Alhamdulillah, brothers! It is truly a glorious day when the servants of god triumph over monarchical and imperialist tyranny. How may your friends in Cairo assist in maintaining your wonderful new republic?
Secret
We can sell you a handful of each, although the Rafales are newer, and thus will cost more. We will make sure the overall price is affordable to you. We also wish to inquire as to your position on the PLL claiming victory in Palestine. The expansion of extremist fundamentalism is not beneficial to trade and commerce.
BBC Yerevan - We are receiving alarming reports that Armenian soldiers have conducted a full scale invasion of the Autonomous Oblast of Nakhchivan. Nakhchivan is an autonomous region, populated by Azeris and Armenians, and disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The last reliable Tsarist census in 1970 put the population at a plurality of Azeris, but Armenia contends that settlement patterns have made the Oblast majority Armenian, and thus a part of the nascent Armenian Republic.
The Oblast has no armed forces to speak of, but we are hearing of scattered fighting between sectarian militias and the Armenian army as Armenian troops approach the capital.
...wait a moment, we're receiving some breaking news. It appears that Azerbaijan has ordered a full scale mobilization of its military, and that anti-Armenian protests in Baku have turned violent, smashing Armenian-owned businesses.
We're also receiving information that Azeri troops have entered into Nagorno-Karabakh, a semi-autonomous region under Armenian authority but with a mixed population.
This is a fluid situation, and we will keep you updated as more information becomes avaliable
To: The Kingdom of Portugal
From: The Democratic Republic of India (the one true India)
We wish to take back the land Portugal currently has in India. We want to know what it would take for this to happen. We are willing to offer our friendship for this matter but we realize Europeans usually seek more. Tells us what you want for it.
Name: Kingdom of Savoy Head of State: King Philip III Head of Government: Prime Minister Giacomo Vendeni Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy Population: N/A Capital: Chambéry
Domestic
Internal Events:
King Phillip II of Savoy
The Kingdom of Savoy:
According to the Savoyards, the "Kingdom of Savoy" is in reality the Kingdom of Italy, and that the government in Chambery is the rightful claimant to the entire Italian peninsula. The Sicilians are simply stubborn break aways, the Pope has overstepped his boundaries and the Austrians maintain an illegitimate occupation of Italian lands in Venice. Now if only someone could get the Sicilians, the Pope and the Venetians to agree. While Venice is in the midst of its own political movement to rid itself of Austrian influence, they don't seem to exciting to join in on any "United Italian" ventures. Similarly, for the Papal States, where the Pope's been mostly a figurehead outside of the walls of the Vatican, the status quo is too beneficial for the vested interests and the Papacy to decide to allow themselves to be annexed by an upstart regional kingdom. The Sicilians don't even see themselves as Italian, and any kind of integration would be difficult based on regional and linguistic differences. However, that hasn't stopped the Risorgimento (Revival) Movement from taking a strong hold in Savoyard politics as well as being a convenient vote getter for conservative and liberal parties alike. For now, their support for unification has been mostly political and through the coopting of unification parties in the Papal States and the Kingdom of Sicily, however should Savoy move towards hostility, it does have the largest population, largest military and largest industry of all the Italian states…
The Kingdom of Savoy has had a long and distinguished history on the Italian peninsula, one which has been marked with brief spats of warfare and recent peace. Their main rivalry has been with the Papacy to the south, as well as France and the South German Confederation as their immediate neighbors. It isn't exactly the best situation to be in, but with the recent upheavals in the geopolitical scene, it seems like things are in for a shake up.
Savoy itself is far from a poor nation, with the nation significantly industrialized as a result of being able to play powers against each other in the pursuit for regional aspirations. Specifically the 'Industrial triangle' which provides for a domestic armaments industry as well as the production of civilian goods. Food can sometimes be a problem, but they are hardly starving.
And of course they also have an excellent military. While it might not have seen actual conflict recently, it is definitely large and well equipped, as one might expect of a state which has had to contend with French ambitions on their land for some time. But it's just for self defense and protection, honest. So is the navy, which is definitely the premier of the Italian states. If someone wants to try something they are going to have a hard time of it. Of course, access to such hard power opens up other options as well....
Politically, the nation is fairly stable. The King and the Parliament tend to work in cooperation due to the devolution of authority from the one to the other, though he still maintains some monarchic privilege. The parties themselves are a complex affair, divided between agriculture and industry, Christianity and secularism, liberalism and conservatism. For the moment the Constitutional Democratic Party is in control, but how long that lasts remains to be seen. There is also the rising force of Italian nationalism in the 'Revival Movement' which has cast a spectre across the nation. It certainly wins votes, but how much it will be acted upon remains to be seen. It isn't as if unifying Italy will be easy.
Yep, things are doing alright in the nation of Savoy.
Economic Status:
-Good
-Industrialized and prosperous, of the Italian states Savoy stands out with a developed nation. Sure she might not be able to compete with some of the more major players, but they're not off that badly.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - 1991
Name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Head of State: King Albert I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Head of Government: Prime Minister Randolph Churchill Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy/Parliamentary Democracy Population: 60,000,000 Capital: London
Internal Events:
Rule Britannia
A Brief Overview on the United Kingdom in the Great Game and Afterwards
As the 19th century gave way to the 20th Century, Britannia stood at the top of the world as the undeniable number one power on the globe. With an empire spanning more than a quarter of the world and ruling over a large chunk of its population, the sun quiet literally never set on the British Empire. That aside, the early 20th Century was fraught with conflict, as a global web of alliances and ethnic tensions in the Balkans threatened to pull Europe into a catastrophic war. Despite this, such a war had been thankfully avoided thanks to the efforts of the attending nations of the Vienna Conference more than three quarters a century ago. Nonetheless, it would lay the roots for a Cold War which would come to define a century, as the Autocratic Russian Empire which had been steadily growing in power, sought to challenge the United Kingdom. This struggle for power would become know as "The Great Game".
Delegations at the Vienna Congress
Soon much of the World would come to fall into two camps, with the United Kingdom, her Commonwealth, Japan, the European Concordant, the United States, and other allies on one end, with the other encompassing the Russian Empire, it's Eastern Bloc, the CSA, and other allies across the globe. The two parties would compete for power and influence throughout the world in the coming decades, facing each other off in multiple proxy conflicts and Bush wars, with Asia, the Middle East and Africa becoming key areas of contention. In that time, the British Empire would grant Dominionship to most of it's colonies, eventually evolving into the Imperial Commonwealth, and would integrate its smaller territories such as the Falklands and Hong Kong into the United Kingdom, granting their citizens official British citizenship and voting rights. Russia, in the meantime would continue to clamp down on its dissident territories, and client states, becoming increasing oppressive in its aim of maintaining its Empire and global influence. Corruption would become rife in its civil service, and economic mismanagement would serve to see the once booming Russian economy fall behind its competitors. This would come to a head as the Russian Empire would finally and suddenly implode, with many of its territories declaring independence in the wake of Russian collapse.
With the overthrow of the tyrannical Romanov dynasty and the collapse of the Iron veil over Eastern Europe along with the the fall of its ally in the Confederacy of Southron America to Socialist uprising, millions across the world and especially in Europe breath a sigh of relief as the Great Game finally comes to an end. Britannia and her way of life would emerge dominant, and through the British founded organizations such as the World Congress and the Global Investment Bank, The United Kingdom sought to use its overwhelming economic position to promote liberal democracy and peace.
The Current Prime Minister, Sir Randolph Churchill
Despite the end of the Great Game, the collapse of most major nations in the Russian aligned bloc have left several international crises facing the current administration led by Conservative Randolph Churchill, descendant of a long line of famous conservative parliamentarians. He and the conservatives had defeated the previous Liberal-Labour coalition government on the premise of being stronger on foreign policy, with campaign promises focussed on a stronger stance on Russia and the whittling away of its influence. Churchill and his administration face a rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East, with the recent election of the PLL to the leadership of the Palestinian Government along with an unstable and bloody regime in Mesopotamia grabbing British public attention after having recently annexed the former Commonwealth state of Kuwait. After a snap poll by BBC showing a majority of the public in favor of intervention, the Prime Minister has announced efforts to create a international coalition bent on intervening against the regime in Mesopotamia.
Aside from the Middle East, other regions have seen rising tensions since the end of the Great game, including the crisis in the Caribbean, with a Socialist state appearing as successor to the segregationist Confederate regime, with its remnants operating out of Florida, Cuba, and through its puppets in Central America which currently face revolts by the local populous. The Caucasus also seem to be unraveling, with Georgia and Armenia taking military action against the autonomous oblasts and threatening to completely destabilize the region. There also remains the question of the Imperial Russian Remnant in Alaska, regarding which the Prime Minister has announced private talks with the Third Republic in hopes of deciding on the future of the former colony.
It need not be said, but as the Great Game may have ended, the United Kingdom's troubles have not.
Economic Status:
-Growing/in transition
The British economy remains the largest in the world, and through the Global Investment Bank, most if not all of the world's nations are tied to the UK in some extent. British ideals of free trade and capitalism have spread across the world, and as a result globalization is hitting the globe with full force. London continues to be the financial capital of the world, and is the center of Britain's economic soft power.
Other effects of globalization and increased regulation over the years has seen the United Kingdom begin the transition to a service economy, with a great number of industries moving to many of the developing Commonwealth nations such as Nigeria, Tanzania, West India, Burma, Malaysia and others. This may be a pressing issue in the coming years, but other issues currently have London's attention.
Hundreds of transport/auxiliary helicopters/aircraft
*Panavia
**OTL Apaches
Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:
-Imperial Commonwealth
-European Concordat
-World Congress
-Global Investment Bank
-Currently building a coalition to face the regime in Mesopotamia.
-(others I forgot to mention)
To: United Kingdom @Comrade Jeff
We would like to formally extend our hand in gratitude towards the British people, and look forward to the future in which we continue to work together for the greater good and the best interests of all parties.
Secret
We should discuss the issue in the Congo. We also officially support you in Mesopotamia
From: Kingdom of Hashemite Arabia
To: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland @Comrade Jeff
SECRET
Excellent, we shall inform the General Staff and instruct them to co-ordinate with you in forming a multilateral intervention plan. We also recommend supplying aid to the Mesopotamian and Kuwaiti resistance movements - we believe the Kuwaiti-government-in-exile, sheltered in our country, may be able to assist us in these endeavours.
We intend to do just as you have suggested, it is important we utilize the help of such opposition forces for the coming intervention.
To:Mesopotamian Democratic Resistance groups/Kuwaiti Resistance groups @Lone Taco From: The United Kingdom
Secret:
We are prepared to offer you any and all support in throwing off the shackles of the tyrannical regime in Baghdad. Say the word, and we will provide you aid.
Third Republic of the United States of America - 1991
Name: Third Republic of the USA Head of State: Mary Kapfhammer (P-MN) Head of Government: Mary Kapfhammer (P-MN) Type of Government:De jure presidential unitary republic; de facto one-party republic Population: ~150,000,000 Capital:de jure Washington, D.C.; de facto Chelsea, Manhattan
Domestic
Mary Kapfhammer, sixteenth President of the Third Republic and the first woman to hold the office
The 1990s are proving to be an interesting (if unenviable) time for American politics. Corruption is beginning to creep into American civil society, and discontent is beginning to bubble under the surface of American politics.
In the midst of this uncertainty, the 1990 election has swept Minnesota congresswoman Mary Kapfhammer into Chelsea, on the promise of rooting out corruption and reasserting the US's place in this new world as part of her "New Dawn" platform. As the first woman to occupy the Presidential seat, she has a lot of expectations and prejudices riding on her first term. Kapfhammer herself identifies as a member of the "Little Caucus," the internationalist, socially-liberal wing of the Progressive Party who claim ideological descent from the policies of Malcolm Little, the first African-American president.
Federal Hall, the "official unofficial" capitol of the US. By this point the government almost entirely operates out of Chelsea, a mile or so uptown.
Major Parties
While the Progressives remain the unquestioned hegemon of national politics, two other parties - the Democrats and the Socialists - control enough of Congress to be considered "major" parties. In recent years, they have both been steadily gaining seats at the expense of the Progressives, and for the first time in Presidential history, the leaders of all three parties qualified to speak on the debate floor in October. The status quo was maintained, but the closeness of the election itself was something of an upheaval. Turnout in industrial areas for the Socialists and rural areas for the Democrats was up almost 50% from the previous election cycle, and there is the looming specter of reintegration to consider.
The Progressive Party
The Progressive Party ("Bull Moose Party")
Leader: President Mary Kapfhammer (P-MN) Ideology: Center - Center Left
In recent years, success has not been kind to the Bull Moose Party. Corruption and bureaucracy bloat have soured sectors of American society on the Natural Party of Government, particularly rural voters who have seen their livelihoods shrink and their expenses grow. Whereas in the past seventy years or so, national elections were essentially decided between "caucuses" or factions within the Progressive Party, the 1990 election saw actual competition from the two major opposition groups in Congress.
The Progressives' main support base - the cities - have generally stayed solidly green, but as a large number of industrial jobs are sent overseas, the industrial cities of Middle America, once bastions of Progressive sympathy, are starting to feel the creeping red influence of the Socialist Party. The BMP is under siege, and they know it; the party is showing signs of internal divisions between the "Little Caucus" and the "Rockwell Caucus," both descended from the ideological doctrines of two different Presidents. For a long time, US elections have de facto been decided in the BMP leadership elections between these two caucuses in Congress.
At the moment, the Little Caucus holds control of Congress, although the surge in protectionist sympathies among industrial and rural voters has threatened their hegemony. The electoral battle was vicious in the election cycle, with Kapfhammer edging her opponent Nick Samuelson (D-NY) by less than half a million votes - many have cited her gender as the reason for the close election and the subsequent upheaval in the usually-uncontested general. Kapfhammer herself has generally avoided gender politics and focused more on promoting the New Dawn program, which has resulted in some disappointment from women's rights groups.
The Democrats
The Democrats ("GOP")
Leader: Congressman David Park (D-JF) Ideology: Center Right - Right
Currently the oldest still-extant political party in the world, the Democrats were usurped as the masters of American politics by the Progressives with the passage of the 1901 Constitution, and have been on the back foot for more than ninety years. Their total collapse was averted, and they have done well on a local level, but for the most part, the conservative "Grand Old Party" has played second fiddle to the Progressives for the entirety of the Third Republic.
The Democrats have, however, received a boost of support from the readmission of several former Confederate states. They have similarly made gains in rural areas hurt by the economic changes sweeping the US and the world, such as the loss of jobs to overseas developing nations. While Kapfhammer and the Progressives still control Congress, the GOP - now united behind senior Congressman David Park - feels that they might have the strength to challenge the BMP on the national level. If they can push for the quick reintegration of the recently-annexed Southern states, then they might have a chance...
The Socialists
Socialist Party USA ("Reds")
Leader: Congressman Joseph Woodhouse (S-MI) Ideology: Left - Far Left
The Socialist Party has gained a respectable following in recent years (including a slice of Congress), especially in the industrial cities of the Great Lakes. Manufacturing jobs are slowly being siphoned off for better opportunities in other nations, while inequality and corruption slowly increase. The Socialists promise to roll back many of the free trade provisos of the Treaty of Philadelphia, if not withdraw from it entirely, a popular prospect in certain circles.
Minor Parties
There are a few more parties that by all rights are considered true "small fry;" if they are even capable of getting on the ballot, they rarely get more than 5 percent of the seats in Congress.
Republicans
Republican Party
Leader: Aaron North Ideology: Libertarian Right
The Republican Party as a major force in American politics did not survive the War of Confederate Independence. Its leader Abraham Lincoln was humiliated, and it was eviscerated in the 1864 elections. Today, the Republicans have attempted to reimagine themselves as a libertine alternative to the "uncaring conservatism" of the Democrats, the big-government corruption of the Progressives, and the leftist radicalism of the Socialists. Their biggest rallying cry is "Devolution," and a return to the federal system before the 1901 Constitution, but even today this is considered a dirty word in American politics - the Progressives, the Socialists, and even the Democrats attack it as "Confederate thinking" and tantamount to anarchy.
ANWP
American National Worker's Party
Leader: Bob Quimby Ideology: Far-Right Populist
Rising to (minor) prominence on the back of industrial discontent, the ANWP sells itself as a "godly" alternative to the Socialist Party and its social liberalism. A uniquely American brand of nationalism, the ANWP blends such elements as the Gadsden snake, the Betsy Ross flag, the Celtic cross, the crucifix, and various other nationalist and religious symbols in a bizarre medley. They do vary state to state and even city to city, with the party line fluctuating to appeal to the widest (white) demographic. This is as much a hindrance as it is an edge; the inconsistency of its policy makes it unlikely to appeal to a wide base, and as such it has never done well outside the local level.
America First
America First
Leader: Jacob Stanley Ideology: Neo-Isolationism, Right - Far Right
America First is an isolationist alliance of right-wing parties, united only in the common goal of removing foreign influence from American soil. There are radical hypernationalists and white supremacists who mingle with small businessmen who lament the growing influence of British big companies, with whom they increasingly cannot compete.
ALP
American Labor Party
Leader: Judson Greene Ideology: Far Left, Neo-Isolationism
Even more radical than the Socialists, the AWP hasn't garnered enough support in one place to actually make it into Congress. Its platform is heavily protectionist,calling not just for the American withdrawal from the Treaty of Philadelphia, but also for the complete withdrawal from the British economic system.
Economic Status:
- Good
- The US is experiencing the same economic high as the rest of the British alliance system, fueled by the collapse of the Russian Empire and her lackeys. However, all is not well in paradise; there is considerable discontent over the free trade provisos of the Treaty of Philadelphia, which have damaged American industrial capacity as business moves overseas.
- Congress has signed off on the Labor Reorientation Act, directing the US Department of Labor has initiated its "Labor Reorientation Program," a combination of job retraining and an expansion of the unemployment benefits system. Secretary of Labor Joe Sivoyevich has described the LRP as a "rest-stop" on the way to a truly integrated global economy that benefits all Americans.
Military
- The US Military has, for the majority of its history, been one for a regional power; the Navy is capable of projecting power in the Caribbean and the Americas in general.
US Army:
250,000 active servicemembers
81,000 (Demobilized)
~ 800 tanks
US Navy: Coming Soon US Air Force: Coming Soon
Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:
- Treaty of Philadelphia
- Member of the World Congress
To: Portugal @Alex Costa Secret
The French Foreign Legion is being mobilized to the Congo, and the French Army in the CAF is on standby. We are referring to Portuguese leadership, but we should discuss specifics on logistics and long-term strategy.
To: The Kingdom of Portugal
From: The Democratic Republic of India (the one true India)
We wish to take back the land Portugal currently has in India. We want to know what it would take for this to happen. We are willing to offer our friendship for this matter but we realize Europeans usually seek more. Tells us what you want for it.
From: Kingdom of Portugal
To: Democratic Republic of India @GandalftheGrey
Goa is an integral part of Portugal and it's people wish to stay with the democratic frame of Portugal and not join an Autocratic regime like yours. Our response is still the same as before.
When the Great Game first began it was not a monumental struggle for global dominance. Instead the Great Game had humble origins in the nomadic region of Central Asia when the Russians began to intrude from their protectorate of Kazakhstan in the north and Britain did the same from their hodgepodge collection of Indian states and factories in the south. It was here in the deserts, plains, and hills of Central Asia that concepts of indirect conflict, spheres of influence, and puppet states were first developed. Of course the Great Game soon outgrew its origins and engulfed the whole world with those same many methods being used globally, anyway by the end of the first phase of the Great Game the Russian Empire had annexed the vast Turkestan and Britain added Afghanistan and Iran to their collection of little allies and satellites.
The next century saw Turkestan, and its accompanying Kazakhstan, become sites of the Russian Empire's most grievous crimes. The first and most well known crime is Russification. This policy involved the settlement of millions of Russians, along with some other Slavic ethnicities, in the many cities, valleys, and along the great rivers of Turkestan and Kazakhstan. Russification combined with the influx of disease and the occasional instance of ethnic cleansing in the form of massacres or manufactured famines would make Russians a huge minority in Central Asia. In fact, in Kazakhstan the Russians became not only the biggest ethnic group but a decisive majority.
The second crime of Russia in Central Asia is perhaps less known than the first but is even more significant. Not only did the Russians seek to weaken the power of indigenous people of Central Asia by injecting millions of Russians but also by cultivating a deep hatred between the seperate ethnic groups so severe that they would never unify in opposition to Russia. Through Russia's calculated delimitation of the borders of the separate provinces of Turkestan and Kazakhstan they created fictions boundaries that resulted in groupings of people that were too busy combating one another to combat Russia. Using this method Russia expected to keep Central Asia down and prevent it from ever becoming a threat.
Ultimately when the Russian Empire collapsed the Central Asian provinces were among the last to secede from Russia; in fact the real motivator for secession was the fact that a few natives who had worked their way to the top of the Russian provincial government were power-hungry and understood that they would be most powerful if they were heads of independent states rather than top officials in Russian provinces. However perhaps independence was not at all the right decision, for these politicians or anyone.
Following their respective declarations of independence the Central Asian states attempted to solve their grievances through diplomacy. The problem was that no one was actually willing to make the necessary compromises. Even when two states agreed to trade urban areas of the opposing ethnicity, on the subject of the less developed but resource rich regions there was never any thought of budging. Thus even though Russia's policies had not prevented Central Asia from quitting the Empire, they now created a situation which if Russia plays correctly can most certainly benefit from.
Currently the Turkestan states have not yet engaged one another in war. However that does not mean that war is not nigh, no no on the contrary it very much is. All the Turkestan countries are in fact in a state of general mobilization and military readiness, the only thing holding back these countries is the fact that if they commit their resources to attacking on neighbor they open their flank to a different neighbor. It is under these circumstances that Turkestan finds its standing ready for war but has yet to march to it.
Meanwhile Kazakhstan is at a crossroads. The current and first president of Kazakhstan, Osman Momyshuly, obviously wishes for the ethnically Kazakh regions to be returned to Kazakhstan, but he is unwilling to fight for it or brandish his nuclear arsenal to regain these regions. Rather than use force or even coercion Momyshuly is desperate to solve this situation diplomatically. This desperation results from the fact that Kazakhstan is not in a politically nor economically stable position and rather than become a pariah the Momyshuly wants to become an internationally recognized country and member of the World Congress. And he is willing to defer his dreams of a whole Kazakhstan and even of retaining his nuclear arsenal to accomplish that goal. Realistically in Momyshuly's eyes nukes were practically useless. If Russia invaded and Kazakhstan retaliated with nukes, would it be better for Kazakhstan to collapse or to be crisp? And if Kazakhstan used nukes against another Central Asian state, well then Kazakhstan's fragile economy might exploded in an even more violent fashion than the nuke did when sanctions are slammed down.
Summary
Russian policies in Central Asia were twofold Russification and Delimitation
Russification led to millions of Russians ending up in Central Asia
Delimitation divided Central Asia into non-national provinces
Newly independent Central Asia wants to fix this
No one in Turkestan wants to fix it diplomatically
Turkestan prepares for war but waits to see who will act first
Kazakhstan due to its nuclear arsenal is in a powerful position
Kazakhstan's president won't utilize that arsenal and instead seeks to join the World Congress, even if it costs him his nukes
Central Asia Demographics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland:
Kazakhstan Demographics
Russian: 52.4%
Kazakh: 30.7%
German: 6.1%
Ukrainian: 4.9%
Other: 5.9%
Pro-Polish Protests in Vilnius and Polish Military Exercises
Pro-Polish protesters in Vilnius, using slogans from the anti-Tsarist "Solidarity" movement in Poland
BBC Vilnius - Large anti-Lithuanian protests rocked Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, today, after pro-Polish political parties accused the country's Lithuanian majority of denying the Polish minority fair representation in national elections. Vilnius is Lithuania's capital and largest city, but it has a very large Polish and Jewish population, to the point that few accurate censuses have Lithuanians as even a plurality in the city.
In a move widely seen as a response to the protests, the Polish military has announced major military exercises in Northeast Poland, near the small Lithuanian border.
To: North Germany @ChaoticGenius
From: The United Kingdom
Greetings to the Kaiser from His Majesties Government. We wish to reaffirm our friendship and wish the best of fortune upon you.
Secret:
Please tell us how you intend to resolve the situation in Vilnius. We suggest taking the matter up with the World Congress as a way of dealing with it.
The remains of a shopping centre in Thessaloniki
BBC Athens - Just six hours apart, bomb blasts rocked the Greek cities of Skopje and Thessaloniki today, a deadly reminder of the deep unpopularity of the Greek annexations of Macedonia and Albania. The blast in Skopje targeted a police headquarters, and the blast in Thessaloniki targeted an upscale shopping centre. While no group has claimed responsibility for either bombing, Greek officials have claimed that the Thessaloniki bombing was the work of the Albanian Salvation Army (USA in Albanian), an armed group that is conducting an insurgency in the Albanian mountains, and whose cells have penetrated the large population of Albanian migrant workers in major Greek cities. The Skopje bombing has not been attributed yet, as there are several organizations dedicated to fighting the Greek state, including the Macedonian Revolutionary Army, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, and the Serbian Liberation Front
Following the sucess of the negotiations with nearby states, the Ministry of Angola has announced further funds to go for it's share of the newly transportation network that will serve to connect Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi by road. This will be addded further into the budget for the Ministry of Angola this year.
In other news the Portuguese Government has proposed a notion for granting voting rights for the people of Eastern Angola. It is hoped it will pass although some of the more traditional elements in Portuguese society have expressed concerns. Plans for doing something similar to Mozambique are scheduled to be discussed should the first pass next year.
Following recent inquires by the so called "Democratic" Republic of India towards Goa, the alert in Portuguese India has been raised. The Portuguese Prime-Minister has commentated stating that the will of the Goan people is a priority of the Government. Therefore the question of Autonomy for the Portuguese Estado da India has been put into parliament. (OOC: If any of the NPC mods which to solve this feel free). However he has also stated that while Portugal has no wishes to act against the Republic of India, they will stand firm on there position.
More Humanitarian aid is being granted to the Congo, however the Portuguese Government is hoping that both sides of the civil war can come to the negotiating table.
While we of course condemn the terrorist attacks that have rocked Thessaloniki and Skopje, we nonetheless see this as a sign that the Greek presence has overstayed its welcome in those areas. We urge them to heed the will of the people, so that this violence can end
While we of course condemn the terrorist attacks that have rocked Thessaloniki and Skopje, we nonetheless see this as a sign that the Greek presence has overstayed its welcome in those areas. We urge them to heed the will of the people, so that this violence can end
Two years ago, on February 23rd, Hu Yaobang, a senior official in North China's government, complained of stomach pains at a meeting in Hsinking and asked to be excused. Three weeks later, the 74-year-old Hu, one of North China's highest-ranking reformists just two years before, was dead of a gastrointestinal infection. There was no state funeral, as Hu had ordered his ashes scattered; Qing government issued a terse official statement, forbade public mourning and considered the matter closed.
We all know what happens next.
On Qingming -- April 4th, the traditional day of mourning for one's ancestors -- thousands of people converge on Peking's Tiananmen Square to commemorate Hu's death. Mr. Hu is honored with the placement of banners, poems, photographs and memorial wreaths, placed on a monument facing the Forbidden City, in defiance of the imperial edict. The next morning, mourners arrive to find the entire display removed in the night by imperial bannermen.
In response, the citizens of Peking flood the streets. Discontent with Qing policy on any number of issues, from the mismanaged educational system to the moribund economy to perceived dependence on Japan, has reached a boiling point.
For weeks, students from Peking's universities occupy Tiananmen Square, as divided officials dither in response. Soon, the protest spreads to other cities. In Anshan, workers at China's largest steelmaker go on strike; protestors shut down the Talien (Port Arthur) shipyards, halt traffic on the South Manchurian Railway, and force the closure of airports in Peking and Hsinking. The government's hand is forced; it orders Manchu bannermen to disperse the protests by any means necessary.
Things do not go as planned.
With the protestors' shutdown of transport infrastructure, the regime is forced to employ Green Standard Army units, composed largely of ethnic Han Chinese, to disperse the protests. Unwilling to fire on their compatriots, columns of tanks are stopped by small groups, sometimes even individuals, who refuse to let the armored vehicles pass. The resulting chaos, broadcast on satellite television across the world, deals a blow to the dynasty's legitimacy it would not recover from. (The photographs and videos of the anonymous Tank Man, who stalled an entire column of tanks for ten critical minutes while protestors rushed to barricade a side street, remains the iconic image of the fall of the Qing Dynasty.)
With the defection of key parts of the army, the Qing government's position was no longer tenable.
Within days, the Kangde Emperor and his family flew to London, ostensibly to seek medical treatment; the collapse of the dynasty was rapid, complete and inevitable.
Within days, North and South China began talks on opening the border; seven crossings were opened along the Great Wall line in two weeks. Then came free elections in North China, official monetary and economic union, and in a breathtaking moment, to the sound of fireworks all across a reunified China, when the white-star-on-blue flag of the Republic of China was raised above Peking's Forbidden City.
At that moment, the three-hundred-and-fifty year old Qing Empire, a relic of China's premodern past, ceased to exist.
This sounds nice, but you must understand we've been rivals for some time, especially between ourselves and the Sudanese, who we have our fair share of territorial grievances with and have the issue that every time their regime decides to clamp down on its population, we have to deal with the fallout of refugees fleeing the violence... and the occasional Sudanese army unit blatantly disregarding our sovereign territorial rights by following them over and attacking some towns on the border.
Before any agreement can be made, we must address this.
The Sudanese have expressed similar concerns about Eritrea.
But we do understand you. Still, we think that the benefits of cooperation far outweigh political concerns.
To resolve the mutual difficulties, here's what we propose:
1. A formal demarcation of the border will be undertaken. If necessary we can engage a third party arbitrator, but honestly, I doubt we need it. From what we are led to believe, the border issues are mostly minor and the result of bad surveying in the colonial era, exacerbated by the migratory nature of herders in the region. I'm sure we can work out an amicable arrangement.
2. A mutual refugee-settlement fund of some sort will be established. The amounts involved will not be tremendous, but will go a ways to offset the cost of resettling refugees on both sides of the border. We also think that a rapprochement between the two of us will relax tensions in the most volatile regions, and hopefully lead to some degree of repatriation.
3. A mutual commitment to refrain from supporting separatist movements. We believe that such an arrangement will reduce the need for...extraordinary police actions, and reduce the tendency for soldiers to (as the Sudanese describe it) "lose their way" in a mostly unmarked region while pursuing insurgents back to bases that turn out to be not located in Sudan, if you understand us.
4. To ease the historical rivalry between us, we can improve our relationship in intermediate steps. For example, we could first come to some sort of mostly symbolic agreement over the Nile, and take some nice photographs of us shaking hands. Then we could begin economic talks, and "coincidentally" meet in Nairobi while both on state visits to Kenya. From there, with a visible thaw in our relationship, we can begin to codify the above arrangements, then sign an economic treaty, and finally a security arrangement. In fact, the Kenyans would love if they were the ones to at least superficially broker this agreement, and that wold be an excellent start to an North-East African partnership.
Please, let us know how you find these proposals. Egypt hopes that this will satisfy your concerns, but we are open to suggestions on your part
With such strong showing amongst the alternative royalist parties within France, their respective monarchs have become more and more exposed by the public eye. This is possibly an attempt by the current French Royal Family, the House of Orleans, to curry favor against their challengers to the throne. The Bourbon claimant, Charles, was easy prey. The reputation of a womanizer, and utilizing his good looks, princely prestige, and vast sums of wealth to live the fast and luxurious life of a modern prince has made the case for the Bourbon claim falter among their supporters.
Charles Louis of Bourbon, Duke of Anjou
However, the speculative light of the media has only given the Bonapartiste claim a stranger case. Following the recent death of his father, the young Alexandre, Prince Napoleon, has risen to the head of the Bonaparte household, and the media spotlight, coupled with his service in the Army, has put him in the spotlight as an alternative celebrity. De Gaulle and de Boissieu are more than pleased with the result, and their combined military records and positions, coupled with the current status of Alexandre as the "Solder Prince", begin to press a militaristic campaign for further support of their party among the conservative populace. Bourbon support begins leaking rapidly following a scandal with the Prince of Bourbon and a local Parisian BBC reporter.
One of the early snapshots of the Alexandre, Prince Napoleon, graduating into the ranks of the French Army in early 1990
Finally, it becomes public knowledge that the King's health has been failing for some time, and that the 1991 public address was actually pre-recorded by months. Prince Royal Henri has already become the public face of the monarchy for some time now, but it is assumed that his ascension to the throne will be sooner rather than later. His influence and presence within parliamentary politics leaves a sour taste with a large amount of the population, and merely see this collusion as a symptom of the greater corruption and failure of the current regime, both executive and legislative.
Prince Royal Henri of Orleans, the puppetmaster of parliament
We need to stabilize immigration from West Africa to Metropole France. We are already increasing development investment into your regions, but the flow is too much of a burden at the moment, and is causing issues between the French West Africans and the Metropolitan French. We do not wish this to turn violent, but we fear that if nothing is done, it may just. We must work together on this.
We will aid you in this matter, understand though that it is difficult to have strict, tangible restrictions on migration due to the decentralized nature of the Confederation. Especially considering the vast territories we'd need to cover in order to stop the smuggling routes migrants are using to head north.
We are going to be taking a direct hand in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations within the Congo during the Crisis. We require your undivided support and attention on the matter.
To: Bold elements of the Government of the Kingdom of Naples
Secret
How can we assist you in ending the iron grip of the Mafia? Our Monarchs are cousins, and are of different cadet branches to the same Ancient legacy. We should work together for the benefit of us both.
It's difficult. The Mafia are to bribe prosecutors, judges, and politicians. They have members of the military in their pocket and its very likely they have informants in the government.
And when they don't get their way, well they can get violent. Their amassed funds mean that they can get their hands on some pretty frightening weaponry, for organized criminals that is.
That and certain large elements of the general public look upon them favorably, particularly those who feel abandoned or ignored by the government like the rural farmers.
We have been strong allies, both politically and diplomatically for over a century. We wish to push for closer economic ties so that the influence of Germany is not strengthened across Europe, as well as so that we may benefit individually. We wish to pursue routes towards economic policy along these lines.
*You get some more pragmatic or self-interested members of the government, however the radical/hardline nature of the PLL means that many in their ranks are true believers and antisemitism is a hate that runs deep*
Alhamdulillah, brothers! It is truly a glorious day when the servants of god triumph over monarchical and imperialist tyranny. How may your friends in Cairo assist in maintaining your wonderful new republic?
To:Mesopotamian Democratic Resistance groups/Kuwaiti Resistance groups @Lone Taco From: The United Kingdom
Secret:
We are prepared to offer you any and all support in throwing off the shackles of the tyrannical regime in Baghdad. Say the word, and we will provide you aid.
Mind, the KPPP have been on our terror list for years, they're essentially a socialist vanguard party that's grown popular after years of repression from Baghdad.
From: Assyrian Peoples Movement
Secret:
We will accept whatever you are offering.
From: Disparate Shiite groups
Secret:
We will accept your aid in reclaiming Mesopotamia and returning the region to its rightful owners.
From: Dedicated Democratic Organizations in Mesopotamia
Secret:
*Few respond, most democratic organizations in Mesopotamia have been rooted out as primary enemies of the regime*
Mind, the KPPP have been on our terror list for years, they're essentially a socialist vanguard party that's grown popular after years of repression from Baghdad.
Perfect, we will begin allocating aid and assets immediately. For the time being, we will need your help in espionage, and confirming military targets picked up by our reconnaissance. This, if at all possible, would be quiet helpful in avoiding any unnecessary civilian casualties.
Chechen Separatists storm Oblast Duma, Declare Independence
Chechen separatists marching in Grozny
BBC Moscow - Separatists stormed the Duma of the Autonomous Oblast of Chechnya-Ingushia today and declared the Oblast's independence, throwing yet another part of the Caucuses into chaos. The separatists are led by Dzhokhar Dudayev, a retired Imperial military officer.
So far, the move seems to have been mostly a public relations stunt, but should Dudayev win upcoming elections he could take more concrete steps to declare independence.
Chechnya is an oil rich and muslim majority region in the Caucuses which has a fraught and violent history with Russia.
Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan
In a move prompted by the Italian Renaissance Association, the Savoyard parliament recently announced that the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan would be named a historical site, with protected rights and whose land would be under the jurisdiction of the state. Already efforts have begun to restore the Church to the splendor that it had once enjoyed, so that all Savoyards and Italians can experience what the Church would have been like when it had first been opened to the public.
Meanwhile the Association has also set up a convenient gift shop and information center next door, in order to better explain the history of the site. It's all very legitimate and informative, and has generally gone over well with the public.
The Italian Renaissance Association is a relatively new body, one that has come to serve as a body for the Revival Movement. Founded by several prominent members of the Movement, who now serve as executives to some extent, the Movement works to preserve sites in Savoy, as well as in Venice, the Papal States, and Naples ( as much as they can be when allowed by foreign governments) that they deem as important to Italian history and identity. They also hold events and engage in public initiatives to inform the people about history, such as Rome and the Renaissance, to explain why this 'Italian unification' thing is such a good idea.
Needless to say, they're pretty popular in Savoy at the moment. But hey, there's nothing wrong with a bit of culture.
From: Kingdom of Portugal
To: Central African Federation @The Lone Taco
We are very thankful for your support in the Congo Crisis
From: Kingdom of Portugal
To: Kingdom of Spain @The Lone Taco
The French aren't your only neighbours worried about what is happening in Catalunya and the Basque Country. We too are as well. However we do trust the Madrid Government will solve this in a matter that will please everyone.
From: Kingdom of Portugal
To: Federation of Benelux @The Lone Taco
So we heard you were discussing in Parliament potentially joining the Congo Humanitarian Mission. How is that going? We understand the Belgians might be a bit concerned considering what happened in the past.
To: Nations of the Commonwealth @The Lone Taco
From: The United Kingdom
Secret:
As you may know already, we are building a coalition to intervene in the situation in Mesopotamia. We understand that some of you have pressing concerns that warrant your attention, which we here in London are happy to help with, but for those of you willing and able to send a contingent to join the coalition, please do. It is impossible to ignore what is happening in Mesopotamia and it is in all our interests to put an end to the regime once and for all.
(Reposting this as an independent diplo seperate from my turn post)
