Global News Report
INFLUENZA OUTBREAK SPREADS TO CONTINENTAL EUROPE. Paris, Franco-Burgundian Confederation. Last year's influenza epidemic which began last year in South America, has at last spread to continental Europe. At the same time, casualties continued to mount in already afflicted regions, killing thousands more in Brazil and spreading out of London to the rest of Britain. The epidemic apparently spread by trading vessels to Corsica and from there to Sardinia and the Italian peninsula. The influenza has also been felt across the whole of Western Europe, as many have come down with the dreaded disease. Some areas remain uninfected, but many are praying in fear of this blight upon humanity. Hopes remain that this winter will cause the disease to die down, as it had the previous winter, hoping to reduce the outbreak to less dramatic levels. Below is a list of the amounts of the deceased per nation (in Manpower).
Following Picture is a shot from a French recovery ward in Paris.
REUSACHTIG CRISIS BUILDS GLOBAL WAR TENSIONS. Amsterdam, Netherlands. The world seemed on the brink of war this year, as last year's sinking of the Dutch ship
Reusachtig dominated discourse between the Triple Alliance and Brazil and Britain. Dutch demands for compensation from Brazil were outright rejected by the Brazilian government, and it seemed both sides were preparing for war. Ultimately, this seems to have amounted to nothing, as the Dutch failed to act upon threats, and have been lambasted in their own press for their failure to move. This has been partially due to the ambiguous results of a variety of investigations launched into the disaster. With the ship at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, no one can know for sure what sunk the vessel, thus all investigating parties have been forced to rely on witness testimony. The official reports of three nations remain that two Brazilian-looking sailors were seen near the engine room before the explosion. The ship most definitely sent out a request over the wireless for aid, and it was determined that nearby Brazilian ships lacked wireless sets for communication. Spanish ships on regular patrol around the Caribbean did hear the broadcasts, and managed to save the survivors of the sinking. With no one sure of the origin of the explosion, the tensions remain, but no one seems as eager for a full scale war.
ANTARCTIC CLAIMS MADE BY BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To the outrage of portions of the global community, the Brazilians, having launched the first successful expedition to the South Pole last year, have claimed tracts of the continent for themselves and their allies. The Brazilian government has claimed the majority of the landmass for Brazil, while granting sizeable portions to both Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain. This was immediately protested by a number of nations, but the protests quickly lessened when it was realized that the claims were fairly meaningless due to the hostility of the climate of the continent. The Brazilians and Argentines have begun plans to establish research posts on Antarctica but have found it very hard to find anyone willing to go there or any reasons why research would even be conducted there instead of warm established laboratories. Regardless, they have appeased those in the global community who cared by assuring them that scientific expeditions to the south would not be hassled, providing they asked permission.
BRAZIL AND BRITAIN INITIATE MAJOR SCRAPPING PROGRAMS. Liverpool, United Kingdom of Great Britain. After recent developments, the British and Brazilians have launched similar scrapping and building programs, bringing significant development to shipyards and port facilities. The result of this activity has been the elimination of the older coal ships and destroyers which have dotted the navy. Both nation's navies have reduced these ships to scrap and most of the raw material has been sold or repurposed to other industries. Old guns and so forth have been added to the new ships, reducing the cost of construction for the time being, as well as the old crews going to the newer ships. The new Trovão-class Destroyers have replaced these old ships, and are widely touted to be the fastest warships in the world. The British have also supplemented the massive new naval construction with their new
Olympus-class Battleships, including the namesake and its two sister ships. The program has thoroughly established the British and Brazilian navies as those with the finest vessels in the world.
News from Europe
NAVAL CONFRONTATION IN THE NORTH SEA. Aarhus, Denmark. Tensions between the already unhappy Triple Alliance and the British continued to mount this year with an unfortunate incident in the North Sea. A Danish fishing boat had been sabotaged and shot at by British fishermen competing over the same fishing grounds. A Danish destroyer squadron was dispatched to intercept and bring the offending fishermen to justice. They eventually caught up with the British several miles north of Scapa Flow, and were forced to fire at the British fishing vessel to bring them to a halt. The Danes boarded the British vessel, and it was at this time an investigating light cruiser from Scapa Flow encountered the three ships. Ordering the Danes to evacuate the fishing boat, the British fired a warning shot, but the shell proved to be misaimed and one of the Danish vessels was struck by the shell. The Danes returned fire, ultimately sinking the British cruiser, though one of their destroyers was lost in the fighting. The British fishing vessel was swamped in the process, and all but one of the fishermen drowned in the aftermath. He has returned home, loudly crying his innocence of any crime to the British papers, while the Danes have similarly paraded their own wounded fishermen from what they have called a "British act of piracy." The British survivors of the battle were picked up by British ships, long after the Danes had already departed. The result has been even worse tensions over the Channel after this deadly confrontation.
Casualty List
Denmark: 1 Early Destroyer
United Kingdom of Great Britain: 1 Early Light Cruiser
REVOLT BLOODILY CRUSHED IN AUSTRIA. Munich, Austria. A would-be proletarist revolution began this year as a proletarist group organized a full revolt in the city of Munich. This included the support of a number of soldiers from the region's regiments which marched to join the growing revolution. The Proletarian Republic of Munich was established and they soon expected the rest of Austria to rise up in their support. Unfortunately, they were gravely disappointed, as the rest of the nation failed to erupt in revolution against the monarchy. The Austrian army soon responded against the city, demanding its surrender after surrounding it with a barricade of regular army regiments from other regions of the empire. The proletarists refused to surrender, though they did allow the evacuation of those less than supportive of the rebellion. The result was a month-long battle in the city streets as the Austrian army systematically used artillery to demolish rebel strongholds. By the end of the month, the Austrians had restored order, but at a horrific cost to the city of Munich, which was devastated by the fighting. Needless to say, the government's response has dramatically weakened the proletarist cause for the moment in Austria, leaving many frightened at the possible outcome of an attempt at revolution. (-12 Infantry Brigades, -20 Manpower, +1 Stability)
LABOR DISPUTES CONTINUE IN CORSICA. Ajaccio, Corsica. Despite what many would call last year's satisfactory resolution to the Corsican labor crisis and reform, the argument seems to have not quite ended. Corsica's leading employers have begun efforts to break up the unions as they transfer and fire employees with union links, replacing them with new employees at higher wages to instill some new loyalty. The unions remain illegal despite last year's strikes, and the Corsican monarchy has refused to acknowledge the duplicity of the corporations in the current situation. So far it seems that the displaced workers have been blacklisted from employment throughout the island, leaving many of the worst rabble rousers unemployed and out of the work force. This seems to have had very little changing effect on the situation in Corsica, as the labor supporters have been unable to muster up larger support, but they have not yet given up on their efforts.
NATIONALIST PRESS OPENS IN GENOA AMID MOUNTING TENSIONS. Genoa, Genoa. The increasing growth of the local university and the employment of dozens of foreign professors and researchers has led to a growing intellectual support for Italian nationalism. The result has been the opening of the Italian National Press, a printing organization dedicated to the spread of the ideals and nationalist cause throughout the peninsula, starting in Genoa. They have called for Genoan support for a unified Italian state, pushing against outside oppressors such as the Franco-Burgundian Confederation and Austria. The movement has gained substantial local support, and it seems that even King Emmanuelle is an indirect patron of the press. Various interests have appealed to the government to shut the press down, but it has remained open for the time being, building support for a reunited Italy. This has led to King Giovanni II of Milan issuing an ultimatum for the Genoan government to shut down the press and renounce support for any Italian unity movement. This came on the heels of an incident in Milan where a similar press, claiming to be linked to the Genoan institution led to the assassination of several lower level government officials. The ultimatum also demands the arrest and turning over of a number of the University of Genoa's new professors, believed to be linked to the creation of the local press. The ultimatum has threatened war if Genoa does not comply.
DANISH ELECTIONS. Copenhagen, Denmark. To the surprise of many, the elections in Denmark have resulted in a dramatic shift in local politics. The main concern has been over the rising tensions between the Triple Alliance and the British and Brazilians. The Danish government has so far been fully behind the Dutch and French in their support against the belligerence of those two nations, more so after the Scapa Flow Incident early this year. While this has led to a surge among war hawks in Denmark, there have been those fearful of the pain and suffering a wide-scale war could create. The result has been a heavily divided and chaotic atmosphere in Danish politics and government. The elections held this year demonstrated that as the liberal Social Democratic Party ran against the reigning conservative Free People's Party. The liberals have pledged to avoid war as well as enact varied social reforms, while the conservatives have pledged to protect Denmark and its empire at any cost. The result has been highly heated debates and an increasingly polarized government. The nation's Parliament wound up heavily divided, with no clear majority by either of the leading parties. A number of minor parties, even including some social proletarists managed to gain some seats and the result was the formation of a coalition government leaning mostly towards the liberal cause. The new government has pledged to preserve the peace and enter negotiations with the British for compensation over the Scapa Flow Incident, as well as beginning some social reform. (-1 Stability)
KING OF FLANDERS DIES, SON BROUGHT TO THE THRONE. Brussels, Flanders. King Charles III of Flanders passed away this year, after several years of ill health and decline in his physical stature. Regardless, his support last year, led to a reform in the process of selecting a new monarch for the Western European nation, which has been put into its trial paces. The Flemish aristocracy have unanimously brought the throne, the second born son of King Charles III, as he has been viewed as the successor apparent for quite some time. The son is a noted conservative, though not highly motivated to involve himself in petty politics or the dealings of the nation's legislature. This has seemed as a fine trait for the nation, to isolate the monarch from any real affairs of state. The new King Leopold IV has taken this with his natural good humor, and remains a highly beloved figure among the Flemish people for his charitable acts and worldly behavior. (+1 Stability)
PARIS AND BURGUNDY ELECTIONS HELD IN CONFEDERATION ELECTIONS. Paris, Franco-Burgundian Confederation. As per the Confederation's constitution, elections were held this year in the realms of Paris and Burgundy to establish their elected legislature for the two chief regions of the nation. To one's surprise, the nature of the last few elections has been preserved this year, as the conservatives continue to maintain overall power. In fact, the power base seems to have shifted ever so slightly to the conservatives, as support for the conservative war hawks has grown. The French people seem to be in favor of supporting the army and navy growth, particularly believing that the conservative Party of Order remains the nation's best hope for security. This has helped stabilize the government even further, weakening the liberal cause and the Septembrist Party in the nation. (+1 Stability)
SCANDINAVIAN ELECTIONS. Stockholm, Scandinavia. Scandinavian politics have seen a brutal shift in policy and action this year, as the situation abroad seems to be developing a more hawkish government in the nation. The Liberal Party, while advocating peaceful foreign relations and reform, has found itself weakening due to what many consider a faltering approach to the murders in Pomerania. The current government is believed to be too weak for a increasingly tense political situation across the world, and the conservative Industry Party has slammed them across the board. Unfortunately, the Liberals have countered, claiming that the Industry Party seeks to further suppress the workers of Scandinavia and reduce what rights they have gained. The result has actually be some violence, and accusations of electoral fraud in various parts of Scandinavia. When the dust finally settled, the Industry Party has gained the majority, but there have been doubts cast upon the legitimacy of a good portion of regional elections. (-1 Stability)
DEATH OF THE EMPEROR OF SPAIN. Madrid, Spain. The Spanish empire mourned the death of Emperor Philip IX this year, after his failing health for the past few years led to his demise. Under the rule of Emperor Philip IX, the empire of Spain went through a few of its darkest years, as attempts at reform and growth were met with civil war. Numerous new imperial possessions would be added, and it is said by many that the departed emperor was the father of the modern Empire of Spain. Several days of mourning were declared as his son prepared to take up the Spanish imperial throne. The new Emperor Philip X, named for his father, is facing an immense gulf between him and his father, and most believe that he is hardly half the man his giant of a father was. He has been seen as weak and easy to bully by most of the diplomatic corps of Europe, and a conservative by nature. Overall, he has clearly enjoyed himself at lavish parties across the world more than participating in any affairs of state.
SPANISH GOVERNMENT ENDS STRIKE WITH REFORM. Madrid, Spain. The six month long strike of the Meat Workers' Union in Spain ended early this year as the leaders of the reigning Unión Liberal Española passed a series of work reforms. The move was heavily fought in the Imperial Senate by the conservative Comunión Tradicional Española which has hoped to preserve the rights and properties of Spain's leading businessmen. Regardless, the new reforms have established a minimum wage for workers in Spain, as well as legalizing the development of national worker unions. This has been seen as a major victory for the Spanish worker, as new unions are being put together across the peninsula. Numerous other reforms were passed, helping create newer and safer working conditions, but the expense has begun mounting in the government, which now seeks to preserve the new changes. Regardless, the strikes have ended and the nation has stabilized domestically, at least for the moment, as the workforce celebrates their victory. (+1 Stability)
NAPLES CLOSES PORTS TO SPANISH WARSHIPS. Taranto, Naples. The Neapolitan government has taken a stand alongside the Sicilian revolutionaries, claiming to offer at least some support for their cause. To this end, they have closed their coaling stations and ports to any Spanish vessels involved with the blockade and the offensive against Sicily. The Spanish ships have found this to be a severe inconvenience in blockading efforts on the northeastern part of the island, allowing a substantial amount of supplies and money to flow onto the island. It has been clear that trade has only increased between Sicily and the tip of the Italian peninsula with the outbreak of war, as Spanish military intelligence has noted that substantial new equipment and money has been bolstering the resistance. The Spanish government has claimed that it is clear that other nations besides Naples are involved, but have declined to mention who is suspected of this.
STALEMATE IN SICILY LEADS TO TREATY. Palermo, Sicily. The Spanish have launched a bid to retake the island of Sicily from the rebels who have seized control. The starting moves were the enacting of a naval blockade around the island, which has been met with only the most limited success. The Sicilians have rushed to conscript numerous new soldiers to fight against the invaders, rushing them to fight with new arms and munitions. The location of the Spanish invasion was anticipated quite easily as the massing of vessels proved to be easy to spot and the Sicilians immediately began preparing at the anticipated landing site. Some brief surprise was had when the Spanish began the attack at night, but the chaos of the effort was soon spotted and the Legion Hispania found themselves under intensive fire as they rowed to shore. Over half of the brigade failed to make it to shore, and half of those remaining landed on the wrong beaches and were mopped up with ease. The rest established a bare beachhead, holding out after attack after attack. The arrival of reinforcements was quite timely, but as before, faced with heavy casualties from artillery positioned well outside of the range of Spanish battleships. The Spanish have dug in, but have faced constant fire upon all areas within the new beachhead, and ships bringing in supplies are frequently sunk by the Sicilian guns. Sicilian attempts to destroy the beachhead continued throughout the whole year, but Spanish reinforcements, brought in haphazardly and battleship guns have managed to provide some limited support. The fight remained stalemated east of Palermo as neither side gave up any ground. The stalemate soon brought both sides to the negotiating table, and a treaty was established granting Sicily its independence as both sides sought to end the fighting. The treaty has assured the return of captured artillery equipment to Spain, as well as other seized arms and munitions. Spanish property rights continued to be respected and the eliminated tariffs created under the empire continue to remain in place, giving Spain some continued favored status. Regardless, it has been seen as only a slightly tarnished victory for the Sicilian people, as they celebrate their newfound independence.
Below photograph showing a Spanish battleship firing in support of the beachhead on Sicily
Casualty Lists
Sicily: 2 Conscript Brigades, 2 Infantry Brigades, 1 Artillery Brigade
Spain: 4 Infantry Brigades, 1 Legion Hispania, 2 Early Destroyers
SPANISH ELECTIONS HELD. Madrid, Spain. Spanish elections this year proved to be a heavily fought contest as the situations across the world led to an ample amount of subjects for debate and consideration by voters. Increasing information about the horrors of slavery in the United States of America have been brought out by the conservative Comunión Tradicional Española as they seek to discredit the reigning Unión Liberal Española. This has led to a small shift towards the conservatives as pictures are circulated of the so-called "superplantations" and the associated factory labor. The issue of reform also helped sponsor the growing rise of the conservatives, as they achieved significant financing from the wealthy of Spain. Lastly, the disastrous fighting in Sicily has begun to take its toll upon the Spanish politics, with the results being blamed as a sign of liberal weakness in military and imperial affairs. The result has been a surprisingly overwhelming sweep of the legislature by the Comunión Tradicional Española and they have established the largest majority in the history of the nation's young constitution. (+1 Stability)
HUNGARY BEGINS RETURN TO CIVILIAN ADMINISTRATION AMID MORE UNREST. Bucharest, Hungary. Last year it seemed that the nation of Hungary was about to break out into a full scale civil war between monarchists and proletarists. The violence of civil strife was prevented with the declaration of martial law and the reestablishment of order through use of the military. This year, attempts have begun to reestablish civil control, as some in authority believe that the threat has passed. Some regions have been restored, but the eastern and coastal parts of the nation continue to remain hotbeds of nationalist dissent. Violence and attacks have continued against army patrols and outposts, some quite successfully. This has been exacerbated in a reduction of funding for Hungary's secret police force, which now struggles to hold its control over several areas. In Hungary itself though and around Budapest, it seems the crisis has lessened, but the tensions remain as the government struggles to preserve order. (-3 Infantry Brigades, -5 Manpower)
HUNGARY BEGINS HIRING FOREIGN ADVISORS. Budapest, Hungary. As the nation struggles with stability issues, King Louis V has continued to seek any port in the raging storm. This has resulted in an effort to find the most capable advisors of all types from across Europe, to help guide the nation. Noted advisors have included ones from Spain and the Franco-Burgundian Confederation which have had similar problems over the past few decades. The result has been a collection of able leaders to help guide the king through the troubled times that surely still lay ahead. The first initiative this new group has been given and their orders are work on improving the infrastructure of the nation, especially in the less developed regions. The costs have been listed as fairly heavy, but the advisors have suggested spreading out the labor over five to six years, in order to allow for a easier conversion to new rails and roads across the nation.
BRITTANY BEGINS MILITARY CONSTRUCTION. Nantes, Brittany. Concerned about the ability of the neutral nation's army to protect itself from outside invasion, whether by sea or land, the Breton government has ordered the construction of several new facilities. These include a series of new training forts and camps across the nation to assist in the recruiting and training of new soldiers for the army and navy. This has been followed with the start of construction upon Brittany's first local military academies and officer training structure. In the past, Breton officers have frequently trained with the Confederation's officers, if they received any formal officer training at all. It is hoped that the new academic structure will make the Breton army more professional and successful in its operations.
NEW UNIVERSITY OF GENOA COMPLETED. Genoa, Genoa. As war clouds cross the border from Milan, construction has been at last completed upon the new campuses of the University of Genoa. The staff includes some of the finest theoretical and teaching minds of Europe, or at least those who could be convinced to leave their homes and institutions in other countries. Though they have yet to graduate a single class, most of the intellectual elite of Europe have lauded the efforts made by the Genoans. It is believed that the new university could well shape out to be the finest educational institution in Europe. Of course, there is some concern, that the ultimatum from Milan could disrupt the faculty, some of whom have been demanded to be arrested by the Milanese, not to mention the extreme disruption a war could bring to the university.
NEW ORGANIZATION DESTABILIZES POMERANIA AMID INVESTIGATION. Stettin, Pomerania. A group called the German Brotherhood has taken credit for the murders of Scandinavians and so-called Scandinavian sympathizers last year in Pomerania. Some are not quite sure if these achievements are accurate, as reports state that the Brotherhood was established only this year. The announcement came in the heart of a Scandinavian investigation into the murders, as gunfire led to the deaths of over half the investigating team when they were attacked in their headquarters in Stettin. The timely arrival of police forces stopped the firefight, but the assailants disappeared into the alleys, before they could be caught. The German Brotherhood has called for the creation of a nationalist German state and have proclaimed the Scandinavians and monarchy of Pomerania to be the first enemies of the German people. (-1 Stability)
ROMAN TROOPS FLOOD HUNGARIAN AND SERBIAN BORDERS. Sofia, Roman Empire. Allegedly in response to threats of revolt among the Bulgarians of the Roman Empire, the Roman army has mobilized massive forces into its northern provinces. This has greatly raised tensions in the region, as many of the troops now look across the borders into Serbia and Hungary. The Krakow Pact and Hungary in particular have begun to view this as another sign of the aggression of the League of the Three Emperors, particularly after the eruption of violence in Georgia. The leaders of Hungary have begun calling for a protest against the Roman masses near their border, and the armies throughout the region have been put on a high alert. Several incidents have fortunately been avoided, but with no many soldiers amassed, it seems that alarm could well be justified by the Hungarian forces.
SUFFRAGE REFERENDUM REJECTED IN NETHERLANDS. Amsterdam, Netherlands. A referendum was issued up this year in the Republic of the Netherlands to consider the possibility of women's voting rights in the Western European nation. The Dutch voters have rejected this referendum by over sixty percent, showing a clear failure for the effort. The reasons voters have stated they are against this proposal have been varied, but one of the greatest was due to the unfair advantage that such voting rights would give to married men. The fear has been that wives would vote the same way as their husbands, thus giving an edge to the married people of the Netherlands. Other reasons listed have been due to the inherent fragility of women, and inability to make decisions without collapsing into hysteria.
GOVERNMENT REFORM IN BRANDENBURG. Berlin, Brandenburg. King Charles Frederick II made history for Brandenburg this year, with the calling together of a new Reichstag to help managed and administer the nation. Though the government remains firmly in the control of the monarchy and the associated administrators from the aristocracy, the new Reichstag acts as an elected body to help the monarch weigh the attitudes and opinions of the people. The members of the Reichstag are elected from the masses of the various provinces of Brandenburg. The new parliamentary body has no real power, but the gesture has been noted by liberals in the nation as a true progressive step towards significant reform. Overall, the nation seems content with the new system, and are glad that the beloved monarch can now hear from the people. (+1 Stability)
ST. LEO'S CATHEDRAL COMPLETED. Rome, Papal States. The Papal States have completed the construction upon the new St. Leo's Cathedral in Rome, bringing a new glory to the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV himself held the first service in the new cathedral, bringing crowds of Catholic dignitaries from across Europe. The new cathedral has been applauded for its architecture, styled after the destroyed Cathedral of Milan which had been razed during the siege in the Italian Crusade. The new cathedral dominates a good portion of the Roman skyline, as they work to build up the infrastructure of the Church. The Catholic kings of Europe have been quite receptive, and it stands as perhaps the greatest feat of architecture in the twentieth century.
Below, a street side view of the new St. Leo's Cathedral.