Armagnac (The Kalmar Union)

The County of Armagnac, Armagnac, is a small constitutional monarchy in western Europe. It is bordered by France to the north, the Confederation of the Pyrenees to the south and Aragon to the east. The capital is Auch and the population is around 223,000.

The official language is Occitan.

The Head of State is Count Jean V.

The currency is the French Livre (FLV).

History
For many centuries Armagnac was a part of the great medieval Kingdom/Duchy of Aquitaine. Armagnac effectively received its independence after Aquitaine was comprehensively defeated during the Albigensian War. As Aragon eventually cracked down on its heretical population many Cathars fled to Armagnac for shelter. Its counts barely tolerated them, preferring to turn a blind eye and then confiscate their property when challenged by the church. The remaining Cathars were finally eradicated in the 1420s, when they declared solidarity with the Hussites.

This did not end Armagnac's religious issues; during the reformation it was frequently in a state of civil war between Catholic Auch and Lutheran Quercy and the comital crown switched between the competing lordships in a flurry of butchery and reprisals. The lords of Auch eventually proved victorious and, copying Castile's infamous 'Inquisition', firmly brought the whole county back into the Catholic fold.

In 1594 Henry III of France inherited the county from his cousin, holding it in union with France. Auvergne, rarely missing an opportunity to humiliate its neighbour, allied with an equally hostile Aquitaine (who although more friendly, wanted France firmly confined to the north of Francia) and occupied the county. Henry III's advisors urged a more general war against the two but he was an extremely indecisive monarch and would accept Auvergne's releasing the county to his neice the Auvergnese Alexandrine and her Aquitanian husband Charles Nicolas.

It fought during the Fifty Years War, declaring war on Wessex, Luxembourg and Austria after Wessex attacked France in 1639. Its forces formed part of Charles VI of Auvergne's army and primarily saw action in Burgundy.

Though its small army put up remarkable resistance, it was conquered by del Olmo in 1824 during the 'Hispanic Revolution'. The count and his family fled north to Paris whilst the new regime, splitting it into two entities; Auch and Quercy, reorganised them on a Republican model and then four months later added both to the new Pyrene Republic. On liberation by France in 1834 Monarchist propaganda ensured both Auch and Quercy rose in favour of Count Guillaume III. During its inclusion in the Pyrene Republic Armagnac's borders had been considerably altered, as well as the Counts various estates confiscated, facts which fuelled further violence during the 19th century. In 1856 it declared war on Comminges and Bigorre citing both states' refusal to reconsider their mutual borders. The 1st Pyrenean War (1856) ended with a sizable portion of Comminges and Bigorre's land being annexed to Armagnac. The 2nd Pyrenean War (1858-1859) was started by the Confederation, now joined by Navarre, to reverse the losses. France and Aragon threatened both parties with invasion and lasting settlement with minor gains for Armagnac was signed at Toulouse in 1860.

In the 1910s Armagnac did have tentative discussions to join the Confederation of the Pyrenees, however due to the fact it is a monarchy and would form the largest member of the confederation, the application was rejected as it was felt they would hold undue sway over the other members.

Government
Armagnac is governed by a single-chambered General Council which is elected every five years. The chamber is naturally conservative and has been reluctant to establish a wider franchise (votijng is currently restricted to male property-owners over the age of 28. Public pressure to alter this is considerable however and reformist politicians are making headway slowly.

The monarch, currently Count Jean V, has little executive power.