Evzan Kanelos (A Federation of Equals)

Evzan Kanelos was a man who turned Crete into a battleground, and caused one of the most violent rebellions in the Danubian Federation. Using the events of the January Revolution and the French Invasion of 1884, Evzan tried to create the first Communist State in the world by breaking it off from the Federation.

Early Years
Evzan was born a child to a middle class military family. His father had served in the armed services during the Mextas Revolt which plunged Crete into a war. While growing up, Evzan had a knack for political study. When he was 18, Evzan enrolled in the University of Vienna for Political Science. He was accepted and promptly began his studies. Around the age of 20, just a year before he received his grade, he came across Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto, in which promptly persuaded him to join a socialist party. Unlike his brother, who had nothing to do with politics, Evzan engaged himself in Political activity on a daily bases. Evzan was elected a councilor for Crete at the age of 21.

Socialist Advocate
Around this time, Evzan joined the Popular Movement, a small Socialist party that advocated for Peaceful reform. Evzan multiple times tried to pass laws that guaranteed workers' rights, and increase the freedoms of the unions. All of his suggested laws were shot down by Radical Right groups and the people that supported them. This made Evzan upset. He wanted workers to have rights since they were the backbone of society. Peaceful reform was not doing anything to solve this issue, so he decided not to use peace, and left the Popular Movement in 1882 to form his own party.

The DWLP
Evzan formed the Danubian Workers' and Laborers' Party in 1882 as the first communist party in all of Danubia. The party called for violent revolution to create a worker's paradise. Almost immediately after the party's founding, President Jovan Lilic, backed by congress, arrested Evzan for creating a group bent on bringing democracy to its knees. Evzan would be imprisoned for two years, without trial. Then came the January Revolution of 1884. When Evzan's prison was attacked by rioters, Evzan made his escape, and found his way back to Crete to put his party's ideas into motion.

Communist Rebel
Around the same time Evzan was escaping from prison, a group of Anti-Lilic civilians stormed the Cretan Parliament and demanded that Lilic step down. This was one of the most radical moves by any protesting group in the Federation. In an even more radical move, Evzan persuaded the civilians to join his cause. These people, along with communists, nationalists, radicals, soldiers, and Anti-Lilic protesters, joined Evzan to create the Proletariat Front, a rebel organization with one objective, fight for Cretan independence.

The Cretan Civil War
The PRF quickly overran most of Crete, securing major cities, and about 80% of the country side. The PRF seemed likely that it would achieve independence for Crete, until two men stepped in. Alexandros Petrakis and Aetios Spiros were elected in an emergency election by the Cretan Parliament in Chancia Crete. They would begin to fight back against the PRF, in what would become the Cretan Civil War. Backed by the Federation, Petrakis and Spiros began the long fight to reclaim Crete for the Federation. However, timing was on Evzan's side, when the French declared war on the Federation. All troops, ships, and supplies heading to Crete were transferred to fight the French. Alexandros Petrakis knew that this would mean total PRF control of Crete unless the war ended against the French. After the French were on the verge of surrender, Lukas Banik declared himself president to overthrow Jovan Lilic. Admiral Sik, the general of the forces in Crete, along with Alexandros Petrakis, tried to reason with Evzan that support of Banik would mean Crete would have a chance to become independent. Evzan replied that he would only join Banik if the entire island of Crete was handed over to him to control. Sik denied this request, and Evzan prepared for an assault on Chancia. Sik eventually got ships to blockade Crete, and troops slowly started to trickle to reinforce Federation forces.

Overthrow
Evzan was becoming like a dictator. Villages in PRF territory who did not support Evzan were destroyed, and opposition was swiftly eliminated. Martial Law cracked down on the civilians of Crete. Many died under PRF rule, until one person stepped in to stop it. Oighrig Kanelos, Evzan's older brother, overthrew Evzan in a coup, and had Evzan arrested. The PRF, DWLP, and all Evzan had worked for was disbanded and destroyed. PRF Crete was handed over to Petrakis's government and the Civil War ended. Evzan Kanelos is now in prison in Milan, waiting trial for his traitorous actions.