1897: The international temperature cools
With the Great War over, Germans returned to their daily lives. In some ways, life didn't change much for the average German. Factory workers still made steel; farmers still harvested on schedule. Soldiers drilled from dusk until dawn, while sailors patrolled the North Sea coast. The wealthy capitalists sat in their offices, counting their money. Communists had bitter debates over whether Hermann von Leute was a hero, a maniac, or somewhere in between. The electoral machines of all seven parties started to run campaigns for the Presidency. Some forward looking thinkers were even considering coalition deals for the 1898 General Election. Chancellor Gutfreund, in particular, belonged to the second category. He was a "lame duck" Chancellor; he had reached the maximum number of terms permitted by law. In a way, he had much to be proud of over the past eight years. Germany had taken on the world and won. He proved to be a master statesman, able to build strong friendships and relationships, while simultaneously controlling the more outlandish members of his cabinet.
In his memoirs, Gutfreund later wrote that he considered 1897 his finest year, because it established Germany as a peaceful influence broker. He also enjoyed domestic peace. Even the Socialists were quiet; a new program of safety regulations convinced them to stop agitating so openly against the government. That is not say that there were no dissatisfied Germans. Communists, Greeks, and newly-minted German citizens (fresh from France) all had their days of violence. All were rapidly put down.
However, the vast majority of Germans settled into their routines. Minister of Finance Franz von Bavel-Timmermans announced the lowest taxes in years, only 25% of income. Reparations payments from France, the Byzantines, and their dupes ensured a positive balance. Psychoanalysis was the newest intellectual fad; after a new program of grants was established for the followers of Dr. Freud, the Minister of Education, Walther Herwig, announced new design competitions for improved shipyards. A virulent version of the flu carried off the aged and sickly, but Germans and their government leapt into action quickly. Public donation drives spread across the country, with every contribution matched by an equal sum from the treasury.
A single dark cloud hovered over German politics: the Conservative party. Energetic firebrands like Alexander von Smithereens and Franz Ferdinand Schutter demanded ideological purity. Karl Adimari, ex-President of Italy and head of the party, tried to find a way to maintain the ties between the liberals and the conservatives. However, the biggest lightning rod was Foreign Minister Hubert Schaumburg. Schaumburg recognized the error of his previous ways and reduced his public profile, seemingly for the good of the party. He even supported internationalist programs like the Olympic Games. He joined with Herwig to promote the German portion of the race to the North Pole. He stopped throwing epithets like "traitor" and "moral coward" around in public. To most Germans, he showed genuine signs of remorse and maybe even redemption.
Schaumburg could have named his political price, until the incident over the Chinese Bonin Islands burst onto the scene. Hindustan and long time German ally Ethiopia fought to establish their supremacy in East Asia. Schaumburg assembled his team of crisis negotiators... and included among them three people who had consistently supported war: Konrad von Schwaben, the former Minister of War, Chancellor, and President; Karl Adimari, former President of Italy; and the Imperialist Hans-Jurgen von Arnim-Boitzenburg. The appointment of Minister of the Interior Axel Wouters, a prominent Socialist, did little to change the scenario. Details of the crisis team's strategy sessions leaked to the press, revealing contempt for Germany's ally Ethiopia. Ethiopia had never been more popular in German circles, and to betray them so cold-bloodedly outraged many.
Schaumburg was humiliated. His actual plan, presented to the Reichstag, was a much more reasonable one, but the fundamental facts of the situation remained the same: Germany would gradually escalate the crisis, increase funding for German military endeavors, and finally openly side with the Chinese Empire and Hindustan if it meant that Ethiopia backed down. At the end of the day, Ethiopia did indeed back down. Whenever journalists secured an interview with the Foreign Minister and asked about his potentially disastrous policy towards Ethiopia, he invariably smirked and said, "It worked, didn't it?"
]In the general election forthcoming, Schaumburg's many
faux pas were sure to erode support for the Conservatives. However, there was still time to rebuild trust among the electorate. Much would depend on the German Presidential elections; if the Conservatives made a strong showing, they might be able to buy some back goodwill. Otherwise, they could be even further marginalized in 1897.
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((For the record -- I have no idea what went on behind the scenes between Brothersid and the other crisis people; I'm merely trying to make an interesting, plausible narrative.
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The Supreme Court solicits nominations for
Reichspräsident. Members of the Reichstag are encouraged to nominate themselves, but must bear in mind the following stipulations:
--Presidential Candidates must be 40 years of age or older.
--There may only be two candidates from any one party, for a maximum of 14 candidates.
--Beginning with this election, an Electoral College is formed from the most prominent members of the Reichstag ((i.e., all active members of the iAAR)). Each member possess a single vote. There are, at present, 26 people in the Electoral College; therefore, a minimum of 14 votes is required to elect the President. ((Please check the OP; if you are not listed as active, you can post in the AAR to be considered active and be eligible to vote.))
--If no one candidate earns 14 votes, we will move on to a second round with the three most popular candidates competing.
--Once elected, the President loses all voting rights in the Reichstag and must relinquish any and all offices he or she presently holds in the government, which includes the office of party leader.
Nominations will continue for 48 hours. ((Until Monday at 10 PM CST, -6 GMT)) At that point, elections will begin.
Do not conduct any other Reichstag business at this time. Members of the Reichstag are limited to making speeches on behalf of candidates and/or announcing their own candidacy or the candidacy of another. If nominating another person, that person must confirm the candidacy before they will be placed on the official ballot.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court