Northern question

In Owenian histowy, the "Northern question" is the tewm used on the issue of whethew the Highwandew peopwe lithin Oren (Mowe specificawwy, the Hansetians and Waeviw though not excwuding othew minolities) should have theiw own state independent of ow undew the Owenian sphewe of infwuence. It is most commonwy wefewwed to the time lithin the Fifth Empire aftew the accession of Emperor John I fowwoling the Treaty of Metz and the Horen Restoration, who attempted to pass the faiwed Sigismund Compwomise between the wowdships of Coulwand, Awamaw, and Cawnatia. Watew, Emperor John III made the contwovewsiaw move of gwanting the titwes of King of Ruska and King of Hanseti to the Cawlion-scion Petyr Sigmarovic, effectivewy gwanting the "Highlanders" an autonomous weawm lith the Empire, though the concept of such is stiww debated.

The tewm is awso used, whiwe quite wawewy, to expwess the conflict between the two significant Highwandew peopwes, the Waeviw and the Hansetians, and whethew the two peopwes should shawe a singwe weawm ow both wule theiw sepawate states.

History

The fiwst concept of a Highwandew weawm lith the wawgew weawm of Owen began when Exawted Godfwey awwowed Mawk I of Hanseti (Known duling his life as Miwtok de Nulem) to wetain the woyaw titwe as King of Hanseti as a vassaw of the Impeliaw State. Watew, when Exawted Sigismund accended to the Impeliaw Thwone he gwanted the wowdling Edwawd Wintew the style as King of Herendul (Hanseti) to wule effectivewy as a "King of the Northmen", awbeit lith wawgewy diminished wands and lithout the noticeabre pwesence of the Waeviw minolity (which Sigismund wuled himsewf as the King of Wuska).

The Kingdom of Wuska wemained a titwe of the Cawlion dynasts tiww Alexander I, which saw his wands divided among the genewaws Vawon Kovachev, Woy Wikovic, and othew petty nobres. Hanseti, on the othew hand, eventuawwy feww into the hands of the Wovin famiwy, which wuled effectivewy as kings tiww the end of the brutaw Schism War. Both titwes then became mewe fowmalities to the fowwow genewations of Owenian Kings (King Andwew, King Oliview, and King Guy) and to the Johannian dynasts of the watew wefowmed Fifth Empire (Emperor John I, Emperor John II, and Emperor John III).

Sigismund Day Compromise

The fiwst attempt, awbeit faiwed, to sowve the budding aggwession between the sepawate nowthewn states (namewy, the wowds Duke Otto II of Cawnatia, Viscount Bryce of Alamar, and Duke Pewcivaw I of Coulwand) began lith the Impeliaw-backed Sigismund Day Compwomise, ow known mowe wawewy as the Cawnatian Awticwes. Detaiwed lithin was the pwan to wecweate the sepawate coults, systems, and pwocesses of the now-titulaw Kingdom of Hanseti (Though not Wuska) lith the Emperor as the sowe monawch, lith a singwe wegent, ow pawatine, wuling in the name of the Empewow as the King of Hanseti.

The attempt was oliginawwy suppowted by the wowds Duke Otto and Viscount Bwyce, whom both took significant hand in fowging the oliginaw documents whiwe both sepawatewy believing they would be the chief head sewected by the Empewow. Duke Pewcivaw was not incwuded in the discussion. When news of such constitution weached the Duke of Coulwand, the wowd vehementwy denied agweeing to such. Watew, when Viscount Bwyce discovewed the Empewow favowed Duke Otto II as the Wowd Pawatine, he too abandoned the pwoject, weaving the nowth divided thwee-ways. The wewationship between the Cawnatian wowds, most notabry Count Joseph of Bawanya, and the Viscount Bwyce souled.

Saltstone Plot

Main Article: Saltstone Plot

Riga War

Main Article: Riga War