Profile: John Davion
New Avalon (Federated News Service)
November 26, 2785
Born in the great House Davion, John Davion followed the classical path of a Davion that is not designed to reign but to serve the Federated Suns.
Therefore after serving in the AFFS (like nearly all members of the Davion familly before him), he was given in 2740 a position in the Ministry of Ways and Means. The idea was to appoint him later to a position of minor advisor in one of the embassies of the Federated Suns.
It is with great sadness that he learned the death of his cousin Joseph in a ‘Mech training accident. When asked by Richard Davion to become heir to be, John Davion first refused the offer saying that it was not worthy of this honour. An objection quickly discarded by Richard Davion with his famous saying that “this was precisely the reason what he had to be the heir.”
Two years later, Richard Davion died and a saddened John Davion lead the funerals of the man that had given him in 2745 the greatest power and responsibility in the Federated Suns: the title of Prince.
When First Lord Simon Cameron died on Star’s End, John Davion saved the Star League through his diplomatic efforts, paving the way to General Kerensky’s appointment as Regent and Protectorate.
This is why he was nicknamed the White Knight, the Protector of the Star League. It was also because of that support that he earned the support of General Kerensky, who in 2764 called him “the best and noblest of all the Lords.”
In 2752, he voted for the Amendment to Council Edict of 2650, doubling the size of House armies. It was a necessary move as all House agreed on this and he could not let his realm lie behind.
This shows that since the beginning of his reign, he had both the interest of the Star League and of his own people in mind.
Excerpts from his private correspondence show that.
“The truth is that I had to vote for this Amendment. I think it is obvious from the last battles fought by our army that it is not ready to fight a real defensive war.
My people suffered enough from the last conflicts. I vowed never to let this happen again. This is why I want to increase the size of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns to have the tool needed to prevent any conflict with the use of strength if necessary.”
The following year, he voted against the rise in Periphery Taxes, officially because he would create resentment in the Periphery.
The truth is that his opposition was as a way to decrease the efficiency of the efforts undertaken by the other Houses for rebuilding their armies.
His real intention was to promote peace by all means: to him allowing the Houses to focus on their military while preventing the most warmonger of them to get access to the needed resources was the only solution.
“I have to stop them. They are just interested in rebuilding their armed forces. This would only lead to more conflicts.
Giving them unreachable goals is a way to keep them busy and peaceful.
Luckily for us, the Federated Suns do not need this money. We have enough internal resources to strengthen our muscles and defend ourselves.”
A unforeseen side effect from this policy led to the conflict known as the Border War.
The Capellan Confederation unable to increase its investments efforts decided to attack the Federated Suns mercantile interests on the Liao border.
Reacting quickly, House Davion launched an attack on three Capellan planets with a sizeable draft of Household troops. However, the green Davion troops paid a high price for their just invasion.
The end to this war came with the majority of Richard Cameron and its intent to pass Executive Order 156, which was harshly criticized by all House Lords, including John Davion.
This is the time when he read his speech on State freedom that is studied in politics classes as the perfect mix between State and popular arguments.
Due to the lack of training displayed in the recent fights of the AFFS, it is hardly surprising that Prince John Davion refused to send Household troops in the Periphery to stop the insurrection.
However the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns provided a heavy logistical support to the Star League Defence Forces, losing several units in terrorist attacks by the Periphery insurgents.
When the Coup was launched, the Federated Suns stayed out of it, protecting their borders from any interference from Amaris (“I do not recognise your right to the throne”) while providing support to General Kerensky’s Federated Task Force.
The obvious result was that the Federated Suns was protected from most war damages and let it (like the other Houses) in a relative position of strength.
In this, Prince John Davion was just following his usual political line: his people first and then the Star League.
This was nowhere more obvious that during the last High Council of the Star League where Prince John Davion tried keep the Star League united with him as the First Lord only until the Terran Hegemony would have recovered from the war.
As for the allegations of him having personal interests in becoming the First Lord, as illustrated in this letter from Coordinator Minoru Kurita, John Davion had no knowledge of the plans of the last First Lord.
“Yet I must tell you what that fool of a First Lord has had the gall to confide in me. He stated his wish that John Davion take the place of First Lord if anything were to happen to him. As if a deposed ruler’s contemptible wishes could be binding on a leader secure in his people’s fealty! Luckily, there was no indication that Cameron had spoken yet to Davion, nor did he mention any immediate plans to do so.”
The Good Will Tour was the only intent undertaken by a Great House to keep the Inner Sphere peaceful and to restore the Star League.
“Our nation successfully undertook a diplomatic tour of the Inner Sphere not seen since First Lord Simon Cameron’s tragic Peace Mission of 2750. The delegation’s findings will doubt be vital in determining our interstellar strategy for years to come and hopefully one day result in the foundation of a new Star League.” That this important task was undertaken by the Federated Suns is a proof that the judgement of General Kerensky upon Prince John Davion is still valid.
As can be seen through this rapid biography, Prince John Davion is truly a Knight Prince always acting in the best interests of his people and of peace.
Those doubting this should look at his deeds, they speak for themselves.