In the Beginning Was Napoleon: Game Thread

Year 1
1919 AD

“The war for territory is over, but the war for readership is still on.”
Jean-Baptiste Silvér
Owner of Les Troillaumes

GERMAN MILITARY OFFICERS ARE ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF CONSPIRACY; “WAR HERO” ENGELRICHT HINZ SHOT ATTEMPTING TO FLEE, KILLED
Cologne, Germany

In an exciting but not altogether shocking episode of political intrigue, the German government experienced another scandal early this year soon after the ceremonious return of the German Treaty Force in Manchuria. The Treaty Force had been assisting the French imperial government in restoring the authority of the French Legation Treaty Laws to North-East Asia. Although hailed as an important symbolic victory for the forces of democracy, there was no doubt that deep political rifts ran between the chief military faction and the civilian GFA at home. In an affidavit posted by the government earlier this week, the newly-empowered security agency known as the DRGD deputized a number of Colognois police officers and had invited the military leadership to City Hall, promptly arresting them when they were quickly proven outnumbered by the police ambush. The military leadership was accused of treason, conspiracy to commit treason, and of unlawful acquisition of authority at the expense of the civilian government. In the notice, it was stated that one of the confederates, General Engelricht Hinz, had been shot and killed attempting to escape through the lavatory window.

The four ringleaders of the military conspiracy were identified in the affidavit as Hinz and his confederates, Colonel-General Konrad Schiller as well as Generals Garibald Köster and Harmon Elric. Although Schiller and Köster were arrested and now await trial by the government, General Elric remains at large, and the government quickly promoted new commanders who confined the remaining troops to barracks. While a portion of the army has since been confirmed missing, the vast majority of the returning Republican forces remain in the Cologne barracks, and the government has confidently declared the conspirators have been caught and the conspiracy dismantled - although they have requested that anyone with information about “ex-General” Harmon Elric’s whereabouts step forward at the next available opportuntiy.
(Germany: Military Quality -down, Dissent -20%)

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Ad that played in Der Beschützer during the war, a dangerous radical magazine

VENETIAN GOVERNMENT RELOCATES TO ROME, SURRENDERS
Rome, Italy
As the war finally winds down in Italy, it is as though Europe collectively breaths a sigh of relief. The French military forces have completed their formal occupation of large sections of northern and western Italy, and allowed the newly-created Italian government formed in Venezia to reoccupy their government buildings in Rome - under French supervision, of course. Forced to accept punitive reformation payments, the Roman government copped it on the chin and has now set about the arduous task of rebuilding. Progress is slow, and the national mood is very poor, but the remainder of the year was quiet under the watchful eye of the French. Whispers abound of socialist partisans in the Umbrian hills, worrisome perhaps to the Italian government which will need to secure Rome by itself starting in 1920 when the French forces withdraw.
(Italy: -2 Private Enterprise, -5% Jingoism, +5% Dissent)
(France: +1 Private Enterprise, -10% Jingoism, -5% Dissent)
(Britain: -6% Jingoism, -3% Dissent)

CZECH ASSEMBLY VOTES TO DISSOLVE TIES WITH GERMANY, FORM INDEPENDENT CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague, Czechia
The German government in Cologne has savored bitter medicine this past year as it reckons with the consequences of the Czech independence. Despite sentiments within the military and elite political circles throughout west Germany that a hardline approach be taken, the erstwhile military coup that sought to suppress the Czechs was itself dismantled by the central government. The notion has not gone unrecognized by the new Czech government, which has already publicly congratulated the German government on defeating the “Hinz Affair” and allowing the democratic process to go unhindered in their country.
(Czech Republic: becomes Czech Republic)
(Germany: -5 Private Enterprise, -2 Military Spending, -1 Public Services, +10% Jingoism, +5% Dissent)

MIGRATIONS FROM ROUND THE WORLD MAKE LONDON CITY OF THE FUTURE
London, Britain - radio program excerpt
Expansion continues to be the name of the game in London as new housing developments become exceptionally common. Who are the new neighbors? Why, they’re none other than Robert O’Hennessy, Mohammed Ahmed, and a charming fellow known simply as “Kunte.” Coming from places as far apart as distant, mystical India, and the Emerald Isles. And now, they live together; just one door apart! Yes, it may seem odd, but this is the housing development of the future, made possible by the incredible achievements of our modern civilization. And not only do all these fellows come from distant lands, they all learn to speak English to cooperate in their daily lives. They go to their jobs, they pay their taxes, and they react to the news like any other blue-blooded Briton. Small wonder that they come to become so fond of our way of life. Yes, indeed, this is the distinction of our Republican system of government. Recalling the times of the wise old Greeks, London is the Athens of the modern day, a cosmopolitain location somewhere between the brisk imperialism of Île-de-France, and the industrial workshops of the Ruhr Valley. If you’re looking for a place that says “the Future,” look no further than London, England.
(Britain: +1 Private Enterprise, +3% Dissent, +2% Jingoism)

FRENCH UNION WORKERS BREAK WITH SOCIALISTS
Île-de-France, Empire
In a major upset to the Imperial political establishment, three of the major French labor federations have announced their splitting with the French Socialist Travailleurs’ Union, instead announcing the creation of the International Travailleurs’ Federation. Accusing the STU as “infested with compromise,” the breaking point was over the extension of new develoment councils for the African metropole. Arguing that French industry could not be trusted to mediate these councils within Africa, the FIT has taken a hard line against incorporating the colonies, instead arguing that France should release them in order to reduce the power of Imperial corporations. The STU line of “social incorporation for the colonies” has held steady so far, but it is clear their opponents will be able to make moves taking advantage of these splitters.
(France: Jingoism -2%, Dissent +4%)

GERMAN CIVIL SERVICE EXPANDS WITH EYE ON RECONSTRUCTION
Cologne, Germany
The German bureaucracy has undergone a round of expansion in the wake of the Hinz Affair, and dealt with it magnificently as it, admittedly, enjoyed the benefits of retiring certain Czech offices which it was agreed just not be checked. In the mean time, they’ve successfully accounted for an efficient reorganization of the German tax districts, particularly in north Germany, where the reorganizations have already gone into effect. Due to mitigating factors, the reorganizations could not be applied in Wurttemberg or Bavaria, which governments seem to distance themselves from Cologne more by rhe day.
(Germany: +1 Private Enterprise)

RADIOAVIATION: THE CHANNEL PHENOM!
Rouen, France
Radiomechanistry technology continues to advance as the latest “phenom” of Radioaviation takes to the skies! Radioaviation shops can now be found in key locations throughout France, England, and the Dutch Republic, where you can buy and kit out your very own radioaviation fixed-wing remote-control aircraft. Impress your friends! Master the technology of flight from the safety of the ground! And participate in the newest “phenom” sweeping the West!
(France, Britain: -2% Dissent)

DUTCH REPUBLIC BANS RADIOAVIATION
Netherlands, Dutch Republic
The government has recently passed legislation addressing the “radioaviation” craze spreading from Britain and France. After reviewing the technology, the government published a brief stating that it is “dangerous” and “must be regulated in such a way as to guarantee a minimum for the public safety.” “The ability to freely control an aircraft from an arbitrary distance represents a clear threat to national security as well as public hazard whereby radioaviation users can attack or possibly annoy other citizens in the going-about of their daily life,” said Gijsbert Fiorentjoen, Minister of State. “This technology must first be appropriately tamed by the relevant experts who will issue the relevant regulations, for the common good.”
(Netherlands: +1% Dissent)

CONSTANTINOPLE DEPRIVED OF ANCIENT HISTORIC NAME; TURKS CHEER
Istanbul not Constantinople, Turkey
History was unmade this year as the ancient, beloved city of the world’s desire, Constantinople, named after the great Christian Emperor, and recently fallen into the hands of Turkish mobsters, has had its ancient name stripped from it by loathsome barbarians. They claim the city is now called “Istanbul.” Let us all pray the heroes of Greece can alleviate them soon of their foolishness.
(Turkey: -2% Dissent)
(Greece: +5% Dissent, +5% Jingoism)

“Don’t tell me you understand unless you’ve lived in Siberia: there is nowhere east meets west. It is all both.”
Anonymous
Contributor to Vladivostok edition of Skandalist

BRITISH EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD SIEGED BY REBELS; DELEGATE FAMILIES EVACUATE
Baghdad, Mesopotamian Commonwealth Protectorate
Political disturbances in Baghdad reached a peak this past year as members of the Iraq National Movement attacked Commonwealth guard divisions and stormed the British embassy and capital buildings in Baghdad. Hoisting a red-black-green tricolor, the rebels have declared themselves the new legitimate government of the Iraqi People’s Republic - requesting recognition from the governments of Turkey, France, Russia, and Iran, and claiming the entirety of the Mesopotamian Commonwealth Protectorate’s territory for itself. Naturally, Iran has strongly protested this activity, and key political figures in the Iranian military have begun to call for the I.P.R. to be put down, and started lobbying to this effect with a regency in desperate need of their support.
(Britain: -2 Guards Divisions)
(Iraq: Becomes Iraq)

OBIN PROGRAM: “SOVIET DEMOCRACY” PUSHED AS MODEL FOR THE UNION
Soyuzgrad, Russia
Formally outlining ideas RSDLP Leader Anton K. Obin had developed in earlier publications, the Soviet government has published a number of pamphlets this year collecting these works as well as new essays explicating the nature of the Soviet revolution and its destiny. These works have emphasized the structural importance of the Soviet state and the vitality of maintaining peaceful transitions of power. They have also called for the creation of independent judiciaries, which has led to some complaints and diversion among some ideologues of the party. The debate covers whether an independent judiciary can be appointed by the party, or if it must be elected freely. In any case, the assumption in many places seems to have been “elected freely” as Soviets have started electing leaders that are not formally connected with the RSDLP party. As delegates begin trickling into Soyuzgrad, it is anticipated they will form factions and, perhaps, even parties within the crucible of the new Soviet government.
(Russia: -2% Dissent)

socialist-poster.jpeg
"In order to have more, we must produce more.
In order to produce more, we must know more."

SOCIALIST EMBASSY APPEARS IN ISTANBUL; GREEKS OUTRAGED
Istanbul, Turkey
The Ukrainian rebels in Sevastopol have sent a delegation to Istanbul that was welcomed with open arms. Announcing their co-alignment in anti-western attitudes about the Black Sea, the Ukrainian embassy in Istanbul now proudly waves their red banner. The event has been met with outrage in Athens, where extremist politicians have begun in earnest making preparations to mobilize the nation, calling for “total war against the eastern barbarians.”
(Turkey: -5% Dissent, +1% Jingoism)
(Greece: +5% Jingoism)

KIEV BURNS!: UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT SCATTERED
Kiev, Ukraine
The forces of the Black Ataman finally broke the delicate balance in Ukraine as a sudden escalation of tensions following the expulsion of a Black Ataman envoy has led to the Battle of Kiev. Lasting only two weeks, the city has been heavily damaged by fighting and looting, with the Kiev government totally dissolved and its officers dispersed. Although a few key figures were captured, in general it seems that the government has collapsed. The Black Ataman has now crowned himself King of Ukraine, and declared all of its inhabitants his subjects - a claim he now seems intent to press by force.
(Ukraine: Government changed to Black Ataman, -1 Public Services, -1 Private Enterprise)
(Black Ataman: Becomes Ukraine)

INFIGHTING IN BEIJING SORTS NEW WARLORD: “TYRANT OF THE NORTH”
Beijing, Great Qiu State
General Zhang Xiaoquan, a key figure in the Manchurian War, has arrested all political representatives and government officers of the Nanjing government in Beijing. Those released made a pledge of loyalty and denounced the Nanjing government, declaring their loyalty to General Zhang, who has crowned himself Emperor of the Great Qiu State. Although only a handful of arrested bureaucrats went along with the scheme, the military establishment in Beijing has fully thrown its lot behind him. The Nanjing government wasted no time in declaring the rebellion illegal, instituting a limited conscription draft to raise a new army.
(China: +10% Dissent, +10% Jingoism, -14 Infantry Divisions, -6 Guards Divisions, -5 Cavalry Divisions)
(Qiu: Becomes Qiu)

NANJING GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY WEAKENING AS STATES ASSUME SELF-MANAGEMENT
Chengdu, Sichuan
The many Chinese states have wasted no time observing the breakdown of order in the government and have with few exceptions made steps to assure their self-government, citing among other things endless lists of precedents about necessary rights, and procedure, and soforth; all in justification of securing their own rights to trade and diplomacy with the outside world. Ordinarily an act of unmistakable disunity, and now is no exception, even with a draft in Anhui, and a “new emperor” in Beijing. On paper, they still support Nanjing; but are making less than token efforts to support the government’s anti-rebellion activity.
(China: +10% Dissent, +5% Jingoism)
(Sichuan: Becomes Sichuan)
(Guangxi: Becomes Guangxi)
(Shanxi: Becomes Shanxi)
(Xibei: Becomes Xibei)
(Tibet: Becomes Tibet)
(Yunnan: Becomes Yunnan)

POLICE CRACK DOWN ON ILLEGAL GATHERINGS IN TOKYO
Tokyo, Japan
Book clubs, supposedly of “leftist, anti-government” stance, have been raided and shut down continuously over the past few months in Tokyo, leaving many such institutions hollowed-out shells of their former shelves. With the Tokyo library a non-public institution, these book clubs have been the only way some people could obtain access to reading material such as literature; but with a number of anti-blasphemy laws being passed and now enforced, these institutions are seen as dangerous and subversive. A number of individuals have already been charged with sedition against the state, and rumors of high profile connections being exiled to Hokkaido are rife. But reports have also spread that some of this literature is being smuggled and translated in Korea, by ex-Japanese military officials that were stranded there. Our outlet will continue to try to find the story.
(Japan: -2% Dissent)

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Example of banned literature

NANJING RADIOAVIATION CLUB FORMED
Nanjing, China
While the rest of China divides, a portion of Nanjing has united this year in their love of radioaviation. This new hobby has proved sensational among the Nanjing elite, who consider it an “enlightened, modern pursuit,” and have commissioned new shops within the newly-expanded city center andin Shanghai, where a local harbor section has added earmarks for radioaviation parts imports.
(China: -2% Dissent, +1 Private Enterprise)

NEW BRITISH CARRIER A SYMBOL OF IMPERIALIST WAR TERROR
London, Britain
Latest in a series of intimidating maneuvers, the British have launched a carrier almost as soon as the apocalyptic Great War has finally come to a “close.” The people of Europe can all safely celebrate as we’ve learned our lesson from the horrors of war, surely never to be repeated at least until the next rising institution of wretched violence is struck down by the reigning empire yet again - perhaps with consequences even more devastating than the last time.
(Non-Britain nations: +1% Jingoism)

“Look, the munitions market is going to crater hard, and then everyone will be out of munitions. That’s when we strike!”
Helga König
Senior Editor for Der Beschützer, a Hamburg-based magazine with a good reputation among western intelligentsia.​

MARKET ACTIVITY THIS YEAR
Île-de-France, Empire
Credit crunches have roosted in Germany and Italy as huge reparation payments to Britain and France were finally formalized. Correspondingly, the national banks have raised their interest rates and issued additional currency. Meanwhile, French investors have had a field day, investing heavily in the radioaviation phenom with over 10 million francs raised by various nouvents* promising various innovations and new product features. Multiple militaries have also expressed interest in the technology, with a govermment-sponsored miltech fair scheduled for early 1920 in Marseilles. In the eastern markets, Japanese and Russian firms have turned to their governments, hat-in-hand, looking for handouts; and Russian industrialists are, notably, quite nervous about the whole affair, especially as landowners and old money withdraw their support from the cities.
(Russia: -2 Private Enterprise)
(Germany: -1 Private Enterprise, -1 Military Enterprise)
(Italy: -2 Private Enterprise, -1 Military Enterprise)
(Japan: -2 Private Enterprise)
(China: +1 Private Enterprise)
(USA: +2 Private Enterprise)
(Britain: +3 Private Enterprise)
(France: +4 Private Enterprise)
(Spain: +1 Public Services, -1 Private Enterprise)
(Portugal: +1 Private Enterprise)
(Mexico: +1 Private Enterprise)
(All nations with less than 40% Dissent: +1 Private Enterprise)

GERMAN ANTI-CONSPIRACY TRIALS STALLED BY PROCEDURE
Cologne, Germany
Despite the initial successes of the German state in sequestering the military conspiracy, now referred to in the government as the “Hinz Affair,” the search for further conspiracy confederates has been stalled by lack of hard evidence. Although some letters especially belonging to ex-General Engelricht Hinz were obtained which clearly implicated a conspiracy, there was also the implication of a much deeper conspiracy which has troubled the central government. Although a few adjutants were arraigned on charges related to their superiors, as detailed in the letters, many suspicious lieutenants have certainly been spared any much-needed attention. There is talk of promoting a new Major-General to finish the investigation in a way that allows the military to save face, and the favored candidates are General Geraud Möhler - a Junker - and General Valeska Adler - a woman; both war heroes, but demonstrating a clear willingness to work with the central government. Hardliners within the central government, however, demand that an unknown candidate is advanced instead, in a way that he can be made accountable to the civilian authority in Cologne.
(Germany: +2% Dissent)

ARISTOCRATS ANTAGONIZED BY SWEEPING SOVIET LAND REFORM
Moscow, Russia
As anyone predicted, the aristocrats - first locked out of the duma, then having vast quantities of land stripped from them in “reform” to be simply given to the peasants - have all but resigned in disgust from the government, which was very well because nobody wanted them there anyway. They recapitulated in Moscow where they formed a “Concerned Citizens’ Council,” which with some pretensions of autonomy began issuing dockets of principles for its members and their demesnes to abide by. Although the Moscow Soviet elected not to shut down the club, two divisions of the newly reorganized National Army were relocated to the city, where they have established barracks in the guard houses adjoining the Kremlin and Red Square. The Council has since been quiet on its pronunciations.
(Russia: -4% Dissent)

HUNGARIAN REVOLUTIONARIES SEIZE CAPITAL
Budapest, Hungary
A revolutionary mood has taken Hungary as the capital has been stormed by a rebellious urbanite mob. Stoked to action by the poor reputation of the government and emboldened by the national mood of “action,” the rebels have declared the previous government illegal, and already taken steps to nullify the power of the Catholic Church and reorganize its attached departments to serve secular purposes for the Hungarian state. While plenty of priest-bureaucrats, sympathetic to the movement, have been happy to oblige, a determined core of “Catholic Nationalists” has risen up in outcry against “an illegal rebellion.” They have demonstrations scheduled throughout the coming year for Budapest, and the new authorities anticipate a challenging time managing the chaos on top of their national agenda.
(Hungary: +5% Dissent, +5% Jingoism, -1 Private Enterprise)

UKRAINIAN SOCIALISTS GIVE BATTLE TO EAST COUNTRY WARLORD
Sevastopol, Ukraine
While Kiev burns, battle was taken to the Black Ataman’s homeland by the Ukrainian Soviet Combine - which worked in concert with a cooperative Russian detachment to receive emergency shipments of rifles, mortar shells, and equipment (trading for some with rations, which the Ukrainians had plenty of, due to apparently some miscommunications about payments involved). The attaché became permanent as the Russian allies were evidently eager to help take the fight to the Black Ataman. With much of the Black Ataman’s home holdings falling, the campaign has been an unmitigated victory for the rebels who have swiftly began implementing redistribution. As winter set in and the Black Ataman dug in in Kiev and the Socialists established their supply lines with Sevastopol, all are waiting for the next move.
(Black Ataman: -3 Divisions)
(Ukraine Soviet Combine: -2 Divisions)

STUTTGART UNIONS STAGE DEMONSTRATIONS, DEMAND ELECTIONS
Stuttgart, Germany
While the political situation in Cologne was locked down, in Stuttgart it boiled over: evidently outraged by the conduct of the Hinz Affair, representatives from Stuttgart have repeated earlier calls for new federal elections to be held. New elections have been something the current government has been reluctant to allow since the end of the war, citing unrest due to separatist movements. But that excuse wears ever thinner as the states have taken to electing their own governments and acting independently of the center. General Valeska Adler, considered to represent the military the most on this issue, has urged Cologne to hold new elections, and to allow anyone to run for any office - a notion that is reasonably popular throughout Germany, and as noted by French observers, "demagoguery is also reasonably popular in Germany right now."
(Germany: +4% Dissent)

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Political cartoon

BRITISH INVESTORS MOVE ON GERMANY MIDST CREDIT SWAMP
Hamburg, Germany
International observers were delighted to note the German public works policy had placed financial strain on a system already straining under reparations, and these observers were then quick to swoop in on German industries left deflated by the war quotas. An interesting effect has also been a promulgation of British product advertising material, all in German of course and now a daily part of life in some north German cities.
(Germany: -2 Private Enterprise, -2% Jingoism)
(Britain: +1 Private Enterprise)

“A way the New World could have been superior to the Old was in the avoidance of pointless wars.”
Ophelia Laurents
Local contributor to Niña, a well-read "North American issues" magazine written in English, Spanish, and French and based out of New Orleans​

MAJOR BATTLES IN TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA AS U.S. INVADES MEXICO
Mexico City, Mexico
War and devastation have come to the New World just as they came to the Old. The U.S. republic has stood up two grand armies, named “Rocky Plains” and “Seacourt Sunset,” to invade the Mexican republic and convey the demands of the American state - “all the way to Mexico City,” said a State Department brief. Although battle was swiftly joined by skirmishing infantry units in the forests of northern California, on the Great Plains the fighting took on a different character, with each nation deploying cavalry corps to the wide salients along the plain. Looting and pillaging has been the name of the game as marauding American cavalry seized farm after outpost before the Mexican cavalry joined them in battle. The result seems to be a cavalry stalemate, which is to the U.S.’s advantage as the main group of the Rocky Plains army was able to find and advance the front. Two key battles seem to define the future course of the conflict however: the first, the battle of Mt. Shasta, wherein American scout units seeking a California Pacific Railway station encountered an illicit marijuana farm (the manufacture and export of which have been banned now for 13 years). Guards opened fire on the scouts, prompting the army to occupy the farm and torch it. They were then subject to partisan attacks from what reports indicated were a mixture of local militia as well as Mexican guard units before joining battle in the valleys south of the mountain. The American army reported heavy losses and was forced to retreat, causing them to be lambast in the home media. Meanwhile, in Tulsa, Texas, where two Mexas army commands held court, the battle lines drawn were tested by a heavy American assault that was characterized by a sequence of wave assaults over open plains. Casualties were massive, especially for the Americans, but in the end the greater and more significant presence of American guns - perfectly able to shell Tulsa and the Mexican command positions from the aggressive vantage it found - forced the Mexican forces to retreat south, to White Oak City, where they have already begun the arduous preparations to defend against the American assault.
(America: -3 Infantry Divisions, -1 Cavalry Division, +4% Dissent, -2% Jingoism)
(Mexico: -3 Guards Divisions, -1 Infantry Division, -1 Cavalry Division, +8% Dissent)

ANTI-PAPISTRY ON THE UPSWING IN ITALY
Rome, Italy
Though you're not likely to hear about it in the anti-Christian European media, Italy has been a scene of true satanism these past few years as fewer people than ever before identify with the Catholic religion and the vision the Pope has for Italy and the world. Pope Antiochus II has striven diligently to bring the priorities of global Catholicism into line, uniting the old wisdom with the blessed beneficial light of the French Empire. It is sad that some Italians cannot understand this, and are drawn instead to the whorish lies of Emmanuella Luzzatto and her likes, but we good catholics of New Orleans should continue to pray that the Italian people can find their way.
(North American Catholics: +Dismay)
(Italy: -Respect for the Church)

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Portrait of Pope Antiochus II

BORDER WOES IN LOUISIANA AS U.S. TROOPS CLOSE BORDER
Louisiana, United States
The Louisiana-Mexico border is perhaps the most-traversed national border section in North America - or at least it was, that is until the arrival of U.S. army troops and national forces which have locked down the border in preparation for a campaign invasion of Texas proper. Although angry demonstrators have already been dispersed, a clear discomfort still pervades the communities along the border.
(America: +2% Dissent, -1% Jingoism)
(Mexico: +2% Dissent)

FRENCH-GERMAN TRADE “SEPTIC” SAY OBSERVERS
Amsterdam, Netherlands
A panel of scientists and experts working out of the Dutch National University School of Social and Economical Science have published their report recently appraising the state of the post-war economy of Europe. Although the report contained some sanguine outlooks on the overall state of the British and U.S. economies, it also contained a scathing condemnation of the socialist policies of the current Dutch government, as well as those of French, Germany, Spain, and the Western Commission’s plans for Italy. In particular, the report accused the balance of trade as becoming “septic” and explained its perspective that the German economy could not possibly absorb both the reparations and the price-fixed export requirements. Traditional expertise in economical science has been content to dismiss these notions thus far.
(France: +Economic anxiety)
(Germany: -1 Private Enterprise)

“OLD TIME KILLING FLOOR BLUES”
New Orleans, United States
A pair of black sharecroppers was shot dead by police while attempting to leave the country by boat in New Orleans. The two were wanted for burglary, conspiracy to commit murder, arson, and murder. They were wanted for the death of Wisteria Janet, an Arkansas citizen. They had been on the run for a month and had fled south from a pasture-slaughterhouse somewhere in the vicinity of Conway. The two have been posthumously found guilty by a local jury for all charges, including an additional charge of evading arrest, but an advocacy community based in New Orleans is protesting the official account of events. They accuse Arkansas officials of hounding the pair and hunting them without cause, on account of accusations of perversion. There is talk of filing suit, though it remains unclear who the plaintiff would be. The police say a private investigator from Cairo has appeared in the city as well, name of Ridley Valentine, asking questions about the route the two took to escape and the approach of the authorities in apprehending them. The names of the dead sharecroppers are Aloysius Choosibald and Solomon Presley.
(America: +2% Dissent)


*Nouvent: A portmanteau of nouvelle and enterprise, meaning a company which has only recently started up and is looking for seed funding to engage in a supposedly new and innovative kind of industry.
 
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Update #1, 1919, MAP and STATS: Will be edited into this post tomorrow (Nov-10) Friday (Nov-11). ASAP pending completion of a final rule addition.

That's Update #1 pressed and done! I want to thank all the players for contributing. Orders for Update #2 we'll say are due November 26. Remember, if you have any trouble with orders, don't be afraid to ask me.

Anything you've ordered you don't see in the update still probably actually occurred without issue: you'll see it reflected in stats and narrative-to-come. Not everything sees results right away.

As always, private information is available to each country on further inquiry, and I'll notify players of important issues that their governments are secretly dealing with - secretly.
 
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The Republican Commonwealth would like to congratulate the newborn Czech Republic on stepping forward as a new free and independent republic, and offer our congratulations to the United German Republics for taking the moral stance rather than attempt to implement a brutal authoritarian crackdown. As a free republic they will, of course, have the full support of the Commonwealth in the face of outside aggression by counter-Republican forces and we eagerly look forward to our future partnership. Long live the Republic!
 
@cardgame The British Commonwealth would like to offer its congratulations on your hardfought victories against the damnable monarchists in Ukraine! If you could send us a copy of your manifesto and plans on the post-war Ukrainian state we can discuss potential aid in breaking the cursed counter-Republican forces that have so viciously usurped control of the state rather than allow the people's will be heard.
 
To: British Republican Commonwealth
From: Czech Republic


We thank you for your recognition and your commitment to Czechian freedom. We hope for many more years of fruitful co-operation between our nations, unladen by German narcissism.


To: Czech Republic, British Republican Commonwealth, L'Empire Français
From: Polish Republic


Greetings. We of the Polish National Defense Establishment congratulate Czechia on its independence from Germany, and now seek the assistance of Czech government as well as that of the Western Commission in addressing a matter of demographic discrepancy in Zaolzie. This small historically Polish province was attached to Czechia by German authorities during the days of the Holy Roman Empire and has remained an uncorrected problem for as long as Czechia was tied to the German realms. Now, we see an opportunity to correct this discrepancy, for the good of everyone in Zaolzie and the rest of both Czechia and Poland.

We request that Zaolzie be ceded to Poland. No referendum will be necessary, we have already ascertained that this is the most just solution.

Long live the Republic and may the Western Commission ever-triumph.


To: Kazakh Republic
CC: The Xibei San Ma
From: Great Qiu State


Attention western barbarians. You have violated the sovereignty of the Chinese nation in the tromping of your soldiery about Xibei and Mongolia both. You Russians have done this for a century or more. But now, you are cut off from the great power of your Tsars and Emperors, and you stand alone in the Great Steppe - a beast of terror, and a black mark upon the world. No longer! I, General Zhang, Emperor of the Great Qiu State, will tear out your jaw and drive you back to your frigid wasteland of a home.

Great Qiu State declares war on Kazakh Republic.


To: Republic of China
From: Great Qiu State


We would like to thank your government for its agents' cooperation in being arrested by us. We would like to negotiate a ceasefire and begin the process of peacefully integrating our regimes under the protection of our benevolent Emperor.


To: Great Qiu State
From: Republic of China


Get bent.
 
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From: German Foreign Department
To: Czech Republic

While we are sad to see you depart from the German realm, we have trust in your capability to create your self-determined future, and we wish you good luck.

From: German Foreign Department
To: Polish Republic

It is unseemly for a nation that was torn apart by vultures to be seen now circle around nations as the newly reborn Czech Republic. To bully nations like so and contravene the diplomatic order established after the war, this is a poor showing, indeed.

We hope that the Polish Republic will tone down its rhetoric and allow the people of Zaolzhie to make their own choice, not one to be made in Warsaw for them!

From: German Foreign Department
To: the Western Commission

We'd like to ask for your arbitrage on the Zaolzhie question, to demonstrate that a new age has dawned in Europe, where justness and diplomacy, not threats, decide the matters of peoples.
 
EMPEROR-REGENT LUIGI UMBERTO

Italy is looking to sell excess infantry equipment to nations in good standing with the Western Commission. Please contact the appropriate Italian representative in your country for more details.

EMPEROR-REGENT LUIGI UMBERTO

The Italian Empire is once again expressing its desire to sell excess infantry equipment to nations in good standing with the Western Commission.
 
Greetings all,

The stats have been finished, and the map is still pending, but I have updated the rules with the new stat, Leveraged Weight, which will represent your country's financial situation.

You will not spend leveraged weight, and higher leverage is not always better. You will seek to keep it in balance, and keep an eye on it as you engage in your national policy. Once your leverage is more than 50% of your Industrial Capacity, your economy will feel the strain of carrying all that fat. On the other hand, financial markets are fertile ground for trade, and trade is fertile ground for industrialization. Supposedly.

Also, I have pushed the next order deadline to December 23rd, and I will be pushing the Update 2 out over Christmas. I hope to finish the map soon, but thanks everyone for hanging in there and I encourage you all once again to pester me for your national updates.

Spoiler Leverage :
You do not spend capital, or money, like you do in most games; instead you allocate financial resources per the Leveraged Weight stat, explained summarily.

Leveraged Weight

Leveraged Weight measures leveraged assets and financial markets in the same way that industrial capacity measures industrial output. This is some number between 0 and your total industrial capacity. The closer this index is to your industrial capacity, the more of your economy's real assets are leveraged within the financial markets, thanks to the amazing sophistication of modern finances. You cannot control leverage directly, but you can influence the direction in which it grows. A higher leverage will "grease the wheels" of the economy, and may lead to inflation, if it doesn't crash entirely (which top economists think is impossible); a lower leverage indicates a lower capital flow and smaller investment pool.

Leverage will rise as a result of:
  • Increased imports from the global markets, particularly global financial markets
  • Lowering import tariffs or raising export tariffs
  • Lowering income or dividends taxes*
  • Raising consumption taxes*
  • Taking out loans
  • Printing government bank notes or issuing more currency
  • Lowering interest rates on government loans

Leverage will fall as a result of:
  • Increased exports to the global markets, particularly global financial markets
  • Raising import tariffs or lowering export tariffs
  • Raising income or dividends taxes*
  • Lowering consumption taxes*
  • Enjoying improved profits from your investments
  • "Eating" or paying off debt
  • Raising interest rates on government loans (far more effective for Great Powers)

*Note that even as taxation can influence your leverage, taxation is not the same thing as monetary policy and is not the best tool of financial engineering. Consider using tariffs or trade policy instead, or if you are one of the greatest powers, consider monetary policy.
 
Not yet! I've started a new job and won't be able to focus on this again until next week.

I understand it's difficult for people to stay invested through long downtime, so I will also be trying to hook players back in with the actual national updates that I promised before. Busy holiday season and all, but stiff upper lip.

The new order deadline is January 28, 2023.
 
Question: Is it too late to join?
 
Not too late. I expect to finally get back to this within a matter of days. Of course I know I keep saying that, but them's the breaks.

The new (and final) order deadline is February 11, and expect your national updates to arrive in the next few days.

If you want to join before the next update, go ahead and send me a private message on here. If you want to wait, until the update, that's also fine. I hope to post that update on or around February 12.

I'll set this as the dead man's switch update. If we aren't back on track by the 12th, then we won't be getting back on track.
 
I'll be taking Poland. Thank you for this amazing story and game, Crezth!
 
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@Crezth is there a particular country you'd recommend, or one that needs badly to be filled?
 
FRANCE
 
French diplomat Louis Bergouis walks into a conference room at the French embassy in Krakow, Poland. He is surrounded by Polish statesmen, and the doors are guarded by four Polish army privates.

BERGOUIS: Good evening gentlemen. Good evening President Kazowski.
KAZOWSKI: Good evening Mr. Bergouis.
BERGOUIS: I have heard of your support for self-determination across the world. Seems anti-French to me.
KAZOWSKI: Yes, especially Poland.
BERGOUIS: You seem like one of those socialists to me.
(The doors shut)
BERGOUIS: What was that for?
KAZOWSKI: Nothing.
BERGOUIS: What next?
KAZOWSKI: Our industrial program is going to be refined! People under 16 are not allowed to work in factories, and people who work in factories get good pay from the state.
BERGOUIS: You seem to try to push Poland away from our French Empire.
KAZOWSKI: Exactly.
(The soldiers arm their guns)
BERGOUIS: What… what are you doing!
(Bergouis is dragged by two of the soldiers)
BERGOUIS: Kazowski, help me!
(Kazowski grins as Bergouis is taken to another room. Gunshots and screams are heard.)
KAZOWSKI: Long live Poland. Free are we from the French shackles!
(The statesmen cheer as the gunshots end)
 
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Storming an embassy and murdering an officially recognized diplomat is unacceptable behavior by a civilized power. The Glorious Republican Commonwealth of Britain will not tolerate it and we expect both an explanation for such outrageous behavior and for the murderers to be extradited to French authority at the earliest opportunity. Grievances between nations are not resolved by the spontaneous and random murder of ambassadors.
 
Please don't disturb the carefully crafted balance in Central Europe by taking a sudden, violent revolutionary course. That would be undesirable.
 
Please don't disturb the carefully crafted balance in Central Europe by taking a sudden, violent revolutionary course. That would be undesirable.
I thought you supported the freedom of people, especially socialist nations. Oh well. I really do want peace. A peace where Poland is independent of foreign shackles.

And to Britain, it was not a spontaneous murder. The death of Louis Bergouis was a noble one. We will pay reparations to his wife and children. But most of all, his death symbolized the birth of a new nation. The birth of a free Poland. And no, we will not send the murderers to France, as our new president was behind it.
 
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