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So we have a Kingdom of North Italy... that name suggests that Italy as an idea is still a thing. If I were the Kaiser, I'd have them denouncing this Italian identity in favour of Sardinian. After all, all those Southerners were just a bunch of mouths to be fed by the hardworking Sardinian people. Also, usage of green, white and red seems a bit odd, especially in Two Sicilies. The flag displayed in the game was flown during the revolution of 1848. Not a good omen for a restored monarchy.
China is not priority. Germans won't repeat mistake of Englishmen, to try control everything everywhere. Europe and Africa are absolute priority and Kaiserreich will only make sure that Japs or 'Muricans won't try dominate local politics.
Naturally good idea. It would be pretty stupid for Netherlands to be anything but happy ally of Germany, considering that only High Seas Fleet nowmay protect East Indies from any future Japanese or American designs. Combined with Dutch dreadnoughts ordered in Prussian shipyards.
Not in every case. Sometimes, client or buffer states are very, very useful, sometimes they are not worth the effort invested.
Finished unification of Germany makes sense. Hungarians will stay loyal to Central Powers for their own good, same as Croatians. Bulgarians simply enjoy total takeover of Serbia, along with more annexation fun
Balkans will stay safe and secured.
This puzzled me too
Dynastic diplomacy and nature of German Federal monarchy makes this delicate. There are already designs to make Baltic provinces Prussian in future, plus Hohenzollern king in White Ruthenia to firmly secure eastern borders. This all while in the West, rebellious Rhinelanders like Adenauer would rather see them separated from Prussia and it's clear that Elsass-Lothringen would be better off with some lesser house with local legacy.
Wasn't first, and won't be last.
Yes, it was only about neutralization of a threat for decades. Fifty years or so would be worth it.
Nothing final yet. In this moment, Austrians are simply glad that Prussians demolished treacherous Italian scum in every way possible and strangled any chances of red cancer for revolution in Vienna or Prague.
Not so fast. There's not exactly love between Action Francaise and generals cooperating with Germans. Only hate towards filthy socialists unites them.
If they won't call themselves Sardinians or Piedmontese, fine, but their name won't imply unified Italy - just North Italy.
Bourbons here shouldn't waste another chance, so why not start with constitution and italian colors, if Piedmont tried to pull unification again?
This time, it will be very anti-monarchist and more socialist ideology.
The situation in Austria is quite advantagous to solve that problem. Charles isn't dead, but can't rule. So and Anschluss could have a Catholic house come under the Imperial crown with the monarch incapacitated. But in the future, any opposition to the Hohenzollerns would have a house they can join forces with, a historical contender for the Imperial titel
Great. So now I returned to it, finally had nice free afternoon to write something, I saved draft when I went to lunch and now it isn't there.
Probably some logging bug. After initial rage, I'll write it again, but it will be probably shorter than intended. Damn it.
Probably some logging bug. After initial rage, I'll write it again, but it will be probably shorter than intended. Damn it.
Before one may learn about fateful events, which led to slow disintegration of the old world order, the understanding lies in reaction of German people to such a complete, total victory. Bankers, industrialists and aristocracy, of course, gave everything into the conflict, their resources as much as their very dreams, sometimes lives. Funds borrowed from defeated nations before the war were used most wisely, while country after country fell into hyperinflation. What was left of Britain and Italian rump state took the worst portion of it, warfare in Russia continued until 1927 and France wouldn't be able to overcome it without support of Germany. The Reich itself experienced very much unprecedented growth due to the fact of victory itself. Karl Helfferich, even before his time in office of Chancellor, expressed the belief, that nation's standing depends, not on his solvency or international trade at all, but on it's military performance, which is the main reason why it's so important to win, from economic point of view alone. 'Success means credit: financiers never hesitate to lend to a prosperous projects.' The position of German Mark on the New York Exchange proved his point: in 1913, more than 4 marks were needed to buy a one dollar. In 1915, it was 5 marks. After annihilation of Russian military and crushing defeats of Royal Navy, it were only 2 marks and London Peace Treaty was followed by 1:1 exchange rate, soon slowly improving further in favour of the mark. This alone led to massive improvement of living conditions for overwhelming majority of Germans. Prior to the World War, simple luxuries such as imported food products or transport services were available to Reich's population quite easily, and now, with burden of heavy reparations put on some states and shackles of satellite states serving Reich's economic needs put on another ones, in few years, population enjoyed highest living standards in the entire world. This was not followed by any political concessions, though.
Karl Helfferich with his succesor in the office of Chancellor, 1926
As the Army, Navy and House Hohenzollern had the last words about international agreements, so in his late years in office, Helfferich focused on creation of self-sustaining, profitable colonial entities, with their own security forces or currency, the War Fund Thaler (also called Colonial Mark). By this, he hoped to solve two problems, the cost of colonial activities and archaic institution of 'war chest', still maintained, and absolutely inadequate for needs of modern army - millions of Gold Marks, which were not used to anything profitable and insufficient for purpose of mobilisation anyway. Instead, War Fund was used for investments in German colonies, operated by different companies, ech with a little different purpose. Suez Canal Company, taken over by the Army, was one giant strategic military base, with sovereignty over Port Said and Sinai. East Asian Company was dominated by interests of the Navy and merchant marine. It was German Africa Company, however, which generated major profit for both imperial and private interests. Settlers were motivated by the land given for free to former soldiers and farmers, companies could mine and build facilities and infrastructure whenever and whererer they wished, living under protection of the Statthalter.
First Statthalter of German Africa, Lothar von Trotha (1848 - 1931)
Unfortunately, not all the elements of society were satisfied with unprecedently growing salaries or cheap colonial imports: as hinted, constitution of the German Empire remained almost unchanged - aside from unelected Federal Council (representing each member state), which could now pass 'emergency laws' without approval of the Reichstag. Position of women in society only returned to prewar situation and resentment in the world grew with every German move of it's Weltpolitik strategy to became sole world's military and economic superpower. Divisions within the society were embodied in both extreme right and left parties, be it Goring's National Socialists, Meyer's Communists or reunited Social Democrats, where radicals finally prevailed over moderates, no longer willing to work in any way with major imperial parties, DNVP and Zentrum. So far, these groups were contained by still overwhelming popular support for victorious Kaiser, but many feared the consequences of any major world's crisis, while others were completely sure that rocket rise of the Empire's fortunes will continue in the next decade. But this was only Germany. America, Russia or China experienced less prosperous 1920s, which directly precipitated later conflicts.
Not unusual sight in Berlin streets, 1920s.
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Since I'm quite interested in doing a Grand Campaign Germany run myself, those events about the colonial puppets, are they something that's in that mod or did you mod them in yourself?
Also, TTL would be better for the Netherlands. The crisis that envelopped Germany after WWI and lasted till the Dawes Plan of 1924 also affected the Netherlands since Germany was, and still is, our greatest trading partner. If not officially, we would be very closely aligned with Uncle Willy
Also, TTL would be better for the Netherlands. The crisis that envelopped Germany after WWI and lasted till the Dawes Plan of 1924 also affected the Netherlands since Germany was, and still is, our greatest trading partner. If not officially, we would be very closely aligned with Uncle Willy
Then you'll be happy to hear that Greater Netherlands will happen, South Africa will accept dominion status under Dutch monarchy (to protect themselves from Deutsch Afrika) and Dutch battlecruisers can count on support of Ost Asien Flotte in future. If natives will start to be restless here, German marines will be happy to help too.
Dutch have every reason to help the Kaiserreich in every way.
Oh, and these colonial puppets (Reichskomissariat-like) are my creation. Golden Era-event is in the mod already.
Dutch have every reason to help the Kaiserreich in every way.
Oh, and these colonial puppets (Reichskomissariat-like) are my creation. Golden Era-event is in the mod already.
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"Golden cage" is an apt description for Germany at this stage -- the lure of the promise of prosperity, if only you keep your head down and do as you're told.
Well, he IS experienced officer and very much succesful against rebels. He knows his continent well.
I am sure he's now...less assertive now in his battle plans.
Fortunately, Germans are benevolent overlords, even to eastern peoples not really deserving light of Teutonic civilization.
If THAT is the short version after the lost draft, I say bravo.
Two more photos and twice more text was here :/
You have cheap food, coal, new railways, you can afford a car, much better life than your parents, even as a mere worker in Berlin...why would you dare to say anything against glory and magnificience of House Hohenzollern?
Only traitors and silly people can criticise anything in this perfect order.
HYPE!
To work further on these ideas, the house Orange-Nassau and Hohenzollern have a history that go far back. It was in the testament of Fredrick Henry that he specified that if his male line was to die out, his titles and properties should go to the Hohenzollerns. It was when William III, the King Stadholder died that his last male descendant died. The Nassau-Diets line took over and changed their name to Orange-Nassau-Diets, but the dispute with the Hohenzollerns remained, which was eventually solved by all property going to the Hohenzollerns and the titles remaining with the Nassau's, except for the Prince of Orange, which was to be sharedly held.
Later, during the Stadholdership of William V, the risk of a republican revolt existed and he moved his court to Nijmegen, so that he could safely free to the neighboring Prussia, where his wife was from. She eventually forced him to go back to The Hague and brought a Prussian army with her.
It is also under these connections that Wilhelm II fled to the Netherlands at the end of WWI OTL, and it could prove the basis for a fruitful alliance for sure.
Just imagine Felix Steiner putting down rebellion in Dutch East Indies, side by side fighting with Dutch.
