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

[Qwerty7]

I, Commander of the Gendarmerie Otto Kant, hereby announce the following states will be investigated.

1. Hessen
2. Brandenburg
3. Puglia
4. Liberia
5. German South West England
6. Moravia
7. Campania
8. Rheinland
9. Slovenia

 

[Avindian]

((can you give a screenshot of our reforms, please?))

((I'll include one in the update.))

I, Commander of the Gendarmerie Otto Kant, hereby announce the following states will be investigated.

1. Hessen
2. Brandenburg
3. Puglia
4. Liberia
5. German South West England
6. Moravia
7. Campania
8. Rheinland
9. Slovenia

Field Report

We have found evidence linking the perpetrator to one or more of these locations, and you may begin interrogations as soon as you wish.

 

[Mikkel Glahder]

I do accept my appointment as foreign minister. It is indeed a prestigious post and I thank you very much Herr Kanzler. I will have a plan up shortly.

~ Konrad von Schwaben, Foreign Minister

 

[Warlord Skorr]

With the current low tax rates, I feel that continued investment in the commercial sector would be of immense benefit.
((Current techs: Mil: 3-4-3-3-3 Nav: 4-4-4-4-4 Com: 3-3-3-2-3 Cul: 3-5-5-5-3 Ind: 4-4-4-4-5

Investment Banks, Central Bank Money Bill Printing, Modern Central Bank System, Historical Theory, Neoclassical Theory, Time Saving Measures, Management Strategy))

 

[Jack LEagle]

((May I have the status of our construction programs, please))

 

[Avindian]

((@Andre Massena, since I popped into V2 to answer Jack's question, here you go:

Please recall that we're already past proposing legislation, however.

@Jack LEagle:

We have four fleets, presently -- Battle Fleet (7 Battleships, 10 Cruisers, 9 Commerce Raiders), and the three transport fleets (12 Ironclads, 15 transports, last fleet has 13 ironclads instead of 12). Battle Fleet in Flensburg, transports in Plymouth, Nice, and Amsterdam at present. No ships under construction. We haven't built any bases in a while because your plans have of late focused on new ships. Bases are at the following levels:

Level 1: Aarhus, Schwerin, Bruges, Genoa, Venetia, Reggio di Calabria, Plymouth, Vigan, Trieste, Lubeck (can't be upgraded because of Kiel)
Level 2: Leghorn, Aquila, Sassari, Ancona, Harper
Level 3: Amsterdam, Nice, Bizerte, Hamburg
Level 4: Kolberg, Middelburg, Oldenburg, Groningen, Marseilles, Flensburg
Level 6: Kiel
No base (but eligible to have one): Massa, Ravenna

@Qwerty7, how you conduct interrogations is up to you. You can either PM me or announce in thread who you're questioning -- you get two targets per year. Now that we are in phase 2, you or your successor will get up to three years, including this one, to make an arrest/accusation or the suspect gets away. You can ask as many questions as you want, but please be mindful of people's time. The content of the interrogation is between you and the target, although the jury can always request a transcript.

I'm making one meta change to the rule on trials: I just don't think we can consistently have enough active players to get thirteen people to serve on juries, so I'm reducing the number of people to seven, no more than two from any one party.))

 

[Jack LEagle]

((

We have four fleets, presently -- Battle Fleet (7 Battleships, 10 Cruisers, 9 Commerce Raiders), and the three transport fleets (12 Ironclads, 15 transports, last fleet has 13 ironclads instead of 12). Battle Fleet in Flensburg, transports in Plymouth, Nice, and Amsterdam at present. No ships under construction. We haven't built any bases in a while because your plans have of late focused on new ships. Bases are at the following levels:

Level 1: Aarhus, Schwerin, Bruges, Genoa, Venetia, Reggio di Calabria, Plymouth, Vigan, Trieste, Lubeck (can't be upgraded because of Kiel)
Level 2: Leghorn, Aquila, Sassari, Ancona, Harper
Level 3: Amsterdam, Nice, Bizerte, Hamburg
Level 4: Kolberg, Middelburg, Oldenburg, Groningen, Marseilles, Flensburg
Level 6: Kiel
No base (but eligible to have one): Massa, Ravenna

Because I like round numbers, let's build 3 more Battleships and add them to Battle Fleet.

Plus: lvl 1 base at Massa; lvl 4 bases at Amsterdam Nice Bizerte and Hamburg

HF Gutfreund, Minister of War

 

[Idhrendur]

(( It slipped my mind until now that I'm still Minister of Finance. Whoops! ))

In the interests of balancing the budget, the import subsidies shall be cancelled. If that is not sufficient to bring the budget to a positive balance, taxes shall be increased on the middle class until it is.

-Friedrick Thiessen

 

[Avindian]

((@Mikkel Glahder, if you're going to change the foreign policy, you need to do so by 10 PM this evening, or we'll keep your predecessor's plans in place and move on to the update.))

 

[Mikkel Glahder]

((@Mikkel Glahder, if you're going to change the foreign policy, you need to do so by 10 PM this evening, or we'll keep your predecessor's plans in place and move on to the update.))

((Just keep the old one for now.))

 

[Avindian]

The business of the Reichstag is concluded. We will meet again in 1889.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

((I'll play tomorrow and update. The General Election will be 1 January 1890, so we'll have one more update, not counting tomorrow's, before the election.))

 

[Jack LEagle]

((how much Naval Supply are our existing bases generating, and how much are we using?))

 

[Avindian]

((We're using 778/1173, which doesn't include your new battleships or the new bases, obviously.

I'll play tonight everyone!))

 

[Avindian]

1888: Adventures in fiscal stability​

The nation's attention was focused on the economy in 1887, especially after a number of politicians attacked the Meningen regime for its irresponsible spending. Minister of Finance Friedrich Thiessen wasted no time in responding to those criticisms in three ways: raising taxes on the middle class, partnering with the Minister of Education to improve the German financial system, and ending import subsidies. The results were dramatic. Although taxation temporarily spiked to over 50% for the middle class, by the end of the year, their rate dropped back down to 40%.

Walter Herwig's part in the drama was to pour some funds from the treasury into new investment banks that specialized in speculative ventures. These banks encouraged innovation and dynamic business practices, stimulating the economy. He also launched a reform of the German central banking system, eliminating waste, cashiering superannuated bank staff, and installing telegraph lines in every branch to make sure that all transactions were kept up to date.

Domestically, the Gendarmerie remained active, as yet another minority group demanded further decentralization: the Magyars, who rebelled and were quickly dispersed by the German army. Italy's Greeks also remained unhappy with current events, rioting over unequal treatment, as Italians who performed their own strike a few weeks before had gotten away with it, while local Greeks were watched carefully by the Gendarmerie, under the Minister of Interior's mandate to stop all separatist groups.

In foreign news, new Minister of Foreign Affairs Konrad von Schwaben praised his predecessor, now President Samuel von Dwyfor-Frauenkirche, for his policy toward Poland. At a joint press conference, Schwaben and his Polish counterpart reported the normalization of relations between the two countries, and that embassies would reopen as soon as the spring of 1889, as soon as suitable candidates were found. Germany's military was stronger than ever, with the commissioning of three new battleships and a new commander for Battle Fleet. Admiral Erwin Köhler was an eccentric, demanding that all sailors practice bayonet drills as part of their daily duties, but his men loved him, and drilled with the melee weapons almost as eagerly as they took gunnery practice.

With elections a year away, scheduled to be finished on 1890, the liberals were in an excellent position to see further growth in their position. Chancellor Meningen was almost certain to get another four year term, unless something broke up the liberal bloc that supported him.

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

Legislative proposals may now be submitted for the 1889 session of the Reichstag. Social reforms may be proposed, as well as other legislation. Commander of the Gendarmerie Kant has funding for two more years of interrogating members of the Reichstag; at the end of that period, he must make an arrest or admit the trail has gone cold. Ministers may also adjust proposals, as needed, for 1889. We will begin voting in 48 hours (10 PM CST [-6 GMT], Saturday).

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

 

[Idhrendur]

(( Which middle-class peoples aren't getting their daily needs? Is it due to unemployment? Or high costs? ))

 

[Avindian]

((It's Artisans. As to why, I'm not sure, but I suspect the subsidies were propping them up.))

 

[Idhrendur]

(( Okay, I kinda suspected that. ))

The former import subsidies shall be restored, and taxes raised on the lower and middle classes to make up for the shortfall.

-Friedrick Thiessen

 

[Jack LEagle]

No changes to current plans

 

[Qwerty7]

((I have a question about the investigation mechanics. I have been working under the assumption that the assassin could not have changed their state between the time Herr Victor was assassinated and when I conducted my first investigation. Is this true?))

 

[PTSnoop]

A summary of bills brought before the Italian Parliament:

Further Revised Regional Definition Act
- proposing the division of Italy into Norditalien, Padania, Roma, and Hesperia, with Lombard/Umbrian subdivision of Padania to be sorted out by local councils.
- Also proposing that the phrase "Italian Region" be phased out in favour of just "Italy".
- After much back-room wrangling, this was the only geographical-region-naming bill brought before the Italian Parliament this session.
Passes: 65 in favour, 26 against, 9 abstentions.

Railway Nationalisation Act
- proposing that the notoriously slow and unprofitable Italian railways be taken into public ownership.
Fails: 31 in favour, 64 against, 4 abstentions.

Motion of Removal of German Troops from Hesperia
- as this motion will likely require a separate vote in the Assembly, it is quoted here in its entirety.

It is hereby acknowledged that the presence of German troops in Hesperia is causing escalation of tensions in legitimate political protests and trade-union marches - culminating in the recent riots in Foggia - and furthermore, that they provoke more civil violence, public disorder and separatist sympathy than they prevent.
And therefore, the Italian Parliament moves that the German military withdraw its forces from Hesperia, leaving local law enforcement to the Gendarmerie alone.

Passes: 78 in favour, 12 against, no abstentions.