Ferdinand II of Hulstria & I of Sisula & Trigunia

His Imperial and Most Illustrious Lutheran Majesty, Ferdinand II, Defender of the Faith, by the Grace of God, Emperor of Hulstria, His Royal Northern Highness Great Prince of Trigunia, His Royal Highness Grand Duke of Sisula, His Royal Majesty King of Pulond (b.Febuary 18th, 2870, Schloss Fliederbrunn, Kien, Hulstria) is the reigning Emperor of Hulstria, Great Prince of Trigunia, and Grand Duke of Sisula. Ferdinand II is the first son and child of Maximilian VII of Hulstria, and Idda, Countess of Savonia. Kaiser Ferdinand is the eldest out of three kids and is the older brother to Archduke Leopold and Archduchess Charlotte of Hulstria; he is also the brother-in-law of Princess Lucinda of Drania and Matvei, Count of Lensk, his siblings's respective consorts. Ferdinand's paternal grandparents are Klaus Gustav IV of Hulstria and Janne II of Vorona and maternal grandparents are Osmund III of Valonen and Amanda, Marquise of Øivine. Ferdinand's paternal great grand-parents are Godric II of Hulstria and Roberta Lusk and his maternal great grand-parents were Konrad I of Vorona and Cecilia Gorsky. Ferdinand II is also cousins of George III of Luthori, Valdemar II, pretender to the throne of the Vorona Archduchy, and Constantine I of Tukarali; Ferdinand is also cousins with Henrietta, Crown Princess of Endralon. Ferdinand II currently married to Princess Harriet of Talmoria and has four issues; Rainer, Crown Prince of Hulstria, Archduke Heinrich of Hulstria, Archduke Maximilian of Hulstria, and Archduchess Aleksandra of Hulstria.

Ferdinand II ascended to the throne following his father's abdication due to illness in 2906; he assumed the throne at a rather young age at 36. As Emperor and Great Prince, Ferdinand II saw through the reinstatement of the Hulstro-Trigunian personal union, and several domestic reforms. Ferdinand's early years saw the Imperial Court grow closer to the International Monarchist League and to other reigning monarchies on the continent of Dovani, mainly the House of Santiago in Drania and to the Hemmingways in Talmoria; these friendships eventually lead to the formation of the "Imperial Consortium" between the monarchies. In Greater Hulstria, the nobility saw an increase of representation in the Imperial Diet with the likes of Isolde von Smaragdwald and Hieronymus von Büren gaining power as well as a Christian democratic Staatsminister-ship. In Trigunia the "Mashkov Reforms" led by R.D. Mashkov, 1st Duke of Petrovgrad, the leader of the Trigunian monarchist bloc, helped the Great Princedom regain its economic and political standing on the continent of Keris. However the Duke of Petrovgrad, considered a national hero in the Great Princedom, died in a car accident in the early 2920s, plunging the monarchist cause into doubt in Trigunia for awhile but soon recovered.

Early Life & Education
His Imperial Majesty Archduke Ferdinand William Franz-Karl of the House of Rothingren-Traugott was born on Febuary 18th, 2870, at the Imperial Fliederbrunn Palace, to Maximilian, Crown Prince of Hulstria and Idda, Countess of Savonia. Archduke Ferdinand became the first child of the imperial couple and was quickly joined by a younger brother, Archduke Leopold, a year later in 2871, making Ferdinand the eldest child in the family. Archduke Ferdinand's paternal grandparents were Klaus Gustav IV and Janne II of Vorona, and maternal grandparents were Osmund III of Valonen and Amanda, Marquise of Øivine. Archduke Ferdinand during his young childhood years was very closely watched by his father and resided mainly at Fliederbrunn Palace though did during certain seasons reside at Phönixstein Castle and Korlburg Palace. His paternal grandmother, Janne II of Vorona, watched over the young Archduke as well. Archduke Ferdinand began his school career when he was six years old and was privately tutored until he was 10 years old when he enrolled in the Kiennese Boarding School Kien, close to Fliederbrunn, as his father Maximilian requested. The young Archduke was considered to be very active though at times could be very shy when he came across new people; Ferdinand eventually grew out of the latter. As a child he idolized the Hulstrian Monarchy and past Emperors, like Ferdinand I and and Alexander I. At the age of 12 Archduke Ferdinand took his first foreign trip to Fort William, the capital of Luthori, a monarch under the Orange-Villayn branch of the Rothingrens. In 2888, at the age of 18, Archduke Ferdinand enrolled at Rainer University in Veilchen, Hilgar, and took up the study of political science, international affairs, and public policy & administration. The Archduke also took up some sports offered by the University, notably cross country and track. Ferdinand excelled particularly in political science and Terran world history. Archduke Ferdinand also did very well in in the sport of cross country skiing and took part in many skiing competitions, both in Greater Hulstria and aboard; he did so well that during his sophomore year at Rainer University, he was the captain of his cross country skiing team and led his team to victory in the 2890 Northern Barrier Range Biathlon. In 2889, Archduke Ferdinand met with the Emperor of Talmoria, George VI, during the Talmori monarch's State Visit to Greater Hulstria; Ferdinand also met his daughter, Princess Harriet, who was too his age at the time. Ferdinand actually toured Harriet through Fliederbrunn Palace and danced with each other during the state dinner that was held. The two developed a long-range relationship following the State Visit specifically due to Ferdinands and Harriets respective schooling. Princess Harriet even attempted to get transfer to Rainer University to be with the Archduke but was unable to.

Crown Prince of Hulstria
Archduke Ferdinand in early 2892 was still attending Rainer University in Veilchen and had planned to graduate the following year to pursue a career in the Imperial Navy, following in the footsteps of his paternal great grandfather, Godric II of Hulstria. Ferdinand enjoyed the student life during his time at Rainer and as noted took part in many activities, becoming a very well known figure in the campus community; the young Archduke also was able to put significant amount of time in his schooling due to his place in the Hulstrian Monarchy. While then Ferdinand was 2nd in line to the Hulstrian throne, many royal responsibilities were often given to his father, Crown Prince Maximilian, the then heir to the throne in Greater Hulstria. However in May of 2892 Archduke Ferdinand would presented a new wave of duties and engagements; Klaus Gustav IV of Hulstria, Archduke Ferdinand's paternal grandfather, passed away in late May following a long year of problems with his heart; Klaus Gustav IV was 89 years old and reigned for over 36 years under a unique times in Hulstrian history. On per with the Imperial Writ of the Regulation of the Hulstrian Imperial Throne, Ferdinand's father ascended to the throne as Maximilian VII of Hulstria and subsequently Archduke Ferdinand became the new Crown Prince of Hulstria. Ferdinand was hit hard by the death because he was close to his paternal grandfather; the two especially became close in Ferdinand's late teen years when he started to take up in activities on behalf of the Monarchy and Ferdinand often confided in the Emperor of Hulstria, considering him an "adviser" of sorts on matters concerning life. Following the large funeral held for Klaus Gustav IV, now Crown Prince Ferdinand took about a month off from schooling at Rainer University, and returned back to normal scheduling in the summer of 2892. Two years later in 2894 Crown Prince Ferdinand finished his schooling from Rainer University with high honors, graduating in the top five of his graduating class.

Military Career
Shortly following his graduation, and after some time to himself to perform imperial duties including catching up with Princess Harriet, Crown Prince Ferdinand enrolled into the Hulstrian Imperial Navy at the Heinrich I Imperial Navy Academy, following in the steps of his paternal great grandfather, Godric II of Hulstria, who went onto become the Commander of the Imperial Submarine Fleet. A year later Crown Prince Ferdinand completed his naval officer's training and was commissioned as an Lieutenant on board the HIMS Imperial Ark in the winter 2895. Ferdinand would serve on the Imperial Ark for the next year, taking part in several military exercises and travels around Terra; in fact, the HIMS Imperial Ark was one of the first Hulstrian ships to tour the newly acquired southern Caltropic territories and docked at one of the ports in the Gulf of Histap for a period of two days before leaving back to mainland Hulstria. In 2898 Ferdinand was promoted to the rank of Commander and was given command of the Imperial Marine Strike Fighter Squadron on board the HIMS Heinrich II. At the time of his promotion, the Imperial Navy began construction on a new generation of strike fighters and a portion of these new fighters were given to Ferdinand's squadron; as a result, Ferdinand did periodic training exercises to test out of the efficency and effectiveness of these new fighters. His dedication and work effort went over well with the leadership of the Imperial Navy; the Crown Prince was soon promoted and commissioned as an Admiral in 2900. Ferdinand was also given the title of the Chief of the Imperial Navy Aviation Squadron by his father, Emperor Maximilian VII of Hulstria. Not only was he given command over the Imperial Navy Aviation Squadron, as Admiral he was given command of several other naval ships as well. Ferdinand as Admiral was noted to have taken several international trips and tours with his ships as well as doing regular military exercises. Admiral Ferdinand would serve the Imperial Navy well until his departure four years later.

Marriage to Princess Harriet of Talmoria
In early 2903, about four years following his promotion to Admiral in the Imperial Hulstrian Navy, Crown Prince Ferdinand decided to take a leave from the military following more than a decade of continuous service. The Hulstrian Imperial Family, as well as the citizenry, applauded Ferdinand's service to his country, and many believe he truly earned his position within the imperial ranks. Ferdinand's load of responsibilities, such as representing the Monarchy and commanding the Imperial Navy. also gained respect from the citizens and Ferdinand when he arrived in Kien for his homecoming celebration, thousands crowded the streets to greet the Hulstrian heir. Many saw his full entrance back into the Monarchy also as a chance not only to become closer to the people and closer to his job to represent the Monarchy, both domestically and internationally, but to finally tie the knot with long-time girlfriend, Princess Harriet of Talmoria, whom originally met back in the late 2980s when Harriet's father, George VI, Emperor of Talmoria, was received in Greater Hulstria by the Emperor at the time, Klaus Gustav IV of Hulstria. The two ever since the State Visit became involved in a relationship, often times long-distance, due to their respective schooling and military careers. Ferdinand went onto enroll in Rainer University while Harriet enrolled in the University of Iral and both went into the navy after their education. Harriet left the navy after nearly a decade of serve two years prior to Ferdinand's leave but did not seek to involve herself in another relationship, sticking to the Hulstrian Crown Prince. Ferdinand as well remained truthful to Harriet by not engaging in any other relations either. Finally in 2903 Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Hulstria, proposed to Princess Harriet and she accepted; Maximilian VII and George VI, their respective parents, gave consent and full support behind the marriage. The wedding ceremony was then set for the fall of 2903.

The attendee list for the wedding was needless to say very profile. Several foreign Monarchs and Heads of State attended the wedding of the Hulstrian heir and the Talmori Princess held at the Hulstrian National Cathedral in Kien. George III of Luthori, Osmund III of Valonen, George VI of Talmoria, Adela I of Vorona, and Aljendro I of Drania were some of the notable mentions during the wedding; George VI of course being the father of Harriet was expected already to attend. Osmund III, the Grand Duke of Valonen, originally thought he couldn't make it due to his old age but managed and personally attened; Osmund III of course is the maternal grand-father of Crown Prnce Ferdinand. Maximilian VII and George II, both descendants of Heinrich I, were sitted together at the very front row during the ceremony, as were their wifes. Following the wedding ceremony, Ferdinand and Harriet were cheered and welcomed by the crowd outside the Hulstrian National Cathedral as they walked out to their limousine; along the way to the limousine, Ferdinand and Harriet accepted numerous flowers and wreaths. The two then entered the car and were transported to Fliederbrunn Palace where a large celebration ensued. At the conclusion of the wedding, the Hulstrian Imperial Family, as well as the new royal couple, and the guests went on the balcony of Fliederbrunn to watch a fireworks show, as well as thousands of citizens on ground level.

Trigunia Restoration


Shortly following the marriage of Crown Prince Ferdinand and Princess Harriet, new developments were taking place in the Keris nation of Trigunia, a nation that which was once in personal union under Heinrich I of Hulstria during his reign. However, since it was abolished by communist radicals in the late 2600s, the Emperors of Hulstria then have been "pretenders to the throne" of Trigunia while still retaining their claim and their title of Great Prince of Trigunia. Since the late 2600 abolishment, Trigunia went under several different communist and dictator governments; before 2904, Trigunia was under a corrupt government where slavery was legal. However, at the turn of 28th century, the citizens of Trigunia did not put their support being the tainted regime, rather they put their support being a rising political party known as the Federalist Party of Trigunia; the Federalist Party of Trigunia was a monarchist party that supported bringing back the Rothingren-Traugotts as well as reforming the system of government within the nation and returning economic growth. Led by R.D. Mashkov, the Federalist Party was able to successfully gain mass support of the population and by 2903 was in complete power of the legislature, kicking out the corrupt institutions. Once in power, the Federalists moved towards restoring the Monarchy, and formally introduced legislation to do so in the winter of 2903, only a few months after Ferdinand's wedding; the motion passed with overwhelming support and for the first time in over 200 years, Greater Hulstria and Trigunia were to be in personal union. Klaus Gustav IV of Hulstria, Ferdinand's paternal grandfather, attempted to try to restore the throne but was unsuccessful, deciding to drop the issue at least during his reign, focusing on building upon thrones he already held. However, Maximilian was more successful in his efforts, and actually saw through the restoration; following the restoration vote, Maximilian VII traveled to the Bear's Den where he formally sat on the throne of the Great Princedom of Trigunia; the now Great Prince also met with R.D. Mashkov, the Viceroy of Trigunia, the elected representative of the Monarchy. Trigunia, while now a Monarchy, adopted a similar structure to that of Greater Hulstria with a Governor-General System yet here they had a Viceroy rather than a Governor-General; Maximilian was noted to be in full support in this structure of government for the newly restored Great Princedom. Ferdinand, who also held the title of Hereditary Prince of Tirgith, also traveled with his father during that visit, and was named as the official representative of the monarchy concerning Trigunian affairs, and when his father was absent, Ferdinand acted in his place. With this now in play, Ferdinand frequently traveled between Fliederbrunn and the Bear's Den, as well as conducting imperial activities and responsibilities within both nations.

Abdication of Maximilian VII
Shortly following the restoration of the Trigunian monarchy, Ferdinand's father began to fall a tad ill. At first, the imperial family, including Maximilian VII himself, did not worry too much as Maximilian was considered to be very healthy and prior to his illness did not experience any severity with his health. As such, Maximilian VII continued to reign as Emperor of Hulstria and as Great Prince of Trigunia; secretly however, Ferdinand's father was coming in and out of hospitals for tests and treatments. In January 2905, shortly after New Years, Maximilian VII was admitted to a Heinrichgrad General Hospital and stayed there for over two weeks; Ferdinand became acting regal of the Hulstrian Empire and the Great Princedom for the duration of this period. Following this incident, many within the Imperial Court were worried that Maximilian's state of health may affect his imperial duties and responsibilities but Maximilian VII refused to abdicate, as some suggested. Ferdinand, then Crown Prince, also joined his father in opposition to some within the Court to abdicate; due to this, the voices for such an action quickly died down as it seemed it would not come to be and many did not want to go against the Emperor, nor his son, on this delicate issue. The opinion of the public court were also on the side of His Imperial Majesty and the Crown Prince; while the public did know the prior events of hospital admissions, Maximilian's admission to the Heinrichgrad General Hospital was covered by Trigunian news outlets, coming back to the Imperial Crownlands, they still overly supported the Emperor, and were firmly against the Emperor of Hulstria stepping down. Ferdinand's father, also reffered as "Heinrich III of Hulstria & Trigunia", due to his resemblance to Heinrich I, enjoyed an "excellent" job approval rating of over 80% in a poll conducted just before his shocking announcement of abdication in 2906.

Emperor of Hulstria
Since Maximilian VII, Ferdinand's father, abdicated in June of 2906, the Crown Prince had to wait six months until his formal coronation as the Emperor of Hulstria due to the abdication policy of the Imperial Writ on the Hulstrian Throne. Ferdinand couldn't also be coronated as the Great Prince of Trigunia because of this as well. In this six month period, Fliederbrunn Palace was given time to prepare for the entrance of a new Emperor of Hulstria as too the population; Hulstrians were saddened on Ferdinand's father condition and many saw this six month period as a sort of mourning period for the beloved Maximilian VII as citizens held large vigils outside Fliederbrunn. The Imperial Diet as well was closed down with voting sessions limited to budgets and territory re-organization resolutions; Governor-General Isolde von Smaragdwald ordered flags be flown half staff at all major public buildings for the entirety of that period. Despite the mourning and the sense of loss, the Monarchy was still sound; Maximilian left a healthy and able-bodied House of Rothingren-Traugott for Ferdinand with the expansion of the Empire and new relations with other imperial families.

Finally in November 2906, Ferdinand was coronated as the new Emperor of Hulstria, at the Hulstrian National Cathedral. Several of the same people who attended the wedding Ferdinand and Harriet attended the large coronation and the celebrations following it. Ferdinand was crowned and recieved the title of "His Imperial and Most Illustrious Lutheran Majesty, Ferdinand II, Defender of the Faith, by the Grace of God, Emperor of Hulstria". The new Emperor's regnal name came from Ferdinand I of Hulstria, whom Ferdinand II himself is a direct descendant, the Rothingren-Traugott Emperor following the restoration of the Hulstrian Monarchy in 2551 after the Congress of Kien.

Domestically, Ferdinand II came to the throne during a time where politically the Hulstrian electorate was split on their preference for a political party. The Faschistische Gewalt-Partei, a conservative monarchist party, was enjoying a streak of plurality in the Imperial Diet however big government parties like the Knights Illuminate and the federalist Christliche Liberalen Allianz were enjoying sizeable representations as well. Despite the electorate's split, Greater Hulstria was stable politically. Economically, the nation was going through a period of growth; following a massive spending increase to the budget, GDP rose to over 14 trillion crowns, and trade as well increased. Another boost the economy was the re-location of the Seko-Cola Company, Terra's largest soft-drink company, to Veilchen, Hilgar; Ferdinand II himself attended the opening ceremony. Concerning the House of Rothingren-Traugott, the family was doing good, and Ferdinand II undertook efforts to expand relations with other royal families around Terra; like his father, Kaiser Ferdinand made sure relations with the House of Hemmingway remained sustainable, and that the Rothingrens extended it's hand of friendship to isolationist Houses. Internationally, Greater Hulstria enjoyed freedom from conflict but close ally Luthori was under republicanist threat from Mordusia, a nation in personal union with them. Unlike the Beiteynu-Luthori War, Luthori and Mordusia did not engage in military conflict, rather they decided to hold a conference to settle their differences, which lasted for several years. Greater Hulstria, while not involved in the conflict, sent a delegate to that conference as an observer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then under Arnold Chamberlain; he event ended in the early years of the decade of 2910 without a war. However, while Ferdinand's cousin achieved success in Mordusia, George III was ousted from his throne in Alduria as it was taken over by communist separatists. In 2911, another monarchy faced abolishment; the House of Fortenohfiv was facing dissent from republican voices in the parliament, not satisfied with the King, Joseph III of Endralon; despite Joseph III accepting a Viceroy system to be put into place, allowing an elected representative Head of State, something his father, Joseph III did not do, the republicans abolished the monarch in 2911, and burned down the Palace of Ginbari, the official residence of the Fortenohfivs. Ferdinand II offered the King of Endralon residence at the Bear's Den in Trigunia but Joseph III refused, as he was elected President of Endralon not too long after being disposed.

In February 2912 Kaiser Ferdinand II and consort Princess Harriet gave birth to their first son, His Imperial Majesty Archduke Rainer of Hulstria; since the imperial couple did not have a child prior from assuming the throne, Rainer was immediately given the title of "Crown Prince of Hulstria", and was declared the new heir apparent. Ferdinand's younger brother, Archduke Leopold of Hulstria, until Rainer's birth, was the heir presumptive to the Hulstrian and Trigunian thrones, and as a result did have the title of Crown Prince for some time (about six years). Since Leopold was only the presumptive heir, any birth from the Emperor and Empress would've changed his position in the line of succession to the Hulstrian throne which Rainer's birth did. Leopold in fact was one of the first people to come visit Ferdinand II and Harriet following the birth of their first child. Rainer, Crown Prince of Hulstria, was named after Rainer IV of Hulstria, the Emperor of Hulstria on the Hulstrian side during the period of the "Dual Monarchy of Hulstria & Gao-Soto". Two years later in 2914, Emperor Ferdinand and Empress Harriet welcomed their second child, Archduke Heinrich, named after Heinrich II. Ferdinand II, shortly following the birth of his second son, attended the opening ceremony of a new sea port built in the Eastern Territories of which was built by the "Hulstrian Spending & Investment Act" back when he assumed the Hulstrian throne. The Kaiser was honored with a special plaque commemorating the new sea port, while it was only one of the several planned mega-ports in the Eastern Territories, and was given the privledge of welcoming the first trading vessel onto the port.

Increased Noble Presence
By 2915, the internal political specturm of Greater Hulstria was experiencing another round of increased involvement of nobility in both the Imperial Diet and Crownland governments, similar to that of what was going on within the Great Princedom of Trigunia. This trend started in the reign of Ferdinand's father, Maximilian VII, when Isolde, Countess of Smaragdwald of the Imperial Hulstrian Party was elected as the third woman Governor-General though hat it's roots back in the Imperial Court of Klaus Gustav IV and the Staatsministership of the Duke of Strauss. Many believe that the Countess of Smaragdwald, who prior to her election served as the Staatsminister of His Imperial Majesty's Government, helped other nobles who were involved and who wanted to become involved in the political process by giving them a road to travel on, meaning her election opened up a new portal for the artistocracy in the Crownlands; for example, three years later in 2901, Alvin, Margrave Hallstatt was elected as Chief Minister of Budenlar, and Friedhelm, Viscount of Wehmeyer was elected as the Mayor of Wolfenfurt, a major industrial city in Budenlar as well; the Margrave Hallstatt would eventually serve as the Minister of Finance and Minister of Trade & Industry later in his political life. These were one of the few nobles involved in national government but many were scattered across the Crownlands and many more would join in on the trend later on in Ferdinand's reign. These nobles were also very loyal to the Monarchy and Ferdinand II, creating a coalition of royalist unity within the halls of government and the Imperial Court; Ferdinand II was very close to some of these nobles while still maintaining his apolitical status and this fact helped smooth governing within the Diet. The strong unity helped Greater Hulstria maintain it's status as a safe and solid consitutional monarchy during the early years of Ferdinand's reign and onward. The last time Greater Hulstria saw such a presence of nobles was during the reign of Ferdinand's paternal grandfather, Klaus Gustav IV of Hulstria as noted, who saw the re-emergence of the House of Strauss in Hulstrian politics as well as entrances of the Labsburg and Anderich nobility.

Alliance with Carlos I of Drania
Towards the end of the 2910 decade, the nations of Greater Hulstria, Drania, and Talmoria were the only three sitting monarchs on Dovani, and the only three recognized legitimate by the International Monarchist League; however out of these three, Hulstria was the only one with any territory. Despite this, the three monarchs enjoyed cordial and friendly relations, mainly through royal marriage but Hulstria and Talmoria did have governmental relations as the two nations ratified the "Hulstria-Talmoria Agreement on Non-Aggression" in 2895, establishing a state of friendship, and non-aggression between the two parties. This agreement was done under the reign of Maximilian VII of Hulstria, Ferdinand's father, and close friend to George VI, Emperor of Talmoria; Klaus Gustav IV of Hulstria, Ferdinand's paternal grandparent, recieved George VI during a State Visit in 2890, two years before his death, and this event helped lead to not only the creation of formal Hulstrian and Talmorian diplomatic ties but also brought together Ferdinand and Princess Harriet of Talmoria, who later married in the early 2900s. The Rothingrens and Hemmingways enjoyed a solid friendship following that State Visit while in the process helping bring back Hulstro-Talmori ties; Ferdinand's father kept close to George VI through his reign and also expanded relations with Drania, who had taken the throne in 2876, then under the reign of King Alejandro I. There however was not any treaties signed between Drania and Hulstria during this time but there was marriage between the two monarchs; in the early 2900s, Maximilian's second son and Ferdinand's younger brother, Archduke Leopold of Hulstria, married Princess Lucinda of Drania, daughter of Alejandro I, establishing a natural alliance between the two nations. Maximilian was not able to seek further relations with Drania due to his sickness and subsequent abdication to Ferdinand, who became Emperor of Hulstria as a result. When Ferdinand II came to the throne, Carlos was not yet the King of Drania, but the two royals still knew each other through balls hosted by the IML; Ferdinand and Carlos had similar goals and aspirations, as well as many other common traits. Both came from a distinguished line of ancestry and both believed in the power of the constitutional monarchy, as well as being a stern statesmans, a defender of the people and the faith. Both also wished to improve monarchial status around Terra and used their influence within the IML to that; it seemed like an immediate alliance but since Carlos did not yet ascend to the throne, any formal relations between the two would have to wait, and Ferdinand would have to settle with Carlo's father, Alejandro I. However, Ferdinand II did enjoy a cordial relationship with Alejandro I but again, no alliances were established. When Alejandro I died and the Dranian Crown Prince became Carlos I of Drania, the two monarchs immediately began to communicate daily, and work on several projects. In one of the first acts of this new friendship, Greater Hulstria ratified the "Dranian Ecotourism Initiative", a major economic and environmental treaty drawn up by Bernardino López de Carvajal, the Dranian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Hulstria was one of the many nations that ratified the nation, inlcuding Luthori, Zardugal, Vorona, and Tukarali. Kaiser Ferdinand II also named his younger brother, Archduke Leopold, has the Monarch's Ambassador to Drania, which then promoted the Hulstrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to name Archduke Leopold the official Hulstrian Ambassador to Drania; since Leopold was married to the younger sister of Carlos I, the natural bond was there. The two sovereigns however did not exchange State Visits during the first years of Carlos' reign but in the late 2910s Ferdinand II and Carlos I exchanged several State Visits. In 2919 Kaiser Ferdinand II was received by Carlos I in Drania in the first State Visit any Hulstrian monarch or any Hulstrian foreign delegation had made to the Dranian peninsula in centuries. Ferdinand II lead the illustrated Hulstrian delegation, which also comprised of Governor-General Hieronymus von Büren, Foreign Affairs Minister Arnold Bauer-Chamberlain, and the Imperial Commissioner of the Hulstrian Dovani. The other members of the delegation during this State Visit meet with their respective counter-parts and took part in a large state dinner hosted by the King of Drania at the Royal Palace in the nation's capital. Many of Drania's political elite were in attendence, including the powerful Mendoza political family, which then held both the posts of Prime Minister and Viceroy. This State Visit was not without caution; due to the large amount of high-profile individuals, security was incredibly ramped up in the case of an event of terrorism. Due to the terrorist attacks in Luthori and Zardugal months prior to the State Visit, both nations did not take any chances; while citizens were free to flood the streets and throw flowers at the monarch's motocade, police presence was very much notable. The State Visit though went off without a hitch and many foreign and domestic observers hailed the visit as a success, as well as a new start of Hulstro-Dranian relations. Carlos I, a few months after Ferdinand's visit to the Dranian capital, also made his way to Kien to visit the Emperor of Hulstria. Here George VI of Talmoria as well was in attendence. During this meeting, the three monarchies discussed creating an alliance, and all three agreed that joining together would help improve the spread of monarchism on the continent of Dovani, which at the time of the alliance the only reigning monarchies on the continent where there sitting at the conference hall at Fliederbrunn Palace. The idea was discussed originally by Ferdinand II and Carlos I during one of their State Visits and George VI was included in on the discussions as time went on. A treaty was drafted up at this conference, known as the "Three Monarch Conference", however George VI of Talmoria, while he did sign onto the treaty, several months later died, and his successor, George VII, was disposed of in a republican takeover, creating a Talmori Republic. The alliance was then left to Hulstria and Drania to see through.

Conservative Rule In Hulstria
Going into the 2930s, Ferdinand II was going into his "silver jubilee", meaning his 25 rules of rule on the Hulstrian imperial throne. The Kaiser remained very popular in the Imperial Court and among his subjects; due to the success of the Hulstro-Drania alliance and Ferdinand's increased role in world affairs, the monarchy was at its highest levels of support. Despite being in his 60s, the Emperor remained active in Hulstrian events, and still had a large amount of patronages over several organizations. Ferdinand II around this time also saw the nomination and confirmation of his younger brother, Archduke Leopold of Hulstria as Imperial Commissioner the administrative head of the Hulstrian Empire. His confirmation was done by unanimous support by the Imperial Diet, with both the social democrats and the conservatives voting in favor; Hieronymus, Burgrave of Büren, then Staatsminister of Greater Hulstria, nominated Leopold in the first place, and despite Büren being a ranking member of the conservative bloc in Hulstria, again the Diet unanimously voted in the Kaiser's younger brother.

Great Prince of Trigunia


When he was Crown Prince, Ferdinand had served as the representative of his father Maximilian VII in the Great Princedom, and was closely connected with the population of Trigunia and its new governmental system. As representative, Ferdinand took it upon himself to ennoble R.D. Mashkov, the leader of the Young Guard Party and the Trigunian monarchist bloc, with the hereditary title of Duke of Petrovgrad.

Ferdinand was formally coronated as "His Royal Northern Highness, Ferdinand I, Great Prince of Trigunia" during the massive political, cultural, and economic changes of the "Mashkov Reforms" of 2903. These reforms, including the Rothingren Restoration, were led by the newly-established government of Viceroy R.D. Mashkov.

While he attended imperial duties in Greater Hulstria, the Great Prince often looked to his consort, Princess Harriet of Talmoria, and younger brother, Archduke Leopold, to act in his place in the Great Princedom.

The early years of Ferdinand's reign in Trigunia was marked by the close connection between the Trigunian Royal Court and the domestic government, especially under the Viceroy-reign of R.D. Mashkov. However, while Ferdinand opted to remain apolitical in Trigunia, like Hulstria, he did develop a close yet formal friendship with Mashkov but never expressed bias for him in the political arena. Advances in technology, education, and sciences also marked the early days of the newly restored Great Princedom. Politically speaking, Trigunia during the first decade of Ferdinand’s reign, was dominated by Mashkov’s Young Guard Party-Trigunian Nationalist Party coalition government; of which both parties were noted to have members of the Trigunian nobility which had grown after the coronation of Ferdinand.

Achievements Made In Education
Main Article: Education in Trigunia



Prior to the Rothingren Restoration of 2903, education in Trigunia had been declining achievement and largely ignored by the many communist governments and dictatorships of the past several centuries. It was at this time that R.D. Mashkov, 1st Duke of Petrovgrad and his Young Guard Party tackled the education issue in the island nation head on.

In an effort to fix many problem, the biggest being the actual language of Trigunia. Since many complaints foreign business clients, especially Hulstrian firms, had voiced the difficulty of effectively translating their data from one language to another, let alone the differing alphabets; the Ministry of Trade and Industry cited this problem as forcing foreign nations to look elsewhere for their data processing and technology needs; Minister Vasili Y. Domostroy stated in a press conference that it was "estimated that possibly upwards of 14 billion rabols is lost" because of this problem. Starting in 2905, the government passed the Official Latinization of the Language, Educational & Budget Act which officially changed the old Tokundian alphabet used in the Rodshya language to those of Latin letters used in nearly all other languages on Terra.

The government cited the need to modernize the language in the nation's quest to become a "high-tech and information technology, science and biotechnology superpower" or simply a "knowledge economy". However many traditionalists still used the old alphabet and continued to publish in it; so, in order to ease their apprehension, the government also sponsored in the bill the creation of good archives to maintain the old and offers classes in the old language for higher education students to take free of cost, not surprisingly, most of the takers of these courses are history or humanities students who wish to better understand the past through the reading of the actual primary documents. Since the Reforms officially made the entire country illiterate overnight, the government funneled billions of rabols in order to train educators and fund classes to teach all adult Trigunian nationals to read and write with the new alphabet absolutely free of charge, even with heavily-subsidized childcare and transportation costs in most areas. This movement came to known as Operation Forward!; although they came to be known as the Volkonsky Reforms, after Trigunian Minister of Education and Culture Minister, Andrei Ivanovich Volkonsky, the driver of the reforms. Today Trigunia, thanks to these reforms, significantly improved their eductional backround, and test scores, including success rates for students, rose significantly as well. Tagged along with these legislative reforms, Great Prince Ferdinand I increased his patronage role, and royal influence to help towards the construction of new schools, new universities, and teacher training programs.

Residences
In Greater Hulstria, Ferdinand's primary residences are Fliederbrunn Palace, Korlburg Palace, and Phönixstein Castle; other secondary residences include Castle Hulstria and the Imperial Hildebrandt Palace. Kaiser Ferdinand has a private residence on the Budenlar coast, used primarily for family gatherings; when Ferdinand the then Crown Prince of Hulstria, that residence was used frequently. In Trigunia, Ferdinand's primary residence is the Bear's Den in Heinrichgrad, though also has other estates within the Great Princedom.

Ancestry
Not noted on this list, Ferdinand II also descended from many notable foreign monarchs including; Leopold II of Central Macon, Josephine I of Luthori, Thorssen I of Kazulia, Ladislav I of Deltaria, Matti I of Valonen, Louis III of Solentia, Valdemar I of Vorona, Fridrich XII of Zardugal, Charles I of Rildanor, and Edward II of Pontesi.

Issue

 * Archduke Rainer, Crown Prince of Hulstria, Hereditary Prince of Tirgith (b.2912)
 * Archduke Heinrich of Hulstria, Prince of Tirgith (b.2914)
 * Archduke Maximilian of Hulstria, Prince of Tirgith (b.2916)
 * Archduchess Aleksandra of Hulstria, Princess of Tirgith (b.2920)

Name Origins
The official origins of Archduke Ferdinand's given name;


 * Ferdinand - After Ferdinand I of Hulstria
 * William - After William IV of Luthori
 * Franz - After Franz VI of Hulstria
 * Karl - After Karl, Crown Prince of Hulstria

Governor-Generals
A list of Governor-Generals that Ferdinand II was sovereign of since 2906;


 * Isolde, Countess of Smaragdwald
 * Hieronymus, Burgrave of Büren
 * Leopold Weishaupt
 * Joseph Roderick II
 * Erik Bauer-Chamberlain III

Titles & Styles
Alduria:
 * Titles
 * Prince-Royal of Alduria (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Styles
 * His Imperial Highness ((Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Primary form of address
 * His Imperial Highness Ferdinand, Prince-Royal of Luthori (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)

The Imperial Crownlands of Greater Hulstria:
 * Titles
 * Archduke of Hulstria (Febuary 18 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * Crown Prince of Hulstria (May 24 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * Emperor of Hulstria (1 November 2906 – Present)
 * Styles
 * His Imperial Majesty (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Primary form of address
 * His Imperial Majesty Ferdinand, Archduke of Hulstria (Febuary 18 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Imperial Majesty Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Hulstria (May 24 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Imperial and Most Illustrious Lutheran Majesty Ferdinand II, Emperor of Hulstria (1 November 2906 – Present)

The Holy Luthori Empire:
 * Titles
 * Prince-Royal of Luthori (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Styles
 * His Imperial Highness (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Primary form of address
 * His Imperial Highness Ferdinand, Prince-Royal of Luthori (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)

Grand Duchy of Sisula:
 * Titles
 * Duke of Sisula (Febuary 18 2870 – May 24 2870)
 * Crown Duke of Sisula (May 24 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * Grand Duke of Sisula (1 November 2906 – Present)
 * Styles
 * His Royal Highness (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Duke of Sisula (Febuary 18 2870 – May 24 2870)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Crown Duke of Sisula (May 24 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Sisula (1 November 2906 – Present)

Principality of Central Macon:
 * Titles
 * Knight of Ayelsbury (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Count-Royal of Central Macon (Febuary 18 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * Prince-Royal of Central Macon (1 November 2906 – Present)
 * Viscount of Ayelsbury (1 November 2906 – Present)
 * Styles
 * His Royal Higness (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Knight of Ayelsbury (Febuary 18 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Count-Royal of Central Macon (Febuary 18 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Prince Royal of Central Macon (1 November 2906 – Present)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Viscount of Ayelsbury (1 November 2906 – Present)

The Kingdom of Lodamun:
 * Titles
 * Prince of Lodamun (1 November 2906 - )
 * Styles
 * His Royal Higness (1 November 2906 - )
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Prince of Lodamun (1 November 2906 - )

Grand Duchy of Valonen:
 * Titles
 * Viscount of Savonia (Febuary 18 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * Count of Savonia (1 November 2906 – )
 * Styles
 * His Majesty (Febuary 18 2870 – )
 * Primary form of address
 * His Majesty Ferdinand, Viscount of Savonia (Febuary 18 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Majesty Ferdinand, Count of Savonia (1 November 2906 – )

Kingdom of Pulond:
 * Titles
 * Duke of Köflach (24 May 2892 – 1 November 2906)
 * King of Pulond (1 November 2906 – )
 * Styles
 * His Royal Majesty (7 August 2881 - )
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Majesty Maximilian, Duke of Köflach (24 May 2892 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Royal Majesty Ferdinand I, King of Pulond (1 November 2906 – )

Democratic Empire of Talmoria:
 * Titles
 * Prince of Talmoria (10 November 2902 - )
 * Duke of Southborough (3 December 2902 - )
 * Styles
 * His Royal Highness (10 November 2902 - )
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Prince of Talmoria (10 November 2902 - )
 * His Riyak Highness Ferdinand, Duke of Southborough (3 December 2902 - )

The Great Princedom of Trigunia:
 * Titles
 * Prince of Tirgith (Febuary 18 2870 – May 24 2870)
 * Hereditary Prince of Tirgith (May 24 2870 – 1 November 2906)
 * Great Prince of Trigunia (1 November 2906 – Present)
 * Styles
 * His Royal Northern Highness (Febuary 18 2870 – Present )
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Prince of Tirgith (18 Febuary 2870 – May 24 2870)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Tirgith (May 24 2870 – 1 November 2906 – Present)
 * His Royal Northern Highness Ferdinand I, Great Prince of Trigunia (1 November 2906 – Present)

Democratic Kingdom of Tukarali:
 * Titles
 * Baron of Nusira Lionta (18 Febuary 2870 – 24 May 2892)
 * Viscount of Nusira Lionta (24 May 2892 – 1 November 2906)
 * Duke of Nusira Lionta (24 May 2892 – )
 * Styles
 * His Royal Higness
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Baron of Nusira Lionta (18 Febuary 2870 – 24 May 2892)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Viscount of Nusira Lionta (24 May 2892 – 1 November 2906)
 * His Royal Highness Ferdinand, Duke of Nusira Lionta (24 May 2892 – )

Archduchy of Vorona:
 * Titles
 * Prince of Vorona (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)
 * Styles
 * His Royal Highness
 * Primary form of address
 * His Royal Highness Maximilian, Prince of Vorona (Febuary 18 2870 – Present)

Full Title: His Imperial and Most Illustrious Lutheran Majesty, Ferdinand II, Defender of the Faith, by the Grace of God, Emperor of Hulstria, His Royal Northern Higness Great Prince of Trigunia, His Royal Highness Grand Duke of Sisula, His Royal Majesty King of Pulond; Lord Protector of the Eastern Territories; King of Mitrania and Budenlar; Sovereign of Greater Chadonya; Grand Duke of Hilgar and Kuratha; Prince of Vorona; Duke of Dalian; Elector of Tinako; Prince-Royal of Alduria; Count of Kremfurt; Prince-Royal of Luthori; Grand Duke of Barovia; Prince of Talmoria; Duke of Southborough; Count of Savonia; Grand Duke of Vojnov Pokrik; Palatine of Phönix and Flieder; Duke of Marchau, Straussia, and Traugott; Margrave of Hømvejile; Viscount of Ayelsbury; Duke of Chadonia; Duke of Lesser Chadonya; Duke of Garekavmo; Earl of Kane; Duke of Nusira Lionta; Earl of Pulond; Prince-Royal of Falristan, Roccato, Kenai, and Lagard; Duke of Reinfeld; Duke of Kathre; Grand Duke of Malchik, & Tirvoslavl; Margrave of Øivine; Count of Stary Kautsky; Duke of Tirgith; Grand Prince of Vorm; Margrave of New Yodukan, New Luthor, and New Liore; Margrave of Varistad; Grand Duke of Belgae; Margrave of Kildan Olvar, Milrata, and Yulrath; Princely Count of Rothingren, Graaffsberg, and Veilchen; Duke of Franzstadt; Duke of Ziegendorf; Marquess of Mosjkojil; Grand Duke of Thague; Count of Kommenovsk, Morozorota, and Tirvoslavl; Viscount of Hannele; Count of Vesterbæk; Prince of Hennersdam and Korriel; Lord of Heinrichgard

Orders
Upon the passing of the Act of Imperial Orders in 2831, the Emperor of Hulstria was given the ability to issue imperial decorations or "Orders" to Hulstrians who have served in valor in the defense and protection of the Monarchy and commitment to Hulstrian cultural achievements; in the Act of Imperial Orders also designated Godric II of Hulstria, the monarch during the time of the passage of the bill, and future Hulstrian Emperors as the Head of these Orders:


 * The Most Illustrious Order of Heinrich I
 * The Order of the Phoenix
 * Imperial Service Order
 * The Most Excellent & Distinguished Order of the Hulstrian Crown