Legacy of The Tenth Crusade - A Divergences of Darkness Nation Quest [Finished]

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Egyptian Syria, Spring 1919 - The Arab League Conference Part 2
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Something had to be done against the Islamists. That much was agreed upon, even Issa coming around to that point too. He stressed caution, something limited, short of an outright purge to avoid disrupting the army. Hakim reluctantly agreed with that position too.

"Now's not the time," Hakim advised, frown firmly embedded on his face. Salaam's wing of the party continued to be trouble for everyone else. "We can't risk chaos in the ranks on the eve of another war."

"It's start, but we should go further," Khouri scoffed. "You're too soft on them-"

"Don't mistake my caution for weakness!" Hakim cut him off, pointing a finger in the general's direction. "They're no friends of mine. I'm not protecting or going soft on them. We will handle them when the time is right, but that's not now, not when we're so close to freeing our brothers and sisters from their bondage."

The general raised a hand and motioned for his friend to calm down. "I don't doubt your conviction for a moment. I'm concerned that your fear and caution may be compromising your judgment."

"You should keep your own fears in check, my friend," Hakim shot back. "I've dedicated my life to this party. I've made difficult choices in these last few years, but never once strayed from its vision." He let out a sigh and stood, placing a hand on Khouri's shoulder. "I trust you to not fail Egypt, and I need you to trust me to do the same. We've always had to work with one hand tied behind our backs, we can make do for just a little longer."

The general met his friend's gaze and sighed, nodding his head. "You're right. I'll have a list of names prepared by morning…"

===

In a memo dispatched to loyal officers in the army, the arrest of numerous Islamist officers was ordered on a myriad of real and real enough charges. Many were caught unaware and those that protested found few allies among their fellow officers to protest the sudden arrests. A few that got word of their impending arrests disappeared, likely fleeing into the Arab League's barracks and camps. Nejd's officers were not cooperative, claiming no knowledge of fleeing Islamists. It was grating for the military police charged with the task, but they'd gotten the bulk of the Islamist officers.

The soldiers under their former command would receive new officers, drawn from a mix of Ba'athists and Marxists. They received mixed responses from the soldiers, ones drawn from the Islamist Paramilitary were the most vocal in protesting their officers' arrests. The word strike was thrown around by a few soldiers, though it failed to amount to much in the interim. The Islamist Paramilitary's performance was deemed inadequate and its reservists unfit for duty. The truth of that mattered little, as the organization was split from the army.

Its funding was cut but the most immediate effect of that was its reservists were forced to join the standard national service and their heavy weapons were confiscated. It led to a minor reshuffling of reservists. While they were still Islamists in spirit, it undercut their influence in the army as the most ideologically driven members of their divisions. The regular soldiers and other reservists that had served with Islamists were conservative, having picked up many of their views, but had yet to undergo the ideological metamorphosis that would transform them into full fledged members.

If Khouri said the Islamist officers and soldiers had disgraced the uniform and disobeyed orders, then the men believed there was some truth to that. The limited number of Islamist officers in the military made the quick removal of them possible, even if their influence lingered in the back of many soldier's minds. Islamists were still seen as a legitimate part of the party and army, albeit one that underperformed during the war.

===

Salaam stroked his short, well trimmed beard. Seated across from him atop a small throne of silken pillows and padding was King Harroun. In their short time in Damascus they'd spoken at length with each other, attempting to come to an understanding. The question of what that entailed was a point of contention.

"The way I see it is you've got few other options," Salaam remarked, placing a hand on his chest. "Egypt's army outnumbers your own twice over. We have five times the population of the rest of the peninsula combined. If you expect a caliphate to survive it will require our support."

"An army that you do not command and a country you do not control!" The king leaned back and laughed, slapping a hand down onto his knee. "Even now your followers flee to my army for safety. Your time is up, Salaam, Alexandria tires of your antics, I can see it clear as day. Your head will be up on the chopping block soon, and then all that grandstanding would have been for nothing," Harroun laughed again, louder than before. "You need me to survive."

Salaam's thin face frowned, brows furrowed. "We have the near full support of Egyptians! If that fool ejected us from the party they'd rise up and throw him down."

The king brought his hands together and turned his palms upwards. "Believe what you will then, we'll see how true that is. Now, how likely is Egypt to accept compensation for Palestinian territory? Your finances aren't doing too well. My patrons and I can alleviate that burden," he said with a smile.

"It'd have to be high to tempt the rest of the cabinet. It'd be a close decision. They don't intend on giving up any of their gains," Salaam answered after a moment of thought.

"I assumed as much. Socialists are predictable in their stubbornness, your prime minister is no exception. Should we expect peace between our blocs? Are they willing to let Yemen go?" he inquired, keenly watching the minister.

"I suspect several ministers will resign in protest if we let you restore the monarchy to Yemen. It won't be well received by the rest, however I am doubtful any outside of Khouri would push for war over it." Salaam reached up to adjust his glasses. "Do try to make it look clean."

The king leaned forward, expression turning grim. "You do understand that is the worst answer you could have given. You don't fear a coup?"

"He has pulled in the ranks, but I assure you, the cabinet wouldn't support him. It'd alienate too many to have a foreign backed officers coup seize power. We'd fight it and win, I'm sure of it." Salaam smiled to himself. The calculation in his mind was a simple one. The majority of the country was Muslim, so when push came to shove the people would clearly support an Islamist party over socialists. "Besides, I wouldn't worry about him."

The king shook his head. "That's exactly what happened in Turkey, and now look at them: reds, every last one of them. Iraq's been boxed in because of them."

The snide remarks continued for some time until they returned to the subject at hand, egos barely put aside for the sake of clarity. The Islamists supported the creation of a new Pan-Arab Caliphate, however if Egypt was to join it then it would be at its center. It was the richest and largest member of the Arab League, and a historical center for Islamic civilization. Salaam wanted an Egypt that was more than the prize jewel in a crown: he wanted the whole thing. If not on his head, then on his party's head.

Lacking any noble connections and already being married, some sort of marriage alliance was out of the question. King Harroun offered to throw around titles to the Islamists, if and when they seized power in Egypt. In exchange, Salaam's delegates would vote lock step with Harroun's to prevent the socialists from taking center stage during discussions. The deal was struck with the understanding that Nejd had little aid it could directly offer besides money…

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In his own hotel room, Hakim met with President Nagi. The Yemenite showered praise onto the Egyptian for overthrowing the mandate and winning the war.

"If the party is the vanguard of the revolution, then you are the vanguard of Arabia, comrade," Nagi remarked with a laugh, practically beaming at the prime minister. He spread his arms wide. "Here we are, in Damascus. History will be made this week, no matter the outcome, things will change."

Hakim softly laughed, spurred on by his counterpart's enthusiasm. "It's truly a wonderful occasion, though I can't share your good cheer, comrade. We've finished one war, and our reward is another. It's tough to celebrate."

"It means we're one step closer to uniting the Arab world. You can feel it, can't you? The jubilation and tension in the air?" Nagi asked, glancing over to the window. "The people chant our names more than they chant Harroun's. Their kingdoms will not last the year if we push, I'm sure of it."

"Unfortunately it's not the people that lead their armies."

"But it's the people that wage the war."

"Perhaps," Hakim leaned back. There was a lingering sense of disbelief, an expectation that the rug will be pulled out from beneath him at any moment. It was only once the conference was done that he'd feel any sense of peace. "We should return to the subject at hand: the conference."

Nagi nodded. "We will vote with you during the conference. We must show solidarity. Furthermore," he leaned forward, "I propose a provisional union between our republics, so that when we attend it is not as Egypt or Yemen, but as the United Arab Republic. It's the dream of our parties, of our peoples, to finally oust the remnants of imperialism and reactionaries, and form a state that spans from the Atlantic to the Indian Oceans."

"It'd be in name only at the moment."

"And what a name it'd be!" Nagi shot up, hands raised in excitement. "The details are irrelevant at the moment. We must put our foot forward first, before Nejd can."

"We take the name, we take the initiative," Hakim nodded in understanding, hand resting on his narrow chin. He could imagine entering the conference with the delegations sitting side by side, flags waving together. It was a striking one. He suspected that Morocco would be interested in joining a joint declaration, though he knew there'd be concerns over the finer details of what such a union would look like in practice. Maghreb however…

'And Maghreb is still a kingdom,' he thought to himself. The status of royalty was becoming contentious as the king's health declined from age. The Tunisian noble that claimed the title of bey after liberating it from Aragon had been officially adopted into the royal family. A well equipped army filled with Maghrebi nobles and Islamists, furbished by the Italians, comfortably controlled the province. It seemed that the monarchy was defying expectations of gracefully abolishing itself, if the new heir had anything to say about it.

"Did you have any idea how to handle Nejd?" Hakim asked after a few moments. "You have material against them, but who'd care if they claim the title of caliph."

"I'll make no pretense about it," Nagi said as he sat back down. "They shamelessly take Entente money, they oppress conquered people in the Gulf, holy sites are neglected under their so-called watchful gaze, and even now they plot to invade Yemen. It doesn't need to convince their supporters to switch sides. They're lost to us already. It's the people I plan on reaching."

Hakim nodded in approval. "I assume you've got more than a speech prepared."

"Of course, I've been training partisans in the Gulf, and I've got support from you and Maghreb. If you're expecting a secret weapon, I'm sorry to say that it's you," Nagi said with a laugh. He motioned with a sweep of his hand to the prime minister. "So, what do you say?"

The prime minister was silent in thought as he considered it…

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United Arab Republic

Does Hakim agree to declare a provisional union between Egypt, Yemen, and Morocco?

[ ][UAR] Yes

[ ][UAR] No

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Palestine

Ahead of the conference, a delegation from Palestine approached Hakim's delegation with requests. The army has been working with locals to build rapport with them and help run the occupation, giving them some legitimacy, helping speed up the formation of a provisional government. Palestine, which claims all of the former Kingdom of Jerusalem's territory, wishes to be annexed by Egypt. They know they lack the manpower and funds to repair the damage caused by the Crusader's brutal occupation. They don't believe independence is viable or desirable.

If no is picked and the UAR is formed they will join it. If no is picked and the UAR is not formed, they'll attend as an 'independent' country.

Does Hakim accept Palestine's request to annex them?

[ ][PAL] Yes

[ ][PAL] No

===

In one last meeting the day before the conference began, Hakim had the displeasure of finding himself face to face once more with King Harroun. The monarch looked smugger than he did when they'd first met over two years ago. The recent diplomatic coups no doubt having gone to his already inflated sense of ego. In the king's private room there were cameras to capture a faint grimace on Hakim's face, a momentary slip of his otherwise schooled features.

"Your majesty, I didn't expect to see you before the conference. I was surprised by the invitation," Hakim remarked, maintaining a socially acceptable amount of disdain for the man. "You understand that I'm a very busy man, my time is precious. I don't have time for social calls, like you."

"I thought Jews were supposed to have a sharp wit," Harroun said in mock disappointment, shaking his head before laughing. "Maybe it's only the Polish ones."

Hakim's grimace returned and he moved to stand. "If that's all you wished to speak about, I'll be leaving."

"No, no, stay, please, we have important matters to discuss," the king motioned for him to stay seated. "I wanted to do you the courtesy of speaking privately. We're the victors of the war, not these delegates. It only makes sense for us to decide how the spoils are divided. Neither of us want some conference deciding the outcome of the peace."

The prime minister seriously considered walking out to snub the king. It was tempting, but political acumen and curiosity won out. He didn't expect to reach any sort of agreement with the king, but it'd pay to be aware of what Harroun was after. Hakim sat back down into his seat. "What did you have in mind?"

The king smiled. "I'm so glad you asked. We have a few requests for land transfers." He pulled a map out of his robe and placed it on the table between them. It was a map of the region with many notes and sketches on it, painting a picture that Hakim didn't like. "I believe that it's only fair that Nejd receive both banks of the Jordan River and Jerusalem as compensation for our years of struggle against the Crusaders."

Hakim peered over the map. Marked out was the entire East Bank for Nejd, along with everything within 60 kilometers on the West Bank to create a straight border north to south through Jerusalem. It ran from Syria in the north to the Red Sea in the South, cutting the territory in half straight down the middle. Egypt would be left with coastal strips of land.

"It's rather generous," the king remarked. "We've left the wonderful coastline for you"

"The most devastated parts of the country, while you take prime farmland," Hakim retorted. "Have you spoken with the Palestinian provisional government about this? I don't think they'd approve it."

"They formed a provisional government? That's news to me because where was it when we marched into Jerusalem?" he scoffed. "Don't listen to conmen trying to get a seat at the table. They're worthless peasants. We make the shots, not them."

"Those peasants are the ones that shot the Crusaders, not us," Hakim dryly replied, leveling a glare at the king. "Was that all?"

"We'd prefer the creation of an independent Syrian kingdom to avoid undue Egyptian influence in the region. I am however willing to compromise on that in exchange for a favour," Harroun continued. "You drop your diplomatic recognition of Yemen, and we leave Syria in your hands."

"Is that the game then? You get farmland and another throne to your collection, and we get the majority of the spoils?" Hakim rhetorically asked, ready to walk out of the room. "You want us to stand by while you overthrow a member of the League?"

"I want you to stand by while we restore order in a wayward member of the League. Don't get a big head because you're in Paris's pocket. Everyone knows Germany's got you hooked on their line of credit," the king shot back, jabbing a finger at Hakim. "I'm doing you the favour. I'm trying to be diplomatic while you all but spit in my face. I'll sweeten the deal even, I've got creditors that could get you out of that debt."

"The Entente?!" Hakim said with a bark of laughter. "Are all kings so shameless or is it a skill you have to learn? You're accusing me of being in foreign pockets when VOC and Scandiandia bankrolled your entire army."

"It's good money, with less strings attached than what your Comintern masters offer," Harroun practically spat. "The deal is simple, peace between our blocs. I have what's mine and you have what's yours." He placed his hands on his chest and motioned to Hakim as he spoke. "Let's not ruin the celebrations with pointless tensions, nobody wants a war over a diplomatic misunderstanding. We draw the line in the sand and go our own ways."

"And the conference then? Is it just for show?" Hakim asked incredulously.

"We simply present our private understanding as a public agreement. We keep our blocs in check when it comes to voting, so everything we've spoken about gets an official stamp of approval." Harroun turned a palm upwards. "That is the definition of magnanimity."

Hakim was somewhat stunned by the straightforward, blatant play. An offer of cash upfront so the king could solidify his personal unions into an Arab Kingdom, neigh, Caliphate, under his dynasty, all funded by an influx of Entente cash to keep it standing. He suspected that Iraq would likely be drawn into its orbit, along with Funj and Adal if only to contain the threat an enlarged socialist Egypt posed.

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The King's Offer

Does Hakim accept King Harroun's offer?

Egypt will cede half of Palestine to Nejd and cut diplomatic ties with the Arab Republic of Yemen, in exchange for keeping Syria and receiving +2 Budget in Summer, 1919 after the conference has concluded. Egypt may go back on the deal after the fact, but like always there will be consequences for doing so.


[ ][KIN] Yes

[ ][KIN] No

Please vote by plan.