[Forum Game] - World in Revolution: 1900

[jacob-Lundgren]

Treaty of Bradford

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland shall supply the Kingdom of Sweden with the following, in return for a payment amounting to 4,500,000 (4,500 in game) Pounds Stirling.

30,000 Lee Enfield Rifles
A license to produce more of said rifles as we see fit
1,000 Maxim Machine Guns
5 Battleships, of modern construction
5 Light Cruisers, of modern construction
The blueprints to the ships, so as to facilitate the construction of new ships domestically

[] - His Royal Majesty King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway, Protector of the Scandinavian Peoples, Knight of the Garter, Knight of the Golden Fleece
[X] - The Lord Salisbury, Prime Minister of Her Majesty's Government, acting on behalf of Her Imperial Majesty The Queen-Empress Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India

((Trying this again. ))

[DoomBunny]

[X] - His Royal Majesty King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway, Protector of the Scandinavian Peoples, Knight of the Garter, Knight of the Golden Fleece

[Jean Pierre]

Colombian Civil War - Part I

In Colombia, the civil war (ongoing since October 17th of 1899) changes drastically from the gentlemen's combats that had happened so far, in which the defeated were treated with honor and dignity. Groups of soldiers start committing abuses from both sides, which rapidly escalate into barbaric massacres and a divided population. Although victories from both sides occur, by the first trimester of the year the Liberals see progress, fully occupying Santander and western Panama, laying siege to Panama city and controlling several cities around Bocayá, Tolima, Magdalena and the Cauca.

Conservative troops marching

In May 10th two large forces meet in Palonegro: 14.000 liberals of Vargas Santos and 18.000 conservatives of Prospero Pinzón. They briefly parley, but the following day start the combats in what would be a bloody battle, lasting until the 25th of said month, with the absolute victory of the liberals and scattering of the conservative army, but managing to escape general Pinzón.
Demoralized and unable to supply every front, the conservatives withdraw from Panama city and focus on fortifying Cundinamarca, Bolivar and Antioquia. Many peripheral regions, supported by the liberal government of neighboring countries, such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua, fall into liberal control.

Ossuary of the Battle of Palonegro

After the crushing defeat of the conservatives in Palonegro the liberal victory was almost a certainty, but the events that unfolded completely changed the scenario. General Vargas Santos, the commander of the liberal forces during the battle at Palonegro, resented the larger popularity of General Rafael Uribe Uribe, who despite his complete lack of military skills took the credit for the victory. Gaining the nickname of "Hero of Palonegro" (added to the previously gained "Hero of Peralonso"), his charisma and political connections made him the natural leader of the rebellion. Supported and supplied by liberals from bordering countries he started negotiating with the conservative government to end the war. Vargas Santos, however, refused to recognize his authority or to negotiate anything besides an unilateral surrender of the conservatives, causing the liberal faction to split in two: the bellicose, led by him, and the pacificsts, led by Uribe Uribe.
Tensions rose, and a stalemate was created, resulting in a country divided between the three factions.

Colombia divided between conservatives (blue), pacifist liberals (red) and bellicose liberals (orange)

[Jean Pierre]

On the barbaric assassination of the American president by a native of our lands, the Colombian government vehemently repudiates the actions of said individual, and offers any necessary aid in the investigation, offering to confiscate any and all of his possessions in the country and offer them to the United States government.

However, given the current state of emergency our country finds itself in, due to the ignomious actions of anarchist rebels seeking the destruction of our great nation, the Colombian government requests all negotiations regarding the channel to be postponed until such conflict ends.

Economic and military supplies to suppress the rebellion would be greatly appreciated, as well as the formal condemnation of the nations of Nicaragua, Ecuador and Venezuela for their support on the bloodthirsty bandits who seek to overthrow our democratic government.

[Jean Pierre]

January - December 1900


South America

A grand project to connect the Brazilian Republic to its western neighbors of Bolivia and Paraguay through a telegraph line is presented with grand fanfare, and the congressmen use it as a theme to throw luxurious parties and acquire prestige within the high society. In fact, they spend so much time celebrating and promoting their personal political agendas that they forget to properly administrate the project, which falls in the hands of corrupt officials. Large sums of money are spent but they never arrive to their original destination. Rumors of massacres of natives by poorly paid, equipped and fed workers of the project luckily do not spread, given the lack of progress in the communication lines. [-1.500 Gold from Brazil.]

In the meantime the Federalist congressmen are able to discretely pass an irrigation project to develop areas of the arid northeast. Competent administration makes it start with much better results. The local Oligarchy representatives fail to notice its importance in time, and when they do it is too late to do anything about it. They press the government to intervene and put an end to it, for fear of losing power. [-2.000 Gold from Brazil. +1 Infrastructure. +200 Base Income]

The Brazilian northeast semi-arid wilds, in where outlaws and oligarchs rule.

Contrary to his usual conservative and prudent nature, President Campos Sales decides to take upon his hands to solve the railroad issues between the three most important states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro. He buys bankrupt private lines and creates a large national company to guarantee the flow of people and products. The intervention is met with great polemic in the Congress and much celebration among the urban classes of said states. Despite all the rumors everything seems to go as planned, without major surprises. [-2.000 Gold from Brazil. +1 Infrastructure.]

Train connecting Rio de Janeiro and Petrópolis

Funds are offered for entrepreneurs willing to industrialize the coffee and rubber productions. It has moderate success, with some pioneer souls indebting themselves to try fortune in a new and uncertain field, much to the skepticism of the traditional oligarchies. Only time will tell if they are geniuses or madmen. [-500 Gold from Brazil. +1 Industry.]

Seeking to expand its control over the Patagonia, the Argentine government starts a colonization project, including irrigation of arid lands and planned distribution of lands and creation of towns in the Rio Negro Valley. [-500 Gold from Argentina. +1 Infrastructure in 3 turns.]

The Argentinian Patagonia, land of the last Cowboys, the Gauchos.

In order to populate these areas the Foreign Relations Ministry invests in propaganda along the European countries. Much success is found along impoverished areas, in where dreams of opportunity and fortune awaiting them lure families to settle in Argentina. [-600 Gold from Argentina. +1 Push/Pull.]

By 1900 such a large part of the population was of foreign origin that the government considered having two official languages.

President Roca authorizes the creation the National Gendarmerie, a civil institution subordinated to the Ministry of War, for the purpose of substituting the army as a police force in frontier regions. This is seen by Army leaders as an attempt to weaken the institution, and met with much unrest. Rumors of a possible uprising spread, forcing the government to delay its actual creation and find alternatives to appease - or repress - the army. [-1 Stability.]

The government's congressmen promote a law to provide incentives to imports of goods destined towards production, such as agriculture equipment and industrial machinery. Unfortunately consensus is not found, and the law suffers several amendments before passing. The result is an extremely bureaucratic system using an ambiguous and often contradictory legislation which gives room for corruption to run rampant. The small businessmen are forced to pay hefty taxes or generous bribes in order to import anything, while those with good political connections need declare nothing. [-100 Base Income. -1 Industry.]

[jacob-Lundgren]

((Did my trade deal with argentina fail or? ))

[Jean Pierre]

((Did my trade deal with argentina fail or? ))

((Both the treaties between Argentina with the UK and Brazil with Russia went through. I'll leave the Trade Balance to Fry, and deal with the consequences of the treaties in the South American economies.))

[jacob-Lundgren]

((Both the treaties between Argentina with the UK and Brazil with Russia went through. I'll leave the Trade Balance to Fry, and deal with the consequences of the treaties in the South American economies.))

((Ok thanks for clarification.))

[Mr. Santiago]

OOC: Great sets of updates, IC coming in

[Dyranum]

OOC: Hey, uh, is Bulgaria still in the game or not? I kinda need to know this. I can't do my orders otherwise.

[Mr. Santiago]

The President's State of the Nation speech:

"Esteemed members of Congress, 1900 has been a good year for our Nation.

The efforts taken by our agents in Europe have given fruit, as the Department of Immigration reports an increase in the arrival of foreigners. These man will be given transport to where the Republic needs their hard labor to thrive, as the legislation mandates. Similar actions will be taken during the following years to increase the influx of immigrants. In line with that effort, the works along the Rio Negro have begun; in a few years the area will be incorporated into the nation's productive system and another piece of desert will be tamed by the hard working hand of man. Both this initiatives have been successful thanks to our careful spending; let's not forget the orgy of uncontrolled spending that led to the crisis of 1890; Order and Administration has always been this president's motto.

In that line I would like to salute my esteemed colleague and friend, the President of Chile, Federico Errázuriz Echaurren. The protocols that we've subscribed have finally ended the controversies regarding our borders, and the good will that came from the negotiations is surely the first step to strengthen the relations with our western neighbor. The treaty signed with the United Kingdom will foster out relationship with them, and during the current year similar initiatives involving the Russian Empire and the Republics of Brazil and the United States will be presented to Your consideration

However, the members of the Legislative branch seem to prefer pointless bickering over simple work. The Byzantine customs bill that was passed has only damaged the nascent national industry instead of improving it. It seems that direct actions taken by the Executive will bear more fruit, until the esteemed representatives change their minds.

Now you may wonder why have chosen to present myself wearing my military uniform. Since the age of 15, when I joined the artillery as an ensign, I have been in the military, I've fought during the civil wars, during the secession of Buenos Aires, during the War of the Triple Alliance, during the Conquest of the Desert and been Minister of War before being chosen for the Presidency; and I've seen much change during 30 years of career; you may say I am a man of the Army. Some have forgotten the rabble we used to call Argentine Army, or how the provincial militias were used as the Governor's personal armies or how it took decades of bickering to have a single, centralized and modern armed service for the defense of the nation. It took an armed uprising of Buenos Aires 20 years ago to finally disband the Province's Guards, that caused so much damage to the cause of national unity.

The Gendarmerie initiative was presented in this line of action, to further professionalize the army by creating another force to replace it in the ordinary tasks of border patrol and territorial police; not to replace it altogether, but to work alongside it, just like the Navy and the Prefecture have been working together since the Independence Wars, one guards the coasts, the other fights in the seas. Of course the Army shall remain as the nation's main force, coordinating it's labor with the Gendarmerie, both under the helm of myself and the Minister of War. We're not replacing one with the other, we are adding the second arm to the body that is national defense; as one man needs two arms our nation needs these two forces to work properly. I hope that the man in uniform come to their senses and stop blockading this most necessary initiative."

[Jean Pierre]

It is with great pleasure for both our peoples that the sister Republics of Chile and Argentina had their representatives gathered in cordial meetings, during which they resolved their border issues, guided by the principles of reciprocal respect and fraternal relations. Having ratified the principles of 1881, with the Chile taking care of the Pacific while Argentina maintains sovereignty over the Atlantic, while proclaiming the freedom of passage through the Magellan Strait and settling precise and just limits over the dry borders, we can now focus on looking forward to a bright future of cooperation and mutual growth.

While remarking such positive background does the Government of the Republic of Chile, speaking in the name of all of the Chilean nation, offer the Argentinian Republic an open hand to strengthen the historical bonds of friendship that tie both nations. In such light has the Foreign Relations Ministry been tasked to initiate talks to develop and present projects for mutual cooperation in cultural, economical and defense areas.

May this one be known by the world as the Southern Cone's golden age.

Federico Errázuriz Echaurren
Presidente de la República de Chile

[jacob-Lundgren]

There are certain rights that all civilized nations have, particularly those with intact reputations and trusted by the international community. The Swedish-Norwegian government is in charge of one such nation and they have all the rights to develop their armed forces to any level they deem required to defend their citizens. To that end the UK and German governments are making a public guarantee of support for Sweden-Norway if they are attacked due to their defensive build up.

[Muskeato]

OOC: Hey, uh, is Bulgaria still in the game or not? I kinda need to know this. I can't do my orders otherwise.

If he doesn't give orders for this turn I guess not. I'm not sure if he's ever ICed and he failed to send orders last turn as far as I know.

[von_Rundstedt]

There are certain rights that all civilized nations have, particularly those with intact reputations and trusted by the international community. The Swedish-Norwegian government is in charge of one such nation and they have all the rights to develop their armed forces to any level they deem required to defend their citizens. To that end the UK and German governments are making a public guarantee of support for Sweden-Norway if they are attacked due to their defensive build up.

Confirmed by the German Foreign Ministry.

[Muskeato]

Repeat Notice: Orders should be in by 12AM CST on Friday, 15th. That's 6AM GMT Friday morning.

Japan & Ottos, send your orders to me. Argentina & Brazil, send em to JPD.

[von_Rundstedt]

Fry, could you come to irc please?

[Shock3r]

OOC: Are me and Abyssinia at peace now?

[Dyranum]

The Kingdom of Serbia hereby presents this treaty for the betterment of the Balkans.

The Balkan Treaty

This treaty mandates the creation of a Balkan Alliance to secure the interests of the signatories.

In addition to the Alliance itself, the signatories of this treaty hereby agree to:
- come to the defence of one another in case of war with the Ottoman Empire.
- recognise each others claims, as defined by the secret chapter of the treaty.
- only change these claims through diplomatic means and negotiations.
- support each other in fulfilling the abovementioned claims.
- make no separate arrangements with the Ottoman Empire.
- uphold the Balkan Alliance

Furthermore, inhabitants of the Balkans identifying themselves with another nation of the pact finding themselves in the territory of another signee may be allowed to move to the nation of their choice


[X] Alexander I, King of Serbia
[] George I, King of the Hellenes
[] Knyaz Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria
[] Nicholas I, Prince of Montenegro

[tyriet]

The Kingdom of Greece accepts this pact - may friendship rule between our nations

[X] George I, King of the Hellenes