To Secure this Beachhead of Worker's Power: A Soviet Union Quest.

Voting is open for the next 4 days, 9 hours
[x][Priorities] Demand the Ukrainian Heartland
[x][Priorities] Request German industrial aid and capital goods
[x][Priorities] Reduce Reparations Payments
[x][Offers] Crimea, with an offensive
[x][Offers] Rights to the Donbas Coal Fields
[x][Offers] Oil Rights in Baku
[x][America] Request formal recognition and the resumption of normal trade relations
[x][China] Recognize and support the KMT as China's legitimate government
[x][LeftComs] Let them speak

[x][Agenda] First Soviet Census
[x][Agenda] Agricultural Potential Survey

Getting industrial aid and capital goods is far far more important for us and as pointed out, Narva being a hotbed of red activity for the Germans is something we don't want to be taking away from them as one of their problems.

I am however, obligated to support the KMT.
 
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I'm quite concerned by the recent trend of picking two concessions that both lower the UK's opinion. It's already pretty low, we are making ourselves an active enemy.
Crimea, with an offensive: We could offer Crimea to the Germans. We do not currently control the Peninsula, but the white forces there will have trouble holding out without continual resupply from Britain. We can commit to an offensive in the area, and turn over the region to the Germans following its conquest. (Note: This will lower British opinions of us, and might inflame the SR's as well.
Oil Rights in Baku: We do not control Baku, but with Kolchak's 1st volunteer army in tatters, we should soon be able to march south across the caucuses and confront the British presence there. The new prominence of the "landship" on the western front has lent renewed importance to oil, and offering the Germans rights to 40% of the Baku oil will make it difficult for them to refuse our other requests. Of course, this will draw us into much more direct conflict with Britain, and require a military commitment to a southern offensive. (Note: This will significantly lower the British opinion of us).
Going heavy on trade and doing everything to piss the british off is a combination that doesn't work well together in my opinion. They literally just need a token fleet to block Murmansk out of anger and international trade access for us will be gone. And that's not even mentioning the potential risk of them intensifying conflicts by scaling up supplies to the whites.
 
[x][Priorities] Demand the Ukrainian Heartland
[x][Priorities] Request German industrial aid and capital goods
[x][Priorities] Reduce Reparations Payments
[X]Rights to the Donbas Coal Fields
[x][Offers] Crimea, with an offensive
[x][America] Request formal recognition and the resumption of normal trade relations
[x][China] Remain uncommitted for now
[x][LeftComs] Let them speak
 
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But anyways, I might as well be the first to suggest an agenda items, considering that mechanic hasn't gotten any attention yet. I've picked rather non-controversial ones, mostly focused on laying the groundwork for a functional government since I think that is what we need the most right now. Please note these need only 5 votes to be considered unlike plans and can be voted for in addition to the current decisions, so I would appreciate support for those.
Items will only be added if they have the support of at least 5 participants. Agenda items may be either specific proposals or simply requests to discuss a subject of importance to the Soviet government in order to settle upon a unified policy. Following the submission of an agenda item, the agenda committee will review it, issuing one of the following decisions:
To vote for someone's agenda item to be included in Sovnarkom, simply write

[x] (Agenda Item)
Edit: I also found that people were accidentally confused by the way I presented my agenda proposals. Just to be clear, we can add both of those items to the agenda and in my opinion should prefer to.
I am adding a new mechanic to this quest. Each week, readers may vote to add up to two items to the agenda of the next Sovnarkom meeting. Items will only be added if they have the support of at least 5 participants.

[X] First Soviet Census
Motion to add to the agenda: With the civil war raging on, large numbers of people are either mobilized or internally displaced. This motion proposes organizing a census for the purposes of getting an accurate picture of current demographics.
Reason for agenda item: The population numbers have wide-ranging effects, impacting everything from production numbers, military recruitment, agricultural output to ethnic distribution and demand for social services, to even parliamentary representation. Bad and outdated information is likely to affect any policy by the people's government negatively, creating either delays or directives which does not match the local material situation.
Proposed Policy Directive: This motion proposes the organization of a census by the SovNavKom in an effort to get an accurate understanding of rapid demographic developments following the civil war. While the organization of this census will take a significant effort and be a financial burden, it is also necessary for sound governmental policy and administration. With an early organizing of this census, the availability of the data could allow the government to better govern and service it's population.

[X] Agricultural Potential Survey
Motion to add to the agenda: Russian agriculture suffers from a number of serious problems. This motion proposes the organization of an independent body to objectively survey existing agricultural production and the issues hampering agricultural output.
Reason for the agenda item: Agricultural production is a key issue of this government, impacting both the economy, living standards and national security. Furthermore, Russian agriculture has a low rate of mechanization compared to other nations, meaning that the civil war impact agricultural production significantly, with the availability of basic food stuff being a key issue. An independent and objective study of agricultural production and it's challenges is thus self-evidently useful for ensuring sound economic and agricultural policy.
Proposed Policy Directive: This motion proposes the organization of a independent body of agricultural experts to study the actual agricultural production of regions controlled by us and the problems hampering production. This would mean collecting data on a number of topics from the crops grown, land ownership structure and land useage, the amount of food exported, logistical integration into the wider economy, soil quality, water availability and climate conditions. Based on this knowledge, the government would be able to improve food production more effectively, while avoiding dangerous errors like the overestimation of regional food production.
 
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Small additional note here: Starting the census would mean planning this over a full year before the OTL Soviet government decided to start planning it (12-1919), with the preliminary data probably being available in time for our quest. Getting this data a lot sooner will hopefully be helpful in avoiding maladministration, even if my suggestions are rather boring.
 
[x][Priorities] Demand the Ukrainian Heartland
[x][Priorities] Request German industrial aid and capital goods
[x][Priorities] Reduce Reparations Payments
[X]Rights to the Donbas Coal Fields
[x][Offers] Oil Rights in Baku
[x][America] Seek Friendly Relations
[x][China] Remain uncommitted for now
[x][LeftComs] Let them speak


I think giving Germany more resources is honestly fine. It take them time to actually develop those areas and exploit those resources. We've already altered the course of the war by not fighting Germany, resources won't affect the outcome all that much. Plus, we get investment.

As for the USA the president is kind of going to be impeached, tying ourselves to him will tar us with him when they start impeachment. Softening and friendliness is the better course here.

As for China, uh, let's stay out of that hot mess for now.

As for the Left, we should not suppress them unless we're ready to support the Right a lot by implication. Which we aren't.
 
People who offer Crimea... You do understand that, unlike the offer of minerals, you are selling the territory along with the people? The majority cannot simply leave their land and go into the unknown, which means that we are essentially selling people into slavery to the German capital. It is not surprising that such a decision will anger the Socialist Revolutionaries. And as has been noted, this is a serious threat to security, since there are many people among them who consider political assassinations expedient.

In comparison, I am much less afraid of Great Britain, which is losing the war and is itself on the verge of revolution.

As for guarantees of non-interference for the Caucasus, this is not needed to prevent Germany from intervening, but to thwart the ambitions of their Turkish allies. They will certainly be much more careful about interfering, knowing that Germany will not support them here. And we cannot hope for a quick victory of the revolution in Germany, given that the first attempt failed, and the leaders are hiding with us.

And I don't want to interfere in what's going on in the US and China right now until the civil war in our own country is over. We'll have more stable times for that.

As for our domestic political rivals, I'll trust Lenin's advice.

[X] Demand the Ukrainian Heartland.
[X] Secure German non-interference in the caucuses.
[X] Rights to the Donbas Coal Fields.
[X] Oil Rights in Baku.
[X] Maintain the Status Quo.
[X] Remain uncommitted for now.
[X] Send them to aid Central Siberia.
 
We're always gonna be enemies with the British, who are currently under a Conservative party so... I'm against any appeasement with them.
 
Guys I think we need to focus on trade and not bat an eye towards Britain they are always going to be our enemy and most importantly me mustn't cripple our industrial growth.

So we shouldn't give Donbas coal fields to the Germans.

Go for mutual recognition for Qurui which can give us a atleast somewhat trade surplus.
 
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As for guarantees of non-interference for the Caucasus, this is not needed to prevent Germany from intervening, but to thwart the ambitions of their Turkish allies. They will certainly be much more careful about interfering, knowing that Germany will not support them here. And we cannot hope for a quick victory of the revolution in Germany, given that the first attempt failed, and the leaders are hiding with us.
Isn't the Ottoman Empire rather busy at this point in The Widening Gyre? IIRC Constantinople has fallen to the Entente after an actually successful Gallipoli Campaign, in addition to British troops in Aleppo.
 
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[X] Agricultural Potential Survey
I like this proposal, but the Bolsheviks might need convincing to ensure its independence and not subordinate to them
 
[X] Agricultural Potential Survey
I like this proposal, but the Bolsheviks might need convincing to ensure its independence and not subordinate to them
I guess we will see how it goes. If this is a demand for the Bolsheviks, the agenda committee would either offer a qualified approval or request a revision.
Qualified Approval: The agenda item will appear in the discussion program of the next meeting of Sovnarkom, on the condition that requested changes are made to the item.
Request for Revision: The Agenda committee finds that the item should not appear on the discussion program without significant revision. Following resubmittal, the committee will issue a decision of either unqualified approval, qualified approval, or denial.
 
Isn't the Ottoman Empire rather busy at this point in The Widening Gyre? IIRC Constantinople has fallen to the Entente after an actually successful Gallipoli Campaign, in addition to British troops in Aleppo.

Just to clarify: right now the British hold the entirety of the Levant, including Aleppo, and have nearly broke out on several occasions toward Adana. Iraq, including Kuwait, Baghdad, and Mosul, are all under British control, as is the entirety of European Turkey. Ottoman Arabia has rebelled and is a de facto British client state. The government of the Ottoman Empire was a signatory of the Warsaw treaty, as was an independent, Centrist-Menshevik led republic of transcaucasia, which has now split up into Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is currently under the control of an anti-soviet, nationalist government, though it lost Baku to a British campaign and is still at war with Armenia. Georgia and Armenia are at peace, and both look like they will soon be controlled by more left-wing governments.

It is hard to assess the strength of the Turkish military. While we know that they have taken repeated blows from the British, they seem to be holding out against further advances. Their supply situation can't be good, but by all indications the Turks have fought their campaigns skillfully; they successfully pushed the Russian Empire out of Western Armenia in 1916.
 
Also, a clarification for people engaging with the agenda items: You can vote for both. I would encourage you to do so and only came up with two ideas. The mechanics restrict us to adding at most 2 items to the agenda, but there isn't much benefit to leaving a slot fallow.
Each week, readers may vote to add up to two items to the agenda of the next Sovnarkom meeting. Items will only be added if they have the support of at least 5 participants.
 
[X]Ports in the Far North and Baltics
[X]Reduce Reparations Payments
[X]Ask for a loan
[X]Rosa Luxemburg and German Emigres
(counts for all 3!):
[X]Request formal recognition and the resumption of normal trade relations
[X]Send a proposal for mutual recognition to Qurui:
[X]Send them to aid Central Siberia
 
While the KMT isn't red at the moment, them having to base themselves in our nation, as well as their soldiers and officers recieving communist education at soviet military training facilites, will make them so quite quickly.
None of those things is on the table, either in the text of the option or in terms of reasonable extrapolation (as the Red Army is nowhere near the KMT's Yunnan base areas yet). Nor is it set in stone that the Chinese communists, once they organize, will find allying with a (presently) broken KMT a worthwhile prospect. The historical United Front was premised on KMT strength -- if the KMT is weak and can be eclipsed as the hegemonic force on the left of Chinese politics, it should be so eclipsed rather than rehabilitated.
 
Isn't the Ottoman Empire rather busy at this point in The Widening Gyre? IIRC Constantinople has fallen to the Entente after an actually successful Gallipoli Campaign, in addition to British troops in Aleppo.

As long as the war ends in a German victory (which, given that the war was going in their favour even before our capitulation, is the most likely scenario), there will always be a threat that Germany might support any imperialist ambitions on the part of the Ottomans, and we would then be forced to give in. Because even if the country itself suffers a defeat, this does not necessarily mean that its capitalists will become poorer.

But on the subject of war... What is happening with Japan now, has it entered the war?
 
[x][Priorities] Demand the Ukrainian Heartland
[x][Priorities] Request German industrial aid and capital goods
[x][Priorities] Reduce Reparations Payments
[X]Rights to the Donbas Coal Fields
[x][Offers] Oil Rights in Baku
[x][America] Seek Friendly Relations
[x][China] Remain uncommitted for now
[x][LeftComs] Let them speak
 
[X]Ports in the Far North and Baltics
[X]Demand the Ukrainian Heartland
[X]Secure German non-interference in the caucuses

[X]Rights to the Donbas Coal Fields
[X]Oil Rights in Baku
[X]Request formal recognition and the resumption of normal trade relations
[X]Recognize and support the KMT as China's legitimate government
[X]Let them speak

[X] First Soviet Census
[X] Agricultural Potential Survey

Old votes plus the motion stuff.
 
Voting is open for the next 4 days, 9 hours
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