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Home to three nations, three cultures, and three major languages. These nations, the nations of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, each have a distinct history with the region. They are very different, and are very distinct from one another. But what would happen if they united?
Hello everyone, welcome to the next edition of Paradox AAR's. This is a Victoria II POP Demand Mod AAR, which means I will be playing Vicky 2, with the Population Demand Mod (Version 3.06) created by Naselus (Found Here). The nation in particular, as mentioned, is a United Baltic State. I will be playing as the nation of the United Baltic Provinces, the united country consisting of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. The rules are simple, no cheats (Except at the beginning with creating the nation, and if I want to throw some flavor in for the sake of RP and IC), no tampering with the game or save, and no reloads. This nation is relatively small and weak, and my skills being totally suckish not as good as other people, do not be surprised if I die really early on. I will attempt to upload at least once every two days, but do not be surprised if updates come later then usual.
The Baltic. Three Cultures Occupy this cold, wintry, and interesting place. The Baltic's themselves have gone through interesting times. We Start our tale in the Year of Our Lord 1385, the year Grand Duke Wladyslaw II Jagiello was crowned King of Poland. His Coronation would usher in a new era for the Baltic States.
(King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Wladyslaw II Jagiello)
From that moment on, Baltic Affairs would be intertwined with Polish Affairs. The Polish-Lithuanian Union would makes its mark on Medieval History. Lithuanians and Poles would fight Teutonic Knights at Grunwald, and would go on to create the Largest Kingdom in History. In 1569, Lithuanian and Poland fully joined together to form the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Commonwealth would expand the borders, and would even succeed at taking Moscow (even if it was for a short period of time).
(One of the Deadliest Units of the Commonwealth was the Mighty Polish Winged Hussars)
However, things for the Baltic were about to get significantly worse. Sweden during the time of the Commonwealth was expanding its influence over much of the Baltic. Already owning Estonia and parts of Latvia, the Swedes turned South Towards Lithuania. The Northern Wars (1655-1661) Completely devastated the Lithuanian Economy and Territory. Before it could recover, Lithuania would be struck by a greater war, a plague, and a famine between 1700-1721, killing 40% of the population. At this point, the power of the Commonwealth was being drained at a steadily rate. Foreign Nations would become huge influences in Commonwealth Domestic Policy, especially Russia. Eventually Russia, Austria, and Prussia would Partition the Commonwealth three times in 1772, 1792, and 1795. Lithuania went to Russia.
(The three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Russian Partition (turquoise), the Austrian Partition (green), and the Prussian Partition (blue))
After the Partitioning of these countries, Russia began to enact policies of "Russification" on the Lithuanian People. They banned the Lithuanian press and closed cultural and educational institutions. Many Lithuanians Began to secretly teach their children the Lithuanian Language in hopes that the language would not be totally destroyed by the Russians.
(A Mother Secretly Teaches her Child Lithuanian during a break on the Spinning Wheel)
All of this escalated to a breaking point. It would tip over the edge in 1831. In 1831, Cadets from the Congress of Poland's Military Academy Revolted in what is today considered the November Uprising. These Young Cadets would end up changing history for Lithuania and the Baltics as a whole.
(Taking of the Warsaw Arsenal. Painting by Marcin Zaleski)
The Cadets of the November Uprising were up against one of the largest armies of the day, the Imperial Russian Army. Czar Nicholas I of Russia was not keen on letting the acquired territory of his Grandmother be lost to some upstart young militarist group. The Imperial Russian Army was dispatched to Poland to deal with the uprising. Little did the Russians know how much damage the Poles had already done. The Polish Rebels had already taken control of the Warsaw Arsenal, and had captured Belweder Palace, the main seat of the Grand Duke of Poland. The Rebels would soon cause the Congress Poland to take action. However, soon, the Polish Administration turned its back on the Grand Duke, and ordered the Polish Armies to help the rebels. Now the Russians had to deal with Polish Rebels and the Polish Army. The November Uprising had turn into the Russo-Polish War. The Polish Armed Forces soon met against a 115,000 strong Russian Imperial Army. It would defeat the Russians, but it would not stop their march to Warsaw. The Russians soon laid siege to Warsaw. On October 5th, 1831, the Remaining Polish Army crossed the Polish-Prussian Border and surrendered. The Russo-Polish War was quickly ended, and the Polish Uprising was over.
(Fighting between Polish insurgents and the Russian cuirassiers on bridge in Warsaw's Łazienki Park.)
However, that had ended the Russo-Polish War, but now Russian Authority had to turn its attention up north, to the ((START ALT-HISTORY HERE)) Baltic Revolt. During the Russo-Polish War, Lithuanians started to protest the Russification of Lithuania. The Protests turned to revolt, the revolt turned to Rebellion. The Baltic Revolt would see Lithuanians from all walks of life and classes take up arms against their Russian Occupiers. However, Lithuania was not the only Baltic Nations to revolt against the Russians. Estonia and Latvia, the other two Baltic Nations took up arms against Russia as well. By January of 1832, Lativians, Estonians, and Lithuanians joined each other in arms against Russia. They demanded complete cultural recognition from Russia and to stop the processes of Russification by allowing Baltic culture, history, and language to be taught. Russia declined these Demands.
(Aldona Stauskas rallying Lithuanian Civilians to Fight. Her involvement would not be mentioned much in history due to her being a female)
In January of 1832, Representatives from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, met to discuss plans of attack, and style of Government. All Three countries agreed that the only solution for this war was complete and total independence from Russia. Thus, the Three Countries Agreed to form a Confederacy. This would become the Confederate Baltic States. It would serve as a unity government between the independent nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
(Baltic Borders, 1832)
The Confederacy soon hired a general to lead the combined armies of the Confederacy. In the end, they selected General Georg Andreas von Rosen. Rosen was a Estonian-German Baron who served in the Russian Army. He was leading a division of Lithuanian soldiers in Poland during the November Uprising. He to felt that the Estonian Cause was just. He accepted the offer of leading the armies of the Confederation, and was assigned to lead over 60,000 men scattered across the Baltic, against the almost doubled Russian Army.
(General Georg Andres von Rosen)
Rosen knew that his army was no match for Russian Superiority. He knew an open attack in the fields would lead to a defeat. Which is what exactly happened in March of 1832. The First Major Engagement of the war was the Battle of Vilnius, just ten miles outside of the Lithuanian Capital of Vilnius. 10,000 inexperienced, untrained, and undisciplined soldiers were completely destroyed by the Russian Army. over 7,500 Baltic Soldiers were killed, wounded, or captured. In the matter of a month, Rosen has lost almost a 6th of his army, and he had lost the capital of the largest and strongest Baltic Nation. Things would not go well on the Ocean Side. While Russia's Navy was small, it was bigger then what the Baltics had (AFAIK, none). The Russians set up a blockade of the Baltic coast, and shippments into the Baltic was blocked. Things seemed very Grim for the Confederation when Summer of 1832 rolled around. By now, soldiers had exited Winter Quarters, and a much stronger Russian Army was moving into the Baltics. Worse yet, France and the United Kingdom did not want to worsen relations/weaken Russia, so help from the two biggest powers in the world was non-existent.
(Map of the Baltics showing Occupied Territory by Russia, and the Blockade in the Summer of 1832)
Soon the war slowed down drastically. Rosen knew he had to survive until Winter, and he would get at least five months of a break to help with diplomacy and political nonsense. The Revolutionary Assembly in Riga told Rosen that he needed to pull back into Latvia to defend Riga from the Russians. Rosen knew he could not withdraw from Lithuanian. If he could halt Russian Advancement into the country, then perhaps he could give the Assembly more time to make alliances. He engaged in a Guerrilla War with the Imperial Army. His soldiers constantly harassed the Russians, their supply lines, and anything else that would hinter the Russians. The Baltic People knew the terrain well, better then the Russians. Forest Roads were blocked by fallen trees to halt the Russians. By Winter of 1832, the Russian Army had slowed its march into the Baltic by a considerable rate. Then, a miracle happened.
In December of 1832, while the Russians were hunkered down for the harsh winter, an envoy was sent to Riga. The envoy was a Prussian General by the name of Fredreich von Ostpan. The General told the Assembly that the Prussians and their German Allies have interest in weakening the Russians to "meet their interests" (but in reality, Prussia hoped to get more land in Poland out of this war). The Germans also felt a bit of connection, especially to German-Estonians (one of whom was Rosen) who lived in Estonia, and formerly had control of the area. Prussia agreed to send soldiers to help the Baltic nations. But first, the Russian Blockade was to be broken. The Russian Navy of the North at the time of the blockade consisted of ships from St. Petersburg. Ships from the Black Sea and from naval bases like Archangel were not there to reinforce the blockade. Thus, after a declaration of war against Russia, Prussian ships attacked and destroyed the Russian Navy. The Blockade of the Baltics was lifted.
(The Prussian Fleet, Full Sails)
Soon, the tide of battle began to turn to favor the Baltic States. German Foreign Legions poured into the Baltic to assist Rosen. Prussians assaults in Poland Began with Earnest. The Baltic Rebellion soon became the Baltic War. Nations like Austria also sent supplies and money to the Baltic. Soon, the Baltic Army with assistance from Prussia had started to push back the Russian Army. By Summer of 1833, the Baltic States had Pushed the Russians out of Vilnius, and had secured most of Lithuania (save the disputed territories of Belarus). The Baltic Nation knew that it had to land one crippling victory on the Russian Army, it had to secure its sovereignty over the land. Rosen looked for an opportunity to engage the Russians, and his opportunity came in October of 1833. A large army of over 70,000 Russian Soldiers had moved into Eastern Estonia. They were planning on taking Tallinn, and were assisted by Finish Soldiers from the North. Rosen and his Prussian Allies rushed to defend Tallinn from the Russians. On October 31, 1833, they engaged in the Battle of Tallinn Heights.
(The Battle of Tallinn Heights)
To say that Prussian support was important is an understatement. Out of the 30,000 Baltic soldiers who took part in the battle, there were about two-times as many Prussians. The Battle soon proved to be very one-sided, with Rosen taking control of the Heights and repelling many attacks on the Hill. Soon the Russian Army called a retreat, and fled East back towards St. Petersburg. The Russian army would soon find itself encircled in a field no more then 30 miles away from St. Petersburg. The Army was soon overwhelmed, and was forced to surrender. The Baltic nation had over 15,000 casualties. The victory itself would do two things to force Russia's hand. The first was that an entire Russian Army had just surrendered. The second was that St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire, was threatened. Czar Nicholas I, not willing to risk loosing the city of Peter the Great, asked for terms of peace.
The Treaty of Stockholm would be signed in March of 1834. It would grant complete independence to the states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. It would also grant Lithuania the disputed territories of Belarus. Some critics say that Russia gave too much to the Baltic Confederacy, but in reality, the land lose was very minimal. Russia was still considered the largest Empire in the world in terms of land area.
The Baltic States were now free. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia would now have to undergo creating governments, establishing relations, and commencing trade. The war had left the Baltic in a bad position.
But there was one voice that was increasingly growing stronger. That was the voice of making the Baltic Confederacy Permanent.
Before we continue our story, let us talk about the state of each of the Baltic Nations after the Treaty of Stockholm:
Lithuania
Lithuania has the most history and is by far the most culturally advanced of a nation. It is also the Largest in Land Area of the Three nations. The main culture is Lithuanian, but (Especially in Vilnius), there are large pockets of Poles and Ashkenzi Jews. The Total Population of Lithuania was about 270,000 people. Lithuania served as the main power behind the Baltic Revolt, supplying the most manpower. It also had the most Revolutionary Assembly Members in it. Some Historians argue that at this time, Lithuania was the strongest of the three Baltic Nations.
Latvia
Latvia is next. Latvia was once a Swedish Province in the old Swedish Empire. In 1795, Latvia was fully integrated into the Russian Empire. Latvian is the Largest Culture, but there is a considerable amount of German Citizens, and a small Russian Minority. Latvia has the most people in terms of the Baltic States, coming in at about 300,000 people. Latvia was important due to Riga being the seat of the Revolutionary Assembly.
Estonia
Many people agree that Estonia has more connections to Finland then it does to the Baltic. Like Latvia, Estonia was once fully part of Sweden. Then, in 1721, it was transferred over to Russia. Its language is an offshoot of Fino-Ugric, and its culture is a combination of Nordic and Baltic cultures. Estonian is the Largest Culture here, but it's aristocracy was that of German-Estonians. German-Estonians helped rule Estonia for Russia. Estonia has about 150,000 people. The German Estonians also provided much of the Leadership of the Baltic Confederacy.
Now Lets get back to the incredibly dull and made up history of this country history of the Baltics. After the Treaty of Stockholm in 1834, the Baltic Nations started putting their own governments together. However, one man published an essay that considered the possibility of a united Baltic Nation. That man was Dovydas Sabonis. Sabonis was a Lithuanian by birth, and helped encourage revolt by writing pamphlets in the native language. His essay title "Unity of the Coast", provided context that the Baltic States "Are now intertwined with each other, as the limbs are to a body. If we remove the limbs, the body will surely die."
(Sabonis)
This essay helped prompt many people to ask if a United government would be better then three separate nations. After all, the Threat of a Russian Counter-Attack was evident. Soon, many people began to call to their respective government to see ways of uniting the three nations into one. In May of 1835, delegates from the three Baltic Nations met in Vilnius to discuss the idea of Unification. Arguments, debates, and some assaults, were carried out throughout the month. In June of 1835, the delegates came to a conclusion. Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia would unite into one country. That Country would be called the United Baltic Provinces.
The convention also discussed a possible constitution for the nation. That is when serious debate began. Not many people thought about what Government the UBP would have. Some argued for a Monarchy in which they would have a King. Ethnic groups clashed over who would be the king, and the argument soon fell apart. Radicals wanted a direct democracy. The entire convention was at risk if a solution would not be reached.
Then Entered Roberts Biedris. Biedris was a Latvian by birth. He served on the Revolutionary Assembly. "We had a democratic system for our time of revolt against Russia, so what would stop us from having one now?!?" Liberals and Republicans applauded, Monarchists exploded into distaste. The government was voted upon to be a Constitutional Democracy.
(Roberts Biedris, Considered the "Founder of the Baltic State")
VERY Basic Setup of the Constitution:
I. There would be an election system in which only men of property would be allowed to vote ((Landed Only for Franchise))
II. The Press would be Free and unregulated by the government ((Free Press))
III. Labor Unions would be outlawed ((Illegal Unions))
IV. Baltic Minorities shall be protected ((Limited Rights to Minorities*))
V. There shall be a draft for enlistment of two years should the nation go to war ((Two Year Draft Service*))
VI. Those who qualify by the UBP standards shall be admitted to join the country ((Quota Immigration*))
VII. The Legislature (or the Baltic Assembly) shall be Unicameral and be based on the Population ((Based on Population))
VIII. The Legislature shall be run by a Chancellor, who will be selected from the political parties of the Legislature.
IX. There are 75 seats in the Assembly.
((Oh, and Gerrymandering, gotta get those electorates before the first elections ya know!))
* = PDM only Reform
After fierce debate, the signatures came in, an on December 25, 1835, the United Baltic Provinces was Established.
(Reforms Tab)
(Population Tab)
(Finance Tab)
(Borders of the Country, too cool to have their name on the map)
The new nation had a lot to content with. It had to establish trade, establish relations with other nations, and it had to create an industrial base. But first, it had to elect a government. A Provisional Government was already in place following the signing of the 1835 Constitution. It would be in place until a President and a Chancellor were selected. As with all Republics (unfortunately/fortunately), you will have political parties rising up to take power on the political stage. Now the names for the political parties are indeed hard to pronounce and type and being the lazy slob busy man I am, I decided to just dumb down the party names. For now, there are only three parties that are running in this Presidential Election.
The Conservatives/Reactionary Joint Ticket
The Conservatives and the Reactionaries emerged out of the Aristocracy that was in place during the time the Baltic Nations were under Russia. This made the Joint Ticket very powerful due to the requirements for voting being that one be landed and with property. They would push for a conservative agenda, and would run one candidate jointly. The candidate for President from the Joint Ticket was none other then General Andres von Rosen.
After the war, Rosen soon became very dissatisfied with the government when they voted on a Democracy rather then a Monarchy. A democracy would stripe Rosen of his Baron title which he had under the Russians. He soon quickly became a conservative. His efforts in the war made him extremely popular among many civilians, and his prowess in combat made him very popular with the military. Rosen would push for government control in establishing the nation. Unlike his fellow Conservatives, Rosen took an approach of Pluralistic belief, since the country itself was home to Protestants, Catholics, and Jews.
(Rosen)
Liberal Ticket
On the other end of the Political Spectrum, we have the liberals. The Liberals were made up of Baltic Confederacy representatives and those who served on the Revolutionary Assembly. This mostly Politician based party did not have the power it needed to grow popular among the aristocracy, the main forced that was required in the election, unlike the Conservatives who were immensely popular. The Liberals though decided to partake in the election anyway. The Liberals nominated Roberts Biedris, the man who helped write the UBP Constitution for the new state.
Biedris was a man who wanted to remove the voting requirements that were in place only for men of land. He wanted it to be a "Democracy of the Masses, not a Democracy of the Elite". Biedris knew that he could not win the election.
(Biedris)
The Election itself went pretty smooth. Nationalistic appeal for the nation was at an all-time high. People were still celebrating the independence and unity of the Baltic States, and would continue to celebrate during the election.
The election would see little violence in terms of active participation. Few violent political acts happened, debates were clean and civilized, and there would be little to no serious action from the electorate. Though, one of the biggest issues for the electorate was Gerrymandering. Electoral districts were drawn to favor one party over the other. The Conservatives were masters of this, and soon, the conservatives managed to get all-conservative electoral districts.
Though, the biggest debates would occur with religion. The UBP had five religions in them. They had Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Orthodox, and Pagans. The debates over religion would occur when people began asking the candidates if they would take a stance with a certain religion. Many conservatives and reactionaries said that they would take a Protestant approach to the government, and that they would help develop the Protestant church in the Baltic, much to the dismay of the Jews, Catholics, and Orthodox citizens.
((I swear like 7/10 times with these events was on religion))
However, with the election, a sudden problem became apparent. The election only allowed people of property to vote. That is all fine and dandy, until one sees the cultural divide with the aristocrats...........
(You see the problem? No? Well it should be obvious)
Yes there were no true Baltic landed gentlemen. Most of the Aristocracy of the UBP was foreign powers. Polish-Lithuanians dominated the electorate of Lithuania, Russian Aristocrats dominated Latvia, and Estonian-German Aristocrats dominated the electorate of Estonia. Many people began to cry out against this, for now the election of the government was based on the opinion of "Foreign Citizens". Yet, the aristocrats soon caste their votes for President, and in July of 1836, the results were in.
Rosen and his joint-ticket had won 75% of the vote. Biedris won 25%.
Thus Rosen was declared the First President of the new United Baltic Provinces
(Rosen riding into Vilnius for his Inauguration)
Now President Rosen had to deal with building his nation from the ground up. He would soon see that his nation needed a lot of help to get by in this new and scary world.
Looks great! Except for the voting thing. And the lack of any good industrial resources, like wood, iron, etc. Or at least, I'm assuming you have none, as Laborers is below Soldiers in Population (and, in fact, a quick look at the stats reveals that there are no laborers). And no factories. Oh, and there's also Russia...
Some say the Presidency of Georg Andres von Rosen was a period of reflection on the current state of the UBP. For President Rosen, it was a time to see how far behind the Baltic State was from the rest of the world. The Baltic had little to no major resources. Most of the industry was based on agricultural produce like grain, cattle, and fish. The forests of the area do offer a small supply of lumber. Other then that, agriculture was the dominant industry at the time. The majority of civilians were farmers, there were no laborers, there were no craftsmen or capitalist merchants. Literacy was at 5%, a shocking rate compared to even the most backwards uncivilized nation. The Poor were Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians, while the rich were Poles, Germans, and Russians. Artisan craftsmen were Jewish craftsmen.
Foreign Policy was not that great either. Prussia, being upset over wasting infantry and resources and gaining nothing out of the war with Russia, quickly abandoned the alliance with the UBP. Most nations avoided trade and commerce with the young nation due to its Republic nature being radical at the time. Russia was the only power that actually liked the UBP ironically, but even then, Russia kept an icy distance from the UBP. So Foreign Policy was off to a very rocky start.
The Industrial Revolution also failed to sprinkle its prosperity in the region. Few factories were opened in Russia as a whole during the time, and the UBP had to suffer a lack of industry. The lack of natural resources as mentioned before also prevented the UBP from building cement and glass factories, two of the most important industries at the time. Workers began to protest the situation of the industry, and in early 1836, workers managed to sack several workhouses of food and supplies.
In short, the UBP was in a rough place when Rosen obtained the Presidency.
The First thing Rosen had to deal with was the arrival of Baltic Assembly Elections. The Conservative Party had support from 74% of the Population, thus (due to the Proportional System chosen instead of a first past the post system), 74% of the Assembly seats were given to the Conservatives. 21% of the seats went to the Liberals, 5% of the Seats went to the Reactionaries, and less then 1% went to radical Separatists who were against the idea of a United Baltic State.
The Conservatives then were able to select the Chancellor for the Assembly for that year. The Conservatives choose a young man of 35 years old to lead as Chancellor. His name was Konrad Johann Künnap. Künnap did serve on the Revolutionary Assembly, and helped the rebel cause greatly, but other then that he really did not have a special background. Künnap was elected to the Assembly as one of the 25 Estonian Representatives. Künnap was then chosen to be the Chancellor. Künnap was considered a genius in political activity, but not many people knew about it due to Künnap being a "backroom" man.
(Konrad Johann Künnap)
While the President was away trying to negotiate treaties and make an attempt to get some trade into the nation, Künnap had the daunting task of building the national economy (The UBP is a Semi-Presidential Republic, the President being in charge of Foreign Affairs, the Chancellor being in charge of Domestic Affairs, so in reality, the Chancellor was a more coveted position then the Presidency).
Künnap set about building up the economy. He knew that the majority of produce in the country was based in the agricultural sector. So, he went about building industry around agriculture. He set about making plans for industry. In 1837, the first factory in the UBP was opened in Riga. It was an Industrial Bakery, taking the large amounts of grain the country was producing and turning it into quality bread.
(Inside the Riga Bakery)
Other agricultural based industry was also created to help situate the need for industry. By 1840, there were three factories in the UBP. Lithuania had a Canned Goods Factory, and Estonia received a can fished factory. Though the Industry was young, and not as prosperous as many hoped, the UBP industral sector was born, and would hopefully grow throughout the year.
Künnap had to also get factory workers. He began to encourage civilians to become factory workers by posting them as "A Better life, a better wage, a simpler work." By 1840, there were over 1,000 factory workers. It was a small number, but still, the industry was young.
However, it seemed that the industrial capitalist would loose the most during this time. The government policy on the economy was state capitalism. President Rosen himself said that he wanted the government to actively help build the economy. The Government did make its mark by starting the industrial sector, but the capitalist people were getting rob of the right to build their own factories. In 1838, an industrialist in Riga decided to take matters into his own hands. He created a small factory, and soon tried to hire people by telling him his factory provided better wages then what the government could ask for. In short, his factory attracted some workers. It turned out to be all lies, as the workers were payed LESS then what they were earning in the government factories. The working conditions were terrible, and the people were not treated well. A government investigation led to the arrest of the Industrialist. Many people thought this would cause unrest, but in reality it did the exact opposite. People embraced the ideal of government control of the industry, and a society in which everyone would be equal.
Unrest was not something uncommon during this time. Liberals and citizens were unhappy at the "Pro-Foreign" system for election. Only Aristocrats could vote in this election, and most aristocrats were of German/Polish/Russian descendant then true Baltic. People began to protest this system. One protest in particular in the town of Utena Lithuania attracted Chartist protesters. These protesters wanted the voting system to allow all people. The Protest soon reached over 10,000 marchers. The Government decided to let them be, out of fear a response could make the situation worse.
Reform was made during this time. The taxing system was not producing as much revenue as the government would have liked. The government soon found itself loosing a small amount of money from the treasury a day. While it was not enough to make a difference now, it would have made a difference in the future. Thus, the government decided to revamp the taxation system and raise taxes. Taxes for all three classes were raised by 10%, and the taxation reform managed to work. Thus, the government was able to get in a small revenue for its treasury.
An exhibition also opened in Vilnius in the year of 1840. The Exhibit would present a new look into the Classicism art style. Baltic artists presented their works to the world. Many Eastern European envoys came to see the exhibit.
But, all terms must come to an end. The Constitution of the UBP limited the Presidency to two terms of four years. 1840 marked the end of the first term, so a new election must come about.
The Election of 1840 seemed to be on the verge of being a repeat of 1836. The conservatives had effectively managed to secure a power block on the aristocratic electorate. Without a capitalistic class, the Conservatives faced few opponents. The Liberals went again to try and convince aristocrats that reforming is the way to make a great country. The liberals were on the back-burner, and many were expecting a Conservative takeover. That was when Georg Andres Von Rosen announced that he was not running for a second term in the Presidency "Due to Health Issues". This would become apparent after the election. The Conservative/Reactionary Joint Ticket now had to scramble to find a candidate for the election.
The Liberals still had Roberts Biedris on their side. Finding another candidate was something that was not really on their mind. Biedris took the announcement from Rosen as a chance for the Liberals to expand their electorate into the nation. They decided to take Party loyalty in the most populated nation in the Country, that being Latvia. Thus, Liberal campaigners went into Latvia to grab campaign voters and hoped to secure loyalty for the Liberals from the Latvian People.
The Conservatives managed to select one man to lead the party as the Presidential Candidate. His name was Leonas Dagys. Dagys was a soldier in the Baltic Army. He fought at Tallen Heights. He is Lithuanian. After the war, he was elected to serve as one of the 25 Lithuanian Assemblymen and became Minister of Internal Affairs under the Künnap Chancellery. He was the one in charge of handling affairs during the Riga-Capitalist scandal that shook the nation when the industrial sector was doing poor.
(Dagys)
The election itself though was situated around controversy. Throughout the years, many Baltic citizens felt that they were being cheated of their right to vote. The "Only Landed" policy that was put into the constitution disenfranchised 95% of all Baltic civilians. With few Baltic-Based Industries to boost, the number of pure Baltic people who were actually contributing to the election was low. Thus, many Baltic civilians took to the streets asking for change in the franchise movement. 1840 would prove to be a very violent election for many. This violent display of displeasure from the Baltic civilians would also add much to the dismay of the ruling aristocracy due to it bringing with it a suffrage movement. The movement was to increase the enfranchisement to Baltic civilians and not just keep it with foreign aristocracy. The tides of change were beginning to take root.
In the end though, it did not matter who said what. The Aristocracy cast their vote, and with it brought a massive Conservative victory. The Conservatives gained over 78% of the vote, and with their Reactionary joint-ticketers, they earned a total of 83% of the votes. The Liberals gained a staggering 17% of the vote, even with their campaigning in Latvia. The Conservatives had won again, and Leonas Dagys had become the Second President of the United Baltic Provinces. Before hand was the General Election, in which the Conservatives won another victory in the Baltic Assembly, taking almost 75% of the seats, and it would seem Künnap would once again become Chancellor.
Yet, it seemed the violence that had spewed from this election had spread to the far corners of the globe. It seemed that trouble was brewing in the world, and it was up to President Dagys to help see the UBP through it. A crisis was brewing in a little area of the globe called Columbia North America.
The Presidency of Leonas Dagys was only two years in when a crisis emerged. North America was in the middle of a power struggle between the United States of America and the United Kingdom in what was considered Oregon Country. For many years, settlers from Britain, and settlers from America have been coexisting peacefully in the Oregon Country since the signing of the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819. However, the peace would not last forever. In 1844, the newly elected US President James Polk decided to end the question of Oregon Country sovereignty for good. The United States claimed the area as far North as the parallel 54 40, the southern extent of Russian Alaska. The British claimed the area as far south as the 42 parallel. Both claims would lead to diplomatic tension between both the British and America, who were both sour from the war of 1812.
(An American Expansionist Saying, 54 40 or fight)
The situation only got worse when President Polk announced that he was in support of getting the Oregon Country to the 54 40 Parallel, which sparked an internationally crisis. The crisis called "The Oregon Dispute", would attract world leaders from the eight greatest nations on Earth at the time. Each nation would pick a side in the ensuing battle between the United Kingdom and the United States. Polk gave the British 365 days to agree to his demands or a war would be declared. The UK and the USA soon engaged in a mass diplomatic battle, with the whole world holding its breath. The United States attracted the nations of France, Russia, Austria backing their claims to the 54 40 parallel. The United Kingdom would receive the backing of Prussia, Bavaria, and Spain (During the 1830s, a Carlist movement in Spain overthrew the government and reestablished an absolute monarchy in Spain). The scene was set for a massive war. The Great Powers were aligned.
A last resort Conference dubbed the "Columbia Conference" was held in Berlin, where representatives from all eight nations came to talk about the Oregon Territory. The talks showed promising results, but in the end, the conference fell apart, and soon all eight nations were gearing up for inevitable war. The declaration of war came from the United States 365 days after Polk set the time. The United States Congress issued a declaration of war against the United Kingdom. Soon France, Russia, and Austria declared war on Great Britain as well. Prussia, Bavaria, and Spain all declared war on the United States and her allies. The Oregon War had begun.
The war began in earnest. The United States under the directory of General Winfield Scott took the advantage. It invaded Canada, and (unlike the last two Canadian Invasions), managed to secure a majority of Canada in as little as 3 years. The US also reinforced its claim on the Oregon Country by sending troops to secure the territory. General Winfield Scott then secured Ontario and Quebec for the United States, and soon the British were on full retreat from North America. Canada had fallen to the Yanks.
(General Zachary Taylor Leading the Charge on Vancouver Island)
(General Winfield Scott Attacking Ontario)
In Europe, the story was not as good for the United Kingdom. Spain, one of the UK's allies, was involved in a revolution. Carlist rebels, rebels who were against the republican sympathetic nation their country had become, gained large amounts of strength in the 1840s. The Carlists backed King Carlos V as the true King of Spain. In late 1843, the Carlists managed to overthrow the Spanish Government, and Carlos V was installed as the new King of Spain. His country though soon fell apart. That year, Carlos V realized that this country was lacking funds. His debt was massive, and he needed money to fund the war. The country soon could not borrow enough money from private investors and other countries. Soon, Carlist Spain went Bankrupt. Without the needed money, Spain was quickly overran by French Forces who were fighting on Spanish Territory as early as 1842.
For President Dagys, the situation was much different in the Baltic. Prussia and Russia were once again at war. Right in the backyard of the UBP, Russian and Prussian Forces were engaged in a serious battle over control of Poland. But what interested the Baltic people the most was when Russian and Prussian forces engaged in a small province of East Prussia called Memel. Memel was special in a sense. Memel was officially part of the Prussian Kingdom and the Province of East Prussia. The reason though the UBP was interested in it was due to the fact that 42% of the population of almost 50,000 people was Lithuanian. Memel was also considered part of the old Lithuanian Kingdom and was claimed by Lithuania and now the United Baltic Provinces. The Lithuanian People in Memel were refusing to assimilate to the demands of the Prussian Government. Many Lithuanians in Memel began to side with separatist movements to try and breakaway and join the Baltic Union. Prussia laid heavy troops on the area to try and stop the Lithuanians from rebelling. When a superior Prussian force engaged Russian troops in Memel, the Prussians were defeated and driven out of East Prussia. Though the III Korps would come around and drive the Russians back into Poland, the people of Memel tried to get the attention of the UBP. President Dagys did not know how to respond. He felt that the UBP would not want to get involved with the war, and should remain neutral.
In terms of interior development, railroads were becoming of age in the country. Railroads were being built all over the UBP. Sadly, areas with large forests could not be cleared to allow railroad development. The railroads did increase the amount of productivity and cash the nation had.
(Yellow Lines means a railroad is being built, Red Areas are large forest areas)
Thus was the standpoint of the UBP when the election of 1845 rolled around about this war. The UBP was neutral, and Dagys knew that he would have to pick a side. The people wanted Memel, but he was not sure if he could afford to take it.
The Election violence from 1840 had seem to die off this time around. Critics called these elections much more peaceful in terms of elections, some often citing that they were more peaceful then the 1836 election. Not many debates rolled around this time, but mostly due to the fact that the people were on the verge of giving up having an participation in government. Most civilians knew that the aristocracy was the deciding factor in determining the government, and that views on the situation did not matter. There were still around ten thousand people who wanted to increase the suffrage reform. The election of 1845 would help spread some views around, and it would help keep the peace in the country.
The Liberal's managed to secure Latvia in terms of Party Loyalty. For the last four years, the Liberals had been building up popular support and loyalty in Latvia. Soon, the majority of Latvia would stand beside the Liberals in the election. Roberts Biedris would retire from politics in 1843, so the Liberals had to select someone new to help lead their campaign. They selected a man by the name of Artur Cepure. Cepure served as Ambassador to the United States during the Colombian Crisis, and helped the liberal cause in Latvia. Being Latvian himself would only secure the Latvian People even more. Latvia was now regionally Liberal. This would help tremendously in the election.
Cepure's government position also led many government officials to side with the Liberal cause. Once again, the majority of Liberals in the government were of Latvian birth, and would support the Liberals due to the party loyalty system engaged by the Liberals in Latvia.
(Cepure)
The Conservative Reactionary Coalition had yet to establish themselves in any one state. Many historians though agree that the bulk of Conservative Power was in Estonia, the birth-place of many prominent conservatives including Georg Andres von Rosen. Estonia provided the means of popular aristocratic support. The Conservatives though had to deal with a joint-ticket. Since 1836, the Conservatives and the Reactionaries were involved in a joint-ticket. Yet now with the huge support behind the Conservatives only, and little support behind the reactionaries, the Conservatives were beginning to feel that the Reactionaries were nothing but dead weight. The Conservatives once again ran Leonas Dagys, the current President.
The Election went very smoothly in terms of electorate violence as mentioned before. Yet, one of the biggest electoral debates was "How to make the UBP Prestigious in the World Community". The Liberals said that through economic factors could the UBP succeed at being a great nation. The Conservatives on the other hand said one word to assert their point, "Colonialism". In the end, the debates would end, and the electorate would vote. Leonas Dagys would receive almost 72% of the vote. Cepure would receive over 28%, the most any Liberal candidate has ever won. Cepure's campaign would show that Liberalism was on the rise, and it would not be stopped by Aristocratic principle. The election was over, and now the Conservatives would begin the start of a world power. They would do this by obtaining colonies.
