Global News Report
POWERED FLIGHT ACHIEVED IN RURAL BRITAIN. Bristol, United Kingdom of Great Britain. Out in the British countryside, observers were stunned as the two sons of the Duke of Marlborough achieved powered flight lasting seven minutes. The two brothers, having attended the Mechanical College at Oxford, used their father's money and influence to stage this highly anticipated demonstration. The now famed Churchill brothers, Winston and John, have attempted such a feat twice before, and have pledged to achieve further successes in the near future. A demonstration was scheduled for Queen Anne before her lamented demise later in the year. The Churchill brothers have made history, and other innovators from other nations across the world now attempt to replicate this feat.
Below Photograph: The Churchill Brothers' aircraft in flight over the English Countryside
SUBMERSIBLE EXPERIMENTS MEET WITH MIXED RESULTS. Norfolk, United States of America. A number of nations began experimenting with submersible craft this year, a recently introduced element of naval warfare. A number of would be inventors have been attempting to sell their designs of submarine warships to a variety of powers, and a select few have obliged their whims. The United States Navy has been the primary benefactor to submarine developers, and ordered a commission of nearly fifty such craft this year alone. Similarly, Brazil, the Arabian Empire, Russia, and Poland have made attempts of their own. The processes in all nations were filled with problems and literal holes, as less than half of those commissioned ever made it into the water. Even worse were a group of disasters in the United States in which several vessels functioned perfectly on the surface, but then failed to return upwards after submerging. There were no survivors. This has proven to be par for the course in other nations as well, as numerous experiments have been met with disaster and failure, as no nation has ever mass produced this vessels, or even produced them at all. Regardless, by the end of the year, globally it can be said that over two dozen submersible craft now serve in the navies of the world, though the reliability and feasibility of the craft in combat remain uncertain. (-8 Early Submarines for Poland; -10 Early Submarines in Russia; -1 Early Submarine in Brazil and the Arabian Empire; -28 Early Submarines for the United States)
Below Photograph: The United States Navy SS-16 before an ill fated test run that resulted in the death of its volunteer crew
SPANISH ROYALTY BEGINS IMPERIAL TOUR. Seville, Spain. The Spanish Prince of Asturias began a sponsored tour of the vast holdings and possessions of the Spanish empire this year, scheduled to conclude upon Easter of 1901. This year began with the thorough exploration of Spanish holdings in the New World as well as a visit to the capital of Peru, treating with the local monarchy. The year's visitations concluded with the Prince's arrival in India, in a gala ball with the local princes and supporters of imperial rule. The Spanish monarchy has issued the statement that the tour is to encourage good will among the varied peoples of the empire. The tour has been highly publicized, and it is believed that next year the Prince will stop in the Holy Land among other locations before completing his around the world trip and voyage.
News from Europe
VIOLENT STRIKES PARALYZE PORTIONS OF ITALY. Venice, Austria. The illegal Brotherhood of Italian Railroad Workers, a coalition of unions with a presence throughout the Italian Peninsula has sparked a series of major strikes throughout the region. The Brotherhood has ordered the complete stoppage of all railroads throughout Italy until an united republic is formed, and all kings abdicate but achieved no real success. Despite attempts to close down all the rails of the peninsula, most unions felt the attempt to be ultimately futile. Therefore, the only fully successful attempt was in Austria, where all the railroads in southern Austria were shut down for a full month, devastating local commerce. In Sicily, the strike soon dissipated into a series of violent riots and attacks against Spanish businessmen, throwing the whole island into turmoil. Other nations afflicted with strikes included Tuscany, Milan, and Sardinia. In all involved nations, the local armies were sent in to reopen the railroads, and this met with varying degrees of effectiveness. In Milan, Tuscany, and Sardinia, the strikers were dispersed without too much bloodshed, though a number were arrested and jailed for their actions. In Sardinia, most were put back to work, and only the union leaders were arrested. As stated in Sicily, several attempts to end the strikes immediately met with violence, and a number of police stations in Messina and Palermo were overrun by the rioters and dozens of guards were left dead. The army had little to no success containing the unrest, and disorder has continued to grow throughout the year, as the trains remain stopped. The Austrians similarly were met with gunfire, and the Austrian army was quick to fire upon the strikers themselves, leaving over two hundred dead and even more wounded in the aftermath. The Austrians have since imported German workers to get the trains running again, but much was damaged in the fighting. (-1 Stability for Austria, Milan, and Spanish Sicily)
BULGARIANS IMPLICATED IN ROMAN OFFICIAL MURDERS. Sofia, Roman Empire. A series of brutal politically charged murders took place this year in the Roman provinces within Bulgaria. A number of low level officials were found slaughtered in their homes, along with most of their families. These include members of the postal service, among other less than major government institutions and bureaucracies. A Bulgarian nationalist movement was found to be responsible for these atrocities after thorough investigation by the Roman government. The assailants have been caught and arrested for their crimes and will likely face execution within the coming years. The sheer brutality of these crimes have found few supports from less extreme Bulgarian nationalist movements, but they remain a growing concern throughout the region, that more radicals will be inspired by these possible martyrs.
PORTUGUESE ELECTIONS. Lisbon, Portugal. Elections were held for the Parliament of Portugal this year, as the Centrist Party faced challenges from both the right and left. The Portuguese Centrist Party has pledged to maintain the steady economic growth Portugal has maintained for the past few years, while maintaining an economic sphere independent of Spain. They have also pledged to keep government spending low and to allow the fair growth of the free market. These platforms have continued to win the hearts of both conservative and liberal voters, leaving only the most radical and reactionary to the rest of Portuguese politics. The result has been the Centrist Party maintaining their strong majority rule over Portugal's Parliament in yet another general election. (+1 Stability)
QUEEN ANNE DIES IN BRITAIN. London, United Kingdom of Great Britain. The United Kingdom of Great Britain mourned this year for the death of the much beloved Queen Anne, the first female primary monarch of the islands. The death of the queen came as a fairly sudden shock, as she had shown no signs of ill health over the past few years. The Prime Minister and other members of Parliament have paid their condolences to the royal family, and the new monarch has emerged to the throne. Queen Anne's younger brother Richard has been crowned King Richard IV, and has emerged as the new monarch for the unified state. The British king is known to be marginally more conservative than his late sister politically, but with less of an interest in politics altogether. The new king has shown himself in the past to be more inclined towards more decadent displays of wealth and luxury, and is unlikely to interfere or even speak out in British politics.
ELECTIONS IN BRITTANY. Nantes, Brittany. The landed males and voters of Brittany turned out once more to the elections this year, as the reactionary Gweithwyr Sosialaidd Cenedlaethol Llydaweg Blaid continues to hold a dominating voice in the nation's politics. The GSCLB has shown itself to have been maintaining a fostering control over the nation and the monarchy, showing itself to be a stern hand for the tiller of the nation. The current government has maintained its policies of looking to the monarch for guidance, helping to maintain a nearly absolutist state, without the hassle of giving the king all the power. The Parliament continues to be dominated by the political voice of the GSCLB after this year's elections, as the monarchist party retains its control quite handily. It seems for now that the voting population remains content and happy under the policies of the current regime. (+1 Stability)
GENOAN UNIVERSITY BEGINS EXPANSION. Genoa, Genoa. The University of Genoa, an ailing institution since its historic campus was burned during the Italian Crusade, may soon have new life breathed into it. The government of the kingdom of Genoa has promised new funds and buildings for the university, taking a newfound interest in the higher education of the Italian nation. King Victor has pledged enormous funding and support for the project, hoping to restore the university to the glories it had during the height of the Renaissance in Italy. New professors are being hired and the campus itself is said to be a functioning testament to modern day technologies and methods of teaching. Consultants have been hired from a number of other academies and universities from across Europe to establish the newly formed Royal University as quickly and effectively as possible.
FLANDERS PUSHES FORWARD WITH CITY CLEANUP. Brussels, Flanders. King Charles III of Flanders announced this year the beginning of a movement by the government to clean up the cities of the Flemish nation. It has been stated that the streets and sidewalks of the cities of Flanders, including Brussels and Calais are coated in a constant layer of filth. The effort has begun to clean up the city streets, by improving local sewage systems and improving overall drainage. The city governments of the various Flemish cities have also discussed the addition of proper indoor plumbing to all residential buildings, but have deemed it too expensive of a task to the average city. The question has instead been boosted up the ladder to Parliament for further review as the call for greater sanitation grows.
ALLIANCES CAST SHADOW OVER EUROPE. Moscow, Russia. The diplomatic corps of Europe has been left scrambling with this year's announced creation of the League of the Three Emperors. This diplomatic and economic alliance between Russia, Scandinavia, and the Roman Empire has been acknowledged as a grave strategic threat among many political thinkers. It has been noted by a number of strategic theorists and futurists that the new bloc of powers could overrun much, if not all of Europe. The new League has been condemned by a number of aspiring politicians throughout Europe, particularly in Poland and Hungary. The Poles and Hungarians have responded with the establishment of a new defensive alliance, including Serbia. Further to the west the natural alliance of the Franco-Burgundian Confederation and the Republic of the Netherlands has added a new member to their defensive agreement, the nation of Denmark. These alliances have done well to establish clear blocs of power, though no one is quite sure what it means for larger European and global politics.
CREATION OF THE LEGION HISPANIA. Madrid, Spain. The Army of Spain has announced the creation of a new elite arm of the Spanish military, known as the Legion Hispania. This force is to be selected from the best soldiers of the Spanish army, trained in a number of specialized scenarios. The focus of the group is fairly broad, emphasizing training not just in Spain itself, but in the holdings across the world. The training is to take place to give the new Legion Hispania a feel for general, though not specialized fighting in a number of hostile situations, including amphibious assaults and mountain or jungle warfare. Training camps for the Legion have been established in a number of places throughout the empire, allowing the candidates accepted to get a feel for the all the people within the imperial holdings.
REFORM AMID REVOLT IN HUNGARY. Budapest, Hungary. The Hungarian people have found themselves in a state of chaos and unrest once more as King Louis V began a gesture towards possible reform. The move has been in the creation of a elected National Assembly, which is to act as an advisory board to the monarchy. Furthermore this has been accompanied with the signing of a new constitution into law, creating a fully elected body for the Hungarian nation. A portion of the new Assembly remains appointed directly by the king, and the wealthy have been given a greater say in affairs than the common people of the nation. Only landed leaders of Hungary can be elected into political office. This has been met with virtually no support from anywhere within Hungary. Most of King Louis V's close friends and supporters have viewed this as a sign of weakness, taking their positions in the new Assembly to do their best to maintain control of the aristocracy. On the other hand, the failure to represent the plethora of nationalist groups in Hungary and the limitations on the electoral process have only outraged the mostly radical Hungarian leftists. A protest was held, which led to the protestors being fired upon by soldiers. Whole quarters of the city rose in full revolt and the result has been a massive uprising in Budapest, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties as a prolonged conflict left the city burning and in chaos. The rebels have been mostly disperse, but have begun to rally people to their cause throughout the rest of the country. They have called for a full overthrow of the monarchy and the landed and moneyed establishment of Hungary. This has found ample support, as it seems a new civil war is soon to be on the horizon. Full elections have been postponed as a major boycott of the process has been spearheaded by the proletarists, claiming them to be a fraud upon the people of Hungary. (-1 Stability, -5 Infantry Brigades, -10 Manpower)
RUSSIA BEGINS NAVAL EXPANSION. Sevastopol, Russia. The Russian navy has seen unprecedented expansion this year as Emperor Ivan strives to create a significant presence for the Russian empire on the high seas. This has come in a number of steps as the Russian government joins several others in experimenting with new submersible craft, as discussed above. Furthermore, a number of surface ships have been constructed, improving the naval capacity among larger escort and capital ships. Finally, a negotiation has been concluded with Scandinavia, allowing the Russian navy to produce battleships similar to the Christine class of warships. The first of these was completed this year the RIS Mikhail, named for the founding emperor of Russia. The hopes are that the new navy will expand Russia's influence in Europe and beyond, creating a truly global power.
NEW ELITE MILITARY FORCE ESTABLISHED IN SCANDINAVIA. Stockholm, Scandinavia. In an effort to create a specialized military unit to help patrol and secure the far reaches of the empire, the Scandinavian army has sponsored the creation of a new elite force. Termed the Varangian Guard, named after the elite Norse unit which used to serve for the Roman Empire, the Scandinavians have hoped this unit will serve in all theaters of war in which Scandinavia could participate. Similar to the Legion Hispania created by the Spanish army, a number of training installations have been established throughout the empire to cater to a series of intensive training and recruitment. The soldiers are the best available who have distinguished themselves in the regular army, serving as the core of the new units. These units are equally well trained in jungle, mountain, and amphibious attacks, and have received lesser training in covert operations and tactics. The hopes are that these forces can serve in almost any situation presented to the Scandinavian military.
SCANDINAVIAN KONGO SOCIETY HOLDS EXHIBITION. Stockholm, Scandinavia. In order to spread the word about the good works being done in Africa and, to a far lesser degree, India, the Scandinavian Kongo Society has invited a number of people and groups to share in education about the Scandinavian holdings in Africa. They have displays demonstrating the savagery of the interior, as well as blueprints and maps of missions and colonial outposts throughout the region. They continue to argue that the arrival of Scandinavia is by far the best thing that could happen to the savages populating the interior of the Continent, and that it is in their best interests to become civilized. The Society has been doing its utmost to raise new funding for local security forces to protect mines, settlements, and missions throughout Scandinavian Africa, and has received ample contributions to accomplish just that.
PRAETORIAN GUARD REFORMED. Constantinople, Roman Empire. The Roman Imperator has announced the shocking reformation of the ancient Praetorian Guard, which had been disbanded by Emperor Constantine I in 312. After nearly one thousand and six hundred years of silence, the new Praetorian Guard is assembled to be one of the elite forces of the new Roman imperial military. Only the best recruits from the regular army are selected to serve in the Praetorian Guard, and have received specialized training for their perceived roles in combat. They have specifically spent most of their energies in training for mountain warfare, using the rough terrain of the eastern empire to prepare themselves for such combat. Furthermore, they have developed tactics for amphibious assaults and warfare, due to the multitude of islands throughout the empire.
POPE BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF NEW CATHEDRAL COMPLEX. Rome, Papal State. Pope Leo XIV has announced the construction of a new cathedral in Rome this year, a massive complex that would include housing for over five hundred members of the Catholic Church. This new cathedral will be located upon several blocks of former housing in Rome, and the residents have been expelled from the city with some minute compensation. The new cathedral has been termed the St. Leo's Cathedral, named for the recently beatified Pope Leo XIII who preserved the sanctity of the Catholic Church's secular power during the Italian Crusade. The new cathedral is the latest monument built by the Church to demonstrate God's glories upon earth and the power of the Catholic faith.
TUSCANY ESTABLISHES NEW FORCE TO DEAL WITH DISSENT. Florence, Tuscany. After the economic failure of the year and the strikes which provoked the collapse, the Tuscan monarch, King Ferdinand, has initiated the creation of a new force to root out dissidents. The so-call "secret police" have hired new agents and spies to help keep an eye on threats caused by Italian nationalists and proletarian rebels. King Ferdinand has pledged to root out all threats against his god given right to rule and has looked to the Pope to aid in his endeavor. The new Papal Inquisition has offered its support and logistics to the new Tuscan agency, hoping to root out any threats against the status quo on the Italian peninsula.