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Empire of Itzmilco

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The Empire of Itzmilco is a semi-constitutional imperial monarchy in Central Esmaria. At 1,433,118.1 square miles, it is the second-largest member state of the Pan-Esmarian Commonwealth, both geographically and demographically. Its capital is Tōnallan, situated at the epicentre of Lake Tōnalteco. A highly militaristic geopolitical powerhouse in its own right, it possesses the largest armed forces in the entire Commonwealth, and serves as a northern defensive bulwark of the alliance against Coalition encroachment. It also fields an expanding interest in space, particularly the L4 and L5 points of Plateia, as well as the planet Vasati. Its terrestrial possessions are defined by 24 provinces, 3 free cities and a capital district directly governed by the Huēyitlahtoāni, as well as a number of subordinate dominions.

While not explicitly governed by any particular ideology, Itzmilcan society exhibits highly militaristic and nationalistic tendencies, commanded by rigid codes of honor. Overlap of certain state and religious functions have led to some assessments describing the Empire as theocratic.

History

In the waning years of the Twilight War, the aftermath of the Great Exchange's nuclear hellfire had presented an opportunity for the Empire of Itzmilco to finally press its historical grievances against Esmaria. Driven by revanchist sentiment, the Empire waged a war of reconquest targeting the Empire's former northern peripheries, lost two centuries prior. The Second Itzmilcan-Esmarian War would see the war-weary Federal Army unable to deter the sudden Itzmilcan invasion, and the humiliating Treaty of Florisando would be signed on December 14, 970 S.C., restoring borders preceding the First Itzmilcan-Esmarian War. The war would be among the first cracks in Esmaria's old federal system, eventually leading to its collapse and reconstitution into the Emerald Alliance.

For his leadership, and his victory over Itzmilco's despised northern neighbor, Emperor Tōnalitztli Tēpēhuani would become central to the modern Itzmilcan state's cult of personality, a near-deified national hero who would be revered long beyond his death. The nationalistic fervor that followed Itzmilco's victory, and the era known as the Tēpēhuani Renaissance, would serve as the spark to illuminate a genocidal flame. Mass deportations, state-sanctioned massacres, forced marriages and compulsory labor targeting non-indigenous populations all sought to reshape the demography of the 'reclaimed provinces', and rebuild them in the Empire's image.

The founding of the Coalition of Congressional Nations and the advent of the Rational Calendar would place renewed pressure on Itzmilco, which came to a head with the Quisquellan Civil War (0016-0024 R.C.). Overlapping interests and a mutual fear of Coalition encroachment upon South Esmaria would serve as the pretext to detente between Itzmilco and other historical rivals, such as Novadieta and Ancoria. This paradigm shift in international relations would prove the basis of the Pan-Esmarian Commonwealth, of which Itzmilco would be a founding member in the Místria Summit of 0029 R.C.

The ensuing drive to space led to aggressive Itzmilcan colonization of L4 and L5, sustaining widespread mining operations along the Asteroid Belt. Colonization endeavors would later expand to Vasati, where Itzmilco would secure the second largest claim among Commonwealth nations to the planet, after Costa Ferrea. These offworld holdings would later be organized into Dominions in their own right, autonomous but ultimately subordinate to the Itzmilcan imperial crown. The Equatorial Land Bridge Conflict (0069-0074 R.C.) would see Itzmilco lose control of the Archvasatis Land Bridge to Coalition forces on Vasati, a loss which would form the basis of revanchism in the decades to follow.

The Novadietan Space Boom of the 0080s would further agitate the Empire to expand its outer solar system missions, leading to the establishment of mining colonies on Perkunos, Phainon and Barbelo.

In the present, Itzmilco forms the bulwark of the 'hawk bloc' of the Commonwealth, aiming for a strong and aggressive policy towards the Coalition, and to a lesser extent the Union State. Itzmilco's military is the largest in the Commonwealth, primarily focused on its northern border with Esmaria, as well as various offworld fronts. Under the current reign of Emperor Tōnalōcēlōtl Huapāhuani, Itzmilco has pursued widespread military expansion amidst constant paranoia regarding the Coalition. He has also been forced to contend with various social issues, balancing the state's tolerance of other faiths with the courting of theocratic paramilitary organizations established in the aftermath of the Equatorial Land Bridge Conflict to bolster religious fervor, such as the Tīchpōchhuān (lit. “we are his daughters”).