1912: The World and a Powder Keg [AltHis|OOC|Dead]

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

Have I got news for you!

(I mean it depends on how close America and Japan are. Probably very close.)

Could there still be some successful American lead programs in Korea, along with greater diplomacy and friendship between the two?

Of course. But if the American government and Japan are close, it’d likely have to be from private business.

[Ostafrika]

And the IC is up!

For those who have reservations and have yet to finish their apps, please try to either post WIP apps or to let me know that you're still working, as I'll be removing fully inactive reservations by tomorrow.

What's the starting date? May 1912?

[Empire of Techkotal]

Nation Application

Full Nation Name: Deutsches Reich / German Empire

Short Nation Name: Germany

National Symbols:

Coat of arms of the German empire

Flag of the German Empire

Capital: Berlin

Territory: The German Empire with German Southwest Africa and German East Africa as colonies.

Form of Government: Monarchy

Head of State: Kaiser Wilhelm. II

Head of Government: Chancellor August Bebel

Ideology: Authoritarianism, Imperialism, Socialism

Population: 65.300.000

Military Description: The German army is a large force compared, but cannot compete with its neighbors in terms of size. The army has 800.000 soldiers during peacetime and could quickly mobilize another 3 million men in a month. Due to a increased focus on the empires land forces the military reached finally reached the required military personnel two years earlier then planned. As militarism is on the rise in Europe the position of officer has become a sought after prestigious post. Although it is hard to become an officer for citizens, but once one is an officer they are elevated to German high society. Because of that there is no shortage of Officers and reserve officers in the empire. The empire is renowned for its artillery and artillery officers. The precision of the German artillery can be contributed to the high standard of education for German officers in ballistics and other military knowledge, which isn't common to such a degree in Europe. Secondly the artillery crew members are highly skilled professional in the army.

The German colonies are protected by the Schutztruppe a small colonial army which consists out of volunteers and non commissioned officers. The bulk of the Schutztruppe is made up out of local mercenaries called Askari.

The German navy is the second largest in the world. Even though it's spending has been significantly reduced by the ADAV and SPAD. Large parts of it count as outdated, because of the introduction of HMS dreadnought. The German fleet consist out the following ships:

Dreadnoughts: 12
Pre-Dreadnoughts: 12
Coastal Defense ships: 8
Protected cruisers: 8
Armored cruisers: 9
Unprotected cruisers: 9
Light cruisers: 17
Mine laying cruisers: 2
Gunboats: 6
Avisos: 7
Corvettes: 2
Torpedo-boats and destroyers: 86

Economic Description: The German empire is the third largest economy behind the US and Britain. It is the largest economy in continental Europe and ranks second after the British empire in exports globally.

Thanks to Germany industrializing later then Britain, it could model it's factories after the most efficient factories in Britain, thus making more efficient use of it's capital avoiding mistakes made by Britain during the early years of industrialization. In 1870 the German steel and textile industry surpassed Britain in organisation and efficiency. By 1911 German and pig iron output reached 18% of global production.


The significantly concentrated German cartel system could make more efficient use of its capital, then the smaller British and French companies furthermore the Germans operated larger factories and more modern then their British and French counterparts, which also meant an increased electricity consumption and therefor a higher electricity production. In 1911 Germany produced more electricity then France, Britain and Italy combined. Though a lot of that electricity was used in the chemical industry.

Germany invested more heavily into research then Britain, especially chemistry and electricity. Due to the Germany's dominance in chemistry and physics, one third of all noble prizes was won by German inventors and researchers. This also contributed to Germany's leading industrial position in many fields.


With the chemical wave of German industrialization Germany dominated the world market for synthetic dyes. In 1900 the German chemical industry was the largest in the world and the German companies like Bayer, BASF and Hoechst produced over several hundreds of different dyes. Through their technological superiority and efficiency the German chemical industry in 1912 produces 90% of worldwide dyestuff supply.

Goals: Reduce tensions between the socialist working class and the bourgeois and the nobility. Ensure European stability and protect German trade. Further increase German Influence in the east and south of Europa.

Point of Divergence: The Social Democratic Workers party together with the somewhat liberal and socialist Centrist party win the elections in 1903 forming a socialist, anti colonial government.

History:
1903 During the 1903 elections the "Bülow Block" lost to a coalition of the SPAD, AAPD, Zentrum and Liberal party. August Bebel from the SPAD became the new chancellor of the German empire and with him a new age of socialism and reforms started. The first actions of the newly formed government were a reform of the government and the tax system. The deficits caused by the fleet program and the colonies over the last years prompted the new government to consider selling some of their colonial possessions. The emperor Wilhelm II was opposed to the idea of selling German colonies and intended to kick out chancellor August Bebel, but as the accumulated cost of the colonies were leaked to the press with the taxes earned from the colonies as comparison the mood shifted. Additional reports about abuse in the colonies gave August Bebel the necessary support to sign a deal with the USA regarding the sell of Togo, Cameroon and German Papua Guinea.

1904 The Herero war broke out in German Southwest Africa. The Herero rose up with around 8.000 fighters armed with modern rifles against the 2.000 soldiers of the Schutztruppe. They occupied large parts of the colony and drove out the garrisoned troops. After the initial shock had settled down, the Germany empire had sent 14.000 soldiers to fight in the war, of which 10% died mostly due to diseases. The fiasco of the Herero war caused a new debate over the remaining colonies. It was decided to rollback all special privileges granted to German settlers and large portions of land would be redistributed to the Herero and Nama tribe, which made up most of the opposition in the colony. Furthermore military careers and studying in German universities was now allowed to black Africans. Although this could be considered a great forward, no changes were made to the other German colony.

1906 With the launch of HMS Dreadnought the German naval plan became obsolete and the appeal from Tirpitz to the Reichstag for an increased naval budget was refused. As such the fleet program of Germany came to a screeching halt. In order to reform the navy four now outdated Battleships were sold to the Ottomans. The new naval program would see no further increase in the fleets budget, which meant that older vessels were either sold or scrapped. The Nassau class dreadnoughts were a big step up for the German High seas fleet, but it was clear that the fleet would never be able to rival Britain.

1908 The daily telegraphs recorded interview with emperor Wilhelm II landed on chancellor August Bebels desk, which after carefully listening to it he forbid from being released.

1909 A new naval budget was passed to strengthen the fleet in order to keep the french fleet in check. The number of Helgoland class dreadnoughts, of which four were laid down, was now doubled. To finance this new increase in government expenditure a new financial system was put in place, which introduced a consumer tax, an inheritance tax and increased taxes for the rich. This led to a small uprising of the Prussian Junkers who were opposed to the changes, which was crushed by the cavalry regiments. To prevent such uprisings in the future and to further distribute power, the voting system was changed from an income based system to a simple system were everyone vote counts the same. This may be the greatest achievement of the socialist, but it also caused their movement to lose momentum.

1910 Two dreadnoughts of the Nassau class were sold to the Ottomans to strengthen ties between Constantinople and Berlin.
#ODQHVVF (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

[Empire of Techkotal]

Wanna buy a few German colonies instead?

I would. What time period?

As for as Hispaniola, if there's clear opposition to a deal with France, It probably looks to making a protectorate oust of just the dominican republic in the late 1890s instead.

Since the US bought most of it, there are only the pacific isles left, but you can have those. As you might guess they would be very cheap and they span over a large area. The time point at which the German government would sell them is 1903.

[Dragos Bee]

So... Who wants to help Ethiopia modernize? We have gold and coal.

[Tracian Empire]

And the IC is up!

For those who have reservations and have yet to finish their apps, please try to either post WIP apps or to let me know that you're still working, as I'll be removing fully inactive reservations by tomorrow.

What's the starting date? May 1912?

1st of January 1912

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

So... Who wants to help Ethiopia modernize? We have gold and coal.

Depends. How much power and moolah do we get?

[Tracian Empire]

Nation Application

Full Nation Name: Deutsches Reich / German Empire


#ODQHVVF (do not delete this, it's for keeping track of the apps)

Accepted

[Dragos Bee]

So... Who wants to help Ethiopia modernize? We have gold and coal.

Depends. How much power and moolah do we get?

You have black engineers and would-be business owners who are chafing under segregation, right? Send them over to us, and we'll give them exclusive rights to the gold deposits in Oromia as long as they employ local workers and give us our fair share of the profits...

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

Depends. How much power and moolah do we get?

You have black engineers and would-be business owners who are chafing under segregation, right? Send them over to us, and we'll give them exclusive rights to the gold deposits in Oromia as long as they employ local workers and give us our fair share of the profits...

Well…uh, you see, because Wilson didn’t get elected, racism isn’t as bad. It’s still bad, but it’s not as bad. And Roosevelt is chugging along, slowly granting rights to blacks.

[Dragos Bee]

You have black engineers and would-be business owners who are chafing under segregation, right? Send them over to us, and we'll give them exclusive rights to the gold deposits in Oromia as long as they employ local workers and give us our fair share of the profits...

Well…uh, you see, because Wilson didn’t get elected, racism isn’t as bad. It’s still bad, but it’s not as bad. And Roosevelt is chugging along, slowly granting rights to blacks.

I love that development...

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

Well…uh, you see, because Wilson didn’t get elected, racism isn’t as bad. It’s still bad, but it’s not as bad. And Roosevelt is chugging along, slowly granting rights to blacks.

I love that development...

Oh, I also forgot; yeah, Fairbanks got fired.

[Raktadweep]

I assume this never happened since it would mean reforms failed - if there was such a rebellion, it would have been crushed by the reformist gov.

Great one colony less to worry about.

Also anyone wanna take Cameroon, Togo, Papua Guinea and all the German Pacific Isles? If possible the German government would have sold them, after facing backlash, because of a financial scandal and reduced unnecessary spending.

Hey, the nation formerly known as Cabana here, this is an INCREDIBLY stupid idea but I'm interested in probably taking Dahomey/Benin and Togo as a Brazilian Liberia under the Olympio family political dynasty. If Tracian finds this fine I can start working on the lore since I already have had a flag made previously and such.

[Tracian Empire]

Great one colony less to worry about.

Also anyone wanna take Cameroon, Togo, Papua Guinea and all the German Pacific Isles? If possible the German government would have sold them, after facing backlash, because of a financial scandal and reduced unnecessary spending.

Hey, the nation formerly known as Cabana here, this is an INCREDIBLY stupid idea but I'm interested in probably taking Dahomey/Benin and Togo as a Brazilian Liberia under the Olympio family political dynasty. If Tracian finds this fine I can start working on the lore since I already have had a flag made previously and such.

The German player has already mentioned that they want to sell German colonies, and I'd much rather have new players than simply more European colonies, so Togo would certainly work.

Benin is French, so you'd have to ask the French player if he'd be willing to give it up.

But as for the lore idea itself, I'm not familiar at all with the Olympio but it sounds interesting, I'd certainly love to see you going for it.

[The Rio Grande River Basin]

Hey, the nation formerly known as Cabana here, this is an INCREDIBLY stupid idea but I'm interested in probably taking Dahomey/Benin and Togo as a Brazilian Liberia under the Olympio family political dynasty. If Tracian finds this fine I can start working on the lore since I already have had a flag made previously and such.

The German player has already mentioned that they want to sell German colonies, and I'd much rather have new players than simply more European colonies, so Togo would certainly work.

Benin is French, so you'd have to ask the French player if he'd be willing to give it up.

But as for the lore idea itself, I'm not familiar at all with the Olympio but it sounds interesting, I'd certainly love to see you going for it.

I mean originally I’d already bought Togo, but if France is willing, I’ll let go of Togo.

[Raktadweep]

Hey, the nation formerly known as Cabana here, this is an INCREDIBLY stupid idea but I'm interested in probably taking Dahomey/Benin and Togo as a Brazilian Liberia under the Olympio family political dynasty. If Tracian finds this fine I can start working on the lore since I already have had a flag made previously and such.

The German player has already mentioned that they want to sell German colonies, and I'd much rather have new players than simply more European colonies, so Togo would certainly work.

Benin is French, so you'd have to ask the French player if he'd be willing to give it up.

But as for the lore idea itself, I'm not familiar at all with the Olympio but it sounds interesting, I'd certainly love to see you going for it.

Yeah I was intending that the Olympios and the other Aguda families buy Togo off of Germany since IRL they had bought land from the Germans there. Sylvanus Olympio, the later head of the family, would even become Togo's first president.

The German player has already mentioned that they want to sell German colonies, and I'd much rather have new players than simply more European colonies, so Togo would certainly work.

Benin is French, so you'd have to ask the French player if he'd be willing to give it up.

But as for the lore idea itself, I'm not familiar at all with the Olympio but it sounds interesting, I'd certainly love to see you going for it.

I mean originally I’d already bought Togo, but if France is willing, I’ll let go of Togo.

Ah my bad I missed the Togo bit, still though if you're game then I am.

[Tracian Empire]

The German player has already mentioned that they want to sell German colonies, and I'd much rather have new players than simply more European colonies, so Togo would certainly work.

Benin is French, so you'd have to ask the French player if he'd be willing to give it up.

But as for the lore idea itself, I'm not familiar at all with the Olympio but it sounds interesting, I'd certainly love to see you going for it.

I mean originally I’d already bought Togo, but if France is willing, I’ll let go of Togo.

You did, but I do think that having a new player would be better (particularly so since there are other German colonies that the US had bought)

It's not something that France has anything to do, so if you're willing to let go of it Raktadweep can claim it.

It's Benin that was a French colony from the start and that CSR would have to give up.

[Raktadweep]

I mean originally I’d already bought Togo, but if France is willing, I’ll let go of Togo.

You did, but I do think that having a new player would be better (particularly so since there are other German colonies that the US had bought)

It's not something that France has anything to do, so if you're willing to let go of it Raktadweep can claim it.

It's Benin that was a French colony from the start and that CSR would have to give up.

Yeah, looking into it, pre-1883, France started taking up some of the coastal cities, but they took it as a protectorate in 1894, and then in 1904, it was fully inducted as a colony. As far as I can tell, the northern bit were just protectorates. The Kingdom of Dahomey did have very good relations with Brazil due to both nations still practicing slavery, and Brazil would import slaves from Dahomey fairly frequently, but I genuinely have no idea when that stopped. Could Cotonou and Porto-Novo stay as French treaty ports, maybe? That would make it look like this.

[Tracian Empire]

You did, but I do think that having a new player would be better (particularly so since there are other German colonies that the US had bought)

It's not something that France has anything to do, so if you're willing to let go of it Raktadweep can claim it.

It's Benin that was a French colony from the start and that CSR would have to give up.

Yeah, looking into it, pre-1883, France started taking up some of the coastal cities, but they took it as a protectorate in 1894, and then in 1904, it was fully inducted as a colony. As far as I can tell, the northern bit were just protectorates. The Kingdom of Dahomey did have very good relations with Brazil due to both nations still practicing slavery, and Brazil would import slaves from Dahomey fairly frequently, but I genuinely have no idea when that stopped. Could Cotonou and Porto-Novo stay as French treaty ports, maybe? That would make it look like this.

Yeah, we'll see whether the French player agrees to it or not.

If not, the British reservation has already expired, so you could theoretically also claim parts of Ghana instead.

[Raktadweep]

Yeah, looking into it, pre-1883, France started taking up some of the coastal cities, but they took it as a protectorate in 1894, and then in 1904, it was fully inducted as a colony. As far as I can tell, the northern bit were just protectorates. The Kingdom of Dahomey did have very good relations with Brazil due to both nations still practicing slavery, and Brazil would import slaves from Dahomey fairly frequently, but I genuinely have no idea when that stopped. Could Cotonou and Porto-Novo stay as French treaty ports, maybe? That would make it look like this.

Yeah, we'll see whether the French player agrees to it or not.

If not, the British reservation has already expired, so you could theoretically also claim parts of Ghana instead.

We'd have all of Togoland in this situation, so we technically would have parts of (modern-day) Ghana anyhow ;^)

[Tracian Empire]

Yeah, we'll see whether the French player agrees to it or not.

If not, the British reservation has already expired, so you could theoretically also claim parts of Ghana instead.

We'd have all of Togoland in this situation, so we technically would have parts of (modern-day) Ghana anyhow ;^)

Well, yes, but since it's 1912 we're talking about these are the 1912 borders - but you could have more of or the rest of Ghana if you would want it.

[Raktadweep]

We'd have all of Togoland in this situation, so we technically would have parts of (modern-day) Ghana anyhow ;^)

Well, yes, but since it's 1912 we're talking about these are the 1912 borders - but you could have more of or the rest of Ghana if you would want it.

Britain got that bit of Togoland post-WW1

[Raktadweep]

words words words words words PUNCHLINE

Also tovarishch, I was thinking about having this state (in my head I'm thinking of the name Republic of Benim (República do Benim, Republik Benim)) operate in the same way Liberia did for Firestone and some of the companies on Fernando Po, exceedingly cheap labor that's practically slavery.

Quoting my Brazillionaire friend:

disguise it under debt peonage and make it a soft power state for the last ish years that's transitioning into a hard power real state by formenting discontent on a few local black bureaucrats against the german occupation

Settle "Independence" under terms you will still provide convict labor to german occupied areas to please said mixed and black higher class while poor people eat shit

what you can do as said is having them start out as not a nation state but just purchased territory

forment independence then work with the germans in an under the table deal that benefits them

germany wouldn't be happy but it'd beat the alternative

He's thinking from more of a historical standpoint, but y'know obv Techkotal, it's entirely up to you here how you wanna hash this out. I'm in favor of the loyal aristocratic oligarchy under German protection; I think the potential for a crisis with France over the debt slavery thing would make some damn good RPing.

[Empire of Techkotal]

He's thinking from more of a historical standpoint, but y'know obv Techkotal, it's entirely up to you here how you wanna hash this out. I'm in favor of the loyal aristocratic oligarchy under German protection; I think the potential for a crisis with France over the debt slavery thing would make some damn good RPing.

If France is willing to give up those territories, you can go with your idea.

CSR just give the territory to the this Player, if you want we can arrange a settlement over the Elsass-Lorain issue as compensation.

[Tracian Empire]

He's thinking from more of a historical standpoint, but y'know obv Techkotal, it's entirely up to you here how you wanna hash this out. I'm in favor of the loyal aristocratic oligarchy under German protection; I think the potential for a crisis with France over the debt slavery thing would make some damn good RPing.

If France is willing to give up those territories, you can go with your idea.

CSR just give the territory to the this Player, if you want we can arrange a settlement over the Elsass-Lorain issue as compensation.

I'm not sure what France has got to do with Togo though.

Togo itself, as per your app, was sold to the US, so assuming that both you and the US player agree, which the US player already has, Raktadweep can have Togo.

CSR would have a say only as far as Benin is concerned. If he is willing to give Benin to Raktadweep, then this state can also have it.

If not, and regardless of what happens to Benin, this Togo-based state can also have the rest of British Guinea, seeing as the British claim has expired.