FDC's Coup d'état

On 5/22 in AE238, shortly after the USC's proclamation of war, a military coup d'état led by Covert Council Chairman Merlynik Phylus overthrew the government in the Republic of Agathos. It had the support of the Presidency, the Covert Council, as well as around 1/3 of the republic's military. Participants in the coup were organized by the Freedom Defense Council, which would begin governing areas it controlled after the coup and become a major faction in the Agathonian civil war.

For a full timeline of the events see the Unity War Timeline.

Members of the FDC gave the following reasons for the coup:

• Corruption of Agathonian senators - It had become widely known that only those who gave the most money to senators' campaign funds would have their agenda passed in the legislature.
• Unity during time of war - While the Republic and it's United Alliance were beginning to prosecute the Unity War, both the senate and courts were calling for investigations of the executive branch for those responsible for the botched Operation Blue Rebel. Supporters of the coup thought this was treason and should be conducted only after the USC's defeat.
• Ability to prosecute the war effectively - Shortly before the coup, the Agathonian senate seemed poised to pass a law that would make it illegal for the president to order Agathonian forces into offensive actions anywhere outside of Polus. To supporters this gave the UA no way to win the war. This, along with the senate-forced withdrawal of troops from Celic a decade earlier, proved in their minds that the senate was an isolationist and defeatist organization.

• The Senate - While the president was in league with the coup operation, most senators would naturally be opposed to the new order. For this reason only a handful of senators were allowed to participate in the coup, and the rest were planned to be arrested and tried for corruption. However, the senate was able to knowledge of the coup ahead of time, and when members of the FDC assaulted the senate building they would find that all important personnel had already fled.
• The Courts - Long seen as an extension of the senate, the courts would of course not approve of the dissolution of the senate's law. While the Supreme Court was able to flee along with the senate, many provincial and local magistrates were captured by FDC forces.
• The Church - Many members of the coup were of the Eleytherian religious minority, and to them the FDC was considered both a religious and political organization. Because of this the <> church was seen as a potential threat to the new order. The High Priests were captured in the initial coup, but were soon freed by Senate special forces.