JCC: War of the Bucket, Italy 1325: Modena Background Guide Table of Contents
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JCC: War Of The Bucket, Italy 1325: Modena Background Guide Table of Contents Letter from the Chair Letter from the Crisis Director Committee Logistics Introduction to the Committee Introduction to Topic One History of the Problem Past Actions Taken Current Events Questions to Consider Resources to Use Bibliography Staff of the Committee Chair Colter Schorer Vice Chair Michelle Surets Crisis Director Alex Durand Assistant Crisis Director Chloe Chibeau Under Secretary General Jane Gallagher Taylor Cowser, Secretary General Neha Iyer, Director General Letter from the Chair Hello Delegates! Welcome to BosMUN XIX! My name is Colter Schroer and I have the pleasure of serving as your Chair while the city of Modena works to uphold the true valor of the Holy Roman Empire. While this conflict may not come to a resolution easily, I am excited to see how delegates will be able to navigate through crisis, and work together to defeat the antagonistic Bolognese. A bit of background about myself: I am a sophomore at Boston University pursuing a dual BA/MA program, seeking a bachelors in Environmental Analysis and Policy, and a Masters in Energy and Environment. I’m originally from Boulder, Colorado. As a typical Coloradan, you can often find me outside. I typically snowboard or nordic ski in the winter, and run, hike, or mountain bike in the summer. When I’m not working to overthrow the legitimacy of papal rule, I am passionate about many other things, such as podcasting, HBO’s Westworld, attending as many concerts as I can afford, and of course, Model United Nations. This is my second time as a staff member for BosMUN, and my third conference with BU’s International Affairs Association. Most recently, I had the honor of serving as a Co-Crisis Director of BarMUN’s Committee of 40, where we worked to stage a coup against a recently elected Chilean dictator. I look forward to getting to know all of you in committee throughout the weekend! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. My email is [email protected]. Good luck to everyone. Long live the empire, Colter Schroer Committee Logistics In-Room Debate This committee convenes as an advisory panel to Modenean ruler Passerino dei Bonacolsi, assisting with decisions on how to proceed as we move closer to war with our neighbors. The committee will start in the beginning of 1325. The committee room is structured as a perpetually moderated caucus. Discussion, debate, and specific topics will all be determined by the body. Procedural matters will require a simple majority to pass. The pacing of debate will need to react to recent updates and allow for proper debate about the next steps of the Modenean people. The chair expects delegates to adapt and react the structure and topics of debate to better fit the needs of the military. Proper parliamentary procedure is expected from delegates. Documents, Directives, Crisis Notes, Etc. This committee will take action against the Bolognians primarily through directives, a written order for Passerino dei Bonacolsi to act on a specific desire of the committee. These directives are typically 1-2 pages, and they detail precise action that is expected to be taken. The content of these documents can vary to the needs of the committee, but the chair looks favorably upon directives which either advance the Modenian position against the Bolognese, or garner domestic and international support for our cause. A directive will require a two thirds majority to pass. This committee will also use Crisis notes, or individual action notes, as a method for delegates to advance debate and individual desires. For many delegates, crisis is integral to their ability to shape outcomes to their character’s desires. The staffing team looks favorably upon notes which use individual connections and powers to reasonably achieve end goals for a delegate. With this in mind, delegates should be mindful about who they address their notes to, and the content of their notes. The crisis room would also like delegates to be aware of the hectic nature of addressing delegate’s notes, and would advise against frivolous or inconsequential notes. Requests will be granted solely at the discretion of the crisis team. Committee Logistics BosMUN XIX is using a dual notepad crisis system for this years conference. Each delegate will be granted two notepads to communicate with the crisis room throughout debate. This will allow one note per delegate to be sent to the crisis room at any particular time, and leave one notebook for delegates to send a message to crisis when the previous notepad is returned. Only one note per delegate will be allowed in the crisis room at any given time. As delegates are expected to respond to updates and act in fairness to each other, pre-prepared documents of any kind will not be accepted by the staffing team. Crisis Updates Frequently, the crisis director will find it favorable to update the delegation on events taking place throughout the war. The content of these updates may include, but will not be limited to, actions of the opposing committee, actions of delegates through crisis notes, updates resulting from the committee’s approval of resolutions, and more. The staffing team hopes that delegates will respond and react to updates in appropriate ways. Awards Criteria The staffing team for this committee looks favorably upon delegates who take unique and creative approaches to achieve the end goal of the Modenan people, and maintain the power of the Holy Roman Empire. Awards will be given to delegates who take individual ideas and available resources to create impact upon the committee and the outcome of the war. Meaningful contributions to discussion, creative actions through crisis, and respectful demeanour are some of the criteria which the staffing committee will take into account when deciding awards. Introduction to the Committee For years, conflict between neighboring cities Bologna and Modena has been escalating, and this committee is expected to navigate the future of interactions between the two territories. The honorable Modenean people have continued to regard with great respect, the rule of the the Emperor. We must act now to end papal rule in all of Italy. The people of Modena have placed their support in The Holy Roman Empire, which has given us protection for our agricultural lifestyle. Modena’s ruler, Passerino dei Bonacolsi has unwavering support in the current Emperor, Louis IV. dei Bonacolsi wants to retain and assert power for the imperial cause. As a result, Modena has been waging violent attacks against neighboring territories in the hopes of asserting power for the Holy Roman Empire. However, the people of neighboring Bologna are supportive of the Pope. As wealthy merchants, the Bolognian people have strong financial incentive to dislike high taxes waged upon them by the Holy Roman Empire. This committee is taking place in 1325, before many of the most notable escalating historical events took place. At the current moment, conflict between the Pope supporting Guelphs and Empirical Ghibillines is widespread throughout Northern Italy. War has not yet been declared by the Bolognese, however violence and tension are already high. The chair would also like to offer a clarifying point about the causes of this war. Many of the inflection points of Modena and Bologna’s conflict have been previously attributed to the theft of a Bolognese bucket by Modenean forces. However, this is mostly untrue. For the purposes of committee, the escalating tensions between the Guelphs and Ghibellines will be the focus of discussion and debate. This committee will use all available means to remind the Bolognese that true power resides in the Emperor. History of the Problem: The Foundation of the Holy Roman Empire This committee has assembled in a time of insecurity. The people of Modena are no longer safe from the antagonistic attacks of the Bolognian people. This conflict has been going on for too long. So in this year of 1325, we need to decide what actions to take against Bologna. The conflict between us and our neighbors has been centuries in the making. The story begins in 800 AD, where the papal states and the Kingdom of the Franks resided with little conflict. At this time in history, the Catholic Pope had weak powers, and was highly corruptible. The pope was typically exploited by secular leaders to gain territory in their respective nations. One of these secular leaders was Charlemagne, King of the Franks. He wanted more power, and he used the papacy as an endorsement in 774. The pope’s endorsement gave him validation and authority, with the backing of the church, to rule over more vast areas of land. As a result, he was crowned Emperor of the West. While his rule was immensely unstable, the pope’s endorsement created a new dynamic between the Holy Roman Kingdom of the Franks, 814 Empire and the pope. At this time, the only pope could crown emperors, however the Emperor's exploited the pope to consolidate their own power. So the conflict lies in a newly created power dynamic. Was the pope’s statement of emperors more important than the emperor’s exploitation and endorsement of the pope? History of the Problem: The Investiture Controversy As time passed, Kingdom of the Franks slowly evolved into the Holy Roman Empire. The Holy Roman Empire existed mostly as a divided federation of counties and states, typically ununified and ruled by a variety of different nobles across the land. This created a problem for Charlemagne, as he was not able to enforce his power over the rebellious nobility.