December World - game thread

[Seon]

From North German Federation
To the Burmese Emperor

As a safety precaution we are officially withdrawing all diplomatic personnel from the Burmese Empire and issuing a travel advisory to all German citizens regarding this episode.

We note that we have requested any public statement made on this affair by the Burmese Empire to pass through our review to ensure that further diplomatic misunderstandings between our peoples cease. We note that this request was apparently ignored.

With the Burmese officially admitting to their involvement in illegal arrest of German citizens and diplomatic staff, the Federation is forced to note that any further attack or harassment on German citizens in the region of East Asia and Africa by Burma or their proxies in the Thale Noi pact will be construed as a declaration of war against us by the Burmese Empire.

We further note that Burmese interference in the island of Sri Lanka is a violation of the terms of the treaty agreed upon as per our understanding. With this admittance if interference by “Burmese citizens” in Sri Lanka and elsewhere, we call upon the signatories to condemn their actions.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Nothing to see here.

 

[JohannaK]

We agree that the Burmese response to North Germany's flagrant dereliction of duty in Sri Lanka is dangerous and outrageous. About as much as Germany's own recklessness in the island that has brought it to the brink of civil war. This is no excuse, however.

Therefore we suggest that we all come to the table again, amend wrongs, and abide by the treaty in both letter and spirit. We signed a treaty of friendship under the understanding that diplomatic rapprochement would be sought and we believe that at this junction the best course of acrion is for all involved parties to sit down together and discuss and amend mutual grievances.

We would be most happy to provide a safe space for such talks or to act as observers in any such talks if conducted in any third country. We are committed to peace in the region and to the Treaty of Hong Kong, and we would like nothing more than to see everyone on the same page about this matter.

 

[Masada]

The Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace condemns the Burmese court for its flagrant violations of the Treaty of Hong Kong, its violation of scared laws relating to the treatment of ambassadors and their staff, its support of a terroristic campaign to undermine the government and peace of Sri Lanka, its avowed position that its subjects are liberated from the need to obey the law in other countries, and its general contempt for any and all norms of diplomatic conduct.

Having regard to this, the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace will forthwith its ambassador extraordinary and all his staff from the Burmese court and declares that the Burmese ambassador and his staff are persona non grata and have been asked to depart. We likewise will consider any further attack or harassment on German citizens an act of war against the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace. We likewise call on all other interested parties to join in condemning Burma.

We nevertheless believe that a diplomatic situation is both possible and desirable and that Burma need only apologize fully and without reservations, withdraw its incendiary statements on extra-territoriality, cease any and all interventions in Sri Lanka, as is required under the Treaty of Hong Kong which it signed, and immediately pay such compensation as is required to make the North German Government whole in this affair.

 

[Jehoshua]

To the Emperor of Burma
From: The King of Sardinia and Piedmont

The revelation of the Burmese courts involvement in outrageous acts against North German diplomats is most disturbing and contrary to all civilised conduct. In solidarity with the aggrieved party the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont shall recall its ambassador for deliberation on this matter regarding whether to take further diplomatic action. We shall maintain lower level diplomatic staff in our embassy to continue ordinary services for any citizens of ours remaining in your country in the interim. We express our sincere hope that the Emperor of Burma takes prudent and prompt action to rectify the grievous errors that have led to this unseemly state of affairs coming to pass.

 

[NinjaCow64]

We also condemn the Burmese Empire for their fragrant violation of international law. We additionally condemn them for their violations of the Treaty of Hong Kong. We also echo the concerns raised by many other nations regarding their recent conduct. We will also be withdrawing our ambassadors from Burma, ejecting Burmese ambassadors and issuing a travel advisory for our citizens. We will also consider any act of aggression against our ally the North German Federation as an act of war by Burma against our nation.

Having said this, we are confident that all parties are fully capable of coming to a peaceful resolution to this diplomatic incident and we are willing to support any good faith effort to resolve this incident peacefully.

 

[JohannaK]

Seeing as how all involved and uninvolved parties stay intent on severing all diplomatic channels that might facilitate a solution to the conflict, we reiterate our offer to mediate, host, and/or observe the necessary talks.

 

[Ahigin]

@LordArgon - Hold on, your Emperor hasn't changed. His advisers, his Prime-Minister - perhaps.

 

[christos200]

The Minister of Finance, Basil Rathbone, a member of the Anglo-Canadian minority and a Professor of Philosophy and Economics at the University of Montreal has announced the Nature Defense Act, a series of environmental regulations meant to ensure the Quebec retains its natural beauty, amazing landscapes and fresh air and that it is not polluted. Basil has met with industrialists and businessmen to ensure that the regulations will not be overtly bureaucratic or hinder economic growth.

A series of committees have already been formed to deliberate on the final legislative act. Among the proposals is a regulation with regards to industrial waste and the creation of 'Protected Landscapes', that is forests and plains marked as protected soil in which construction and permanent settlement shall be forbidden. It is expected that in the next few months the government will have completed with success this deliberation and will have begun enacting the new regulations.

The minister stated to the press:

"We want a green economy. We want economic growth and industrialization that respects the environment and the land of our ancestors. This is the soil of our forefathers and our heritage; we have a duty to protect it."

Emmanuel Hollande, an independent centrist MP that is cooperating with the Social Democrats, has been appointed Minister of Decentralization, the first Black Canadian to hold a ministry in Quebec. His task will be to oversee that the promise of the government to move towards greater decentralization is accomplished. He has formed two advisory committees, the Committee of Wise Men made up of technocrats and the Committee of Governors made up of regional governors, to aid him in this arduous task.

Emmanuel has been cooperating closely with Basil and other ministers in government in order to ensure a smooth transition as national welfare programs and regulations are being gradually delegated to regional units. At the same time there will be an overhaul in the tax system so that a large part of tax revenues will be redirected towards the regional governments rather than the central government. As such responsibility for collecting those taxes shall be handed over to the regional governments as well.

The current 17 administrative departments shall be turned into States with their own local legislature and the office of Governor shall be replaced with that of the Prime Minister. States in turn shall be subdivided into Cantons which shall act as a administrative unit between states and municipalities. Cantons shall also have a legislature, albeit smaller than that of states, and shall be headed by a Consul. Municipal administration shall remain the most basic administrative unit and will not change. Montreal shall be an exception to this general restructuring of the state, being a Federal Territory under the direct control of the central government. The government has also announced a partial revision of the Quebec Constitution to be in line with the new structure of the state.

The minister has stated to the press:

"We are currently in the process of the greatest restructuring of our country since our independence. Our government promised greater decentralization and accountable local governance and is delivering. Of course this process shall take months. There will be a period of transition in which there will be an overlap of authority between the central government and the states. The transition of moving state employees, welfare programs & regulations and taxes from the central government to the authority of local governments will take some months. It shall not be easy. There are bound to be some mistakes, bureaucratic problems and overlaps in those first few months. I am confident however that we shall make this transition as smooth and fast as possible.

It is time of Canadians to have accountable local governance. We will have more legislatures and elected officials, thus bringing greater representation to the people of Quebec. This is a move towards greater democratization. Instead of the people having to deal with politicians they don't know and bureaucrats in the capital who cannot understand their local problems, they will deal with politicians who they will know and state employees who have grown up in those areas and understand the psyche, problems and opportunities of each region."

 

[NinjaCow64]

To: The North German Federation
From: The Royal British Commonwealth

While we cannot abide by the fragrant disrespect that the Burmese Empire has displayed towards international law and the Treaty of Hong Kong, prosecuting British subjects for actions legally taken by representatives of the British Crown Colony of Celyon is completely outside of the scope of the North German Federation's mandate in Sri Lanka as established by the Treaty of Hong Kong. Therefore, we demand in no uncertain terms an immediate halt on the investigation and prosecution of all British citizens in the Colombo Trials. We also demand an investigation into the processes that let this situation spiral so completely out of control. These demands must be met if Anglo-Germanic friendship and alliance is to continue in any meaningful capacity.

 

[Seon]

From NGF
To RBC

Out of interest of maintaining our alliance, we acquiesce to call for reexamination of our policy on Sri Lanka. Current investigations will be halted and the policy revised.

 

[christos200]

Parti Social-Démocrate du Québec (Center-Left) - The Social Democrats are the 'governing party' of Quebec. They have ruled the country for most of the time since its independence. They have been able to mobilize moderate leftists and centrists in order to maintain their grip in power. Economically they advocate a mixed economy combining market economics with a robust welfare state. Socially they are liberal, advocating for legalization of vices and multiculturalism.

Parti Communiste du Québec (Left) - The Communists advocate a more revolutionary left wing approach to politics, wanting a model closer to that of France rather than the mixed market economy of the center-left. They advocate complete nationalization of the means of production while when it comes to social matters they are divided between progressives who believe in social liberty and communitarian traditionalists who advocate state propagation of proper values.

Union Syndicaliste (Far Left) - The Syndicalists are anarcho-communists advocating for abolition of the state, direct democracy and workers' management of the means of production. They also consider the wage system to be slavery.

Alliance Centriste (Center) - The Centrists advocate greater liberalization of the economy, moderate deregulation and tax cuts but while maintaining a strong social safety net to help the poorest in society. On social issues they tend to be moderately socially liberal. The party usually tends to cooperate with the Social Democrats.

Parti Ouvrier National-Socialiste (Far Right) - The National Socialists advocate a mixture of left-wing economics and right-wing traditionalism. They advocate a strong welfare state and highly regulated market economy but on social issues they are extremely traditionalist and conservative. They are also highly nationalistic, wanting to grant special privileges to French-Canadians while treating the rest ethnic groups as second-rate citizens.

Parti Conservateur du Québec (Center-Right) - The Conservatives support a free market economy, advocating drastic deregulation and tax cuts along with the abolition of much of the welfare state. On social issues they tend to be divided between a traditionalist wing that holds socially conservative views and a classical liberal wing that holds moderately socially liberal positions.

Independents - They are a number of MPs who have either declared themselves independent from the party from which they were originally elected or they won their seats without the support of any party. The ideology of those independent MPs ranges from centrists to libertarians to communists.

 

[Crezth]

The Plebeian Council, acting on behalf of the state of the Commune of France, issues the following announcement on behalf of its allies in the Iberian Workers' Communist Party known also as PICT:

The collapse of the government of the Iberian Republic is incipient. The Italian state's ongoing mafia proxy war with the legitimate authority of that government and the ceaseless gridlock that has made the Iberian state totally incapacitated have prompted a mobilization of Portuguese and Italian forces to the border of that same state. Invasion by Portuguese imperialists under the pretense of disposing of Italian gangsters is incipient. The Iberian Republic, by all accounts, is a Failed State; and Iberia is a warzone governed by anarchy and foreign guns.

In recognition of these facts, the Iberian Workers' Communist Party, in association with the Basque Liberation Front, the People's Worker's Party of Catalonia, the Barcelona National Progressive Bourgeois Alliance, the Valencian Worker's Party, the Worker's Party of Aragon, and the Association of Non-Aligned Unions hereby announce the creation of the independent state of The People's Republic of Iberia, with all previous governments and alliances thereof totally dissolved.

In concert with this event, the Commune of France and the People's Republic of Iberia shall commit to a full and non-conditional military alliance and mutual defensive pact.

Long live the People and the Workers of Iberia!

 

[Nuka-sama]

We condemn the outrageous position of the Commune of France and its blatant propaganda against the government of Her Most Imperial and Royal Majesty. Their words are deceit, honeyed in the language of 'revolution': they practice the very imperialism they denounce!

We had alerted the Iberian Republic many times to the dangers of allowing these radicals to fester. But to no avail; the Iberian Republic has long ceased being a functioning state. Mafia families have seen Iberia as their own personal playground and have corrupted the republic's institutions via bribery or intimidation. We had tried to work with Italy to create a compromise, but it was abandoned by Rome, allowing the decay of the state to continue. It became weak, fractured, and easily manipulated.

And now, we see the result: a horde of communist locusts descends upon Iberia, ready to ravage the fair peninsula.

Upon the invitation of those whom we have worked with to promote stability and order in Iberia, Portugal-Brazil stands ready to stop the communist horde at Madrid. They have formed a provisional government, The Spanish State so that they might better fight against the rabble who intend to infect these lands. We call on all right-thinking nations to support us in this crusade to protect this land, lest it falls to the red tide.

Now, the armies of Her Most Imperial and Royal Majesty stand ready to fight. For justice, for honor, and for peace tomorrow, for today the situation can only lead to one thing: war.

In Hoc Signo Vinces!

Plus Ultra!

 

[tobiisagoodboy]

It is a sad fact that Iberia has become a place of conflict. But it is not the fault of the Republic, who’s honest man and women work day and night to secure the freedom and prosperity of their people. We, the Republic of Italy have always tried to help them in this noble work. Yes we made mistakes and we have apologized for the wrongs we did. But it was not us, who created this conflict and pain for Iberia. It was blind „Communists“, wasting the blood of France, while their asses grow fat in their villas in Paris. It was Aristocrats and Monarchists, who, blinded by romantics and their own arrogance, wish to return to a system that already failed. We, the Republic of Italy, will stand with the Iberian Repzblic, we will assist the legitimate government of Spain against any foreign backed insurrection or invasion. And we call upon the International Community to also stand with Iberia. Do not let the blood of those who fought to contain the Communards go to waste, by sacrificing Iberia to them. Iberia is not lost and as long as the man and women of Spain will stand for it, so will Italia. For Democracy, for the Republic, for freedom !

 

[JohannaK]

It would be good to define which faction is in control of what area. For your own sake.

 

[Jehoshua]

ooc: I'd hazard a rough guess for Andalucia and Valencia being pro-Italy, Catalonia, Aragon and the Basque lands being pro-French and Galicia, Asturias and Extremadura being pro PB. Castilla Y Leon/Castille la Mancha being contested between the three [in such a way that makes the PB proxy territorially contiguous like the other two proxies].

This kind of initial division would reflect avenues of influence as well, the French proxy bordering France [so all that backing can come right in over the border], the PB one bordering Portugal, while the Italian proxy would be open to the Mediterranean shore and those Mafioso smugglers that ply their trade therein [as well any amphibious Italian support through more regular means].

 

[Masada]

The Taiping Embassy in Madrid has recieved a spate of letters from Iberian parties seeking our support in the present crisis. To make our position on the matter clear we will cite only the two most relevant cases.

The first was a request from the Movimiento por la Independencia del Archipiélago Canario to help them with their independence struggle. We had one small problems with this. Canaries are birds. Not islands.

The second was a request from a group which asked us to recognise something called the Provisional Autonomist Government of the Republic of Iberia in the Baelrics or as it is also known PAGRI (B). Pronounced: PAG-RIB. We have not the foggiest idea what the Baelrics are. Nonetheless, since they asked nicely we have decided to recognise them.

 

[Ahigin]

Crisis update
Iberian War
After many years of perpetual political leapfrogging and failed reforms, the Iberian Republic seemed like a peacefully dying nation. Yet, the involvement of three powerful regional players - namely, France, Portugal-Brazil, and Italy, - seems to have pushed it over the edge. The first bell rang when the the Iberian Workers' Communist Party, known also as PICT, finished its preparations for an armed rebellion and raised arms in late September, 1897. This was immediately followed by a declaration of war on the Iberian Republic by Communard France, which backed the People's Republic of Iberia formed out of the framework of the PICT and other allied organizations. In Lisbon, these news caused plenty of confusion, as the Twin Crowns' army was still being redeployed to Europe, with many formation being expected to be in questionable state of battle-readiness until late December. Some heads of the Portobrazilian intelligence leaders rolled because of this, but the gears of the Portobrazilian diplomacy were already rotating. Within days, the Twin Crowns declared war on the Iberian Republic and, separately, on the France-backed PICT, proposing the restoration of the Spanish State. In Madrid, these events led to a series of political crises that, for once, led to a solidification of power in hands of a National Emergency Government that rushed to outlaw all Communard or Monarchist factions, as well as political groups suspected of being aligned to them. They have already reached out to the Italian Republican regime in Rome for help, but similar requests for support were sent to other democratic beacons of Europe, with Berlin and Moscow being the main targets of the Republican plea for help.

Summary: Iberian Republic is at war with Communard France and Portugal-Brazil. Communard France and Portugal-Brazil are yet to declare war on each other (they don't have to, but it'll cause some protest at home, since it'd be a typical "phoney war" from the point of view of any local jingoists - that is, unless they both drop anti-monarchist and anti-Communard rhetoric and present it just as a partition of Iberia).

I won't create new factions for the Spanish State and People's Republic of Iberia until the war is over, since they're pretty much French and Portobrazilian puppets at this point.

Now is the time for any crisis-related diplomacy and pile-in moves. Other nations can join this war; declarations of war and other related diplomacy announcements should be made in this thread until Friday, April 5, 9 pm CST. As usual, I'll extend the war orders deadline by another week, so no worries, everyone will have ample time to put together some war plans.

World Tension update:
Since this constitutes a limited European war, the next turn will be covering a period of 6 months. If it escalates into a more massive conflict, the next turn might shrink to 3 months.

 

[Seon]

OOC: Isn't Saint Petersburg the capital of the Russian Commonwalth