Where would I start looking for a plausible description of what would happen if a highly militaristic nation suddenly lost its Emperor/King/"Supreme Leader" leaving no heir to the throne?
I've got a WIP right now where the main heroes end up killing the "evil emperor" of their land and I have no idea what would happen from there. It's not like the nation is overthrown or conquered, so all the heirarchy is still in place, and the logical person to take his place -- his right hand man in charge of the military -- has recently died as well. So what would happen then? Is it a kind of situation where the first person to step up and take charge ends up in charge? Would it fall back to say, the next in command of the military like a general or something? In this fantasy setting would the person with the most powerful magical ability be able to take his place out of fear of his magic?
Anyone know a good place / historical example / anything that could help me figure out what would/could happen?
(Sorry if this is an obvious/stupid question or something, I'm a science geek and have no real knowledge of history or politics to draw a plausible scenario out of real life examples.)
Posted by HSO (Member # 2056) on :
I suppose it depends on circumstances. You might read up on English royalty. If there are no immediate heirs (sons, maybe daughters), a brother make take the throne. If no brothers, then perhaps a cousin, and there may be squabbles and battles for right of ascension, and so on. But whoever killed the king might also assume the crown. It depends on your world and how the royalty works.
Posted by AstroStewart (Member # 2597) on :
Well in my particular case, the nation in question has a very short history at this point. Past Emperors without heirs would appoint a successor when they reached a certain age. So in that fashion there's not really a "royal family" exactly. The throne would go from father-> son(or daughter) or he would choose a successor. The problem with this case is that no such successor was ever chosen by this Emperor, nor did he have any close family to speak of (siblings or offspring). The timeframe is also only a few generations since the beginning of the nation, if that makes much of a difference (again I'm very "historically challenged" you might say).
Thanks for any help.
Posted by HSO (Member # 2056) on :
Well, it seems likely there would be a struggle for power in whatever heirarchy is left. Since you claim to be historically challenged, then consider a modern example by way of the mafia. Think about how the death of don may cause an internal power struggle within a particular family (or watch "The Godfather").
Of course, maybe your evil emperor has an illegitimate child somewhere... Maybe that child wishes to avenge Daddy's death (and so the sequel begins)...
Militarily speaking, any number of generals or other officers may vie for the crown. It might be peaceful at first, or it might not be. Troops are sometimes very loyal to their commanding officers. And there are always those who want more power than they have. I think you can make it work with a military scenario if you choose that path. Really, just think of something. For example, is there a lesser "bad-guy" character who at first seems trivial, but really has been actively seeking to kill the King for whatever reason? Maybe he'll step up and claim the throne.
Good luck.
[This message has been edited by HSO (edited February 08, 2006).]
Posted by Matt Lust (Member # 3031) on :
Really anything goes. Let the characters desires kind of help you with your choices.
As long as the story's beliveable and the customs and what not are observed it should be fine.
[This message has been edited by Matt Lust (edited February 08, 2006).]
Posted by J (Member # 2197) on :
Read the Old Testament of the Bible.
Or read about what happened to Alexander's empire after he died.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
Why did people obey the old leader before he was killed? There was probably a mixture of reasons, and people with different reasons for obeying the old order will have different notions about who ought to be in charge next...and different ways of expressing their preferences. Who do members of the military want to see in power? What about the merchants? And so forth.
Posted by hoptoad (Member # 2145) on :
I agree with the above post. Take a look at the interests of various groups.
Like OSC would ask, who has the most to lose/gain from the situation?
Posted by apeiron (Member # 2565) on :
Don't forget, even if the nation's new, doesn't mean the culture is. The people of your nation have been around a long time (unless they remember Grandma Eve and Grampy Adam, or whatever other origin you like) and so the people have cultural norms and precedents. Those will likely dictate what happens when the emperor dies.
Another thing to consider, does the nation (and by nation, I mean other individuals of wealth and influence, alas) like that there is an emperor? Does it add stability for their business dealings/land holdings, or take wealth/influence unduly from them? They may either squabble for control or do as the Romans once did: form a republic!
Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :
Rome is the classic example of what you are looking for.
Posted by AstroStewart (Member # 2597) on :
Thanks for all the great input. I think I have a pretty good idea what would happen now with in my story / how the people will react to the death of their leader.