Happy I Martio MMXV (1 MArch 2015)! Today begins the Sandum-Socilivançae Cultural Exchange Week, lasting de I Martio ad VIII Martio (from 1 to 8 March). During this week, Veritum Sandus will be publishing articles focused around Sandum culture, specifically focused towards the Sandum citizenship-at-large and, especially, our Socilivae citizens. Today, I Martio (1 March), we celebrate early Sandum history with some excerpts from the recent project of the Sôgmô and Kremlum Sandus State Press, the Breviarium Rerum Sande:

Sandum History

The study of history is a discipline very close to the heart of Sandus, which utilises many concepts found and analysed in the study of history. Sandus’s five year history is not as profound as that of the millennia of human history, but its five years show the development of our nation and the maturation of a state from its most basic form into the present republican State of Sandus.

Early Sandum History

Early Sandum History (26 May 2009 — 20 February 2011) had six regimes. They are described below.

Grand Lamate of Sandefreistikhan (May – June 2009)

The Grand Lamate of Sandefreistikhan was created from the Republic of Trénois on 26 May 2009. The nation, during this time, was naïve of the functions of a state and its government and, though having three years prior experience in Trénois – a French, Native American and Tibetan-themed micronation – the government’s amateur governance was shown by its intermicronational actions when Sandefreistikhan joined the MicroWiki intermicronational community and became a member of the Grand Unified Micronational. Sandefreistikhan fought several wars during this regime, including the Micronational War on Communism and the New Euro-Erusian War, and thus narrowed and embraced its political ideology of Socialism. However, during this time, nearly all power was granted to the Grand Lama, a quasi-theocratic and monarchical position, though more power was delegated to the Politburo — the hypothetical legislature — towards the end of the regime. Sandefreistikhan, eventually, become a more Classical-themed micronation, prompting a regime change to direct democracy in July 2009.

People’s State of Sandus (June – December 2009)

The People’s State of Sandus was a direct democratic regime, founded in July 2009, and resulted in the shortening of the name of the nation from Sandefreistikhan to Sandus. The People’s State was more stable than the Grand Lamate and was based on Roman culture. It was the first Sandum nation to adopt any sort of democracy. Its legislature was known as the National People’s Congress and elected a Speaker of the House, who served as Executive and, during times of war, became the Dictator of Sandus. The position was only ever filled by C. Sörgel, the current Sôgmô. The office of Dictator was only taken up once during a day-long war with Pristinia, known as the Insola War; subsequent intermicronational anger over propaganda that the Grand Lamate published during the New Euro-Erusian War would culminate in Sandus’ wide-spread displeasure with certain members of the community, including Sandus’ long-time ally Nemkhavia and Pristinia, Sandus’s opponent in the Insola War. Uncertain governance would later lead to pretences of a Civil War in November 2009, before a profound and controversial change of government was made to a Barony in December.

Barony of Sandus (December 2009 – April 2010)

The Barony of Sandus’ creation was some time after the Civil War of November 2009, and came about after a short period of inactivity. Sandus’s momentous shift in policy under the creation of the Barony resulted in a break down of relations with Sandus’ closest ally Erusia. On 21 December 2009, the Barony of Sandus was created, to the dismay and controversy of some in the community, though many micronational politicians from St.Charlia, Francisville, and Landashir stood in defence of Sandum sovereignty. However, by the end of the year, Sandus had grown to include its first citizen in the post-Civil War era, Cameron Falby, who decided to form the autonomous territory of New Scireland in January 2011. However, later that month, New Scireland declared independence from Sandus, resulting in a controversial break-down of relations between Sandus and New Scireland and tense relations with several other nations, including Francisville and Landashir. By the end of the month, Sandus experienced a growth of 3 citizens, as the Baron’s partner, the Baroness Consort, and her family joined the nation. A détente between Sandus and Erusia was under-way and relations were reaffirmed. The problems with New Scireland would lead to months of complications within Sandus, which would be even further emphasised by the departure of the Baroness Consort and her family from Sandus. These events would give rise to the April Political Revolution, where Sandus returned to its former political position and even returned farther Left than any previous Sandum regimes.

Democratic People’s Republic of Sandus (April – August 2010)

The Democratic People’s Republic of Sandus was a golden age for Sandus and the most ideological and hard-line regime in its history. It maintained Communist policies in both domestic and foreign spheres. The nation itself was subject to controversy as a close ally of Erusia, and both nations’ leaders C. Sörgel and Robert Lethler were close personal friends. Sandus’s government, however, was formed as a provisional government until Sandus became larger and had a definite territory, when it would establish a formal constitution. Its government was formed on the form of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and consisted of a single chamber, the Revolutionary Council, and a higher tier of that chamber that served as the executives, the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Council. A Chairman of the Central Committee was elected and served as the nation’s president. Sandus’ political structure at the time caused a few laws to be passed and large amounts of public policy were carried out by the Central People’s Government. However, foreign policy became a sphere of public policy bogged down by the Great Ideological Conflict, begun by the Intermicronational Conservative Alliance in April 2010. Sandus’s Communist policies and culture prompted the state to respond to the ICA’s policy of a “conflict against Communism.” Two ideological blocs formed between the Leftists — led by Sandus and Erusia — and the ICA — led by Wyvern and Secundomia, and whose leader was Bradley of Dullahan of Wyvern. Despite most hostilities ending in June 2010 between the two blocs, Sandus and the ICA member states were still at odds with each other into late July, which prompted Sandus and several other Leftist bloc states to leave the OAM; though two of those socialist-bloc states rejoined the OAM, Sandus refused to return to the OAM on any grounds. The Great Ideological Conflict ended when C. Sörgel resigned as Chairman of the GUM; Erusia, Sandus’ closest ally, was disgraced in an A1 report entitled “Erusian Falsehoods;” and Sörgel proclaimed the dissolution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Sandus in solidarity with Erusia.

Barony of Kremlum Sandus (September – October 2010)

The Barony of Kremlum Sandus was established a month after the destruction of Sandus in August 2010. Its constitution was based on the Principality of Liechtenstein and its constitution was the most artistic and thorough Sandum constitution to date, though it resulted in too complicated a government that became a model for future Realist thought. As this government was too complicated, inactivity set in until Sandus eventually became a territory of the St.Charlian Commonwealth. During this regime, however, Sandus’s national symbol, the Sovereign Eagle, became entrenched once more in the nation’s symbolism and even prompted the creation of its own order. Along with this new medal, Sandus began to expand and recreate its system of honours that would become an important function of rewards under the Territory and into the early State of Sandus, before the honour system was condensed into the Most Honourable Order of the Throne of Sandus.

Territory of Sandus, St.Charlian Commonwealth (October 2010 – February 2011)

The Territory of Sandus was created on 19 October 2010 after several months of inactivity from the Barony of Kremlum Sandus and after it was accepted into the Commonwealth by the Parliament of the Federal Republic of St.Charlie. The country at the time was proud and devoted to becoming more St.Charlian. However, after the first and only election of the governor of the territory and months of a cultural renaissance, the country began to desire sovereignty once more. On 21 February 2011, Sandus declared independence from St.Charlie following a petition by a citizen the day before. Sandus began to create its new constitution by the means of the State Caucus that was set up in the Territorial Law, a law that planned for the time when Sandus should wish to return sovereign statehood. The State Caucus was headed by C. Sörgel and was a provisional government. At first, a socialist republican constitution was drafted in March 2011, however it was not ratified at the national referendum as most opposed the draft. Over the next few weeks, the Caucus decided whether the state should become either a monarchy or a direct democratic state. This question was pushed to referendum, and the people unanimously chose monarchy. The new constitution was ratified on 13 April 2011 by means of the ratification of the Founding Law of the State of Sandus, which established the current regime of the State of Sandus (13 April 2011 – present day).