Aleksey Zukov

Aleksey Elmirovich Zukov (Laiatanese: Алексей Эльмирович Жуков, April 29, 1830 - July 11, 1904) was a Laiatanese politician and the first President of Laiatan, serving from 1889 to 1897. Originally a staunch supporter of the Laiatanese monarchy, he was one of the strongest advocates for the establishment of a republic during the republic referendum in 1887. Serving as an MP from his home town from 1876 until the coup in 1880 when parliament was disbanded by the coup leaders. His distaste in the monarchy arose when Yuri IV swore the dictators into power.

He and several other former MPs founded the National Patriotic Front (NPF) while still in prison, but he and other members escaped when being transported to a prison in the north of the country. Meeting up with other less organized partisan groups, they came together under the NPF's banner to wrestle control of the government away from the dictators. Zukov was captured again by coup forces, and imprisoned for almost two years before being freed in an attack on the prison. A full blown civil war did not occur until another attempted coup in 1885, orchestrated by one of the co-conspirators. Sensing weakness, the NPF and various other partisan groups launched full blown attacks on coup forces. The civil war would continue until the fall of Volkgoroda in late 1886.

Zukov worked with other partisan leaders in establishing a unified transitional government, temporarily using the emperor to help bring the country back together. Yuri IV was outraged to find out that he would not be immediately reinstated to the throne as the head of state, instead being permanently removed from the throne in the republic referendum. The monarchy was abolished, and Zukov would go on to win the first election.