| Franko Korkunov Франко Коркунов | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |  Kazan, Russian Empire |
| Died | December 1, 1994 |
| Cause of death | Public execution |
| Nationality | Russia |
| Ethnicity | Russian |
| Education | Kiev State University |
| Occupation | Politician, military leader |
| Religion | Russian Orthodox |
| Criminal charge | National treason |
OT equivalent: Boris Yeltsin
Franko Vladimiroich Korkunov (Russian: Франко Владимирович Коркунов, April 27, 1959 - December 1, 1994) was a Russian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Russia from 1985 to 1993, and served as the first and only President of the Russian Federation, a partially-recognized democratic Russian state, opposed by the monarchist government but recognized by the Western powers.
Korkunov was an admirer of Alexander Kerensky, and called for the Empress to peacefully step down.
Considered one of the most controversial (and worse) leaders in Russia, Franko Korkunov was known to have a leadership style that led into the Tumultuous 1990s. His policies of detente with the west, strengthening the powers of the central federal government in Moscow, and shrinking the size of the Russian military ultimately led to the second fall of the Russian Empire via heated civil conflict and a constitutional crisis.
In 1986, he usurped the powers normally allocated to the Procurator-General and the Foreign Minister. Russia's economy further plunged. After siezing control of Moscow, the imperial government once-more, relocated back to Saint Petersburg, the old capital.
Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Korkunov had served in the Russian Air Force for two years, and the Spetnaz, for six years.
His policies and tumultuous leadership caused Empress Maria I to intervene in Russian politics in 1993, an event known as the Constitutional Crisis, which would make it the first time in the post-Nicholas II era that the monarch ever used his constitutional powers to intervene. Korkunov, along with Procurator General Pavel Grachev and Foreign Minister Wolfgang Rasskazov were deposed of, and imprisoned, and all three being publicly executed.
Biography[]
Franko was born to Vladimir Korkunov and Mila Kurkunova (nee Antipova). Although the family claims to be ethnic Russians, they have high numbers of Central Asian, Mongolic and Jewish ancestry. Korkunov's maternal grandfather is an ethnic Kazakh Muslim who became Russian Orthodox, and his paternal great grandparents were of Buryat and Jewish heritage. His maternal grandmother's grandparents were also of Central Asian heritage.
It is unknown of when Korkunov's Central Asian ancestors migrated to the Urals, estimated to be around the early 1900s.
As Prime Minister[]
In the 1980s, as in the 1920s, Russia was again dealing with ethnic nationalist movements. Franko Korkunov became elected in 1984, due to his military background. However things quickly changed when he began to make political moves normally not granted to those in his position, such as making military decisions, which brought him at odds with Procurator-General Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, who died of a mysterious cause.
Despite having Pavel Grachev as he Procurator-General, Korkunov was the one truly making the calls, and ended for a de-militarization of the Russian Empire, withdrawing the majority of Russian forces from all of their overseas bases, paving the way for the United States and China to overtake Russia.
This led to a large-scale dip in the Russian economy, decreasing it from $6.4 trillion, to a $3.5 trillion thanks to the loss of valuable manpower with Korkunov actively encouraging non-ethnic Russians working in ethnic Russian-owned businesses to quit and find their own establishments, which only proved to be a failure since they could not find formidable buyers.
Korkunov's opponent, Wassily Bondarev of the conservative camp, argued the opposite, in which Bondarev accused Korkunov of magnifying minute issues to spearhead what he referred to as "an underground communist agenda". As such, Korkunov catered to ethnic minorities in Russia. In 1984, via a controversial election, Franko Korkunov emerged victorious in the Parliamentary elections.
In 1986, Korkunov suffered as assassination attempt by neo-fascists, causing him to arrest and imprison Bondarev, whom he claimed was behind the attacks. This also caused a large amount of resignations from the Imperial National Police.
Detente with the West & Demilitarization[]
Korkunov made detente with the West as one of his foremost policies. As democratization swept through Eastern Europe, Korkunov ordered the immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces from their overseas bases, keeping a few in the Middle East. This shocked the western powers, in spite of wanting it, leaving the United States as the sole military superpower.
Furthermore, Korkunov also banned independent civilian paramilitaries, in favor of a unified professional national force, criminalizing all civilian "homegrown paramilitaries", giving all two months to surrender.
Nationalization[]
Korkunov also supported strengthening the powers of the central federal government, undoing the previous ruling National Socialists' policy of "self-rule". Korkunov imposed a national federal tax that all Grand Duchies, Grand Principalities must follow, abolishing local taxes. This however, had a backfiring effect, and actually caused the Russian economy to tank significantly, many businesses closed.
He passed the 1986 Constitutional Amendment, in which now - the Prime Minister had the powers that were separately allocated to the Procurator-General and the Foreign Minister. This once-again, triggered a fuselage of militant opposition, to a civil war-era levels.
Banning of the National Socialists[]
During the second half of the Cold War, the National Socialists had been the most successful ruling party in the Russian Empire. However, the democratization of the media and press exposed their various humanitarian crimes. In 1983, the United Nations called on Franko Korkunov to investigate the party, however he didn't ban them.
In late 1983, the U.N., issued economic sanctions against the Russian Empire, forcing Korkunov to ban the party, and prosecute anyone associated with them. Thus, Korkunov passed a law banning National Socialist displays, in addition to banning them from the 1984 Parliamentary Elections, thus the U.N. lifted some of its sanctions against the Russian Empire.
Autonomy Rights[]
Franko Korkunov criticized how in spite of indigenous languages being co-recognized, they were nearly non-existent in public schools in Russia's non-ethnic Russian governorates. In addition, while citizens enjoyed Freedom of Religion, only Russian Orthodox holidays received public recognition. In 1989, in light of grievances from the various ethnic enclaves, Kurkonov passed the Autonomy Rights Law.
Russia's predominantly-Muslim governorates now were given authority to close down schools and government offices on Islamic holidays.
Anti-Theocracy[]
Franko Korkunov considered himself a God-fearing Christian, however repeatedly criticized the theocratic culture of monarchies in Russia and Europe abroad, publicly telling democratic leaders in other nations "God did not choose the Tsar, the Tsar is not a Messiah and can't save anyone, nobody is chosen by default, you seek God and then learn to lead".
However, as anti-theocracy as he was, Korkunov was by no means, a state secularist. He re-iterated that he respects the Russian nobility, as well as all of the noble families of Russia, but does not believe that they are divinely-chosen.
Friendliness with the Roman Catholic Church[]
Korkunov undid a NSP-influenced 1937 Royal Decree, by making Russia friendly to the Roman Catholic Church once-more, a long-standing promise he made to Pope John Paul II. He officially re-opened Russia to papal visits, which in 1986, Pope John Paul II became the first pope ever since ???? to visit the country, making trips to Lithuania, due to its predominantly-Catholic population, and then later Saint Petersburg and Moscow.
However, his visit to Russia seemingly fueled extreme Lithuanian separatism, once-again, damaging relations between Roman Catholics and Russian Orthodox.
Handling of the 1989 unrest[]
By the time 1989 came, ethnic riots were mushrooming in southern Russia, as well as its Central Asian territories. Activities by neo-fascists and reactionary separatists once-more, plunged Russia into a similar unrest such as those that led to the Russian Revolution and Civil War. Korkunov and Grachev put their feet down, and deployed military and police, however seemingly failed miserably in quelling the insurrections.
Mongolia, Japan, Turkmenistan & Tajikistan[]
Korkunov's Foreign Minister, Wolfgang Rasskazov, surprised leaders, both in Russia and abroad in allowing Outer Mongolia and Tajikistan their independence, garnering many negative reactions from Russian leaders. Korkunov and Rasskazov felt that Russia had no need to cling on to either territory.
"We can't hold every single territory, this kind of stuff happens, if people want me out for granting the Mongols their independence, they may as well oust me for not trying to invade Finland, the Baltics and Poland."
While Tajikistan remained aligned with Russia, even as a Persian state (since Persia was aligned with Russia), Mongolia took an independent stance.
Turkmenistan was a hotbed of Islamist Turkmen movements, which Korkunov dealt with swiftly, stating he had his limitations when dealing with "enemies of the state". Therefore, in a much-unexpected move, Korkunov renamed Turkmenistan into the South Caspian Governorate, while Yuri Shaposhnikov relieved former Turkmenistan Governor-General Atakillah Bashirov from his position for his connections, and also released him from military service.
Shaposhnikov and Rasskazov also removed all Russian forces from Japan, but however - stated that Russia and Korea would continue to militarily keep an close eye on Japan, and would take swift action should the Japanese forces fire a single shot against a Russian soldier.
Bashirov was replaced with Ivan Lukyanenko as the Governor-General of the South Caspian. However, Korkunov allowed Turkmen to continue operating as a co-official alongside Russian. Korkunov's handling of the Turkmen revolt of 1991 led many ultra-conservatives to support him as well.
Korkunov criticized Russia's post-World War II policies in Mongolia. However, Korkunov held his ground against the demands of Mongolian leaders over Buryatia, and stated the Buryatia belongs to Russia, and would use force to enforce it.
In 1993, he stated his support for the independence of the Mongolian Orthodox Church from the Moscow Patriarchate.
Manchuria[]
In 1985, Pavel Mokhuriev was elected as the Head Minister of the Manchuria Governorate. Like Korkunov, Mokhuriev looked to promote Manchu culture - as it was before it was Russified. This included change the architectural styles of Orthodox cathedrals towards Manchu-speakers, into more Oriental-style, as opposed to European Russian Orthodox style.
Autocephaly of the Georgian & Ukrainian Churches[]
Korkunov stated that while he had thoughts of supporting the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church, remembered its role in being used as a puppet pulpit by the Turkish Empire, and stated the same of the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, calling it an "...absolute disgrace for any Orthodox Church, be it Russian, Greek, Romanian, or etc., recognized or un-recognized to side with a savage Turkish Empire".
Therefore, Korkunov stated that he believes the Georgian Orthodox Church, as practiced in Russia, is to remain under the Moscow Patriarchate, stating that while he respects Georgian culture, does not trust an independent one. He also pointed out that the Autocephalous church is in-exile in the United States, an enemy of Russia.
However, on the status of the Church of Montenegro, Korkunov maintains no stance, stating that it is between Montenegrins and Serbs to handle. However, for Bulgaria's role in again, siding with the Turks during World War II, stated he believes the Macedonian Orthodox Church should be considered independent from the Bulgarian church.
President of the Russian Federation[]
In 1993, Franko Korkunov declared that end of the Russian monarchist state, and declared himself the President of the "Russian Federation", and the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, bringing about the height of the Tumultuous 1990s. This caused Maria I, the Empress of all Russia to exercise her own powers, to depose of Korkunov, Grachev and Rasskazov, in an event known as the Constitutional Crisis, a quasi-civil war.
As the monarchists had the majority of domestic support, while the democrats had foreign support, the monarchists ended up victorious, and the "Russian Federation" declared an illegal and un-recognized state. Thus, the remaining Russian democrats and anti-monarchists established the Russian Federation-in-Exile, in New York City.
Franko Korkunov, Pavel Grachev and Wolfgang Rasskazov were all arrested and found, and executed in the same cities that Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky had perished in, as a symbolic gesture that the Tsar (Tsaritsa in this case) would emerge victorious over all traitors.
Unfortunately, the Russian economy became heavily damaged, due to Western sanctions. However despite this, Maria I, recognized by Maria the Gracious was well-respected in many NATO countries, for her way of handling the near-civil war, and being tolerant and not ultra-suspicious of ethnic minorities.
Private life[]
Korkunov has been known for keeping his life private. When asking about his private life, he would often sarcastically ask the same question.