Six-Months War; Take 4

1925​

Peaceful Matters

Increased trade between Japan and it's sphere of influence, with the United States and it's sphere has benefited both countries. (+2 American EP, +2 Japanese EP, +1 Indochinese EP, +1 Siamese EP, +1 Nicaraguan EP)

The recession in North America stopped bringing economies down, though it certainly didn't help any out.

North America

The Aleyskan Gold Rush has subsided a bit, but that has given way to a general mining boom, with many small mining communities springing up. Japanese, American and Canadian prospectors continue to move to the Tsardom, and tension among the groups continues to grow, as fear of an envelopment of the native Russian and Indigenous culture by the immigrants continues to grow. (+5 Aleyskan Manpower, +5 Aleyskan EP, - Aleyskan Stability)

After years of being bystanders to Canada's political disarray, the territories of Newfoundland, Labrador and New Brunswick have been given Dominionship by the United Kingdom, with St. John's the capitol of the new nation. While many Newfoundlanders are overjoyed at this turn of event, to many Canadians this is but the representation of the political problems they've experienced since the end of the Great War.

The Treaty of Medellin has superseded the Treaty of San Clemente fairly quickly, with the nations of Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia and the United States signing. (+ 2 Nicaraguan EP, -1 Dominican EP, +1 Venezuelan EP, +2 Colombia EP, +3 United States EP)

Quebec became the cultural and scientific center of the world, if only for a brief few days this year. (see the Montreal Expo)


A mass hunt of Negroes in the Confederacy by the Rebel Knights prompted public outrage during the Montreal Expo, with the Confederacy's token stand at the expo being the site of protests and riots. Many in the United States also found what could best be described as mass lynching appalling. President Brandon sent out what military forces he had available to hunt down the illegal terrorist group, but came up short.

South America

Ecuador started developing it's own new railways this year. (+2 Ecuadorian EP)

A rail line, connecting the entirety of the Andean Republic has been completed this year. Since the Andean manufacturing and agricultural sectors have been growing significantly in recent times, this has proven to come in handy. (+10 Andean EP)

The Brazilian Hydroelectric-Plant has finally come to fruition, after years of notable trial and error. The Hydroelectric-Plant Brazil has built is probably the largest in the continent of South America, if not the Americas as a whole. Thousands of jobs have been created by the beginning construction, and it's expected to be finalized next year. (+8 Brazilian EP, ++4 Brazilian Manpower)

Tensions between Paraguay and Bolivia over the “Gran Chaco” region have become more notable, with many Bolivians attempting to push the border back in the hopes of getting access to trade on the Atlantic Ocean through the Paraguayan River.

A debate in Argentina began to rage when the question of what the national language should be appeared before the Argentinean congress. With most of the populace being able to speak English, most still use Spanish as their more personal choice of language, reserving English for more official dealings. Much of the current Argentinean government is still made up of British politicians, with a similar Anglo-centric political machine persisting, even after the Treaty of La Plata, that removed Argentina from Britain's Commonwealth. The debate hasn't gone very far, and seems to be fairly pointless, as the current government has made it a point to stifle Spanish influences in the nation.

Europe

Norway's population continued to grow as refugees from Sweden made their way across the border. (+10 Norwegian Manpower, -10 Swedish Manpower)

Belgium's economy continues to flourish, and met increases once again this year through much of the same means it's been pursuing. (+13 Belgian EP)

Crimea started expanding it's dilapidated railroad lines, along with it's coal mining industry. (+5 Crimean EP)


The Whaling Industry in Iceland has began to see some rejuvenation at the hands of Danish investors who started to build new buy old available ships, and buy some new ships to increase the size of it's current whaling fleet. A processing plant outside of Reykjavik has also started being built, and is expected to be finished by next year. (+5 Danish Iceland EP, ++2 Danish Manpower)

The Danish government has subsidized the national healthcare system for children and newborns, with the hopes of lowering the infant and child mortality rate. (+=2 Danish Manpower)

The DELAG company continues to be the pride of the German aviation industry, as a German zeppelin becomes the first to fly over the Atlantic successfully. (+5 German EP)

Italy has began incorporating the Ionian Islands, the Aegean Islands and Crete into it's empire. It hasn't gone well in Crete, as partisan forces have staged raids on the Italian military. (See Military Matters)

Estardo's Estado Nova plan, started several years back continues to yield profits. (+8 Spanish EP)

Russia continues to rebuild it's infrastructure, with the focus shifting towards destroyed factories and power plants in the St. Petersburg area. The lack of major industry from the days of the Russian Empire in other regions has been notable, and ultimately Comrade Trotzky is hoping to fix that. (+8 Russian EP)

The Irish railroad industry got back on track (literally) after a two-year long strike. (+5 Irish EP)

Africa

A railroad has started to be built, linking Capetown with any and all significant South African towns. (+3 South African EP)

The Durban project is finished. (+6 South African EP, ++2 South African Manpower)

Transvaali gold mines have attracted some prospectors from South Africa, and gave Transvaal some new workers from South Africa, and some extra money. (++10 Transvaal EP, +20 Transvaal Manpower, -20 South African Manpower)


Asia

Throughout British India, Sikhs have been given the opportunity to serve in governmental offices in Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta and even London, so they can better represent their people. While this isn't the “Khalistan” state many Sikhs had been hoping for, it is a lot better than what many had expected. (+British Stability, +British Indian Stability)

The Tokyo system continues to be developed. (+4 Japanese EP, ++1 Japanese Manpower)

The reforms in the Dutch East Indies continue, with actual enforcement of the anti-corruption laws passed last year occurring. The Dutch government has began subsidizing factories that have began to comply with the demands of the striking Indonesian workers. The nationalistic fervor had toned down a bit throughout the year, but ultimately some agitators got their hands on weapons and military supplies (somehow), and began causing issues for Colonial authorities in Java. (see Military Events)

Oceania

The Beltway Project continued in Australia. (+3 Australian EP, ++2 Australian Manpower)

Political Matters

The King of Siam Vajiravudh (Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramentharamaha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Klao Chao Yu Hua) died this year, his successor being his brother, Prajadhipok. Vajiravudh was best remembered for his associated with Japan during the Great War, and the spread of what could be best described as Siamese nationalism, as they finally beat back both the British and French adventures during the war.

Elections in Portugal became heated after pro-Falangist affiliates became outraged at the election of Vitorino Meirera, a noted anti-Falangist. Meirera's entire campaign was riddled with controversy, with claims of voter fraud being made across Portugal. Meirera's promise to outlaw the Falangist party in Portugal hasn't been acted on thus far, but Falangists (which have become quite the large political party in the nation) have promised to turn to violence should such a law be passed.

Sichuan Warlord Zhu Zhonggong has announced the formation of the “Emergency Federal States in Sichuan”, or the United Provinces of Sichuan, where he shall act as provincial governor until the end of the war. Promises of representation for the people of Sichuan have been well recieved, though Zhu's status as the essential dicator has been called into question. The government has been found to be better than what the populaces of the other warlord factions have been subject too, however.

Alfredo Machado was elected President of Cuba, hoping to draw the island nation out of the United States' economic dominance, and establishing ties with both Spanish and Confederate businesses.

Luis Cordova was elected the President of Ecuador, without much fanfare.

Protests continued throughout Canada this year, and a formal petition to move the capitol from Toronto to Vancouver was put up for vote by the Canadian parliament.

Despite the gaining of it's Dominionship status, many living in Eastern Labrador continue to call for annexation by Quebec.

Tsar Cyril of Aleyksa gave a speech promoting unity among Aleyskans, and they're new neighbors, specifically the Japanese. After riots broke out in Sitka last year between Japanese miners and native Aleyskans, tension between the two groups has been growing ever since. Luckily no new incidents have broken out this year.

The Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, and the Belgian King Albert I were married in Brussels this year. Charlotte has reportedly been found pregnant, and the baby is expected sometime next spring.

Elections in Finland ended with incumbent Paavo Vanhanen of the Kansallinen Kokoomuspuolue party gaining a slight majority of the vote, over Antti Stenfors of the Maalaisliitto. Vanhanen has proven to be a highly capable leader of the new Finnish state, and many are hoping he continues his industrial reforms, as opposed to the Agrarian reforms Stenfors was planning for.

Napoleon IV of the Third French Empire died this year, at the age of 69. Napoleon's health had been waning for quite sometime, and the stress of the Abyssinian rebellion, and political pressures in Paris seemed to have given him as much stress as he could handle. Napoleon's passing led to Victor Napoleon (referred to henceforth as Napoleon V) to assume the throne. Napoleon V is expected to abdicate within the next few years to give his son Louis, Prince Napoleon (currently eleven years old) the throne. Napoleon's hold on the throne is weak at best, and various political factions have taken to the street calling for an end to Napoleonic governance. The New Socialists of France have been particularly vocal in their distaste for the new ascendency of Napoleon V, claiming that Louis Stele should be given more direct power over the government. On the other side, the French members of the Communist Internationale have made demonstrations against both the Imperial government, and the New Socialists. The national Gendarmerie force has been unable to curtail all of the rebellious activities, and the Imperial government is rapidly losing credit throughout the industrial centers of France. The French parliament has become ineffective in it's attempts at restoring public order, and rumors of the Imperial government planning on disbanding the Parliament hasn't helped the situation much either. By early winter, Communist Internationale rioters in Bordeaux and Lyon had proclaimed an end to Imperial rule, urging the working classes to end the rule of Bonapartism and New Socialism, for the betterment of France as a whole. Political correspondents in both cities attempting to report on the happenings found the telegraph lines severed, as entire sections of the cities came under siege by the Imperial military. (see Military Matters)


The Italian government has announced plans for an election in 1926, but that hasn't done much to alleviate the calls for governmental reform, namely in scaling back the powers that Vittorio Emmanuele currently holds. As war continues to grip the nation though, many have been hard-pressed to justify violent political action. (see Military Matters)

Elections in the Netherlands led to the Anti-Revolutionary Party gaining more seats, as news of the Javan insurgency spread to the Netherlands proper. The liberal reforms in Indonesia, while seeing their fair share of successes, has started to be viewed as a main catalyst in the insurgency.

The United States has dissolved the Haitian parliament that was just recently installed, after it's refusal to take part in the signing the Treaty of Medellin. A more “suitable” government was put into place.

Military Matters

The United Kingdom has created the Pimlico Model 1 Warker

The United Kingdom has created the Arion fighter.

The Third French Empire has designed the Bordeaux 25', a noted improvement on it's previous Bordeaux 19' Fighters.

Persia has completely mobilized it's military.

The Soviet Republic of Russia was proud to announce the creation of the Russian Workers Revolutionary Airforce.

The United States army has been sent into the Utah territory to restore order to area. The Mormon insurgency (which has been going on and off for the better part of 40 years) had been causing particular issues for the United States the past several years, but the involvement of direct Federal soldiers quieted down a conflict that could have escalated quickly. After some fighting around Salt Lake City by local militias (and with the help of some well placed (internment) camps the United States dispersed any organized Mormon resistance, and “pacified” the region. (-1 United States Division, -5 United States Manpower)


The Zulu rebellion was violently put down by a coalition of South African and Transvaali soldiers, with most of the rebels dispersing back into what was their classical tribal areas. The two armies worked together fairly amiably, without no notable incidents to report (contrary to what many in the South African press were thinking) (-1 South African Division, +South African Army Experience, -1 Transvaali Division, +South African Army Experience)

Soviet attempts at putting down the Kulak opposition were met with a mixture of success and failure, with the initial attempts of the Red Army to find and destroy resistance working very well. When news of the Red Army's attacks made their way through the ranks of Kulaks, attempts at banding together were successful against Red Army assaults. Groups of soldiers were spotted being hesitant to fire on their countrymen, and quickly found themselves serving “other assignments” elsewhere. (-2 Russian Divisions)

While the nationalistic fervor that has been sweeping Indonesia has been fairly non-violent (save for a few instances in last years protests) groups of Javan nationalists found weapons, and began taking their frustration out on the Dutch Colonial authorities. This nationalist group has been organized for sometime, united by the teachings of the Muhammadiyah group, though not strictly a part of them. The Javans have used their knowledge of local terrain, and support from Java's Islamic population to help protect them from Dutch police action. (-2 Dutch Divisions)

https://soundcloud.com/bairsayshi/wip-1 (Chinese Warlords Theme, created by Bair_the_Normal)

The Japanese continued their invasion of Manchuria, using the momentum of last years victories to ultimately claim the rest of the Fengtian Clique as the new region of Manchukuo. (-8 Japanese Divisions)

The Qing Empire refused to acknowledge Chinese rule of the area, which prompted a Japanese invasion of what remained of the Empire. The Qing, receiving a large number of loans from foreign governments, found itself particularly ready for the assaults. As Japanese soldiers entered into Qing territory, the Qing, with the aid of local militias (who were surprisingly well equipped and trained) immediately began bleeding the Japanese invasion force dry. Hindenburg Light Warkers, fresh out of Chinese factories appeared on the frontline in large enough numbers to allow for Chinese forces to circumvent the flanks of several Japanese advances, while the Qing Army and Militias, outnumbering the Japanese by a large margin, more often than not, took advantage of the massive size of the front, and slammed the Japanese formations in conjunction with their Warker brigades. The Japanese did maintain control of the skies, with their new IS2M fighter squadrons. The Japanese Kiki B1 bombers were the only effective way of dealing with the Chinese Warker Brigades, but the sheer size of the front made precision bombing fairly difficult in the long run. By the end of the year, Japanese forces had managed to breakthrough towards the Qinghai Clique, but actually were on the defensive in Manchuria, with the Qing capturing Huludao in late fall.
(-52 Japanese Divisions, -3 Japanese IS1M Fighter Squadrons, -1 Japanese IS2M Fighter Squadron, -1 Japanese Kiki B1 Bomber Squadron, -59 Qing Divisions, -15 Qing Militia Divisions, -3 Qing Hindenburg Light Warker Brigades, -11 Qing Fighter Squadrons)

At sea, the Japanese had a distinct advantage in massive surface fleet numbers, but the Chinese submarine force is what really took a toll on the Japanese. Limited surface fleet fighting took place off of Yantai and Lushum, but the Japanese Navy proved superior, and dismissed most of the Chinese fleet without incurring too many casualties. The real issue for the Japanese lay with the massive Chinese submarine fleet that had been building up since the middle of the Great War. Japanese sea-lanes along the Nansei Shoto (Ryukyu Islands) remained wide open for the Qing submarines, who immediately began commerce raiding, and striking what military ships they could. Chinese submarines were spotted as far south as the Gulf of Tonkin, and throughout the Korean Archipelago, harassing Japanese shipping both military and commercial. Japanese attempts at destroying the submarines were fairly generally futile, with groups of ships, accompanied by air-support the only ones with any real effect. The biggest “win” the Chinese managed to get was sinking a Japanese Kaiser-Class Dreadnought off of Cheju I, when several Qing submarines attacked in unison. To the dismay of the Qing public, the attacks fizzled out by the end of the year, for one reason or another, and ultimately had little effect on the supremacy of the Japanese fleet in the Yellow Sea. (-5 Qing Cruisers, -10 Qing Destroyers, -22 Qing Submarines, -6 Japanese EP, -20 Japanese Manpower, -Japanese Stability, -1 Indochinese EP, -1 Japanese Kaiser-class Dreadnought, -6 Japanese Cruisers, -6 Japanese Destroyers, -3 Indochinese Manpower)

The Sichuan Clique had been busy indirectly aiding the Japanese advances, by striking at the Qing from behind, launching attacks towards Xi'an and Lanzhou. The Qing barely paid any attention to the Sichuan attack, with the Japanese Army striking from Manchuria, and so local militias slowly gave way to the Sichuan army, and before too long, the Sichuan found themselves advancing in a broad front against the Qing. While they outnumbered the Qing, the training and technology of the Qing army is ultimately what prevented a full on route, and the Sichuan movements has led to an interesting dilemma for Puyi and what remains of his government. (-15 Sichuan Divisions, -10 Qing Divisions, -10 Qing Militia)

The Chinese Republicans forced themselves towards the Sichuan, beating back most of the Sichuan forces to the Huanghe river. (-1 Sichuan Division, -4 Chinese Republican Divisions)
To the north, the Qinghai Clique advanced on the Xinjiang, Tibetans and Mongolians, to various degrees of success, but found themselves under attack by the Sichuan, who advanced toward the Qinghai capitol of Xining. (-10 Qinghai Divisions, -4 Xinjiang Divisions, -1 Tibetan Division, -2 Mongolian Divisions, -3 Sichuan Divisions)

A Spanish fleet began blockading the Guangxi holdings in Hainan, and started to bombard the coastal defenses of Haikou, Wechang and Yaxian. Without much hesitation, the Spanish landed a sizable infantry contingent, that overran most of the island's weak defense force. The Guangxi, strong on the continent, had little ability to protect their island position from the Spanish fleet. (-3 Guanxian Divisions, -2 Spanish Divisions)

A joint Chinese Republican and Yunnan attack also hit the Gaungxi when the Spanish ships made their way to Hainan. The Guangxi defenders managed to bulk up it's defense forces before the initial attacks, so it was much better prepared than original thought. (-10 Chinese Republican Divisions, -16 Guangxi Divisions, -6 Yunnan Divisions)

Citizens in both Lyon and Bordeaux declared their intentions of no longer recognizing Imperial jurisdiction. The citizens, members of the French branch of the Communist Internationale “repossessed” the city squares, and the property within them, rejecting any type of attempts by Napoleon V's new government to alleviate the situation. The rebels were joined many who were simply tired of the Imperial Regime, and those also supportive of the Communist cause. The initial responders to the revolt were New Socialists who took up arms against the Communists. The New Socialists were surprisingly well-armed and managed to end a similar situation from occurring in Marseille. Before too long, infantry units began positioning themselves for a siege of the city, but surprisingly enough many refused to fire on the French citizens. Deadlock ensued, with the Communists biding their time, waiting for popular support to start amassing. (-1 French Division, -3 French Manpower, -3 French EP)

It did, albeit outside of the cities. Imperial presence in the French countryside has been relatively non-existent since the end of the Great War, and an interesting scene developed where members of both the New Socialists and the French Communist Internationale committed to what is best described as partisan infighting. Villages throughout Occitania became scenes of fighting as small groups of both parties took to fighting in the streets and buildings, with many French citizens looking on almost apathetically. (-10 French Manpower, -2 French EP)

The French Army finished it's sweep through Abyssinia, destroying the remaining pockets of native resistance. (-2 French Divisions)

The Greek Civil War has continued in full, with a large shipment of Russian goods, soldiers, and volunteers reaching Salonica in the early spring. While the Russian force was by no means large, it did help the Thessaloniki Sovietiki expand it's current control over the entirety of northern Greece. The Greek Republican forces, still largely in disarray from the abrupt Italian and Spanish departure, struggled to maintain it's footing in the south, though it did get the capitulation of what Royalist forces remained. Republican movements towards Siatista and Kastoria were befuddled by logistical issues, and were quickly beaten back by Thessalonikian and Russian Soviet soldiers moving south from Florina. The local villagers often found themselves supporting the Thessalonikians, with many joining their ranks. The Thessalonikians became notorious for delivering food from their Russian allies, to the villages they manage to take over, swaying public opinion in their favor by leaps and bounds. Republican counter-attacks near Volos were arguably more successful, but they struggled to get further than there. The Republican government, meanwhile, has continued to struggle in establishing itself in Athens, with public support waning over the Thessalonikian advances, and continued food shortages. (-3 Thessalonikian Divisions, -1 Russian Division, -6 Greek Divisions)


In a somewhat surprising move, the members of the Crescent Alliance, Spain and Italy declared their intention to free the Hedjaz from Ottoman rule, after apparent atrocities committed by the Ottoman military against Arab rebels, in this past year. Soon after the declaration, the German Empire declared it's intent to maintain the current borders of the Ottoman Empire, and it's wish to prevent the conflict from spreading to any area aside from the Middle East.

The upon hearing of the declaration of war, the entirety of the Ottoman Army, previously gearing up for another wave of assaults against the Arab rebels in the Hedjaz retreated in full, to form a perimeter protecting the the southern parts of the Empire from possible Arab attacks. Medina and Mecca fell to Arabian rebels before the Arab army even had a chance to enter the Hedjaz in any large numbers. From there, the Arabian Army moved towards Transjordan, together with the Italian army stationed in Egypt and Sinai. The Ottoman Army attempted to stall the joint Italian-Arabian Army at Ma'an, but ultimately retreated when news of increased attacks by Persia into Armenia and Mesopotamia hit. The Italian Army managed to capture Jerusalem in early Autumn, but were to go no further. (-6 Italian Divisions, -5 Arabian Divisions, -5 Ottoman Divisions, -10 Ottoman EP, -100 Ottoman Manpower)

Rebellious Arabs joined with the Italian and Arabian armies as a type of auxiliary troop, but the Ottoman's determination not to relinquish control of it's empire was seen, as dozens of Arab traitors were hung across Syria and Mesopotamia in a very public manner. Ottoman General Mustafa Kemal Pasha, ordered to take command of Mesopotamia's defense caught Persian gun-runner who were attempting to stir up the Arabian populaces once more, apparently meant as an opening action against the Turks. The Persian Army, fully mobilized, marched into Yerevan and Erzurum without firing a shot, and soon after they struck at Van, spurring on Kurdish nationalists in the area. The Ottomans benefited greatly from the regions geography, with a few thousand Ottoman soldiers stalling the Persian (and Kurdish) advances, but ultimately the defense proved futile as the Persians made their way towards the Levant, across northern Mesopotamia. (-4 Persian Divisions, -1 Ottoman Division, -5 Ottoman EP, -35 Ottoman Manpower)

The Spanish Colonial garrison in Arabia, along with the small fleet there took over Qatar without much of an issue. (-1 Spanish Division, -Qatar)

In Mesopotamia, Basra came under attack by a joint Arabian-Spanish force. The Spanish force was much smaller than envisioned, thanks to Germany's refusal of allowing for the movement of Spanish and Italian Warships through the Suez Canal, but it still effectively outnumbered the Ottoman presence in the region significantly. The Ottoman Warker Corp proved to be a major thorn in the side of Persian attempts at taking the entirety of Mesopotamia as well, and after days in the desert, the Persian army retreated a few miles back towards Baghdad, which had been captured earlier in the year, to reorganize and plan for another attack. At that point, a German landing was made at Bandar Abbas in Persia, and was left relatively undisturbed. The German Army managed to create a perimeter from Bandar Abbas down to Jask, before the first Persian soldiers were pulled back from Mesopotamia to encircle their position, and hopefully eventually reclaim their largest port. (-9 Ottoman Divisions, -3 Persian Divisions, -5 Arabian Divisions, -1 Spanish Division)

Another German landing was made in the Hedjaz, and with most of the Arabian army moving to the north and towards Mesopotamia, it too was largely left unmolested. The German navy got complete control of the Straits of Hormuz and Mandeb, blocking all trade going to Arabia and Persia, severely hurting their economies. The German Expeditionary force felt the wrath of local Arab tribes, who had significantly higher morale than years prior, and more weaponry. The German advance was chipped at constantly by the Arab's hit and run tactics. (-3 German Divisions, -15 Arabian EP, -20 Persian EP)

The Spanish fleet meanwhile, made aware of the blockades, made it's way to Italian North Africa, depositing it's expeditionary force in Egypt, which eventually made way to the Levant, where it took part in fighting some of the remaining Ottoman defenses in the area. The all volunteer "Legión Hispanidad" (comprised mostly of Argentineans and Mexicans) was noted for being particularly tenacious under fire, bridge heading Spanish assaults around Beirut, and actions further north. Ottoman resistance was particularly staunch around Damascus, and Spanish attempts at taking the town were ineffective. (-2 Spanish Division, -1 Ottoman Division)

The Regia Marina started off attempting to hunt the Ottoman fleet from the beginnings of the war. The Ottoman Fleet, charged with protecting the Mediterranean coast found itself under constant harassment by the Italian fleet. The Italian fleet, utilizing it's new bases in the Aegean Sea, and it's Centurion-class Aircraft Carriers managed to sink a few Ottoman Dreadnoughts, and cruisers early on in the war, giving the Italians a distinct numerical advantage. Ottoman sallys from ports in Anatolia did give way to some single-ship actions, in which the Ottomans were surprisingly well prepared to fight. Outside of Izmir, a naval battle between an Ottoman Kaiser-class Dreadnought, and an Italian Conte di Cavour-class Battleship attracted an audience on the beach, with both ships thundering volleys to equally thunderous applause off shore (well, hisses for when the Italians fired). The Conte di Cavor-class's speed allowed for it to maneuver in practical circles around the Kaiser-class, but a few direct hits left the weaker armored Conte di Cavour practically dead in the water. The Kaiser-class, claiming a surprising victory over the Italians lumbered towards port, when a group of Italian bombers dispatched what remained of it. Italian control of the Eastern Mediterranean was secured, as the German fleet maintained it's presence purely around the Canal Zone. The Ottoman fleet did put up a notable fight though, it was ultimately Italy's air-power that won the day. (-1 Italian Conte di Cavour-class Battleship, -9 Italian Cruisers, -4 Italian Destroyers, -2 Ottoman Kaiser-class Dreadnought, -17 Ottoman Cruisers, -2 Destroyers, -10 Ottoman EP, -5 Ottoman Manpower)



Despite attempts by the Swedish military to retain order, dissenters throughout the Scandinavian nation began rallying against the Royal government, calling for an abdication of Gustaf, and a mixture of other reforms. The military retreated to the region around Stockholm, leaving much of the southern part to fall to the revolters. Communist dissenters in particular found weaponry easily available, and took over Karlskrona, Ronneby, Karlsham and up to Tingsryd. Swedish nationalists managed to grab a hold of Varberg, Falkenberg and Halmstadt, and a few areas around Gavle. While it would be inappropriate to describe the situation as a full-blown Civil War, the political situation in Sweden continues to deteriorate, while King Gustaf V has effectively done nothing to stop it.

Cultural Matters

The Radio has finally come into it's own throughout Oceania, North America and Europe, thanks in large part to the contributions the Australian government has made to the research and development of better radio technologies (for consumer purposes). The Australian National Research Institutes have been working night and day to make the radio a more economical product for consumers across the world, and small radio stations have started to spring up everywhere. Australia has the most flourishing “radio scene”, with dozens of stations appearing almost overnight. (+10 Banked Australian EP, +4 Australian EP, ++2 Australian Manpower)

Sporting Matters

The Australian Ministry of Culture has began to encourage rugby, football and cricket events across the nation. All three sports have amassed a following, but none has been matched by the fervor that the Australian Rugby League has created. Teams from Perth to Sydney have played in the national tournament, with the Team from Darwin ultimately coming out on top. Revenue from these events have made a notable dent in the Australian government's coffers. (+2 Australian EP)


Scientific Matters

Finland has started developing new schools, colleges and universities across the nation. The University of Helsinki has gained particular acclaim, with many of Finland's students attempting to get admission into it. (+2 Finnish EP, +Finnish Stability)

German scientists have discovered a new type of Warker engine, which will give future Warker designs the ability to go faster, without the expense of as much armor. (+1 Point into the Speed State of the next German Warker design)

Bonuses

Sichuan's battle-flag was seen everywhere in China. (+2 Sichuan Divisions)

General Millan-Astray of Spain's refusal to buy new outfits has saved the Spanish government some money of the years. (+10 banked Spanish EP)

Everyone in Australia loves their new radios so much, a new factory had to be created to build them all. (++1 Australian Manpower)

Quebec hosted the Montreal Expo. Enough said. (+10 banked Quebecois EP)

The Netherlands has a proud military, ready to take back Java. (+2 Dutch Divisions)

Ecuadorians love their national anthem; so much so they named a boat after it. (+1 Ecuadorian Destroyer)

The Japanese Empire continues to develop it's infrastructure well. (++1 Japanese Manpower)

The United States has a growing cinema industry, and a growing cinema market. (+10 banked United States EP)

Times Magazine



Map



Diplomacy

-To come in another post.

OOC

All – The Grand Prize was, assuming your nation's stands stood out in comparison to everyone else, was some temporarily lucrative business deals. So, 30 EP banked, instead of 15. The winner was, I think appropriately, Quebec. I really did want to give Crimea an extra award, as his story made me laugh. Everyone else had great “stands” as well. For those of you who said you'd attend, but didn't actually post your stands, you get no bonus. I was looking for a little more effort.

All – I also want to announce that I gave everyone's colonies some extra MP this turn. I don't plan on adding up colonial MP totals every turn, but ever 5 turns or so, expect an update with them. Also, I have (somewhat arbitrarily) raised everyone's EP by a few points, to better represent where I think economies should be. For most nations, the number of points if rather small, but I did see a large divergence in some economies, that I'm hoping to bridge for gameplay reasons over time. I also updated a few rules and prices of things on the front; to start off, Infantry Divisions will now cost you 5 MP instead of 10 MP, to allow for small nations to recruit more. Don't ask me how much I raised your EP by, I won't remember. I was thinking of changing the system from my classic “divisions” to brigades, but then I realized that it may seem weird that some countries have such small armies, in comparison to what they would have had OTL. Of course, if people don't mind it looking weird for a few turns, I wouldn't mind doing it.

I changed the disband price from 1/4 to 1/2. I have also erased the range stat to Aircraft carriers at the urging of Gamezrule. Sorry for those of you who have invested in it. Consider it payment for being able to develop aircraft carriers without much of an issue. Prices of some UU's went down, as I imagine they would overtime. Basically, just check out the front page when I tell you to, and you'll see what I mean.

All – Keep in mind it makes my life easier when you include your own current stats in your orders. It'd be appreciated if everyone could do that for me. Also, please include MP totals in stats. It saves me quite a bit of time when updating.

All – A lot of people doing a lot of things this update. Hope everyone is excited for another year.

To those interested in the Chinese Civil War - I'm not going to put in totals for lost manpower in the updates; just assume it's a lot. Manpower likely won't play much of a factor in the fighting anyway.

Erez – I didn't understand the wording of your orders in regards to troop movement to Abyssinia.

Justo – I have always taken the generic units to have the basic stat of 1, save for the Xiaolong bombers, which were made generic later on. I suppose an exception to this would be Zeppelins, though I must make it a point that my heart goes out to anyone who wishes to actually buy them.

Agent89 – You didn't mention what to do should the Italians or Spanish try to cross into the Levant over land. Yes, they had to pass through German territory, but they so overwhelmingly outnumbered your garrison there, that I figured your commanders would have been willing to look the other way, instead of losing the Canal completely. Also, I hope you don't mind me naming your Zeppelin. It fit with the video well.

I thought I said Australia was going to be in the Expo.
EDIT: Nvm.

EDIT 2: Estado Nova is not Spanish. At most, it's Portuguese. If you want my OK, it should say Estado Nuevo.

TheLizardKing said:

All – The Grand Prize was, assuming your nation's stands stood out in comparison to everyone else, was some temporarily lucrative business deals. So, 30 EP banked, instead of 15. The winner was, I think appropriately, Quebec. I really did want to give Crimea an extra award, as his story made me laugh. Everyone else had great “stands” as well. For those of you who said you'd attend, but didn't actually post your stands, you get no bonus. I was looking for a little more effort.

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5char.

Excellent update TLK. The stuff about the Montreal Expo and the video was great.

Minor quibble; in Australia, we don't elect our Governor General - they are appointed by the monarch of Britain, and thats because they have no power anyway. The Prime Minister is the elected position (indirectly) which runs the executive. The confusion arrises from the GG being the representative of the 'Head of State', which is the President in the US, but only because the President is both the Head of State and Government and as a result people get confused.

So yeah, the elected official in charge of Australia should be the Prime Minister.

Also, Sichuan's theme music is amazing.

ooc: When will the stats be updated?

Sichuan Warlord Zhu Zhonggong has announced the formation of the “Emergency Federal States in Sichuan”, or the United Provinces of Sichuan, where he shall act as provincial governor until the end of the war. Promises of representation for the people of Sichuan have been well recieved, though Zhu's status as the essential dicator has been called into question. The government has been found to be better than what the

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Unfinished paragraph, I think.
Did my continued road and factory building net anything?
Also, surprised that China is actually holding its own (for now) against Japan.

TLK, Can you post what you stated about my Cinema Technology?

Napoleon V of France requests that no nation will support the communist rebels in the south of France. The rule of law will return.

retracted

To: The World
From: Germany

The world has changed dramatically since the end of the Great War. Rivalries that once existed no longer make sense, and friendships that once held strong have been thrown aside carelessly. As we recognize this new world, we also recognize the need for friendship with the United Kingdom. What was once an enemy combatant now stands as a bulwark for peace and stability across the globe. As such, we see no need for the archaic Treaty of London to continue to hold sway today, and announce the lifting of arms restrictions on the United Kingdom.

To: The Netherlands
From: Germany

We have sat by and watched for the last few years as you have put in place liberal reforms in Indonesia that have done nought but arouse the passions of the natives. Indeed, we fear these actions were responsible not only for the recent revolt in Java, but unrest in our own holdings in the region. Colonial reform is not a matter to be taken lightly, and we hope that we have seen the last of it in Indonesia, and that you will soon succeed in putting your house in order.

Great update TLK.

Agent 89 said:

To: The Netherlands
From: Germany

We have sat by and watched for the last few years as you have put in place liberal reforms in Indonesia that have done nought but arouse the passions of the natives. Indeed, we fear these actions were responsible not only for the recent revolt in Java, but unrest in our own holdings in the region. Colonial reform is not a matter to be taken lightly, and we hope that we have seen the last of it in Indonesia, and that you will soon succeed in putting your house in order.

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From: The Netherlands
To: Germany

Do you really think we will allow this rebellion, or indeed any kind of violent unrest go unchecked? Of course not. Yes, colonial reform is not something to be taken lightly. But it is also essential, if one truly wants to have long-term stability in the colonies. Yes, there are downsides to colonial reform, like this recent rebellion. But it is worth this cost. Perhaps you do not think that colonial reform is a good thing, but we do, and we intend to continue (albeit more carefully). Also, the rebellion in German New Guinea was caused entirely by a group of your soldiers crossing into some native land, according to news reports from 1923, and has only persisted because you haven't crushed it (or we haven't been told). It has nothing to do with us, or our reforms.

From: The Netherlands
To: Indonesion Rebels
CC: All Indonesion Activist Groups

Violent dissent, such as the rebellion right now, will not be tolerated and will soon feel the full might of the Dutch army. If you have problems with the status quo, come speak to us in the government diplomatically and we will consider you complaints and requests.

OOC: The capital of the Dominion that's in Eastern Canada should really be Halifax; it has always been by far the largest and most important city in the region.

The United Kingdom is delighted to have its arms restrictions lifted, and looks forward to a similar pronouncement from the United States.

Furthermore, the United Kingdom has decided that Japan's imperialistic attitudes in the Pacific are prejudicial to British interests, and its mindless aggression against the rightful government of China is tyrannical, bloody, unjustified and disruptive to trade. Furthermore, we wish to right the wrongs done in the past by Japan to the British Empire and restore its glory to unprecedented heights. Accordingly, we declare war on Japan.

To: Germany
From: Quebec

We would like to offer DELAG priority access to the Trois-Rivier Airport, which is between built to Service both Montreal and Quebec City, In exchange for Prefatory trade deals between Quebecois and German Businesses. We would like to export Beer and Maple Products to you.

OOC: the Dominion of Newfoundland is pretty damn Ugly...

From: Second Spanish Empire
To: Portugal
Friends, we are greatly concerned by the ongoing unrest in your nation. Our own treaty of friendship and non-aggression with you bids us to do what we can to foster our mutual beneficence, and to that end, we must make clear that Spain would frown upon any banning of falangist political organizations in Portugal. We are both nations committed to the democratic process, and as the people have chosen falangism in Spain, they ought to have the same right to choose their government in Portugal. We will be watching these events closely, and hope to see Portugal return to its commitment to freedom, equality, and the principles of democratic governance.

To: The Netherlands
From: Empire of Japan

Japan looks kindly upon the attempts by the Netherlands to reform Indonesia. Though we feel that they are ultimately being conducted poorly, we have no intention to interfere. We offer the Netherlands a non-aggression pact lasting ten years.

To: German Empire
From: Empire of Japan

We hope that the German Empire does not plan to attack us also, and we hope for continued cooperation like we found in the Great War.

To: United Kingdom
From: Empire of Japan

We do not understand why you must be so shortsighted. We felt that in the post-war world, the British and Japanese people might be friends and lucrative trade partners. We do not understand your motives. We suppose that imperialism is always an justified means to combat imperialism. However, in hopes that you will come to your senses, we will not draw first blood. Should our forces meet each other, we will not fire first.

To: The United States
From: Empire of Japan

We hope your previous words are still true, and you have no intentions of invading Japan or getting involved in China.

To: The Qing Empire
From: Empire of Japan

Are you willing to discuss terms of peace?

Britain urges the Netherlands not to accept an NAP from the very people who recently declared that they supported the Indonesian revolutionaries. An NAP should also be unnecessary, and the very proposal of such a thing belies the Japanese Empire's hostile intent towards the Dutch.

Britain also urges the Qing not to accept anything less than full Japanese withdrawal from Qing sovereign soil. We would like to add, seeing as we previously omitted this, that the restoration of the Qing is a primary war aim, and we will be opposing all other revolutionaries and military forces that stand in the way of this, not only the Japanese.

To: Quebec
From: Germany

DELAG is interested in running trans-Atlantic flights, so naturally the German government is interested in such a deal, including the airport and trade agreements. However, we wish you luck in trying to import beer into Germany.

To: Japan
From: Germany

Germany is too preoccupied to militarily oppose your invasion of China, so no, we have no intention of going to war. However, we see no reason why you would expect any level of friendship or cooperation after Japan's blatantly aggressive actions against a German ally.