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Interregnum
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{{short description|Period of discontinuity, such as the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next}} {{Other uses}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{forms of government}} An '''interregnum''' (plural '''interregna''' or '''interregnums''') is a period of [[revolutionary breach of legal continuity|discontinuity]] or "gap" in a government, organization, or [[social order]]. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin ''inter-'', "between" and ''rēgnum'', "reign" [from ''rex, rēgis'', "king"]), and the concepts of interregnum and [[Regent|regency]] therefore overlap. Historically, longer and heavier interregna have been typically accompanied by widespread unrest, [[Civil war|civil]] and [[War of succession|succession wars]] between [[warlord]]s, and [[power vacuum]]s filled by foreign invasions or the emergence of a new power. The term also refers to the periods between the election of a new parliament and the establishment of a new government from that parliament in parliamentary democracies, usually ones that employ some form of proportional representation that allows small parties to elect significant numbers, requiring time for negotiations to form a government. In the UK, Canada and other electoral systems with [[single-member district]]s, this period is usually very brief, except in the rare occurrence of a [[hung parliament]] as occurred both [[2017 United Kingdom general election|in the UK]] in 2017 and [[2010 Australian federal election|in Australia]] in 2010. In parliamentary interregnums, the previous government usually stands as a [[caretaker government]] until the new government is established. Additionally, the term has been applied to the [[United States presidential transition]], the period of time between the election of a new [[President of the United States|U.S. president]] and his or her inauguration, during which the outgoing president remains in power, but as a [[lame duck (politics)|lame duck]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Klotz|first=Robert J.|date=1997-03-22|title=On the Way Out: Interregnum Presidential Activity|url=https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-19732218/on-the-way-out-interregnum-presidential-activity|journal=Presidential Studies Quarterly|volume=27|issue=2|pages=320|issn=0360-4918|access-date=4 December 2018|archive-date=17 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917213505/https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-19732218/on-the-way-out-interregnum-presidential-activity|url-status=dead}}</ref> Similarly, in some [[Christianity#Churches and denominations|Christian denominations]], "interregnum" (interim) describes the time between vacancy and appointment of [[Priest#Christianity|priest]] or [[pastor]]s to various roles. ==Historical periods of interregnum== Particular historical periods known as interregna include: * The [[Chu–Han Contention]] of 206–202 BC in China, after the death of Emperor [[Qin Er Shi]], when there was a contest to the throne. It ended with the accession of [[Liu Bang]], ushering in the [[Han dynasty]] and ending the [[Qin dynasty]]. * In the [[Mauretania|Kingdom of Mauretania]], after the death of [[Bocchus II]], the throne was unoccupied for 8 years (33–25 BC), before [[Juba II]] was granted control of the kingdom as a [[client state]] of [[Roman Empire|Rome]]. * The [[Crisis of the Third Century]] (235–284) in the [[Roman Empire]], when it was split into multiple realms and chaos (invasion, civil war, [[Plague of Cyprian|Cyprian Plague]], and [[economic depression]]) was a constant threat until [[Aurelian]] and [[Diocletian]] restored the empire. The crisis forced Diocletian to partition the Empire and marked the beginning of the [[fall of the Western Roman Empire]]. * From 423 to 425 in the Roman Empire, between the death of [[Honorius (emperor)|Honorius]] and the accession of [[Valentinian III]]. A usurper called [[Joannes]] seized power. * The ten-year period after the death of [[Cleph|King Cleph]] from 574/575 to 584/585 in the [[Kingdom of the Lombards]], known as the [[Rule of the Dukes]]. Marked by increasing domination of the [[Italian Peninsula]] by the [[Franks]] and the [[Byzantine Empire]]. Ended with the election of Authari as king. * The [[Sasanian civil war of 628–632|Sasanian Interregnum]] (628–632), a conflict that broke out after the death of [[Khosrau II]] between the [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian]] nobles of different factions. Ended with the victory of [[Yazdegerd III]] and contributed to the [[fall of the Sasanian Empire]]. * The 1022–1072 period in Ireland, between the death of [[Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill]] and the accession of [[Toirdhealbhach Ua Briain]], is sometimes regarded as an interregnum, as the [[High King of Ireland|High Kingship]] of Ireland was disputed throughout these decades. The interregnum may even have extended to 1121, when [[Toirdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair]] acceded to the title. * From 1089 to 1102 in the [[Kingdom of Croatia (925–1102)|Kingdom of Croatia]], between death of Croatian king [[Demetrius Zvonimir]] and when [[Coloman of Hungary|Coloman]], [[king of Hungary]] is crowned king of Croatia in 1102. * From 13 April 1204 to 25 July 1261 in the [[Byzantine Empire]]. Following the [[Sack of Constantinople]] during the [[Fourth Crusade]], the Byzantine Empire was dissolved, to be replaced by [[Frankokratia|several Crusader states]] and [[Partitio terrarum imperii Romaniae|several Byzantine states]]. It was re-established by Nicean general [[Alexios Strategopoulos]] who placed [[Michael VIII Palaiologos]] back on the throne of a united Byzantine Empire. * From 21 May 1254 to 29 September 1273, The [[Interregnum (HRE)|Great Interregnum]] in the [[Holy Roman Empire]] after the deposition of the last [[House of Hohenstaufen|Hohenstaufen]] emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] by [[Pope Innocent IV]] and the death of his son King [[Conrad IV of Germany]] until the [[1273 Imperial election|election]] of the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] scion [[Rudolph I of Germany|Rudolph]] as ''[[King of the Romans|Rex Romanorum]]''. * [[List of Scottish monarchs#First Interregnum (1290–1292)|First Interregnum]] in Scotland, which lasted from either 19 March 1286 or 26 September 1290 until 17 November 1292. The exact dating of the interregnum depends on whether the uncrowned [[Margaret, Maid of Norway]] was officially queen before her death in 1290. It lasted until [[John Balliol]] was crowned King of Scots. * [[List of Scottish monarchs#Second Interregnum (1296–1306)|Second Interregnum]] in Scotland, from 10 July 1296, when [[John Balliol]] was deposed, until 25 March 1306, when [[Robert the Bruce]] was crowned. * From 14 January 1301 until 1308 in the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] between the extinction of the [[Árpád dynasty]] and when [[Charles I of Hungary]] secured the throne for himself against several pretenders. * From 5 June 1316 to 15 November 1316 in [[Kingdom of France|France]] and [[Kingdom of Navarre|Navarre]], between the death of [[Louis X of France|Louis X]] and the birth of his posthumous son [[John I of France|John I]]. * From 2 August 1332 until 21 June 1340 in [[Denmark]] when the country was mortgaged to a few German counts. * The [[1383–1385 Crisis|Portuguese Interregnum]], from 22 October 1383 until 6 April 1385, a result of the succession crisis caused by the death of [[Ferdinand I of Portugal|Ferdinand I]] without a legitimate heir. Ended when [[John I of Portugal|John I]]'s forces won the [[Battle of Aljubarrota]], beginning the [[House of Aviz|Aviz dynasty]]. * The [[Ottoman Interregnum]], from 20 July 1402 until 1413, a result of the capture of Sultan [[Bayezid I]] at the hands of Central Asian warlord [[Timur]] (Tamerlane) in the [[Battle of Ankara]]. A period of civil war ensued as none of Bayezid's sons could establish primacy. The crisis was resolved when one of his sons, [[Mehmed I|Mehmed]], defeated and killed his brothers and reestablished the Empire. * From 20 January 1410 to 1412 in the [[Crown of Aragon]]. The death of King [[Martin of Aragon|Martin]] without heir led to a succession crisis and a period of civil war, resolved ultimately by the [[Compromise of Caspe]]. * The 1453–1456 period of civil war in [[Kingdom of Majapahit]] (now in [[Java]], Indonesia) * From 1481 until 1483 in the [[Kingdom of Norway]], during a conflict over the succession of [[John, King of Denmark|John]], during the period of the [[Kalmar Union]]. The [[Riksråd|Norwegian Council of the Realm]] initially refused to accept the hereditary succession of John; as they asserted that Norway was an elective monarchy. When no serious opposition candidate emerged, the Council relented and elected John. There was also an interregnum from 1533 to 1537, after the death of [[Frederick I of Denmark|Frederick I]] and the interregnum ended with a [[coup d'état]] by his son [[Christian III of Denmark|Christian III]]. * From 6 April 1490 to 15 July 1490 in the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] between the death of [[Matthias Corvinus]] and election of [[Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary|Vladislaus II]]. * The [[Time of Troubles]] in Russia (1598–1613) between the [[Rurik dynasty|Rurikid]] and [[Romanov]] dynasties, which caused a [[Russian famine of 1601–03|famine]] and an [[Polish–Muscovite War (1605–1618)|invasion]] by [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth|Poland-Lithuania]] as numerous [[usurper]]s and [[false Dmitry]]s claimed to be the legitimate successor to the dead [[Feodor I of Russia|Fyodor I]]. Ended when the Zemsky Sobor elected [[Michael of Russia|Michael Romanov]] as the new [[tsar]], beginning the [[House of Romanov|Romanov dynasty]]. * The [[Interregnum (1649–1660)|Interregnum of 1649–1660]], a republican period in the three kingdoms of [[Interregnum (England)|England]], [[Interregnum (Ireland)|Ireland]] and [[Interregnum (Scotland)|Scotland]]. Government was carried out by the [[Commonwealth of England|Commonwealth]] and the [[the Protectorate|Protectorate]] of [[Oliver Cromwell]] after the execution of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] and before the [[English Restoration|restoration]] of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]. * A second English interregnum occurred between 23 December 1688, when [[James II of England|James II]] was deposed in the [[Glorious Revolution]], and the installation of [[William III of England|William III]] and [[Mary II of England|Mary II]] as joint sovereigns on 13 February 1689 pursuant to the [[Declaration of Right]]. * [[French and British interregnum in the Dutch East Indies]] between 1806 and 1815 was a period of [[First French Empire|French]] and then [[British Empire|British]] rule on the [[Dutch East Indies]] after the collapse of the [[Dutch East India Company|Dutch East Indies Company]]. The [[First French Empire]] ruled between 1806 and 1811. The [[British Empire]] took over for 1811 to 1815, and transferred control back to the Dutch in 1815. * The brief [[Russian interregnum of 1825]], caused by uncertainty over who succeeded the deceased Emperor [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]], only lasted between 1 December and 26 December 1825, but was used to stage the highly resonant [[Decembrist revolt]]. It ended when [[Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia|Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich]] renounced his claim to throne, allowing [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]] to declare himself Tsar. *After [[World War I]], the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] ruler of the [[Kingdom of Hungary]] was disposed. On 1 March 1920, the [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)|Kingdom of Hungary]] was re-established. However, restoration of a Habsburg king was deemed unacceptable by to the [[Allies of World War I|Entente]] powers. Instead, the National Assembly of Hungary appointed [[Miklós Horthy]] as [[regent]]. [[Charles IV of Hungary]] made [[Charles IV of Hungary's attempts to retake the throne|two unsuccessful attempts to retake the throne]]. Horthy remained as the [[Regent of Hungary]] until [[Operation Panzerfaust|German invasion]] on 15 October 1944. * A brief interregnum occurred in Thailand between 13 October and 1 December 2016 upon the death of King [[Bhumibol Adulyadej]]. The crown prince [[Vajiralongkorn]], in an unprecedented move, did not assume the throne immediately after the death of the previous monarch, as he asked for time to mourn while he continued functioning in his role as the crown prince. During this period, [[Prem Tinsulanonda]] served as the [[regent]] pro tempore. In some monarchies, such as the United Kingdom, an ''interregnum'' is usually avoided due to a rule described as "[[The King is dead. Long live the King]]", i.e. the [[heir to the throne]] becomes a new monarch immediately on his predecessor's death or [[abdication]]. This famous phrase signifies the continuity of [[sovereignty]], attached to a personal form of power named ''[[Auctoritas]]''. This is not so in other monarchies where the new monarch's reign begins only with [[coronation]] or some other formal or traditional event. In the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] for instance, kings were elected, which often led to relatively long interregna. During that time it was the Polish [[Primate (bishop)|primate]] who served as an [[interrex]] (ruler between kings). In [[Belgium]] the heir only becomes king upon swearing an [[oath of office]] before the [[parliament]]. ==Christianity== ===Catholicism=== {{main|Sede vacante|Papal conclave}} {{see also|Canon law of the Catholic Church}} A ''papal interregnum'' occurs upon the death or resignation of the [[pope]] of the [[Catholic Church]], though this particular form is called ''[[sede vacante]]'' (literally "when the seat is vacant"). The interregnum ends immediately upon the [[Papal conclave|election]] of a new pope by the [[College of Cardinals]]. ===Anglicanism=== "Interregnum" is the term used in the [[Anglican Communion]] to describe the period before a new [[parish priest]] is appointed to fill a vacancy. During an interregnum, the administration of the [[parish]] is the responsibility of the [[churchwarden]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.churchwardens.com/duties.html |title=Responsibilities and Duties of the Churchwarden |website=www.churchwardens.com |access-date=15 March 2015}}</ref> ===Mormonism=== In [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], when the [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|President of The Church]] dies, the [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]] is dissolved and the [[Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]] (the Twelve) becomes the Church's presiding body. Any members of the First Presidency who were formerly members of the Twelve rejoin that quorum. The period between the death of the President and the reorganization of the First Presidency is known as an "Apostolic Interregnum".<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Carrie A. |date=2008-01-30 |title= LDS leadership succession plan well-established |url= https://www.deseretnews.com/article/695248535/LDS-leadership-succession-plan-well-established.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120119140922/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695248535/LDS-leadership-succession-plan-well-established.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 19 January 2012 |work=[[Deseret News]] |access-date=2018-01-13}}</ref> ==Chess== [[FIDE]], the world [[Sports governing body|governing body]] of international [[chess]] competition, has had two [[Interregnum of World Chess Champions|Interregnum periods]] of having no chess champions, both during the 1940s. ===Men=== * 1946–1948 — [[List of World Chess Championships|Men's World Chess Champion]] [[Alexander Alekhine]] died of natural causes in 1946. Interregnum lasted until 1948, when [[Mikhail Botvinnik]] won a FIDE-held chess tournament to decide on a successor. ===Women=== * 1944–1950 — [[Women's World Chess Championship|Women's World Chess Champion]] [[Vera Menchik]] was killed in an [[airstrike|air-raid]] during [[World War II]] in Britain in 1944. Interregnum lasted until 1950, when [[Lyudmila Rudenko]] won a FIDE-held chess tournament to decide on a successor. ==In fiction== * The events of [[Isaac Asimov]]'s ''[[Foundation Trilogy]]'' take place during the galactic interregnum in his Foundation Universe, taking place in the 25th millennium. [[Foundation (Isaac Asimov novel)|Foundation]] begins at the end of the Galactic Empire and notes in the novels from the [[Encyclopedia Galactica]] imply that a Second Galactic Empire follows the 1000 year interregnum. * In [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[Tolkien's legendarium|''legendarium'']] set in [[Middle-earth]], the disappearance of the King Eärnur of [[Gondor]] is followed by a 968-year interregnum (the [[Stewards of Gondor|Steward]] years), which ends with the return of [[Aragorn]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. * ''[[The Old Kingdom Trilogy]]'' takes place after 200 years of interregnum, where the reigning Queen and her two daughters were murdered by [[Kerrigor]], 180 years of regency first and 20 years of anarchy following the death of the last Regent. * The [[Steven Brust#The Dragaeran books|''Vlad Taltos'' series]] is set in a fantastical world of magic, at a time directly following a 250-year interregnum wherein traditional sorcery was impossible due to the orb being destroyed. * In the ''[[Elder Scrolls]]'' video games, there was an Interregnum in the Second Era when the Second Cyrodillic Empire collapsed. It led to just over four centuries of bickering between small kingdoms and petty states. The Interregnum ended when Tiber Septim, or Talos, formed the Third Empire after a decade of war. Similarly, with the sacrifice of Martin Septim during the Oblivion Crisis in the Third Era, the Septim dynasty came to an end, and a seven-year interregnum occurred before Titus Mede I restored the throne and ushered in the Fourth Era. * In ''[[Poland (novel)|Poland]]'' by [[James A. Michener]], 1983, interregnum is mentioned numerous times in the ever-shifting power struggles that plagued that country, even up to the 1980s. * In the film ''[[A Christmas Prince]]'', the Kingdom of Aldovia limits interregna to a maximum of one year. This becomes a central plot point when it appears Crown Prince Richard may not accept the throne prior to the Christmas deadline. ==In media== * The television game show ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' has been regarded as being in Season 37 after the death of [[Alex Trebek]] following the taping of Episode 75 (aired January 8, 2021), and lasting until Episode 71 of Season 40 (aired December 15, 2023), the first broadcast day after the show ''officially'' named [[Ken Jennings]] as permanent full-time host. The interregnum featured guest hosts from Trebek's death, then during Season 38 a one-week hosting session of [[Mike Richards (television personality)|Mike Richards]] that ended following the taping of Episode 5 (aired September 17, 2021), and the official naming of [[Mayim Bialik]] as host with Jennings as her substitute. Due to the split duties, it was considered interregnum until Sony released Bialik on December 15, 2023, even though Jennings has hosted full-time since May 1, 2023 (shows aired July 3, 2023). ==See also== {{Portal|Philosophy}} * [[Argentina presidential transition]] *[[Giorgio Agamben]] * [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] * [[Reichsverweser]] ** [[Imperial Vicar]] ** [[Interrex]] ** [[Interrex (Poland)]] ** [[Regent of Hungary]] *[[Reign]] * [[Sede vacante]] * [[United States presidential transition]] ==Notes== <references/> ==References== *[[Giorgio Agamben]]'s ''State of Exception'' (2005) *[[Ernst Kantorowicz]]'s ''The King's Two Bodies'' (1957). * Koptev, Aleksandr. [https://doi.org/10.1017/S000983881600032X "The Five-Day Interregnum in The Roman Republic."] The Classical Quarterly 66.1 (2016): 205–21. * Theophanidis, Philippe [https://dx.doi.org/10.12681/syn.16228 "Interregnum as a Legal and Political Concept: A Brief Contextual Survey"], Synthesis, Issue 9 (Fall 2016): 109–124. [[Category:Interregnums| ]] [[Category:Emergency laws]] [[Category:Monarchy]] [[Category:Roman law]] [[Category:Political philosophy]] [[Category:Philosophy of law]]
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