1889 - Miracles Do Happen
Europe
In the war-torn Serbia the population has been on the move. Much of the regular Serbian army and a lot of refugees have fled the nation heading for nearby Rumania and eventually to the safety of Russia. This put even more confidence into the already victorious Austrians and as soon as possible the generals signaled the attack. They were however challanged right from the first days. An incredibly well organized army and very well supplied has appeared in Serbia over the winter. This army matched the Austrian one in every engagement and with its clever partisan tactics cut the supply lines and ambushed small groups of soldiers. With the new victories the partisans of Montenegro joined hand in hand with their brothers in Serbia and they now control a part of Southern Austrian Empire. The Generals are at a loss as to how to deal with this new and unexpected problem. Miracles do happen.
Just North of Austria a world war was narowly averted. Russia annexed the islands of Denmark and the new nation of Iceland and Greenland was given independance. The German and French forces continued to push north into the remnants of Sweden. With the spring came a massive artillary bombardment of Norway. German divisions opened fire and practically leveled whole villages and cities that offered any resistance, or just those that were in the way. Little actual advancement of troops took place during this time as Germany wished to brake the morale of the Norwegians. When the army finally moved in to their horror they found that every person capabale of weilding a weapon did so and was shooting back promising revenge on the germans for the destruction that the artillary bombardment caused. The German columns marched to the major cities with hardly any resistance, but they are under constant partisan attack and have no way to control the countryside. Whenever troops leave the outposts they come under heavy fire and are forced to retreat. This year has seen the biggest german loses in a war since the times of Napoleon. Miracles do happen. To add to the situation the destroyed cities of Sweden offer little help to the german economy. Factories are mostly destroyed by the Swedes, the population refuses to work, and sabotages any attempts at production. The economy in Germany continues to skyrocket as more and more war-oriented plants are opened, but now many are privatley owned, and the government is looking at this with distrust since they will not be able to control the economy as well should something happen. On a brighter note the Dane and the Southern Swedes have been very quite, there have been no partisan actions or attepts to resist. The Germans are pleasantly surprised. Miracles do happen.
The Russian occupation of Denmark was marked by another very important event. The Danes who are now working for Russia have constructed and tested a new Vicking Class Destroyer. This ship is incredibly expensive, however it is virtually unstopable by any modern ship with its heavy armor, increased firepower and range it is the best ship up to date.
America
Just weeks after the Vicking Class Destroyer is announced the Americans shock the world by presenting the Steel Destroyer. This is, even if not as impressive as the Vicking, is almost as cheap as the steamers used by most nations and easily outclasses most of them. It is fast, more durable, and can take a lot more punishment than a normal ship. The US has already begun production of these new ships.
Africa
Portugal and France poor money and soldiers into their colonial empires, and it pays off. Both nations' colonies expand throughout the continent, and the economic advisors say that these colonies should be paying for themselves within the next 2 years if such expansion is kept up.
Transvaal and Oranje Free State are finally unified into one Boer country. This new nation in South Africa is surprisingly powerful with industry that matches that of the European countries and a very larde sized army. The natives have been giving the Boers minor trouble in the North, but that is to be expected.
Asia
The Netherlands lauch a final assault against Arijeh and the nation collapses. The leaders promise to return and kick the Dutch from their ansestral lands, but for now the Dutch have gained a new valuable colony.
The constat thorn in the British side - Afghanistan, is not quite again. The most powerful warlord, the one that the British supported managed to unite the country behind him. Now he claims that some of the regions occupied by the British are really Afghani and the reaids across the border have started again.
A deal was almost made in China, but in the final stages the talks ran into a wall and the war continues. Though with little enthusiasm from either side. The Cixi talks much, but does little and her army in the north dispersed into the country side acting more like robbers than like an army now. The Chinese send an expedition across the Himalayas into India, however the army is so exhausted by the time it gets there that it does not make it very far. The Chinese assault on Shanghai is brave, and the Chinese are right outside the city now, but the British have fortified it, and the Chinese refuse to charge towards their shure death towards the British fortifications. China makes a blunder in the south where a peasant is made general of an army. He might fight well and yell very loudly, however he has no skills of a general and cannot read, which leads to a disaster in the South with the British army quickly advanceing into China. Finally China relaxes its grip around Hong Kong and this time the Brits break through. The army is heading north along the coast under the support of the British navy.
OOC: I am sorry if I forgot anything, there was a lot of orders around Sweden and China that I had to get straight. Hope its all here.