Sonderweg oder Anderweg? -- An interactive AAR in the Hohenzollerns megacampaign

[Avindian]

Announcing the results of this session of the Reichstag's voting:

1. Regarding the expansion of schools, it is passed unanimously in the Assembly )o)) and 81 to 11 in the Conclave.
2. Allowing the President to keep his seat in the Reichstag upon his election is defeated 192 to 308 in the Assembly and 39 to 53 in the Conclave.
3. The Minorities Act passes, 260 votes to 240 in the Assembly and 79 votes to 13 in the Conclave.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

((I will play and update this weekend; possibly tonight but more likely tomorrow night.))

EDIT: I have copied these guidelines to the OP for how the Minorities Act will function; it will not officially go into effect until the next election cycle (after this coming update).

As part of the Minorities Act, an advisory committee will report to the Minister of the Interior regarding one of the following policies towards minorities. The advisory committee will be composed of at least three members from different parties.

Oppressive: Always take German side, if there's a choice between militancy of a racial pop vs. Consciousness, take militancy.
Biased: Always take German side except if the result is detrimental to the nation. E.g don't pick militancy when a revolt seems likely.
Balanced: Try to balance it. Do whatever best for the nation while keeping minorities in mind.
Diversity: Always go with minorities side except if detrimental.
Positive Discrimination: Always go with minorities side. No matter what.

 

[Andre Massena]

The Republic is freer than it was yesterday.

-Herr Liberator

 

[Avindian]

The election of 1879​

For a party looking to gain seats in an election, the NLPD did everything right. Chancellor Konrad von Schwaben, seeking a bid for Reichspräsident, tried to appeal to every possible group in German society. Under his administration, Germany poured funding into basic education, making German schools the envy of the civilized world.

Minister of Education Walther Herwig, a fellow liberal, announced plans to invest in both industry (pleasing his constituents in the UAI) and the navy (pleasing the HUN and Imperialists).

In foreign policy, Foreign Minister Fritz von Hohenzollern kept his word, even at the expense of his fellow party members, by pursuing a strictly isolationist position. Apart from renegotiating an alliance with Algeria, more for the country's protection than anything else, the Foreign Ministry was quiet. An opportunity to get involved in Korea was ignored, as was a revolution in Syria.

The real flashpoint that cost the conservatives of Germany votes was a rebellion in the Philippines. The Governor-General, eager to show his solidarity with the government in Nürnberg, tried to lay down the first steel railroad track in Luzon, inadvertently destroying a Filipino burial ground in the process. Undeterred by the protests, the Governor-General ordered Gendarmerie units based in Luzon to put down the rebellion as rapidly as possible. On the heels of a new minority policy in Germany, such heavy handed repression infuriated German citizens, even with the city and province of Metz openly embracing its German heritage after decades of German rule.

The Luzon issue poisoned the well, so to speak, for the HUN. Even though, strictly speaking, the Governor-General was acting within his rights and did not require approval from the Ministry of the Interior, some liberals took Friedrich von Hohenstaufen's failure to act as tacit approval. Overall, the 1879 election was very loud, albeit non-violent.

Conservatives tried to make religion and economics hot-button issues, and did sway some voters by openly proclaiming the sanctity of the German Catholic Church and reviling the "laissez-faire" attitude of German politicians. Many wealthy factory owners openly demanded subsidies and government funded railroads.

Attacking the liberals for economic failures ended up backfiring, however. In fact, business was booming, taxes had not been lower in recent memory, and the NLPD's school program was extremely popular. The result was a sweeping victory for liberals in general, but the NLPD specifically, as they crept ever closer to an absolute majority in the Assembly.

With Reichspräsident Frederick Carile refusing to run for a second term, the Presidential race was wide open, and Konrad von Schwaben had made his intentions to seek the office very clear. Franz Meningen also loudly proclaimed his candidacy, positioning himself as an interventionist in foreign policy. The second ever President of Germany would have a relatively quiet domestic situation and more flexibility in foreign policy than ever before; no wonder the position was so coveted. Whoever became President, they would need to answer to the NLPD.

========================================================================​

The following candidates are eligible for the office of President. Kindly bold your votes; at this point, Herr Carile is considered legally allowed to vote once again.

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))
Franz Meiningen of the HUN ((Andre Massena))

Voting will proceed for 48 hours. After the President is elected, we will move on to the formation of a coalition and the selection of ministers.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

 

[Dadarian]

I am against all candidates.

 

[Sakura_F]

((With how Victoria II works, and my general experiences, we're inevitably going to railroad into a never-ending liberal supermajority until the circumstances for communism or fascism rise into place.))

I will abstain.

 

[Dadarian]

((With how Victoria II works, and my general experiences, we're inevitably going to railroad into a never-ending liberal supermajority until the circumstances for communism or fascism rise into place.))

I will abstain.

((join the dark side, vote against everything))

 

[Sakura_F]

((I'm not that obstructionist, but I'm certainly thinking we're entering a boring Liberal period. Barring modded events creating swings in one way or another ("a large percent of the nation goes one way or another", fired for whatever reason), liberalism is creeping like a bad cold. But eh, it's just how Victoria II works.))

 

[Michaelangelo]

((I'm not surprised the liberals have grown so strong. Didn't we start out this AAR with them controlling over 50% of the Reichstag? I seem to remember Avindian having to manually cut their numbers down so other parties could have a chance.))

If it is not too late, I will withdraw from the presidential election. Obligations to my party and the Assembly come first. ((There's no point in my running if it means there will be no Imperialists in the Assembly as a result.))

- Wilhelm von Vandenburg

 

[LatinKaiser]

I, naturally, shall vote for myself for the position of Reichsprasident.

~ Friedrich von Hohenstuafen

 

[alxeu]

((Am I allowed to vote now?

Edit: Nevermind, just saw the last part of the update in more detail. ))

I shall Vote for Konrad von Schwaben, him being part of the NLPD, and therefore most compatible with a NLPD-led coalition.

 

[Michaelangelo]

((Am I allowed to vote now?))

The following candidates are eligible for the office of President. Kindly bold your votes; at this point, Herr Carile is considered legally allowed to vote once again.

((I would take that as a yes. ))

 

[alxeu]

((I would take that as a yes. ))

((I saw that right after I posted, go figure.))

 

[Andre Massena]

I share many principles with the NLPD, including their commitment to religious toleration and economic freedom.

However, the party has failed in two ways: in foreign policy and in the protection of minority rights. We have seen the atrocities committed against natives int he Phillipines and we have seen the hostility the government holds against non-German citizens within the Republic.

But most of all, the NLPD has failed us abroad. The government completely abandoned our allies in Tver. Now democracy is dead in Tver and they are slaves of Poland once again. Another blow to global freedom has been struck.

Vote for me to rectify these errors. Cast a vote for the Liberator if you want domestic freedom and a muscular German foreign policy.

Presidential Vote: Franz Meningen, HUN

 

[Jack LEagle]

Presidential ballot: Konrad von Schwaben

 

[DensleyBlair]

I shall withdraw from the contest in order to be able to continue to focus wholeheartedly on my work in the Reichstag.

I will vote for Herr Andersen.

 

[Mikkel Glahder]

I shall naturally, vote for myself as Reichpräsident.

~ Konrad von Schwaben

 

[NachoEater]

I abstain in voting, for reasons of my own that I do not wish to air publicly.

 

[TheChalk]

I cast my vote for Franz Meiningen of the HUN.

 

[Warlord Skorr]

I cast my vote for Ludwig Fredrik Andersen for Reichspräsident.

 

[Idhrendur]

I vote for Ludwig Fredrik Andersen.

- Friedrich Thiessen

(( Regarding the number of liberals, this AAR and the absurd amount of liberals is what led me to rebalance the converter in that regards. Too late for here, though. :-(
))