
The Landtag (County Diet) represents each of the primary political subdivisions (each Burcgrâve, Landgrâve, and Margrâve) and is represented by a Gräflicher Minister (Count's Minister at Diet). Each Minister is appointed by the local Count. This is the highest level of representation that Landgrâves and Burcgrâves have in the Germane government.
Lastly, the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) consists of each Autonomous Duchy and the Germane Crown, and is attended only by the Dukes and Prince or Princess of the Realm. This list includes: Archduchy of Austridia, Archduchy of Danemark, Duchy of Bitvaria, Duchy of Sireaxony, Duchy of Markingsburg, Duchy of Harnesse-Rhine, and Duchy of Bohemia. Austridia and Danemark, as Archduchies, have three votes each. All other Duchies have two. The Prince or Princess of the Realm has four.
Culturally speaking, outside of the Germane crown lands, and even within them, local cultures are encouraged and do flourish, though certain national festivals are observed nation wide, and all have the same Royal Holidays on their calendar - each Burcgrâve, Landgrâve, and Margrâve may also have local holidays or festival days that are observed.
The major Duchies and Archduchies are extremely independent within the Germane nation. So much so that even though a national army was raised at the start of the war, they did not immediately allow the rest of the nation to contribute to it, and held up funding, recruitment, and authorization in the Legislature. As such, only the Crown Lands and the Crown itself (representing 65% of the total land area, and 57% of the population) immediately contributed, until certain guarantees were made.
The guarantees made to the independent Duchies and Arch-Duchies included the institution of a unique rank below that of Admiral or Marshall of the Kingdom - the rank being called "General of [Duchy]." For example, the Archduchy of Austridia's military commander is "General of the Archduchy of Austridia" or "General des Erzherzogtums Östridereich."
Also among those guarantees was a certain division of command responsibility. Each major Duchy and Archduchy raised and maintained its own standing army, though each unit was numbered at the National level. The more minor independent counties and cities agreed to contribute to the central Germane army. In additon to this, both Austridia and Danemark created semi-independent air forces (Air Corps Reserve/Herzogliches Fliegerkorps Reservetruppen), commanded by OF-09's (General der Herzoglichen Flugkorpsreserve).
Also among the reforms was an agreement that every District raise its own militia units. The Städtischer Grenzschutz were organized by the various entities - each Duchy, Archduchy, Independent County and Independent City would raise their own, and each District within Crown Lands would also raise their own. Each would have fully independent command structures along Equestrian lines, with the same acknowledgements of command responsibility and authority - namely that, in an emergency, a Royal Army officer of equal or greater rank to the Militia commander would have the option of taking command. That and the established rank structure to the number of troops, would follow this same guideline.
The attack on Marelin early in the war did spur the organs of the Germane government to action. But it also revealed one of the flaws of its system - it took nearly a full year before the various entities within Germaneigh agreed to take unified action. While this form of government was instituted for many of the same reasons Equestria itself was united - fear of division and tyrannical control - and has major guarantees that no Autocrat can command the nation as a whole, it does slow down responses to major disasters such as the Great War, if not everyone immediately agrees that there IS a disaster in the first place.
