The Great War: Chapter One [IC|Open]

[Austria and Bavaria]

The Great War
Chapter One: The Guns of August

"So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,
Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
and builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him. Behold,
A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns;
Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.

But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one."

- The Parable of the Old Man and the Young, by Wilfred Owen

Primary Political Map
Primary Military Map

Far East Political Map
Far East Military Map

OOC Thread

It is currently September, 1914

The pieces have been set, plans have been laid. Troops have begun to move into their positions, and soon the fire and slaughter shall begin. The powder-keg of Europe has at last blown, and nothing can now quench the fires of war. The Grim Reaper now stalks Europe, from the mountains of Carpathia to the fields of Lorraine. These are the Guns of August, and it is here that an entire generation's innocence has come to die.

[New Korongo]

August 5^th, 1914 - Government House - Wellington, New Zealand

---

“Gentlemen, I thank you for your haste.” Prime Minister William Massey said to the members of his cabinet as they gathered around a large oak table in cramped confines of Government House. There was a sombre tone in the prime minister’s voice, but he was doing his best to hide it. Now was not the time for sorrow. “I received a rather important telegram from the Colonial Office at around one o’clock. It seems that the ultimatum issued by our colleagues in Great Britain has been rejected, along with a century of peace in western Europe. A state of war now exists between the Mother Country and Germany. As a devoted son of the Empire, the inclusion of our dominion in this new state of affairs is guaranteed. I must, therefore, ask how our government should best fulfil its imperial commitments.” Massey announced before he directed his attention to one of his cabinet members. “Mr Allen, as defence minister, I have no doubt that you will be willing to contribute.”

“Yes.” James Allen responded in an awkward manner as he formulated a plan of action in his mind. He was both the minister of defence and the minister of finance, which meant that he had to weigh the military capabilities of the dominion against what it could reasonably afford. With a population of just over a million, New Zealand could not afford much. In theory, it could mobilise a force of thirty thousand men for war almost immediately. However, if Germany backed down after facing British units on the frontline for the first time, it would be a vast unnecessary expense that would undermine his long-term plans for independent New Zealand air and sea forces.

While Allen was thinking, Heaton Rhodes, the minister of health, broke the silence. “As subjects of the British Empire, it is our duty to answer any call to war with unbridled support. We responded admirably to the war in South Africa, and we should do so again. We must mobilise the Territorial Force for immediate service in Europe and make provisions for the establishment of a larger volunteer force to follow in their wake.” The enthusiasm expressed by Rhodes would have suggested that he was unaccustomed to the reality of war, if it was not for the fact that he had served with the 8th Contingent during the Second Boer War. In fact, of the five people in the room, he was to only one who had been to war.

“I think mobilising the entire Territorial Force at this time would be unwise.” Allen replied cautiously. “While I certainly agree that Europe must be our focus, as Mr Massey has made clear in the past, we must first consider our position. As a Pacific outpost of the Empire, we are by no means secure. German Samoa is a mere two thousand miles away and Germany’s East Asia Squadron could easily threaten our shores. We must first secure the Pacific. Furthermore, if we mobilise the entire Territorial Force for combat, it will severely limit our ability to raise more troops in the following months. The Territorial Force is designed to serve as the seed for a larger wartime army. With it deployed overseas, we will have no experienced personnel to train the volunteer force which Mr Rhodes has proposed. We will be limited to the thirty thousand men that we mobilise if we proceed down the route proposed by Mr Rhodes and we will be vulnerable to German raiders.”

“Forgive me for my ignorance, but does compulsory military training not exist for the purpose of providing the army will a pool of experience recruits?” William Herries, the minister of both railways and native affairs, asked. “With that said, I am inclined to agree with Mr Allen on the defence of the Pacific. We are entirely dependent on foreign trade and, though I am sure that the Royal Navy will swiftly defeat the bulk of the Germany Navy, a lone German ship roaming the coastline of New Zealand could prove to be a serious disruption. We must keep our coastal defences manned in preparation for such an eventuality.”

“Precisely.” Allen replied. “To answer your question, only a small portion of those eligible for military service will have completed compulsory military training. If we wish to sustain a large force, we must make accommodations for those who have little to no training. Now, I propose that we mobilise two companies of infantry and an artillery battery in each military district alongside the garrison artillery for training purposes. These units will allow us to funnel civilian volunteers into an expeditionary force for service in Europe. The size of this force will depend on public support for the war and the number of volunteers that arise. At the same time, we should form a battalion-sized advance force for immediate service in the Pacific elements of the Territorial Force which have not been mobilised. Again, this force will be made up of those who volunteer for overseas service. Obviously, this is only a preliminary plan. However, I feel that it is our best course of action.”

“It does appear to be a sound plan, Mr Allen. Furthermore, volunteer service would force the opposition to be more amenable to long term involvement in the conflict.” Massey replied. He had reason to consider the response of the opposition. His government had only come to power after a vote of no-confidence two years earlier and the Liberal Party, though no longer in power, only held five fewer seats in parliament than his own Reform party.

“We should not be concerned with the opinion of the opposition in this matter.” Alexander Herdman, the attorney-general, interjected. “In fact, we should adopt strong measures against any citizen of the dominion who opposes our involvement in the war, As Mr Rhodes has pointed out, it is our duty to support the Mother Country in her time of need and now she needs the Empire more than ever.”

“I disagree, Mr Herdman. I think it would be best if we unite parliament for the duration of the conflict. It does not matter at the present point in time, we must first give the opposition the opportunity to respond.” Massey said in response. Herdman was a stern individual and Massey feared that his views would turn destructive before the war was over. “Mr Rhodes, I would like to hear your opinion of Mr Allen’s proposal now that you have had the opportunity to hear him out.”

“I fear that I may have been a little overzealous with regard to our imperial duty, though I have no doubt that it must be fulfilled in one way or another.” Rhodes admitted before he sighed. “Mr Allen’s plan does indeed to be more sound and I feel that it is more applicable to the realities which we face. We faced forty thousand men in South Africa. We now face over a million.” Few men had stopped to consider the true scale of the war that was about to unfold. For a nation of just over a million to fight in such a large conflict was a daunting proposition for anyone, even someone as loyal to the ideals of the British Empire as Rhodes.

“Very well. Gentlemen, I feel that now would be a good time to adjourn our meeting until tomorrow. Mr Allen, take the time to further develop your plan and take whatever actions are necessary to enact it as soon as possible. I very much doubt that there will be any opposition from our side of the fence in parliament. Lord Liverpool will be addressing the public in little over an hour on the steps of parliament. I expect everyone else to attend.” Massey said and the cabinet ministers nodded in agreement. At three o’clock, standing before a large crowd, the 2nd Earl of Liverpool announced the British declaration of war. The public response was a resounding expression of joy. New Zealand was at war.

Code: Select all

To: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
Via: THE HIGH COMMISSION OF NEW ZEALAND

- SECRET -

ALL WE ARE AND ALL WE HAVE IS AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

WE ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING A BATTALION-SIZED FORCE FOR THE SEIZURE OF GERMAN SAMOA, SHOULD THIS COURSE OF ACTION BE DESIRED BY GREAT BRITAIN. IF THIS IS INDEED THE CASE, THEN WE HUMBLY REQUEST THE TEMPORARY TRANSFER OF A MODERN BATTLECRUISER OR BATTLESHIP AND TWO CRUISERS TO THE COMMAND OF THE NEW ZEALAND NAVAL FORCES FOR THE PURPOSES OF ESCORTING OUR LANDING FORCE TO SAMOA. WE ARE ALSO PREPARING A LARGER FORCE FOR DEPLOYMENT TO EUROPE, OR WHEREVER THEY ARE REQUIRED, AND ASK THE APPROPRIATE ARMS BE MADE AVAILABLE SO THAT THEY MAY BE EQUIPPED AS HASTILY AS POSSIBLE.

PRIME MINISTER WILLIAM MASSEY

August 12^th, 1914 - Lambton Harbour - Wellington, New Zealand

---

“It’s swaying too much! Keep it steady!” Colonel Robert Logan heard a dockworker shout as he stepped onto the quay. Despite their best efforts, the QF 4.5-inch howitzer being loaded by the dockworkers swayed back and forth as it was hoisted aboard the steamer Monowai. It was one of four guns attached to the advance force of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force destined for German Samoa. At least that was the plan. The New Zealand government was still awaiting a response form the Britain confirming the plan and an escort for the steamships had yet to be organised. New Zealand had two ships at its disposal, HMS Philomel and NZS Amokura. Amokura was a training ship unfit for deployment and Philomel was a Royal Navy vessel which could be recalled by Britain at any moment and would be incapable of fighting Germany’s East Asia Squadron alone. New Zealand was entirely dependent on Britain for naval support.

“Colonel, Sir!” A familiar voice enunciated in a manner characteristic of the military. Logan turned to see Lieutenant Keith Wilkins standing at attention with his right arms raised in salute.

“Good morning, Lieutenant.” Logan replied as he returned the salute, allowing Wilkins to relax. “I trust work continued throughout the night to load the equipment from Auckland. How soon can we deploy?” Logan asked as the howitzer disappeared into the hold. The civilians working at Lambton Harbour had been loading arms and equipment onto the ships docked there for several days. The arrival of troops and additional equipment from Auckland had delayed the completion of their efforts. Logan was eager to depart as soon as possible so that the Germans would be unable to reinforce their position in Samoa.

“Almost immediately, Sir. The men here decided to ignore the howitzers until all other equipment was loaded. Once they are finished loading the howitzers, all that needs to be done is to march the men from their barracks to the harbour. Once the escort has been organised, we should be able to depart within a few hours.” Wilkins replied before he yawned loudly. Logan was not wrong. The dockworkers had been working throughout the night and he could see that Wilkins, who had been tasked with monitoring loading operations, was exhausted. “I am sorry Sir.” Wilkins said apologetically.

“You are dismissed, Lieutenant.” Logan ordered. “We could be departing at any time. Catch some sleep before then.” Wilkins nodded in response and walked off. Logan looked past the ships docked alongside the quay and saw HMS Philomel sailing in the background. If an escort could not be organised, Logan had no doubt that the New Zealand government would order the convoy to set sail anyway. If that course of events became reality, the only thing standing between the German East Asia Squadron and a thousand New Zealanders would be an obsolescent light cruiser relegated to a training role. The invasion of Samoa was risky on its own. Little was known about the exact strength of German forces in Samoa and any defensive preparations they may have made while preparing for war. Without an escort, the invasion could end before it starts.

[Arengin Union]

Rome, 1914

The Italian government staff had gathered at an urgent meeting, at the King's request as well as the Prime Minister, Antonio Salandra. This was quite an important meeting, generals, members of the staff, and even some of the reps in the council from Salandra's party were present. War had bloom out of what had been expected and the reasons behind it were ones Salandra was not willing to defend, specially since the Austrians had been the main aggressors. The table was full and Salandra began to speak.

"Gentlemen, as you all may now Europe has fallen to a state of disarray and our supposed allies have called for us to mobilized, the people though reluctant are calling for us to make a decision. That decision we're here to make today. I must say that given our secret pact with the french and the fact our pact with the Germans is nothing else but in defense I do not wish to bring Italy to the aggressors side. Austrians might as well rot in hell as the Russians eat the alive. The people of Italy already hate the Austrians as it is and their attacks on little Serbia will be the breaking point for them wishing to leve the pact. Any comments gentlemen."

Armando Diaz broke the silence as he stood up. "We have the capabilities to attack either Austria or France, however I second Salandra's decision. I say damn the Austrians. And i Say we join the Entente to reclaim the land we lost to the god forsaken Austrians." The room was filled with clapping as everyone nodded their heads in agreement. King Emmanuel had remained silent for the entire event. He had no wishes to say anything about this, until a member of the rep said.

"Before we do anything, I believe the king as the symbol of Italy must say something." Everyone then turned to see Emmanuel, who was toying with his thumbs. He stood up from his chair and with a much broken voice.

"If the people of Italy wish to depart relations from a much hated people... then who am I to stop the will of the people."

It was settled. PM Antonio Salandra went on to the public, and the press who were present to hear the Italian statement. Salandra was accompanied by the King himself and the other figures of government.

"My dear compatriots, we come here to you to make a statement. A statement that we will no longer follow the same footsteps as the aggressive and warmonger Austrians and their Germans allies. Italy is full of noble and courageous people who will no longer serve to the false song of the central powers. We will remain neutral until further notice, we wish no harm to those that will respect our wishes. To that, the voice of the Italian people has spoken."

Although in disbelief at first, most of the Italian people cheered and applauded the decision. Italy was no longer at the grip of their rivals, the Austrians. The Italians in some way felt they had regained national sovereignty by negating such vile people like the Austrians. Now it was all a waiting game, since Italy was not willing to go to war just yet.

[New Finnish Republic]

Helsinki, The Grand Duchy of Finland
August 12th, 1914
Senator Simon Ati

It was a rather unusually cold Autumn night in Helsinki. Temperatures had dropped to 6 degrees celsius as clouds obscured the moon and the majority of the stars in the nighttime sky. Most citizens were bundled away tightly in their homes as they waited for the morning sun to warm up the landscape. Only those who were either at work or were up to no good were out at this time of the night. For Senator Simon Ati, it was a little bit of both.

Walking quickly down an inconspicuous side street, he looked over his shoulder in search of any wandering eyes that might have followed him. Confident that he hadn't been followed, he approached a set of stairs that led downwards to a wooden door, void of any decorations or markings. Checking one last time over his shoulder, he knocked three times, paused, and then knocked once more. A few tense seconds followed before the door was opened up slightly, a chain still visibly attached to the door. A whisper, barely audible, crept through the crack.

"Mitä Leijona mennä ilman?"

"Sen hampaat ja kynnet."

"Ja kuka varasti heille?"

"Venäjän karhu."

As the last word of the password phrase left Simon's lips the door was fully opened, revealing a large imposing man that stood in the doorway, a hand still gripping a pistol that would have been used had Simon had tried to force his way into the building. To the average person, it would be absurd to think such security procedures would be needed for such a rundown bar that they were in, even in this shadier side of Helsinki. But the average person would not know what went on in the bar known by its customers as the Leijonat Pesä, or The Lion's Den.

Inside this bar, talks of ideas that would otherwise have you hanged in the streets were freely discussed among the men who made trips into the bar. Politicians, businessmen, military officers, and even church leaders would assemble in the small rundown bar and discuss the same topic that they had been discussing for years upon years. Currently, a slightly (Or more than slightly, depending on who you ask) intoxicated senator was rambling on as a large crowd had developed around to listen to him bicker.

"A free and independent Suomi. Nothing more, nothing less. The days of our oppression have lasted for too long. For too long we have been dragged into countless battles that our masters have brought us into without our consent. Our resources and our men go off to fight for the Bear that never ceases to rest, always hungry for new conquests. No longer, I say. Damn the bastards to hell! Hakkaa päälle pohjanpoika!"

A few men chuckled at the man, while others shook their heads, while some surprisingly shook their heads in agreement. Simon was glad that the man had provided enough of a distraction so that he could enter without being noticed by the others. He had someone, in particular, he wished to speak to, and he'd rather not get involved in a conversation that would end in a long series of curses directed towards their Russian overlords.

After a few seconds of glancing around, he found who he was looking for. An older man sitting alone in a corner booth nodded at Simon, indicating that their meeting was to begin presently. Careful not to draw attention to himself, Simon made his way over to the man, hesitantly sitting down across from the man. A pitcher of beer sat on the table, and Simon noticed that the man had already indulged himself to a glass and was about to pour himself a second before looking up at Simon.

"Olut?"

"Ei kiitos. I have a long walk back, and I'd rather speak with a clear mind."

"Suit yourself."

The man began to pour himself another glass, even as Simon gave a look of disapproval. The man raised the glass to his mouth, but the stares continued, and before he allowed himself to take a drink, a groan escaped from his lips and he put the glass down, albeit with a bit of reluctance.

"I'm glad you chose to follow in my ways of thinking, Matti. What we're here to discuss is something that should not be taken lightly."

A sigh escaped the man's mouth as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"I suppose you are right Senator Ati. Still, its a shame that this pitcher will go to waste..."

"After we've concluded our talks here, feel free to drink to your heart's pleasure. I'll even pay the bartender for your troubles."

Although he was obviously pleased with knowing that his drinks would be paid for, it was clear to see that Matti Heikkinen wished he could have continued to drink. Drinking seemed to be the only way he could cope with the current state of his homeland. As his mind began to wander, he imagined what could be, the what-ifs, and the should-haves that plagued the Suomalaieset people for centuries. He was so concentrated on those thoughts that it took a slight pat on the arm to bring him back to his senses.

"Matti, are you not listening? Vittu, I swear, you are becoming senile."

"Bah, continue talking like you are and you'll soon see what a few more decades of experience can do."

Simon rolled his eyes before restarting his speech to Matti.

"Russia is mobilizing her armies, and soon they will be calling upon our men to fill in the ranks of their armies as we did during the Crimean War. I'm afraid that Suomi will suffer once again due to actions beyond our control as the Tsar tries to make up for the lack of a muna with an army of soldiers. If you can even call them that. The Austrians and Germans will rip the poor bastards to pieces, and the stupid Russian leadership will just continue to send them to them. They're foolish for thinking that this will be over before Christmas. I expect this to drag out much longer than what is expected."

Matti nodded in agreement. He'd seen the horrors of war first hand as a young lad during the Crimean War a half century ago. Now an old man, Matti knew that war was never as simple as the kings and emperors liked to think. This conflict was looking to engulf the entire European continent and beyond, and it would be foolish to think that victory could be achieved quickly.

"So then, young Senator, what do you suppose we do about this predictament that we are in? Open rebellion against the Tsar would be suicide at this point, and the Governor-General Seyn is too busy sucking off the teet of the Tsar to try and oppose his will."

A nervous smile came across the Senator's face as he leaned in closer to the old man.

"Oh, my old friend, that's where you are mistaken. We are going to use that loyalty to our own advantage."

Matti raised an eyebrow at the man, but waited to say anything until Simon was finished.

"We will request that the Tsar allows us to raise volunteers to help in the protection of St. Petersburg. Seeing as they'll be busy sending their own men to fight the Germans, I'm sure that they'll be more than happy to know that their precous capital is being protected by their loyal Finnish subjects. Seyn will be more than willing to show his loyalty to the Tsar by issuing the construction of our military forces. This is where we will set our plans into motion. We wait until Russia succumbs to war weariness from the Germans, and then we issue our independence. Our newly trained army will be waiting on the borders, prepared to defend Suomi from any Kullinaama that try and oppose us. Who knows, maybe the Germans would be wiling to aid us in our endeavors. This may finally be our chance at freedom."

An excited look remained on the younger man's face as he finished explaining his plan to the older man. Matti stayed quiet, however, and looked across the bar towards the commotion that was occuring in the middle of the room. All these men, brazen as they may be, all shared a common goal. An independent Suomi, free of foreign influence. Matti sought it too, ever since he saw his people be killed in the name of the Russian crown almost 60 years ago. An old man now, Matti had little time left on this world, and he wanted to live to see the dreams of him and many others come true.

"Well, what do you say, Matti Heikkinen? Will you offer your support?"

Matti looked down at his glass of beer for quite some time. He looked at his reflection, wrinkles covering his skin. Shaking his head, he slowly pushed the pitcher of beer towards the young man.

"Fine, I will lend my support. But I will insist that you drink your share of this pitcher. I can't imagine tat in the future you will want to say that you made this decision completely sober."

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

Bucharest, The kingdom of Rumania
August 12th, 1914
King Carol I

It was a relatively cool twilight hour, the king sat alone in his drawing room in contemplation. The fireplace mere feet away from him in the small room gave a warm yellow light in contrast to the pale blue light of the several windows just next to him. He would move his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes as he reads the telegram he revived mere hours ago for another time. A soft knock would be heard on the large wooden door to his left.
"Come in."
He would say, his tone being that of a man who has not slept in days. A small man, with a concerned look on his face walks in.
"Have you thought about it any more my lord?"
"Nay Constantin I have not... What do you think I should do?"
"I'm not sure m'lord. You do have an obligation to the Germans by blood, and the English by word."
"Exactly."
"So I should tell the war council you have not made a decision yet?"
"Yes, that would be nice Constantin... thank you."
"Yes my lord."
"Oh? And one more thing Constantin?"
"Yes, m'lord?"
"You are a loyal servant, I'll miss you when I'm gone."
"Well, thank ye' m'lord."

Bucharest, The kingdom of Rumania
August 12th, 1914
King Carol I

It is near midnight whenever the King finally comes out of his drawing room to a crowd of concerned generals and politicians, unsure of the king's response. The dim hall is deathly quiet, save for the occasional whisper and the howling of the wind outside.

" We will not have our souls die for a pointless war. Until we have a reason to join any side, I will not consider pushing for joining. I will send a letter to the Kaiser, and we'll see then. That is all."

With a quick hand motion, the king is then surrounded by his guards. The room bursts into conversation as the king is quickly escorted down the hall and into his personal chambers, leaving the crowd of gentlemen to their speak until the wee hours of the morning.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

1st Army
General of the Cavalry Pavel von Rennenkampf
Outside Kaunas, Lithuania
Russian Empire
12th of August

Pavel von Rennenkampf was content. There he sat, amidst the countless tents of the 27th infantry division, quietly sipping from his morning tea. Around him, four infantry regiments were tending to their campaign duties. Tents were being torn down, carriages and baggage trains were rolled on and off, cooks carried their kitchen supplies to and fro. Officers of all kinds could be seen walking about, on foot or on horseback, commanding their troops to the fullest. There was a clear sense of anticipation among the men. Songs rang out above the sounds of labour that rose from these working hands, readying themselves for their first battle. Von Rennenkampf smiled quietly from his field chair, seated next to a field table. On the table were an assortment of maps, arrows, spread sheets and time tables. Much could be read from those documents, but most of all: everything was going according to plan. The general staff was filled with the optimism of a new campaign, which was attested by them riding their horses around the camp, dressed in splendid uniforms. Yes, all was going according to plan.

Through the main avenue of the camp, a column of horses came riding in. They too were dressed in splendid uniforms, with all the regalia of the general staff to adorn their breasts. Their horses were of great quality, strong animals with clear muscle tissue under their skin. The beasts came riding into the camp, their entrance eagerly followed by both the men and their officers. Many of the soldiers put down their works, and flocked to the main avenue. Like eager children they watched the procession, especially observing the man riding up front. He had a stout figure, and the air of a true military hero.

“Samsonov! Samsonov!” the men cried, waving at the general with their caps. Like a wave of human cheering, the waving caps followed the general through the crowd. General Samsonov waved at the men like a Consul, as if he’d already won a great victory. The men had been riled up by their officers, who were now flashing their sabres and waving their own caps. As the general passed, the man gawked at the men following him. First came his general staff, followed by a column of his Cossack bodyguards. These Ukrainian soldiers inspired the men, who were just as excited to see these riders in their midst. Soon, however, the soldiers were put back to work by their officers, preparing their camp for the first campaign march.

Von Rennenkampf stood up as he saw Samsonov approached. The horses halted right in front of the little field table, throwing up dirt and grass as they did so. Von Rennenkampf saluted immediately, standing sharply in attention. As soon as Samsonov had gotten off his horse, he did the same, saluting his colleague with a stiff back. Then, the two men stood as ease, shaking each other’s hand.

“Bonjour, Alexandr. Bienvenue en Kaunas” he said, letting the French roll of his tongue in a friendly manner. General Samsonov smiled back, his moth curling under his full beard. “Merci, Pavel. I see you are making good progress?”

“Quite, quite” Von Rennenkampf said, motioning towards the entrance of his command tent.

“Shall we?”

1st Army
General of the Cavalry Pavel von Rennenkampf
Command tent, outside Kaunas
Russian Empire
12th of August

“We stand on the eve of victory, Pavel” Samsonov said, walking into the command tent. He immediately took a seat next to a larger, oaken table, on which various maps were placed. One was the overall view of Eastern Europe, complete with little flags indicating the various armies. Another was a view of Kaliningrad, adorned with various arrows. Von Rennenkampf followed his fellow general, taking a seat next to him. Both had been supplied with a fresh cup of tea.

“Once our armies sweep through Eastern Prussia, we will have made essential gains towards victory. If we can consolidate our gains, the war will be over before Easter next year. An attack via Silesia into Austria-Hungary will shatter that nation, especially if our Carpathian campaign goes according to plan.” Samsonov said, pointing across the map as he did so. His optimism was shared by Von Rennenkampf, who joined in the speculation.

“Indeed, Alex. The Germans underestimated our strength and speed. They cannot be expected to win a war in the east and in the west. Their hubris will be their downfall.”

Both nodded, laughing out with their own rosy view of the future. Von Rennenkampf looked at the map, while Samsonov stared out the entrance of the tent.

“What will you do when the war is over, Pavel?” Samsonov asked, resting his hand on his well-fed belly. Von Rennenkampf looked up, now too looking outside the command tent.

“I don’t know. Retire, probably. Live a hero’s life in the court at Petrograd. A small palace for my family, a knighthood, perhaps. You?”

Samsonov pondered for a moment. Again, his hand combed through his beard, as he tapped the arm rests of his chair.

“A nice villa somewhere in the Caucasus. I love the mountains there. Perhaps I will keep a small orchard, a vineyard, something of that ilk. I hope the emperor will at least grant me that. But I’ll ponder on that further after we come back from Prussia. For now, let us talk business.”

The Emperor
Nicolas II Romanov
Winter Palace, outside Saint Petersburg, Russia
Russian Empire
12th of August

The emperor of all the Russians. That was his title. He was divinely inspired Lord and Commander, sovereign over all those who dwelled in the vast expanse of Russian land. From Warsaw to Vladivostok, he ruled all. He could raise cities and armies, sentence a thousand people to death, crash or build the economy of his nation. Those were his prerogatives, but also his responsibilities. Power and responsibility are indivisible. No matter how absolute the monarchy, how many blessings put on your name every day, in the end, you will be responsible. Responsible for keeping the peace, responsible for the victories of war, responsible, too, for the thousands upon thousands that would not live to see the next month.

Nicolas sighed. Taking a drag from his cigarette, he stared over the misty fields outside his palace. The august morning was cold and damp, the icy sensation of the air itching past his every fibre. His clothes did not do much to warm him, only spreading the cold evenly over his body. Small puffs mist flew by, mixing with the puffs of cigarette smoke Nicolas let out. The end of the cigarette burned bright orange, the only bit of extravert colour in the misty, grey, drab landscape. In the distance, the church bells rang that it was eight in the morning. 8 AM, 12th of August, 1914. The days of war grew ever more, while the respite until the fighting grew shorter. Every day, the reports of the fallen came closer. The sound of guns, the war production, the riots, the starvation… All because some Serb nationalist killed the wrong man. Nicolas took another drag from his cigarette. It seemed to be the only thing that could calm him down.

“Are you alright, dear?” a soft voice said, making Nicolas turn his head. A small smile crept over his face, in spite of the terror in his mind. Alexis came down the stairs of palace, her footsteps sounding quite audibly in the morning mist. She seemed to float, like some form of spirit or angel. Slowly and royally, she walked towards her husband, placing a caring, warm hand on his upper arm.

“What’s the matter, Nikki?” She asked, quite knowing what her husband feared so much. He let the cigarette bud fall to the ground, stepping it out with the heel of his shoe. He placed his own hand on Alexis’ upper arm, kissing her softly on the cheek. She giggled at the feeling of his beard.

“Imagine, Alex” Nicolas said, slipping his arm around his wife’s waist.

“Imagine a judge who, for the crime of one simple man half a continent away, sentenced an unknown number of people to death. Imagine him declaring that thousands of young men would be murdered every month, until the nation could take no more, and the crime was somehow punished. Imagine how people would see that judge. Imagine what dark cruelty must be found behind his eyes.”

Now, it was Alexis’ turn to kiss her husband. She placed her hand around his shoulder, pulling him tightly against her. The emperor of the Russians did not sputter. He submitted freely to the love of his wife, placing his own head against hers. A heavy sigh escaped his lungs. Alexis was quick to react.

“You, Nikki, answer to no man. God is your judge, and only God can tell you whether you acted the way he intended. If God does not allow a monarch to fight wars, whereto were we put upon this earth?” she said in her comforting voice. The softness of her tones made Nicolas forget all the world for a moment. The mist became like curtains of the largest bedroom imaginable, surrounding them with the comfort and isolation only a home could accomplish. Nicolas sighed again, and stared into the distance.

They were quickly disturbed by another set of footsteps. There were heavy and slow, the steps of an old soldier. Both looked behind them, watching grand duke Nicholas descent down the stairs. He was wearing the military outfit of a commander, which was his new position in the court. He need not say anything, but out of courtesy, he did so anyway.

“My sovereign, Stavka requires your presence” he simply said, nodding once at the empress. Nicolas nodded back, and let go of his wife. Together with his nephew, commander of the Russian forces, he walked up the stairs, his hands solemnly behind his back.

“Tell me, Nikolasha…” Nicolas said, using his ‘imperial’ voice.

“How are our preparations proceeding?”

[The Greater Aryan Race]

Republic of China
中華民國
Zhōnghuá mínguó

---

Presidential Office
Zhongnanhai, Beijing, Republic of China
August 12th, 1914

August ushered in the dreaded summer rains as Beijing, like most cities in China, found itself subjected to an intense heat wave that was interwoven with constant bouts of rain and wet weather. Along the numerous dusty and unpaved roads that criss-crossed the old city that had stood for nearly two millennia, little automobiles from Ford and Cadillac trundled speedily through the city streets and boulevards alongside rickety trishaw riders who had to rely on their own physical stamina to compete with these advents of a new, modern age. Street vendors stationed themselves by the roadsides hawking their wares, from Chinese herbal remedies to meat and vegetables to jewellery and pottery while the more affluent members of the merchant community occupied the shophouses just behind them, content to flaunt their more high-end goods and products for the wealthy upper-class to browse and purchase. Students, on their way to classes in the city's colleges and schools (some foreign-run, others managed by the local intelligentsia as part of China's longstanding efforts at reform) mingled with manual labourers and foreigners from the Legation Quarter. Western suits and ties as well as dresses in a sea of changshans and cheongsams. This veritable affair encapsulated the contradictions that embodied early-20th century China: One step in front towards the future and one step perennially stuck in the back, rooted to old traditions and culture, forever afraid of new ideas and so-called "reforms" that always promised uncertainty and even instability.

Gazing out once more from the windows of his office in the Zhongnanhai compound that served as the Office of the President of the Republic of China, President Yuan Shikai's mind inevitably found itself travelling back towards the events of the past several weeks and even further back. He had come a long way from the somewhat affluent country bumpkin from Henan Province who had failed the Imperial Examinations twice. Then, where such failures would normally have consigned most young Chinese men such as himself to a life of destitution as a peasant farmer or some twopenny halfpenny merchant, the ambitious Yuan remained undaunted and volunteered to serve in the Huai Army, where many of his relatives served. It was a wise choice and after several years of diligent service, and a purchase of a minor official title in 1880, Yuan Shikai's political career was well and truly on its way. Promotion to the Qing Brigade soon followed, with a little bit of help by banking on his father's connections, culminating in his appointment as Imperial Resident to Seoul in 1885 to assist in the training of Korean soldiers along modern military lines. But Joseon Korea was gripped in the midst of nationalist fervour that sought to throw off the yoke of Imperial suzerainty while Japan, herself growing in confidence and power, had cast covetous eyes on Korea as well. With his position becoming increasingly untenable, Yuan was recalled back to Tianjin by his political boss, Li Hongzhang, just as the Sino-Japanese War broke out. On hindsight, the recall most likely saved his career unlike scores of his colleagues whose own careers were destroyed and cut to pieces by the methodical and efficient Japanese forces that easily routed the Qing military. It was by far the greatest humiliation ever inflicted on China, even more so than the catastrophes of the Opium Wars against England and the signing of the Unequal Treaties that resulted in the loss of Chinese territory to the white imperialists, considering that Japan had always been deemed to be the more inferior power in East Asia of the two countries.

With the pressure for reform increasingly mothballing, Yuan Shikai's fame rose even further when he was appointed commander of the New Army in 1895, which in turn encompassed China's several regional armies that had been raised in the preceding decades by the provincial governors to cope with the threat of internal rebellion as well as foreign conquest. At the centrepiece was the Beiyang Army, the most modern and well-equipped military formation at the Qing court's disposal. As the officer most directly responsible for training China's first modernized army, Yuan gained significant political influence and the loyalty of a nucleus of young officers: by 1901, five of China's seven divisional commanders and most other senior military officers in China were his protégés. The Qing court relied heavily on his army due to the proximity of its garrison to the capital and their effectiveness. Of the new armies that formed part of the Self-Strengthening Movement, Yuan's was the best trained and most effective. He founded the Baoding Military Academy, which allowed him to expand the Beiyang Army. With the creation of the Commission for Army Reorganisation in December 1903, the Beiyang Army became the model on which the military forces of other provinces should be standardized. By 1905 Yuan had increased the Beiyang Army to six divisions. In October he held manoeuvres near Hejian in central Zhili Province using the newly completed Beijing-Hankou railway. Similar exercises were held the next year with Zhang Zhidong's army in Hubei. It was the opinion of foreign observers that the Beiyang Army was the largest, best equipped and best trained military force in China at the time that was not western and/or colonial.

Yet, drunk with fame and power and dizzy with success, Yuan increasingly became his own man. Confident and assured of his own position as chief commander of the Qing military, Yuan Shikai came to play a more aggressive and dominant role in Qing court affairs. Whereas a loyal official such as Li Hongzhang, schooled in the Confucian ethos of unwavering loyalty to the Emperor, would've remained committed to the court, Yuan had no such scruples and often ignored court directives when they clashed with his interests, and the Emperor Guangxu and his ministers were powerless to rein him in. They needed his raw energy and military talent to keep the dynasty propped up as unrest seethed within the Empire and the foreigners continued to agitate for yet more concessions and privileges. When Emperor Guangxu promulgated the Hundred Days' Reform in 1898 to bring Great Qing into the modern era, conservatives under Empress Dowager Cixi attempted to push back against the reforms and plotted a coup to restore the Empress Dowager's regency. Despite professing loyalty to the Emperor after being courted by the reformers, Yuan turned on his master by siding with the conservatives as they staged their coup and had the Emperor exiled, though he officially remained ruler.

His reward was to be appointed Governor of Shandong by Empress Dowager Cixi though in an ironic twist of fate, he turned his back on his old master again when the Boxer Rebellion broke out. Ignoring the Dowager's declaration of war against the foreign powers, Yuan refrained from clashing with the Eight-Nation Alliance, recognising wisely that his troops were still not quite up to the task just yet, and instead clamped down ruthlessly on the Boxers in Shandong and had thousands massacred. Once the rebellion had ended and the Qing court restored to its seat in Beijing, Yuan Shikai was promoted to Viceroy of Zhili, the lucrative Commissioner for North China Trade, and Minister of Beiyang (北洋通商大臣), comprising the modern regions of Liaoning, Hebei, and Shandong. Having gained the regard of foreigners after helping crush the Boxer Rebellion, he successfully obtained numerous loans to expand his Beiyang Army into the most powerful army in China. He created a 2,000-strong police force to keep order in Tianjin, the first of its kind in Chinese history, as a result of the Boxer Protocol having forbidden troops to be staged close to Tianjin. Yuan was also involved in the transfer of railway control from Sheng Xuanhuai, leading railways and their construction to become a large source of his revenue. Yuan played an active role in late-Qing political reforms, including the creation of the Ministry of Education (學部) and Ministry of Police (巡警部). He further advocated ethnic equality between Manchus and Han Chinese.

In 1905, acting on Yuan's advice, Dowager-Empress Cixi issued a decree ending the traditional Confucian examination system in 1906. She and ordered the Ministry of Education to implement a system of primary and secondary schools and universities with state-mandated curriculum, modeled after the educational system of Meiji-period Japan. On August 27, 1908, the Qing court promulgated "Principles for a Constitution", which Yuan helped to draft. This document called for a constitutional government with a strong monarchy (modeled after Meiji Japan and Bismarck's Germany), with a constitution to be issued by 1916 and an elected parliament by 1917. The good fortune did not last. Shortly afterwards, both the Emperor Guangxu and the Empress Dowager died. While the Emperor's will specifically ordered Yuan's execution for his purported treason, he was instead dismissed by the regent Prince Chun on health grounds and retired to his home village of Huanshang. In a way, Yuan Shikai had grown to be too powerful and dangerous for the court to ignore or dispose of. Those critical of him likened him to the historical figure of Cao Cao, who had also usurped the powers of the Han Dynasty to emerge as a powerful warlord and politician in the Three Kingdoms period. Despite this seemingly ignominious end to his career, Yuan kept contact with his close allies, including Duan Qirui, who reported to him regularly about army proceedings. The loyalty of the Beiyang Army was still undoubtedly behind him. All that remained was for Yuan to bide his time for an opportunity to return to the stage.

That opportunity came in 1911. After scores of revolts and attempted insurrections against the hated Qing government, revolutionaries from the Tongmenghui group who had infiltrated the New Army, led an uprising in Wuchang, Hubei Province. It was surprisingly successful, and the dominoes soon began to fall as the other southern provinces declared their independence from the Qing court one by one. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Qing court attempted to recall Yuan Shikai, recognising that only the Beiyang Army stood between the court and utter ruin. But the wily old fox declined on health grounds, finally returning to Beijing as the newly-appointed Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet. He got back at the Regent Prince Chun by ordering his resignation, then subsequently in the Battle of Yangxia, trounced the revolutionary armies and managed to recapture the towns of Hankou and Hanyang, leaving the way open for a Qing advance into Wuchang. In just several weeks, Yuan Shikai had stabilised the situation and was now poised to end the uprising in fell swoop.

If Yuan had indeed marched on Wuchang there and then, the history of China might have turned out quite differently. But the old fox knew that if he suppressed the revolution, he would be of no use to the Qing court and would shunted off into retirement once again. The Battle of Yangxia had demonstrated just how much they needed him and the Beiyang Army. The revolutionaries knew this as well and attempted to win over Yuan. Instead of seizing Wuchang, Yuan decided to implement a ceasefire and institute political negotiations with the revolutionaries on behalf of the Qing court. Although by then, the revolutionaries had elected Sun Yat-sen as first Provisional President of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen agreed to step down and hand over the Presidency to Yuan, recognising the need to retain a unified China under Yuan's Beijing government in light of the weaknesses of the Tongmenghui. In exchange, Yuan was able to force the abdication of the last Qing Emperor. In a way, he was glad to get rid of the old fogeys and the simpleton child-emperor who was unfit to rule. The Republic of China thus formally came into existence, replacing the 268 year-old Qing Dynasty. On February 14, 1912, Yuan Shikai was elected Provisional President of the Republic of China by the Nanjing Provisional Senate and sworn in on 10 March of that year. It was the high-point of his political career, and the penultimate achievement of his entire life thus far.

As he was reminiscing, Yuan did not notice an aide step into his office and only turned to face the subaltern when the latter began to speak.

"Your Excellency, Secretary of State Xu Shichang and Generals Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang would like to see you. They're waiting outside."

The President waved his hand impatiently to signify his consent. A few second later, three figures, two uniformed and one in civilian Western attire, entered the spacious office of the President. Xu Shichang, a fellow native of Henan Province just like Yuan Shikai, was a close friend of the President and had been made Secretary of State (Premier) of the Republic in May. However, he was a civilian and lacked any real political clout; Generals Duan Qirui and Feng Guozhang who had served under Yuan in the Beiyang Army and now commanded significant influence both in government and in the military. As the group sat themselves down on the wooden chairs inside the meeting area adjacent to Yuan's private office, Xu Shichang began to speak.

"Your Excellency, Austria has apparently crossed into Serbian territory while the German Army is thrusting deeper into Belgium as we speak. The war in Europe is in full-swing now and for the time-being, it would appear that the momentum is with the Central Powers."

"In Asia, the German East Asia Squadron is also reportedly being brought up to full readiness. All indications seem to suggest that they might set sail from Qingdao. Where to, we don't know. But if I were to guess, they'll most likely try to return back to Germany to allow the German navy to better concentrate its forces. With war declared between Great Britain and Germany, the British Dominions of Australia and New Zealand will fall in line behind the British government and will most likely provide troop contributions of their own in support of the British." General Feng added.

"What other news on the diplomatic front, Secretary Xu?" Yuan Shikai fired back. With all the European powers now scrambling to honour their treaty obligations with one another, it would only be a matter of time before the European war was transformed into a global conflict. A world war.

"Our men in the Legation Quarter are reporting an increase in diplomatic traffic between the British and Japanese legations. Clearly, the British intend to have the Japanese honour the Anglo-Japanese alliance and enter the war on the side of the Allies."

"If that happens," Secretary Xu continued, "then there is no doubt that Japan will commence hostilities by attacking German territorial possessions in the Pacific and in China, perhaps Qingdao and the Shandong Peninsula. In fact, German colonial possessions in the Asian-Pacific region are few and far between. With all of the main country's attention focused on Europe, the colonies can expect no relief from Berlin."

"Which in turn means an even stronger Japan." Yuan Shikai muttered from under his breath. He knew the implications of a dominant Japan in East Asia. Like most Chinese, he resented the arrogance and bully-boy behaviour of the Japanese Empire since it had humiliated the Middle Kingdom in 1895, colluded with the European powers to attack China during the Boxer Rebellion and then wrestled the Manchurian homeland from Russia (who had stolen it from China at first) during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. Yuan Shikai longed to reverse the humiliations suffered by China and pay the Japanese back in their own coin. But for now, China was in no position to stand up against the 小日本.

"Given the turbulent situation across Asia and Europe, perhaps we should consider modifying our current neutral stance towards supporting the Allies." General Duan Qirui suggested. He was, like some of his fellow colleagues in the Beiyang Army, a member of the pro-war faction that advocated entering the war on the side of the Allied Powers and seizing back the German and Austro-Hungarian concessions that had been taken from China. General Duan was likewise convinced that, in view of the inherent material superiority of the Allies, it was only a matter of time before they would triumph over the weaker Central Powers.

"No. We will do no such thing. The Republic of China will remain neutral for now. Our priorities must be that of rebuilding the country and strengthening the military. And only in a state of peace will we be able to channel all our efforts fully into the reconstruction of our country." Yuan Shikai interjected. The trio of officials remained silent, conscious that the President had the final word. After several perfunctory matters that were discussed, the trio took their leave and President Yuan Shikai was left alone in the privacy of his office once again.

[Das Germane imperie]

Élysée Palace, Paris, France
Gaston Doumergue, veteran Prime Minister currently serving as head of the Foreign Affairs office stormed into the Presidential Residence. Security had been raised since the outbreak of the war, but the guards quickly let him pass when they recognized him. He made his way through decorated corridors and yet another anteroom with not nearly as many couches and armchairs to seat the Ministerial advisors and secretaries waiting outside the meeting. The brisk Doumergue greeted a few of them quickly before letting the doors be opened to the Salon Murat, where the entire cabinet had gathered. The President waved for him to be seated, and started the talks. President Raymond Poincaré was respected for his conservative stances and ability to maintain stability, but notorious for his anti-German attitudes. In the weeks leading up to the war, the realistically driven President Pointcaré had sought a peaceful resolution but had no choice as a clash between the Germans and France’s eastern ally was inevitable. Not only that, Germany had been so bold to challenge the very integrity of the French Nation by demanding it be passive in a state of war between Germany and Russia and even more so.

“Our Russian allies mobilize their forces to counter the Germans at this very moment.” Poincaré started, receiving approving nods from the General-in-Chief Joffre who had been driven back to Paris hours ago. “Our British friends are landing expeditionary forces in France as we speak.” He continued. “The independent nation of Belgium has had its neutrality violated, is currently subject to an invasion threatening not only Belgium but France if overrun!” He looked over the table he stood by. “Monsieur Viviani and I have your reassurances that France will win this war. We have issued a mobilization of 3,000,000 Frenchmen, who will serve their purpose by driving out the boche by the bayonet on their guns!” The President knew it wasn’t his Prime Minister’s cabinet he needed to rally for war, but inspired Ministers did look back at him. “Monsieur General Joffre, brief us on the decisions made this morning?”

The General-in-Chief was a tall man, a proud Frenchman and a veteran of many wars including the latest against the Germans. His appointment as Generalissimo had given him full authority to organize the army the last weeks, and that he had done. “Our Armies hold the border in a waterproof position. The first and second armies under Gen. Édouard and Gen. Dubail are positioned defensively along the German border, based in Belfort and Épinal. Increased German military presence in Alsace caused our friend Dubail to retreat his forces from Mulhouse the day before yesterday, strategic resources gathered from there makes it our first real victory however. Its position makes it integral to our cause of occupying Alsace-Lorraine, and I have ordered an incoming attack before German forces regroup to continue the skirmishes.” The Cabinet members followed him closely, many of them not briefed well enough on the latest and upcoming happenings. “The pressing situation with the German invasion of Belgium calls for desperate measures. We expect Brussels to be within German reach in weeks, and that it will take a major offensive with joint British and French forces to retake lost Belgian land. We expect that as much as fifteen German divisions are passing through Belgium and Considering the extensive mobilization occurring in vast lands of Russia, we can assume that Germany will have to turn most of its forces towards the East soon. Austrian forces will focus on their invasion of Serbia. Gen. Lanrezac’s fifth army is currently instigating an offensive though Charleroi and Namur to stop the progress the Germans are making in their attacks. The Fourth and Third Armies will under the coming days advance from Saint-Mihiel and Verdun towards the Belgo-French border cutting off any Southern Advances.”

The briefing took fifty minutes or so, with a few questions from the Cabinet members. It was decided to evacuate twenty biplanes stationed in Nancy before Joffre left in a hurry. The Minister of War, Adolphe Messimy and Prime Minister René Viviani met privately with Joffre for twenty minutes before returning to the cabinet meeting. Joffre had hurried away to his waiting car, returning to the General’s Staff in Vitry-le-François as soon as possible. A decision was made to call for the British General Staff in France to meet with the French one before the end of the month, for a major strategic summit.

Code: Select all

To: British High Command, Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French
From: Grand Quartier Général, Generalissimo Joseph Joffre
Considering the mobilization occuring in the pressing situation for Belgium, the French General Staff calls for a joint summit between the the respective Commanders of France's and Britain's forces. This would preferably be done before the end of the month, considering the offensives against the German Army must be coordinated not only well in accordance for what exists already between the British Expeditionary force and the French Army but also for as effective results as possible.
-Joseph Joffre-


Quarters of Gen. Dubail, Belfort, France

The suite used by the Commander of the 1st French Army was filled with people. From Officers hoping to give their input personally to the General to the brightest professionals drawing up strategies on one of many newly-purchased maps. Idealistic ones talking about advancements to the Rhine, older veterans about casualties. As competent as Augustin Dubail was, he currently did what many Frenchmen do, drank wine. His General Staff was seated in a room besides the offices and enjoyed a delicious oille soup with a fine white wine. They laughed over some jokes, most of them in bad taste, as the waiter removed the starter and put the fish on the table. Dubail came to lead the conversation after having cleaned his face with a napkin.
“Dear Brothers, from all corners of France. I would like to propose a toast for the men we have lost so far, may they rest in peace.” The others respectfully nodded and listened. “However, many more will leave this world of mortals and join God in heaven. The question isn’t how many, for we shall have to sacrifice as many souls as is needed to beat of the Boche and secure France from the aggressors. We will together with our allies in Britain and Russia defeat the Austro-Hungarian and German forces and see an end to this war. With the bravery I’ve seen in you men so far, I know we will have it finished by Christmas this year. So buckle up and save your bullets for the frontline, I intend to launch this offensive on the day after tomorrow!” They all raised their glasses and drank to the General’s toast. Wine was spilled on the table cloth, but it wasn’t anything uncleanable. What was on their mind now was Victory. Victory and revenge.

5 Km West of Mulhouse

The D-compagnie of the 12th Cavalry Division had encamped to cover the organized retreat of the rest of their division. It had seen much battle the last five days, and had not only taken but fled Mulhouse in the fightings against the German forces. Inferior in number, the Germans had been unable to stand against French assaults at first. As soon as the enemy had reacted however, the French forces had nothing to do but to retreat to defensible ground. The skirmishes had not only left both dead men and horses in their escape, but Frenchmen having celebrated the former capture and now facing reprisals. Captain Christophe Crevier, colonial war hero and his men had lit up a few campfires, trying not to get too much attention from potential German scouts.

“It's funny.” Crevier started, lighting a cigarette and turning to a young conscripted private having already seen fighting the last few days. “It*s funny that our veterans, fathers and grandfathers fought in these very lands against the Germans to protect it. This time we..." He was disrupted in the middle of the sentence as a fellow soldier shouted "Les Allemands" and took to his gun. Fire from the outskirts and presumably German formations was initiated but it didn't take long until the French protected by hay bales took to arms and fired back. The Germans fired from behind the trees and the French from their camp, neither side moved. The young private reloaded his rifle after firing some aimed shots onto possible enemy positions and hid besides Crevier. "Good shooting boy! Let's drive them back." They both took to the sides of the hay bale limiting the German's sight of their enemies in the dark and fired their rounds much like the rest of their comrades. Crevier turned to the private just as he witnessed a bullet pierce into his forehead. The force and instant death caused the private to fall backwards, slowly, onto the grass. Crevier rushed to the Private, but made the experieced and rational decision to understand that he was gone. He made a quick prayer before pushing onwards on horseback.

[Kargintina]

Deutsches Reich
German Empire

Berlin City Palace
Berlin, Brandenburg, German Empire
August 12, 1914

Berlin was covered in the sun's rays on that August afternoon, as the ornate city was filled with people trotting back and forth going about there business as if everything was as usual in Germany. A place of great commerce, people hurried to purchase and sell items at their discretion at the many shops and markets. Factories fired their smoke plumes into the sky as workers slaved away constructing items for the modern German. All seemed well in the city of Berlin, however not all was as it seemed.

War had come to the German Empire. Only a mere four decades after it's dawn the Second Reich was in the threat of total annihilation. Already, battles raged along the Western front as the German army began to execute it's plan to invade France through Belgium to the north. Germany was literally surrounded by enemies with Russia to the East, France to the West and the British navy to the north. The Kaiser Wilhelm II appeared unaffected on the surface. He stood in his office, pacing as he contemplated plans for the war.

The warm summer sun was the only thing illuminating his room as he had turned off all his lamps to think. A light breeze sent a few pieces of debris and confetti left over from the German military parade that had marched through Berlin only a few weeks earlier to lift people's spirits with war on the horizon. The calmness of the day seemed a starch contrast to the hellish conflict erupting at all edges of the nation. The Kaiser had flashes in his mind of all the tales he had heard of the Franco-Prussian war. The glory, the great victory that had been blessed upon the German people, it all seemed as if it was told to him to foreshadow the later events of his life, at least he thought to himself. His thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

"Good afternoon, Generaloberst" Chief of the General Staff Generaloberst Helmuth von Moltke the Younger was at the door, bringing forth news from across Europe.

"It is as we feared your majesty, the Italians will not be joining us in this conflict." Referencing the Italian government's denouncement of the German and Austrian Empires from a few hours earlier."However, the war as is appears to be going in our favor as we have made several advancements in Belgium; with the city of Liège expected to fall within a few days. Not to mention the extraordinarily swift recapture of Mulhouse from the French. I assure you, my Kaiser, the plan to invade France will prove to lead our great empire to victory soon enough!" Wilhelm chuckled.

"And I suppose this time the French will have crown me Emperor of their country since my Grandfather crowned himself Kaiser of Germany in their 'Great Palace'". A light precipitation began to from droplets on the windows as the sun was blocked quickly by the clouds as if signaling the times ahead. The air grew colder outside, moving to a more spring like temperature. The Kaiser peered out the window to see a young boy of somewhere between five and eight years old, running to his mother, who appeared to be crying. The mother stated something to the boy, who quickly burst into tears and burying his head into mothers lap as tears ran down both of there faces. The Kaiser spotted the paper in the mother's hand before quickly looking away as he realized what it meant. While recognizing their sadness, the Kaiser still stood proud, as he viewed the soldier's sacrifice as necessary for the good of the fatherland.

"Kaiser, is there anything else you need?"

"What about the Russians, Generaloberst?"

"I do not believe they can mobilize fast enough to save the Western Front. Even if they did, they are weak and unprepared. The Bear would choke on it's own weight." They looked to a map on the wall to their left. The map was an antique from 1812 that still showed the domains of Napoleon's conquest.

"During those times, the German people were walked over by their neighbors as if a rug. Now the Eagle flies high from East Prussia to Lorraine. I will not lose this great empire we've created, not to the French or the nasty Russians. Not a single inch of Germany will be taken without the valiant defense of our brave soldiers!" The Kaiser was confident in his ability to drive off the Entente, and had no doubt the war would be over by Christmas.

"Our Austrian allies have already begun their thrust into Serbia, however we do believe they will aid us in our fight against the Russians. Once France capitulates, the combined armies of our alliance will surely run down the ill-equipped Russian army."

"I look forward to the victory ahead." The Kaiser grinned as the Chief of Staff gave final salute and left.

German lines
Liège, Belgium
August 12th, 1914

Artillery fire drowned out birds chirping or any of the usual noises expected of a summer afternoon in Belgium. The Germans had been fighting in Liège for far longer than planned. Originally thought to be a two-day battle, the Germans had already been fighting in the city for eight days. Already over 3,000 Germans had perished in the fighting. However, high command refused to give up the siege as it's railways led straight into Brussels and Paris, which Moltke saw as vital in his plans.

General Karl Von Einem was the commander of the VII, IX and X Corps. His personal camp had become a dumping ground for artillery shells as the 380-millimetre and 420-millimetre guns pounding away at the Belgian forts of Pontisse and Fléon. The IX Corps had encamped themselves between Fort Pontisse and the rest of the forts to prevent the Belgians from reinforcing the fort. General Einem's personal tent was a rather cliche image; a rack of Gewehr 98 rifles to the left, a desk containing a map of Liège and a small frame on one of the olive green tent "walls" with the General's personal medals. On the map, flag stands of German and Belgian flags stood over different positions around the city. Most of the Belgian flags were too the south were the final few Belgian controlled forts stood.

"General, I bring word from Halen!" Said a young boy in uniform no older than 18 or 19 carrying a letter from General Georg von der Marwitz, commander of the Calvary attack on the bridge over the Gete at Halen. The General hurriedly took the message from the boy and opened it.

To: General Karl Von Einem
From: General Georg von der Marwitz

---

After taking excessive casualties due to Belgian rifle and grenade attacks, we have forced to withdraw the assault. This means the Belgian flank will not exposed as planned.

"It matters little." Stated the General. "Our forces will be marching on Namur within a week." He chuckled. "Damned Belgians actually thought they stood a chance, denying our Kaiser's utimatum. Hmmph, pathetic." He began writing a letter for General Erich Ludendorff, Moltke's observer at the front lines. "Bring that to General Ludendorff, tell him all is going well at the front lines." He handed it too the boy as he ran out the tent entrance. The General followed suite and walked out into the camp. He walked down a small path towards the artillery guns, the noise of their thunderous fire almost deafening. Soldiers of the VII and X Corps where standing on groups preparing to march towards the Fort of Fléon at dusk. Under the cover of darkness along with substantial artillery fire they would attack the fort with hopes of driving out the Belgians, at the same time the IX Corps and a small contingent of the VII would attack Pontisse simultaneously. Most of the men were still eager for combat as the Belgians had mainly been forced back by artillery. Many of them were young boys who still had their simple innocence due to their lack of experience. A few of the more aged soldiers looked less enthusiastic about the war than most of the boys, but all of the soldiers still had a burning desire to get to the frontlines and serve the fatherland. Several of the boys flinched as the artillery let loose yet another barrage on the Belgian positions. The huge guns were a testament to German's great industrial prowess, with the barrels looking as if miniature factory smoke stacks with the small plumes ejected post-launch.

Only a few hours later, the General stood in his tent, lamp right by his side; listening to the sounds of rifle and machine gun fire in the distance. The artillery began up it's bombardment again, shells illuminating the dark evening sky. The General stepped outside his tent again. The air was still mildly warm, but not a blistering as the usual summer heat. The moon was nearly outshined by the artillery fire.

"Gott min uns." The General whispered to himself as the sounds of fierce battle became the sounds of the night.

[Conchabira]

Dublin, Ireland
August 15th 1914
IRB Headquarters

Tom Clarke paced angrily around the dusty offices of a timber yard on Lombard Street that sometimes doubled as IRB headquarters. Every Saturday for the last nine years he had come to this same dusty office and discussed with his fellow colleagues. Today however was a Wednesday, and this was no ordinary meeting. As the other leaders began to file in Clarke took his seat at one head of the rough oak table, opposite to him on the other end was that bastard, Redmond himself. That man had plagued Clarke since their first interaction several years ago. There were perhaps no two men at that table capable of disagreeing more than those two men.

MacDermott broke the silent tension in the room by summarizing the obvious,
"Well gentlemen, it seems the world is at war. The lines are beginning to be formed as we speak. The Germans and their Austrian allies have had some early successes, but most of the Entente troops have yet to be mobilized. The war could sway in either direction."
"Yes, but regardless it is nearly guaranteed to be a fast one, not like the Boer Wars." Responded Redmond.
"And how exactly can you be sure of that?" Retorted Clarke.
Redmond shot a glare in Clarke's direction and continued speaking.
"The safe bet is to align ourselves with the victor. This will likely be the Entente. They simply have more men and still retain naval superiority."
"This will not likely be a naval war, from what we've already witnessed. The Germans have the advantage for now." Said Clarke
Looking slightly flustered Redmond continued, "I believe that we should promote the Irish Volunteers to enlist in the British Army. They will gain valuable experience and weaponry and in a year when this war is over we will have a force capable of enforcing Home Rule."
Seemingly annoyed and angered by this proposal Clarke responded, "Even if this war only lasts a year, do you really think that Kitchener will slow this? Was the incident earlier this year at Curragh not enough to convince you of their beliefs? The British will never allow Irish Home Rule, if they would have tolerated such a notion, we would be independent by now. The only approach we have left is through active resistance, possibly now with German assistance."
The rest of the meeting went on with this sort of speech, the two men trying to deconstruct the others argument. They never reached a consensus, not even bothering formalities by the end. It was only MacDermott who kept from developing into a physical fight.
Afterwards Clarke and MacDermott met separately.
"Obviously our first priority must be to convince the Volunteers that active resistance is the only viable option."
"I can start a propaganda campaign within a week. I don't know how effective it will be though, Redmond is still very popular." Responded MacDermott
"Secondly, we must send an envoy to the Germans to seek assistance, it is our only chance to gain more modern arms in a sizeable amount. Raiding police stations and barracks won't be enough."
"I'll have three of our best on a fishing boat to the Netherlands within three days."
"Good, make it happen"
The two men silently nodded. Each lit a cigarette and then departed quietly in opposite directions down the dusty road that was Lombard Street.

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

Bucharest, The kingdom of Rumania
August 13th, 1914-
A busy city center.

Hundreds of people rush past each other in the early hours of the morning, August 13th, 1914. The busy street is packed with men, women, and children pushing past each other, mothers scorning their children, and friends chatting on the way to work. The voices of all form a sort of drowning noise of the urban morning, that of a crashing ocean. Bucharest is an industrial center, a sea of tall three-story buildings, shops, trolleys, and factories. A light fog covers the slightly chill morning, a light layer of water covers all, collecting in ruts in the concrete to be kicked about by the clueless passers by. It was a day like any other in Bucharest, but everyone seemed to be holding a newspaper. The small green newspaper stands that sat on the two ends of this long lane of shops on either side would have lines of tens of men, nervously talking to each other about local news. There was a collective worry upon all Romanian's minds the night before, that they might be send to the front lines of the war that started, just the previous day. To their relief, the government showed no plans to do so. It was almost like Romania was seemingly in some kind of bubble. That things would go on like they always do. Just like that morning, that every morning would be the same factory to work at, same apartment to return to, and same family, untouched by the horrors of war not yet discovered. Two broad-shouldered men nervously talk to each other about the kids, the family, the rising price of candle oil, the common things. They reach the front of the line they've been waiting in for near an hour, buying one to share between the two. They would carry it back to their apartment that evening after work, as their entire family lived in such small residence. Most Romanians were not all that rich, but the country was not all that rich either, but most got by alright enough. The two take a few steps out of the line, the one who bought it on the left holds up the paper, reading it aloud to his brother, patiently listening to every word he says.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vo1mNw9cors/WDUb-upJ8HI/AAAAAAAAAbs/nBFfSB-yvIIQpc7jaiYMQtmih-hgUlwTwCJoC/w530-h684-p-rw/Newspaper1.PNG

As for some brighter news, the first sale of coca cola was officially sold in Romania today! A local general store owner ordered a shipment of a few barrels of coca cola months ago is selling it for the same price as expensive wine! He placed an advertisement in the local paper to try and attract attention to the foreign good.

[Tysoania]

Brussels
Kingdom of Belgium
15th August 1914
The birds were still chirping in the streets of the Belgian capital, even as government ministers began to burn files and more and more soldiers appeared on the streets. Despite the news that the great fortress of Liege was nearing destruction and the German armies were about to close in on Brussels, the city was remarkably calm, except for the columns of soldiers marching along the main avenues. Local residents were still haggling with vendors at the groceries, smoke was still coming out of the stacks of the city's factories, and the few cars that had not been commandeered by the army still drove along the city streets. However, the calm atmosphere was not replicated inside the army headquarters in central Brussels.

Despite the surprising victory by the Cavalry Division at the Battle of Halen a few days earlier, the headlong German advance continued. Liege had managed to hold off some of their troops, but the fortress was not equipped with artillery - which the army lacked entirely - and the small contingent of planes stationed near the fortress had not been significant in defending the fortress. Albert nervously hovered near the communications room of the headquarters, awaiting word on the fate of Liege, as other commanders flitted about, continuously updating their plans. The king jumped when the telegraph began to chatter noisily. After a minute, the telegraph fell silent and a junior officer ran out of the room to find the king, nearly running him down in the process.

"Apologies, Your Majesty. News from Liege, about the siege, Your Majesty." The officer handed the king a slip of paper, then ducked his head and ran back into the communications room. The king stared at the paper as he considered the implications. Fort Loncin had surrendered after a fierce German bombardment. This meant that the great fortress would be eliminated by tomorrow if the Germans continued on as they had.

The king of the Belgians turned on his heel and headed for the conference room. The massive space had been filled with detailed maps of the areas of the German advance, Belgian flags, and one massive table, made of solid oak. Inside was a handful of staff officers desperately planning the coming battles against the German armies, even though they knew they had little hope of stopping the Germans, let alone push them back. As soon as Albert walked in, all conversation stopped. The leading officer in the room, General Antonin de Selliers, stood up and saluted the king as the king took his seat at the table. The other officers immediately did likewise.

"Your Majesty, any word on Liege?", the general asked nervously.

"Fort Lancin has fallen", the king replied quietly. The room remained silent. Everyone knew that the defense of Liege was now doomed to collapse, with only two small forts left; once Liege had fallen, the Germans would march on Namur, and would have access to the rest of Belgium.

After a moment, the general spoke up. "We have a contingency plan prepared, Your Majesty. The plan calls for a withdrawal from the west and setting up a defensive line at Brussels and Leuven; hopefully, the Germans will then head to France and allow us to recover, Your Majesty."

"Do we have the equipment for a static defense, though?"

"No, Your Majesty. We would have to hope for a quick intervention by the British, Your Majesty."

"Could we instead fall back to the National Redoubt at Antwerp?"

"That would mean abandoning Brussels, Your Majesty."

"I know, General." The king sighed. "But we cannot hope for the British to get here fast enough to rescue us."

"Very well, Your Majesty. The plans shall be prepared immediately."

Within an hour of that meeting, palace staff began packing up the king's baggage for a withdrawal to Antwerp, while the city guard also began loading their equipment onto trains heading north. Some of the more perceptive residents noticed the disappearance of troops from the city streets and began packing their own bags in preparation to flee the city.

[New Finnish Republic]

Helsinki, The Grand Duchy of Finland
August 15th, 1914
Senator Simon Ati

It hadn't taken long for Simon to get his plans into action after he secured the support of Matti Heikkinen. The old man had many connections in both the military and the political realm of Finland, and Simon planned to take advantage of every single one of them. He wasted no time in beginning to make an argument about raising a military to, in his words, "Honor our commitments with the Czar and prove that the Finnish Lion still retains its teeth and claws".

It was a hard pitch for Simon. Most members of the senate were hesitant to willingly throw away the lives of the men of Finland for the sake of those who were oppressing them. Some thought that it would only result in their military falling into the hands of the Russians for them to use as they pleased. Others thought that they had no reason to willingly enter this conflict since it would only bring more hardship to the region. The Germans were good trading partners to Finland, and openly declaring their will to fight with the Russians would result in harsh relationships after the conflict, not to mention leave Finland open to invasion should the Germans decide that they would wish to try and attack St. Petersburg from the North.

Had it not been for the support of Matti Heikkinen, such a proposal would have been immediately shut down and Simon would have been the target of opposition for many months afterward. However, with his support, the measure was able to gain the support that was needed. With an overwhelming amount of support from the rest of the senate, Governor-General Seyn officially sent off their request to Czar Nicholas II in St. Petersburg, where it would be up to the Russian emperor to decide on the matter. Seyn was more than pleased to offer the support of the Finnish military to the czar, as the man would do anything to please the emperor.

To His Excellency Czar Nicholas II of the Russian Empire,

War approaches on the horizon, and glory awaits those who go out to seek it. You shall be the one who leads our glorious empire into victory. As loyal subjects of the Russian crown, we Suomalaiset wish to assist you in your endeavors. Even as I write this message, people are calling out in the streets for German blood, and the senate has quickly pushed through a measure to allow a volunteer army to be raised in order to help defend not only Finland but all of Russia. Many fear that the Huns will try and strike us at St. Petersburg, and we Finns wish to see such an event never come to pass. With your permission, we would wish to raise an estimated force of 180,000 men as well as construct several fortifications along the coastline in order to thwart any possible German invasion. We eagerly await your response, and may God bless Russia.

-Governor-General Franz Albert Seyn

His first phase of his plans completed, all Simon could do was to wait and pray that the Russian leader would agree to their terms.

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

The town of Iasi, Romania
August 14th, 1914
Near the border to Russia.

Thousands of professional soldiers could be seen around the small town of Iasi Romania, marching in not the best step to say the least. The columns, however long, were not even, and through the streets many of the men would be talking to those next to them, not having their bayonets fixed while on parade, or having a smoke while they went. The junior officers tried in vain to discipline the men, only to be shrugged off and waved away. On the very end of the major street that the men marched in a massive oval up and down, sat a rather large mansion. Such manor had been re-purposed into a sort of military HQ, with guard posts erected on the corners and at the entrance way. Silent guards stood on the watch while men clad in officers uniforms talked to each other while taking a stroll along the grounds. Despite the whole military affair there would be seen a few men in civilian clothes, tending to the weeds and watering the garden around those brandishing swords officers caps. We see two, seemingly highly respected men sitting in chairs on the long porch in front of the building, with large white columns every few meters or so. It would be a recently promoted Marshal Constantin Prezan, and one of his generals smoking pipes while looking at a map of Europe upon a short table in front of them. The Marshal would place his pipe on the table over what was the Siberian wastes, thinking for a moment, before turning to his underling.

"I'm not too sure what is going to happen, to be frank Alin, do you?"
"Nay sir, it seems all of damn Europe is in a war, and we do not know who to side with."
The Marshal would point at the general area of Romania with his wrinkly and bony finger.
"It seems to me... that the reason we had a large portion of our standing army sent to here, was to warn the Russians that we will not be bullied around like last time they wanted a piece of Moldavia."
"Can't say it will do much good sir, the men cannot stand still for five minutes before disobeying an order."
"I think it will be fine. We'll start a more rigorous training regime in a few days once all the standing garrisons assigned here arrive, as well as we'll have the whole town converted into a fortress before the week is out... We'll be fine, the men can get better, once we all get organised and given basic training, I think we will be a force to be reckoned with."
"I assume so sir, but is this going on anywhere else?"
"Oh most certainly my good Alin, we have the exact same going on in the town of Galati, and on the Austrian front we have the towns of Targoviste, and Ploesti, and even in the southern countryside we have a few smaller garrisons... "
"But how many do we have sir?"
"Well... so far we have ten thousand here and in the local area... thirty more are to arrive in a few days... that makes forty..."
"But sir, what about elsewhere?"
"Well, there's about fifty thousand along the northern Danube along the southern part of it and in Galati, a hounded thousand scattered among the Austrian alps, and let's see... Ah, yes around another hounded on the southern Danube, to protect us from the Bulgarians."
"I see."
"Yes, quite. All of those men... exercising, marching, constructing fortifications, drilling... We may have a professional army for once in thirty years."
"I see, but why do we need it sir?"
"The world is a scary place Alin, I assume the king only wants to look scary enough for the others to look away."
"Oh."
"Yes, yes, but you must be getting back to your division, shouldn't you?"
"Aye sir, right away."
The younger man starts to get up.
"Oh Alin."
"Yes sir?"
"Discipline your men to actually march correctly by next week or you will be the one getting disciplined."
"Yes sir."
And with that the younger man ran off down the street, while the Major stood up, taking one last puff from his pipe before walking inside to the house, the sound of boots on the pavement heard all that evening until the light of day was completely gone.

[Reatra]

August 20th, 1914

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, or as he was known, "Lenin", had just finished reading the letters stacked on his desk. It had taken some days for them to reach Bern from Moscow, but he had received them. Letters from the social democrats and Bolsheviks and their subsidiaries, detailing to proceedings of a recent, unofficial, meeting about what the European War meant for social democrat parties in the world. He had little to do but write an introduction and abstract and organize the resolutions into the form of a pamphlet.

"Reports have reached us from most reliable sources, regarding a conference recently held by leaders of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party, on the question of the European war. The conference was not of a wholly official nature, since the Central Committee of the R.S.D.L.P. has as yet been unable to gather, as a result of the numerous arrests and unprecedented persecution by the tsarist government. We do, however, have precise information that the conference gave expression to views held by the most influential circles of the R.S.D.L.P."

He figured this was enough, not his best work but something that would help the Bolsheviks back in his country until his return. But he felt something was missing... the document wasn't nearly as focused on Russia as it should be. Sure, Marx said that the workingmen have no country, but the laborers of Russia had a duty to work towards their own liberation.

He decided to add a sixth point that the congress hadn't gotten to.

"6. It is the first and foremost task of Russian Social-Democrats to wage a ruthless and all-out struggle against Great-Russian and tsarist-monarchist chauvinism, and against the sophisms used by the Russian liberals, Cadets, a section of the Narodniks, and other bourgeois parties, in defence of that chauvinism. From the viewpoint of the working class and the toiling masses of all the peoples of Russia, the defeat of the tsarist monarchy and its army, which oppress Poland, the Ukraine, and many other peoples of Russia, and foment hatred among the peoples so as to increase Great-Russian oppression of the other nationalities, and consolidate the reactionary and barbarous government of the tsar’s monarchy, would be the lesser evil by far.
7. The following must now be the slogans of Social-Democracy:
First, all-embracing propaganda, involving the army and the theatre of hostilities as well, for the socialist revolution and the need to use weapons, not against their brothers, the wage slaves in other countries, but against the reactionary and bourgeois governments and parties of all countries; the urgent necessity of organising illegal nuclei and groups in the armies of all nations, to conduct such propaganda. in all languages; a merciless struggle against the chauvinism and “patriotism” of the philistines and bourgeoisie of all countries without exception. In the struggle against the leaders of the present International, who have betrayed socialism, it is imperative to appeal to the revolutionary consciousness of the working masses, who bear the entire burden of the war and are in most cases hostile to opportunism and chauvinism.
Secondly, as an immediate slogan, propaganda for republics in (Germany, Poland, Russia, and other countries, and for the transforming of all the separate states of Europe into a republican United States of Europe.
Thirdly and particularly, a struggle against the tsarist monarchy and Great-Russian, Pan-Slavist chauvinism, and advocacy of a revolution in Russia, as well as of the liberation of and self-determination for nationalities oppressed by Russia, coupled with the immediate slogans of a democratic republic, the confiscation of the landed estates, and an eight-hour working day."

Satisfied, Lenin worked the draft into the paper. Soon it was finalized, copied, and within a week being published in Switzerland with copies sent back to Russia to be copied and distributed there.

Lenin would not allow exile to get in the way of his struggle.

[Alsheb]

The Ottoman Empire

Ministry of War
Meeting place of the Ottoman Triumvirate
Constantinople
15 August 1914

The sun rose over Constantinople, or Istanbul as some in the Empire had taken to call it. The blazing summer heat did not yet touch the slumbering city, but even without direct sunlight the temperature was more than comfortably hot. Now that the first rays of the sun started touching the souks, the little alleyways and the bazaars of Constantinople, city life was just about to start in its full velocity. Already the scent of spice, waterpipes and incense could be smelled in many a street, as the people of the Imperial capital were about to start their day.

As the sun now rose above the horizon, the beautiful spectacle of each day was repeated once again. The golden sunlight beams suddenly lit up the magnificent domes that towered over the city. The spectacular Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine marvel of architecture and now one of the major places of worship in all of Islam. The splendid azure of the Blue Mosque, shining in the morning light as a most refined sapphire. And the magnificent halls of the Topkapi Palace, the residence of nobody less than the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire himself. Caliph of Islam, Leader of the Faithful, and the supreme authority in the Empire.

Or, at least on paper he is, Ismail Enver Pasha chuckled, his dreaming gaze on the beauty of the city interrupted by memories of the past and worries about the future.

The Sultan, despite being the supreme authority in Sunni Islam, and widely recognised to be the Commander of the Faithful everywhere, was not a figure of great power. In fact, the very reason he came to power back in 1909 was precisely because he made the perfect figurehead for a modern, more liberal and progressively minded government led by the so-called Young Turks. Mehmed V, the 35th and current Ottoman Sultan, had succeeded his two year older ultraconservative brother Abdul Hamid II in that year, paving the way for a rapid and long overdue modernisation of the Empire under a constitutional system.

It had been about a year and a half ago now, , Enver Pasha pondered. January 1913, when he, together with his fellow conspirators Djemal Pasha and Talaat Pasha, had seized power in a coup d'état that had brought down the weak and ineffective rule of the Freedom and Accord Party, led by Grand Vizier Kamil Pasha. The FAP had been weak and undeserving of ruling the Empire, losing most of the European territories to the Bulgarians and Greeks in a disastrous series of defeats, and courting the accursed British imperialists when things had started to get difficult.
This was combined with their constant attempts at keeping the Committee of Union and Progress, the party that had been most responsible for the Young Turk Revolution in the first place, from power in favour of their own cronies.

When news had reached the CUP that Grand Vizier Kamil was even considering ceding the former Imperial capital of Edirne to the Bulgarians, in a move that was as treacherous as it was strategically suicidal, Enver and his fellows had taken action. The 1913 Raid on the Sublime Porte had been swift, efficient and succesful, with Kamil removed from power and a new government installed, dominated entirely by the CUP and led by a Triumvirate of the new Grand Vizier and Interior Minister Mehmed Talaat Pasha, the Navy Minister Ahmed Djemal Pasha and of course Ismail Enver Pasha himself, Minister of War and de facto ruler of the Ottoman Empire.

Together, the three had steered the Empire into a new era of industrial and military modernisation and renewed national pride and fervour. The hated British were ignored, and new ties had been made with the growing power on the European continent: the German Empire. August 2, 1914, not two weeks ago, had seen the ratification of the official Ottoman-German Alliance. The Ottoman Empire was put back on the map, although only time would tell how succesful this move would be.

"I'm still not sure about this war, Enver", Djemal Pasha interrupted the silence that had been hanging in the room where Enver Pasha had been staring out of the window for all this time. Sighing deeply, the Minister of War turned around and faced Djemal.

"I know, Djemal. The future is more unclear than ever. But it is the best option, my friend. The Germans have showed themselves to be great benefactors to the Empire. They need our weight in the scale near the British colonies, and they give much in return. We could never even have dreamed of this plan of extending the Orient Express all the way to Baghdad and the Arab petroleum fields. The prosperity it will bring to our Empire is massive."

Djemal nodded, but his eyes betrayed his discomfort.

"And yet I had wished that we could have sided with the French. A modern republic, Enver, one of the only ones in Europe even now. Germany can barely qualify as a constitutional monarchy, more an enlightened despotism."

Shaking his head vigorously, Enver interrupted his collegue.

"Impossible! France is the main ally of the Russians. Friends of the Czar! The French wasted any chance of Ottoman friendship when they sided against us in the Crimean War. These are different times, Djemal. France and Great Britain are allies now, as well as France and Russia. Your modern republic is friends with the main imperialist kafir empire in the world, as well as with our sworn enemies north of the Black Sea!"

Pacing restlessly through his office, Enver continued. "No, we could not and can not count on the French. Only Germany has shown itself to be friend of the Turks so far." Djemal relented.

Grand Vizier Talaat Pasha now took the word. "I agree with you, Enver. But where does that leave us? Our revolution came too late, or rather this war too early, for the Empire to be ready for all-out war."

"I know that, Talaat. The Ministry of War is rife with reports of subpar armament of our troops, especially compared to the British and the French. We need better equipment, and we need it fast... We need to buy time if we ever want to get through this as unscathed as possible."

Talaat replied immediately. "We need more allies. Germany can help us, aid us with weapons and equipment. But Germany is already at war, they need their manpower and weapons more than anyone else. There is one more option, though. There is always... Bulgaria."

"The Bulgarians? Are you mad? Our enemies during both Balkan Wars? The bloody country that caused the downfall of our European territories and nearly cost us Edirne itself?" Djemal countered angrily.

Enver Pasha now raised his hand.
"Talaat has a point. We do live in strange times, Djemal. French and British working together, that is something that was unheard of until very recently. So what is there to stop us from working together with the Prussia of the Balkan? We can at least try... especially considering the fact that Bulgaria since long has been courted by the Germans as well."

Djemal Pasha, though visibly dissatisfied, nodded in agreement. "Fair enough, you have a point there."

"Very well then, I'll have a message written up right away."

Official Communiqué of the Ottoman Empire
On behalf of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Caliph of Islam and Commander of the Faithful,
From the desk of His Excellency Ismail Enver Pasha, Minister of War

The Ottoman Empire would like to hereby express its intention to support the German Empire, our friend and ally, in any way we are able to.
However, we see ourselves forced to admit that the Empire at present is in no state to join active warfare or contribute militarily. One of the main reasons for this being the still inadequate modernisation of our military forces, mainly in the field of modern armament of the infantry as well as the artillery units.

Having noted with satisfaction the efficiency of the German Military Mission under command of General Otto Liman von Sanders in the attempt to aid the Ottoman military improvement campaign, we hereby request towards the possibility of a substantial increase in the resources dedicated tothe Military Mission, with the goal of rapidly improving the Ottoman army as well as to gear up for a hopefully swift possible entrance of the Ottoman Empire in the conflict that has been forced upon the German nation.

Sincerely,
Ismail Enver Pasha,
Minister of War

Official Communiqué of the Ottoman Empire
On behalf of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Caliph of Islam and Commander of the Faithful,
From the desk of His Excellency Ismail Enver Pasha, Minister of War

The Ottoman Empire would like to extend an olive branch to the illustrious Kingdom of Bulgaria, and an official invitation to bury whatever past differences have pleagues our two nations, in favour of a future policy of cooperation and friendship.

We have taken note of the efforts of the German Empire in increasing positive relations with Bulgaria as well, something that we as friends of the German nation can only support. Also, we have witnessed an inspiring military policy displayed by the Bulgarian kingdom, making your nation an impressive regional power indeed.

The Ottoman Empire believes we both could profit from increased cooperation and defensive measures against all foes, be it regional or external. We eagerly await your response.

Sincerely,

Ismail Enver Pasha
Minister of War

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Foreign Policy Meeting
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Sazonov, the Emperor
Winter Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia
16th of August

“And that brings us to the… last internal matter of today, namely…”

The old prime minister Goremykin spoke with a tone and a tempo that was befitting his advanced age. The meeting in the Winter Palace had already dragged on for a couple of hours, and they had still not reached the main point of their agenda. First, as always since the Declaration, war matters had top priority among the cabinet ministers. Most of them, especially prime minister Goremykin himself, looked extremely bored at the prospect of another hour of gathering. The only man who seemed unabated was the emperor, Nicolas, who sat stone-faced at the other end of an elongated oaken table. The sovereign of all Russia looked staunchly at his right-hand man, a strong gaze keeping Goremykin from too publicly showing his discontent. The two briefly crossed gazes, before the prime minister quickly went back to reading his notes.

“As I said, the last internal matter, being a request from the Finnish Parliament and Governor-General Steyn. This request was posted in your offices yesterday afternoon, and I hope you all had the chance to read through the decision” Goremykin uttered, putting on his reading glasses. His hands shuddered as he did so, his age progressing in such a manner as to catch up with him at a relatively quick pace. There was a murmur of acceptance among the ministers, who had all read the short note sent by the Governor-General of Finland. The first to respond was Grand Duke Nicholas, the commander-in-chief, who spoke at length as he stared at the not.

“However much I approve of the addition of nearly 200.000 fighting men to our armed forces, I see not how we need this army at this time. Our armies are at full fighting strength, offensive operations are moving on as planned. I couldn’t say where we would deploy these 180.000 men Steyn seems to think he can mobilise. Besides, constructing fortifications… That would take years of preparation, and it would funnel much-needed materials away from the actual war effort.”

The Grand Duke was known for his easy nature, his nuanced opinions, and his low-key emotions. He never showed a particular dissatisfaction towards any ideas, plainly dealing in facts and knowledge. He never condemned a person, only their actions, and it was this easy nature that made him much-loved by his family. He wasn’t a man of much controversy. He put down the note of the Finns, looking around the room to see how the Council would respond. His cousin, the emperor, nodded in approval. He generally agreed with the Grand Duke, as he too wasn’t a man of shown emotion. He was a man of few words and expected obedience. However, it seemed that minister Sazonov had a much stronger opinion.

“With all due respect, your Majesty, I think this is an outrage. The Finns want to deploy a whole army, at our expenses, in an area where no German in his right mind would ever set foot. I think their underestimation of our forces borders on the treasonous. Has Steyn completely forgotten whose side he’s on? Calling himself a Finn… Perhaps the cold has addled his brain, or something of that manner. And the senate, too. They are supposed to be Russian officers, not Finnish collaborators. Steyn was meant to end the special position of Finland, not give them any more power than they already have!”

Although Nicolas didn’t much appreciate the staunch wording and the flaming rhetoric, the other ministers seemed to agree. A murmur of approval rose up among them, some of them even nodding at the remarks. Especially Goremykin seemed to agree, which was an important factor in the Council. Nicolas had to admit, it was strange for a Russian like Steyn to relate in such a manner with the Finns. He had been sent to Finland to increase Russification. Now, it seemed like he was growing fond of the locals. Nicolas pondered for a few seconds, weighing his options. Sazonov, however, wouldn’t quite let him do that.

“My emperor, perhaps you should think of removing Steyn from his office. A more… suitable candidate should be looked for during this time of war” the foreign minister said, leaning towards his sovereign. A devastating look from the monarch quickly made him rescind, although the defiant look in his face remained the same. Grand Duke Nicholas came in support of the emperor, trying to get nuance back into the discussion.

“While it is true…” he said, the easy tone of his voice emanating peace and quiet.

“… that Steyn has perhaps gone too far in his role, we must accept the truth that Finland is a hotbed for revolutionary sentiment. Many resent russification, and the Leftist Scourge has some footing in the region. As we all known, Leftist fantasies are fought with national pride and spirit, as well as order.”

The whole Council listened intently to what the Grand Duke has to say. There was truth in his words, they knew, and even Sazonov was now listening closely to Nicholas.

“I think we could use a few of their troops. Deploy them in a place where they can be of use, somewhere supporting our own armies. We take a few pictures, print their stories in the newspapers… Finns and Russians fighting side by side. That should get some nationalistic fervour into those rascals. Meanwhile, we keep an eye of Steyn. If he transgresses again, we can have him replaced by someone who favours our government instead of the locals.”

This plan could count on the acceptance of the Council. Some were pounding their flat hands on the table, a sign of approval from the ministers in question. Even Goremykin seemed to agree to it, although his dozy head could not be made much sense of. Perhaps most of them just wanted the meeting to be over. Emperor Nicolas nodded for a moment, before looking at his cousin.

“Well, that seems to be our best course of action. The Finns can raise three army crops, 60.000 men in total. One will be deployed with the Tenth army in Eastern Prussia, the other two can be added to the Ninth and Eighth Armies in Galicia. Minister Maklakov…”

The Russian minister of Internal Affairs sat upright, seemingly awaking from a light slumber. Nicolas looked at him with an annoyed expression, just keeping himself from giving his minister a scolding.

“Maklakov, please send our reply to the Governor-General. And be so kind as to remind him of his duties.”

To: The office of Governor-General Franz Albert Seyn
From: The Ministry of Internal Affairs

Honoured sir,

His Imperial Majesty, Nicolas II, by the Grace of God, Emperor of all the Russians, in agreement with his Council of Ministers, has this afternoon concluded a meeting wherein your application was discussed. His Majesty commands you to raise and train a force of 60.000 men, three army corps, for the defence of the motherland. The training will be conducted in accordance with standard army regulations, and overseen by infantry general Vladimir Vasilyevich Smirnov. He will hold final command over these troops. After the raising of these troops has been successfully finished, they will be added to the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Armies in Eastern Prussia and Galicia. It is hoped that their experience with snowy and cold conditions will be a boon for the Imperial Army as the war progresses.

It is also my duty to inform you that your request for the construction of fortifications has been denied. The Government has decided that the expenses of such a project would not weigh up against the possible gain, as a German invasion of Finland is not seen as a likely threat to our nation. The 120.000 men not raised for the army will continue to work the fields in Finland, making sure the economy of our nation can withstand the pressures of the war thrust upon us.

Furthermore, the Emperor has personally expressed the opinion that your actions in Finland have been below the standard asked for in Imperial Officials. The Governor-General and the general populace should maintain a respectful social distance from one another. Russification of the area is not helped by your insistence to call yourself ‘Finn’ in your last letter, despite your Russian background. No further action will be taken, but consider this an unofficial warning. Especially with the strains of war thrust upon the Empire, and with Leftist sentiment on the rise, it is imperative that our officials remain vigilant and loyal.

Yours truly,
Signed,
In the name of His Majesty, Nicolas II, by the Grace of God Emperor of all the Russians, Grand Duke of Finland,
Minister of the Interior, Maklakov

To: The office of minister Titu Maiorescu, Kingdom of Rumania
From: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Honoured sir,

His Majesty, Emperor Nicolas II of all the Russians, by the Grace of God, has expressed his wish to continue peaceful and friendly relations with the kingdom of Rumania. In accordance with this wish, His Majesty has asked me to reiterate the Russian position that, should Rumania support the Entente forces, Rumania should expect to extent her territorial reach beyond her current borders, gaining lands in Transylvania, Bukovina and the Banat as reward for your loyalty. These territories will be gained at the expense of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is not expected to exist past this decade.

Yours sincerely,
In the name of His Majesty, Nicolas II, By the Grace of God, Emperor of all the Russians,
S. Sazonov, Minister for Foreign Affairs

To: The office of minister Vasil Radoslavov, Kingdom of Bulgaria
From: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Honoured sir,

It is the hope of His Majesty, Emperor Nicolas II, that there remain peaceful and friendly relations between the crowns of Bulgaria and Russia. However strong our differences in the past might have been, current events take precedent over grievances from the past. It is His Majesty’s expressed wish that Bulgaria remains neutral during the coming conflict. Should Bulgaria feel forced into war by circumstances unforeseen, the government of His Majesty would be willing to work towards a mutually beneficial agreement. Securing parts of Thrace from the Ottoman Turk for the Kingdom would be an important imperative in such negotiations. Historic Christian land should not be governed by a Muslim nation, after all.

May God grant you wisdom,
In the name of His Majesty, Nicolas II, By the Grace of God, Emperor of all the Russians,
S. Sazonov, Minister for Foreign Affairs

To: The officer of Ismail Enver Pasha
From: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sir,

By this writing I would wish to inform you that the war thus far thrust upon the peoples of Christendom is a European war, and a European war alone. This war was borne from a treacherous attempt of the Habsburg Monarchy to expand her influence in the Balkans, and an equally dishonourable ambition of the German Empire to expand her territories beyond Europe. The Russian Empire, drawn into this conflict by zealous politicians and war hawks in both nations, has no ill will towards or quarrel with the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, we ask that the Empire refrains from taking any side in the conflict, allowing the Dardanelles Straight to be crossed by both sides. Should the Ottoman Empire find itself drawn towards the Central Alliance, the Russian Army has both the means and the will to deal with such a breach of peaceful relations among nations.


May God grant you wisdom,
In the name of His Majesty, Nicolas II, By the Grace of God, Emperor of all the Russians,
S. Sazonov, Minister for Foreign Affairs

To: The combined staffs of the Entente Forces
From: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sirs,

By this writing, we inform you of our current strategic and tactical situations. Offensive operations against the German Empire are scheduled to commence in a matter of days. The Russian armies, the exact composition and number of which is still classified, will cross into Eastern Prussia on the 17th of August. Offensive operations against the Austro-Hungarian Empire will commence on the 25th of August. For our attacks to succeed, it is imperative that the German armies should not be allowed to detach reinforcements for either the north-western or the south-western fronts. We, the foreign ministry and the Russian General Staff, as well as the ministry for war, have concluded that it would be best if France resumed offensive operations against German soil as soon as possible. The recapture of the city of Mulhouse should be a top priority. Stalling the German armies in Belgium is important, but an all-out counter offensive should have the highest priority. If these conditions are met, the Russian troops will have no trouble piercing deep into German territory, bringing a quick and solid resolution to this conflict.

Furthermore, due to the treacherous nature of the Ottoman Turk, the maintaining of proper British troop concentrations in Egypt and Lower Mesopotamia should also enjoy high priorities. They should be convinced against joining the Central Powers, lest a powerful ally would threaten all our nations on another front. It is imperative, therefore, that the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German Empire are sufficiently beaten before the Turk decides to join their ranks.


May God grant us Victory,
In the name of His Majesty, Nicolas II, By the Grace of God, Emperor of all the Russians,
S. Sazonov, Minister for Foreign Affairs

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

Bucharest, The kingdom of Rumania
August 18th, 1914-
in front of the Rumanian parliament building.

It is a rather bright summers morning in Bucharest, with the city fairing well enough under the current war, with import costs rising to be sure, but nothing overly damaging. There is a rather large crowd of people in front of the parliament building, a few hundred at least. Behind the small wooden podium put there just minutes ago, sat the king himself, Carol I, in a white rocking chair, surrounded by armed guards as he took notes on the side of his prepared speech. A gradual hush is heard over the crowd as the king gets up with the aid of two of the men surrounding him, only broken by the sounds and flashes of photographers in the front row. The king licks his lips, before starting to speak, his voice growing noticeably elderly.

" Good day to you all, and thank you for coming. It is a sign of a remarkably great people who care so much for their nation and their children, as to come out today. Romania is our homeland, our motherland, and we all have a duty to care for it, in both peace and her defense. Many a time has our beloved motherland been taken away from us, and many a time good Romanian souls fought bravely and with valor to defend it. Such as whenever the Turks marched on Bucharest, Vladimir the dragon stood ready in her defense, bravely fighting tooth in nail for his people to be free. And so do we stand here today. Under the shadow of this great legacy, while the whole of Europe is at war with each other. A time for which many a foreign power has grappled to try and sway the minds of I away from the good of the people. One of these persons, would be a certain Tsar Nickolas of Russia. Just yesterday we were sent a telegram, to which my foreign minister has kindly relayed to me. This came from the Russian ministry of foreign affairs, and I'd like to read it to you today. It says the following:

Honored sir, His Majesty, Emperor Nicolas II of all the Russians, by the Grace of God, has expressed his wish to continue peaceful and friendly relations with the kingdom of Rumania. In accordance with this wish, His Majesty has asked me to reiterate the Russian position that, should Rumania support the Entente forces, Rumania should expect to extent her territorial reach beyond her current borders, gaining lands in Transylvania and the Banat as reward for your loyalty.

Good children of Rumania, have you ever heard such arrogance? The man must have either gone mad, or become absolutely incompetent to dare send such a letter demeaning such a glorious people! He wishes to continue friendly relations? Does he not remember his betrayal, in the Russo-Turkish war? When his empire stole the core territory of Bessarabia from us for the second time? Or the first time he did this before the Crimean war, when he forced our people to disown their language, their identity, for punishment of freezing to death in the wastes of Siberia? But nay, friends, for they already think us a subject! Instead of coming to us and requesting assistance, they say they will reward us for our loyalty! Loyalty? I only am loyal to two things, god, and my people! He dare think himself our overlord? While subsequently assuming we are so cheap a pig, as to shed our sons blood and bend the knee, for territory that was never ours for a thousand years? The irony and hypocrisy of the Russian Tsar's statement, is that he says he will reward us with land, which is not even mostly Romanian, while at the same time oppressing and occupying our land and people who have been there for a thousand years, when we are not useful! The Tsar is not mad my friends, he is not. His hubor
us has clouted his vision, where he think himself the master of the world! Will we do our duty as so many of our ancestors did before, and not bend the knee to foreign menaces? Will we do what is needed, for our children to be given a future? Will we give them a history to look back on, and take pride in their forefathers for standing up against tyranny, and say enough is enough? Will you stand with me, and adamantly deny such an idea as to become a new levy for the Bear to throw at those who are not our enemy?"

The crowd erupted into a roar, with such words as "down with the bear!" being vaguely heard through all the noise. The king then bowed his head, before turning around and leaving the rest of the official speech to his ministers, while he collapsed back into his rocking chair. He was visibly getting to old to do such a thing, but a small smile crept over his face as he heard the crowd chant the cries of their fathers for what felt like hours.

Iasi, The kingdom of Rumania
August 20th, 1914-
Just outside of town to the south.[/align]

The morning was cooler than the last few days, and dawn had just broken onto the farmlands surrounding the town. The sun was not yet above the hills, but it's warn light was cast enough for decent seeing in the early morning haze. A few miles down the winding major road could be seen a long column, of what was barely distinguished by as men, followed by a short convoy of trucks carrying needed supplies to the town. Soon, all fifty thousand of the men would arrive and be sent to work like their fellow soldiers. Much closer to town we could see soldiers not in parade uniform, but with their heavy jackets thrown to the ground as they worked, coverd in sweat despite the cold breeze. Already there could be seen watch posts build along the roads, artillery banks cut into the earth and then piled in front to create a sort of wall, short trenches in front of such, wooden spikes driven into the ground to disrupt cavalry, and short stone walls to block off the alleyways. The only ways in or out now were the three main roads that ran in or out of the city, making a T across it al if looked down upon. The men were well fed, well rested, and properly supplied thanks to coordination with the local government to allocate the public works supplies to the army. If not out working we could also see rows of soldiers in field uniform, drilling and practicing shooting in the distance. In a few days all the men would arrive in town, a few weeks the artilery pieces and heavy machine guns manufactured in Bucharest should be there, and the town would be quite in better shape than it was weeks ago. But, it would take time, lots of time, sweat, and manpower to get this all done, and time they may not have.

[Apostolic Hungary]

Leopold Graf von Berchtold, Bucharest Rumania
16 August, 1914

The subtle grandeur of the "Royal Hall" of the București Gara de Nord was almost lost on Minister Leopold von Berchtold... almost. Romanians had a good taste in architecture, if what could be seen in Bucharest was any indication. He paced somewhat nervously for a moment, then steeled himself, for his task would by no means be an easy one. In his inner pocket was hidden a letter from Kaiser Franz Josef detailing his mission, which Berchtold himself had helped draft; in short he was authorized to make concessions to King Carol of Rumania to gain his support against or at the very least neutrality towards the Russian Tsardom, so long as such concession did not in anyway compromise the integrity of the Dual Monarchy. The Rumanian Kingdom has not given any indication of anything other than neutrality- he stopped himself from forming his future dossier on the diplomatic situation in his mind, it was a bad habit and in any case the car from the Austrian Consulate had already arrived. Ottokar Graf Czernin von und zu Chudenitz, the Bohemian politician turned diplomatic minister, was there to greet him stating as Berchtold entered the car (an Austro-Daimler model), "There's rumors regarding a Russian missive," then lowering his voice, "You've been authorized regarding Bukovina?" The foreign minister nodded to his compatriot, who was then visibly relieved as the car approached the location of their first official meeting with the Rumanian government. "I warned them how important it was, the Emperor can afford to part with a Duchy."

[Saxony-Brandenburg]

Bucharest Rumania
16 August, 1914

The halls would be well waxed and cleaned by the dozens of servants and the like rushing around the room. Shortly after their arrival the Austrian delegation would be met by the foreign minister Titu, where they would be shown to one of the many private dining rooms in the buildings. Two servants would walk in asking for what the men might want, if anything, to eat or drink. The menu ranging from fresh fish from the black sea to roasted lamb and red wine. After they requested what they wanted the minister would speak.
"Apologies for the king not seeing you, he has been not well as of late. I hope you find the accommodations rather... Pleasant, at least. Now for business, shal we? The Romanian people are generally ambivalent about the war beyond what it means for them. I do not see any major power insulting them, so I believe it to be rather difficult to try and sway them."
Another servant runs in carrying a tray with various wines on them, the minister taking a glass of red before continuing.
" Now, if the Austrian government were to... Show their kindness by cedeing ethnic Romania Bucovina, protecting the rights of ethnic Romanians in Transylvania, and giving one of the archduchess's hands to the king's unwed nephew in marriage, I do believe we could sway their hearts and minds, eh? We'll say, unlike entante offers, it came no strings attached, and declare a separate war with the Russians, who will pull the allies in sure, but it will not be bribery for joining the war over Serbian policing rights, nay, it will come after our ultimatum to Russia for Bessarabia to be obviously dented after a good insult. So, what do you say, eh?"
The man would take a deep breath and a long drink of his glass, after saying such a monologue.

[Newne Carriebean7]

Great Japanese Empire
大日本帝国
Dai Nippon Teikoku
August 15th,1914
Tokyo

Foreign Minister Katō Takaaki and sat uneasily in the hallway, watching the grandfather clock tick back and forth. he had arranged to meet Emperor Taishō beforehand to speak with him about the readiness of the armed forces of the nation. the aide said he would be right out with him, but that was more than an hour ago, while he was known for some patience, he never expected it to take this long, as the foreign minister he had a duty to do representing japan's best interests,and sitting here waiting for a bearded man wasn't' doing him any favors. as he began to sit up and forget meeting him, the doors swung open, surprising Takaaki with the break of silence that he had lived through.
"ah,Takaaki, please enter, I hear you wanted to see me? how honored."
"I should be the one honored, that wait was very long."
"yes, well it will have been worth it, once you've seen my face, right?"
both men chuckled slightly before Takaaki set the mood for the room.
"now then, the news from Europe is that the nations are showing off all of their shiny new toys like kids in a sandbox, the trouble is, one of those kids flung a small slingshot and blinded some Austrian kid, this has made the Austrian kid attack the Serbian squirt, which has made a Russian teen prepare a left hook against the Austrian,and so on."
"so this regional conflict that was supposed to be contained erupted into full scale war?"
"correct. now I propose we stay neutral in the conflict for now,but secretly get in contact with both sides to see what they could offer us in return for helping them?"
"shall it be an official declaration made by you to proclaim neutrality, while I will inform the British?"
"that seems like a wonderful idea, would you care for some tea?"
Takaaki noticed the teapot misting in the corner of his eye and shook his head.
"sorry, I have letters to write while you try to spill the beans nicely to the prime minister."
"I see, thank you for the visit, I'm getting lonely."
with that, Takaaki left Taishō while he was preparing a pot of tea to boil with the help of some servants.

To: Leaders of the German,Russian,Austro Hungarian and British Empires, French republic included.
From: Foreign Minister Katō Takaaki of the Empire of Japan
dear nations that are now strangling each other over a Serbian shot that killed an important man, the nation of the rising sun,while recently basting in the victories over Korea and the Chinese, has decided to wipe clean the sword of blood,and I in the strongest words urge you all to meet for peace, as we can solve our issues,perhaps we could meet in Switzerland or Japan proper to discuss a potential ironing out of the problems of war.
p.s Feel free to disregard this message my anglo allies, as we have a plan in store for the "jerries" as you say verrry soon...

To: Foreign Minister Edward Grey of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
From: Foreign Minister Katō Takaaki of the Empire of Japan
Encryption:none
Greetings from the land of the far east,the contents of this message should be treated with the highest confidentiality between the nations involved. what I have discussed with my governmental officials is a potential strike code named Operation Rainbow Spring, to be launched in September of 1914. the plan details the capture of several German held colonial possessions in the pacific. such islands include the Marianas, the Caroline islands, the marshal islands and the northern part of North Papa new guinea. the plan will call for rapid naval landings and the quick conquest of island chains in the name of the allied forces. we also plan on preparing an expeditionary force to Europe in mid December of 1914 under the command of general Isoshike Matsumara, with three divisions of 10,000 men each, for a total of 30,000 soldiers, 150 heavy cannons and 100 light cannons, along with 1,500 abled horses readied for the long trip. I remember the joy my people felt, for having abolished the samurai and flung their country into the 20th century, I remember the laughter of the people at the signing of the anglo-japanese treaty, and we shall uphold this treaty to it's highest, but not as of right now, but rather a realistic approach to this would be a declaration of war in two to three months. in the meantime, we shall prepare everything, the expeditionary force and have the navy on full alert.
god speed my old friend, and please hold the Germans off.

with that, he sent the letter off and began to work on a crossword puzzle that sat on his desk.
Korean Naval Flotilla headquarters
Battleship Tango
Port of Pusan
Admiral Togo Nastumare climed the set of steps that led up to the bridge, where he had gathered the naval command. the ships of the fleet had received the asses end of the modernization plan being pushed into the imperial diet, with less importance on the upgrading of the ships that defended the nation's colonies rather than the main fleet itself. the fact was apparent, as the small aft staircase had been blown off and never fixed, forcing a dangling rope being the only way to board the ship,much to his disgust. opening the door, he nodded at the helmsman and other naval men that were gathered there.
"greetings and welcome to this meeting, now then, our force is a rather small portion of the entire fleet, and as such, they won't care if we're gone or not."
he waited for a few chuckles that emerged to quite down or die stifled in the hands of their creators.
"The Fleet is to sail for the German territory of Kiautschou,where it will be blockaded,then taken over by our greater numbers. in the first squadron will be me in the Tango,a pair of armored cruisers and three destroyers, the second shall be three armored cruisers and four destroyers as an escorting force for the marines,when will the fleet be ready to sail?"
"the Battleships and the other vessels will be prepared at once."
"excellent."
within a few hours, the bustling harbor air was replaced by a slightly smoke filled one as the last crew members boarded the ships and the fleet began to leave the harbor.
"a fleet united with a nation's colonies wanting to slit the samurai's throat with any small sharp object they can find while he is playing with his small metal ships and planting flags on rocks,perfect."
with a raspy chuckle as he reached for his pipe, he retired to his quarters still chuckling,to the confusion of the officers he came across as he walked back.
"sir,are you alright?"
"yes yes, never better."
he then closed the door and collapsed on his bed. two worried soldiers leapt from their guard position and threw open the recently shut entrance,grabbing the man and calling for a medic.

[Alsheb]

The Ottoman Empire

"Are you sure about this?", Enver Pasha inquired once again.

"Yes, Your Excellency. The Imperial Embassy in Bucharest has received trustworthy information that the Russian Empire has approached the Kingdom of Romania with an offer of cooperation against the Central Powers. So far however, we have cause to believe there has been no positive response from the Romanian side towards any such offer."

"Interesting", Enver said as he stroked his beard. "It is not unthinkable that the Romanians might not feel much for an alliance with the Tsar. After all, it was Russia that betrayed the Romanians after having poured so many resources into fighting us back in the Russo-Turkish War. They seized some very precious territories from the Romanians that day, something that I'm sure Bucharest has never forgiven. If it weren't for Bismarck's intervention back then, I do believe war would have broken out between the two nations back then already."

Said Halim Pasha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs who had brought the news before Ismail Enver, nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. It seems unlikely that the Romanians feel much for wasting precious lives on a fool's errand on behalf of the Tsar... Which opens up opportunities for us...

Leaning in towards Enver, as if the following information were somehow in danger of being exposed if he were to speak it normally, Said continued in a slightly hushed tone.

"I have it on good terms that the Austro-Hungarians are sending a delegation of their own to Bucharest."

Enver raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. The Double Monarchy also has some weight in the scale for sure, regarding Romanian territories in Bukovina. And the Austrians have far less of a recent enmity with Romania as the Russians do.
Strange days, when the Ottoman Empire is de facto allied to the bloody Habsburgs due to our mutual friendship with Germany. But well, the wheel of history can take strange turns."

"Shall I write a report to old King Carol?" Said Halim inquired, to which Enver Pasha responded with a smiling nod.

Official Communiqué of the Ottoman Empire
On behalf of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Caliph of Islam and Commander of the Faithful,
From the desk of His Excellency Ismail Enver Pasha, Minister of War

Your Majesty,

The Ottoman Empire would hereby like to inquire as to the possibility of closer cooperation between our two nations in the near future. We note with concern the imperialist occupation of many rightfully Romanian lands by foreign imperialist powers, as well as the growing menace of the Russian Empire in the area of the Black Sea and the Northern Balkans.

We also note that the Kingdom of Romania, much like the Ottoman Empire itself, has wisely chosen to so far maintain a policy of neutrality in the conflict plaguing much of the European continent right now. The Ottoman Empire, now fully dedicated to the improvement of its core homeland and having distanced itself from any further territorial ambitions in Europe, would like to ensure that the relations between our two nations in the future shall be cordial, fruitful and friendly.

To that end, we would like to inquire as well as to the possibility of an official visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Said Halim Pasha, to the Kingdom of Romania, to receive an audience with an official representative of the Romanian government or, should you see fit to grant us the honour, with Your Royal Highness himself.

Sincerely,

Ismail Enver Pasha
Minister of War

[Kargintina]

Deutsches Reich
German Empire

Berlin City Palace
Berlin, Brandenburg, German Empire
August 16, 1914

Evening in Berlin was unlike any other. As the sun went down it's glimmering light gave one final reflection off the classic German-style rooftops. As most people made they're way indoors, the German military police quickly filled the streets. Due to the war, a strict curfew had placed in all major German cities. All non-military or government personnel were to remain indoors or face harsh consequences. All shops had to be closed at sundown. In the Berlin palace, there was no curfew to how late officials could work. As the sun went down, an important meeting was taking place in the home of Seine Majestät.

"The Ottomans could of great use to us sir." Stated German minister Foreign Minister Gottlieb von Jagow as he finished reading the Ottoman's telegraph to the Kaiser and the Chief of the General Staff. "The Ottomans could be helpful in taking the British Empire's main artery, the Suez Canal. Cut that artery, the Lion bleeds out." The Kaiser did not look amused.

"I would love to have the Ottomans on our side Minister but we have no way to reach them. Allied ships are all over the Northern Atlantic and will destroy any cargo we send out. As it is they are probably preparing a blockade as we speak."

"Mein Kaiser, we will make certain the weapons arrive safety by making a deal with our Austrian allies to use their ports along the Adriatic Sea"

"Very well, I suggest you get writing minister as you have two nations to be contacting." Von Jagow bolted out the door to return to his quarters to begin working out a deal with the Ottomans and the Austrians. "Generaloberst Moltke, the Belgian situation?"

"Excellent sir, the City of Liege has been taken. Our forces have now begun to pour across the border to rally at the city, from there they will march on Namur. General Karl von Bülow and General Max von Hausen will lead a force of roughly 100,000 to overwhelm it's defenders. We will move our heavy siege equipment along the Meuse Valley to once again devastate the Belgian forts just as we did in Liege." He pointed towards a massive map of Belgium that the Kaiser had placed on his wall. "A force of 40,000 is moving on Brussels as the Belgians appear to have abandoned the city and fled north."

"They are most likely moving to the port of Antwerp. Let them go, we need to focus on pushing south as quickly as possible. Be sure to send a force to Charleroi to prevent any French attempts at reinforcement at Namur. However, be sure that the main force continues it's push southwards towards the French border."

"Yes Mein Kaiser." Than Von Jagow re-entered.

"The telegraphs have been sent, your majesty."

Official Seal of the German Empire

---

To: Ismail Enver Pasha, Minister of War of the Ottoman Empire
From: German Foreign Minister Gottlieb Von Jagow

---

The German Reich is grateful to learn we still have a good partner in the Ottoman people in this detrimental time. With the Allied powers instigating war in the Balkans and now threatening our very existence, we hope that this hard time can in fact lead to a positive and long lasting relationship between our great empires long after the war is ended. We will agree to send 100,000 Gewehr 1888 rifles along with as uniforms as your army will need.

With these dark times we unfortunately cannot risk transport by water therefore we must make an agreement with several Balkan nations to ensure a safe and secure trade route between Germany and the Ottoman Empire. We do however, have a request in return. When the Ottoman Empire is prepared and ready, the Ottoman Army will march across the Sinai Peninsula and seize the British controlled Suez Canal in Egypt. This will cripple British trade with the Far East and the transport of colonial forces to Europe. We hope you respond as rapidly as possible.

---

Gottlieb Von Jagow, Foreign Minister of the German Empire

align=center]
Official Seal of the German Empire[/align]

---

To: His Majesty Franz Joseph, Emperor of the Austria and King of Hungary
From: German Foreign Minister Gottlieb Von Jagow

---

Greetings your majesty, I bring upon you an important request from his majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. With war brewing all across Europe, the sea route from our ports along the Baltic Sea are no longer safe due to the British Navy. Due to important trade with the Middle East, we have strong need of use of your ports along the Adriatic Sea. Ships loaded with German goods headed to the East need to be loaded and sent from the Adriatic to bypass the massive Allied Navy.

Due to the strong importance of this message, we hope that you respond with haste.

---

Gottlieb Von Jagow, Foreign Minister of the German Empire

German lines
Liège, Belgium
August 16th, 1914


Many of the German soldiers headed into the town to celebrate their first victory at whichever taverns still stood after the fierce bombardment all around. Earlier that day, German infantry had stormed the final Belgian fort and finally secured the area in the name of the Second Reich. The Iron Cross flew high over the city in several places. The loud noise of the singing German soldiers and the many bright lamps shining windows was a contrast to the cold, dark nighttime wasteland outside. The moon bore down on the ruined country side as several plumes of smoke pummeled the sky from the twelve piles of ash that once stood as Belgian military forts. The Germans had raided the forts for whatever still remained, food, water, booze, weapons, and anything else of value they could lay there hands on. German soldiers cast lots for abandoned Belgian uniforms and guns to take as trophies back home when the war ended. Several soldiers had even decided to take a bath in the Gete under the cover of darkness. The main camp of German command was busy however, as artillery crews were dismantling the siege guns and preparing trucks full of artillery shells to be moved on the Namur. Erich Ludendorff, the commander of the total force at Liege was watching as the soldiers worked. Several soldiers were sitting on the edge of the camp, telling stories of the battle and and talk of great glory in the intense battle over the forts. However, victory was not without a high cost. General Ludendorff turned behind to see corpses in German uniforms being hoisted into trucks to be transported back to Germany.

"The fatherland will not forget your brave sacrifice men." Ludendorff whispered to himself as the death trucks drove off.

"General Ludendorff, what the hell are those soldiers doing? We leave for Namur tomorrow." Stated an angry General Von Einem, whose leadership resulted in most of the Belgian fort's capture.

"Let them celebrate General, these are the spoils of victory. I think General Von Bülow is a little jealous. After handing over siege operations to you and allowing you to steal most of the glory he has insisted on leading the siege of Namur." Both of the men chuckled. Both men were glad to have finally ended the battle, as it was far bloodier and longer than expected. In the hours since the official capture of the final fort, tens of thousands of troops had begun to move across the border and make camp as Liege, as the Generals looked North to see tents in the thousands in rows outside the city. "It feels rather odd, for the first night in over two weeks you can hear the chirping of crickets. It almost seems as if, there never was a war at all."

"If it hadn't been for one Serbian man, that would have been a reality."

"There is no point in dwelling on the past General, you can't go back and change it. It doesn't matter really, as victory will be in our hands soon enough." With that, the two men turned to meet with the other Generals to discuss future plans.

[Laeral]

Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia

As soldiers in Serbian uniform marched northward towards the Austro-Hungarians, civilians filed southward. Prime Minister Pasic turned to face Prince Regent Alexander. "Our army will fight bravely, your highness, knowing that they defend our nation and our people."
The Prince paused. "Yes, they will fight, but how well can they fight without rifles? We need every type of equipment, or we will be sending these brave men out to die. Send a message to Russia requesting assistance. And tell France, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Montenegro, and Finland- all the Allies- that we are ready and willing to fight."
The Prime Minister nodded. "I will, your highness. Also, we must remember that although they vastly outnumber us, their leaders know little of war. We have fought in two wars in the past two years. We are battle-tested, and we remain strong."
"Very well. Also, send out an order recommending that the citizens of Belgrade evacuate, as well as my father. It would not do for my father to be captured by the Austro-Hungarians. Additionally, tell the soldiers on the front lines to begin constructing defenses. Hopefully, we will stop the enemy at the border." He stopped. "If only that fool hadn't killed the Archduke, we wouldn't have to see our men dying like they will be soon."

To: King Nicholas I of Montenegro
From: Prince Regent Alexander of Serbia
We are now at war with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As we have fought together in the Balkan Wars, I would just like to state that we, the people of Serbia, support Montenegro, as our brother nation, in this coming war.
Signed,
HRH Alexander of Serbia

To: Tsar Nicholas II of the Russian Empire
From: Prince Regent Alexander of Serbia
Although the Serbian Army is mustering as quickly as possible, we are in dire need of weaponry and ammunition. Please send rifles and supplies as soon as possible, so that we may bring destruction to the Austria-Hungarian Empire.
Signed,
HRH Alexander of Serbia

[Apostolic Hungary]

Bucharest Rumania
16 August, 1914

The halls would be well waxed and cleaned by the dozens of servants and the like rushing around the room. Shortly after their arrival the Austrian delegation would be met by the foreign minister Titu, where they would be shown to one of the many private dining rooms in the buildings. Two servants would walk in asking for what the men might want, if anything, to eat or drink. The menu ranging from fresh fish from the black sea to roasted lamb and red wine. After they requested what they wanted the minister would speak.
"Apologies for the king not seeing you, he has been not well as of late. I hope you find the accommodations rather... Pleasant, at least. Now for business, shall we? The Romanian people are generally ambivalent about the war beyond what it means for them. I do not see any major power insulting them, so I believe it to be rather difficult to try and sway them."
Another servant runs in carrying a tray with various wines on them, the minister taking a glass of red before continuing.
" Now, if the Austrian government were to... Show their kindness by cedeing ethnic Romania Bucovina, protecting the rights of ethnic Romanians in Transylvania, and giving one of the archduchess's hands to the king's unwed nephew in marriage, I do believe we could sway their hearts and minds, eh? We'll say, unlike entante offers, it came no strings attached, and declare a separate war with the Russians, who will pull the allies in sure, but it will not be bribery for joining the war over Serbian policing rights, nay, it will come after our ultimatum to Russia for Bessarabia to be obviously dented after a good insult. So, what do you say, eh?"
The man would take a deep breath and a long drink of his glass, after saying such a monologue.

There was an uncomfortable pause as both the Rumanian Foreign Minister and the Austrian Consul looked at Count Berchtold, who himself took a glass of red wine and gently turned it round in his hands. "First, allow me to start by saying that the situation of the Rumanians in Transylvania grieves his Imperial Majesty. A commission shall be formed, and other measures taken be assured." He paused again, sipped a little from his glass, and briefly looked at Count Czernin before continuing, "Regarding the Duchy of Bukovina, this is a delicate matter, but the Emperor is indeed willing to cede the majority of the traditionally Rumanian area, though we should like to keep control of the Carpathian Passes in the region, at least until the end of this war, which God willing be swift. And finally, as to the marriage of King Carol's nephew, that is a matter of the Imperial House and not of the State, and should be handled through the proper channels, but I may say here that his Imperial Majesty will not be adverse to such a proposition." Berchtold leaned back in his chair, as far he was concerned the matter was proceeding very well, there was a communication just come in from Berlin he would have to deal with, and he would soon be able to return to focusing his efforts on Italy, an even more daunting task.

K.u.K. Russian-Cipher Bureau Przemyśl, Austria-Hungary
14 August, 1914
"Obediently report, Herr Hauptmann, that we have intercepted another encrypted command of the Russians." Jumping forward at the radio equipment Captain Hermann Pokorny, welcoming the relief from another bleak morning in Przemyśl. In a few minutes he had the ciphered message written down, and was comparing it to the previous message which his comrade had helpfully taken from the desk nearby. "So Leutnant, what have gossips in the barracks to say about the High Command?" That damned traitor Redl told the Russians far too much before he killed himself, he thought rather darkly, the ciphered letters were puzzling him this morning. "Potiorek is continuing the bombardment of Belgrade, and has crossed the Drina and is converging his armies on Valjevo." "Attacking from the West? That will surprise them." "Yes but there's more. General von Hötzendorf is coming to Galicia." This information caught Pokorny's attention, diverting him for a moment from his pressing duties. "To Przemyśl?" was the only question he could find the words for. The Leutnant shrugged. "Generaloberst Dankl is preparing an attack into Russian occupied Poland, towards Brest-Litovsk." The Captain turned suddenly back to his work, all the more urgent after that news. Then he paused for a moment, and looked out southward out the window at rising foothills of the Carpathians; Potiorek had better know what kind of war he was fighting, or it might continue endlessly like it seemed the great Alföld did beyond those distant mountains on the very edge of his vision.