Blood and Iron [IC/ALT-HISTORY/OPEN]

by **The V O I D** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 6:34 am

Blood and Iron: Age of Imperialism - OOC - Archives

The World is ever-changing; there is a shift in the balance of power as well as in what nations rise or fall all the time. Through blood and iron, many nations are formed; through that same blood and iron, many nations collapse. The World can be such a chaotic place; a seemingly endless stream of wars can do that. This world is different, however; new nations have risen, others have fallen. And others remain standing tall. With blood and iron, nations are forged.

With blood and iron, empires fall. This is the way of life. It is unpredictable - unknowable. If the unknown were knowable, however, it would not be unknown. The World has changed, and will continue to change. Fate shall see to who shall rise and fall through blood and iron. There is one thing for certain in all of this chaos; all of this madness. The World may change, but the story remains the same.

[align=center]January 1^st, 1891
Copenhagen, Greater Denmark
Federal Parliamentary Building
The Scandinavian Federation

With the new elections come and gone, and a new Federal Senate representation as well as new members to the Federal Assembly, a new Chancellor was elected. Chancellor Valentin Hall. He, like the majority of Parliament, was a Federalist; for the increasing of the Federation's power, expansion, and for further federalizing territory under the Federation to ensure equality for all. Today, the Chancellor was in Copenhagen, the capital of the Greater Danish Realm; and, host to the Federal Parliament. Stockholm of Sweden held the Chancellery Palace, where he normally would live and have issues presented to him. However, in special cases, such as today, he was to meet with Parliament before them.

Chancellor Hall walked out onto the podium, before the numerous Parliament members of the Federal Senate, as well as the Federal Assembly. The Chancellor had an extremely important issue to bring up; despite their lower populations, he felt that Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands lacked representation in the Parliament. Especially considering Denmark claimed to represent them. Chancellor Hall's Speaker, one of the Chancellery Cabinet (who also happened to be Christian IX of Denmark, the current King) rose his mallet and pounded slightly on the podium's surface; the sound resounding throughout, hushing everyone for the Chancellor. Christian waited a moment, before looking to the Chancellor and nodding. Hall nodded in thanks before turning to the crowd at large to speak.

"Brothers of the Scandinavian Federation. I am your Chancellor, Valentin Hall. It is with great pleasure that I accept the Chancellery as a position, and thank you all for selecting me. Today, I am here to discuss a very important matter with all of you; the matters of Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It is within my belief - as well as many of you here - that they should become Federal States. I am here to announce that, with help of King Christian the Ninth of Denmark, we may well be able to achieve that goal.

Brothers of Scandinavia, I promise to you that I will strengthen the Scandinavian Federation to be stronger than ever before. We will show to the world that we are a stable republic, unlike the unfortunate souls of the former United States. We will show the world that we are stronger united, and together, than we are apart. Scandinavia shall be a shining example of both power and democracy. I am announcing an emergency vote to create Federal States out of the aforementioned territories, as well as to legislate a further budget for our navy and military to strengthen our arms as to create new colonies of the Federation - which, indeed, may be granted Federal State status one day.

For Scandinavia, I stand tall! For Scandinavia, I will not fail! For Scandinavia, I shall defeat its enemies! Together, we are strong!

For Scandinavia!", he raised his arms; the crowd erupting into cheers, and applause. Chants of 'For Scandinavia!' were heard from the crowds. The vote on the legislation Hall just asked for would take a few days to complete all voting, as well as the creation of the necessary Bills and such. Then, there was the matter of an election of new Parliament members for the three new Federal States after they became such; but that would likely be handled later. All in all, it would take a while for the bills to take effect. Chancellor Hall knew this, but he was proud to be Chancellor for Scandinavia.

Scandinavia would not fail under his watch.

by **Holoska** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 3:14 pm

by **Newne Carriebean7** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 3:14 pm

Republican unionist states of Texas and Oklahoma
Friendship and Labor conquer all things
Austin

President Samuel Julian Frost shuffeled around some papers on his desk as he slid back behind the wooden table and sat in the comfortable leather seat. the clock struck noon. he had been working for the past few hours, signing papers and listening to complaints.he eyed a paper that had a complaint about slavery, as he was to write a response off to the lady that had written it, a devout catholic mother of seven, a young man entered the room.
"sir, Congress is gathered to hear a speech,and the local policies."
"tell them I can speak to them later, now we shall meet with the Generals and Admirals, get me General Debbs and Admiral Bart."
"yes, your presidency."
as the aide walked out to get the military leaders, Frost paced back and forth in the room until the two commanders arrived, both of them nodding and sitting in the chairs oppisite of the president.
"ah, general Debbs and Admiral Bart, good to see you. now then, let's talk military, we have how many men in the army?"
"nearly thirty thousand total soliders in our armed forces."
"that would suffice for a peacekeeping force, but I fear our neighbors,I fear the Mexicans greatly, and so it must be that the army is to be expanded from thirty to sixty thousand total armed soliders, the army will be trained like this, the consript or volunteer is to have three months training in the army,then it is to be readied in preperation for war,fighting and continuing to train."
Bart coughed and caught Frost's attention.
"Admiral Bart,how many Ironclads do we have?"
"two total sir, the Gaurder and Defender."
"we shall expand it with a battleship class of three ships, the Texan Naval Ship TNS Alamo,TNS San Jacinto,and the TNS Nueces these mighty floating fortresses will have four 10 inch guns, both in twin turrets that are positioned astern and bow. twelve 4 inch guns and eight twin 8 inch cannons, that are positioned four double barreled guns on each side, and to finish it off, six 4 inch guns on both port and starboard,for a total of 12."
" I see, how much money would this cost us for the new warship?"
"a conservative estimate is around three to four million."
both Frost and Debbs jaws fell on the table. the room was in silence for a full minute before General Debbs had the courage to speak.
"now, we can't blow all that money on some warships,I assume that's for each ship, correct? yes, now then, what I see is we only build half of one, perhaps make another costal defense shi-"
the Texan President roared with anger.
"hell will freeze over before I have an army man tell the navy what to do, if he has a complaint, take it up with the marines, General Debbs, you are relived of duty. Admiral Bart, consider this a promotion to Admiral of the Army Marines and Commander of the Texan Grand Fleet."
with that, ex general Debbs left the room and threw the army uniform off in the hallway, leaving in his underwear. Admiral Bart merely nodded and grabbed the general's hat, putting it on his own cap, and then he went back to plan the new ships. President Frost then entered his personal quarters and began to write as best he could to the Mexican, Californian and Georgian Leaders.

To:The Guardian Spurius Solomon Daniels
From:President of the Union of Texas and Oklahoma.

Happy greetings to you, I trust you are in good health my friend, seeing as though I have certain thoughts about the possible states that we may come into conquest with, such as the Arkansas and Louisana, I suggest this deal for us,you may take the state of Arkansa, while we aquire the former territory of Louisana. we shall pay whatever money you may ask, I hope you make a wise decison in these trying times.
respectively yours,Samuel Julian Frost.

To:President Robert Waterman of the Republic of California
From: President of the Union of Texas and Oklahoma.

seeing as the Texan Union is running low on certain material goods that your nation owns in your possetion, I would enjoy a trade deal with your nation in which the products you wish for us, such as cows and leather. with this deal signed as a what if, both of our nations would prosper, the texan would enjoy your mineral wealth and the amounts of goods you are pumping in, while the humble texan can take pride that the vast cattle ranches feed the californian people with the joy of god in their spirits. I would also be very jubilous if you would permit us to send one of the finest ambassadors we have, Jeffry R. Rango to your nation's capital in order to, how you say, hammer out the finer details, such as military cooperation against mexico, or any other neighbors that may threaten our great nations.
hoping to hear from you soon, Samuel Julian Frost.

To:Emperor of Mexico Don Salvador de Iturbide-Habsburgo y Marzán,
From:President of the Union of Texas and Oklahoma.

hello, this is Sam of the Texas Union, I would be curious to find out if you would agree or not to a potential trade deal with our two nations, knowing our rough history between us, I would not be surprised at all, if hostilites broke out between your armies trying to encroach on our soverign rights as a nation.
see you in hell or in Austin, Samuel Julian Frost.

Frost was starteled up from the pen he was using as the clock bell struck noon. had he really been writing for that long? shaking his head, he grabbed his best coat and walked off to finally meet with congress. as he arrived there, he noticed a very large group leaving in a hurry.
"stop,I'm here to give a speech!"
"what the 'ell took ye so long mate?"
"I was conducting diplomatic endeavours, now if you don't mind slipping your fat asses back behind your chairs, we can get this speech on the road!"
with a grumble, the congressmen turned tail and dragged their feet as they walked back inside. as Frost followed them, he grabbed a glass of water and looked through his papers,everything was there, he just needed to give the speech.
as the last retired and exhausted represntative plopped back down in their now bodily warmed seats, Frost took a deep breath, approached the podium, and began to talk.

"Honored Representatives of the tenth Texan Unionist Congress of the state of Texas, I would like to first thank you all for being and having the endurance to wait for me, and I apologize in earnest for my tardiness in this situation. we have gotten reports that the more rowdy of them, the Eastern Shownew, have massacred several villages of white settlers, these war crimes against the proud state and nation of the Texan Union cannot stand, I will not allow the nation to see it's fall by some native warriors who spit on our traditional white man clothes and run around naked yelling at trees to save them,I shall be firm in leading this nation to prosperity once again, and the only viable path to that, is an increase in the military, I ask you to increase the size of the armed forces from just 27,000 men total that are defending a vast boarder! we're overstretched, if mexico or any other nation wants to invade us, they will be able to because of our poor defenses and the Navy in particular, that is why I am coming to you to approve the plans for the construction of three new Battleships, the Alamo,San Jacinto and the Nueces. these ships will be able to better ensure that Texan Citizens, Texan people and the Oklahoman natives will sleep safely knowing some crackpot emperor is not going to sail his shiny ships into the harbor without the Texan freedom stick being whacked to his face and balls! the cowboy of the west shall be in healthy competition with his neighbors and we shall extend the slave trade once more, we will make Texas Great again!"
the crowd cheered as the meeting ended. with that, the President of the Texan Union walked off to a pub.

Galveston Naval Yard, Texan Union
the TNS Yeller was once a proud, eight gunned paddle wheeled steamer who fought in countless battles for the Texan cause, including firing on Huston against some rebels who had risen up that were attempting to free slaves, the ship had led a long and victorious career, which is why Seaman Garfield Manson felt it odd to being prepared to fire on the once proud hulk that now sits scarcely one hundred and fifty clicks away, as he had served on the vessel for three months as a training man, now he had been transferred to the Ironclad Defender, where her new rotating 9 and a half inch brook guns were to be tested. loading in the heavy powder charge before the small round, it falling with a clunk in the barrel before the breech was closed off. taking aim, he nodded to the gunner, who pulled the trigger and stomped his foot on the ground, sending the shell hurling into the air. the old warship was no match for the modern ammunition, and crashing through the wooden deck, the new projectile send splinters in the air and causing a small splash to appear on the other side.
"we broadsid'er gut, mate?"
"yes, yes you madman, now then, turn the cannon by nine degrees left, three degrees raise!"
the sailors nodded as the cannon was lurched into firing position and reloaded quickly, the other shell letting loose from another gun battery, this one hitting the magazine of the old warship,sending a column of smoke and flame all over the ships near vicinity.

by **Holoska** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 8:12 pm

by **Uragarr** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 8:29 pm

The Grand Empire of Maurania

Far Out in the Desert January 5th 1891
The moon beamed down on the sloping sand dunes which cascaded across the expanse of the desert, having only recently risen the remaining heat left General Wakim panting in his dress uniform. Captain Von Muchausen, a German mercenary hired to aid in the training of the Mauranian army, smiled.

"My friend, there is a time for pomp and circumstance, but fighting Muslim rebels in the desert is not such a time."

Wakim looked incensed, brilliant military commander through he was he could be awfully irritable at times.

"It is important to keep up appearances for the men, they must see that I have the strength to endure the harshest of heats!"

Munchausen grinned yet again at the general, turning away to peer through his binoculars at the rebel camp bellow them on the dune. The tents were scattered in an irregular pattern, clearly the enemy did not intend to stay there for long. Over the course of the most recent rebellion, the strategy had been largely orientated around hit and run raids of Mauranian towns before retreats off into the desert. But with the aid of a captured rebel, Wakim had been able to turn the tide. The leaders of the rebellion had to meet at some point, but tribal rivalries made each one of them cautious of meeting the others without protection and the meeting was also seen as a valuable opportunity to mount displays of strength. For this reason assembled before them was the entire rebel force in one place.

"You needn't have come out here yourself." The captain turned back to General Wakim. "In most cases Generals stay far from the front, leaving officers like myself to do the dirty work."

"Why would I let a European mercenary fight my war for me?" Wakim turned his gaze down the dune to the encampment and then across to the other parts of his army stationed on neighboring dunes.

"It's time." Wakim gestured to an aid next to him who reached for his horn, sending a triumphant note ringing across the desert which was joined by the roars of an army. The infantry charged first, lines of riflemen swept down the dune, firing off a volley of shots before fixing bayonets and moving in.

The cavalry followed into the rear of the camp which the rebels had been so confident in the seclusion of that they had neglected to fortify. Horses neighed and riders roared, slashing sabres down among the mass of rebels that was attempting to assemble.

The Imperial Palace, St Larus January 6th 1891
The echoing of footsteps floated up to the two of them as they sat opposite each other, waiting for the news from a far flung corner of the Empire. Emperor Eumenes Bassad II faced the people's representative who sat before him, both of them were new to their positions and both were filled with the magnificent energy of youth. Grand Minister Ali Ibn Rashad was the leader of the 'Liberal Reformists of Maurania' a party which had recently seized power from the ruling traditionalists. Though traditionally Emperors and Liberal Grand Ministers had not gotten along, the energy and patriotism these two young shared was enough to unite them.

Eumenes was about to speak when the messenger came sprinting into the imperial chambers.

"Yes?" The Grand Minister looked expectantly at the panting man before them.

"They are beaten Sir!" The messenger sounded ecstatic.

"Do you mean to say..." Emperor Eumenes was cut off mid sentence by the messenger.

"Yes your highness, the rebels are crushed, Wakim has done it!" Remembering his place the messenger dropped to one knee and apologized for interrupting. But as he stood again Eumenes grasped his hand and shook it warmly, beaming with excitement. After the messenger was escorted away by a servant with orders to lavish him with a suitable quantity of riches, Eumenes and Rashad turned to one another.

"We've done it your highness!"

Eumenes grinned and turned to the window, gazing out over the city that swept out before him, filled with the spires of churches and the several new mosques which had been constructed during his reign, his attempts to advance a policy of tolerance had not stopped these insurgents. He looked back to Rashad.

"But what are we to do now?"

Eumenes looked back out over the sea and thought of the lands that stood far beyond the ocean. He spoke before the Grand Minister could answer.

"We have been turned inward for far too long, gathering our strength. But the world is larger than this desert we inhabit, and I intend to greet it with open arms."

Rashad smiled. "But Your Highness, what if the world is not so willing to greet you in such a friendly manner."

"Then that would be another matter entirely." The eyes of both men shone like the desert sun as they thought of the glory that awaited them.

by **Kazarogkai** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 10:27 pm

1 January 1891
The Latin Commonwealth of Georgia

Atlanta

From the Forum's Hold he looked down upon the spectacle below. A grand military parade had descended upon the the city of whispers and all who knew their place in this grand society were out in attendance. As Minister of Defence it was obviously the duty of him, Alerviu Anthol Ancin, to preside over the display and to inspect his forces. In the noonday sun the white linen uniforms of the legionaries gleamed about almost twinkling with the vitality that coursed through the veins of these exalted men. 4 Legions strong, 20 thousand men total, was what had been called upon to set this up and they did not disappoint. Frivolous in some ways but essential in other ways. The people needed to have shown before their very eyes their betters so that they may reflect upon their own deficiencies and may be inspired to rise to better themselves.

To the crowd Minister Alerviu looked upon analyzing all within eyesight. Within georgia those with headgear were required to take them off in the presence of a soldier, as per the law, lest they be punished for slander. As far as he could see all complied; and even in the case of those too poor to afford such, mostly indians, they at the very least had retrieved from rubbish heaps brims so that they could comply.

Compliance, such a beautiful word is it not? If only all would do as they were told then things would go so much better. All one had to do was follow the rules and keep one's head down. That is it that is all. Alerviu could honestly not for the life of him see why other did not understand that. Regimentation and order are good. Dissent and anarchy are bad. Everyone within reason should be able to understand that, unless their insane that is, but for some reason what seem to be perfectly reasonable people did not understand that. For some reason people disagreed with and even god forbid fought against the world order. Heck as of now just recently Alerviu had had to give a direct order and sent a black letter to those who speak from shadows to go stomp on a couple of said dissents so that they may learn or if they could not be disposed of so that they may not no longer be a bother. It was a somewhat saddening fact of life but as Minister of Defense Alerviu had learned to take it in stride. It was the way things were. It was the way they were to be.

Whatever the case may be Alerviu went back to thinking of more pleasant thoughts watching the organized mass makes its way past. The Legions of Georgia were a point of pride for the nation paying homage to and forming the successors of the original legion that served under the exalted Guardian Solomon which itself was inspired by those of old rome. Their organization was uniform: comprised of 3 Sub-Legions(1440 men) of 5 Columns(288 men) each of 4 Blocks(72 men) with a further 680 men functioning as a staff element. Their outfit relatively similar: White Shirt and Trousers with a black sash, and boots with headgear varying depending on the unit(Brass helmets for Line men, wolfs heads for skirmishers, etc) They all were unique in their own way carrying their own histories and traditions with many dating back to the originals formed in 1802. The Legions resembled that of the regiments of britain quite honestly with permanent units formed from troops derived from a single area.

In the front of this procession was the Legion II known as the "King Benders" whose black standard was composed of a crooked bowing figure with a broken crown upon his head and a bloody sword stuck up his arse, Georgians have a rather.. interesting sense of humor to say the least. Second in precedence came the Legion III known as the "Head Hunters" whose black standard hosted a sword armed figure chopping the head off another. This was a upfront reference to the rather bloody military tradition of head hunting in Gerogia. When a soldier killed an enemy he was expected to take their head and would keep it as a trophy, a mark of his prowess. This dates back all the way to the days of Solomon when soldiers would bring forward heads to be tallied to show that they had done their job and were possibly deserving of promotion. So on the others went the grand procession making it's way to the central square of the city where it would finally stop. When this was done it would be the Duty of him Minister Alerviu to inspect them. For now though he was to wait in anticipation to fulfill his duties as he was a man of honor who without question would do as such in the name of Solomon and in witness to god whose eyes be watching from above...

A little village outside Vienna, Georgia

If his eyes be watching from above they were soon to close in quickly darkening sky that greeted the men in black who rode upon grey steeds. before this band of 12 lied a rather familiar scene in rural georgia. A small densely packed village with surrounding farmlands sectioned and parcelled off to individual families to work upon as per their duties. Nearby the village on a small hill overlooking it was the entrance to an iron mine owned directly by the state and from where the people were expected to perform their public work. The job was a harsh one filled with dangers of cave ins and occasional flooding. But it was essential for machine of the state was ever needy.

Nevertheless that is not the topic of this tale nor of much interest to these men who approached with ill intents upon their hearts. These were no normal shadowy figures and if one lived within these lands they would know immediately who they were. Militants from the Bundle of Knives. The society formed by Solomon himself in the beginning to aid in the independence of Georgia later on taking their role as one of his many instruments to ensure his control. Upon the death of their leader rather than fading into obscurity they grew and metamorphosed into an entity of terror whose grip on the neck of Georgia refuses to let up. They are the unofficial true masters of Georgia who from their mountainous fortress pear down upon the people of Georgia knocking down any who dare stand up.

Today a few went out for a stroll armed with a black letter straight from one of their premier members, Minister of Defense Alerviu Anthol Ancin. By the time they had made their way over to the village named Lilly the sun was already dying and the moon was being reborn. The time was twilight, a good time to carry out such ugly business. The men they were out for had already been captured beforehand, all that was necessary was a thorough dissection of their minds for information and later on their disposal. The band made it's way to a pre designated house whose contents were rather empty save for a table and a few chairs. They quickly arranged themselves with one of their number, a leader, sitting upon a chair and placing another chair before him. Here they would hold court with the perpetrators whose guilt has already been determined would be sentenced before tribunal composed of their enders.

2 men amongst them made their ways out to the back of the house where a cellar lay. Within it lied their defendants. When light struck the shackled men and women which for many had not been for a number days they moaned in anguish. From their number a single man was produced. His clothes were old and tattered, his hair a greying complexion, his skin tanned from a life in the sun. Upon a chair surrounded by his tribunal he was sat. The leader among the band of militants fingering the pommel of his sword looked upon the man with an almost curious stare beholding the pitiful sight that stood before him. He took a moment but he soon spoke in a quiet voice that was deadly serious:

"You are here before your peers for crimes whose guilt you have already been ascertained too..."

by **Nuxipal** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 10:36 pm

Celestial Empire of Tianxia
1 Janurary, 1891
Year of the Metal Tiger

Beijing, The Forbidden Palace

The Emperor, the center of the Chinese Nation. Upon his shoulders alone, rests the Mandate of Heaven. The nation was at peace, the borders secure, and most importantly, the nation was growing stronger. The military had not been expanded, but it had been improved. With a modern army of 800,000 and a traditional army of an additional 2.6 million men, no one would dare attack China. At sea, the navy could use some work. While they employed a large number of men, most of the boats would be useless in a modern war. It was determined that more ships needed to be purchased or built. The Emperor would appoint envoys in the coming weeks to undertake these important missions.

In the meantime, there was the present. Emperor Jian was unmarried, unusual for his position. However, at the youthful age of twenty seven, he was far from having an immediate need of an heir. He did have a younger brother, who was only fifteen as well as nearly half a dozen sisters. His people would demand that he marry from within the Han culture and thus, he spent hours in the library on this day. Combing over old records of where previous emperors were given lands and titles so that they could make sacrifices to their ancestors even after their fall from the Throne. He had found an interesting bit of information regarding possible relatives of former Emperors and sent out his envoys to discover if the lineage remained pure, or if the families had died off and the titles passed to a new family.

The last major event of the day was a meeting with his foreign affairs adviser. The man, while well paid, was not a particularly strong politician. He mostly had the job of keeping the Emperor up to date on world events. He reported of several major events to the East in California where his network of informants were strongest anywhere on that continent. Aside from the California report, there was nothing much happening at the time. He did suggest preparing letters for various nations, just in case they sent him requests. Begrudgingly, Jian agreed. They worked for an hour crafting several dozen letters for a couple of nations and put them in files, in case they needed to be pulled out. All in all, Emperor Jian was playing a waiting game. The Chinese nation had never been stronger than it had now and each day, new guns were being produced. Bullets and artillery being manufactured for the army. Every day, the Chinese Military grew that much stronger. Soon, Emperor Jian would ask his generals to lead a war, but he didn't know against who or where it would take place.

by **Kerbodine** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 10:40 pm

GROßER SUPERIOR, JANUARY 1, 1891

142 Freidrichstrasse, Hansestadt, Superior State

"...nicht durch Reden und Majoritätsbeschlüsse werden die großen Fragen der Zeit entschieden – das ist der große Fehler von 1848, 1849, und 1854 gewesen – sondern durch Eisen und Blut."
"...it is not by speeches and majority resolutions that the great questions of the time are decided – those were the big mistakes of 1848, 1849, and 1854 – but by iron and blood."

Otto von Bismarck, ex-Prussian Junker and member of the Magisterial Council, is not and never was a sentimental man. At least, he pretends not to be; every day, he flips through his old speeches, pages through photo albums of his estate in East Prussia, and reminisces about the Fatherland and what could have been. "Never let it show... You miss the place," he thought to himself. Glancing out the window- it is always so cold here; was it ever so cold back home?- he wonders about the state of affairs in Germany. News seems to vary in speed, sometimes arriving in Superior the same day it happened in Germany, but other times taking days or even weeks for the journalism moguls to print the stuff. And what about the trade deals currently being renegotiated with Superior's neighbors? Taking a sip of a mixture of champagne and Guinness, he decides to concentrate on more pressing matters: what to have his cook make for dinner. Perhaps wined mussels with venison and wurst again?... The Americans have some delicious food, he admits to himself...

Landesweitkanzlei, 3 Nationalstrasse, Hansestadt, Superior State

In the nearly-empty Chancellery Building, a courtier, having hopped off his horse but a minute ago, comes rushing through the lobby. Although the government is de facto out of session, in reality there's always more being planned and more happening. Breathing hard and removing his cap to acknowledge the presence of the lobby secretary, the messenger courtly shouts out in English "Semi-Urgent Message for Herr Chancellor!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Coit Spooner is sitting in his office, leafing through the 'Graded German Reader's Material: Book 1 of 5'. The electric bell next to the door dings once, twice, and Spooner stuffs away his book. Shuffling around the various government papers in front of him, he presses the button under his desk to signal to come in (after several years in this office, he's still not totally used to the nearly soundproof room, but at least he no longer shouts to enter before remembering his reply buzzer). In rushes a courtier, still breathing just a bit heavily from his rush to deliver. "What's this?", asks Spooner, remembering in the back of his mind that it's the off-season so the internal mail service is on vacation. "A telegram, sir," replies the courtier. "From Chicago," mutters Spooner under his breath. "Thank you. Gertrude will see you out now." As his private secretary escorts the messenger out of his office, tipping him and silently closing the doors, Spooner pulls out his grandfather's letter opener and delicately opens the envelope to produce a message printed to intra-government official stationary:

OFFICIAL DOCUMENT of GROßER SUPERIOR
RESTRICTED INFORMATION
FOR THE EYES OF HERR CHANCELLOR SPOONER ONLY
SIR
THERE IS A SITUATION IN CHICAGO
THE STOCK MARKET IS IN SLIGHT DISARRAY
PRICE OF WESTINGHOUSE ADLER DEERE CH STEEL AND FB AG LOWEST IN DECADE
RECOMMENDING EMERGENCY MEETING OF MAG COUNCIL TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC EFFECTS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE CONSEQUENCE
WILL SEND CITY FINANCE OFFICER TO HANSE REGARDLESS OF YOUR PLANS, EXPECT WITHIN WEEK
HANS RUDOLF HUETTLER
MAYOR OF CHICAGO

Spooner, fumbling, reaches inside his top desk drawer and pulls out a cigarette, hands shaking.

by **Holoska** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 11:19 pm

The New Byzantine · by **The New Byzantine II** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 6:58 am

People's Socialist Republic of France
Socialiste République Populaire de France

Élysée Palace
City of Paris, France
1st of January, 1891 A.D.

Three, two, one, boom. Fireworks were launched across the cold night sky. People were cheering because a new year takes place. French socialist flags were raised across the city because of a New Year holiday. The People's Socialist Republic of France had finally entered in the year of 1891. Twenty years of running the socialist government and the people were cheering as a new year starts.

Inside the Élysée Palace, the second president of the French People's Socialist Republic; Gustave Cluseret, a sixty-eight year old man, known for being a socialist, politician, a military strategist, and a French general during the Franco-Prussian wars, gathered all the government employees of the People's Socialist Republic to celebrate the new year. The speech of President Gustave Cluseret was about to start;

"Ladies and gentlemen, I, the second President of the French People's Socialist Republic, thank you that you all continue to serve the People's Socialist Republic. We had just entered a new year and a new decade. Our glorious nation will strive onto the future after twenty years of a glorious revolution. For this new era, we will now spread our purist ideology made by Karl Marx across Europe and to recapture our last territories from our enemies. No one can stop us, fueled by vengeance in our defeat in Franco-Prussian war. We, the French people, we will be stronger than ever! From this day until the last day of this nation, we shall make a move, we are prepared..to fight. Happy new year, comrades!"

The speech of President Gustave Cluseret was so inspiring, even the government employees were cheering and applauding his inspiring speech. Why his speech is inspiring? Vengeance and the socialist ideology was successful to France. The French people had a big disliked to the Germans ever since the fall of the Second French Empire under Napoleon the third of his name.

Élysée Palace
City of Paris, France
4th of January, 1891 A.D.

Three days after the gathering. President Gustave Cluseret called most of the military generals for a meeting. For this meeting, the discussion is about a plan, to retake Alcase-Lorraine from Germany and to spread socialism across Europe; the primary target were Iberia, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, or possibly the Anglo-Dutch Union. The plan of President Cluseret is surely very risky as by retaking Alcase-Lorraine, it would spark another war between the French and the Germans but it's part of the plan; the President didn't say when they will retake Alcase-Lorraine but the primary goal today is to spread the ideology. A form of domino against other neighboring countries; an example when the nation fell into socialism and after that nation fell, another nation will fell into socialism. That was the plan of President Cluseret. President Cluseret also ordered the French National Red Navy (also known as the French Navy) to increase their presence in the west Meditterenean Sea; mainly in the Gulf of Lion (France), Balearic Sea (Iberia), Alboran Sea (Iberia), Ligurian Sea (Italy), Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy), and Sea of Sicily. After the meeting, the President's plan begins for the French military operations. The retake of Alcase-Lorraine is still unsure however hundreds of propagandists and spies were sent to neighboring countries; mainly in Iberia, Switzerland, the Seventeen Provinces, Italy, and Germany.

by **Newne Carriebean7** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:00 am

Republican unionist states of Texas and Oklahoma
Friendship and Labor conquer all things
Austin

President Samuel Julian Frost stared at the letter he had received. it was from the Californians, in a somewhat cheery, if confused mood to be in to write a letter. picking it up and nosing through it again, he set it back on his desk and grabbed his cigar from the desk.
"well, it's official. the Californians and the Texans are going to be buddies, but only a general purpose alliance! bah, can these people see not that mexico is the real threat?!"
"it's ridiculous sir. to think we won our independence against the Mexicans scarcely 40 to 50 years earlier, and now the calis dont' want to help us on that front!"
"indeed, it's a mad world we live in, mad world indeed."
with that,the aide poked at a fire to give it more heat.it was one of those miserably cold days outside of the capital,which was a devil's curse in it's own right. he thought Satan vacationed here when hell got to hot, hence why he had buckets of holy water everywhere.
"so,how goes the soldiers of the Indian front? have they returned from thier triumphant massacre?"
"actually sir, over one hundred and fifty of them were caught up in a skirmish with Comanche tribes that had moved there, along with some Cherokee."
"dammit,dammit to fucking hell! here are my orders, send a thousand total soldiers up there, we must put an end to their tribal asses once and for all, and get me John Hondarez, the mayor of Austin, I'll have him go to California, prepare a train and telegraph the Calis we shall send a diplomat to them in a few days time."
"Yes sir, it shall be done."
"good."

TO: Californian leader
FROM: Texas President Samuel Julian Frost
this is a short telegraph informing you that the mayor of Austin is the person we shall be sending, he is to leave today and he will arrive in your nation within a few more days, please rest assured.

Platform B of the Starry Night Train Station
in the early morning hours of a bitterly cold jaunary morning, the sun chugging it's way up the hill that surrounded the valley, several people were waiting at the platform, many of them were attaches and aides to varous government projects, but one of them was the mayor of the city of ausitn itself,John Hondarez, who bit eagerly into the cold rancerion burrito he had stuffed away in his mouth.
the train driver announced
"all aboard, next stop El Paso Texas!"
before the whistile shrilled loudly, causing some small children to cry at the noise.the mayor could sympathise, as the whistle had caught him off gaurd. grabbing his coat, he boarded the train, entered the first class compartments, and grabbed a newspaper from the small boy that was selling them for five cents each.
"hmm, quite an interesting turn of events, steel has been made too much and now the product is at a low price, if anything, we should aquire some of that,don't you think so?"
"I dunno about that mayor, it appears e'ryone's bailing out from thems markets in checaga."
"you mean chicago, and I trust my gut, has this train left?"
"yes, it just began to move."
"damn! nevermind that then, just get me in touch with the californians once we arrive in their capital, now if you'll need my services, I'll regret to inform you I'll be hunting jackrabbits from the roof of the train with my trusty colt repeating rifle."
"you still use that ancient thing, get with the times, and use this."
as the heavy bolt action rifle was handed to him, he threw it away and growled, then climbed up the ladder to shoot some game.

Port of Brownsvile, a couple miles from Mexican Boarder
Ironclad Defender
Captain Daniel Spur spat back the tobacco in his mouth and watched lazily as it impacted the old shot glass set up on a table. he was the captain of the ship, with her twin nine inch rifled cannons pointing lazily at the front of the boat, it was a halfassed vessel, but a vessel he felt proud serving. he had started out scrubbing decks in the mid 70's to early 80's and now he had his own command given to him scarcely a month prior. he was an efficient captain, as his superiors would say, or he would bribe them to say, as the texan dollar was suffering under this economy, and so small gold roundels were used instead. grabbing his drinking glass and pouring more tequila in it, he took a sip and grimaced.
"how the hell do you mexicans drink this piss water?"
he half wondered and half muttering annoyingly to anyone that was in earshot. the door then opened and an aide saw the bumbuling drunken captain swinging in his hammock.
"sir, it's time to get up."
the captain growled before emerging from the swinging and sagging thing before throwing up and shaking his head.
"alright, let me get dressed, I'll be with you in a second."
the aide then realized he had nothing on but his underwear, and so nodded his head to allow him to get ready.
"oh, and tell all hands to prepare to set sail."
"Yes sir."
an hour had passed before the tired man emerged onto the bridge.
"captain, what an honor it is to serve under you, now where are we going?"
"we're going to sail around mexico, tell all hands to prepare the main guns, or at least the forward battery."
"aye aye captain."
as the turret began to turn and the ship began to sail under it's own power,Spur began to wonder if he had made a mistake.

by **Narintia** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 9:54 am

Union State of New England
Always forward, no matter the cost

Boston
The President looked at the whole of the city from the hastily constructed Presidential Palace. His name was Donald Smith, and he ruled New England under the mandate of the Labor Union.
As he smoked the cigar, silently. He wondered. The state really needed some more soldiers, and the navy was suffering from English tarrifs. Silently grunting, he shouted 'Call the Commander in Chief and Head Admiral, immediately!' They both quickly ran in, bolting to the small table. 'Commander in Chief and Head Admiral reporting for duty, sir!' they both said. 'Davis, how is the recruitment campaign going?' 'Not so grand. Only a 1000 troops have joined in 1 month.' 'Speed that up. I will lobby congress for 1.2 million extra to go to the army, you spend that on propaganda, understood?' 'Yes sir!' he shouted. 'Good. Dismissed.' 'Aske, I have reason to believe you are not funding the Navy enough. You are continuing construction of old wooden frigates in a age of Ironclads. I want 6 more ironclads.' 'Yes sir.' 'Dismissed'
Grabbing his quill, he got a piece of parchment and hastilly wrote a small letter to the leader of Georgia.

To Minister Alerviu
Good day, sir.
It has came to our attention that in recent times, Georgia has became a important trade partner of New England. A large amount of New Englander cotton comes from Georgia. And so, we will like to sign a free trade agreement, as well as maybe a alliance. We admire your battle agasint slavery, and many New Englanders sympathize with Georgia.
Solidarity with Arms!
Yours sincerly
President Donald Smith

by **Holoska** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 1:02 pm

by **Kerbodine** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 1:29 pm

GROßER SUPERIOR, JANUARY 4, 1891

'Dreigo', a train junction in southern Superior State

Leafing through his briefcase, Dr. Winston J. Peabody, Chicago Minister of Finance, wished he had a cup of coffee. A pure-bred American, Peabody had been appointed to his office in part because he understood the economy of the second-largest city in the United States down to the smallest facet and in part because he had connections. Powerful connections that ensured he was aware of the financial situation of the nation sometimes weeks before it became apparent to everyone else. A political favor and important word every now and then to his, ah, ‘friends’ in the nation’s largest corporations ensured that he knew more about the economy of Greater Superior than anyone else. Sometimes, however, that’s just not enough.

As Finance Minister of Chicago, Peabody was able to influence a surprising amount of the economy. As the train finally jerked forwards again, heading north to the Capital as opposed to West towards the Twin Cities, he thought about what role he may have played in the overproduction of steel and the panic caused by it. “Damn,” he thought, “This is all on me.”

Over the past two years or so, using his surprisingly powerful political influence, Dr. Peabody had been encouraging production of certain key exports, mostly steel and copper. Superior State alone had seen an increase in mining of almost 15% partly from his efforts, and the country’s coal production- necessary for so many of the industrial processes of our time, the power source of modern life- had gone up by a similar amount. Two years. What a short period of time for such growth! And such problems, he reluctantly thought to himself.

He had minimal control of companies outside of Chicago, he had to admit to himself; what little control he had, he had dedicated to pushing for increased production. His abuse of Chicago trade laws- minimal though they were, applying them only when he deemed fit could be a powerful tool- and pushing for as much export as possible (increasing Superior’s world standing and adding to the coffers) initially seemed like a good thing for the economy (and, he had to admit, sometimes his own pockets). But he had simultaneously over and underestimated his influence; having pushed the steel companies to continue making more and more, and (apparently) not having the influence to even encourage them to tone down the increase in production, combined with a long period of stock growth, he had pretty much single-handedly caused a stock-market crash.

The companies hardest hit, Adler Bahn- a railroad trust- and Chicago Steel- which was ironically actually centered out of Superior State-, had seen their stocks when the exchange opened on Thursday (the 1st) by 11% in the first day and another 12% the day after. Similar steel companies had gone down nearly as much, with Sohnenblume Co. dropping 8% and Swarts A.G. dropping 7% on the 1st. Stock brokers and financiers Superior across had panicked and decided to cut their losses, overloading telegraph capacity and making it very hard to get messages through. Stock tickers had been over-burdened and became useless, jamming trades and encouraging yet more selling. The companies themselves were forced to shoulder the burden, many of them buying back their own stock. Adler Bahn and Ch. Steel had stabilized by now at about a 25% stock price loss, with other companies- mostly sea transport and copper- seeing the smallest losses, even some minor gains. Overall, the stock market had seemingly stabilized at a 10% loss, mostly affecting steel.

Thinking about what reasons he could shift the blame to, Peabody could only think of one that would be taken seriously: volatility in the market due to current trade deals being renegotiated. Superior’s slightly up in the air export situation was suddenly thrown off by what some thought was export levels dropping but was really, as Peabody knew, a simple political move without enough communication or understanding. Besides, he thought, everything would recover; 13k short tons of steel was nothing that Superior’s industry alone couldn’t handle within a few months, especially with the continuing expansion of industry and shipping, and the presumed summer surge in export markets. In fact, 13,000 tons of steel was just less than two weeks’ production! Besides, similar crashes had been happening nearly every decade across the United States for years, and yet they had always pulled through.

He relaxed, sitting back and thinking about coffee again. He’d be at the emergency Magisterial Council’s meeting tomorrow morning, and he’d be prepared to simultaneously find something to blame and a way to comfort them. Perhaps he could even turn this into a good thing for himself?... He could always use some more friends in the Central Government…

by **Republic Of Varra** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 3:38 pm

January 1, 1891: Berlin, Germany

The remnants of the old orders of the Germany Confederation have been swept away. Now stands a new might, based on the principles of democracy and industrialism, created out of the old feuding nations and city states.

The chancellor stood outside with a heavy winter coat on, eyeing the crowd below him. There he stood among the German peoples. Finally re-united, after years of being split apart, and being the laughing stock of Europe. United with the help of the Prussians, and the southern Germans, working together as one.

"Settle down everyone. There is much to discuss." Shouted an adviser to the chancellor, and the crowd dutifully complied.

Step, step, step.

"...My friends. My brothers and sisters. My cousins, and loved ones. Today, marks a special day in history. A day that will be long remembered, not just by Europeans or Germans, but the world. Today, marks the twentieth anniversary, since my predecessor, Victor Von Wolf, with the guidance of a now displaced Otto Von Bismark, united our peoples under the banner of Germany."

The crowd began cheering wildly. The air was filled with whistles, shouting, and thrown hats. The chancellor smiled as he motioned for the crowd to once again, calm itself.

"No more shall we be separated by the tides of squabbling kingdoms, lands, and republics. For, we are one people. One people, that no longer are separated by the names, Bavarian, Prussian, and so forth. We are at last, one." The chancellor cleared his throat.

"The tides of the world are quickly changing. One where the future of nations are decided if they can keep up with the ever evolving world. A future, in which the future of Germany, will become the shining light, in a dark world. A world filled with poverty, disease, and death. Germany, with it's friends and allies, shall reign a new age of prosperity. A future, decided through, as one of the great minds of Europe once said, "Blood and Iron."

The crowd stayed silent, watching as the chancellor went on.

"There are those who look to prevent this throughout the world. Such as the ever dangerous expansion of the teachings of Radical Socialism, and Communism. For us to survive this threat, we must constantly be ready to defend ourselves and allies. For it is our duty to prevent the spread of these destructive ideologies."

Many people in the crowd murmured in agreement, while some people even took to burn the French flag, who had recently went turned into a radical socialist state.

Time warp

"...But, do not worry. For I can assure you. We will prevail. We shall accept the burdens placed upon us, and show the world, and it's leaders we are a force to be reckoned with. We shall not only solve all of our challenges, but we shall do it exceptionally."

The crowd began cheering once more, but the leader did not stop speaking.

"Whatever challenges, whatever hardships that we face, we shall never again be separated. Never!"

The crowd cheered louder.

"We shall never, never stand down to problems that threaten the very core of our nation. And we, and our allies, shall be the greatest nations this world has ever seen!"

The chancellor stepped off his podium as the crowed roared in excitement, and the German national anthem played behind him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZujhoHZBsg

by **Newne Carriebean7** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 4:43 pm

Republican unionist states of Texas and Oklahoma
Friendship and Labor conquer all things
Texan-Louisanan boarder

Captain Louis Bell Luigi loaded the Colt Lighting Carbine he cradled in his arms as the soldiers got ready. he had assumed an order not to attack the people that lived there under strict punishment would've been propaganda sent out from the Mexicans to save their taco munching asses, but he had a dozen heavy field guns, the prized five barreled Hotchkiss cannons sat readied and loaded by the eager gunners that went forward with this plan. as he checked the time, it was five to six in the morning, the perfect time.
"we'll catch those frenchies as they sleep in their cots, tell the guns to begin firing, and have the infantry advance."
"yes sir!"
as bells and whistles rang in tent city, close to five thousand bodies with shiny bayonets attached to their weapons emerged in some semblance of a formation, five loosely and some tightly packed formational lines were made as the infantry began to advance. Luigi took a sip of his mug of coffee and spat it out.
"when the hell are those cannons firi-" he was interrupted by the sound of shells going off and whistling through the air.
"good. good. have them capture these towns right here and here."
pointing on a map with his other three commanders,they nodded, mounted horses and rode off to their posts.nearly 2,000 soldiers had agreed to participate in this assault, which would have deadly consequences for the Texan nation.

Ironclad Defender
Captain Daniel Spur cut into the eggs that he had been served for breakfast,a mushy and soggy substance, not like the fried eggs and cornbread he had enjoyed at his old home, but if it was food and it was good, he was going to eat it.taking a bite of it,he tossed the entire plate out of the window. the food was not good. as Spur bitched and moaned about his own cooking, he noticed the shining lights of a city nearby. going up to the bridge to get a better look, he saw the men move closer and rush about to get both the main attraction of the nine inch batteries and the smaller three inch side guns below the second heavy turret.
"sir, the ship is in position, they don't suspect a thing!"
"I don't trust that judgement, now then, have the cannons begin to fire on my orders, await my command."
"Yes sir."
when the guns had all pointed at the harbor, they were interrupted by a loud crash onboard the ship.
"what was that?"
"sir, apparently the french or the Louisianans have discovered us, we've lost the element of surprise, the second three incher is blown up!"
"what?! tell all guns to open up with a barrage, give the Louisianans hell!"
"with pleasure sir."
as the madman sailor rushed off, Spur walked down to check on the damage by the cannon.
"what happened here?" "we loaded too much powder into the gun and the breech wasn't taken off of it, so it exploded on us, tomas and spaller are dead, I myself am a bit shaken up, but I'll be fine."
"good, you are reassigned to the marine force, grab a rifle and await the order to land. for the rest of you, keep up the barrage!"
"Yes sir!"
as the captain left, the ship shook as the heavy 9 inchers began going off,impacting with clouds of dust along the small Louisianan or french harbor slash shanty town.

Star of the Republic Locomotive
3 miles from Hot Springs in the Californian state of Arizona
John Hondarez felt the light bumps from the railway from his sleeper car, as some railway aides to the government opened up the windows, letting the light in much to his eye's annoyance, who had not been prepared, but adjusted after a while.
"how long until I get off this godforsaken train."
"I take it you don't like the texan railway system, don't blame us, blame the politicans that wanted it,we could've had hot airbaloons, but noo, the government and their corrupt rail industry stepped in and prevented a loan from the banks! dare I say unconstitutional!"
Hondarez looked perplexed at the railway attendents mumbuling.
"what are you talking about?"
"blimps,the oval shaped liberators of the traveler's woes!, the ocean liners of the sky! I was going to pave the way for the future, but that dammned president, that dammned Frost said no, he's pockets were in deep with the railway monopolies and he was cahoots with one of their top buisnesses,Texan Rail National, I tried to let them see the error of their ways, but no, they refused! they'll get their jsut desserts, I'll make sure of it!"
Hondarez began to feel a bit frightened at the man.
"have you eaten anything all day? I just woke up, and what you are saying frightens me,come with me to the dining cart, I'm the Mayor of Austin, I could get you what you want, provided some,political favors for me..."
"bribery and corruption, I'll take it, now I hear the cooks make dammned good biscuts and gravy."
"that sounds wonderful."
with a laugh, the two men walked into the dining cart.

by **Nuxipal** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 5:41 pm

Celestial Empire of Tianxia
9 Janurary, 1891
Year of the Metal Tiger

Yangguan Alley, Beijing

After tracking a few generations of the Zhu family, they came to a small alley in a poor section of Beijing. However, there were still some sizable, for the hutong, homes here. One of those, held a sign out front labeling it as the home of the "Marquis of Extended Grace" a title which had been given to the Ming Imperial Descendants following the removal of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty held a similar title, but they were all but extinct. There was currently an order out for the last member of their family to report to Nanjing to commit suicide.

The official knocked on the door and after a brief conversation and exchange of paperwork, was permitted entry. The discussion took hours, when it should have taken mere minutes. He thanked the head of the house, Zhu Yuxun. He was young, as his father had passed away recently, but he seemed very friendly. However, there seemed to be a problem that the envoy would bring back to court.

The Forbidden City, Imperial City, Beijing

Court was being held with its usual extravagances. Emperor Jian simply was not having a good day. A small rebellion in the southern mountains needed his attention. It seems some of the Yunnan Province had stopped paying taxes and instead raised an army of 5,000 armed with spears and crossbows.

"Fine. Send a force of 12,000 men from the Guangxi Province. Have them bring some artillery. Shake these peasants into the modern era please."

With that, the envoy approaches the throne. "Son of Heaven, I have visited with the Ming Descendants, the Zhu family lives in Beijing with the titles your ancestors bestowed on them. However, their monthly salary has been missing the last two years. I have receipts from the treasury saying they paid it out, but the family accounting books are extremely well ordered. They have not had any income for the last two years. They apparently have not been able to afford the appropriate sacrifices to their ancestors since this time. I have already asked for an investigation to take place. On the positive side, they have agreed to meet with you."

Emperor Jian was happy with the results. "Very good. Arrange them rooms here in the Palace. I want to make sure they are comfortable and taken care of."

Within the next few hours, the Zhu family, whose ancestors ran the Ming Dynasty, were living within the Palace walls that was built by their family.

by **Duestchstien** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 6:37 pm

Kyoto, Japan
A meeting to discuss several issues that have been brought to the table by the Diet.

The room was silent as the different members quietly piled in to the room and took their seats, Hanzo Nattouri spoke first "Welcome friends, we have many matters to discuss however first I must bring up the matter of rice farming in the south, if we can fully industrialize the farming, we can surely upkeep the economy better than it already is."

Groans came from other members of the Diet this man had been trying to put forth this bill for months, however the Emporor had never heard this before as he was off supervising the finishing of the railroads.

"I agree to this." The Emporor said the other members of the Diet looked surprised the methods they believed had not fully been developed for industrial farming however the Emporor believed. Hanzo Nattouri smiled.

Yi Heon spoke next being a big supporter of industrialization he wanted to keep the industrial talk going, "I have been talking about this for a while, I believe a public telephone system should be put in place as well as a military one to connect all the military bases." Everyone nodded in agreement knowing if they didn't they would be overturned by the Emporor.

Finally Michio Araki "as you know the car was invented only a mere 6 years ago however the advancement in the industry has proved to be fast, Japan should take its spot in this as quick as possible and start building automobile manufacturing plants."

As you have probably guessed the Emporor was a big fan of industrialization and clearly agreed, the meeting then went and continued babbling on for the rest of the day but no more real progress was made, the next day the drafts of the book bills began to be written. And Japan started to hire automobile contractors.

by **Garwall** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 6:44 pm

The Commonwealth of Great Britain and the Low Countries

Office of the President of the Commonwealth
London, England, Commonwealth of Great Britain and the Low Countries
January 10th, 1891 -- Mid-day

The mood was somber as the cadre of military officers gathered before the great oaken desk which held their gaze. Seven in all, they each represented various departments within the military. At their head stood Grand Admiral Jacob van Leuvan, aged seventy of Dutch descent. In his hand held a very lengthy and important-looking document titled "Commonwealth Armanent and Defense Act". The silence was broken as the large doors swung open, as the President of the Commonwealth William Ewart Gladstone, flanked by his attendants, entered the room. The officers stood at once, offering salutes to their President.

He offered the soldiers a curt nod, waving his hand for them to sit. He made his way to behind the desk, taking a seat. He eyed the men in silence. The Grand Admiral raised the document, opening his mouth to speak. Before he could continue, William cut in forcefully, "I told you no, Admiral."
"Sir, you have not even seen our proposal since our second draft--you are being unreasonable," the Grand Admiral continued, waving the document. "You cannot continue to under-fund our most important defensive tools at such a critical juncture!"

The President waved his hand. "I do not need to read your proposals. I know you ask too much." The two eyed each other, a measured gaze that was built off of years of constant conflict and disagreements. Van Leuvan is ever a proponent of rebuilding the Commonwealth military to its height, which peaked considerably at the beginning decades of the 19th century, during the various conflicts that tested the resolve of the nation, eventually bringing its fleets into decay. Modernizing and maintaining its large fleets took a progressive toll on the Commonwealth throughout the 1850's until 1880, where successive down-sizing allowed the Commonwealth to group its most effective warships.

While vying for modernity and competition with its neighbors and other seafaring powers, the military has found a foe in William Ewart Gladstone, a champion of the Liberal Party--England's primary ruling party that together with the Dutch Social Democrats form the governing coalition for the Commonwealth. Military expenditures, already ballooning for maintaining frontier defenses in Canada and the colonization of the Congo River Basin--a lengthy military campaign that has yet to find its conclusion. All through this, the Grand Admiral and William Ewart Gladstone stood on opposite sides of a wide rift that threatened to split Commonwealth politics in two.

William sighed, and shook his head. "I am not having this discussion again, Admiral. Now we are here to discuss the Congo, are we not?"

Somewhere by the Congo-Tanzania Colonial border, Congo River Basin
Dominion of the Congo, Commonwealth of Great Britain and the Low Countries
Dutch African 4th Colonial Rifles, January 7th 1891
Late afternoon

The sounds of the jungle deafened the company. A haze filled the distance, where several flickers of light could be seen. Campfires? No-one could tell for sure. The entire unit was jumpy, and it didn't take a Field Marshal to tell you why. Slavers, local warlords and Islamic tribes all threatened the efforts of the Commonwealth's attempt to pacify the region. Operating throughout Tanzania and the Congo river basin, it was hard to tell who's side of the border they were striking. The locals had no sense for Europe's fancy lines.

The Dutch soldiers were dug in as much as one can in the thick jungle, overlooking a deep gullet. Nobody was eager to cross over and see what waited in the mist. Their orders were to pursue the raiders that have been wreaking havoc on joint Anglo-Dutch colonial efforts in attempting to exploit resources in the Congo region. However, hunting natives through the jungle was taking a toll on the occupiers. Disease, terrain, ambushes--all claimed lives daily. And those brave colonial soldiers that survive are getting ever-closer to relying on pulling triggers first and asking questions later.

The Lieutenant raised a hand, gesturing at a handful of men and signaled to a narrow wooden bridge that spanned the divide. While not necessary to cross, it certainly sped the process. About a dozen soldiers, clasping their Lee-Metford rifles, made their way across the bridge and in to the mist. The lieutenant withdrew a small set of binoculars, attemping to discern the fate of his men. He got his answer when a sharp crack rang out, followed by two more. The report was distinct from their Lee-Metford patterned rifles, the Lieutenant noted, and he cursed. Zanzibari warriors carried black-powder rifles in addition to whatever native weaponry they possessed. He shouted for his men to ready, and called out only a single word.

"Maxim!"

The weapon was wheeled in to place, and a belt was attached--ready to be fired. More shots rang out in the distance, this time the powder rifle shots were intermingled with the retaliation of the Dutch soldiers' Lee-Metfords. Nine of the Dutch soldiers returned from the mist, breaking in a full retreat. Numerous other figures began to take shape through the mist, as the fleeing soldiers shouted warnings in panic. A second Maxim was set up on the husk of an overturned tree, aimed towards the darkness.

The figures drew closer, as the soldiers readied their weapons. "Hold," the Lieutenant called, eyeing the unknown. He frowned, narrowing his vision. He drew a revolver from his hip, "Hold," he called again. War cries could be heard, piercing the vale. The tree canopies began to shake. "Hold!"
The forest seemed to swell, like a barrel ready to burst from its iron rings...

"Fire!"

ANGLO-DUTCH COLONIAL FORCES MASSACRE TANZANI BORDER VILLAGES, RAID GERMAN EAST AFRICA?

BOMA, DOMINION OF THE CONGO -- Despite attempting to keep military operations in the Congo Basin relatively secret, a recent massacre occurring along the border of Anglo-Dutch Congo and the German colony of East Africa raises questions of the actions being taken by the Commonwealth in the ongoing Congo-Arab wars of pacification.

After local authorities in Tanzania brought the battle to the attention of authorities, the Anglo-Dutch soldiers were forced to withdraw from the region to avoid causing an international incident for a possible incursion in to German territory. However, colonial borders remain ill-defined and any manner of response from either entity could spell ill for an already globe-spanning arms race.

by **Esselman** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:17 pm

1st January, 1891
The Russian Empire
Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg

"God, save the Tsar!
Strong, sovereign,
Reign for glory, For our glory!
Reign to foes' fear,
Orthodox Tsar.
God, save the Tsar!"

The Cossack choir finished their glorious song, garbed in their traditional dresses from head to toe a standing ovation erupted as they honored Russia's majesty and might. In the very front of the room, centered upon a throne, Tsar Nicholas II stood and as he did accompanying family and all within the room stood in unison as well. He gave a small grin and nodded his head towards his eldest daughter, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, who sat to his left. To his right sat an even more impressive guest of the Tsar, Alix of Hesse, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. He looked over to the esteemed guest, and his future bride with pride as she quaintly looked down with a slight smile only. As the choir exited row by row, the Tsar remained standing while his future empress took her seat. The hall drew a silence much calmer than the previous joyous song that had echoed around the room.

"I thank you, I thank you. We are here at the first gathering of our great Empire's first independent legislative body!" said Tsar Nicholas II

The hall erupted in clapping, the suits and attire's of the members in attendance clean and pressed per normal. The gathering was one that usually would result in tension but in this instance the members seemed to be joyous. Though it was all no doubt due to the fact that the Tsar's grip on Russia would soon be in name only as the Duma ratified it's powers. The most prominent member in attendance was no doubt Vladmir Lenin, his striking features appearing less so in person, he was front row in the crowd, closest to the throne second only to the Imperial family.

"We are here, not as Bolsheviks, not as Rightists, not as Kadets, but as proud, strong, and new Russians. My family is here, with the granddaughter of the Britannia's Queen Victoria to usher in a new era of Russia. With the ratification of the Fundamental Laws under chairmen Lenin, the Imperial Duma shall become the state Duma, shall become the people's Duma," continued the Tsar to great applause.

"Tomorrow the Fundamental Laws shall be in effect. A full report from Lenin will be issued and the Bolsheviks along with the Duma will shine proudly. I.. thank you. Long live the Empire, long live Great Russia!" finished the Tsar, to the resounding applause that soon quieted to the exit of the Imperial Family to another room within the large palace. In the Hall Lenin eyed the throne that now lay empty and nodded his head as he conversed with others in the room. Tomorrow there would be negotiations with foreign powers and an announcement to the political elite and members of the new legislative assembly of Russia that would create the direction for the Russian Empire.

by **Holoska** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 7:26 pm

by **Military Lands of the Scottish People** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 8:17 pm

Gathering at the former Palace in Madrid, where it has been turned into a outpost following the Carlist Revolt

Madrid, Spain
Alfonso the Twelfth and walks down the street with his son, alongside him his wife and General Ramiro Montez, the Colombian-Venezuelan Forces commander, who arrived just a week after the 'Tucupita incident', where thousands of Venezuelan rebels raided a national armory, killing over ten and sending the rest out to the main city with only their underwear, all of who were beaten and starved for a week. The Generals response was a company of men firing on the rebels, which killed some. The rest were caught, the leaders executed, and the others sent to Angola to serve in a work camp for a decade. Anyways, they began talking.

"My King, I cannot agree more, this was all done due to poor planning. I would have never ordered the company to fire. BUT, we took back the stolen weapons and ammo, took down a rebel contingent, and wiped out their leadership. Now the civilian casualties, which numbered to 4 and of which I promised to pay for the arrangements of a proper national Funeral. But I insi-"-General Ramiro

"General my concern is not with how you done this. Lives were at stake, civilian lives. There were kids in that crowd. In any other case I would have been pleased but this was inside the city. Congress wishes to restrict the military's position as a policing unit in the Colonies. One more mishap and you are done."-King Afonso

"I see my King..."-General Ramiro

They would continue to walk until, suddenly, the General drew he saber and slashed at the King. Afonso reacted properly, moving then grabbing his arm and slinging him to the ground. Ramiro released his saber as his head slammed against the ground. 21 Conscripts came, guns drawn. Ramiro was apprehended the following day. The attempt on the Kings life reaches headlines world wide. Even worse, The Speaker of Congress, Branca Albersi, was killed by Ahmir Massa, a Moroccan immigrant. This has lead racial tension between the minority Moroccans and the Majority Spaniards.

The King, after having his hand stitched up following the generals Saber striking the back of his hand when he moved to repel the attack, addressed the nation.

"My fellow Spaniards, Portuguese, Venezuelans, Colombians, Filipino, and African brothers. Today has resulted in a crazy spur of events, which I believe my hand can agree -the reporters laugh with the king, which settles after a few seconds-. Ah but today has surprised me. I could not believe that my General Ramiro would betray me. I did not expect that my people in Venezuela would betray me. And I cannot exaggerate any more about how the threatening Socialists loom to the North, waiting to strike at the most opportune moment so that the Iberian people may be in shackles of debt to the french government. You all look at what is happening in Iberian lands, a very ignorant point of view. You ignore what happened to the United States, about how political and ideological differences split millions. Iberia must not fall to such a point. Congress, despite their many god given setbacks, aims to reduce our Army to meet their liberal wants. They are french ass suckers. -The entire crowd gasps as he directly insults congress- You know this to be true. Elections are coming and the Conservatives are rising. If you expect to make it to the twentieth century, you'd do best to elect them. As for my hand, it hurts severely. Consider this address done.

He would storm off the platform and return to the palace, surrounded by a Military Parade.
He would then approve the Deputy Chief Diplomat's collective letters to Texas, Brazil, Germany, France, and the Byzantines.

The messages are sent, and the king goes back to the new Palace.

by **Newne Carriebean7** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 9:43 pm

Republican unionist states of Texas and Oklahoma
Friendship and Labor conquer all things
Mojave Limited Locomotive
Hot Springs,Arizona
January 9th,1891

John Hondarez stared at the man who had brought him into the dinning cart.
"tell me, uh, Richard was it, why you would say these things about the President?"
the aide named richard's eyes lit up.
"because he's a scumbag, no good dirty rotten liar like the rest of us, he took my papa's land long time ago, in the 70's when he was on the verge of collapse. my father lost everything, and my mother soon abandoned me for monetary reasons, I shuffled around a lot in churches and being raised in catholic ways, but... then I noticed a growing market, airships, if I could get funding from the government, I would be able to build my own business, and become rich, and powerful! of course that balloon of hope was shot down by Frost in particular, damn him to hell! I had everything I needed to start my dream, and he fucking crushed it! I once held a hatred for that man that was as small as a kindling fire, now it's as big as the flames of a forest blaze in the hot summer days! if I ever see that man in person, I'll-"
"I can assume the rest on what you would do to the man, and after hearing your story, it's heartbreaking, it truly is, but the thing is we are somewhat against people shooting other people, but I could talk to some people in Texas and arizona about getting a 20 acre patch of land, the nessecary helium and hydrogen for your airships, and the rigid structures to build them, you could have seven hangers,a communications office, thousands of customers who would want to try this novoulty, of course you couldn't comp-"
the man flew into a rage.
"You're saying I don't have the guts, don't I?! I knew you slimy sun of a bitch couldnt' handle it! you want to get whacked?!"
the deranged man then pulled out a knive from the counter and began to approach the rapidly withdrawing Hondarez.
"Now then, no need for violence, we can negotiate something out when this happens, I don't tell the authorities you're trying to kill me, which will get you, for the death of a public offical, oh, I'd say either the firing squad or the chair, whichever the judge feels like because his wife left him. and in return You give me ten small gold coins, and buy us lunch."
Richard's glazed drunken eyes looked at the knive,then the mayor a few times before dropping the steak knive on the table with an audible thud.
"fine,now let me be,and waiter,bring us more fried watermellon!"
the waiter walked back into the kitchen amid a hail of shouts and insults from the chefs that greeted him.

Austin,Texas Union
Presidential Residence
President Samuel Julian Frost felt slightly guilty and a bit jealous. guilty for the fact that he had sent the mayor on this long and exhaustive train ride to a far away land, and Jealous because he was not there on that train, he should be the one that was exploring and taking a bit of a vacation, but, alas, there was nothing or very little he could do about that.a bell rang outside the main doorway,sighing,he got up from his seat and turned on the lights in the main foyer and opened the door to allow a general and admiral into the room.
"Admiral Barley Thomson and General Richard Smithington,what brings you here?"
"we have something to report that you should see, a captain led 5,000 troops yesterday over the boarder to the tribal territories being held by Louisiana. and another naval captain fired upon some shore defenses of Louisianan to help them."
President Frost sat at the table, not saying a word and gesturingly inviting the other two commanders to sit down in silence.
"what the Fuck! you mean to tell me those fucking shithead commanders have decided to attack the Louisianans without proper provocation?! I guess we must commit to this war then, gather up what idiots are picking their nose on the streets of Huston and Austin and send them to the eastern front. call together the cabinet of war tomorrow, not today, as my headache is building."
"right then sir, we'll get out of your hair."
the President merely grumbled as he got up and then collapsed on the floor. almost at once the aides rushed to him and the generals were called back to help him. as Frost strugguled to get up, he felt a hard thump in his chest.
"my, my chest is in pain, I think I need some hot lemons to drink."
one of the aides threw together ten lemons,a gallon of water, and a hefty pinching of salt before stirring it up and giving it to the now sitting down on a chair Frost. as he took small sips of the drink ,he looked a lot better.
"I do believe I shall live to see tomorrow, with this beverage I shall be nursed back to health!" he triumphantly shouted in the air before rolling over for a quick nap.
when he had awoken the next day, he noticed a little letter from Spain in his mailbox, picking it up and reading through it's contents, he realized an alliance with Spain would first allow access to their resources in a future trade deal, making the nation wealthy and backing to the powerful Spanish fleet, and her colonies that were world wide could allow the Texans access to a colonial empire in the small pieces that were not taken. it would also give the Texans an ally that could possibly assist them in a war, but he saw that as unlikely, if anything, it would either make the Georgians laugh too hard that they die from not breathing at the thought of having to take on Spain, of course this would mean obviously he would have to end his plans for an expansion south, but if it allowed access to Spanish ship designs and weapons, he was all for it.
grabbing a pen and pencil, he wrote off a response to the Spanish diplomat that had sent the letter.

To:Alberto Juzes and Alfonso XII,the King of Spanish proper, Cuba, Spanish equatorial guinea and the Philippines.
From: President Samuel J. Frost of the Republican Unionist States of Texas and Oklahoma

Spanish businesses are always welcome in the lone star's territory, provided they pay a small sales tax on everything they sell to assist the Texan government in economic affairs. as for your offer of a Military Alliance, I accept the offer and hope to god that the two nations would bind together stronger as one. if you would assist us in the acquisition of some colonies of powers that both of us rival, it would assist the Texan cause and make your enemies weaker in the process.

Hoping to hear from you soon, my Spanish Amigo,

by **Kazarogkai** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:29 pm

January 1891
The Latin Commonwealth of Georgia

Atlanta
Within the Catacombs of the Forum Palace

Are journey through this rather strange lands takes us to an equally strange place known simply as the bottom in general speech. It is the underground floors of the Forum's Palace where bureaucrats of all stripes and shapes work tirelessly and rather thanklessly like cogs in the machine that was the state. These were not the movers and shakers of this realm. Nay these were the aforementioned underlings who made sure that said moving and shaking could and would occur.

Right now we feast our eyes upon a surprisingly young man of only 25 years of age whose full name is of no concern but was simply called Juler. Juler is a clerk under the employ of the Minister of Diplomacy. His specific section handles incoming mail meant for the minister. Inspecting, categorizing, censoring and the like where the tools of his trade which he though not excelling did well enough for himself. After finishing his comprehensive education and national service Juler like the rest of the lads and lasses working within these dark halls had took the Civil examination. Through working smart, making the right friends, and appropriate application of Affabilitatem as it was known as he has been able to reach where he is today. Though not perfect, owing to his less than perfect skills and traits, it is still nice enough as it is. Among civil servants jobs in the capital were especially sought after and it was only through luck that he was able to land it.

Things were nice for Juler. Onto his tasks at hand he went filing various communiqué and making note of who, what, and where. Eventually as he made his rounds he found two letters each appearing to come from the leaders of nearby nations. Upon examination of their they didn't appear to be of great importance as such Juler when he filed them both as pending with one labeled as of medium priority and the other as low priority and into a cabinet they both went. Whether any would see the light of day is rather subjective to say the least.

by **St Georges Territory** » Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:35 pm

CITADEL BIN BALA HISSAR, KABUL, BARAKZAI, CALIPHATE OF AFGHANISTAN-TURKESTAN
Jumada Al-Awwal 21,1308
Caliph Amir Abdul Rahman Shahazda kurê Timur Barakzai

The citadel was bustling with motion, as the Caliph enacted convictions of bandits, thieves, adulterers, etc., usually to the same, grimly fate, the Caliph and his viziers smoked their hookahs as the day passed, uneventful. Some days Amir despised his position, and would seek any opportunity to go hunting, and this was was one of those days as he took hits of his hookah, proceeding to blow rings as his Grand Vizier, Mehmet Timūr kurê Hassan Timūr, sentenced another bandit, and was proceeding to settle a dispute between two opium farmers. The Caliph turned to his Vizier of foreign relations, and ordered him to write letters to the Russians, Mughals, and Germans, and to contact him once it was done. Seeing to it that his Viziers were occupied, Caliph Amir made way to the stables, ordering his Royal Sipahi Guard to accompany him, he made off as Vizier Hamid worked.

Blood and Iron [IC/ALT-HISTORY/OPEN]

Blood and Iron [IC/ALT-HISTORY/OPEN]

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