Alva

The Free State of Alvakalia, (German: Freistaat Alvak) (Greek: ελεύθερη κατάσταση της Alvακ) (Frisian: Vrije staat van Alvakalia) is a Federal Parliamentary Democracy located in North Kush, specifically in the northeastern part. It comprises of eight provinces and one special territory in a desert-like climate spanning (insert size here). With 41 million people inside its borders, 75% of which live no more than 40km from the coast, the country itself is only somewhat of an influence in the affairs of Artemian countries. Its government also does not want to interfere with and distances itself from the politics of Kushitic countries.

Etymology
The name “Alvakalia” originates from the name of the largest bay on its coast, it being Alvak Bay. However, it may also be a corruption of a word from the now extinct native Juiji language “halvak”, meaning hills.

History
In the early 700’s, Hellenic peoples settled down on what is now the coastal regions. These people built up small settlements, dotted around the area. However, the surrounding Arabic and Armenian tribes usually traded, scuttled with, or settled down in the settlements. For several centuries, it would stay that way until the age of colonialism came.

Teutonic colonizers first set foot on what was then Attiri, now modern-day Attenberg, in 1870. The colony began when Wilhelm Potzdorf, an adventurer who founded the Society for Teuton Colonization, signed treaties with several leaders of the settlements in the area. On January 25th, 1871, the Teuton government announced that it had granted an imperial charter, which was then already approved by the Teuton king on January 2nd, 1871. The charter was granted to Wilhelm's company and was intended to establish a protectorate in the region. Wilhelm then recruited specialists who began exploring along the coast and further inland.

By 1874, the Teutons had established a fully-fledged colony, with no other than Wilhelm Potzdorf at its head as the governor. Officially called Teuton Alvaland, the borders were settled with the Alzhari, Armani, and Khodesh Treaties, establishing its western, southern, and eastern borders. However, the northern border lay unclear, as surveyors had not reached it due to a lack of supplies and an already existing border conflict with Lagoria.

In early 1877, the Hellenic Revolt, also known as the Greco-Arab Insurgency, occurred. In the past years, the German-majority local government continuously put out reforms that attempted to put down any Hellenic people living inside the borders. On the 8th of May, the infamous Camp Order (German: Lagerordnung) (Greek: Ταξινόμηση κατασκήνωσης) was passed, which stated that any people of Hellenic ancestry were to be sent to “reintegration camps” down south in the desert. Immediately after the bill was passed, riots popped up across the country. In the country’s capital, Alvastadt, a rogue jezail rifleman fired a shot at the crowd and promptly missed, which made the city militia who was on riot duty to in turn, fire their own shots into the crowd, mistakenly thinking the shot came from there. This sparked the revolt, which lasted for the next two years. To this day, historians still do not know who the rifleman was, or whom their allegiance was to.

Several notable battles happened during the revolt, such as the Battle of Baron, where in August of 1878, Hellenic forces, underequipped and undersupplied, managed to take a Colonial Teuton stronghold, albeit with moderate to heavy casualties, and capture supplies for themselves. Hellenic reinforcements arrived and held the stronghold for the remainder of the war. Another one is the Battle of Akatri Fields, where Colonial Alvak forces encircled and decimated two regiment’s worth of Hellenic and Arab forces. The last major battle of the revolt was the Defense of Alvastadt, where Alvak defenders successfully held off a surprise attack by Hellenic forces and Arab mercenaries while being outnumbered and unprepared. By then, all government officials were moved to Attenberg.

The revolt ended only months after the passing of the Emergency Order (German: Notfallbestellung) (Greek: Εντολή έκτακτης ανάγκης), which stated that the local government would request several Teuton divisions to put down the revolt. In May of 1878, the Teuton 171th Infanterie-Abteilung, 148th Infanterie-Abteilung, and the 204th Infanterie-Abteilung arrived at Attenberg. The Hellenic forces surrendered after the decisive Battle of Korinti Heights. The Arab forces, however, would take yet another month to finally lay down their arms at the Battle of Al Wazir Ridge. In total, at least 77,000 people died on both sides. The highest estimate puts it at more than 100,000 dead.

The Treaty of Alvastadt was signed on July 3rd, 1878 between Governor Potzdorf and the Hellenic insurgents. It assured that no further action would be attempted to diminish, destroy, expel, or relocate the Hellenic peoples of the area by the government. Also, the Hellenic peoples would have to become or stay loyal and pledge allegiance to the Teuton king.

What followed after the revolt were several reforms, especially administrative ones. The Hellenic population calmed down quickly after Governor Potzdorf, to them, the instigator of the revolt, died of a stroke while attending a meeting on the 3rd of February, 1879. He was 57 at the time of his death. He was replaced by Oskar Stieglitz, one of the governor-candidates at the time.

Governor Stieglitz implemented more reforms, especially one that allowed Hellenic and Arab peoples to join the newly-founded Alvakischer Kolonialarmee. Another important reform was the Regional Parliament Order (German: Verordnung des Regionalbundestag) (Greek: Πράξη του Κοινοβουλίου) in 1886, which created the more advanced Alvakische Bundestag, a successor to the Teutonen-Alvakische Kolonialparlement.

Out of the Regional Parliament Order also came the reorganization of territory into the eight provinces and special territory. The nine created were:
 * Atten Province | Provinz Atten
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Attenberg
 * Victoria Province | Provinz Victoria
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Lubach
 * Alva Province | Provinz Alva
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Karlshelm
 * Karissa Province | Provinz Karissa
 * Majority population: Greek/Hellenic
 * Capital city: Astrafylios
 * Pyrgos Province | Provinz Pyrgos
 * Majority population: Greek/Hellenic
 * Capital city: Kyproi
 * Shoba Province | Provinz Shoba
 * Majority population: Arabic
 * Capital city: Hafir Al Duzem
 * Dulum Province | Provinz Dulum
 * Majority population: Arabic
 * Capital city: Al Duluma
 * Suder Province | Provinz Suder
 * Majority population: Teuton
 * Capital city: Desingen
 * Capital Territory | Hauptstadtgebiet
 * Majority population: Teuton/Hellenic
 * Capital city: Alvastadt

In the following years, the colony would start to separate itself from Teutonia. With Lagoria’s claim on Kush now expired and the expedition fully supplied, one last surveying run would be taken with the Border Expedition. The later Nord Treaty would be signed, finally formalizing the colony’s borders.

Road to Independence
In the following years, the colony would start to separate itself from Teutonia. At the turn of the century, relations between Teutonia and its colony were becoming tenser and tenser. However, on the 21st of December, 1899, the Teutonian government passed an order to allow Alvaland limited autonomy. It would come into effect on January 1st, 1900.

In the years between 1900 and 1915, several reforms were passed by the Bundestag that attempted to modernize the dominion and keep it up to date with the time. This included the expansion and upgrade of the then meagerly state railways that linked the coastal cities together, the establishment of a Research and Development facility for the Alvakischer Herrschaftarmee, and the approval and expansion of several cities.

By the start of the Grand Campaigns, the Dominion had a sizeable defence force of about 30,000 in active service, and 10,000 in reserve for a total of 40,000 in the army. It comprised of four divisions: 1. Deutsche Grenzwacht, 2. Hellenische Grenzwacht, 3. Arabische Grenzwacht, and 4. Allgemeine Grenzwacht. The first three had participated in active service, and the fourth was for anyone willing to enlist in the reserve forces.

As was stated in the Conferences during the period of early colonization, the colonies would not be involved in any wars the colonizers were part of. However, the guidelines the conference stated were forgotten and Alvaland was pulled into the war in early 1919. Despite constant urges from Teutonia to send troops, Governor Stieglitz refused on the basis that there was a chance that an enemy fleet in the Eurybian Sea like the AyG navy was in their path. Instead, the troops moved towards the inner borders and prepared for a defence of Alvaland.

However, on the 24th of November, 1918, the Grubeck Conference was held without the knowledge of the Teutons between all government officials in Alvaland. Plans were made to declare independence from Teutonia and declare neutrality.

The Grubeck Plan went into action on the 25th of January, 1920. All communications from Teutonia to Alvaland was cut. A telegram was sent to Tiperyn stating that the Dominion had declared independence but was neutral in the war. Immediately after,