Gilded Ambitions: Concert of Europe Part V (Gameplay Thread)

[KaiserDave]

The Inauguration of President Pavel Milyukov

The State Duma is packed to capacity in the Petrovsky Palace, with all 600 deputies in attendance, in addition to the packed upper levels with attendees and the press, as well as even a section for an orchestra, specifically the Orchestra of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards of Moscow. At the rostrum, stood Chairman of the State Duma Sergey Muromtsev with his aides, and above him there was a frame, which until this morning had been empty. In the wee hours of the morning, construction men had come in and fitted the frame with a new portrait, a portrait of Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, newly elected President of Russia, in a highly divisive contest. The bewhiskered historian now watched the entire chamber. And now he entered. He had chosen to arrive to the Petrovsky in an automobile, a shocking new technology only just making its way into Russia, eschewing the horse-drawn carriage. His attempt at innovation did not take attention away from the high police and military presence.

Now Milyukov entered the chamber, as soon as he entered there was a roar from the middle of the benches of the Duma, the Constitutional Liberals gave their hearty approval for their man, who had take back power from the treacherous Suvorinite conservatives and triumphed over the extremists, this was there champion. From the others came less immediate polite applause, but also ice-cold silence. Milyukov shook the hand of Muromtsev as his deputies, as well as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Guards, and waved to the Assembly, to which he received an even greater roar of approval from the assembled liberals. Now, everyone stood at attention as the orchestra began to start up. The orchestra burst into the hearty strains of "Slav'sya" (Glory) the National Anthem of the Republic. All stood for the strains of the national anthem which still united most of the hall. Those who had served in the Army, and many had, raised their hand in salute. With the conclusion of the National Anthem, Muromtsev spoke to the hall, announcing the commencement of the Oath of Office. Milyukov was handed a rolled up piece of parchment, which he unrolled and stood at the front of the rostrum to announce.

I, Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, do swear, before God and before the Russian people, to uphold the constitution of the Russian Republic and the principles of Republican government, and to bear true service and loyalty to the Russian people, and to defend with my utmost Russia and all of her people. God bless and save Russia.

A great cheer came from the Liberals again, with polite applause elsewhere. One remembers the Great Redeemer's inauguration in 1876, where the cheers came from every corner of the room with incredible enthusiasm. Now, there was sectionalism and partisanship. Milyukov was presented with the tri-colored Presidential sash by Muromtsev which he bowed to accept over his chest. There was a shout from the Colonel-in-Chief and the guards posted throughout the room presented arms, more clapping, more cheers, more lack of enthusiasm from the extreme ends of the seats. But now, Milyukov removed his speech from his coat, and began to address the hall.


Gentlemen of the Duma, patriots, countrymen, Russians. I am proud today to begin my service as President of this great and glorious Republic, and to render my service to the Russian people, the great Russkiy Narod, who are the most selfless and dignified people I know of, who deserve the best from their elected leaders. I promise to do my very best in their service, and to provide for and serve every corner of our beloved nation, from Minsk in the west and Vladivostok in the east to Konstantingrad in the south and St. Petersburg in the north. It is for Russia that I dedicate my whole life.

I believe my election demonstrates that the Russian people recognize two supreme truths, and it is these truths that will guide my leadership.

Firstly, that Russia is an exceptional nation in the history of the world. An exceptional nation molded by the dedication and the sacrifices made by the great personages who came before us and whose ingenuity have culminated in a uniquely Russian Republic, guided by the wisdom of the Russian people and our storied past. That Russia is the world's most free nation and the great defender and virtue, liberty, and representative government. That while many other nations languish under anti-constitutional ancient despotisms and barbaric tyrannies without any right or recourse for the oppressed peoples, Russia upholds the most sacred and Christian flame of liberty for the entire world. I promise never to shirk from defending the exceptional and inviolable rights and freedoms of the historic Russian family of peoples. Defending these freedoms is my highest calling, not only as practical ideas that the Russian people enjoy, but also as aspirational ideas for the entire world, to which every nation may proceed in their own way.

Secondly, that the Russian people seek good, decent, effective government. They are asking their Duma to work with one another, to restore peace and amity, and to build the prosperity of our nation. They have rejected mere narrow sectionalism and factionalism. This is the course of destruction, and we Russians are above this. The people are demanding an effective course of progress. The Russian people know that this country is capable of great things, but that this can only be accomplished when all parties contribute positively to the Republic and uphold our uniquely Russian free system of government. For that reason I make a comprehensive offer to all parties, I will work with you for the greatness and prosperity of Great Russia, I ask for your good faith and your willingness to work with me for the betterment of Russia. This second truth is that the Russian people are wise, and they are the true masters of the government, and that they are asking for a government that is capable and not crippled by sectionalism.

I intend to announce a course on constitutional reform, foreign policy, economic development, and social discontent that I believe will contribute to the peace and prosperity of all. But in keeping with our Republican constitution, for which I have the greatest respect, they will render their verdict on a new State Duma to work with the President and the Ministers on that course, and for that reason I proudly undertake my noble obligation to dissolve this body, effective immediately, pending elections this spring that will bring forth a new Duma, just according to our cherished Republican traditions.

God save Russia, and may our glorious Republic live for one-thousand years!


Milyukov was received with applause from the chamber, as he waved and shook the hands of Duma members who came to the rostrum, with the notable absence of his greatest rivals. Milyukov exited the chamber after many a shaken hand to his waiting automobile, which would proceed to the Grand Kremlin Palace, the official residence of the President (Suvorin and Mikhaylovsky had always preferred their middle class flats), where outgoing President Mikhaylovsky would receive him and the official photos would be taken. A new age in Russia had begun.

[KaiserDave]

Convention of Riga

Source: Pinterest/Discord

I . The Kingdom of Scandinavia and the Russian Republic, hereinafter “the High Contracting Parties,” declare today that their common purpose shall be the preservation of peace and the territorial status quo in Northeastern Europe.

II . The High Contracting Parties agree to a mutual guarantee of the Russo-Scandinavian border.

III . The High Contracting Parties agree to refrain from any hostile acts against one another.

IV . The High Contracting Parties agree to preserve a state of benevolent neutrality should either party be attacked by any other power.

x Charles XIV, King of Scandinavia

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, President of the Russian Republic

[KaiserDave]

An Ukaz: On Public Safety and Decency

By the Hand of His Excellency THE PRESIDENT on this Day February 24th, Year of our LORD 1900

By the powers invested in me by the Constitution of the Russian Republic and the will of the Russian people, I hereby do order,

A REPRIEVE for the Russkiy Narod, the present regime of lawlessness and discontent shall be brought to a swift and immediate end. There will be no tolerance for the wicked reign of crime and political violence that has terrorized the good and decent people of Russia. Without safety, there cannot be a democratic society or indeed any organized decent society of any kind. Furthermore, in view of imminent elections for the State Duma, continued violence would threaten the central foundations of the Republic.

The REPEAL of previous state policy which had erroneously leaked the public safety instruments and organs of the Russian state, which has led to a climate of fear which evidenced itself in the tragic and shameful events of August 4th, 1897. In keeping with the special powers of the President of the Republic, I declare these policies null, to be replaced by a new policy regime that better respects the rights of the people.

STRONG MEASURES for the restoration of safety and peace to the streets and the countryside of all of our realms and territories, including the strengthening and reorganization of our police and security forces, and designation of the special and sacred role of the Army and Navy in defending the Russian people from all enemies, interior or exterior. Such changes will be promulgated in the state Novaya Gazeta once they are officially compiled.

An APPEAL to all political parties and factions to conduct the coming legislative election in a peaceful and becoming manner in the Russian way, and to respect the ultimate and supreme will of the wise Russian people.

A COMMENDATION of the appeal from the government of Québec for the conclusion of a treaty for the abolition of cruel and unusual forms of warfare, and intent of the full participation of the Russian Republic.

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, President of the Russian Republic

[KaiserDave]

Sino-Russia Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance

Preamble: Thirty-three years ago, the free people of China united together under the banner of liberty to unshackle themselves from the oppression of Imperial Manchu domination. We stood alone against corruption and exploitation from a monarchy foisted upon us by invaders from the North until one day, help arrived from far beyond the steppe.

The people of Russia, themselves liberated from the tyranny of Tsarist oppression, threw their support behind our righteous cause. Twenty-three years ago, the Russian Republicans joined us in our struggle against the imperialist Korean Empire and restored Han sovereignty over the lands of our forefathers. Together we shared in the fruits of victory and helped forge a lasting and just partnership.

Today, we recognize these dual achievements by rekindling a joint Sino-Russian amity, based on mutual respect and friendship. Once again, we gather together today to recognize our shared ambitions together and to unite our people in fraternal solidarity.

With the power vested in our duly appointed representatives, the Russian Republic and the Free Republic of China agree to the following:

I. Freedom of Trade

A. The Free Republic of China shall lower tariffs on the following imports sourced from the Russian Republic:

To zero base percentage points:
1. All materials and inputs derived from or wholly made of processed or unprocessed coal and coke.
2. All hardwood, timber, and/or lumber products.
3. All processed or unprocessed ores, alloys, or such similar goods.
4. All processed or unprocessed textiles and furs.
5. Industrial tools, lathes, presses, and mechanical components.
6. Quarried or mined stone.
7. All industrial oils and lubricants.
8. Finished or unprocessed foodstuffs, whether acquired directly, through wholesale, or from agricultural production.
9. Finished goods or services made available for consumption in third party countries.

B. The Russian Republic shall lower tariffs on the following imports sourced from the Free Republic of China:

To zero base percentage points:
1. All materials and inputs derived from or wholly made of processed or unprocessed coal and coke.
2. All processed or unprocessed textiles and furs.
3. Industrial tools, lathes, presses, and mechanical components.
4. Quarried or mined stone.
5. Finished or unprocessed foodstuffs, whether acquired directly, through wholesale, or from agricultural production.
6. Tea and other such consumable commodities.
7. Finished goods or services made available for consumption in third party countries.

C. The Russian Republic and the Free Republic of China agree to share technical expertise through mutual industrial assistance and collaboration. This includes joint patent sharing between state or privately owned enterprises and joint ventures created for the purposes of economic development.

D. The Russian Republic and the Free Republic of China agree to coordinate on the construction of infrastructure, including roadways, canals, and railways, designed to facilitate trade and economic cooperation. This includes no levied taxation on capital investments initiated by state controlled enterprises or by joint ventures supported by state funding in each respective country.

E. The Russian Republic and the Free Republic of China shall convene a boundary commission within 180 days of the signing of this agreement for the purposes of inspecting and resolving any outstanding disputes over the status of the currently recognized international border.

F. This agreement shall take effect on April 15th, 1900.

X President Zhang Zidong

x President Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov

[KaiserDave]

Treaty of Mutual Guarantee between the Kingdom of Scandinavia, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Russian Republic

Article I:
The Kingdom of Scandinavia, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Russian Republic, hereinafter “the High Contracting Parties,” collectively and severally guarantee, in the manner provided in the following Articles, the maintenance of the territorial status quo resulting from the frontiers between Scandinavia and Russia, between Scandinavia and the Habsburg Monarchy, Scandinavia and Poland, between Poland and the Habsburg Monarchy, between Poland and Russia, and between the Habsburg Monarchy and Russia and the inviolability of the said frontiers as fixed by or in pursuance of the Treaty of Peace signed at Warsaw in 1873, the Treaty of Peace signed at Limassol in 1876 and the Treaty of Peace signed at Prague in 1877.

Article II:
Scandinavia, the Habsburg Monarchy, Poland, and Russia mutually undertake that they will in no case attack or invade each other or resort to war against each other. This stipulation shall not, however, apply in the case of the exercise of the right of legitimate defense, that is to say, resistance to a violation of the undertaking contained in the previous Article.

Article III:
In view of the undertakings entered into in Article II of the present treaty, Scandinavia, the Habsburg Monarchy, Poland, and Russia undertake to settle by peaceful means all questions of every kind which may arise between them.

Article IV:
In case of a flagrant violation of Article II of the present Treaty by one of the High Contracting Parties, each of the other High Contracting Parties hereby undertakes immediately to come to the help of the Party against whom such a violation or breach has been directed as soon as the said Power has been able to satisfy itself that this violation constitutes an unprovoked act of aggression and that by reason either of the crossing of the frontier or of the outbreak of hostilities immediate action is necessary.

x Charles XIV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x President Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov

[KaiserDave]

Vienna Declaration

The powers, taking note of the proclamations from Mexico City, do not find them binding owing to the persistence of multiple claimants to the Mexican throne.

-Louis-Henry von Habsburg-Lothringen on behalf of Charles IX von Hapsburg-Lothringen, Holy Roman Emperor

x Charles XIV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x President Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov

[KaiserDave]

Stockholm Declaration

The powers hereby guarantee the value of the private and state investments of their respective governments and citizens in the Kingdom of Mexico.

x President Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov

[KaiserDave]

Veracruz Convention

The Kingdom of France, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Russian Republic, the Kingdom of Scandinavia and the Kingdom of Mexico, “the High Contracting Parties,” agree to the following:

Article I:
(a)The Kingdom of Mexico shall return previously nationalized property and investments of French, Habsburg, Russian, Scandinavian, New Englander, and Quebecois private investors to their previous owners.
(b)The Kingdom of Mexico shall return previously nationalized property and investments of the French, Habsburg, Russian, Scandinavian, New Englander, and Quebecois states to their previous owners.
(c)The Kingdom of Mexico guarantees that the rights of the above foreign states and nationals to this property shall remain unabridged.

Article II:
(a)The Kingdom of France, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Russian Republic and the Kingdom of Scandinavia recognizes King Luis II de Bourbon-Orleans as the rightful and sole ruler of the Kingdom of Mexico, and disavow approval or recognition for any other claimant to the Mexican throne.

Article III:
(a)The High Contracting Parties agree to undertake no hostile actions against any other High Contracting Party of this treaty, including acts against naval vessels, private property, and national territory.
(b)The Kingdom of France, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Russian Republic and the Kingdom of Scandinavia agree to provide no military support to any active belligerents engaged in hostilities against the Kingdom of Mexico.
(c)The provisions of this article shall not apply in case of a conflict with an ally of the Kingdom of France, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Russian Republic or the Kingdom of Scandinavia.

Article IV:
(a)Notwithstanding the provisions of Article II and Article III, the Kingdom of France, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Russian Republic and the Kingdom of Scandinavia reserve the right to take action to any violation of Article I.

Charles XIV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

X King Luis II de Bourbon-Orleans

x President Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov

[KaiserDave]

Investiture of a New Government

His Excellency, President of the Russian Republic Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, after consultations with leading politicians of the Duma, his appointed the Honorable Georgy Yevgenyevich Lvov to the position of Prime Minister, and has agreed to select a cabinet, after consultations, consisting of members of the Constitutional Liberal, All-Russian Patriotic Alliance, Fatherland Loyalist, and Ukrainian Duma Association parties, with outside support from the Tatar Political Association and Don Cossack Ballot Lists, commanding 335 seats of 600 between them. The new cabinet, as appointed by the President, will consist of the following individuals.

Prime Minister: Georgy Lvov (Konaly)
Minister of the Interior: Vasily Maklakov (Konaly)
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mikhail Suvorin (All-Russia)
Minister of War and Navy: General Alexei Polivanov (No Party)
Minister of Transport: Mikhail Rodzianko (All-Russia)
Minister of Trade and Industry: Alexander Guchkov (Loyalisty Otechestva)
Minister of Justice: Maxim Vinaver (Konaly)
Minister of Finance: Alexander Manuilov (Konaly)
Minister of Education: Vladimir Vernadsky (Konaly)
Minister for Popular Affairs: Andrei Shingarev (Konaly)
Minister of Agriculture: Nikolay Khomyakov (All-Russia)
Minister of Labour: Ivan Shipov (All-Russia)
Minister of Food: Volodymyr Naumenko (Ukrainian Duma Association)
Minister of Post and Telegraph: Solomon Krym (Konaly)

The cabinet received its first confidence vote today at noontime, receiving 334 votes, with one deputy of the Loyalisty Otechestva having taking ill and unable to attend session. There was great applause from government deputies following the vote, and silence from the opposition.

The cabinet will meet in their official headquarters, the Senate Palace in the Moscow Kremlin, with their first meeting taking place morning tomorrow, as soon as the official investiture ceremony takes place, in which the President and Ministers will present the official documents, and the official photos will be taken, as well as the blessing from the Metropolitan of Moscow.

President Milyukov declared in his official statement that the results of the Presidential and Legislative elections demonstrate a popular mandate for constitutional reform, which the Constitutional Liberals have always stood for. In consultations with the representatives of all government parties, the need for constitutional reform was agreed upon without the need for a new election for a Constituent Assembly, arguing that the two elections provided sufficient mandate for a new governing document that will "enshrine the rights of the Russian people" and "uphold the dignity of the Great Russian nation." President Milyukov has invited all parties, including opposition parties, to participate in the process through a Presidentially-appointed Constitutional Council of the State Duma, although the Constitution, once drafted, will only require majority support in Duma to make official.

President Milyukov has celebrated the triumph of democracy, of which "whose spirit must always win out in our Republic." In the face of various global crisis, the President welcomes the formation of a government which commands strong support from the public. The government will now begin its work, which is manifold and complicated.

[KaiserDave]

TREATY OF TROIS-RIVIERES (1900)

ARTICLE 1
Any form of biological warfare, as well as all forms of chemical warfare with the sole exception of non-lethal tear inducing irritants for emergency domestic situations; are hereby considered to be ungentlemanly forms of warfare.

ARTICLE 2
The previously mentioned forms of ungentlemanly warfare are hereby banned within the territory of the signatures for domestic use, and for international use in terms of pre-emptive or first-use.

ARTICLE 3
The stockpiling of agents for biological and chemical warfare is hereby prohibited. All current stockpiles of such agents must be disposed of.

ARTICLE 4
Research on chemical and biological warfare will only be allowed for the purposes of finding countermeasures, antidotes or for purely scientific purposes. Incentives and support will be provided for experts in such fields to switch to non-lethal research. Signatures must share their findings with the Ungentlemanly Warfare Commission in order to prevent and/or deter the start of a new arms race.

ARTICLE 5
The sale of agents for chemical and biological warfare will be made illegal. Companies that held a role or stake in such fields until January 1st, 1900, and who may encounter financial losses as the result of this protocol, may be reasonably compensated by their respective nation if they so decide, under their preferred mechanism.

ARTICLE 6
The signatories will further formally renounce the right to non-first usage of chemical and biological weapons in self-defence for all time. To enforce this renunciation, all signatories will agree to enact immediate and full economic sanctions, including an economic embargo, against any nation that engages in ungentlemanly warfare after the aforementioned date. Signatories must also pass legislation or enact decrees that ensure compliance with Article 6.

ARTICLE 7
An Ungentlemanly Warfare Commission will be established in a city belonging to the Swiss Republic or any such other neutral and non-aligned nation, with participants from all signatories. Delegations from the Commission will be provided reasonably access to signatory countries to ensure compliance with the previous articles.

The Commission must ensure that the make up of delegations to specific countries places emphasis on neutral, non-aligned, or non-rival nations to the one to be inspected. Information thus collected will remain the private, exclusive property of of the Commission, which must enact regulations with harsh penalties for any actors who illegally access or divulge any of its contents.

Suspicion of non-compliance must be brought to the Commission, who will issue a report – by majority vote – within 90 days outlining whether Article 6 ought to be invoked.

x Wilhelmina I von Hohenzollern,
Empress and Defender of Québec

x Chairman John Francis Fitzgerald, Confederation of New England
x Secretary of State Lucius F. C. Garvin, Confederation of New England

x Francis III, King of Naples.

x Tommaso Tittoni, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Naples

x Giovanni Giolotti, First Minister of State and Minister of Foreign and Colonial Affairs of the Kingdom of Naples.

x President Arsenio Linares y Pombo

x Foreign Minister Francisco Silvela y Le Vielleuze

x Federico González Suárez, Archbishop-President of the Holy Republic of Gran Colombia

x Manuel Antonio Matos, Secretary of State of the Holy Republic of Gran Colombia

x Louis XX de Bourbon, King-Emperor of France

Charles XIV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x Nikolai Nikolayevich Pokrovsky, Envoy of the Russian Foreign Ministry
on BEHALF of
x President Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov
x Prime Minister Georgy Yevgenyevich Lvov

[KaiserDave]

Memo of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Russian Republic G.Y. Lvov


Pursuant to the Treaty of Trois-Rivières, an complete and total embargo on trade with Louisiana is to be implemented, to take effect within 30 days.

[KaiserDave]

After lengthy deliberations of cabinet, between the President and his counselors, and most importantly of the Constitutional Committee of the State Duma, a final draft of the proposed Constitution has been finished, and published in the Novaya Gazeta. Now what is left is ratification by the State Duma, which will require a simple majority. President Milyukov has praised the finalization of talks, describing the final draft as a "glorious liberty document" founded on "uniquely Russian principles of self-government."

The Constitution of the Russian Republic


Preamble

We, the Russian nation, united into an exceptional family of peoples by common tradition, stewardship of the land, feats of heroism, and Republican virtues, and guided by the historic personages of our history, do hereby establish this Constitution for the Republic of the Russian nation.

Article I: General Stipulations

The Russian Republic is the indivisible, sovereign, and unified state of the Russian people, whom have existed and stewarded the land for centuries.

Russia is established as a democratic constitutional Republic, whereby all legitimate political power originates from the Russian people, who are the supreme masters of the land. This is the inviolable foundation of the state.

The Constitution of the Russian Republic is the supreme law of the land and the repository of the rights of the people, it is to this constitution and to these rights which all officers of state must swear allegiance.

The Capital of the Russian Republic is the sacred and inviolable city of Moscow, the heart of the Russian people.

The National Flag of the Russian Republic is the white-blue-red tricolor, and the National Emblem of the Russian Republic is the double-headed eagle.

The State Language of the Russian Republic shall be the Russian language, and all state documents will be produced thusly in the Cyrillic alphabet of the Russian language. Minority languages are recognized among the many peoples of Russia. Regional governments may petition to use documentation in local languages in addition to Russian.

The Russian Republic, for security and continuing stability, will not allow any member of the Romanov family to reside within or enter the borders of the Republic unless they renounce for perpetuity any claim to the defunct throne of Russia.

Article II: Structure of Government

The Executive Branch shall consist of the President of the Russian Republic and the Government of the Republic. The President is the chief officer of the executive branch and the Head of State. The President will have manifold powers, duties, and responsibilities. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government, and is the chief officer of the cabinet which possesses manifold powers, duties, and responsibilities.

The Legislative Branch shall consist of the bicameral Zemsky Sobor of the Russian Republic, with the lower house of the State Duma and the upper house of the Senate. The State Duma shall consist of 800 deputies duly elected by the Russian people to five-year terms and shall possess manifold powers, duties, and responsibilities. The Senate shall consist of all former Presidents and Prime Ministers, as well as distinguished individuals appointed by the President to ten-year terms. The Senate shall consist of no more than 100 Senators. The Senate shall be appointed on a gradual basis, with twenty Senators being appointed a year until the year 1906 or a count of 100 Senators is reached, whichever comes first.

The Judicial Branch shall consist of all courts of law of the Russian Republic and shall possess the role of arbitrating various disputes under the law and the constitution of the Republic. There shall be a High Court of the Russian Republic. The High Court shall be appointed by the All-Russian Extraordinary Judicial Selection Committee for ten-year terms.

Article III: Powers, Duties, and Responsibilities

The President of the Republic is shall be responsible for leading the Republic, and is the chief officer of state. The President will be responsible for granting assent for laws passed by the Duma, and should the President not grant assent, it will require a two-thirds vote of the Duma to override his veto. The President shall be responsible for appointing the Prime Minister and Ministers of State, but the cabinet shall require a majority confidence vote of the Duma. The President shall be responsible for governing the diplomatic affairs of the state, and all other external issues. The President shall further be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, and be responsible for the appointment of senior military officers. The President shall be responsible for approving all appointments to Ministerial staff and regional administrative bodies. The President may issue Ukase (decrees) on various affairs, but these may not alter existing law passed by the Duma.

The President may be removed from office if they have committed crimes against the state or the people. If the Duma votes by two-thirds, a case will be brought before the High Court, and if the Court determines guilt, the President will be removed from office.

If the President is removed from office, fatally hurt, or otherwise incapacitated, the Chairman of the State Duma shall assume the office of Interim President, pending a special Presidential election within 90 days. The Interim President depends on the confidence of the Duma.

The Prime Minister is the chief officer of the government and is responsible for the day-to-day governance of the country, and the implementation of the laws of the Duma through the state bureaucracy. The Prime Minister is responsible for chairing all meetings of cabinet, and like cabinet, is dependent on the confidence of the Duma. The Prime Minister also depends on the confidence of the President.

The State Duma is responsible for proposing, debating, and passing legislation on various subjects. The Duma is responsible for determining the rate of collection and distributing revenues of state. The Duma shall be chaired by the State Duma Chair, who is elected by the Duma itself. Laws passed by the Duma and assented by the President may only be adjusted by a new Law of the Duma, or a decision of the Courts.

The Senate is responsible for providing careful counsel and deliberation to measures adopted by the Duma, but the Senate may not reject measures regarding collecting tax revenues or distribution of tax revenues, and must adopt them within the span of one year. The Senate shall be chaired by the President of the Senate, who shall chair meetings and break ties where applicable.

No single individual may possess the positions of President or Prime Minister simultaneously, or Prime Minister or President and head of either chamber of the Duma.

Article IV: Elections

The President shall be elected for a five year term, starting in the Presidential election of 1906. A candidate shall require a majority of the vote to be elected, and if no candidate shall receive a majority on the first ballot, a runoff between the two highest vote-getters will occur no more than 30 days after the first ballot.

The State Duma shall be elected every 5 years, starting in the election of 1906, although the President may dissolve the Duma at any time if a Government cannot gain confidence, with elections being held within 60 days of dissolution. 400 Seats of the Duma shall be elected via proportional representation, with a threshold to enter the State Duma of 3 percent of the national vote. 400 seats of the Duma shall be elected via equally populated electoral districts, to be determined by the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Elections and adjusted for every election based on population.

All naturalized Male citizens above the age of 18 have the inviolable right to vote in elections.

Article V: Regions

The Russian Republic shall be divided into administrative regions. Each region shall be headed by a Governor and regional bureaucracy appointed by the President, but will be held accountable to local Dumas elected via proportional representation. Regions possess the right to pass legislation according to their local particularities and distribute revenues from local taxes, which require gubernatorial assent unless there is a two-thirds majority for passage, but they may not contradict existing statute passed by the State Duma or decisions of the High Court.

Article VI: State of Emergency

In the case of a national emergency that threatens the integrity of the state or the national territory, the President may issue an Ukase to declare a State of Emergency, in which the President may govern absolutely by decree. After a period of 60 days, the State Duma possesses the power to end the emergency by a majority vote. The President may also end the Emergency at any time.

During the period of Emergency, the High Court may decide to end the Emergency if it is determined that the national situation does not threaten the integrity of the state or the national territory.

Article VII: The Army and Navy

The military forces of the Russian Republic shall consist of the Russian Army and the Russian Navy.

The Army and the Navy are the sword and shield of the Russian nation, of its security and territorial integrity, but also of the rights of the Russian people and the Constitution of the Republic. The Army and Navy hold the sacred responsibility for the defense of the Constitution and the nation from enemies foreign and domestic.

Article VIII: The Holy Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Catholic Church shall possess a special role in the state as the guardian of the spiritual health of Russia. The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus' has a reserved seat in the Senate.

Article IX: Enumerated Rights

• The right of all Russians to a fair trial before the law shall not be abridged.
• The right of all Russians to freedom of speech, of press, and of association shall not be abridged.
• The right of all Russians to exercise their freedom of conscience, including free religious exercise, shall not be abridged.
• The right of all eligible Russians to vote in regularly scheduled elections, shall not be abridged.
• The right of all Russians to equality before the law, regardless of gender, faith, ethnic background, wealth, or stratum, shall not be abridged.
• The right of all Russians to peacefully assemble and petition the government for redress shall not be abridged.
• The right of all Russians against subjection to slavery or involuntary servitude shall not be abridged.
• The right of all Russians against torture and guilt by association shall not be abridged.

Article X: Amending the Constitution

The Constitution of the Russian Republic may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the State Duma.

[KaiserDave]

The Dawn of the New Republic

June 5th, 1901. Constitution Day. Sergey Andreyevich Muromtsev gaveled the State Duma into session, the chamber of the Petrovsky Palace was packed to the brim with journalists, deputies, and soldiers. Prime Minister Lvov was seen on the floor chatting discreetly with Mikhail Suvorin and Vasily Maklakov, Andrei Argunov was in the back rows quietly conversing with Viktor Chernov, and Vladimir Purishkevich and Alexander Dubrovin huddled with other deputies of their party in the far-right of the chamber, seemingly furious. Muromtsev hammered the gavel again, and the deputies returned to their seats.

"On the question of passage, the draft constitutional proposal of G.Y. Lvov." There was a raucous cry of cheers, and of boos. "The clerk will now call the role."


One by one the names of each deputy were called. Starting with "Aladin, Aleksei F." of Partiya krest'yanstva and then onwards. There was hardly much worry that the proposal would fail, there was more consternation on the party of the government that it would fail to secure any support whatsoever from the opposition, given the virulent speeches of Argunov denouncing the document as "written by the monopolist" and Purishkevich saying it was written by the "the anti-Russian, the Jew, the treacherous intelligentsia, the Mazepist, and the savage Turk." But Pyotr Struve and his moderate socialists had always been more amendable to gradualism, and were encouraged by the abolition of the literacy test, opening up the franchise to millions of peasants. And soon, the 301 seat threshold was crossed with the vote of Maklakov himself. There was a raucous cheer from the government benches, and cheering from assembled journalists.

Young newly minted Cadet Boris Shaposhnikov, inspired by the entire constitutional reform process, ran as fast as he could out of the chamber, racing past the journalists and the guards, he grabbed a flagpole from one of the hallways bearing the banner of the state, arousing objections and shouts from guards, but he was too fast. He ran into the courtyard where he could see the massive crowd, arrayed by the thousand behind the gates. He shouted as loud as he could while waving the flag frantically.

"We have a constitution!" There was a wild cheer from the masses, and great and sustained clapping. There was a real sense of enthusiasm in the air, that something special in Russia was happening.


Within the chamber, the dust was settling. Struve's Popular Socialists had indeed broken towards the government by a vote of 20-14. There were a few defections from the conservative right of the government, but also a few surprise votes from the left wing parties, apparently Argunov had not been able to hold as strong a whip as anticipated. The national minority parties also voted in favor. The fiercest opposition came from the far-right. The monarchists and Nevskyists who would rather die than sign a devoutly Republican document, enshrining liberal democracy. But today they would not win. By a vote of 362-236, the Constitution had been adopted.

The official document was given to a courier who got to a carriage surrounded by Horse Guards. The courier's party travelled through the now cheering flag-waving crowds throughout Moscow, arriving at the Kremlin after significant delay. A guard troop accompanied by Prime Minister Lvov delivered the document to President Milyukov in his office, who affixed his seal and signature to the document with photographers present. The original document was photographed multiple times, and then shuffled away to the bowels of the Kremlin for permanent storage. In the streets, copies of the constitution were posted everywhere, creating a great deal of litter.

In every city and town of the Republic, there were crowds, and even in the remote villages of Siberia, a copy of the constitution was pinned the door of the village hall.

President Milyukov issued a statement to be published in the press, in which he acclaimed the document, congratulated the Duma and praised those who participated in creating and supporting the document and declared the "new Republic, an age of peace and plenty, and an age of law, for the great Russian people" Time will tell if the lofty promises of the constitution can lead to a truly new age.


In keeping with the new governing document of Russia, President Milyukov has made his first appointments to the upper house of the Zemsky Sobor, the Senate.

The Honorable and Most Excellent A.S. Suvorin (President of the Senate)
The Honorable B.N. Chicherin
The Honorable N. K. Mikhaylovsky
The Honorable D. A. Milyutin
The Honorable A. P. Strolman
The Honorable I. M. Obolensky
The Honorable N. S. Rusanov
His Beatitude Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' V. N. Bogoyavlensky
The Honorable N. G. Stoletov
The Honorable M. S. Hrushevsky
The Honorable N. Rimsky-Korsakov
The Honorable V.M. Vasnetsov
The Honorable M. A. Balakirev
The Honorable I. Y. Repin
Erkhem Gonchigjalzangiin Badamdorj
The Honorable N. F. Annensky
Chief Rabbi of Moscow Yaakov Mazeh
The Honorable A. S. Zarudny
The Honorable Y. F. Karsky
The Honorable M. I. Chigorin
The Honorable Ismail Gasprinsky

[KaiserDave]

The Concord of Sevastopol

The Russian Republic and the Turkist Empire resolve, in the sincere desire for cooperative and dignified relations, to adopt the following measures suited the mutual promotion of their respective national interests.

I . The practice of diplomatic relations in a cooperative and frank manner that reflects a mutual desire for peace and amity.
II . Active and deliberate communication on regional security and trade issues, including intelligence sharing on threats to regional stability.
III . The mutual recognition of the boundary between the Turkist Empire and Russia as it exists, and the recognition of the Black Sea as a peaceful vessel for international commerce.
IV . Respect for the sovereignty of one another, and the independent foreign policy of each state, as well as their course of internal political development.
V. A course of strong joint economic and commercial development, including the construction of new rail-lines from Konstantingrad in the west and Trebizond in the east throughout the Turkist Empire.
VI. The sale of improved industrial equipment from Russian enterprise to Turkey at an advantageous price, preferential placement on imports of coal and oil, as well as cooperation on industrial development in general
VII. A loan to the Turkist state for the construction of new commercial drydocks in Sinop

x President Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov

[KaiserDave]

An Ukaz: On the Public Emergency

By the Hand of His Excellency THE PRESIDENT on this Day September the Second, Year of our LORD 1901

By the powers invested in me by the Constitution of the Russian Republic and the will of the Russian people, I hereby do order,
 
A ten-day period of mourning for the Honorable G. Y. Lvov, S. A. Muromtsev, and Gospozha Suvorina, esteemed and dutiful citizens of the Republic, murdered by terrorists, as well as for all victims of the bombing of the Bolshoi.

A state funeral to be held for the Honorable G. Y. Lvov, S. A. Muromtsev, and Gospozha Suvorina.

A state guard to be established at the Bolshoi to stand watch over the improvised memorial established by those laying flowers for all those victims of terrorism.

A comprehensive and thorough investigation into those responsible for the bombing of the Bolshoi Theater, in keeping with the law.

A state fund to be made available for the reconstruction of the Bolshoi, a centerpiece of our national culture, pending the approval of the Zemsky Sobor.

A reconstruction of the government, with the Honorable V. A. Maklakov to be named PRIME MINISTER of the Republic, and the Honorable Senator A. S. Zarudny to co-serve in the cabinet as MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR.

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, President of the Russian Republic

[KaiserDave]

The Government Survives

September 12th, 1901. A Black Day. Though the ten-day mourning period had ended, the resplendent Hall of the Order of St. George was filled with men in all-black suits, and the guards posted to the entrances had black ribbons on their uniforms. It was still dark in the Russian Republic, the Bombing at the Bolshoi had shook the nation to its core. The loss of two statesman, so great in stature and foundational to the new constitution, was hard to accept. But this was the hand that fate had dealt Russia.

The entire Zemsky Sobor was to assemble in the Grand Kremlin Palace, the residence of the President. The men of the State Duma were proceeding to the palace from Petrovsky, where they had just held a special session to elect a new State Duma Chairman, the Honorable Nikolai Ivanovich Kareev, and to establish confidence in the new Prime Minister, Maklakov. Now, President Milyukov would address the entire Assembly of the Land.

The deputies of the Duma and the Senators took their spots, Senators at the front. Mikhaylovsky and Chicherin the two most recent Presidents, with St. Nicholas-ian beards, sat at the front with other Senators, but Suvorin the Elder sat next to Kareev, right behind the President's rostrum.

The guards beat the drum, the hall fell silent. A shout from the Colonel-in-Chief, "His Excellency, President of the Republic, Pavel Milyukov!" Milyukov emerged, his face marked by many sleepless nights, sharpened from its usual gentlemanly softness. The entire crowd came to its feet and gave him a cheer. Socialists and nationalists both. Milyukov approached the rostrum, set his speech down and out from his suit pocket, and began.

"Deputies of the State Duma, Senators, Chairman Kareev, President Suvorin. It is a terrible tragedy that I am here to give this speech, which is born of terrible tragedy, but nonetheless it is my duty to give it. There has been a savage, ruthless attack against our state. Though this attack, made through the use of crude explosive, was unsuccessful in its aim of destroying the leadership of the Republic in fire and smoke, it claimed the lives of brilliant statesmen and decent citizens of the Republic. It is a bloody and terrible blow to us all. This is why we have mourned so deeply, and why thousands of Russians have gone to the steps of the Bolshoi to lay flowers and light candles.

Despite our grief, we must be clear-eyed. This was a terrorist attack, intended to assassinate the entire government, including myself, and destabilize the Republic. This was an attack on the constitution, this was an attack on democracy. But, I tell you now, I am alive, this government survives, and we will not be frightened.

(Applause)

Though this terrorist savagery has failed in its primary aim, it still may, in failure, seek to paralyze the government. Leave it immobile in shock, prone to act rashly or not act at all, become crippled by dysfunction. I say simply to the terrorist masterminds of this dark, bloody conspiracy...not afraid! Not afraid! The Russian Republic stands, poised and ready to strike back!

(Applause)

Make no mistake, a comprehensive investigation will be conducted with all available state elements to discover the faces behind this act. We will find them, whether they are within Russia or abroad, and we will destroy them utterly. They will not find safety in any royal court on the planet, in any country, or in any cave or mountain. Russia will find them wherever they go. If they live, they will live in a constant state of mortal terror, fleeing from one miserable hideaway to the next, until they are found and compromised. There will be no rest, neither for them or agents of the state.

(Applause)

We must also understand the attack as one against our national culture. The Bolshoi has stood as a global marker of Russia and Russia-ness for three-quarters of a century. It must be rebuilt to its former glory, every work of architectural genius will be restored, and not a single physical mark of the bombers work will be allowed to stand. Russia rebuilds, stronger than before!

(Applause)

In closing I must ask you all once again to come together as Russians. This was an attack on our state, our government, but also the entire country. Representatives of all political parties and factions were shoved in front of the flame. Each and every person in this room would have been a target, and so each and every person here must unite, come together. I am asking for a harmonious domestic house, so that together we will restore strength and unity, and obtain justice. In a chaotic world, Russia stands as a light in the dark, and we mustn't let the light waver.

Long live the Republic! Glory to Holy Rus'! Long live the Constitution!

(Applause)

Milyukov remained at the rostrum to receive the applause. The President endures. The government lives. The Republic and the constitution shall endure. There is much to be done.

[KaiserDave]

Treaty

The Concord of Vladivostok (1902)

The long, checkered history between Russia and Korea has not been without hindrances. Indeed, a generation ago, our two realms stood at war, locked in a pointless struggle under the direction of the bloodthirsty Yi Ho. Today, a new order has dawned, and under it we do resolve to reconcile our differences and blossom a new relationship between our two republics, so that our people may enjoy the fruits of lasting peace, harmony, and brotherhood, joined for a new era.

In pursuance of the foregoing aims, the Republic of Russia and the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as the “High Contracting Parties”) do affix their signature to agree to the following terms:

Article I. Principles.
1. There shall exist a perpetual state of peace and friendship between the Republic of Russia and the Republic of Korea.
2. We, the High Contracting Parties, henceforth agree to pursue strong bilateral ties, through the liberalization of trade, the encouragement of cultural intercourse, and the establishment of regular diplomatic exchange.
3. We, the High Contracting Parties, henceforth recognize the inviolable territorial sovereignty of one another and commit to summon arms in the event it is violated by other nations.
4. We, the High Contracting Parties, henceforth respect the political sovereignty of one another and agree not to interfere in either's internal affairs.

Article II. Trade Liberalization.
1. The Republic of Korea shall reduce its tariffs on the following Russian products by 75%:
(a) Grain;
(b) Hardwood, timber, and lumber products;
(c) Petroleum and petroleum products; and
(d) Raw cotton, furs, and processed textiles thereof.
2. The Republic of Russia shall reduce its tariffs on the following Korean products by 75%:
(a) Rice;
(b) Tea and ginseng;
(c) Silk and processed textiles thereof;
(d) Pearls and Mother-of-Pearl products; and
(e) Livestock hide and skins.
3. The tariff reductions shall be implemented in phases: 20% in 6 months; 45% in 1 year; 60% in 1 1/2 year; 75% in 2 years.
4. On all other goods, tariffs shall be reduced by 25%, no higher than those of the most favored nation, excluding China.
5. The Republic of Russia shall increase its exports of industrial tools, lathes, presses, and mechanical components to the Republic of Korea. Tariffs for these items shall be suspended.

Article III. Diplomatic Relations.
1. The High Contracting Parties shall exchange envoys and maintain permanent diplomatic missions in each other’s nation. To that end, respective consular facilities shall be constructed in Moscow and Seoul.
2. The High Contracting Parties shall engage in regular diplomatic communication on regional security concerns and trade, and in the event any controversy should arise between the two parties in relation to it, both shall exert their good offices to bring about an amicable, peaceful agreement.
3. The High Contracting Parties agree to extradite to each other any person who is wanted in the other for prosecution, trial, and punishment for imprisonment of a period exceeding one year, or a more severe penalty.

Article IV. Economic Cooperation.
1. The Republic of Russia shall issue a one-time, no-interest loan of 50,000,000 Rubles (~900 million USD in 2024) to the Republic of Korea as a symbol of its renewed commitment to financial partnership and reinvestment, which shall be paid back in full no later than one decade following the enactment of this treaty, unless extended by mutual assent.
2. The High Contracting Parties agree to coordinate the extension of the Trans-Siberian railway to a Korean national railway, including a route between Vladivostok and Seoul.
3. A Bilateral Rail Commission is established in pursuance of the foregoing provisions, consisting of 10 members, of which each party shall appoint half. The Commission shall be responsible for the composing of a basic framework and the coordination of it with each nation's respective ministries.
4. The High Contracting Parties shall additionally coordinate the establishment of new maritime trade and supply networks along the East Sea (otherwise known as the 'Sea of Japan'). The Republic of Korea shall open its mainland ports to Russian merchant ships at reduced docking fees.
5. The High Contracting Parties shall establish an official rate of exchange between the Russian Ruble and the Korean Won based on relative market value and purchasing power.
6. The High Contracting Parties shall levy no tax nor duty upon capital investments initiated by state controlled enterprises or by joint ventures supported by state funding in each respective country.

Article V. Cultural Exchange.
1. The High Contracting Parties shall establish a bilateral student exchange program to facilitate cultural intercourse in each nation's respective universities, which shall permit no less than 50 applicants of exceptional merit annually.
2. The High Contracting Parties shall encourage the exchange of professors from the fields of science, mathematics, architecture, and construction, providing advantageous salaries no less than twice offered in their home nation.
3. The High Contracting Parties agree to not infringe upon the rights of religious or spiritual figures of the other to proselytize freely and without impediment.

Article VI. Miscellaneous.
1. In the interest of regional security, the Republic of Russia shall provide assistance in the training and technical development of the military of the Republic of Korea. To that end, Russian officers and instructors are invited to coordinate joint exercises and strategic consultations.
2. In the spirit of friendship, the Republic of Russia shall afford all Koreans residing in Vladivostok and the Transamur region equal protection under the law, and shall ensure safe passage for those seeking to return to Korea.
3. The corresponding navies and merchant marines of the High Contracting Parties shall have safe harbor within the ports of both nations during times of peace and of war.
4. Both parties shall periodically review the terms of this agreement and amend it as needed. Both parties reserve the right to terminate this agreement if its terms are breached, upon written notice to the other.
5. This agreement shall take effect on June 1st, 1902.

x Gwon Jaehyung, President of the Republic of Korea

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, President of the Russian Republic

[KaiserDave]

Acapulco Convention

A TREATY between the Kingdom of Mexico and the Russian Republic, for mutual economic benefit.

- The Republic of Russia shall issue a one-time, high-interest (~15%) loan of 40,000,000 Rubles to the Kingdom of Mexico as a symbol of its renewed commitment to financial partnership and reinvestment, which shall be paid back in full no later than 5 years following the enactment of this treaty, unless extended by mutual assent.
- The Russian Republic will increase prioritization for Mexico in wheat and beef exports.
- The Kingdom of Mexico will lease the port of Acapulco to absolute Russian legal authority, which shall last for as long as the loan is outstanding or the year 1952, whatever comes first. The port of Acapulco shall be considered absolute Russian territory for the duration of this period.
- This Convention shall not, in any way whatsoever, violate the absolute Russian neutrality in the current North American conflict, or the ability of Russia to make financial arrangements with other involved powers. The Russian possession of the port of Acapulco shall play no role in obstructing or abetting enemies of Mexico in the present conflict.

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, President of the Russian Republic

[KaiserDave]

Memo of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Russian Republic V. A. Maklakov


Under no circumstances should any military vessels of any nation, other than the Navy of the Russian Republic, be permitted passage through the sovereign territory of Russia, the Dardanelles passage, unless express permission is granted by the Russian Republic, co-signed by the President, Prime Minister, and the Admiral of the Mediterranean Fleet.

[KaiserDave]

Memo of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Russian Republic V. A. Maklakov


Upon review of the Report of Imperial Foreign Minister the Graf Montecuccoli, and consultation with the President and the finest legal minds in the Russian Republic, the Russian government must concur with the findings of the Imperial Foreign Ministry. Therefore, the Russian government will not levy an embargo upon the Holy Republic of Gran Colombia, but not does eliminate the possibility of future sanctions if an evidenced pattern of dishonest activity presents itself.

[KaiserDave]

A WARRANT

For the arrest of suspects wanted for questioning on the Bombing of the Bolshoi Theater.

A MARIA IVANOVNA
Hair: Auburn
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5 Foot, 6 Inches
Language of Choice: Russian
An ANASTASIA ALEXANDROVNA
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5 Foot, 8 Inches
Language of Choice: Russian
A VERA ALEKSEEVNA (or IVANOVNA)
Hair: Auburn
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5 Foot, 6 Inches
Language of Choice: Russian, or Polish, or Belarusian

Last Seen in SOUTH RUSSIA and GEORGIA
A SUBSTANTIAL REWARD will be offered for information on their whereabouts

x Ivan Stepanovich Oborin, Judge of the Moscow Uezd

[KaiserDave]

Grand Kremlin Palace, Interior, October 12th, 1901


President Milyukov stands by the fireplace in his glorious study, filled with bookshelves, a large globe with complicated instruments, two large national flags flanking his desk, and portraits of President Chicherin and the thinker Timofey Granovsky. Milyukov ponders as his longtime friend, the Chief of Police, Nabokov finishes his report on the newest details of the bombing.


Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov: President of the Russian Republic
Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov: Chief of Police

V. D. Nabokov
My men found three different workers from the theater who have fled Moscow since the attack, they are gathering everything there is to know about them, and will soon have them in custody. They have already taken possession of their personal property, including the works of Chernyshevsky and their diaries where they professed their hatred for the "Republic of Landlords."

P. N. Milyukov
So you are saying they are left-wing agitators?

V. D. Nabokov
Without a doubt.

P. N. Milyukov
I have a doubt. The politics of terror, of Nechayev, of Propaganda postupka, it is long dead. It has been consigned to history. And besides, there were socialists in attendance at the opera. And they never would have put so many of the staff of the Bolshoi in danger. Why would these leftists want me dead? I'm the only thing holding back the destruction of the Republic, I've established the universal suffrage, I've even maintained the system of social goods. No, no look for the culprit among those unreconstructed reactionaries and lunatics, those who long for the return of the ancient autocracy. The monarchists.

V. D. Nabokov
Monarchists? Doddering old men, hardly capable of building a bomb, far too busy looking for Jews under their beds.

P. N. Milyukov
They are more powerful than you think, and a Romanov return is a sacred crusade for them. They would stop at nothing to destroy the Republic. Yes, look amongst their ranks.

V. D. Nabokov
There is no evidence of any involvement of monarchist organizations. We have already been in contact with our men from the special department amongst the Loyalists of the Imperial Throne, Brothers of the Martyr Peter IV, amongst the Disciples of the Holy Orthodox Cross, they are irrelevant and incapable, as they always have been. But we have a very credible lead right here.

P. N. Milyukov
Then look harder! I tell you Vladimir Dmitrievich you do not understand them like I do. They are capable of anything, and would have strong support from abroad. They wrap themselves in icons and shake themselves about muttering and praying like complete lunatics, begging for the return of their "Holy Tsar." They would not hesitate to blow up all of Moscow while chanting dogma.

V. D. Nabokov
My job is to carry out investigations and deliver you reports. I am doing my job that you assigned to me.

P. N. Milyukov
Hmmmm....I have stacks of reports on my desk from the Dezabe. They all say the same thing Volodya. There are enemies, inside our country and outside, they are determined to destroy the Republic. I didn't understand how serious it was until they tried to drown the entire government in fire. You will forgive my abruptness. I am besieged. We are defending the work of generations.

V. D. Nabokov
We will not relent in our work to apprehend everyone responsible.

P. N. Milyukov
And never allow the government of Russia to be bloodied like this again.

[KaiserDave]

Speech of the President to the Russo-Bulgarian Friendship Society

President Milyukov did not want to make such a speech, in made him furious to write such a speech, it was a humiliation to sit down late at night in his study with his chief speechwriter and get it done. It was a further humiliation to see Mikhail Alexievich's sneering smile upon reading it, to implore him to attend the giving of the speech, and urge him to dismiss the rumor work in Moscow that the right was preparing to withdraw from the coalition. Milyukov had no great love for the Bulgars, whom he viewed as ungrateful as they were duplicitous. The Treaty of Limassol had been exceeding generous to the Bulgarians, granting them vast tracts of ancestral land in Dobruja and Macedonia. Russian effort had granted the Bulgarians much. How did they repay this? By sending their fleet through the Dardanelles under the cover of "naval exercises" to hoodwink Moscow on their planned war on the Greeks.

Milyukov did not hate the Bulgarians from ignorance, he had lectured in Sofia and was fluent in their language, or from prejudice, as he viewed the Bulgarians as constituent members of the Russian world, but out of fury for the awkward situation they had placed the government. He had hoped the Russian public would be furious at taking advantage of Dardanelles passage, but instead the public was filled with emotive Pan-Slavism. Very well. But Milyukov was putting plans into motion, plans they could ultimately render Bulgaria's attempt at independence moot, and it started with appeasement of the Slavophiles. And so he came to the Russo-Bulgarian Friendship Society, an organization of Bulgars and their Russian sympathizers in Moscow. The speech would be delivered in Bulgarian as a demonstration of solidarity, but distributed to the public in Russian.

Greetings my friends. For those who may be unfamiliar, and I see expressions of surprise on many of your faces, I am fluent in the native tongue on the Bulgars. Which while so resembling our Russian language, has many of its own unique particularities which I thoroughly appreciate. The Bulgarians are a very unique and special people, and near and dear to the heart of the Russian people. I remember when I was a youth, and when the news came that Konstantingrad had fallen to our combined armies, the streets were filled with the tricolor of the Republic, but also golden lions of the Bulgars. Bulgarians and Russians knelt together in the Haga Sophia to give thanks to Almighty God, and since then we have had decades of close friendship. The closeness of our peoples has never been more apparent than in recent days since invading armies have violated Bulgaria, and Russians have once again pinned lion badges on their chest and Banitsas have been front and center in all the bakeries of St. Petersburg and Moscow.

I am here because I want it to be clear to every Russian that their President shares their fraternal feelings. I have worried that many Russians have had great concern that their elected officials do not share deep companionship and patriotic feelings for our Slavic brothers, that the memory of 1875 has faded. Not so! Let the clarity of my Bulgarian speech make it clear, and let me say emphatically, long live Bulgaria! Long live the friendship of the Bulgarian and Russian peoples!

Under no circumstances will the Russian Republic allow for the dismemberment and humiliation of the Bulgarian nation, and there are millions of Russians who will take up carbine and saber to guarantee the safety and independence of the Bulgarians upon this Earth. The Greeks may claim all of Europe as their defenders. But the Bulgarians also have a defender, and it is Russia, which possesses the finest army on the face of the Earth.

Let me be clear, because lack of clarity leads to catastrophe, Russia does not intend to inaugurate war on this continent. I consider myself very deeply a man of peace. We have all seen what war has wrought for the American continent, which has become an ungovernable bloody mess under the strain of decades of warfare. Only a madman would seek to plunge Europe into the fire. But Bulgaria is under Russia's protection! Just as we would not allow Konstantingrad to be defiled by foreign invaders, we will not allow Burgas to be defiled.

It is my intention to end this war with a just and final peace. Just because it will not punish or violate the Bulgarians, and final because it Bulgaria will receive the full and comprehensive protection it deserves from Russia. I intend to guarantee Bulgarian independence and security for good.

Should the Greeks and their allies insist upon the unreasonable humiliation and annihilation of Bulgaria, it therefore be their decision to bring about conflict. But I am confident that Vienna and Stockholm will be reasonable.

A toast, friends, to Bulgaria and to Russia, friends for all time! God Bless our Friendship!

[KaiserDave]

An ACT PROPOSAL of the Duma of the Russian Republic:
On Extremist Anti-Russian Organizations

Introduced by the Honorable Alexander Sergeyevich Zarudny on this Day, the 3rd of February, the Year of our LORD 1903

In view of the terrorist attack on the Bolshoi Theater, discovery of clandestine terrorist networks as a result of the investigation in the attack, and widespread public outrage at public disorder brought about by political radicalism, this act proposal is hereby submitted to the Duma of th Russian Republic.

I. To make illegal any organization that seeks violent overthrow of the constitution or the Russian government, and too make membership in any such organization a crime.
Ia. To make membership of the so-called "People's Cause" terrorist organization a criminal offense to be punishable by no less than 15 years imprisonment, and to make collaboration of any kind with members of such organization a criminal offense to be punishable by no less than 5 years imprisonment.

II. To make illegal any political party or organization that is proven to be against the basic democratic-republican order of the state.

III. To make the stockpiling of weapons by any organization outside of official state organs a crime.




A Memo of the Office of the Prosecutor-General

The captured terrorists Vera Ivanovna Zasulich and Maria Alexandrovna Spiridonova will be charged with the crimes of murder, conspiracy, and treason. Their accomplice Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili will also be charged for aiding and abetting their evasion of the police.

The state confirms it will seek the maximum penalty for Vera Ivanovna and Maria Alexandrovna.

[KaiserDave]

Conference of Konstantingrad

A Treaty between the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, the Kingdom of Greece, and the Kingdom of Serbia, and, The Turkist Empire, the Tsardom of Bulgaria, and the State of Albania, under Russian mediation, putting an immediate end to the Balkan War

PREAMBLE
The signatories, sharing a common concern over balance of power in the Balkans, as well as common concern over the costs of a long term war, have agreed to peace based on moderation and respect for the Principles of the Treaty of Limassol.

Article I: General Provisions
A . Complete cessation of all hostilities upon the agreement of all parties, to be followed by a ten-year non-aggression pact between both sets of signatories. Scandinavia will serve as a guarantor by pledging to embargo the guilty party on breaches of this article.
B . The release of all prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained persons to their respective party, including dead bodies.
C . A pledge from each party to not intervene in the domestic and internal affairs of each respective party.
D . The disavowal of all foreign claims by Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania, including that on Konstantingrad by Greece.

Article II: Concerning the Turkist Empire
A . The international boundaries between the Kingdom of Greece and the Turkist Empire shall revert to the status quo antebellum. These boundaries shall be guaranteed by the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Russian Republic.
B . The Kingdom of Greece agrees to enact a domestic programme for the protection of Turkish minorities within its borders.
C . The Turkist Empire agrees to enact a domestic programme for the protection of Greek minorities within its borders.

Article III: Concerning Albania
A .The Kingdom of Greece shall take possession of Northern Epirus to a line from just north of the City of Vlore to Lake Ohrid.
B . The Kingdom of Serbia shall take possession of the Kosovo District as well as those lands in Northern Albania as far as, but not including, the Lezhe District.
C . The Turkist Empire's special interest in the State of Albania and its Muslim population is formally recognized, and the signing powers commit to respect this interest.
D . These boundaries shall be guaranteed by the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Russian Republic.

Article IV: Concerning Bulgaria
A . The Kingdom of Greece shall take possession of the districts around the Rodopi Mountain Range.
B . The Kingdom of Serbia shall take possession of those districts of Macedonia ranging from the northern environs of Skopje to Mt. Korab.
C. The Tsardom of Bulgaria shall take possession of those districts of Western Thrace as far as Xanthi.
D . These boundaries shall be guaranteed by the Habsburg Monarchy, the Kingdom of Scandinavia, and the Russian Republic.

Article V: Concerning Balkan Minorities
A .  A committee shall be convened of the Habsburg Monarchy, the Russian Republic, the Kingdom of Scandinavia and the Turkist Empire for the monitoring of minority rights within the Balkan states.
B . Such committee shall have a rotating chairmanship, and shall issue reports periodically to ensure the continued protection of minority populations in the Balkans.
C . The freedom of movement of minorities to their home nations in the Balkan peninsula is guaranteed, and the Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Scandinavia shall provide compensation to those of Turkish descent who wish to depart for the Turkist Empire in Serbia and Greece, respectively.

Reference Map Prepared by the Royal-Imperial Scandinavian Cartographic Society

Source: Spamage/Me

xCharles XIV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

X Grand Vizier for Life Ahmed Muhtar Pasha, Turkist Empire

Louis-Henry von Habsburg-Lothringen on behalf of Charles IX von Hapsburg-Lothringen, Holy Roman Emperor

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov, President of the Russian Republic