The Greatest Germany: The Formation of the Pan-Germanic Union, 1836-1936

The B

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• Dec 4, 2013

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• #381

blos10 said:

Nice update, North America is very interesting (is that Acadia?) but im not sure what to make of the UG caving in to those 'rebels' so fast, I mean so other groups could say 'Hey we want independence too and all we gotta do is blow something up?!?! Lets do it!'. Interesting nonetheless.

Click to expand...

Certainly, although Galician partition had been on the cards for years. Certainly the government would have to crack down on this behaviour.

blitzthedragon said:

Wait wait wait, when did the Manhattan Commune form?

Click to expand...

Here - http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum...-1836-1936&p=15556759&viewfull=1#post15556759

guillec87 said:

Don't worry The B, I promise I won't go mad

Click to expand...

Good! I hope you enjoy the next update!

Edit: This AAR now has twenty pages and twenty-two chapters! It has about 66,500 views and is currently the 16^th most viewed non-interactive AAR. I hope to keep this up, and move this ever onwards. Thank you to everyone who has followed me so far, I couldn't (and probably wouldn't) do it without you!

 

Last edited: Dec 4, 2013

BenHarris

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• Dec 5, 2013

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• #382

Fantastic AAR!

 

The B

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• Dec 9, 2013

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• #383

XXIII - The Burning Ashes of Ketimbang
1883-1887

The Reichstag was very much divided on the issue of the Congress of Rome, with many "old-guard" conservatives in favour of complete dismantlement of the Turkish Empire in Europe. They claimed that Germania would be free, therefore, to create a Mitteleuropa. It would obviously be strong enough to keep the Russians out. Others, particularly those from the new states - Denmark and the Netherlands - wanted the Empire to be kept strong, with minimal dismantlement, because they feared the Russians would step in with a heavy hand. A slow process of independence was favoured.

In the end, the latter opinion won by a narrow margin, and for exactly one month, starting the 3^rd of April, the Congress of Rome decided which way Europe would turn. It turned out be a success for Germania: Russia reversed the Treaty of San Stefano, which had seriously increased their influence in the Balkans at the expense of the Ottomans. Two new, mainly independent states were created: Bulgaria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Serbia and Montenegro also received a large amount of new territory - a joy for one of Montenegro's longest allies, Germania, who had defended them several times.

The Germans kept their eye on the Balkans, but starting in May some quite literal rumblings had been diverting their attention. In the German East Indies, strange earthquakes and steam coming out of islands had been reported. On August the 11^th, a Dutch topographical engineer called Captain H. J. G. Ferzenaar investigated the islands of Krakatoa. He found three major ash columns and that the ash had settled thickly, killing much of the vegetation. He advised anyone considering a voyage to stay away. 14 days later, the eruptions intensified massively and finally, on August the 27^th, four massive explosions echoed around the East Indies, the fourth so powerful it burst the eardrums of sailors in the Sunda Strait. Barographs across the world were still recording the pressure wave five days later. To the poor natives of the islands, it was like the apocalypse; pyroclastic flow, lava, massive amounts of ash and tsunamis were sent all over the place. Thousands of people died as a result of the "Burning Ashes of Ketimbang."

A lithograph of the explosion.

A different type of disaster shook the world soon after: on March the 26^th, Japanese forces destroyed the Summer Palace. Sparking outrage around the world, this was described as "culturcide" and "barbarous." British Major-General Charles Gordon (known as Chinese Gordon) described the event:

"After pillaging it, they burned the whole place, destroying in a vandal-like manner most valuable property which [could] not be replaced for four millions. The [local] people are very civil, but I think the grandees hate us for not intervening, as much as they hate the Tokugawa. You can scarcely imagine the beauty and magnificence of the places they burnt. It made one’s heart sore..."

It would later emerge that British forces had been involved in the torching, although only on a minor scale.

If it was not one international outcry it was another. The following year, on August the 5^th, the SS Berlin mysteriously sank in the port of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, who was in the vicinity, began a rescue organisation on the Helvoetsluis, followed by the President van Heel, but 128 of 144 people on board died. Reports found that this was a result of a massive explosion on the starboard midship, but doubt remained as to what had caused it. A military report suggested that it was almost certainly due to an overheated boiler, but the press had other ideas. Blaming the Argentines, they demanded reparations for the dead.

The rescue operation.

The German government found itself conflicted; did it intervene, or allow the conflict to simmer down? The Argentine government had not helped itself, in fact it had done nothing to help the sailors. Reports indicating that the Argentinian government had had an involvement in the affair were the last straw; on September the 6^th, was was declared.

Most of the fighting was done by Brazil on behalf of Germania, as most German forces were too far away to transport immediately. Germania had also been at war elsewhere, albeit quietly. Overcoming a colonial rebellion, it had expanded into Rwanda, Warri, Kazembe and Luba, meaning that soldiers more soldiers needed to be send out of Europe. It was only the following year, in the closing stages of the war that the Germans were able to land forces in Patagonia. These closing stages were the longest however, as the Argentians valiantly fought on with the help of their allies, Peru. Buenos Aires never actually fell throughout the entire conflict, although it received significant damage from artillery. Finally, with the collapse of the Peruvian armies to the Brazilians, and the advancement of the Germans through Patagonia, Argentina surrendered in August 1886.

The final peace settlement was a such: Germania would receive Southern Patagonia, and Brazil would take control of most of Entre Ríos. This was a harsh peace settlement, especially over a steamship, but it released the tensions that had been building up in the area.

Milan I, King of Serbia, was allegedly not behind the war with Bosnia. The defeat led to a major crackdown on influences in government.

A year almost to the day that Argentina surrendered, Serbia declared was on Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was the first major failure of the Congress of Rome - Serbia demanded the territory they considered theirs. The other Great Powers wavered, unwilling to join in, but Germania "valiantly" sent their forces to defend Bosnia. Much to their embarrassment, their forces from Bavaria were defeated twice by the Serbians, before finally claiming a victory and breaking through to Serbian territory. It was a short war; but one that Germania wished could have been shorter. As a result, German influence in Bosnia increased, and Russia signed an alliance with Serbia.

As the instability in the Balkans continued, intellectuals around Europe began to notice a worrying trend. The rise of Germania had created two now clear alliances, centred around the the Anglo-German Agreement and the Entente - if just a small war were to break out in the Balkans, it could escalate disproportionately.

 

blos10

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• Dec 9, 2013

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• #384

Uh-oh Russia allying with Serbia... I think that might ring a bell. Nice update and the piece on the SS Berlin and the Argentine War was a nice flip to OTL Spanish-American War.

 

The B

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• Dec 10, 2013

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• #385

blos10 said:

Uh-oh Russia allying with Serbia... I think that might ring a bell. Nice update and the piece on the SS Berlin and the Argentine War was a nice flip to OTL Spanish-American War.

Click to expand...

I didn't actually know how that war started, but now I look it seems quite similar. Interesting.

 

Nikolai

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• Dec 10, 2013

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• #386

Closing in to a Great War I see...

 

guillec87

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• Dec 10, 2013

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• #387

I'm outrageous !! we have been always closer to Germany than the Brazilians ... a fine update as always

 

blos10

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• Dec 10, 2013

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• #388

The B said:

I didn't actually know how that war started, but now I look it seems quite similar. Interesting.

Click to expand...

I'm here to oblige! And you know what they say, "Great minds think alike". That is if you're a Pres. McKinely kind of guy...

 

StanislavSoltys

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• Dec 10, 2013

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• #389

Great update! Amazing how Germany now has holdings in South America itself.

 

The B

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• Dec 12, 2013

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• #390

Thanks for the comments! And sorry guillec...

 

blitzthedragon

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• Dec 12, 2013

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• #391

guillec87 said:

I'm outrageous !! we have been always closer to Germany than the Brazilians ... a fine update as always

Click to expand...

Yes, guillec, we all know you're outrageous. I'm surprised, however, that you were not as outraged as I had expected you to be. =P

Though look on the bright side: Now the Argentinians can be even closer to the Germans!

 

guillec87

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• Dec 12, 2013

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• #392

blitzthedragon said:

Yes, guillec, we all know you're outrageous. I'm surprised, however, that you were not as outraged as I had expected you to be. =P

Though look on the bright side: Now the Argentinians can be even closer to the Germans!

Click to expand...

sorry, I wanted to write "this is outrageous" and in some point in my mind, that was what came out... that's the problem when a language is not used as much as it should be, you forget it

 

Greenskyguy

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• Dec 13, 2013

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• #393

Interesting update!

 

Forster

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• Dec 14, 2013

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• #394

I suppose some Archduke will soon be visiting Serbia.
Good update.

 

Last edited: Dec 14, 2013

blitzthedragon

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• Dec 14, 2013

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• #395

Forster said:

I suppose some Archduke will soon be visiting Serbia.
Good update.

Click to expand...

He was visiting Bosnia when he was shot.

 

guillec87

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• Dec 15, 2013

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• #396

Forster said:

I suppose some Archduke will soon be visiting Serbia.
Good update.

Click to expand...

Sarajevo is in Bosnia, Serbia never was under Habsburg control

 

The B

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• Dec 15, 2013

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• #397

Hopefully Mr. Ferdinand does not visit either country, especially Serbia.

 

Jape

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• Dec 15, 2013

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• #398

Deary me Argentina paid dearly for shoddy German steamship design. Still looking forward to the ramping tensions in the Balkans.

 

The B

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• Dec 19, 2013

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• #399

It's a rare event but my narrative has actually caught up with my gameplay. So I don't know if there'll be another update before Christmas. If not, expect one in that "dead zone" between Christmas and New Year.

Merry Christmas if I don't get around to posting before then!

 

Forster

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• Dec 20, 2013

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• #400

blitzthedragon said:

He was visiting Bosnia when he was shot.

Click to expand...

Oops, guess my old age is catching up with me. Wouldn't have made that error a few years ago. :wub: