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

[YPestis25]

TREATY OF ROME

A Treaty Under Russian Mediation

In the name of God Almighty, His Holiness Pope Alexander X, His Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, etc, and Apostolic King of Hungary, His Majesty the King of France; His Majesty the King of Scandinavia; His Excellency the Archbishop-President of Brazil; and His Excellency the President of Russia,

WHEREAS, the Powers are in agreement on the need for preserving the European and global peace;

WISHING, in a spirit of good and mutual accord, to regulate the conditions most favourable to the preservation of the European balance of power and the continued development of brotherly relations between states;

BEING DESIROUS, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from the current Italian situation,

HAVE RESOLVED, on the invitation addressed to them by the Government of Russia, in agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Scandinavia, to meet for those purposes in Conference at Vienna, have successively discussed and adopted the following disposition of claims and spheres of influence on the Italian Peninsula:

Source: Me/Spamage

AND HAVE AGREED, in the interests of lasting peace and with a desire to prevent conflict from afflicting the Italian Peninsula, to the following articles:

ARTICLE I: His Holiness the Pope’s temporal authority is restored in the province of Latium and on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta. The sanctity of His Holiness the Pope’s temporal sovereignty is mutually guaranteed by the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France.

ARTICLE II: Notwithstanding the provisions in article 1, French naval basing rights are irrevocable and unconditional in perpetuity on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta in recognition of their legitimate and vital security needs in that region.

ARTICLE III: His Holiness the Pope, being desirous of reconciliation in the church, shall revoke the excommunication against Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez and shall welcome back into communion all those involved in the current dispute.

ARTICLE IV: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate French sphere of influence, three Bourbon Grand Dukes shall take up rule in the south of Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily shall be granted independence.

ARTICLE V: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence, Alfonso IV Bourbon, shall take up rule as King Alfonso IV of Etruria. This kingdom shall retain ⅓ of the Neapolitan fleet. The remainder shall be removed to Trieste for scuttling. The strength of the Etrurian fleet will be limited to its size and strength as of the application of this treaty

ARTICLE VI: The King of France is affirmed in his title of Guarantor of Latin Europe except as to those Latins within the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence.

ARTICLE VII: The below signing powers agree in principle to a non-aggression pact and to consult one another on all relevant matters related to the European balance and of their respective national interests.

x John IV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

[KaiserDave]

TREATY OF ROME

A Treaty Under Russian Mediation

In the name of God Almighty, His Holiness Pope Alexander X, His Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, etc, and Apostolic King of Hungary, His Majesty the King of France; His Majesty the King of Scandinavia; His Excellency the Archbishop-President of Brazil; and His Excellency the President of Russia,

WHEREAS, the Powers are in agreement on the need for preserving the European and global peace;

WISHING, in a spirit of good and mutual accord, to regulate the conditions most favourable to the preservation of the European balance of power and the continued development of brotherly relations between states;

BEING DESIROUS, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from the current Italian situation,

HAVE RESOLVED, on the invitation addressed to them by the Government of Russia, in agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Scandinavia, to meet for those purposes in Conference at Vienna, have successively discussed and adopted the following disposition of claims and spheres of influence on the Italian Peninsula:

Source: Me/Spamage

AND HAVE AGREED, in the interests of lasting peace and with a desire to prevent conflict from afflicting the Italian Peninsula, to the following articles:

ARTICLE I: His Holiness the Pope’s temporal authority is restored in the province of Latium and on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta. The sanctity of His Holiness the Pope’s temporal sovereignty is mutually guaranteed by the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France.

ARTICLE II: Notwithstanding the provisions in article 1, French naval basing rights are irrevocable and unconditional in perpetuity on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta in recognition of their legitimate and vital security needs in that region.

ARTICLE III: His Holiness the Pope, being desirous of reconciliation in the church, shall revoke the excommunication against Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez and shall welcome back into communion all those involved in the current dispute.

ARTICLE IV: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate French sphere of influence, three Bourbon Grand Dukes shall take up rule in the south of Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily shall be granted independence.

ARTICLE V: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence, Alfonso IV Bourbon, shall take up rule as King Alfonso IV of Etruria. This kingdom shall retain ⅓ of the Neapolitan fleet. The remainder shall be removed to Trieste for scuttling. The strength of the Etrurian fleet will be limited to its size and strength as of the application of this treaty

ARTICLE VI: The King of France is affirmed in his title of Guarantor of Latin Europe except as to those Latins within the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence.

ARTICLE VII: The below signing powers agree in principle to a non-aggression pact and to consult one another on all relevant matters related to the European balance and of their respective national interests.

x John IV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov
President of the Russian Republic

x Mikhail Alekseevich Suvorin
Foreign Minister of the Russian Republic

[windjammer]

TREATY OF ROME

A Treaty Under Russian Mediation

In the name of God Almighty, His Holiness Pope Alexander X, His Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, etc, and Apostolic King of Hungary, His Majesty the King of France; His Majesty the King of Scandinavia; His Excellency the Archbishop-President of Brazil; and His Excellency the President of Russia,

WHEREAS, the Powers are in agreement on the need for preserving the European and global peace;

WISHING, in a spirit of good and mutual accord, to regulate the conditions most favourable to the preservation of the European balance of power and the continued development of brotherly relations between states;

BEING DESIROUS, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from the current Italian situation,

HAVE RESOLVED, on the invitation addressed to them by the Government of Russia, in agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Scandinavia, to meet for those purposes in Conference at Vienna, have successively discussed and adopted the following disposition of claims and spheres of influence on the Italian Peninsula:

Source: Me/Spamage

AND HAVE AGREED, in the interests of lasting peace and with a desire to prevent conflict from afflicting the Italian Peninsula, to the following articles:

ARTICLE I: His Holiness the Pope’s temporal authority is restored in the province of Latium and on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta. The sanctity of His Holiness the Pope’s temporal sovereignty is mutually guaranteed by the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France.

ARTICLE II: Notwithstanding the provisions in article 1, French naval basing rights are irrevocable and unconditional in perpetuity on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta in recognition of their legitimate and vital security needs in that region.

ARTICLE III: His Holiness the Pope, being desirous of reconciliation in the church, shall revoke the excommunication against Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez and shall welcome back into communion all those involved in the current dispute.

ARTICLE IV: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate French sphere of influence, three Bourbon Grand Dukes shall take up rule in the south of Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily shall be granted independence.

ARTICLE V: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence, Alfonso IV Bourbon, shall take up rule as King Alfonso IV of Etruria. This kingdom shall retain ⅓ of the Neapolitan fleet. The remainder shall be removed to Trieste for scuttling. The strength of the Etrurian fleet will be limited to its size and strength as of the application of this treaty

ARTICLE VI: The King of France is affirmed in his title of Guarantor of Latin Europe except as to those Latins within the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence.

ARTICLE VII: The below signing powers agree in principle to a non-aggression pact and to consult one another on all relevant matters related to the European balance and of their respective national interests.

x John IV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov
President of the Russian Republic

x Mikhail Alekseevich Suvorin
Foreign Minister of the Russian Republic

X Archbishop Cavalcanti

[Dereich]

TREATY OF ROME

A Treaty Under Russian Mediation

In the name of God Almighty, His Holiness Pope Alexander X, His Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, etc, and Apostolic King of Hungary, His Majesty the King of France; His Majesty the King of Scandinavia; His Excellency the Archbishop-President of Brazil; and His Excellency the President of Russia,

WHEREAS, the Powers are in agreement on the need for preserving the European and global peace;

WISHING, in a spirit of good and mutual accord, to regulate the conditions most favourable to the preservation of the European balance of power and the continued development of brotherly relations between states;

BEING DESIROUS, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from the current Italian situation,

HAVE RESOLVED, on the invitation addressed to them by the Government of Russia, in agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Scandinavia, to meet for those purposes in Conference at Vienna, have successively discussed and adopted the following disposition of claims and spheres of influence on the Italian Peninsula:

Source: Me/Spamage

AND HAVE AGREED, in the interests of lasting peace and with a desire to prevent conflict from afflicting the Italian Peninsula, to the following articles:

ARTICLE I: His Holiness the Pope’s temporal authority is restored in the province of Latium and on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta. The sanctity of His Holiness the Pope’s temporal sovereignty is mutually guaranteed by the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France.

ARTICLE II: Notwithstanding the provisions in article 1, French naval basing rights are irrevocable and unconditional in perpetuity on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta in recognition of their legitimate and vital security needs in that region.

ARTICLE III: His Holiness the Pope, being desirous of reconciliation in the church, shall revoke the excommunication against Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez and shall welcome back into communion all those involved in the current dispute.

ARTICLE IV: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate French sphere of influence, three Bourbon Grand Dukes shall take up rule in the south of Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily shall be granted independence.

ARTICLE V: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence, Alfonso IV Bourbon, shall take up rule as King Alfonso IV of Etruria. This kingdom shall retain ⅓ of the Neapolitan fleet. The remainder shall be removed to Trieste for scuttling. The strength of the Etrurian fleet will be limited to its size and strength as of the application of this treaty

ARTICLE VI: The King of France is affirmed in his title of Guarantor of Latin Europe except as to those Latins within the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence.

ARTICLE VII: The below signing powers agree in principle to a non-aggression pact and to consult one another on all relevant matters related to the European balance and of their respective national interests.

x John IV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov
President of the Russian Republic

x Mikhail Alekseevich Suvorin
Foreign Minister of the Russian Republic

X Archbishop Cavalcanti

-Louis-Henry von Hapsburg-Lothringen on behalf of Maximilian V von Hapsburg-Lothringen, Holy Roman Emperor

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

TREATY OF ROME

A Treaty Under Russian Mediation

In the name of God Almighty, His Holiness Pope Alexander X, His Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, etc, and Apostolic King of Hungary, His Majesty the King of France; His Majesty the King of Scandinavia; His Excellency the Archbishop-President of Brazil; and His Excellency the President of Russia,

WHEREAS, the Powers are in agreement on the need for preserving the European and global peace;

WISHING, in a spirit of good and mutual accord, to regulate the conditions most favourable to the preservation of the European balance of power and the continued development of brotherly relations between states;

BEING DESIROUS, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from the current Italian situation,

HAVE RESOLVED, on the invitation addressed to them by the Government of Russia, in agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Scandinavia, to meet for those purposes in Conference at Vienna, have successively discussed and adopted the following disposition of claims and spheres of influence on the Italian Peninsula:

Source: Me/Spamage

AND HAVE AGREED, in the interests of lasting peace and with a desire to prevent conflict from afflicting the Italian Peninsula, to the following articles:

ARTICLE I: His Holiness the Pope’s temporal authority is restored in the province of Latium and on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta. The sanctity of His Holiness the Pope’s temporal sovereignty is mutually guaranteed by the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France.

ARTICLE II: Notwithstanding the provisions in article 1, French naval basing rights are irrevocable and unconditional in perpetuity on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta in recognition of their legitimate and vital security needs in that region.

ARTICLE III: His Holiness the Pope, being desirous of reconciliation in the church, shall revoke the excommunication against Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez and shall welcome back into communion all those involved in the current dispute.

ARTICLE IV: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate French sphere of influence, three Bourbon Grand Dukes shall take up rule in the south of Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily shall be granted independence.

ARTICLE V: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence, Alfonso IV Bourbon, shall take up rule as King Alfonso IV of Etruria. This kingdom shall retain ⅓ of the Neapolitan fleet. The remainder shall be removed to Trieste for scuttling. The strength of the Etrurian fleet will be limited to its size and strength as of the application of this treaty

ARTICLE VI: The King of France is affirmed in his title of Guarantor of Latin Europe except as to those Latins within the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence.

ARTICLE VII: The below signing powers agree in principle to a non-aggression pact and to consult one another on all relevant matters related to the European balance and of their respective national interests.

x John IV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov
President of the Russian Republic
x Mikhail Alekseevich Suvorin
Foreign Minister of the Russian Republic

X Archbishop Cavalcanti

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

x Louis XX de Bourbon, The Most Christian King-Emperor of France, Defender of the Christian Faith, and Protector of Latin Europe

[Devout Centrist]

Statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry

The Republic of China has reached an agreement to establish a temporary ceasefire with the Kingdom of France. Hostilities shall cease between the Kingdom of France, the Republic of China, and the Durrani Empire until a final peace agreement is reached.

X Extraordinary Plenipotentiary for Western Affairs, Sun Yat-sen

[Kuumo]

Statement from the Office of the Archbishop-President


(Source: u/S-I-B-E-R-I-A-N on r/vexillology)

The Archbishop-President has returned to Bogotá after three weeks of penance at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Quito and affirms his recognition of Pope Alexander X's position as head of the Church, formally recognizes the boundaries of the Papal States and other polities established by the Treaty of Rome, and will resume his duties as spiritual and political leader of the Holy Republic of Gran Colombia. Cardinal-Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo is honorably commended for fulfilling his role as Acting Archbishop-President in these trying times.

x Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry

The Republic of China has reached an agreement to establish a temporary ceasefire with the Kingdom of France. Hostilities shall cease between the Kingdom of France, the Republic of China, and the Durrani Empire until a final peace agreement is reached.

X Extraordinary Plenipotentiary for Western Affairs, Sun Yat-sen

x Louis XX de Bourbon, The Most Christian King-Emperor of France, Defender of the Christian Faith, and Protector of Latin Europe

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry

The Republic of China has reached an agreement to establish a temporary ceasefire with the Kingdom of France. Hostilities shall cease between the Kingdom of France, the Republic of China, and the Durrani Empire until a final peace agreement is reached.

X Extraordinary Plenipotentiary for Western Affairs, Sun Yat-sen

X. Padishah-Emperor/Shahanshah Timur III Durrani.

Eternal Sovereign of the Lands of Hindustan, Afghanistan, Khorasan, and Turkestan. Commander of the Faithful. Ghazi. Vanquisher of The Imperialists. Sword and Shield of Islam on Earth. Righteous Heir to the Great Mughals.

[Dereich]

Decree Regarding the Situation in Italy

-For the purpose of Imperial and Royal Law, the recently halted war in Italy constitutes a serious matter of foreign policy the resolution of which is entirely within the reserved powers of the Emperor.
 
-For the purpose of Imperial and Royal Law, the ongoing refugee crisis in the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venezia resulting from the recently halted war in Italy constitutes both a serious matter of foreign policy and a domestic emergency within the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venezia, the resolution of which lies within the understood reserve powers of the Emperor.

-In furtherance of resolving the situation in Italy, the Emperor hereby orders the issuance of bonds and surcharges to raise whatever funds He deems necessary to assist our dearest cousin, Alfonso IV Bourbon, in providing for the reconstruction of essential services, housing, and means of providing prosperity for the Italian people.

-Louis-Henry von Hapsburg-Lothringen on behalf of Maximilian V & II von Hapsburg-Lothringen, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Lombardy-Venetia

[Dereich]

Conscription Decree of 1904

-By ancient Imperial and Royal writ, confirmed within the Agram Decrees, the right to conscript men and to command the soldiery as their chief commander is exclusively held by the Crown.
-The purpose of conscription and maintenance of the Imperial Armed Forces is to defend His Majesty’s realms and subjects from threats and crises.

-The current health crisis constitutes a threat to the Empire and its Subjects.

-The Imperial and Royal Armed Forces are, by the authorities so listed, ordered to assist local administrations in combatting the pandemic through the establishment and maintenance of quarantine zones, protection of essential services, and construction of temporary medical facilities where necessary. Imperial and Royal Officers and other specified appointees are authorized to, at their own discretion, conscript additional men whom the specified officials believe to be appropriate for military service for a period of up to nine weeks to assist in these purposes. Due to the nature of the emergency, should good cause be stated the standard requirements of military service might be temporarily waived.

-Any men so conscripted for the purpose of the health crisis will duly compensated for their efforts. They be considered to have “served in the Imperial Service” for the purposes of the electoral franchise as detailed in the Agram Decrees.

On the Successful Flight of the Bauer Brothers

The Emperor and all the Empire celebrate the successful flight of the brothers Wilber and Konstantin Bauer. Their fearless courage and creativity are a guiding light to all who would conquer new frontiers of science and technology. The Emperor would call on the brothers, at their earliest convenience, to personally meet him and his government at Schönbrunn Palace where they might be inducted into the Imperial Order of Charles IX as knights for their meritorious conduct and to receive the von Zepplin Prize for advancement in aeronautics for 1904.

[Spamage]

TREATY OF ROME

A Treaty Under Russian Mediation

In the name of God Almighty, His Holiness Pope Alexander X, His Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, etc, and Apostolic King of Hungary, His Majesty the King of France; His Majesty the King of Scandinavia; His Excellency the Archbishop-President of Brazil; and His Excellency the President of Russia,

WHEREAS, the Powers are in agreement on the need for preserving the European and global peace;

WISHING, in a spirit of good and mutual accord, to regulate the conditions most favourable to the preservation of the European balance of power and the continued development of brotherly relations between states;

BEING DESIROUS, on the other hand, to obviate the misunderstanding and disputes which might in future arise from the current Italian situation,

HAVE RESOLVED, on the invitation addressed to them by the Government of Russia, in agreement with the Government of the Kingdom of Scandinavia, to meet for those purposes in Conference at Vienna, have successively discussed and adopted the following disposition of claims and spheres of influence on the Italian Peninsula:

Source: Me/Spamage

AND HAVE AGREED, in the interests of lasting peace and with a desire to prevent conflict from afflicting the Italian Peninsula, to the following articles:

ARTICLE I: His Holiness the Pope’s temporal authority is restored in the province of Latium and on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta. The sanctity of His Holiness the Pope’s temporal sovereignty is mutually guaranteed by the Holy Roman Emperor and the King of France.

ARTICLE II: Notwithstanding the provisions in article 1, French naval basing rights are irrevocable and unconditional in perpetuity on the islands of Corsica, Elba, and Malta in recognition of their legitimate and vital security needs in that region.

ARTICLE III: His Holiness the Pope, being desirous of reconciliation in the church, shall revoke the excommunication against Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez and shall welcome back into communion all those involved in the current dispute.

ARTICLE IV: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate French sphere of influence, three Bourbon Grand Dukes shall take up rule in the south of Italy, and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily shall be granted independence.

ARTICLE V: On those areas demarcated as the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence, Alfonso IV Bourbon, shall take up rule as King Alfonso IV of Etruria. This kingdom shall retain ⅓ of the Neapolitan fleet. The remainder shall be removed to Trieste for scuttling. The strength of the Etrurian fleet will be limited to its size and strength as of the application of this treaty

ARTICLE VI: The King of France is affirmed in his title of Guarantor of Latin Europe except as to those Latins within the legitimate Habsburg sphere of influence.

ARTICLE VII: The below signing powers agree in principle to a non-aggression pact and to consult one another on all relevant matters related to the European balance and of their respective national interests.

x John IV, King of Scandinavia and Emperor of Africa

x Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov
President of the Russian Republic
x Mikhail Alekseevich Suvorin
Foreign Minister of the Russian Republic

X Archbishop Cavalcanti

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

x Louis XX de Bourbon, The Most Christian King-Emperor of France, Defender of the Christian Faith, and Protector of Latin Europe

X- Alfonso de Bourbon-Naples, King of Etruria and Hereditary Grand Duke of Tuscany, Duke of Abruzzo, Ancona, and Romagna

X- Pope Alexander X

[oldkyhome]

Chronicle

Public Domain

The Economic Policies of Jaehyung
중현의 산업정책

There was no shortage of matters to address in the early years of Jaehyung's government, but perhaps none were so urgent as the economic situation. By the turn of the century, the nation had fallen far behind the rest of the world in wealth and industrial production; Korea's once burgeoning middle class crushed under the brutality of monarchs and dictators alike. The President minced no words in articulating his priority at his first Address to the National Assembly:

Excerpt

"We find that the preeminent responsibility of our Republic, or indeed any state, is to render the people a good harvest, a good wage, a good profit. Any authority it wields derives from that constituent matter. Even the despot, who supposes to be absolute, is limited by the characteristics of the materials in which he works, of the society which he manipulates; and action which roughly breaks with the common thought will lack the sympathy of that thought, will provoke its opposition, and will inevitably be crushed by that opposition."

"Our mandate is to the engagement of the brains, the energies, the enterprise of the people throughout the land; the efficiency of their factories and the richness of the fields that stretch beyond the borders of the town; the wealth which they extract from nature and originate for themselves through the inventive genius characteristic of free people. [...] But the welfare of the great mass must be considered too. Prosperity assuredly does not exist if it is consumed and enjoyed exclusively by a special interest. It must be pervasive, and the commoner must be emancipated, so that his creative energy may be called forth and made useful, both for himself and the national project."

"The revolutions of the world have hitherto sought to bring government back to the people. Ours does too, but not by demagoguery, or wonton destruction, or chaos masked as popular will. We take upon it civilly and benevolently and create a decision-making process in which all people have every right to intimately access and control the instrumentalities of this most precious organ, for the tasks that await us we cannot truly confront until every pulse of government beats in unison with the needs and the desires of the whole body of Korea. Shall we deny them our sympathy, our loyalty, our earnest effort? No, certainly not."

"Business we have got to untrammel; tariff favors we have got to remove; railroad discrimination, credit denials, and all forms of unjust handicaps against the little man we have got to abolish. Industry we have got to humanize, through the direct action of law guaranteeing protection against dangers and compensation for injuries, sanitary conditions, proper hours, and all the other things which the conscience of the country demands as the workingman's right."

Depending his coalition on the votes of several dozen conservatives made movement in this direction difficult. He was nevertheless able to secure large investments in internal improvements and public works, reduce tariffs and trade barriers for new economic partners, reinstate Joseon-era programs providing favorable loans to target industry, and more. For business, the red carpet was rolled out. For the struggling masses, less so. Still, railway lines were extended, and roads and harbors and communication networks were improved, which rapidly integrated goods and factor markets both nationally and internationally.

Russian credit proved indispensable as Korean currency remained pegged to silver specie, a holdover of the Joseon era. These constraints prevented the government from using great amounts of its own capital to stimulate growth. The injection of foreign liquidity provided a temporary solution, laying the groundwork for substantial economic gains in the subsequent years, but it could not fully be capitalized upon without loosening up domestic liquidity. Evidently silver had outlived its usefulness; neither an assurance of stability nor growth. How could the nation properly prepare for war or respond to panic chained down by such relics?

Panic, in particular, was a rational fear for the growing economy. Who could forget the great Russian Panic of '88, a large, thriving national market brought down like a house of cards at the slightest disruption, the government unable (or unwilling) to effectively respond? This provided the central pretext for new monetary reform. In 1904, the Ministry of Finance recruited Ukrainian Economist Mikhail Tugan-Baranovsky, an advocate of fiat, to properly assess vulnerabilities in the existing currency framework and provide expert recommendation. His prescription included, among other things, the introduction of paper currency, backed by silver bullion, and the nationalization of the Bank of Joseon as a reserve system.

The President pressed forward on the issue, bringing together his legislative coalition for the Currency Act of 1904. The bill incorporated not only Dr. Baranovsky's recommendations but more broadly sought to improve credit access to areas traditionally neglected. The private Bank of Joseon was reformed into the public Reserve Bank of Korea, which in theory would be more responsive to the needs of the struggling mass. It was also empowered to prevent bank runs and establish economic stability, not only by acting as a lender of last resort, but also by setting reserve requirements and, in great emergency, limits on withdrawals.

Beyond that, the bill made far more novel amendments to the national currency to improve its flexibility and elevate new Reserve Notes as the primary medium of exchange.
• The cessation of coinage by 1906 and the replacement of it with standard paper denominations (₩1, ₩5, ₩10, etc)
• The creation of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to replace the Bureau of the Mint
• The continued treatment of existing coin as legal tender for all debts, public and private
• The convertibility of coin to paper at a rate of 7 Don to 1 Won
• The convertibility of paper to silver bullion at a rate of 1 Won to 26.73 grams
• The prompt liquidation of all converted coin into bullion for national reserves
• The establishment of a Bank Oversight Board and other measures to prevent excess money supply

The President succored both parts of his coalition to support its passage. Conservatives were satisfied that it protected the National Bank from foreign capital interest, while Liberals found themselves pleased by the prospect of increased investment for industrial development, but whatever ideological gambits were at play were mere footnotes to the greater, more pressing needs of the hour.

[Senator Spiral]

Mediterranean Cooperation Treaty

The Kingdom of France and the Turkist Empire hereby agree to the following:

1. A mutual understanding that integrity of the Mediterranean Sea is paramount to global commerce, and commitment by the signatories to pursue all diplomatic options for the protection of peaceful exchanges between nations.

2. Signatories recognize each other under most favored nation status for trade relations.

3. Tariffs on agricultural, consumer, and industrial goods shall be decreased.

X Grand Vizier for Life Ahmed Muhtar Pasha, Turkist Empire

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Mediterranean Cooperation Treaty

The Kingdom of France and the Turkist Empire hereby agree to the following:

1. A mutual understanding that integrity of the Mediterranean Sea is paramount to global commerce, and commitment by the signatories to pursue all diplomatic options for the protection of peaceful exchanges between nations.

2. Signatories recognize each other under most favored nation status for trade relations.

3. Tariffs on agricultural, consumer, and industrial goods shall be decreased.

X Grand Vizier for Life Ahmed Muhtar Pasha, Turkist Empire

x Louis XX de Bourbon, The Most Christian King-Emperor of France, Defender of the Christian Faith, and Protector of Latin Europe

[Spamage]

1904 News of the World

In the Shadow of Rome
A Peace or a Reprieve?

Alexander X and his Clerics, 1904
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   The Treaty of Rome seemed to herald a step back from the brink, the European powers formally agreeing to settle their quarrels at the table rather than by the sword. Yet, from the start, all sides would take actions that could credibly be argued were antithetical to the spirit of the document and tensions would continue to simmer as the year came to a close. Crafty wordplay and cloak and dagger operations would save a significant portion of the Neapolitan (now Etrurian) fleet, while there was a sense in the establishment realms that French-backed Papal meddling was deliberately aiming to undermine secular authority. Was the agreement truly a lasting peace, or a mere reprieve from an onslaught to come?

Final Collapse of Naples and the New Regimes
   In the immediate aftermath of the agreement of the deal, including the signature of Alfonso IV, a substantial portion of the Neapolitan forces remained under arms, especially in the islands and Naples proper. The prospect of French overlordship, coming on the heels of intense anti-French propaganda for seven decades, was unthinkable to most former Neapolitans. Other powers may have acquiesced to French supremacy in the south, but the Neapolitan people had not. Force would be necessary to bring them in line. The government in Paris was all too happy to provide the requisite beating.
   30 French divisions were stationed in southern Italy, cementing the new order. New rulers were proclaimed, all being members of the French royal family. Princess Charlotte, Louis XX’s eldest daughter, was crowned the Duchess of Apulia. The King’s second daughter Therese was given the Duchy of Catania, while the Dauphin Louis himself was named Duke of Naples. The two daughters, being underaged, placed their powers in the hands of local regents. The Dauphin, meanwhile, made a brief appearance in his new dominion, though left Naples proper after a series of poor interactions with irate Italians. He too has left day-to-day governance in the hands of appointed regents.
   The restive Italian populace was only gradually subdued as the year progressed, though not without making their true feelings known. The great powers would find very quickly that there would be no turning the clock back 70 years in the Italian Peninsula. Alexander X’s officials were booed in Rome when they dared venture outside of the walls of St. Peter’s. Several churches throughout Catania were firebombed during services. People could not simply forget the way things had been, nor did they want to. The young French rulers foisted on the people, as well as their regents, were deemed marked men by some clandestine secret societies forming on the margins of society. Those Neapolitan Reactionary-Socialists and Catholic-Republicans that celebrated the French ascendancy were treated as turncoats and the ideologies suffered a significant regional hit, many Italians balking at the prospect of political restrictions imposed by French-puppets. Dozens of reactionary socialist politicians have either gone missing or turned up dead in rural ditches, French administrators blaming the mafia (used to operating covertly) as well as the new national liberation secret societies proliferating rural areas. Archbishop Gaetano Caporali of Apulia, one of the regents appointed for the young Princess-Duchess Charlotte of France, was killed after being pelted in the head with a brick tossed from an angry mob. It is clear that, despite the cooling of active hostilities, the new regimes are initially little loved by the bulk of their supposed subjects.
   The situation on the islands would progress fairly similarly. Both Sicily and Sardinia were declared independent Catholic Republics, Archbishop-Presidents taking control over both governments under initial French supervision. While internal dissent in Sardinia was utterly suppressed by the end of the year, though not before the execution of hundreds of ‘counter-revolutionaries’ in Cagliari, rebels remained under arms in rural Sicily. To the north, Alexander X would show himself no slouch by employing questionable brutality to bring Corsica into his orbit.
   There would be less outright violence in Etruria, though the people of that realm would make their discontent evident through other means. Alfonso’s government shifted immediately and, perhaps irrevocably, into the Austrian orbit. Shortly after his instatement as ‘King of Etruria,’ (a title he reportedly detested), the king signed agreements with Austria admitting his realm into the Habsburg Trade Bloc. No longer would his government look to Konstantingrad for protection. There was a genuine sense that Russia had abandoned Naples, despite an alliance that had stood for decades. Moscow had done little to prevent the carving up of the realm nor the suppression of Neapolitan democratic ideals as they were stifled by Reactionary Socialist radicalism. Newspapers in Bologna and Florence castigated Milyukov as a fickle friend and called for Russia’s other allies to take note.
   The people of Etruria demonstrated their ire in the elections of 1904. Watching in horror as their southern brethren were stripped of their constitutional liberties one at a time, and determined that the horrors of the past years should never happen again, strength and anger ruled the day. Alfonso’s regime was clear from the beginning that there would no longer be any tolerance for either the reactionary-socialist or Catholic-Republican movements in his new realm, remaining leaders exiled to France or Spain. The vote was a rout, Enrico Corradini leading the Partito Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano (PNRI, National Party of the Italian Resurgence) to an overwhelming victory with 247 seats of 350 against half a dozen other political groups. In a time of uncertainty and fury, the people demanded strength, Corradini’s political forces sweeping aside the broken political establishment, promising both spiritual and physical reconstruction of the Italian cause.

In the Eyes of the People
   The public reaction to the peace in Austria was one of shock. France had greatly improved its position in the Mediterranean, the strongest it had ever been in history. These developments close to home overshadowed the tremendous success in Ethiopia. Louis XX now controlled the Low Countries, Iberia, and Naples, utterly dominating Western Europe. What had Austria gained, other than a weak puppet from the ruins of Naples? Critics of the regency charged that any semblance of balance on the continent had seemingly been cast aside by a government unwilling to push its weight around against French bullying. With the annexation of Tunis, basing rights at Malta, and a broad alignment with the Catholic Republic in Sicily, it was now Paris that controlled the Central Mediterranean. What good was the outpost at Gibraltar, if France would now be able to cut it off from Vienna at will? Matters would not be helped by controversies in the Austrian Church. Critical publications asked how had Louis-Henry walked away with so little and given France so much. 1904 would witness a dip in his popularity from its highs as people grappled with the consequences of the Treaty of Rome. This would not be helped by news from distant Suez, Singapore, and Brunei, the opposition in Vienna casting Louis-Henry as a tired old man, or a ‘man of inaction,’ as one newspaper reported.
   In France, meanwhile, the King was framed as a hero. The ‘Protector of Latin Europe’ had given demonstration of his power with the subjugation of Iberia and the defeat of the perennial Neapolitan nuisance. Louis XX and his government went all-out, using their victories in Europe to try and mask growing disappointment over the situation in French India, which seemed all but lost at this point. Still, the question remained what was Louis ‘Emperor’ of if India was lost?
   While the King retained his personal popularity, there was been an uptick in activity from the seemingly moribund opposition. After years of incessant war on all corners of the globe, there was a growing exhaustion among the French populace. Pamphlets have been distributed among the working people, questioning the social order. The people of France had made great sacrifices for their sovereign, operating at extreme levels of mobilization and wartime restrictions for years, should they not also be permitted to participate in his government? The Sons of Saint Louis have been quick to crack down and crack the skulls of those bearing such harmful literature, but it still has been found in several major French cities. These papers bear the sigil of the ‘Blue Lily’ organization. This group, reportedly named in honor of the Blue cause in the War of the Regency, operates in the shadows. While no leader in the vein of the late Clemenceau has come to public forefront, they instead have engaged in clandestine operations to undermine the regime of Louis XX. Nevertheless, some wonder if their window passed, France seeming to be winding down from its extensive military commitments at long last. To supporters of the Crown, the sudden growth of an opposition movement seems suspicious. Ministers in Versailles have openly speculated if the Blue Lily movement is some wholly foreign operation with no domestic support.

On the Water
   Per the Treaty of Rome, French vessels were to escort two-thirds of the Neapolitan fleet to the city of Trieste for decommissioning. Laser-focused on supremacy in the Mediterranean, it had been included in the treaty at the personal behest of Louis XX. Upon the arrival of the French fleet however, the stock on-hand was viewed as entirely less than impressive. Indeed, French intelligence networks and common-sense had long indicated that Naples possessed a substantial fleet. What they found at port in Ravenna was far less formidable than expected. There was little doubt among the French admiralty that some shenanigans were afoot. Newly-minted Etrurian admirals refused discuss either the whereabouts or existence of other ships, playing dumb or acting rude. Nonetheless, fulfilling their duties, the French fleet did escort the Neapolitan vessels they did have at hand to Trieste, where Habsburg authorities seemed a bit smug as they scuttled them. Dozens of Italian ships were disassembled. Even if it was far less then had been expected, there still was quite a significant amount of Neapolitan tonnage that was now no more.
   The truth only gradually came to light. Alfonso, having heard news of the allied provisions regarding his fleet from Konstantingrad, had reportedly been contacted by members of the Austrian government about a means by which he could ‘preserve’ some semblance of his navy. This was prior to his signing of the treaty. It was an elaborate scheme, where Austrians employed legal loopholes with the Neapolitans to justify the subsequent actions in hindsight. Indeed, the treaty made no mention of tonnage nor the date of effect. The Neapolitan Regency Council and Swiss government signed a secret transfer notice, ostensibly ‘selling’ the vessels to the Swiss, who then sailed them into the Adriatic, nestling somewhere along the Croatian coast. Switzerland, long a liberal republic and sympathetic to Italian nationalism, was no friend of France. It was an utter joke, a landlocked republic acquiring a navy for cents on the dollar. Nevertheless, it was days after the ‘sale’ of the best ships Neapolitan fleet had occurred that Alfonso formally signed the Treaty of Rome, in clear conscience. It was only several months after the destruction of the Neapolitan vessels captured by the French at Ravenna was complete that the Swiss ‘sold’ their fleet back to the government of Etruria, at a tiny profit. The French consuls in Ravenna watched in utter rage as ships bearing the clearly painted-over titles such as RN Francesco I and RN Apulia sailed into harbor after the recent ‘acquisition’ of them by Alfonso IV & I.
   There is little question for the French observers on the seas that the move was only accomplished with Habsburg connivance. Where else had the Neapolitan vessels been hidden, if not somewhere near the Habsburg coast on the Adriatic? Indeed, with Etruria pivoting into the Habsburg orbit, Vienna had ample reason for such duplicity. French officials vocally protested the violation of the ‘spirit of the treaty’ by the Austrians, pointing out the similarities to the Habsburg technicalities employed regarding the Treaty of Trois-Rivières in years past. Yet, Austria had gripes of their own, the consequences of Alexander X’s reorganization of the Church coming to the fore.

A Church Divided
   While diplomats were quick to ink a deal and call it peace, the feelings within the Catholic World spoke of a deeper divide. True, the schism had ended on paper, but the very matter had demonstrated a divide in the Church more than a century in the making. Since the 1790s as the gulf between the radical clerics and the broader Catholic establishment had grown, most convinced themselves that the differences could be worked out quietly in theological debates. No more. The public challenge to the Pope by Colombia, and vocally backed by prelates from Switzerland, Poland, Austria, the Empire, Spain was unprecedented in Church history. It could not merely be papered over.
   Indeed, Alexander X was increasingly viewed with disgust in the realms that had challenged his authority. He was castigated as an incompetent fool, one whose utterings had both debased his authority and divided the Catholic World. ‘One gets the sense that the pontiff is nothing better than an up-jumped provincial, well out of his depth in trying to manage the Church,’ stated one particularly critical newspaper in Vienna. ‘Such a French puppet is to be both deplored and disregarded.’ Alexander’s rapacious desire to expand the temporal power of the Papacy contrasted with the growing view in the conservative regions that the Pope ought to focus on theological and spiritual leadership of the Church. This sentiment of opposition was most evident within the lands of the Habsburg Crown itself, the Empire more broadly, and in far-off Colombia.  
   Despite the Catholic-Republican nature of the Colombian government, there was almost universal revulsion towards the Quebecois-French aligned pontiff. Just four years on from both of those realms’ surprise attack against their nation, the Colombian people were not in a forgiving mood. When forced to choose between their nationalism or historic deference to the Vatican, the public chose defiance. Archbishop-President Suarez was seen by many to have not gone far enough in his denunciations; Alexander castigated in public protests as a heretical tyrant. Some theologians in Colombian universities have questioned the legitimacy of the Pope, comparing his tenure to the Avignon Captivity. Indeed, more blunt clerics have questioned if a papal abdication is the only way to truly settle things with the Vatican, given the seeming subservience to Versailles. Their voices would be joined by some in Europe, as the implications of the appointments to the College of Cardinals became clearer.
    While on the surface, it had seemed Pope Alexander was merely restoring balance to the College of Cardinals with his 1904 appointments, evidence increasingly emerged that the Vatican had deliberately put clerics in place to undermine the authority of secular powers. Cardinal-Archbishop William Walsh in Dublin was a vocal religious radical and Irish nationalist. His screeds against the Anglican Church and the existing order in Ireland no doubt played a role in the British General Election.
   Austria would experience and even more widespread and evident manipulation. Munich, Udine, Prague, and Gyor were filled with clerics of both a radical theological stripe as well as strong nationalist and separatist tendencies. ‘A sickness is infecting Catholicism,’ Cardinal-Bishop Gruscha of Vienna is reported to have told Louis-Henry in a private audience. The Austrian Church, a bastion of the establishment, was forced to contend with newer, radical voices placed in its ranks. Cardinal František Kordač gave demonstration of this by forming the ‘Society of Saint Wenceslaus,’ calling for the liberation of the Czech nation from German captivity. In Hungary, Nikolaus Széchényi pointedly refused to pray for Maximilian V or the Regency Council, while inserting prayers on behalf of the pontiff. Finally, Antonio Anastasio Rossi gave a sermon decrying the ‘insipient liberalism’ infecting the government in Lombardy-Venetia. To loyalist members of the Austrian public, as well as the government, blame was squarely placed on the shoulders of the pontiff and his backers.

Parties, Elections, and Politics: 1905

Labour Campaign Rally During the British Election, 1904
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Louisiana
   1904 witnessed at long last the final collapse of the Columbian Cause. Through the continued application of overwhelming force and Quebecois aid on the seas, Louisianan troops smashed through the Columbian lines in April, with the coming of spring. The writing was on the wall. After the fall of Atlanta on May 30th, the Columbians formally opened up behind-the-scenes offers of surrender. Yet, they were unwilling to submit to New Orleans’ call for it being unconditional. It was only with the final offensive of the war, the March on Savannah, that the government in Charleston formally surrendered, its military collapsing in on itself with a paucity of supplies and morale on the wane. Some Columbian leaders have fled into British territory, seeking asylum. Mary III’s government has interned them, but made no final decision of their fate.
   King Louis-Philippe, for the first time since 1900, leads a nation a peace. Yet, the scars of war remain, much of Columbia damaged by recent hostilities. It is up to him to mend the nation moving forward. How will the two feuding halves of Louisiana be brought together after such traumatic internal feuding?

[Spamage]

Scandinavia
   Prime Minister Tage Reedtz-Thott and the incumbent liberal-conservative government attempted to run on the economic rebound. Yet their calls to look at improvement from the trough somewhat fell on deaf ears. Most Scandinavians were well aware that, despite any economic improvement during the past year, the situation was markedly worse from where it had been during the prior campaign. In their anger they turned to more radical solutions. The SFF (right-wing nationalist) and SA (left-wing socialists) rose in tandem, the electorate looking for radical solutions to break the consensus.

Scandinavian Riksdag Election, 1900: 391 Seats (196 needed for a majority)
Socialdemokraiska Arbetarepari (Socialist): 118 seats (+48)
Lantmannpartiet (Conservative): 113 seats (-33)
Liberlerna (Liberal): 56 seats (-21)
Skandinaviska Folkets Förbund (Right-wing nationalist): 55 seats (+23)
Deutsche Autonome Partei (German Autonomists): 49 seats (+37)
Parti av Livlands självstyre (Livonian Autonomists): 10 seats (-2)
Suomen Kansanpuolue (Finnish Particularists): 5 seats (-1)

   Indeed, the result saw the Socialists emerge with the largest number of seats, though well short of a majority. At this juncture that party was riven by infighting between the moderates, willing to govern in a coalition, and genuine radicals, seeking to bring the whole parliamentary system to a halt. Some at Court felt that the Socialist numbers were exaggerated by the lack of differentiation between the two factions. Thus, by the end of the year it was an open question as to how John IV would proceed. Matters were not helped by the strength of the national-interest groups. While the more radical German People’s Party boycotted the election out of protest over the continued subjugation of Hanover to Scandinavia, in their absence other nationalist political forces organized. The German Autonomist Party (DAP) won a substantial 49 seats, benefitting from the outright annexation of Hanover.

Britain
   While the British campaign began in earnest, the realm would be surprised by the pleasant news that Queen Mary III had given birth to her first child, a boy, on April 27th, 1904. Named Prince George in honor of his beloved grandfather, the birth of the young Prince of Wales was greeted with widespread public celebration. It seemed concerns over the British Succession, so prominent after the terrible death of Princess Helen, could be shelved at long last. The child was baptized in an elaborate ceremony at Westminster Abbey. King John of Scandinavia and Emperor Maximilian V of Austria were named godfathers, while Queen Katharina of Bulgaria (Mary III’s aunt) and Charlotte Romanov served as godmothers.

British General Election, 1904: 670 seats (336 needed for a majority)
American Conservatives: 177 seats
Labour Party: 138 seats
British Liberals: 117 seats
British Conservatives: 101 seats
American Liberals: 83 seats
Free Ireland: 31 seats
Irish Parliamentary Party: 23 seats

  As usual, the British Election would feature two rather different campaigns on either side of the Atlantic. In North America, the late government’s actions against New England were highly popular. The election in that theater was essentially a victory lap for the American Conservatives, who won an eye-popping 177 out of 293 seats in that region. In Britain proper, the vote was far different. The deteriorating economic situation coupled without outright frustration over London’s growing foreign commitments, saw the British Liberals and Labour Party triumph. The British Conservatives were reduced to less than a third of the seats from constituencies in England and Scotland, a dramatic reversal that demonstrated the shifting mood of the electorate. The vote was a significant breakthrough for the Labour cause. While they garnered roughly a dozen or so seats from British America, they utterly swept most working-class portions in Britain, particularly in the northwest. Mary III has been placed in the unfortunate position of having to craft a government out of these confusing results, certainly an unenviable position. Still, it is expected that the right Prime Minister and coalition agreement, perhaps achieved through dividing either the Liberals or Conservatives along their Atlantic faults can bring a workable majority.
   In Ireland, a wholly different campaign occurred. The moderate Irish Parliamentary Party, focused on devolution, found themselves defeated by the more radical Free Ireland group. Free Ireland benefitted from the blatant support of the newly appointed Cardinal-Archbishop William Walsh, who beseeched his congregation to vote for the stronger Irish nationalist choice. Queen Mary’s responsibility of forming a government was made even more difficult with the peeling off of seats for the two national-interest groups. The IPP may have been more moderate, but even they were calling for reform.

New Holland
   While Van Houten had initially intended to retire, this decision was reversed by the Chinese assault in the East Indies. Indeed, he argued that now, more than ever, the United Provinces required steady leadership to guide the republic through the perilous circumstances. Thus, the New Hollander electorate went to the polls once again. While peace with China seemed to be in the offing, the two governments engaging in extensive diplomatic negotiations and thousands of Chinese soldiers withdrawing after their bizarre invasion, it had underscored the vulnerabilities of the United Provinces.

States General Election, 1904: 150 seats (75 needed for a majority)
Liberal Party of New Holland (LPNH, Liberal): 65 seats (-3 seats)
Party of Order (PVDO, Right-Wing Nationalist): 42 seats (+8 seats)
Socialist Worker’s Party of New Holland (SANH, Socialist): 32 seats (+1 seat)
New Holland Conservative Party (NHCP, Conservative): 11 seats (-6 seats)

   While the results were not great for the incumbent, a significant portion of the electorate seeming to blame their leadership for the horrific surprise assault, the voters clearly had little desire to change leadership in the midst of an ongoing conflict. Van Houten won yet another majority, assuming that he maintained the conservatives as his coalition partners. More alarming was the development on the right, with the PVDO staging a dramatic comeback. Indeed, the right-wing Hollander movement, employing outright racist drivel against the Chinese, demonstrated that nationalism remained a potent political force. While they had been blocked from a workable majority yet again, there was little question that they, and neither the conservatives nor socialists, were the key opposition bloc. Indeed, among the socialists Niewenhuis would express disappointment over the lack of traction for his party, many suspecting the polarizing Dutchman would stand down after his party failed to break through yet again.

Colombian Flu: The Second Year

Australian Police During the Outbreak of the Colombian Flu, 1904
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   1904 saw the continued spread of the Colombian Flu. Russia braced itself, the first wave sweeping over the republic very early in the year. Still, the government had used its time to prepare well. Activities in major cities such as Moscow and St. Petersburg ground to a halt throughout February and March, as the illness swept through the cities. Russia’s expanded hospital networks, while perhaps a bit slapdash, proved up to the challenge. Meanwhile, state apparatuses ensured that public discourse toed the line. Vitriolic publications against the Jews, medical community, and proposing disobedience were shuttered. While their purveyors would scream of violations of their liberties, the bulk of society shrugged and carried on. Indeed, despite the harrowing situation, President Milyukov won general plaudits for his handling of the situation, himself surviving a brush with the illness in early March.
   The Flu entered East Asia as well, long both through overland and naval routes. China, Korea, and Japan were likewise tested at this urgent hour. While thousands perished in the initial onslaught, particularly in Chinese coastal cities that were faced with the resumption of naval commerce, the disease was faced with a prepared public, widespread masking, and quarantine restrictions. Korea got by relatively lightly affected, as did Japan. While further waves were witnessed in New Holland and Australia, both of those regions benefitted from a low population density and relatively prepared social systems.
   North America received its first taste of the pandemic as well. Mexico, for all the efforts of the government to seal off the country, was unable to contain the disease once the Quebecois soldiers had begun their assault and opened the borders. In Louisiana, the disease burned through New Orleans, then into the war-torn Columbian region. To the north, Montreal also had to contend with the illness. Quebec as a whole fared well, though the vulnerable remained at a higher risk. While Wilhelmina and her children escaped unscathed, the Colombian Flu felled the aged Prince Louis of Quebec, the 85-year-old patriarch of the dynasty. The last of Louis-Henry’s surviving children, the old man succumbed to the disease on August 20th, 1904. Condolences were sent all across the world, from Vienna by Louis-Henry (his nephew), Paris by Louis XX (his grandnephew), and New Orleans by Louis-Philippe III (his double grandnephew). With his passing, it seems yet another living connection between the various global dynasties has been severed.
   Europe was forced to endure a second wave, nearly as painful as the first, as the illness rebounded west from Russia with the spring. There would be yet more victims, notable individuals falling prey to the disease. King Joseph of Serbia, a staunch ally of Vienna, fell ill and died on April 25th, 1904 as Serbia was hit particularly hard. His death saw the throne pass to his 21-year-old heir, the now King Stephen III. Stephen, the nephew of the Bulgarian Czar, is seen as far less predictable than his late father. Given his unmarried status, perhaps there is an opportunity to realign Serbia’s position. France was spared the worst of the second wave, the government pairing plague relief measures to the Catholic faith, including mandating the use of crosses on facemasks. Southern Europe was less fortunate, the second wave worse in both Italy and Iberia.  
   With time to adjust to the disease, and the shock wearing off, governments all throughout the globe have pivoted into using it for propaganda purposes. Chinese statements derided the ‘European Flu’. In France, the regime framed the disease as punishment for Colombia’s disobedience to the Pope, while Mexico argued that it was a punishment for the Catholic-Republicans as a whole.
   Generally, as the year comes to a close, there is a sense that the worst has passed. Late 1904 witnessed some smaller outbreaks, particularly in war-torn Iberia, but all-in-all the disease seems to be hampered by its success. So many people have either been infected or killed, it is unable to spread to the extent it used to. As the plague abates, the world has been changed. Beyond the sheer number of casualties, amplified no doubt by global instability, the plague has demonstrated a real role for governments in tackling public health issues.

Iberian Nightmare

Lisbon After the Collapse of the Republic, 1904
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   With Europe making peace further to the East, it was clear to the regimes in Iberia they would be fighting alone. They faced a French onslaught, both the revolutionary government in Portugal and the remnants of the Republican cause in Spain buckling under the pressure. Indeed, France would force a new order on the peninsula through the restoration of the Kingdom of Spain and the creation of the satellite principalities.

Spain
   The Second Spanish Civil War seems to reach its conclusion in 1905, far shorter a conflict than its predecessor in the 1870s. Secure in the knowledge of peace in Italy, the French operated largely unchallenged in the theater, seeking to swat aside the remnants of the Spanish Army. Indeed, the collapse of Toral’s regime was rather straightforward. The joint Franco-Royalist Army advanced over the Tagus and into Andalusia. The Fall of Cordoba on May 20th was followed by the loss of Granada on June 2nd. Seville, the capital of the Republic, held out for several weeks later, but with each defeat, the cohesiveness of Toral’s regime cratered. Seville fell on June 14th, just as the French began to advance on Lisbon. Toral attempted to set up continued resistance in Cadiz, but finally recognized the writing on the wall as the French began their advance on that city. The Republican cause is considered to have totally collapsed with the capture of that city on June 22nd. The Civil War had entered a new phase.
  Toral, his family, and surviving ministers fled to Gibraltar and into the hands of perplexed Habsburg authorities. Indeed, their request for asylum has put the Austrian government in a bid, officials unwilling to hand them over to French custody (especially after news of Linares’ ‘trial’) but also faced with repeated demands from the new regime in Madrid for their extradition.
   With the collapse of the Republican cause, Henry VI revived the Spanish tradition of the coronation, holding the first such ceremony since the days of the Catholic Monarchs in the 1490s. The ceremony was conducted in Toledo, the new king using that old Visigoth capital as a means of cementing himself to Spain’s long and storied history. Indeed, his victory represented the dawn of a new era. His first acts as sovereign being to restore the supremacy of the Church, shutter the democratic organs of government that had been created by the late Republic, and arrest economic and political elites complicit in the late regime. Henry VI was clearly not his father, who sent only tepid congratulations from far-off Chile.
   Yet, along with the restoration of the Kingdom of Spain came the creation of three new governments. First, in a blatant act of transactional diplomacy, the sovereign granted the full and total independence of Catalonia-Valencia, restoring hardline Catholic-Republican leadership to the government in Barcelona. Cardinal-Archbishop Salvador Casañas y Pagés assumed the title of Archbishop-President, the Spanish Church finally having full control of the Catholic-Republican movement for the first time in four decades. While that new state remained unrecognized, particularly by the mainstream governments in Vienna, London, and Moscow, the promise of independence satiated many Catalans. The second act of Henry VI was to bestow the new titles of Grand Duke of Navarre on Prince Amadeus of France and Grand Duke of Aragon to Prince Francis of France. Both sons of Louis XX were to be granted significant autonomy from Henry VI’s government, only having nominal fealty to the new regime. With Amadeus only 8 and his brother Francis just 6, regency councils were set up in the interim, consisting of a mix of loyal collaborators, French officials, and Bourbon cousins.
   With the creation of the autonomous principalities of Navarre and Aragon, as well as the Catalan independence, Henry VI was publicly mocked by people in Madrid as the ‘Rey de dos tercios’ (2/3rds king), for his handing of so much of the realm over to French overlordship. Indeed, there was a real sense among some in the new regime that French aid would be utterly essential in maintaining the new order, guerilla activity in the countryside giving evidence of that. Tens of thousands of partisans have continued to resist the advent of Royal extremism. Galicia, nominally the most royalist Spanish region, has been riven by infighting and disobedience to the new regime, the rebels joining hands with their Portuguese brethren to the south. Pockets of resistance continue all throughout the kingdom, aided and abetted by a populace apathetic to Henry VI in certain areas. With the Balearics remaining unoccupied, there has been an attempt by some of Toral’s lieutenants to declare the Republic of Mallorca, operating as an independent state with the mainland in Royalist clutches.
   Yet, work remained on disposing of the old regime. The French Palace of Fontainebleau was the scene of a dramatic trial, Louis XX formally presiding in October. Arsenio Linares y Pombo, the deposed Spanish President, was brought before the King and a dramatic panoply of representatives of the French Courts, Church, and nobility. He was emaciated, a year of French captivity being unkind to the man. It was Louis XX who spoke first. Linares was accused of numerous charges, ranging from the sensible (waging an unprovoked war of aggression against France), to the intangible (treason against Spain by seizing power, cowardice in battle, crimes against the people), to the utterly absurd (fornicating with demons, secret paganism). Asked how he would plea, Linares refused to recognize the legitimacy of the trial. He dubbed Louis an ‘unstable madman who would someday receive his just comeuppance.’
   Louis calmly listened to Linares’ statement, before judging him guilty by default and signaling to his guards. The floor between Linares fell open, him falling into a subchamber below the throne room. Both his legs broke in the fall, eliciting howls of pain. Yet, the room was not empty. Louis had imported striped hyenas from his Algerian colony. The animals, near starvation in preparation for the trial, pounced on the weak, old man. The throne room of Fontainebleau echoed with the painful sounds of Linares’ death, the King and his judges looking on as their sentence was carried out.
   Event the staunchest supporters of Louis XX questioned whether or not he had a touch of insanity for his theatrics. Charlotte was alleged to have privately deplored such ‘unnecessary, senseless barbarism,’ while Queen Anna of Bourbon-Savoie was noticeably absent from the proceedings. The optics of an heir of St. Louis conducting himself in such a manner was polarizing. Nevertheless, with Paris ruled by fear, few gave open voice to their unease. Clearly, as long as he delivered tangible successes, there would be no challenges to the king’s authority from within the ranks of the leadership.

[Spamage]

Portugal
   Louis XX was not willing to allow the collapse of his dynastic allies to go unanswered. The King listened to the appeals of the Dauphine, declaring war on the Portuguese Republic and assembling a substantial force to bring the region back into line. Thousands of French soldiers crossed the border at Badajoz, proclaiming a restoration of the House of Braganza. War had come to Portugal for the first time in decades.
   While the Portuguese Army comported itself valuably on the field of battle, they were outnumbered and isolated. France simultaneously began a blockade of the Atlantic, limiting supply from further abroad. The Battle of Coimbra was a horrible rout for the Republicans on June 7th, 1904. With their defeat, the remnants of the Portuguese forces fled north to Porto, leaving Lisbon vulnerable to capture.
   The Fall of Lisbon was a horrific scene. Thousands, unwilling to return to Braganza subjugation, took to the roads and rail, attempting to flee the capital. The social order collapsed, the police dissolving into the mass of chaos, looting, and rioting. Fires broke out in some areas, spreading rapidly and creating a ghastly orange hue over the Portuguese capital. In this crisis, the central government was nowhere to be found, most residents assuming they had joined the trains of people heading north. Still, not all were willing to surrender without a fight. Some citizens began to set up barricades in their neighborhoods to stave off the French attack, one that began in earnest on June 15th.
   The Battle of Lisbon was a brutal but brief affair. Barricades were not as effective as they one had been, faced as they were with overwhelming firepower. The French blasted their way into the city, causing extensive damage but rooting out most of the resistance in the coming days. While stray snipers remained in many buildings, killing French soldiers unfortunate enough to fall into their line-of-sight, the coming weeks witnessed the gradual pacification of the city. From there, the French pushed north, sweeping aside the remnants of the Portuguese forces as they captured Aveiro, Porto, and Braga. The war on the field seemed to be at an end, General Manuel Rafael Gorjão formally surrendering on September 20th, 1905. He, along with thousands of his men, were now in French custody.
   Louis XX’s men were horrified when they liberated the Palace of Queluz in the aftermath of the fall of Lisbon. That site had been the prison for several members of the royal family. Inside they found the corpses of both Prince Joao (the ostensible heir) and Princess Ana (his sister). Both had bullet wounds in the back of their skulls, hastily buried in the palace gardens. The importance of their death cannot be understated, given it leaves Princess Maria of Portugal, the Dauphine of France as the ostensible heir to the Portuguese throne. While several aged Braganza uncles remain in the background, their claim is no doubt secondary to Maria’s. A French-aligned Portugal is one thing, a French incorporated one is another matter. Will the other powers of Europe allow for the Dauphine to take the throne? Republican government, for its part, denied culpability in the deaths, alleging vigilante justice amidst the anarchy. Some have even speculated that the French did it themselves, seeking to bind yet another throne to their growing menagerie, coming on the heels as it does of the establishment of dynastic principalities in: Naples, Apulia, Calabria, Aragon, Navarre, and Spain. Henrique Mitchell de Paiva Cabral Couceira, a staunch Braganza loyalist, has taken the lead on administration under French supervision in the interim.
   Despite French attempts to capture the government, chicanery with Russian assistance ensured the escape of the Portuguese government during the Battle of Lisbon. Indeed, Moscow had ample reason to aid the flight, incensed as they were over the French declaration of war just weeks after they had extended official recognition. It is not quite publicly known how President José Luciano de Castro and some of his top advisors escaped the city, but wild stories have emerged. Some allege that the Russians shipped them out in crates under the cover of diplomatic cargo, the men sealed for days in wooden boxes. Others detail an elaborate trek involving crossing the Spanish border and departing in disguise from one of Spain’s ports such as Vigo or Oviedo. Whatever the case, the Portuguese government-in-exile resurfaced on Russian vessels in the Atlantic. President Castro himself has set up a government-in-exile from the relative safety of Colombia, while members of his cabinet moved to the Portuguese colonies in Africa, standing in defiance of France and pledging their continued loyalty to Castro and the Portuguese Republic.
   Meanwhile, as in Spain, while the war on the field is at an end, that did not mean the people have fully submitted. Militias continue to operate, particularly in the mountainous north from the Serra da Estrela and Serra da Coroa. Rebel forces also operate out of the far south, their ranks composed of veterans of the recent conflict and staunch nationalists. They vow continued resistance and guerilla warfare to sap the strength of the occupiers until the republic is restored and liberty returned to the people.

Dawn of the North American Union

Flag of the North American Union
(Source: Made by Lumine)

A New New England
   New England was utterly gutted by the Continuation War, as the defeat at the hands of Britain had been dubbed by the public. London had flattened any resistance through its duplicity, tearing yet more land away from the Confederation and winning the lasting ire of its citizens. Nothing could so strongly have underlined the vulnerability of the republic to foreign invasion, the restored government in Boston looking on with contempt as the British ‘restored’ New Haven (as their acquired territories were dubbed) to their empire. While the Treaty of Syracuse restored peace, it could not restore a feeling of security for the New Englander public. There was little question of going back to the way things were.
   Domestically, Chairman Patrick Collins returned to the capital with both an axe to grind and a long to-do list. Democratic norms were suspended, the Confederation enacting an extended state of emergency. Taking notes from Louisiana, all political parties were formally suspended for the duration of the order. Those former members of the Legislature released from British custody were not readmitted, formally stacking the body in Collins’ favor. Many of the Independent Federalists and Centralist leaders found themselves incarcerated and placed under trial for ‘betrayal of New England’ through their backing of the Treaty of Bogota. Mandatory military service and training was expanded to all young men, several weeks of supplementary training to follow every third year moving forward. Elections were delayed until 1907 while the government set about a wholesale reconstruction of New England’s infrastructure, using Quebecois funds coupled with trampling of property rights to get the Commonwealth moving again.
   There was a broad sense of national sadness as New England watched the distant trial of Chairman Fitzgerald, the British having transported him to his trial in Switzerland. While ‘Honey Fitz’ gave a valiant defense of his actions in Operate Sunset, including arguments that subsequent British actions had merely proven his point, the panel of judges was not moved. Undoubtedly guilty, he was sentenced to death on May 27th, 1904.
   There would be no appeal, the sentence carried out within a week. The bishop of Konstanz was on hand to take Fitzgerald’s confession the morning of June 5th. His last statement was brief. ‘I die a plain man, without any of the elaborate titles or courtesies bestowed upon other global leaders. Yet I know that my most important titles are husband, father, Catholic, and patriot.’ The former New Englander leader was then taken to the guillotine, unceremoniously beheaded in the presence of the judges, Swiss officials, and representatives of Britain, Austria, and Scandinavia. It was a long way from the joyful heady days of the 1900 North American Cup in Boston. Out of respect for the slain leader, his widow was able to collect his remains, returning across the Atlantic with them to his burial at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.

Treaty of Bangor
   Diplomatically, with the old North American Alliance dead, New England still needed some sort of foreign protection. Wilhelmina was all too happy to provide guarantees, herself incensed over Mary III’s actions in 1903. The Treaty of Bangor was signed on August 15th, 1904 by Chairman Collins and representatives of Empress Wilhelmina’s government, formally establishing the North American Union.
   Quebec looked back in its dynastic history to the old German League operated by Frederick the Great of Prussia for inspiration. Wilhelmina and her successors as Emperors of Quebec would operate a ‘Presidents’ of the Union, nominal sovereigns over all member states and guarantors of the body. The Union would have a united foreign policy, cohesive armed forces, and economic integration. Individual members would retain autonomy over their domestic affairs (hence Collins’ harsh agenda in New England) so long as they kept well away from the radical ideologies that were infecting so much of the world. While initially the Union solely consisted of Quebec and New England, events further to the south would allow for new members to apply and rapidly join Wilhelmina’s alliance. By the end of the year, both Cuba and Liberia would claim to be members of the body, many expecting Yucatan to follow shortly.
    International reaction to the news was one of concern. The Louisianans were finding themselves increasingly encircled by Quebec. Could they no longer be the predominant Francophone power in North America? In Britain too the news was treated with alarm, though there was a sense in London that the British Army would still retain operational and numerical supremacy over the upstart alliance.

Clash of the Empires: War Between Quebec and Mexico

Quebecois Soldiers Engage the Mexicans, 1904
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Breaking the Rebellion
   The year initially opened rather favorably for Mexico. Luis II’s men made significant gains against the united opposition in the early months. The Catholic-Republican/Moderate alliance was unwieldy and scatterbrained, commanders in that force were jealous of one another and the troops ofttimes quarreled. Taking advantage of this, the Red King’s men reversed their losses in the north. From Mazatlán to Hermosillo, the west coast of Mexico was retaken. Simultaneous operations in the north secured much of Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Durango, and Chihuahua. There was optimism among some commanders that the rebels could be fully subdued in 1904, the strength of their cause rapidly abating. The hope would prove itself misplaced, the King’s foreign kin at long last involving themselves in his domestic affairs.

Operation Cortez
   Seeing a world distracted and Mexico still swinging from crisis to crisis, Wilhelmina elected to put her military to use and chasten her cousin in Mexico City. Her government in Montreal, with the full backing of political officials, decided to end the Mexican experiment in radicalism once and for all, deploying soldiers to that effect. Quebec enacted Operation Cortez, a series of complex operations aimed at destroying the Empire of the Mexicans and bringing stable governance to that realm.
   More than a dozen Quebecois divisions crossed into California in May 1904, the formal start of hostilities between the two powers. Mexico had stationed 5 divisions on the border, with the explicit attempt of barring any border crossings. These soldiers found themselves outgunned and substantially outnumbered by Quebecois troops. The Battle of Shasta saw the Mexican Army of California made to retreat in a hasty flight to the south. In their wake came the Quebecois forces, increasingly bolstered by Californio rebels, who decided to make common cause with the invaders. Sacramento fell in early June, alongside San Francisco just weeks later. With the loss of that major city, Mexican authority in California began to abate. The shattered remnants of their Army of California camped out in San Diego, the dream of Mexican California seeming to slip from their grasp.
   A second offensive was launched into Liberia. That realm, still grappling with the effects of mass dislocation of the populace, now had to contend with more than a dozen Quebecois divisions on the march. Henry Flipper, a conservative Liberian general, led the Army of Quebec in this operation. Freetown fell on May 20th, and with it the bulk of the Black Socialist government. George Woodbey eluded capture, fleeing into the Great Basin alongside loyalists. Meanwhile, the invaders pushed to the south, capturing most of Liberia. They found the populace restive and irate; most opponents of the regime having fled to Colorado or Vaudreuil in the previous year. Armed resistance and insurgencies erupting in the countryside. These only increased further in strength when the Quebecois occupiers deigned to crown Alexander von Hohenzollern, the uncle of Wilhelmina’s husband, as the King of Liberia. This was a man with no dynastic, historical, ethnic, or political connection to his new subjects. As the German-speaking ‘King’ took office in Freetown, he was met with jeers and animosity by the populace. Attempts by Quebec to push further south from Liberia were halted because of the growing discontent in Liberia proper.
   On the Atlantic, the Quebecois Navy appeared off the coast of Cuba, giving battle to any of the nearby Mexico vessels attempting to keep the island under quarantine. After smashing the enemy vessels, 16 divisions disembarked at Manzanillo in the east, sweeping north into the rest of the island. In their ranks they carried Prince Maximilian of Mexico, the 56-year-old uncle of the Red King who was seeking to return from exile. He was joined by his new wife, Princess Paulina of Prussia, the unfortunate bride-to-be of Wilhelmina’s late brother. Maximilan possessed legitimacy; his Spanish-speaking origins joined to his dynastic role as a grandson of Louis-Philippe II of Louisiana. With the backing of Quebecois commanders and consent of the Cuban nationalists, he was proclaimed King of Cuba on August 5th, 1904. Immediately he proclaimed membership to the North American Union on behalf of his subjects. Cuba would be nominally independent, yet not left fully vulnerable to the whims of predatory powers. The Mexican forces on the island were pushed to the west, occupying Havana and around a third of the island by the end of the year. Shortly following the landings in Cuba, separate Quebecois operations saw the occupation of Jamaica, Guadeloupe, and Barbados.

Mexico in Lockdown
   The Crown’s decision to unilaterally seal the Mexican border at all costs was drastic, but initially effective. Indeed, the realm was spared the horrors of the Colombian Flu during the early months of 1904, only the onset of hostilities bringing it into the empire. Still, it put many in a bind. Luis II’s decisive actions had terrible economic implications for the realm. The populace, many of whom were impoverished or desperate following the depredations of five years of incessant war, did not necessarily fall into line.
   The Yucatan was already chafing from the extensive French blockade. Indeed, more than most other territories, this region relied on international trade to keep it afloat. Henequen production, a material crucial for the making of rope and twine, dominated local cultivation, even after the forced seizure of all private property in Mexico on the orders of the Red King. The closure of the border yet another year posed a serious threat to local residents who finally took action. As news arrived of Quebec’s invasion, many local elites decided it was better to gamble with Quebec than continue to endure the erratic rule of the Red King. The Free State of Yucatan was formally decreed on July 10th in Valladolid. Most cities rapidly fell in line, Merida, Cancun, and Campeche defecting. The ports were formally opened within the week, trade resuming with the outside world as Quebecois vessels entered the harbors, clearly having conspired with the malcontents. While Montreal allegedly was pressing for the declaration of a kingdom, local elites have held off, wary of monarchism in the aftermath of the Red King’s rule. Nevertheless, the new state of Yucatan’s declaration of independence represented yet another chink in Mexico’s armor, the realm seemingly dying from death by a thousand cuts.
   There was chaos along the eastern coast of Mexico as well. The Spanish volunteers, well and truly exiled with the collapse of Spain and continued French blockade, had been placed in a serious bind. Luis II formally decreed early in the year that they were prohibited from leaving the country, demanding they adopt Mexican citizenship and resettle in California. This heavy-handed treatment utterly shattered the cohesiveness of the army. Some of the men, perhaps a third, loyal to their comrades in arms, backed both the Red King and his mission, complying with his orders. Yet, a majority mutinied, fed-up with the ‘tyrant of Mexico’. Unbeknownst to the government in Mexico, nor to each other, dueling efforts to transport the defectors from the Spanish Army to either Colombia or Quebec were underway.
   The pro-Wilhelmina brigades, typically the ideological liberals and those tired of conflict, evacuated in a dramatic scene from Veracruz, taking over the city and opening the port to Quebecois vessels. Thousands embarked in a dramatic scene, ferried by their new patriots back to the far north, where they sought out a new life away from the Mexican chaos. The Colombian operation, unable to penetrate France’s continued Atlantic blockade, occurred along the Pacific coast. Those generally still loyal to Catholic-Republican ideology chose this route, fleeing onto Colombian vessels from Salina Cruz to the safety of Quito.

[Spamage]

Strike (and Miss) at the Heart
   Indeed, it had been a summer of heartbreak for Mexico. June, July, and August had witnessed defeat after defeat. The hope for the suppression of the rebellion in January turned to horror and fury about Wilhelmina’s invasion. Little was it realized that the main event had yet to begin.
   Quebec’s largest operation was an attempt to decapitate the government in Mexico proper. Just as Louisiana had done in 1900, a coastal landing and rapid advance inland would be conducted, though this time from the Pacific side of Mexico. Dozens of divisions, ferried by the Quebecois Pacific fleet, landed at Manzanillo. Their aims were highly optimistic, plans calling for the capture of Mexico City within several months. This was not to be. Terrain and navigation proved far more difficult than had been anticipated, matters not helped by the general loyalty of the populace in the region to the government of Luis II.
   Still, the initial seizure of Guadalajara proved successful. As did the secondary aim of linking up with the Mexican rebels. With the news arriving of Quebecois intervention, the northern Mexican operations were somewhat thrown into disarray, commanders fleeing south to protect both the capital and heartland of the realm. Ironically, it would be some of the Loyalist Spanish regiments that would slow the Quebecois victory at the Battle of Zacatecas, their fortitude buying the Red King valuable time to mobilize his men for a defense of Mexico City.
   By the close of the year, Quebec has secured both Zacatecas and Guadalajara. Contact has been established with the rebels in the north, though that group is increasingly wounded and short on manpower. Mexico, meanwhile, still has command of the capital, the south, and most of the eastern coast. There are domestic implications for Luis II to consider as well. The Mexican elections were cancelled following the Quebecois strike from the south. For all their assertions of ‘liberating the Mexican people with constitutional governance’, Wilhelmina’s also had prevented the rituals of democracy from being allowed to occur.
   While Quebec went to great lengths to portray themselves as sensible liberators, deferring to Mexican rebels wherever possible, the advent of the Colombian Flu in their wake did little to endear them to the Mexican people. Indeed, settlements would often witness the arrival and occupation of the French speakers, followed weeks later by the onset of the horrendous virus among a population wholly without immunity and emaciated by famine. Nowhere was this worse than in Guadalajara, the city experiencing a terrible wave late in the year. Thousands fled for safety in the advent of the disease, inadvertently spreading the misery to other parts of Mexico.

African Wars: From the Cape to the Suez

Ethiopia
   Emperor Menelik recognized the situation in Ethiopia was beyond saving, besieged as he was in Addis Ababa with Austrian guns battering away at his defensive positions. Yet, pride and a desire to save the Ethiopian people from outright subjugation and exploitation by the Habsburgs kept up his resistance. It was only after Vienna, pressed as it was by developments in Italy, issued generous and decent offer, that he genuinely began to consider peace. Fed up with the bloodshed and the worsening conditions in his realm (the Colombian Flu sweeping through most of Ethiopia at this point), Menelik formally agreed to the terms of the Submission of Lalibela. Leaving his besieged capitol, escorted by Austrian soldiers to that holy city, the Emperor formally decreed the subjugation of his realm to Habsburg overlordship. He formally did homage to Paul Fiedler (a naval official) standing-in for the absent boy-emperor. In return, Menelik would retain his title and honors, accepting his role as a protectorate of Maximilian V. His grandson and heir was to be sent to Vienna for education and as a guarantee of his continued loyalty, while extensive Austrian funding would improve Ethiopian infrastructure and transportation. It was light enough a touch that it could be sold to the Ethiopian people themselves as more of an alliance than a subjugation, though many nobles in the realm were utterly shocked by their defeat. Just two years on from tremendous victories, the dream of Ethiopian independence seemed dead.

Sokoto
   The Habsburg subjugation of Ethiopia would have unintended consequences, especially for their British allies. The African states were not blind to developments in Ethiopia, nor the broader world. There was a general understanding of the extreme pressure being brought to bear on the colonial powers by events all throughout the globe. While most governments, unstable themselves and woefully behind in terms of military technology, were unable to exploit this, several African leaders were willing to take a gamble. The most formidable, the indominable Sokoto Caliph, embarked on yet another war with Britain.
   Muhammadu Attahiru I of the Sokoto Caliphate had spent his whole life seeing continued encroachment on the borders of his realm. When he had just been a boy, the British presence was confined to a few outposts on the Nigerian coast. Yet, then had come the Stockholm conference and the division of Africa into colonial spheres of influence in 1870. That had inaugurated further British expansionism, including the peeling off of Sokoto vassals in the perennial conflicts between the two powers. Each engagement seemed only to strengthen the British vise grip over the region yet further.
   Sokoto would stand idly by no longer. In a massive, surprise offensive, the largely undefended British Nigeria fell prey to their advance. Indeed, many locals joined the rebellion, cheering the forces of the Caliph as they launched their attack into British territory. Colonial officials were thrown into a panic as defections continued. Dahomey and the Yoruba people both defected, swearing nominal loyalty to Sokoto in exchange for mere occupation.
   Muhammadu Attahiru I capitalized on local superstition, thousands convincing themselves of his role as Mahdi. Indeed, his results seemed to speak for themselves. By the end of the year, the British were confined to a besieged Lagos and the Nigerian Delta itself. London, preoccupied as it was with electoral developments, the separate conflict at the Cape, and the formation of the North American Union, would now have a whole other area to handle. With Nigeria aflame, there are concerns for the stability of not only British Africa, but the whole European colonial project in the region. After all, many Scandinavian diplomats have asked themselves, will the Caliph truly stop at the arbitrary colonial border?
   
Cape War
   New Brandenburg found itself in an unenviable position in 1904, both Britain and Colombia electing to increase their attention to the Second Cape War. While greatly outnumbered, that did not mean President Wissmann was going to stand idly by as his republic was fighting for its survival. Through intrigue and intense resistance, it was hoped that the British could be expelled from the Cape once and for all. Indeed, while the British-Colombian forces were able to achieve territorial gains during 1904, they came at an extremely heavy cost.
   Britain blockade the coast, preempting a good deal of President Wissmann's schemes, but not before several divisions were able to take to flight by the sea. While these would prove to be a nuisance further afield, they would be irrelevant for the main land campaign. Britain deployed 30 divisions in concert with 7 from Colombia, their combined forces more than doubling the South Africans. Yet, the combination of territorial knowledge and zealous nationalism ensured that the New Brandenburgers gave as good as they got. Wissmann's appeal to patriotism ensured that any man deemed capable, and many women too, would take up arms. The numbers of the New Brandenburger forces have been bolstered, albeit perhaps at a cost to their cohesiveness and discipline. Nevertheless, facing the largest threat to their way of life in decades, perhaps it is a necessary sacrifice. Notable would be the New Prussian mistreatment of British PoWs. Seeing the men as illegitmate occupiers, most of the Brandenburgers did not even bat an eye as food supplies were cut back to both the civilian and military prisoners. Indeed, the cruelty was amply used by the British press as a cause for continuing the struggle.
   An initial march on Neu Potsdam was punishing. While the Anglo-Colombian forces excelled in battle on the field, they were outmaneuvered by a rural populace willing to employ extreme measures to keep them at bay. Thousands perished in the march out of the Cape Colony, the New Prussians taking any material wealth and supplies with them as they fled inland. Yet, the New Brandenburgers were eventually forced out of their capital, August seeing President Wissmann and his government forced to flee inland. London got its propaganda victory with the capture of that city, photos circulating in newspapers of British soldiers in President Wissmann's private chambers. The Cape Republic was forced to relocate its government to Hopetown, well behind the lines.
   At the end of the year the British control much of the coast, shutting the New Brandenburgers off from the coast. After news from the Suez, perhaps this was a blessing. Neu Potsdam and many German settlements on the coast have been seized, though they sit in a depopulated and weakened state. Instead the resistance continues to wage war from the inland. Many wonder, especially after the Sokoto War in Nigeria, how Britain will proceed in the coming months. Is a push inland to be enacted, seeking to extirpate the Prussians in Africa once and for all, or will peace be at hand?

Trouble at the Suez (Plan Anaconda)
   It was perhaps one of the more maddening proposals of President Wissmann, a bold gamble that aimed to garner global attention. Nevertheless, it proved a substantial development. Inspired by the New Englander and Durrani gambits in prior years, the lone force to escape prior to the British blockade snuck north along the African coast. Few took note, the vessels not sizeable enough to garner serious scrutiny from the Austrians or Scandinavian colonies.
   Their destination was Suez itself, the city at the southern end of the canal. Mass explosions ensued as the men disembarked. The Austrians were stunned. While there had been extensive planning for a French assault, news of the Treaty of Rome perhaps had lulled them into a false sense of security. Several vessels exploded on the canal, the Brandenburgers intentionally stopping up the waterway with shipwrecks. As the men pushed north, finally encountering the Habsburg garrison, they employed scorched-earth tactics. Any vessels caught on the waterway were unceremoniously sunk, as was any equipment at hand. Mines were deployed along the southern mouth.
   Yet, despite their brief ascendancy, the situation on the ground changed markedly as the Habsburgs composed themselves. The Egyptians came to aid their nominal allies, several divisions joining the Austrian garrison in stopping the advance at the Battle of Ismailia. The year would end with the New Brandenburgers surrounded in the city of Suez itself, there seeming to be little hope for those that had participated in this bizarre endeavor.
   As for the canal, it is in fact blocked, though the damage is but a fraction of what occurred in the 1870s. The widening of the canal, coupled with the lack of elevation changes has meant that, while blocked for the time being, it will likely be possible to clear the waterway in a much more rapid fashion. This will require restoring control though, something that has not yet occurred as of the end of the year. Still, there is a growing understanding in Vienna that operations further east will be made further difficult by this challenging and bizarre development.

Romanian Civil War

Royalist Soldiers in Romanian Civil War, 1904
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

   Since 1901, Augustus II and his Reactionary-Socialist regime had gone unchallenged in Romania. With most opposition leaders fleeing to Russia, the king felt utterly secure in his control over the realm. He used this period of peace to remake Romania in France’s image, enacting proposals in line with his idol Louis XX. The Sons of Saint Andrew were formed in a direct copy of the Sons of Saint Louis in France, patrolling the streets of Bucharest and forcing the population into compliance. Militarily, Romania conducted a massive arms buildup, thousands of men enlisted and forced into military exercises. The nobles and bourgeois elites were generally liquidated, forced over the border into Russia and Austria or executed. As a clearly Latin state, presumably under the nominal protection of Louis XX (especially in light of his new title) Augustus cared little for the growing ire in his subjects.
   Matters came to a head in 1904. A suspiciously well-organized opposition came out of nowhere, rapidly organizing in a mere matter of months and undermining the pillars of government. Pamphlets denouncing ‘Franco-Bourbon Tyranny’ and ‘schizophrenic reactionary-socialism’ were confiscated by the regime in Iasi, Chisinau, and Bucharest. Rumors also swirled that the King was going to unite the Romanian Orthodox Church with the Catholic Church, a highly unpopular proposition. Augustus II attempted to get a handle on this growing disobedience, his men smashing printing presses and killing publishers suspected of spreading such filth. Clashes occurred all throughout the summer, yet not even mass arrests were able to paint a clear picture of how the movement was organized.
   The opposition made its move in October. On the 5th of that month, a mass protest organized itself into the National Independence Army of Nicolae Bălcescu. Riots erupted all throughout Romania in a clearly pre-planned insurrection. The group was surprisingly well-armed, stunning Royalist troops sent to contain them. Augustus II beat back the initial insurrections in the capital through sheer cruelty, his men treating their fellow subjects as pure cannon fodder, egged on by the king’s dramatic screeds. Yet, further away, the movement was far more successful. Protests in Iasi and Chisinau saw images of Augustus II toppled, members of the Sons of Saint Andrew either beaten to death or shot on sight.
   Hundreds of opposition figures from exile poured across the Russian border taking up arms to topple the tyrannical monarchy. Within the month most of Moldavia, steeped as it was with democratic tradition dating all the way back to the Polish Revolution in the 1700s, declared in favor of the Governing Council of Romania, a self-appointed body declaring its intent to enact a constitution and oust Augustus II. The King, meanwhile, holds most of old Wallachia. While the Romanian Army has been riven with defections, the core has remained loyal to the regime. Mass societal purges are occurring in Royalist areas, suspected rebels being summarily executed by squads of the Royal forces.
   Augustus has not been silent as his government has come under threat, calling for the aid of his cousin in Versailles. Indeed, it seems France’s new title is being put to the test from the get-go. Romania has always been understood to be the most vulnerable of France’s allies, but nonetheless, there is little question in the eyes of most observers that it is a part of Latin Europe. The Crown has long expounded on the shared linguistic and cultural origins between Romania and its French and Italian counterparts to the west. The eastern outpost of the House of Bourbon in Europe now teeters on the brink of collapse. Few in France are under any illusion about who is truly responsible. 
   Romanian diplomats have been quick to point out clear and blatant connections between the Army of Nicolae Bălcescu and the Russian government. The group wields Russian weapons, aided in the struggle by exiles returning via the Russian border. The Governing Council seems to hold Republican principles, members reportedly using the Russian constitution as a broad blueprint for their own document. Bucharest’s intelligence networks also have long noted Milyukov’s nurturing and protection of the exiled opposition. Yet, no direct material evidence of Russian aid has surfaced as of yet, aside from Russian weaponry and clear public sympathy in that republic for the government in Iasi. Whatever the case, the Kingdom of Romania has collapsed into civil anarchy. All eyes look to see how the governments in Paris, Vienna, and Moscow will react to this surprising news.

[Spamage]

Asian Developments

Battle of Singapore, 1904
(Source: Made by Me via Midjourney)

Japanese Operations
    Freed from foreign distractions such as the invasion of China or war with Britain, the Japanese government was at long last able to devote its full attention to cementing its new colonial empire in East Asia. President Tokugawa Iesato organized twin operations in the Philippines and Aceh, seeking to end the bloodshed. Indeed, there was a real desire to focus on constitutional developments at home, rather than continued low-level warfare abroad.
   They would both prove to be tremendous successes. Four years on from its invasion of the Philippines, Japan finally forced the islands into obedience in 1904. Governor Tokugawa Satotaka, brother of the President, formally held a celebration of victory in Manila on November 5th after news of the collapse of the last organized resistance to the south. With the defeat of the Filipino militias came the capture of notable opposition figured. Archbishop-President Donato Guimbaolibot finally was found hiding out in a remote part of the jungle on the island of Samar. He and most of the prominent figures of the old Filipino government were relocated to Tokyo, awaiting the decision of the Japanese central government on their fate.
   Aceh required a bit more force, the Sultan an obstinate foe. There was a real sense among most commanders in northern Sumatra that the Sultanate had benefitted from the distraction of the French since their initial onslaught in 1900. Indeed, low-level warfare and an inability to commit extensive resources only emboldened the resistance of Aceh, who found itself on a level playing field with its foes. Tokugawa Iesato flooded the region with soldiers, his men securing much of the coasts. Resistance smolders in the inland, Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah II still at large and in command of thousands of militiamen. Nevertheless, isolated as the sultan is, and with no aid in the offing, most Japanese commanders remain optimistic that the situation can be resolved in the coming months.

Eastern Surprise: Austria Attacked!
Korea was handsomely rewarded for its rapprochement with Japan, regaining the Sunwon Islands. Domestically, the news was treated as an utter triumph, heralding the resurgence of Korean international glory. Yet, the government would not stop there. Seoul was determined to give further proof that Korea was on the upswing once more. No longer would the Korean people be humiliated by far-off regimes.
   The morning of September 18th opened like any other in Habsburg Singapore. That bustling metropolis teemed with mercantile activity, traders from as far afield as the Cape Republic, Scandinavia, Quebec, and Japan all doing business there. The peaceful ambience around sunrise was shattered by a sudden explosion near the docks, pillars of black smoke trailing into the sky. Governor Ewin von Zach attempted to get a handle on the situation, receiving mixed reports of activity from the dockyards. Initial stories said that an accidental fire near one of the fuel tanks had led to the explosion. Then news stated the fires did not seem accidental. Then there were reports of firefights amidst the flames, foreign soldiers attempting to disembark and seize the city. Von Zach called up the garrison of two divisions, rushing them down to the docks to restore order, yet they came face-to-face with thousands of Koreans. A terrible exchange of fire ensued, shredding much of the Singapore dockyards as thousands of men engaged in urban warfare. It became clear as the day wore on that the Austrians were outmatched. Von Zach and his colonial administration were forced to surrender the city, handing it over in exchange for safe treatment for the captured Habsburg troops (though not before sending off emergency telegraphs to their higher-ups in Vienna). Singapore, the Habsburg Jewel of the East, sits once more in Korean hands after an interim of 4 decades.
   Indeed, it became increasingly clear to Louis-Henry that the distant the Korean Republic had launched a surprise attack against the unsuspecting Austrians. Simultaneous operations saw a similar crippling of Habsburg Brunei and the Riau islands. Austria’s position in East Asia, aside from Ningbo and the Andaman Islands, has utterly deteriorated. Even most East Asian observers were shocked by the boldness and efficiency of the Korean strike. Yet another blow has been struck against the European colonial order, coming as it does after the utter collapse of French India, rebellion in British Nigeria, and Chinese assault on New Holland. Is a new era dawning in the world?

Sun Rises in Brazil

The New Borders of Brazil
(Made by Me)

   Seeing the continued domestic instability, and fully recognizing the old order was no longer sustainable, Archbishop-President Cavalcanti proclaimed a wholesale reorganization of Brazilian government in 1904. In a public address on April 17th, 1904, he decreed the formation of the United Socialist Catholic Republics (USCR). The old sister-republics would join the remainder of Brazil in a mass political union. The government would remain centralized, though the Archbishop-President appointing regional officials who would then carry out its agenda. The move was aimed at balancing the separatism prevalent in Spanish-speaking portions of Brazil with the need for strong, energetic governance. Numerous constituent ‘divine republics’ were established in Uruguay, Guyana, Panama, the Parana, and Brazil itself, ruled by Archbishop-Governors.
   The move was unprecedented, Brazil’s political order having been established for nearly seven decades, yet public reaction indicated at least tepid support. Cavalcanti’s political reforms were made more palatable by substantial economic reorganization, aiming to get the Brazilian economy working again. Worker ownership of private enterprise was established, the government loosening its autocratic controls on certain sectors of the economy. Instead of direct management, the regime would set quotas and a rewards system to ensure goals were met. Anti-corruption efforts would also be pushed, to guarantee and adapt the system to changing circumstances moving forward. Outside of Brazil proper, the former Republic of the Parana was given the unique role as a freer constituent republic, aimed at attracting immigration and economic dynamism.
   Free from the troublesome tasks of operating rubber plantations or lumber mills, Cavalcanti pivoted to a focus on infrastructure and repairing the Brazilian Armed Forces. At long last, after ample discussion, a new capital was to be established. San Verri (OTL Brasilia) was charted further inland, aimed at breaking the control of the existing Rio clerical elite on the government. Construction of that city began in earnest during the summer months of 1904, the government formally using it as a capitol effective November 1st.
   With all of this internal reorganization, operations against the Andean Free State yet again fell by the wayside, the rebels there using the respite to further improve their defensive position with slight gains on the margin. Upper Peru has enjoyed de facto independence for going on eight years at this point, some in Brazil have even questioned if it is simply infeasible to bring the rebellious region back into line. Indeed, certain regional powers demonstrated an inclination to normalize the situation. The Kingdom of the Pampas formally provided diplomatic recognition to the Andean Free State on November 10th, despite vocal protests from San Verri. Further Brazilian operations in Africa did achieve some success, however.
   The immediate reaction from the neighbors of the USCR was one of shock and concern. While there had long been simmering tensions between Brazil and its southern neighbors, the adoption of ‘socialist’ rhetoric only further enflamed the situation. Chile and Pampas had long been watching for any signs of a Catholic-Republican resurgence. The two powers cemented their military cooperation with the Alliance of the Andes, signed on June 4th. The monarchs of South America created a permanent defensive alliance, joint military exercises, and left the door open for further members. Chile also further secured itself by adopting associate-observer status in the North American Union, attempting to put itself under the umbrella of Quebecois protection. There was little question in the mind of official at San Verri that these actions were aimed squarely at the USCR.

Near East: End of One War and Dawn of A Second

Leadership of the Persian Republic, 1904
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

War of Persian Independence
   From the ashes of the Qajar Empire, a new order emerged. The Persian Republic entered 1904 determined to make peace. Couched as their language was in the rights of national self-determination and an end to ‘tyranny,’ most in President Najaf-Qoli Khan Bakhtiari’s government had little desire to engage in a futile war on conquest to the west, subjugating people that did not want to be subjugated. While the Lur people were close at hand, and deemed an integral part of the Persian state, the Kurds and Armenians were deemed to be beyond help. The Treaty of Ashgabat settled affairs with Russia, while the follow-up treaties of Baku and Basra tied up matters with the Turks and Scandinavians. The Turks won over control of the Azeris and most of Kurdistan, deferring to the Persian Republic on the matter of the Lur People.
   Private haggling behind-the-scenes then settled matters between the Turkist-Scandinavian forces and those of the House of Saud.  Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud formally evacuated his hard-fought gains in Mesopotamia, turning them over to the Swedes. Yet, there was a catch. In exchange for Arab withdrawal, the Scandinavians were coerced into accepting Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, one of the Emir’s lesser sons, as ‘King (Sultan) of Sawad’ under Scandinavian fealty. Meanwhile, to the west, the Saudi rivals, the Hashemites, were rewarded for their loyalty with greatly expanded borders. Hussein of Palestine now became the greater ‘King of Syria’. With these two gains, Stockholm essentially established a chokehold over the old Fertile Crescent.
   Yet, despite a growing desire for peace and stability, Iran would continue to fight in 1904. The deals with the Turks included aid to crush the remaining Qajar pockets in northern and western Iran, something accomplished by the midpoint of the year. While preparations were then made for an expedition into Luristan, Tehran growing concerned about increasing Arab influence in that breakaway region, this would have to wait. From Delhi and the Durrani Shah came demands for the restoration of the Qajar Dynasty, a proposition utterly unacceptable to the Iranian government.
   Thus, the end of one war for the Persians signaled the start of another. The government in Tehran declared the conflict the ‘War of Persian Independence’, mocking Durrani claims to herald the ‘Second Coming of Timur’. Yet, the initial results were not terrible for the invading Afghans, the Baluchi region easily falling to the occupiers. Najaf-Qoli Bakhtiari has been forced to lead a two-front war, with the Lur making a push to the south and capturing control of the Gulf Arabs. It remains to be seen how regional colonial powers, such as Scandinavia and Russia, will respond to yet another assertion of Durrani strength. Meanwhile, in Delhi, some at Court have been alarmed at the prospect of opening up a second campaign when technically the government remains at war with France, no lasting peace secured as of yet in the subcontinent.

Dawn of the Atatürk
   Secure in his gains, and enjoying the utter adoration of the Turkish population, Ahmad Muhtar Pasha took yet another step in his quest for glory. Mass celebrations in the Turkish capital following the signing of the Treaty of Bursa in March saw the Muhtar Pasha formally named Atatürk, ‘Father of the Turks’. This was confirmed in a decree published bearing the signet of the old Sultan Ibrahim II.
   Yet, Ibrahim was not long for the world. Reports to the Turkish public emerged midway through the year that their nominal Sultan was dead. The press release was curt, stating merely that Ibrahim had died following a brief spell of ill-health. No replacement was named, both the titles of Sultan and Caliph clearly being left vacant. The truth of the matter was more sensational, as would be detailed by various diplomats in the know in Bursa. Reportedly, the Turkish government had not gone into more detail to spare the old dynasty embarrassment, though newspapers in Vienna and London would be rather verbose on the subject.
   Ibrahim II chafed at his confinement. He lamented the successes against the Qajar, arguing Muhtar Pasha was using ‘[his] armies,’ to achieve national glory. He elected to escape, conspiring with dozens of sympathetic servants to flee from the palace, head abroad, and seek the aid of some other government (some sources say Russia or Austria). Then he would return at the head of a sympathetic army. The scheme was far-fetched, but Ibrahim was desperate. Rather than passively wasting the rest of his years in the clutches of the Vizier-for-life, he would at long last act.
   Yet, Muhtar Pasha’s agents were waiting. Some suspect the scheme had been known from the start. The attempted flight was treasonous, so there was a mass arrest inside the Palace on October 15th, the Sultan being moved to harsher conditions further into the center of Turkey. What followed was a widespread purge of the administration, mass arrests of suspected coconspirators and sympathizers weakening any remaining pillars of support for the House of Osman in the regime. The newly-minted Ataturk was able to use his personal popularity to mask the removal of so many potential opponents from the public consciousness. Most Turks were more than content to look the other way. The leadership of the Sultans had brought the nation to ruin, only energetic leadership outside the dynasty had been able to restore it.

[Spamage]

Gilded Ambitions: Concert of Europe Part V
Turn 6: 1905

Map of the World in 1905
(Source: Made by Me)

Cast and Characters
Kingdom of France: King-Emperor Louis XX de Bourbon (X)
Habsburg Monarchy: Archduke-Regent Louis-Henry von Habsburg-Lothringen (Dereich)
Russian Republic: President Pavel Milyukov (KaiserDave)
Kingdom of Scandinavia: King-Emperor John IV of Hanover (Ypestis)
United Kingdom of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Americas: Queen Mary III of Hanover (S019)
Empire of Quebec: Empress Wilhelmina von Hohenzollern (Lumine)
Kingdom of Prussia: King Frederick Louis von Hohenzollern (Wulfric)
Divine Republic of Brazil: Archbishop-President Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti (Windjammer)
Commonwealth of Louisiana: King Louis-Philippe III de Bourbon-Orleans (Dkrol)
Empire of the Mexicans: Huēyi Tlahtoāni Luis II of Montezuma (Laki)
Chinese Republic: President Kang Youwei (HCP & DevoutCentrist)
Republic of Japan: Sōsai Tokugawa Iesato (GoTfan)
Holy Republic of Gran Colombia: Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez (Kuumo)
United Provinces of New Holland: Stadtholder Samuel van Houten (SuzerainOfSwat)
Turkist Empire: Grand Vizier for Life Ahmed Muhtar Pasha (Spiral)
Republic of New Brandenburg: President Hermann von Wissmann (OBD)
Kingdom of Serbia: King Stephen III von Habsburg-Lothringen (LouisvilleThunder)
Durrani Empire: Shah Timur III Durrani (AverageFoodEnthusiast)
Republic of Korea: President Gwon Jung-hyeon (oldkyhome)

Popularity
Grand Vizier for Life Ahmed Muhtar Pasha: High, Divisive
President Gwon Jung-hyeon: High, Impassive
Shah Timur III Durrani: Moderate-High, Impassive
Stadtholder Samuel van Houten: Moderate-High, Impassive
Queen Mary III of Hanover: Moderate-High, Impassive
President Pavel Milyukov: Moderate, Divisive
President Kang Youwei: Moderate, Divisive
King Frederick Louis von Hohenzollern: Moderate, Impassive
King-Emperor Louis XX de Bourbon: Moderate, Divisive
Archduke-Regent Louis-Henry von Habsburg-Lothringen: Moderate, Impassive
Sōsai Tokugawa Ienari: Moderate, Impassive
King-Emperor John IV of Hanover: Moderate, Impassive
Empress Wilhelmina von Hohenzollern: Moderate, Divisive
Archbishop-President Federico González Suárez: Moderate, Impassive
Archbishop-President Joaquim Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti: Moderate, Divisive
King Louis-Philippe III de Bourbon-Orleans: Moderate, Divisive
President Hermann von Wissmann: Moderate, Impassive
King Stephen III von Habsburg: Moderate, Impassive
Huēyi Tlahtoāni Luis II of Montezuma: Moderate-Low, Divisive

Economic Standings
Russian Republic: Strong
Republic of Korea: Strong
Turkist Empire: Moderate-Strong
Republic of New Brandenburg: Moderate
Habsburg Monarchy: Moderate
Kingdom of Prussia: Moderate
United Provinces of New Holland: Moderate
Kingdom of Scandinavia: Moderate
Kingdom of Serbia: Moderate-Weak
Durrani Empire: Weak
Republic of Japan: Weak
United Socialist Catholic Republics: Weak
Chinese Republic: Weak
Empire of Quebec: Weak
United Kingdom of Britain, Ireland, and the Americas: Weak
Kingdom of France: Very Weak
Holy Republic of Gran Colombia: Very Weak
Commonwealth of Louisiana: Devastated
Kingdom of Mexico: Devastated

Kingdom of France

(Source: Made by Me via Midjourney)

-Louis XX, in your persistence you have forged a wholly new order in Western Europe. From Amsterdam to Cadiz and Lisbon to Capri, the French Kingdom reigns supreme. Yourself, your children, and your cousins form the leadership of the strongest continental European state since the days of Charlemagne. Yet, the work is not yet complete. Hints of resistance have appeared in France, most in your government concluding there is no doubt they are being amplified by foreign funds. While skeletal regimes have been set up in southern Italy, the common people have remained both obstinate and offensive, going as far as to murder your own officials and friends. How will you bring them into line? Along similar lines, how will you handle the continued guerilla resistance in Iberia? Will you demand former President Toral’s extradition from Gibraltar? What is to be done about Habsburg, Swiss, and Etrurian duplicity in the Mediterranean with the naval situation? Will you keep Portugal in the hands of your daughter-in-law, the clear heir? There are a wide variety of European issues that demand your attention, the people look to you for leadership.

-When you were bestowed the title ‘Protector of Latin Europe’ by his Holiness, you had not been aware it would be challenged so soon. There is little doubt in the minds of your ministers that the Russians undermined the strength of your Romanian ally, just as they have done in Trebizond several years ago. Trebizond was one thing, already a borderline Russian protectorate and far away from French consciousness. Romania, however, is a full-fledged member of Latin Europe, a close ideological ally, and a rare pro-French outpost in the East. Versailles has been scandalized by the blatant attempt of the Republican scoundrels to sow dissent. How will you, as the Protector of the Latin Europeans, respond to developments there? Will direct aid be provided and, if so, how do you intend to cross the Russian barricade at Konstantingrad?

-Peace has not yet been formalized in India, that theater thankfully largely overshadowed by developments in Spain and Italy. Yet, it can only be ignored for so long. While both the Durrani and Chinese adhered to their ends of the cease-fire, the pause has done little to improve the French position, especially with the nominal damage at the Suez and your general withdrawal of remaining manpower from the region. The Blue Lily movement has printed subversive pamphlets asking what exactly you are ‘Emperor’ of, now that India is largely lost? Will you finally negotiate a peace with the Durrani and Chinese? Or is it time for another crack at Imperial glory, perhaps slapping down the upstart regimes in Delhi and Wuhan? What will you do about the Asian situation in the coming year?

Habsburg Monarchy

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Louis-Henry, this year represents the end of the regency, your grandnephew coming-of-age and taking direct control over the Habsburg Monarchy. He will inherit numerous urgent matters. The Habsburg public has been shocked by French advances over the prior year, even moreso the blatant brutality exercised by Louis XX through his execution of Spanish President Linares. With Paris now on the cusp on absorbing Portugal fully into its orbit, France seems an insatiable behemoth, one whose chaotic tentacles are slowly strangling the old order. Bearing in mind a growing sense of concern by the public, how will your government deal with the diplomatic situation in Europe? Will you extradite former President Toral of Spain, Henry VI has demanded? Will official diplomatic recognition be provided to the new Catholic Republics in Sicily and Sardinia? How will you respond to allegations of your complicity in the recent shenanigans with the former Neapolitan Navy?

-Outside of Europe, the Habsburg Monarchy has been the victim of two wholly illegitimate assaults, parasites seeking to exploit your distraction with matters closer to home. The Koreans have seized Singapore and Brunei, declaring a resurgence of their colonial empire. Indeed, your position in East Asia has deteriorated greatly, it will not necessarily be straightforward to recover it. The Korean fleet itself is not to be underestimated, nor is potential meddling by Japan, China or New Holland. Indeed, the concentration of those powers’ navies in the theater makes any European expedition vulnerable. Yet, before you can even think about chastising the government in Seoul, something must be done about the bizarre and frustrating attack on the Suez. While the canal can likely be opened soon enough, once the mines and wreckage are removed, the idiotic New Brandenburgers must be dislodged as well. Given the proximity of Habsburg Madagascar to the ongoing Second Cape War, more than a few of your diplomats have proposed aiding London in the slaughter of that rogue state. Also in Africa, there are some who worry that the Sokoto Caliphate could turn north and endanger the Habsburg Sahel, sparsely populated and undefended as that colony is. How will you tackle these various threats to the Austrian colonial position across the globe?

-The Papal meddling has outraged your government and infected the Church with poisonous nationalism. Indeed, you have been placed in an unenviable position. While Alexander X is disdained, the Cardinals were legitimately appointed. Removing or acting against them could lead to Papal, or perhaps even French, retribution. Still, their noxious sermons damage the social order, the election results in British Ireland clearly providing testament to that. What is to be done about the new cardinals in Munich, Udine, Prague, and Gyor. On a broader level, how will you deal with the Pope, a man many in Vienna see as hopelessly compromised by Francophilia and Hohenzollern madness?

Russian Republic

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-As always, domestic affairs ruled the day in Russia during 1904 as the shadow of the Autumn Insurrections still hung over the Republic. Indeed, the punishment of the Left dominated the headlines for much of the year. The Red Guards have been utterly broken up through arrests and imprisonment. The People's Cause has fled back into hiding, those members in your clutches being executed amid widespread public celebration. Indeed, the whole affair seems to have poisoned public sentiment against socialism and left-wing extremism. Investigations of the United Labor Party have revealed substantial sympathy with the insurrections, albeit not widespread collaboration beyond lower-level party officials. It is an open question as to whether the low-level collaboration is enough to suspend the ULP under the Extremism Act, the decision being left in your hands. Still, there are voices on the right, including Suvorin and Purishkevich who call on a wholesale prohibition of Argunov and any members from participating in next year's election, some going so far as to call for a prohibition of all socialists. Some cynical supporters believe this could bolster your chances, their disaffect voters having no other options than to vote for you, yet others in your movement are wary of the precedent this could set. Also on the left, newer movements, such as the Party of Popular Socialists are on the rise, though socialist militants reportedly have privately castigated them as 'passive cowards' for their inaction during the late rising. Will you suspend the United Labor Party? Will efforts be made to bar Argunov or his backers from reelection? Should those loosely connected with the late insurrections be expelled from the Duma?

-The right has not fallen for your bait on either front. Indeed, frustratingly, Purischkevich and his minions seem on their best behavior, their eyes clearly on the upcoming elections next year. They wait for any domestic misstep, quietly watching your actions and complying to the letter, albeit not spirit, of the law. The prosecution of the hunting clubs has moved the fight for Russia's soul from the streets to the courts. The right rages against prosecutorial bias and potential political motives as government lawyers pick on the groups one by one. Seeking to bypass rules on the 'stockpiling' of weapons, the clubs have argued that the weapons are privately owned and maintained by their members. Indeed, most of the old Nevsky Front stockpiles are suspected to have been transferred to private ownership at a rapid clip in the past year, as your prosecution became evident. Many cases have been consolidated into one before the High Court, a verdict expected in the coming months. More than a few of your advisors have wondered whether you will issue a public opinion on the case or perhaps privately lean on the judges to do the right thing? Yet, other cautious staffers fear that controversial moves by your government could imperil your chances of reelection in the 1904 vote and spell disaster for your gains in the past term. During all of this, the 'Silent Purge' (as your mass firing of bureaucrats has become known in popular parlance) has been successful in removing political opponents. Yet, both Purishkevich and the battered left have capitalized on the discontent. The would-be right-wing president has surrounded himself with seasoned Russian officials who know the operation of the state inside and out. This comes as some of your new appointees have made embarrassing mistakes given their lack of experience in many local positions.

-As focused as your government and the broader public have been on domestic matters, the world has continued to grow more unstable beyond the frontiers. Romania has collapsed into civil war, Augustus II finally receiving pushback from his long-abused subjects. The rebels call for your aid from their interim capital in Iasi. Both Bulgaria and Serbia seem poised to involve themselves in some fashion, especially if you do nothing. With the Durrani assault the Persian Republic in the south, many Russians pivoted from their suspicions against the Iranians to concern about a growing Afghan-Indian Empire. Indeed, the optics of Afghans demanding a republic capitulate and restore a monarchy are not good, especially given Iran’s position on Russia’s border. To the east, officials have been alarmed by the Chinese strike against New Holland, even if that has since ended. Russia has long possessed the attitude of a benevolent, elder brother to the Asian republics, yet those regimes grow increasingly assertive and independent, as was further evidenced by the Korean attack on Singapore. How will you navigate this plethora of diplomatic issues on every side, President Milyukov?

Kingdom of Scandinavia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King-Emperor, your subjects seem ready to subject you to challenges from the get-go. The election of 1904 was a tremendous success for outsiders, the worst showing by the two establishment parties in Scandinavian history. The far-right campaigned on a critique of diplomatic weakness and the desire for strong action to restore national glory. The Socialists, divided as ever, capitalized on economic concerns to become the largest single party. Now comes the challenge of forming a government, no clear majority evident. What type of government will you back and who will you pick to lead it? Assuming you can garner a majority in the Riksdag, what will the policy priorities for your government be moving forward? How will you handle the domestic situation at this crucial juncture?

-Some have reconsidered the events of the past year in light of subsequent developments. While many in the moment celebrated your mediation in the Treaty of Rome, the situation has become far more perilous in the aftermath of that agreement. Austria and Etruria use crafty wordplay to violate provisions regarding the Neapolitan fleet, while the madman pontiff seems determined to undermine the stability of your friends in Vienna and London. Louis XX has used the deal to flex his realm’s muscles as a military power further, shocking public opinion with its brutality in Iberia. Indeed, the death of Linares caused widespread public outrage and even anti-French protests in several cities throughout the region, your people disdaining such savage barbarity. The prospect of Versailles adding Portugal to its network of puppet regimes and direct territories is most unpopular. Europe hangs on a knife’s edge, what role will you play in the coming year?

-Your colonial possessions all throughout the world are threatened, lesser nations and stubborn locals refusing to bend the knee to Scandinavian supremacy. Scandinavian Africa, the Crown Jewel in the Empire, is itself stable, though there remain concerns about unrest in your neighbors spilling over. The Portuguese Republic operates in exile from Angola and Mozambique. Some of your colonial officials believe you ought to protect them before other powers seize the colonies and use them to challenge your predominance in the continent. Elsewhere, Brazil still struggles to restore order to its Congolese and southern colonies years on from the British invasion. At the Cape, that small republic has demonstrated itself a true nuisance in Prussian fashion, trying to stop up the Suez. To the west, the Sokoto Caliphate explodes onto the scene, led by the alleged Madhi himself. Meanwhile, the ink has barely dried in the Middle East, your new colonies in that region not yet stable. Finally, the Asian republics demonstrate themselves as stubborn upstarts, kicking the Habsburgs out of Singapore and Brunei. Some fear your possessions in China could be next. How will you ensure that the Scandinavian colonial empire survives the coming year? What actions will be taken to protect your interests in the wider colonial sphere?

United Kingdom

(Source: Made by Me via Midjourney)

-Queen Mary, while the birth of your son and heir Prince George has been celebrated all throughout the Empire, the work of governance must continue. The people have spoken, election results yielding a fractious and divided Parliament. It is up to you to craft a majority, both through your choice of Prime Minister and decisions about which parties (or even subfactions) ought to be included in government. How will you craft a working majority? Also, what is to be done about the Irish nationalists elected to Parliament thanks to the radical sermons given by the Archbishop of Dublin? Beyond that, who will you name as Prime Minister? There is certainly no shortage of individuals to select from, on either side of the Atlantic. Once that is settled, what will be your broader policy aims in concert with the new government for the coming term?

-Africa is in crisis. The Sokoto Caliph has employed superstition and surprise to brink about utter chaos in Nigeria, imperiling your position in that important African colony. Indeed, with Lagos now besieged and your officials confined to there and the Nigerian Delta, a sense of panic has set in. Further to the south, the Second Cape War continues. There has been utter revulsion, on both sides of the Atlantic, over the actions of the Cape Republic, especially their treatment of captured British civilians and soldiers. Their ludicrous operations at the Suez have only increased the sentiment in London that the regime should be utterly flattened. Yet, wholesale occupation could herald guerilla activity and resistance, as can be observed in Spain and Italy at present. The British Empire is under threat, Queen Mary, what will you do to defend it?

-The success of the Labour Party in the recent election was no doubt fueled by growing economic malaise caused by the general global instability. The public has been faced with rapidly swinging prices of the past several years, deprivation caused by war and challenges to the supply chain posing serious consequences. Firms, overloaded with finished goods meant to be shipped abroad, have slashed production and employment along side it. Soldiers returning from the late war find difficulties getting work in an already competitive economy. Indeed, the economic situation seems less than ideal at the moment. Some have called for the establishment of basic unemployment transfers to aid those put out of work by the tremendous economic ripples, though the conservatives would need to be convinced before approving any such measure with concessions elsewhere. Others believe it is at long last time to finish Disraeli's work by rolling out accident insurance and payments for those either wounded in the recent conflict or unfit to work. Yet, any social policies will be rather expensive, perhaps too much so at a time of existing strain. How will you tackle the economy in 1905?

[Spamage]

Empire of Quebec

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Your men achieved significant progress against the Mexicans last year, subduing substantial portions of California, Liberia, Cuba, and even landing in the heart of that rotten ‘Empire’. Yet, Luis II remains at large, his capital saved by difficulties with terrain, local resistance, and the fortitude of the Spanish volunteers. As the conflict enters its second year, there are questions as to how you will proceed. Is the beating of Mexico to continue, perhaps with the help of further intervention by allies, or is it time to focus on consolidating your current gains? What form will your strategy take in the coming months?

-The creation of the North American Union leaves you with whole other matters to address. First and foremost, Yucatan is requesting to join the alliance, albeit not as a monarchy like you had hoped. Will this be permitted, or should that peninsula be left to fend for itself until it sees the error of republicanism? Meanwhile, two of the new members face difficulties of their own. As President, there is little doubt you call the shots. Many in Montreal wonder if you will condone Collins’ radical turn in New England and his suppression of the opposition in the name of stability and national renewal. Indeed, the Centralists and other opposition forces have sought refuge in your borders and called on you to bring pressure to bear to save the Confederation. In Liberia, your husband’s uncle has been poorly received, viewed by the populace as a foreign imposition. He calls for aid to stabilize the situation, though more cautious members of the General’s staff fear getting bogged down in the region. What will you do about the instability in that kingdom?

United Socialist Catholic Republics

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-A new dawn dawns in Brazil, Archbishop-President Cavalcanti. The foundation of the USCR seems to be a watershed moment in Brazilian history, your broad package for reforms heralding new dynamism for the economy, greater government responsiveness, and some level of regional autonomy. It is hoped that these changes will give the people a greater stake in the success of the nation. Yet, merely declaring the reforms is one thing, enforcing them another. What qualities will you look for in appointed governors? What will the first major initiatives of your government be? How will you guarantee continued economic recovery, building on the gains of the past few years?

-There are numerous matters at hand in the diplomatic world. While greater stability has been established in the Congo and other Mission-States, work remains. Some in San Verri also wonder what you will do about the ‘Free Portugal’ movement that occupies Angola and Mozambique. Closer to home, the Pampeano recognition of the Andean Free State is an outrage. Your ministers have been bracing your government for similar actions from Chile or even Colombia. Indeed, a real decision needs to be made on the future of Upper Peru. It has been 8 years since the people there declared independence and the Brazilian public seems to be tiring of extensive foreign commitments. It is expected the Andeans have used your distractions elsewhere as a chance to improve their defensive position, just increasing the potential for yet another guerilla conflict. A growing chorus calls on you to cut the region loose, in the hopes that some sort of future reconciliation can be arranged. To the militarists this prospect is unthinkable. Viewing negotiation as an act of weakness, they call for a showdown with the regime in La Paz and the enforcement of your claims from the Treaty of Bogota. The government is divided between the two camps. Whatever your choice, no doubt you must proceed carefully, given the other regional actors that will probably try to capitalize on any potential openings. What will you do?

Commonwealth of Louisiana

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Louis-Philippe, you have triumphed. The wretched cause of Columbian separatism has been smashed, perhaps for more than a generation. With the collapse of the rebel cause, you must now tackle a wide variety of issues as society rebuilds. Beyond physical reconstruction, which will undoubtedly require a good deal of funds, how will you spiritually repair the realm? Some call for brutal punishment of the rebels and a reorganization of Columbia, taking inspiration from French actions in Padania. Others believe that only forgiveness and gentleness can make true reconciliation possible. What will you do with those rebel civilian, political, and military leaders that have fallen into your hands? How about those that have fled to British America for asylum? Beyond that, will there be a wholesale transformation of Columbian society to ensure that such treachery never occurs again? You have been given a tremendous opportunity, the wayward realm in forced acquiescence, what will you do with it?

-With peace restored at home, society cannot help but look abroad. The situation is rather mixed. Mexico’s collapse into yet further anarchy has been cheered by most patriotic Louisianans, as well as the substantial new Mexican-Louisianan communities along the border. Seeing vulnerability, some in the army savor at revenge against Mexico, seeing in Quebec’s invasion a means of reasserting Louisiana’s strength. Yet, not all are cheering in Wilhelmina’s men. Indeed, there is also alarm over Quebec’s new North American Union. While Montreal says the group is not directed against you, it is hard not to notice the growing encirclement of Louisianan possessions with members now including Liberia, Cuba, and New England. There is also a significant portion of society who sees Quebecois operations in Liberia and California as occurring in rightful Louisianan territory. A true ally would help restore New Orleans’ control to the wayward regions, not nab them for themselves. How will your government respond to the new war that rages to your south and west? 

Empire of the Mexicans

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Treachery. Your wretched cousin Wilhelmina of Quebec has launched a surprise attack against you and the Mexican people, just when order and stability seemed to be around the corner. The situation in the north is dire, thousands of square kilometers lost to enemy occupation. Still, the valiant efforts of your men held off any disaster in Mexico proper, showing the invaders that, while they had the element of surprise, the Mexican people would not stand for foreign intervention. As the conflict continues to rage, Quebecois puppets in Cuba and the Yucatan joining the fray, the government looks to you for leadership. What will be your commands, Emperor Luis?

-With the homeland under threat, the Mexican elections have been delayed yet again. Indeed, with the economy in shambles and whole regions in near anarchy, the domestic situation is rather grave. Perhaps now is the time for substantial reforms to your government, whether temporary or permanent, for the duration of the war? Will you take any emergency actions to prevent the situation from spiraling further out of control? What policies will you enact with the dawn of yet another war? Some believe that, in a show of defiance towards the brutal Quebecois assault, the long-delayed election should commence in 1905 instead, wherever possible. Perhaps this could be a means of binding the people to your government in this time of uncertainty? Others fear that the vote will be unpredictable and could spell trouble for governmental stability. The domestic situation is both perilous and up in the air. How will you tackle this crisis at the heart of Mexico, great Huey Tlatoani?

Chinese Republic

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-President Kang, the Chinese Republic has survived yet another year. Indeed, on the whole, 1904 was a fairly quiet one at home, the public enjoying a respite after the last few horrible years. While the Colombian Flu burned through the country, abating late last year, there is a sense that your public health measures kept the worst from coming to pass. Now, with time to breathe, there are issues that must be addressed. The proposed Republican constitution in Tibet is ready, the document calling for the region to become yet another autonomous republic like already exists for the various ethnic minorities. Both the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama will be confined to mere spiritual roles, the Dalai Lama himself acting as a symbolic head of state for the constituent republic, day-to-day governance going to elected officials. Will you enact it? In China proper, inspired by news that distant Brazil had relocated its capital, many officials wonder what the longterm seat for the Chinese government will be moving forward. Beijing still sits in ruins, that being the traditional seat of government. Shall it be rebuilt or should governing occur elsewhere? Other options include remaining in Wuhan, the old city of Xi’an (recently the site of the Xing rising), Nanjing, Shanghai, Kaifeng or Hangzhou. Beyond such superficial measures, what are your main policy aims for the coming year?   

-The diplomatic situation remains somewhat of a confused mess. The Chinese public has admittedly been perplexed by the developments of the past year, especially the invasion of New Holland without any formal peace with France. Nevertheless, it seems they have been willing to trust your judgement for the time being, even with the sudden withdrawal. The lifting of the French blockade was a tremendous relief in and of itself, restoring the smallest semblance of normalcy. Yet, with the Korean strike on Singapore, further regional conflicts seem in the offing. The Black Banner Movement, now in the opposition, calls for the seizure of Ningbo and Hainan, with the colonial powers distracted and feeble. Indeed, among the Chinese public there is broad sympathy with the Koreans, though it will be up to your government to determine how much that influences policy.

Republic of Japan

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-President Tokugawa, it seems the old order has not deigned to challenge your vision for an opening up of Japanese political life. The Constitutional Convention, chaired by yourself, has convened in Tokyo and set about formulating how the government will look moving forward. There are a wide variety of propositions. Most of the daimyo and samurai envision a conservative, limited-participatory government. Through the creation of a strong upper house, naturally consisting of themselves, they would be able to slow down any hasty and populist legislation. Some liberals have demanded universal suffrage and less autocratic controls over the society as a whole, though the protection of civil liberties. Which side will you favor? What structure will you adopt for the new government? How often will elections be held and who gets to vote? What will you do about the office of the President moving forward? All of these issues will require addressing in 1905 if a new order is to be crafted.

-Japanese soldiers triumphed in the Philippines last year, the victory greeted with widespread celebration throughout the whole republic. What will you do about the captured Archbishop-President and former officials of the Filipino Catholic-Republic regime? Meanwhile, Aceh continues to stubbornly resist incorporation into your colonial empire, despite the recent surge. How will you tackle the Sultan and his legions of rural guerilla fighters operating out of the jungle? Outside of your direct control, East Asia has also been rocked by two recent wars, the Chinese Invasion of New Holland and the Korean Invasion of Singapore. As a major regional player, no doubt your opinion on these matters is of great importance. How will Japan react to the developments just outside of its borders in the last several months?

Holy Republic of Gran Colombia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The last year has been tremendously stressful, Archbishop-President. Beyond the second wave of the flu, your brief excommunication scandalized the nation and only further alienated the Colombia from Alexander X. Indeed, the Francophile pontiff is viewed as a vain, incapable buffoon. Fears that your regime would be toppled over the spat seem to have been misplaced as, if anything, the opposite has occurred. The Liberal government duly responded to Alexander’s overbearing nature with taxation of the Church, a measure you yourself supported. There are talks of going further in the coming year, yet most current leaders seem willing to defer to your judgement. Will there be an actionable response to the religious developments of the past year? Beyond that, what will be your domestic initiatives to encourage the continued recovery of the republic? 

-Colombia is surrounded by turmoil. Mexico and Quebec open yet another conflict to your north, the region somehow becoming even more decimated. In the south, the reorganization of Brazil into the United Socialist Catholic Republics has provoked genuine concern, given that government’s attempt to become a universal regime. The Andean Alliance has been formed by Chile and the Pampas in a clearly anti-Brazilian move. Perhaps it would be worth joining Colombia to this military cause? Other advisors have urged for you to follow the Pampeano lead in recognizing the Andean Free State diplomatically, whatever retribution that provokes from the regime in San Verri. Further afield, the remnants of your Asian colonial empire have watched the unfolding drama in that region warily. With such diplomatic disorder on both sides of your nation, how will you proceed in international diplomacy? What will be done to ensure the survival of the Colombian nation?

Turkist Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-A new day truly dawns in Turkey, oh great Ataturk. The Ottoman failures seem to have been avenged, the Turkist Empire now stretching far further to the east than would have been dreamed of just years ago. Perhaps there was no better moment for the removal of the traitorous Ibrahim II, his demise passing largely unnoticed by a populace overjoyed by the resurgence of regional strength. Yet, with this triumph comes numerous decisions. Your borders now ecompass many old Iranian puppet regimes, including the Kingdom of Cilicia, the Alawite Imamate, and Kurdistan. Thus far, officials in the old regimes have been left in power while the government waits on your decision for the fate of these territories. Will they be directly annexed into the Empire, allowed to maintain their autonomy, or something in between? Beyond that, what other actions will you take to integrate your new dominions into the Empire?

-While Iran has long been an enemy of Turkey, the animosity seems to have abated somewhat with the collapse of the Qajar Dynasty. The region now sees the haughty Durrani seeking to restore that hated and militaristic family onto the Sun Throne. To most of your advisors, a weak Republican Iran is a far better neighbor than either a restored Qajar Monarchy or a Durrani controlled-Persia. Needless to say, public sympathy is clearly with the Iranians in the conflict. Will you aid the Persian Republic, either tacitly or directly, in its conflict with the regime in Delhi? Beyond that, what will be your broader diplomatic priorities in the coming year? The government has been following the European lurch from crisis to crisis rather closely. To what extent will you involve yourself in affairs in Romania and Italy?

Durrani Empire

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-1904 saw the continued establishment of Durrani control over India, though much work remains. For starters, a formal peace would be wonderful, clearly delineating to your army of administrators what lands will remain under your control and which are temporarily occupied. The pause in the fighting has given time for your official to imbed themselves into government positions. Yet, no overarching governmental or administrative structure has as of yet been created. How will you govern India? Will you employ directly appointed bureaucrats, local notables, or something else? Will the realm be divided into provinces or treated as a unitary empire? There are also other matters to consider. Your tremendous gains have placed the state under great strain, Shah Timur III, the population under your control ballooning and leaving many of your advisers overworked and out of their depth?

-The Iranians have lost their senses. In their hatred of one sovereign, they have toppled a monarchical order that has lasted in Persia for millennia. Never before has a ‘republic’ been present in this region. Most ministers praised your decision to lash out at this abomination, especially before it spreads its ideological rot into your own realm. The ongoing struggle is seen as critical for the Islamic world as a whole, the first attempt at republicanism in the region battling against one of the strongest dynasties seen. Just as your people rally behind the Durrani and Qajar history, wrapping themselves in the legacy of Timur, your foes attempt to inspire republican fervor by channeling Verri’s Italy or the Russian Revolution. As the year begins, the war is not yet won and other powers have started to take notice of your actions in the region. Will you continue with your full-fledged invasion of Iran proper? Or is it time to make some sort of diplomatic settlement? How will you prosecute the war in the coming months?

Republic of Korea

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-The strike at Singapore and successful capture of Brunei have been greeted with utter elation by the Korean populace, coming as they did just months after the reacquisition of the Sunwon Islands. Not since the days of those islands’ namesake has such glorious victory been enjoyed by Korea. Yet, the element of surprise is gone. Austria, along with her Scandinavian lackey, has been enraged by the attack. How will you maintain your hard-won gains? Will the war be expanded, or should terms be reached with Vienna? Some have advised clinging close to your neighbors, emphasizing the importance of Pan-Asian Republican solidarity against decadent European colonialism. Others hope to use your Russian friends as mediators with the crowned heads of distant Europe. How will you tackle this tricky diplomatic situation?

-With the advent of war, questions surround the Korean domestic situation. To what extent should the government mobilize society for the conflict. Should economic restrictions such as rationing, price controls, and nationalization of crucial industries be enacted? On a more social level, should mandatory service or restrictions on liberty be imposed for the duration? What of the opposition, some of the socialists having vocally criticized your ‘imperialist’ actions during 1904? To what extent will the war against Austria and potentially others effect the situation in the Peninsula?

[Spamage]

Republic of New Brandenburg

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-President Wissmann, the last year was undoubtedly a setback for your cause, though the tenacity of the New Brandenburger populace has given the British a good thrashing. There are serious questions as to how you will move forward. It is feared the chance for peace may have been lost through the mistreatment of British PoWs, though there are some in your government who still urge for a negotiated settlement before all is lost. Indeed, given developments in Sokoto, perhaps London could be brought to the table with a fair deal. Will you try? Others call for foreign partners to come to your aid. Brazil sits just to your north, a fellow foe of the tyrannical Anglo-Capitalist system. Aid, either direct or tacit, from them could be critical in continuing the struggle. What will be your diplomatic policy in the coming months?

-The situation grows dire. Some of your generals have called for extraordinary measures to enforce public compliance during this perilous state of the war. Suspension of political rights, mandatory conscription, property seizure, and indefinite dictatorial control over the republic have all been proposed for the duration of the emergency. Indeed, your radical actions of the past year seem to have had some success in holding back the onslaught. Will you double-down on them in the coming months? How will you manage those parts of the Republic that remain under your control?

Kingdom of Serbia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-King Stephen, you come to the throne at a time of great peril. The death of your father from the Colombian Flu has placed you on the throne at a rather young age. Your critics charge that you will be incapable of governance, it is up to you to prove them wrong. The death of your father leaves the future of the dynasty up in the air. You must determine the diplomatic alignment of Serbia under your leadership. Your realm has traditionally clung to your Habsburg cousins in Vienna, yet you yourself are more distantly related, Maximilian V being only your second cousin. Should there be a break with the pro-Austrian consensus, either through an alignment with your Bulgarian uncle Tsar Charles I or the ascendant Bourbons in Italy? Or is the status quo working well for Bulgaria, maintaining ties with Vienna a paramount importance. In your decision marriage is always a diplomatic tool. Maxmilian V’s eldest sister, Archduchess Maria Vittoria, is your age and a potential bride. Other candidates include Therese of Bourbon-Aquitaine (the pro-French option), Louise of Orange (of the deposed Dutch dynasty), and Viktoria of Saxony. How will you handle Serbia’s diplomatic alignment and what chart will you set for the future of the House of Habsburg-Serbia? On a separate note, how will Serbia respond to developments in neighboring Romania, Augustus II facing the ire of his subjects?

-Your ascent represents the coming of a new generation. Serbia has had a tumultuous and difficult history, your nation only reemerging as an independent state in the 1870s as the Ottoman Empire was entering its death knell. Having to build the state up from scratch necessarily involved the monarchy taking the lead in Serbian affairs. While your father’s and grandfather’s reigns saw limited-suffrage elections, the government still largely operates as an extension of the crown. There have been calls for further opening up of the political system, though this could also entail weakening your royal prerogatives and strengthening voices of extremism. What course will you chart for the domestic political structure? Is the status quo acceptable or should constitutional reform be the order of the day?

United Provinces of New Holland

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Congratulations on your reelection, Stadtholder Van Houten. Winning the bulk of the seats, many wonder if you will opt for yet another coalition with the conservatives or perhaps pivot in a more social-democratic direction by aligning yourself with the Socialists? What will be your domestic aims for the coming term and how will you see them enacted? Indeed, beyond pressing international matters, New Holland has a bevy of domestic issues to contend with, including policies regarding immigration, the situation with the native Indonesians, and economic/trade/financial policy. What capstone will you craft for your already formidable legacy in what is expected to be your final term?

-The Chinese invasion of the East Indies was both alarming and bizarre. Your men were embarrassed on land, though the navy acquitted itself quite well. As the year has come to a close, President Kang Youwei has withdrawn his men from your territories. Still, there is not yet a formal peace. It seems the Hollander people reelected you for your steady and tested diplomatic hands. How will you settle matters with the Chinese. Even further, what will New Holland do about other diplomatic developments in the region, such as the Korean invasion of Singapore and completion of the Japanese conquest of the Philippines? How will you navigate this clearly dangerous and treacherous region, one where powers operate like brutal predators and prey on those seen to be weak?

Kingdom of Prussia

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

-Welcome, King Frederick Louis. You lead a Prussia humbled by a terrible 19th century, albeit one that also survived. From the ashes of your father's extreme militant and nationalist regime you came to the throne. It was only by Scandinavian and Austrian consent that you were able to cling to the scraps of your old territorial extent. Prussia today is an aristocratic monarchy, one where the sovereign's word still rules and the people are largely deferent. Yet, this need not stay the case. Vienna has begun experiments with elections and broader participatory politics in the past few decades while Scandinavia is itself a full-blown parliamentary state, as recent election results attest. Will you move in this direction, perhaps granting more freedoms, expanding suffrage, and enacting a more formal constitution? Or is such weakness to be abhored as anti-Prussian? Perhaps the state should return to the absolutist tendencies of your father's day, which promoted strength and unity. Or is the status quo tolerable, given it has worked for decades now? How will you deal with Prussia's government structure moving forward?

-Since the end of the 1870s and the death of your father in the Battle of Berlin, you have attempted to maintain close ties to the Austrians. Indeed your wife is the aunt of the young Emperor Maximilian V and your son and heir has wed a sister of the Scandinavian King. Yet, some in Prussia worry that, in your desire to appease Vienna, you have become too much of an Austrian puppet. They would have at least a more independent attitude in regards to diplomacy, even if not wholly antagonistic to your neighbor to the south. Perhaps economic ties would be negotiated with the Russians, your allies in the First Great Eastern War, or even the British or French? Beyond that, will you urge your delegates to the Reichstag to act with greater independence? How will you navigate the fraught world of European diplomacy?

Army Strength:
Russian Republic
20 division Army of Mishchenko (Vladivostok)
20 division Army of Kuropatkin (Moscow)
20 division Army of Alekseyev (Armenia)
10 division Army of Tretyakov (Mongolia)
15 division Army of Krodatenko (Ukraine)
10 division Army of Smirnov (Konstantingrad)
10 division Army of Ivanov (St. Petersburg)
10 division Army of Subotic (Turkestan)
3 division Army of Fok (Bulgaria)
(118/639 divisions possible raised, 18% mobilized)

Kingdom of France
63 division Army of Spain
56 division Army of Portugal
15 division Army of Haiti
12 division Army of Sicily
10 division Army of the Netherlands
10 division Army of Naples
10 division Army of Calabria
10 division Army of Apulia
7 division Army of Sardinia
3 division Army of Malta
(196/500 divisions possible raised, 39% mobilized)

Chinese Republic
175 division Army of Bengal
20 division Tibetan Defense Force
(195/486 divisions possible raised, 40% mobilized)

Habsburg Monarchy
10 division Army of Hungary
9 division Army of Lombardy
8 division Army of Ruthenia
8 division Army of Austria
6 division Army of Abyssinia
5 division Army of Bohemia
2 division Army of the Suez
2 division East Africa Reserve
1 division Army of the Sahel
1 division Army of Ningbo
1 division Gibraltar Garrison
(53/488 divisions possible raised, 11% mobilized)

Great Britain, Ireland, and Americas
80 division Home Guard
54 division Army of the Cape
(153/272 divisions possible raised, 56% mobilized)

Republic of Japan
56 division Army of the Philippines
29 division Army of Aceh
15 division Army of Tokyo
5 division Presidential Guard
5 division Army of the Pacific
1 division Army of Hokkaido
(111/207 divisions possible raised, 53% mobilized)

Kingdom of Scandinavia
19 division Army of the Caribbean
10 division Army of Syria
10 division Army of Iraq
8 division Army of Somalia
5 division Army of Sweden
4 division Army of Hanover
5 division Army of Central Africa
2 division Army of East Africa
2 division Army of Cameroon
(65/162 divisions possible raised, 40% mobilized)

Durrani Empire
109 division Army of Iran
6 division Army of Baluchistan
5 division Royal Guard
4 division Army of Herat
4 division Army of the Indus
27 division Army of Oudh, allied
18 division Army of Orcha, allied
17 division Army of Gwalior, allied
(128/128 divisions possible raised, 100% mobilized)

Empire of Quebec
28 division Army of Mexico
19 division Army of the Pacific
19 division Army of the West
14 division Army of Cuba
5 division Army of Montreal
3 division Army of the Caribbean
2 division Army of Hawaii
1 division Imperial Guard
1 division Army of Alexander Island
1 division Army of Tierra del Fuego
(93/122 divisions possible raised, 76% mobilized)

Kingdom of Poland
5 division Army of Krakow
5 division Army of Warsaw
5 division Army of Gdansk
(15/156 divisions possible raised, 10% mobilized)

United Provinces of New Holland
10 division Home Guard
7 division Army of Borneo
5 division Army of Sumatra
7 division Army of Malaya
5 division Army of Batavia
3 division Army of Willemstad
(37/109 divisions possible raised, 34% mobilized)

Divine Republic of Brazil
12 division Army of Africa
(12/107 divisions possible raised, 11% mobilized)

Turkist Empire
15 division Army of Tehran
10 division Army of Kirkuk
5 division Army of Azerbaijan
5 division Army of Kurdistan
5 division Army of the Northern Levant
5 division Army of Ankara
5 division Army of the Aegean
5 division Army of Albania
5 division Army of Libya
(60/95 divisions possible raised, 45% mobilized)

Korean State
10 division Army of Korea
4 division Army of Singapore
3 division Army of Brunei
(17/85 divisions possible raised, 20% mobilized)

Empire of the Mexicans
22 division Army of Mexico
9 division Army of the Hermonsillo
9 division Army of the Rio Grande
6 division Army of Cuba
5 division Army of Central America
3 division Army of Durango
(59/93 divisions possible raised, 60% mobilized)

Holy Republic of Gran Colombia
9 division Army of the Cape
3 division Army of Colombia
3 division Army of Peru
2 division Army of Ecuador
(17/94 divisions possible raised, 27% mobilized)

Persian Republic
76 divison Army of Iran
(76/76 divisions possible raised, 100% mobilized)

Commonwealth of Louisiana
54 division Army of the South
16 division Army of the North
(70/77 divisions possible raised, 91% mobilized)

Kingdom of Prussia
6 division Army of Berlin
(6/55 divisions possible raised, 10% mobilized)

Kingdom of Spain
25 divison Army of Madrid
4 division Army of Valencia
(29/43 divisions possible raised, 67% mobilized)

Confederation of New England
4 division Army of Boston
(4/24 divisions possible raised, 16% mobilized)

Portuguese Republic in Exile
3 division Army of Angola
3 division Army of Mozambique
2 division Army of Goa
(8/8 divisions possible raised, 100% mobilized)

Andean Free State
10 division Army of Upper Peru
(10/38 divisions possible raised, 26% mobilized)

Kingdom of Bulgaria
10 division Army of Bulgaria
(10/45 divisions possible raised, 22% mobilized)

Kingdom of Siam
20 division Home Guard
(20/52 divisions possible raised, 39% mobilized)

Republic of New Brandenburg
23 division Army of the Inland
(24/24 divisions possible raised, 100% mobilized)

Kingdom of Serbia
5 division Army of Belgrade
(5/57 divisions possible raised, 10% mobilized)


Naval Strength*:
Naval Technology
First-Rate: This navy employs all of the latest technologies across its fleet including new tactics, equipment, and training. Truly among one of the best seafaring fleets in the world.
Innovative: New strategic ideas are planned and tested, further modifications have been made to equipment for more efficient operation.
Advanced: Ships are modernized and equipment is top of the line. Overall better organized than modernized fleets.
Modernized: Navy is at standard levels of development for time period.
Reformed: The naval equipment is near-modernized, though experience and training with new supplies is lacking.
Modified: Although still dominated by old ships and methods, efforts have been made to reform the navy, including the purchase of ships from more advanced powers.
Traditional: This navy still employs tactics, methods, and equipment from the 1870s or earlier. Limited sea capabilities and stagnant mindset.

Naval Size
Dominant: This power truly has a global naval reach. Advanced fleets at various points of the world and the ability to supply said vessels with relative ease. More than two hundred vessels in active service
Massive: Extensive naval reach, able to operate in most areas, assuming supply is secured. Around two hundred vessels.
Sizable: Naval reach includes most of surrounding seas. Roughly one hundred and fifty vessels, with the ports able to supply them.
Standard: Naval strength can be projected in the region, with further excursions when necessary. Around one hundred ships.
Limited: Several dozen ships. Extensive and long-distance operations are possible, but only on rare occasions.
Small: A dozen major ships, limited regional navy.
Nonexistent: Primarily applies to landlocked countries. No navy in existence.*

*-Not applicable for anyone right away


Navies of the World
United Kingdom of Britain, Ireland, and the Americas (First-Rate, Massive)
Kingdom of France (Innovative, Massive)
Kingdom of Scandinavia (Innovative, Massive)
Confederation of New England (Innovative, Small)
Republic of Japan (Advanced, Sizable)
United Provinces of New Holland (Advanced, Standard)
Holy Republic of Gran Colombia (Advanced, Standard)
Kingdom of Etruria (Advanced, Limited)
Russian Republic (Modernized, Massive)
Divine Republic of Brazil (Modernized, Standard)
Commonwealth of Louisiana (Modernized, Standard)
Kingdom of Quebec (Modernized, Standard)
Kingdom of Mexico (Modernized, Standard)
Habsburg Monarchy (Modernized,Standard)
Turkist Empire (Modernized, Small)
Kingdom of Spain (Modernized, Limited)
Korean State (Modernized, Limited)
Kingdom of Poland(Modernized, Small)
Kingdom of Prussia (Modernized, Small)
Kingdom of Serbia (Modernized, Small)
Chinese Republic (Reformed, Standard)
Qajar Iran (Reformed, Limited)
Durrani Empire (Reformed, Small)

[Lumine]

Old Prince Louis of Québec (1819-1904)
Wikimedia Commons

Eulogy for the Grand Old Man

It was a rainy day, as if the old Germanic gods themselves were weeping for the Grand Old Man.

Wilhelmina, never one to shy away from romantic and nationalistic notions, thought it most appropriate. The Grand Old Man, her grand uncle, had given her all kinds of hell once. But he had parted as beloved kin, a welcomed and trusted mentor amidst so many foes and traitors still bitter about her rightful succession to the throne.

She looked forward to the National Assembly. The deputies, almost to a man, wore black suits or black armbands, the bombastic Bourassa being unusually solemn given the occasion. Their faces were a mixture of pride, joy and sadness, a show of the complicated feelings posed by the litany of events of the past year. The harshness of the pandemic. Unprecedented military triumph abroad. Chaos in the Church. The birth of new Alliance. And the list went on and on.

Wilhelmina stood up to speak.

Québec was young when Prince Louis von Hohenzollern came into this world.

It was still a nation consigned to the northeastern shores of what used to be New France. A small but nonetheless proud nation of farmers and labourers, trying to make the most of the New World while fending off predators and learning to stand on its own.

When the Prince left us, Québec had become an Empire. From Polynesia to the Arctic, from Nova Scotia to Laperouse. The small colony of farmers is now a seafaring empire who can stand up to the oldest, most prestigious European monarchies, and show what Americans are made of.

It was Louis’ privilege to see that evolution with his very own eyes, and to play a significant role in that process as well. Slowly but surely, he became a constant present in our lives, and, perhaps without realizing it himself, he transformed into the Grand Old Man of Québec.

From the humblest beggar to the Crown itself, we all looked to him for guidance and advice. From him we sought answers to our questions, and reassurance that we had not lost our way as we transformed a little nation into a grand empire. He was always there to give it.

Like the Prussians of old, and in the time-honoured tradition of Frederick the Great and his father the Soldier King, he lived for one word: duty. He always heard the call of his people, and would unfailingly answer to it with discipline, grit and common sense.

There came a time in which we disagreed with the Grand Old Man, and he with us. But we each came to understand that duty came first. Duty to the nation. Duty to the state. Duty to the Empire. He held the Prince Imperial in his arms as his godparent, and in so doing reaffirmed a fundamental truth: that traitors and cowards may plot and scheme, but men of duty stand firm.

The departure of the Prince, Grand Marshal of the Empire, gives us cause for sadness and grief. Old Québec has left us today, and we must mourn appropriately. But he understood better than anyone that Québec’s best days are ahead, and not behind. That a bright future awaits those bold enough to seize it. That prosperity stands for those prepared to work hard for it.

Messieurs, citizens, we stand on the threshold of History. And the Grand Old Man will be looking at us from Heaven and Valhalla alike, proud of what we have accomplished, and prouder still of what we will accomplish next.

Let us say it once again, louder than ever. Vive le Québec!

Vive le Québec! The deputies stood and chanted back. Vive le Québec!

Wilhelmina suppressed a smirk as he approached Prime Minister Bourassa for a chat. So much to do, she thought, so little time.

[Lumine]

Statement from the Foreign Ministry

Ongoing military and policing actions in the Kingdom of Mexico are a direct result of the unlawful seizure of international property during the year 1903, an act which, in the view of Her Imperial Majesty’s government, constitutes an unacceptable act and a breach of what ought to be basic norms of international behaviour.

To this dimension, Her Imperial Majesty must now necessarily add the safeguarding of the various peoples who have requested protection from the Empire and entry into the North American Union, out of a firm rejection of radical madness.

It is the view of Her Imperial Majesty and of her government that, in spite of ongoing entreaties and requests by multiple foreign powers to join this operation due to longstanding grievances inflicted by Mexico, peace ought to be given a proper chance. Thus, we are willing and open to hold talks with the Mexican government for this purpose.

Should talks fail, it will be our solemn duty to carry out current operations to their ultimate and logical outcome, and to do this with the direct support of multiple international actors, with the necessary consequences that this entails.

As a matter of general principle, the Empire of Québec will be permanently opposed to the future seizure of the property of sovereign states by other international actors, and will be either subscribing agreements to this effect, or reserving its right to seek and coordinate collective responses by the international community to prevent, deter, or respond to such unilateral and forceful seizures.

As a logical result of this, we reiterate once again that private and foreign property within the Empire remains sacrosanct, in a manner fully consistent with and reinforced by Articles 18 and 22 of the Constitution.