Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
World Gazette 1930
World News 1929-1930, collated and edited by Independent Press Association*
Tetrea at War!
It’s war! For the first time this century, a new ‘Great War’ threatens to arise. The year ends with four of the six major nations in Tetrea, along with Ollaytantambo, being in a state of armed conflict.
At the start of the year, there is still hope for a negotiated settlement in Portugal. The Iroquois, Dutch and Hatti are all approached to be brokers of peace deal. But an impasse is soon reached as the Inca government insists on disarmament of the rebels before any plebiscite can take place. The Portuguese are ultimately unwilling to place their trust in the Inca nationalist government to uphold their side of the bargain. If their fears are realised, the rebels will face either summary execution or internment camps, along with unknown numbers of civilians. Meanwhile the Inca continue to gather their best forces on the Portuguese front, reinforced with a small number of tanks and artillery supplied by the Iroquois Nation - a fact that does not escape attention of certain newspapers in Celtonia. All the while, there is the lingering threat of the Mayan Empire sending its forces northwards to join the fight.
In mid-April, headlines around the world announce the dramatic, although not entirely unexpected declaration by Consail Bréanainn Thomson that Celtic troops are heading to Portugal in a ‘special military operation’ to protect the Portuguese people. The Celts also announce a widening of their blockade to the entire Incan coast, something that stretches the resources of the Celtonian 5th Armada to its limits. Commentators are initially unsure exactly how this will play out; if the Celts will actually move to engage Inca troops, and if the Mayans will dare to honour their defensive pact with Cuzco. Without formal backing of the Celtic parliament, the Consail seems to be acting near the limits of his authority. Is this all a game of brinkmanship? As newsreels capture the first unloading of Celtic heavy artillery in Lisbon harbour, and it is confirmed that Celtic troops are now inside what is legally Incan territory, the Mayans formally announce the activation of their defensive pact and begin to mobilise their divisions along the border. The Incan troops meanwhile recommence a full-scale bombardment of rebel positions south of the Tagus. Any lingering hopes of peaceful settlement are soon shattered.
The first enemy the Celts face is that of logistics; for the size of the operation, there is a shortage of transport ships, and a lack of proper port facilities in Lisbon; the latter is made worse as much of the harbour is clogged with Dutch, Norselander and German ships that are here to evacuate refugees and deliver critical supplies, making it one of the busiest waterways in the world at this time. It is also the first time in decades that the Celts have even attempted an overseas operation on this scale. Despite the innovative efforts of Celtic engineers, logistics will prove to be an ongoing thorn in the Celtic side; the decision to deploy heavy siege artillery and even ‘siege tanks’ to Lisbon is a major logistics operation in itself, and a push from the city has to be postponed until the summer. By this point, the Portuguese militias are already reeling from a renewed Incan offensive and Mayan probing attacks along the southern border.
The Battle of the Laurisilva - Ash Like Snow
In a daring move, the Celts send a combined motorised and cavalry force deep into the Laurisilva tropical forest, south-west of Lisbon, a region with poor roads and few towns. The intention may be to block the movement of Mayan forces and stop the Incas from effectively linking up their garrisons holding out in southern Portugal. But the Celtic force soon finds itself caught between a major Incan offensive to the north, and waves of Mayan infantry now crossing the border from the south. Celtic columns are quickly bogged down in chaotic fighting; the spearheads run into hastily-set roadblocks and ambushes by elite Mayan Pakalkun troops, while large formations of Mayan infantry are able to overrun Celtic supply lines to the rear. The Inca government has gone to great lengths to stockpile supplies near the front, allowing liberal use of artillery fire; although the Celts are able to link up with Portuguese militias, their immobilised columns are now massively outnumbered by Mayan and Incan troops, and often outgunned, with their vehicles unable to be used effectively in the dense forest. There are reports of infantry clashes devolving into chaotic and brutal melee combat.
The early summer in the region is exceptionally dry, and forest fires break out as a result of the fighting, with unknown numbers of unfortunate troops on both sides condemned to a fiery death. Combined with Celtic cross-border bombardment and air attacks on the Mayan oilfields west of Bonampak, the sky is now filled with smoke, ash and dust; there are shocking scenes as the Celts attempt to retreat, with many troops wearing gas-masks to avoid choking, passing columns of burning vehicles and dead horses. The apocalyptic images are captured in pioneering ‘autochrome’ colour photography by war reporters working for the German news agency Volkstribüne and widely publicised around the world before the year is out.
Ultimately the heroic efforts of local Celtic commanders and the superior training and discipline of their troops help to avoid total disaster, and with the help of local guides, the Celts and their Portuguese allies are able to fight their way out and avoid a total loss of matériel, although many vehicles are destroyed or have to be sabotaged to avoid falling into enemy hands. Air support from newly-revealed ‘Petrel’ monoplane fighter-bombers also proves vital, piloted by some of the best Celtic airmen and co-ordinated by the latest battlefield radios; the Petrels take a toll on enemy positions, and gain the advantage in low-level dogfights with Mayan planes over the forest canopy. But there can be no doubt this is a bitter defeat for the Celts, or at the least, a truly inglorious start to their liberation campaign…
Mayan and Incan troops secure large swathes of the south-west in the wake of the Celtic retreat, while the isolated Portuguese pocket west of Lisbon is wiped out, with thousands of reluctant prisoners taken, though some Portuguese fighters manage to break out and rejoin friendly lines near Lisbon. A small pocket of Portuguese rebels is left clinging to mountain strongholds near the border with Arequipa. Jubilant Incan and Mayan troops prepare for their next offensive to push the Celts into the sea. But as recriminations for the Laurisilva debacle begin in Navua, the Celts begin their next move…
Escalation
Both Inca and Mayan fleets are kept in fortified harbours, declining to challenge Celtic control of the coast. In the autumn, Celtic marines launch a surprise amphibious assault north of Lisbon, establishing new beachheads and diverting Inca attention away from the Tagus valley and a likely drive towards the Portuguese capital. Inca artillery takes a toll on the Celtic marines and some of their ships, until forced to withdraw under heavy fire from Celtic super-dreadnoughts and heavy siege artillery positions. In scenes captured for newsreels, the Celts then deploy their lumbering ‘siege tanks’ out of Lisbon, helping to link up with the marines and push back the Inca stranglehold. It is reported that the Celtic machines encounter the Inca-crewed tanks in the now-overgrown farmlands and orchards west of the city, in what is possibly the first example of tank-to-tank combat; but with both sides eager to preserve their hardware, it seems the tank duels are fleeting and inconclusive.
Meanwhile, elite Celto-Norse ‘Njordviking’ marines storm the Mayan coastal fortress of Tulum, north of Bonampak - a medieval fort reinforced and expanded in modern times. This is a surprise direct attack on Mayan territory, backed up by heavy naval firepower and bombing runs from the Petrels; overwhelmed, the Mayan garrison soon surrenders, and the historic fort is captured with surprisingly little bloodshed. The dashing victory does much to raise Celtic morale, and arguably helps to protect sea routes to Lisbon, but also marks another dangerous escalation; Celtic seaplanes and carrier planes also carry out a series of air raids on the oil wells near Kaminaljuyú, far to the east and well outside the conflict zone; damage here is slight, but Mayan public opinion is inflamed by these attacks on their territory. For now the Mayan armies remain concentrated on the Portuguese front, and the Celtic expedition has to make full use of all available land, sea and air power to keep Mayan forces probing any further north along the railway line to Lisbon. A brand-new Celtic carrier, CSS Pelagian, is rushed into service in attempt to take part in the fighting, but develops severe problems with its propeller shafts and ends up docked at Gàlainn in the tropical Fair Isles for the rest of the year, considered a most fortunate posting for the crew.
As the year ends, it seems the Celts are still in a race against time to build up their forces before both they and the exhausted Portuguese rebels are overwhelmed. The Consail has refrained from expanding the war to the land border near Cuzco, despite some border skirmishes with Inca militias; however the Mayans have shown a reluctance to push too far beyond their northern border or to further mobilise their war economy. And as we will discover, the Incas now have a rather serious distraction to the west…
Union of Celtonia
Damaged: 3 Infantry, 1 Field Artillery, 1 ‘Badger’ mobile artillery [2PP*], 1 Siege Tank [2PP*], 1 Marine, 1 Njordviking, 2 Destroyers,1 Cruiser (damaged in accident), 1 Transport, 1 Petrel fighter-bomber, 1 Light Seaplane
Destroyed/Lost: 1 Infantry, 1 Truck (captured by Mayans), 1 Armoured Car, 1 Transport, 1 Cavalry
$2 materials recovered
Mayan Empire
Damaged: 2 Militia, 3 Infantry, 1 Pakalkun, 1 Armoured Car, 1 Cavalry, 1 Rough Rider, 1 Field Artillery, 1 Biplane fighter
Destroyed/Lost: 2 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, 1 Basic Artillery (captured by Celts)
$2 materials recovered
Oil production reduced from 200% to 100%
Inca Nation
Damaged: 2 Militia, 4 Infantry, 1 Marine, 1 Basic Tank [2PP*], 1 Cavalry, 1 Rough Rider, 1 Truck
Destroyed/Lost: 2 Infantry, 1 Field Artillery, 1 Cavalry, 1 Blimp
!+1 army veterancy!
$4 materials recovered
Portugal
Damaged: 2 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Rough Riders
Destroyed/Lost: 2 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Cannon (captured by Mayans)
Roman Eagle crosses the Andes!
While the Celts are fighting for their lives in the Laurisilva, consul Paris Angelus broadcasts a speech to the Roman Empire and the wider world: “Due to the continued oppression of the Portuguese and Incan intransigence”, it is announced that Rome is “intervening to ensure peace on the continent”; simultaneously with the speech, Roman legions begin their march eastwards; with the previous occupation of Ollantaytambo, the Romans already have forward bases and control of strategic passes through the Andes, which are rapidly being linked to the Roman rail network. The Inca have only a handful of militia to guard their side of the border, which are soon brushed aside as a large invasion force, eventually comprising 10 divisions of infantry, backed up by tanks, vehicles, cavalry and air power, bears down on the city of Ica. A separate force of cavalry and irregular mounted troops crosses the rocky badlands in the north, heading to Chuquiapo.
It appears the Inca have been caught off-guard by the Roman invasions; all the best Inca troops are in the south, while most of the Inca reserve troops are stationed on the northern border with Celtonia. Inca commanders are no doubt presented with an impossible dilemma; the generals in Portugal are reluctant to withdraw from the front just as it seems that they are close to forcing the Celts back to their ships. The Inca send their reserve force of irregular cavalry, including camel riders, which are able to cross the southern desert and harass the flanks of the main Roman force as it begins to surround Ica. There is little they can do against tanks and armoured cars, but they have some success in slowing down the sprawling Roman columns that are mostly still marching on foot.
Hastily converted from Imperial Airline service, and with the paint still wet on their Aquila insignia, Roman heavy biplanes drop bombs on suspected Inca strongpoints on the approaches to the city, in a show of Roman power. In truth the Inca can muster only a small force to defend Ica, with a backbone of veteran infantry from the Portuguese front, who have volunteered for the fight knowing it is likely to be a death sentence. There are unknown numbers of civilian volunteers besides, and a small amount of outdated artillery. The Inca are determined to put up a fight for the city, which is a logistics hub and industrial centre. The Romans are soon drawn into house-to-house and street-to-street fighting, which takes a disproportionate toll on the attackers. Inevitably though, as Roman biplanes continue to buzz overhead, and Roman armoured vehicles trundle though narrow streets, the victory standards of the legions are raised in the centre of the old town. Newsreels capture scenes of Roman soldiers celebrating amidst the ancient buildings, including Roman monuments and memorials still standing from days of occupation centuries ago, from a time when Constaninople’s reach spanned ‘from sea to sea’ - perhaps these days will soon come again?
Chuquiapo in the north is captured with considerably less bloodshed, and Roman cavalry troops acting on their own initiative begin to push along the Chuquiapo valley, securing food stocks and heading south to link up with Ica. Otherwise it seems the Roman troops have rather conservative orders, and they hold position and to build up supplies as winter approaches. For the moment, Inca lines are weakly held, but the Romans face sprawling deserts and badlands to the east, and mountainous strongpoints still holding out in the west; it seems the Inca terrain will be against them as much as the Inca defenders.
Although facing fearful odds, the Inca Nation is now fully mobilised for war; the combined attacks from Celtonia and Rome serve to rally the nation behind the fascist government and anti-foreign sentiment. There are reports of renewed riots in Cuzco and other major cities between ethnic Inca and minorities, but nationalist militias help to stamp out the disturbances, with unknown numbers killed or arrested; a series of sabotage attacks are also carried out on Inca rail lines near Andahuaylas, but these result in little damage, and the swift arrest and execution of some of the alleged saboteurs, said to be funded by Celtonia and Rome. Nonetheless, with the loss of Ica, and the Celtic naval blockade, the Inca forces now have no direct rail or sea connection between Cuzco and the Portuguese front, something that will surely be a headache for the Inca in the months ahead…
Inca Nation
Damaged: 2 Militia, 2 Rough Rider
Destroyed: 1 Infantry, 2 Militia, 2 Rough Rider, 1 Basic Artillery (captured by Romans)
Roman Empire
Damaged: 3 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, 2 Rough Rider, 1 Basic Armoured Car
Destroyed: 2 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, 1 Truck
$4 materials recovered
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Caught in the middle of the war, King Taycanamo VII of Ollantaytambo announces a new constitution - perhaps unsurprisingly, modelled heavily on Roman lines, with the creation of a Senate and limited voting rights for suitable citizens. Seeing that the King is effectively a hostage of the Romans, and outraged that their country is being used as a base to attack the Inca, a rebellion now breaks out against the Roman-controlled government; taking up arms that had previously been hidden away in the countryside, the Ollantay rebels rally around an unlikely alliance of communists, Chimú nationalists and Virococha mystics, calling themselves the ‘Golden Path’. Yet the Romans have sufficient force to hold the capital and the major supply routes, and it is rumoured that they have deployed their elite infantry to the kingdom in anticipation of trouble. A sizeable chunk of the local aristocracy have also been won over to the Roman cause. This keeps the rebels confined to mountain strongholds for now, capable of only nuisance raids.
Meanwhile, not all Romans celebrate the ‘liberation’ of the east; it is reported that both the Basilissa and large sections of the senate are furious that they were not consulted before the Consul launched the nation into full-scale war with the Inca. There is a tense atmosphere during the autumn and into winter as pro-fascists and imperial revanchists are emboldened by the war, holding marches in major cities throughout the Empire and encouraging boycotts of businesses and newspapers that they consider too ‘Liberal’ or too ‘un-Roman’, to the horror of some senators who fear a descent into some new form of outright tyranny.
December sees the surprise rebellion of one of the Empire’s generals in charge of the Adrianople garrison; Markus Cato Tycherós, presenting himself as a patriot and devout Christian, manages to win local support for a campaign to arrest Consul Paris Angelus on charges of ‘illegal warfare’ and ‘usurping the Roman constitution’. It is a risky and unexpected move by the young general. The rebellion may have been encouraged by reports that the entirety of the Praetorian Guard have shipped out of the capital. It is rumoured that there are also private pledges of support from various key members of the senate. Calling themselves the Restitutores, also known as the Decembrists, the rebels march directly towards the capital with a growing band of supporters, and even an improvised airforce, as they requisition a new batch of biplane fighters fresh from the workshops outside Adrianople. The garrison of Edessa also declares for the rebels and arrests local government officials.
The Restituores still have a relatively small army, but the capital is not especially well defended and the loyalties of the garrison are questionable. There is an initial battle on the outskirts of the capital where both sides test their resolve; a truce is then called for the Christmas festivities. Tycherós seems reluctant to attempt a full-scale attack and instead hopes the ancient city walls will soon open their gates, as rumours abound of plots within the senate. Consul Paris Angelus however refuses to leave the city, which holds its breath as the year ends…
Roman Empire
Damaged units: 1 Infantry, 1 Militia
Numerous units defect to Restitutores
Ollantaytambo
Damaged units: 2 Militia
Crisis in the Netherlands
Now to the relatively-tranquil southern shores of Tetrea. Chairman Dick de Jonker recovers from his unspecified illness this year, and is well enough to attend a series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the current Communist constitution in the Netherlands. A new airfield and airship hangar is inaugurated outside Amsterdam - although without any airships at present - and the heavy cruiser Kameraadschap is launched in front of cheering crowds at Rotterdam harbour, the largest warship yet built by domestic shipyards. However, a wave of democratic protests overshadows these events, building into a general strike during the summer and causing major disruption. A mutiny also threatens to erupt among elements of the army and navy. As ‘Hertenhond’ armoured cars are deployed to protect key government buildings, de Jonker seeks a middle ground, refusing to make any major concessions to the reformists, but also refusing to crack down harshly on the protests, against the wishes of some of his party. It seems a risky gamble; events are followed closely in Arequipa, Holland’s communist ally, which has similar struggles of its own.
Amidst the crisis, it is rumoured that the Dutch government is under intense diplomatic pressure from ‘certain parties’ to intervene in the Portuguese situation, but whatever is on the table, de Jonker ultimately declines to do so, seemingly determined to keep the country out of the war. Towards the end of the year, pro-Democracy leaders are embroiled in a series of scandals and corruption trials - according to some, having been framed by Dutch secret services - while de Jonker announces that he will soon resign, to be replaced by a new politburo nominee, Daan Baas, who has a reputation for campaigning to improve worker’s rights and living conditions. This is enough to deflate the protest movement as the year draws to a close, and it seems that Dutch communism will live on at least a little while yet…
Netherlands: - $6 lost due to strike action and protests
Transatlantic Optimism - Skyscrapers and Zeppelins
At the other side of the ocean, but seemingly a world apart from the troubles in Tetrea, business is booming in Germany and the United States. The past few years have seen record growth of industry and the expansion of railways, and migrants flocking to the cities in search of higher-paid jobs. The two economies are increasingly entwined; stocks are soaring in value on the exchanges at New York and Kiel, to the point where some are worried about speculators over-inflating the stock market. New York in particular has a newfound affluence, fuelling a new hotbed of the ‘Liberal’ movement, and nightclubs, stage performances and music venues that some consider to be the height of decadence. Of course, a trip around New York onboard a Zeppelin is a must for the young and rich. Fashion designers experiment with bold new themes, and this year’s trends are partly inspired by last year’s visit by the Hatti royal family. As barriers to cross-border trade are lifted, In Germany there are worries that US goods will eventually flood the market and put the more traditional German workshops out of business, but there is also a flow of German cultural ideas and scientific knowledge to the States; a new science academy in Boston has a notably high number of German professors on its payroll.
This year Germany elects a new coalition government under Chancellor Lothar von Zeppelin - a relative of the founder of the airship company. Amidst accusations of nepotism, the pro-Industry Conservatives remain the largest party, but Liberal and Socialist parties have a strong turnout, forcing a shift away from the right. One of the new policies is to invite many thousands of refugees from Mexico and Portugal to settle in the country, among them many ethnic Germans or peoples of mixed German heritage. Some are also combat veterans of recent conflicts. At the same time, there are generous social welfare reforms designed to help the immigrants find their feet, and to soften the blow of any fall in wages; as it happens, wages remain relatively high, and thousands of new jobs are needed as the Zeppelin company in particular undertakes massive new construction projects, of which only a few details are currently known in the press. There are some concerns of importing organised crime from Mexico and Portugal, and exaggerated stories are printed in conservative newspapers, but the immigrants add to a ‘melting pot’ culture in Kiel, Berlin and elsewhere.
While Germany pours resources into its Zeppelin programme, the USS Washington - the first US-built dreadnought - is launched in Seattle harbour amidst much celebration, adding to what is now an impressive fleet, including the aircraft carrier Lexington. However, the Iroquois already have two dreadnoughts in active service, and this year launch two new heavy cruisers, the Noquisi and the Nayesna, meaning that the naval arms race among the North American powers is far from over. News of the war in Tetrea is also followed with concern, but for now the NATO allies are not under any obligation to get involved. The USA heads to the polls next year, and already slogans such as ‘peace through strength’ are doing the rounds; it seems likely that a largely conservative and pro-Industrialist Republican party, backed by the Christian right and the naval arms lobbyists, will remain in power for another term, unless there is a wildcard independent candidate, or Liberal and Socialist-minded voters come out in greater force to support the Democrats. Both major parties support the idea of peaceful expansion, and eyes are on their neighbours where opportunities may soon present themselves…
Germany: +1 Industry from the Zeppelin company (this may later be lost if company fortunes decline).
The ‘Whiskey Rebellion’
Surrounded by the growing wealth of a Democratic Germany and the USA, the communist government of Nassau-Tennessee is destabilised by social trends it seems unable to deal with; completion of a new railway connection to Frankfurt increases the revenues from the export of raw materials and goods from the workshops of Bismark, but it also brings greater exposure to outside influences. Protests for democratic reform gain momentum throughout the year, but the unlikely spark for a rebellion is a government crackdown on the illicit distilling of whiskey, which has been common practice among the farmers of the northern plains in particular. There are few reports of casualties so far; the leadership in Bismark attempts to find a diplomatic solution, but for now the state is in turmoil, as the ranchers of the north and east evict government officials and establish their own democratic ‘commonwealth’, declaring support for Germany and the USA, all while sporadic strikes and protests continue in the capital. The Bismarck garrison has a sizeable arsenal of weapons, including modern artillery and improvised ‘Panzerkampftraktor’ tank brigades - possibly, the largest tank force on the continent - in the hands of troops that appear loyal to the communist government, and there are fears of a bloody end to the disturbances if negotiations fail.
Nassau-Tennessee: -$1 from disruption
Royal Assassination Attempt in Stavanger
There is shocking news from the otherwise sleepy seaside town of Stavanger on the northern tip of North America. Rifle shots are fired at the horse-drawn carriage of Jarl Freyja I as she travels to an event to mark her 30th birthday. Seated beside the Jarl, the major of Stavanger is killed, but Freyja herself suffers only light injuries from broken glass. Allegedly, a grenade thrown at the carriage fails to explode. The assailant - or assailants - are not caught, despite the best efforts of Stavangese police and royal guard. There is an outpouring of sympathy for the Jarl, who is a mother of two young children, and an equal amount of outrage, with accusations aimed at the Nordic Unionist party in particular - which of course strongly denies any involvement, but nonetheless suffers a drop in support. Pro-American politicians are meanwhile implicated in various scandals throughout the year, in what they claim is a deliberate smear campaign.
As the rhetoric heats up, there are protests and counter-protests, and the police struggle to contain increasing disorder; Asatru fundamentalists take advantage of the situation to discredit their rivals, and put forward their agenda of radical policy changes based around the ‘nine ancient virtues’, as an alternative to the injustice and materialism of modern-day capitalism, ideas which begin to gain traction. There is a real possibility that the Asatruar will gain political power in the next election, in what would be a first for the modern Norse world, and could see a new form of liberal-fundamentilist government arise.
Stavanger: -$1 from disruption
Mexican Restitution - Foreign Interventions
1929 marks a historic year in Mexico, as a formal peace is signed between the communist ‘People’s State’ and the central government, the result of a great investment of time and resources by Celtonia. Elections are scheduled for next year, when Communists will be free to stand, and serving President Coyotl Clinton will not be on the ballot, having announced that he is resigning from politics after the end of his term - though there is speculation that he will flee the country to avoid any potential prosecution for ‘excesses of power’ during the height of the crisis. Communist forces are free to keep their weapons and begin to re-integrate with the government army, though with understandable caution.
Celtic and Acadian troops are joined for the first time by a German expeditionary force, comprising elite ‘Jaeger’ infantry and a squadron of Dutch-built Fokker triplanes, whose activities are captured on newsreels for an enthusiastic audience at home. The role of the international force is as much to police the peace treaty between the communists and the government as it is to continue the fight against the remaining enemy - the ‘Holy Aztec Empire’. Mopping-up operations are carried out against the fanatics in the south, and serious inroads are made into the northern jungles. But despite facing overwhelming odds, the fanatics fight back aggressively on all fronts and manage to regain some ground, including a probe towards Tenochtitlan, where fighting erupts in the suburbs once again, and there are lurid reports of fresh atrocities, much to the anger of the locals.
Meanwhile, citing attacks on their border guards by the Teōtl fanatics, Spanish forces cross the northern border in force, soon joined by tens of thousands of Iroquois ‘volunteers’ crossing over the northern mountains. The Spanish-Iroquois force carves out a swathe of Mexican territory as a ‘temporary police action’, and tensions are raised as they begin to surround the Celtic colony at Nemausus; in frightening echoes of the start of World War 1, there are reports of unintentional skirmishes with the Celtic garrison and Mexican troops as their lines begin to meet.
Including the ongoing standoff on the island of Cuto, also known as ‘New Constaninople’, Mexico now has two active rebellions, partial occupations by Spain and Normandie, and armed forces of Celtonia, Germany and the Iroquois active in its territory - all former colonial overlords of the entire country - not to mention the uncertain loyalties of the communist forces. It says much that this is considered a major improvement on previous years. Negotiations will no doubt continue, but the central government seems confident enough to relax martial law and war mobilisation as the year draws to a close, although the evident exhaustion of the Mexican people must also weigh on this decision. Despite the ongoing difficulties, Mexican politicians now dare to openly talk of rebuilding and developing the nation into a functional modern state.
Germany
Units damaged: 2 Transports damaged in accidents
Acadia
Units damaged: 1 Highlander
Mexico
Most of Mexican People’s State forces join government army ; some are unaccounted for
Mexican People’s State economy is integrated
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Rough Riders
Units destroyed / lost: 1 Infantry, 1 Militia, 1 Rough Riders, 1 Basic Artillery captured by Holy Aztec Empire
$2 recovered
Celtonia
Units damaged: 1 Infantry, 1 Basic Armoured Car, 1 Gunboat
Holy Aztec Empire
Units damaged: 2 Militia
Units destroyed: 2 Melee Infantry, 2 Militia, 1 Musketeer, 1 Rough Riders
Spain
Units damaged: 1 Infantry, 1 Rough Rider
$2 materials captured
Iroquois
Units damaged: 1 Onekwénsa Cavalry, 1 Infantry
French Civil War - Loire Campaign
Momentum continues to build in the long-running civil war in France, and all fronts see major fighting this year. The motivations of each side are a complex story in itself, suffice to say that there are competing claims being pushed for the Imperial throne, each with their own slice of legitimacy. For Empress Jeanne, having her armies win on the field may not be enough; she is compelled to be a visible presence on the battlefield, and to establish her true legitimacy through her skill and bravery in command, like her ancestors of decades past. As such the Empress continues to take increasing risks on the frontline, much to the consternation of her closest supporters and of loyalist Marshal Villiers who would perhaps prefer to be left alone to conduct the war himself. Nonetheless, the sight of the Empress in full military regalia on the battlefield, armed with a ceremonial sword and command baton, giving orders and handing out honours upon her soldiers, is a powerful morale boost for the Parisian troops. On her increasingly-rare visits to Paris, the Empress portrays herself as a liberalist, as newsreels show her empowering her loyal elected Deputies to oversee the writing of new laws and the maintenance of civil order, although it is not yet clear if this is a propaganda stunt or a genuine move towards a constitutional monarchy.
Despite the outbreak of the Roman-Inca war, the small Roman contingent of artillery and armoured tanks remains committed to the Loire front and the French Imperial cause, along with a squadron of Roman destroyers off the coast. Fighting resumes in earnest after the spring thaw has cleared, and there is no real change to the Imperial battle plan, as the determined two-pronged offensive from the north and along the Loire valley continues. The forces of the Loire Clique do their best to delay and disrupt the Imperial forces with hit-and-run attacks, and have considerable freedom to hit Imperial flanks from their unmolested stronghold north of Avignon. But the combined firepower of the Roman and Imperial forces, with the Roman armoured tanks now in full operation on the southern plains, is irresistible. In the air it is a different story, as the heavy biplanes of the Loire Clique operate with near impunity from camouflaged airfields, and conduct several bold raids on Imperial supply dumps to hamper their advance, until the air crews themselves begin to run low on supplies, at which point the bombers are scattered to the south using the last reserves of fuel. The Tours oilwells are overrun, and the Imperial pincer movement meets up outside the city, placing it under siege and blockade, but not yet able to capture the city as the year ends. It is rumoured that a lurking Roman submarine sinks one of the retreating Loire ships, while the Roman destroyers chase down and sink Loire gunboats as they flee south along the coast, in one of the first naval battles in recent years.
Noble Suffering
While Loire forces are occupied in the east, the Rheims Clique moves to retake the key southern port of Marseilles; despite being massively outnumbered, the local Loire commander proves ruthless in defence, levelling swathes of the city suburbs to create killing fields for machine guns and mortars, and laying countless booby-traps. The Loire forces also deliberately ground their remaining Ironclad warship near the harbour, which now serves as an unsinkable makeshift fortress. Rheims forces take disproportionate losses and Marseilles remains contested. Still holding on to Torus and Marseilles as the year ends, and his whereabouts unknown, Grand Marshal Gaetan Villeneuve has not yet capitulated, but it is rumoured that he is considering an armistice deal from the Imperial government as the winter snows set in.
While Empress Jeanne is embroiled on the Loire front, forces of the Orléans Clique under Grand Marshal Laurent Ignace begin a determined attack on the west bank of the Seine river near Paris, seeking to create a more defensible front line against the Parisian forces. This they largely achieve, although at considerable cost in men and matériel, especially as they run into the Parisian garrisons and new strongpoints that Imperial forces are establishing at the river confluence south-west of Amiens. Having suffered entire battalions wiped out in human-wave assaults on fortified Imperial positions, there is considerable demoralisation among the Orléans troops.
Meanwhile, there is greater despair for the Imperial cause; in early autumn, Empress Jeanne is caught in an artillery blast while on the frontline near Tours, suffering severe injuries; rushed to a field hospital, the Empress’s left arm is removed below the elbow, and her damaged left eye is also surgically removed. The mauled Empress is taken to a château near Lyons for recuperation, but her sufferings are not yet over; weeks later, an assassin's bomb explodes on the floor where Jeanne is staying, killing some of her medical staff and some of her closest advisors. Miraculously, the Empress herself lives on, although she requires further surgery for shrapnel embedded in her skull.
Rumours that the Empress is dead serve as the trigger for a long-awaited Communard uprising, which is centred in the countryside near Avignon and Bourges, an area that has seen little recent fighting and is denuded of garrison troops. The Communards also secure the surprise defection of the garrison of Fort Blanc, of the key strongholds of the Rheims Clique in the western mountains. However, newsreels record the bandaged, shaven-headed, eye-patched Empress Jeanne as she makes a defiant Christmas radio broadcast to the nation, urging all French citizens to rally behind her as the true heir to the Empire. Imperial propaganda cannot help but make the comparison between the childless Empress and the historic Maid of Orleans as a modern ‘saviour of France’...
French Empire
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Imperial Guard, 1 Cavalry, 1 Basic Armoured Car
Units lost: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Basic Artillery
Roman Empire
Units damaged: 2 Destroyers, 1 Basic Tank [*2PP]
Loire Clique
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Basic Artillery, 1 Ironclad, 1 Heavy Biplane
Units lost: 2 Militia, 1 Rough Rider, 1 Steamer, 1 Gunboat
Rheims Clique
Units damaged: 1 Infantry
Units lost: 1 Militia, 1 Rough Rider
Orleans Clique
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Basic Artillery, 1 Rough Riders
Units lost: 1 Infantry, 2 Militia
Celtonian Politics
Returning to Celtonia, and heading into the 1930 election year, public opinion in Celtonia remains bitterly divided. Major cities in Celtonia see anti-war protests throughout the year, and there are some serious efforts by elements of the Aonach to impeach the Consail Thomson on grounds of exceeding his authority, although these grind to a halt in the supreme court. However, there are also many pro-Portuguese counter protests; although wary of mounting casualties, and resentful of rising war mobilisation, public opinion is now more in favour of intervention to ‘protect’ the Portuguese people, although many who support the war in principle are less than happy about how it is being waged, given news from the front. The neo-Druidists have become increasingly split on their support for the war, with the potential of splintering into smaller parties.
A new cause of contention is the apparent alliance of Celtonia with the Roman Empire, dubbed an ‘unholy alliance’ by elements of the press; the majority of the Celtic populace are sympathetic to plight of Ollantaytambo, and are uncomfortable with the idea of a revanchist Roman Empire rampaging across the continent, even more so with the apparent blessing of a Consail who has also blundered into a war with the Mayan Empire, something that many believe could have been avoided.
While the Conservatives have the largest single polling block, there is the possibility of the neo-Druids, Liberals, neo-Communists and anti-Militarists forming a powerful left-leaning coalition. Much still hangs on the increasingly-volatile neo-Druidist movement…
Celtonia: -$6 lost to protests and strike action
Other News:
* A French (Imperial) legal team has travelled to Providence to contest ownership of the pre-WW2 French art treasures recently uncovered in an unclaimed inheritance. Unless the US government intervenes, this matter will now be decided by a court hearing.
* The Orbis Terrarum motor racing prize was once again held this year, but did not receive any foreign investment, and due to the ongoing conflict in Tetrea, was largely contested by domestic Roman teams. It is not clear if it will be held again next year.
* A decorative piece of Hittite bronze cookware, said to be more than 3,500 years old, sells at auction in Kiel for over 500,000 reichsmarks, making it one of the most expensive objects in the world. The buyer is undisclosed, but believed to be a stock trader from somewhere on the Atlantic coast. The seller is also anonymous but believed to be linked to the Hatti royal family.
Dutch-Arequipa defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Dutch defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Scandinavian defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Molde defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Kawauka defensive pact has expired
Iroquois-Akwesasne defensive pact has expired
World Trade Report:
Once again, with heavy investment in weapons by all of the major powers, supply of commercial goods was limited, increasing profits for certain key exporters.
Inca: 1x = $1 (difficulty trading on global market)
Roman Empire: 1x = $2
Ollantaytambo: 1x = $2
Hatti: 2x = $4
Molde: 1x = $2
Spain: 4x = $7
Iroquois: 1x = $2
Holstein: 1x =$2
Acadia: 2x = $4
Scandinavia: 5x = $9
It is now 1930…
*Independent Press Association is based in New York and is a certified independent news organisation funded by generous benefactors in the financial sector.
Notes:
Units that take a minimum of two turns to build etc - I’m saying this includes time spent partially constructed (even if it’s like 1/14 PP). This means the US Dreadnought launched this turn.
Reminder that you are allowed to go into debt up to the limit of your Eco stat. For example, with Eco 20 at $5 in your treasury at the start of the turn, you can spend up to $25. Debt will add a bit to your upkeep but generally not very much.
I’ve introduced a PP cost to repair some units, you’ll notice that in the stats. I’m not entirely happy with the ‘damaged unit’ system as it’s already got really fiddly to work with, and thinking of alternatives.
I’ve decided not to introduce a ‘production line’ mechanic as I think it’s a fair criticism that it will mostly reward nations that already have large industries.
Stats
World News 1929-1930, collated and edited by Independent Press Association*
Tetrea at War!
It’s war! For the first time this century, a new ‘Great War’ threatens to arise. The year ends with four of the six major nations in Tetrea, along with Ollaytantambo, being in a state of armed conflict.
At the start of the year, there is still hope for a negotiated settlement in Portugal. The Iroquois, Dutch and Hatti are all approached to be brokers of peace deal. But an impasse is soon reached as the Inca government insists on disarmament of the rebels before any plebiscite can take place. The Portuguese are ultimately unwilling to place their trust in the Inca nationalist government to uphold their side of the bargain. If their fears are realised, the rebels will face either summary execution or internment camps, along with unknown numbers of civilians. Meanwhile the Inca continue to gather their best forces on the Portuguese front, reinforced with a small number of tanks and artillery supplied by the Iroquois Nation - a fact that does not escape attention of certain newspapers in Celtonia. All the while, there is the lingering threat of the Mayan Empire sending its forces northwards to join the fight.
In mid-April, headlines around the world announce the dramatic, although not entirely unexpected declaration by Consail Bréanainn Thomson that Celtic troops are heading to Portugal in a ‘special military operation’ to protect the Portuguese people. The Celts also announce a widening of their blockade to the entire Incan coast, something that stretches the resources of the Celtonian 5th Armada to its limits. Commentators are initially unsure exactly how this will play out; if the Celts will actually move to engage Inca troops, and if the Mayans will dare to honour their defensive pact with Cuzco. Without formal backing of the Celtic parliament, the Consail seems to be acting near the limits of his authority. Is this all a game of brinkmanship? As newsreels capture the first unloading of Celtic heavy artillery in Lisbon harbour, and it is confirmed that Celtic troops are now inside what is legally Incan territory, the Mayans formally announce the activation of their defensive pact and begin to mobilise their divisions along the border. The Incan troops meanwhile recommence a full-scale bombardment of rebel positions south of the Tagus. Any lingering hopes of peaceful settlement are soon shattered.
The first enemy the Celts face is that of logistics; for the size of the operation, there is a shortage of transport ships, and a lack of proper port facilities in Lisbon; the latter is made worse as much of the harbour is clogged with Dutch, Norselander and German ships that are here to evacuate refugees and deliver critical supplies, making it one of the busiest waterways in the world at this time. It is also the first time in decades that the Celts have even attempted an overseas operation on this scale. Despite the innovative efforts of Celtic engineers, logistics will prove to be an ongoing thorn in the Celtic side; the decision to deploy heavy siege artillery and even ‘siege tanks’ to Lisbon is a major logistics operation in itself, and a push from the city has to be postponed until the summer. By this point, the Portuguese militias are already reeling from a renewed Incan offensive and Mayan probing attacks along the southern border.
The Battle of the Laurisilva - Ash Like Snow
In a daring move, the Celts send a combined motorised and cavalry force deep into the Laurisilva tropical forest, south-west of Lisbon, a region with poor roads and few towns. The intention may be to block the movement of Mayan forces and stop the Incas from effectively linking up their garrisons holding out in southern Portugal. But the Celtic force soon finds itself caught between a major Incan offensive to the north, and waves of Mayan infantry now crossing the border from the south. Celtic columns are quickly bogged down in chaotic fighting; the spearheads run into hastily-set roadblocks and ambushes by elite Mayan Pakalkun troops, while large formations of Mayan infantry are able to overrun Celtic supply lines to the rear. The Inca government has gone to great lengths to stockpile supplies near the front, allowing liberal use of artillery fire; although the Celts are able to link up with Portuguese militias, their immobilised columns are now massively outnumbered by Mayan and Incan troops, and often outgunned, with their vehicles unable to be used effectively in the dense forest. There are reports of infantry clashes devolving into chaotic and brutal melee combat.
The early summer in the region is exceptionally dry, and forest fires break out as a result of the fighting, with unknown numbers of unfortunate troops on both sides condemned to a fiery death. Combined with Celtic cross-border bombardment and air attacks on the Mayan oilfields west of Bonampak, the sky is now filled with smoke, ash and dust; there are shocking scenes as the Celts attempt to retreat, with many troops wearing gas-masks to avoid choking, passing columns of burning vehicles and dead horses. The apocalyptic images are captured in pioneering ‘autochrome’ colour photography by war reporters working for the German news agency Volkstribüne and widely publicised around the world before the year is out.
Ultimately the heroic efforts of local Celtic commanders and the superior training and discipline of their troops help to avoid total disaster, and with the help of local guides, the Celts and their Portuguese allies are able to fight their way out and avoid a total loss of matériel, although many vehicles are destroyed or have to be sabotaged to avoid falling into enemy hands. Air support from newly-revealed ‘Petrel’ monoplane fighter-bombers also proves vital, piloted by some of the best Celtic airmen and co-ordinated by the latest battlefield radios; the Petrels take a toll on enemy positions, and gain the advantage in low-level dogfights with Mayan planes over the forest canopy. But there can be no doubt this is a bitter defeat for the Celts, or at the least, a truly inglorious start to their liberation campaign…
Mayan and Incan troops secure large swathes of the south-west in the wake of the Celtic retreat, while the isolated Portuguese pocket west of Lisbon is wiped out, with thousands of reluctant prisoners taken, though some Portuguese fighters manage to break out and rejoin friendly lines near Lisbon. A small pocket of Portuguese rebels is left clinging to mountain strongholds near the border with Arequipa. Jubilant Incan and Mayan troops prepare for their next offensive to push the Celts into the sea. But as recriminations for the Laurisilva debacle begin in Navua, the Celts begin their next move…
Escalation
Both Inca and Mayan fleets are kept in fortified harbours, declining to challenge Celtic control of the coast. In the autumn, Celtic marines launch a surprise amphibious assault north of Lisbon, establishing new beachheads and diverting Inca attention away from the Tagus valley and a likely drive towards the Portuguese capital. Inca artillery takes a toll on the Celtic marines and some of their ships, until forced to withdraw under heavy fire from Celtic super-dreadnoughts and heavy siege artillery positions. In scenes captured for newsreels, the Celts then deploy their lumbering ‘siege tanks’ out of Lisbon, helping to link up with the marines and push back the Inca stranglehold. It is reported that the Celtic machines encounter the Inca-crewed tanks in the now-overgrown farmlands and orchards west of the city, in what is possibly the first example of tank-to-tank combat; but with both sides eager to preserve their hardware, it seems the tank duels are fleeting and inconclusive.
Meanwhile, elite Celto-Norse ‘Njordviking’ marines storm the Mayan coastal fortress of Tulum, north of Bonampak - a medieval fort reinforced and expanded in modern times. This is a surprise direct attack on Mayan territory, backed up by heavy naval firepower and bombing runs from the Petrels; overwhelmed, the Mayan garrison soon surrenders, and the historic fort is captured with surprisingly little bloodshed. The dashing victory does much to raise Celtic morale, and arguably helps to protect sea routes to Lisbon, but also marks another dangerous escalation; Celtic seaplanes and carrier planes also carry out a series of air raids on the oil wells near Kaminaljuyú, far to the east and well outside the conflict zone; damage here is slight, but Mayan public opinion is inflamed by these attacks on their territory. For now the Mayan armies remain concentrated on the Portuguese front, and the Celtic expedition has to make full use of all available land, sea and air power to keep Mayan forces probing any further north along the railway line to Lisbon. A brand-new Celtic carrier, CSS Pelagian, is rushed into service in attempt to take part in the fighting, but develops severe problems with its propeller shafts and ends up docked at Gàlainn in the tropical Fair Isles for the rest of the year, considered a most fortunate posting for the crew.
As the year ends, it seems the Celts are still in a race against time to build up their forces before both they and the exhausted Portuguese rebels are overwhelmed. The Consail has refrained from expanding the war to the land border near Cuzco, despite some border skirmishes with Inca militias; however the Mayans have shown a reluctance to push too far beyond their northern border or to further mobilise their war economy. And as we will discover, the Incas now have a rather serious distraction to the west…
Union of Celtonia
Damaged: 3 Infantry, 1 Field Artillery, 1 ‘Badger’ mobile artillery [2PP*], 1 Siege Tank [2PP*], 1 Marine, 1 Njordviking, 2 Destroyers,1 Cruiser (damaged in accident), 1 Transport, 1 Petrel fighter-bomber, 1 Light Seaplane
Destroyed/Lost: 1 Infantry, 1 Truck (captured by Mayans), 1 Armoured Car, 1 Transport, 1 Cavalry
$2 materials recovered
Mayan Empire
Damaged: 2 Militia, 3 Infantry, 1 Pakalkun, 1 Armoured Car, 1 Cavalry, 1 Rough Rider, 1 Field Artillery, 1 Biplane fighter
Destroyed/Lost: 2 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, 1 Basic Artillery (captured by Celts)
$2 materials recovered
Oil production reduced from 200% to 100%
Inca Nation
Damaged: 2 Militia, 4 Infantry, 1 Marine, 1 Basic Tank [2PP*], 1 Cavalry, 1 Rough Rider, 1 Truck
Destroyed/Lost: 2 Infantry, 1 Field Artillery, 1 Cavalry, 1 Blimp
!+1 army veterancy!
$4 materials recovered
Portugal
Damaged: 2 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Rough Riders
Destroyed/Lost: 2 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Cannon (captured by Mayans)
Roman Eagle crosses the Andes!
While the Celts are fighting for their lives in the Laurisilva, consul Paris Angelus broadcasts a speech to the Roman Empire and the wider world: “Due to the continued oppression of the Portuguese and Incan intransigence”, it is announced that Rome is “intervening to ensure peace on the continent”; simultaneously with the speech, Roman legions begin their march eastwards; with the previous occupation of Ollantaytambo, the Romans already have forward bases and control of strategic passes through the Andes, which are rapidly being linked to the Roman rail network. The Inca have only a handful of militia to guard their side of the border, which are soon brushed aside as a large invasion force, eventually comprising 10 divisions of infantry, backed up by tanks, vehicles, cavalry and air power, bears down on the city of Ica. A separate force of cavalry and irregular mounted troops crosses the rocky badlands in the north, heading to Chuquiapo.
It appears the Inca have been caught off-guard by the Roman invasions; all the best Inca troops are in the south, while most of the Inca reserve troops are stationed on the northern border with Celtonia. Inca commanders are no doubt presented with an impossible dilemma; the generals in Portugal are reluctant to withdraw from the front just as it seems that they are close to forcing the Celts back to their ships. The Inca send their reserve force of irregular cavalry, including camel riders, which are able to cross the southern desert and harass the flanks of the main Roman force as it begins to surround Ica. There is little they can do against tanks and armoured cars, but they have some success in slowing down the sprawling Roman columns that are mostly still marching on foot.
Hastily converted from Imperial Airline service, and with the paint still wet on their Aquila insignia, Roman heavy biplanes drop bombs on suspected Inca strongpoints on the approaches to the city, in a show of Roman power. In truth the Inca can muster only a small force to defend Ica, with a backbone of veteran infantry from the Portuguese front, who have volunteered for the fight knowing it is likely to be a death sentence. There are unknown numbers of civilian volunteers besides, and a small amount of outdated artillery. The Inca are determined to put up a fight for the city, which is a logistics hub and industrial centre. The Romans are soon drawn into house-to-house and street-to-street fighting, which takes a disproportionate toll on the attackers. Inevitably though, as Roman biplanes continue to buzz overhead, and Roman armoured vehicles trundle though narrow streets, the victory standards of the legions are raised in the centre of the old town. Newsreels capture scenes of Roman soldiers celebrating amidst the ancient buildings, including Roman monuments and memorials still standing from days of occupation centuries ago, from a time when Constaninople’s reach spanned ‘from sea to sea’ - perhaps these days will soon come again?
Chuquiapo in the north is captured with considerably less bloodshed, and Roman cavalry troops acting on their own initiative begin to push along the Chuquiapo valley, securing food stocks and heading south to link up with Ica. Otherwise it seems the Roman troops have rather conservative orders, and they hold position and to build up supplies as winter approaches. For the moment, Inca lines are weakly held, but the Romans face sprawling deserts and badlands to the east, and mountainous strongpoints still holding out in the west; it seems the Inca terrain will be against them as much as the Inca defenders.
Although facing fearful odds, the Inca Nation is now fully mobilised for war; the combined attacks from Celtonia and Rome serve to rally the nation behind the fascist government and anti-foreign sentiment. There are reports of renewed riots in Cuzco and other major cities between ethnic Inca and minorities, but nationalist militias help to stamp out the disturbances, with unknown numbers killed or arrested; a series of sabotage attacks are also carried out on Inca rail lines near Andahuaylas, but these result in little damage, and the swift arrest and execution of some of the alleged saboteurs, said to be funded by Celtonia and Rome. Nonetheless, with the loss of Ica, and the Celtic naval blockade, the Inca forces now have no direct rail or sea connection between Cuzco and the Portuguese front, something that will surely be a headache for the Inca in the months ahead…
Inca Nation
Damaged: 2 Militia, 2 Rough Rider
Destroyed: 1 Infantry, 2 Militia, 2 Rough Rider, 1 Basic Artillery (captured by Romans)
Roman Empire
Damaged: 3 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, 2 Rough Rider, 1 Basic Armoured Car
Destroyed: 2 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, 1 Truck
$4 materials recovered
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Caught in the middle of the war, King Taycanamo VII of Ollantaytambo announces a new constitution - perhaps unsurprisingly, modelled heavily on Roman lines, with the creation of a Senate and limited voting rights for suitable citizens. Seeing that the King is effectively a hostage of the Romans, and outraged that their country is being used as a base to attack the Inca, a rebellion now breaks out against the Roman-controlled government; taking up arms that had previously been hidden away in the countryside, the Ollantay rebels rally around an unlikely alliance of communists, Chimú nationalists and Virococha mystics, calling themselves the ‘Golden Path’. Yet the Romans have sufficient force to hold the capital and the major supply routes, and it is rumoured that they have deployed their elite infantry to the kingdom in anticipation of trouble. A sizeable chunk of the local aristocracy have also been won over to the Roman cause. This keeps the rebels confined to mountain strongholds for now, capable of only nuisance raids.
Meanwhile, not all Romans celebrate the ‘liberation’ of the east; it is reported that both the Basilissa and large sections of the senate are furious that they were not consulted before the Consul launched the nation into full-scale war with the Inca. There is a tense atmosphere during the autumn and into winter as pro-fascists and imperial revanchists are emboldened by the war, holding marches in major cities throughout the Empire and encouraging boycotts of businesses and newspapers that they consider too ‘Liberal’ or too ‘un-Roman’, to the horror of some senators who fear a descent into some new form of outright tyranny.
December sees the surprise rebellion of one of the Empire’s generals in charge of the Adrianople garrison; Markus Cato Tycherós, presenting himself as a patriot and devout Christian, manages to win local support for a campaign to arrest Consul Paris Angelus on charges of ‘illegal warfare’ and ‘usurping the Roman constitution’. It is a risky and unexpected move by the young general. The rebellion may have been encouraged by reports that the entirety of the Praetorian Guard have shipped out of the capital. It is rumoured that there are also private pledges of support from various key members of the senate. Calling themselves the Restitutores, also known as the Decembrists, the rebels march directly towards the capital with a growing band of supporters, and even an improvised airforce, as they requisition a new batch of biplane fighters fresh from the workshops outside Adrianople. The garrison of Edessa also declares for the rebels and arrests local government officials.
The Restituores still have a relatively small army, but the capital is not especially well defended and the loyalties of the garrison are questionable. There is an initial battle on the outskirts of the capital where both sides test their resolve; a truce is then called for the Christmas festivities. Tycherós seems reluctant to attempt a full-scale attack and instead hopes the ancient city walls will soon open their gates, as rumours abound of plots within the senate. Consul Paris Angelus however refuses to leave the city, which holds its breath as the year ends…
Roman Empire
Damaged units: 1 Infantry, 1 Militia
Numerous units defect to Restitutores
Ollantaytambo
Damaged units: 2 Militia
Crisis in the Netherlands
Now to the relatively-tranquil southern shores of Tetrea. Chairman Dick de Jonker recovers from his unspecified illness this year, and is well enough to attend a series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the current Communist constitution in the Netherlands. A new airfield and airship hangar is inaugurated outside Amsterdam - although without any airships at present - and the heavy cruiser Kameraadschap is launched in front of cheering crowds at Rotterdam harbour, the largest warship yet built by domestic shipyards. However, a wave of democratic protests overshadows these events, building into a general strike during the summer and causing major disruption. A mutiny also threatens to erupt among elements of the army and navy. As ‘Hertenhond’ armoured cars are deployed to protect key government buildings, de Jonker seeks a middle ground, refusing to make any major concessions to the reformists, but also refusing to crack down harshly on the protests, against the wishes of some of his party. It seems a risky gamble; events are followed closely in Arequipa, Holland’s communist ally, which has similar struggles of its own.
Amidst the crisis, it is rumoured that the Dutch government is under intense diplomatic pressure from ‘certain parties’ to intervene in the Portuguese situation, but whatever is on the table, de Jonker ultimately declines to do so, seemingly determined to keep the country out of the war. Towards the end of the year, pro-Democracy leaders are embroiled in a series of scandals and corruption trials - according to some, having been framed by Dutch secret services - while de Jonker announces that he will soon resign, to be replaced by a new politburo nominee, Daan Baas, who has a reputation for campaigning to improve worker’s rights and living conditions. This is enough to deflate the protest movement as the year draws to a close, and it seems that Dutch communism will live on at least a little while yet…
Netherlands: - $6 lost due to strike action and protests
Transatlantic Optimism - Skyscrapers and Zeppelins
At the other side of the ocean, but seemingly a world apart from the troubles in Tetrea, business is booming in Germany and the United States. The past few years have seen record growth of industry and the expansion of railways, and migrants flocking to the cities in search of higher-paid jobs. The two economies are increasingly entwined; stocks are soaring in value on the exchanges at New York and Kiel, to the point where some are worried about speculators over-inflating the stock market. New York in particular has a newfound affluence, fuelling a new hotbed of the ‘Liberal’ movement, and nightclubs, stage performances and music venues that some consider to be the height of decadence. Of course, a trip around New York onboard a Zeppelin is a must for the young and rich. Fashion designers experiment with bold new themes, and this year’s trends are partly inspired by last year’s visit by the Hatti royal family. As barriers to cross-border trade are lifted, In Germany there are worries that US goods will eventually flood the market and put the more traditional German workshops out of business, but there is also a flow of German cultural ideas and scientific knowledge to the States; a new science academy in Boston has a notably high number of German professors on its payroll.
This year Germany elects a new coalition government under Chancellor Lothar von Zeppelin - a relative of the founder of the airship company. Amidst accusations of nepotism, the pro-Industry Conservatives remain the largest party, but Liberal and Socialist parties have a strong turnout, forcing a shift away from the right. One of the new policies is to invite many thousands of refugees from Mexico and Portugal to settle in the country, among them many ethnic Germans or peoples of mixed German heritage. Some are also combat veterans of recent conflicts. At the same time, there are generous social welfare reforms designed to help the immigrants find their feet, and to soften the blow of any fall in wages; as it happens, wages remain relatively high, and thousands of new jobs are needed as the Zeppelin company in particular undertakes massive new construction projects, of which only a few details are currently known in the press. There are some concerns of importing organised crime from Mexico and Portugal, and exaggerated stories are printed in conservative newspapers, but the immigrants add to a ‘melting pot’ culture in Kiel, Berlin and elsewhere.
While Germany pours resources into its Zeppelin programme, the USS Washington - the first US-built dreadnought - is launched in Seattle harbour amidst much celebration, adding to what is now an impressive fleet, including the aircraft carrier Lexington. However, the Iroquois already have two dreadnoughts in active service, and this year launch two new heavy cruisers, the Noquisi and the Nayesna, meaning that the naval arms race among the North American powers is far from over. News of the war in Tetrea is also followed with concern, but for now the NATO allies are not under any obligation to get involved. The USA heads to the polls next year, and already slogans such as ‘peace through strength’ are doing the rounds; it seems likely that a largely conservative and pro-Industrialist Republican party, backed by the Christian right and the naval arms lobbyists, will remain in power for another term, unless there is a wildcard independent candidate, or Liberal and Socialist-minded voters come out in greater force to support the Democrats. Both major parties support the idea of peaceful expansion, and eyes are on their neighbours where opportunities may soon present themselves…
Germany: +1 Industry from the Zeppelin company (this may later be lost if company fortunes decline).
The ‘Whiskey Rebellion’
Surrounded by the growing wealth of a Democratic Germany and the USA, the communist government of Nassau-Tennessee is destabilised by social trends it seems unable to deal with; completion of a new railway connection to Frankfurt increases the revenues from the export of raw materials and goods from the workshops of Bismark, but it also brings greater exposure to outside influences. Protests for democratic reform gain momentum throughout the year, but the unlikely spark for a rebellion is a government crackdown on the illicit distilling of whiskey, which has been common practice among the farmers of the northern plains in particular. There are few reports of casualties so far; the leadership in Bismark attempts to find a diplomatic solution, but for now the state is in turmoil, as the ranchers of the north and east evict government officials and establish their own democratic ‘commonwealth’, declaring support for Germany and the USA, all while sporadic strikes and protests continue in the capital. The Bismarck garrison has a sizeable arsenal of weapons, including modern artillery and improvised ‘Panzerkampftraktor’ tank brigades - possibly, the largest tank force on the continent - in the hands of troops that appear loyal to the communist government, and there are fears of a bloody end to the disturbances if negotiations fail.
Nassau-Tennessee: -$1 from disruption
Royal Assassination Attempt in Stavanger
There is shocking news from the otherwise sleepy seaside town of Stavanger on the northern tip of North America. Rifle shots are fired at the horse-drawn carriage of Jarl Freyja I as she travels to an event to mark her 30th birthday. Seated beside the Jarl, the major of Stavanger is killed, but Freyja herself suffers only light injuries from broken glass. Allegedly, a grenade thrown at the carriage fails to explode. The assailant - or assailants - are not caught, despite the best efforts of Stavangese police and royal guard. There is an outpouring of sympathy for the Jarl, who is a mother of two young children, and an equal amount of outrage, with accusations aimed at the Nordic Unionist party in particular - which of course strongly denies any involvement, but nonetheless suffers a drop in support. Pro-American politicians are meanwhile implicated in various scandals throughout the year, in what they claim is a deliberate smear campaign.
As the rhetoric heats up, there are protests and counter-protests, and the police struggle to contain increasing disorder; Asatru fundamentalists take advantage of the situation to discredit their rivals, and put forward their agenda of radical policy changes based around the ‘nine ancient virtues’, as an alternative to the injustice and materialism of modern-day capitalism, ideas which begin to gain traction. There is a real possibility that the Asatruar will gain political power in the next election, in what would be a first for the modern Norse world, and could see a new form of liberal-fundamentilist government arise.
Stavanger: -$1 from disruption
Mexican Restitution - Foreign Interventions
1929 marks a historic year in Mexico, as a formal peace is signed between the communist ‘People’s State’ and the central government, the result of a great investment of time and resources by Celtonia. Elections are scheduled for next year, when Communists will be free to stand, and serving President Coyotl Clinton will not be on the ballot, having announced that he is resigning from politics after the end of his term - though there is speculation that he will flee the country to avoid any potential prosecution for ‘excesses of power’ during the height of the crisis. Communist forces are free to keep their weapons and begin to re-integrate with the government army, though with understandable caution.
Celtic and Acadian troops are joined for the first time by a German expeditionary force, comprising elite ‘Jaeger’ infantry and a squadron of Dutch-built Fokker triplanes, whose activities are captured on newsreels for an enthusiastic audience at home. The role of the international force is as much to police the peace treaty between the communists and the government as it is to continue the fight against the remaining enemy - the ‘Holy Aztec Empire’. Mopping-up operations are carried out against the fanatics in the south, and serious inroads are made into the northern jungles. But despite facing overwhelming odds, the fanatics fight back aggressively on all fronts and manage to regain some ground, including a probe towards Tenochtitlan, where fighting erupts in the suburbs once again, and there are lurid reports of fresh atrocities, much to the anger of the locals.
Meanwhile, citing attacks on their border guards by the Teōtl fanatics, Spanish forces cross the northern border in force, soon joined by tens of thousands of Iroquois ‘volunteers’ crossing over the northern mountains. The Spanish-Iroquois force carves out a swathe of Mexican territory as a ‘temporary police action’, and tensions are raised as they begin to surround the Celtic colony at Nemausus; in frightening echoes of the start of World War 1, there are reports of unintentional skirmishes with the Celtic garrison and Mexican troops as their lines begin to meet.
Including the ongoing standoff on the island of Cuto, also known as ‘New Constaninople’, Mexico now has two active rebellions, partial occupations by Spain and Normandie, and armed forces of Celtonia, Germany and the Iroquois active in its territory - all former colonial overlords of the entire country - not to mention the uncertain loyalties of the communist forces. It says much that this is considered a major improvement on previous years. Negotiations will no doubt continue, but the central government seems confident enough to relax martial law and war mobilisation as the year draws to a close, although the evident exhaustion of the Mexican people must also weigh on this decision. Despite the ongoing difficulties, Mexican politicians now dare to openly talk of rebuilding and developing the nation into a functional modern state.
Germany
Units damaged: 2 Transports damaged in accidents
Acadia
Units damaged: 1 Highlander
Mexico
Most of Mexican People’s State forces join government army ; some are unaccounted for
Mexican People’s State economy is integrated
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Rough Riders
Units destroyed / lost: 1 Infantry, 1 Militia, 1 Rough Riders, 1 Basic Artillery captured by Holy Aztec Empire
$2 recovered
Celtonia
Units damaged: 1 Infantry, 1 Basic Armoured Car, 1 Gunboat
Holy Aztec Empire
Units damaged: 2 Militia
Units destroyed: 2 Melee Infantry, 2 Militia, 1 Musketeer, 1 Rough Riders
Spain
Units damaged: 1 Infantry, 1 Rough Rider
$2 materials captured
Iroquois
Units damaged: 1 Onekwénsa Cavalry, 1 Infantry
French Civil War - Loire Campaign
Momentum continues to build in the long-running civil war in France, and all fronts see major fighting this year. The motivations of each side are a complex story in itself, suffice to say that there are competing claims being pushed for the Imperial throne, each with their own slice of legitimacy. For Empress Jeanne, having her armies win on the field may not be enough; she is compelled to be a visible presence on the battlefield, and to establish her true legitimacy through her skill and bravery in command, like her ancestors of decades past. As such the Empress continues to take increasing risks on the frontline, much to the consternation of her closest supporters and of loyalist Marshal Villiers who would perhaps prefer to be left alone to conduct the war himself. Nonetheless, the sight of the Empress in full military regalia on the battlefield, armed with a ceremonial sword and command baton, giving orders and handing out honours upon her soldiers, is a powerful morale boost for the Parisian troops. On her increasingly-rare visits to Paris, the Empress portrays herself as a liberalist, as newsreels show her empowering her loyal elected Deputies to oversee the writing of new laws and the maintenance of civil order, although it is not yet clear if this is a propaganda stunt or a genuine move towards a constitutional monarchy.
Despite the outbreak of the Roman-Inca war, the small Roman contingent of artillery and armoured tanks remains committed to the Loire front and the French Imperial cause, along with a squadron of Roman destroyers off the coast. Fighting resumes in earnest after the spring thaw has cleared, and there is no real change to the Imperial battle plan, as the determined two-pronged offensive from the north and along the Loire valley continues. The forces of the Loire Clique do their best to delay and disrupt the Imperial forces with hit-and-run attacks, and have considerable freedom to hit Imperial flanks from their unmolested stronghold north of Avignon. But the combined firepower of the Roman and Imperial forces, with the Roman armoured tanks now in full operation on the southern plains, is irresistible. In the air it is a different story, as the heavy biplanes of the Loire Clique operate with near impunity from camouflaged airfields, and conduct several bold raids on Imperial supply dumps to hamper their advance, until the air crews themselves begin to run low on supplies, at which point the bombers are scattered to the south using the last reserves of fuel. The Tours oilwells are overrun, and the Imperial pincer movement meets up outside the city, placing it under siege and blockade, but not yet able to capture the city as the year ends. It is rumoured that a lurking Roman submarine sinks one of the retreating Loire ships, while the Roman destroyers chase down and sink Loire gunboats as they flee south along the coast, in one of the first naval battles in recent years.
Noble Suffering
While Loire forces are occupied in the east, the Rheims Clique moves to retake the key southern port of Marseilles; despite being massively outnumbered, the local Loire commander proves ruthless in defence, levelling swathes of the city suburbs to create killing fields for machine guns and mortars, and laying countless booby-traps. The Loire forces also deliberately ground their remaining Ironclad warship near the harbour, which now serves as an unsinkable makeshift fortress. Rheims forces take disproportionate losses and Marseilles remains contested. Still holding on to Torus and Marseilles as the year ends, and his whereabouts unknown, Grand Marshal Gaetan Villeneuve has not yet capitulated, but it is rumoured that he is considering an armistice deal from the Imperial government as the winter snows set in.
While Empress Jeanne is embroiled on the Loire front, forces of the Orléans Clique under Grand Marshal Laurent Ignace begin a determined attack on the west bank of the Seine river near Paris, seeking to create a more defensible front line against the Parisian forces. This they largely achieve, although at considerable cost in men and matériel, especially as they run into the Parisian garrisons and new strongpoints that Imperial forces are establishing at the river confluence south-west of Amiens. Having suffered entire battalions wiped out in human-wave assaults on fortified Imperial positions, there is considerable demoralisation among the Orléans troops.
Meanwhile, there is greater despair for the Imperial cause; in early autumn, Empress Jeanne is caught in an artillery blast while on the frontline near Tours, suffering severe injuries; rushed to a field hospital, the Empress’s left arm is removed below the elbow, and her damaged left eye is also surgically removed. The mauled Empress is taken to a château near Lyons for recuperation, but her sufferings are not yet over; weeks later, an assassin's bomb explodes on the floor where Jeanne is staying, killing some of her medical staff and some of her closest advisors. Miraculously, the Empress herself lives on, although she requires further surgery for shrapnel embedded in her skull.
Rumours that the Empress is dead serve as the trigger for a long-awaited Communard uprising, which is centred in the countryside near Avignon and Bourges, an area that has seen little recent fighting and is denuded of garrison troops. The Communards also secure the surprise defection of the garrison of Fort Blanc, of the key strongholds of the Rheims Clique in the western mountains. However, newsreels record the bandaged, shaven-headed, eye-patched Empress Jeanne as she makes a defiant Christmas radio broadcast to the nation, urging all French citizens to rally behind her as the true heir to the Empire. Imperial propaganda cannot help but make the comparison between the childless Empress and the historic Maid of Orleans as a modern ‘saviour of France’...
French Empire
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Imperial Guard, 1 Cavalry, 1 Basic Armoured Car
Units lost: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Basic Artillery
Roman Empire
Units damaged: 2 Destroyers, 1 Basic Tank [*2PP]
Loire Clique
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Infantry, 1 Basic Artillery, 1 Ironclad, 1 Heavy Biplane
Units lost: 2 Militia, 1 Rough Rider, 1 Steamer, 1 Gunboat
Rheims Clique
Units damaged: 1 Infantry
Units lost: 1 Militia, 1 Rough Rider
Orleans Clique
Units damaged: 1 Militia, 1 Basic Artillery, 1 Rough Riders
Units lost: 1 Infantry, 2 Militia
Celtonian Politics
Returning to Celtonia, and heading into the 1930 election year, public opinion in Celtonia remains bitterly divided. Major cities in Celtonia see anti-war protests throughout the year, and there are some serious efforts by elements of the Aonach to impeach the Consail Thomson on grounds of exceeding his authority, although these grind to a halt in the supreme court. However, there are also many pro-Portuguese counter protests; although wary of mounting casualties, and resentful of rising war mobilisation, public opinion is now more in favour of intervention to ‘protect’ the Portuguese people, although many who support the war in principle are less than happy about how it is being waged, given news from the front. The neo-Druidists have become increasingly split on their support for the war, with the potential of splintering into smaller parties.
A new cause of contention is the apparent alliance of Celtonia with the Roman Empire, dubbed an ‘unholy alliance’ by elements of the press; the majority of the Celtic populace are sympathetic to plight of Ollantaytambo, and are uncomfortable with the idea of a revanchist Roman Empire rampaging across the continent, even more so with the apparent blessing of a Consail who has also blundered into a war with the Mayan Empire, something that many believe could have been avoided.
While the Conservatives have the largest single polling block, there is the possibility of the neo-Druids, Liberals, neo-Communists and anti-Militarists forming a powerful left-leaning coalition. Much still hangs on the increasingly-volatile neo-Druidist movement…
Celtonia: -$6 lost to protests and strike action
Other News:
* A French (Imperial) legal team has travelled to Providence to contest ownership of the pre-WW2 French art treasures recently uncovered in an unclaimed inheritance. Unless the US government intervenes, this matter will now be decided by a court hearing.
* The Orbis Terrarum motor racing prize was once again held this year, but did not receive any foreign investment, and due to the ongoing conflict in Tetrea, was largely contested by domestic Roman teams. It is not clear if it will be held again next year.
* A decorative piece of Hittite bronze cookware, said to be more than 3,500 years old, sells at auction in Kiel for over 500,000 reichsmarks, making it one of the most expensive objects in the world. The buyer is undisclosed, but believed to be a stock trader from somewhere on the Atlantic coast. The seller is also anonymous but believed to be linked to the Hatti royal family.
Dutch-Arequipa defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Dutch defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Scandinavian defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Molde defensive pact has expired
Celtic-Kawauka defensive pact has expired
Iroquois-Akwesasne defensive pact has expired
World Trade Report:
Once again, with heavy investment in weapons by all of the major powers, supply of commercial goods was limited, increasing profits for certain key exporters.
Inca: 1x = $1 (difficulty trading on global market)
Roman Empire: 1x = $2
Ollantaytambo: 1x = $2
Hatti: 2x = $4
Molde: 1x = $2
Spain: 4x = $7
Iroquois: 1x = $2
Holstein: 1x =$2
Acadia: 2x = $4
Scandinavia: 5x = $9
It is now 1930…
*Independent Press Association is based in New York and is a certified independent news organisation funded by generous benefactors in the financial sector.
Notes:
Units that take a minimum of two turns to build etc - I’m saying this includes time spent partially constructed (even if it’s like 1/14 PP). This means the US Dreadnought launched this turn.
Reminder that you are allowed to go into debt up to the limit of your Eco stat. For example, with Eco 20 at $5 in your treasury at the start of the turn, you can spend up to $25. Debt will add a bit to your upkeep but generally not very much.
I’ve introduced a PP cost to repair some units, you’ll notice that in the stats. I’m not entirely happy with the ‘damaged unit’ system as it’s already got really fiddly to work with, and thinking of alternatives.
I’ve decided not to introduce a ‘production line’ mechanic as I think it’s a fair criticism that it will mostly reward nations that already have large industries.
Stats
Attachments
Last edited:
