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Current Members of the Administration:

Chief of the Presidential Administration: KaiserMuffin
Domestic and Economic Policy Adviser to the President: Vincent of TRP
Foreign Policy Adviser to the President: Colonel Ironboot
Army Affairs Adviser to the President: FlyingDutchie
Navy Affairs Adviser to the President: yourworstnightmare
Air Force Affairs Adviser to the President: rule_them_all
Adviser to the President: mad general

KaiserMuffin,

The Administration’s recommendations are received and noted. The meeting with Pavel Milyukov is scheduled for two days from now. You will be kept informed of future developments.

At the request of Vincent of TRP the issue of Russian territorial claims is added to the agenda. Please discuss the validity of Russian claims to specific territories in the near abroad and the likelihood of resistance by local population to Russian rule.

Issues Facing the Administration:

1. Defining Russian Territorial Claims (noncritical)
The Russian Empire once ruled over a great territory encompassing many different people. Today the Russian Republic is still a multiethnic state but it is undeniably more monolithic than the Russian Empire was. The Administration has to decide on whether it is worth for the Republic to try to recapture lost lands (and which lands) or whether Russia should support the creation of progressive democratic pro-Russian states in the near abroad.

2. Distribution of State Resources (noncritical)
For the moment all state resources are directed into production of consumer goods in order to lower the economic hardship faced by the population. In the near future we expect to have resources available for other uses and as such the Administration has to decide whether to prioritize construction of new industry, reinforcement of the armed forces, technological upgrade of military equipment, or creation of new military units.

3. Air Force Strategy (noncritical)
Most of the Russian Air Force was scrapped in the later part of the Kerensky rule, and the new Government needs to put together a strategy towards the use and development of the Air Force. It is unlikely that Russia will have the resources to develop and build more than one type of bomber (strategic, tactical, close air support) and one type of air to air place (fighter, interceptor) so a decision needs to be made regarding which designs to pursue. The development of a doctrine will follow from the types of planes selected.

4. Navy Strategy (noncritical)
Most of the Russian Air Force was scrapped in the later part of the Kerensky rule, and the new Government needs to put together a strategy towards the use and development of the Navy. Depending on how many resources the Administration wishes to dedicate to the Navy choices can range from a submarine-only navy aimed at harassing enemies to a battleship or carrier based fleet. In addition the Administration has to decide what doctrine our Navy should follow and what ship designs should be developed.

Map of Potential Russian Claims:

Russiaclaims.png
 
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Re: the issues currently facing the administration.

Defining Russian territorial claims: The military supports the vision of Vincent of TRP, by reclaiming the old Czarist lands lost after the revolution. In order to safeguard our empire a chain of loyal states (satellites) at our borders would be advisable.
From a military point of view, eliminating our more belligerent neighbours as Mongolia, Georgia and Turkestan would be preferable. Further expansion would be unwise before the industry and military are expanded. War with Japan or Mitteleuropa is not advisable at this point.
Therefore, from a military point of view, I propose an Asia first strategy, defusing Mongolia, pacifying Central Asia and grabbing opportunities in the Caucasus (Azeri oil wouldn't hurt).

Distribution of state resources: Currently our army is a paper tiger, the divisions are undermanned and outdated. At the very least some resources should be spend bringing the current divisions up to par. Further expansion depends on the demands put on the army.

Air Force Strategy: As far as the army is concerned, planes are flying artillery. Give them CAS and some fighters, don't bother with anything else.

Navy strategy: As impressive as battleships and carriers are, Russia has better things to spend its resources on. We recommend a small but modern 'Brown Water'-navy with some amphibious capacity.

This are our current recommendations.
 
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This anonymous aide would like to point out that you need STR later in the war.
 
Re: the issues currently facing the administration
Foreign Policy Adviser, Colonel Ironboot

1. Defining Russian Territorial Claims (noncritical)
Russia should claim the territory of Slav states and Russian-inhabited regions. That means, Ukraine, White Ruthenia, Cossack Union, Northern Kazakhstan, Northern Mongolia, Transamur. As for the other neighbouring countries, pro-Russian regimes should be installed there. The buffer-state policy has worked well in the past, it will be just as beneficial to our cause now - having other nations die for Russia is better than having Russians die.
We cannot risk war with Mitteleuropa or Japanese Co-Prosperity Sphere now, and we won't be able to risk it in 2-3 years either. Therefore, we should be attentive and careful while getting our territory back. A resurgent Russia will definitely be unpopular in the world, they only like us under sedation and drooling in the pillow.

2. Distribution of State Resources (noncritical)

Military rearmament is a vital task: if we want to get our claims as bloodlessly as possible, we have to be alert and keep our army equipped, organized and mobile. Then I suggest we start improving our industry. Creation of new military units can be laid off until we aquire enough industry to mass-produce the new technologies.

3. Air Force Strategy (noncritical)

Colonel Ironboot served his term in the infantry, he has no idea.

4. Navy Strategy (noncritical)

Colonel Ironboot served his term in the infantry, he has no idea. But he always liked Battleships. Battleships provide an enormous propagandistic impression which can be put to proper use in peace talks or discussions over fates of certain territories. As Alexander III used to say,
Russia has only two allies - The Army and The Navy.
 
Irakli Tsereteli (January 3rd - 14th of 1936)

Irakly_Tsereteli.jpg


Irakli Tsereteli, born 1881, was a member of a prominent Georgian noble family. His father was a radical writer who was persecuted by the Tsarist regime and when Irakli went to Moscow where he studied Law around the same time Viktor Chernov did it is no wonder that he became involved in a radical student group, was arrested, and deported to Siberia.

Upon his return to Moscow Tsereteli joined the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party and rose to prominence at the 1903 Party Congress in London where he openly opposed Vladimir Lenin’s Bolsheviks. A devout internationalist, Tsereteli traveled throughout Europe and North America prior to the 1905 Revolution when he returned to Russia and was elected to the Duma, becoming the leader of the Mensheviks. He was again arrested and exiled when the Duma was dissolved and did not return until 1917.

After the February Revolution Tsereteli returned to St. Petersburg and became the head of the St. Petersburg Soviet of which Alexander Kerensky and Viktor Chernov were also members. Tsereteli advocated for cooperation with the Provisional Government, sure that Russia was on its way to becoming a social democracy. He was taken completely by surprise when the October Revolution took place and fled to Georgia, where he remained for the rest of the Civil War.

After the Civil War Tsereteli returned to Russia and begun working towards putting the SDL Party back together. He was briefly a minister in the Kerensky Government, but was expelled after he allowed former Bolsheviks back into the SDLP. The most prominent of these former Bolsheviks was Nikolai Bukharin and by all accounts Tsereteli wholeheartedly believed that Bukharin and his supporters have changed their ways and have renounced the use of violence. Others were not so easily convinced.

When January of 1936 came around Tsereteli was in a strong political position. His SDLP controlled 90 seats in the Duma (two delegates were former Bolsheviks), more than the Octobrists’ 22 and the Kadets’ 68, but trailing the SRs’ 158 and the Conservatives’ 112. He was in the Kremlin when Kerensky was shot and so was one of the first people to find out, and he of course hurried off to meet Viktor Chernov in hopes of forging a strong alliance.

After the meeting with Catherine Breshkovsky (see here http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10482077&postcount=31) Tsereteli took off to meet with workers’ leaders and persuade them to support the new Government. To his surprise he found that the workers’ leaders were already informed by either Boris Savinkov or Maria Spiridonova, sometimes hours beforehand. All of them were willing to support Chernov without the slightest hesitation.

Chernov and Tsereteli had scheduled a meeting for January 6th to discuss the composition of the new Government. When Tsereteli arrived he found to his surprise that the Government was already formed and consisted entirely of SRs, save for himself. He had the feeling that Viktor Chernov was just as surprised, but Catherine Breshkovsky’s commanding voice did not allow for questions or complaints and Tsereteli went along with the situation.

Anton Denikin arrived in Moscow a few days later and met with Chernov and Tsereteli. Tsereteli had prepared a plan of action to present to Denikin and throughout the meeting was looking for a chance to interject and to provide his input. Chernov assured the General, “We are going to continue with the policies of Kerensky and have no desire to drastically change the course of the country.” Tsereteli’s eyes grew wide, “But Viktor, we talked about…” his eyes met Breshkovsky’s icy gaze (she was of course also at the meeting), “what about the…” a loud cough by Boris Savinkov to Tsereteli’s left, “…the reforms!” Denikin looked at Tsereteli, then at Chernov, and satisfied with the knowledge that Tsereteli would never be able to get his way in this Government nodded.

With Denikin’s support the new Government did not face any serious threats. The Conservatives attempted to make some noise about the Senate’s technical power to chose a President, but Denikin noted that since Chernov was only the Acting President the SRs had done nothing wrong, and then posted soldiers near the Senate building to prevent the body from meeting. Peter Wrangel remained inactive. There were rumors of a secret meeting between him and Catherine Breshkovsky but they were unconfirmed. He willingly gave up his position as Minister of Security and after two weeks was transferred from Moscow to Pskov.

The Duma was scheduled to meet on January 16th to confirm the new Government and everything appeared to be set for Tsereteli to become Prime Minister. God knows he had compromised enough of his values to get there!

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Is it ok if I join. Post on my Profile if I can:D
 
Played until July 1st, everything is going well. Did you guys realize that the Centralized Bureacracy choice gives 25 dissent? Ouch. It was starting to look managable and then the event hit and we were back to where we started with a 30 dissent. Anyways, late today, full write up tomorrow. And KM, I need decisions on the issues posted by end of day tomorrow.
 
Mikhail Smirnov (January 14th - July 1st 1936)

smirnov.jpg


Mikhail Smirnov
, born 1910, was one of the youngest people to ever become a full professor at Moscow’s Lomonosov University as a Professor of Economics. He was too young to participate in the events of 1917 or the Civil War that followed and really came into his own during the Kerensky regime that followed.

Mikhail graduated from the same University where he now teaches in 1932 as a Doctor of Economics and was immediately made a Professor because of the brilliance he displayed as a student. Smirnov was fascinated by the work of Carl Menger on marginal utility and generalized marginal theory and followed this work with his own on business cycles, productivity, and personal choice.

From 1934 forward Smirnov begun to analyze and write about the Government’s fiscal and monetary policies. He harshly critiqued the Kerensky government for what he perceived as an unfair distribution of taxes and argued that the Government’s support and protection of a number of industries have stymied economic growth. The same year Smirnov published a pioneering work on monetary policy arguing that the job of the State Bank of Russia should be to minimize inflation rather than to keep credit available to Government-sponsored industries.

Smirnov became active in politics in 1935 when he attended a number of political events and gave lectures on Government policy. His views aligned with those of the Kadet party and he met numerous times with Pavel Milyukov. The two men never became friends – Smirnov thought Milyukov was too much of a politician to ever trust – but they developed a cordial relationship. Very soon Smirnov’s economic writings became to the Kadets what Chernov’s articles on politics had been all these years to the SRs.

Smirnov was an academic at his core and stayed out of the political crisis in January of 1936. He had great respect for Chernov but disliked Tsereteli, and was sure that neither of them would ever listen to him. Then on January 15th Milyukov unexpectedly paid Smirnov a visit. “What do you think of the current Government?” he asked, probing Smirnov. “Is there something specific you want to know?” Smirnov was not exactly the one for political games of words. Milyukov coughed, huffed a bit and then finally answered, “Do you want to be Foreign Minister?” Smirnov blinked, but quickly composed himself, “I don’t think that’s possible. Tsereteli and I do not exactly get along.” Milyukov nodded, “Tsereteli won’t be a problem, I spoke with Chernov earlier today. I need an adviser and a strong mind to support me. I know foreign policy is not exactly your area of…” Smirnov interrupted, “I’ll do it.”

1-1.jpg


The Duma assembled on January 16th and a shaken Irakli Tsereteli asked the members to approve a Government submitted by Viktor Chernov with Pavel Milyukov at its head. Tsereteli’s hands shook as he argued for the necessity to broaden the support of the Government and to take reconciliatory positions towards the middle class and the business community. Catherine Breshkovsky was satisfied.

Smirnov, however, was not part of the Government. At the last minute Tsereteli objected to including him because of Smirnov’s liberal economic ideas, and even Breshkovsky was not able to convince him otherwise. Smirnov was dropped in favor of Nikolai Nekrasov, a leftist Kadet with a long history of cooperating with moderate socialists.

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The Government’s first test was a decision over how to extend Government control to the country. Milyukov blocked the idea of recognizing the Soviets because in Smirnov’s words they are “the most undemocratic, irresponsible, unaccountable way of stifling both the political and the economic liberties in this country.” Not being very creative himself Milyukov proposed restoring the Zemstva system of the Tsarist era, and while the idea of locally elected councils may be a good one, the name Zemstva rang too close to the Tsarist past and never had a chance. As a result the SRs and Kadets set out to create a new bureaucracy from scratch, building institutions and departments, regional offices and bureaus. Compromise meant that no one liked the outcome, and the slow pace of progress meant that even by July the Government still had little control over many areas of the country.

3-1.jpg


And now some fun statistics!

IC on January 1st 1936: 67/86
IC on July 1st 1936: 80/86
Dissent on January 1st 1936: 14.25
Dissent on July 1st 1936: 26.34

And some other interesting news!

1936-00-07 : 0:00 January 8, 1936 : Mongolia went with It's not worth the risk in The Russians Aren't Watching.
1936-01-27 : 0:00 February 28, 1936 : Ivan Pavlov dies happened to us.
1936-05-18 : 0:00 June 19, 1936 : Maxim Gorky dies happened to us.
 
++++++++++++++PRESIDENTIAL EYES ONLY++++++++++++++​


The administration has not had much to say on these topics. The Chief of the Presidential Staff presents his comments and the results of several discussions with those who had comments on the matters discussed below.

Topic 1: Defining Russian Territorial Claims.

Russia should look west toward the wayward Duchy of Finland, which has not been recognised by the Government of Russia, due to the violent and gruesome nature of it's leading party and it's personal cult. Unity with the Slavic peoples of the Balkans and the West should also be a priority. The Central Asian nations are to be watched, but Russian Intervention is felt to be undesirable at this time. In General, it is felt where Russians are, so to should we be. Transamur and the Russian settled zones of Mongolia, and the Alash Orda should be persued where possible.

Topic 2: Distribution of State Resources.

It is felt that the rearmament and upgrading of military personnel is desirable in order to strengthen the armed forces. Production capacity is also to be diverted to the creation of commercial goods for public consumption, and export.

Topic 3: Air Force Strategy.

It is felt desirable to focus on an air-superiority approach. With strong Fighter Wings hostile bombers will be easily deterred from Russian Airspace, whilst Strategic Bomber Wings are felt to adequately serve for the purpose of projection of Russian power in the air, to mighty distances.

Topic 4: Navy Strategy.

It is considered that a strong battleship fleet would be sufficient for Russian interests in the region - capable of showing power, and defending Russian Shipping, however it is considered that this is a highly unimportant at this point in time - there are many more things to do. Finally it is felt that the Fleet should be split into a Pacific and Atlantic Command.
 
Current Members of the Administration:

Chief of the Presidential Administration: KaiserMuffin
Domestic and Economic Policy Adviser to the President: Vincent of TRP
Foreign Policy Adviser to the President: Colonel Ironboot
Army Affairs Adviser to the President: FlyingDutchie
Navy Affairs Adviser to the President: yourworstnightmare
Air Force Affairs Adviser to the President: rule_them_all
Adviser to the President: mad general

KaiserMuffin,

The Administration’s recommendations are noted and will be implemented. Please receive the updated list of the issues for the Administration’s discussion attached to this note.

Issues Facing the Administration:

1. Status of the Russian Orthodox Church (urgent)
The Orthodox Church, under the leadership of the vocal Patriarch Mikhail Polsky, is demanding a clarification of its legal status in the Russian Republic. He wants a constitutional amendment passed on the issue of the national religion. We can either reaffirm that Russian Orthodoxy is the state religion or to define our state as a secular one.

2. Economic Development Strategy (urgent)
The height of the economic crisis appears to have passed and we need to determine what areas of the economy the Government will support and prioritize. If we wish to have a strong military we will need to fund the military and support ammunition manufacturing. If we wish to create a strong industrial base we must concentrate on promoting creation of new industry. And if we wish to promote natural resource extracting industries such as agriculture, mining, etc. we must focus on creating economies of scale in that area.

3. Economic Regulation (urgent)
Now that the Government is starting to get control over the country’s economy once again it is imperative to define our approach towards the economy. We can reduce economic regulation and allow the free market to set prices and allocate resources. We can follow the advice of more radical socialists and use our new bureaucracy to take control over most sectors of the economy, or we can establish Government control only over the most critical sectors (military, heavy metal production, etc.) and allow the market to take care of the rest.

4. Army Reform (urgent)
Recent military exercises have led us to one conclusion: the Russian army is a mess. Sweeping reforms are needed if we are to be taken seriously by our neighbors. Each of our top commanders has come up with a plan. General Denikin wants to maintain a massive conscript army, Peter Wrangel wants a centralized high command, Andrei Vlasov wants to allow officers to follow their initiative at the front, and Sergey Markov wants to organize the army around speed and armored vehicles.

5. Long Term Political Strategy (noncritical)
We have compromised with the centrist Constitutional Democrats in order to make sure that our Government can maintain control over the country. We have to decide whether to stay in a coalition with them even after we have full control over the country or whether we wish to create a leftist socialist coalition when the situation allows for it.

6. Foreign Policy (noncritical)
Once our Government has restored effective control over the country we will need to establish a coherent foreign policy for our representatives abroad to follow. We can concern ourselves with only our domestic issues and ignore foreign developments that do not concern us directly, we can take opportunities as they come and try to expand our influence without taking many risks, or we can make promotion of Russian interests and pro-Russian groups a top priority of our Government.

The President requires the Administration's input on these issues by end of day on Monday. That should give you enough time to have a bit of a discussion.
 
Guys. Do PM me :p As soon as you formulate a response :p I had to take two reports and my own thoughts and mould them for the last post - disappointing really cos it's hardly representative now is it. That said, enjoying the game so far, can't wait for an update.
 
I would like to Join as a Senator of the Oposition. :)
 
Thanks KM! Do you like the writing style so far? Anything else you want me to do?

I'm enjoying the writing style - I like the whole idea of making it into a sort of West Wing Minigame. Perhaps we should define some zones of the Kremlin on a map and then decide where we are when the issues come out. I'll have an office - and be in it - whilst everyone else is randomly somewhere in the building so people then get consideration of their report by who responds first or something but of course, if you turn up out of breath and disheveled I may take you very seriously.... ooor tell you to wait outside as your more well attired competitor gets in first.

Just a thought, probably too much fuss to actually bother with, but would be fun.

Also - only got... 1 PM thus far guys. :(
 
I think setting up a game of it is too much, but feel free to write fluff stories about your interactions with the advisers. That will only add to this AAR. Also, pretty much anyone can write up stories for this AAR, I don't mind. The more the better. Oh, and remember, you got till end of Monday, not today to give me your recommendations.
 
I think setting up a game of it is too much, but feel free to write fluff stories about your interactions with the advisers. That will only add to this AAR. Also, pretty much anyone can write up stories for this AAR, I don't mind. The more the better. Oh, and remember, you got till end of Monday, not today to give me your recommendations.

Kaisermuffin has my advise. Just want to stae that for sound military advise, I need to know where the army will be fighting first: Europe or Asia? The army has its own views ofcourse ;). Need a short risk analysis? Can post one tomorrow if requested.