Capto Iugulum: 1940 - 1959

Sudan and Egypt are against Britain, Tadjoura joined the Russians so they're against the entirety of "The Allies"
 
I can't find their declarations of war anywhere so eh. Doesn't really matter, I guess.
 
Grandkhan said:
I can't find their declarations of war anywhere so eh. Doesn't really matter, I guess.
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OOC: It was in the bulletin

The Suez Canal continues to remain closed, as the Egyptian declaration of war threatens shipping, and ample debris remain to be cleared by construction crews. The Egyptians have begun mobilizing their forces for an attack, and the British have prepared their own defenses, but as yet, only minor skirmishes have been reported along the border. Sudan has also declared war upon Britain, pledging support for their Egyptian allies in the effort to attack Dumyat. On the other side of the Red Sea, the Hashemite Sultanate has pledged their support for the British Empire, and offered full arms and aid to British forces in the Arabian Peninsula.
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Summi Pontifici

~Encyclical On the War, Natural Law and the Future Order of the World

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Spoiler :
In the very year in which we write these lines the terrible news comes to Us that the dread tempest of war is already raging around the world despite all Our efforts to avert it. When We think of the wave of suffering that has come on countless people who but yesterday enjoyed in the environment of their homes some little degree of well-being, We are tempted to lay down Our pen. Our paternal heart is torn by anguish as We look ahead to all that will yet come forth from the baneful seed of violence and of hatred for which the sword today ploughs the blood-drenched furrow.

But precisely because of this apocalyptic foresight of disaster, imminent and remote, We feel We have a duty to raise with still greater insistence the eyes and hearts of those in whom there yet remains good will to the One from Whom alone comes the salvation of the world - to One Whose almighty and merciful Hand can alone calm this tempest - to the One Whose truth and Whose love can enlighten the intellects and inflame the hearts of so great a section of mankind plunged in error, selfishness, strife and struggle, so as to give it a new orientation in the spirit of the Kingship of Christ.

Perhaps - God grant it - one may hope that this hour of direct need may bring a change of outlook and sentiment to those many who, till now, have walked with blind faith along the path of popular modern errors unconscious of the treacherous and insecure ground on which they trod. Perhaps the many who have not grasped the importance of the educational and pastoral mission of the Church will now understand better her numerous warnings, scouted in the false security of the past. No defence of Christianity could be more effective than the present straits. From the immense vortex of error and anti-Christian movements there has come forth a crop of such poignant disasters as to constitute a condemnation surpassing in its conclusiveness any merely theoretical refutation.

Hours of painful disillusionment are often hours of grace- "a passage of the Lord" (cf. Exodus xii. 11), when doors which in other circumstances would have remained shut, open at Our Saviour's words: "Behold, I stand at the gate and knock" (Revelations iii. 20). God knows that Our heart goes out in affectionate sympathy and spiritual joy to those who, as a result of such painful trials, feel within them an effective and salutary thirst for the truth, justice and peace of Christ. But for those also for whom as yet the hour of light from on high has not come, Our heart knows only love, Our lips move only in prayer to the Father of Light that He may cause to shine in their hearts, indifferent as yet or hostile to Christ, a ray of that Light which once transformed Saul into Paul; of that Light which has shown its mysterious power strongest in the times of greatest difficulty for the Church.

A full statement of the doctrinal stand to be taken in face of the errors of today, if necessary (for has not the Church warned insistently of the manifold errors of our age?), can be put off to another time unless there is disturbance by calamitous external events; for the moment We limit Ourselves to some fundamental observations.

Firstly, the present age, Venerable Brethren, by adding new errors to the doctrinal aberrations of the past, has pushed these to extremes which lead inevitably to a drift towards chaos. Before all else, it is certain that the radical and ultimate cause of the evils which We deplore in modern society is the denial and rejection of a universal norm of morality as well for individual and social life as for international relations; We mean the disregard, so common nowadays, and the forgetfulness of the natural law itself, which Our Immoral Predecessor Paul VI to much acclaim proclaimed, which has its foundation in God, Almighty Creator and Father of all, supreme and absolute Lawgiver, all-wise and just Judge of human actions. When God is hated, every basis of morality is undermined; the voice of conscience is stilled or at any rate grows very faint, that voice which teaches even to the illiterate and to uncivilized tribes what is good and what is bad, what lawful, what forbidden, and makes men feel themselves responsible for their actions to a Supreme Judge.

The denial of the fundamentals of morality had its origin, in Europe, in the abandonment of that Christian teaching of which the Chair of Peter is the depository and exponent. That teaching had once given spiritual cohesion to a Europe which, educated, ennobled and civilized by the Cross, had reached such a degree of civil progress as to become the teacher of other peoples, of other continents. But, cut off from the infallible teaching authority of the Church, not a few separated brethren have gone so far as to overthrow the central dogma of Christianity, the Divinity of the Saviour, and have hastened thereby the progress of spiritual decay.

The Holy Gospel narrates that when Jesus was crucified "there was darkness over the whole earth" (Matthew xxvii. 45); a terrifying symbol of what happened and what still happens spiritually wherever incredulity, blind and proud of itself, has succeeded in excluding Christ from modern life, especially from public life, and has undermined faith in God as well as faith in Christ. The consequence is that the moral values by which in other times public and private conduct was gauged have fallen into disuse; and the much vaunted civilization of society, which has made ever more rapid progress, withdrawing man, the family and the State from the beneficent and regenerating effects of the idea of God and the teaching of the Church, has caused to reappear, in regions in which for many centuries shone the splendours of Christian civilization, in a manner ever clearer, ever more distinct, ever more distressing, the signs of a corrupt and corrupting paganism: "There was darkness when they crucified Jesus" (Roman Breviary, Good Friday, Response Five).

Many perhaps, while abandoning the teaching of Christ, were not fully conscious of being led astray by a mirage of glittering phrases, which proclaimed such estrangement as an escape from the slavery in which they were before held; nor did they then foresee the bitter consequences of bartering the truth that sets free, for error which enslaves. They did not realize that, in renouncing the infinitely wise and paternal laws of God, and the unifying and elevating doctrines of Christ's love, they were resigning themselves to the whim of a poor, fickle human wisdom; they spoke of progress, when they were going back; of being raised, when they groveled; of arriving at man's estate, when they stooped to servility. They did not perceive the inability of all human effort to replace the law of Christ by anything equal to it; "they became vain in their thoughts" (Romans i. 21).

With the weakening of faith in God and in Jesus Christ, and the darkening in men's minds of the light of moral principles, there disappeared the indispensable foundation of the stability and quiet of that internal and external, private and public order, which alone can support and safeguard the prosperity of States.

It is true that even when Europe had a cohesion of brotherhood through identical ideals gathered from Christian preaching, she was not free from divisions, convulsions and wars which laid her waste; but perhaps they never felt the intense pessimism of today as to the possibility of settling them, for they had then an effective moral sense of the just and of the unjust, of the lawful and of the unlawful, which, by restraining outbreaks of passion, left the way open to an honourable settlement. In Our days, on the contrary, dissensions come not only from the surge of rebellious passion, but also from a deep spiritual crisis which has overthrown the sound principles of private and public morality.

Among the many errors which derive from the poisoned source of religious and moral agnosticism, We would draw your attention, Venerable Brethren, to two in particular, as being those which more than others render almost impossible or at least precarious and uncertain, the peaceful intercourse of peoples.

The first of these pernicious errors, widespread today, is the forgetfulness of that law of human solidarity and charity which is dictated and imposed by our common origin and by the equality of rational nature in all men, to whatever people they belong, and by the redeeming Sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ on the Altar of the Cross to His Heavenly Father on behalf of sinful mankind.

In fact, the first page of the Scripture, with magnificent simplicity, tells us how God, as a culmination to His creative work, made man to His Own image and likeness (cf. Genesis i. 26, 27); and the same Scripture tells us that He enriched man with supernatural gifts and privileges, and destined him to an eternal and ineffable happiness. It shows us besides how other men took their origin from the first couple, and then goes on, in unsurpassed vividness of language, to recount their division into different groups and their dispersion to various parts of the world. Even when they abandoned their Creator, God did not cease to regard them as His children, who, according to His merciful plan, should one day be reunited once more in His friendship (cf. Genesis xii. 3).

The Apostle of the Gentiles later on makes himself the herald of this truth which associates men as brothers in one great family, when he proclaims to the Greek world that God "hath made of one, all mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, determining appointed times, and the limits of their habitation, that they should seek God" (Acts xvii. 26, 27).

A marvellous vision, which makes us see the human race in the unity of one common origin in God "one God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in us all" (Ephesians iv. 6); in the unity of nature which in every man is equally composed of material body and spiritual, immortal soul; in the unity of the immediate end and mission in the world; in the unity of dwelling place, the earth, of whose resources all men can by natural right avail themselves, to sustain and develop life; in the unity of the supernatural end, God Himself, to Whom all should tend; in the unity of means to secure that end.

It is the same Apostle who portrays for us mankind in the unity of its relations with the Son of God, image of the invisible God, in Whom all things have been created: "In Him were all things created" (Colossians i. 16); in the unity of its ransom, effected for all by Christ, Who, through His Holy and most bitter passion, restored the original friendship with God which had been broken, making Himself the Mediator between God and men: "For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy ii. 5).

To render such friendship between God and mankind more intimate, this same Divine and universal Mediator of salvation and of peace, in the sacred silence of the Supper Room, before He consummated the Supreme Sacrifice, let fall from His divine Lips the words which reverberate mightily down the centuries, inspiring heroic charity in a world devoid of love and torn by hate: "This is my commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you" (John xv. 12).

These are supernatural truths which form a solid basis and the strongest possible bond of a union, that is reinforced by the love of God and of our Divine Redeemer, from Whom all receive salvation "for the edifying of the Body of Christ: until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians iv. 12, 13).

In the light of this unity of all mankind, which exists in law and in fact, individuals do not feel themselves isolated units , like grains of sand, but united by the very force of their nature and by their internal destiny, into an organic, harmonious mutual relationship which varies with the changing of times.

And the nations, despite a difference of development due to diverse conditions of life and of culture, are not destined to break the unity of the human race, but rather to enrich and embellish it by the sharing of their own peculiar gifts and by that reciprocal interchange of goods which can be possible and efficacious only when a mutual love and a lively sense of charity unite all the sons of the same Father and all those redeemed by the same Divine Blood.

The Church of Christ, the faithful depository of the teaching of Divine Wisdom, cannot and does not think of deprecating or disdaining the particular characteristics which each people, with jealous and intelligible pride, cherishes and retains as a precious heritage. Her aim is a supernatural union in all-embracing love , deeply felt and practiced, and not the unity which is exclusively external and superficial and by that very fact weak.

This same Christianity, lest one propose it undermines the loyalty due to ones fatherland, teaches that in the exercise of charity we must follow a God-given order, yielding the place of honour in our affections and good works to those who are bound to us by special ties. The Divine Master Himself gave an example of this preference for His Own country and fatherland, as He wept over the coming destruction of the Holy City. But legitimate and well-ordered love of our native country should not make us close our eyes to the all-embracing nature of Christian Charity, which calls for consideration of others and of their interests in the pacifying light of love.

Such is the marvellous doctrine of love and peace which has been such an ennobling factor in the civil and religious progress of mankind. And the heralds who proclaimed it, moved by supernatural charity, not only tilled the land and cared for the sick, but above all they reclaimed, moulded and raised life to divine heights, directing it toward the summit of sanctity in which everything is seen in the light of God. They have raised mansions and temples which show to what lofty and kindly heights the Christian ideal urges man; but above all they have made of men, wise or ignorant, strong or weak, living temples of God and branches of the very vine which is Christ. They have handed on to future generations the treasures of ancient art and wisdom and have secured for them that inestimable gift of eternal wisdom which links men as brothers by the common recognition of a supernatural ownership.

Venerable Brethren, forgetfulness of the law of universal charity - of that charity which alone can consolidate peace by extinguishing hatred and softening envies and dissensions - is the source of very grave evils for peaceful relations between nations.

But there is yet another error no less pernicious to the well-being of the nations and to the prosperity of that great human society which gathers together and embraces within its confines all races. It is the error contained in those ideas which do not hesitate to divorce civil authority from every kind of dependence upon the Supreme Being - First Source and absolute Master of man and of society - and from every restraint of a Higher Law derived from God as from its First Source. Thus they accord the civil authority an unrestricted field of action that is at the mercy of the changeful tide of human will, or of the dictates of casual historical claims, and of the interests of a few.

Once the authority of God and the sway of His law are denied in this way, the civil authority as an inevitable result tends to attribute to itself that absolute autonomy which belongs exclusively to the Supreme Maker. It puts itself in the place of the Almighty and elevates the State or group into the last end of life, the supreme criterion of the moral and juridical order , and therefore forbids every appeal to the principles of natural reason and of the Christian conscience. We do not, of course, fail to recognize that, fortunately, false principles do not always exercise their full influence, especially when age-old Christian traditions, on which the peoples have been nurtured, remain still deeply, even if unconsciously, rooted in their hearts.

None the less, one must not forget the essential insufficiency and weakness of every principle of social life which rests upon a purely human foundation, is inspired by merely earthly motives and relies for its force on the sanction of a purely external authority.

. Where the dependence of human right upon the Divine is denied, where appeal is made only to some insecure idea of a merely human authority, and an autonomy is claimed which rests only upon a utilitarian morality, there human law itself justly forfeits in its more weighty application the moral force which is the essential condition for its acknowledgment and also for its demand of sacrifices.

It is quite true that power based on such weak and unsteady foundations can attain at times, under chance circumstances, material successes apt to arouse wonder in superficial observers. But the moment comes when the inevitable law triumphs, which strikes down all that has been constructed upon a hidden or open disproportion between the greatness of the material and outward success, and the weakness of the inward value and of its moral foundation. Such disproportion exists whenever public authority disregards or denies the dominion of the Supreme Lawgiver, Who, as He has given rulers power, has also set and marked its bounds.

Indeed, as Our great predecessor, Paul VI, wisely taught, it was the Creator's will that civil sovereignty should regulate social life after the dictates of an order changeless in its universal principles; should facilitate the attainment in the temporal order, by individuals, of physical, intellectual and moral quality; and should aid them to reach their supernatural end. Hence, it is the noble prerogative and function of the State to control, aid and direct the private and individual activities of national life that they converge harmoniously towards the common good. That good can neither be defined according to arbitrary ideas nor can it accept for its standard primarily the material prosperity of society, but rather it should be defined according to the harmonious development and the natural spiritual progression of man. For it is for assisting in spiritual perfection that society is designed by the Creator as a means.

To consider the State as something ultimate to which everything else should be subordinated and directed, cannot fail to harm the true and lasting prosperity of nations. This can happen either when unrestricted dominion comes to be conferred on the State as having a mandate from the nation, people, or even a social order , or when the State arrogates such dominion to itself as absolute master, despotically, without any mandate whatsoever. If, in fact, the State lays claim to and directs private enterprises, these, ruled as they are by delicate and complicated internal principles which guarantee and assure the realization of their special aims, may be damaged to the detriment of the public good, by being wrenched from their natural surroundings, that is, from responsible private action.

Further, there would be danger lest the primary and essential cell of society , the family, with its well-being and its growth, should come to be considered from the narrow standpoint of national power, and lest it be forgotten that man and the family are by nature anterior to the State, and that the Creator has given to both of them powers and rights and has assigned them a mission and a charge that correspond to undeniable natural requirements.

For the idea which credits the State with unlimited authority is not simply an error harmful to the internal life of nations, to their prosperity, and to the larger and well-ordered increase in their well-being, but likewise it injures the relations between peoples, for it breaks the unity of supra-national society, robs the law of nations of its foundation and vigour, leads to violation of others' rights and impedes agreement and peaceful intercourse.

A disposition, in fact, of the divinely sanctioned natural order divides the human race into social groups, nations or States, which are mutually independent in organization and in the direction of their internal life. But for all that, the human race is bound together by reciprocal ties, moral and juridical, into a great commonwealth directed to the good of all nations and ruled by special laws which protect its unity and promote its prosperity.

Now no one can fail to see how the claim to absolute autonomy for the State stands in open opposition to this natural way that is inherent in man - nay, denies it utterly - and therefore leaves the stability of international relations at the mercy of the will of rulers, while it destroys the possibility of true union and fruitful collaboration directed to the general good.

So, Venerable Brethren, it is indispensable for the existence of harmonious and lasting contacts and of fruitful relations, that the peoples recognize and observe these principles of international natural law which regulate their normal development and activity. Such principles demand respect for corresponding rights to independence, to life and to the possibility of continuous development in the paths of civilization; they demand, further, fidelity to compacts agreed upon and sanctioned in conformity with the principles of the law of nations.

The indispensable presupposition, without doubt, of all peaceful intercourse between nations, and the very soul of the juridical relations in force among them, is mutual trust: the expectation and conviction that each party will respect its plighted word; the certainty that both sides are convinced that "better is wisdom, than weapons of war" (Ecclesiastes ix. 18), and are ready to enter into discussion and to avoid recourse to force or to threats of force in case of delays, hindrances, changes or disputes, because all these things can be the result not of bad will, but of changed circumstances and of genuine interests in conflict.

But on the other hand, to tear the law of nations from its anchor in Divine law, to base it on the autonomous will of States, is to dethrone that very law and deprive it of its noblest and strongest qualities. Thus it would stand abandoned to the fatal drive of private interest and collective selfishness exclusively intent on the assertion of its own rights and ignoring those of others. Thus we see that today, Venerable Brethren, all men are looking with terror into the abyss to which they have been brought by the errors and principles which We have mentioned, and by their practical consequences. Gone are the proud illusions of limitless progress. Should any still fail to grasp this fact, the tragic situation of today would rouse them with the prophet's cry: "Hear, ye deaf and ye blind, behold" (Isaias xlii. 18). What used to appear on the outside as order , was nothing but an invasion of disorder: confusion in the principles of moral life. These principles, once divorced from the majesty of the Divine law, have tainted every field of human activity.

But let us leave the past and turn our eyes towards that future which, according to the promises of the powerful ones of this world, is to consist, once the bloody conflicts of today have ceased, in a new order founded on justice and on prosperity. Will that future be really different; above all, will it be better? Will treaties of peace, will the new international order at the end of this war be animated by justice and by equity towards all, by that spirit which frees and pacifies? Or will there be a lamentable repetition of ancient and of recent errors?

To hope for a decisive change exclusively from the shock of war and its final issue is idle, as experience shows. The hour of victory is an hour of external triumph for the party to whom victory falls, but it is in equal measure the hour of temptation. In this hour the angel of justice strives with the demons of violence; the heart of the victor all to easily is hardened; moderation and farseeing wisdom appear to him weakness; the excited passions of the people, often inflamed by the sacrifices and sufferings they have steadfastly borne, obscure the vision even of responsible persons and make them inattentive to the warning voice of humanity and equity, which is overwhelmed or drowned in the inhuman cry. "Vae victis, woe to the conquered." There is danger lest settlements and decision born in such conditions be nothing else than injustice under the cloak of justice.

No, Venerable Brethren, safety does not come to peoples from external means, from the sword which can impose conditions of peace but does not create peace. Forces that are to renew the face of the earth should proceed from within, from the spirit.

Once the bitterness and the cruel strifes of the present have ceased, the new order of the world, of national and international life, must rest no longer on the quicksands of changeable and ephemeral standards that depend only on the selfish interests of groups and individuals. No, they must rest on the unshakable foundation, on the solid rock of natural law and of Divine Revelation. There the human legislator must attain to that balance, that keen sense of moral responsibility, without which it is easy to mistake the boundary between the legitimate use and the abuse of power. Thus only will his decisions have internal consistency, noble dignity and religious sanction, and be immune from selfishness and passion.

For true though it is that the evils from which mankind suffers today come in part from economic instability and from the struggle of interests between nations, it is not less true that their root is deeper and more intrinsic, belonging to the sphere of religious belief and moral convictions which have been perverted by the progressive alienation of nations from that unity of doctrine, faith, customs and morals which once was promoted by the tireless and beneficent work of the Church. If it is to have any effect, the re-education of mankind must be, above all things, spiritual and religious. Hence, it must proceed from Christ as from its indispensable foundation; must be actuated by justice and crowned by charity.

The accomplishment of this task of regeneration, by adapting her means to the altered conditions of the times and to the new needs of the human race, is an essential and maternal office of the Church. Committed to her by her Divine Founder, the preaching of the Gospel, by which is inculcated to men truth, justice and charity and the endeavour to implant its precepts solidly in mind and conscience, is the most noble and most fruitable work for peace. That mission would seem as if it ought to discourage by its very grandeur the hearts of those who make up the Church Militant. But that cooperation in the spread of the Kingdom of God which in every century is effected in different ways, with varying instruments, with manifold tribulations, is a command incumbent on everyone who has been snatched by Divine Grace from the slavery of Satan and called in Baptism to citizenship of the Kingdom of God.

It gives Us, Venerable Brethren, an inward strength, a heavenly joy, for which We daily render to God Our deep and humble thanks, to see in every region of the Catholic world evident signs of a spirit which boldly faces the gigantic tasks of our age, which with generous decision is intent on uniting in fruitful harmony the first and essential duty of individual sanctification, and apostolic activity for the spread of the Kingdom of God. A movement from which, furthered with loving care by Our predecessors and from the collaboration of the laity towards a deep realization of their noble mission, flows forth fountains of grace and reserves of strength, which could hardly be sufficiently prized in the present time, when threats are more numerous , needs multiply and the conflict between Christianity and anti-Christianism grows ever more intense.

At a moment when one is forced to note with sorrow the disproportion between the number of priests and the calls upon them, when one sees that even today the words of Our Savior apply : "The harvest indeed in great, but the labourers are few" (Matthew ix. 37; Luke x.2), yet even in this dark hour of the Lords discontent, when the smoke of Satan has penetrated into human society, and when war rampages across the world, we see the zeal of the faithful and their fervent desire to bring back to Christ those myriad of souls who have heretofore been lost to Him. For as Our Lords death shows, it is often in the darkest moments that the greatest change is possible, and what greater change can we here hope to see but the renewal of mankind in the light of the Divine Saviour even as mankind now suffers under the weighty consequences of the manifold errors that now consume it.
 
OOC: Considering the importance of the topic, I will summarise the basic outline of the above encyclical. To firstly give a general overview, it is basically a constructivist document asserting that the war is a result of the decay of common norms binding the society of states (due to the rise of materialist ideologies [the most common being liberalism and Proletarism] which have seen the weakening and dissolution of the moral consensus that governed the Christian civilisation) which has inexorably led to the whittling away of charity between nations (as in societies at a more domestic level), and the fraying of restraints on government/state action in international relations. It also notes that this has created tensions between nations (ergo, Russia, and its adversaries in particular), which are only exacerbated by ideological differences, which being unsustainable have ultimately led to the outbreak of world war. Now obviously the encyclical itself is broader in scope, but at any rate secondly (below) is the actual structural outline to give people not inclined to read the gist of what it says.

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Summary of Encyclical Summi Pontifici

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1: Assertion that (in addition to causing the Pope much grief and being generally terrible) the War is a self-evident manifestation of the consequences of modern errors and spiritual decay, and a testament to the necessity of spiritual renewal in Christ.

2: Explication of this, noting that the ultimate cause of the war is a rejection of a universal norm of morality (with corresponding immoral conduct) for individual and social life as for international relations, which has led to the destruction of common binding moral norms between nations (and subsequent tensions between them), and to conflict and discord in society both which has degraded both public and private morality.

3: Assertion that aforesaid religious and moral agnosticism has resulted in a forgetfulness of human solidarity, and the obligations of charity on the basis of the spiritual equality of men, and the common origins of the whole human family. With this contributing to the outbreak of conflict by widening divisions and hatreds between the nations.

4:Assertion that the divorcing of civil authority from the Supreme Authority (God) and the Higher laws of God result in arbitrary exercises of will from the state in the interests of the few or at casual claims due to the loss of restraining compulsions. This being a root error contributing to the development of the war as states, lacking restraint from the moral law, have arbitrarily brought the war into being through their unrestrained agency.

5:Assertion that the victorious powers (whoever they are) in order to avoid repeating errors, must establish the new international order upon spiritual principles rooted in natural law and Divine Revelation, and that it must be animated by a spirit of justice and equity towards all rather than purely vindictive and punitive interests.

6: Statement of the importance of the Church of God in working towards such a renewal of society and the international order.
 
Naser al-Din Qajar II's Address to the People of Iran
As presented on September 9, 1940 in Tehran, Iran. Broadcast via radio.

"My dearest people: You have no doubt heard that our nation is at war. This is grim news, and we have already sustained many casualties, but it is times such as these where bravery and courage are a necessity. The Slavs to our north have shown true barbarity in violence against the innocent, and we must honor our alliances and stand strong against them. Much blood will be shed, but we must hold together, and we will be strong. Look to your father, your sister, brother, mother. Look to your neighbor. Look to our heroes, look to the soldiers, look to the fallen. Look to the Prophet and to Allah. Find comfort in all of this. Find your strength. Stand next to those whom you look to, and fight for them. Fight for Iran. For we are but one nation. It matters not if you are Shiite, if you are Sunni, if you are Christian. You are Iranian. Find power in that. Fight for your land, fight for the birthright of all Iranians, and the honor of supporting those we trust. Fight with all of this, my people, and victory will be assured."​
 
OOC: Sorry for the double post.

Made this story, gave the soldiers US/NATO style rank structure and organization structure for simplicity. Hope you enjoy.
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Lieutenant Thomas Megalos stared ahead, looking through a pair of binoculars. The village before him wasn’t even on the map. He sighed as he observed the town buildings. The Turks already had well established defenses. He counted at least three machine gun nests guarding the northern end - the end the Roman forces were about to attack from - with one anti-tank artillery piece barricaded behind a sandbag wall. This was going to be a tough fight.

He lowered the binoculars, and turned to look at his Platoon Sergeant. Sergeant Yiannis Stavros looked back, deep concern in his eyes. “Doesn’t look good, does it, Sir?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

Megalos shook his head. “No Sergeant. This northern approach to the village is heavily defended,” the LT explained, “I think we’re up against a Platoon, maybe a company of Turks in there.”

The Sergeant sighed. The Platoon consisted of five Laelaps tanks. Thin skinned, with peashooters for cannons, the tanks were fast and maneuverable, if not the most hard hitting or tough. They were the only Laelaps Platoon in their Brigade, and as such, often found themselves on the forefront of an attack. The speed and maneuverability of the light armored vehicles made them perfect for probing for enemy weaknesses. They also, as LT Megalos knew, made for high casualty rates among crews. The anti-tank gun was his biggest concern. It did not appear the enemy had any actual armor garrisoned in the town.

“Phoenix, phoenix, phoenix.” squawked the Platoon’s only radio, located in Megalos’ tank. He nodded to Sergeant Stavros, who nodded back. The Colonel’s voice cut out. The signal to launch the attack had been given.

“Lets go!” the Sergeant shouted, as he climbed down off of the Platoon Leader’s Laelaps, walking towards his own tank.

Engines began rumbling. Megalos conducted a quick functions check of the light machinegun outside his hatch. Everything seemed to be in working order. He glanced around at the other four tanks in his formation. The tank commanders were all up in their hatches, eyes on him. They all knew there would be no sneaking up on the village. The enemy had been observing them all morning, just as they had been observing the enemy. The only thing that kept both sides from firing on one another was that they were just outside of each others’ ranges.

Megalos said a quick, silent prayer. He then waved his hand in a circular motion above his head. Roll out.

The Lealaps moved out in a wedge formation, the Lieutenant’s tank leading the charge. Quickly making top speed, they began zig-zaging as they approached the enemy’s anti-tank range. All five crews were experienced by now, knowing when they needed to begin evasive maneuvers. Almost as soon as they started their zig-zag, the artillery gun opened fire.

Somehow, it made contact.

It didn’t kill the Laelaps it hit, merely knocked it out of the fight. The round hit low, and to the side, but close enough to throw a track. It hit the number three tank, about fifty meters to the left of the lead tank. Almost immediately, one of the machine gun nests opened fire, hoping to kill the tank commander.

Poor discipline.

The MG nest evaporated in a haze of dust and debris. Where it had been in the third story of a four story building on the edge of the village, it was now a crater. Stavros’ gunner, the best shot in the whole Platoon, hit the floor directly below the nest, taking out that floor and the supports to the one above. The machinegun was silenced. The crew, most likely dead.

“Enemy contact. One friendly armored vehicle disabled. One enemy MG nest down. At least two more to go. AT gun is still in the village. Over.” Megalos yelled into his handset, giving a situational report to his Commander, over the sound of the engines and the now sporadic rifle fire coming from the village. The other two machinegun nests had the common sense to hold their fire, making themselves harder targets to hit.

The enemy anti-tank gun fired again. The round hit the dirt fifteen meters in front of Megalos. “Return fire!” he yelled into the tank’s intercom system.

His gunner rotated the hand crank to try and bring the gun in line with the target. The bouncing of the tank as it moved at high speeds made things difficult. He pressed the foot trigger. The round went high, striking a building on the other side of the village square. The AT crew didn’t flinch, but continued to reload their weapon.

Megalos took aim with his MG and sprayed a burst at the crew. Rounds ricocheted off the stone pavement around the gun, but the distance was too much, and the fire was ineffective. He cursed his own impatience, just as the gun, and the buildings around it, exploded.

The Lieutenant smiled. The mortar barrage hit their mark. “AT gun destroyed! Over!” he yelled joyfully, over the net. The tanks continued to approach the village, but began to slow down as the enemy’s main defense was knocked out. They were now within three hundred meters, and even after the mortar fire, small arms fire continued to come their way from the half destroyed buildings which now lined the northern portion of the village.

LT Megalos held his hand up in the air. The remaining three tanks halted. He commanded his to do the same. He then pumped his fist in the air repeatedly. Fire at will. The tanks did.

By now the infantry began moving up. Megalos and his Platoon laid down suppressive fire on the buildings, as the Soldiers advanced through open fields and very little cover. The enemy did not retreat. The battle would go on to be a bloody one.

At the end of the day, taking no casualties of their own, Megalos and his Platoon sat around a small camp fire as the crew of the damaged tank repaired what they could. The enemy had fought hard to hold this village. A whole company, against a brigade. Megalos and his men had sat on the outskirts, continuing to provide surveillance and supporting fires as the infantry attacked. Still, nearly a whole company of their own had been killed. He sighed as he broke open a field ration. Quietly, he ate his poor quality Army meal, as he listened to his Soldiers joke and complain. When he was finished, he climbed up on the side of his tank, trying to get a couple hours of shut eye.

Tomorrow, they would attack again.
 
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Global News Report​

A SECOND GREAT WAR BEGINS. Moscow, Russia. Beginning in the Far East, as only recently silence guns began firing once more, a major war has stretched across the globe, threatening to envelope the whole of the world. Russian forces and their allies have launched a massive attack on numerous fronts, waging war against the British, Germans, and those who support them. The heaviest fighting has been reported in Europe, where armies of millions clash throughout Germany and other European states. Numerous nations have begun to take sides in the conflict, offering support for their favored group of countries, and it seems likely that even more will join in the years to come. Faced with overwhelming attack, the British now seek to defend their empire, while the Russians hope to change the political paradigm in Europe permanently. The Russians represent the primary power of the League of the Three Emperors, which is acknowledged as the initiating belligerent of the current conflict. The Germans and British along with their supporters have been known as the Allies, acting together against the offensive. Due to the sheer expanse of the conflict, a special section has been provided towards the bottom of the update detailing the specific fronts of the war.
Changes in Military Quality
Spoiler :

Bosnia: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Bulgaria: +1 Army Quality, +1 Navy Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
China: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Croatia: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Czech Kingdom: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Egypt: +1 Army Quality
Germany: +1 Army Quality, +1 Navy Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Guangxi: +1 Army Quality
Hashemite Sultanate: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Hungary: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Iran: +1 Army Quality
Italy: +1 Army Quality, +1 Navy Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Kongo: +1 Navy Quality
Netherlands: +1 Army Quality
Roman Empire: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Romania: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Russia: +1 Army Quality, +1 Navy Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Scandinavia: +1 Army Quality, +1 Navy Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Serbia: +1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality
Sudan: +1 Army Quality
Tadjoura: +1 Navy Quality
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: +1 Army Quality, +1 Navy Quality, +1 Air Force Quality


News from Europe​

KING CROWNED IN POITOU AS ELECTIONS HELD. Poitiers, Poitou. The temporary military government of Poitou has been placed under substantial pressure over recent years by Occitania, and now by the Confederation of Continental States. The CCS has called for new and free elections to be held in Poitou, despite protests that efforts remain badly askew due to the proletarist uprising and continued dissent. Faced with threats of invasion, the government of Poitou offered a referendum to the people to vote on the restoration of the old constitution or the formation of a new republic. With voting limited only to those without proletarist ties, as defined by those who fought alongside the proletarists in rebellion, the voting easily secured the restoration of the old constitution and the ample rights within. A new king was found, with relations to the old deposed monarchy. Louis de Guy has been crowned Louis IV of Poitou, and has the full support of the military. The new king has appointed many of the old guard leadership, and a number of army leaders into the designated seats in the legislature, as per the word of the constitution. The remaining majority of seats were open up for elections, but with the appointed seats fully under the control of the Unified Conservative Party, it was an uphill battle for the Septembrists to gain enough seats to control the government. Calling for unification with the Confederation of Continental States and a new liberal unity, the Septembrists failed to muster enough support to establish control of the legislature. The Unified Conservative Party claimed that the Septembrists were Occitanian pawns, seeking to force Poitou into an oppressive liberal tyranny in an illegitimate Confederation. Backed fully by the Catholic Church, the conservatives won only a little bit less than half of the seats open for voting, and combined with the seats appointed by the monarchy, Parliament has a solid conservative majority. The Unified Conservative Party has appointed retired military leader Gratian Voclain as the new Prime Minister of Poitou. Though disappointed with the results of the referendum and elections, it has been declared that the elections were indeed legitimate, under the terms of the agreement with the Confederation.

RUSSIA SMASHES LATVIAN REBELS. Riga, Russia. As preparations for the Second Great War were made and military forces mobilized to all of Russia’s frontiers, a secondary front was opened in the heartland. The Latvian rebels made a bold move to seize control and power throughout the region, but found themselves opposed by a greatly enlarged Russian garrison. Seeking to exploit the resentment towards increased conscription by the Emperor’s armies, the Latvians attempted to spur an open rebellion. While a rebellion did take place, the Russians were more than prepared for these attacks, and took the initiative to make offensives of their own. The Latvians, by striking openly at the Russians, revealed their strongholds and arsenals, and brought about a number of major battles throughout the countryside. The Russian armies emerged victorious, having destroyed or captured the largest caches of Latvian weapon and killed most of the enemy leadership. This has been a sore defeat for the Latvian cause, as the few rebels who remain have been forced to go underground to evade capture and summary execution by the Russian military. (-5 Infantry Brigades for Russia)

BRETON ELECTIONS HELD. Nantes, Brittany. The primary concern in the Channel Nation of Brittany this year was the ongoing elections, as most have viewed the outbreak of war between Russia and Germany with relative apathy. The elections progressed as they always have, with the primary issue emerging being the treatment of the nation’s working class and conditions that they live in. The Blaid Ryddfrydol has begun trumpeting the inequality of the current system and calling for new legislation to help protect the Breton worker and provide them with improved healthcare and working conditions. The conservative opposition and reigning political party, Plaid Geidwadol has come out almost completely against such reform, claiming that it could decimate the nation’s competitive edge in the European marketplace. The elections were bitterly fought and highly disputed, as the conservatives sought to maintain their position with extraordinary difficulty. The liberals fought a vicious campaign in the press, seeking to secure the moral high ground, a goal which they arguably accomplished. The conservatives lost quite a bit of ground in the legislature, but at the end of the day, have continued to maintain a slim majority, allowing them to preserve control. Their hold is shaky, however, and the untimely deaths of only a handful of legislators could very well lead to a complete reshuffle of the government.

ELECTIONS IN CATALONIA. Barcelona, Catalonia. The mandated elections held this year in Catalonia proved to be very hard fought on behalf of all participants. Since the barely won elections in 1936, President Rosa and the Moviment d'Alliberament have only somewhat retained their majority and control. Constant legislative battles have been fought, and the nation’s only result from these struggles has been a growing discontent with the standing elected officials. The social proletarists have found their support wavering and outright disappearing, helping the liberal Parti Septembrist spur themselves ahead to victory. The Conference of Paris and the formation of the Confederation of Continental States seemed to lay out a route to peace and prosperity for the people of Western Europe. The Septembrists have argued that the future of Catalonia lies with closer ties and possibly even integration into the new Confederation. They have stated that the confederate system allows for considerable domestic autonomy, while providing strong military and political protection. The conservative opposition has railed against the possible loss of sovereignty, but this has not stopped the Parti Septembrist from gaining control of the majority coalition, supplanting the social proletarists. Executive elections displayed considerable division among the ranks, however, and the new president, while elected from the ranks of the liberals, received only the largest plurality of the vote, rather than a clear majority. Newly inaugurated President Andres Azipre has strong ties to the new Confederation, and has even proposed a plebiscite to determine the nations’ relationship.

DEATH OF THE KING OF CORSICA. Ajaccio, Corsica. The nation of Corsica mourned this year with the passing of King Sampiero III, the nation’s beloved monarch for more than thirty years. The late king was well known as a reformer and moderate, helping to preserve the balance and equity between the nation’s major parties. He has also been well known for his support for the Franco-Burgundian Confederation and Sardinia internationally. Under his leadership, Corsica and Sardinia were drawn together more closely than ever before in history, creating a strong and lasting alliance. The king’s son and heir has clearly followed in his father’s footsteps, serving in the military and creating a legacy of his own before assuming the throne. The newly crowned King Carlo has pledged that he will continue the stalwart policies of his father, helping to preserve the status quo, and retain neutrality in the conflict which has embroiled most of Europe. He has further affirmed his commitment to alliance with Sardinia, and even met with Sardinian King Matteo in a gala event to demonstrate their friendship.

ELECTIONS HELD IN GALICIA. Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. The primary concern the elections held in Galicia has been the outbreak of the Second Great War and probable Spanish intentions during the new conflict. Many Galicians are concerned that with the world’s powers focused upon the raging new war, the Spanish government could take advantage of the situation and overrun themselves and the other Iberian states. The close alliance with Portugal and Brazil has only made the situation tenser, as the Galician people search for a solution to the grave problem. The Social Proletarist Party has once more come to the forefront, accusing the moralists of collaboration with Spain, and discrediting a large part of the conservative coalition which had been ruling the nation. They have argued that security for the nation comes with closer ties to the new Confederation, seeking out a stronger relationship and alliance with the new state. They have further declared that cooperation with Spain is unlikely and undesirable, as aggressive American states such as Brazil cannot be trusted and will likely only attempt to provoke a war or invasion at the first opportunity Galicia presents. The Social Proletarists have managed to win a majority, pledging to protect the nation and the gains made for the nation’s working class from the return of Spanish oppression. They have appointed Francis Sposato as the new Prime Minister, a famous politician known for his grassroots protests against the Spanish in his youth.

BRITISH ELECTIONS HELD. London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Initially it seemed that the British elections would be swept by the Labour Party due to the successful conclusion of the war in China, and the apparent beginning of a new era of peace. This was changed dramatically first by the renewed invasion of China by the Lanzhou government and, second, by the Russian attack on the Royal Navy at Dumyat. The British people, already wearied by a ten year long war in China, found this to be intolerable, and the Labour Party’s support all but evaporated into nothing. Prime Minister Edwin Halifax was forced to resign in disgrace after the loss of the fleet in Dumyat, and the rest of his party has been crumbling under the pressure. In the vacuum the Union Jack Party has surged forward once more, calling for a total war on behalf of the British people, claiming that the international gloves are off, and that the true fight is only just beginning. The Union Jacks managed to win the elections despite these dire words, having given the perception to the people that they alone could lead Britain to victory. Newly appointed Prime Minister, Oswald Mosley has stated that he has nothing to offer the British people except “blood, toil, and tears” over the coming conflict, but that every tool in the British arsenal will be brought to bear until ultimate victory with the occupation of Moscow.

ITALY CRACKS DOWN ON THREATS OF CIVIL WAR, HOLDS ELECTIONS. Naples, Italy. After last year’s illegalization of the proletarist parties, the Italian government has faced innumerable threats of revolution and civil war. The proletarists vowed revenge, but appear to have been unable to muster enough force to make good upon their dire threats. Part of this can be attributed to the outbreak of the Second Great War, as Italy has thrown in its lot with the League of the Three Emperors, and many of the more unreliable soldiers were sent to the front. The government has maintained a tight control over the media and press, and has used most of its military to continue a crackdown at home, arresting known proletarists and their supporters. Amid this atmosphere of fear and unrest, Italy’s constitutionally scheduled elections became underway, as the Italian people found themselves with little choice. The illegalization cast a broad net over leftist political parties and groups, leaving only the most moderate liberals still standing. These individuals have formed the bulk of the opposition against the reigning Republican Party, and Prime Minister Corleone. The opposition never managed to build up any momentum, however, and the Italian government remains staunchly conservative, having dominated the press. Rumors of electoral corruption exist, and some foreign accounts doubt the validity of the elections as a whole, but the Italian government maintains that these were fair and free elections under the jurisdiction of national law. Prime Minister Corleone has returned to the seat of government, and has vowed full Italian support for the liberation of German-occupied Italy, and the restoration of the emperor to Scandinavia.

SWITZERLAND COMPLETES OUTER HAVEN. St Gallen, Switzerland. The outbreak of the Second Great War on the borders of Switzerland has overshadowed the greatest accomplishment of the small nation. Efforts to improve the lives of those living around the mountainous country have been culminated in the form of the completion of the Outer Haven project. The Outer Haven has provided electricity, water, and other cheap or free support and infrastructure to people living in areas outside of the Swiss border in Italy, Germany, and the Confederation. The local people have been widely approving of these structures, despite some major internal debate within Switzerland itself. The project has been the pet of past Swiss presidents, and even President Weber, a previous opponent of the scheme, has attempted to take some credit for the successful completion. Talks appear to have continued about the possible expansion of the scheme in a similar manner to the efforts of the Red Crescent out of Turkey, or the abortive Red Cross.

DENMARK BEGINS STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE. Copenhagen, Denmark. The outbreak of the Second Great War has remained only a sideshow in Danish politics and diplomacy. Despite Denmark's slow road to recovery finally beginning economically, there is still much to be done to alleviate the sufferings of Denmark's poor, in particular, the unemployed. The Socialdemokraterne majority in the legislature instituted the State Unemployment Insurance program this year, a system of unemployment benefits that are given to those who have been without work for a year. The Unemployment insurance is pegged at seventy-five percent of the average minimum wage, to prevent reliance on it over actually working, and given out monthly to those who are without work until they find it. The program has been widely popular among the working classes, and it is hoped that this will alleviate the pain being felt by much of the population. There has grown substantial concern among the nation’s conservatives that with the outbreak of war, Denmark may been soon forced to join either the Allies or the League of the Three Emperors and the funds spent on the unemployed may well be needed for the war.

NETHERLANDS INTRODUCES WORK PROGRAM. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Statsholder Hans Sterk announced this year the launch of the Werken Projectadministratie. This new bureau of the government has been dedicated towards putting the young and unemployed to work in the Netherlands through construction of major public works, including levees and roads. The program is also designed to offer subsidies to companies that will pick up hiring rates, helping to place those who participate in the program into productive jobs. The outbreak of the Second Great War has led to the program taking a new life, and has found support even among conservatives. The new WPA will be slated to build any needed fortifications or infrastructure in Dutch territories, should the war ever reach the soil of the Netherlands. Already they have helped rebuild houses and roads from Russian bombing raids which bypass Germany and head further west. Amsterdam has already been struck by three such bombing attacks, and the WPA has eagerly jumped to the task of rebuilding from the ruin.

PORTUGAL LAUNCHES EDUCATION INITIATIVE. Lisbon, Portugal. The Portuguese government dramatically increased education funding this year, as they seek to develop the nation’s higher education. Prime Minister Diogo Silves has announced that the focus of the effort has been on developing college level degrees and education, helping to provide higher learning and more highly skilled labor. The funding has helped further support the fields of aeronautics and engineering in these universities and colleges, and critics have claimed that this is further example of the Portuguese government being firmly under the control of aeronautical companies. The party has stated that the dramatically increased funding level is an effort to further standardize the welfare of students of all ages, and will be distributed to a number of schools, not just those of higher learning. The opposition has decried this wasteful spending, and has stated that the priority should be upon preparing Portugal for the possibility of an escalation of the Second Great War.

CCS HOLDS FIRST ELECTIONS. Orleans, Confederation of Continental States. The Confederation’s first elections took place this year, both presidential and parliamentary, and several major parties contested for the vote. For Parliament, the Septembrist Party, comprised of Septembrist leaders from the north, and Party of Order politicians from Occitania, was the best organized, and rode on their prestige as the collection of politicians which founded the Second Confederation itself, rallying much of the political left. The right wing camp, which was largely excluded from the liberal fervor which reunited the Confederation, was split between a coalition of regionalists seeking to abort the new Confederation, and a few conservative parties, the largest simply called the Conservative Party, that argued that though not exactly what they wanted, this new Confederation should at least be run on conservative values. The election was expected to result in a strong Septembrist Party, which won over many socialists with promises of working class reforms and new welfare institutions. In the presidential election the leading Septembrist candidate, Maximilien d'Auvergne, was able to win handily, gaining most of the Occitanian vote, much of the Septembrist vote across the Confederation. Campaigning on his strong military background, having commanded in the Spanish Civil War, the Rhine-Rhone War, and the Tunisian War, along with an economic background during the Durand years in Occitania, Maximilien’s overwhelming credentials even swayed many who worried having a crown prince for a president was an uncanny alliance. Other doubts have emerged as it seems the Septembrists have been split on the handling of the outbreak of the Second Great War. Very few politicians seem to have been able to muster up a legitimate stance on the latest global war, and the Septembrists have been divided between those seeking neutrality and those backing the Allies against Russia. Thankfully, the conservatives were unable to exploit the situation, but it bodes poorly for the prospect of government unity in coming years.

LIBERAL GOVERNMENT IN CCS PUSHES NEW REFORM. Orleans, Confederation of Continental States. With the triumphant success of the Septembrist Party and the election of Maximilien d'Auvergne, has opened the door for the first real reform and legislation by the young Confederation. Using Occitanian laws as the platform for reform, the national Parliament has petitioned the member states of the Confederation to adopt similar unemployment and pension benefits. The petition has been whole-heartedly supported by the left and thanks to overwhelming dominance in the national parliaments, the Confederation has instituted identical welfare laws across the whole country. The petition has been seen as the first success of the new government, and President d'Auvergne has loudly proclaimed this as the first true victory. Opponents of the program have continued to warn against possible Russian or Spanish aggression, claiming that such a program will only sap the resources and funds that the nation needs to thwart invasion. Others have condemned it on ideological grounds, claiming that this is a prime example of the Orleans government forcing its ideology and agenda upon all the people of the Confederation.

BRITTANY FORCES OPENING OF UNIONS. Nantes, Brittany. The Breton government announced this year new laws forcing closer observation of the nation’s unions, allegedly in response to terroristic proletarist threats. The law forces all unions to publically disclose information about their actions to both the government and corporations, while submitting to regular audits and observation. It has been stated that this is to prevent fraud or misuse of employee funds in the functioning of unions, and that any failing to comply will quickly find themselves illegalized. The conservative government has stated that this is for the protection of the worker from corrupt unionists, but the left has charged that this is another form of intimidation by corporations against the working class. The political dispute has continued to rise, and representatives of the legislature have stated that the laws fulfill a vital need for the economic safety of the Breton people.

SPAIN CLOSES GIBRALTAR TO MILITARY SHIPPING. Seville, Spain. The Russian and Italian attack upon Dumyat and the resulting naval battle has led to substantial concern about the escalation of the Second Great War to the rest of Western Europe. Spain has so far declared neutrality in the conflict, along with the rest of the Lisbon Pact, but has ordered the closing of the Straits of Gibraltar to all military traffic from both the Allies and the League of the Three Emperors. The sole exception to the platform is currently Spain and its immediate allies, despite some appeals from the Confederation of Continental States. A number of observers have claimed that this seems to be a gesture of implicit support for the Russian cause from the Lisbon Pact, due to the severe limitations this places upon the Allies to support their forces in Africa and the Middle East. Representatives of the related governments have denied these claims, stating that the effort has been done solely to support Spain’s ongoing position of neutrality.

News from the Americas​

URUGUAY REPEALS PROHIBITION. Montevideo, Uruguay. After what Uruguayan liberals refer to as the “failed experiment,” the laws of liquor prohibition have been fully repealed by the nation’s legislature. President Luis Pichardo has declared that the increase of crime and instability within Uruguay can be directly attributed to the after effects of the prohibition against alcohol. The passing of this first bit of legislation has been the clear start of a new era of policy, though President Pichardo has stated that he will be retaining the post of Minister of Religion as established by President Lonzo. The Uruguayan president has stated that the position will continue to be held by the Bishop of Montevideo, and act as a liaison between the presidency and the Catholic Church. The president has pledged that while regimes have been changed and blood has been spilled, that he will endeavor to restore economic and fair living standards to all of the nation’s people, but that this will not supplant good relations with the Catholic Church, despite the harsh words of the Treaty of Asunción.

POLITICAL PRESSURE MOUNTS ON AZTEC PRESIDENT. Oaxaca, Aztlan. President Matlal Banegas has faced a new round of political bombardment this year as conservative political leaders of the Party of Tradition have begun a legislative push to ban the old Aztec faith. They have denounced the faith as being barbaric in nature and continuing the abhorrent practice of human sacrifice. The Catholic Church and its ministers have continued to preach against the old faith, and have called upon the Aztec citizenry to make sure of the conversion of the heathens and prevent a resurgence of the old barbarism of the Aztec Empire. Legislation in the Aztec Congress has failed to gain any headway, however, as the president has refused to take sides in the issue, and his lack of support has prevented the movement illegalizing the old faith to be stalled. Several members of the government have recently proudly proclaimed their own allegiance to the old faith and have declared that these efforts are contrary to a free nation, and have fought as hard as they can to prevent further progression. Religious based crimes remain at a growing height, and new records for the Aztecs, and there is considerable gang violence mounting in the larger cities of Aztlan.

ELECTIONS HELD IN NICARAGUA AMID COUP THREAT. Managua, Nicargua. Due to a rise in instability and several riots last year, the reign of Nicaraguan president, Hugo Urbina has seemed quite tenuous at best. Military controlled press lambasted the president for failure to maintain order and live up to the expectations of the public. Ironically, this seemed to only bolster the president’s reputation among the majority of Nicaraguans. Urbina himself took his word to the masses, building on support and favor with the Catholic Church and going out into communities to voice his position to the people. The military sponsored candidate relied instead on control of the press, seeking to squelch any favor and to smear the president at every opportunity. President Urbina still emerged triumphant when the elections were held at last, showing a strong bastion of support among the religious and conservatives, despite economic woes. For several months following the elections, some were concerned that the military may step in and replace the president, but the feared coup failed to materialize. Urbina has been sworn in once more as Nicaragua’s president and seems to have found a stronger position of autonomy for himself away from the military.
 
PROTESTS LAUNCHED IN CUBA. Havana, Cuba. The Cuban government of Isaias Gomez has been backed by the military since the conclusion of the Cuban Civil War, and it remains a voice for the armed forces rather than the people. The president was elected without a serious opponent and no legislature currently exists to check the power of the executive office or the military. The lacking government has brought people into the streets this year to protest and call for election reform. The people have argued that a true democracy requires the constant participation of the masses, which is not possible under a totalitarian regime, even an elected one. The calls for reform have been accompanied by an opening of a new radio station in Havana which has broadcast anti-government and a pro-reform stance, calling for the establishment of a new constitution for the Cuban people. The most surprising event to take place regarding the protests has been a lack of any government response beyond close monitoring of the events. No violence has been reported, and President Gomez has to date refused to make any comment or even recognize the existence of the ongoing protests.

CRACKDOWN IN ECUADOR IN RESPONSE TO UNREST. Quito, Ecuador. The military has launched a major lockdown of the largest cities and towns within Ecuador this year, seeking to quell a “disturbing trend of proletarism and unrest” which has begun to erupt. Local populations, calling for the restoration of an elected government, launched a series of mass protests, focused predominantly within Quito itself. The police immediately launched a response, breaking up the protests, and arresting all present and attending the events. The protestors frequently responded with violence, throwing stones and other items at the police, forcing a long term military involvement. In towns where protests were allowed to proceed without disruption, the army has arrested the civilian leadership, claiming that they aided traitors and rebels. The army has refused to publically disclose the fate of those arrested in the recent crackdown, but has stated that all potential rebels and traitors will be given due process under military law before their fate is decided. Needless to say, a considerable portion of the population has become somewhat perturbed at these developments, and rumors state that an organized resistance movement is beginning to emerge among the lower classes of Ecuadorian society.

UNREST CONTINUES TO BUILD IN NEW ENGLAND. Boston, United States of America. Even as the Reclamation War seems to be winding down, the American government has faced a growing amount of unrest throughout New England. This unrest has come in a number of forms, from union strikes to protests to a few disparate bombings of government buildings. The largest protests have been to simply rally support for the liberal New Liberty Party in this year’s upcoming elections. The strikes have continued to protest the growing presence of Russian military personnel and their passage through predominantly New England’s ports including Boston and New York City. The worst of the unrest has been half a dozen bombings which have occurred at different points throughout the year. Most of the attacks have been directed at police stations and military bases, but two of the attacks were against Russian supply convoys from the ports to the front line soldiers in Florida. The attacks were taken credit for by the New American Underground, which has vowed to fight for a free America, and the overthrow of the corrupt United States. American civil and military authorities have begun a search for members of this organization, seeking to prevent further casualties and loss of life by the movement’s destructive attacks.

THE RECLAMATION WAR. San Carlos, United States of America. Even as a much larger war erupts in Europe and across the world, the Americans continue to wage war upon their neighbors in Florida and Jacksonia with Russian support. The destruction of the United Proletarist Republics of America has allowed the United States to bring their full force upon the two nations, and many foreign observers have expressed beliefs that it is only a matter of time before they collapse under the weight of the offensive. For a few brief months at the beginning of the year, it seemed that peace talks may make some progress while only light fighting continued on the ground. An armistice was quickly abandoned as it became clear that the Jacksonians were withdrawing along the front lines. The mobile American forces quickly pursued across the Great Plains, inflicting heavy casualties and almost forcing the Jacksonians into a complete rout. The Americans managed to encircle and capture multiple Jacksonian divisions as they attempted to withdraw into lines in the Rocky Mountains, eventually even retaking Denver. Unfortunately for the United States, after reaching the Mountains the Jacksonians made a strong stand, having reached their designated positions. Superior numbers and air cover allowed the Jacksonians to hold back the Americans, reinforcing their positions and digging in as quickly as possible to block further advances. In the south, determined Floridian resistance effectively repulsed a Russian attempt to cross the Mississippi River, inflicting heavy casualties. This defeat forced American generals to divert a number of reinforcements to be used to reinforce the holdings south of the Red River to aid the Russians. A push along the west bank of the Mississippi eventually captured a number of crossings, though the battle was hotly contested. Towards the middle of summer American and Russian forces regrouped and began pressing upon Dallas, seeking to capture the Floridian capital. The Floridians fought bitterly for every inch of land, but under immense pressure and without any tanks or air support, they were ground to dust in each stronghold they attempted to hold. The Floridians managed to block several flanking maneuvers by the Americans, forcing them to drive straight into Dallas, engaging them in a major urban conflict. After heavy casualties, the Russo-American army was able to declare victory towards the end of the year, but have had to halt and regroup as they absorb the losses they’ve had in the process. The Floridian government has fled west, and continues to maintain substantial military forces as they regroup against continued American attacks. A number of flanking attacks attempting to push across the Red River in the north were also repulsed, as the Floridians have held their primary defensive line.
Casualty Lists
Florida: 85 Conscript Brigades, 2 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 21 Artillery Brigades, 6 Necessity-class River Boats (+1 Army Quality)
Jacksonia: 43 Conscript Brigades, 2 Cavalry Brigades, 1 Rodvjur-Modell Armored Brigade, 8 Artillery Brigades, 2 AndAer JF-1936 Fighter Squadrons (+1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality)
Russia: 64 Infantry Brigades, 1 Laelaps Armored Brigade, 1 T-28 Armored Brigade, 2 Artillery Brigades
United States of America: 92 Conscript Brigades, 2 Lejon-Modell Armored Brigades, 3 Artillery Brigades, 1 H-1921 CAS Squadron, 3 S-100 Fighter Squadrons (+1 Army Quality, +1 Air Force Quality)

US ELECTIONS HELD. Chicago, United States of America. The Reclamation War and the governance of the former United Proletarist Republics of America became the primary issues in this year’s elections. Thanks to sitting representatives remaining from occupied territories, the majority of the Republican Party was never in doubt, as Congressional seats were for the most part filled by their current occupants with little change. President Harris took a surprising move by bypassing Congress when it came to the UPRA issue, which has not won him friends among the legislature. At the same time, the relative leniency of the American government to the black population of the former UPRA and the integration of the existing bureaucracy has essentially forced integration upon the United States as a whole. This has spurred outrage among the further right leaning political leaders of the Republican Party, but has won President Harris substantial sympathy among the electorate. More importantly, despite running with a split base, as the Republicans ran known radical right-wing Republican Strom Thurmond on a platform calling for harsher occupation in the UPRA, President Harris did well in New England for the first time. The New Liberty found a number of their traditional supporters actually supporting the President over their own chosen candidate. Successes in the war were also credited to President Harris, allowing him to achieve a slim majority in the elections, and once more regain the presidency.

MAJOR EARTHQUAKE RATTLES JACKSONIA. St Martin, Jacksonia. An earthquake weighing in at 8.8 on the Clarke Scale hit the greater metropolitan area of the city of St Martin in Jacksonia this year. The devastating quake caused substantial damage throughout the region, causing fires and the local city infrastructure proved too stretched to provide ideal aid. As a result, the fires spread quickly throughout the city, and forced many out of home and business, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake. Some reports have the city being effectively razed by the disaster, but in the weeks that followed the earthquake, reconstruction has begun, though shipping has remained closed into St Martin for the rest of the year due to the level of floating and sunken debris threatening vessels in shipping channels. Limited military aid has been provided, but due to the dedication of most of the nation’s resources towards the Reclamation War, recovery seems to be prolonged and difficult for the city’s residents. Casualties of the disaster are believed to be in the high thousands, with dead numbering more than two thousand. It has been reasonably proclaimed that the earthquake is by far the worst such disaster to hit the region in recorded history.

CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION BRINGS SCANDAL IN PARAGUAY. Asunción, Paraguay. Claims of corruption and bribery throughout the past few years have been investigated and brought out into the open by Paraguay’s largest newspaper. Both Brazil and Argentina have been linked to heavy concerns about influencing the nation’s elections and politics in recent years. Substantial evidence has been found linking known Argentine ambassadorial staff to providing direct financial aid in forms of bribes to the reigning Social Democratic Party during the 1935 elections. Apparently at the behest of the Argentine government, the Social Democrats were given this financial support in a clearly illicit manner, on the idea that they would help oppose Brazilian foreign policy in South America if elected. Similarly Argentine and Brazilian owned businesses have been exposed for bribing politicians and bureaucrats in order to receive preferential treatment. The inherent corruption in the system has brought extreme outrage to the public of Paraguay, and multiple protests were held throughout the year as the people began to turn to other outlets due to the perceived failure of the main political parties. As elections loom in 1941, it seems likely that these concerns and perceptions have made the next voting process into a complete free-for-all for a variety of parties and ideologies.

ELECTIONS HELD IN COSTA RICA. San Jose, Costa Rica. The nation of Costa Rica participated in ongoing elections this year, as the nation sought to choose the next president. The nation lacks a legislature, so the office of presidency holds much prestige and power and is well deservedly known as the most influential position in the nation. Unfortunately, it has remained controlled by Nicaragua and the military, who manipulate the government extensively for their own interests. All of this has become exceedingly transparent this year as President Riva handily won reelection, with more votes than there were registered voters. The degree of electoral fraud has been obvious and overwhelming, and the people of Costa Rica have become understandably perturbed at this development. Multiple protests have been held, leading to dozens of arrests as the military has cracked down upon rabble rousers. The crackdowns have only spurred further unrest, including a vicious riot in San Jose towards the end of the rainy season. The military has continued to maintain a curfew in the capital, and Nicaragua has recognized the legitimacy of the current president and has promised to support him.

HISPANIOLAN ELECTIONS HELD. Santo Domingo, Hispaniola. Elections held this year in Hispaniola have been a fairly low key affair, especially considering other events throughout the Americas and the world. The outbreak of the Second Great War has only been a minor blip on the radar of the people of the island nation, and has done very little to affect the region, behind a slight drop in tourism. President Guillermo Carvallo has pledged to remain neutral from the war and has the full support of his Party of Order. Opposition parties have found very little to challenge the government upon beyond ignoring the plight of the average worker, but this has been widely dismissed in the press as proletarist rabble rousing. The majority continue to support the Party of Order, which has represented prosperity and development for the past six years. President Carvallo has been reelected, though he has stated that he has no intention of running for election again in the 1946 elections, meaning that this will be his final term as Hispaniola’s president.

ELECTIONS HELD IN HONDURAS. Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The government of Honduras has remained fixated upon the increase in tensions with Costa Rica and Nicaragua, causing these feeling to spill over into the electoral cycle. The Honduran people have so far supported the National Order Party, which has campaigned and led on the basis of border security and defense against outside threats. The increased blatant anti-democratic activity by the government in Nicaragua has further soiled the relationship between the two Central American nations. Despite a lessening of tensions with the Mayans, the potential conflict between Honduras and Costa Rica has continued to result in major military readiness for battle. The people of Honduras have turned out to once more support the National Order Party, as it becomes clear that the Hondurans continue to favor the security offered by the reigning party. President Sol has been retained as the head of government, and continues to offer firm and fair leadership over the legislature.

MORALISTS CALL FOR IMMIGRATION LIMITS IN BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Noted Brazilian moralist party leaders have begun establishing a new platform for their political ideology. They have begun calling for the passing of immigration reform banning the immigration of non-Catholic people into Brazil. They have stated that this is to help provide cultural and religious unity in an uncertain world, protecting the people of the nation from corruptive heretical and heathen influences. The liberal parties have harshly rejected these notions, claiming that they stand firmly against the principles of the Brazilian nation and people. They claim instead that Brazil has always been a nation of immigrants, and must continue to welcome people of all cultures and creeds. This has begun building as a major political debate and could very well become a major policy point for the upcoming 1944 elections.

TREATY OF ASUNCION. Asunción, Paraguay. A resounding effort has been made this year to help end the simmering tensions between Brazil and its neighbors in South America. The newly minted Treaty of Asuncion has been stated to help purge the issues of discord that have existed throughout the area for the past decade since the end of the Pan-American Democratic Accord. The treaty has been mostly geared towards ending the naval arms race between Brazil and Argentina, placing limits upon Argentine and Peruvian naval construction, while allowing Brazil to continue production of any vessels. Similarly the treaty has put limits on domestic air forces and armies, helping to reduce fears of a highly destructive conflict. The outbreak of the Second Great War in May helped cement this negotiation, as many were concerned about the creation of a war on a similar scale in South America. The treaty has also barred any of the signatories’ governments from influencing or meddling in the affairs of the smaller nations of the continent, helping to prevent similar standoffs as that which occurred in Uruguay. The treaty has been seen as a triumphant success by all political groups in Brazil, but the reaction in Argentina and Peru has been more mixed. Opposition political parties in both nations have denounced the treaty as an effective surrender to Brazilian hegemony in South America. The matter has become one of increasing concern, though many newspapers have lauded the treaty as a road to peace, which other continents can only envy.

AZTLAN BEGINS NEW HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION. Oaxaca, Aztlan. The government of Aztlan started a new initiative this year to help create more jobs and develop the nation’s infrastructure. The effort has been directed at developing away from a railroad based infrastructure towards one more geared towards highways and automotive transit. The new highways are modeled upon similar systems currently in use in Argentina, Brazil, and other states throughout South America. The success of the model in the south has helped spur the desire to achieve similar success for the Aztec people. The new infrastructure designs will also help modernize the already extant railroads and roads that are up to code, creating a unified system for traffic and transit. The Aztec military has firmly supported the efforts, stating that the new roads will help the army respond to any potential acts of aggression from the United States or Mayans. The project is estimated to take around a decade to achieve completion, due to the high costs of construction and the creation of new roads. Opponents suggest that the new system could drain the nation’s wealth by increasing the amount of local consumption of oil products, while reducing the total exports. They have also claimed that pursuing these developments will tax the government’s ability for funding, and with the Americans nearing the border, and the outbreak of the Second Great War, security concerns have become paramount.

HISPANIOLA BEGINS NEW INITIATIVES. Santo Domingo, Hispaniola. After facing rising criticism throughout the year’s election campaign, President Guillermo Carvallo has announced new plans to help those living in poverty in Hispaniola. In addition to helping put people back to work through new construction, President Carvallo has announced a new policy providing support and stipends to those seeking improved housing and employment. Money is being provided directly to those seeking to build or buy improvements for their homes, including air conditioning and refrigeration. The policy has been specifically slated to include only items of necessity, and excludes radios and television sets from the items that would be purchased with the government stipends. The support for the program has widely come from the conservative side of government, eager to see the new profits that will emerge from the increase in consumers that the money will provide. Liberals have warned however, that the new policy needs greater control by the government in order to prevent abuse or misuse of the finances involved.

US BEGINS UPRA INTEGRATION. Chattanooga, United States of America. The Reclamation War began with the express intent of bringing the lands of the United Proletarist Republics of America under the control of the Federal government in Chicago. While the fight continues to rage against both Florida and Jacksonia, the UPRA has been defeated and now is under the management of the American military. The territory itself has remained mostly under military law, but to the surprise of many foreign observers, President Harris has retained most of the proletarist bureaucracy intact, including local taxation and management laws. This has kept many black individuals as community leaders and managers, maintaining the status quo until elections can be held. Furthermore, land which had been previous state held by the government has been distributed to the residents currently farming it, with only a few exceptions. The agricultural lands have been in turn divided into far smaller tracts of land, granting holdings to more people and families, mostly black ones. This has sparked some outrage in Chicago, where many displaced white landowners have long expected that their lands would be returned to them, some being further outraged due to blacks being allowed to hold territory once owned by whites. President Harris has stood by the decision to allow the UPRA bureaucracy to remain intact, and has been applauded by liberals for his lenient stance, and even grudgingly appreciated by the blacks themselves.

UPRA LEADERS STAND TRIAL. Washington D.C., United States of America. In America’s de jure capital, the nation’s Supreme Court held highly public trials for Scipio and the other leaders of the former United Proletarist Republics of America. Over a dozen military political leaders from the highest echelons of the UPRA were captured in the final battles for that nation, and have since been held in military prison. They have been tried for acts of treason, as well as for individual murders and deaths caused by the rebellions they led and actions taken during the American Crisis. The trials were highly publicized, and observers from Vinland and other nations were invited to attend the proceedings. Evidence was heard from a number of former residents, who loudly proclaimed the brutal atrocities perpetrated upon them during the revolution, and all involved were convicted. Scipio himself was sentenced to death and executed towards the end of the year, of the remaining fourteen individuals, three more were executed, and the rest have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The trials have done much to bolster the morale of the white population in the United States, though the black and liberal population have viewed these as nothing more than show trials designed for political purpose and vengeance. The death of Scipio is said to mark the end of an era, as many view the return of a unified USA a rising new probability for North America.

ARGENTINA COMPLETES RESOURCE EXPANSION. Buenos Aires, Argentina. The government of Argentina announced this year the completion of a long-term financing effort designed to expand and increase production of minerals and petroleum throughout the nation. The effort has gone towards sponsoring increased construction and activity in national mines and oil fields, and has included substantial amounts of spending over the years. The Argentines have mostly relied upon supporting the private individuals and companies with ownership rights, giving grants and direct construction aid to the companies operating the facilities in question. Much of the expansion effort has been geared towards increasing national exports and wealth, but the increased production has further helped provide employment. Increased demand created by the outbreak of the Second Great War has fueled the early completion of the project, and it seems likely that with the breakdown in international trade, that Argentine goods will become increasingly prevalent throughout Western Europe.

ARGENTINA FINISHES FORTIFICATION UPGRADE. Rosario, Argentina. Following announcements of the completion of the resource expansion and the new Treaty of Asunción, Argentina’s government has made an attempt to appeal to opponents of the new treaty. President Harkness has confirmed the completion of the expansion and modernization of border and coastal fortifications. New bunkers, modern anti-aircraft weapons, and airfields are included among the new improvements, helping to improve the durability and efficiency of the nation’s fortifications. The new fortifications predominantly include new structures along the borders with Brazil and Chile, helping protect essential roads and passages into the nation. The forts have also been improved protecting against hostile naval access to Buenos Aires and other Argentine ports. The massive new guns within help provide a strong barrier against the threat of invasion or attack. Many have viewed the developments as timely in a number of manners, though there has been some concern expressed that the Treaty of Asuncion makes the forts along land borders an exercise in futility.

CHILE COMPLETES AIRFIELD CONSTRUCTION. Santiago, Chile. President Michael Viana was present this year at a gala ceremony for the opening of the Santiago International Airfield, celebrating the opening of Chile to air travel. The new airfield outside of Chile’s capital has been specifically designed for passenger traffic from other nations, being able to accommodate all known civilian and military jet transports. The new structures include modern radar and other features designed to help land passenger planes safely and without incident. This airfield is just one of over a dozen scattered across Chile, providing an internal transportation service as well as an international one. It is hoped that this will improve commerce and relations with the other nations of South America, helping tourists arrive to the secret wonders of the Chilean countryside. The program has been obviously dismal at first, with the outbreak of the Second Great War, it seems that tourism is on a rapid downward spiral. Proponents of the plan have claimed that the perceived failure is only temporary and that as the world inevitably finds a peaceable solution to the war, Chile will profit.

VENEZUELA COMPLETES NEW REFINING PORT FACILITIES. Caracas, Venezuela. The government of Venezuela announced this year the completion of major new facilities in several Venezuelan ports. These streamlined facilities are designed to help improve the speed and efficiency of oil products being refined and exported abroad. The effort has further helped Venezuelan companies and interests from being exploited by Colombian exporters and importers, a matter of high importance for political reasons. The new plants are said to be able to more than triple previous Venezuelan production of oil products, and with the outbreak of the Second Great War, it seems that this has happened not a moment too soon. Venezuelan oil tycoons have rapidly begun appealing for reduced prices to help encourage the purchase of local products by the Allies and to undercut foreign interests and production. The government has so far refused to take any further role in the matter, and has allowed the free market to reign, which continues to assist national productivity.

FLORIDIAN ELECTIONS HELD. Roswell, Florida. The Reclamation War has truly come home to the people of Florida, but despite this, they have continued to push forward with the democratic tradition they hold dear. The Floridian government has announced, that despite the ongoing American invasion, the elections will continue as scheduled. Congressmen from districts overrun by the Russians and Americans have been selected to retain their seats, but the office of the President has been wide open to the popular vote. Allowing seated congressmen to retain their seats if their district was occupied has helped the United Front easily retain the majority in the legislature, but the Presidency was in for a much tougher fight. President Ponder has verbosely proclaimed his dedication to the fight against the United States, calling it a war against the tyranny of an old regime. Opposing him has been Thomas Graham of the Reformed Party of the Republic, calling for renewed negotiations. Graham has stated that with recent American actions and leniency towards the former proletarists, that there ought to be room for a peaceful return of Florida to the Union. The fall of Dallas and the retreat of the government to Roswell have led to a severe backlash against President Ponder, and with the elections came a victory for Graham and the Reformed Party of the Republic. He has called for the United Front to support him in negotiations with the United States, claiming that the time has come for Floridians to be Americans once more.
 
News from Africa and the Middle East​

UNITED FRONT BEGINS SPLIT IN INTERIOR AFRICA. Carnot, Interior Africa. The United Front political party in the Spanish Dominion of Interior Africa has been preserved as the leading party of the nation since the elections in 1938. Prime Minister Luis Zuniga has done his best to maintain a strong central government, seeking to unify the disparate factions and ideologies that made up the drive for autonomy. Unfortunately, this has hit a bump in the road as a number of Christian advocates have called for a more morally aligned and developed regime. Backed by the Catholic Church and other Christian factions, these have called for suppression of the religious minority faiths throughout Interior Africa, claiming that they threaten the peace. The conservatives have been further supported by Spanish business interests, and have been able to put out their message to the people for to a great degree. It seems likely that the conservatives have forced the divide, and have withdrawn their support from the United Front, with probable severe ramifications for the 1943 elections.

MUSLIM LEADERS DENOUNCE GOVERNMENT IN LIBYA. Tripoli, Libya. The Libyan government of Prime Minister Iqbal Mihayshi has remained under siege this year, finding themselves constantly attacked publically by a number of Islamic clerical leaders. The clerics have claimed that the current regime does not represent the best interests of the people of Libya, calling for a restoration of an Islamic government. Tensions mounted throughout the year as the clerical leaders have become far more proactive, advocating any dissent and activities designed to undermine the liberal regime. The outbreak of the Second Great War threw more fuel onto the fire, as the Libyan leaders have called for Islamic unity against the imperialists in the Middle East, calling for a jihad to liberate the holy lands from the British puppet states. The liberal government has done its best to maintain order, but a rising number of protests and demonstrations have begun to show weakness for the liberals, and it seems likely that this will not bode well for the 1944 elections.

IRAN MAKES KEY ARRESTS. Baghdad, Iran. The Iranians have dealt a major blow against insurgent forces in Mesopotamia this year, locating and arresting the primary leader of the Arabic rebel movement. This leader has been stated to have been responsible for most if not all of the attacks made against the Iranian occupation force since the region was annexed after the Great Arabian War which ended the empire. The Iranians launched a raid on the leader’s compound outside of Baghdad, which had been concealed as a warehouse for local shipping and distribution of goods. The fight was quick but bloody, leading to hundreds of casualties on both sides. The attack was an astonishing success, and Iran has stated that it has recovered countless precious documents which reveal the intentions and plans of the rebel movements. Numerous other arrests have been made in the wake of the Baghdad operation, and Iran has proven highly successful in further counter-rebel efforts. The military has stopped short of simply declaring victory, but unofficial comments has made it clear that Iranian intelligence indicates a total defeat for the Arabic rebels.

GABON BEGINS DEMOCRATIC REFORMS. Moanda, Gabon. Making a move to fulfill the promises he made over the course of the takeover of the government, General Augustin Makaya has started gathering people to undertake the establishment of a democratic constitution. A new constitution is being designed to be loosely modeled upon the ideals and laws of the British Empire, seeking to create a strong centralized elected government. There has been some talk of establishing a monarchy to help further legitimize the nation in the eyes of Europe and the Americas, and searches have begun for a suitable candidate, though some have suggested General Makaya for the role. First elections are scheduled to be held in 1942, while a decision upon a monarch is slated to be made by the end of next year. Overall, the public has been mostly pleased with the direction of the constitutional talks and development, but some concerns have arisen over the efforts, particularly with the outbreak of the Second Great War and the possible ramifications for the African continent.

TUNISIA ANNOUNCES ECONOMIC REFORM. Tunis, Tunisia. Faced with growing local concern about the state of the national economy, Tunisian Prime Minister, Ziad Marzouk, announced this year the start of a new program to redefine the role of national trade and industry. The weakening of the local economy has been made worse throughout the year due to the outbreak of fighting along the Suez Canal, as more shipping starts going through the South Atlantic and Panama Canal than through the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the overreliance on the shipping trade as a stopover through the region, Tunis has suffered since the fall of the global economy, even while under Sardinian rule. The revolt and war did little for the nation, and it has been deemed of dire need to reform and find a new economic role for Tunisia. The new program announced this year has been directed at building up a strong industrial base, as well as modernizing the nation’s agriculture. Funds have been provided towards purchasing machinery required for both tasks, though the prices have risen due to the outbreak of the Second Great War. Current estimates place this as a ten year plan, seeking to develop and exploit opportunities that could emerge over the coming years of conflict.

TENSIONS MOUNT IN SOUTHEAST AFRICA. Harare, Mutapa. As the world watches Europe descend into the Second Great War, a smaller conflict seems to be brewing in the remote region of Southeast Africa. The kingdoms of Zululand and Mutapa have recently begun debating the actual border, which has been only endorsed by the treaties ending British occupation of the region. Both governments agree that the current border is arbitrary at best, but neither side has been able to agree on where the border physically lies at given points. This year, this has led to several skirmishes between elements of both nations’ armies, and concerns have begun to rise that this could escalate into a larger war between the two strongest nations in the region. Zambia has pledged their support for their allies in Mutapa, while the other powers of the region have remained silent on the matter, waiting to see how events develop over the coming months and years.

BLIGHT BRINGS STARVATION TO WEST AFRICA. Bamako, Mali. A deadly drought combined with a crop blight has brought new suffering to the young nation of Mali and neighboring regions. These predominantly British colonies have had their own situations exacerbated by the interruption of shipping caused by the onset of the Second Great War. Much of Mali’s own crops were ruined by unseasonably hot weather and a lengthy dry spell without any rainfall. Combined with a virulent new crop blight, it has been difficult for the nation to feed itself, painfully without provisions. The government has found an increasing amount of bankrupt farmers migrating into the cities and the tribes have been forced together in a growing amount of disturbance and interruption of daily life. The Malian government has appealed for aid, and has found some support arriving from the Red Crescent, though that organization too has become strained by the beginnings of a global war. For the time, few have actually died, but a rise of disease and malnutrition is expected among the majority of people, as they struggle to survive in worsening conditions.

ELECTIONS HELD IN ABYSSINIA. Addis Ababa, Abyssinia. The outbreak of the Second Great War has brought new life into the politics of Abyssinia, forced to languish after the major military defeat at the hands of the Sudanese. The onset of fighting to the north has brought Sudan to the aid of its Egyptian ally, seeking to throw the British out of Dumyat and possibly Arabia as a whole. The Abyssinians have found a voice from the militarist Reclamation Party, which has called for a war of vengeance to reclaim pride from the Sudanese and to end the punitive reparations inflicted upon the nation’s agriculture. The Social Liberal Party under First Minister Kifle Bulti has appealed to the masses to prevent further bloodshed and onslaught, hoping to stem the tide of chaos sweeping the world. Unfortunately, war fever has gripped the land, and much of the blame for the lost war has fallen upon Bulti himself. This has led to a tremendous electoral victory for the Reclamation Party, which has pledged the end of reparations and the establishment of a new golden age for Abyssinia. Former military leader, Baruch Wolde, has been appointed the new First Minister, and allegedly has already begun talks with Sudan on mutual affairs of interest.

HOLLANDIAN ELECTIONS HELD. Mombasa, Hollandia. The outbreak of the Second Great War has dominated domestic chatter in Hollandia, as it has in so many other nations. The new great war threatens the stability of Africa, as well as the world at large, and the Hollandian government has appeared to be at a loss on how to proceed. The Nationalist Party has continued to espouse neutrality and a lack of intervention in the affairs of Europe, allowing commerce to continue and the Hollandian people to remain undisturbed. On the other side of the fence, the Liberal Party has begun to argue for Hollandian support for the Netherlands and Germany, calling the war a great crusade against totalitarianism and monarchy. They have declared that it is the duty of Hollandia to help the motherland against the aggression and provide support in this time of dire need. The liberal call to arms has helped build up the party after years of remaining as the second choice for the nation’s people. The liberals under Renske de Krom have managed to steal the elections away, and have pledged their support for the war effort against Russia.

KURDISH ELECTIONS HELD. Cizre, Kurdistan. War has come to Kurdistan’s doorstep as Roman and Russian forces have invaded Turkey, and Russian and Iranian forces clash to the east. The beginning of the Second Great War has struck a nerve with the Kurdish people who have only recently had military clashes with Iran and Turkey. The result has been the emergence of a divide among members of the Kurdish legislature. President Amjad and the Progressive Party have called for continued isolation and the withdrawal of the nation from the threat of war, maintaining neutrality in the conflict. A number of speeches by King Nazermi have made it clear however, that the dissenting conservative minority opinion is decided pro-Russian and in favor of intervention against Iran and Turkey to reclaim rightfully Kurdish lands. The electoral battle was hard fought, as the liberals attempted to remind people of the horrible bloodshed of the war against Turkey, and the threats of worse conflict should Kurdistan join the new fight. When the voting came down to the end, however, the conservative National Unity Party managed to secure the largest plurality in the legislature. In order to solidify control of government, the conservatives have allied with various militarist and royalist movements, helping to create a secure majority. It seems clear that a new, more militaristic path is on the Kurdish horizon.

ELECTIONS HELD IN SOUTH AFRICA. Cape Town, South Africa. As the British Empire goes to war, the Dominion of South Africa has followed along with it. Based on the agreement that led to South Africa’s Dominion status, the nation has been obligated to follow the British into battle for the fate of Europe and possibly the world. Elections held this year have been predominantly a dispute between two factions, both of which support intervention in the war. The question in play has been the degree of intervention that the South Africans should provide for the conflict as a whole. The conservatives have been in full favor of providing complete military support and dedication to the conflict, sending South African soldiers to fight on battlefields in Europe and the Middle East. The liberals have advocated a more limited approach, providing economic aid while remaining more focused on retaining domestic stability. This has particularly come as tensions continue to mount between the Zulu and Mutapa, threatening a smaller war that is more immediate to South African interests. The conservatives managed to sway a number of liberal candidates to their side, portraying the war against Russia as one of total import, as the very notion of democracy could be at stake. The defecting ministers and a decent election campaign helped the Conservative Party gain the majority in the South African Congress, appointing politician Duncan Roberts to be the new President of South Africa. President Roberts has affirmed South Africa’s commitment to the war effort, already deploying a small expeditionary force to fight in Dumyat against the Egyptians.

BAPELA KILLED BY CHOKWE FORCES. Luau, Chokweland. Despite it being years after the fall of the warlord of Burundi, General Bapela has continued a war of raiding and unrest throughout the countryside, stirring up dissent and old tribal rivalries. The armies of Chokweland at last managed to corner and eliminate the general this year, waging a unceasing campaign of hunting. The general allegedly was killed in battle against the Chokwe, who claim the body was cremated following his death. The general’s forces have been disbanded and scattered, though some scattered raiding parties and militias remain as a legacy. The instability caused by the marauder continues to remain, as the Chokwe struggle to maintain a lid upon growing tribal rivalries and unrest within the nation’s borders. For the time being, the largest armed threat to the central government has been suppressed, and officials within government claim this as a turning point in the nation’s history.

SOUTH AFRICA LAUNCHES NATIONAL PARKS. Cape Town, South Africa. Following his triumphant election this year, the new President Roberts of South Africa announced ambitious new plans for a National Park Service. This organization would be dedicated towards preserving regions and locations of great natural beauty without South Africa, helping maintain them for generations to come. The new organization would include a new government bureaucracy and the maintenance of areas agreed to be of ecological and national importance. Furthermore, talks have been made about allowing those wishing to retain a tribal lifestyle to remain on those lands within the interior, rather than being forced into the cities as they have in the past. New areas are slated for construction of dirt paths and trails, allowing tourists and citizens to travel the areas and experience the splendor of the South African interior for themselves. Both conservatives and liberals have applauded the plan, stating that it is a step forward for the nation and people of South Africa.

News from the Far East​

TSUNAMI HITS CENTRAL BRITISH INDOCHINA. Dhaka, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The residents of the British colony of Indochina have been hit with a massive flood this year, as unseasonable storms and unknown causes led to a large wave wiping out a number of coastal communities in the central part of the region. Local authorities have been badly strained in an effort to rebuild and repair leveled towns and infrastructure, even finding it difficult to bury the bodies left behind from the disaster. The local government has appealed to the British garrison for aid, but with the onset of the Second Great War, British forces have been keeping an eye to the seas and borders for possible attack. Reconstruction has begun throughout the year by local inhabitants, but it seems likely that the region will not be brought back to its previous standards within the near future. Interruption of shipping from through the Suez Canal and South Atlantic has further exacerbated the situation, and local residents are short of all supplies from building materials to food and clean water.

ELECTIONS HELD IN HAWAII. Honolulu, Hawaii. The outbreak of the Second Great War has caused much more gnashing of teeth in Hawaii, as the government faces continued worsening tourism, made worse from the downturn that already exists due to the Fireworks and Reclamation Wars. The new war threatens to diminish the European tourist market, already reduced due to war threats throughout the Pacific Ocean. The Party of the Republic has continued to promise that the downturn at play is only a waiting game, and that with Japan’s neutrality in the Second Great War, that market can be assured of returning to Hawaii for vacation. Similarly, many believe that Jacksonia and Florida are not long for the world, promising yet another new market of consumers towards the end of the Reclamation War. The liberals and social proletarists have instead called for diversification of the economy and improved rights for the working class. These platforms have captured the attention of the people, who are less than willing to wait around for an economic recovery that could or could not take place. The liberal Free Hawaii Party has won in an overwhelming landslide, securing a massive majority in the legislature as their chosen candidate, Christopher Nelson triumphs to gain control of the presidency.

DUTCH ATTEMPT TO RECONCILE NEW GUINEA TRIBES. Jayapura, Netherlands. In recent years a growing amount of unrest and violence has been reported between the tribes of the New Guinea interior and more modernized settlers along the coasts. Dutch and other foreign business interests have been attempting to develop interior resources and in the process have begun to displace and rile up the tribes of the interior. The tribes, faced with the possibility of being forced off the lands they have lived on, have either fought back, or found themselves in conflict with other tribes. The violence has been mostly low key, but attacks against surveyors and prospectors has led to demands from colonial interests to efforts to end the conflict. The Dutch government in Amsterdam dispatched ambassadors this year, and have overwhelmingly met with failure in the process. The few ambassadors who weren’t killed on sight by hostile tribes have reported little headway in understanding the language or culture, and have been forced to leave in disgust. Dutch interests continue to be attacked by the tribes, and it seems likely that the violence will continue as companies attempt to protect their assets.

INDIAN CIVIL WAR COMES TO A CLOSE. Bombay, India. The bloody conflict in India which has to date claimed over three million lives, has been brought to a climatic conclusion with a final offensive by the Federalists. Having lost what remained of their international support, Kalinga and the Regionalists struggled to maintain the front against the Bombay government. The Federalists launched two major offensives, one aimed towards knocking Kalinga out of the fight, and the other directed at destroying the remnants of the Regionalist princes. The first offensive proved overwhelmingly successful as the Federalist government deployed tanks and aircraft with devastating effect against the enemy, which had neither. The battles were still hard fought across the countryside, culminating in the final conquest of Visakhapatnam by the Indian government. The Kalingese government has been forced to surrender, while the royal family has been placed under house arrest, as final terms for the fate of Kalinga have yet to be decided. Local residents and merchants have expressed the hope that the Bombay government will recognize that Kalinga is a different culture and people from the rest of the subcontinent, but no final decision on the nation’s fate has yet been made. The attack on the Regionalists proved more difficult for the Federalists, as the rebels fought as hard as they could for every inch of ground, inflicting heavy casualties. Unfortunately for the rebellion, the Bombay government had more than enough lives to spare, and broke the enemy lines, resulting in victory. The conquest of the rebel provinces and Kalinga has placed India under a united government for the first time since the days of the Maratha Confederacy, and international interests are intrigued at what may come of this development.
Casualty Lists
India (Federalist): 176 Conscript Brigades, 1 M1930 Armored Brigade, 5 Artillery Brigades
India (Regionalist): 59 Conscript Brigades, 15 Infantry Brigades, 3 Artillery Brigades
Kalinga: 61 Conscript Brigades, 17 Infantry Brigades, 2 Cavalry Brigades, 19 Artillery Brigades

INDIA BEGINS LAND REFORM AND REDISTRIBUTION. Delhi, India. The victory in the late civil war has left most of the former princes of India dead, arrested, or in exile, giving need for a new system of governance and management. Much of the estates of these departed princes have been redistributed to the current residents of the lands, while the rest has been sold or granted to wealthy merchants and towns for their own use. The program has done much to buy support from the middle class and farmers in particular for the new government, though some still resent the stringent controls of Bombay over life. To manage the provinces of the nation, the new office of Peshwa has been established, appointed by the High Prince and his advisors to oversee each area. The new oversight leaders are given extensive autonomy from the government in Bombay, but are still beholden to them. The Peshwas have slowly been appointed, predominantly from the wealthy merchant class, further ingratiating the regime with the middle classes. The new reforms have been carried out throughout the northern provinces, but much of the southern part of the nation and Kalinga continue to remain under direct military law. Reform is proclaimed to be coming in the next few years, while the fate of Kalinga is still determined and the army roots out any remaining rebel resistance.

JAPAN BEGINS PHILIPPINES BLOCKADE. Manila, Philippines. Despite having successfully ejected the Japanese from their islands in 1938, it seems that the War for Filipino Independence is not quite yet won. The Japanese have launched a full sea and air blockade of shipping to the Philippines, denying them access to trade within their islands, as well as aid from overseas. The Japanese have continued to refuse further negotiation with the rebels, and most observers believe that the blockade is a prelude to a renewed invasion. The blockade has been fully enforced by the Japanese, who have sunk a number of merchant and fishing vessels around the islands, preventing them from providing alleged support to the Filipino war effort. Foreign observers in Manila have stated that the local government is doing substantial work to revitalize old fortifications and prepare the islands for a desperate fight to the last against a Japanese invasion. They lack heavy equipment, tanks, or airplanes, but they have loudly proclaimed that the Japanese would face the toughest fight of their lives should they attempt to invade to restore their oppressive rule.

AFGHANISTAN COMPLETES MODERNIZATION. Kabul, Afghanistan. After years of labor and effort, the Afghan people have completed a major project emphasizing the creation of modern infrastructure and support for the young nation. Engineers from Russia and the Roman Empire had been hired to help guide the nation in its construction efforts through the years, and the fruits of labor have at last been revealed. Modern new railroads have been constructed to connect the nation, along with a rudimentary airfield outside the capital of Kabul. The railroads have bridged many previously unpassable chasms and have helped connect formerly isolated communities to the rest of the nation. The changes have been great for the nation’s productivity, also connecting to Russian railroad networks, and preserving trade between the two countries. King Shuja Durrani has stated that this is a strong step forward in building up the nation to a point where it can be said to be a modern power in its own right. Unfortunately, the increased contact between various elements of the nation has also exacerbated various regional tensions, as more people are being drawn closer together.
 
SPECIAL: The Second Great War​

THE WAR IN CHINA. Lanzhou, China. The first major battles of the Second Great War took place not in Europe, but on the other side of the war, not far from where the last major war, the Fireworks War, began. The Chinese, spurred by their Russian allies, launched multiple attacks across the border into Guangxi, hoping to claim the Dominion’s western provinces. The attacks were well coordinated and conducted, but unfortunately for the Chinese, the British fully anticipated and prepared for the attack. Vicious fighting was the name of the day in both the skies and on the ground as the Chinese advanced for a week, and then were solidly stopped. For several months skirmishing continued between the two sides, but neither were able to muster the strength for a major offensive. The Chinese then switched their tactics to night fighting doctrine, similar to the Red Army in the Fireworks War, but this too met with little success. The British proved adept at fighting the Chinese using tactics they developed against the Red Army on the Yangtze in the last war. The Chinese have been solidly halted, with heavy casualties as the British and their Dominion prepare for their next move. In the skies, the war has taken multiple twists and turns, and while the British held sway in the air at first, by the end of the year, the tide had become slightly more balanced, as the Chinese began deploying large numbers of Brazilian-built jet aircraft. As the theater has been sidelined by the outbreak of conflict in other parts of the world, it appears the struggle for China is not yet over.
Casualty Lists
China: 11 Conscript Brigades, 63 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 1 T-28 Armored Brigade, 7 Artillery Brigades, 2 RM-24 Fighter Squadrons, 1 Sim27 Fighter Squadron, 1 JC-7 Fighter Squadron, 1 Rom33 CAS Squadron, 1 CorSmi-31 CAS Squadron
Guangxi: 41 Conscript Brigades, 4 Artillery Brigades
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 2 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cataphract Armored Brigade, 1 Artillery Brigade, 1 P-27 Fighter Squadron, 1 JC-7 Fighter Squadron

ATTACK ON DUMYAT. Suez City, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Second Great War can said to have truly begun for most of the war with a major attack before the declarations of war were even formally issued. The war games sponsored by the Russian government served as the reason for the movement of massive naval forces into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, acting as the precursor for an offensive designed to neutralize local British sea power. The attack was meant to be a surprise offensive, but the British were well aware of the possibility of assault, and alert picket destroyers detected the approaching fleet. Soon British radar throughout Dumyat managed to detect incoming aircraft, and British sea based and land based airpower was rapidly mobilized to defend the colony. The resulting air battle was predominantly between the British fleet and the combined fleet of the League of the Three Emperors. Despite being badly outnumbered and outgunned, the British carrier, the HMS Ark Royal managed to acquit itself well, as aircraft from its decks sunk two enemy carriers, and badly damaged a third. Numerous other craft were sunk by British ships, and skirmishes between the well-equipped British destroyers and League escorts mostly resulted in British victories. Eventually sheer numbers overwhelmed the British, and with the sinking of the Ark Royal and the battleship, the HMS King of Scotland, the remaining naval forces began ponderously maneuvering their way through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea. Most vessels were lost in the process, but a few destroyers did survive, making their way towards Red Sea ports, only to find themselves in a net of Tadjouran submarines awaiting their arrival. The destroyers sunk a goodly number of submarines, but have been forced into the port of Muscat, as the Tadjourans run rampant sinking British shipping in the region. After the naval battle, Russian and Roman forces attempted a landing in Dumyat itself, only to be without airpower. The British managed to respond highly effectively, bringing their full force to bear on the beachhead. After several weeks of slaughter, the remaining Russian forces were withdrawn from Dumyat, having become clear that no advance was possible. Both sides have claimed Dumyat as a victory, but the Allies have loudly decried the lack of a declaration of war, and Prime Minister Halifax had declared the assault an “act of dire infamy.”
Casualty Lists
Bulgaria: 3 Romanos-class Destroyers
Italy: 1 Cacciatore-class Light Cruiser, 1 Taiho-class Carrier
Roman Empire: 1 T-28 Armored Brigade, 6 Romanos-class Destroyers, 2 Genoa-class Destroyers
Russia: 8 Infantry Brigades, 1 Zygmunt-class Destroyer, 1 Genoa-class Destroyer, 1 Luther-class Light Cruiser, 1 Sicilia-class Light Cruiser, 1 Shōkaku-class Carrier
Tadjoura: 4 Harpoon-class Submarines
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 2 Infantry Brigades, 8 Praetorian-class Destroyers, 3 Shire-class Light Cruisers, 1 Kronos-class Battleship, 1 Northumberland-class Carrier, 1 JC-7 Fighter Squadron

THE NORTH GERMAN FRONT. Hamburg, Germany. While the Second Great War has raged on many fronts, the focus of the neutral nations’ media has been predominantly upon the vicious battles on the North European Plains between Poland and the Channel. Over ten million soldiers combined have been locked in this conflict, as both sides struggle for the hinterland and heart of Germany. The fighting began when the Russian military claimed that the Germans launched an artillery bombardment along the border in Poland. The Russian army responded with a massive bombardment all along the border, striking designated targets simultaneously with artillery, bombers, and commando attacks. Massive damage was inflicted upon the German armored corps, as thousands of tanks were wiped out, and the air corps suffered in a similar manner. The main factor saving the Germans was that the Russian forces targeted, intentionally or accidentally, obsolete equipment which would have been unlikely to have stood up in open battle anyways. Still, in the coming weeks, the Germans found themselves badly outgunned in the air, as the Russians and their allies deployed large numbers of jet aircraft against German piston-engine craft. After only two months, the Germans had all but lost control of the skies. The arrival of reinforcement from the Dutch and British helped reclaim the skies for a time, but by the end of the year, sheer numbers from the League once more wore down the Allies, giving the Russian armies complete dominance of the air by Christmas. On the ground, the situation began similarly, as waves of Russian soldiers smashed the German regulars and sent them reeling back. In a story that would capture the attention of the world, the garrison of Berlin stood fast under encouragement of the King of Brandenburg, as they fought to make the city a bastion. The Russians bypassed Berlin, trapping over a dozen German divisions within, along with countless civilians. The siege of Berlin captured numerous headlines, even as the main battlefront continued to edge westward. Towards the end of September, the Russian tide began to stall as reinforcements arrived from Britain and the Netherlands, and the Germans mobilized their three million reservists. These soldiers were immediately thrown into critical battles in and around Hamburg, Hanover, and Nuremburg, hoping to stall the Russian attack. They were widely successful, and all three cities held on under German control throughout the year, particularly when winter set in with heavy storms blocking Russian airpower. As the front stabilized, international pressure forced the Emperor to order an attack upon Berlin, bringing the blight within Russian lines to an end after heavy fighting, resulting in the King of Brandenburg’s surrender in November. The fighting has stagnated for the time being in northern Germany, but remains brutal as the Russians continue to pound upon Allied lines, which are constantly strained under the persistent attacks.
Casualty Lists
Bulgaria: 10 Infantry Brigades, 1 T-28 Armored Brigade, 1 Artillery Brigade
Czech Kingdom: 27 Infantry Brigades, 2 Cavalry Brigades, 4 Artillery Brigades, 2 S-100 Fighter Squadrons
Hungary: 14 Infantry Brigades, 4 Artillery Brigades, 2 Sim27 Fighter Squadrons
Romania: 44 Infantry Brigades, 1 T-28 Armored Brigade, 5 Artillery Brigades, 2 S-100 Fighter Squadrons
Russia: 270 Conscript Brigades, 158 Infantry Brigades, 1 T-20 Armored Brigade, 5 T-28 Armored Brigades, 1 Landcruiser, 7 Artillery Brigades, 1 S-100 Fighter Squadron, 2 H-1921 CAS Squadrons, 2 CB-1924 Bomber Squadrons
Germany: 263 Conscript Brigades, 68 Infantry Brigades, 1 M1916 VB Brigades, 13 CKC-LTP 22 Brigades, 5 Tonneau Victorieux Brigades, 2 Rörlig Skyddkanon Brigades, 6 Weyland-type Armored Brigades, 34 Artillery Brigades, 4 Determination-class Fighter Squadrons, 2 Staaff-1923 Fighter Squadrons, 1 Vy-24 Fighter Squadron, 12 IGL-28 Fighter Squadrons, 2 JC-7 Fighter Squadrons, 3 I-1923 Bomber Squadrons, 3 I-1923mII Bomber Squadrons, 3 Berlin-type Bomber Squadrons, 1 Colibri-type Helicopter Squadron
Netherlands: 26 Conscript Brigades, 1 Sim27 Fighter Squadron
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 14 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cataphract Armored Brigade, 3 Artillery Brigades, 1 P-27 Fighter Squadron, 1 JC-7 Fighter Squadron, 1 Rom33 CAS Squadron, 1 Tempest-type CAS Squadron, 1 SimIB-30 Bomber Squadron

CAPITULATION OF CROATIA. Budapest, Hungary. Since the conclusion of the Hungarian Civil War, the monarchs of Hungary have long desired to rebuild and reclaim their lost empire in the Balkans. The opposing monarchy in Croatia has always stood as a symbol against these claims, even going so far as to seizing and maintaining control of the former Hungarian Royal Navy. The Croats had little love lost among the other members of the Balkans, having created enemies in both Serbia and Bosnia, while seeking to supplant Hungary in the 1910s and 1920s. Therefore, it was a vengeful army which descended upon Croatia from all of its borders, as Hungary sought to return the region to the fold. Unlike the Germans, the Croats were taken by surprise tactically and strategically and mobilized only haphazardly for the war effort. In the field, they were decimated by superior and more modern airpower and weaponry, shattering the Croat armies. After only several months of fighting Zagreb was lost, and the monarchy and remnants of the government had fled to Split to reconstitute themselves. As League forces advanced upon their ad hoc capital, King Jovan ordered the armies to stand down, surrendering to the League of the Three Emperors. Hungary then declared the end of the Croat state, annexing the region to the Kingdom of Hungary. Members of the Croat legislature and military have refused to accept this state of affairs and General Josip Broz has organized the northern Croat forces into an independent army. He has refused to accept the surrender, maintaining a front against the Hungarians before he was ultimately pushed back into Germany. He and other members of the Croat government have proclaimed a nation in exile, and have vowed to fight until liberation of their homeland.
Casualty Lists
Bosnia: 2 Infantry Brigades, 3 Artillery Brigades
Hungary: 14 Infantry Brigades, 1 T-28 Armored Brigade, 2 Artillery Brigades, 1 Sim27 Fighter Squadron, 1 H-1921 CAS Squadron
Serbia: 4 Infantry Brigades, 1 Artillery Brigade
Croatia: 18 Conscript Brigades, 21 Infantry Brigades, 2 CKC-LTP 22 Armored Brigades, 12 Artillery Brigades, 2 Sim27 Fighter Squadrons, 1 JC-7 Fighter Squadron, 2 Rom33 CAS Squadrons, 1 SimIB-30 Bomber Squadron

THE SOUTH GERMAN FRONT. Vienna, Germany. The eyes of the world may have been focused upon Northern Germany, but there was an equally harsh and bitter contest being fought only a few hundred miles to the south. Soon after the Russians began their attack across the Polish border, the Italians launched an offensive of their own against Trieste and the Germans’ southern frontier. The fighting was brutal, as the Germans put up stiff resistance, inflicting heavy casualties upon the Italian forces. Through sheer weight of numbers, particularly as the Germans remained intent on stopping the Russian advance, the Italians took Trieste and began pushing into the Alps. They were soon joined by other forces of the League of the Three Emperors after the fall of Croatia freed up addition forces in the east. The League’s armies launched multiple attacks through the south, but each was repulsed by dogged German forces, entrenched and positioned for just such a war. The rough terrain and lousy weather further prevented the use of overwhelming airpower against German forces, giving them yet another advantage. By the end of the year, the Allies continue to maintain their positions in southern Germany, and League attacks have been repeatedly and bloodily defeated.
Casualty Lists
Bosnia: 1 Infantry Brigade, 1 Artillery Brigade
Bulgaria: 11 Infantry Brigades, 2 Artillery Brigades
Hungary: 30 Infantry Brigades, 2 T-28 Armored Brigades, 4 Artillery Brigades
Italy: 49 Infantry Brigades, 2 Laelaps Armored Brigades, 3 Artillery Brigades, 2 Colibri-type Helicopter Squadrons
Serbia: 3 Infantry Brigades, 2 Artillery Brigades
Croatia: 8 Infantry Brigades, 4 Artillery Brigades
Germany: 11 Conscript Brigades, 29 Infantry Brigades, 1 Weyland-type Armored Brigade, 11 Artillery Brigades

THE SCANDINAVIAN FRONT. Stockholm, Scandinavia. The fighting in Germany towards the end of the year has been on mostly even terms in regards to number and military sizes, thanks to rapid and efficient German mobilization of reserves. To the north, the Scandinavians have not had this advantage, as they have found themselves outnumbered nearly ten to one by the Russian armies. The vaunted Mannerheim Line and its in-depth defenses was hoped to help counter this dramatic disadvantage, while allowing for an evacuation of Finland. The fighting in the north began fairly anticlimactically, as Russian forces seized Scandinavian islands and outposts south of the Mannerheim Line before beginning their assaults. The air war was a bit bloodier, as Russian air forces decimated a large number of Scandinavian airfields, wiping out half of their air fleet. Fortunately for Scandinavia, many of the planes destroyed were widely obsolete, and most of the modern air forces had remained west to protect Stockholm and the nation’s industrial center from bombing. After several weeks of preparation and deployment the Russians launched over four million men at Scandinavian positions on the Mannerheim Line, essentially assaulting the entire line at once, while using landing craft to cross the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga. These were accompanied by attacks by airborne veterans who had gained experience in the Reclamation War, landing and seizing vital railroad heads and positions behind the lines. These attacks severed Scandinavian communications and transit, causing mass confusion and disruption behind the lines. On the front line itself, specially designed fortress-busting weapons such as landcruisers and a pair of rail mounted 80cm artillery cannons. The combination of assets and tactics proved astonishingly effective and after only two days of fighting the Mannerheim Line was breached on multiple points. The Russian forces quickly moved into the Finnish interior, meeting up with airborne forces and creating multiple encirclements of remaining Scandinavian forces along the Mannerheim Line. Despite the breakdown in communications and disruption of railroads and highways, the Scandinavians did their best to withdraw to other defensive lines to the west, but the Russians managed to keep a step ahead, with a rapid advance. By late September, the Russian armies were pushing into Sweden itself, while fighting a bloody battle in Norway along the coast. The advance had to be slowed as Russian forces cleared out a number of remaining fortresses and bunkers still occupied by dedicated Scandinavians along the Mannerheim Line. As winter arrived, the Russian advance lagged even further, as reinforcements were brought to Scandinavia by Germany and Britain, including much needed tanks and jet aircraft. As of the year’s end, Russian forces had just captured Umeå in the east, while still being bogged down on old mountain roads in Norway in the west.
Casualty Lists
Germany: 33 Conscript Brigades, 6 Artillery Brigades
Scandinavia: 53 Conscript Brigades, 71 Infantry Brigades, 7 Cavalry Brigades, 5 Equality-type Armored Brigades, 28 Artillery Brigades, 4 F.K.21-Type Fighter Squadrons, 17 Staaf-1923 Fighter Squadrons, 3 Vy-24 Fighter Squadrons, 6 Obetvinglig-1928 Fighter Squadrons, 2 Ursinne-type Fighter Squadrons
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 21 Conscript Brigades, 2 Cataphract Armored Brigades, 4 Artillery Brigades
Russia: 91 Conscript Brigades, 101 Infantry Brigades, 6 Artillery Brigades, 4 T-28 Armored Brigades, 1 Landcruiser, 6 C-1293 Fighter Squadrons, 3 RM-24 Fighter Squadrons, 2 H-1921 CAS Squadrons, 1 C-1924 Bomber Squadron

FIGHTING IN THE HOLY LAND. Damascus, Germany. One of the more minor theaters of the ongoing war has been a struggle over control in the Holy Land. Isolated from support by continuing conflicts in Turkey and Dumyat, the Italians have launched attacks attempting to gain control of the German colony of Damascus. In the skies, the Italians have easily swatted the Allied planes out of the air, having a vast superiority in quality of aircraft and local pilots. Unfortunately, they did not possess any bombers or close air support, which could have made all the difference in the events that followed. The Germans possessed a number of tanks, which were used to great effect against the Italian armies, which deployed faster, but similarly armed tanks. Thanks to further military support from the British and their Hashemite allies, the Germans managed to brutally ambush and devastate the Italian armies pushing east. The major defeat was nearly overwhelming in nature, shattering Italian morale and supplies throughout the region, and resulting in the surrender of over thirty thousand Italian soldiers. The Allies pressed their advantage almost immediately, pushing forward, and breaking the Italian army. Within several months of fighting, the Italians were forced to evacuate their remaining forces from the Holy Land, as German forces overran the coastline.
Casualty Lists
Hashemite Sultanate: 8 Infantry Brigades, 3 Artillery Brigades, 1 Sim27 Fighter Squadron
Germany: 11 Infantry Brigades, 2 Artillery Brigades, 1 M1916 VB Brigade, 2 Verband FTA1-2 Fighter Squadrons, 1 Determination-class Fighter Squadron
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 2 Infantry Brigades, 1 Artillery Brigade
Italy: 45 Infantry Brigades, 3 Laelaps Armored Brigades, 5 Artillery Brigades, 3 Corvino-type Fighter Squadrons

THE TURKISH FRONT. Konya, Turkey. According to local sources, prior to the war, Roman and Russian agents attempted to gain passage through Turkey for an assault on Allied holdings in the Middle East. The Turks rebuffed these queries, and have since gained considerable support and influence with the United Kingdom. When the war began, these did very little to alter Roman and Russian war plans, and an invasion was launched of Turkey in order to open up supply lines and a route of invasion into the Middle East. The Romans launched a two pronged assault, one along the southern coast, and another advance from the north, hoping to capture Konya. The Turks displayed surprising resilience, fighting against vastly superior tanks and planes, and still managing to hold their ground. While some territory was ceded under the pressure arrayed against them, the Turks have continued to fight throughout the year, inflicting heavy casualties upon the invading armies. The Turks have continued to appeal for support from the other Allies, particularly as German forces completed the occupation of the Italian Holy Land. Towards the end of the year, it seems that the Turkish army continues to hold on, but is badly strained against a much larger force.
Casualty Lists
Roman Empire: 14 Infantry Brigades, 2 Laelaps Armored Brigades, 1 T-28 Armored Brigade, 3 Constantine-type Bomber Squadrons, 1 H-1921 CAS Squadron, 1 Pegasus Transport Squadron
Russia: 32 Infantry Brigades, 6 Artillery Brigades
Turkey: 37 Infantry Brigades, 4 Cavalry Brigades, 1 T.35M Armored Brigade, 14 Artillery Brigades, 2 FK21-type Fighter Squadrons, 3 Sim27 Fighter Squadrons

THE DUMYAT FRONT. Suez City, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. After the abortive attack upon Dumyat by Italy and Russia, the British were quick to rally their defenses against the possibility of a new offensive from Egypt. An Egyptian declaration of war quickly followed in support of the League of the Three Emperors, and they found their allies in Sudan supportive, though others have not answered the call to arms against the British. For several months, the Egyptians and Sudanese mustered their forces, while the British braced for an attack towards the Suez Canal, bringing in reinforcements from South Africa to bolster their lines. These efforts were highly successful at first, inflicting heavy casualties on the initial Egyptian attacks throughout the area. The Egyptians were forced to reevaluate their tactics, and eventually did manage to break through, despite British armored superiority on the ground. The use of close air support and flanking techniques helped the Africans push the British back towards the end of the year, but with continued heavy casualties. The British have managed to hold their own lines together, and by New Year’s, it seems that the Egyptians, while crossing the Canal, may already be straining to hold on.
Casualty Lists
Egypt: 10 Infantry Brigades, 3 Cavalry Brigades, 1 Equality-type Armored Brigade, 2 Artillery Brigades
Sudan: 4 Conscript Brigades, 2 Infantry Brigades
South Africa: 1 Infantry Brigade, 1 Cavalry Brigade
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 5 Infantry Brigades, 1 Cavalry Brigade, 1 Artillery Brigade

THE IRANIAN FRONTS. Tehran, Iran. While the Second Great War has embroiled most of Europe, the largest local power in the Middle East has found itself also at war with Russia. Having been an ally of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Iran declared war upon Russia after their attacks on Dumyat and Germany. Prepared for this eventuality, the Russians launched a massive assault upon the borders of Iran, striking at prepositioned forces and catching Iran’s forces off guard with the ferocity of the attack. The fighting between Russia and Iran clearly is a single front divided into two by the Caspian Sea, as the Russians gain support from the local Kazakhs, promising them the reclamation of their native lands in Iran. In the east ,the Kazakhs have helped the Russian armies find trails and roads bypassing Iranian positions, while also launching attacks of their own, tying down Iran’s supplies and garrisons. The fighting in the east has still been intense, but it has been clear that the Iranians have been clearly receiving the worst of it. In the Caucuses, the Iranians have been performing better, partially because more of their fortifications were completed in that region than in the east. The Russians have been badly slowed by Iran’s armies, which continue to inflict heavy casualties in the mountain fighting. The Russians have continued an advance, though nowhere near as rapid or dramatic as the gains further east.
Casualty Lists
Iran: 72 Infantry Brigades, 2 Cavalry Brigades, 15 Artillery Brigades, 2 Vy27 Fighter Squadrons
Kazakhstan: 11 Infantry Brigades, 6 Artillery Brigades
Russia: 77 Infantry Brigades, 2 Laelaps Armored Brigades, 8 Artillery Brigades, 1 H-1921 CAS Squadron, 1 CB-1924 Bomber Squadron

THE WAR ON, UNDER, AND OVER THE BALTIC SEA. Stockholm, Scandinavia. As major battles are fought on land across Europe, an equally intense and unrestrained fight has broken out throughout the Baltic Sea. Russian naval and air forces have been locked in constant, disorganized battle against the Scandinavians and Germans, as both Allies and the League struggle to establish control over the sea. Submarines and smaller ships from both groups have skirmished across the region, while the Danish closure of the straits have prevented further reinforcements from being brought in. Scandinavian and Russian planes have frequently fought in the skies, as Russian attempts to raid Stockholm and the various islands under Scandinavian control. Losses have mounted on both sides, and it appears that for now control of the Baltic remains anyone’s game, despite Russian advances on the land in Scandinavia. Civilian shipping has been advised to avoid the area as submarines from both sides have been known to indiscriminately attack vessels trading with either side’s ports. The confusion of the battle is clearly the predominant feature of the struggle, as aircraft, surface vessels, and submarines clash without relent.
Casualty Lists
Germany: 5 Tridente-class Submarines, 1 Akizuku-class Destroyer
Scandinavia: 3 Lundeberg-class Submarines, 4 Vigilant-class Destroyers, 8 Ursinne-type Fighter Squadrons
Russia: 2 Nordenfelt-class Submarines, 1 Kraken-class Submarine, 2 Zygmunt-class Destroyers, 1 RM-24 Fighter Squadron, 2 S-100 Fighter Squadrons

KONGO STRIKES AT BRITISH COLONIES AND SHIPPING. Haraldsholm, Kongo. The exiled imperial Scandinavian regime in Kongo has been eager for a long time to at last strike back at the proletarists who occupied their beloved homeland. The outbreak of war with Britain and the proletarists has allowed the Kongo to wage the war they’ve long anticipated at last, joining enthusiastically alongside the rest of the League of the Three Emperors. Kongo’s primary contribution has been opening a new theater of war in the South Atlantic Ocean, striking at any Allied commercial shipping in the eastern part of the ocean. A warning from Brazil has kept Kongo’s fleet out of the western part of the South Atlantic, but for the time being, there has been nothing to stop the venerable surface vessels of Kongo’s fleet from running rampant across the area, devastating shipping, particularly from South Africa. The only real military action by Kongo was a direct attack against British Central Africa, striking at the local garrison with overwhelming force. Deploying aircraft and light tanks, the British in Central Africa barely stood a chance and were quickly overrun by the Scandinavian forces. The fighting was sporadically vicious, but the few pockets that held were forced to surrender, further making shipping along the west coast of Africa hazardous for the British and their allies.
Casualty Lists
Kongo: 2 Infantry Brigades
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: 3 Infantry Brigades

A CAMPAIGN OF TERROR: THE AIR WAR. Cologne, Germany. A new face of war has been shown throughout the year as the League of the Three Emperors has directed unprecedented bombing attacks against German towns and cities. The use of conventional explosives and napalm has been substantial, inflicting massive damage upon unprepared communities, and inflicting tens of thousands of civilian casualties. As the League established greater air power over the region, the bombing continued to intensify, targeting Germany’s capacity to wage war, striking large industrial centers and ports. The bombing has been a nightly occurrence, and by the end of the year, the capital of Munich has been bombed for over one hundred and fifty consecutive nights. The vicious bombing has left many dead or homeless, and the government has struggled to care for those who have lost much in the course of the war, while still straining to push the Russians out of occupied territories. The Germans have attempted a few retaliatory raids, but have not managed to do much more than drop a few bombs against Polish railroad stations. Panics have been reported in places such as Stockholm, Amsterdam, and London, as many are fleeing to the countryside to avoid similar devastation.
 
Financial Section​

FINANCIAL FLUCTUATION REPORT. Novgorod, Russia.
Spoiler :

Abyssinia: -1 EP
Adjuuramark: +1 EP
Afghanistan: +3 EP
Angola: -1 EP
Argentina: +9 EP
Australia: +2 EP
Aztlan: +2 EP
Bosnia: -1 EP
Brazil: +12 EP
Brittany: -2 EP
Bulgaria: -1 EP
Catalonia: +1 EP
Chile: +2 EP
Colombia: +6 EP
Confederation of Continental States: -4 EP
Costa Rica: +1 EP
Cuba: +1 EP
Czech Kingdom: -2 EP
Denmark: -2 EP
Ecuador: +1 EP
Egypt: -2 EP
Flanders: +1 EP
Florida: -3 EP
Germany: -20 EP
Goudkust: +1 EP
Guangxi: -2 EP
Hashemite Sultanate: -1 EP
Hispaniola: +1 EP
Honduras: +1 EP
Hungary: -5 EP
India: -3 EP
Iran: -5 EP
Italy: -10 EP
Jacksonia: -2 EP
Jamaica: +1 EP
Japan: +3 EP
Kongo: +1 EP
Kurdistan: +1 EP
Libya: +1 EP
Mali: -1 EP
Mayaland: +1 EP
Netherlands: -1 EP
Nicaragua: +1 EP
Normandy: +1 EP
Oranjien: -1 EP
Papal States: +1 EP
Paraguay: +2 EP
Peru: +8 EP
Philippines: -2 EP
Poitou: +1 EP
Puerto Rico: +1 EP
Roman Empire: -6 EP
Romania: +2 EP
Russia: -21 EP
Sardinia: +1 EP
Scandinavia: -10 EP
Serbia: -2 EP
Switzerland: -1 EP
Tadjoura: +1 EP
Tibet: +1 EP
Tunisia: +2 EP
Turkey: -2 EP
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland: -12 EP
United States of America: -5 EP
Uruguay: +2 EP
Venezuela: +3 EP
Vinland: +6 EP


The Sports Page​

1940 OLYMPIC GAMES. Lima, Peru. The 1940 Olympic Games kicked off on schedule this year, despite growing international tension and some concern that the games may be cancelled due to record low attendance and participation. The Peruvian government made every effort to cater to the athletes and provide an unique and developed experience for those attending. One such event was the ceremonial Olympic Torch, which was devised by the Peruvian planning committee, calling for the running of a torch across the kingdom, eventually to the actual fields of the tournament. This torch lighted a lasting flame in the center of the tournament fields in order to symbolize international cooperation and peace. The games themselves were fairly low key, due to the smaller than expected number of athletes involved, but they proved very successful for the local economy. Unfortunately, with the outbreak of the Second Great War, several major disputes and violence arose between the British and Russian teams, causing a number of members of both sides to be arrested. Due to the outbreak of the war, air and sea traffic has been disrupted across the Atlantic Ocean, and a number of European athletes have been stranded in Lima until arrangements are made for their safe returns home.

PAPACY SUPPORTS BALOMPIE. Rome, Papal States. In an effort to build up national camaraderie and to support the pontifical universities further, the Papacy has announced a program of introducing balompie teams and organization. While informal teams have existed among the pontifical universities, there has not been a formal structure of any kind established. The new financing and efforts have been directed to formally recognizing the unofficial teams as an organized sporting institution. A new set of rules has been formalized based on the Spanish Standard rules of the game, and official tournaments have been created between the universities in the Papal States. Some universities have also invited neighboring schools in Italy to participate in games, and this has offered a new diversion for the people of the Papal States. Pope Pius X himself attended the first game of the year’s tournament, blessing the field and making himself noticed to the people.

The Cultural Center​

A Traditionalist Manifesto
Spurred by the ascent of anarchism and the development of the latest ideological novelty of communism in Occitania, A Traditionalist Manifesto was recently published by universities in the Papal States. A group of conservative scholars from various Catholic organisations in the country and from the Papal States have released a manifesto, wherein they advocate for a society rooted in tradition and a social consensus rooted in natural law, and God. Rather than the bureaucratic liberal or proletarist models, they argue that the basic organisation principle should be subsidiarity, emphasising local communities and non-governmental institutions such as the Church as they way to ensure social harmony. They argue that only a system rooted in the order of nature and the law of God, which respects the common good and corporate interests of all components of society can achieve stability and order to ensure the prosperity of the nation.

Draining the Mediterranean
Called aggressive and disturbing by his critics, and brilliant by futurists on the left and the right, a professor of civil engineering this year published the outline of a century-long project which would build a hydroelectric dam in the Gibraltar Straight, slowly reducing the sea level of the Mediterranean, producing large new tracts of arable land. With the loss of much of Europe’s colonial land holdings, and rising tensions in Europe itself over historically claimed lands – from Catalonia, Galicia and Euskadi, to Aquitaine, Piedmont, and German Burgundy – a project which could circumvent the problems of ethnic land claims and limited space has become appealing. Of course, the increased land would probably be fought over, some have argued, creating a new uneven military and economic environment. In any case, this project has highlighted an interest in how science can be applied to solve political and economic issues, and spurred some to advocate for dramatically increasing government spending on research and university science.

The Lui Bei Novels
Danish literature has recently begun reaching a greater mass audience, as a new fantasy world based loosely upon old Chinese legends has begun enrapturing audiences. Published by an anonymous author who allegedly felt his work was subpar, most of reading individuals would disagree with the writer’s assessment. English translations in particular have been wildly popular throughout Britain and the English-speaking world, especially in the United States. Creations of an unfamiliar culture to the western world, transplanted into a fantastical setting have established a new foundation for fantasy literature. Later novels have further begun to entwine Norse mythology and culture with Chinese influences, creating a unique blend never seen before. The new blend has created a vast fantasy world, and the books have become highly popular among the youth, and are a foundation of writing in Denmark, and envied and admired by writers elsewhere throughout Europe and the Americas.

Swing Orchestras
Unceasing anxiety since the end of the Great War has plagued Europe and particularly continued to diminish the optimism of an end to war, which the publics of most European nations desire. In this atmosphere of frustration with ruling governments, and a deep need for an escape from political and economic conflict and tension, a genre of music has been growing more popular over the past few decades. First played by small bands of UPRA expatriates in a few major European cities, many young European artists reinvented the music, and came together to form so called “Swing Orchestras” – somewhat rag-tag collections of various instruments into a swinging kind of music which has its appeal in its subversive character. In particular, a new optimism in peace and stability with the reunification of the Confederation, combined with growing economic prospects, has contributed to a large increase in attendance of swing nights, where swing orchestras play, sometimes doing long improvised cello or piano solos in a casual and youthful environment. The outbreak of the Second Great War, has further led to a shift in these groups, bringing them to increasing prominence, as the local population seeks any sort of escape from the perils of a larger global war.

Random Stat Changes and Fluctuations and Minor Technological Advances

Colombia designs new Pedazo Guijarro Helicopter.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland designs new Tempest-type CAS Fighter.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland uses the JC-7 to create the new JC-Vauxhall Fighter.

Brazil designs new Leviatã-class Destroyer.

Japan designs new Okikaze-class Destroyer.

Officers retire from Afghan military without equitable replacements: -1 Army Quality for Afghanistan.

Tadjouran submariner suggests ample new ways for doctrine improvements: +1 Navy Quality for Tadjoura.

Diplomatic Pouch

To: Japan
From: Philippines

We are still willing to negotiate and stand by our previous terms, despite your aggressive blockade. Do not spend so many lives in a war that you will lose on our soil.

OOC

@Luckymoose: due to SouthernKing not getting orders in, the money for Normandy was never confirmed, and therefore you had a shortfall. No money was banked, but NPC purchases of craft did make up the shortage. All other contracts were fulfilled.

@J.K. Stockholme: No need to tell me about spacing errors. For whatever reason, probably linked to the fact that I use multiple computers and versions of Word for writing the updates, spacing is frequently unreliably converted from machine to machine. There’s always spacing errors, and yes, every once in a while, I do miss a few. Also, the draining the Mediterranean was one of my favorite scenarios in Railroad Tycoon 2, a lot of fun to play and develop in.

@<nuke>: Your numbers were WAY off base. The jets you wanted were built, as was the Artillery. The rest of your available funds went towards building conscripts, though the number of the total built did not equal the amount your requested.

You all will notice that we now have a new stats section. This is my foray into giving non-state entities a try. For the time being, I will allow any nation (player or NPC) that is overrun to establish a government in exile. A government in exile can receive EP from other nations and even accumulate manpower from refugees and volunteers. These forces can be used to fight for a free nation, but only if another nation allows them a place of refuge.

World Map

Spoiler :
F3kkhUI.png
 
To: Florida, Jacksonia
From: The United States of America

We invite you, cordially, to surrender and lay down your arms. We will be merciful and grant amnesties to your leadership, if we can avoid any further bloodshed.
 
Oswald Mosley???

HURRAH!!!

(what could possibly go wrong?)
 
A Certain Moralist Faction said:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Noted Brazilian moralist party leaders have begun establishing a new platform for their political ideology. They have begun calling for the passing of immigration reform banning the immigration of non-Catholic people into Brazil. They have stated that this is to help provide cultural and religious unity in an uncertain world, protecting the people of the nation from corruptive heretical and heathen influences. The liberal parties have harshly rejected these notions, claiming that they stand firmly against the principles of the Brazilian nation and people. They claim instead that Brazil has always been a nation of immigrants, and must continue to welcome people of all cultures and creeds. This has begun building as a major political debate and could very well become a major policy point for the upcoming 1944 elections.
Click to expand...

It is the judgement of the Holy See that the absolute banning of all non-Catholic immigration is ill-advised and potentially damaging to the virtue of charity, particularly in the context of a great war and to refugees from such nations as Germany.

However we would affirm to the moralist party and the faithful, lest there be confusion on the subject, that there is a reasonable basis for a discussion regarding the possibility of preferential migration rights to nations culturally and religiously similar to Brazil, and prohibiting immigration from certain particularly problematic nations (such as Proletarist Scandinavia) in the interests of safeguarding the rights and the values of the majority from incompatible foreign elements (Argentina being a case example where unrestricted protestant and non-latin immigration saw a radical shift in the nature of that society from a Hispanic and Catholic, to an anglo and protestant, society), and on the moral basis of minimising the inevitable tension and antagonism that inevitably emerge when groups and cultures with differing and opposing values live together (as seen in the US, Argentina and many other nations). To these ends immigration restriction is a legitimate potential policy that could be adopted, directed towards the safeguarding of Brazils values and culture in the acknowledgement that Brazil and Brazilians are a particular nation with that nation being a communal reality (Ergo, that Brazil is not a mere collection of atomistic agents isolated from each other or without obligations to the collective) and that your nation has its own unique character and values that immigrants rightly should integrate into.
 
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