Editing Giovanni Steiner

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = 
| name                = Giovanni Steiner
| birthdate           = [[2932]]<ref name=HSTLCpLOS>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', foldout: "The Lyran Commonwealth's Line of Succession and Partial Steiner Family Tree"</ref>
| died                = [[2980]]<ref name=HHSp51>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 51</ref><ref name=HSTLCpLOS/>
| othernames          = 
| affiliation         = [[House Steiner]]
| rank                = 
| title               = [[Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth|Archon]]
| position            =  
| profession          = Noble
| parents             = [[Marco Steiner]] (father)<ref name=HSTLCpLOS/>
| siblings            = [[Daniel Steiner]]<ref name=HSTLCpLOS/>
| spouse              = 
| children            = [[Lisa Steiner (30th c.)|Lisa Steiner]]<ref name=HSTLCpLOS/><br/>[[Alessandro Steiner]]<ref name=HSTLCpLOS/><br/>[[Sophia Steiner]]<ref name=HSTLCpLOS/><br/>[[Hermann Steiner]]<ref name=HSTLCpLOS/>
}}
'''Giovanni Steiner'''  was the twenty-seventh [[Archon]] of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]].<ref name=HBHSp98>''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 98: "Lyran Leadership Profile"</ref> 

==History==
He was rushed into ruling at 20 years of age after the early retirement of his gravely-ill father, [[Marco Steiner]]. Having just graduated from [[Tharkad]] University with degrees in economics and political science, Giovanni's total lack of military training initially worried his [[LCAF|Armed Forces]] generals. However, he turned out to be a competent strategist willing to listen to his advisers, and in the early years of his reign the LCAF successfully defended [[Alexandria (LC)|Alexandria]] from a [[Draconis Combine|Kuritan]] attack which escalated into the largest [[Third Succession War]] battle in Steiner territory.<ref name=HBHSp98/><ref name=HSTLCp74>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', pp. 74–77: "The Reign of Giovanni Steiner"</ref>

A quiet and unassuming leader, Giovanni's biggest contribution as Archon was based on his economic skills. He reorganized the military bureaucracy and reduced wasteful spending, freeing up funds to stockpile extra supplies and hire more [[mercenaries]]. When in [[2957]] the 9th Battle for [[Hesperus II]] crippled the Commonwealth's 'Mech and weapons production for the following two decades, Giovanni's reforms kept the LCAF operational. In [[2971]], the key mercenary forces of the [[Eridani Light Horse]] and [[12th Star Guards]] defeated a large-scale [[Free Worlds League|Marik]] invasion of [[Loric]], a critical stronghold on the anti-spinward Lyran border.<ref name=HBHSp98/><ref name=HSTLCp74/> Giovanni also showed strictness when necessary, using the [[26th Lyran Guards]] to suppress a violent uprising on [[Summit]] in [[2977]]<ref name=HSTLCp74/>, further contributing to the regiment's nickname "Steiner's Boots".<ref>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 56: "Regimental Nicknames"</ref>

A passionate equestrian in his spare time, Giovanni Steiner died in 2980, only 48 years old, from a fall during a showjumping performance. He would be succeeded by his much more militaristic son, Alessandro. <ref name=HBHSp98/><ref name=HSTLCp74/>

==Legacy==
Perhaps the most significant choice in Giovanni's life was his decision to father four children, leading to several competing family lines of significance. [[Katrina Steiner]] laid claim to the throne through her mother [[Lisa Steiner (30th c.)|Lisa]], while would-be Archons like [[Frederick Steiner|Frederick]] or [[Ryan Steiner|Ryan]] and his son [[Robert Kelswa-Steiner]] had their descent from [[Sophia Steiner]] to give their claim extra weight.<ref name=HSTLCpLOS/> The jockeying for power between branches of the family was a major concern for whomever held the throne for much of the century after Giovanni's death.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''I'm perfectly willing to go into the history books as 'ol' what's his name' if it means I can quietly look after the citizens of the Commonwealth and occasionally ride my horses.''|Archon Giovanni Steiner, reacting to satirical holo portraying him as a blond fool, in ''A Look at the Steiner Family'', by Cevin Stenman, [[Commonwealth Press]], [[2978]]<ref name="HS(TLC)p72">''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 72: "The Reign of Giovanni Steiner"</ref>}}

{{Quote|''Loric? Where's Loric?''|Archon Giovanni Steiner quoted in ''A Look at the Steiner Family'', by Cevin Stenman, Commonwealth Press, 2978<ref name="HS(TLC)p74">''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 74: "The Battle For Loric"</ref>}}

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Handbook: House Steiner]]''
* ''[[House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)]]''


[[Category:Archons|Steiner, Giovanni]]
[[Category:Lyran Commonwealth Characters|Steiner, Giovanni]]