Iago of Wales (Welsh History Post Glyndwr)

Iago is probably the most controversial of any of the Welsh monarchs to have sat on the Welsh throne. Known to posterity as "the Tyrant" he presided over some of the most turbulent years in Welsh history since the Restoration in 1796. During his reign Wales would see the 5 Year Autocracy, involvement in the Irish War of Independance, the Turko-Greek War, Comunist Uprisings in the southern valleys, alliance with Nazi Germany, the attempt to merge Wales into the German Reich, Military Government. Iago himself would become a cypher, prisonner in Castell Coch and the monarchy would come close to collapse. The end of his reign would see an attempted Communist takeover and the declaration of the Peoples Republic of Wales (Gwerinlywodraeth Pobl Cymru) with only the effectual takeover of Wales by the US preventing this. As such his reign is seen as a kaleidoscope covering early highs, late lows and the survival of a reduced House of Morgannwg into the 1950's.

Early Life
Born on the 7th July 1902 in the Palas Cwm Hyfryd to the Crown Prince Iorwerth and the Crown Princess Alexandra, Iago represented the future security of the Welsh Crown. The male line of Arthur was not flourishing and whilst Iago would later have two male cousins (Prince Cystenin born 1903 and Prince Heinrich Wittelsbach born 1910) at the time the future of the Welsh Crown had looked like devolving to the descendants of Elen de Borbon of Spain. As such Iago's birth was a triumph and treated as such. Iago's childhood was to be a relatively happy one. Unlike many of his ancestors he was brought up in a household which contained both his birth parents, and his father was actively involved in Iago's early years. As Iago grew into his teens however, the Kings influence faded. In 1917, the 15 year old Edling enrolled in the Military College Ludlow, studying to be a Cavalry Officer. There his political leanings grew increasingly right wing. A new generation of Welsh Officers were growing up in a world where Wales had a voice at the international table, and whilst Wales had not formally joined the European War of 1914-18, Wales' influence had continued to grow due to the ecomonic support it offered the Allied Forces. Iago however, also developed a strong almost xenophobic dislike of the English whilst in college. This was down mainly to an incident with an English Officer Cadet who had failed to show the proper respect to a Crown Prince. In Iago's unbending world view, this became a point of honour which was to colour his dealings with the British State for his entire reign. Another sour note in the Edling's last years before ascending the throne was the increasing distance between father and son. Iorwerth, increasingly aware of the need to liberalise the Welsh political scene and to moderate the reach and power of the Crown had begun to freeze his heir from political matters. Iago's increasingly rightwing views had begun to worry the king but his early death undid all his work to limit the ambitions of his son. Iago passed out from Military College on the 10th July 1919, taking up a billet as Is-Gapten Ail Ddosbarth in the 2nd (The King's) Morgannwg Hussars. Based at the Regimental Barracks in Amwythig, Iago spent the next year training, little realising how soon his life would change.

The other major change during his college years would be his marriage to the English commoner, Alice Harrington. Daughter of an instructor in the college, Iago fell in love not long after enroling at the college. The marriage was not overly opposed by his father, though it did require an act of parliament to allow their descendants to ascend the throne. The marriage was the main hypocrasy of Iago's later anglophobic policies. His English Queen was to remain his closet ally and friend until her death in 1944.

Iago - Brenin Cymru
The sudden death of the king on the 5th May 1920 while flying his plane over the Snowdonia mountains changed Iago's life forever. Catapulted at the age of 17 to the throne, Iago instantly dismissed calls for a Regency Council. Close enough to his 18th birthday, the new king saw no need for a Regency Council. The biggest event however in his first year was the explosion of more political riots in Caerdydd. Led by some of the left wing politicians in the Ty Isod, the riots raged for two weeks in the centre of the capital. Enraged by this flagerant act of disrespect for his authority, Iago responded by bringing the army into things. Putting the riots down, the king then summonded the leading men from both Houses to Cwm Hyfryd. The king, young, forceful, and as yet uncaring of his fathers lessons, declared the post of Chancellor to be void. The Lower House was to be disolved, with no election date posted and the Upper House was to be retained purely in an administrative function only. Thus began the Five Year Autocracy of Iago.

The Five Year Autocracy
1920-25 was the period of the 5 Year Autocracy. It was not a true autocracy in the Russian sense, but a semi-autocracy. Iago could not rule without the help of the Senedd, the 1901 Constitution saw to that. What Iago could do however was to rule without the "commons" or the Lower House. The position of Chancellor was still held to be an Upper House position, but the last Chancellor, Gethin Williams, had transfered from the Upper House to the Lower House when he acheived the position in 1919. This led to the permanent transfer of the Chancellorship to the Lower House. This movement of the position however meant that for these five years there was no official Chancellor.

During this period Iago would have a largely free hand in both domestic and foreign policy, although his touch was not smooth. This led to increasing dissatisfaction with his direct rule. Coupled with the first rumblings of communist discontent in the South Wales Valleys led to the reinstatement of the Lower House in 1925, with Vaughn Fychan taking over as Chancellor sitting as Williams before him had in the Ty Isod.

Welsh Involvement in the Irish War of Independance
The Irish struggle against the United Kingdom started back in the reign of Iorwerth, and whilst he was sympathetic to the cause, offered little in practical help to the Republican's. Iago however, had offered help to Sein Fein back in 1918. During 1919 the Irish State fought against the Anglo-Scots alone, with the Welsh Kingdom offering sympathy to the Republican's but little in material aid. This changed with Iago's rise to the throne. As the Welsh government fell, to be replaced with Iago's autoracy, the Welsh sympathies with the Irish began to be translated into material aid.

Firstly funds were channelled to the Irish Government along with small ammounts of arms and ammunition. This alone was not enough to sustain the Irish effort against the Anglo-Scots. The Navy, re-launching one of their more powerful battleships, the LPM Griffwn, had it sit on the main ship route from Liverpool to Belfast, not impeding British shipping, but acting as a watchtower, reporting on troop ship movements to the Ulster capital. In April 1920, Iago sent General Llewellyn Guto to Dublin as an advisor to the Irish Government and by July the first troops from Wales landed in Cork. Men from the South Seas Regiment and the African Regiment were barracked just outside Cork whilst another ship, the crusier LPM Hebog (HMBS Falcon in English) was despatched to the aid the Griffwn (June 1920). In response the British placed 4 ships to shadow the Welsh ships. The naval tensions increased tenfold once the British ships arrived at station with the LPM Myrddin steaming from Milford Haven arriving at station in late August 1920. The 7 ships circled each other, shadowing eachothers moves, and between them largely causing a complete halt to shipping in the upper Irish Sea. Welsh troop deployments to Ireland however were able to continue until September 1920 when HMS Tiger and Repulse appeared in the Celtic Sea staying just outside Welsh territorial waters but remaining within Irish ones. By this point however, men from the 2nd Battalion Hereford Rifles (including the future Lt Gen Pritchard) and men from the 2nd (The King's) Morgannwg Hussars had arrived in Cork. For the rest of 1920, the Welsh forces exist in political and military limbo. Iago has not declared war on the British, and the British whilst demanding that the Welsh forces retire from Ireland make no move to force the issue. By March 1921 the Irish Dail finally declared war on the British State and with this declaration, Iago felt that he could now enter the fray. Sending diplomats to London, Iago proposed a peaceful granting of independance to Ireland guarenteed by Welsh soldiers. This intial offering was refused by the British Government, and so Iago allowed General Guto to move troops from Cork, marching towards Dublin. During this move, Captain Pritchard and men from the Hereford Rifles were ambushed by men from the Black & Tan's and the RIC. In a short battle in the woods outside Mallow (just north of Cork) Capt Pritchard and his men routed and captured 20 men, killing another 10. Welsh troops continued to move north, passing Dublin in early May 1921, while the diplomats from both Dublin and Caerdydd continued to negoitiate in London, with the leading Welsh diplomat (Syr Wyn Gangele) suggested an Act of Religious Freedom, an act guaranteeing the rights of the Protestant minority to continue unmolested. The Welsh State would then act as guarantor to the Irish Free State in the provisions of religious freedoms.

By the begining of July Welsh forces entered County Armagh, encountering resistence from the British Army. The one and only pitched battle between Welsh and British forces occured on the 19th July at Banbridge, with the Welsh forces scattering the British forces and opening the road to Belfast. With the Cease Fire, the Welsh troops barracked down in Banbridge, awaiting the results of the poiticians talks.

With Welsh forces in Northen Ireland and with the guarantee of the Act of Religious Freedoms, the British were pressured into abandoning plans for partition, with the Irish Free State gaining its official independance intact, although Welsh troops remained in the Free State for the next 5 years.

The Greek-Turkish War and the Welsh Involvement
Welsh direct involvement in this war dates back to 1902 Treaty of St Davids, a defence treaty between Wales and the Greek Kingdom. Under the terms of this treaty, Wales was bound to come to the aid of Greece in times of war. During the 1914-18 European War this treaty was stretched as Wales officially refused to become involved in the conflicts. This became awkward when the British opened the Salonika Front against the wishes of the Greek King. With the war over and by means of a palace coup de tat a new king (Alexander), Iorwerth hoped to rebuild the ties between the countries. With Greek ambitions in Anatolia, Iorwerth authorised the sailing of the Welsh 3rd Fleet, the fleet contained both troop transports (containing Naval Marines and Army regular units) and ships converted into aircraft carriers (LPM Rhonabwy and LPM Macsen). With the death of Iorwerth and the ascention of Iago there was a period of doubt, would the new Welsh king continue to honour the old kings committments? The Welsh fleet arrived off the Greek coast in late 1919 and at first provided little aid to the Greek cause. The invasion of Smyrna placed Iorwerth in a dilemna as this wasn't the action of an ally in need but as the agressor. With Iago's coming to the throne in May 1920 this dilema was removed as Iago saw it as his Christian duty to see Constantinople restored to a Christian people. Ordering the fleet (under Admiral Osian Mab-Rhys) to the port of Smyrna the Welsh army disembarked. The army (under General Wynn) joined with the Greek army in marching from the city into Anatolia. With the encouragement of the British (ironically given the concurrent situation in Ireland) the Welsh aided the Greeks in their march into the Anatolian interior. With the support of King Alexander (in a departure to the OTL Alexander does not die of a monkey bite in the November 1920 thereby allowing a continuty of Greek High Command) the Greek armies continue their march inland whilst the Welsh army (containing a Capt Diamond of the 2nd Batt Regt of the March) march up the coast taking Nicea in the October of 1920. Iago would order masses to be celebrated throughout Wales at the capture of this city, central as it was to the history of the Christian faith. Whilst the Greek armies continued to hold off the attacks of Attaturk leading the Turkish forces from Ankara, Wynn ordered the advance on Constantinople. By mid 1921 with rising support for the Turkish government in European circles, Iago via Wynn and Mab-Rhys suggested to the Greeks that a two pronged assault should provide the killer blow to the Turks. Advancing on Ankara and Constantinople one a strategic target the other symbolic. Wynn took command of the northern assault on Constantinople with Greek support from Eastern Thrace. By late August 1921 the Welsh army was occupying the postions on the Dardenlles opposite the Imperial City with a Greek army at the city's landwards gates. The Southern Greek army however had met defeat at the hands of Mustafa Kemal and the Turkish army and was withdrawing towards the more secure Asia Province. Such a retreat made the capture of the Imperial City a political nessecity. Early September 1921 saw the Welsh army launch across the Bospherous whilst the Greek army attacked from the landside. On the 18th September, Greek and Welsh troops entered the Imperial City (to fury of the British who had garrisoned the city) at last with Wynn ordering the unfurling of the old Imperial Byzantine flag from the dome of the Hagia Sophia. Ordering half of the army to turn around, Wynn now force marched his troops southward to meet up with the retreating Greeks. Helping the Greeks to reinforce and dig in, the war was now in the hands of the diplomats. For a year the diplomats shuttled back and fore with little success. Finally, the Great Turkish offsensive of August 1922 was launched. Secret negoititations between Iago and Britain, France and Italy however had already acheived one aim, Eastern Thrace including the Imperial City would remain Greek. As it turned out, the Turkish assault was repelled (though at great cost) leaving Greece exhausted and close to collapse but with the victory it craved.

Post Autocracy Wales 1925-1930
Wales during the five years of Iago's personal rule had started peaceful. With troops fighting either in Ireland or Turkey and with the added strain of Imperial policing around the Welsh Empire Iago relied more and more upon the Royal Welsh Police Service and the Army Reserves (who were mainly the old and very young) to maintain order within the Kingdom. The reinstatement of full parliamentary privallege occured in late 1924 when after four years Iago was taken ill with exhaustion. With the domestic front growing more volitile, the communist party had started making ominous rumblings within the South Wales valleys, Iago was convinced that the best way to preserve peace and retain his crown was to return to the 1904 Constitution. Within 6 months of the return of the Lower House to full powers, the southern valleys exploded in open rebellion. The Communist Party orchestrating a revolt centred around the industrial heartlands of Morgannwg. Although by now Wales was no longer involved in Ireland or Turkey, the army was barely able to cope. Service cuts made in 1923 had reduced the numbers of active servicemen and suddenly faced with increasing chaos so close the capital, the Government under Chancellor Fychan ordered the reserves mobilised. After almost 2 months the Army and the Reserves, aided by the increasing use of aircraft from the Airforce the uprising was brutally put down. The damage however was done. Politically the Welsh Communists saw their support rise whilst the old traditional Welsh political system (which was still largely non-party based) nose dived. A new party (Christian Democratic Party) established itself at the same time as a centre right party to combat the rise of the Communists.