To Struggle and Strive: The Combined Syndicates of America in 1932. A Kaiserreich Quest

The Discord for the quest.

The third and fourth have +10.

Wave the Red Banner - 2 Influence, 64+52+5 = 121
Subject: Focus on how the Federal Government has sent every bill of "capitulation" to die in Republican-dominated committees and how it proves that the Strike needs to hold firm until every demand is met in full, otherwise the government (which is making its promises in bad faith) will retract all its offers and promises the moment it thinks it can get away with it.

"Five bills have reached the President's desk since the general strike has begun. Not one of them mentions the demands of the workers of Chicago, the demands the Republican Party has promised to fulfill," you write, your frantic scrawl filling page after page as you recount the evidence of the capitalist's bad faith, describing the many times they have deceived and betrayed the workers.

"The forces of capital will never cease seeking our oppression until they are defeated, or we are. Workers of Chicago, you are the beacon of socialism. Do not falter, do not retreat, do not submit."

The newest edition triggers furious denunciation and accusations of incompetence, insanity, and radicalism. "Does the syndicalist senator think it's a simple matter to handle the affairs of government?" newspapers in San Francisco and New York ask.

And the workers and soldiers reply that paying employees is. Many soldiers trek to Chicago, despite the refusal of railways to run there...until strikes by the railway workers in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana force them to either allow transport to the Windy City or face entire sections of the rail network getting shut down.

The flame of resistance burns all the brighter now. There are no more motions to end the general strike. In fact, a delegation of workers put forth a motion to make it permanent, although it is voted down due to various practical concerns.

Result: Significant boost in the strength and determination of the general strike, loss of support for the federal government.


Expand Soup Kitchens - 1 Authority

It begins in Chicago, in buildings whose occupants have fled. Doors are kicked down, furnishing removed. The stoves in the kitchen are fired up, and new improvised ones brought in. Rough tables and rows of benches are laid in yards and ballrooms, and communal kitchens are created, expanding to reach places they never had before. As the hungry hordes descend on them, they expand, increasing in size and number, beginning to recruit assistants and dishwashers from those who use their services.

It's a heartening success and one that you intend to replicate. New kitchens are opened in many cities, despite the increased harassment of syndicalists and socialists outside your strongholds. But you have more ambitious goals, goals which will take time to reach.

The cost is enormous, the effort is derided as a boondoggle by your foes and by some of the more direct of your colleagues, but your goal is feasible and the benefits enormous. You do not deny that the food in the kitchens is...not great. Between the generally low quality and the occasional outbreak of food poisoning, there is room to improve. You'll worry about that later when as many as possible have some food in their bellies.

Result: You have begun to expand already established soup kitchen networks in several cities and create new ones. 2 months left.


Encourage Veteran Recruitment - 1 Authority

Soldiers pour into Chicago to join the picket lines, but more groups form outside. Despite the best efforts of their officers to conceal the truth, the news of your demands reaches their ears. Small veteran's clubs form in mining towns and major cities, often acting alongside unions in various actions. Your agitators don't just try to recruit veterans directly, but to encourage them to support the Payment Army, displaying images taken by reporters of the soldiers with their families and the letters they had written to the president.

And it gets results. The pressure on Curtis and Congress to act increases, even as they grow more stubborn. And that stubbornness drives more into your arms.


Result: Three more rolls for Veterans in the Red Guard, new action unlocked.


Anti-Strikebreaker Force - 2 Influence, 5+74+10+10 = 99


For the first time, you visit Chicago. While this was partly a vacation, you did have a little work you wanted to do first. Deep within the slaughterhouses and railyards of the city, a particular abandoned one that was once the site of a bloody clash is filled to the brim with four hundred men. They were soldiers and dockworkers, they forged steel and loaded trains, and mined coal. They have all labored, and they have all fought.

"You are probably wondering why you were all asked to come here, both to Chicago and to this place," you tell them.

There is a low murmur of acknowledgment, an uneasy one. You are not too comfortable here yourself, amongst the rusting train cars and torn tracks and walls stained with what looks like dried clay that someone splattered in many places.

"It is because your comrades speak highly of you, because of your discipline and valor and dedication to the workers and to our cause. It is because you have been noticed. It is because you work and you do it well...I am sure you know what the reward for that is."

There's a faint ripple of laughter.

"More work!" you all cry together.

"That work will be to travel the country. When strikebreakers and Pinkerton thugs attack, you will be there. When police beat workers marching in protest of their poor treatment, you will be there. You are the ones who will break the strikebreakers. Are you willing? Any of you can leave now, and suffer no consequences, go back to the strike or leave Chicago or do whatever you want."

You pause for a few moments. No one makes a move.

"I picked this place because workers shed their blood here. It wasn't one of the great strikes or the great suppressions, it's not going to be in the history books, but three men died and four were crippled by police with dogs here. The blood of labor is the mortar that holds America together. Even in the most out-of-the-way places, it stains the earth," you tell them solemnly.

"We're going to tear apart the structure and build a new one, a better one. I promise you that."

You take a step off to the side, gesturing to a few barrels. "Now have some beer from the Chicago Brewer's Collective!"

You have to take several more steps to avoid being run over.

Result: 400 strong force recruited to protect strikes, they are highly enthusiastic and determined. They are currently attracting little attention.

Organize Childcare - 1 Influence, 46

You also visit a half-dozen of the "Nanny Houses" that have sprung up, reading to the younger children and speaking to the older ones, enjoying the way their innocent excitement at meeting you and the sheer energy they possess. Hannah accompanies you on a few of these trips, and at the end, you decide to ask what she thought.

"They looked busy. Misses Whiteshanks said she's been spending all day with those kids, and they were loud kids."

She's entirely right. You give her a kiss, send her off, and then consider what else the various nannies told you.

"And there should be men doing it too. You said socialism required equal labor," Hannah adds, poking her head back into the room.

You thank her and hug her, and then she wants to show you her newest drawing. Smiling, you agree, and it's nearly twenty minutes before you go back to your desk and write down a draft proposal, suggesting first that part of using the services of a Nanny House was to volunteer to assist on a rotating basis, and to create a more organized network of those houses. Perhaps some buildings could be set aside, one per neighborhood or attached to factories...

Result: Proposal created, will be gradually implemented, implementation can be accelerated.

Appoint a Party Whip - 1 Influence

There are many Senators and Congressmen who are important figures. They are often proud and prickly and frankly a pain in your rear end. You might not have to deal with full-on revolts, but you spend a ridiculous amount of time making sure people read the bills and managing the approaches your allies take in committees. It wouldn't be a disaster if they were left entirely alone, you will admit to a tendency to micromanage, but there would be some trouble.

However, you could also install a whip. They would need a lot of backing, but most likely they could manage that side of things better than you can with your focus pulled in so many directions. It would need to be someone senior, or at least influential though.

You decide to ask...

[] No one.

[] No one, but you will stop handling it yourself. +1 Influence, unknown consequences for the legislature

[] Norman Thomas, Senator from New York. Possibly your only true rival for the leadership of the SPA, he is also your most dedicated supporter. A strongly principled man, the only thing he is more devoted to than socialism is peace, although he does (reluctantly) recognize the need for self-defense. Pros: Popular(Increase to relations with all factions), experienced(+10 to rolls for the Party Whip). Cons: Strongly Principled (He will not do anything that compromises his values). Priorities: Worker's relief, reducing federal military strength.
-[] How strongly will you back him? The minimum is 1 Authority. You will lose all Authority or Influence you commit.

[] Henry Wallace, Representative from Iowa. He is incredibly inexperienced and rather arrogant, but he is a canny political operator. A little seasoning might see him becoming a major player in his own right. And most importantly, he crossed the aisle from Farmer-Labor but maintained his old contacts and allies there, which will expand your legislative reach and potentially grant opportunities to bring the Great Plains into coalition with you. Pros: Canny (+5 to rolls for the Party Whip), Farmer-Labor contacts (drastically decreases difficulty of working with Farmer-Labor). Cons: Arrogant (reduces relations with all factions), Inexperienced (-10 to rolls for the Party Whip, malus increased by +1 each month). Priorities: Agricultural relief, civil rights.
-[] How strongly will you back him? The minimum is 1 Authority. You will lose all Authority or Influence you commit.

[] Albert Glotzer, Senator from Illinois. He is perhaps the most internationalist member of the Senate, and aims to gain support from the Union of Britain, the Commune of France, and the United Mexican States and in turn support their revolutions as well as others. Despite this, he is otherwise fairly typical. Pros: None. Cons: None. Priorities: Internationalism
-[] How strongly will you back him? The minimum is 1 Authority. You will lose all Authority or Influence you commit.

[] Benjamin Gitlow, Senator from New Jersey. Coming into politics from the unions, he has grown increasingly radical and even begun to question the value of electoralism as a tactic. It is quite possible he will not run for re-election in 1938. However, while in the Senate he is an experience organizer, albeit one prone to disruption. Pros: Experienced (+10 to rolls for the Party Whip). Cons: Disruptive (More likely to disobey instructions). Priorities: Establish dual power institutions, expand propaganda efforts
-[] How strongly will you back him? The minimum is 1 Authority. You will lose all Authority or Influence you commit.

Personal Action: Spend Time With Your Family

With all your business finished in Chicago, and you not "officially" in the city, you are free to roam the city with Hannah and Louise, spending an entire day together in a way you have not done since...nearly a year now. Your arm is locked in your wife's, your daughter rides on your shoulders (which you will probably regret in an hour). You inhale the fresh air and see the sights, not just the museums and famous landmarks of the city,. You see the way people live in a city at least partly dominated by socialism.

It's a long day full of answering their questions and buying your daughter sweets from a stand at the fair some enterprising group have started up, the booths hastily painted with the grain-and-gear.

It ends back at the hotel you are staying at, your daughter fasts asleep in your bed, your wife in your arms. She is silent for a long time. "So this is why you were so busy," she says softly.

You nod. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

She nods again. "I know I would like to have a kitchen where the husband does the dishes."

You wince theatrically, then frown slightly as she continues.

"I still can't forgive you though. Not yet."

You consider your response somewhere, despite your...distraction.

"But one day?"

"One day."

You decide that you'll just have to make it come soon.

Report from the Coordination Committee

The Coordination Committee has decided to focus on one of their other priorities this month, one which they have neglected, spending money on several construction companies, choosing specific, rather expensive companies. As a defense, they explain they selected companies that were more highly worker-dominated than the competition, which regrettably had higher rates.

Focus: The Struggle Carries On!

The workers of America are alienated. Not just from their work, but from each other. Divides imposed by the capitalists have fractured different professions. Especially strong is the divide between the rural workers and the urban, one which will take many years to heal, if that's at all possible. Support for the SPA in many rural areas seems slim to none...but you can build from that. After all, only a few years ago the Socialist Party could barely win state elections. It will be difficult, and long, and probably bloody, but the struggle shall carry on.

Result: 2/3 months complete.