Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
World Gazette 1930
World News 1930-1931, collated and edited by Independent Press Association*
Zeppelin Fever!
A new decade begins with a tumultuous year. We start in Germany where not one, but three new zeppelins are unveiled to the public, in a dazzling display of German industrial and technological might; taking inspiration from ancient Germano-Norse mythology, they are named Sleipnir, Wotan and Thunraz, while the original Gutenberg is refurbished and renamed the Freya. Slepinir has been built partly from components of the experimental US airship Liberty, which was previously flown to Kiel for dismantling; it seems that Washington is content to let its southern NATO ally take the lead in airship design.
The renamed Freya resumes a passenger service to Boston and tours of the east coast. Thunraz is reserved for military evaluation, and is rumoured to be conducting long-endurance flights over the Atlantic with unknown military hardware onboard. Wotan begins testing flights with a handful of passengers across the Atlantic to Navua, Celtonia, but disaster strikes on the second flight as it encounters sudden strong winds on approach to the Navua airbase and rams into the famous old Christian church of St Fionnán, demolishing most of the church’s spire, while suffering major structural damage to the tail fins and ripping a large tear in the rear hull. Wotan limps into hangar at Navua for repair, while German and Celtonian diplomats argue over the damages. Captain August Wolf-Bauer is cleared of any wrongdoing by a German inquiry and even commended for preventing a total loss, but it is a reminder that airship travel will always have an element of risk…
There is more trouble back in Germany; the Zeppelins require vast volumes of helium gas to fill their lifting cells, and the contractor Bremer Kohlenwasserstoff GmbH becomes embroiled in a political scandal after over-promising on their supply, leading to lawsuits and public hearings; Berlin newspapers are full of allegations of corruption and nepotism between the government and German industrial giants. Some leading conservative Christians even accuse the Zeppelin bosses of conspiring to promote Wotanist paganism and undermine traditional German values with their ‘satanische flugmaschinen’. With a shortage of helium, it is decided that Sleipnir will remain grounded for now, putting on hold a planned route to Lund, the capital of Scandinavia. Of the new ‘zepps’, this leaves only the secretive Thunraz flying by the end of the year
Despite the less-than-auspicious start, public reception is positive, and Germany and the Zeppelin company are kept in world news headlines throughout the year. All three passenger routes are planned to be in full operation by the end of 1931.
Holstein Plebiscite
As the zeppelin Freya flies overhead, Holsteiners return a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum on anschluss with Germany, a historic vote that will reshape the map of north-west America, and signals a decline in Celtonian influence in the region. Crowds turn out on the streets of Heidelberg to celebrate, but there is a mood of caution in the hinterland. As a political moderate, chancellor Klara Hertz has refused to campaign for either side, calling on the people to vote with their conscience, but looks set to keep her role as governor of the new State of Holstein within Germany. The margin is decisive, but not as emphatic as the pro-German party may have wished, with a last-minute swing in the ‘no’ vote based on growing concerns over ‘NATO’ militarism, and fears of Holstein’s scenic landscapes and tourist havens being turned over to German heavy industry.
Preparations are underway for a merger of the two nations, but a legal challenge sponsored by libertarian groups claims voter irregularities and ‘illegal propagandising’ by citizens linked to the German government and the Zeppelin company, which may delay the official Act of Union until 1932 or beyond.
Citizens in Acadia and Stavanger look on in alarm, especially as events now unfold in the west…
The Fall of Nassau-Tennessee - Atlantic Tensions
In a shocking development, German troops, with US backing, invade the territory of Nassau-Tennesse, at the invitation of anti-government rebels known as the ‘Whiskey Rebellion’ which have paralysed the small nation-state. The NT government refuses to bow to German and US demands for democratic elections, and instead attempts a declaration of martial law and a mass call-up of loyalist militia. In the end, violence is brief and limited; in the city of Bismark, a mass flyover of German biplanes is enough to convince the local military commanders to order their troops to stand down ahead of the German army, perhaps fearing mutiny if orders are given to fire on their fellow German-speakers; German armoured trains roll into the city unopposed. Meanwhile, the otherwise unremarkable railway stop at Beaver Creek, just north of Bismark, becomes the scene of a bloody battle as a rebel force is scattered by government forces using armoured ‘Panzerkampftraktor’ vehicles; it is the first instance of tank warfare on the American subcontinent. The NT force had been sent north to disperse rebel camps, but they soon decide to sabotage much of their equipment and surrender at the northern border to a force of US Rangers, putting a swift end to the fighting.
The Communist regime melts away almost overnight, overwhelmed by the German invasion and as public sentiment is swept up in a pro-Democratic tide. Pro-German and pro-USA groups soon gain control of most of the country, and immediately set about dismembering the old borders; the northern counties, the heartland of the ‘Whiskey Rebellion’, apply to join the USA, while the central and southern territories seek to join Greater Germany, with a new railway line threading its way between them. In the west, the breakaway state of Wesket is declared; the region has a small population of mostly German-speaking people, under the sway of a bizarre Christian sect that borrows heavily from Lakota and Algonquin mythology. It remains to be seen if the USA and Germany will accept the continued existence of their state. Communist loyalists are left to consider emigrating to The Netherlands or accepting the new order.
The German intervention comes just months after Germany and Nassau-Tennesse signed a formal defensive pact, a fact that does not go unnoticed in international press and causes an embarrassing scandal for the German government; Germany claims that the Bismark government was no longer ‘legitimate’, and thus the pact was void, while their actions saved the populace from a bloody civil war. But newspapers in Acadia and Stavanger cover the ‘betrayal’ of Nassau-Tennesse in detail, and there are of course fears that they could be next in the sights of the US-German alliance. While the idealism of 1920s Atlantic Liberal movement has not disappeared, it has certainly now faded; throughout the year, a series of shootings and small-scale bomb attacks in both Atlantic states heightens fears of an ‘undercover war’ already being fought between and pro and anti-independence factions. In particular, the shooting of Eiran Gale, a prominent Acadian journalist, passionate libertarian and pro-independence writer, causes outrage in Acadia and elsewhere; murdered in cold blood on the steps of his Halifax apartment building, the crime remains unsolved. Gale was however highly critical of Celtonian foreign policy and had campaigned against corruption and organised crime, creating a long list of enemies…
American Automobiles
The general mood in the USA is optimistic, with the public having a mostly positive view of events in Nassau-Tennessee. This is a boom year for many industries, particularly automobiles; United Motors, led by the genius French-American entrepreneur Henri du Pont, achieves the first true success in automobile mass-production, creating thousands of new jobs in Seattle; the ‘Model A’ may lack the finesse of carefully-crafted German, Celtic or Roman automobiles, but it is a workable design and is highly affordable, already becoming a common sight across the USA and in major cities around the world by the end of the year. The US petrol industry struggles to keep up, leading to fuel rationing and soaring prices in several states, and contributes to a global rise in oil prices.
Nonetheless, stocks are booming on the New York stock and Kiel stock exchanges, to the point that there are growing calls for regulation to avoid ‘excessive speculation’ and a potential market crash, though others claim this is scaremongering. Only the stock market in Navua, Celtonia, now has a higher total value, although it has hardly been growing in recent years.
Dinosaurs in Fashion
In another sign of Washington’s expanding influence, US military engineers are invited to Omaha, Nebraska, to help plan a ring of defensive fortifications around the city. The country consists mostly of flat, open plains, and the Nebraskans are concerned about being an easy target for an Iroquois invasion. It is here that US surveyors stumble across remarkable dinosaur fossils; it is thanks to Captain Abraham Alderwell, an amateur fossil collector, who recognises the significance of the finds. A joint US-Nebraskan excavation takes place at a dried-up riverbank south of Omaha. A near-complete skeleton of a massive predatory dinosaur is discovered, provisionally named “Imperatosaurus” and causing quite a stir when put on display in Baltimore. Imaginative drawings of this creature spark a renewed wave of interest in dinosaurs and ancient creatures; museums around the world are now seeking funding as they compete to have the most prestigious fossils on display.
Atomic Science!
Germany is once again in the news for the discovery of the ‘neutron’, a breakthrough in understanding the atom, which resolves a number of issues and paradoxes in atomic physics that had persisted since the turn of the century. Although led by the brilliant German-Mexican physicist Jakob Weissenberg, in truth it is an international effort; the experiments in Berlin make use of radioactive ores from Norseland, and key contributions from the Celtonian-educated Norselander Nils Byór and French expatriate Marie Villepreux who have joined the Berlin team. But it is a sign of the rapid strides that German science has made in recent years, largely a result of heavy investment from the government and the chemical industry. Follow-up work by Acadian, Celtonian and Roman scientists in the latter half of the year helps to refine the new models and sets the stage for further experiments.
Mexican tensions
It is an unsung success story of Celtonian foreign policy, overshadowed by the escalating war in Tetrea; Mexicans go to the polls in a free election, with former communist rebels now back in the fold and standing for parliament, following the end of martial law and the voluntary retirement of President Coyotl Clinton. Land reform for the western regions has been guaranteed, along with regional autonomy to pursue socialist policies. Despite riots and violence in several regions, on the whole it seems the election is about as fair as could be hoped for under the circumstances; the communist party receives the largest single share of the vote, but in a fractured political scene, it relies on a coalition to create a new democratic government.
In one of its first acts, a vote is narrowly carried to move the capital away from Texcoco, with its German and French architecture and associations with colonial rule, to Tenochtitlan, the old Aztec capital. The city centre soon becomes a giant building site, as new public buildings are planned, overlooking the remains of the ancient city. Not all welcome this move, and there are riots in Texcoco and elsewhere, said to be stirred up by the former privileged classes of the east coast who are losing power in the new regime. There are rumours that large amounts of Celtic funds - meant to compensate landowners and ease the plight of the peasants - have instead gone into the building programme. A grand new railway project is also begun, aiming to unite the fractured provinces of the country, and in particular to improve access to the Teotihuacan oilfields, which are still largely shut down following sabotage by rebels. Meanwhile, President Clinton goes into retirement - or exile - somewhere in Celtonia, and there are calls from the left to extradite him to answer a long list of charges of corruption and excesses of power during his term in office, though he is still viewed as a hero to many on the right.
Years of civil war and instability have left much of Mexico destitute. There is great potential for development, but the Mexican government is cautious about foreign investment as it tries to walk a fine line between popular anti-foreign movements and dependence on outside support; Celtic, Acadian and German troops are still in the country this year with aircraft and elite troops, helping to erode the last strongholds of the ‘Holy Aztec Empire’ fanatics which continue to make aggressive raids against government-held towns and villages. Indeed it seems difficult for the new Mexican government to motivate its own troops to continue the fight, and progress is slow; Calixtlahuaca is eventually retaken this year after a tough fight up the coast, with fire support from the Celtonian navy, along with a supporting push through the mountains and jungles of the interior, where there are thousands of casualties from disease alone. Pockets of fanatics still cling to mountain strongholds far to the south.
Meanwhile, Spanish forces are able to expand their ‘peacekeeping’ zone in the north throughout the year, taking full control of valuable mines on the northern border from the Holy Aztec rebels. With the help of Iroquois ‘advisory’ forces, Spanish control is also extended to the Pacific coast south of the Celtonian exclave of Nemausus, which is now completely surrounded by Spanish-Iroquois troops; as tensions rise, there are growing reports of skirmishes with Celtic garrison troops on this front.
Sinking of the CSS Boudicca
Without warning, on a clear sunny day, the giant Celtonian super-dreadnought CSS Boudicca is destroyed at anchor in Calcadia, as massive explosions tear through the forward magazine and instantly break the ship apart. As the mangled hull quickly settles in shallow water, the shattered remnants of the superstructure are engulfed in searing hot smoke and flames, dooming hundreds more sailors to death by fire or drowning. The explosion is powerful enough to damage other nearby ships and causes considerable damage to the military dockyard, as giant pieces of steel are hurled through the air, leaving thousands injured, and the Celtonian 9th Armada in disarray.
Celtic newspapers respond with shock and outrage, and the story is of course seized upon by the right in the leadup to the 1930 election. The Iroquois are immediately suspected of sabotage, but the Celtonian admiralty appeals for calm while a thorough investigation is carried out; all ammunition-handling procedures are put under immediate review. Nonetheless, naval reinforcements are rushed to the region, and Celtonian forces in Calcadia and Nemausus remain on high alert, holding their breath as the year ends, though a feared Iroquois surprise attack against the peninsular does not come to pass.
The loss of the Boudicca, along with the 1927 sale of the Eionnmara (‘Sea Dragon’) to Holland, now leaves only six of the original eight super-dreadnaughts in Celtonian service.
A New Land - South Atlantic tensions
A new island unexpectedly appears in the mid-Atlantic with a fiery volcanic birth; it had long been a prominent seamount on sailor’s charts, and considered an extinct volcano, now proven to be very much alive. Ash clouds from the eruption drift eastwards and give rise to ominous, dramatic sunsets over the western Roman Empire and Holy Kingdom of Hatti, while the rooftops and streets of Nicea are left blackened by ash following heavy rain. During a lull in the eruptions, the passing Celtonian cruiser CSS Gladius sends a landing party to plant the flag of Celtonia on what is little more than a precarious steaming pile of blackened rocks, staking a claim on what may turn out to be a strategic position in the mid-Atlanic. However, nearby countries quickly contest this; Rome, Hatti, Scandinavia and even Greenland may all have valid claims depending on the interpretation of being the ‘nearest’ country. Against a backdrop of rising global tensions, the political dispute heats up throughout the year.
Earthquake in Hatti
In late summer, a major earthquake strikes the Roman-Hatti border near Kadesh, damaging ancient temples, destroying granaries and cisterns, and flattening entire towns. The impact falls disproportionately on Hatti, with buildings damaged as far away as Aleppo. Rescue efforts on both sides of the border are hampered by the lack of infrastructure and the remoteness of settlements scattered across the deserts and savannah. Thousands are displaced in the search for food, water and shelter as winter sets in. For now there is cautious cooperation between Rome and Hatti, but it is reported that some of the desert tribes view the earthquake as divine punishment for a nation that is increasingly drifting from the ‘old ways’, and are refusing all outside help, even turning to banditry against those deemed ‘faithless’.
Nordic Politics
Scandinavia is three years away from its next election, but already there are signs that it will be one of the most controversial since the nation’s founding. The Nordic Unionists are frustrated with the government’s lack of action and ‘hands off’ approach towards the idea of greater Nordic brotherhood; unrest continues in Stavanger this year following the attempted assassination of Jarl Freya, and Norseland appears trapped under Celtonian influence, while the island Jarldom of Molde seems increasingly isolationist and dictatorial. The Gotlander independence movement is becoming more noticeable, promising to make the island a major player in Pacific politics and to confront the growing Iroquois influence in Akwesasne. Scandinavia was emerging as a major arms manufacturer in the last decade, but this has also dwindled, despite the country being sandwiched between two civil wars in France and Mexico, and suffering occasional deaths in border incidents; the Væpnet Luftfellskjap company, the manufacturer of the once-pioneering Haukur monoplane fighter, is disbanded this year due to lack of sales, and reforms as a motorcycle company on the outskirts of Axesund, with many of its aircraft engineers having been lured overseas to Tetrea. Pro-fascist groups take every opportunity to lament this state of affairs.
Nonetheless, almost the whole of Scandinavia has seen peace and growing prosperity through the last few years, with a booming trade in commercial shipbuilding and ship maintenance, and exports of associated machine tools and heavy engine components, rivalling those of Celtionia. The furniture company HAUS has also been a surprising success in global markets, exporting practical ‘minimalist’ designs as a reaction to the excesses of the prevailing art-deco and neo-classical fashions, and has struck a particular chord in Germany - although this year the company is implicated in a scandal involving supplies of southern pine wood being bought from rebel French warlords. A number of prominent Liberalists from both sides of the Atlantic have also relocated to the Scandinavia, with Stockholm and Lund both becoming major centres of art and music. The Oslo stock exchange has been one of the fastest-growing outside of New York. The country also earns praise this year for humanitarian aid efforts in Portugal.
It remains to be seen if peace and non-interventionism will be enough to keep the country united and stable…
War in France
A short distance south from the peaceful lands of Scandinavia, the French civil war continues to escalate, and becomes a struggle of ideologies as much as a struggle for power; amidst a shadowy series of events, Grand Marshal Laurent Ignace, leading the western Orleans Clique, throws in his lot with the communist uprising, creating the ‘Armée Populaire Française’. Much of the Olreans forces refuse to obey the new order, and are further split between Fascist traditionalists and a new faction of anarchists inspired by the charismatic captain Jacques Gallaud, leaving the whole of the north-west in chaos. Nonetheless, with a fresh cadre of communist volunteers, Ignace is able to gather a substantial army to launch an all-out attack on Paris, in conjunction with an uprising by leftists and their allies in the capital, which also inspires risings by communists in other major cities. The forces of Empress Jeanne I and her Roman allies are concentrated in the east, fighting a gruelling final battle to capture the port city of Tours from Marshal Villeneuve, who proves wily and elusive as ever. As the fate of the nation hangs in the balance, Grand Marshal Pascal Jourdain of the Rheims Clique seems to be in the position of King - or Queen - maker; the Rheims forces are relatively weak, but may be in a position to tip the balance one way or another.
In the end, Jourdain decides to side with Paris, and negotiates a deal with Jeanne that brings Rheims forces into the imperial fold, in exchange for the declaration of the teenage Alexis d’Arc as imperial heir, of whom Jourdain has been a longtime supporter - bringing the young girl into the dangerous forefront of French politics. There are further rumours of Alexis’s betrothal to Jeanne’s relative, Prince Constantin, which would potentially unite the bloodlines that have vied for control of France for the past two centuries.
Whether or not this can lay the foundation of future peace, it certainly does not stop the current bloodshed; Marshall Villeneuve’s forces fight on tenaciously against combined Imperial and Rheims offensives, taking a heavy toll on the attackers in bitter street fighting in both Tours and Marseilles. The communist uprisings, bitter winter weather and a drawdown of Roman support - particularly the Roman naval units - offer a glimmer of hope for the Loire cause. But no amount of cutthroat tactics are able to prevent the fall of Tours, as Imperial ironclads gather to bombard the defences and support the landing of Imperial Guard units behind enemy lines, while fending off air attacks from the Loire’s biplane bombers - the dramatic scenes captured on Imperial newsreels. Marseilles is still contested as the year ends, but seems set to fall to Marshal Jourdain’s forces. Both cities are left in ruins, with thousands of civilian dead and homeless. Villeneuve himself is nowhere to be found, and there are rumours that he may have fled to Scandinavia on one of his last serviceable bomber aircraft, while for the moment, troops still hold positions in his name amidst the largely-trackless boreal forests of Capetais and Haute-Provence.
The government position becomes more dangerous as the year draws to a close. Communist-allied risings in Paris and Lyons are barely contained, with parts of both cities becoming enclaves of hostile revolutionaries. Roman rearguard troops, including some now barely-functioning tanks, help to hold the port and city centre of Lyons, while the garrison of Paris finds itself fighting on multiple fronts as Marshal Ignace’s communist offensive grinds its way eastwards along the Siene valley. Despite support from biplanes, it is reported that APF troops suffer grievous losses assaulting Imperial trench lines on the south bank, and in several failed attempts to cross the Siene. But equally, the Imperial garrisons in the west are dangerously over-extended.
Against the advice of some of her ministers, the Empress herself returns to the capital on an armoured train, at the head of a brigade of Imperial Guard, to raise the morale of the loyalist defenders - even as the sound of gunfire echoes from the leftist barricades, and the sound of distant artillery fire grows ever louder. It seems fate has not yet finished dispensing cruelties on the brave Empress, who has already lost an eye and an arm; this time, assassin’s bullets strike her motor carriage as she travels to a meeting with military leaders, shattering the windows. Sitting beside the Empress, the commander of the Paris garrison is killed by a shot to the neck, while her driver is shot in the arm and shoulder. Drenched in blood, the Empress is rushed to safety, with bystanders fearing the worst. Miraculously, the Empress is only hit with fragments of glass, doing no major damage. Though weakened from her ordeals, she refuses to leave the capital, as the chaotic battle for Paris reaches what may be a decisive point…
Tetrean War - Roman offensives
Now to the ongoing conflict in Tetrea, and first to the Roman-Incan front. The anti-war ‘Restitutores’ rebellion disintegrates in the first few days of the year, as it becomes clear the Roman senate and the Basilissa will not publicly side with their cause, and a deal with the rebel troops sees them given amnesty and readmitted into government ranks. The rebel leader Markus Cato Tycherós flees into exile with a handful of supporters. The rebellion ends as swiftly as it begins, becoming one of countless such risings in Roman history, but simmering tensions persist in Constantinople…
In the east, Roman forces have restocked and reorganised after their push across the Andes, and now receive orders to begin several new offensives before the Incas can fortify the front lines. Rome fully mobilises for war; attrition has reduced the number of armoured cars and tanks in frontline service to a minimum - and a brigade of tanks remains in France - but the Romans are able to throw in large formations of infantry and artillery, with sizeable numbers of cavalry, trucks and aircraft in support. The road to Huaras sees the heaviest fighting in the early part of the year; as a vital industrial port city on the Pacific coast, and a former Inca capital, its loss would be a huge blow to the Inca, not to mention that it would effectively sever their country in two. Inca newsreels show their armoured trains ferrying troops to the front, and the train gunners shooting down several Roman biplanes as they try to stem the methodical Roman advance. Hit-and-run attacks by Inca militia and light cavalry also continue to plague the Roman flanks and supply lines, which are now stretching painfully long across the arid plains and savannah of the Inca heartland; sabotage and raids keep the captured railways from being much use to the invaders. In truth however, Incan resistance is weaker than the Romans might have expected; the Romans surge forwards, sensing that the Inca may be close to complete collapse - and eager to once again raise their standards on the Pacific coast, like their forefathers centuries ago.
Battle for Ollantaytambo!
The reason for the relative ease of their advance soon becomes clear. Led by the maverick general Challkuch Imaq, well-regarded by his compatriots, the Inca have been preparing a counter-strike towards Ollantaytambo, going to great lengths to assemble a powerful force in the savannah west of Tamboccocha with as much secrecy as possible, throwing in most of their motorised transport and countless trains of llamas and camels to build up supplies, while formations of veteran troops are force-marched from the Portuguese front, along with several divisions of elite Mayan Pakalkun infantry - controversially, brining the Mayans into frontline combat against Roman soldiers. Lying east of the main Andes range, there are no major natural obstacles between Inca territory and the fortified city of Ollantaytambo itself, which is serving as a major supply hub for the Roman invasion while new rail lines are under construction. Whether or not the Roman generals anticipate such an aggressive move by the Inca and Maya, they are certainly caught off-guard by the scale of the operation; Roman forces are on a pacification footing, and are unable to deal with a sudden onslaught of many thousands of Inca troops, backed up by modern artillery, armoured cars and almost all of the biplane aircraft available to the Inca Nation. Indeed, with Roman air power concentrated on other fronts, the Inca pilots initially have the skies to themselves, much to the confusion of Roman troops on the ground. The Incas and Shining Path rebels forge an alliance as both turn their attentions on the Roman occupiers, while pro-democracy factions are left divided in their support.
The elite Praetorian Guard fight a losing battle to hold the fortified royal palace of Ollantaytambo, which is left partially in ruins; perhaps initially refusing to believe the scale of the Inca offensive, they refuse to retreat until it is too late. Unknown numbers of Rome’s elite troops are killed or captured, although they undoubtedly take a heavy toll on the Inca forces. In a dramatic escape, King Taycanamo VII is whisked from the ruins of the palace via secret tunnel, and makes it to Roman lines in the west, reuniting with most of the Ollantay royal family and the Roman-backed senate. However, prince Guaricaur remains behind to pledge loyalty to the Inca - although 3rd in line to the throne, he is soon proclaimed as the true monarch by the Shining Path rebels and other anti-Roman factions. The fate of the Ollantay crown jewels and treasury is not clear. Despite Roman media portraying their loss of the city as a heroic last stand, it is undoubtedly a big blow to Roman prestige. The famed Varangians are also mauled as they find themselves trapped in the mountains, fighting both the Shining Path rebels, elite Incan Chasqui scouts, and the Mayan Pakalkun. Overall, thousands of Roman prisoners and large stockpiles of supplies are captured.
Roman forces are now in disarray; with the fall of Ollantaytambo city and the sabotage of roads and railways around Chuquiapo, the Inca have completely disrupted Roman supply lines. The isolated Inca militia holding out among the Andes are a further thorn in the roman side. The majority of the Roman army now lies in a precarious situation east of the Andes, facing attack from all sides, hostile locals, and a rationing of food, fuel, ammunition, and even water. Despite a large advantage in numbers and firepower, the Roman offensives are put on hold while units are scrambled to restore control of their strategic flanks; a concentration of armoured cars and tanks is left virtually stranded outside Corihuayrachina in the north, while the thrust towards Huaras would end up being almost completely reversed by year’s end. Roman engineers work double-time to establish supply routes through areas that Incan militia are still contesting, with considerable loss of materiel, and Roman bomber planes are turned over to emergency transport missions, while cavalry horses are used to haul carts across the savannah. Incan morale has rebounded, yet they also struggle with supplies as they are now operating far from their nearest rail depots, and hard fighting against elite Roman troops has already been costly.
As Inca forces swing northwards towards Ica, inspiring uprisings amongst the occupied population, Roman troops fight to prevent a complete disaster for the Imperial armies in the east. Events elsewhere would now prove decisive…
Celtonian Escalation
High summer sees a dramatic turn of events, as Celtonian forces invade the Incan mainland on multiple fronts. Consail Bréanainn Thomson justifies the invasion as bringing democracy to the Inca Nation, and ensuring the freedom of all of Portugal; but unlike the brief ‘intervention’ during the Cuzco crisis of 1926, this time the goal is regime change and complete defeat of Incan fascism; there can be no doubt that a much tougher fight lies ahead. Celtonian marines and other elite troops are recalled from other fronts to launch an amphibious assault on the coast around Atico, while a strong mechanised push crosses the desert between Andahualkas and Corihuayrachina, heading towards the oilfields there. Other probing attacks are scattered across the border near Cuzco, seemingly designed to keep the Inca defences off guard.
The Atico assault is a difficult task for the Celtonian navy and marines, despite only a weak garrison of 2nd-rate Inca troops; the city lies at the mouth of the Hatunmayu river, where it enters a complex series of channels leading into the Pacific. Several islands and peninsulas have to be cleared of Incan defenders in order to safeguard the approach. In the end, there is little fighting for the city itself, but Incan artillery and mines are able to take a toll on vital Celtic transports as well as escort ships, and the elite Celtic troops are greatly delayed in their push upriver. Meanwhile, the assault on the desert oilfields runs into prepared Inca defences; with modern artillery and dug-in infantry, the Inca have anticipated a Celtic attack in this direction. The Inca fight bravely, but the Celts are able to use their mechanised forces to quickly surround their positions, and bring forward mobile artillery to bombard them, before launching an all-out assault with their tanks and ‘Petrel’ fighter-bombers; seeking a rapid advance, the Celts do not wait for a siege. The dash across the desert had already taken a heavy toll on their vehicles; determined Incan resistance now causes substantial losses to Celtic tanks and vehicles. The Inca oilfields are overrun, though heavily sabotaged by the defenders, and the fighting has drawn in enough Inca forces that the nearby fortress of Pisqa - originally built by the Celts decades ago, before the Cuzco plebiscite - falls shortly afterwards. As both sides rush to reorganise their forces, the Celtonian spearhead is now close to linking up with the Atico beachhead, which would effectively split the Inca Nation in two…
Back in Celtonia, the invasion is controversial from the beginning; the escalation of this undeclared war does not have formal parliament approval, and Thomson and his allies strain every political muscle to keep key allies onboard. It soon becomes clear that the Celtonian government has turned down a peace offer from the Inca that would create a free and independent Portuguese state in the area around Lisbon; opposition figures berate the government for escalating the conflict at the critical moment. Amongst the ranks of the military, several generals and admirals announce resignation or early retirement in the following weeks and months. In angry debates throughout the latter half of the year, the Parliament in Navua blocks moves towards full-scale war mobilisation, keeping a limit on reinforcements that can be sent to the front lines, despite fiery speeches from Thomson and his supporters.
Portugal, and The Battle of the Mayan Sea
From the start of the year, Mayan forces push against Celtic lines in Portugal with large formations of infantry and artillery, while keeping the Celts under fire at the occupied fortress of Tulum, and covering the redeployment of Incan forces to fighting in the north. The fascist Mayan government doubles down on its commitment to the Incan cause, ordering a full-scale mobilisation. The Celtonian response is to attempt to dig in, under cover of heavy air, land and naval firepower - with a concentration of the latest Celtic aircraft on this front, forcing the Mayans to operate their biplanes sparingly and with caution. Celtic air attacks by land and sea also continue to damage Mayan oilfields. Nonetheless, Celtic logistics are strained beyond their limits as they prepare to launch the Atico invasion. Engineers are hard at work this year constructing port facilities at Lisbon to aid the supply situation, but these take time to complete; sacrifices have to be made from the other beachheads, allowing the Mayans to gain ground south of the Tagus river, as the Celts and Portuguese retreat to more defensible lines.
There is now fear of Iroquois weapons or reinforcements arriving to compound the troubles for the Celts. The Mayan navy remains at anchor, not attempting to contest Celtic naval power, but neither can the Celts easily enforce a blockade across the entire stretch of the Mayan coast at the same time as blockading the Inca Nation. Reportedly under pressure from Thomson’s government, the Celtonian admiralty issues the controversial order to intercept, intern or sink any Mayan merchant ships their patrols find on the high seas - further inflaming anti-Celtic sentiment in the Mayan Empire - and also, it seems, to keep a close watch on any Iroquois ship movements.
As tensions continue to rise, news trickles in of a naval engagement between Celtic and Iroquois ships near the Mayan coast, fought in poor visibility under partial fog; the thunderous roar of the guns being faintly heard in Quiriguá and Chichén Itza. Neither side offers public details, but debris and bodies begin to wash up on the Mayan coast in the following days, while a powerful Iroquois naval squadron including the dreadnaught Okahkwènta and heavy cruiser Hatënotha - the latter pock-marked with shell holes and shrapnel damage - arrives in Chichén Itza with a convoy of transport ships and accompanying smaller vessels. Damaged Celtic cruisers and destroyers are also seen docked in Tolosa for emergency repairs.
It seems the Iroquois have anticipated a vigorous Celtic response and decided to gamble by sending a large portion of their high seas fleet to ensure at least one convoy of transport ships arrives in Mayan hands, although exactly what is delivered remains unknown. With recent sightings of Iroquois ships docked at Akwesasne, they may have taken an extended route to try to confuse any shadowers and prevent the Celts from concentrating sufficient forces in time to block the convoy. The gamble may have paid off, however their ships remain docked for repair as the year ends, with both nations edging closer to open conflict.
Tetrean War - closing moves of 1930
Despite whatever aid the Iroquois have sent, there is no immediate change on the Portuguese front. As the Mayan offensives grind closer to Lisbon, they suffer heavier losses of artillery to Celtic air and naval attacks - with some units of Petrels becoming particularly adept at spotting and targeting enemy guns behind the lines, forcing the Mayans to disperse. Both sides dig in towards the end of the year, resulting in extensive trench lines; Portuguese forces, although decimated and exhausted, are able to launch a limited offensive to the north with Celtic support, giving more breathing room for the Lisbon garrison before the trenches reach the Pacific. With ammunition of all kinds said to be in short supply, there remains fear of an all-out Mayan offensive to overwhelm Celtic-Portuguese defences.
Despite losses, Roman forces are able to rally following the Celtic offensives against the Inca heartland. The Chuquiapo valley and its incomplete railroad are reoccupied after some hard fighting, helping the supply situation at Ica, where Roman forces are narrowly able to hold the city against Incan offensive at their front and resistance uprisings at their rear; a victory is won for the Romans thanks to some inspired leadership, at the cost of heavy casualties. Roman troops freed up from the ‘Restitutores’ rebellion join a general counter-offensive into Ollantaytambo, together with fresh troops and newly-built tanks rushed to the front, supported by the Roman air force; the exhausted Incan and Mayan forces are ground down by Roman numbers and firepower, and are forced to fall back. The city of Ollantaytambo itself is retaken towards the end of the year, following a tough street fight against Incan and Mayan rearguards. The formerly-picturesque tourist destination, surrounded by distant mountainscapes, is left largely in ruins after this second battle. ‘King’ Guaricaur escapes to rebel-held territory, while Incan general Challkuch Imaq meets his end; taking the blame for a strategic defeat, he either shoots himself at his headquarters in Ollantaytambo, or dies on the frontline after refusing to retreat, depending on the source. Incan forces still hold territory inside Ollantay borders, and together with Mayan soldiers are reinforcing Shining Path positions in the mountains to the south, where they still pose a threat to Roman control of Ica and the Andes passes.
In the north, the Celts pull out all the stops to keep their armies as supplied as possible across the central desert, and with the Inca on the back foot, they are eventually able to close the gap with the Atico beachhead. Together with the naval blockade, all Incan supply lines between Cuzco and Huaras are now severed. With a final effort, the Celts move some units south to Corihuayrachina to aid Roman forces in a renewed attempt to capture the city, which had been a Roman objective earlier in the year. Although some suburbs are still contested by the year’s end, the invading forces are able to meet up at the city centre, the event captured on newsreels for the audiences back home.
For the moment, the situation for the Inca Nation looks dire. Far to the south, in the sprawling metropolis of Copán, there are rumours of rumblings of disquiet among the Mayan elite, who may now prefer a polite exit from the conflict, and a chance to make new alliances. However, there is little sign of the complete collapse of Inca morale that Celtonia’s Consail Thomson may have been counting on; there are reports of an isolated uprising by pro-Democracy rebels at Vilacamba, but the government garrison remains in control. Elsewhere, it seems the fascist party has become the party of resistance against Roman and Celtic enemies, its anti-foreign policies and rhetoric now seem fully justified, as an indignant population largely supports continuing the fight - feelings largely shared by their Mayan cousins. Kamachiq (leader) Atik Quylluratuq remains in Cuzco with a substantial garrison, while deputies take up power in Huaras and prepare to carry on the fight in the south as the Collasuyu province, historically the last bastion of independent Inca power over the centuries of Celtic and Roman dominance. Strict food rationing is in effect, and the Inca war economy now faces crippling shortages of nearly every resource, but for now weapons including anti-tank rifles are still rolling off the production lines.
Celtonia in Turmoil
The cities, towns and villages of Celtonia go to the polls late in the year; far from the battlefields, winter weather arrives early in the north and is especially cold, with snowfall as far south as Tiwanaku. The election is bitterly fought and contested, amidst a background of protests, general strikes, and riots in some cities.
Consail Thomson may have considered postponing the election, but running short of political levers to pull, and with the country still in an official state of ‘peace’, this would have been extremely contentious. Thus he stands for re-election on a platform of completing the liberation of Portugal and the democratisation of central Tetrea, ‘liberation’ of the Inca Nation, ‘defeat of fascism on our borders’, and of re-establishing Celtonia as a military superpower; his supporters also argue for greater ties with Rome and ‘NATO’ countries, forming an invincible alliance of ‘mostly democratic’ nations as the best chance to secure a peaceful future for the whole world. Thomson’s campaign also highlights his project to establish the first formal National Parks across Celtonia, and the great achievements in - almost - ending the bloody civil war in Mexico. Meanwhile, the opposition argues passionately against Thomson’s ‘trampling of the Democratic constitution’, ‘illegal warfare’ and ‘deliberate warmongering’, and argues against the hypocrisy of fighting for Portuguese freedom at the same time as supporting Rome’s takeover of Ollantaytambo, while blundering into a war with Mayan forces and - potentially - a resurgent Iroquois Nation. Given the stubbornness of the Inca, many predict a bloodbath if Cuzco or Huaras are to be taken by force, with or without Roman help. There are also reports of flagging morale on the frontlines as the goals of the ‘special military operation’ become blurred.
Reports by journalist Torgeir Angest, embedded with Scandinavian humanitarian aid efforts in Lisbon, paint a sorry picture of human suffering on all sides of the conflict, and are widely circulated in liberal newspapers. Thomson’s refusal of the Inca peace offer becomes a key foreign policy issues in the campaign; as the death toll among the Celtonian armed forces continues to climb, and the population of Portugal continue to suffer, the opposition argue that Celtonians and Portuguese are dying for Rome’s new Imperial project, and for Thomson’s military-industrial clique, rather than for peace in Tetrea. Claims that Roman oligarchs and senators are funding pro-Thomson newspapers add further fuel to the fiery rhetoric. The public is also uneasy about the government’s plan for a shift to wartime mobilisation and austerity in the undeclared war, at a time when wages are stagnating and taxes are rising, and Celtonian businesses are losing out to rising foreign exports; Germany, Scandinavia and the USA in particular seem to be reaping the rewards of peace, and more nations besides seem to be rapidly catching up to Celtonia in science and technology.
By various means, the Thomson administration has achieved the disarming of the radical neo-Druidist movement that had been threatening to take power at the end of the last decade; the movement is now split and fractured, with some falling under the Thomson camp, including Tarain Drosten, an outspoken ethnic-Pictish Druidist, who offers vocal support. In their place, a coalition of anti-war Conservative rebels, Liberals, Druidist splinters and neo-Communists or ‘progressive’ democratic-socialists rises to the forefront, led by Mairias Holst, a charismatic Celtic-German with a liberal, anti-war and pro-business background. Another key figure in the election is the fiery redhead Dáire Enaihn; she is not standing for any office, but lends a powerful voice to the anti-war campaign, leading protest marches in several major cities. Her alleged harassment by shadowy government officials becomes another cause célèbre for the opposition. Meanwhile, radical war-hawks and revanchists naturally support Thomson, and are increasingly emboldened by the invasion of the Inca mainland.
Protests reach a peak just before the election. In the end, after a week of vote-counting, Thomson’s party is defeated; as a whole, Cetlonia’s people voice their growing horror and unease at the Tetrean conflict, and a desire to return to the post-WW2 promise of peace and prosperity. However, it is not the resounding defeat that many in the left and centre had hoped for; some of Thomson’s closest supporters claim voter fraud and irregularities and refuse to gracefully concede. A subdued atmosphere grips the country; Mairias Holst prepares to lead a centrist coalition government with a mandate to end or de-escalate the conflict, put pressure on the Roman Empire to halt its expansion, and to reduce excessive military spending. Yet for now, tens of thousands of troops remain deep within Inca territory, and much of the Thomson machinery looks set to remain in place, in the shape of appointed generals, admirals, high court judges, and intelligence officials who can not be easily dismissed. At the head of a shaky coalition, it is not clear how far and how fast Holst can push back against the war momentum; there are fears that the 1890 democratic constitution has been permanently distorted, never again to be bent back into shape, with or without Thomson at the helm...
Other News
US President Amadeus Charleston comfortably wins a second term in a largely uneventful election.
Spanish conservatives under Prime Minister Abrahán De León also win a second term, but the growing influence of pro-Iroquois and pro-Fascist groups is felt during the election; marches are held to demand the forcible ‘liberation’ of Nemasus for the Spanish crown.
Ongoing anti-Communist protests have caused more disruption in the United Netherlands, although at a lesser scale than recent years, following the jailing of several pro-Democracy leaders for ‘corruption’ and ‘espionage’.
The USA has agreed to hand over a collection of historical French artwork to authorities in France, after the President’s office personally intervened in the dispute, thus restoring to the French some of their cultural heritage. The Empress has agreed to send some of the works to their native home of Normandie, a gesture that may help to thaw relations between the two states.
A railway is under construction between the Holy Kingdom of Hatti and Arequipa, perhaps signifying growing relations between these two neutral countries despite their ideological differences.
World motor racing and other sporting events are not currently taking place due to lack of international investment.
Celtonian-Scandinavian defensive pact has expired.
World Trade Report:
A flood of consumer goods including ‘Model A’ automobiles from the USA makes the world market more competitive. Hatti luxury goods still have a high profile following the royal world tour, and Scandinavia benefits from its established export markets.
It is now 1931…
*Independent Press Association is based in Oslo and is fully independent, as certified by the Scandinavian government
Stats
World News 1930-1931, collated and edited by Independent Press Association*
Zeppelin Fever!
A new decade begins with a tumultuous year. We start in Germany where not one, but three new zeppelins are unveiled to the public, in a dazzling display of German industrial and technological might; taking inspiration from ancient Germano-Norse mythology, they are named Sleipnir, Wotan and Thunraz, while the original Gutenberg is refurbished and renamed the Freya. Slepinir has been built partly from components of the experimental US airship Liberty, which was previously flown to Kiel for dismantling; it seems that Washington is content to let its southern NATO ally take the lead in airship design.
The renamed Freya resumes a passenger service to Boston and tours of the east coast. Thunraz is reserved for military evaluation, and is rumoured to be conducting long-endurance flights over the Atlantic with unknown military hardware onboard. Wotan begins testing flights with a handful of passengers across the Atlantic to Navua, Celtonia, but disaster strikes on the second flight as it encounters sudden strong winds on approach to the Navua airbase and rams into the famous old Christian church of St Fionnán, demolishing most of the church’s spire, while suffering major structural damage to the tail fins and ripping a large tear in the rear hull. Wotan limps into hangar at Navua for repair, while German and Celtonian diplomats argue over the damages. Captain August Wolf-Bauer is cleared of any wrongdoing by a German inquiry and even commended for preventing a total loss, but it is a reminder that airship travel will always have an element of risk…
There is more trouble back in Germany; the Zeppelins require vast volumes of helium gas to fill their lifting cells, and the contractor Bremer Kohlenwasserstoff GmbH becomes embroiled in a political scandal after over-promising on their supply, leading to lawsuits and public hearings; Berlin newspapers are full of allegations of corruption and nepotism between the government and German industrial giants. Some leading conservative Christians even accuse the Zeppelin bosses of conspiring to promote Wotanist paganism and undermine traditional German values with their ‘satanische flugmaschinen’. With a shortage of helium, it is decided that Sleipnir will remain grounded for now, putting on hold a planned route to Lund, the capital of Scandinavia. Of the new ‘zepps’, this leaves only the secretive Thunraz flying by the end of the year
Despite the less-than-auspicious start, public reception is positive, and Germany and the Zeppelin company are kept in world news headlines throughout the year. All three passenger routes are planned to be in full operation by the end of 1931.
Holstein Plebiscite
As the zeppelin Freya flies overhead, Holsteiners return a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum on anschluss with Germany, a historic vote that will reshape the map of north-west America, and signals a decline in Celtonian influence in the region. Crowds turn out on the streets of Heidelberg to celebrate, but there is a mood of caution in the hinterland. As a political moderate, chancellor Klara Hertz has refused to campaign for either side, calling on the people to vote with their conscience, but looks set to keep her role as governor of the new State of Holstein within Germany. The margin is decisive, but not as emphatic as the pro-German party may have wished, with a last-minute swing in the ‘no’ vote based on growing concerns over ‘NATO’ militarism, and fears of Holstein’s scenic landscapes and tourist havens being turned over to German heavy industry.
Preparations are underway for a merger of the two nations, but a legal challenge sponsored by libertarian groups claims voter irregularities and ‘illegal propagandising’ by citizens linked to the German government and the Zeppelin company, which may delay the official Act of Union until 1932 or beyond.
Citizens in Acadia and Stavanger look on in alarm, especially as events now unfold in the west…
The Fall of Nassau-Tennessee - Atlantic Tensions
In a shocking development, German troops, with US backing, invade the territory of Nassau-Tennesse, at the invitation of anti-government rebels known as the ‘Whiskey Rebellion’ which have paralysed the small nation-state. The NT government refuses to bow to German and US demands for democratic elections, and instead attempts a declaration of martial law and a mass call-up of loyalist militia. In the end, violence is brief and limited; in the city of Bismark, a mass flyover of German biplanes is enough to convince the local military commanders to order their troops to stand down ahead of the German army, perhaps fearing mutiny if orders are given to fire on their fellow German-speakers; German armoured trains roll into the city unopposed. Meanwhile, the otherwise unremarkable railway stop at Beaver Creek, just north of Bismark, becomes the scene of a bloody battle as a rebel force is scattered by government forces using armoured ‘Panzerkampftraktor’ vehicles; it is the first instance of tank warfare on the American subcontinent. The NT force had been sent north to disperse rebel camps, but they soon decide to sabotage much of their equipment and surrender at the northern border to a force of US Rangers, putting a swift end to the fighting.
The Communist regime melts away almost overnight, overwhelmed by the German invasion and as public sentiment is swept up in a pro-Democratic tide. Pro-German and pro-USA groups soon gain control of most of the country, and immediately set about dismembering the old borders; the northern counties, the heartland of the ‘Whiskey Rebellion’, apply to join the USA, while the central and southern territories seek to join Greater Germany, with a new railway line threading its way between them. In the west, the breakaway state of Wesket is declared; the region has a small population of mostly German-speaking people, under the sway of a bizarre Christian sect that borrows heavily from Lakota and Algonquin mythology. It remains to be seen if the USA and Germany will accept the continued existence of their state. Communist loyalists are left to consider emigrating to The Netherlands or accepting the new order.
The German intervention comes just months after Germany and Nassau-Tennesse signed a formal defensive pact, a fact that does not go unnoticed in international press and causes an embarrassing scandal for the German government; Germany claims that the Bismark government was no longer ‘legitimate’, and thus the pact was void, while their actions saved the populace from a bloody civil war. But newspapers in Acadia and Stavanger cover the ‘betrayal’ of Nassau-Tennesse in detail, and there are of course fears that they could be next in the sights of the US-German alliance. While the idealism of 1920s Atlantic Liberal movement has not disappeared, it has certainly now faded; throughout the year, a series of shootings and small-scale bomb attacks in both Atlantic states heightens fears of an ‘undercover war’ already being fought between and pro and anti-independence factions. In particular, the shooting of Eiran Gale, a prominent Acadian journalist, passionate libertarian and pro-independence writer, causes outrage in Acadia and elsewhere; murdered in cold blood on the steps of his Halifax apartment building, the crime remains unsolved. Gale was however highly critical of Celtonian foreign policy and had campaigned against corruption and organised crime, creating a long list of enemies…
Nassau-Tennessee is no more.
Germany: +$2 materials captured, +1 Infantry, +1 Blimp, +1 Cannon, +1 Field Artillery and +1 Panzerkampftraktor units captured (mothballed).
USA: minor losses. +$1 materials, +2 Militia and 1 Basic Artillery captured (mothballed).
Wesket is created: +$2, +1 Militia, +1 Infantry, +1 Rough Rider, +1 Basic Biplane.
American Automobiles
The general mood in the USA is optimistic, with the public having a mostly positive view of events in Nassau-Tennessee. This is a boom year for many industries, particularly automobiles; United Motors, led by the genius French-American entrepreneur Henri du Pont, achieves the first true success in automobile mass-production, creating thousands of new jobs in Seattle; the ‘Model A’ may lack the finesse of carefully-crafted German, Celtic or Roman automobiles, but it is a workable design and is highly affordable, already becoming a common sight across the USA and in major cities around the world by the end of the year. The US petrol industry struggles to keep up, leading to fuel rationing and soaring prices in several states, and contributes to a global rise in oil prices.
Nonetheless, stocks are booming on the New York stock and Kiel stock exchanges, to the point that there are growing calls for regulation to avoid ‘excessive speculation’ and a potential market crash, though others claim this is scaremongering. Only the stock market in Navua, Celtonia, now has a higher total value, although it has hardly been growing in recent years.
Dinosaurs in Fashion
In another sign of Washington’s expanding influence, US military engineers are invited to Omaha, Nebraska, to help plan a ring of defensive fortifications around the city. The country consists mostly of flat, open plains, and the Nebraskans are concerned about being an easy target for an Iroquois invasion. It is here that US surveyors stumble across remarkable dinosaur fossils; it is thanks to Captain Abraham Alderwell, an amateur fossil collector, who recognises the significance of the finds. A joint US-Nebraskan excavation takes place at a dried-up riverbank south of Omaha. A near-complete skeleton of a massive predatory dinosaur is discovered, provisionally named “Imperatosaurus” and causing quite a stir when put on display in Baltimore. Imaginative drawings of this creature spark a renewed wave of interest in dinosaurs and ancient creatures; museums around the world are now seeking funding as they compete to have the most prestigious fossils on display.
Atomic Science!
Germany is once again in the news for the discovery of the ‘neutron’, a breakthrough in understanding the atom, which resolves a number of issues and paradoxes in atomic physics that had persisted since the turn of the century. Although led by the brilliant German-Mexican physicist Jakob Weissenberg, in truth it is an international effort; the experiments in Berlin make use of radioactive ores from Norseland, and key contributions from the Celtonian-educated Norselander Nils Byór and French expatriate Marie Villepreux who have joined the Berlin team. But it is a sign of the rapid strides that German science has made in recent years, largely a result of heavy investment from the government and the chemical industry. Follow-up work by Acadian, Celtonian and Roman scientists in the latter half of the year helps to refine the new models and sets the stage for further experiments.
Mexican tensions
It is an unsung success story of Celtonian foreign policy, overshadowed by the escalating war in Tetrea; Mexicans go to the polls in a free election, with former communist rebels now back in the fold and standing for parliament, following the end of martial law and the voluntary retirement of President Coyotl Clinton. Land reform for the western regions has been guaranteed, along with regional autonomy to pursue socialist policies. Despite riots and violence in several regions, on the whole it seems the election is about as fair as could be hoped for under the circumstances; the communist party receives the largest single share of the vote, but in a fractured political scene, it relies on a coalition to create a new democratic government.
In one of its first acts, a vote is narrowly carried to move the capital away from Texcoco, with its German and French architecture and associations with colonial rule, to Tenochtitlan, the old Aztec capital. The city centre soon becomes a giant building site, as new public buildings are planned, overlooking the remains of the ancient city. Not all welcome this move, and there are riots in Texcoco and elsewhere, said to be stirred up by the former privileged classes of the east coast who are losing power in the new regime. There are rumours that large amounts of Celtic funds - meant to compensate landowners and ease the plight of the peasants - have instead gone into the building programme. A grand new railway project is also begun, aiming to unite the fractured provinces of the country, and in particular to improve access to the Teotihuacan oilfields, which are still largely shut down following sabotage by rebels. Meanwhile, President Clinton goes into retirement - or exile - somewhere in Celtonia, and there are calls from the left to extradite him to answer a long list of charges of corruption and excesses of power during his term in office, though he is still viewed as a hero to many on the right.
Years of civil war and instability have left much of Mexico destitute. There is great potential for development, but the Mexican government is cautious about foreign investment as it tries to walk a fine line between popular anti-foreign movements and dependence on outside support; Celtic, Acadian and German troops are still in the country this year with aircraft and elite troops, helping to erode the last strongholds of the ‘Holy Aztec Empire’ fanatics which continue to make aggressive raids against government-held towns and villages. Indeed it seems difficult for the new Mexican government to motivate its own troops to continue the fight, and progress is slow; Calixtlahuaca is eventually retaken this year after a tough fight up the coast, with fire support from the Celtonian navy, along with a supporting push through the mountains and jungles of the interior, where there are thousands of casualties from disease alone. Pockets of fanatics still cling to mountain strongholds far to the south.
Meanwhile, Spanish forces are able to expand their ‘peacekeeping’ zone in the north throughout the year, taking full control of valuable mines on the northern border from the Holy Aztec rebels. With the help of Iroquois ‘advisory’ forces, Spanish control is also extended to the Pacific coast south of the Celtonian exclave of Nemausus, which is now completely surrounded by Spanish-Iroquois troops; as tensions rise, there are growing reports of skirmishes with Celtic garrison troops on this front.
Acadia: minor losses.
Germany: minor losses.
Mexico: moderate; -2 Militia, -1 Infantry, -1 Rough Riders. +$2 materials recovered, +1 Basic Artillery captured.
Holy Aztec Empire: moderate; -2 Melee Infantry, -2 Militia, -1 Rough Riders.
Spain: minor losses.
Iroquois: minor losses.
New Constantinople: exists (blockaded).
Sinking of the CSS Boudicca
Without warning, on a clear sunny day, the giant Celtonian super-dreadnought CSS Boudicca is destroyed at anchor in Calcadia, as massive explosions tear through the forward magazine and instantly break the ship apart. As the mangled hull quickly settles in shallow water, the shattered remnants of the superstructure are engulfed in searing hot smoke and flames, dooming hundreds more sailors to death by fire or drowning. The explosion is powerful enough to damage other nearby ships and causes considerable damage to the military dockyard, as giant pieces of steel are hurled through the air, leaving thousands injured, and the Celtonian 9th Armada in disarray.
Celtic newspapers respond with shock and outrage, and the story is of course seized upon by the right in the leadup to the 1930 election. The Iroquois are immediately suspected of sabotage, but the Celtonian admiralty appeals for calm while a thorough investigation is carried out; all ammunition-handling procedures are put under immediate review. Nonetheless, naval reinforcements are rushed to the region, and Celtonian forces in Calcadia and Nemausus remain on high alert, holding their breath as the year ends, though a feared Iroquois surprise attack against the peninsular does not come to pass.
The loss of the Boudicca, along with the 1927 sale of the Eionnmara (‘Sea Dragon’) to Holland, now leaves only six of the original eight super-dreadnaughts in Celtonian service.
Celtonia: -1 Super Dreadnought, Calcadia port partially damaged, some damage to other ships. +$5 materials salvaged.
A New Land - South Atlantic tensions
A new island unexpectedly appears in the mid-Atlantic with a fiery volcanic birth; it had long been a prominent seamount on sailor’s charts, and considered an extinct volcano, now proven to be very much alive. Ash clouds from the eruption drift eastwards and give rise to ominous, dramatic sunsets over the western Roman Empire and Holy Kingdom of Hatti, while the rooftops and streets of Nicea are left blackened by ash following heavy rain. During a lull in the eruptions, the passing Celtonian cruiser CSS Gladius sends a landing party to plant the flag of Celtonia on what is little more than a precarious steaming pile of blackened rocks, staking a claim on what may turn out to be a strategic position in the mid-Atlanic. However, nearby countries quickly contest this; Rome, Hatti, Scandinavia and even Greenland may all have valid claims depending on the interpretation of being the ‘nearest’ country. Against a backdrop of rising global tensions, the political dispute heats up throughout the year.
Earthquake in Hatti
In late summer, a major earthquake strikes the Roman-Hatti border near Kadesh, damaging ancient temples, destroying granaries and cisterns, and flattening entire towns. The impact falls disproportionately on Hatti, with buildings damaged as far away as Aleppo. Rescue efforts on both sides of the border are hampered by the lack of infrastructure and the remoteness of settlements scattered across the deserts and savannah. Thousands are displaced in the search for food, water and shelter as winter sets in. For now there is cautious cooperation between Rome and Hatti, but it is reported that some of the desert tribes view the earthquake as divine punishment for a nation that is increasingly drifting from the ‘old ways’, and are refusing all outside help, even turning to banditry against those deemed ‘faithless’.
Hatti: -$3, temporary -2 EP.
Rome: -$2
Nordic Politics
Scandinavia is three years away from its next election, but already there are signs that it will be one of the most controversial since the nation’s founding. The Nordic Unionists are frustrated with the government’s lack of action and ‘hands off’ approach towards the idea of greater Nordic brotherhood; unrest continues in Stavanger this year following the attempted assassination of Jarl Freya, and Norseland appears trapped under Celtonian influence, while the island Jarldom of Molde seems increasingly isolationist and dictatorial. The Gotlander independence movement is becoming more noticeable, promising to make the island a major player in Pacific politics and to confront the growing Iroquois influence in Akwesasne. Scandinavia was emerging as a major arms manufacturer in the last decade, but this has also dwindled, despite the country being sandwiched between two civil wars in France and Mexico, and suffering occasional deaths in border incidents; the Væpnet Luftfellskjap company, the manufacturer of the once-pioneering Haukur monoplane fighter, is disbanded this year due to lack of sales, and reforms as a motorcycle company on the outskirts of Axesund, with many of its aircraft engineers having been lured overseas to Tetrea. Pro-fascist groups take every opportunity to lament this state of affairs.
Nonetheless, almost the whole of Scandinavia has seen peace and growing prosperity through the last few years, with a booming trade in commercial shipbuilding and ship maintenance, and exports of associated machine tools and heavy engine components, rivalling those of Celtionia. The furniture company HAUS has also been a surprising success in global markets, exporting practical ‘minimalist’ designs as a reaction to the excesses of the prevailing art-deco and neo-classical fashions, and has struck a particular chord in Germany - although this year the company is implicated in a scandal involving supplies of southern pine wood being bought from rebel French warlords. A number of prominent Liberalists from both sides of the Atlantic have also relocated to the Scandinavia, with Stockholm and Lund both becoming major centres of art and music. The Oslo stock exchange has been one of the fastest-growing outside of New York. The country also earns praise this year for humanitarian aid efforts in Portugal.
It remains to be seen if peace and non-interventionism will be enough to keep the country united and stable…
War in France
A short distance south from the peaceful lands of Scandinavia, the French civil war continues to escalate, and becomes a struggle of ideologies as much as a struggle for power; amidst a shadowy series of events, Grand Marshal Laurent Ignace, leading the western Orleans Clique, throws in his lot with the communist uprising, creating the ‘Armée Populaire Française’. Much of the Olreans forces refuse to obey the new order, and are further split between Fascist traditionalists and a new faction of anarchists inspired by the charismatic captain Jacques Gallaud, leaving the whole of the north-west in chaos. Nonetheless, with a fresh cadre of communist volunteers, Ignace is able to gather a substantial army to launch an all-out attack on Paris, in conjunction with an uprising by leftists and their allies in the capital, which also inspires risings by communists in other major cities. The forces of Empress Jeanne I and her Roman allies are concentrated in the east, fighting a gruelling final battle to capture the port city of Tours from Marshal Villeneuve, who proves wily and elusive as ever. As the fate of the nation hangs in the balance, Grand Marshal Pascal Jourdain of the Rheims Clique seems to be in the position of King - or Queen - maker; the Rheims forces are relatively weak, but may be in a position to tip the balance one way or another.
In the end, Jourdain decides to side with Paris, and negotiates a deal with Jeanne that brings Rheims forces into the imperial fold, in exchange for the declaration of the teenage Alexis d’Arc as imperial heir, of whom Jourdain has been a longtime supporter - bringing the young girl into the dangerous forefront of French politics. There are further rumours of Alexis’s betrothal to Jeanne’s relative, Prince Constantin, which would potentially unite the bloodlines that have vied for control of France for the past two centuries.
Whether or not this can lay the foundation of future peace, it certainly does not stop the current bloodshed; Marshall Villeneuve’s forces fight on tenaciously against combined Imperial and Rheims offensives, taking a heavy toll on the attackers in bitter street fighting in both Tours and Marseilles. The communist uprisings, bitter winter weather and a drawdown of Roman support - particularly the Roman naval units - offer a glimmer of hope for the Loire cause. But no amount of cutthroat tactics are able to prevent the fall of Tours, as Imperial ironclads gather to bombard the defences and support the landing of Imperial Guard units behind enemy lines, while fending off air attacks from the Loire’s biplane bombers - the dramatic scenes captured on Imperial newsreels. Marseilles is still contested as the year ends, but seems set to fall to Marshal Jourdain’s forces. Both cities are left in ruins, with thousands of civilian dead and homeless. Villeneuve himself is nowhere to be found, and there are rumours that he may have fled to Scandinavia on one of his last serviceable bomber aircraft, while for the moment, troops still hold positions in his name amidst the largely-trackless boreal forests of Capetais and Haute-Provence.
The government position becomes more dangerous as the year draws to a close. Communist-allied risings in Paris and Lyons are barely contained, with parts of both cities becoming enclaves of hostile revolutionaries. Roman rearguard troops, including some now barely-functioning tanks, help to hold the port and city centre of Lyons, while the garrison of Paris finds itself fighting on multiple fronts as Marshal Ignace’s communist offensive grinds its way eastwards along the Siene valley. Despite support from biplanes, it is reported that APF troops suffer grievous losses assaulting Imperial trench lines on the south bank, and in several failed attempts to cross the Siene. But equally, the Imperial garrisons in the west are dangerously over-extended.
Against the advice of some of her ministers, the Empress herself returns to the capital on an armoured train, at the head of a brigade of Imperial Guard, to raise the morale of the loyalist defenders - even as the sound of gunfire echoes from the leftist barricades, and the sound of distant artillery fire grows ever louder. It seems fate has not yet finished dispensing cruelties on the brave Empress, who has already lost an eye and an arm; this time, assassin’s bullets strike her motor carriage as she travels to a meeting with military leaders, shattering the windows. Sitting beside the Empress, the commander of the Paris garrison is killed by a shot to the neck, while her driver is shot in the arm and shoulder. Drenched in blood, the Empress is rushed to safety, with bystanders fearing the worst. Miraculously, the Empress is only hit with fragments of glass, doing no major damage. Though weakened from her ordeals, she refuses to leave the capital, as the chaotic battle for Paris reaches what may be a decisive point…
French Empire: -1 Blimp, -1 Imperial Guard, -1 Militia, -1 Infantry. +$2 materials captured.
Orleans Clique becomes Armée Populaire Française (APF): -1 Infantry, -2 Militia
Anarchists are created.
Champagne Clique is created.
Rheims Clique: -1 Militia, +$1 materials captured.
Loire Clique: -2 Militia, -1 Basic Armoured Car, -1 Field Artillery, -1 Truck, -1 Ironclad
Communards: -1 Militia
Tetrean War - Roman offensives
Now to the ongoing conflict in Tetrea, and first to the Roman-Incan front. The anti-war ‘Restitutores’ rebellion disintegrates in the first few days of the year, as it becomes clear the Roman senate and the Basilissa will not publicly side with their cause, and a deal with the rebel troops sees them given amnesty and readmitted into government ranks. The rebel leader Markus Cato Tycherós flees into exile with a handful of supporters. The rebellion ends as swiftly as it begins, becoming one of countless such risings in Roman history, but simmering tensions persist in Constantinople…
In the east, Roman forces have restocked and reorganised after their push across the Andes, and now receive orders to begin several new offensives before the Incas can fortify the front lines. Rome fully mobilises for war; attrition has reduced the number of armoured cars and tanks in frontline service to a minimum - and a brigade of tanks remains in France - but the Romans are able to throw in large formations of infantry and artillery, with sizeable numbers of cavalry, trucks and aircraft in support. The road to Huaras sees the heaviest fighting in the early part of the year; as a vital industrial port city on the Pacific coast, and a former Inca capital, its loss would be a huge blow to the Inca, not to mention that it would effectively sever their country in two. Inca newsreels show their armoured trains ferrying troops to the front, and the train gunners shooting down several Roman biplanes as they try to stem the methodical Roman advance. Hit-and-run attacks by Inca militia and light cavalry also continue to plague the Roman flanks and supply lines, which are now stretching painfully long across the arid plains and savannah of the Inca heartland; sabotage and raids keep the captured railways from being much use to the invaders. In truth however, Incan resistance is weaker than the Romans might have expected; the Romans surge forwards, sensing that the Inca may be close to complete collapse - and eager to once again raise their standards on the Pacific coast, like their forefathers centuries ago.
Battle for Ollantaytambo!
The reason for the relative ease of their advance soon becomes clear. Led by the maverick general Challkuch Imaq, well-regarded by his compatriots, the Inca have been preparing a counter-strike towards Ollantaytambo, going to great lengths to assemble a powerful force in the savannah west of Tamboccocha with as much secrecy as possible, throwing in most of their motorised transport and countless trains of llamas and camels to build up supplies, while formations of veteran troops are force-marched from the Portuguese front, along with several divisions of elite Mayan Pakalkun infantry - controversially, brining the Mayans into frontline combat against Roman soldiers. Lying east of the main Andes range, there are no major natural obstacles between Inca territory and the fortified city of Ollantaytambo itself, which is serving as a major supply hub for the Roman invasion while new rail lines are under construction. Whether or not the Roman generals anticipate such an aggressive move by the Inca and Maya, they are certainly caught off-guard by the scale of the operation; Roman forces are on a pacification footing, and are unable to deal with a sudden onslaught of many thousands of Inca troops, backed up by modern artillery, armoured cars and almost all of the biplane aircraft available to the Inca Nation. Indeed, with Roman air power concentrated on other fronts, the Inca pilots initially have the skies to themselves, much to the confusion of Roman troops on the ground. The Incas and Shining Path rebels forge an alliance as both turn their attentions on the Roman occupiers, while pro-democracy factions are left divided in their support.
The elite Praetorian Guard fight a losing battle to hold the fortified royal palace of Ollantaytambo, which is left partially in ruins; perhaps initially refusing to believe the scale of the Inca offensive, they refuse to retreat until it is too late. Unknown numbers of Rome’s elite troops are killed or captured, although they undoubtedly take a heavy toll on the Inca forces. In a dramatic escape, King Taycanamo VII is whisked from the ruins of the palace via secret tunnel, and makes it to Roman lines in the west, reuniting with most of the Ollantay royal family and the Roman-backed senate. However, prince Guaricaur remains behind to pledge loyalty to the Inca - although 3rd in line to the throne, he is soon proclaimed as the true monarch by the Shining Path rebels and other anti-Roman factions. The fate of the Ollantay crown jewels and treasury is not clear. Despite Roman media portraying their loss of the city as a heroic last stand, it is undoubtedly a big blow to Roman prestige. The famed Varangians are also mauled as they find themselves trapped in the mountains, fighting both the Shining Path rebels, elite Incan Chasqui scouts, and the Mayan Pakalkun. Overall, thousands of Roman prisoners and large stockpiles of supplies are captured.
Roman forces are now in disarray; with the fall of Ollantaytambo city and the sabotage of roads and railways around Chuquiapo, the Inca have completely disrupted Roman supply lines. The isolated Inca militia holding out among the Andes are a further thorn in the roman side. The majority of the Roman army now lies in a precarious situation east of the Andes, facing attack from all sides, hostile locals, and a rationing of food, fuel, ammunition, and even water. Despite a large advantage in numbers and firepower, the Roman offensives are put on hold while units are scrambled to restore control of their strategic flanks; a concentration of armoured cars and tanks is left virtually stranded outside Corihuayrachina in the north, while the thrust towards Huaras would end up being almost completely reversed by year’s end. Roman engineers work double-time to establish supply routes through areas that Incan militia are still contesting, with considerable loss of materiel, and Roman bomber planes are turned over to emergency transport missions, while cavalry horses are used to haul carts across the savannah. Incan morale has rebounded, yet they also struggle with supplies as they are now operating far from their nearest rail depots, and hard fighting against elite Roman troops has already been costly.
As Inca forces swing northwards towards Ica, inspiring uprisings amongst the occupied population, Roman troops fight to prevent a complete disaster for the Imperial armies in the east. Events elsewhere would now prove decisive…
Celtonian Escalation
High summer sees a dramatic turn of events, as Celtonian forces invade the Incan mainland on multiple fronts. Consail Bréanainn Thomson justifies the invasion as bringing democracy to the Inca Nation, and ensuring the freedom of all of Portugal; but unlike the brief ‘intervention’ during the Cuzco crisis of 1926, this time the goal is regime change and complete defeat of Incan fascism; there can be no doubt that a much tougher fight lies ahead. Celtonian marines and other elite troops are recalled from other fronts to launch an amphibious assault on the coast around Atico, while a strong mechanised push crosses the desert between Andahualkas and Corihuayrachina, heading towards the oilfields there. Other probing attacks are scattered across the border near Cuzco, seemingly designed to keep the Inca defences off guard.
The Atico assault is a difficult task for the Celtonian navy and marines, despite only a weak garrison of 2nd-rate Inca troops; the city lies at the mouth of the Hatunmayu river, where it enters a complex series of channels leading into the Pacific. Several islands and peninsulas have to be cleared of Incan defenders in order to safeguard the approach. In the end, there is little fighting for the city itself, but Incan artillery and mines are able to take a toll on vital Celtic transports as well as escort ships, and the elite Celtic troops are greatly delayed in their push upriver. Meanwhile, the assault on the desert oilfields runs into prepared Inca defences; with modern artillery and dug-in infantry, the Inca have anticipated a Celtic attack in this direction. The Inca fight bravely, but the Celts are able to use their mechanised forces to quickly surround their positions, and bring forward mobile artillery to bombard them, before launching an all-out assault with their tanks and ‘Petrel’ fighter-bombers; seeking a rapid advance, the Celts do not wait for a siege. The dash across the desert had already taken a heavy toll on their vehicles; determined Incan resistance now causes substantial losses to Celtic tanks and vehicles. The Inca oilfields are overrun, though heavily sabotaged by the defenders, and the fighting has drawn in enough Inca forces that the nearby fortress of Pisqa - originally built by the Celts decades ago, before the Cuzco plebiscite - falls shortly afterwards. As both sides rush to reorganise their forces, the Celtonian spearhead is now close to linking up with the Atico beachhead, which would effectively split the Inca Nation in two…
Back in Celtonia, the invasion is controversial from the beginning; the escalation of this undeclared war does not have formal parliament approval, and Thomson and his allies strain every political muscle to keep key allies onboard. It soon becomes clear that the Celtonian government has turned down a peace offer from the Inca that would create a free and independent Portuguese state in the area around Lisbon; opposition figures berate the government for escalating the conflict at the critical moment. Amongst the ranks of the military, several generals and admirals announce resignation or early retirement in the following weeks and months. In angry debates throughout the latter half of the year, the Parliament in Navua blocks moves towards full-scale war mobilisation, keeping a limit on reinforcements that can be sent to the front lines, despite fiery speeches from Thomson and his supporters.
Portugal, and The Battle of the Mayan Sea
From the start of the year, Mayan forces push against Celtic lines in Portugal with large formations of infantry and artillery, while keeping the Celts under fire at the occupied fortress of Tulum, and covering the redeployment of Incan forces to fighting in the north. The fascist Mayan government doubles down on its commitment to the Incan cause, ordering a full-scale mobilisation. The Celtonian response is to attempt to dig in, under cover of heavy air, land and naval firepower - with a concentration of the latest Celtic aircraft on this front, forcing the Mayans to operate their biplanes sparingly and with caution. Celtic air attacks by land and sea also continue to damage Mayan oilfields. Nonetheless, Celtic logistics are strained beyond their limits as they prepare to launch the Atico invasion. Engineers are hard at work this year constructing port facilities at Lisbon to aid the supply situation, but these take time to complete; sacrifices have to be made from the other beachheads, allowing the Mayans to gain ground south of the Tagus river, as the Celts and Portuguese retreat to more defensible lines.
There is now fear of Iroquois weapons or reinforcements arriving to compound the troubles for the Celts. The Mayan navy remains at anchor, not attempting to contest Celtic naval power, but neither can the Celts easily enforce a blockade across the entire stretch of the Mayan coast at the same time as blockading the Inca Nation. Reportedly under pressure from Thomson’s government, the Celtonian admiralty issues the controversial order to intercept, intern or sink any Mayan merchant ships their patrols find on the high seas - further inflaming anti-Celtic sentiment in the Mayan Empire - and also, it seems, to keep a close watch on any Iroquois ship movements.
As tensions continue to rise, news trickles in of a naval engagement between Celtic and Iroquois ships near the Mayan coast, fought in poor visibility under partial fog; the thunderous roar of the guns being faintly heard in Quiriguá and Chichén Itza. Neither side offers public details, but debris and bodies begin to wash up on the Mayan coast in the following days, while a powerful Iroquois naval squadron including the dreadnaught Okahkwènta and heavy cruiser Hatënotha - the latter pock-marked with shell holes and shrapnel damage - arrives in Chichén Itza with a convoy of transport ships and accompanying smaller vessels. Damaged Celtic cruisers and destroyers are also seen docked in Tolosa for emergency repairs.
It seems the Iroquois have anticipated a vigorous Celtic response and decided to gamble by sending a large portion of their high seas fleet to ensure at least one convoy of transport ships arrives in Mayan hands, although exactly what is delivered remains unknown. With recent sightings of Iroquois ships docked at Akwesasne, they may have taken an extended route to try to confuse any shadowers and prevent the Celts from concentrating sufficient forces in time to block the convoy. The gamble may have paid off, however their ships remain docked for repair as the year ends, with both nations edging closer to open conflict.
Celtonia and Iroquois Nation: [undisclosed losses]
Tetrean War - closing moves of 1930
Despite whatever aid the Iroquois have sent, there is no immediate change on the Portuguese front. As the Mayan offensives grind closer to Lisbon, they suffer heavier losses of artillery to Celtic air and naval attacks - with some units of Petrels becoming particularly adept at spotting and targeting enemy guns behind the lines, forcing the Mayans to disperse. Both sides dig in towards the end of the year, resulting in extensive trench lines; Portuguese forces, although decimated and exhausted, are able to launch a limited offensive to the north with Celtic support, giving more breathing room for the Lisbon garrison before the trenches reach the Pacific. With ammunition of all kinds said to be in short supply, there remains fear of an all-out Mayan offensive to overwhelm Celtic-Portuguese defences.
Despite losses, Roman forces are able to rally following the Celtic offensives against the Inca heartland. The Chuquiapo valley and its incomplete railroad are reoccupied after some hard fighting, helping the supply situation at Ica, where Roman forces are narrowly able to hold the city against Incan offensive at their front and resistance uprisings at their rear; a victory is won for the Romans thanks to some inspired leadership, at the cost of heavy casualties. Roman troops freed up from the ‘Restitutores’ rebellion join a general counter-offensive into Ollantaytambo, together with fresh troops and newly-built tanks rushed to the front, supported by the Roman air force; the exhausted Incan and Mayan forces are ground down by Roman numbers and firepower, and are forced to fall back. The city of Ollantaytambo itself is retaken towards the end of the year, following a tough street fight against Incan and Mayan rearguards. The formerly-picturesque tourist destination, surrounded by distant mountainscapes, is left largely in ruins after this second battle. ‘King’ Guaricaur escapes to rebel-held territory, while Incan general Challkuch Imaq meets his end; taking the blame for a strategic defeat, he either shoots himself at his headquarters in Ollantaytambo, or dies on the frontline after refusing to retreat, depending on the source. Incan forces still hold territory inside Ollantay borders, and together with Mayan soldiers are reinforcing Shining Path positions in the mountains to the south, where they still pose a threat to Roman control of Ica and the Andes passes.
In the north, the Celts pull out all the stops to keep their armies as supplied as possible across the central desert, and with the Inca on the back foot, they are eventually able to close the gap with the Atico beachhead. Together with the naval blockade, all Incan supply lines between Cuzco and Huaras are now severed. With a final effort, the Celts move some units south to Corihuayrachina to aid Roman forces in a renewed attempt to capture the city, which had been a Roman objective earlier in the year. Although some suburbs are still contested by the year’s end, the invading forces are able to meet up at the city centre, the event captured on newsreels for the audiences back home.
For the moment, the situation for the Inca Nation looks dire. Far to the south, in the sprawling metropolis of Copán, there are rumours of rumblings of disquiet among the Mayan elite, who may now prefer a polite exit from the conflict, and a chance to make new alliances. However, there is little sign of the complete collapse of Inca morale that Celtonia’s Consail Thomson may have been counting on; there are reports of an isolated uprising by pro-Democracy rebels at Vilacamba, but the government garrison remains in control. Elsewhere, it seems the fascist party has become the party of resistance against Roman and Celtic enemies, its anti-foreign policies and rhetoric now seem fully justified, as an indignant population largely supports continuing the fight - feelings largely shared by their Mayan cousins. Kamachiq (leader) Atik Quylluratuq remains in Cuzco with a substantial garrison, while deputies take up power in Huaras and prepare to carry on the fight in the south as the Collasuyu province, historically the last bastion of independent Inca power over the centuries of Celtic and Roman dominance. Strict food rationing is in effect, and the Inca war economy now faces crippling shortages of nearly every resource, but for now weapons including anti-tank rifles are still rolling off the production lines.
‘Restitutores’ is no more; units rejoin Roman Empire.
Rome: -5 Infantry, -1 Militia, -1 Praetorian Guard, -1 Basic Tank, -1 Cavalry, -1 Rough Rider, -2 Field Artillery, -1 Basic Artillery, -1 Basic Armoured Car, -1 Cavalry, -2 Trucks.
Celtonia: -1 Infantry, -1 Field Artillery, -1 Basic Armoured Car, -1 Basic Tank, -1 Truck, -1 Cavalry, -1 Petrel fighter-bomber, -1 Transport, -1 Gunboat. +$2 materials, +1 Basic Artillery captured.
Inca Nation: -4 Militia, -3 Infantry, -2 Field Artillery, -1 Basic Artillery, -1 Basic Tank, -1 Cavalry, -1 Basic Armoured Car. -2 Rough Rider, +$4 materials, +1 Truck, +1 Basic Armoured Car, +1 Field Artillery captured.
Mayan Empire: -2 Infantry, -2 Field Artillery, -1 Truck, -1 Pakalkun, -1 Biplane Fighter. +$2 materials captured.
Ollantaytambo: -1 Infantry, -2 Militia, -1 Field Artillery, -$6 treasury lost.
Shining Path: -2 Militia.
Portugal: -2 Militia.
Celtonia in Turmoil
The cities, towns and villages of Celtonia go to the polls late in the year; far from the battlefields, winter weather arrives early in the north and is especially cold, with snowfall as far south as Tiwanaku. The election is bitterly fought and contested, amidst a background of protests, general strikes, and riots in some cities.
Consail Thomson may have considered postponing the election, but running short of political levers to pull, and with the country still in an official state of ‘peace’, this would have been extremely contentious. Thus he stands for re-election on a platform of completing the liberation of Portugal and the democratisation of central Tetrea, ‘liberation’ of the Inca Nation, ‘defeat of fascism on our borders’, and of re-establishing Celtonia as a military superpower; his supporters also argue for greater ties with Rome and ‘NATO’ countries, forming an invincible alliance of ‘mostly democratic’ nations as the best chance to secure a peaceful future for the whole world. Thomson’s campaign also highlights his project to establish the first formal National Parks across Celtonia, and the great achievements in - almost - ending the bloody civil war in Mexico. Meanwhile, the opposition argues passionately against Thomson’s ‘trampling of the Democratic constitution’, ‘illegal warfare’ and ‘deliberate warmongering’, and argues against the hypocrisy of fighting for Portuguese freedom at the same time as supporting Rome’s takeover of Ollantaytambo, while blundering into a war with Mayan forces and - potentially - a resurgent Iroquois Nation. Given the stubbornness of the Inca, many predict a bloodbath if Cuzco or Huaras are to be taken by force, with or without Roman help. There are also reports of flagging morale on the frontlines as the goals of the ‘special military operation’ become blurred.
Reports by journalist Torgeir Angest, embedded with Scandinavian humanitarian aid efforts in Lisbon, paint a sorry picture of human suffering on all sides of the conflict, and are widely circulated in liberal newspapers. Thomson’s refusal of the Inca peace offer becomes a key foreign policy issues in the campaign; as the death toll among the Celtonian armed forces continues to climb, and the population of Portugal continue to suffer, the opposition argue that Celtonians and Portuguese are dying for Rome’s new Imperial project, and for Thomson’s military-industrial clique, rather than for peace in Tetrea. Claims that Roman oligarchs and senators are funding pro-Thomson newspapers add further fuel to the fiery rhetoric. The public is also uneasy about the government’s plan for a shift to wartime mobilisation and austerity in the undeclared war, at a time when wages are stagnating and taxes are rising, and Celtonian businesses are losing out to rising foreign exports; Germany, Scandinavia and the USA in particular seem to be reaping the rewards of peace, and more nations besides seem to be rapidly catching up to Celtonia in science and technology.
By various means, the Thomson administration has achieved the disarming of the radical neo-Druidist movement that had been threatening to take power at the end of the last decade; the movement is now split and fractured, with some falling under the Thomson camp, including Tarain Drosten, an outspoken ethnic-Pictish Druidist, who offers vocal support. In their place, a coalition of anti-war Conservative rebels, Liberals, Druidist splinters and neo-Communists or ‘progressive’ democratic-socialists rises to the forefront, led by Mairias Holst, a charismatic Celtic-German with a liberal, anti-war and pro-business background. Another key figure in the election is the fiery redhead Dáire Enaihn; she is not standing for any office, but lends a powerful voice to the anti-war campaign, leading protest marches in several major cities. Her alleged harassment by shadowy government officials becomes another cause célèbre for the opposition. Meanwhile, radical war-hawks and revanchists naturally support Thomson, and are increasingly emboldened by the invasion of the Inca mainland.
Protests reach a peak just before the election. In the end, after a week of vote-counting, Thomson’s party is defeated; as a whole, Cetlonia’s people voice their growing horror and unease at the Tetrean conflict, and a desire to return to the post-WW2 promise of peace and prosperity. However, it is not the resounding defeat that many in the left and centre had hoped for; some of Thomson’s closest supporters claim voter fraud and irregularities and refuse to gracefully concede. A subdued atmosphere grips the country; Mairias Holst prepares to lead a centrist coalition government with a mandate to end or de-escalate the conflict, put pressure on the Roman Empire to halt its expansion, and to reduce excessive military spending. Yet for now, tens of thousands of troops remain deep within Inca territory, and much of the Thomson machinery looks set to remain in place, in the shape of appointed generals, admirals, high court judges, and intelligence officials who can not be easily dismissed. At the head of a shaky coalition, it is not clear how far and how fast Holst can push back against the war momentum; there are fears that the 1890 democratic constitution has been permanently distorted, never again to be bent back into shape, with or without Thomson at the helm...
Celtonia: -$7 from riots and strikes.
Other News
US President Amadeus Charleston comfortably wins a second term in a largely uneventful election.
Spanish conservatives under Prime Minister Abrahán De León also win a second term, but the growing influence of pro-Iroquois and pro-Fascist groups is felt during the election; marches are held to demand the forcible ‘liberation’ of Nemasus for the Spanish crown.
Ongoing anti-Communist protests have caused more disruption in the United Netherlands, although at a lesser scale than recent years, following the jailing of several pro-Democracy leaders for ‘corruption’ and ‘espionage’.
The USA has agreed to hand over a collection of historical French artwork to authorities in France, after the President’s office personally intervened in the dispute, thus restoring to the French some of their cultural heritage. The Empress has agreed to send some of the works to their native home of Normandie, a gesture that may help to thaw relations between the two states.
A railway is under construction between the Holy Kingdom of Hatti and Arequipa, perhaps signifying growing relations between these two neutral countries despite their ideological differences.
World motor racing and other sporting events are not currently taking place due to lack of international investment.
Celtonian-Scandinavian defensive pact has expired.
World Trade Report:
A flood of consumer goods including ‘Model A’ automobiles from the USA makes the world market more competitive. Hatti luxury goods still have a high profile following the royal world tour, and Scandinavia benefits from its established export markets.
Norseland: x2 = $3
Arequipa: x1 = $1
Molde: x1 = $1
Stavanger: x1 = $1
Normandie: x1 = $2
Akwesasne: x1 = $1
Roman Empire: x2 = $3
Hatti: x4 = $8
USA: x14 = $28
Spain: x6 = $10
Scandinavia: x4 = $8
It is now 1931…
*Independent Press Association is based in Oslo and is fully independent, as certified by the Scandinavian government
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