The Crisis of Modernity: New World Order

[The Lone Taco]

The Crisis of Modernity: New World Order

​

POD: France annexes Wallonia in 1812, irreparably offsetting the European balance of power.

The year is 1926 and the dust is only just settling following the end of the 'War to End All Wars'. The Weltkreig or "World War" of 1915 to 1920 raged on across nearly every continent on Earth and saw more carnage and suffering than any other war in modern history. The Imperial Alliance, led by the German Empire and composed of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Tsardom of Bulgaria, the United States and the Ottoman Empire waged war against the powers of the Marseilles Compact, primarily made up of the Franco-Russian Entente and later expanded to include the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan and the Confederate States.

Following a bloody five years at war, the German-led Imperial Alliance, now reformed into Mitteleuropa, declares victory with the capitulation of France and the United Kingdom's willingness to seek terms. The entry (at German "diplomatic insistence") of the Netherlands into the conflict on the side of the Imperial Alliance, the fall of northern France to Austro-German forces, the Russian capitulation, and mass labor and anti-war demonstrations in Britain were utterly decisive in bringing the Compact to the table.

The Treaty of Dresden would usher in a new balance of power, a balance far more in favor of Germany and her sphere, and one in which the British Empire, now officially dethroned from her position as the world's leading great power (industrially and economically, and now as a result of the Treaty, politically and militarily), would now struggle to keep up in. Germany would absorb Alsace-Lorraine, fully press its claims in Poland, and receive recognition for her new client states in Eastern Europe as a result of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty. Her allies are handsomely rewarded: the Netherlands enforces her claims on Wallonia, the Habsburgs all but annex Serbia, Bulgaria pushes beyond her wildest dreams in Macedonia and northern Greece and the Ottomans… live on to fight another day.

But now, as the German Empire's rise to global preeminence seems unstoppable, cracks are beginning to appear in the new order: the rise in popularity of radical left wing and right wing movements, political and ethnic tensions in the Balkans and the Austrian Empire, and a Russian state increasingly unstable and teetering on the verge of civil war. To say nothing of the hollowed out husk of the once great United States. Tensions are simmering, people take to the streets protesting injustice and war, many see the current crises, political and economic, as the birth of a new world order.

Some are hopeful. Most look on to the future with uncertainty. People are scared, the old way of living has been swept away and for many the truth that the old world, and all the comforts and certainties that existed within it, will never return is settling in. The governed feel increasingly distant from the powers that be, leading to a disconnect between governments and their citizens. Perhaps that is the true Crisis of Modernity: In an age where communication, travel and commerce are faster and more interconnected than ever before, people feel more distant from their labor, their governments, their societies, and even from each other, than they ever have.

OOC - Alt. History - Modern - The Crisis of Modernity: New World Order

Spoiler: Turn Format

Nation Name In Native Language - 1926

National Flag

Name: Nation Name in English
Head of State: Name
Head of Government: Name
Type of Government: Self-explanatory
Population: PM Me if you have questions.
Capital: Capital


Domestic

Internal Events:
-Any internal events to talk about...

Economic Status:
-Great (Example)
-Economic information goes here....

Military
-All military information goes here... I don't need exact military numbers (though, they help), you'll be graded more on the strength of your tactics and strategy sent to me in war plans.

Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:

Diplomacy:

Spoiler: Rules

1. Don't be a dick
2. After major war results are posted, you wait 24 hours before appealing to me. This allows you to calm down and build up an argument should it be necessary.
3. We will be using the 3 claims system.
4. If your nation isn't mentioned or a particular facet of your nation isn't mentioned, then it's up to you.
5. Feel free to use OTL and fictional politicians and leadership as you please, just make sure it makes sense. I don't really mind either way and I'll be using both.

Spoiler: War Plan Format

Warplan Format:
YOUR NATION: the name of your nation
ALLIES: any allies
OPPOSING NATION(S): who you are fighting
THEATRE(S): where you are fighting
MILITARY DOCTRINE: the style of war your military is orientated towards, about a paragraph
MILITARY GOALS: what you are fighting for
STRATEGY: how you will fight on a strategic level – don't bother listing battlefield tactics, this should just be about where your men go and what they try to capture

Spoiler: Espionage Plan Format

Espionage Format:
YOUR NATION: the name of your nation
TARGET: who your espionage is aimed at
MISSION: what you want to do
METHOD: how you plan to do it
MOTIVE: why you want to do this
OTHER: anything else relevant to the mission, ex: a trading company in the same city that could supply your spies with weapons

Spoiler: Economic Action Format

Economic Action Format:
YOUR NATION: the name of your nation
TARGET: who your action is aimed at
MISSION: what you want to do (hostile take over of a company, cornering the market on a particular commodity, utilizing your economic influence to politically influence others?)
METHOD: how you plan to do it
MOTIVE: why you want to do this
OTHER: anything else relevant to the mission

United States - Arthur Frayne
Bulgaria - Azecreth
Ottoman Empire - BigSeb31213
Spain - Humanity Dark
Confederate States - Lore Snuggleton
Brazil - Walker of Chaos
Germany - Interested Party
Central America - Cybandeath
Australia - Skreviski
United Kingdom - Comrade Jeff
Argentina - King Saul
Canada - Non Sequitor
Mexico - Ceslas
Russia - Watercress
Venezuela - JbeJ275
Iran - Altzek
Netherlands - Secretariat
Japan - Darth Invictus
China - CommandoHowitzer
France - kızıl sultan
Italy - Alex Costa
Ukraine - Crilltic
Sweden-Norway - Arryn
South Africa - Atlanta-Georgia

 

[Lore Snuggleton]

Dixian Renaissance:


John Crowe Ransom is one of the original leaders of the Renaissance.
​

The Confederate States of America(or Dixie as more commonly known among the South) is a nation that prided itself on its staunch advocacy of traditionalism, and of protecting the God-loving white Southerner from the filthy and lazy Negros. At the start, once Dixie broke free from the United States, Southern culture was attempting to be redefined by the populace. No longer were they "Americans" and a part of the Founders of old. Instead, the nation needed new marks of unity because what did other foreigners think when they thought of Dixie? Many at the start, with even some lower-class Southerners agreeing, thought the South only fought for slavery,. That Dixie only fought to keep the Negro in his place. That couldn't be further from the truth for many Southern intellectuals. Southern intellectuals such as Henry Timrod, Daniel B. Lucas, Abram Joseph Ryan, and Thomas Nelson Page wrote popular books on what it means to be a Southerner and why Dixie is a place to be proud of in the late 19th century. Anglo-Saxon heritage and protecting the White Race from the Negro Savage, as well as preserving the old order were highly emphasized by these prominent writers. Their authorships were the beginning of a literary period known as the Southern Discovery period. Dixians within the Confederacy, both rich landowners, and the good workers of the South, were finding their identity in the midst of victorious conquests and struggles the Confederate government had. By the end of the 1910s, the Discovery Period was coming to an end, and thanks to the economic boom within Dixie from oil: prosperity led to the beginning of the Dixian Renaissance that is still ongoing represents a complete shift from the idea that the Confederacy was "American" to the idea that Dixie is an identity in itself. Writers, musicians, and artists such as Donald Davidson, John Crowe Ransom, Allen Tate, and Robert Penn Warren emphasized on multiple points of identity for the South rooted in conservative traditions that protect Dixie. There was the emphasis that Dixians held moral and responsible convictions to God as Christians(mainly Protestants, these authors exclude Catholics), as well as the emphasis that Dixians were hard workers that understood the importance of the agrarian lifestyle despite the industrial boom, and that the Dixian cared about family values and protecting traditions from evil forces like negroes and socialists. These sorts of emphasis made up what many normal Dixians who read, listen to the radio, and go by hearsay consider traditional Dixian values. In this new decade, the people of Dixie remains proud despite defeat, and become more familiar with their own identity in this new Renaissance of culture.

 

[Ceslas]

Estados Unidos Mexicanos - 1926
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Name: United Mexican States
Head of State: Alvaro Obregon
Head of Government: Alvaro Obregon
Type of Government: Federal Republic
Population: 15,528,000
Capital: Mexico City

Domestic

Internal Events:
-President Alvaro Obregon's term in office is winding down. The first Presidential term held by a radical of the Democratic Labor Front, as opposed to moderate reformers like Presidents Madero and Carranza from the DLF's conservative wing, has been a mixed blessing. On one hand, without the demands of war straining Mexico, the first major moves towards land reform were accomplished and industrial syndicates comprised of trade unions are now gaining power in various industrial fields even as debt peonage and company are being abolished. However Obregon's willingness to court the radical wings of his party has led to much of the conservative wing deserting the party and joining what remains of the Oppositions, forming the National Political League, the first serious challenge the DLF has faced to its control of Mexico. Currently, the party is led by Adolfo de La Huerta, Carranza's Secretariat of Fiance and Public Credit, a man who proven able to weld the moderates in the DLF to the Conservatives. However the DLF is by no means lost.

It commands considerable support from the lower classes and appears more than able to gain a majority, despite the most radical parts of the DLF being ready to remake the party in their image. Emiliano Zapata, an anti-Diaz rebel who was pardoned by Madero and who later became a hero of the Great War, has been a key part of the radical parts of the DLF since its inception and without the moderates restraining his supporters he has finally managed to gain the nomination for President. Clashes has already broken out between Zapata's supporters and Huerta's and this elections looks like it will be one of the most violent in living memory...

Economic Status:
-Good
Land and labor reform have brought the Mexcian worker to new levels of prosperity which is resulting in economic growth despite the dire predictions of the NPL.

Military
-155,000 men

Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:
Favorable Relations with the US
Revanchist feelings towards the CSA
Dreams of Reunion towards Central America

Diplomacy:
N/A

 

[Skrevski]

Dominion of Australia - 1926

​

Name: Dominion of Australia
Head of State: King George V, King of England
Head of Government: Stanley Bruce
Type of Government: Federal Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy.
Population: 6,056,360
Capital: Canberra

Domestic

Internal Events:
- WIP

Economic Status:
- Good
- TBD

Military
- 90,000 Men

Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:
- Alliance with the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Nations.

Diplomacy:
- TBD​

 

[Darth Invictus]

Dai Nippon Teikoku - 1926
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Name: Empire of Japan
Head of State: Yoshihito
Head of Government: Tanaka Giichi
Type of Government: Constitutional Monarchy
Population: 77,700,000 (56,000,000 in Japan Proper)
Capital: Tokyo


Domestic:

Japan is still reeling from the death of Prime Minister Kato Takaaki early in the year from pneumonia, Crown Prince Hirohito, acting as regent for his father has appointed Tanaka Giichi to replace him. Hirohito fears the military expertise may be required, having taken a quote he recently learned of to heart: If you want peace, prepare for war


Economic Status:
- Above Average


Military
- 300,000 Men


Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:
- Alliance with the United Kingdom and the British Empire


Diplomacy:
- TBD

​

​

 

[Lore Snuggleton]

Dixian Politics:

Jefferson Davis and his cabinet: The first and only president to not be in any political party and attempt to prevent them from existing.​

In the Confederacy, two main parties wrestle for power in Dixie. There was the Democratic Party, who were the party of the traditional Southern planter aristocracy, as well as local farmers. Originally, they stood for slavery, privilege, and the idealized southern way of life. But after the abolishment of slavery, their positions stood for the working farmer, although in actuality, they always cared about the aristocrats due to intense bribery by them. In policy, they support government intervention and restriction on state's rights so they don't get any uppity idea of giving Negros any rights, as well as oppose tariffs on industry and big business(like oil) dominating Southern interests. Foreign policy for them was continued cold relations with the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as continued status quo belligerence towards the the United States. Increased investment in arms to protect the nation was also a part of the party platform in foreign policy, emphasizing on the need of a strong military to defend against Northern Aggression. Even though they were a party of the elite, they got votes from the common man through a system of "property, patronage, and patriotism". All Southern states, even in the Deep South, has universal white suffrage, thanks to the Democrats under Wilson, At the state level, Senators and even the Governor in South Carolina were selected by state legislatures, rather than popularly elected. Only a certain kind of person could even vote, and they were vulnerable to patronage. With so many tied into the personal networks of the planter oligarchy, Democrats could depend on the votes of common people tied to major Democrats, as they could lose their jobs for voting Whig. The final element of the Democratic platform was Patriotism. With the Democrats being the "Party of Patriotism" and with a far more pro-active foreign policy, Democratic orators and speakers were skilled at whipping susceptible populations into a frenzy before major votes.

The Whigs are the party of business and the growing urban elite(including the oil barons) and middle class(mainly university-educated and city-dwellers). Currently they stand for industry, business, progress and free market liberalism. In actuality, that meant they supported a weaker federal government, supporting tariffs, industrial development, and allowing the wealthy to acquire more wealth for investment. The Whig foreign policy is much more oriented on reducing belligerence with the United States but also renewing relations with the UK, Canada, as well as expanding business interests abroad while competing with Venezuela. Their voters come from the industrial business elite who, although many had planter origins, realized that industry was the way of the future, especially as the profitability of slavery and cotton declined, and the growing middle class, who were more liberal and who benefited from commercialism and industry. Patronage was a powerful tool in gaining Whig votes, as was voter fraud and machine politics, with the Whigs seeking to run up the tally in cities they controlled to take advantage of the corrupt local governments looking to get rich.

The Wilsonian Administration and its struggles:

Woodrow Wilson: From Loved to Despised
​

The Confederacy before 1912 was a semi-democratic institution. Only propertied white males could vote(aristocratic planters, and some local farmers), and the aristocrats dominated through bribes. And there was no same counter for the Whigs, which led to the dominance of the Democratic Party for a while in most Southern States except Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. That changed after the 1908 election which a Southerner named Woodrow Wilson, who was university educated and a minister, was elected President of the Confederacy. Wilson was originally a Whig but switched to the Democratic Party after his governorship in Virginia ended. During the election, he campaigned on three items: Suffrage, Anti-Trust, and a national bank for Confederate business and the populace to get more help. These strategic points was able to win Wilson the election, especially Suffrage as the Confederate working-class were angry and wanted more representation after the Spanish-Confederate War. Soon after, he was inaugurated president in 1913 and went to work. During the first few years Wilson was able to get a lot of bill passed through political maneuvering and an alliance with Democrats such as prominent Benjamin Tillman. The Suffrage Act of 1913 was passed, which granted all Confederate citizens who were white men, regardless of property, the right to vote. It gave the Whigs much better footing in being competitive against the Democrats and bolstered Whig support, but also boosted certain Democrats to even bigger heights. Policies that he enacted like creating the Confederate National Bank in 1914, committing to trust-busting, and supporting local farmers through the farm bills that passed in a bipartisan manner were also enacted and Wilson was enjoying high popularity despite earlier unrest. However, Wilson, being the a social conservative ideologue, when it comes to Negros, enacted nastier policies towards Negro-Confederates. The British who were appalled, asked during Confederate unrest, to gradually end slavery. However, Wilson angry and told the British to back off from domestic affairs, souring relations. However, later in that timeframe, the Great War came in 1915 and the Confederacy (who were basically allies with Britain at the time) under Wilson reluctantly accepted the call because they had a defensive agreement. Confederacy started off with sending expeditionaries, but the European adventurism was cut short when the Yankees invaded in 1916. Wilson was re-elected right before the invasion as well, with his popular policies but the war ended up ruining his image. This invasion was a long time preparation for the Confederacy, and they were prepared. However, Mexico invaded as well, retaking Gadsen territory, a small regrettable blow..however there was a slave rebellion and the government under Wilson did not plan on it at all. The Slave rebellion, only either called the "Negro Revolt" by Academics or the "Nigger Rampage" by commonfolk, shook Dixian society to the core as the rebellion swept through Alabama and Mississippi in an attempt to cut off the main confederate army fighting the Mexicans and Yankees. The rebellion was a long slog from 1918-1920, but it was inevitably brutally crushed, yet Wilson took so much of the blame for it. Woodrow Wilson was an intelligent diplomat, but was lacking as Supreme Commander of the Confederate military. He trusted his generals and approved of the contingencies to fight the USA and even Mexico but the slave rebellion was a failure to consider. Overall, the Confederacy was fully humbled, and Wilson became reviled as a failure of a leader. The Democrats became much weaker as a result and by the 1920 election, Wilson stepped down after his 2nd term.

To be continued....

 

[King Saul]

República de Argentina -1926





Name: Republic of Argentina
Head of State: President Heitor Martinez
Head of Government: President Heitor Martinez
Type of Government: Presidential Republic
Population: TBD
Capital: Buenos Aires

Domestic

Internal Events:
-President Heitor Martinez begins his presidential term with the population and the opposition with an eye on him to see if he continues good relations with the Empire of Brazil and continues to modernize the country.

Economic Status:

-Good
-TBD

Military:

-TBD

Alliances,Agreements,Pacts and Trades:

-Has a Trade with Empire of Brazil

Diplomacy:

-TBD

 

[Alex Costa]

The Situation politcally in the Kingdom of Italy in 1925
​

As 1926 dawns, the Kingdom of Italy is going through rough times. Governments haven't been very stable since the end of the Weltkrieg, usually lasting from a week to a year in maximum. The disaster that was the war brought economic depression and saw many of Italy's youth die without any of it's goals being achieved.
​

The cold trenches of the Weltkrieg in the frontier between Italy and Austria-Hungary
​

Following the war, many of those that participated the war found themselves in very harsh situations, with many covering the streets of the main Italian cities begging for food and living in the absolute conditions. This would lead to many of them increasingly turning to more radical parties like the newly formed Partido Nazionalista Italiano, in the far-right and a increasingly radicalized Partido Socialista Italiano who was turning more and more radical with each passing day.
​

Italo Balbo in this world he is called by many of his supporters Caeser
​

As of right now the most recent election in 1924 have lead to none of the major parties achieving a clear majority. The King Vittorio Emmanuel III has thus called for a governing coalition of the major Liberal and Conservative Parties formed around the leader of the Partido Populare Italiano, Alcide de Gasperi.

​

 

[Walker Of Chaos]

Brazilian Politics in the Post Weltkrieg Era
​

One of the rising stars in this new world order. Brazil views itself the protector of South America. Ruled by Emperor Pedro III who appoints ministers, provincial governors and other government officials to serve at his behalf. In theory anyways, in practice the Emperor follows the agenda of the elected Chamber of Deputies. The Chamber of Deputies is the lower of the two parliamentary houses and is responsible for most legislative actions on the national level. The Federal Senate is the upper house and while prestigious lacks significant real power. At most it can request that the Deputies reconsider bills and temporarily delay their implementation.

Any citizen who is eligible to vote is also eligible to serve as a Deputy. Voting eligibility is granted to any (male) citizen who can pass a basic literacy test. In the last few decades there was talk about abolishing the literacy tests and implementing universal male suffrage but after the Mexican "revolution" those plans were shelved for now. Elections to the Senate are slightly more complex. While all citizens who pass the literacy test can still vote in them they can not directly vote for the candidates. Instead citizens vote for electors who then vote for the candidates. Electors must posses a certain amount of wealth, enough to be comfortably in the middle class and senator candidates must be even more wealthy. Once elected a Senator serves for life. In case of gross misconduct a Senator can be expelled but this is exceptionally rare and no decade in Brazilian history has ever seen more than three expulsions. Each Imperial province is granted a number of Senate seats proportional to its population. In addition all Brazilian princes are automatically granted a seat in the Senate upon reaching adulthood. Currently Prince Luis and Prince Antonio are seated in the Senate. These seats are created separately from the provincial seats.

Currently Brazil is ruled by the liberal faction. Fiercely capitalistic and aggressively opposed to leftism they are mainly backed by the Brazilian upper class. In terms of foreign policy the Liberals believe it is the duty of the Empire to protect South America from leftist revolutions and they also wish to see the Empire take its rightful place among the great powers of the world. Venezuela is viewed as Brazil's closest ally and friend followed by Argentina. Significant sympathies are also held for newly liberated Bolivia and many expect the Empire to step in and start protecting the fledgling nation. Similar feelings are also held towards Ecuador. Peru is viewed with deep suspicion, especially as their latest government maintains claims on Brazilian land. Paraguay is viewed as a potentially destabilizing influence that needs to be carefully watched. The government has few opinions on Colombia and Chile, preferring to let Venezuela and Argentina respectively decide how they should be handled.

The main opposition to the liberals comes from the leftist groups that are gaining popularity amongst the working class. Advocating for land reform and labor rights they are facing fierce attacks from the liberals who denounce them as enemies of the state. They are also frequently accused of taking orders from Mexico City.
​

 

[Azecreth]

Царство България - 1926

​

Name: Tsardom of Bulgaria
Head of State: Tsar Ferdinand I
Head of Government: Prime Minister Aleksandar Tsankov
Type of Government: Theoretical Constitutional Monarchy
Population: PM Me if you have questions.
Capital: Sofia

Domestic

Internal Events:

Tsar Ferdinand I​

-Bulgaria, a nation formed from warfare, reached the culmination of all its struggle and bloodshed in the end of the Weltkrieg. The Bulgarian state was used to war and had thrown in its lot with the Germans in an effort to gain revenge upon its neighbors for its defeat in previous Balkan Wars. much to the surprise of everyone it had succeeded beyond expectations, ensuring the region was solidly under the control of the German alliance for the duration of the war. Bulgarian soldiers fought and bled and died, and in the end they were rewarded.

Not necessarily to the pleasure of the Germans. Bulgaria pushed for all her claims and she got them. At last the desires of Bulgarian nationalists were achieved as Macedonia and Dobruja were brought into the Bulgarian nation, ensuring her regional dominance for the foreseeable future.

Well, aside from Austria. But let's not talk about that.

It came at a good time for the Bulgarian government. Shaken by the economic damage done from the war, public discontent had been growing and the Tsar had been forced to remove the ban on the Agrarian Union after they had previously been banned for voicing their opposition to the war. But victory brought public celebrations, and overnight the struggles of the nation were forgotten as the public rejoiced in the end of their national humiliation.

Since then things have worked out for the better. The development of an industrial economy and domestic arms industry has accelerated with the end of the war and the burgeoning desire to prove themselves as the rising power that they are believed to be. There is still a firm agricultural basis to the country, but they have made firm strides nonetheless. Meanwhile conquered territory has been integrated fairly peacefully, with only a minimal amount of hardship to be seen. Rest assured, you shouldn't worry about any atrocities inflicted upon Greeks or Romanians, no sirree.

If there has one solid benefit, it has been the stabilizing influence on Bulgarian politics. Once a feared organization, practically overnight the Internal Macedonia Revolutionary Organization reformed from a stance of liberation to one of protection, representing the interests of the Macedonian region in the Bulgarian government. Of course there's still a paramilitary wing that is rumored to exist, but for the moment they are not a problem and no one cares enough to get rid of them.

These days the Agrarian Union has been marginalized by the Democratic Alliance, a union of several center and right wing parties with the approval of the Tsar who now run the government. They have had to chart a careful course between sentiment towards Germany and independent beliefs, while rising radical ideologies have begun pushing for more democratic reforms to bring legitimate and serious representation in the Parliament. For now it has been prevented, but who knows how long that will last.

Bulgaria is a nation divided societally. The commoners are Slavic, focused on Orthodox religion and leaning towards Russia. Meanwhile the elites continue to remain leaning towards Germany, an awkward relationship to be sure. In recent years however they have done their best to nurture a Pan-Slavic sentiment, focused on the Southern Slavs primarily, that keeps people content and away from proposing things like those reforms. Speakers clamor for the Bulgarian supremacy, assuring the people that it is only a matter of time until they can supplant Austrian supremacy in the Balkans. Of course some are also calling for more land, such as Istanbul, but no one is particularly paying attention to them for now.

For now the nation is doing well, and only time will tell where Bulgaria goes from here.

Economic Status:
-Good
Primarily agricultural, but with a solid industrial base and developing domestic arms industry

Military
-Called 'The Prussia of the Balkans', the Bulgarian army is a machine honed by war and used to dealing with rebellious populations. The Navy is focused on coastal defense, and the air force is better off not talking about. All in all, they may be outgunned by someone like Germany, but they're a solid power in their own right.

Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:

Mitteleuropa Pact
Treaty of Dresden

Diplomacy:

 

[Alex Costa]

From: General Secretary of the Partido Socialista Italiano Mario Garibaldi (OOC: yes he is descedent of that Garibaldi)
To: Emiliano Zapata , Presidential Candidate to the United Mexican States @Ceslas

Secret:

On behalf of the Partido Socialista Italiano we send our best wishes of sucess on your upcoming campaign to the Presidency. We too hope to soon bring Socialism to Italy. One day perhaps Italy and Mexico shall stand together as brothers bringing the light of Socialism to the world.

 

[Ceslas]

From: General Secretary of the Partido Socialista Italiano Mario Garibaldi (OOC: yes he is descedent of that Garibaldi)
To: Emiliano Zapata , Presidential Candidate to the United Mexican States @Ceslas

Secret:

On behalf of the Partido Socialista Italiano we send our best wishes of sucess on your upcoming campaign to the Presidency. We too hope to soon bring Socialism to Italy. One day perhaps Italy and Mexico shall stand together as brothers bringing the light of Socialism to the world.

Click to shrink...

On behalf of the people of Mexico I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Lore Snuggleton]

Part 2:

The Whig Period: Southern Economic Revival


John W. Davis: Industrial magnate president​

After Wilson confirmed that he was not seeking a second term, the Democrats were scrambling to find a candidate that could somehow recover the increasing unpopularity the Democrats were facing, as the many local farmers were wanting change, as well as the urban working-class. Even the aristocrats wanted a party with a solution to the South's economic malaise, and failure to "keep the niggers chained" as Senator Tillman said. Inevitably, the Democrats during the election period in 1920, came up with a candidate named Joe T. Robinson, who at the time, was the Senate Majority Leader for the Democrats. He was well-spoken but had the issue of being another Democrat similar to Wilson. Up against the new Democratic Candidate was John W. Davis. Davis was born in Virginia and was educated at the University of Atlanta. He became well known as a lawyer when he was in Georgia and with the political connections he made with the Whigs in major cities, he inevitably rose up the ladder. He was elected state senator, then rose up for the House of Representatives, then became a Senator, and then having a short stint as Ambassador to Britain. Soon after, he was nominated the Whig candidate for the presidential elections. The race was looked at as tight despite decreasing popularity of Democrats because the tradition of Democrats winning the presidency, but the Whigs won out with over 10% more of the popular vote. Whigs also took a majority in the House, and the Senate was dead-tight between Democrats and Whigs.

Burkbennet, Texas. One of the many thriving oil towns that boosted the Confederate Economy​

With this huge Whig victory, Davis set out to make economic reforms that liberalized more of the country and gave growing industrial subsidies to Confederate industries in order to boost it so they can compete with Yankee industry. He still kept a lot Wilson's policies that benefitted farmers too, such as the Smith-Steeley Farmer Act that lowered taxes for farmers and planters(to the boon of the rich plantation owners as well). However, all this spending and use of Confederate money to grow the economy left the country with huge deficit and sizable debt, with the additional debt from the Great War helping. Davis needed additional revenue, lucky for him, a new resource started booming in Texas: oil. Massive oil reserves discovered in the previous months was soon tapped by growing oil companies and investors. Oil that the government gladly took in taxes to boost revenue. The oil boom basically became a saving grace for the Whig's economics. The wealth that spawned from it, helped Texas especially, as Texas rapidly industrialized. More and more railroads first, but then roads started appearing. Roads meant for automobiles. Originally the Confederacy was heavily laggy on transportation. It had a decent amount of railroads, but after independence, the Confederate government had to play catch up and focus on creating stronger railroad infrastructure to benefit the country. This also meant the desire for automobiles was lower. The automobile industry that barely existed was small, with manufacturing techniques imported from Michigan car manufacturers in the Yankee Rust Belt. For a while, it could not compete, but once the oil boom, came, numerous small automobile manufacturers started spouting as well. The mass assembly line created by Henry Ford was copied in Dixie soon after, and with a local but growing desire for affordable cars for the middle-class, the industry started booming and the oil industry only became bigger in Texas. Many other states, such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama got Federal grants to build more and more infrastructure for not just railroads, but cars, only helping the economy recover. The oil was also being exported, and despite colder relations, Britain remained a sizable importer, especially since Iran nationalized British oil companies. Britain, France, the Dutch, even Germany, were importing from the Confederacy, and that money ended up reducing the Confederate debt and deficit tremendously. Davis's popularity soared with economic prosperity, but Davis did have one fear, and that was extreme dependency on oil for power. He knew the oil can't last forever, and is planning on more programs to boost other industries. In 1926, the next election is slated for December, and even though he is running for another term, one major slip-up can potentially throw the Whigs off power.

 

[bigseb31213]

BBC World Service - The abdication of Abdulmejid II and the Succession of Osman IV


Side by side portraits of the elderly Abdulmejid and the young Osman
​

Konstantinyye - Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid II announced his abdication today, at the age of 59, after having been Sultan for just eight years. With the Ottoman sultans having little formal power since the years preceding the Weltkrieg, Abdulmejid's most significant accomplishment may be reforming the Ottoman family succession system, and allowing Sultans to choose their heirs. Sources close to Abdulmejid say that he will spend his retirement painting and collecting butterflies.
​

Osman Fuad will be crowned as Osman IV, and the next Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of Islam. Osman is just 31 years old, but has already amassed an impressive resume. His career began as a 16 year old volunteer fighting Italian forces in Libya, and during the Weltkrieg he fought in the Sinai and at Gallipoli. By the end of the war he rose to command all Ottoman forces in North Africa, and remained active in military and political affairs after the war ended. Osman popular figure, well known and liked among military circles, and has the experience and interest in politics that many of his predecessors have lacked.

 

[Alex Costa]

From: King Vittorio Emmanuel III of Italy
To: New Sultan Osman IV of the Ottoman Empire @bigseb31213

Congratulations on your ascension towards the Sublime Porte's throne on behalf of the House of Savoy.

From: Kingdom of Italy
To: The Ottoman Empire @bigseb31213

We would like to once again ask if the Ottoman Empire is willing to sell it's territory of Libya. Our economic presence in the region is great and we already handle most of the exploration inside of it. We are willing to negotiate a deal similar to what ocurred in British held Egypt which is still technically a vassal state of the Ottoman Sultan. Is such a deal possible to negotiation with Konstantinyye?

 

[Walker Of Chaos]

From: Empire of Brazil
To: Republic of Ecuador @The Lone Taco

Greetings. We were wondering if you would be interested in lowering trade barriers between our two nations so that we might both prosper.

Private

We are also concerned about the recent aggressive rhetoric espoused by Peruvians. If you are interested we would be willing to provide your army with modern Brazilian arms at a reduced cost as well as proclaiming you to be under our protection.

 

[Lore Snuggleton]

The Negro Question: Protecting the Natural Order

Bacon's Rebellion: The Root of Oppression​

Afro-Confederates, negros, niggers; each of these words detail a different a level of severity, from kindest to cruel, for the black people that live within the Confederacy. Africans were slaves since the South had its first plantations, but slavery and servitude was not racist oppression until after Bacon's Rebellion; where white indentured servants, coupled with black freedmen; rebelled in Virginia. That infamous date in 1676 changed the course of history in the South. The unity of poor blacks and poor whites terrified the planter aristocracy who had a stranglehold in Virginia, and later the entire South. Their power needed to stay, so all they did was eliminate white indentured servitude and make the blacks, or the Negroes as they were commonly called, the lowest of all classes in the South. The elite then nudged the free white farmers to look down on the negro. And words such as dark-skinned man were replaced with Negro, and then by even more downtrodden whites, the word "nigger" became the most commonplace word for blacks. The planter elite then established a culture of hatred and bigotry that existed in the deep society of the South, under all the trappings of tradition, Christianity, and hard work. Slavery continued, after the Revolutionary War, after the Mexican-American War, after all the attempted compromises to keep the United States whole...it failed. A new chapter in history began for North America when the American Civil War, otherwise known as the War of Northern Aggression, came to being in 1857. Enough was enough for many Southerners who wanted independence and protection of their traditional way of life.

Average life of the Negro slave before industrialization picked up
​

Yet what was that tradition they were afraid of losing...slavery. It's long been hidden in Confederate history books about why the war started, but the war truly started over a state's right to keep the Negro down. And if it wasn't for the British and French, the Confederacy wouldn't have survived most likely. It's a hidden lie among the collective populace that it was fought over traditional values, over the Southern way of life and culture. Among the Yankees, it's well known of the truth, but among Dixie, it's not. And so that abyss of evil and oppression continued. To the citizens of Dixie, mainly the upper class, they continued to profit over the cotton and tobacco exports being sold to the UK and France. So much wealth continued over cotton and tobacco, along with the beatings, the whippings and cursing that was needed against the Negro in order to make him not be lazy. As many whites justified of the continuation of slavery that went on after the Confederacy acquired independence, with the world industrializing and not needing as many slaves to pick cotton due to machines, the excuses for not freeing the slaves piled. Eventually, the less slaves picking cotton, they needed to do different work instead. They needed to prevent the Negro 'filth' from being lazy. So In the start of the 20th century, as cotton was decreasing as an export, especially with the British adopting Egyptian cotton, they were used to build roads and were worked to the bone. Many slaves were used to build miles and miles of roads and railroad tracks. Some others were still on plantations, or doing janitorial work, or anything as demeaning as possible. The labor was free, and as the white man continued justifying that it was for their own good, that they were doing the right thing and that they were taking care of them, the Negroes became angry. Seething rage as the Yankees started helping them discreetly, first trying to get another Underground Railroad going after Harriet Tubman was captured and executed, and then arming some stragglers. Their numbers grew, and when the Great War happened, the Negroes within the Deep South were planning an insurrection, especially in South Carolina.

The Battle of Charleston- Pivotal battle that broke the Negro insurrectionists. First major battle in America where planes were actually used to bomb parts of the city.​

1916 appeared, and soon the Yankees invaded in the year. Confederacy was prepared to kill Yankees sprinting Confederate lines, but Negro insurrectionists overcame plantations a few months after the invasion, and they were marching to cut supply lines that the Yankees told them about. Strategic roads that if cut, would've potentially starved the Confederate Army defending against Yankee assaults.. The Negro rebels in South Carolina even almost overtook the state as troops were sent to quell the insurrection. The Battle of Charleston was a decisive battle against the insurrectionists as the Confederate government won through the use of its troops and ragged white militias. Rebels were eventually quelled other states too completely, both in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia after almost four years of fighting and guerilla warfare. It shook the South even more so than Nat Turner's Rebellion. And many white soldiers within the South wanted to "lynch every nigger" in the Confederacy. Wilson knew those sort of harsh ideas were too unreasonable and even though he hated Negroes and was heavy handed against slave smugglers, he had to 'end' slavery in its current form. So, with a bill that enraged the Democratic base within the South, they put a bill to 'officially end slavery in all forms with exception to punishment' and the bill passed by a slim margin in all of Congress before Wilson signed. It utterly ruined Wilson's presidential image and was the biggest reason the Whigs won the government.

Lynching: a popular practice of retribution for perceived injustice against whites. Used often if a Negro is accused of a crime in Dixie​

Now even though slavery was eliminated on paper, the structure of oppression remained as the Whig Party made an agreements with various state governments that spirit of the system kept alive. So many state governments passed different laws regarding Negroes. There were vagrant laws to force Negros back into slavery, zoning laws that force Negroes to reside in a few designated spaces, employments that barred Negroes from various job sectors, education laws in various states that barred Negroes from most types of schools and of course, most importantly: the denial of voting rights to Negroes. The Southern Protection Acts as they were called within the central government. The central government, which grew stronger after the Great War even cut funding and grants given to states that gave Negroes more privileges without good reason. It could go on about the various abuses and various oppression, even with how simple and stupid they may seem, they still serve a purpose: to keep the Negro in his place. And if Negroes don't stay in line, there is an excuse by state governments to put those Negro back into slavery. Overall, a careful balance needed to be met, the South simply hides their inner bigotry with pleasantness, and the world mainly moves with concealed oppression within Dixie.

 

[Lovemuffin]

Heerskappy van Suid-Afrika/ Dominion of South Africa



Capital: Pretoria

Population:T.B.D

Languages: English, Afrikaans

Prime minister: Jan Smuts (united party)

Internal situation:
South Africa is a minority ruled nation. The ruling white minority are devided into two groups the majority Afrikaans and the minority British. Despite the booming economy and appearance of outward stability the dominion in reality was teetering on the edge.

Whites only made up 21% percent of South Africa the white minority was devided into Afrikaans and British but negros made up the overwhelming majority. After defeat in the welkrieg the negro population became emboldened and started demanding rights and such. The white minority steadfastly refused. South Africa wondered what 1926 would bring.

 

[Lovemuffin]

To:United Kingdom
@Comrade Jeff
From:South Africa

We the dominion of South Africa as a loyal member of the empire have some humble requests for the king-Emperor and his government

1) the negros are getting uppity and demanding rights and power we therefore request that the U.K. Station some ships in Cape Town to remind the blacks of imperial power.

2)encourage settlement to South Africa to boost white population.

3)your leave to ask the Netherlands to encourage settlement to maintain the Afrikaans British balance

______________________________
To: Confederate States
@Lore Snuggleton
From:South Africa

Our negros are getting uppity any ideas of how to help as whites are the minority in South Africa and if they get to Uppity the savage negro may overthrow the whites.

 

[The Lone Taco]

Franz Ferdinand, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary

A Law Outlawing Extremist Parties
​

Despite his best efforts, Emperor Franz Ferdinand's dreams of a Federal Austria-Hungary continued to elude him. Even with a victory in the Weltkreig and the ascension of a fairly well-liked heir, following the death of Emperor Franz Josef I in 1916, Ferdinand could not wrestle with the forces defending the status quo in Austria-Hungary. Conservatives and traditionalists in Austria balked at Ferdinand's concessions to the Hungarians and other minorities in the Empire, many of which were often dissected and rendered useless upon arriving at the Imperial Council -- much to the anger of the Croatians, Hungarians, Czechs, etc. who had long awaited their promised autonomy. After having fought valiantly for the Austro-Hungarian military, endured rationing and curtailing of civil and social life for the war effort, many -- and not just minorities outside of Austria -- grow mistrustful of Emperor Ferdinand, or at the very least believe that while he may talk a good talk, it is ultimately just that; talk.

Hungarian nobility and nationalists quickly seize upon their perceived weakness, putting the Hapsburg Emperor between a rock and a hard place: lamenting the lack of progress on constitutional reform and devolution of powers while at the same time readily utilizing any autonomy that is passed on to Hungary from the reforms that do pass to their advantage. Hungarian is pushed in schools to German's detriment, Hungarian cities and towns receive greater independence to pass their own local ordinances, and more tax revenue remains within Hungary to finance a growing local bureaucracy. While at the same time, the Hungarian government does its best to block out the concerns and demands of smaller nationalities within the Empire, particularly the Croatians. Ferdinand is unwilling or unable to recognize the Hungarian government and nobility, interested in self-enrichment and self-aggrandizement, as not acting in good faith as the brief reformist period from 1920 to 1924 occurred.

Arduous legislative battles, clashes of personality, controversies that riled up Austria-Hungary's political class and the general public and the break down of civic institutions (brought on by the remnant effects of the Weltkreig, the disastrous attempt to make Ukraine a client state, and a general mishandling of economic policy by distracted bureaucrats and ministers) lead to impasse after impasse on reform, political malaise which quickly spread into all other factors of policy, from foreign affairs to transportation. With Hungary deliberately sabotaging negotiations, the various ethnicities and nations comprising the Empire growing increasingly restless and combative with on another, and his own government not solidly unified behind him, Ferdinand feels isolated and belittled by the different, vying factions within the Empire. With the Ausgleich of 1927 in little less than a year, all the while his popularity erodes and his political capital is rapidly spent, Ferdinand elects to make a bold decision.

Since the end of the Weltkreig, there has been a swelling in support for parties deemed extreme by the ruling elite. Socialists, self-described communists, anarchists and others on the left, while on the right ultranationalists, reactionaries and a nebulous mixture of the two emerged from the shadows. While Austria had never had a major socialist movement, thanks to its mostly agrarian based economy and fairly unindustrialized cities, radical leftist sentiment in mining towns, factory mills and other areas was expanding at a worrying pace. The Austrian Left, while small and lacking a wider base of support, could utilize its fervent and well-placed base to reek havoc on Austrian industry with strikes and work stoppages. While socialist unions are heavily restricted, socialist parties have not been. Likewise, far right wing parties are causing some trouble among the more "sensible" members of the Austro-Hungarian elite and general public. Rather than being any real ideological movement, most of the far right at the moment seeks to only define itself by what it hates, that typically being socialists, trade unionists, Jews and foreigners. Unruly mobs of unemployed young men and cynical Weltkreig veterans comb the cities and countryside looking for leftists to beat up and kill. Likewise, radical leftists begin forming their own violent collectives to defend themselves. This break down in social order has led to some serious fears being brought up in the hearts and minds of many across the empire.

Furthermore, the ideological radicalization is not the only problem that Austria believes it faces, the spread of that radicalism to nationalist and separatist movements is also a major concern. While the majority of Croatian, Bosnian, Czech, Slovene and Hungarian movements have been willing to maintain a mostly conciliatory line towards reform and the federalization of the Empire, small -- but growing -- factions among these groups have begun moving in a wildly chauvinistic and aggressive direction. Calls for independence are growing, particularly in Hungary. Unbeknownst to Ferdinand, several of the more reactionary and nationalist sections of the Hungarian nobility have even begun to secretly finance these groups, whether out of a genuine agreement with their ideals or a cynical attempt at placing more pressure on the Austrian government, in order to gain the upper hand in negotiations. The Emperor has had enough of this insolence, from his compatriots, the Hungarians, the minorities, the conservatives, his own cabinet. He helps -- by way of lending his vocal support during the legislative process -- pass a law that bans parties deemed "extremist" by the government.

While Ferdinand had genuinely hoped and anticipated a fair and balanced reckoning, as in arrests of both far-leftists and far-rightists, the reality is a stark contrast to his hopes. Very quickly local officials, spurred on by Franz Ferdinand's reforms and perceive weakness, begin disproportionately targeting left wing parties and organizations. While rightists are arrested (particularly republicans and nationalists from constituent regions), nothing compares to the sheer volume of force applied to the various socialists movements in Austria-Hungary. Seeking to follow in France's footsteps, socialists are rounded up and given ridiculously long sentences. Oftentimes working on hearsay and rumors, Austrian and Hungarian security forces quickly begin going after leaders of leftist parties and unions, sometimes even recruiting right wing street fighters to join them. Strikes are forcibly broken up, often to violent ends and left wing terrorism is mercilessly pursued. While right wingers get jail sentences and released early for good behavior, most violent socialist actions result in executions. Even worse, some governors take this as a sign to begin cracking down on nationalists, causing serious strain between Hapsburg governors and the residents of their provinces.

This move intended to be a show of strength has ended in disaster, as Ferdinand quickly condemns the local governments, only to suffer a backlash for that as well. He is mocked in the press for being indecisive and weak and behind closed doors, many are beginning to doubt whether he can lead Austria in the upcoming Ausgleich.

Summary:​

• Franz Ferdinand's federalist reforms are a bust. Most don't see the light of day and those that do are watered down versions of the original proposal.​
• Unfortunately, many are disappointed after having placed their faith in him, believing that he would reform the Empire and bring back prosperity. ​
• This pushes many people into the arms of radicals and extremists. In order to combat this, Emperor Franz Ferdinand bans "extremist parties". ​
• Not realizing the implications, the Emperor essentially declares open season on the Austrian Left and local governments take it upon themselves to police who and what is extremist.​
• The uneven handedness in dealing with extremism leads to suspicion and anger and a dangerous precedent being set. ​
• The Ausgleich is still next year.​

 

[The Lone Taco]

From: Empire of Brazil
To: Republic of Ecuador @The Lone Taco

Greetings. We were wondering if you would be interested in lowering trade barriers between our two nations so that we might both prosper.

Private

We are also concerned about the recent aggressive rhetoric espoused by Peruvians. If you are interested we would be willing to provide your army with modern Brazilian arms at a reduced cost as well as proclaiming you to be under our protection.

Click to shrink...

From: Republic of Ecuador

Ecuador values her independence, economic and political. While we view Brazil as a great partner for regional stability and prosperity, we will not simply open the flood gates to Brazilian economic dominance of our small, but proud, republic. Our policy on tariffs will remain the same as it has in decades past in order to assure Ecuadorian industry's survival.

Secret:

We are happy to purchase arms and material from you, and would readily welcome a guarantee of our independence.

 

[kızıl sultan]

A Crisis of State


​

France stands on the precipice of revolution once more, and Europe stands by idly, unsurprised, watching for the direction of the tempest. The Third French Republic stands on weary legs, barely being held together by Armand Fallières and his Republican Alliance, a political party come about through a business interest-backed union of the moderates, centre-left liberals, and the Opportunist Republicans. However, the announcement of elections to be called for as a strategy to quell the masses and their demands for change has only spurred on their fervor for radical answers. Fallières' days are numbered, even within his own party, as across the country the Far-Right gathers strength under Action française, led by Charles Maurras and Georges Valois, a pen-name turned nom de guerre of Alfred-Georges Gressent. And finally, in the dark slums, factories, and unsurprisingly, the universities of France lingers what remains of the French Left. Following their failed attempt at revolution just five years ago, many of the Syndicalist leaders were either imprisoned or died in the initial skirmishes that were limited to Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseilles. However, an unknown figure referred to simply as Brother Nestor fills the streets of Paris with Syndicalist Propaganda, urging his brothers and sisters to show their dissatisfaction with the corrupt business elite that rules France through an Oligarchic "Democracy".
​

Armand Fallières, President of France


Charles Maurras, Secretary General of Action française


Georges Valois, Spokesperson of Action française and editor-in-chief of La Nouvelle librairie nationale


"Brother Nestor"
​

Simple politics was not the only thing on the minds of the people. The Far-right were not the only ones who longed for the return of the French Monarch, as the vast majority of France remembers the stacked vote against their beloved Emperor, and many wish to see him, or his son, their Prince Imperial, returned to the throne to fulfil the qualms of the popular Bonapartiste movement. Others, however, whisper of a Légitimiste return, as the Bourbon claimant who doubles as the Carlist claimant to Spain in the form of Jaime III, is a favorite of the clergy and the arch-Catholic movement spurred on by the Far-Right. And yet, no one speaks of the long forgotten Orléanists and their faulty claims to royal blood. Still, many hope that another referendum will be called to reinstate the monarchy, as many believe it was German influence upon a defeated France that forced the People's Emperor off of the throne.
​

Royal Claimants​

​

Napoléon IV, "The People's Emeror"


Napoléon, Prince Imperial, "The Prince of the People"
shown here in his French Army Uniform from his service during the Weltkreig


Don Jaime de Borbón, "Jacques I of France"


Jean d'Orléans, "Jean III of France"​

​

 

[Lovemuffin]

South Africa 1920-1925

South Africa is in the midst of a identity crisis during an economic boom. During the weltkrieg South Africa had occupied the German south west colony of Namibia. After the defeat of the glorious motherland South Africa was forced to give up all its gains though lost nothing.

While the whites went to war they left the black majority and women to run the war effort. Once the war ended the negros had a sense of self entitlement. When the government in Pretoria knocked the negros off there high pedestal they were outraged thinking "were the majority we should be in charge".

On March,14,1921 the blacks in Cape Town rioted after a white man killed and violated a black women the town council and mayor sent in the police to break up the riot. The fire trucks turned there hoses on the rebellious negros. Ten died but the Cape Town rioters were put down.

Smaller incidents occurred in Johannesburg but being 48 minutes from the capital Pretoria the army was sent in before anything developed. Another riot happened at Port Elizabeth temporarily closing the docks before the riot police broke the rioters.

In 1924 South Africa held elections it was a fiercely contested race between the Afrikaaner party and the United party but in the end Jan Smuts and the United party won.

1925 the same as years passed insane economic growth but negro unrest. Protests started in Bloemfontein shutting down factories for a week before people got back to work. While all of this was going on the African National Congress continued to terrorize the government from there bases in Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique.

As 1926 dawned all of South Africa held its breath wondering where there nation would go.

 

[bigseb31213]

Osman's Constantinople - The Ottoman Empire in the Modern Age
Excerpt from a New York Times feature upon the accession of Osman IV


An extremely stylized depiction of the Konstantinnye waterfront. In reality, the presence of warships and airships are very limited, and the presence of trawlers and tankers much more frequent​

... The new Sultan Osman is of a new generation of Ottoman statesmen. Born in 1895, he has witnessed, and participated in, what is without a doubt the most tumultuous and consequential two decades in Ottoman history. When he was born the Empire spread over much of the Balkans, was ruled by the iron fist of Abdul Hamid, and stood as a part of an unbroken Concert of Europe. As he matured, the Turks were beset by internal struggle, a constitution, coup and counter-coup, and culminating in uncertain and interminable military rule. The Empire had its already weakened borders attacked on all fronts, and it barely survived. Some of the ancient empire's oldest territories were lost, millions fled or were killed, and his illustrious dynasty seemed, at times, weeks from destruction. But it survived, and out of the ashes of the Balkan Wars, Libyan War, and Weltkrieg was born a very new Ottoman Empire.

First, the very makeup of the Turkish state has changed dramatically. The mass killings of the Balkan Wars and Weltkrieg (which most Turkish officials deny or refuse to speak of), combined with the loss of the Balkans and the mass influx of muslims from Russia and the Balkans, has changed the Ottoman Empire into a truly muslim state. Although Ottoman census figures cannot be fully trusted, both due to government interference and the remoteness of many provinces, it is estimated that just 15% of the Empire is non-muslim. All the same, the muslims of the Empire, once treated as a monolithic bloc with undying loyalty to the Sultan (and Caliph), have shown their fractures between Arab, Kurd, Turk, and others. Though Ottoman officials contend that the arab rebellions late in the Weltkrieg were the work of a few disaffected tribal elites, it is clear that the issue of newly awakened Arabs will plague the Empire in the years to come.

Second, the Empire has entered into a new era of prosperity not seen since perhaps the 18th century. Though the Weltkrieg was hugely destructive to the Ottoman Empire, it proved an economic blessing in disguise. Many of the economic controls placed on Konstantinyye by Britain and France before the war were abolished, and even the massive war debt incurred was quickly limited by postwar inflation and instability. A massive oil boom founded on Mesopotamian wells helped the Turkish economy to recover at an astonishing pace (comparable to only the Confederacy in its speed and unexpectedness), and helped jump start a dazzling period of urban development in the previously moribund Ottoman Empire. The once exotic and fabled "Orient Express" now runs twelve times a day from Vienna, a symptom of explosive industrial development that is courtesy of oil money, cheap labor, and the lack of a powerful labor movement. Still, that development is desperately uneven (comparable again to the Confederacy): while the major cities of Anatolia and the Levant would be familiar to any well-traveled man, more remote areas seem to belong to the past century, and an intrepid traveler in the most remote parts of the Caucuses or Yemen would consider themselves transported two centuries into the past.

Finally, the Empire's politics have grown vastly more complex since Osman's birth. From an absolute monarchy with a powerful bureaucracy, the Ottoman Empire has transformed into an opaque and authoritarian maze of conflicting and unwritten authority of one party and military rule. It is nominally an absolute monarchy, but where the Sultan has no effective power. It is a nominal theocracy, whose governance is effectively secular. It has a Constitution and Parliament, both of which exist in a limbo of suspension and abolition. The bureaucracy is historically the power behind the throne, but has a limited power. Political parties are banned, but one controls the government. Generals do not appear on the radio or in papers, but hold vast control over the state. Few who nominally wield power have any, and those with actual power are hard to discern


The 31 year old Osman has a vast challenge in front of him. Vast economic inequality and resource dependence threatened the outward prosperity of his great cities. Whatever his personal desires, he will have a great deal of difficulty affecting the politics of his complex state and government. And finally, the very bonds of loyalty, citizenship, and nationhood that hold his Empire together seem to be fracturing, no matter the public pronouncements of the government

 

[kızıl sultan]

République française - 1926

​

Name: Third French Republic
Head of State: Armand Fallières, President of France
Head of Government: Raymond Poincaré, Prime Minister of France
Type of Government: Parliamentary republic
Population: 35,565,800
Capital: Paris


Domestic

Spoiler: A brief recent history

The (Third) French Republic: How Low the Mighty Have Fallen
Despite having once been the supreme power in Continental Europe, with a powerful industrial base, a large population and a formidable military, France has fallen far from its old glory. The Unification of Germany brought about the end of France's demographic superiority and the rapid modernization and industrialization of Germany following Unification ensured that the industrial gap between the two nations closed up within a decade. The humiliating Treaty of Dresden ensured that France would suffer for her hubris: The bullied and cajoled Netherlands seized upon a long time claim to pacify nationalist factions of the government, annexing Wallonia, the German Empire absorbed Alsace-Lorraine and several African colonies. However the Treaty did not force France to accept guilt, only defeat, for the war and while there were restrictions on the French armed forces (specifically, the French navy which is forced to hand ships over to the Germans, Austrians, Bulgarians and Ottomans and the French Air Force is canned entirely with France forced to turn her planes over and explicitly forbidden from building warplanes). The Bonapartist monarchy is voted out in a rowdy and highly contested referendum, in which the republican option won a narrow plurality of the vote. French post-war politics is incredibly chaotic and unstable, like in Britain, the radical left and the right jockey for power against a divided and quarrelling government of moderate center left and center right republican parties who attempt to hold the country together. The French left is still reeling from a failed revolution in 1921, which saw most radical leftist parties outlawed and go underground after being crushed by the French military. While remaining in power, the republicans are unable to escape political blowback from accepting German aid to secure France from a revolutionary government, as well as the unspoken and unofficial truce between the government and elements of the far-right. Now with elections looming in the near future, the French Republic faces a great political reckoning: The far-right is uniting behind a nationalist, arch-Catholic, and monarchist political movement that has taken the French countryside by storm, promising to restore French "honor and greatness". The socialist left continues to agitate, pushing demands for land reform and a drive for underground, socialist unions in the big cities. While the French Left was beaten down just a few years ago, many of her leaders imprisoned or killed, the push to keep the various Left movements underground has only increased the movement's popularity in the cities and among students. The republican government remains fractured among conservatives and liberals, off rehashing the same political drama as they have for the past hundred years, bringing great instability in the government and cabinet, with the revolving door nature of many ministerial appointments being a frequent target of satirists and comedians. Monarchists factions of French politics see an upsurge in popularity, however the distinct movements and parties remain divided on who exactly should become king in a hypothetical French Restoration: The Bourbon claimant? The Bonapartist? The Orleanist? Many monarchists themselves can't even agree upon politics outside of a restoration, with many sticking to mainstream conservatism and liberalism, while an increasing number flirt with the far-right. The next few years could be decisive for the future of French politics.

Internal Events:

With a major election on the horizon, France simultaneously exists in both an excited state yet in its most calm since the end of the Revolution. Newspapers refer to it as the calm before the storm, as many anticipate a massive upswing in favor of the radical parties on the Left and the Right, specifically Action française and Confédération générale du travail (CGT). Europe waits with bated breath for the results that would seemingly all but determine the future of France.


Economic Status:
-Recession (Example)


Military
-The Air Force of France is currently non-existent, due to a ban placed on any militarized aeronautics within the country as a stipulation of the Treaty of Dresden
-The French Navy suffered greatly from the war, while it did not take many losses in the actual fighting, it was forced to give up ships to almost all enemy combatants as a stipulation of the Treaty of Dresden
-The French Army suffered the least out of all of it's armed forces, however a situation has developed whereby small groups of Corps libre monitor regions of the nation where the not forgotten Revolution of 1921 was fought, specifically around Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseilles, with smaller groups operating in regions that displayed pockets of token resistance.

Alliances, Agreements, Pacts, and Trade:


Diplomacy:​