1877: An opportunity arises
"... and therefore, he will be sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole. He will be guarded 24 hours a day, lest he try to escape."
As the final gavel struck the judge's podium, all of Germany breathed a sigh of relief, not least among them Ferdinand von Hohenzollern. He had stirred up just enough confusion to prevent his execution. Most importantly, it ended a long trial, and the people of Germany had little patience for such long acts of jurisprudence. Indeed, an Imperialist newspaper said that "If he was any sort of man, Fritz von Hohenzollern would have shot Ferdinand himself, and damn the consequences."
As Foreign Minister, Fritz had other obligations. He negotiated a conclusion to the war with Benin and intimidated Poland after a German merchant's cargo was seized without legal recourse.
Minister of the Interior and Chief of the General Staff Friedrich von Hohenstaufen was busy too. He shut down yet another socialist trade union while patiently waiting out sympathy strikes that sprung up in response.
As Chief of the General Staff, Hohenstaufen eagerly joined Hals Gutfreund of the Ministry of War in testing new artillery, while steam turbines installed in the largest factories in Germany greatly improved electrical generation and overall productivity.
Money poured into German coffers; by the end of 1877, they had more recouped their losses from the war with Benin. Although the German army had yet to truly recover from the war against Poland and the British, the drums of war began beating again when a representative from Brittany approached the Foreign Minister with an incredible offer: if Germany supported them, they could seize control of territories once thought lost, crippling France permanently.
This idea was doubly attractive because the Byzantines, for the first time in decades, shared a common border with Germany.
Fritz von Hohenzollern agreed, in principle, to take the matter before the Reichstag. The Breton ambassador gave him until November 1883 to commit to an offensive. In the meantime, the Foreign Minister put in a public appearance at an anti-Wallachian rally, denouncing the former German ally for harboring slave traders and even allowing slavery within her borders.
The more cynical Germans noted that an election was coming up soon in early 1879 and speculated that Fritz might seek to regain what his brother had taken from him.
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We have three items presently on the ballot, and more may be added:
1. Shall we permit Socialist trade unions to operate with the same protections as other unions?
2. Shall Germany voice open support for a Jewish homeland in the territory of Syria, who has signed treaties of economic convenience? ((Syria is in our sphere.))
3. Shall Germany permit the industrialist Friedrich Krupp a special place among German entrepreneurs, granting him special favors and government contracts in exchange for his support in overhauling the German academy system? Experts suggest in all areas except the navy we would see considerable improvements in both the quality and quantity of research. ((It's the special German tech school that gives bonuses to the Army and Industry, a slight bonus to Culture, no bonus to Commerce, and a penalty to Navy techs.))
Item #1 is the concern of
both houses. Item #2 is strictly a matter of foreign policy, and therefore only
the Assembly will vote on it. Item #3 affects both the military and domestic industry, so it will require passage in
both houses.
The ballots will be open for new initiatives for 48 hours; the Supreme Court has ruled that, if the trade union proposal is defeated again, it may not be introduced again until the new Reichstag elections. Please do not vote at this time.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court