1878: The people speak
As 1st and 5th Army marched towards Flensburg and Bruges, awaiting transport to Africa, the DSU took advantage of the legalization of trade unions, and began mobilizing support for the public welfare plans they so desperately craved. By the end of the year, almost 10 million Germans were actively marching for one cause or another, but it was Germany's public school system that attracted the most fervor; indeed, without emergency legislation or a government crackdown on the organization, the hard-earned domestic peace might blow up into another brutal rebellion.
Friedrich Krupp was one of the few Germans absolutely delighted with the "turn to the right"; not only was his education plan passed in the Reichstag with ease, but he received a lucrative contract to outfit every artillery brigade in the German army with new, more accurate, and more powerful guns. He also sold weapons around the world, including the suspected sale of modern artillery pieces to a reactionary rebel group in Hungary.
Krupp's new artillery pieces worked like a charm for both Hungary and Germany. The invasion of Sierra Leone went without a hitch; total casualties for the war totalled less than 5% of German forces. Some of the more advanced models were fitted on new, more powerful battleships, seven of which were laid down in June. In the face of overwhelming firepower, the Toucouleur Empire surrendered. The people of Germany, focused entirely on the issue of domestic schools, categorically refused to support the annexation of Sierra Leone, which was returned to the Empire after the war.
The speed and ferocity of Germany's new weapons impressed her friends and enemies alike. Algeria next sought to target Egyptian lands, but Foreign Minister Fritz von Hohenzollern refused to honor Algeria's request, telling a leading HUN newspaper that "we must be realists; Algeria is an economic partner, but to betray Ethiopia is unthinkable. I have regretfully informed their ambassador that Germany cannot come to her aid at this time, although we wish her the best in her campaign." The pleas of the ambassador from Tver similarly fell on deaf ears; the Poles sought to bring the Republic under economic domination and were bringing along their British allies to do so. Once again, the Foreign Minister refused, although in this case more regretfully. It was simply too much for the military and the economy to bear.
Matters truly came to a head in November. A flu pandemic spread throughout the nation, costing the government treasury £60,000, over 10% of the existing gold reserves.
While humanitarian efforts, coordinated by the Minister of the Interior, enabled medicine to spread quickly and efficiently throughout the republic, a group of socialist doctors wrote an angry manifesto that appeared in every German newspaper. This group attacked President Carile and his administration for spending so much money and time on the military and not enough on the ordinary people of Germany. Almost £100,000 had been spent not six months earlier to upgrade three naval bases in Germany and German Croatia to ensure that there were appropriate facilities to construct more ironclads. Minister of War Hals Gutfreund defended his ministry's decision, stating that the new bases would create more German jobs and help protect Germany's borders from her enemies. He also pointed to a new joint initiative of the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education permitting private banks to print money; the savings on administrative costs alone would not only generate enough revenue to pay for the new bases, but to recoup the investment into the flu vaccine as well.
The 1879 election rapidly approached, and Herr Carile's first term was approaching an end. Chancellor Konrad von Schwaben could not reclaim his old office, as he had the two constitutionally mandated terms and could not serve again. Did Herr von Schwaben have eyes on Germany's highest office, or did he have other electoral plans? What about the other parties? Who would vie for the Presidency, and who preferred to wait in the shadows and scoop up what was left?
===================================================================
Herren,
We have one significant matter for the Reichstag: what shall we do about the education crisis? Any and all proposals will be considered and brought forward for a vote in
72 hours' time. ((Until Wednesday at 10 PM (-6 GMT))) Other proposals may also be added to the ballot at this time.
Those individuals wishing to run for Reichspräsident should declare their candidacy within the next 48 hours as well. The following individuals are assumed to be seeking nominations unless they choose to withdraw:
Franz von Bavel-Timmermans of the DSU ((
TJDS))
Gerrit Aldo Servatius der Kloetinge of the DDA ((
DensleyBlair))
Wilhelm von Vandenburg of the Imperialists ((
Michaelangelo))
Karl Adimari of the New Society ((
PTSnoop))
Ludwig Fredrik Andersen of the UAI ((
Gen. Marshall))
Friedrich von Hohenstaufen of the HUN ((
LatinKaiser))
Konrad von Schwaben of the NLPD ((
Mikkel Glahder))
One additional individual may run per party, or two may run if the original candidate withdraws. Candidates may also make speeches at this time.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
((@WarlordSkorr, we're going to need a new tech from you -- TJDS' plan is up.
Next update will take us up to the election in June; we're adding a little bit of extra time for proposals because Monday is a holiday in the US.))