<!--On October 16, 1999, [[List of Creeperian Monarchs|Emperor]] [[Romero III of Creeperopolis|Romero III]] died without an heir. This left his younger brother, [[Alfonso VI of Creeperopolis|Alfonso VI]], to become Emperor. Alfonso VI took the absolute nature of the monarchy to an extreme and ushered in an era known in Creeperian history as the [[October 16 Regime]]. The regime was known for its totalitarian nature. Alfonso VI cut funding and numbers to the [[National Intelligence Directorate]] (abbreviated DINA, the Creeperian secret police) and also reduced funding to the three major brances of the [[Creeperian Armed Forces]]: the [[Creeperian Army|Army]], [[Creeperian Navy|Navy]], and [[Creeperian Air Force|Air Force]]. The cut funding went to his own private spending and to the [[Creeperian Imperial Guard]] as a way to assure himself a long, comfortable, and luxurious reign with no fear of being toppled or assassinated.
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The massive cut in funding angered all three major branches of the Creeperian Amred Forces. [[Emmanuel Cabañeras Videla]], the [[Chief Field Marshal (Creeperopolis)|Chief Field Marshal]] of the Army, the [[Minister of Defense of Creeperopolis|Minister of Defense]], and the [[Chief of the DINA]] (all since 1976), was the most enraged of the three commanders, the others being [[Chief Admiral (Creeperopolis)|Chief Admiral]] [[José Guerrero López]] of the Navy and [[Chief General (Creeperopolis)|Chief General]] [[Felipe Cambeiro Cavallería]] of the Air Force.
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Alfonso VI saw that his Minister of Defense, his second-in-command and right hand man, was showing several signs of disloyalty and anger with his regime. Wishing to eliminate any possibility of a coup, Alfonso VI began planning the removal of Cabañeras Videla. On October 22, 2002, Emmanuel Cabañeras Videla was found dead in his mansion which was inherited through his father, [[Alfonso Cabañeras Moreno]]. The official autopsy found that Cabañeras Videla had died of a heart attack. However, many believed that he was, in fact, assassinated on orders of Alfonso VI as a way to eliminate any chance of a coup. (After the coup, the government officially labeled Cabañeras Videla's death as an assassination by cyanide poisoning.)
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With his greatest potential rival and threat eliminated, Alfonso VI elevated his former Minister of Defense's son, [[Augusto Cabañeras Gutiérrez]], as the next Minister of Defense, Chief Field Marshal, and Chief of the DINA. Alfonso VI believed that Cabañeras Gutiérrez would be more loyal than his father and predecessor as he had given him vasts amounts of bribes in the form of direct cash, luxurious vehicles, and even gold from the treasury. He gave the same bribes to Guerrero López and Cambeiro Cavallería to keep their loyalty.
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Meanwhile, the [[Chief Guard (Creeperopolis)|Chief Guard]] of the [[Creeperian Imperial Guard]], [[Armando Figueroa Molina]], was showered with the greatest bribes, riches, and rewards for his constant loyalty to the regime. From 1999-2003, the Imperial Guard, which had always been regarded as the least important of the four branches of the armed forces, had begun to grow in power and influence in the government, in tern, diminishing the power of the army, navy, and air force over time.-->
== Planning the coup ==
== Planning the coup ==
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<!--Beginning in February 2003, Cabañeras Gutiérrez, Guerrero López, and Cambeiro Cavallería began meeting in secret to discuss a possible plot to overthrow the regime. The three knew that there were three major problems standing in the way of a successful coup. The first was the Imperial Guard, but it was regarded as a non-factor in the end as they know that a coup against the Imperial Guard is possible as it has been accomplished multiple times (ie. [[1550 Creeperian coup d'état]], [[Monarch's Revolution]], [[Revolution of 1833]], etc.).
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The second major problem the conspiracy faced was the reaction of the [[Second State of the Church|State of the Church]] and the [[Pope of Creeperopolis|Pope]], at the time [[Juan Pablo II of Creeperopolis|Juan Pablo II]]. The three did not want to lose the trust and support of the [[Creeperian Catholic Church]] as the body has a massive influence over Creeperian culture and society in general. Upsetting the Church was an easy way to lose faith with the people and possibly put the conspirators at risk of being overthrown themselves or beginning a second [[Creeperian Civil War|civil war]]. Creeperopolis [[Creeperian Conflicts|was already unstable enough as it was at the time]] and the three did not want to make the situation worse.
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The third, and probably the greatest threat to the plot, was the people of [[Creeperopolis]]. The three men had no idea how the Creeperian people would react to the overthrow of their government. The three believed the regime to be unpopular, but there was no real way to find out at the time. They, however, knew how to gain the support of the people.
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The three approached the eldest son of Alfonso VI, [[List of Salvadoran Monarchs|Grand Prince]] [[Alexander II of Creeperopolis|Alexander Martínez Hernández]], and asked him if he wished to join in on the plot to depose his father. After a large bribe and promises of power, Alexander Martínez Hernández joined aboard the plot.
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With the likely approval of the people secured, the comspirators needed the approval of the Church. The three approached Juan Pablo II and pleaded their case against Alfonso VI. They presented evidence of totalitarianism and used evidence of their own war crimes, but labeled as the crimes of the regime itself, as evidence against Alfonso VI. After a month of appeals and persuasion, the conspiracy recieved the support of the Church in late May 2003.
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With all the support they need, each commander spoke to their respective soldiers to recruit them to the coup. After the military itself was brought onboard, a date was scheduled: June 18, 2003, would be the day the Creeperian Armed Forces overthrow the government of the Holy Traditionalist Empire of Creeperopolis.-->
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== Military action ==
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<!--The coup to topple the totalitarian regime of Alfonso VI began on the command of Augusto Cabañeras Gutiérrez at 9:11am, San Salvador Time (SST), on June 18, 2003. The coup started with the [[I Creeperian Army Corps|I]] and [[II Creeperian Army Corps]] moving into positions to surround the city of [[San Salvador (city)|San Salvador]] to prevent Alfonso VI escaping via land, followed by the [[III Creeperian Army Corps|III]] and the [[IX Creeperian Army Corps]] setting up offensive positions in the city near the [[San Salvador Imperial Palace]]. The [[VII Creeperian Army Corps]] was stationed at the [[Saint Romero I Adolfo Martínez Galdámez International Airport|Alfonso I Martínez International Aiport]]. The [[Black Division|División Negra]], the elite of the Creeperian Army, was ordered to surround the Imperial Palace and to prepare for a storming of the Palace.
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The [[III Creeperian Army Corps]] was ordered to begin the artillery shelling of the Imperial Palace at 9:58am. At 10:00am, the Army siezed a radio station in San Salvador and sent a broadcast to the nation saying:
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{{quote|"Do not fear faithful Creeperans. This is not a malicious nor foreign nor [Senvarian] takeover of the Fatherland or toppling of the government. Instead, the Armed Forces of the [Creeperian] Fatherland and the [Creeperian Catholic] Church have witnessed the totalitarianism of the regime of Alfonso VI. Under the guide of the Lord God, we are removing this wicked government from power and are installing a truthful, honest, and benevolent government, a new Emperor on the Imperial throne from the line of Martínez. Long live Creeperopolis! Long live the Fatherland! Long live God!"}}
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The Army was then ordered to storm the Palace and to offer no quarter to the Imperial Guards who have "betrayed the Fatherland" (after the Air Force and artillery completed bombing the Palace). The guards were ruthlessly massacred by the Army, with an estimated 300 guards being slaughtered.
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The day before the coup, Guerrero López quietly, without the knowledge of Alfonso VI, moved 50 warships to [[Lake San Salvador]] to prevent any possibility for the Emperor to flee via the lake.
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The Air Force, under orders of Cambeiro Cavallería, captured the four major airports of [[San Salvador (department)|San Salvador]] to prevent Alfonso VI from escaping via the air.
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Then, the Air Force began bombing the Imperial Palace to damage any possible defenses and to kill as many guards as possible before it is stormed by the Army.
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The day before the coup, Alexander Martínez Hernández left the Imperial Palace to [[Zapatista]] under the guise of inspecting Army positions in the area in preparation for an operation against [[Mara Salvatrucha]] in the [[Mara War]]. After leaving [[San Salvador (department)|San Salvador]], Martínez Hernández met up with Cabañeras Gutiérrez to prepare for the coup.
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Throughout the coup, Martínez Hernández did little and was merely and observer in his rise to power.
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The Imperial Guard was caught completely off guard by the coup. Of the total 70,000 Imperial Guards enlisted at the time, only 300 were at the Imperial Palace and ready to defend the Emperor.
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[[Chief Guard (Creeperopolis)|Chief Guard]] [[Armando Figueroa Molina]] remained loyal to Alfonso VI and swore to defend the Emperor until the end. When the assault began with the bombings and shelling, several guards were killed and wounded. When the División Negra initiated the storming, all the guards were massacred, including Figueroa Molina.
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The remaining guards were forced to surrender and pledge allegiance to Alexander II following the coup.
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Alfonso VI was taken completely by surprise by the coup. He knew that he had not kept the loyalty of the armed forces and that he will either be killed or imprisoned. When the shelling and bombing began, he moved to the bunker below the Imperial Palace.
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As the soldiers were storming the Palace, he committed suicide to prevent capture.-->
== Casualties ==
== Casualties ==
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==== Purges ====
==== Purges ====
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<!--Following the coup, the conspirators assessed that 17 of their men died in the storming of the palace. Meanwhile, all 300 of the Imperial Guards and both Alfonso VI and Figueroa Molina were either killed or committed suicide.
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The death of Alfonso VI allowed his son, Alexander II, to ascend to the Imperial throne of Creeperopolis.
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After the success of the coup and the death of his father, Alexander II rose to the Imperial throne and became the [[List of Creeperian Monarchs|Emperor of Creeperopolis and the Creeperans]], [[Holy Protector of the State of the Church]], [[List of Salvadoran Monarchs|Emperor of El Salvador]], [[List of Senvarian Monarchs|King of Senvar]], [[List of Atlántidan Monarchs|King of Atlántida]], and [[List of Castillianan Monarchs|King of Castilliano]].
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Pope Juan Pablo II expressed his approval and support of the coup and coronated Alexander II on September 15, 2003, in accordance with Creeperian tradition.
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[[File:2003-2004 Creeperian Purges Document.jpg|thumb|right|A leaked document outlining the DINA plan to purge supporters of Alfonso VI.]]
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After the coup, the DINA's funding was increased and it was restaffed to the point to where it was before Alfonso VI took power.
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During Alfonso VI's regime, he installed many cronies and loyalists into positions of power. As Chief of the DINA, Cabañeras Gutiérrez used his powers in the secret police to arrest more than 80,000 people, with 5,200 to 8,200 being executed, and tens of thousands more being tortured.
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The purge was the largest purge in Creeperian history.
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When the [[Creeperian Initiative|Initiative of Creeperopolis]] found out about the coup as it started, the leadership condemned the coup, as the leadership of the Initiative was full of Alfonso VI loyalists.
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After the coup, Initiative leadership was purged and restaffed with loyalists and supporters of Alexander II.-->
== Reactions ==
== Reactions ==
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== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==
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<!--The 2003 Creeperian coup d'état marked a watershed moment in Creeperian history and began its true modernization. Following the coup, the Creeperian economy experienced a massive boom known as the ''[[Miracle of Creeperopolis]]''.
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The coup is celebrated in Creeperopolis every June 18 with military celebrations. The coup is portrayed as a beacon of freedom and the beginning of liberty, prosperity, and success for [[Creeperopolis]] and the [[Creeperans]].
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The coup is often compared to the [[Revolution of 1833]] by Emperor [[Adolfo III of Creeperopolis|Adolfo III]].-->
During the coup, the army, navy, and air force attacked the Council of Mayors building in San Salvador during a meeting of Alfonso VI with his government ministers and high ranking loyalist mayors. Many were killed or later executed. The San Salvador Imperial Palace and other important government buildings were secured by the armed forces with little to no resistance from imperial guardsmen. The military declared martial law in the wake of the coup and a 10pm curfew was initiated across the country.
The armed forces established a military junta and initiated large-scale purges of political and military officials. Cabañeras Gutiérrez gained significant power following the coup and is considered to be one of the most powerful people in Creeperopolis. The military proclaimed Alfonso VI's second and oldest surviving son, Alexander II, as the new Emperor, but the military held absolute authority and control until he was coronated on 15 September 2003 and the junta was officially dissolved. The military, however, continues to hold significant power and influence in Creeperian politics and national governance.
The coup marked a watershed moment in Creeperian history and began the true modernization of the nation and the resurgence of its economy. The coup has been proclaimed by Creeperian propaganda as an event which saved the nation from its impending demise.
The Nationalist Creeperian Catholic Royal Initiative and the Pro-Fatherland Front of Unification, commonly known as the Creeperian Initiative or simply the Initiative, was established as the sole legal political party as a merger of right-wing political parties in Creeperopolis and its newly annexed territories of Atlántida and Castilliano. The Initiative held all 6,123 seats on the Council of Mayors, and it functioned effectively as a body that merely approved the actions of the Emperor, almost always voting unanimously in favor of bills.
Following the coup d'état, the military established the the Romerist Military Junta, a military junta that weilded absolute power and authority in Creeperopolis. The military junta composed of Cabañeras Gutiérrez, González Robles, Merino Núñez, Barrios Dueñas, with Cabañeras Gutiérrez serving as the President of the junta.
[Cabañeras Gutiérrez (Army):] The Armed Forces have acted today solely under patriotic and nationalist inspiration of saving the Fatherland from the tremendous chaos and anarchy into which He was being plunged into by the Miguelist regime of Alfonso VI.[b] The Romerist Military Junta will maintain executive, legislative, and judicial authority while it is in power. The Council of Mayors will remain in recess until further notice, and we officially proclaim Alexander Romero Adolfo Martínez Hernández as Emperor, to be coronated on 15 September 2003 in accordance with the Fatherland's tradition, when this junta will dissolve and hand over power to the rightful Emperor and Council and Tribune.
[González Robles (Navy):] It is unfortunate that we have had to break the imperial and God-sanctioned tradition of succession and governance which in the Fatherland has lasted since the establishment of the Fatherland by Felipe I, however, when the Fatherland loses His qualities and His foothold, there are those, who by mandate, have to enforce them and support Him and take on that task. The Armed Forces have done that today, and with God's divine approval, we are sure that all of Creeperopolis has to understand the sacrifice that entails.
[Merino Núñez (Air Force):] This is not a matter of squashing tendencies, or ideological trends, or carrying out personal revenge,
but, as the Romerist Military Junta has stated, of re-establishing public order and returning the Fatherland to observance of not only the national Constitution and laws, but also of the divine laws of God presented through the Prophets and through the Savior, Jesús Cristo.
[Barrios Dueñas (Imperial Guard]:] After four years of suffering the Miguelist cancer which led us to economic, moral, and social disaster which can no longer be tolerated for the sacred interests of the Fatherland, we find ourselves obliged to take on the difficult and painful mission which the Armed Forces have undertaken. We are not afraid; we know the enormous responsibility that will rest on our shoulders, but we are convinced, and we are quite sure that the vast majority of the Creeperian people are with us. They are willing to fight against Miguelism! They are willing to stand with God and stamp it out down to the final consequences!
↑Alexander II had little involvement in the actual planning or execution of the coup d'état, but he was used as a figurehead of the Romerist Military Junta following the coup d'état and was declared as a vital asset in the success of the coup d'état.
↑Augusto Cabañeras Gutiérrez called the regime of Alfonso VI as "Miguelist," a far-left ideology that is a form of communism formed by the National Council for Peace and Order during the Creeperian Civil War of 1933 to 1949. The ideology was formed by individuals such as Miguel VII, Cayetano Handel Carpio, Joel Lacasa Campos, and Mariano Alcocer Fraga. The government of Alfonso VI was by no means in any form Miguelist except for the fact that it was very totalitarian. The government of Alfonso VI fits more with the Romerist ideology the military junta claimed to abide by, but much more totalitarian. He likely used the term Miguelist in order to demonize his government, damage his government's credibility, and eliminate any remaining support for Alfonso VI.
Creeperian Government
Quebecshire (alleged)
