The Hanseatic Federation of Sovereign Cities
Evolving from the trade organization known as the Hanseatic League, the Hanseatic Federation of Sovereign Cities, or simply "the Hansa", was first of many of Mercantilist Republics. Mercantilism, as a political ideology as opposed to the economic theory, was developed in the 16th Century. The 14th Century onset of the Black Plague in its second and more deadly form had led to the dissolution of several growing states, and economic and political instability was rife. As the disease slowed and eventually vanished, economic theorists proposed that the best way for a nation to succeed in the now very much barren and unstable world was to always export over import, thus maintaining enough wealth to support and defend itself. Nations rushed to gobble up collapsed empires, and the tripartite discovery of Thule*, Hybrasil**, and Al-adn*** only spurred this rush for land and resources further. It was during the plague that the notion of the divine right of kings was questioned; were king and peasant not struck down alike? And was it not the wealthy, both noble and common, who survived? While health and cleanliness was the true reasoning behind disease rates, it was cemented into the minds of Europeans that fortune and God favored the bold, the intuitive, those who made their own wealth. Further more, the loss of numerous noble houses and monopolies had opened up the market, allowing commoners the ability to gain massive wealth. With power being centered in fewer and fewer houses of aristocratic lineage, the notion of societal mobility became widespread. Thus came the next logical question: should those who have earned God's favor and political power through wealth not be those who rule? It was with this question that Mercantilism was formed. It would be the wealthiest families that would rule, creating a representative body in which a voice was given to each main family, similar to the Noble Republics of the past. Eventually, disputes over how many seats each family should be afforded was solved with the universal answer: money. In Mercantilist Republics, seats in legislature are literally purchased, usually with a certain maximum to prevent seats simply being bought up before others could.
The Hansa was the nation where this thought and eventually this form of government originated. It had quickly become one of the premier powers in Europe, and city after city joined in order to share in their wealth and growing resources, with Hansa colonies soon bringing in raw materials for sale. Eventually, they consolidated, becoming a proper state with a capital placed in Gotland. For a while, each city had its own representatives, and over time individual cities began to allow their seats to be purchased by wealthy families, until the procedure became formal in the early 1700s. However, despite the purchasing of seats, there is still a maximum number of seats per city but families may purchase seats in other cities. Today, the Hansa has been eclipsed in power by the United Oligarchies of Hybrasil, but remains a major power.
The flag bears the double-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire, representing its place as a hegemon of Europe; clutched in its claws are scales, representing the weighing of gold that symbolizes mercantilism. The three stars represent the three regions of the HFSC; North Germany, the Baltics (Swedish coast included), and Holland. The red and white come from the old penant used by Hansa ships, with a black stripe added both to place the three most used colors in member-city flags, and to represent the commoners, who, along side the nobles (white) ascend into wealth and power, represented by red, being the color of passion and sacrifice.
*North/Anglo America
**Caribbean/Central America
***South America
Evolving from the trade organization known as the Hanseatic League, the Hanseatic Federation of Sovereign Cities, or simply "the Hansa", was first of many of Mercantilist Republics. Mercantilism, as a political ideology as opposed to the economic theory, was developed in the 16th Century. The 14th Century onset of the Black Plague in its second and more deadly form had led to the dissolution of several growing states, and economic and political instability was rife. As the disease slowed and eventually vanished, economic theorists proposed that the best way for a nation to succeed in the now very much barren and unstable world was to always export over import, thus maintaining enough wealth to support and defend itself. Nations rushed to gobble up collapsed empires, and the tripartite discovery of Thule*, Hybrasil**, and Al-adn*** only spurred this rush for land and resources further. It was during the plague that the notion of the divine right of kings was questioned; were king and peasant not struck down alike? And was it not the wealthy, both noble and common, who survived? While health and cleanliness was the true reasoning behind disease rates, it was cemented into the minds of Europeans that fortune and God favored the bold, the intuitive, those who made their own wealth. Further more, the loss of numerous noble houses and monopolies had opened up the market, allowing commoners the ability to gain massive wealth. With power being centered in fewer and fewer houses of aristocratic lineage, the notion of societal mobility became widespread. Thus came the next logical question: should those who have earned God's favor and political power through wealth not be those who rule? It was with this question that Mercantilism was formed. It would be the wealthiest families that would rule, creating a representative body in which a voice was given to each main family, similar to the Noble Republics of the past. Eventually, disputes over how many seats each family should be afforded was solved with the universal answer: money. In Mercantilist Republics, seats in legislature are literally purchased, usually with a certain maximum to prevent seats simply being bought up before others could.
The Hansa was the nation where this thought and eventually this form of government originated. It had quickly become one of the premier powers in Europe, and city after city joined in order to share in their wealth and growing resources, with Hansa colonies soon bringing in raw materials for sale. Eventually, they consolidated, becoming a proper state with a capital placed in Gotland. For a while, each city had its own representatives, and over time individual cities began to allow their seats to be purchased by wealthy families, until the procedure became formal in the early 1700s. However, despite the purchasing of seats, there is still a maximum number of seats per city but families may purchase seats in other cities. Today, the Hansa has been eclipsed in power by the United Oligarchies of Hybrasil, but remains a major power.
The flag bears the double-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire, representing its place as a hegemon of Europe; clutched in its claws are scales, representing the weighing of gold that symbolizes mercantilism. The three stars represent the three regions of the HFSC; North Germany, the Baltics (Swedish coast included), and Holland. The red and white come from the old penant used by Hansa ships, with a black stripe added both to place the three most used colors in member-city flags, and to represent the commoners, who, along side the nobles (white) ascend into wealth and power, represented by red, being the color of passion and sacrifice.
*North/Anglo America
**Caribbean/Central America
***South America
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