1883 and the Election of 1884: The women of Germany find their voice
The women of Germany eagerly awaited the chance to express their political opinions in the 1884 election. Women from all walks of life went to register for the party of their choice, and while they leaned toward the left, even the HUN and Imperialists received a major infusion of new blood. Local elections for the Reichstag saw new members in every party. Major cities saw their first female mayor, including the city of Berlin. Berlin was often seen as the birthplace of the "new liberalism", as the Bundespartei called itself.
While Germany prepared for the largest election in history, the rest of the world did not wait. Poland, in a completely unexpected move, acquired vast tracts of land in Africa, absorbing the former Toucouleur Empire. Scotland gained freedom from Ethiopia in the Yucatan Peninsula before they were promptly annexed by the British Empire. Germany's position as the top nation of the world was unthreatened, but the British and Poles were stronger than ever. The Byzantines clung to their spot as the #3 nation of the world solely by virtue of their once glorious past. Venice and Canada also enjoyed inflated reputations.
Calls for the expansion of the army and navy to meet with the new threats posed by a stronger British Empire and Poland fell on deaf ears. Instead, German minorities began to speak out for greater freedoms or even autonomy from the central government in Nürnberg. The decision to reject war with Venice was a clear indication that the people of Germany cared only for their personal success and assumed that success would continue regardless of other nations. A number of confrontations between the Gendarmerie and minority populations were resolved without violence and, for the most part, equitably.
Conservatives wept as their nation slipped away. Powerful new unions, backed by the DSU and KPD, met not with revulsion, but broad acceptance. Attempts to mobilize conservative support on issues such as religion and restricting the ability of minorities to become citizens simply had no impact on the election, one of the most orderly in years.
For the first time in history, every public polling place in Germany, as a symbol of the new industrial era, was illuminated with electric lighting. Chancellor Frederick Carile's slogan -- "A vote for the NLPD is a vote for a brighter Germany!" -- was made all the more powerful with the new and improved systems of illumination. The DDA also polled well among urban elites, as once again Gerrit Aldo Servatius von Kloetinge proved why he was still party leader after all of his years in the Reichstag.
The results of the 1884 election were hardly surprising. A booming economy, mostly happy citizens, and peace tended to convince Germans that things were going just fine and that such a course would continue. The DSU capitalized on labor unrest, particularly regarding Germany's minimum wage, to gain some more seats in the Reichstag, but even that unrest was fairly tame. For the new parties, the Bundespartei made a very respectable third place, securing one of the highest totals for a new party in history. The KPD, suffering partially from a lack of brand recognition and no clear distinction between their platform and that of the DSU, earned a single seat in the Assembly and two in the Conclave. The DSU continued to press, hard, to become the second most powerful bloc in Germany; a mere two seats separated them from the Conservatives in the Conclave.
One of the most unexpected results of the new Reichstag was a group of powerful businessmen acting in concert. Rumors circulated that the head of this movement was Fritz von Hohenzollern, while others assigned that role to Frederick Thiessen. This consortium, whoever was leading it, called for more government support for small businesses, expanded local welfare programs, and more industrial innovations like electricity. Germany's future was as the global economic leader; if that meant cutting support to other forms of education, keeping peasants out of the militia, or even strengthening local police to break up pro-reform rallies, that was an acceptable price to pay.
As the elections for President began, political observers cautiously waited to see what course the new head of state would favor.
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The following individuals are assumed to be running for President. As a reminder, up to two individuals per party may run for the office, provided they have not already served two consecutive terms.
Wilhelm Liebknecht, KPD ((
@Sakura_F))
Franz von Bavel-Timmermans, DSU ((
@TJDS))
Gerrit Aldo Servatius van Kloetinge, DDA (
@DensleyBlair))
Walter Herwig, UAI ((
@Warlord Skorr))
Frederick Carile, NLPD ((
@alxeu))
Franz Meningen, Bundespartei ((
@Andre Massena))
Karl Adimari, New Society ((
@PTSnoop))
Friedrich von Hohenstaufen, HUN ((
@LatinKaiser))
Wilhelm von Vandenburg, Imperialists ((
@Michaelangelo))
At this time, other individuals may announce they are running. New ballot initiatives may also be submitted; the "German Society for Business and Prosperity" has already sponsored an extensive bill, proposed by 10 Stadtholders and 15 Assemblymen, that would include extensive local welfare and business perks at the expense of the military and non-industrial education.
((For those interested, I've included the specific changes between our old and new National Ideas in spoiler tags.))
Elections for President will begin in 48 hours ((Tuesday at 10 PM, -6 GMT)).
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
((One final request from me -- right now the KPD has nobody in the Assembly and DDA has nobody in the Conclave. The NLPD is also looking a bit weak in terms of active players. If you are looking to make a new character, please strongly consider helping us fill one of those positions. Thank you!))