LizNES6: Fortune Favors The Brutal

I'm missing some fairly significant order sets. So much for trying to get this thing out early.

Orders coming soon

Apologies for not being able to send good orders. I had a lot planned for this update. I haven't had a reliable computer to type on.

Had to cover for another driver who called in sick. Working on orders now.

Yazoo City, Mississippi

The two children, one boy and one girl, sat nervously on the stage, their hands folded on their laps. Their school uniforms had been meticulously adjusted for today's event, allowing the students to appear in a mature, formal way. The middle school in Yazoo City had been preparing for this moment for several weeks now, practicing at least twice as a school and other times as individual classes. The remaining student body sat quietly in the auditorium, awaiting the presentation to come.

The two students on the stage had won a national contest among all middle schools. Each participating school submitted two essays, one by a boy and one by a girl, about their hopes and dreams. The entries varied on their topics, but each was written with standard formal diction and appreciable levels of creativity. The two winners of the contest sat on the stage, smiling in their excitement. Truth was, they only thought that an education official from Richmond was coming to present their prize.

They had no idea it would be the Vice President himself.

When he first walked into the auditorium, there was a dead silence as the students comprehended who he was. After a few seconds, the student body gasped and clapped, waving and cheering at the Vice President. The two students on the stage looked towards each other, wide-eyed and full of excitement.

One student in the auditorium reached into his backpack and pulled out his Vice President action figure, waving it in the air. Another student held up his Vice President lunchbox as he passed by; the Vice President stopped for a moment, and autographed the box before proceeding up to the stage (much to the awe-inducing surprise of the student!)

The Vice President waved to the crowd as he reached the podium, smiling and pointing at specific students who caught his eye. He bid some time as the cameras gained some shots of the student body. As the teachers quieted the students, and the cameras focused back on him, the Vice President began to speak.

He introduced himself as Vice President Jeremy Waid, partly as a formality, before discussing the contest and why these particular students had won. Alexander, he said, had won because of his writings about being a war hero to motivate other boys in the nation to serve as well. Betsy wrote about being an economist and diplomat, going to foreign nations to describe life in Dixie and preventing war between countries, because war is bad for business!

As he handed the certificates to each student, he added another reward to the contest, one that the students had not foreseen or anticipated.

"As an additional prize to the winners," he spoke into the microphone, "I'd be honored to take these students on a favorite adventure of mine." He paused for a moment as the students' excitement grew. "I'm going to take them fishing."

The students gasped and cheered, applauding for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they had just gained. Signaling to his crew, the Vice President provided the students with fishing gear as they gathered for pictures.

***

On the ride towards the Mississippi, the Vice President asked the students if they understood the importance of fishing in Dixie politics and business.

"Of course," Betsy replied quickly. "Taking someone fishing is a sign of friendship and trust. It's a place to talk and be friendly without formal, strict requirements."

Alexander added, "A lot of deals are made while fishing."

The Vice President nodded. "You're both right."

Alexander quickly said, "And, you're the best fisher in the whole country!"

The Vice President smirked. "Indeed."

When they arrived at the river, the Vice President led the students to an alcove shaded by a large tree. "Don't tell anyone," he said, "but this is my secret fishing spot."

The cameras took a few shots of the Vice President explaining the art of fishing to the students before backing away, allowing the serene aspect of nature to flourish for the group.

The Vice President instructed the students about where their lines should be cast for the greatest chance of catching a large fish. He also added that fishing is a game of patience, one to enjoy in either the company of others or individual introspection.

"I make a lot of political and business decisions by going out for a day of fishing alone," he said.

​

"You know," the Vice President began, "there are quite a few parallels between life and fishing." As he spoke, the cameras crews turned on their equipment for the soliloquy, recording his aside. "There's two parts to both. First, you need to find the right spot. You need to find your niche where you can not only survive, but prosper. It can be any spot, really, so long as your living up to your expectations. I mean, I used to go fishing as a kid to a pond near my house. I'd only catch a few small fish every now and then, but I was okay with that, because I was content fishing in that small lake. One day though, I wanted to catch a big fish, a River Monster. I knew I couldn't catch one in the pond, so I relocated. I knew that I'd be heading into unfamiliar fishing grounds, and part of me regretted not staying at my pond, but I knew I had to go where the big fish were. So I did. I caught a large catfish that day. Same thing goes for life. If you're content catching small fish in life, you can stay at that pond. But if you want to catch the big fish, you need to head out into the world and find that golden spot. Successful, hard working people eventually do find it. And that's why they make history."

He pauses for a moment, listening to the water softly tap the nearby rocks, before continuing. "The second part is patience. There's been countless people who've found a great spot in life, only to lose patience and leave before they've got their fish. Someone else eventually takes their spot, and because they have the patience to do so, they catch the big fish that the other person so desperately want. When you've got that golden opportunity, you've gotta have patience. Have faith in yourself, and you'll succeed no matter the anxiety you may feel."

Serendipitously, as he finished speaking, a fish began tugging on his line. The Vice President tested the fish by pulling the line and slightly reeling it in before exclaiming, "Yep! We've got a big one!"

The kids let out a soft cheer as they put down their equipment and rushed to the Vice President's side. The cameras moved closer and filmed the experience from a nearby vantage point.

The Vice President feigned a need for help. He turned to the students and said, "I don't think I can reel this in alone! Maybe you two together can do it!" He handed them the pole, taking careful consideration to their safety and the hooked fish still on the line. Alexander grabbed the pole while Betsy reeled it in.

"Pull a little bit every time she reels in!" the Vice President instructed Alexander, who heeded the advice. After a few tries, they managed to bring in the large catfish.

"What a catch!" the Vice President exclaimed, as he held up the fish for the students to see.

​

The students gasped with excitement as they touched the creature, feeling its slimey skin and observing its alien features. They posed for several pictures, as the cameras continued to film, before they bid their farewell to the fish and let it back into the water.

"What a big fish!" Betsy gasped as it swam away.

"That has to be a record!" Alexander naively boasted, radiantly smiling at his accomplishment.

"Now, that was fun, wasn't it?" the Vice President rhetorically asked. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Who wants some supper?"

The kids agreed as they gathered their equipment and headed back towards the cars, escorted by the camera crews.

With the group now a distance away, the Vice President turned back towards the familiar river bank. He spent a few moments appreciating his "secret spot," one that had evaded the passage of time even as he had grown older. He thought back -- my gosh, almost fifty years ago -- when he had first found this spot. Back then, it was his first time going for a big fish.

The memories came flooding back; good memories of good times. That day, so long ago, he was using his kiddie pole, in contrast to the state-of-the-art professional pole he used today. Back then, he didn't know much about fish behavior or patterns; but when he first saw this spot, he knew it was the right place to try. He couldn't explain what drove him to stay here, but he did, for an entire day, anticipating his first catch of a River Monster. Oh, if he had known what an influence that single day would be for the rest of his life! It was as if he stood on the great precipice of victory and defeat; whether to give up and head back to the little pond, or to continue fishing here in the great unknown world. It took him about eight hours to catch that massive catfish, but when he did, he knew this was the spot of fortune. What he didn't know was how such a simple act of patience and perseverance would influence the rest of his life.

He mentally recited the advice he gave to the students about needing to find that big fish. Everything he said was true, but it was a different perspective giving advice to the younger generation. For, all those years ago, he was in those students' same position, on this same river bank, searching for that elusive big catch, one that would define his entire life.

He patted the tree once more, and waved to the river in an act of nostalgia, thanking the fish for the opportunity they had given him. He spared one moment for a lifetime of introspection before heading back towards the cars, towards a life that had grown out of a single choice of location he made all those years ago.

​

* * *

arya126 said:

OOC: Wouldn't this increase trade through Canada, making Canada very very rich? They own the only ports left on the North American Pacific coast, have a transcontinental railroad which is the only one not disrupted and divided by warfare, and via said railroad (which extends north to Juneau) have access to an endless stream of Asian goods because of Alaska's inclusion in the Pacific Trade Treaty from decades ago that is presumably still active. Rationally, one would believe that most trade that still wants to get to america would be diverted to Canadian ports and the influx would trigger the rise of Canadian profits off of taxes and economic growth, etc.

Click to expand...

First off, the closest thing Canada has on the west coast that even resembles a port is a fishing village of about 2000 people, Bella Coola. There is no way in hell such a tiny town can handle even the smallest influx of maritime trade, let alone every ship which would have gone through the Panama Canal or would have been serviced by actual Pacific ports (Vancouver, Seattle, Juneau, Prince Rupert, etc).

Second, if you think anyone is going to use your ports (or Cascadia's ports, or California's ports), you're off your rocker. Some of the first targets in a war are ports, roads, railroads, etc, which means any trade goods moving through Alaska are very likely to be shot at or bombed. Holding on to one's trade goods instead of transporting them through a warzone is a great way to cut your losses (you'll lose money either way, but at least your goods aren't smoldering in a crater or sitting at the bottom of the ocean).

DarthNader said:

First off, the closest thing Canada has on the west coast that even resembles a port is a fishing village of about 2000 people, Bella Coola. There is no way in hell such a tiny town can handle even the smallest influx of maritime trade, let alone every ship which would have gone through the Panama Canal or would have been serviced by actual Pacific ports (Vancouver, Seattle, Juneau, Prince Rupert, etc).

Second, if you think anyone is going to use your ports (or Cascadia's ports, or California's ports), you're off your rocker. Some of the first targets in a war are ports, roads, railroads, etc, which means any trade goods moving through Alaska are very likely to be shot at or bombed. Holding on to one's trade goods instead of transporting them through a warzone is a great way to cut your losses (you'll lose money either way, but at least your goods aren't smoldering in a crater or sitting at the bottom of the ocean).

Click to expand...

Whoops. I had mistakenly believed Vancouver was canadian. However, considering that, there is the option of Canada funding the creation and expansion of a port in the area, which would more than likely retain a lot of the trade it managed to garner during and after the war, resulting in high returns.

But as to your second point, war does not guarantee the abandonment of trade, ports, etc. Sure, some will hold on to their goods, but as long as their is a chance in the goods getting through, which there will be I promise you, then some capitalist will always endure the risk in order to receive an ever increasing profit as those goods get more and more scarce in wartime. And then another option for them is to ship them around south america, or if they are extremely cautious, around africa and through the Atlantic. Expensive, yes. Safe and keeping people in business, yes. And of course that will increase prices too, because of longer voyage, etc.

You seem to mistakenly assume that Alaska and other nations at war have no motivation or ability to defend their assets such as ports. It just so happens that a nation does not leave a port so vulnerable as you imply whether they are at war or not. At the commencement of hostilities, trade does not cut off abruptly with everyone, unless it is a series of embargoes in protest of the war. It merely becomes more risky, dangerous, but profit often becomes higher upon success.

OOC: I'm claiming Bulgaria.





Dukat Dynasty, Emperor Dominik of Bulgaria

Welcome! Lovely stories Nader, Kozmos, Dread and J.K.

The update is being worked on, and should be done either tonight, or tomorrow.

2 big international events have occurred, and one major war has started. So far.

arya126 said:

Whoops. I had mistakenly believed Vancouver was canadian. However, considering that, there is the option of Canada funding the creation and expansion of a port in the area, which would more than likely retain a lot of the trade it managed to garner during and after the war, resulting in high returns.

But as to your second point, war does not guarantee the abandonment of trade, ports, etc. Sure, some will hold on to their goods, but as long as their is a chance in the goods getting through, which there will be I promise you, then some capitalist will always endure the risk in order to receive an ever increasing profit as those goods get more and more scarce in wartime. And then another option for them is to ship them around south america, or if they are extremely cautious, around africa and through the Atlantic. Expensive, yes. Safe and keeping people in business, yes. And of course that will increase prices too, because of longer voyage, etc.

You seem to mistakenly assume that Alaska and other nations at war have no motivation or ability to defend their assets such as ports. It just so happens that a nation does not leave a port so vulnerable as you imply whether they are at war or not. At the commencement of hostilities, trade does not cut off abruptly with everyone, unless it is a series of embargoes in protest of the war. It merely becomes more risky, dangerous, but profit often becomes higher upon success.

Click to expand...

If you think you can turn Bella Coola into Rotterdam, you go right ahead and burn every last cent you have or ever will have. There is nothing stopping you, except maybe common sense, but don't worry about that.

Now, regarding wartime trade...of course there is a chance of trade goods getting through a warzone. However, would those goods have the same value as they had before they went through, not really. Being shot full of holes, blown up, burned, or waterlogged has a tendency to devalue an object. I doubt anyone would want a carton of milk which had been on fire at one point. In an effort to prevent the depreciation in value of their products, most sane people would hold on to their goods until the trade lanes and destinations were safe.

Diverting the flow of trade is possible, but in no way does that mean increased profits on products sold. If that logic made any sense, things like canals and railroads wouldn't exist. Going the shortest distance means spending less on fuel and keeping prices low enough to maintain market equilibrium.

So, embargoes completely cut off trade, and having warships and military aircraft shooting at roads, railroads, ports, etc has no effect at all, except it increases profits? That's some extremely sound logic you got there sport. I can't wait to see that idea in action.

DarthNader said:

If you think you can turn Bella Coola into Rotterdam, you go right ahead and burn every last cent you have or ever will have. There is nothing stopping you, except maybe common sense, but don't worry about that.

Now, regarding wartime trade...of course there is a chance of trade goods getting through a warzone. However, would those goods have the same value as they had before they went through, not really. Being shot full of holes, blown up, burned, or waterlogged has a tendency to devalue an object. I doubt anyone would want a carton of milk which had been on fire at one point. In an effort to prevent the depreciation in value of their products, most sane people would hold on to their goods until the trade lanes and destinations were safe.

Diverting the flow of trade is possible, but in no way does that mean increased profits on products sold. If that logic made any sense, things like canals and railroads wouldn't exist. Going the shortest distance means spending less on fuel and keeping prices low enough to maintain market equilibrium.

So, embargoes completely cut off trade, and having warships and military aircraft shooting at roads, railroads, ports, etc has no effect at all, except it increases profits? That's some extremely sound logic you got there sport. I can't wait to see that idea in action.

Click to expand...

It would most likely take quite an expansion and infrastructure project, your right. But given the right management, and assuming the war goes on long enough (or even if it doesn't, a port on the pacific even in peacetime for Canada could be lucrative) it might work out. Not all investments are sound at first sight, nor has our world been built on capitalists only seeking out sure deals.

Perhaps you have misunderstood me regarding my other points. Or perhaps you misunderstand the nature of war. Alaska in particular, more or less removed form the front lines at least for the moment, will probably not face the total distraction and disruption of trade that you suggest. Although we cannot predict the plans of both sides, nor can we trust the fortunes of war, lets just say that nobody lands on the beaches of Alaska this turn. Lets also say that any naval blockade or disruption is little to medium in force because most naval forces are busy elsewhere. This is a likely scenario, again barring any seaborne invasion. What you are saying is that no matter what, whatever goods pass through here will be damaged or lowered in value, simply because they pass through a nation that is at war. A nation at war does not mean hell and fire everywhere, at least not automatically. Of course sending goods into a high value war zone would be ridiculous.

I apologize if this seems inarticulate, but it is hard for me to defend against such.....such pure inability to grasp reality and common sense. Plus, you completely took out of context what I said about the increase of profits. The profits would increase because demand is still at pre war levels most likely, while the supply drops dramatically because some will be caught in war, others won't be sent as you say. But those that do make it through do stand to make their owners a tidy profit as their price would undoubtedly be driven up as well. This is when they go via the regular routes, in this case to the west coast. If they went around south america or africa then prices would soar even higher than the other option, but the owners would still stand to possibly make a tidy profit because of wartime scarcity.

Again I apologize if this doesn't make sense to you. And i can assure you I am by no means an expert in economics or logistics, so I could entirely be wrong. But if you are right, then it denies the basic truths of economics especially supply and demand and scarcity which i see as unlikely.

ooc; Arya, don't be a d-bag

Ooc too late

Update 6: 2205​

The march of civilization cannot be stopped; it is the inexorable struggle of progress against the forces of ignorance and sloth, and it is just as much a part of the struggle for international fascism as unending warfare against the enemies of the state is. -Henric III

Global​

Economic Issues
Quebec City, Quebec

The war in North America and by extension the Pacific has brought some major economic issues to countries that have large trade stock with European, East Asian and North American nations, with minor effects being felt everywhere. With the complete shutdown of the Panama Canal, companies have been taking much longer shipping goods across the world, and the fairly large and fluid naval warzone in the Pacific has led to many merchants simply staying away from entire regions. Regardless, a notable drop in goods, and services required has been felt. Economic damage hasn't been done yet, but very well might follow in the years to come.



Greater Caucasia Economic League Accepts New Members
Baku, Azerbaijan

The GCEL, which was established last year for the sake of greater Caucasian economic cooperation, has accepted both Azerbaijan and Transcaucasia as members. The inclusion of these two nations, and their specific economic specialties of oil production and agriculture specifically has led to increased industrial and economic benefits for the GCEL nations. This bodes well for those politicians that are hoping to see the GCEL turn into a defensive alliance as well.
(++2 IP to each GCEL nation, +1 EP to Azerbaijan, +1 EP to Transcaucasia)

The Black Sea Trade Organization Founded!
Yalta, The Republic of Kiev

What started as a proposition from the Bulgarian government, to the fellow Black Sea-trading nations of Kiev, Georgia and Armenia, ended up leading to a full on trading block between the nations. Representatives from all 4 nations met in Sofia, to discuss combating possible piracy in the sea, along with points about free-trade and reconnecting submarine communication cables between the nations. Armenia and Georgia, being involved in the GCEL brought in extra goods from their Caucasian neighbors, and Bulgaria gained quite a bit from it. The foundation of a 'Ministry of Industry' helped the Bulgarian government stay in fair competition with the other members of the BSTO, and the industries created by the Ministry (such as the Dukat Motor Company) has been very successful thus far.
(++2 Kievan IP, ++2 Bulgarian IP, ++2 Armenian IP, ++2 Georgian IP)

North America​

Revolutionary Constitution Signed
Mexico City, The People's Hudsonist Republic of Mexico

With more than a little encouragement from their fellow Hudsonists in Los Angeles, the 'Revolutionary Congress' convened in Mexico City, in what had been the Halls of Emperor Jose's palace. They met to charter and sign The PHRM's constitution, which, when completed looked almost identical to California's. Critics of the constitution have been few and far between, but that could just be because of the secret police the Constitution legalized.

Soon thereafter, a draft was instituted, for the common man, to join the "Red Yaoquizqueh", or Commoners Army, named after the ancient Aztec military unit. While many have hesitated to join up, broad intimidation has seemed to work, and warm bodies are filling the boots the Californian government has so eagerly provided to it's new southern neighbor.
(+10 Mexican Militia Regiments)

Missouri Compromise Negotiations Ignored
St. Louis, The United States of the Atlantic

Repeated Union attempts for a review of the Missouri Compromise of 2180 were ignored by the Dixie government, who offered not even the slightest comment in that regard. The Union officials, semi-disappointed they couldn't get into a rousing diplomatic tussle with their southern neighbors, claimed the 'debates' as a 'victory', a victory that necessitated celebrations across what had been the Midwest. Tensions rose in the border region, as several members of the notorious Minute Men Militia groups in the United States fired shots across the Dixie border in what some called an act of defiance, and others of stupidity.

Sonora Annexed
Hermosillo, The People's Hudsonist Republic of Mexico

After being in political limbo for years, what had been the Republic of Sonora was fully annexed by Mexico and the Californian Union, after the citizenry decided that joining the Hudsonist Republics was wildly preferential to independence, especially after the Sonoran War. Many wished to join Mexico, due in large part to the Cal-Industry investments in the nation, that have been creating a surplus of jobs, many of which the Sonorans hoped to take. The Baja Peninsula was, in turn, delivered to the Californian Union.
(+1 Mexican EP)

Continental Ice Hockey Federation Founded
Montreal, Quebec

The Fédération Continental de Hockey sur Glace was founded in Quebec, this year, in the hopes that the glory that is the sport of Hockey will give the citizenry of Quebec a reprieve from life in a decidedly hostile world. The cities, who had been announced as being in the league are Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa-Gatineau, Saguenay, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières, with expansion teams from several Canadian and New English cities expected to join their ranks as well. The announcement of the league has brought a fair amount of excitement to the Quebecois people, who are eager to see the start of the games next year.

Quebecois Trade Ventures
Trois-Rivières, Quebec

Quebecois companies have been more than active lately, with 'globalizing' becoming the word of the day. Mineral rights have been bought up by major Quebecois energy companies in Cameroon, Sarawak and the Caribbean League, while the very same companies have begun subsidizing the national oil drilling companies of Gran Colombia, Yucatan and Qatar. While many nationals in said countries have cried foul at the increased representation of Quebecois interests in their respective nations, others seem happy to reap the profits from the business ventures.
(+2 Quebecois EP, ++10 Quebecois IP, ++3 Sarawakian IP, ++3 Cameroon IP, ++2 Caribbean IP, ++3 Colombian IP, ++3 Yucateco IP, ++5 Qatari IP)

Blanc au Nord Hydrocarbures Métamorphose
Churchill, Canada

Efforts by both Canada and Quebec have been made this year, to move the exploitation of oil and natural gas resources from northern Quebec to northern Canada. Together, both Canadian and Quebecois workers and funds proceeded to begin extracting the hydrocarbons from the Great White North. The increase of jobs has been welcomed in Canada, and the growing population of Quebecois immigrants in the nation also welcomed working for their previous nation's economic advantage.
(+1 Canadian EP, ++5 Canadian IP, +2 EP Quebec, ++1 Quebecois IP)

North American War
Los Angeles, Californian Union

War broke out this year in North America, after an ultimatum issued to the Californian Union the 'Free America' coalition, was rejected. The ultimatum demanded that free, Hudson-less elections take place in Sonora, Mexico and Panama, along with some points about California spreading Hudsonism further abroad. Even though the war officially started this year, anyone who had been following North American politics could see a war such as this forming for the past few years.

Not counting the fighting in Panama that had started in the previous year, the first shots of the war, were fired not on the field of battle, but by terrorists in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The gunmen fired at Union and Californian nationals in the Capitol cities, and killed dozens, and put the cities on lock-down mode. Police forces managed to kill most, and capture the rest, of the terrorists, and the Californian state news have aired confessions from one of the men, claiming he was in fact Alaskan. California and its ally Chernorussiya wasted no time in striking back at the 'Free America' forces, when hundreds of missiles struck oil fields, ports, and other important industrial centers throughout the 'Free America' nations. The missiles had been scavenged from silos found left over from old Soviet Union and Russian Federation military bases, and while a large majority of them had disarmed themselves, decayed naturally, or went into lock down, a sizeable amount were engineered by the Chernorussiyans. Alaskan targets had been hit first, with many port and rail facilities being the main target. Cascadia, Deseret, Texas and Rio Grande weren't spared either, and the governments of Free America struggled to come up with an effective way to counter the barrage.
(-50 Alaskan IP, --3 Alaskan IP, -2 Alaskan EP, -30 Cascadian IP, --3 Cascadian IP, -2 Cascadian EP, -50 Texan IP, --3 Texan IP, -2 Texan EP, -50 Deseret IP, --3 Deseret IP, -2 Deseret EP, -20 Rio Grandese IP, -1 Rio Grandese EP, -5 Californian IP, -Californian Stability, -5 Union IP, -Union Stability)

Alaskan Front
Anchorage, Alaska

Despite Tim Haulsee's claims that Alaska would be far from being a front, the nation found itself under attack in a big way. Chernorussiyan fighter groups swept into the area, which void of the Alaskan Airforce, who were fighting much further south. Token resistance put up a valiant defense, but could do little more than cause annoyance to the Chernorussiyans, who were preparing for a massive invasion of the Alaskan coast.

The first waves of Chernorussiyan soldiers were carried in on the VTOL’s that proved so deadly in the invasion of the RRR. By the time news of the first landings made their way to the Alaskan military headquarters in Juneau, Nome had already fallen after a brief fight between the Chernorussiyans and it's Alaskan defenders. The limited Regular Alaskan army forces that had been left to defend the area were supplemented by additional forces from what had been a planned invasion of Chernorussiya itself. Despite that, they found themselves wildly overpowered, by the onslaught the Chernorussiyans offered. For every notable defense the Alaskans put up, they also suffered a notable defeat. Anchorage fell, after a few weeks of fighting, and a whole lot of bombing on behalf of the Chernorussiyans, who gave little regard to civilian casualties. After only a few weeks, Chernorussiyan forces managed to reach all the way to the Canadian, before looking towards the far more populated southern regions.

Frontier militia groups remain in much of the Alaskan wilderness, holding out against the Chernorussiyan assault, but in all fairness, the Chernorussiyans are looking at bigger fish to fry, namely the Alaskan Capitol of Juneau, which has found itself on the front-lines of the Chernorussiyan assault.
(-5 Chernorussiyan Regiments, -1 Chernorussiyan Armored Brigade, -3 Chernorussiyan Fighter Squadrons, -3 Alaskan Regiments, +15 Alaskan Militia, -9 Alaskan Militia, -4 Alaskan Gun-boats, -1 Alaskan Destroyer, -4 Alaskan Fighter Squadrons, -40 Alaskan IP, --5 Alaskan IP, -2 Alaskan EP)

Pacific Front
San Diego, Californian Union

Fighting in the Pacific Ocean was fairly half-hearted, with the obvious supremacy of the Californian navy preventing any sensible type of action from the Cascadian or Alaskan navy. Most of the direct fighting took place under the waves, with submarines from the Free-American forces targeting shipping (the limited shipping going through!) to and from California and Chernorussiya. Hudsonist ships around the ports of Vladivostock, Los Angeles and San Diego were sunk, leading to a loss of some profits to California and Chernorussiya, though Cal-Industries seemed the most effected. Warry Cali-Cherno ships however, did manage to score some submarine kills.

Californian ships, aided the Chernorussiyan invasion of Alaska, and worked in conjunction with their navy, destroying sizable portions of the Alaskan fleet outside of Anchorage. Most of the fighting occurred beyond the visible range of the Alaskan units, which struggled to locate the combined fleet without the aid of satellite positioning.
(-1 Texan Submarine, -9 Alaskan Gun-boats, -1 Alaskan Destroyer, -1 Alaskan Submarine, -1 Alaskan EP, --2 Alaskan IP, -3 Californian Gun-boats,-1 Californian Destroyer, -10 Californian IP, --1 Californian IP, -2 Chernorussiyan Gun-boats, -1 Chernorussiyan Submarine, -10 Chernorussiyan IP, --1 Chernorussiyan IP)

Panama Front
The Panama Canal Zone, Alaska

Fighting in Panama began immediately this year, with relief force from Texas being sent to aid the beleaguered Alaskan forces in their assaults against the Californian defenses around the canal. Fighting to the best of their ability, the Hudsonist forces made the Texans and Alaskans pay for every inch in their blood, but through the tenacity of the Free America forces, and their overwhelming air superiority, the Hudsonist forces had little choice but to retreat to the north, pursued closely by the Free Americans. The canal itself has been heavily damaged by the fighting, despite both sides attempts at preventing that very thing from happening.
By the time it was all said and done, the forces committed to Panama by the Free Americans overwhelming the Panamanians, and Californians. The Panamanian navy managed to escape to the north, settled in Los Angeles, and declared allegiance (if only temporarily) to Comrade Hudson.
(-4 Californian Regiments, -1 Californian EP, -Panama, -2 Alaskan Regiments, -3 Alaskan Fighter Squadrons, -1 Texan Regiment)

The Invasion of California
Las Vegas, Deseret

The resounding successes Chernorussiya and California had in Alaska, and through well-placed missile strikes across the ‘Free America’ nations were offset by a massive coordinated invasion of California by overwhelming amounts of Free American airpower and land power. And while California seems to rule the seas, the armies of Deseret and Texas clearly seem to rule the land. A Texan army advanced north-west, across what had been Arizona to meet up with a Deseret invasion force headed towards Las Vegas. The Californian plan of 'general' defense seemed to fail, as no less than 30 regiments of Free American soldiers, supported by several armored brigades, and upwards of 40 fighter squadrons began attacking Californian positions in Las Vegas. The border defenses California had been setting up, proved to be the one saving grace in the situation, as they gave Californian reserve units time to bolster the cities defenses in no time at all, with the help of the High-speed Monorail.

By the time the fighting was over, a week had passed, and Las Vegas had been leveled by the fighting. The Californians were putting up a valiant defense, but were forced to redirect forces to counter a joint Alaskan-Cascadian invasion from the north, that happened to encompass the entirety of the Alaskan armored corps, most of the Alaskan airforce, and a large portion of the Cascadian military. The Californian army seemed caught between a rock and a hard place, and even well placed rocket assaults from Chernorussiya seemed to be of little aid to the Hudsonists, who were filling in the gaps in the line with thousands of young volunteers. Air bombings of Los Angeles became common place, as the the joint Deseret-Texan assault force inched ever closer to the capitol city, through the Barstow pass. The invasion of Cascadia and Deseret from the Union seemed to be the only thing slowing the Free American advance.
(-13 Californian Regiments, -3 Californian Armored Brigades, -17 Californian Fighter-Squadrons, -2 Californian Bomber Squadrons, -3 Californian EP, -60 Californian IP, --3 Californian IP, +20 Californian Militia, -5 Californian Militia, -7 Texan Regiments, -1 Texan Armored Brigade, -6 Texan Fighter-Squadrons, -6 Deseret Regiments, -5 Deseret Fighter-Squadrons, -3 Cascadian Regiments, -1 Alaskan Armored Brigade, -7 Alaskan Fighter Squadrons)

Fighting In Mexico
Linares, The People's Hudsonist Republic of Mexico

The forgotten front of the war was assuredly Northern Mexico. The newly established People's Hudsonist Republic of Mexico wasted little time in fielding the largest army they could, and promptly invaded the Rio Grande Republic, which allied itself with the Free American forces in a time of duress. The Rio Grandese army, by itself, was unable to to match the Mexican advance. But the aid of Texan regiments halted the Mexican advanced before they reached the capitol at Monterey. The lines of conflict stabilized soon thereafter, with neither side willing, or even able, to really launch an effective assault against the other. Small border conflict occurred, as Rio Grandese forces moved into northern Mexico, and Mexican forces moved into Texan land.

(-5 Mexican Regiments, -2 Mexican Fighter Squadrons, -10 Mexican IP, -3 Rio Grandese Regiments, -15 Rio Grandese IP, -1 Texan Regiment, -1 Texan Fighter Squadron, -10 Texan IP)

The Union Marches To War
Boise, The United States of the Atlantic

In a rather surprising political move, the United States of the Atlantic promised to support the Hudsonists in war, if it was to come. This agreement had apparently been settled a few years ago, and has majorly come in handy for the Californians. The massive Union Army immediately began an invasion of Cascadia and Deseret, as soon as the declaration of war was announced. The Union military moved into the region in force, and beat back the Cascadian forces to the Colombia River. The Alaskan air force, which had been poised to strike at Californian units, aided the Cascadians, and potentially saved Olympia from conquest.

The fighting in Deseret was another story all together. The fanatical Unionists battle the fanatical Mormon forces, who fought the Union advances off with all the ferocity one can imagine a Holy Army delivering. Numbers simply weren't on their side, however, and the Mormon forces found themselves slowly retreating back towards the capitol at Salt Lake City. New Church of the Latter Day Saints defense forces pulled up all the willing volunteers they could, and helped integrate them into the military, while the Ultra-nationalist Minute Men Militia groups in the Union rallied around Old Glory to reclaim the land that they viewed to be truly theirs.
(-4 Cascadian Regiments, -3 Cascadian Fighter Squadrons, -20 Cascadian IP, --1 Cascadian IP, -1 Cascadian EP, -6 Alaskan Fighter Squadrons, -12 Deseret Regiments, -7 Deseret Fighter Squadrons, -30 Deseret IP, --1 Deseret IP, -1 Deseret EP, +5 Deseret Regiments, -12 Union Regiments, -14 Union Fighter Squadrons, +5 Union Minute Men Militias)

Atlantic Front
Philadelphia, The United States of the Atlantic

The naval warfare in the Atlantic Ocean was much more fluid then that in the Pacific. A joint Texan-Rio Grandese navy sailed north, towards the Union coast, hoping to beat the Union's navy in an outright battle. Yet, the heavily outnumbered Union navy refused to sally from its safe-harbor in Philadelphia, instead, relying on small sorties to damage the Texan fleet. A blockade followed soon thereafter, which damaged the Union's economy notably.

(-2 Texan Gun-boats, -1 Texan Destroyer, -2 Rio Grandese Gun-boats, -5 Union Gun-boats, -2 Union Destroyers, -20 Union IP, --3 Union IP, -1 Union EP)

South America​

Mismanagement in Guyana
Georgetown, Guyana

Brazillian engineers moved into Guyana to take a look at what might have caused some of the dams to fail last year, after the massive joint Brazillian-Guyanese dam building project several years ago. After some careful inspection, under the supervision of the finest engineers Guyana could put forward, it became clear that the burst was caused by Guyanese mismanagement, and not by faulty Brazillian designs or construction. While this came as a relief to some in Nuevo Brasillia, the Guyanese government found itself without any reparations to pay for the damage that has still been left relatively untouched. Reconstruction has been slow due in large part to lack of funds, and with the indisputable evidence that it was their own engineers faults, funds probably won't come.
(-Guyanese Stability)

Brazillian Renewal Project
Nuevo Brassilia, Brazil

Mirroring moves made by the government just years ago, funding has gone into increased hydro-electric production on the Amazon River. The project that worked so well just a few years ago seemed to have the same desired effect, with many thousands of Brazillians being put to work, and cheaper electricity allowing for the average Brazillian worker to spend less on energy bills, and more on other services. Plans put forth by the Brazillian government seemed to highlight Brazil's want to become the world leader in solar, wind and hydro-electric power sometime in the future. While Mesopotamia might put up quite the fight in that respect, the average Brazillian views it as a very noble initiative.
(+1 Brazillian EP, ++2 Brazillian IP, +Brazillian Stability)

Brazillian Journalist Captured In Acre
Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre

Disregarding the announcement of a media-blackout a few years back, a Brazillian investigative journalist by the name of Isabela Franco snuck into Acre in the hope of exposing the dictatorial rule of Cezar Silva to the world, along with shedding light on recent accusations that Hudsonist influence might be at play in the totalitarian regime. Franco made it into the nation successfully, and actually managed to get to the major city Cruzeiro do Sul near the outskirts of the Acrean capitol of Rio Branco.

It was there, however, that she was captured by Acrean police, and has been thrown into a prison in a location as of yet unknown by the Brazillian government. Silva has labelled her as a Brazillian spy, and amidst increasing tensions, has refused to release her to the proper authorities in Brazil.

Reactionary Congress Elected in Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Growing hatred for Patagonia has been a recurring theme obvious to anyone who has followed Argentine politics the past few years. The dictatorship under Ricardo Cobos, has in recent years taken a harder approach to the Communal Patagonians, who simply want to be left alone. The cry of the Argentinian people simply solidified Cobos's want to reannex the wayward South American nation. Some war hawks in the Argentinian congress are calling for an outright invasion, to establish 'proper' rule to the lands, and knowing Cobos, one wouldn't put it past him. Warnings from Chile might turn any attempted invasion into a much larger war, and it's hard to say if the Argentinians would be willing to risk that.

Europe​

Andalusian Union Propsal
Granada, Andalusia

The growth of Unionism throughout the world can be best exemplified by the Kingdom of Andalusia. A recent bill passed fairly quickly when pushed through the Unionist government that called for a direct and immediate union with the Kingdom of Spain. The proposal now rests at the feet of King Aguierre, who seems hesitant to give up his position as king. He has sent an inquiry to Spain about the possible benefits that his Kingdom, and him specifically, may receive if such a union was to occur.

Discontent in Poland
Warsaw, Poland

Calls for King Wojciech's abdication have been growing since the end of the War of Scandinavian Unification. Protests have started this year, with many holding up signs that simply say "Dlaczego", or "Why" in English. Why, meaning, why did the King get his nation into such a brutal war for little to no given reason. While the protestors are growing in number, a few of the Kings advisors have said that he sees 'no valid reason' he should abdicate. Aside from that, the Polish government has done its best to ignore the situation, though many of Poland's neighbors are looking on with a careful eye.
(-Polish Stability)

Stormskaktvalde Reform
Copenhagen, The United Commonwealth of Scandinavia

A vague Reform was instituted by the UCS's government this year, entitled the 'Stormskaktvalde Reform'. The core tenets of the reform have yet to be clearly outlined, but increased employment for public work projects and other government jobs have been noted. The biggest winner from the start of these reforms seems to be Scandinavian Arms manufacturers which have been receiving many generous donations from both Fatherland Volunteer Chapters, and other assorted 'charities'. After all, under the Stormskaktvalde Reform's, one must look at industry and nationalism as being hand in hand, which has led to a boon for Scandinavian Industry.

As another tack-on to the reforms, Norway has been successfully integrated into the Commonwealth, raising at least some happiness in the region, as the concepts of Nordism are catching on quicker than the Emperor Henric III had hoped.
(+Scandinavian Stability, ++2 Scandinavian IP)

French Plebiscite
Paris, Occitania

After keeping true to it's promise of intervention, Occitania received a mix of international blessings and condemnations for helping to spur on the French nationalist movement that had been taking place in the Franco-Germanic Empire. With the fear of the war's escalation, amidst threats of Spanish involvement representatives from Ireland suggested a plebiscite to quickly put a stop to the fighting, and truly decide who should own what had been France. The Franco-Germanic Empire, on the verge of collapse had little choice but to accept the mediation.

The plebiscite was scheduled for mid-summer, with the region in question being policed by Portuguese, Breton and Irish peace-keepers, and aside from the occasional threat, or pot-shot from over-zealous forces, things went fairly smoothly. The results of the plebiscite came in, with an overwhelming amount of the districts wishing to join Occitania, some of the bordering districts choosing to stay under German control, and Flanders choosing independence. The entire nation of Occitania celebrated at its 'victory' as many of the French nationals were hoping, and still are, that the Occitanian government will declare itself to be the new French national state, with a Capitol in Paris and everything.

Not all are pleased, however. Aside from the obvious bitterness from the Reich over the loss of its lands, French Unionists in Brittany and the northern regions of Spain have begun to make themselves quite obvious, specifically in Brittany, where previous cries for a clearly distinct 'Breton' state are being over-shadowed by cries for a political union of some sorts.
(-1 Franco-German EP, --2 Franco-German IP, +1 Occitanian EP, ++2 Occitanian IP, +Occitanian Stability)

Ireland Prepares For Elections
Dublin, Ireland

Political parties have begun preparing themselves for an election, in Ireland. The Conservative party is the incumbent party, and has been for over a decade now. Many reporters and experts around the island nation have already hailed them as being the victor in the race, due in large part to the economic and political successes they've been pulling of late. Regardless, the Reactionary party is hoping to knock them off of their pedestal, with promises of turning Ireland into a true 'first-rate power' through more involvements in European affairs. Criticism has been leveled, as always, as to what more involvement will actually bring to the plate, aside from a larger possibility of war. The only other party that has even a slight chance of getting elected in the Liberal-Unionist coalition, which as only a small percentage of support. The Coalition is hoping to bring Ireland closer to its neighbors in Britain, a move that many Conservative activists claim 'will doom Ireland.'

Italian Plebescite
Rome, Vatican States

Similar to the move made in France, international mediation has been called upon to oversee a fair plebiscite in the Italian territory held by the Franco-Germanic Empire. Representatives from Naples and Quebec oversaw the voting, and when everything was said and done, Padania, the Vatican and Naples gained some land from the Franco-Germanic Empire, while the lands around Taranto declared independence. Surprisingly, some regions in Central Italy decided to remain a part of the Reich, much to the detriment of Italian nationalists, who had been hoping that the plebiscite would bring the old nation-state of Italy closer to existing again.

The a Unionist party was elected in Taranto almost immediately, and some are saying that diplomatic cables between Taranto and Naples have been very secretive, and more constant that one might expect.
(+1 Vatican EP, ++1 Vatican IP, +Taranto, +1 Padanian EP, +1 Naples EP)

Occitanian Naval Exercises
Marseille, Occitania

In triumph, the Occitanian navy began naval exercises on its southern coast, with its ships sailing from Marseille, near the Balearics, and towards Sardinia. While the action can easily be pin-pointed as just being a side-effect from the national fervor many Occitanians seemed to of worked themselves into, Tripolitania, worried about the loss of its few remaining 'colonies' in the Balearics and Malta had moved ships in accordance to the Occitanian, and put themselves in a position to intercept any ships, should the need arise, leading to some tensions between the nations.

Pan-France Infrastructure Project
Paris, Occitania

One of the first things the Occitanian government did upon hearing the results of the plebiscite, was put in motion a plan for more direct rail-lines between Marseille and Paris, along with several other major new Occitanian cities. The first official train from Marseille to Paris since the end of the plebiscite was met with thunderous applause from a several thousand person large crowd of spectators. Government plans for an overall infrastructure overhaul after the Scandinavian War of Unification and the Franco-Germanic Civil War has been planned in the coming years.
(+1 Occitanian EP, ++3 Occitanian IP)

Agitated Nationals In Chernorussiya
Moscow, Chernorussiya

The thoughts that the Russian resistance movement was breathing its dying breath may still hold true, but this year, their increased activity tied down Chernorussiyan soldiers. The rebels seemed to be better organized than in previous years, and were using some very identifiable weaponry. Chernorussiyan intelligence reports weren't needed, but done anyway and all evidence points to 'Free American' funding and support of the rebels. With a bulk of the Chernorussiyan in the Pacific, the rebels had 'free reign' for a short period of time, feeling a bit more brave, but a harsh Chernorussiyan crack-down stifled any major attempts at uprising.
(-2 Chernorussiyan Regiments)

Lack of Trial Draws Criticism
Madrid, The Kingdom of Spain

Mohammed Fassi's trial, scheduled for this year didn't happen, for some reason. The imprisoned King of Morocco had been taken by Spanish forces last year during the Spanish-Moroccan War, and as evidence of the systematic murder of his political rivals became unearthed by Spanish forces, cries both internally, and internationally for his trial became prevalent. Yet, Alfonso has yet to act decisively on the matter, and many are wondering why.
(-Spanish Stability)

Claymore Resigns!
London, England

Alec Claymore, the man who had led English through one of its toughest trials, resigned this year, claiming that it was time for the power in England to shift to someone new. His selected replacement was Finance Minister, Montgomery Ophidian who had been a key individual in the recent economic and industrial boom England had been experiencing, and the English governments representative to Scandinavia during their war of Unification. Ophidian took a quick sight-seeing tour of Quebec, Scotland and Scandinavia before finally coming back to London to receive the honor. The ascension of Ophidian seems to be great news to Scottish and English Unionists, as he was one of the more outspoken advocates of a renewal of the British state.

Africa​

Grand Senegambian Mines
Abuja, Grand Senegambia

After Nigerian rebel forces did everything in their power to hamper the Senegambian mining effort in their lands, production has once again kicked in, after Empress Nkoyo delegated more funding to the project. With the resistance of the Nigerians dying down, through government re-education, and force of arms, more lucrative business opportunities seem to be making themselves available to the Senegambians.
(+1 Grand Senegambian EP, ++3 Grand Senegambian IP)

Alfonso XIV Visits New Territories
El Jadida, The Kingdom of Spain

The Spanish King Alfonso XIV has visited his new Moroccan lands, on a PR tour, giving several speeches along the way. While his speeches were filled with the usual bombast and vigor that has come to be associated with Alfonso, his response among the beaten Moroccan people has been apathetic at best. While the papers in Madrid might be claiming the Moroccans are new, happy subjects under Spanish rule, they don't seem to look like it. Regardless, there hasn't been any rebellion since the start of Spanish rule, and the standard of living has raised, if only slightly. Assuredly the Moroccans will learn to love their new rulers, but not just yet.

Peace In Somalia
Mogadishu, Somalia

Meeting in Mogadishu, delegates from the old Somalian government, and the new Somalian Islamists Alliance met to discuss peace terms. The obvious victory for the SIA led to them simply dictating the terms to their adversaries, with them able to do little more than shrug, and sign the papers presented to them. The terms were fairly clear; Somalia, at least the old Somalia, could continue to exist in Kenya. And with that, the beaten government had to stop referring to itself as being Somalian, and instead Kenyan. A 5 year NAP between the nations was signed, and the new Kenyan state had to fully recognize the rule of the SIA over the horn of Africa. With the war over, the SIA began reconstructing its land, using some donated funds from Arabia. Increased tariffs for western nations are a direct effect expected by many Western analysts.

Namibian Brush War
Aranos, England

Wanting independence from its neo-colonial masters, many in what had been Namibia began boycotting English made goods, and to whatever extent possible, services. After several weeks of no response from their English rulers, some villages inland declared outright independence from the English crown, citing the issues that Neo-Colonialism has brought the region. Like a brush-fire, the rebellion spread faster than the English Colonial Governor Richard Starkhil had thought, and it became so bad that the Colonial Offices in Windhoeck came under threat of attack.

English forces, originally being deployed to the border with Tanzania were shifted back to the area as fast as possible, and came out guns-blazing. The rebel forces dispersed into the Namibian brush, and began staging hit and run attacks on the ill-prepared English forces.
(-2 English Regiments, -30 English IP, --1 English IP)

Scandinavian Invasion of the Congo
Luanda, The United Commonwealth of Scandinavia

For little reason, other than the 'March of Civilization' the United Commonwealth of Scandinavia invaded the Congo this year. Stability issues, among smaller grievances were officially given as the cause of the invasion by the Imperial Foreign Office in Copenhagen, though no true Nordist in Scandinavia was questioning the move.

The invasion began with a blitz-krieg style assault against Luanda, the Congolese Capitol. Regiments of veteran Scandinavian soldiers burst across the border, shooting at everything that was unlucky enough to step in front of the highly mobile force. Luanda surrendered within the first few days of fighting, and seems to of saved itself from the horrors that were occurring along the Congo River. Scandinavian Gun-boats sailed up the river, burning all river-side villages and ports that happened to be along the path. The very same gun-boats also unloaded Scandinavian soldiers at various points to push their attack further inland. Reports of the units being led by Norse Church Missionaries that had experience with the area filtered in from refugees attempting to make it over the border into Cameroon.

After little over a month of fighting, the official government of the Congo, residing somewhere deep within what land wasn't occupied by the Scandinavian forces, requested a cease-fire for peace talks with the Scandinavians, as it became apparent that a civil war of sorts was developing between military forces that apparently were hoping for some sort of a protectorate being established by the Scandinavians.
(-6 Congolese Regiments, -2 Congolese Armored Brigades, -6 Congolese Gun-boats, -6 Congolese Fighter-Squadrons, -3 Congolese EP, -130 Congolese IP, --1 Congolese IP, -3 Scandinavian Regiments, -3 Scandinavian Gun-boats, -1 Scandinavian Bomber-Squadron, -2 Scandinavian Fighter-Squadrons)

Asia​

Japanese Car Industry Stalls
Kobe, The Japanese Empire

A large increase in the government funding of factories has caused a massive production of cars in the already growing Japanese auto-industry. The government's goal of being the world’s largest producer of automobiles became a reality this year, but the problem came with actually exporting them. The spread of war in the Pacific, and the destruction of the Panama Canal in the fighting meant that the cars were unable to get to European and North American buyers quickly, which led to many of the nation’s looking to other countries to import cars from. Central and Eastern European countries have notably been making some money off of the lack of Japanese exportations, with the Dukat Motor Company out of Bulgaria gaining a significant hold on the European market.
(++1 Japanese IP, +1 Japanese EP, ++4 Bulgarian IP, ++3 Bohemian IP)

The Japanese Emperor Extends Emergency Powers
Tokyo, The Japanese Empire

The Japanese diet voted to extend the emergency powers of Japanese Emperor Hisahito's emergency powers that he gained after an attempt on his life two years ago. While he gave a laundry list on valid reasons for such a move, many of his critics (that don't reside in Japan) have spent the last few months chanting 'I told you so'. The move came as a surprise to no one really, and the Japanese people seem content with it, though it has caused some more tensions with Japans allies Korea and the Ezo Republic.

Fanning The Flames
Yumen, The Chinese Empire

As the year went its course, more Chinese usurpers have begun appearing in the Xinjiang region of China. The growing discontent and disillusionment with the Imperial government in Beijing has led to some student riots that the Imperial government put down with some notable force. Radio broadcasts from Altai Khan have begun reaching Chinese airwaves, planting the seeds of insurrection even more. As more and more riots began taking place, specifically around the city of Yumen, the Imperial government ordered another crackdown. Only this time, the general in charge of the Chinese Imperial forces in the region, Bai Shicai refused to act, calling the brutality a 'crime'. A lot of his army seemed to feel the same way, and all but pledged their loyalty to the growing Communist-influence youth movement.
(-3 Chinese Regiments, -Chinese Stability, -1 Chinese EP, --2 Chinese IP)

Sumatra Isolates Itself
Aceh, The Revolutionary State of Sumatra

Established after the quick, but bloody coup last year, the Revolutionary State of Sumatra under Generalissimo Fauzi Ali has kept true to his promises of ridding the state of foreign influences. In an international statement, Ali has banned all non-approved foreign companies from operating within the Sumatra, and all non-approved foreign nationals from entering the country. Those that had resided in Sumatra before the revolution last year, found themselves quickly shipped out, without much of a thought. The only nations that appear to be amiable with Sumatra are the Islamist nations in the Middle East, with significant portions of Persian trade (or at least, what's left of it) going to the island nation.

Ahmatannick Dam Begins Construction
Baghdad, Mesopotamia

Proposed by Rama Ahmatannick, Ph.D, a new dam project has begun in Mesopotamia, replacing the older Mosul Dam. The Ahmatannick Dam (named after its creator) is being created to use the overwhelming power given off by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers to help the growing Green Initiative in Mesopotamia. On top of that, many thousands of Mesopotamian workers have founded new jobs in the project, which is expected to take a few years to complete.
(++3 Mesopotamian IP)

Green Revolution in Mesopotamia
Kuwait, Mesopotamia

The Ahmatannick Dam just seemed to be the first step in the growing Mesopotamian Green movement that has been taking hold on the Middle Eastern nation of late. Various public works projects both proposed and acted on, seemed to propel the nation towards a cleaner, more environmentally friendly future. The first, and perhaps most significant of these initiatives, is a Mass Transit system, that has the goals of not only quickening the times in which Mesopotamians can arrive at work, but easing toxic emissions. Along with that, research in the University of Baghdad, better oil extraction methods have allowed for quicker and cleaner extraction from the Kuwaiti oil fields, and by extension has allowed for greater exportation of oil. Research into wind and solar power has also allowed for costs to be cut down in the energy sector.
(+2 Mesopotamian EP, ++7 Mesopotamian IP)

Terror Attacks in Vladivostok
Vladivostok, Chernorussiya

Chernorussiya has been on the watch for terrorists more so than usual, with the spread of the American War. Thanks in large part to that, several major terror plots by Russian Republican agents in the nation had been uncovered, and dealt with accordingly by the Chernorussiyan internal police force. Only one of the major planned attacks made it through, when a series of subway bombs destroyed a train in Vladivostok, killing 14, and injuring many more. Random shootings have also occurred in some Chernorussiyan towns, though casualties have been non-existent, or so the Chernorussiyan government is reporting.
(-5 Chernorussiyan IP)

Plebiscite in the Siber Confederacy
Tomsk, Siber Confederacy

In a year of plebiscites, and after several years of threats and debate, the northern portions of the Siber Confederacy have elected to be integrated into Chernorussiya. All the land to the north of the Irtysh River was declared to be Chernorussiyan, as Siberian soldiers, what few of them actually exist, moved south, around Tomsk. The Siber government has taken the loss in stride, using this time to solidify their rule around the land they have been left with. Talks in the Confederate government about a possible, more central government change have occurred, and the general feeling is that such a move would be necessary to insure the survival of the Siber state.
(-1 Siber EP, --2 Siber IP, +1 Chernorussiyan EP, ++2 Chernorussiyan IP)

Fars War Ends
Fars, Persia

Kurdistan has surrendered the Fars corridor to Persia this year, along with all land bordering the Caspian sea. After years of fighting overwhelming, zealous forces, without so much as anyone in the international community condemning Persia, Kurdistan is a shell of what it once was. The victorious Persian forces paraded around Tehran, with their Bokharan allies, with chants for the death of 'Liberal Islam' being heard repeatedly in the celebrations. Relations between Afghanistan, Bokhara, Khiva and Persia have been becoming increasingly amiable, to the fear of the Baluchistani government, and many in Mesopotamia, who seem content to hide behind their new defensive fortifications, the 'Kurdish Wall'.
(-3 Kurdish EP, --1 Kurdish IP, -9 Kurdish Gun-boats, -3 Kurdish Destroyers, -1 Kurdish Submarine, +9 Persian Gun-boats, +3 Persian Destroyers, +1 Persian Submarine

Ordu Ceded To Turkey
Ordu, Turkey

The war between Turkey and the Hellenistic Empire that had started with such a strong vigor last year, ended rather quickly, as cooler heads prevailed, and an agreement was reached between the two nations in regards to the Turkish claim on Ordu and its surrounding area. The deal was that, so long as Turkey stops funding nationalistic movements in Hellenistic Anatolia, Turkey could have Ordu and the surrounding land. The deal was reached, fairly quickly, and Turkey had little reason not to sign. Reports that Bulgarian encouragement, along with other nations from the new Black Sea Trade Organization also seemed to help the reconciliation.

Oceania​

New Zealand Guarantees Support
Wellington, New Zealand

The Pacific Commonwealth has refused to turn over the South Island nationals that it had captured last year, planning what the Commonwealth called a terror plot. This refusal came soon after New Zealander promises to come to the defense of the Pacific Commonwealth, should war ever come between it and South Island. Days later, however, a Scandinavian delegation arrived in Christchurch, pledging support for South Island, and reaffirming its allegiance through the Pact of Iron. The show of support gave Adam Key enough power to again, demand the return of the South Island nationals, and no reply has been given by the Pacific Commonwealth just yet.

Story Bonuses​

The Republic of Alaska is invading Panama. What did you do with your holiday? (+1 Alaskan Regiment)

The United Commonwealth of Scandinavia has a reform that sounds like a deadly disease. (+20 Scandinavian IP)

Quebec has every right to give you those condescending looks. After all, it probably owns all the oil you've been using. (+1 Banked Quebecois EP)

The Republic of Texas has a very specific war of doing things, and the people love that. (+Texan Stability)

The People's Republic of Mongolia has a Khan that looks very familiar... (+Mongolian Stability)

The Japanese Empire has a bigger auto-industry than you. Probably. (+20 Japanese IP)

Brazil's reporters also found some extra planes.. (+2 Brazilian Fighter Squadrons)

England has a classy way of doing things, doesn't it? (+English Stability)

Chernorussiya will make very mean movies about you. You have been warned. (+20 Chernorussiyan IP)

The Dixie Republic recently decided to expand it's navy. Something to do with 'fishing?' (+1 Dixie Destroyer)

Bulgaria has a new monarch, that knows how to shuffle a cabinet, and get returns. (+1 Banked Bulgarian EP)

THE "HUMAN INTEREST MAGAZINE" PERSON OF THE YEAR

MAP​

DIPLOMACY​

From: Andalusia
To: Spain

We may be looking to join our old nation state. It seems that our attempts at striking out on our own have been less than successful. Before anything is set in stone, what would your terms of Union be?

From: Guyana
To: World

Despite our mismanagement of not only the dam, but the situation last year, we are still in need of some aid. Any help you can send would be appreciated.

From: The Empire of China
To: World

The questionable elements that have been causing a ruckus in Xingjiang are being dealt with. Don't worry yourselves over it.

From: General Bai Shicai
To: World

The corruption and decadence of the Imperial Regime based out of Beijing is appalling. We aren't asking for help, only an ear to listen to our plight.

From: The Kingdom of Andalusia
To: The Kingdom of Spain

Well, you've talked a big game. Now show us your cards. What do you really have to offer, if this proposal was to pass?

From: Kenya
To: England

Your funding was too little too late. While we're glad you finally realized that a war was going on over here, we have no use for your aid. You can have it back.

From: Kurdistan
To: Mesopotamia

We will laugh when Persia ends your little Green Utopia.

From: The Pacific Commonwealth, New Zealand
To: South Island
CC: The Norse Imperium

Your nationals are terrorists, and will be charged as such in a Pacific court. We see no reason to return them to you, and don't plan on doing so.

OOC​

Everyone: I finished a lot of this while half-asleep, so if there are any major discrepancies, please tell me. Stats should be up tomorrow, and the next deadline will be Saturday, April 14th. Also, keep complaining to a minimum.

Haseri: Nice seeing orders for Brazil. Glad to finally focus a little bit on South America. In your orders, you tried spending IP for a few things (such as examining the dams), and with things such as that, you don't really need to spend IP, or anything really. If you are ever questioning if you should spend something extra, feel free to run it by me.

Kozmos: None of the American nations had significantly invested in space or satellite technologies enough for me to believe that they were extensively reliant on them for communication. The only nation in the area that has done so is the Dixie Republic, which is in a joint Space Program with them, though I doubt you wanted to shoot down their satellites. A small combat multiplier was added in though.

arya126: Your invasion was called off to face the Chernorussiyans.

J.K. Stockholme: Your orders were excellent. Actually, better than a lot I received this turn. My only suggestion would be to clearly highlight your spending at the top of your orders, below your actual stats, along with how you mentioned them in your descriptions. This is just so I can easily go through and do the stats for everyone.

<nuke>: Your orders were incredibly vague, and left a lot to the imagination. If you don't agree with some actions your military took this turn, and then perhaps go a little more in depth next time.

To: Korea, Manchuria and China
From: The Greater Japanese Empire

Mongolia has shown once that it will stop at nothing to have the whole region come under the scourge of Communism. They continue to destabilize China, something must be done to stem their blatantly aggressive actions.

To: The Free America Alliance, California, Warring American Nations
From: The Greater Japanese Empire

Your war has caused a massive economic shock in Japan, and indeed much of the world. We ask that you return to peace and stop this petty war.

ooc; good update.

Edit-- someone should join up in East Asia, it's getting incredibely lonely p)

Excellent update as always.

Story to arrive soon.

Thanks guys! Though I hesitate to say it, the stats have been updated. Though I'm positive I forgot someone's spending somewhere. Give them a look. The rest of the front page will be updated through tonight and tomorrow.

From: Manchuria, Korea
To: Japan

What do you suggest we do? Intervene? They aren't a part of our Mutual Defense Pact.

From: The Chinese Empire
To: Japan

Hey guy. Everything is fine over here. We'll take care of it.