View source for Duchy of Oriente

{{InfoBoxState
| image = Duchy of Oriente.jpg
| Founded = [[2241]] - as Federation of Oriente ''<ref>''Handbook House Marik'', p. 17</ref>
| Dissolved = c. [[3086]]<ref name=DA:INNp315>''Dark Age: 3132-3134 INN'', p. 315</ref>
| capital = [[Oriente]]
| systems = 
| population = 
| currency = 
| language = 
| demonym = 
| Head of State = [[Grand Duke of Oriente|Grand Duke]]
| cintel = 
| army = [[The Duke's and Duchess’ Own Corps of Foot and Horse]]
| navy = 
| mintel = 
}}

The '''Duchy of Oriente''', founded in [[2241]] as the '''Federation of Oriente''', was one of the three founding member-states of the [[Free Worlds League]] and an important province within that realm. Ruled for most of its history by [[House Allison]] and then from [[2845]] by [[House Halas]], Oriente was usually a supporter of the [[Captain-General of the Free Worlds League|Captain-Generals]] of [[House Marik]] or served as loyal opposition. By the mid-31st century the Duchy had become a pro-Federal, commercially-oriented member of the League, but the League's dissolution in [[3079]] left it an independent state. In [[3086]] the re-named Grand Duchy of Oriente merged with [[The Protectorate|the Protectorate]] and the [[Duchy of Orloff]] to form the [[Oriente Protectorate]].

==History==
As one of the founding states, [[Oriente]] supported the Marik clan many times and sometimes opposed it. The Duchy has a central role in the economy, military and other important places of the league. The [[House Halas]] have direct connections to the ruling Mariks through a marriage of the daughter of the Duke with Thomas Marik.

===The Jihad===
In early April [[3076]] the Duchy of Oriente reportedly sponsored a raid on [[Atreus (FWL)|Atreus]] by the [[2nd Knights of the Inner Sphere]] which resulted in the Knights being destroyed.<ref name="JHS:Tp21">''Jihad Hot Spots: Terra'', p. 21, "Timeline of the Jihad"</ref><ref name="J:FRp55">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 55, "The Jihad In Review"</ref>

In the immediate aftermath of the dissolution of the League the Duchy of Oriente found itself operating as an independent state. The false [[Thomas Marik]] was soon viewed as the most likely successor to the aging Duke [[Christopher Halas (30th c.)|Christopher Halas]], partly due to his marriage to [[Sherryl Halas|Sherryl]], but also due to his dedicated principles. It was Thomas Halas who negotiated the unofficial ceasefire with the Capellan Confederation in [[3073]], and soon the Halas family was engaged in increasing levels of communication with the Orloff family, rulers of the [[Duchy of Orloff]], as well as a number of notable families within the Protectorate.<ref name="FR:FWLp10">''Field Report: FWLM'', p. 10, "Duchy of Oriente"</ref>

Following the call by [[Devlin Stone]] for forces to support [[Operation SCOUR]], the Duchy contributed special operations teams, vital logistical support and [[WarShip]]s in support of the Coalition drive on [[Terra]], but swiftly recalled their deployed assets after the liberation of Terra to help fortify the Duchy's borders. The Duchy's WarShip fleet remained its most potent form of defense, with crews<ref name="FR:FWLp10"/> although [[Word of Blake]] WarShips launched attacks against a number of Oriente systems in mid-to-late [[3079]] that cost the Duchy a number of WarShips.<ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 19, "Blakist Raids Savage Duchy Of Oriente"</ref><ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 18-19, "Shadows Over Oriente"</ref> The Blakist strike at the Duchy also cost Oriente the docks the government had just finished restoring to operational status, leaving the Duchy without facilities for supporting the reduced WarShip fleet and consequently curtailing WarShip operations significantly.<ref name="FR:FWLp6">''Field Report: FWLM'', p. 6, "Infrastructure Integrity"</ref>  With [[Jessica Halas]] and Thomas both taking on a greater share of the administration and policy of the Duchy, the Duchy's support for the Coalition rapidly dissipated, as the Duchy looked to secure its own borders and people ahead of supporting the ambitions of Devlin Stone and his immediate allies.<ref name="FR:FWLp3"/>

General Garibaldi led the [[First Marik Militia]] to defect to the Duchy when the League dissolved, as his ties to the Halas family stretched back over many years; while the Duchy welcomed the skilled Militia warriors, the First's garrisons on [[Ohrensen]] and [[Ventabren]] were targeted by Blakist raiders who used cargo DropShips to deploy nuclear weapons against both garrisons, destroying all bar a few patrolling [[lance]]s from the Militia. Despite the Militia being effectively destroyed as a combat command, the Duchy was in a strong position as the Jihad drew to a close, thanks to the largely intact forces of the [[Oriente Hussars]] and the experience of the surviving [[Fusiliers of Oriente]]. Thomas' efforts to rescue Sherryl from Atreus, and his use of forces loyal to him rather than provincial forces, were both actions noted by the Fusiliers and Hussars, and Duke Christopher's support of Thomas ensured that the Duchy's forces were both proud of their position and loyal to Thomas.<ref name="FR:FWLp10"/> Politically, the Duchy remained committed to rebuilding the Free Worlds League.<ref name="FR:FWLp3">''Field Report: FWLM'', p. 3-4, "Goals of the State(s)"</ref>

In the years between the breakup of the Free Worlds League and the formation of the [[Oriente Protectorate]], the Duchy of Oriente suffered constant attacks along the Oriente-Regulus border, where the Regulans continually raided the Duchy for supplies and materials. The armed forces of the Duchy, the Duke's and Duchess' Own Corps of Fusiliers and Hussars, struck back at planets in Regulan space, but had trouble using their superior numbers against the Principality's armed forces and their years of experience at waging guerrilla warfare against the [[Word of Blake]].<ref name="J:FRp91">''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 91, "The Marik Commonwealth"</ref>

Forced into constant low-level warfare against the Regulans, the Duchy interdicted the jump points in the [[Avior]] and [[Muscida]] systems to try and cut the Regulan raiders off from their supply bases. Thankfully, relations with the Duchy's other neighbors were warmer; the [[Duchy of Orloff]] and the Protectorate began cross-training military units together in the 3080s, with liaisons from all three governments increasingly commonly being seen together.<ref name="J:FRp91"/>

==Duchy of Oriente Historical Maps (Gallery)==
<gallery>
File:Duchy of Oriente 2271.jpg|Federation of Oriente during the Founding of the FWL in 2271
File:Duchy of Oriente 2571.jpg|Federation of Oriente After Age of War in 2571
File:Duchy of Oriente 2822.jpg|Duchy of Oriente After 1st Succession War in 2822
File:Duchy of Oriente 2864.jpg|Duchy of Oriente After 2nd Succession War in 2864
File:Duchy of Oriente 3025.jpg|Duchy of Oriente After 3rd Succession War in 3025 to 3067
</gallery>

==Reference==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Dark Age: 3132-3134 INN]]''
* ''[[Field Report: FWLM]]''
* ''[[Handbook House Marik]]''
* ''[[House Marik (The Free Worlds League)]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''
* ''[[Jihad Hot Spots: Terra]]''

[[Category:Nation States|Oriente, Duchy of]]
[[Category:Noble Landholds]]
[[Category:Free Worlds League Regions|Oriente, Duchy of]]
[[Category:Duchy of Oriente Related Categories]]