2012 Nollandish coup d'état attempt

2012 Nollandish coup d'état attempt
Date 16 November 2012 Location Nolland Result Coup attempt fails Resignation of the Lobão government and Senate Speaker Williamson Dissolution of the Senate and the institution of an absolute monarchy
Belligerents
Government of Nolland National Guard "Royalist" Senatorial faction	Republicans Liberal Socialists Greens
Commanders and leaders
Thomas I Richard Hytholoday	Arthur Lobão Leon Williamson

The 2012 Nollandish coup d'état attempt was a failed attempt to overthrow Nolland's monarchical government by a loosely-aligned coalition of Republican and left-leaning groups. The coup, despite its swift quashing, would have profound and long-lasting effects on Nollandish politics. Not only would it cause the resignation of the government of Arthur Lobão, but it would also lead to the departure of Leon Williamson from Nollandish politics for a number of years and would usher in a period of absolutist rule.

Background

On October 12, incumbent First Minister Williamson presented his resignation to then-Emperor Thomas I. Whilst the officially stated reason for his resignation was that he "felt he'd done all he could for Nolland", there was much speculation that his resignation was caused by his failure to further empower the Senate and to pass reforms limiting the power of the Monarchy. Whilst Williamson would soon return to his post in a caretaker capacity after Jack Baines' removal, his initial resignation was perhaps the first manifestation of anti-monarchy sentiment in Nolland.

After Williamson's caretaker government, the premiership was assumed by Richard Hytholoday, who was like Williamson a member of the then-influential Green Party. Unfortunately for Nolland's political stability, his tenure would last less than a day due to the somewhat farcical events of the "October Crisis", where Hytholoday tried to switch his party allegiance upon assuming office only to be forced to resign by outraged Senators.

This subsequently led to the election of Liberal Socialist Arthur Lobão as Nolland's First Minister, with the Green Party reduced to a near-rump on the Senate. This result was viewed by many as a resounding defeat for Nollandish anti-monarchism, but unbeknown to most Lobão and many members of his party had republican and pro-constitutional monarchy leanings.