Shadow of the Fall: A Peshawar Lancers IOT

[JohannaK]

OOC: and here I thought Texas had been free but until it was attacked by Mexico just last year.

 

[Eltain]

Well, color me embarassed. Texas for Texans! No damn dirty Imperials invadin our sanctificated lands! Previous independence or not!

 

[JohannaK]

The Republic of Texas, the State of Louisiana, and the Levantine Republic have signed a treaty of friendship and commerce in the Texan city of Galveston, by which the latter two also acknowledge the independence of the first and pledge to preserve it.

Treaty of Galveston​

The High Contracting Parties, the most excellent Republics of Texas, of the Levant, and the State of Louisiana, here convening to discuss and agree on their common grounds and interests, for that purpose have appointed their ministers and plenipotentiaries, whose full and frank exchange and communication have born the articles below, to which these ministers and their respective countries have agreed.

Article 1.

There is one firm and self-evident truth in the art of diplomacy, it being that the contracting parties to any treaty whatsoever of the nature that it may be must by necessity be independent nations in the state of being, and thus the preexisting State of Louisiana and Republic of the Levant fully acknowledge the Republic of Texas as such, just as the Republic of Texas acknowledges the laws and independence of the republics of Louisiana and of the Levant.

Article 2.

It is by necessity of self-interest that the High Contracting Parties admit, respect, and encourage the continued existence of each other as it is conductive to the prolonged application of the present Treaty between them, and bearing in mind the future friendship that it must bequeath the three signing republics from said application of this Treaty. Hence the State of Louisiana and the Republic of the Levant pledge to protect the status of independence prior acknowledged by them of the Republic of Texas, in light of the more immediate threat posed to it by parties not contracting to this treaty.

Article 3.

If the interest of the High Contracting Parties be to grow strong separately and yet stronger so together, thus the aforementioned parties have agreed for the causes of Peace, Prosperity, and Equality, to ease their singular differences and protections economic from each other. Their way towards such noble goals will be to ease the means of trading amongst them, through the reduction of tariffs on the merchandise that flows and shall henceforth flow more markedly from one to the other.

Article 4.

This Treaty when the same shall have been ratified on all sides without alteration by either of the contracting parties, and the Ratifications mutually exchanged, shall be binding on all parties, and the Ratifications shall be exchanged at Havana with the utmost haste. In faith whereof, We the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty, and have hereunto affixed our Seals.

Done in triplicate at Galveston the twenty second day of March two thousand and twenty seven.

Vicent Gassol i Companys, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Levant.

 

[Gurra09]

Signed by Hugo Villemont, Secretary of State of the State of Louisiana.

 

[Eltain]

Signed, Norbert walker, First President of the Federal Republic of Texas

 

[inthesomeday]

A History of the Roman Catholic Church, 1878-1915​

Compiled by the Catholic Historical Society​

Summarized from a number of sources, secondary and primary, including but not limited to: “The Fall of the European Order”, “Catholicism in the New Order”, “An Examination of Catholic Nationalism”, “Sicilian Islam in the 20th Century”, “The Papal Conclave of 1878”, and “The Papal Societies in Ireland”​

Part 1: 1878

Spoiler :

Pope Pius IX was one of the most influential Church leaders in the history of Catholicism. In his long pontificate (the longest since Peter), he saw the fall of the Papal States and the rise of the Kingdom of Italy, as well as a centralization of the Church and a shifting perception of it in heavily Catholic countries. He introduced the concept of Papal Infallibility and changed the idea of the office of Pope. His death, February 7, 1878 was two weeks before the first shards of the Comet Nostradamus fell in Europe.


The Cardinal community was, at the time, abuzz with intrigue. Liberal thinkers and conservative thinkers came to a head of conflict with the Papal conclave of 1878, which began 11 days after Pius IX’s death. In the latter part of his pontificate, Pius IX made steps towards papal absolutism and conservative, reactionary policy. His opinions about the Kingdom of Italy and his (widely perceived) anti-Semitism alienated moderates and pro-secular Catholics worldwide, and the Church was scrambling for leadership with the death of the first Infallible Pope.


In this climate for the Church, the moderate liberal Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci was elected, taking up the name Leo XIII. 61 of the 64 eligible electors were in attendance for this decision, which was announced on February 20th. The Cardinal Priests of Dublin, New York, and Rennes were unable to make the journey in time. Pecci’s election marked a victory for liberalism in the Church and would likely have marked a new era in Catholicism, were it not for the beginning of the Fall.


On Feburary 21st, 1878, hail fell like none other seen in recorded history across the entirety of the northern hemisphere, from Yakutsk to Vancouver and from the North Pole to Geneva. Travel by sea was especially ill advised, trapping 61 Cardinals on a peninsula with mountains to the north and sea on all sides. The next week saw a progression in the severity of icefall until the chunks of ice were starting to reach sufficient sizes to crush people and to destroy significant property. By March, a darkness had set in upon not just the North but the whole world, and by the coldest August in collective human memory, revolutions and civil wars had begun to sweep the world. Even regions unaffected by Nostradamus were seized by this riotous trend, due to the economic and social conditions that occurred as a result of the enormous collapse ensuing in the wake of the comet.


All across Europe in 1878, and later the world, nations toppled before the might of the cosmos. Italy, and truthfully most of the continent at the time, was a hotbed of political unrest already. Socialism, nationalism, and populism had been gripping the world for some decades now. The rise of Germany and Italy as singular nation states had only just begun less than a decade before, and the economic and political situation of Europe was already tenuous. Many modern historians assert that with the trajectory of Europe and imperialism in the pre-Fall world, a collapse was inevitable.


As the Kingdom of Italy fell, bands of disgruntled anarchists and reactionaries began to siege the oldest institution in Europe, and Leo XIII along with 53 of the Cardinals in Rome were put to “justice” by a mob in September 1878 (dates uncertain) and the remaining 8 Cardinals were forced to flee the Vatican with a midsized contingent of bodyguards, assistants, and lower ranking Church officials. This group found brief refuge in the countryside of southern Italy before being ousted in November by local warlords. Finally, as the seas had somewhat cleared up, they made their way onto the ocean, Popeless and hopeless but for some Catholic beacon of light in the new and dark order.

Part 2: 1878-1884

Spoiler :

Catholic infrastructure all but collapsed as a result of the Fall. The six Cardinals that survived decided against electing a new Pope among themselves due to obvious obstructions. The merchant ship they had employed to flee Italy was attacked by pirates in the Mediterranean very shortly after it set sail, and they set about making for land rather than continue on in the treacherous waters without ample firepower. They landed in southern France, and throughout 1878 and 1879 established a relevant community that boasted a stable population of non-officials as well as attracted several French bishops into the official Church administrative group.


Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, the Catholic experience following the Fall differed greatly by region. In much of Latin America and parts of Africa, the Church was a crucial part of securing order for large populations, and for the most part, without Vatican centralized leadership, the independent bishops took administration into their own hands. Communication between regional Catholic groups dwindled except between those with close proximity to one another. Regionalism and regional cultures started to have more of an impact on the dogmas of the local churches. This was especially true in the Andean region and the Philippines, both of which had natural geographical barriers to intercommunication.


European Catholics outside of the sphere of the group in southern France faced a degree of persecution in some countries, particularly northern and eastern Europe. In Italy, those Catholic officials who did not escape with the Cardinal group found themselves ousted to Sicily or dispersed during the Winter, but with the return of the sun Italy also saw a return in loyal Catholicism among the majority of the population, and a greatly changed system of Catholic leadership was instituted in the Italian mainland in the following years.


Back in France, in 1880 the population of the Church settlement established by the Cardinals who survived had grown to include farmers, sailors, and soldiers, and while one of the original survivors had died the number of Catholic officials had swollen with the influx of French bishops. However, northern France had been largely wasted by the years of climatologic disaster. Bands of warriors roamed the countryside and warlords touting all manners of apocalyptic propaganda had largely taken over not only France but most of Europe. Additionally, though the Cardinals had managed to make contact with some North African and Iberian Church groups, they sought to expand the influence.

In 1881, two major factors led the four remaining original Cardinals and several bishops, farming families, and sailors to leave France: the centralized raiding and bombardment of the settlement by a French warlord, and a rumor that the Winter was beginning to let up in the British Isles and Scandinavia. Because northward travel over land was extremely treacherous, the Cardinals decided to leave by sea and to sail around Iberia to Ireland, where a rumor persisted that the Church held strong control over the island and was very loyal still to Rome.


Nine large capital ships had been salvaged, stolen, or purchased over the years from ports across southern France by sailors in the employ of the Cardinal community. These nine ships set out in late 1881 carrying four Cardinals, a dozen or more French bishops, and two-hundred people who had lived in the Cardinal community, headed for Ireland and with the mission to gather as many Catholic leaders as possible on the way. The group hoped to establish a provisional new Vatican of sorts, with the capability to offer centralized leadership for the world’s Catholics, as well as a new Pope.


The journey lasted over a year, and over the period 1881-1883, the Holy Fleet visited western North Africa and the Iberian peninsula extensively. The Winter was indeed clearing up, and part of the reason that faith in this Catholic leadership was able to remain strong in the territories now under control of the Levantine Republic is often attributed to the imagery of the Holy Fleet bringing a new dawn to the world. North African, Spanish, Portuguese, and west and north French bishops joined the group as it finally rounded Brittany and reached Ireland.


The British Empire was still clinging to sovereignty in Great Britain, and held de jure political power over Ireland even after the Fall had ravaged its power. However, the real situation already saw Ireland independent and though the ruling party was still chaos the Catholic Church was extremely respected under the leadership of Paul Cullen’s successor who had been continuing to espouse his predecessor’s Ultramontanism. The arrival of the Holy Fleet was highly awaited by the Catholic officials in Ireland, as word of the magnificent fleet had reached them.


When it did finally arrive on the shores of Ireland in 1883, the Holy Fleet could only boast three Cardinals. However, due to the large and diverse number of bishops now present in Ireland, the three remaining Cardinals saw fit to elect a new body of Cardinals. As all three of the remaining officials were fairly liberal in opinion, a new relaxation of the rules of Cardinal appointment was instituted. Now, Cardinals had comparably less religious power while bishops and archbishops had more, and the hierarchy would be weakened, placing all Cardinals on roughly equal footing regardless of the diocese they represented.


The three Cardinals voted one new Cardinal into the group of 70 at a time, and each new Cardinal had the ability to vote on the next. In this manner the modern practice of Cardinal election was established, as well as an important and lasting precedent for the Catholic Church in the New Order. Liberalism and egalitarian politics came to dominate the Cardinal Court, a term first used to describe the three Cardinals who landed in Ireland. Finally, in order to select the new Pope but also to circumvent the strict regulations of the traditional Papal Conclave, the new Cardinal Court of 70 members established themselves as the First Papal Society.


After some deliberation, Alberto Bencivenni, who had served as a bishop in Florence, was selected as Pope, a liberal choice by a liberal Cardinal Court. The Papal name he took for himself was Benedict XV, and his actions as well as his Court’s would shape the future of the Roman Catholic Church.

Part 3: 1884-1915

Spoiler :

Before the Fall, in the 1870s, Ireland was as much of a seat for political unrest as Italy or Germany. Great Britain, a Protestant country, had been exercising control over Ireland for over a century, and Catholic nationalism as well as Celtic revivalism made this power unpopular. With the Fall and the rapid decline in British authority, the remaining population of Ireland that survived the weather, famine, and war, while also refusing to flee the country had a strong sentiment of Irish nativism.


Throughout the first few months of the Fall, with food resources and morale dwindling in Ireland, the aging Bishop of Dublin Paul Cullen, one of the Cardinals who had been unable to attend the 1878 Papal Conclave, set about to establish a shelter for injured and starving people or those whose homes were destroyed by Nostradamus. He knew he was soon to die of age, and so to a number of other local Catholic leaders he passed on his mantle of leadership and his ideals for the shelter, and his loyalty to the Vatican was not forgotten. He was killed prematurely when the original location of the Cullen Hospital, the name of the shelter, was destroyed along with much of Dublin in September 1878.


His inner circle continued the mission of the Hospital south of Dublin in part of the countryside that was not ravaged by the storms, and until the arrival of the Holy Fleet in 1883 they expanded the influence of their chapter of Catholicism across the rapidly dwindling population in Ireland. Once the Cardinals arrived and the First Papal Society was established, the Catholic theocracy in the island was solidified. Pope Benedict XV declared the island independent and under official Catholic rule in 1885, and the ruins of the English in Britain were happy to concede and return full attention to England.


Through the 1880s and 1890s the new Church in Ireland spread its authority throughout Europe, and while in many countries Catholics had suffered greatly during the Fall, most of the continent’s religiosity actually grew overall due to the apocalyptic events. As a result, Catholicism in Europe was more important than it had been since before the Enlightenment to politics, society, and economics, and for the survivors of the wastelands in France, the Netherlands, parts of East and Northern Europe, and the population of Iberia, the rise of an official centralized Catholic leadership was greatly important to the reinstitution of order.


Starting in 1886, a series of reforms regarding the governance of the Catholic Church allowed it to better serve as a government, as well as liberalizing its policies regarding hierarchy and the lives of its people. The earliest official reforms mainly focused on the powers and roles of Cardinals and Bishops, as well as changing the hierarchy to be more malleable. The First Papal Society did not disband after the election of Benedict XV but changed in its role. The design of the Church became less absolutist, with a more egalitarian system of rule.


The Pope was God’s correspondent on Earth and the head of the Catholic Church, and while technically also the Bishop of Rome, the Vatican of the time was in Ireland, meaning that a new perception of the Pope as truly the first among equals rose in European Catholic communities. Benedict XV was crucial in this change of perception, as he worked closely with the Cardinals, whose official role was changed as a result of the circumstances. They were now a position elected by their peers rather than appointed by executive bodies, and in the future with the re-expansion of the Church this meant voting Cardinals were under pressure from local Bishops, and therefore from the masses, to select candidates representative of their needs to the Court.


By 1890, Benedict XV began to officially produce new legislation to canonically solidify the popular changes already made in reality. His authority was more grounded than Popes before him, and as the original Cardinals started to die out—all of those present at the 1878 Conclave were dead by 1893—the legacy of the First Papal Society became truly a legacy, represented by the 70 Cardinals of the Cardinal Court and the Pope Benedict XV. The legacy was one of bringing God to people not through sermon or force but by aid, humanitarianism, and the preservation of life and order.


Over the decade, the Church accomplished two things, primarily: the recognition of a return of centralized Catholic authority, and the internal liberalization of the Church. Spanish Catholics, French and Dutch Catholics, and Catholics throughout Northern and Eastern Europe came to recognize Pope Benedict XV and the Cardinals in Ireland as the true continuation of the Catholic Church after the Fall, and communication with Catholic authorities in these countries was reconfirmed. Additionally, the relationship between the Pope, the Cardinals, the Bishops, and the people was stronger than it had been in centuries. No longer would the Catholic Church serve as a political force first.


With the turn of the century, Cardinals and Bishops in Ireland gradually filtered back into their home countries. Additionally, the Church in Ireland began to interact more directly with Catholic institutions in Europe. By 1906, the first missions with African and Middle Eastern Catholic groups were instated, and before 1910 most of the Old World was once again one Catholic Church.


Benedict XV’s pontificate extended from 1884-1915, and in this time the Catholic Church changed massively in both its structure and function. However, at the time of his death in 1915, a conservative element had emerged to challenge the overwhelmingly liberal original First Papal Society. The meaning of liberal and conservatism had changed drastically, of course, but as to the rules of the Church there was heavy debate between two major camps. In the second Conclave overseen by the First Papal Society, large questions included the abilities of the Pope and the Cardinal Court and the international rights and responsibilities of the Church as a central body.


The second Pope of the First Papal Society was an aged Genoese bishop, Salvator Andon. He took the name Paul VI, and in his 13-year pontificate he would serve as a conservative counter to Benedict XV’s liberal policy. However, due to the changes made to the structure of the Church in the prior decades, as well as the generally progressive bias accepted by most Bishops after the Fall, his agenda was kept in check by the still liberal Cardinal Court and Bishops abroad.

(OOC) Here's some extended history. It's really long. Was hoping to close out to 1940 by the update but that seems like it isn't gonna be possible.
Anyway, @JohannaK the complexities of the Church have remained for the most part to the modern day as they're described here. I'll close it out soon, I think.

 

[Gurra09]

LIBERATE THE HEART OF DIXIE


"For over a century since the Fall, the people of Alabama have lived outside the rule of law. It is time we step forward to defend them and their rights, to begin the process of rebuilding the American South. Let us march to Montgomery and bring order back to the land of our brothers and sisters once and for all. May the Pelican fly high as we liberate the Heart of Dixie!"

- President Marie Blanchard, in an Address to the Nation.

Edit: Added the video.

 

[Sonereal]

Orders locked.

 

[Nuka-sama]

Ahh shoot. can I send in non military (spending/political) orders

 

[Sonereal]

Ahh shoot. can I send in non military (spending/political) orders

No. Hardlocks are hardlocks, and I'm past top-line orders processing already.

 

[NinjaCow64]

Madagascan Times
Political Section - February 19th
​

"White Exodus" Charities Banned!

Parliament recently passed legislation banning charities that subsidise European Madagascans leaving the country and have put an indefinite ban on businesses/organisations associated with these charities. Many European Madagascans who have felt marginalised in the Kingdom of Madagascar have migrated to countries seen as more friendly to Europeans, primarily the Kingdom of Mysore and the Australasian Empire, this phenomenon has been dubbed by the general public as the "White Exodus". The migration had been mainly restricted to the richest European Madagascans who were capable of attaining the necessary capital to leave, however there was a recent uptick in the migration amongst middle-class European Madagascan families. This was primarily caused by subsidies to the migrants by these "White Exodus" Charities, who gave European Madagascans the means to leave the country.

"While we respect the right of people to migrate," Prime Minster Rasanjy said in a press conference "We cannot allow these so-called charities to continue operating within our country. These organisations are funded by people with anti-Madagascan and anti-African agendas with the sole aim of causing a labour shortage in our Kingdom. They have spread propaganda, telling European Madagascans and promising them a better future in Mysore or Australasia when they know this is a lie. Many of these migrant families are finding it extremely difficult to integrate into these communities, these anti-Madagascans know this but continue to spread these damaging lies. We cannot allow these groups to continue to sabotage the economy and the unity of our nation."

While this legislation may end or slow the migration, the economic damage may already have been done. It also has been seen extremely unfavourably by European Madagascans. However, this legislation has been met approvingly by economists who believe that this will end further "brain drain" of skilled Madagascan European families. The organisations effected by the legislation have until the 31st of March to cease operations and sell their assets before the legislation comes into legal force or face arrests and asset seizures.

Latest Budget Revisions - More Education; Less Taxes

Parliament has ratified budget amendment, which was co-written by the ruling Madagascan Royalist Party and Queen Ranavalona V. There are two primary changes in the budget. The first change is increased investment into education, primarily technical education. This is apparently aimed at decreasing the labour shortage caused by the migration of many skilled European Madagascan workers abroad. The second change is a large decrease in inheritance tax rate to the point, once this amendment is implemented Madagascar will have lowest inheritance tax rate in the world. This tax decrease appears to be another response to the recent migration crisis, attempting to attract richer Madagascan European ex-patriots back into the country. While the education bill has been fairly uncontroversial, the inheritance tax decrease has seen harsh condemnation by the newly-formed Madagascan National Socialist Party. While they currently have no representation in parliament, their membership is growing fast and they are polling well in many provinces. They see the decrease in the inheritance tax rate as a move that benefits the rich at the expense of the poor, a sentiment shared by many. Despite the opposition, the amendment will be implemented shortly allowing Madagascan citizens to take advantage of these new provisions.

 

[JohannaK]

El Nacional​

An End to War in Puerto Rico
In a great reversal of fortunes in the prospective state, the Republican Army was defeated in Puerto Rico. Amid peace negotiations with factional resistance leaders, their irregular forces engaged in a campaign of attrition that succeeded in driving the army west, far from their local supporting bases.

After luring the army into a series of skirmishes each further north and west, the enemy managed to harass the supply trains and capture crucial spots in the supply line that put the army in dire straits when the resistance presented pitched battle. With no way to fall back to San Juan, Republican forces managed to retreat in good order to their first landing point in Cabo Rojo.

There they remained cornered until pulled out. A peace treaty between the Republic and the Puerto Rican resistance has acknowledged the independence of Puerto Rico, with the Levantine delegates lamenting not the loss but the 'unfortunate incident' that the war had been, and hoping for amiable and close relationships between both countries.

 

[Sonereal]

Update 98% finished, but coming tomorrow so I can sleep on it.

 

[Sonereal]

International Press

​

The International Press is a nonprofit international organization that compiles news from thousands of news outlets all over the world.

​

Stats

GEOPOLITICAL RANKINGS​

Great Powers: New Inca Empire, Australasian Empire, Federal Confederation of the Somali People, Amaros Republic
Emerging Great Powers: Kingdom of Mysore*, Zulu Empire*, Empire of China*, United Dioceses of Italy
Middle Powers: Second Empire of Brasil, Levantine Republic, Empire of Mexico, Russian Imperial Republic
Emerging Middle Powers: Kingdom of Transjordania, Great Bulgaria

Rankings have been rebalanced to take into greater account current military capability and stability.

The Kingdom of Mysore is a falling great power due to changing how the status is calculated. It is now calculated taking into account stability and military power. The Kingdom of Mysore is maintaining its position almost entirely through sheer economic might. Otherwise, the great powers have not change greatly.

Emerging great powers now include the Zulu Empire and Empire of China. The Zulu Empire is pushed ahead thanks mostly to stability and relative military might, while the Empire of China’s massive conquests and five armies propelled it directly to this level. The UDI maintains its position from last year.

The Levantine Republic has finally joined the ranks of middle powerdom along with the Russian Imperial Republic.

Finally, our emerging middle powers are the Kingdom of Transjordania and Great Bulgaria, both unchanged from last year.

NEWS FROM ASIA​

FALL OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS USHERS IN NEW ERA OF MILITARY DOCTRINE. The day Australasia’s 1st Army, under the command of Thomas Lee, begin its Solomon Islands campaign and established beach heads was the beginning of the end. With significant equipment and technological superiority over local forces, General Lee divided his forces to attack multiple points at once. Local forces fought near to the last man in defending their positions, to little effect. By the end of the massive assaults, 80% of resistance forces had been destroyed with nearly no casualties suffered for Australasia.

The local resistance launched one final desperate assault against General Lee’s now-entrenched forces, ending in the resistance being completely shattered with little loss of life and equipment for Australia. [-10 IP for Australasia]

THE CONQUEST OF PAPAU. General Sutherland of the Australasian Empire had a high bar to meet. General Lee had successfully crushed the Solomon Islanders, but Sutherland was fighting an enemy equipped with artillery pieces. Admittedly, the artillery used by the Papau Resistance had no hope of matching Australasian artillery, but it was a new wrinkle to Australasia’s plans. The initial invasion was met with several scattered attacks on the 2nd Army.

Sutherland’s forces marched into Papau and immediately secured several strategic villages and defensive sites. Instead of holding these sites, the initial defensive plans called for a mobile defense sacrificing a hill or two in order to draw out resistance forces. The plan worked incredibly, crushing the initial resistance attacks. The lines solidified, and the mobile defense dug in. Resistance attacks weakened.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was Sutherland’s massive retaliatory attacks which attacked the remaining resistance camps beyond the frontlines. Sutherland’s victory over Papau in October had surpassed Lee’s Conquest of the Solomons.

THE PANYU COOPERATIVE ASSOSCIATION AND REPUBLIC OF PILIPINAS. In the decades since the fall, China has been in a near state of anarchy. Republics, petty kingdoms, dictatorships, and warlords have filled the political space of China. The inability of the Republic of China to restore her “birthright” has given space for the establishment of the PCA, an intergovernmental working group controlling Canton, parts of Korea, and the southern parts of Japan.

Further south, the Republic of Pilipinas, founded in the 1930s, is finally coming out of its decades long self-imposed isolation. The RoP is an incredible democratic, cosmopolitan republic, standing in stark contrast to the Kingdom of Mysore to the west and Australasian Empire to the east.

The PCA enters the world stage with Industrial II, while the RoP enters it with Navy II.

RUSSIA INVADES FARS. General Mark Filippov in a previous life was a politician, but he has taken up the role of general effectively. The Russian invasion of Fars is the first test of the new Russo-Incan army doctrine, and the test has met with mixed results. The speed of the invasion put the local forces on the back foot, granting Russian forces the initiative. The Russians had local forces on the ropes for most of the battles in Fars before General Filippov, believing his advantage to be high, ordered a full charge all along. Disaster struck, and by the end of Filippov’s charge, both sides were in gross disarray, neither capable of capitalize on the outcome of the battle. [-13 IP for Russia, -12 IP for Fars]

EMPIRE OF CHINA MARCHES SOUTHWEST. There isn’t much to be said. The Empire of China raised four armies and marched its five armies into three provinces to the southwest. Once the capital of Shensi fell, the 1st and 2nd Army marched east to support the 3rd Army in Hupei at the same time the capital of Hunan fell to the 4th and 5th armies. The Empire of China, in terms of sheer numbers, is now the largest military on the planet, with a track record worth writing home about. [-11 IP for China]

RUSSIAN INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMS CREATING A NEW BOOM. The Russian government’s infrastructure program is hitting all the right keys in the Russian economy, creating jobs yes, but creating opportunity where opportunity did not exist before. The Russian hinterlands of Iran are now more closely connected to major population centers than ever before.

TRANSJORDANIA’S NAVY. Not many people may much mind to the Kingdom of Transjordania. It is, after all, a small power in a region of small powers. Its only military foray has ended in failure, and all in all she’s been very quietly in diplomatic circles. But don’t make the mistake of completely writing off Transjordania, because within the Haifa Naval Academy, magic is brewing. The navy may not be the most powerful, or the biggest, but it is training an unmatched cadre of naval officers, engineers, and scientists the world has never seen before. [+2 Naval Points]

MYSORE’S ROYAL AIR COMPANY MAKING WAVES IN THE SKIES. The MRAC is proving to be a hotbed of aeronautical commercial engineering. Not only that, but it is making money! [+30 Gold Savings for Mysore in Mysore]

REMEMBERING THE RIOTS. The Aceh Riots seem like ancient history today in this sleeping village in Aceh near the port where the riots occurred. The region has healed, the Australasians seem far more polite and respecting, and time has washed away many of the wounds, but the deep hurt remains.

NEWS FROM AFRICA​

SOMALI ELECTIONS BEGIN IN 2028, NEXT YEAR. It is that time again when the peoples of a democratic society come together to decide how their country will be run into the future. In 2028, elections will determine which ideology the people will embrace for the time being. For avid readers unaware with the structure of Somali society, lets remember than Somali society is divided into five broad societies: The aristocratic Boqornimada, middle class Baayacmuchtariyadii, priestly Wadaaddadii (priestly in a general, not necessarily Christian, sense), lower class Beertiisa, and soldierly Askari.

A major question this election will be how well the socialists perform. Socialism, especially the new strain of socialism known as “national socialism”, has found a small, but dedicated cadre of adherents, especially among the middle and lower classes.

THE INVASION OF THE IVORY COAST. When a referendum in the Ivory Coast rejected unification with the Amaros Republic, the Amaros 1st Army, led by Raynard Thorburn, sprung into action to take steps to securing major population centers, citing that the referendum had been rigged by dissenters. After twelve hours of fighting, the Amaros 1st Army defeated local forces with little loss. However, the whole situation has left a bad taste in the mouths of those outside the Republic who previously supported the Amaros Republic’s mission. The illegitimacy of the invasion is naked to all, and even some citizens of the Republic are thinking twice about their role in the world. [-4 IP for Amaros]

MADAGASCAR BANS WHITE EXODUS BUSINESSES. The Kingdom of Madagascar issued a ban against any and all companies found to have been funding the White Exodus from conducting business in Madagascar. The major company struck by this ruling was Sydney Holdings, a large corporations in Australia. Unfortunately, the move to ban businesses has led to an even greater Exodus has business interests from Mysore and Australasia, believing the government is using the White Exodus as a pretext to target any white-owned business, are now withdrawing from the country.

RECONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN NIGER. The Amaros Republic has begun the reconstruction process in Niger after a brutal invasion all but destroyed the region and caused a refugee crisis, which is now beginning to pick up steam. Many refugees are settling in richer Amaros cities and forming makeshift camps. Tensions between the refugee groups and locals are high, and the lack of workers in Niger is having an adverse impact on the reconstruction effort.

REFUGEE LABOR ; INDUSTRIAL BOOM; LOCAL ANGER. The refugees of Niger work for less than the average man in Calabar. A Niger female refugee can expect to be paid as much as an Amaros child while working in the great factories of the capital, and while this has proved a boom for industrial growth in the region, the people aren’t exactly pleased with this outcome.

MADGASCAR’S TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. The White Exodus is nearly over, but the effects of the exodus have impacted every part of Madagascar’s upper economy. The government has taken unprecedented steps in funding technical schools to aid in the transition. These programs, for the gold-strapped government, aren’t cheap, but are necessary.

“WHITE SLAVERY”. “While we respect the right of people to migrate, we cannot allow these so-called charities to continue operating within our country. These organisations are funded by people with anti-Madagascan and anti-African agendas with the sole aim of causing a labour shortage in our kingdom.” European Madagascans are demanding an immediate overturn of the law. Some extreme European groups have said this is proof that the government sees whites in the country as merely a source of labor. The ban of all charities subsidizing European Madagascans leaving the country, as well as all businesses associated with these charities, has had a major impact on poor whites in the country who relied on the charities or worked in these business. The White Exodus, which for so long had had a somewhat stabilizing impact on Madagascar, now has some petitioning Australasia and Mysore for immediate intervention.

NEWS FROM THE AMERICAS​

THE LONE STAR NATION. Norbert Walker’s grand speech before the destruction of the great Mexican imperial monument in Imperial City set Texas on a path to modernity and geopolitical relevance. Texas, along with the State of Louisiana and Levantine Republic, signed the Treaty of Galveston. While the economic provisions of the treaty were expected, the fact Louisiana and the Levantine Republic would band together against the Empire of Mexico (the presumed power who would threaten Texan independence) to guarantee the independence of Texas has not been lost diplomats.

What could this mean for the region?

BRASIL INVADES ENTRE RIOS. The Brasilian force tasked with the invasion of Entre Rios, on paper, is pretty impressive. Two armies supported by the world’s first dedicated air fleet. Fighting against poorly organized, poorly-armed locals, it seemed like a shoe-in for Brasil. Little did Brasil know that her trio of leaders were, at best, amateur, and at worst incompetent.

Ansaldo Vinci, general of the 1st Brasilian Army, is a timid man who managed to rise to the position of general seemingly through connections and old age. General Ernesto Mateus was a bureaucrat in a previous life renowned for his cowardice. Tomas Soares, Fleet General of the 1st Brasilian Air Fleet, is an intuitive amateur.

The invasion didn’t end with the entire Brasilian armed forces being routed, but did end with local forces resisting the initial invasion long enough to organize into the Free Brasilian Republic. [-12 IP for Second Empire of Brasil. -11 IP for Free Brasilian Republic].

OPERATION: HEART OF DIXIE. The State of Louisiana launched an invasion of Alabama. Under the command of Stu Roy, a brash drillmaster, the 1st Army marched deep into Alabama, seemingly unopposed, until all hell broke loose. Local resistance fighters ambushed Louisianan forces, achieving an incredible victory after the 1st Army pulled off a desperate, by successful, retreat. [-6 IP for Louisiana. -1 IP for the Confederate State of Alabama.]

WAR FOR PUERTO RICO. What can be said about General Travis of the Reconnaissance Army of the Levantine Republic? Those who know him say he is can keep his cool even in the worst situations, and the man has an aristocratic background. Tasked with the continued pacification of Puerto Rico, General Travis must’ve knew he was fighting an uphill battle. Fighting an enemy with substantial strategic control over the province, the initial skirmishes were slightly in the favor of local forces.

Then, there was a lull in fighting. Supplies were shipped into Puerto Rico, and local forces organized and prepared for the next round of combat. Another round of indecisive combat before calamity struck in July. General Travis, hoping that the locals were still disorganized, divided his forces and launched several attacks across the front while the locals put together a solid defense.

Suffering a catastrophic loss in military morale and organization, the Reconnaissance Army beat a hasty retreat to landing craft and fled the island. They were not pursue by local forces. [-6 IP for Levantine Republic. -2 IP for Puerto Rico]

IMPERIAL AIRWAYS. The Second Empire of Brasil’s response to the Royal Air Company of Mysore was Imperial Airways. While less ambitious and with lesser funding, the IA-B is proving itself immensely already. Time will tell how the IA performs. [Brasil’s debt in Rio de Janeiro reduced to 43 gold]

THE LEVANTINE CARIBBEAN FINISHES RECONSTRUCTION. Years after the hurricane struck the region, Cuba has finally repaired all outstanding infrastructure damage from that disaster, much to the joy of locals.

NEWS FROM EUROPE​

CORRUPTION SCANDAL STRIKES SWISS GUARD. Several civilian officials of the Pontifical Swiss Guard have been accused of accepting bribes and blackmail by one of Italy’s largest and most respected papers. The author of the article spent several months gathering evidence and testimony, and many believe the case to be airtight. People are demanding the government take steps to bringing these men to justice, a few of which have already resigned. The person in charge of the PSG has not been implicated, but several who work directly for him have.

THE FAITH DEBATES RENEWED. What is the proper role of religion in Levantine society? The Faith Debates, which pitted the Moralists against the Secularists, seemed to have been over by early-2027 until a moralist filibustered a government bill to fund the Reconnaissance Army in Puerto Rico by reciting parts of the bible for several hours. Faith is a divisive issue in the country still.

FINANCIAL NEWS​

The following countries have automatically borrowed due to having a negative treasury.

Brasil (3 gold)
Confederal State of Alabama (8 gold)
Fars (6 gold)
Puerto Rico (6 gold)

The Confederal State of Alabama, Fars, and Puerto Rico are requesting financial assistance from the international community.

TECHNOLOGY NEWS
The Kingdom of Mysore, New Inca Empire, Australasian Empire, Zulu Empire, FCSP, and UDI advance to Army II!
The Zulu Empire, Empire of Mexico, and Empire of China advance to Navy II!
The Empire of China advances to Air II!
The Zulu Empire and Empire of Mexico advance to Commercial II!
The FCSP and UDI advance to Industrial III!
The Empire of China advances to Industrial II!

The Second Empire of Brasil and Great Bulgaria advance to Army II!
The Kingdom of Transjordania advances to Navy II!
The Empire of China advances to Commercial II!
The New Inca Empire and Australasian Empire advance to Industrial III!

The FCSP advances to Commercial III!
The Kingdom of Mysore advances to Industrial III!


Levantine Republic, Kingdom of Transjordania, and the Russian Imperial Republic advance to Army II!
The Levantine Republic, Kingdom of Madagascar, and Great Bulgaria advance to Navy II!
The Levantine Republic, Great Bulgaria, and Russian Imperial Republic advance to Air II!
The Kingdom of Transjordania, Great Bulgaria, and Russian Imperial Republic advance to Commercial II!
The Kingdom of Transjordania and Russian Imperial Republic advance to Industrial II!

The Second Empire of Brasil advances to Navy II!
The Kingdom of Madagascar advances to Commercial II!

The Russian Imperial Republic advances to Navy II

The Kingdom of Madagascar advances to Industrial II!

GM NOTES
Trade has seen some massive rebalancing as figuring out which nodes trade which what nodes in which way based on the map grew way too cumbersome. As such, the growth bonus for being an importer has been greatly buffed.

Amphibious Landing (for Navy) and Drop Support (for Air) replaced with Marines and Parafighters. See Military for more information.

See the second post in this thread, at the bottom, to look up even more military changes.

 

[Sonereal]

Entre Rios and Fars are demanding an immediate withdrawal of any and all forces occupying sovereign territory.

 

[christos200]

Can I rejoin? Is Empire of China an NPC? If yes, I would like to join as them.

 

[Sonereal]

You can rejoin.

(Save me from work Christos-sama)

 

[JohannaK]

To Puerto Rico

The Levantine Republic wishes to repair the broken bonds of fraternity by offering to you as much help as is needed. Name an amount and you shall have it.

 

[christos200]

New Prime Minister

- Hu Weide
​

The Empire of China has a new Prime Minister after Hu Jiantao resigned due to health reasons. Hu Weide, brother of the former Prime Minister, is a prominent member of the Conservative Party due to his staunch conservatism and his advocacy for more interventionist foreign policy. He wants to further reduce red tape and cut taxes. He also advocates stimulus packages for small business.

Economic Growth Bill passed​

The new Prime Minister, Hu Weide, has passed an Economic Growth Bill which will lower taxes almost by half. The new tax cuts have been controversial among some moderate conservatives and the liberal opposition, but the Prime Minister has defended them as being necessary for economic growth. "Too much of the peoples' income goes to the state. If the businessman cannot make profit, why and how will he invest and create new jobs in the private sector? Furthermore, taxes not only are counterproductive to the economy, for they increase the cost of production, but they also limit our liberties. When the state robs you of your hard-earned money, is this not an attack on your liberty? The state should levy only as much taxes as are necessary in order to function a limited government. Further taxation is theft!"

The new Bill also legislated a Stimulus Package for small businesses and start up businesses. This Stimulus Package aims to help small businesses to grow and to stimulate the economy through increasing the spending prowess of the businessmen, who in turn are expected to expand their business. "This stimulus package, in combination with our extensive tax cuts, will not only increase productivity, but shall also stimulate the economy and expand it, creating tens of thousands of new jobs."

Concluding, Hu Weide said: "The Conservative Party aims to lower unemployment and create new wealth and our Bill serves both those aims."

The press has dubbed this economic policy (tax cuts and stimulus packages) as Weidenomics.

New Foreign Policy​

Hu Weide has also announced the beginning of a "new foreign policy for a strong and unified China". "China, using its newfound military might, should aggressively push forward for the reunification of China", the Prime Minister argued. He clarified that he will not pursue aggressive action against Panyu and will not attack its territory on Canton, but has stated that the rest of China should be reunified under the Imperial Government and shall use military force to make sure this goal is achieved. While this is not a great departure from Conservative foreign policy, the making of such a strong statement and the setting of such an ambitious goal sure is.

 

[Sonereal]

To Puerto Rico

The Levantine Republic wishes to repair the broken bonds of fraternity by offering to you as much help as is needed. Name an amount and you shall have it.

We are happy to see that the Levantine Republic is willing to let bygones be bygones. We predict that we would need at least 20 gold to hold us over until such time our economy catches up to our military.