View source for Duchy of Orloff

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| Founded = [[2691]]<ref name=HMTFWLp63>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 63, "Duchy of Orloff"</ref><ref name="FR2765:FWLMp19"/>
| Dissolved = c. [[3083]]<ref name=FM3085p83/>
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| systems = 2 (2765)<ref name="FR2765:FWLMp19"/><br>6 (2822)<ref name=HHMp34>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 34, "Free Worlds League after First Succession War [2822]" (Map)</ref><br>5 (2864)<ref name=HHMp38>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 38, "Free Worlds League after Second Succession War [2864]" (Map)</ref><br>3 (3025-3081)<ref name=HHMp42>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 42, "Free Worlds League after Third Succession War [3025]" (Map)</ref><ref name=JFRp42>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 42, "Inner Sphere - October 3067" (Map)</ref> 
| population = 
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| Head of State = [[Earl of Orloff|Earl]]
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| army = [[Orloff Grenadiers]]<ref name="FR2765:FWLMp19"/>
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The '''Duchy of Orloff''' was a member-province of the [[Free Worlds League]] from [[2691]] until that nation's dissolution in [[3079]], after which it existed briefly as an independent state before merging with the [[Duchy of Oriente]] and [[The Protectorate|the Protectorate]] to form the [[Oriente Protectorate]].

The Duchy was an oligarchy, with the ruling family providing many good leaders and exceptional commanders to the [[FWLM]]. In many cases the Duke of Orloff was supportive of the policies of the Federal government against other provinces such as the [[Principality of Regulus|Regulus]].<ref name=HHMp76>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 76</ref> <ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 73</ref> 

== History ==
The worlds that would become the Duchy of Orloff were part of the [[Federation of Oriente]] from the days of the League's founding, and its ruling family, [[House Orloff]], were close allies of Oriente's [[House Allison|Allison dynasty]].<ref name=HMTFWLp63/>

===Star League Era===
The Duchy of Orloff was founded in [[2691]] when House Orloff cited the ''[[Camlann vs. Free Worlds]]'' precedent and broke the worlds of [[Kievanur]] and [[Semenyih]] off from the Federation of Oriente. The Duchy immediately authorized the formation of its own [[brigade]] of [[BattleMech]]-equipped forces, the Orloff Grenadiers, for which the Orloffs were the sole funder and guarantors that they would receive top of the line equipment. However the Duchy continued to retain close ties with Oriente and House Allison, allowing the Grenadiers to be deployed within the Federation of Oriente.<ref name="FR2765:FWLMp19">''Field Report 2765: FWLM'', p. 19: "Orloff Grenadiers"</ref>

===Succession Wars===
Captain-General [[Marie Marik]] antagonized the Duchy during the 2870s by including its forces in the defense of worlds recently conquered on the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] front. The eventual loss of these planets only exacerbated Orloff's animosity.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 37</ref> The Duchy later supported Admiral [[Lloyd Marik-Stanley|Lloyd Marik-Stanley's]] regency in [[2883]], perhaps in return for his policy of strengthening the League's military along the [[Capellan Confederation|Capellan]] border.<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 38</ref>

Orloff supported [[Elisabeth Marik|Elisabeth Marik's]] policy of raiding the Confederation, notably during the "Red Rover" deep raids against Capellans supply bases from [[2901]] to [[2910]].<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 39-40</ref>

Orloff maintained its strong ties with Oriente in the final years of the [[Third Succession War]], often introducing bills in Parliament in their larger neighbor's stead.The federal government could generally count upon the Duchy's support against the opposition in Parliament.<ref name=HMTFWLp63/> <ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 66, "Floor Support"</ref> The Duchy's loyal relationship with Captain-General [[Janos Marik]] led to its forces being sidelined on the Lyran front by [[Anton Marik]] prior to launching his coup. As a result Orloff forces spent much of the [[Marik Civil War (31st c.)|Marik Civil War]] engaging LCAF raiders, although [[Orloff Grenadiers|Orloff Grenadier]] regiments were later able to join the Loyalist counteroffensives.<ref>''Historical: Brush Wars'', p. 21</ref> <ref>''Historical: Brush Wars'', p. 30</ref>

===Mid-thirty-first Century===
During the decade between [[3057]] and [[3067]] the Duchy was one of the Captain-General's most supportive provinces in Parliament<ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 83, "Voting Patterns For and Against the Government"</ref> <ref>''Handbook: House Marik'', p. 84, "Parties and Voting Blocs"</ref> 

===Post-Jihad and merger with Oriente===
The Duchy managed to emerge from the Free Worlds League's collapse in better shape than most of its neighbors, and generally avoided conflict. Nonetheless, expansion by the [[Marik Commonwealth]] and [[Principality of Regulus]] led Orloff to strengthen its ties with Oriente, and between [[3081]] and [[3085]] the two states merged.<ref>''Field Report: FWLM'', p. 13</ref> <ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 92</ref> <ref>''Jihad: Final Reckoning'', p. 62-63, "Inner Sphere - March 3081" Map - Duchy still independent</ref> <ref name=FM3085p83>''Field Manual: 3085'', p. 83 - Duchy was integrated into Oriente between 3081 and 3085</ref> By [[3086]] the addition of the former [[The Protectorate|Protectorate]] province resulted in the creation of the Oriente Protectorate.<ref>''Dark Age: Touring the Stars (3130)'', p. 73 (pdf) - founding year of Oriente Protectorate being 3086</ref>

== Rulers ==
=== 3025 ===
Earl [[Vicente Orloff]]<ref>''House Marik (The Free Worlds League)'', p. 148, Vicente Orloff profile</ref> 

=== 3067 ===
Duke [[Alfonso Orloff]]<ref name=HHMp76 />

==Historical: maps (Gallery)==
<gallery>
File:Duchy of Orloff 2822.jpg|Duchy of Orloff After First Succession War in 2822
File:Duchy of Orloff 2864.jpg|Duchy of Orloff After Second Succession War in 2864
File:Duchy of Orloff 3025.jpg|Duchy of Orloff After Third Succession War in 3025
File:Duchy of Orloff 3030.jpg|Duchy of Orloff After Fourth Succession War in 3030
File:Duchy of Orloff 3081 Map.jpg|Duchy of Orloff After Jihad in 3081
</gallery>

==Reference==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Dark Age: Touring the Stars (3130)]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: 3085]]''
* ''[[Field Report: FWLM]]''
* ''[[Field Report 2765: FWLM]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Marik]]''
* ''[[Historical: Brush Wars]]''
* ''[[House Marik (The Free Worlds League)]]''
* ''[[Jihad: Final Reckoning]]''


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