Big Baltics (AMW only)

[Cassanos]

[OOC: This thread is for AMW members only.[/OOC]

Bermuda Conference
Press room

„... and therefore I am happy to announce that president Volterov and I have come to an agreement.
Recent events, especially actions taken by the Kieven government, show that it is essential for the Atlantic alliance to show resolve and determination against intrusions into the souvereignty of one our allies. Germany will not stand by idly while Kiev threats our Baltic friends and tries to impose their will on us.
Therefore the following measures will be taken:
Starting on the first of next month, elements from the 18th Panzergrenadier division and other units will begin deploying to the Baltic Federation in order to prepare and maintain a permanent position there.
Bundeswehr forces will take over several sites from the Baltic Defence Forces and stock equipment and supplies. The total troops will amount to one division-sized combat grouping, of which one brigade-sized formation will be in position at any time, while the remaining personnel will stand ready at any time to deploy and take over their equipment stocks in the Baltic Federation.
More details will be available shortly and be issued to the press as soon as possible.
I will now answer your questions.“ Chancellor Ahler looked up from his notes, aware of the sudden silence in the grand room. Shocked silence or surprised silence, he asked himself.
His press aide looked araound the room. „Yes, Mr. Riebach?“
The journalist from the Frankfurter Rundschau stood up. „Herr Bundeskanzler, how many troops will be stationed in the Baltics when deployment is complete?“
Ahler not so much as glanced on his notes. He had been prepared well. „The total amount of Bundeswehr troops during peacetime will not excess 7,500 soldiers. Should a crisis arise, this limit will be extended to 30,000 personnel.“
Next in line was a female radio journalist from the Deutsche Welle. „Herr Bundeskanzler, how will these numbers be reached? Are you planning to deploy conscripts to a foreign country?“
Ah, that... The issue had come up during his backroom negotiations with Volterov. Luckily, the answer was easy. „We will of course have to use conscript troops to maintain readiness. However“, he cut into the sudden hubbub, „conscripts on duty in the Baltics will have their time of active duty reduced from 18 to 15 months and be offered additional financial compensation. And besides, may I remind you that we already have units of conscripts earmarked for deployment to Cassanos if need be? This is much the same.“
During the next minutes, he answered the expected round of questions regarding the German past and the prudency of putting Bundeswehr forces where Wehrmacht troops had raged before. He dodged the issue by pointing out that the Baltics had invited and welcomed the German reinforcements. And with open arms, he added silently.
But he knew it would come, and there was the question already...
„Yes, Miss Brander?“ An attractive young woman working for a private news channel rose.
„Herr Bundeskanzler, you said that deployment would begin in what, two weeks? How is such a large operation on such short notice possible without any pre-planning?“
Drat. He could hardly tell them that Baltic and German civil and military officials had begun planning for this operation three months before, could he? Or that it had been a secret to suprise the Russians, not to mention the handy „coincidence“ that it gained president Volterov quite a lot of extra credit short before the elections...
„I'm sorry Miss Brander, but I can't answer your question to its full extent due to reasons of military and national security. This would be all.“
Half an hour later, when he was reclining on a couch in his suite, Ahler still tried to get around this specific problem.

Kiel, Federal Republic of Germany
18th Panzergrenadier division headquarters
The divison's operations officer put down the receiver. „Herr General? I have just gotten word from Bermuda and the transportation department, sir. We are to begin deployment in 12 days.“
„Good. Get me the other commanders over for a briefing at 1600. And call corps if they have any last minute instructions.“ Generalmajor Ulrich Nerz looked down on his already crowded desk. The paperwork will probably break it...

[Somewhereistonia]

Volterov was thinking, there was a lot to think about, an upcoming election, the previous situation with Kiev, these thousands of allied troop arriving. He was starting to get busy.

There was always going to be some level of scepticism to up to 10,000 foreign troops sitting in the Baltic Federation, but with a much larger non-friendly army with slightly more history of invading the region, most Balts saw this as a good thing. What was odd was that Volterov was beginning to appear to soft on Kiev. Kiev had threatened the entire nation, held them to ransom before eventually backing down. What did Volterov win? Nothing. Well, that was what a few people were saying on VTV Uudiste Saade (the main news channel) were beginning to say. The whole crisis with Russia had developed a slightly more nationalistic viewpoint amongst the general public. The Baltic Federation needed to be strong, with a strong leader.

Most Balts were still very international in their outlook, but an increasingly vocal minority were demanding change. This agreement, it was hoped would turn this around. Somewhereistonia had used the allies Volterov had gained, to safeguard its future. Cassanos, Germany and the Baltic Federation were ready for KIev to come.

Still, with only months left before the elections Volterov was beginning to become nervous. The whole deal with Kiev had really hit him hard, it was so difficult to keep track. Now it was over, the black box had been "found" and returned to Kiev, the borders were open (although very few left into Russia, fearing that they would too become abducted). Life was just about back to normal. With the NATO treaty coming close to completion it looked like the Baltic had a secure future internationally but one thing was for certain, if Volterov was to win a second term is power, he needed to do something big. He needed to lead the nation to someone's aid. He needed to make the Baltic known throughout the world as an important force for good rather than a small advanced nation that is going to get forgotten when the big guys start acting up.

He needed some small nation somewhere to act up, to do something stupid. Then, then he would come rushing to someone's aid. It didn't matter who was being attacked, but he needed to go on a crusade of sorts, he needed to make a difference.

Volterov poured himself another glass of vodka. He would think some more tomorrow, he promised himself.

[Gurguvungunit]

OOC: Tag. Somewhere, I thought you went by "The Baltic States" in AMW?
EDIT: This is an appalling thread title, by the way.

[Cassanos]

[OOC]Well, that was kind of the whole point. Bad puns? I'm in! [/OOC]

[Kievskaya Rus]

Not quite as silly rude as the Baltic crisis threads name.

Kiev - Kievskaya Rus
Mikhailhof - The White Fortress

The Generals had been following the incoming reports of troop numbers and nationalities. It wasn’t hard to follow who was sending how many to the Kieven borders. Prince Vadim had a point to prove and he had made sure the Generals knew it well and understood the royal orders. Match every single troop two to one. As the troops began taking up station along the Baltic border Kiev began to roll out its own forces and broadcasting to international media select video of the troop deployments, thousands of soldiers gathered in formation at military bases and massive convoys carrying medium and heavy armour. In total an additional 20,000 troops plus 700 pieces of heavy armour, T90 battle tanks and self propelled artillery. The Tsar had only made a single military order (that was to violate Baltic airspace), the daily operations were left entirely to his seneschal Prince Vadim and the Generals of the White Army. The White Army was sure to put exactly what it promised along the Baltic boarder. The Tsar had said he didn’t want war so they were sure not to do anything beyond the count measures. Two men for every foreign soldier in the Baltic state, two war machines for every foreign tank or APC.

[Cassanos]

Near Riga, Baltic Federation:
18th Panzergrenadier Division Headquarters (Baltics)
The troop buildup had completed several weeks ago, when the last vehicles of the 522nd Panzer battalion had arrived by train. By now, the personnel of the 52nd Panzer brigade's had settled in comfortably, even though the lodgings were somewhat subpar compared to their home barracks in northern Germany. Brigadegeneral Wolfram Beyer didn't think that the new Bundeswehr bases had been chosen carelessly. Until the nineties, a Kieven motorized division had been based in these very buildings near the troublesome Baltic city.
The commander of the 52nd brigade, whose unit had been chosen for the division's first deployment to the Baltics, Beyer didn't mind the new assignment. Prices for most goods were still somewhat lower than in Germany, and since his wife had divorced him four years ago, he didn't have to think about family issues much.
He stepped to the window and looked at the busy enlisted men and NCOs working on a company of 521st Panzer's Leopard 2s. He had made clear that not one vehicle should have to remain in the depots when the time came for the Bundeswehr's first large-scale exercise on the plains southeast of Riga. Aside from president Volterov and his minister of defence, the corresponding ministers from Germany and Cassanos would also be present at the trinational exercise, as well as General Nerz.
"They will be just fine, Wolf. Stop looking so worried", a voice in accented German interrupted Beyer's pondering on the political ramifications of his new posting. He turned around. "What else can you expect from the poor boys, to lick their tanks clean? You've been around the depots for weeks now", the man standing smoking in the corner said.
Beyer pretended to consider that for a moment. "Nah. They'll only get sick from the paint, and I won't have them crapping themselves in front of the big bosses." Both men smirked. Beyer had first met Jan Kubicki ten years ago when Kubicki had been a young but gifted captain posted to the joint German-Cassanotian planning staff at Küstrin. The two men had soon found out that they shared a taste for motorcycles and classic German literature. An odd pairing of interests, but so was the close partnership between two nations which had been at each others' throats for the better part of two centuries. Beyer was glad that his old friend, now a colonel in the Cassanotian National Army, had been assigned the post of liason officer in the Baltics. They often joked that Kubicki always got these posts because he had a more secure grip of Goethe and Schiller than of fighting. Part of that was true, while the Cassanotian had proven to be an ingenious tactician bordering on brilliant, he had barely passed his first assignment as a platoon leader. Luckily, a superior with a keen eye had spotted the young man's talents and had him moved into a brigade's operations department, where he had shone.
A small man sitting on a table looked up from his paperwork and looked at the two senior officers. "You do have a nasty sense of humor, Herr General. And you, Colonel Kubicki. Disgraceful." Major Aleksandr Petrenko, the Baltic liason officer in the division's supplies department, smiled. "Anyway, these spotty uniforms you Germans have, it doesn't matter how filthy they get." Beyer glared at the younger man for a second, then grinned. "Probably, Alex." Petrenko, a slight and amiable man, had been included by the pair of old friends since they first met in the officer's casino months ago, and the other staffers were used to their occasional banter.
"Still, I hope no one will botch things up. It will not do to show weakness in front of all those new Ivans around", Beyer said more seriously.

During the following two days, the German brigade, reinforced by the 542nd Panzergrenadier battalion and a flight of combat helicopters, moved into its exercise area, meeting up with their "opponents" for the next eight days: Parts of the the Cassanotian 1st armoured reconnaissance brigade and a similar motorized force of Baltic troops equipped with German material.
Meanwhile, on airfields in northern Cassanos and the Baltic Federation, some sixty allied aircraft were preparing for a combat exercise over the Baltic Sea, with stern warnings to stay at least fifty miles away from Kieven shores.

NATO command northeast would put up a show of strength for the newcomers.




/EDIT I: [OOC]I'm sorry that I forgot to put it in here, but assume that the exercises have been properly announced and the Kieven forces have been informed beforehand, to avoid, er... "Incidents". Anyway, given the situation, I suppose that Kiev has been informed one week before the exercise commenced, two weeks tops.[/OOC]

/EDIT II: [OOC]Supposed strength of forces engaging in the exercise: Some 13,000 personnel with 200 tanks, 150 infantry fighting vehicles, 70 pieces of artillery, an assortment of helicopters and air defense, engineering, supply and other combat support vehicles.[/OOC]

[Cassanos]

[OOC]Bumping for Somewhereistonia and Kiev. And anyone else. Beej, how about a diversion in the south?[/OOC)

[Spyr]

Coinciding with German-Baltic maneuvers in the west, the People's Republic of Spyr had announced its own series of military drills and exercises... in the northern province of Yaman, air defense militias ran drills responding to 'hostile incursions into PRS airspace', while the open plains south of Manzhouli were the site of armoured maneuver and live-fire practice by elements of the Strainist Revolutionary Army and attached Drapoel troops of the Unified People's Army.

Such exercises, unlike those undertaken by the Germans, were hardly groundbreaking: a mere reorganization of the standard SRA training calendar, rather than anything new. Still, it was hoped the timing would remind Berlin and Qasarian that they had friends in Asia, and make clear to Kyiv that with potential foes on both sides it ought remember to behave itself.

[Cassanos]

The exercises in Spyr had been duly noted in both Berlin and Warsaw, and appreciated. In a private conversation at a pre-Christmas party in Cracow, both foreign ministers discussed the issue and decided to put their countries' efforts to create a defence alliance with Spyr on the fast track.

Exercise area, Baltic Federation:
After the exercise had run its course and finished with an impressive live-fire demonstration before civilian and military international dignitaries, quiet returned to the fields and forests where the exercise had taken place. Some compensations for exercise damages had still to be paid, most importantly to the poor cattle farmer who has lost six cows to misguided live artillery rounds.
As this had only been an exercise, the old saying had come true, for once: Everyone was back home for Christmas.