Jovan Lilic (A Federation of Equals)

Vital Info
Name: Jovan Lilic

Date of Birth: August 21st, 1825

Place of Birth: Novi Sad

Culture: Serbian/Danubian

Humble Beginnings
Jovan was born into a family of commoners, his father a day laborer and his mother a domestic dervant. Little opportunity was afforded to the young Lilic, but one thing pushed him forward: An extreme zeal of patriotism. Although an ethnic Serbian, Jovan rarely considered himself such, seeing himself loyal not to his fellow Serbs, but to the nation as a whole. Given his love of country and little chance for a future, a military career was a given. Upon minimum age, Lilic enlisted with joy, knowing a road of public service and adventure awaited.

Revolution
Being among the many defecting soldiers, Lilic fought the Hapsburgs, not necessarily for democracy, but for freedom from the draconian measures taken by the Emperor. Defecting from the Imperial Army before the "Storming of the Hofburg", Lilic missed the prominent battles, mainly fighting as a guerilla, striking down remnants of Imperial forces. After the the new Danubian Federation, Lilic maintained his position within the army, even earning his way higher, joining the respected officers.

Initial Prominence
It was during the Masaryk Coup that Jovan Lilic first spoke in the national spotlight. His calls for order and stability, as well as his support of the coup, caught the attention of many, with this outburst leading Lilic to higher renown. Soon after this, Lilic received his Generalship, given to him by Johan Skala. Skala quickly became a personal friend afterwards, coupled with Lilic's admission into the Martial and Security League, a political party advocating for centralization of Federal power and maintaining a healthy armed forces, of which Skala started and ran

Minister of War
The Presidential election of 1856 saw another advancement to Lilic. With the backing of the M&SL, Victor Kraus, a well-respected and conservative Austrian politician, ran successfully as President of the Danubian Federation. Of the many cabinent appointments, Lilic was entrusted with the position of Minister of War, a powerful and prestigious position.

The Civil War
This trust however, was eventually broken. Shortly following the inauguration of President Kraus, Jovan Lilic declared a coup against the government, seeking to install Elias DeSanctis, a personal hero and brother-in-law, as the Emperor of Danubia. Whilst Lilic repreatedly expressed his disdain for Monarchism, his complete faith was placed upon DeSanctis to guide the Federation into a new age of prosperity and progression.

After the subsequent assassination of Elias DeSanctis, Lilic fell into a state of depression and regret, seeing the carnage unleased by his actions. After a period of silence and solitude, Lilic declared his opposition to his own war. This action most likely stemmed from several reasons, the foremost being the death of DeSanctis and the new Emperor Kremvera. Not only was Kremvera's rise disliked, as Lilic had no hand in the matter, but his action of involving Bavaria infuriated Lilic. He saw the very soul of the Federation being sold, all in the pursuit of power. After the defection, Lilic arrived into Albania, where after working for the Albanian government, was transported to Federal holdings. It has been said that Lilic was a major contributor to ending the Civil War, with his letters ending the support of certain influential backers, such as Johan Skala, Alexander Herman, and Erwin von Tirpitz. After this stream of losses, Emperor Kremvera committed suicide, ending the Civil War.

It was Lilic's actions that bought him a Presidential Pardon, exempting him from the firing squads given to other supporters. Although stripped of all positions, Lilic happily remained in servitude to Danubia, enlisting again as a private.

Tunisia
After the declaration of war against Tunisia, in the pursuit of protecting private Danubian property, Lilic rose back, seemingly from the dead. After receiving multiple field promotions from the Chief of General Staff Revenjo, Lilic was an officer once more, tasked with subduing Tunisia from the private armies of the Adriatic Trade Company.

When victory was acheived, a new concern arose. Tunisia needed a leader, a man with the knowledge to maintain order and exercise authority over the possibly unruly natives. Although a temporary Governor-General, Matthias von Marius-Parsifal, was appointed, it was Lilic, oddly enough, that received the permanent position. Eager to serve, Lilic accepted, resigning his long military career, and setting sail for Africa.

Governor-Generalship
Starting from 1862, Lilic began his new life in Tunisia, a land of sand and nothing much else. Regardless, a large degree of dilligence was exerted, with the Statute of Tunisian, a document borrowing heavy from the Danubian Constitution, quickly being published. This document established the protectorate's basis of government, with a three-branch style system put into place. Another notable aspect of the statute was the amount of power given to the native population, with an entire legislative House dedicated to them, equal to that of the colonial House.

Family
Cecelia Lilic nee DeSanctis - Wife

Ilija Lilic - Son