Jochum Houtzagers

Jochum Houtzagers was an Anglo-Dutch Christian Democrats politician who served as Prime Minister of Vilzland from 1881 to 1890, known for his role in the instigating of and within the Vilzland Civil War. Houtzagers has been listed as a controversial Prime Minister, being staunchly militant as well as law-and-order. He is, however, recognised by many political scholars as above average in rankings of Vilzland Prime Ministers for his success in the Civil War.

Member of Parliament
Houtzagers' life before Parliament was a rather normal one. Born in 1822, he was partially athletic, had a knack for poetry, and he enrolled to do Politics at the newly-established University of Vilzland in 1840. He had overseen the independence of Vilzland in 1832, which had become a defining feature of his life, and it became the subject of his dissertation. After leaving university, until his 40s, he was a journalist, reporting for the Vilzland Times. As a notorious political correspondent, Houtzagers himself began to consider the possibility of running for an MP position himself.

In 1864, Houtzagers resigned from his position at the Vilzland Times and announced he intended to run in the general election the following year as a member of the Christian Democrats. In 1865, at the age of 43, he ran for a constituency seat in Waalhoven, and won it by a strong margin, given his already strong likeness as a political correspondent.

Houtzagers' role in the Senate was met with tension. His ideas of paternal conservatism starkly contrasted the already strong aristocratic conservatism the Christian Democrats held. In 1876, he was appointed as the Foreign Secretary of Vilzland, and made several journeys to Britain, France and the Netherlands. In 1877, he met Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who became a strong influence to Houtzagers' belief. When Disraeli died in 1881, Houtzagers was invited to his funeral.

Furthermore, his Anglo-Dutch nature and some words he had said in political reports regarding French gangs and 'the rise of Franco-nationalism' had been met with controversy from French provinces in the south. When these words escalated during Senate debates, it became commonplace for French delegates to fall asleep or plug their ears whenever he would speak. Houtzagers never cared and kept speaking anyway, calling them 'ignorant to the facts'. To the vast majority of Senate, Houtzagers was becoming very popular.

1881 General Election
In 1880, the incumbent Prime Minister, Magnus Boezelman, announced he was resigning, following a scandal that got out of hand. The Christian Democrats were leaderless for the 1881 General Election and had begun a selection process. Houtzagers announced he would run for the candidacy, and received support from a stark majority of the party. At the dawn of 1881, as Boezelman officially resigned, Houtzagers was chosen as his replacement by nearly 80% of the party vote.

Houtzagers had no intention to continue his leadership without a mandate, and announced the election would still go ahead. In 1881, he ran for the Christian Democrats, and led an expensive campaign. While the southern provinces overwhelmingly voted against him, Houtzagers still won by a majority, capturing the provincial support of the remaining provinces.

The Road to War
Houtzagers' victory was met with hostile protests in the south. French gangs began to mobilise into minutemen brigades, taking up arms and beating up people who voted for the Christian Democrats. Houtzagers used this as justification to impose martial law, believing the police would help calm the protests; some of the police defected to the French cause, and soon talks of re-establishing Túsenland had become common in the south, a cause for concern for the new Houtzagers premiership.

Following the imposing of martial law, riots and protests kicked off through the year's winter. Continued attempts by Houtzagers to calm the protests had him declared a despot and a tyrant, and French delegates in the Senate who had become fed up with the Prime Minister's attempts to calm the violence quickly flocked to King Robrecht I with the simple demand of dismissing him. To the King, Houtzagers was a strong and powerful symbol both nationally and diplomatically, thereby refusing to dismiss him. This decision was met with continued uproar and calls for republicanism.

What made matters worse was the implementation of the Act of Southern Suppression, which gave loyalist police forces the ability to arrest and detain 'suspicious' individuals in the protests without a justified cause. The French delegates believed this would be shut down by the House of Honour, but the House, under heavy influence from the hegemonic Christian Democrats, allowed it through. Without government support, the French delegates turned to the revolutionaries.

Houtzagers called this the 'Betrayal that Sparked the Flame ', and believed civil war had become inevitable. Only months later, he was proven correct.

Civil War Sparks
In March 1882, French delegates banded together with revolutionary officials and declared the secession of their southern provinces, forming a new socialist state, the Republic of Túsenland. Houtzagers was quick to deny the legitimacy of such claim, but knew that he would get nowhere with the French delegates. The delegates had now refused to attend the Senate, and Houtzagers learned quickly of a new illegitimate government forming in Epienne, under the leadership of a President, Arnaud Laframboise. Laframboise stated that this was a call of French independence. Houtzagers once again refused to recognise the legitimacy of the state, and Laframboise declared war.

Political Involvement in the Civil War
For the full action lore of the civil war, click here.

Houtzagers' political involvement in the Civil War was ensuring the stability of what remained. His starting effort was dedicating to ensuring neither Britain, nor France nor the Dutch would get involved in the conflict, believing that taking sides would cause a greater war. This diplomatic effort was successful, and the powers met in private to discuss their actions if Túsenland succeeded in the war. Houtzagers remained optimistic that Vilzland would become whole again, and urged the men to fight on despite the stalemate.

Throughout the stalemate, Houtzagers called for conscription and economic pragmatism in order to keep the north alive. Lucky for him, as his government held Ljochstad, supply trade from the European powers was sent straight to his government, and Houtzagers immediately sent them to the troops, implementing rations to the populace as a means of survival. This tactic, even if some in the north were angered at the lack of food they were getting, was successful; and when the miracle came, the troops ploughed forward.

Hope came for the government when General Silvain Vaugrenard defected, following the economic collapse of the Republic. Houtzagers and his government met with Vaugrenard privately, and they learned of the French vulnerable points, especially in Epienne. Houtzagers did not hesitate, and put Vaugrenard in charge of the battle.

This heavily worked, and a push through Epienne left the French troops demoralised. Continued battles and skirmishes left Vaugrenard and the northern army in the lead, pushing through and capturing President Laframboise. Vaugrenard personally delivered the President to Houtzagers, who sentenced him to death on the grounds of treason to the crown. King Robrecht I was satisfied with signing this death warrant.

Houtzagers believed that the Civil War should be remembered. For his strong commitment to the loyalist cause, the King had a statue of Houtzagers erected at the site of the Battle of Epienne, a statue that controversially remains there to this day, albeit vandalised and defaced in places.

Recovery and Prosperity
Houtzagers remained Prime Minister thereafter until 1890. He won re-election in 1886, and in his second term, focused on recovering from the woes of the Civil War. Charitable foundations were created for veterans on both sides, and Houtzagers personally oversaw the implementation of new economic funding for French civilians, in order to prevent another spill of tensions.

Houtzagers continued to engage in diplomatic and economic efforts with other nations, and Vilzland saw itself in a moment of economic boom for the remainder of his premiership. Museums were opened all across the stalemate line, displaying Civil War memoranda and anything left over from the violence.

Ailing Health, Resignation and Death
Houtzagers' health was ailing going into his late 60s. Reports suggested he had contracted cancer in 1890, and that it would be incurable. The same year, Houtzagers announced his resignation as Prime Minister. He was succeeded by his Deputy Prime Minister, Jan-Hendrik Hengo, who went on to lead the Christian Democrats in the General Election.

It was obvious that Houtzagers would not last much longer. In 1891, at the age of 69, Houtzagers died, surrounded by his family, his loved ones and members of his government.