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Okay... Thank you all for your comments!

I know I've been concentrating more on updating than on commenting on feedback, but I'll get back in the swing of things. Feedback will come soon. The next update will come sooner, but first...

I want to tell you about the interesting night I had. :)

Working security overnight again, as I do on the weekends. Moonlighting, indeed!

We had a thick fog move in last night while I was working downtown. I went on an outside patrol and the parking garage next to us (not mine) had a fire alarm going off, so these fire alarm strobe lights were blinking in sequence all up and down the several story structure. Almost like the nighttime stobes at airports! Very cool, lighting up the fog from inside. Much like lightning lighting up a cloud from the inside.

Anyway... After dawn, the sun lit up the fog. There was this huge shadow, which was Qwest Tower. The shadow, backlit by the sun through the fog, had the same shape and same contours of the building! Then, shortly after this, the fog started to thin. There was a fairly strong breeze about 30 or 40 stories up, and it was pushing this cloud. But I was amazed to see Qwest Tower parted the cloud!!! The wind was pushing the cloud past on either side, but the skyscraper blocked the wind and fog from going through on this one corridor, so there was cloud on either side and blue sky right above! So the cloud/fog was basically shaped like an inverted "V" (or, perhaps, like PacMan! :rolleyes: ). Very magnificent! Much like a boulder parting the water in a fast-moving stream.

More on Lech Walesa later... I haven't slept and I'm not taking time right now.

But I did have time last night to finish the next two updates! I'll be posting one here very soon, and then the one after in a couple of days.

Thanks again!

Renss
 
From The Eagle Rising: The Story of Prussia's Arrival On the World Stage, pub. 1989 by Professor Reinicke Herz

Coincidentally, the plot, such as it was, fell apart on April Fool’s Day – April 1st, 1901.

In the two days since the Dowager Empress Viktoria’s tantamount endorsement of Elizabeth Morgan as her grandson’s girlfriend and potential fiancée, German public opinion had not so much changed as become emboldened. The burning of the offices of the primary conservative publisher tipped the balance toward liberal newspapers, whose writers and hawkers took solace in the German cavalry patrols which KronPrinz Waldemar had ordered for security purposes. These newspapers began running pro-Waldemar articles to expose the tactics of the opposition.

So it was that, on that first day of April, a cascade of events occurred which caused the conspiracy against Waldemar to collapse. First, though accounts differ widely, it appears that General Erich Ludendorff either obeyed orders to advance on the German capital of Berlin with the intent of supporting Prinz Albrecht, or perhaps even forced the plotters to agree to make him a despot in place or alongside of Prinz Albrecht after deposing KronPrinz Waldemar. It is very clear, from corroborating accounts, that Ludendorff both escalated the plot into a coup attempt on that day, and fully committed himself to its success.

However, the handwriting was on the wall, and very soon after having made arrangements – whatever they were – with Ludendorff, Chancellor Bülow and Foreign Minister Holstein decided that success was unlikely in any case. Probably fearing for their lives, they summoned Inspector General Adar von Grolitz, and the three of them drove in an automobile heavily laden with secret government papers to the outskirts of Kottbus, where the German Army Chief of Staff, General Reuben von Riedesel maintained his headquarters.

While this was going on, the German War Minister, Julius von Moltke (nephew to the famous Field Marshall Helmuth von Moltke) came to the same conclusion as his superiors in the cabinet. Not wishing to dishonor his family name by fleeing, he instead called General Riedesel to establish him as the acting War Minister, and then Moltke surrendered himself to the military authorities in Danzig.

Meanwhile, Prinz Albrecht himself, who had ceased to get any calls from those men who were supposedly trying to make him Kaiser, fell into a deep depression, and retired to his rural estate near Stettin. He was found there a day later by KronPrinz Waldemar’s newly appointed Inspector General, Joachim Longanecker, and was brought to Berlin willingly. KronPrinz Waldemar graciously allowed his great-great-uncle to accept parole to his estates and those of his nearby friends, and promised that no more would be spoken of what had happened since his Father’s assassination. Albrecht survived two more years before dying of natural causes. Kaiser Waldemar attended his funeral, which was well attended.

The rest of the story contains far more intrigue and mystery. Having intercepted the phone conversation between Chancellor Bülow and General Ludendorff, KronPrinz Waldemar dispatched a team led by Inspector General Longanecker to make contact with General von Riedesel in Kottbus. There follows a confusing, rather amusing tale. They found Riedesel already speaking with von Grolitz, who was trying to mislead him. Longanecker’s men stormed in, only to be surprised themselves by Riedesel’s men, who he had tipped off because of his own suspicions. Eventually, Grolitz was captured, and Riedesel’s loyalty was assured. General Riedesel then telephoned Ludendorff, and ordered him to cease and desist, which Ludendorff did (presumably after a great deal more complicated negotiation than the official record shows).

Chancellor Bülow and Foreign Minister Holstein had taken up an offer from their old friend, General Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin, to take a state tour of his airship facilities, and to take a flight. Again, it is entirely unclear what went on when they met, and history remains uncertain whether Zeppelin was a willing conspirator or merely a dupe of his old friends who had supported his experimental work. In any case, Bülow, Holstein and a pilot took off in one of the Zeppelin prototypes with enough fuel to reach quite any of a half-dozen foreign countries.

The conspirators may have set course for Belgium, with which (for complicated reasons, including close ties with the Netherlands and the fact that for much of its history Germany’s foreign minister was a Dutchman) Germany had never established diplomatic relations. Alternatively, they may have intended to pass over Belgium en route to London. Alas, the perspectives of Bülow and Holstein may well be forever lost to history, for the wreckage of the Z2 was found floating in the North Sea, the airship apparently having been torn apart in high winds which may also have taken it off course. The two German ministers were presumed dead.

But that is not the end of the story for Bülow and Holstein. Some evidence exists to suggest that they may actually have made it to British soil and crash-landed after nightfall, where they may have been taken into custody by British intelligence. If so, they would presumably have been de-briefed, and the wreckage scattered upon the seas to mislead the Germans. Historians believe there are still relevant documents in the British intelligence archives which have yet to be declassified.

Rumors, over the years, have suggested various outcomes for the men. Perhaps they were murdered and disposed of once their usefulness was done. Other rumors suggest that the two men were entered into a sort of “witness protection program” and survived for many years in South America or some other exotic place. Until the last of the relevant documents are released, we cannot know their fate for certain.

General Ludendorff remains surely the luckiest of the conspirators. Modern historical research leaves little doubt that Ludendorff entered deeply into the conspiracy to usurp KronPrinz Waldemar. And, had he not heeded Riedesel’s orders to halt, he might have prompted a bloodbath, even perhaps succeeding at making the plot come off. But when he was called off by Riedesel, Ludendorff professed innocence of the plot. He indicated that he had captured and arrested a traitor – former War Minister Georg von Kalkhorst – who tried to suborn him, but who failed. Ludendorff claimed that he had ordered his troops to Berlin while under the impression that the KronPrinz would need urgent assistance to maintain his crown and/or his life. Once Riedesel convinced him that the plot was finished, Ludendorff stood down. While it seems clear that Kalkhorst might have provided additional insight into the goings on behind the scenes, Ludendorff reported to Riedesel on the 2nd that Kalkhorst had been “shot while escaping,” and would be unable to respond to further inquiry.

Ludendorff, if a conspirator he was, was a clever man and covered his tracks well. The secret government inquest ordered by Kaiser Waldemar could find precious little evidence against Ludendorff. Contemporary accounts from Waldemar’s ministers indicate that he met with Ludendorff and in no uncertain terms emphasized that they knew what he had done and would hold Ludendorff accountable for any further intrigues. Ludendorff agreed, presumably under duress, to retire with the full rank of Major General. He more or less disappeared from the scene for 15 years but, interestingly, this was not the last to be heard of General Ludendorff. He had major roles yet to play in the historical record.

Ultimately, the only conspirator to eventually face justice in court was former Inspector General Adar von Grolitz. War Minister von Moltke was quietly retired, and sought supposedly self-imposed exile in the United States. Grolitz, though, had committed a wide variety of serious crimes in pursuit of victory against Waldemar. He was tried in a closed-door courtroom, and found guilty of dozens of felony counts, including high treason. He was sentenced to death by hanging, which sentence was carried out in July of 1901.

KronPrinz Waldemar attended his coronation on 7 April, 1901. It was attended by United States President Theodore Roosevelt, and his great-uncle, King Edward VII. He became thereafter known as Kaiser Waldemar I, and began his rule, which had been so inauspiciously delayed.

His age demanded a regency government, and 83 year old Prince Pietr van Rensselaer reluctantly was named Prince Regent for the 7 months until Waldemar’s 18th birthday. He took solace in the fact that his young charge was intelligent, experienced and worthy of the title he held. Rensselaer would not be called upon for very much governance and, in fact, spent most of his time as regent on vacation in the Italian provinces.

The new Kaiser’s cabinet included many names made noteworthy from his crisis of succession. He was initially served by Gerhard Niemann, at the Chancellory, Anders Asche at the Foreign Ministry, Reuben von Riedesel as War Minister, Richard Oëster as Finance Minister, Pavel Skiedweza at the Interior Ministry, and Zschau Paachow as Colonial Secretary. Some said that, by including members of different parties in his cabinet, and by putting minority officials in charge of ministries dealing with their own people, Waldemar was giving up degrees of control and weakening his own power. Nevertheless, Waldemar seemed to manage relatively well with this new formula, and he became enormously popular across the empire for his inclusive policies.

As a sad epilogue, the Dowager Empress Viktoria, who had been so instrumental in supporting her grandson, passed away from complications related to cancer on 23 April of that year. Kaiser Waldemar was at her side when she died, as was Miss Elizabeth Morgan, who by that time lived at a cottage in Potsdam and saw the Kaiser regularly.
 
Ludendorff only disappears from public for fifteen years, when the game is only in 1901. Does this mean he makes a re-apperance in 1916? And a conspiracy theory to boot to keep the interest. At least Viktoria got to see her grandson secure on his throne, and meet his bride to be. Where is Professor Wilson I wonder?
 
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Ahh, the historical overviwe. Nice, though Luddie got off quite easily, I suppose.

Oh well, it appears quite a few people died there, Von Grölitz, Albrecht, Viktoria, and supposedly v B and Holstein.

(BTW, OOCly, DID they crashland in the sea, or not? I don't expect you to tell me, but I can try ;) )
 
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Rensslaer said:
But that is not the end of the story for Bülow and Holstein. Some evidence exists to suggest that they may actually have made it to British soil and crash-landed after nightfall, where they may have been taken into custody by British intelligence. If so, they would presumably have been de-briefed, and the wreckage scattered upon the seas to mislead the Germans. Historians believe there are still relevant documents in the British intelligence archives which have yet to be declassified.

Rumors, over the years, have suggested various outcomes for the men. Perhaps they were murdered and disposed of once their usefulness was done. Other rumors suggest that the two men were entered into a sort of “witness protection program” and survived for many years in South America or some other exotic place. Until the last of the relevant documents are released, we cannot know their fate for certain..


:) Hehe, funny.. I thought this was quite interesting.. Reminiscent of a possible near future when an another German leader, Rudolf Hess, went airborn to escape to England.. Or to bargain a deal? We're still not sure.. It would be nice to see your story continue into WW2 and beyond..
 
pveenstra said:
:) Hehe, funny.. I thought this was quite interesting.. Reminiscent of a possible near future when an another German leader, Rudolf Hess, went airborn to escape to England.. Or to bargain a deal? We're still not sure.. It would be nice to see your story continue into WW2 and beyond..
You know... :D

Funny you should mention this!

There is a "Guess the Author Challenge" in the General Discussion part of the Forum. Volunteer authors write a scene on a pre-chosen topic (which is the 1st challenge part), they are posted anonymously, and readers get to read them, critique them (important -- this is great for new writers!) and try to guess who wrote them (the 2nd challenge). It's really cool!

The challenge this last month was "Treason" -- I volunteered to write, and I wrote a mostly-historical fictionalized scene about Hess' flight to Scotland, offering to broker peace, etc.

So if you would like to see it, please hop on over to the General Discussion forum and check it out! Guess the Author Challenge - in the General Discussion Area -- Now, I'm giving a link to the last page so that you can see some of the discsussion going on over there. There is talk about halting the challenge due to lack of interest. I have argued that it is a valuable exercise for AARLand because it allows readers to see other peoples' work, which is often very well written -- very talented writers and/or writers with very high potential hang out in these fora! If you go read mine, please read some of the other work over there, and stop to comment. I'd sure appreciate it!

Another thing I would request is that you check out the AARLand Choice Awards, also in the General Discussion area (which is a rich source to find great other AARs to read!). Voting ends tonight, so there's not much time to read new work. But if you'd like to honor the many talented authors in these fora, that's the place to do it.
AARLand Choice Awards 2005 Q4

Thanks, everybody!

Rensslaer
 
I quite agree that that was a nice wrap-up of the ascension issue. But there are two huge hints that let us all know that things are far from over (well three if you want to look at the obvious date thing).

We have the biggest one which is the wrap up itself. When something gets wrapped up, that just means something else is coming down the pike.

And then we have the comment of Ludendorff coming back in fifteen years.

Knowing Renss as well as I do (thanks to following this AAR from damn near the beginning), I have the feeling that as exciting as things have been up to this point, we ain't seen nothing yet!



Hey Renss, question for you. I don't seem to recall, but if you did mention this please forgive me, is or was Hiddenberg around? Don't ask me why I just thought of this, it must come from dealing with three toddlers killin' off the old brain cells, eh?
 
Draco Rexus said:
Hey Renss, question for you. I don't seem to recall, but if you did mention this please forgive me, is or was Hiddenberg around? Don't ask me why I just thought of this, it must come from dealing with three toddlers killin' off the old brain cells, eh?
Actually, Hindenburg is about a colonel right now (you got Ludendorff early -- he showed up in my game as a general when he would have been a young, promising mid-rank officer in real life!).

I am planning the next several scenes, and debating whether I will use Hindenburg as one of the several colonels and majors I will use in an upcoming scene. Hindenburg showed up as a general some time after this in my game, but he's to be an important leader as the decades pass by.

Rensslaer
 
What the hell..you told us rens would die before this was all over. I expect the next update to be soley around Rens death!
 
Iron_Skull said:
What the hell..you told us rens would die before this was all over. I expect the next update to be soley around Rens death!
Deathmonger! :p

Actually, I said that Renss would die before the end of the AAR. Not that he would die before the end of the miniseries.

Renss
 
Briiliant job Rens. I thoroughly enjoy this miniseries :D
 
Well done, Renss. Still eager for any comment on Emily's connection to J. P. Morgan...

Vann
 
Vann the Red said:
Well done, Renss. Still eager for any comment on Emily's connection to J. P. Morgan...

Vann
Ahh... That's one of those bits of feedback I was meaning to give. Might as well give it now.

I do not mean for her to be related to JP Morgan, though I suppose she could be in some distant fashion.

I was looking for a name that didn't sound "Jonesy" -- something that might possibly have a link to the upper crust. Morgan naturally fit the bill, and is one of my favorite names, besides.

I neglected to reflect upon the connection, however, with a "morganatic" wedding... :rolleyes: I will try to work some way around this, if it comes to pass. The Brits did it...

Rensslaer
 
Thanks for the clarification. Like I said, when I saw the name, I immediately went to Wiki to check on J. P.'s childrens' names...

Vann
 
Just read the historical overview and it explains things nicely, while also leaving room for much more to happen as others have suggested. Certainly the Luddy business and the sure signs that other countries have reason to possibly take in some of the conspiritors. Almost a shame that Grolitz was one of the few to actually face charges given how large the whole thing was, but at least he got his. Well done.
 
Rensslaer said:
Coincidentally, the plot, such as it was, fell apart on April Fool’s Day – April 1st, 1901...
how fitting! April Fool’s Day on the first year of the last century of the millennium! ! :D

it is a shame that Ludendorff did not make it to the gates of Berlin! ! ;) also, it would really have been nice for Viktoria to have made it to the wedding.

massively excellent! ! :cool:
 
Rensslaer said:
Deathmonger! :p

Actually, I said that Renss would die before the end of the AAR. Not that he would die before the end of the miniseries.

Renss
Ah! Your are right. But just a hint of advice. Take my advice and kill him off soon Renns I must say is more or a less a done character. I liked him before- but now hes just boring. He puts in some advice and then smirks. Meh. I mean Renns has accomplishmed so much within his lifetime, if he survives any longer, hes clearly going to achieve just that much more. Even for a person who has a great life it would seem a tad unrealistic. And it really would be a nice storyline. I mean look what happens to germany.

1) They get a crappy ruler who makes the world hate them.
2) He gets Assassinated
3) They almost have a civil war
And most importantly, the icing on the cake if you will
4) There national hero dies (Renns)

If he lives any longer hes just going to become boring. I mean Renns has lived a great life, and up until now has been a good character. But hes done, just kill him off! :cool:

Not like you haven't hesitated before to kill off other characters for the sake of the story!

And besides, with Renns death, we can have a new character on scene, a vibrant one. One for a new generation, the whole staff (more or less) can be a new group of people! It will breath life into the story! Renns death will be a window of opportunity! Do it! You know you want to! :cool: :rofl:
 
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I like the regency was granted to Rensslaer. It is a fitting hommage to a great person who has played such a major part in the succesful pursuit of greatness of Germany. May he live many years in some nice mansion, and may he be for a long time still be able to once in a while aid the emperor as a respected elder statesman.
 
Our dear Regent has done so much in life, built up, that I feel he has one last role to play, and that role is his death. Will that final journey be the last echo of a bygone age, or will it be the explosion heralding the new? Will news of his passing be a shot that is heard around the world, or just the cause for page-long obituaries.
 
Thanks for the info on Hindenburg, that clears up alot of confusion in my mind (well, not alot alot, but enough :D).

As for what to do with our dear Regent.... I think he should pass peacefully while on vacation in the Italian provinces and allow Wally to take the world stage on the merits of his own personality... but that's just me.