Balance of Power (Gameplay Thread) - Epilogue and Game Over

[Dr. Cynic]

Let's be clear. France has no objections to the Russians re-annexing Turkestan if it will end the violence and mass murder being perpetrated. It would be unfair to the Russian population of Turkestan to allow it to continue. 

[Dr. Cynic]

I propose the following.....

An international contingent with contributions of men from every willing major power. Each nation sending at least 1,000 peacekeepers will be permitted a spot at the table- unanimous voting to decide course of actions

Turkestan Administration Council

I hope President Hay has not misunderstood France's intentions, nor, hopefully has Sultan Abdul Hamid II. France simply wants the massacre to end. Due to my activities in Morocco, I cannot spare many forces at the moment. I will add a commitment of 1500 men to the peacekeeping force provided that Britain, Russia and Italy can also contribute. Without the assistance of those three nations, this would not truly be an international effort at ending the violence.

[Dr. Cynic]

The French peacekeeping forces will intervene to end violence. Arrest any and all witnessed to committing atrocities and work to assist the other peacekeeping nations in all ways possible.

[Dr. Cynic]

France respectfully asks Russia not to launch independent attacks on Turkestan, rather we as Russian troops to join up with the peacekeeping force. We also want to find ways to reduce the Anglo-American tensions before we find ourselves in another major conflict.

I ask the President and Prime Minister to meet with me in Paris where we can hash things out and find a common solution.

[Dr. Cynic]

France wishes to see an end to these hostilities between our two biggest allies as soon as possible. We all see how difficult this situation is. Clearly the mutinous British soldiers should be punished for such acts. Everyone agrees on this. However, for our friends to make accusations against each other will only escalate the tensions. We ask the major powers to a conference in Paris. France is dedicated to maintaining peace among the major powers.

[Dr. Cynic]

Again, France feels it imparative that in order for cooler heads to prevail, there has to be a discussion and a willingness to hear each side out. Again we ask the major powers to attend the Paris conference in the hope that if we can talk we might avoid a global war.

[Dr. Cynic]

Oh good god! I go away for a little bit and this is what happens?!...

My armies are already very stretched. My two biggest allies are now in a state of war. France has attempted to allow cooler heads to prevail. We have attempted to get our friends to the table to talk and yet were rebuffed. Rather than even attempt a peace, we find ourselves in a precarious global situation.

France will need to take stock as to what to do. For now, we wish to remain neutral. However, French guards at home are put on full alert.

I still hope that the Americans and Ottomans will willingly attend the Paris conference with the British in order that we may end this conflict before it spirals out of control. Until then, I must announce increased conscription through France and the closure of France's German border. I do this to prevent German troops crossing through French territory to attack Britain's home island. I plead with the major powers to come to their senses and sit down and speak before lives are lost and we are in a global war.

[Dr. Cynic]

And so it has come to this.....

It was France's hope that this could have been prevented. It was our wish that this could have been prevented and that we wanted to do. We did all we could for the major powers and yet we were rebuffed. We feel for our own national security that we have no recourse but to enter this conflict. In doing so, we are at great pains. We were friends with both Britain and America. Our relationship with the Ottomans was in a much more positive place and we had been making strides with Germany to improve the age-old historical grievances that had so hampered peaceful relations.

France has had to take stock on this. Britain had been willing to attend the Paris conference. America was not. Britain had expressed some regret and willingness to make things right. America did not. America declared war on Britain and therefore made the first strike, thus breaking the peace. Germany soon followed in what France feels was an unfairly opportunistic manner. Therefore, we feel that we have no choice. We declare that a state of war exists between France and the United States and Germany. While we have continued to work for peace, it was America declining to come to the table, though we desperately wanted them to. Germany's declaration of war we feel was opportunistic and wholly unhelpful where she had previously refused to join France in calling for cooler heads to prevail.

We hereby recall all diplomats from the United States and Germany.
We seize all assets of these nations to pay for increased defense costs.
France's army shall be fully mobilized.

We did not desire war and had done all we could to keep the peace.

[Dr. Cynic]

I think that the American attitude has been the one that was most unhelpful. We regret that it has had to come to this. It was America that broke the peace and refused to talk.

America is a young nation on the whole... Sometimes you have to smack a child in order to get it to behave.

[Dr. Cynic]

We regret France is now at war with our two closest allies.

No one regrets it more than I, I can assure you.

[Dr. Cynic]

We regret France is now at war with our two closest allies.

No one regrets it more than I, I can assure you.

That feeling will only grow, Prime Minister

Yes... I regret that I will have to kill my American friends... Not so much my German friends though Speaking of...

France hereby annexes the full territory of Alsace-Lorraine. German nationals are to be arrested and detained if they are deemed a threat to France's national security.

[Dr. Cynic]

France declares War on the Kingdom of Italy.

All previous arrangements between France and Italy are hereby cancelled. French troops are instructed to remove the Italians from Morocco by force. Our oil agreement is hereby revoked. I seize all Italian assets on French soil.