Biaten's Presidents

Since its foundation in 1811, the Republic of Biaten has had 19 presidents, as well as 5 acting presidents who had been made president temporarily as a result of the death, resignation or forced removal of an incumbent president. This factbook will summarise all 19 of Biaten's presidents, briefly explaining their backgrounds and what their presidency was like.

Selby Thomas (1812 - 1834)

Selby Thomas (Lived: 1752 - 1840) was a military general and politician. He served much of his career in the military, and was even promoted to lieutenant general in 1802. However, after witnessing the famines that had been occurring across Biaten, Thomas soon became disillusioned with the monarchy. When republican politicians called upon members of the military to join them in revolution in 1811, Thomas was one of the first to answer the call, and was thus made the leading general of the revolutionary army.

In 1812, a few months after the revolution had been won, a presidential election was held, and most politicians nominated Selby Thomas for the role. Selby Thomas won the election with 97% of the vote.

In 1813, his administration drafted and passed through the National Assembly the Biatenian Constitution, which reformed the National Assembly into the elected National Diet. The Constitution allowed for anyone, regardless of race, religious or wealth, to vote. Women, however, were not granted suffrage. He established a strong government but remained impartial in political disagreements. In 1826, he created the Bank of Biaten to oversee the production of Biaten's Thalers and secure government loans.

Thomas retired from public office in 1834 and died in 1840 at the age of 88. He was first succeeded by acting president Bernard Mynatt, who would serve as president until a new one was elected later in the year. He was then succeeded by former chancellor Jocelyn Wirth.

Jocelyn Wirth (1834 - 1835)

Jocelyn Wirth (Lived: 1754 - 1854) was a Biatenian soldier and politician who served as the second President of Biaten from 1834 to 1835. He is the shortest-serving president in Biatenian history. Before being elected, Wirth served as a lieutenant general in the Revolutionary Army during the revolution. Between 1817 and 1822, he served as Vice-Chancellor under Chancellor Major Skeates and then served as Chancellor himself between 1822 and 1827. He was a member of the Liberal Party. His main political goals were to "protect the rights of the common man" and tackle corruption. In May 1834, he ran as president after the resignation of President Selby Thomas and won with 56% of the vote.

As President, Jocelyn Wirth and his government dismantled the Bank of Biaten, believing it to be a corrupt institution. Wirth opposed the women's suffrage movement, despite pressure from politicians to allow them to vote in local elections.

In January 1835, 8 months into his term, Wirth announced his resignation due to poor health, but agreed to remain as President until a new one was elected. He officially stepped down in May after the election of his successor Karl Jervis.

Karl Jervis (1835 - 1845)

Karl Jervis (Lived: 1764 - 1850) was a politician who served as the third President of Biaten from 1835 to 1845. A founder of the Liberal Party, he had previously served as the Minister of the Interior between 1819 and 1822 under Chancellor Major Skeates. He won the 1835 presidential election with the support of outgoing President Jocelyn Wirth and the rest of the Liberal Party. Karl Jervis supported extending suffrage to women.

In 1817, he was elected to the National Diet. During the 1820s, he emerged as one of the most influential politicians in Biaten. Jervis was opposed to President Thomas' proposals for government-funded improvements. In 1819, he was appointed the Minister of the Interior, and became an important part of President Selby Thomas' government. He, however, resigned in 1822 after the government refused his proposal to allow women to vote in local elections. In 1835, Jervis was nominated by the Liberal Party to run in the presidential election to replace President Jocelyn Wirth, with strong support from President Wirth. He received 41% of the vote in the first round and 56% in the second round, defeating Conservative Party candidate Trevelyan Danell.

He maintained President Jocelyn Wirth's policy of dismantling the Bank of Biaten. In 1844, a recession hit Biaten, which lost President Jervis the confidence of his party, which refused to support him in the 1845 presidential election. The Liberal Party rallied around independent liberal politician Bert Rush, who would succeed Karl Jervis.

Bertram Rush (1845 - 1865)

Bertram Rush (Lived: 1772 - 1865) was the fourth President of Biaten, serving from 1845 to 1865. He had previously served as Minister of Justice (1839 - 1845) and Vice-Chancellor (1842 - 1845) under Chancellor Andre Loris. Although he was an independent liberal, he was popular with the Liberal Party.

During the 1810s, he built up a successful law firm, which gained him recognition from the government, specifically from within the Ministry of Justice. After the resignation of Minister of Justice Silvester Todd, Bertram Rush was promoted to replace him by President Karl Jervis on the recommendation of Chancellor Andre Loris. After the death of Vice-Chancellor William Priestley in 1842, Rush was given the office to Vice-Chancellor, which he served alongside his position as Minister of Justice (under Biatenian law, the Vice-Chancellor is the only cabinet member who can hold another cabinet position, as the duties of the Vice-Chancellor usually account to little). In 1844, a recession hit, losing President Karl Jervis the confidence of his party. In 1845, Rush announced his candidacy for election, and was backed by most of the Liberal Party, including Chancellor Andre Loris. In the election, he won 60% of the vote, winning against Conservative Party candidate Julian Albinson, who received 35% of the vote.

Rush was considered one of the most effective Presidents in Biatenian history. In order to fix the recession that had occurred before he came to office, he re-established the Bank of Biaten. He ran for re-election again in 1850, winning with 51% of the vote.

As president, Rush kept his distance from the National Diet. Debate over the suffrage of women dominated the political agenda. At first, Rush did not push for the expansion of suffrage to women. In 1850, the government passed the Women's Property Act, which granted women the right to own property without it going to their husbands after marriage.

In 1855, he ran for office again, receiving 46% of the vote in the first round and 56% in the second round, defeating liberal-conservative candidate Milford Gehring. At this point, however, people began to label Rush as a hypocrite, as he did not try and enact some of the liberal policies he supported before becoming President, including extending the suffrage to women. He ran for another term in 1860 receiving 41% of the vote in the first round, 45% in the second and 53% in the third. After the election, Rush dismissed Chancellor Andre Loris and his cabinet, who had began to oppose his presidency, and replaced Loris with veteran liberal Ewart Fairchild, however he was removed 2 years later over a disagreement between him and Rush over military spending. President Rush replaced him with the leader of the conservative Centre Party, and future president, Lucius Hayden.

Rush was generally considered as a nationalist and a libertarian. During his last term. In 1865, due to poor health confining him to bed, Rush decided not to run for re-election. In the 1865 election, he was replaced by former chancellor Major Skeates. President Bertram Rush died 2 months after the election in July of a stomach disease.

Major Skeates (1865 - 1872)

Major Skeates (Lived: 1778 - 1875) was the fifth President of Biaten, serving from 1865 to 1872. Skeates was elected president in 1865 after the resignation of President Bertram Rush, receiving 45% of the vote in the first round and 51% in the second round, defeating Conservative Party candidate George Lowry. He was the oldest person to be elected as President of Biaten at the age of 87.

Major Skeates was born to a lower-middle-class family in 1778. He worked his early adult life as a clerk. During the reign of King Drake, Skeates became a republican activist, becoming a leading political figure in the Biatenian Revolution. After the overthrow of the monarchy, he was appointed Vice-Chancellor by acting President Ralph Newman, serving alongside the first Republic Chancellor Kameron Otto, a position which he served until 1817. He was then appointed as Chancellor by President Selby Thomas, which he served for 5 years. One important piece of legislation passed during his term as Chancellor was the Property Act, which banned the government or the military from seizing any private property except during a national emergency.

After retiring from the office of Chancellor in 1822, he continued his political activism, as well as an advisor to multiple politicians, including President Bertram Rush, who made him Special Advisor to the President. In 1865, after the resignation of President Bertram Rush, he decided to run for public office, winning the second round against Conservative Party candidate George Lowry with 51% of the vote. He was particularly popular with liberal conservatives.

During his presidency, the National Diet legislated to allow women to vote in local elections. Skeates vetoed their bills. When Skeates had some Liberal Party members removed from the cabinet, Skeates was censured by the National Diet, making Skeates one of few presidents to be censured. Despite having an ineffective government, he narrowly won re-election in 1870. In 1872, however, the National Diet lobbied to impeach him. Instead of facing impeachment, Major Skeates announced his resignation from office and called an election. He was replaced by Vice-Chancellor Poldi Levitt.

Poldi Levitt (1872 - 1882)

Poldi Levitt (Lived: 1802 - 1882) was the sixth President of Biaten, serving from 1872 until his death in 1882.

Levitt was born and raised in the countryside of Leocaea. In 1823, he joined the Biatenian Army and graduated from the military academy in 1824. He retired from the military in 1837 and instead pursued a career in politics. Early on, Levitt was concerned about the amount of power the President of Biaten held, and was a strong supporter of female suffrage. In 1848, he joined the Liberal Party.

In 1855, he was elected to the National Diet. During his time as a member of the National Diet, he publicly supported President Bartram, but soon began to oppose him due to his inability to propose legislation to allow women to vote. In 1865, Levitt ran for the Governorship of Leocaea and won the position. During his time as Governor, Levitt became a critic of President Skeates and strongly opposed him over his anti-female suffrage stance and his running of the national administration. As Governor, Levitt attempted to pass legislation to allow women above the age of 25 to vote in the Regional Diet and gubernatorial elections, but this was vetoed by President Skeates.

In 1869, in a move that shocked many people, Skeates appointed Levitt as Vice-Chancellor under Chancellor Lucius Hayden. In his memoirs, Skeates stated that "a good President should keep his allies close and his enemies closer", which may explain his appointment of Levitt as Vice-Chancellor.

In 1872, Levitt resigned and backed the National Diet in their move to impeach President Skeates. After President Skeates resigned, Levitt was unanimously nominated by the Liberal Party and was elected President. Upon his election, President Levitt had Chancellor Lucius Hayden replaced by former Minister of Finance and bank manager Terry Dannel.

Levitt is considered to be the most radical head of state in Biatenian history. In 1874, Levitt's administration passed several constitutional amendments, the most notable of which took the power of appointment of the Chancellor away from the President and replaced it with the power to nominate the Chancellor, with the nomination requiring confirmation in the National Diet. This gave the Chancellor more democratic legitimacy and ensured that a Chancellor's government can pass legislation more effectively with the confidence of the National Diet. Although the President kept the power of appointment of the Cabinet, the Chancellor would advise the President on who to appoint. In 1875, legislation was passed giving women above the age of 21 the right to vote in local and regional elections. This move was praised by many but was criticised by some as being unreflective of Levitt and his administration's public views on female suffrage.

As President, Levitt stabilised the economy and prosecuted violent xenophobic groups. He was the first President to appoint a non-white to the Cabinet, appointing black activist Digby Waller as the Minister of Justice in 1876. Conservatives united behind former Chancellor Lucius Hayden in the 1877 election, but Levitt was re-elected.

Levitt's second term was considered to be worse than his first term. Corruption in the government became noticeable, causing several cabinet ministers to resign. In 1879, a recession hit, which allowed the Centre Party to win the most seats in the National Diet and form a conservative coalition. Despite this, President Levitt narrowly managed to have Chancellor Dannel reconfirmed by the National Diet. President Levitt died in January 1882, 4 months before his second term ended. He was temporarily replaced by Minister of Justice Brian Schwarzenegger until the election, which was won by former Chancellor Lucius Hayden.

Lucius Hayden (1882 - 1890)

Lucius Hayden (Lived: 1808 - 1895) was a conservative politician who served as the seventh President of Biaten, serving from 1882 until his resignation in 1890. He had previously served as Chancellor of Biaten between 1862 and 1872.

Hayden was born into a wealthy family in west Hachen. His father was an upper-class estate owner and a former military officer. From 1826 to 1829, he studied law at university. In 1831, he went on to study agriculture. He served in the military between 1832 and 1835, until he returned home to run his father's estate after his death.

In 1840, he was chosen as a candidate for the Hachen in the legislative election by the conservative Centre Party and was elected to the National Diet. There, he gained a reputation as a reactionary politician. He openly opposed the idea of women being granted the right to vote. He opposed the Liberal government that was in control at the time, arguing that it was "ruining traditional Biatenian values". In 1845, President Bertram Rush, in order to gain the favour of conservative politicians, appointed Hayden as Minister of Labour. He accepted, but only to oppose the government's proposals more effectively.

Hayden served as Minister of Labour for 12 years. These 12 years were marked by changes in his political opinions. Hayden became less reactionary and more pragmatic. He became convinced that to counter the Liberal Party's influence, the Centre Party would need to take on a few maverick policies and become a liberal-conservative party.

In 1856, Centre Party Chairman Rufus Augustine resigned. Hayden ran successfully in a leadership contest to replace him. As a result of his election as Chairman, as well as the Centre Party's recent electoral successes, Hayden demanded that he be appointed Chancellor. This request was rejected by President Rush, and so Hayden resigned from the government in 1857.

In 1860, President Rush removed Chancellor Andre Loris, who had served for 29 years, as a result of him beginning to verbally oppose Rush's presidency. This made Rush more unfavourable to the Liberal Party. In 1862, a crisis arose when the National Diet refused to authorise increased funding for the military, a proposal which was also opposed by Chancellor Ewart Fairchild. The President's government could not convince the National Diet to pass the budget and the President was unwilling to make concessions. In April 1862, the National Diet, influenced by Chancellor Fairchild, overwhelmingly rejected the proposed budget. President Rush was persuaded by Interior Minister Kerry Palmer to appoint Hayden as Chancellor. On 23 May 1862, President Rush appointed Hayden Chancellor.

Hayden acquired a powerful hold over the President through powers of persuasion. Hayden moved to end the budget deadlock in the President's favour. A legal loophole was found which allowed him to apply the previous year's budget without the consent of the National Diet. Hayden's conflict with the legislators intensified in the coming years. In February 1863, the National Diet voted in favour of a motion of no confidence in Hayden, which, at the time, could not be a legally binding motion. In response, the President dissolved the National Diet and called an election. His supporters performed poorly in the May election, in which a liberal coalition, led by the Liberal Party, received a majority of seats. The National Diet made repeated calls for Hayden to be dismissed, but the President supported him.

In 1865, President Rush resigned and was succeeded by former Chancellor Major Skeates. Skeates, upon his election, announced that he would keep Hayden as Chancellor and continue the policies of President Rush. The Finance Ministry raised the issue that the 1861 budget was too outdated and that the budget would need to be updated, so in September 1865 a new budget was proposed by Minister of Finance Terry Dannel. Hayden negotiated with liberal National Diet members, offering concessions if they agreed to the new budget. The budget was passed. During Hayden's later years as Chancellor, President Skeates, as well as the rest of the government, became unpopular. In 1867, every liberal in the cabinet, including Finance Minister Terry Dannel, was removed from the cabinet. However, in 1869, Liberal Party politician Poldi Levitt was appointed as Vice-Chancellor.

In 1872, it was widely speculated that the government was corrupt, which prompted the liberal majority in the National Diet to table an impeachment motion. Instead of facing impeachment, President Skeates announced his resignation and called an election. The main contenders of the 1872 presidential election were Hayden and Levitt. Levitt won the election with 55% of the vote. Upon taking office, Levitt immediately had Hayden removed as Chancellor and replaced him with former Finance Minister Terry Dannel. Hayden became Leader of the Opposition.

In opposition, Hayden opposed many of the reforms passed by President Levitt's government. Hayden opposed giving the power to confirm the Chancellor to the National Diet, arguing that it would the President from appointing a Chancellor and leave the President with an ineffective government. Hayden believed that executive power should solely lie with the President, as the President had a democratic mandate. As a traditionalist, Hayden also opposed allowing women to vote in local and regional elections.

In 1877, Hayden attempted to run again as President, with the backing of most conservatives. In the first round, Hayden received 25% of the vote, but lost the final round 56% to 44% against President Levitt. In the 1880 legislative election, the Centre Party became the largest party. With support from many members of the National Diet, Hayden demanded that he be re-instated as Chancellor. However, President Levitt refused and instead had Chancellor Dannel renominated and reconfirmed with a narrow margin.

In 1882, President Levitt died. With the Liberal Party divided over who should become the new President, Hayden took this opportunity to run again for President. The Liberal Party nominated Foreign Minister Jenson Wolf. Hayden managed to win the election with just over 52% of the vote.

After taking office, advisers urged Hayden to remove Chancellor Terry Dannel. President Hayden, however, refused, instead offering the Chancellor a compromise: Dannel may remain as Chancellor as long as he served alongside several conservatives in the cabinet. Chancellor Dannel reluctantly agreed.

Hayden launched a "cultural purification" in 1882. Many of the non-Christian clergy were imprisoned or exiled. At this point, one-fifth of Biaten's population was non-Chrstian (atheist, Muslim, Jewish, etc.). Hayden believed that bishops should be given more power in government. In 1883, Hayden appointed Bishop Beckett as Minister of Social Affairs. The government passed legislation making Christian teachings compulsory, and many non-Christian teachers were fired. The "cultural purification" was opposed by the Liberal Party. These anti-secular measures caused Chancellor Dannel to resign in 1884. In Dannel's resignation speech, he called the government's actions "appalling and overly extreme". He was replaced by his former Vice-Chancellor Goodwin Jacobs. Atheists reacted by strengthening the Liberal Party. In 1885, Hayden abandoned the "cultural purification" in order to maintain some level of support from the Liberal Party since he now needed their votes in order to combat the rise of socialism.

In terms of ethnic minorities, Hayden pursued a policy of hostility in particular towards the Jews. In a dispatch to Chancellor Jacobs in 1884, he wrote "If we want to survive then we have no choice but to wipe out the Jews. Every Jewish success is a defeat for Biaten." During his 8 years as President, 500 Jews (20% of the Jewish population) were expelled from Biaten.

In the early 1880s, Biaten experienced a recession, a crisis which Hayden had inherited from his predecessor. To protect industries, President Hayden established protectionist tariffs, which alienated the Liberal Party who demanded free trade.

Worried by the growth of socialism, the Social Democratic Party in particular, Hayden passed the Socialist Act in 1883. Socialist organisations, except for the Social Democratic Party, were forbidden. A number of socialists were tried. Despite these efforts, the socialist movement gained supporters and seats in the National Diet. The law did not ban the Social Democratic Party directly. Hayden's strategy was to win the support of the working class by creating the welfare state in 1884, which included pensions and medical coverage for accidents. This did not work, as the Social Democratic Party received increased support every election.

Hayden re-ran in the 1887 election. winning 27% of the vote in the first round, 32% in the second round, 40% in the third round and 53% in the final round, defeating Liberal Party candidate James Williams. Hayden's second term was shorter and less active than his first term. By 1888, Hayden was diagnosed with a brain tumour, which caused other psychological damage to the President. More of the state's matters were handled by Chancellor Jacobs. Unfit to serve any longer, Hayden stepped down in 1890. He was succeeded by Liberal Party politician Michael Wilmer. Hayden died of a stroke in 1895, aged 87.

Michael Wilmer (1890 - 1900)

Michael Wilmer (Lived: 1821 - 1906) was the eighth President of Biaten. He served for one decade from 1890 to 1900.

Wilmer was born in 1821 in Hachen to an upper-class. His mother, Brenda Wilmer (nee Thomas) was the eldest daughter of first President Selby Thomas. At the time of his birth, his grandfather was President. From the age of 9, Wilmer was tutored by writer Sigmund Arthurs. Between 1839 and 1843, he studied law and politics at university. Wilmer was considered to be very intelligent. Wilmer idolised his grandfather, who died in 1840, and wanted to follow in his footsteps. However, he had a distant relationship with his mother. In 1843, he joined the Army. During his 20s, he became distant with his parents. He fell in love with and married Heidemarie Walkenhorst in 1844, and remained married for 41 years until her death in 1885. In between 1845 and 1865, Heidemarie would bear Wilmer 3 sons and 4 daughters. In 1845, Wilmer became an apprentice at the Foreign Ministry.

In 1850, Wilmer joined the Liberal Party. During this time, Wilmer befriended future President Poldi Levitt. In 1855, Wilmer was elected to the National Diet. Wilmer quickly became a prominent Liberal politician and became a vocal supporter of many reforms, such as taking power away from the President and granting women suffrage. In 1859, he was appointed by President Rush as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, a position which he held for a year until 1860, when he was appointed to serve as Vice-Chancellor alongside Chancellor Ewart Fairchild. In 1862, Wilmer was removed alongside Fairchild and returned as a backbencher in the National Diet. In 1872, when Levitt became President, Wilmer was a strong supporter of Levitt. However, his impatience soon brought him into conflict with the President. Wilmer was critical of how the President was failing to achieve full female suffrage, as well as being too appeasing to conservatives. In 1882, prominent conservative Lucius Hayden was elected as President. Wilmer strongly opposed President Hayden. After the 1872 presidential election, Wilmer stated that "the Biatenian people have just voted away our values." During Hayden's Presidency, Wilmer voted against 86% of legislation proposed by the government, including the Socialist Act of 1883, which Wilmer stated was "an attack on politicial freedom".

During the 1880s, Wilmer became more interested in social problems, especially the treatment of miners who went on strike in 1888. He routinely interrupted cabinet ministers whenever they addressed the National Diet to make clear where he stood on social policy. The government refused to back legislation proposed by Wilmer that protected workers, so it was rejected in the National Diet.

In 1890, Wilmer received the support of most of the Liberal Party to run in the presidential election. In the election, Wilmer received 25% of the vote in the first round, 39% in the second and 51% in the final round against Centre Party politician Gregory Vogel.

After the election, Wilmer had most conservative cabinet ministers replaced with liberal ministers. He did not immediately remove Chancellor Jacobs, as Jacobs still had major support from both liberals and conservatives. During his inauguration speech, he promised to grant women suffrage during his presidency. In 1891, his government proposed the Suffrage of Women Act, which allowed all women above the age of 21 to vote. However, a conservative coalition still controlled a majority in the National Diet, so in a compromise with the more centrist members of the coalition, the act was amended so that the minimum age at which a woman could vote was 30. The Act passed by a a narrow 183 to 181 (out of 400 seats in the National Diet).

Wilmer enthusiastically promoted science, as well as public education and social welfare. He created the Michael Wilmer Society for the Promotion of Scientific Research. It was funded by wealthy private donors and by the state and consisted of a number of research centres. The Department of Education incorporated new programs in engineering. In 1892, education was made free as many schools fell under the administration of the Department of Education. Wilmer supported reforms of secondary education, which was mostly traditional, elitist and authoritarian.

In 1892, Jacobs resigned as Chancellor over disagreements between him and Wilmer over judicial reforms. At first, Wilmer attempted to nominate Vice-Chancellor and incumbent acting Chancellor Zeph Polzin, but this confirmation was rejected in the National Diet. This lead to a political deadlock. To break this deadlock, Wilmer agreed to nominate Centre Party leader Nick Whittemore in exchange for allowing to keep some liberals on the cabinet. The confirmation passed smoothly. Whittemore's chancellorship began to persuade conservatives that the Chancellor should be given more power.

In 1895, Wilmer won re-election, narrowly beating Centre Party candidate Edward Williams and Social Democratic candidate Jack Sanford. In the National Diet, the seats held by the conservative coalition was reduced but it still held a majority, with Social Democrats making major gains.

After his re-election in 1895, Wilmer became less involved in government business, leaving many of his duties with the Chancellor. Wilmer's role in government was decreasing and his duties became mostly ceremonial. Nevertheless, Wilmer still retained the ultimate authority in matters of political appointment, and it was only after his consent had been gained that major changes to the cabinet could be made. In 1899, Wilmer's support began to collapse. In 1900, he decided not to run as President due to poor health. After the election, he was replaced by Edward Williams.

After stepping down as President, Wilmer retired to his country home, where he died in 1906.