Group Name:
Kaiser-Wilhelms-Universität Straßburg (Emperor Wilhelm University Strasbourg)
Group Size: 64,000
Leadership: Senate (legislative) and
Rektorat (executive) of the University, led by
Rektor Johannes Thiele
Group History: The University of Strasbourg took great efforts in studying the Soldier's Cough, led by the renowned pharmacologist
Oswald Schmiedeberg. Unfortunately, this made Strasbourg fall to the Cough that much quicker. But on the bright side, due to some rumour mongering, it was soon believed by many the university had in fact developed a cure. It did not, but soon refugees streamed towards it, and as local administration crumbled around it, the university soon was the only recognized authority in the area.
Eventually, Thiele, who during the war had helped on the German chemical weapons programs, returned to Strasburg and took over leadership of the university. He decided, rightly, that the city was beyond rescue, and that the university needed to evacuate. It sought shelter directly west of the city, in truth not far away from it. First using
Molsheim as base, the university occupied some of the old castle ruins in the Vosgues and renovated them. Using university
Burschenschaften as militias, plus a Freikorps that managed to make it the whole way from the Baltic, the university thus became de facto a territorial ruling body.
Group Description: The whole thing is run by late 19th century academicians - so basically, intelligent but often incredibly stuck-up and elitarist old men. This shows. Even if surroundings would allow, the University would never actually share power with the population in its lands. They think only they are enlightened enough to bring their little fief through these dark times. In addition, they have not given on that often nasty academic German nationalism of the Kaiserreich era. While the population of Molsheim speaks German, the population of the Vosgues speaks French, and the University accordingly looks down on them.
Equipment:
Several refurbished castle ruins
Surprisingly much of the University equipment and books, even though for the most part those things now gathers dust in storage
Enough guns and ammunition to arm their armed forces, but not exactly much in spare
4 light field artillery pieces from the Freikorps
Enough farmland to feed the population, if the Eaters can be kept away from it.
Military Capacity:
600 men of the Freikorps "
Baltische Garde" (Baltic Guard)
1,500 men of the Burschenschaft militias, in single units ranging from 50 to 200 men in size.
A conscription system to respond to Eater concentrations. Can theoretically encompass all adult males of the population, in which case only every tenth or twentieth would actually have a gun, though... but hey, the organization and logistics are there, at least!
Territory: Basically, more or less, the
Arrodissement of Molsheim. Maybe minus Wasselonne, but with some more territories in the Vosgues. Basically, directly neighbouring Strasburg to the straight west.
(sorry, don't really have the capacity for even simple MSPaint stuff here.... so no marking on the map)
Goals: Like everyone else, the University and the people under its authority want to survive. In addition, the University sees itself as one of the last centres of culture and education in the world, and in particular of
German culture. They want to retain that.
