The Economist
News Highlights from Around the World, 1912 Edition
Leaders
Europe
In 1912, Prime Minister Asquith appointed Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty, and Parliament allocated a significant budget for restructuring the Royal Navy. Churchill commissioned a new class of battleship, the Iron Duke class, named for Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington and Prime Minister of Great Britain and Ireland. The 6 new ships are projected to be completed in 2 years, at considerable cost to the taxpayers. In addition to the new ships, Churchill ordered comprehensive naval reforms and the refitting of much of Britain’s fleet. Almost all of the Royal Navy is now at port, awaiting new armaments, engines and armour. Ports across the empire are being upgraded to better facilitate the growing size of Royal warships.
[-500,000 Gold from UK, -300,000£, +6 Dreadnoughts in 2 turns, +1 Navy Level, +3 Navy level in 5 turns, Half of British fleet laid up for 3 turns]
A young Winston S. Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty
The next item on the agenda for Asquith’s government was to nationalize failing railroad industries and revitalize them. The Crown Railroads will then be privatized as soon as they achieved solvency. Railroad reform was enacted across the home islands, and trains began to run punctually. In addition, new deals were struck with railroad unions, increasing short term productivity. The British government has reformed railroads into 4 Public companies: Great Western Railway, the London and North Eastern Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the Southern Railway. New locomotives were commissioned and passenger levels steadily increased, though freight levels were still nowhere near the levels of the pre-crash era.
[-200,000 gold from UK, -250,000£, -2,000 base income (until RR’s solvent), +2 Infrastructure, +1 Infra every turn for 3 turns, RR unions very strong]
His Majesty’s government sought to set up a trade area amongst the Anglo-sphere, but due to poor translators were not able to work out agreements with their Trans-Atlantic counterparts, and the idea was dead in the water for now. There was much talk of protectionist tariffs in British manufacturing circles as well as the opposition Tory party. King George V was seriously contemplating dissolving parliament and calling for elections. Workers and manufacturers alike desire protection from foreign manufacturers, who are able to produce at a much lower cost abroad, and sell cheaply in Britain; where a strong pound was stymieing exports.
[Government on the verge of dissolution, Protectionism very favoured amongst British populace and manufacturers]
The translator hired by HM’s Government for the trade deal
On a brighter note for Parliament and the British people, the Air Power Bill of 1912 passed the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and was given carte blanche by His Majesty’s government to establish a powerful Air arm for the Royal Army and Navy. Ambitious funding was doled out to venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, and by the end of the year 3 huge aircraft firms had emerged as the titans of Britain’s air industry. Supermarine, DeHaviland and Avro all compete for lucrative contracts and large R&D sectors constantly achieve innovation. The Army and Navy are both clamouring for these new aircraft, and members of the private sector – the very rich ones – have expressed interest in buying one of these vaunted flying machines. Several prototypes have been produced, but mum’s the word on them. No public offerings of aircraft have yet been made, though it is expected to occur in the next few years.
[Results of government programme in PM, +1 Air Level to UK, +1 Air Level in 2 Turns, -175,000 Gold, -200,000£, +5 Industry]
A programme to develop British African colonies fails as a corrupt contractor is able to make with the money offered, and is now enjoying a vacation somewhere in Africa, though not in British Colonial territory.
[-100,000£ to UK]
After so many years of war and tribulation, the government of Charles XII was ready to reconcile with the common Frenchman. Charles and the Public Affairs secretary ordered a massive propaganda campaign to be undertaken across mainland France. The operation went off without a hitch, newspaper ads were distributed and paid for, fliers sent out and speeches mailed to local cronies. What the French government did not intend for was that the writer for all of these speeches, articles and flyers was a young French communist, André Breton. Breton managed to subvert the censors, and working in collusion with other communists distributed pro-left propaganda across France. Winning over many disenfranchised workers and labourers, it’s larger effect was enraging the Radical Right, The Action Française. High profile members of the authoritarian right stormed out of government, and called for the immediate resignation of the Public Affairs Minister. Mr. Breton was assassinated in his home by Radicalistes. The Communists retaliated by butchering fourteen city council members in Lille, where pro-communist sentiments had been repressed by a reactionary municipal government. Civil war loomed on the horizon once more for France.
[-2 Stability from France, -68,000₣]
The French Government had decided that course of action involving Government stimulus could be helpful to the nation’s industries. Charles XII even handpicked an elite cadre of inspectors to ensure proper spending of the subsidy money. Unfortunately for His Majesty, the inspectors were in the pocket of the Action-Francaise, and quickly pocketed the money, never to be seen again.
[-200,000₣]
France’s year had gone from bad to worse, but a ray of hope appeared in Charles XII’s Manifesto of French Farmers (MAF). Through an ambitious plan proposed by His Majesty and put into reality by the Minister of Agriculture, Martin St.-Laurent, the Government would pay for seeds, tractors, electricity and shipment for a full year, reducing farm overhead to zero and increasing productivity hugely. The French Government paid a hefty price for this, but massive support was gained by the agrarian community for the monarch and for the conservative party, of which Mr. St.-Laurent was a member. A number of small manufacturies, processing plants and train hubs were created across the French countryside, providing an invigorating boost to French agriculture.
[+1 Stability to France, -3,000 Base Income, +6,000 Base Income in 3 turns, +5 Industry, +1 Infrastructure, -320,000₣, -600,000 gold, Strong increase in support for the conservative party]
In early January of 1913, Charles XII appointed Gaston Doumergue as Prime Minister, and asked him to form an interim government. Mr. Doumergue accepted, and promptly built a centrist, moderate cabinet, that was largely responsible for the successes of the MAF.
[Gaston Doumergue is Prime Minster, Conservatives in Power]
The Head of the Colonial Portfolio for Africa, Georges Clemenceau, received a blank cheque for improving the infrastructure between and in the cities of Algeria. As such he contracted out to the publicly-owned Union Ferroviaires du Méditerranéen (UFM) to upgrade and found new railways between Algiers, Oran and Tunis. He also hired local contractors to improve the roadways of the aforementioned cities, and begin the construction of a public transportation system in Algiers, to act as a prototype for the rest of French North Africa and then the Empire.
[+5 Colonial Infrastructure to France in 2 turns, -120,000 gold, -70,000₣]
After the fall of the German parliament,, Kaiser Wilhelm decreed that the German people deserved air power, and so air power they would receive. Upon consultation with Krupp and the Bayerische Motorwerke, the Kaiser gave the contract to BMW, asking for a working airplane prototype by the end of the year. BMW successfully put an aeroplane into the sky of August 14th, 1913 and the Germans never looked back. Currently BMW is researching a sustained flight model of their previous plane, dubbed the Messerschmidt ME1, for its designer.
[+1 Air Level to Germany, -44,000 gold, -175,000 ℳ]
German attempts at investigating the Communist insurrection in the Rhineland have turned up no results, every lead was merely a red herring and noting this side of Arthur Conan Doyle could produce evidence. The Red Rising of 1912 remained a mystery, as did its leaders.
[-40,000 ℳ to Germany]
Kaiser Wilhelm needed to improve the equipment of the standing Germany Army, and improve it he did. Krupp, among other Rhenish companies began mass-producing tens of thousands of bolt action rifles; thousands of new high-calibre artillery pieces and millions of rifle and machine gun rounds, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of kilos of artillery munitions.
[+15% Equipment to Germany, +5 Industry, -250,000 ℳ, -100,000 Gold]
German research into the usage of armoured cars was begun in late 1912, ostenably for the usage of the police force, but all knew the true purpose of such a vehicle. The German attempted to fasten naval plates to a truck prototype, an initiative which was unable to power itself. The next theory was to use multiple layers of wire mesh, but bullets could easily penetrate this armouring. German engines were too weak to power any sort of armoured vehicle at this juncture, although the Germans possessed valuable technical knowledge for when engine design will allow for such armouring.
[-900,000 Gold, -500,000 ℳ, +1 Army Level]
Queen Wilhelmina, now ruling by decree until Parliament could reconvene and new elections held, declared all bankrupt banks to be under national administration. Unfortunately for Her Majesty, the bankrupt banks had already arranged for the remaining funds and assets to be transferred out of Dutch Royal jurisdiction. What remained were hollowed-out shell companies, and the government could do nothing to restore public confidence in banks. A run on all remaining banks that even looked to falter occurred; the people were more trusting of their mattresses and floorboards than a bespectacled banker poring over a ledger. The Dutch Banking situation was looking very grim.
[-1 Stability from Netherlands, Run on most banks occurring, -20,000 gold]
Outside of the banking sector, Her Majesty’s attempts at subsidizing the private sector are enjoying considerably more success. The Finance Minister has directed hundreds of thousands of guldens into the economy, where major industries such as Pharmaceuticals, Insurance, Mining etc… are all staying afloat, where they had previously been teetering on the brink of catastrophic insolvency. Her Majesty’s Government now has a controlling stake in most of the nation’s major corporations.
[-700,000ƒ from Netherlands, +1,700 Base Income, +15 Industry, Profits being recorded by all industries outside of Banking]
Queen Wilhelmina, ever the lover of aeronautics, ordered for the expansion of the nation’s aircraft production. A large manufacturing complex was set up outside of Leeuwarden, where the Government began to vertically integrate the aircraft industry. The complex featured capabilities to produce every large component of Dutch-model planes, from engines to dashboards, though the project came at quite a large cost to the government. The factory, due to small demand from a cash strapped military, is not employing at full capacity as of yet.
[-450,000ƒ, -100,000 gold, +5 industry, +10 industry in 3 turns, +2 Air Levels in 4 turns, -1,500 base income for 5 turns]
Her Royal Majesty, under advise from many prominent manufacturers and Her financial advisors, ordered for the devaluation of the Dutch Gulden. Much to Her Majesty’s chagrin, the powerful resource driven economy was in no mood to devalue the Dutch Gulden, much to the contrary. The Dutch East Indies were performing much too well economically to allow for a devaluation of currency, and so the Gulden continued its high valuation in foreign markets. The manufacturers were at a loss as to how to combat this problem, which has not been given a name, but surely someone could give a diagnosis? News leaked to the public of this attempt, and they were soon in an uproar, as their Queen was proposing to increase prices on all imported goods and the scandal damaged domestic perception of the Government. An attempt to increase the printing rate is met with calamity; the reams of paper required for an increase in the liquid money supply are nowhere to be found, not to mention that the mint had been operating at full capacity for many years. As no one trusts the viability of credit from the government via banking institutions, the Gulden is still soaring much too high for the manufacturing sector to like, and they are starting to show in strains from the low margins of profit for their exports.
[Inflation fails, -1 Stability to Netherlands, Gulden still strong, -3 industry per turn for 5 turns, -15 industry until Gulden devaluated]
In the Dutch East Indies, the Colonial Bank of Batavia has offered a contract to the lowest bidder. They wish for the creation of a pan-archipelago railway service to better serve the islands. Bethlehem Steel, in co-ordination with Union Pacific Rail, have offered to construct the new railway service at a low cost. A small, Dutch based railway company that survived the crash, Rotterdam-Gelre Rail, or RGR, has also offered to build the railway, though at a higher cost and provided Her Majesty supplies raw materials.
[0/5 progress on East Indies Railroad (+15 Colonial Infra once completed), Dutch player to be PM’d estimates of cost for both contracts and select one, upon which +1 will be added to the project]
The Swiss Cantons have ordered subsidies to be distributed amongst heavy industry, engineering firms, chocolatiers and watch makers. Particular large beneficiaries are the major cement and construction firms who have been given large contracts for dam building. Chocolate and watch production has exploded, with Rolex stock prices rising by 40% in one day. The program is a huge success across the nation, and Switzerland’s private sector has stepped out of recession for the first time in a few years. GDP growth has not yet been calculated, but it is estimated to be strong. The dental industry has also seen an unrelated and incomprehensible period of growth, no one is sure why, but Swiss dentists are making a killing.
[+25 Industry to Switzerland, +10 Prestige, +700 Base Income, Dental industry booming, -500,000S₣]
A fire in the Black Mesa facility has rendered it inoperable, thankfully no one was hurt in such a tragic incident. Albert Einstein himself has said that the cause was from research into an external combustion engine for the next generation of automobiles. Significant funding will have to be allocated for any attempt to re-open the facility. For now, the scientists are enjoying Swiss government paycheques and lodging, though many are unsure of how long their stay will be if they are not able to work.
[Black Mesa Repairs 0/3, -2,000 Base Income to Swiss until Mesa Repaired, Scientists content for now]
The Swiss government’s subsidies into the private sector yielded an acrid after-taste. A major engineering firm, Bertolli-Berndorff, was given the contract to construct a series of dams throughout the alps, as part of the ambitious Electrification Bill. All 7 of the large dams, 12 of the 17 medium dams and 21 of the 33 small scale dams constructed by Bertolli-Berndorff were structurally unsound, and subsequently collapsed. Towns and Villages were destroyed wholesale by the surging Alpine run-off in the spring, which had not been taken into account when designing the dams. Tens of thousands of people died, roads were destroyed and electrification of rural areas would be put off for a great many years. Everyone blamed B-B, whose executives fled the country to Italy and Germany, but a great many also blamed the Swiss government for not setting up oversight committees and for green-lighting the shoddy dams. President Comtesse resigned from office, as did a slew of senior officials implicated in the scandal, all of whom, including Mr. Comtesse, received kickbacks from B-B.
[-1 stability from Switzerland, -700,000 S₣, -500,000 gold, -3,000 base income, -5 industry, -1 infrastructure, -4 infrastructure until flooding is stopped]
A Dam burst, 30km south of Zurich. One of many across the Swiss Alps
The Swedish Government's attempts at launching a large propaganda campaign throughout all of Scandinavia was so successful that even government officials in charge of the operation were in disbelief. Ambassadors sent to Copenhagen, Oslo, and Helsinki received a huge welcome, and their promotion of pan-Scandinavian sentiments and beliefs spread like a fire through the Scandinavian nations. Not only this, but Swedish officials were especially gladdened by their efforts' seemingly great success in their eastern neighbors of Finland.
[+10 prestige to Sweden. Pan-Scandinavian nationalism rife in Scandinavian countries]
A government program where Nobel Prize laureates were invited to work in Swedish universities and schools in return for monetary compensation, a royal stipend, a free home and state of the art facilities was moderately successful. Several Nobel Prize recipients moved to Sweden and began teaching at the universities and schools there, particularly in Stockholm, but the result was not as grand as the government had hoped. Meanwhile, plans to expand social welfare programs – including disability benefits and government-subsidized healthcare – though supported heavily by liberals in Parliament and by the King himself, it was received extremely poorly by many conservatives in Parliament and across the country, claiming that the liberals in Parliament wished to turn Sweden into a “welfare state”. This turned out to be a common point of argument and disagreement between people across the nation, and in some cases protests and even riots broke out.
[+5 prestige to Sweden. +500 base income for 5 years. -1 stability to Sweden. -25,000kr from Sweden. Conservatives staunchly against welfare reform]
Finally, however, government attempts at establishing aeronautics programs were largely successful, as scientists, theorists, and developers from many Northern European nations flocked to Stockholm to develop improved, efficient aircraft. A small School of Aeronautics Engineering was established in Stockholm, while an aircraft construction facility was built outside the city of Norrkoping.
[+1 air level in 1 turn. +5 industry to Sweden]
Russian funding would continue to pour into the Trans-Siberian Railroad renovations. New efficiency measures conducted on the Novosibirsk stretch would greatly improve the rate of progress in the area, reducing the costs incurred by the government and freeing up additional funds for elsewhere in coming months.
[-80,000 руб to Russia. Trans-Siberian Railroad progress: 2/5 turns]
The Russian Army would begin to work on new systems of standardization for army munitions and supplies. The result, however, was almost farcical. The standard service rifle of the Russian Army, the Mosin-Nagant, was argued by a vocal and influential force in the General Staff as being insufficient to the needs of the Army, and a move was made to replace it with new models such as the Mokharov. By a single stroke of pen (and, it is widely rumoured, the exchange of a significant amount of money from the Izhevsk Armory to several key generals), the majority of the armament of Russia was rendered obsolete. At tremendous expense taken directly out of the military’s discretionary fund, most, but not all Mosin-Nagants were phased out of service and either scrapped or sold, to replaced by the Mokharov, much to the dismay of the grunts who found the new service rifle extremely complex and fragile, and took to acting out against their generals by “losing” their Mosin-Nagants en masse rather than turning them in. Still worse, the Mokharov was not chambered for the existing caliber of cartridge used by the Mosin-Nagant, making every stockpile of bullets in the nation worthless, but in the name of standardization around the new design, the General Staff pushed on relentlessly.
[-210,000руб to Russia. -10% Equipment to Russia. +1 Army Level to Russia]
The Duma, extremely worried by the Tsarina’s expansion of the army immediately after her aggressive foreign policy against Germany, categorically refused to fund the proposed expansion of the Russian army, and symbolically denied additional funding to several lesser domestic projects which had enjoyed the Tsarina’s favor. Attempts by the Russian General Staff to push for the Tsarina’s programme in order to train conscripted forces up to the standards of the Army proper caused a severe backlash among the soldiery, which had little desire to fight and die for no good cause. Thousands of conscripts simply disappeared rather than continue training, and in the worst case, a regiment of conscripts threw their guns down and mutinied. Their abortive bid was quelled by force, but the General Staff was forced to temporarily cancel the programme in the face of growing intransigence.
[-1 Stability to Russia. -40,000 conscripts to Russia]
The foundation of a new air force for the Russian government, the Imperial Military Air Fleet, began with far less fuss than the ongoing chaos of the army. Fortunately, funding had already been freed up for the project before the Tsarina’s attempt to expand the army had reached the Duma, and thus was unaffected by the intransigence of the Kadets and democratic left. Several initial designs were floated, including designs from the dynamic nations of Western Europe, but the final design that was settled upon for field testing by the Russian air wing was one produced by the young 23-year-old Igor Sikorsky. The fifth design he had produced and the first in Russia proper, the émigré had returned to Russia from his studies in Paris, with a design heavier than any he had produced to date. In a single four-minute flight, he would conduct a series of flights outside Moscow to the acclaim of many, even drawing the interest of the young Tsarina. Though the S-5 would crash only two weeks after its demonstration flight to the Russian military after an unknown fuel contaminant (later found to be a mosquito) clogged the carburetor, Sikorsky remained undaunted – he was already preparing a new design, the S-6, with an even more powerful engine capable of carrying two passengers as well as the pilot, and the crash made him consider potential designs that would even survive the loss of an engine.
[-80,000руб to Russia. +1 Air Level to Russia]
The Danubian Federation would begin the construction of massive amounts of infrastructure. Unfortunately, economic losses greatly reduced the speed of construction, slowing the efforts of the government, and obduracy among the regional governments only exacerbated the matter.
[-80,000K to Danubian Federation. +2 Infrastructure to Danubian Federation in 2 turns.]
New mandates would be issued from Vienna calling for the construction of industry as well, but unfortunately, with debt spiraling and the state hemorrhaging income (and not expecting a recovery for two years), no money could be diverted to the project. Local governments flatly refused to support the plans coming from Vienna, and if pushed, it was feared that they would threaten rebellion.
The aging Emperor Franz Joseph I again gave a series of speeches calling for stability and peace across the Federation, again with catastrophic consequences. Increasingly perceived as out of touch with the modern world, the Emperor’s speeches again ignited unrest in Budapest and Zagreb as well as sparking tremendous protests in Vienna that blocked the Ringstrasse as well as the parallel Lastenstrasse for almost two days. These protests would not be cleared until the gendarmerie was called in and authorized to use full military force in order to deal with a situation that, due to an initially anemic and ineffectual response, had spiraled out of control.
[-2 Stability to Danubian Federation]
Perhaps the only bright spot in the situation of the Danubian Federation was the Trieste shipyards. The expansion of the Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino’s facilities in the city was one of significant interest to the Danubian state, as the STT was the largest shipbuilder of the Federation. Though little funding could be brought up by the state due to the spiraling debt and the default that greatly reduced the effectiveness of state bonds and foreign investors in the government proper, local factors were more than willing to support STT, particularly the Cantiere Navale Triestino, another Danubian shipbuilding company based out of nearby Monfalcone. Plans for a merger were made, an act that in itself boosted confidence in the STT and permitted it to begin an expansion of its facilities in Trieste in anticipation of new need.
[+2 Industry to Danubian Federation]
In Italy, a tremendous push for the improvement and expansion of Italian armaments industries in the Northern half of the country would quickly lead to a financial wreck. A combination of corrupt industrialists, inept government administrators, and angered factory workers would result in the wasting of a large portion of the nation's GDP. When funds began disappearing with no visible effect, government funding increased, but the money continued to disappear, as it was largely pocketed by the corrupt industrialists. In turn, these men began pushing their workers harder and harder, resulting in anger towards both their bosses and the government. Meanwhile, in the south, the Royal Italian Public Works Commission ultimately failed in their attempt to launch a massive campaign to construct industrial facilities on the southern end of the Italian Boot. However, despite these failures, several factories were able to be established near Taranto.
[-457,000₤ from Italy. +2 industry to Italy. Factory workers in Northern Italy angry]
Meanwhile, Generals within the Italian High Command asked King Victor Emmanuel to issue a call for more volunteers for the Royal Italian Army. When the call was made, it was generally successful, but further funds had to be allocated in order to achieve higher numbers, but even these fell short of the goal of 130,000 new recruits.
[+80,000 regulars to Italy. -155,000₤ from Italy]
Wishing to follow up their successes with recruiting new troops, the Italian Government officially established the Royal Italian Air Force. However, this was comparatively much less successful as, although it was successful in its formation, funds were misallocated and several corrupt government officials pocketed many of the funds that were originally meant for the establishment of the branch's headquarters.
[+1 air level to Italy in 2 turns. -120,000₤ from Italy.]
Attempts made by the Kingdom of Spain to adopt the Constitution as the law of the land are largely ignored by nobility and peasantry alike, and the large public campaign by His Majesty goes unnoticed. Law enforcement still enforce by de facto common law, and Parliament’s powers are ignored by all but central government institutions and the military, Royal Decree being the only recognized executive or legislative power in Spain.[-75,000 ₧ from Spain, Parliament is de facto not obeyed]
King Alfonso realized that the huge and ambitious Spanish Royal Navy would pose a dire burden to the country’s budget, and so ordered the mothballing of much of the fleet. However, unbeknownst to the King, the powerful Admiralty has arranged for Parliament to block all attempts at restricting the Naval Programme. The Admirals themselves are quite upset with the King, and will not likely tolerate any other attempts to reduce funding or ship-building programmes. Funding has also been mysteriously disappearing from the Admiralty’s coffers, going to places unknown…
[-1 Stability from Spain, Admirals furious, -250,000 Gold]
Efforts to pull the Royal purse strings on army funding goes over quite well, as the Generals begrudgingly accept a reduction in standing army size. This has the un-foreseen effect of improving the agricultural sector in southern Spain, where the 60,000 or so retiring soldiers are now causing a massive upshot of productivity owing to their hard work ethics. In addition to the benefits to agriculture, the smaller pool of soldiers allowed for a greater ratio of officers and NCO’s to regular soldiers. The Spanish army was now more flexible and innovations were made in small-unit tactics.
[-63,000 Regulars from Spain, +900 Base Income, siestas gone from Andalucia, +1 Army level]
An excerpt from a Spanish Army Manual, translated
Alfonso saw that his people were starving and without work, so he ordered that Parliament draft legislation that would force Federal and local government to aid in the employment of those who had been without work for 6 months or more. Though somewhat successful in reducing unemployment, Socialists in Parliament attached a subsidy for those unable to work. The system was heavily cheated, and a disproportionate sum was allocated to the programme
[+1,200 base income, -650,000 ₧ from Spain, -3,200 base income until cheating of welfare stopped]
The Hellenic Army would begin to work on improving its doctrine, establishing new variations on existing theories and deployment patterns in order to improve adaptability and flexibility in response to a wide range of potential situations, rather than restricting themselves to exhaustive planning against limited threats. In response to analysis of previous wars, the Army would pattern themselves consciously on successful armies such as the Germans. However, many lessons learned proved impractical to the resources available to Greece, and the officer corps proved less adaptable, causing significant cost overruns to be incurred.
[-35,000₯ to Greece. +1 Army Level to Greece]
Alongside the Royal Army, the Royal Hellenic Navy also began to work on establishing new, adaptable doctrines to supersede the existing theories of naval warfare. Mahanian theories on the sea control generally espoused the concept of a decisive battle in order to ensure domination, a theory that found significant credence in the Greek state that had won naval dominance in its war of independence through the destruction of the Turkish fleet, as well as being pressured to maintain naval control over its littoral in order to protect the myriad Aegean and East Mediterranean islands. Though it came at significant expense with several false leads, the Navy General Staff would come up with several credible innovations particular to the Greek geopolitical situation.
[-15,000₯ to Greece. +1 Naval Level to Greece]
Battleship Salamis, illustration of the planned ship
The Greek government also commissioned 11 new warships for the Royal Hellenic Navy. The commission of the Salamis, named for the famous naval battle between Athens and Asiatic invaders from the Anatolian peninsula, was the largest of these ships, a dreadnought-battleship designed around the most modern of principles, and was anticipated to become the pride of the Hellenic Navy.
[-15,000₯ to Greece. +10 Small Ships to Greece in 1 turn. +1 Large Ship to Greece in 2 turns.]
The Middle-East
The new Turkish Republic, desperate for financial support to sustain their war effort against the Sultan, made a call for all good Turks to unite behind the banner of freedom and to assist in the war effort by supplying those on the front line with much-needed ammunition, weapons, and other equipment. However, the call went relatively unheard, as the Government had trouble funding the entire program. Lack of funds resulted in very little positive results.
[-20,000 Turk£ from Turkey. +1 industry to Turkey. +100 base income to Turkey]
To further gain domestic support, the Turkish Parliament issued what became the famed Turkish Charter of Freedoms, which became one of the founding documents of guaranteed human and civil rights in an Asian democracy. Those that took part in its construction based it off of other inspiring documents, including the American Constitutional Bill of Rights, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, and even the Magna Carta. It was a huge success both at home and abroad as support for the new-found Turkish government increased significantly. As a result, several thousand more Turks signed up for service in the Army, their trust in their new government having been solidified.
[+20 prestige to Turkey. +2 stability to Turkey. +25,000 regulars to Turkey]
Another great success for the Turkish democracy was the Parliament's decision to send ambassadors abroad to secure support from foreign powers, particularly those in Europe, in the war against the Sultan and his followers. When the ambassadors returned to their homeland, they brought with them thousands of rifles, shells, bullets, horses, and other equipment which would greatly assist the army's fight against the Sultanate, all of which were donated from several European nations sympathetic for the Turkish cause.
[+20% equipment level to Turkey. +1 army level to Turkey. +10 prestige to Turkey]
Turkish troops defending against the counterattacking Ottoman army
On the frontlines, the 1st Turkish Ordu, under the command of the newly-promoted Marshal Ebeveyn, was given the task of marching forth and taking Constantinople from the Sultan's Army. The troops, high in morale and pride and ready to fight following their government's successes in establishing basic civil liberties in their nation as well as securing equipment for their troops, were almost overconfident. When the 1st Ordu finally came upon a smaller Ottoman Army near the mouth of a valley, the Turks, emboldened by their pride for their nation, charged outright. In the initial charge they suffered brutal casualties and withdrew, ready for a second attack. However, as they were about to reorganize, they suffered a brutal counterattack from the Ottomans, which slayed many of their numbers. The Turkish 1st Ordu was devastated before its remains withdrew to Turkish territory. Further to the south, the 2nd Ordu of General Taş, a veteran of the conflict, marched west with the goal of taking the Aegean Sea. Though he hammered out several victories, he made little progress and suffered heavy casualties in the series of battles he fought. In the end, his territorial progress was little and he had lost a large portion of his own army.
[-50,000 regulars to Turkey]
Thousands are affected by the population transfers in Armenia
Following the Italian withdrawal from Syria, the Armenian army swiftly occupies Alexandretta, while working to secure the territory granted to it under the Treaty of Ankara. Though there continued to be some partisan activity in the South and East of the young republic. Furthermore, the young republic was able to successfully and, more importantly, tactfully carried out. [-20,900 AMD, Population transfer 1/3]
Attempts by the republic to nationalize Armenian industry, were disastrous as many owners destroyed their property and fled the county upon hearing of the pronouncement. This lead to a precipitous decline in Armenian industry, a fact that was compounded by the flight of a large portion of the Armenian upper class. [-33,800 AMD, -2,000 Regulars, -4 Industry, -1,000 Base Income]
After conquering parts of the Ottoman Empire, the Italians had set up in Syria, and, after a blockade by the British Empire, decided to agree to independence for these Arabs as the State of Syria, but the British and European-Turks did not see them as independent, and quickly crushed them. The Italian endeavor failed, and hurt its relationship with the British.
The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, now void of his throne, was captured by a group of European Turks and British Officers in northern Iraq. Once he was identified, he was forced to sign a Treaty of Unconditional Surrender to the British Empire and the European Republic of Turkey. He was taken into custody, and placed under arrest in Egypt. The European Turks and the British were able to place the remainder of the Ottoman Empire under Military Control, ready to sign a Treaty to divide up the remaining land.
North America
John Pierpont Morgan, a former man of Big Business with his House of Morgan Bank, and after dealing with a near Constitutional Crisis regarding the election, finally takes the Oath of Office, becoming the President of the United States of America, succeeding President Theodore Roosevelt, who has gone off to American Africa. This recent acquisition has already gained the name of "Teddy's Africa". The New President, a ruthless businessman, quickly gets to working with members of Congress, and yes, his old rivals, to attempt to pull the United States out of Depression.
In the United States of America, General Motors Corporation, by contract with the United states Government, begins to make light-duty Trucks for the United States Army. The Ford F-100 is refitted a bit with a small gun mount on the top, but no armor, in an attempt to give the Army a fast scout, better than horses. The success of the Ford F-100 is great for the Military, and it slowly begins to replace horses.
[-$350,000, +2 Army Levels to the United States]
One of President Morgan's first initiatives, was to try and save the failing Railroads, which looked close to simply going under with the loss of rail traffic. In a meeting with Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, and a host of other Industrial Tycoons at the White House, the President did his best to try and broker a deal to help Union Pacific. No such luck was found, as many of them squabbled over who would get what, and they attempted to break up the company into smaller parts for them to run. Ultimately, President Morgan stepped in and ordered that the Company would remain in one piece. As deliberations continued, it seemed to be all but lost. Union Pacific officially declared bankruptcy, and engines across the Southwest and Western Coast ceased to operate, slamming the United States Economy like never before seen.
[-1 Infrastructure to the United States. -10,000 Base Income from the United States until UP reopened]
A trade area between the United States and the Anglophone Commonwealth, lead by the British Empire, quickly gets off the ground, but disappointing shipments into the United States leave much to be desired, as little revenue is taken from it, as much of trade came from the commonwealths that ratified the treaty.
[+300 Trade Balance to the United States, +150 Trade to Canada and South Africa]
The United States Congress, by urging of President Morgan, subsidizes the reopening of factories across the nation. As it was, many were owned by the House of Morgan Bank, leadto some Democrats to cry out against this corrupt deal, believing that the House of Morgan and the Presidency were starting to merge into one. President Morgan dismissed this as a foolish connection and an idea, and pushed forward, putting more and more people to work.
[-$400,000, +100 Industry to the United States]
In spite of all of this hardship, the United States Government welcomed the states of Arizona and New Mexico into the Union, where the flag of the United States was changed to host 48-stars. Many began to speculate where the next state would be, as the United States held territories around the world, but the closest ones were Alaska, Hawaii, Oklahoma, Panama, and Puerto Rico.
A Treaty between the United States and France is signed, where the French Empire signed over Gabon, French Congo, and the French Caribbean. Many were stunned by this move, but when they saw the price, they knew that the French needed this in order to help shore up their Government, which has the whiff of illegitimacy. The hand-over went off without a hitch, and many people began to notice, the United States was soon approaching a milestone. It was possible that the United States could surpass all other Empires in Land Size, Population Size, and Economic Size. The American Empire was poised to rule over the Entire World, with the King Steward of Business, President John Pierpont Morgan, firmly at the helm.
[Numerous French Colonies to the United States. -800,000 Gold from the USA. +800,000 Gold to France.]
The Canadians embracing the ideals of the New York Economics Conference, and begin the privatization of the nations railroads. This wave of privatization leads to a much more efficient railroad infrastructure throughout the nation, though it was noted a large buyer of these shares bore the initials JPM. [+1,000 Base Income]
Quick to seize on this political opportunity, the Prime Minister of Canada was quick to to trumpet the successes of the Canadian Economy and how it was weathering the global economic storm. His speech would put the Canadian populace at ease and leads to a small upturn in the economy. [+500 Base Income]
Donald Alexander Smith, a Major Canadian Railroad Baron
To support the newly privatized railroads, the Canadian Government offered thousands in cheap loans. Much to the governments chagrin, most of this money swiftly disappeared into the pockets of railroadmen and investors, and not to the development of the railroads. [-25,000 Can$]
The Central American Republic put the call for the recruitment of thousands of new soldiers for their army. Thousands of new recruits flocked to the union flag. [-7,900 CAR$, +30,000 Regulars]
The Central American government next turned to the issue of integrating the formerly independent nations into the a single economy. The Central Americans were amazing successful in this task, streamlining the economy and tearing down economic barriers between the states. [-36,700 CAR$, +1,000 Base Income]
Unfortunately, diplomatic overtures to El Salvador were met with disappointment, as the Salvadorians quickly rejected the Central American overtures. The Salvadorians had come to love their independence and made clear to the Central American delegation, that at this time, El Salvador was intent on maintaining its independence, though it would be willing to join a customs union.. [-2,600 CAR$]
One of the leaders of Mexican Rebels, Pancho Villa
The Central American war effort against the Mexicans was largely a disaster. Much to the chagrin of their commanders, several army units Central American Army crossed the border and attacked several border towns for supplies. The Mexican Army swiftly respond and sweeped into the Yucatan and Chiapas pushing the out of position Central American Army back several kilometers in the opening offensive before the lines bogged down. Attempts to sow dissension in the rebels and the Mexican government was more successful, with the more joining the rebel cause in the North.
[-20,000 Regulars, stronger rebel sentiments in Northern Mexico]
South America
With the Treaty of Asuncion going into effect, hostilities in South America have temporarily ceased for the duration of the five-year truce. Any expansionist dreams by the Empire of Brazil have been entirely thwarted, and the reparations they've been required to pay will serve as a significant drain on an already ailing economy. Brazil's national prestige has taken a major hit, while Argentina and Chile have presented themselves as defenders of peace and freedom on a chaotic continent. The Brazilian people, already unhappy with Empress Isabel's irredentist claims, are even less pleased with the result of the treaty and have consequently grown restive. [-30,000 Gold to Brazil, -2 Stability to Brazil, -50 Prestige to Brazil, +25 Prestige to Argentina, +25 Prestige to Chile]
With the specter of a continental war fresh in his mind, President Hipolito Yrigoyen of Argentina orders that the various state-owned weapons companies merge under a single umbrella: National Military Fabrications, or Fabricaciones Militares (FM). He directs Enrique Mosconi of the national oil company to direct this new venture, which sees a dramatic increase in industrial output and efficiency. This new efficiency is due in part to an increasing state monopoly on basic industries that feed into the arms market, such as steel and chemicals. [-86,000 A$, +18 Industry in 3 turns]
A demonstration of the new technology to be incorporated in the Argentine Navy
In a similar vein, the commanding admiral of the Argentine navy orders an extended refit of his nation's warships, using the time while they're laid up to send a delegation of his most promising officers to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. A great deal of modern US Navy doctrine is communicated during the month-long trip, and the Argentine officers are sent home with a large shipment of modern naval cannons and a new prototype engine for their large ships. While the refits are paid for out of the Argentine treasury, the American government provides the Annapolis trip and the hardware shipment as a goodwill gesture to the Argentines. [-$54,000 to the United States, -51,600 A$ to Argentina, +3 Naval Levels to Argentina in 2 turns]
President Yrigoyen orders the establishment of a new Department of Labor, with a Cabinet-level Secretary answerable directly to him, in order to create a forum for negotiation and mediation between Argentine companies and laborers. In creating and staffing the Department of Labor, he reaches out to the socialist and trade unionist opposition, including them in discussions and soliciting their input, which paves the way for their entry into his ruling party as "fellow democrats". Increasingly marginalized communists and anarchists, who want to see the democratic system dismantled, label Yrigoyen as "an enemy of the people", but most Argentines are pleased with the policy shift. [-7,200 A$, +1 Stability]
The Argentine National Congress spends a great deal of time and energy deliberating a bill to introduce a one-year term of mandatory military service for all adult males, but the speedy resolution of the Brazilian crisis renders the entire topic moot before any significant progress is made. [-4,800 A$]
The Republic of Chile makes a sizable purchase of new rifles, artillery, and other military goods from US arms companies a few weeks into the Brazilian crisis; though they arrive after the conflict has been averted, they're nevertheless paid for and incorporated into the army. [6,200 A$, +5% Equipment]
President Montt Montt also introduces a program for targeted industrial subsidies designed to expand still-operating factories and increase both their output and their employment capacity. This effort is wildly successful and sees significant results right away. [-122,600 Chi$ , +7 Industry in 2 turns]